Appearing on CNN’s “Amanpour,” IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen warned that “engagement can be dangerous” and in the case of Iran “should be done very carefully.”

Said Mr. Rød-Larsen:

“Engagement is dangerous because if you engage the wrong way… and let me use one example. When Ehud Barak was Prime Minister he did a very heroic thing. He wanted to address all the conflicts, put an end to all of them in one go. It was heroic, and the right thing to do, in a way. But when it failed, it led to violence. That’s why how you do things can be very dangerous. That’s why those who are involved now in the front lines of negotiations have to study very carefully how did the failures of the past come about, and why.”

Mr. Rød-Larsen appeared on the April 23rd show with Robert Kagan, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and James P. Rubin, former Assistant Secretary of State in the Clinton Administration and IPI Board Member, for a discussion on the Middle East and Iran. The show is hosted by Christiane Amanpour.

Click the play button below to watch the video: