Among the many things Saddam did to anger the US was sell oil for Euros. The dollar has long been the primary currency for purchasing oil. Iran is now saying its oil bourse will open in the next couple of weeks and begin trading oil in anything but dollars.

If successful this move could anger the US much more than 1,000 speed boats littering in front of our warships. Much depends on how the dollar reacts to this new threat, if it emerges, if Iran gets the bourse up and if people use it.

Somehow over the past couple of months, underwater cables necessary to connect the markets keep getting cut. In fact, Iran is reportedly cut off from interent access at the moment. This issue is potentially explosive and questions need to be asked about the likely impact of this bourse as well as what is happening to these cables.

A lot of money could be at stake makes this issue worth pursuing.

China View is reporting the US Ambassador to the UN sat next to the Iranian Ambassador and held a discussion last Wednesday.

“Zalmay Khalilzad sat beside Iranian Foreign Minister at a panel of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday.”

The paper claims the White House is angry and denies that there is any change is its aggressive policy towards Iran.

Is the Administration developing ability to negotiate with an opponent while also bullying them? We Americans have rarely performed this type of operation well even when thought it is the common diplomatic currency of the region (Israel and Iran are both prime examples). It will be a steep learning curve but could be a good way forward.

Or is the State Department going maverick after having it recent successes with Iran tossed away by a war-before-peace White House? We could not have brought calm to Afghanistan without Iran and State wanted to build on that. Iran offered to give up all its nuclear programs and enter into partnership with the US and State was horrified by the White House’s flat “we don’t talk to evil” refusal.

Or maybe it was just an informal chat with little meaning but I welcome any opportunity to talk instead of fight.