Why we should talk to our enemies

Speaking of Khalilzad, he was rebuked by the State Department overnight for debating the Iranian foreign minister at the Davos World Economic Forum. The US and Iran are not on speaking terms, and Khalilzad's actions were apparently a no-no. The extreme silliness of this stance reminded me of a rivetting interview I saw yesterday with the FBI agent who served as Saddam Hussein's interrogator. One of the most revealing aspects of the interview was the astonishing ignorance Saddam had of the US — he got most of his knowledge from Hollywood movies. The moral: talking with your adverseries can't solve every problem, but it can promote mutual understanding and reduce the chances of miscalculation.