In a clear break with the unilateralism of the former US administration, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday pushed NATO to resume direct talks with Russia and said Iran could be invited to an international conference on Afghanistan, according to dpa. "I came to deliver a clear message: the US is firmly committed to NATO, and the (Barack) Obama administration will work vigorously to renew real dialogue," Clinton said after her first meeting with fellow NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. "Smart solutions to shared challenges" involve talking to past and present foes such as Russia and Iran, and listening to Europe and regional players on ways of defeating the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, Clinton said. But her first public speech in Europe as the United States' chief diplomat contained sticks, as well as carrots. She cautioned Russia against selling long-range missiles to Tehran and insisted that a controversial missile defence shield in Central Europe was needed to counter potential attacks from terrorists and hostile states, especially Iran. "Our task is to dissuade (Iran), deter them, prevent them from acquiring a nuclear weapon which, given the range of missiles they currently have access to, threatens Europe and their Arab neighbours," Clinton said according to dpa.
