The Cutting Edge

The U.S. Department of State on June 22 declared its opposition to Iran's participation in a planned international summit to end the violence and death occurring in Syria, according to a government spokeswoman. Instead of welcoming Iran to the summit, the U.S. government is demanding that Iranian leaders break their strong alliance with the Assad regime in Syria.

The United States government "would like to see Iran play a far more constructive role than it's played" by not fueling the violence in Syria, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a news briefing televised on Fox News Channel on June 22. Nuland was responding to a statement made by United Nations/Arab League joint envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, who surprised many when he said Iran, Syria's closest ally, "should be part of the solution" of the Syrian crisis.

The much-criticized former UN secretary-general stated he hoped that besides the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the meeting will include governments and countries with influence any of the parties involved in the situation.

"I have made it quite clear that I believe Iran should be part of the solution," he reiterated, much to the chagrin of U.S. security and diplomacy experts who believe Iran is anything but a potential part of any peaceful solution.

Nuland said the U.S. is "continuing to work at the staff level to try to flesh out appropriate parameters for the meeting."

But she clarified that the U.S. is opposed to the involvement of Iran in this conference because it is playing "a destructive role" in Syria. "By part of the solution, we mean breaking its ties with the Assad regime, not fueling the violence," she said.

Kofi Annan is beloved by the political left, but his accomplishments appear flimsy when compared to others who've held his UN position. During his leadership there were several scandals including the Iraq Oil-for-Food scandal and inactivity during the Rwanda Genocide, according to a geopolitics professor.

Kofi Annan's Syrian strategy reminds many of his tactic of diplomacy that did little to stop the mass murder in the African country, according to Dr. Paul Sallis, an international affairs expert.

Jim Kouri writes for The Examiner, from where this article is adapted. He is the fifth Vice President and Public Information Officer of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, and has served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.