Senators support limited Iran diplomacy

by Katie Fretland Seven senators, including Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), sent a letter to President Bush today endorsing a limited diplomatic presence in Iran. Durbin joins Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in support of opening an interests section in the country that has been at odds with the West over its nuclear weapons programs. "We know that a hands-off approach has isolated us and strengthened Iran," Kerry said. "The administration's decision to reverse course and join direct talks with Tehran is the right one, however late. While the United States has remained on the sidelines and outsourced our diplomacy to Europe, Iran used that time to continue to master the nuclear fuel cycle and get closer to a nuclear... [read full story]