Germany-US-Iran
A leading US senator said there was "no alternative" to diplomatic talks with Iran in a bid to help stabilize the security situation in the Middle East.

"We must engage Iran and reach a point where we can begin to negotiate. I do not see an alternative," Republican Senator Chuck Hagel (Nebraska) told the online site of the weekly Der Spiegel news magazine.

Asked whether the US should get out of Iraq or stay, Hagel replied, "We need to get out, but responsibly. Much depends on how we are going to engage Iran. That spills over into the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. It spills over into Lebanon. It spills over into the relationship with Syria."
"We need a regional strategy, and in my view that means a permanent Middle East conference in which all Middle East nations participate. The longer we stay in Iraq, the more difficult it becomes to implement such a process. Many of the Arab nations don't trust us," he added.

Hagel who is also an influential member of the foreign relations committee of the US Senate, lashed out at the Middle East policy of US President George W. Bush over the past eight years.

"What has American involvement accomplished so far? The Middle East is as combustible and as complicated as it has ever been. Our policy has been disastrous."
"We have to build relationships and define common interests. Only then is stability and security possible," Hagel went on to say.