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07-03-09 Diplomacy 'Reset' Worries Some U.S. Allies

The Obama administration's push to engage countries like Russia,Iran and Syria is generating broad support in Europe and the Middle East.But smaller U.S. allies are cautioning Washington not to pursue this diplomatic track at their expense.Some Arab states and Israel fear U.S. diplomacy runs the risk of empowering Iran across their region.Baltic countries and former Warsaw Pact nations,meanwhile,still seek the West's protection in the face of disputes with Russia over territory and energy supplies."There are risks involved in this diplomatic strategy even while there's international support," said a Middle Eastern diplomat closely involved in the U.S.'s Iranian strategy. "It can't be seen as a sign of weakness, or as accepting Iran's nuclear program."Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Friday in Geneva with her Russian counterpart,Sergei Lavrov,and the two diplomats sought to put to rest the acrimony generated last fall by Moscow's military incursion into Georgia. Senior U.S. diplomats also are in Damascus this weekend to seek rapprochement with Syria.U.S. officials said that Mrs. Clinton pushed Mr. Lavrov not to move ahead with the sale of S-300 missile systems to Iran. President Barack Obama has told Moscow the U.S. might alter its plans for a missile-defense system in Europe, if it gets greater cooperation from Russia on Iran. Mr. Lavrov was noncommittal at a press conference. "We have not violated anything," he said in reference to Russia's military assistance to Tehran.But U.S. and Russian officials said they agreed to a road map to quickly resume disarmament talks on revamping the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty,which regulates the number of long-range nuclear weapons Washington and Moscow can possess.The treaty expires this December. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Lavrov also agreed to regularly consult on broader strategic issues,such as U.S. missile-defense plans,North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs,and efforts to stabilize Afghanistan