Hagel Has Advocated For Direct, Unconditional Diplomacy With Iran

In 2007, Hagel Sent A Letter To President Bush Urging The U.S. To Pursue “Direct, Unconditional, And Comprehensive Talks With The Government Of Iran.” “I have just secured a private letter – not yet publicly released – from Senator Chuck Hagel to President Bush and copied to Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates, and Stephen Hadley. I should add that I did not receive this letter from Senator Hagel but from other sources. The letter urges the President to pursue ‘direct, unconditional, and comprehensive talks with the Government of Iran.’” [The Huffington Post, 10/31/07]

Hagel: “Any Lasting Solution To Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program Will Also Require The United States’ Direct Discussions With Iran.” SEN. CHUCK HAGEL: “Any lasting solution to Iran’s nuclear weapons program will also require the United States’ direct discussions with Iran. The United States is capable of engaging Iran in direct dialogue without sacrificing any of its interests or objectives.” [Remarks At The Council On Foreign Relations, 11/15/05]

In Hagel’s Book, “America: Our Next Chapter”, He Advocated For “Direct Dialogue” With The Iranian Regime. “In dealing with Iran, we must not forget that every country is unique with its own particular history, culture, problems, strengths, and weaknesses. We cannot expect to approve of or agree with all the actions of the governments of every one of the world’s countries. Nor can we simply ignore those with whom we disagree. Isolating nations is risky. It turns them inward, and makes their citizens susceptible to the most demagogic fear mongering. Unfortunately, that is what America’s strategy has been over the last several years in dealing with Iran. We rebuffed an opportunity for direct dialogue in 2003 following our toppling of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. And we never fully explored the possibility of greater bilateral dialogue during the time when the reformist Iranian president Ayatollah Mohammad Khatami was in office, from 1997 through 2002.” [“America: Our Next Chapter”, 4/22/08]