Hello. I'm Robert Naiman, and I'm National Coordinator and Senior Policy Analyst at Just Foreign Policy, which seeks to engage more Americans in reforming U.S. foreign policy so that it reflects the values and interests of the majority of Americans.
     Tim Johnson, who is our Representative in Congress for Illinois' 15th Congressional District, including Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, Danville, and Charleston-Mattoon, is an original co-sponsor of a bipartisan resolution (H. Con. Res. 321) introduced by Republican Representative Wayne Gilchrest and Democratic Representative John Murtha which urges President Bush to support a comprehensive diplomatic initiative in the Middle East aimed at helping stabilize Iraq, including direct U.S. engagement with Iran and Syria, as unanimously recommended by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.
    As General David Petraeus stated in congressional testimony, "there is no military solution" to the problems of Iraq.
    In its recommendation for diplomatic engagement with Iran and Syria, the Iraq Study Group said, "the United States should engage directly with Iran and Syria in order to try to obtain their commitment to constructive policies toward Iraq and other regional issues. In engaging with Syria and Iran, the United States should consider incentives, as well as disincentives, in seeking constructive results." The resolution co-sponsored by Representative Johnson calls for this recommendation to be implemented.
    The resolution also calls for implementing the recommendation of the Iraq Study Group that "There must be a renewed and sustained commitment by the United States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on all fronts."
    Just Foreign Policy is grateful to Representative Tim Johnson for his leadership on these issues. Most Americans want to see our soldiers withdrawn from Iraq as soon as possible. A comprehensive diplomatic initiative in the Middle East, including Iran and Syria, will make the safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in the near future much more likely. You can read more about efforts to engage in diplomacy with Iran on our website, www.justforeignpolicy.org.

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