Let's talk, no strings attached

Let's talk, no strings attached
Brian Todd CNN Correspondent Iraq seems to be moving to the back-burner on the campaign. The hot national security story right now: Iran.

Brian Todd
CNN Correspondent

Iraq seems to be moving to the back-burner on the campaign. The hot national security story right now: Iran. Several analysts say this is going to be the toughest international problem for the next president.

At a CNN forum (airing this weekend), Christiane Amanpour came up with an interesting hypothetical question for five former Secretaries of State: say it's next January, after the next president's inaugurated…Iran sends a message out of the blue, saying “we're ready to work a deal, talk about anything.” How should the president respond? All five former Secretaries– three Republican, two Democrat—said the U.S. should talk to them, no strings attached.

At first glance, it seems that these statesmen (again, including three Republicans) are in agreement with Barack Obama. He's said he would sit down face-to-face with Iran's top leaders, no pre-conditions, and talk. John McCain's slammed him for that, calling him naïve. McCain says he'll continue to oppose a face-to-face with Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, without attaching strict conditions first.

But there's less distance here between McCain and these former Republican Secretaries of State than you might think. Those GOP Secretaries—Colin Powell, James Baker and Henry Kissinger—all say the talks should begin at the Secretary of State level or lower. McCain's not opposed to that, and that idea is something Obama's people tell us he agrees with as well. McCain's line in the sand: Obama shouldn't jump to sitting down with Ahmadinejad, at least not without serious conditions. McCain believes the Iranians would perceive it as a sign of weakness and take advantage.

CNN's senior political analyst, David Gergen, told us both nominees are going to have to clarify their positions to voters, will have to say what they'd do beyond the talking stage. The “jackpot” question, according to Gergen: what to do if negotiations fail, and Iran gets a nuclear weapon. McCain and Obama should be held accountable for that answer, he says, and they should get the chance to do that next week. Friday, September 26th is the first presidential debate, and it focuses on national security issues. Oh and by the way…it comes three days after Ahmadinejad speaks at the United Nations.