Khamenei: Not Against ‘Proper’ Diplomatic Moves
President Barack Obama said today in
Washington that he is prepared to “test” whether Iran’s new President Hassan
Rouhani is sincere about his desire to open dialogue with the U.S.
“There are indications that Rouhani … is somebody who is looking to open dialogue with the West and with the United States in a way that we haven’t seen in the past. And so we should test it,” Obama said.
The president made the remark in an interview with Telemundo, the American Spanish-language broadcast television network.
On Sunday, Obama confirmed publicly during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” that he has exchanged letters with Rouhani and remains hopeful the two can “strike a deal” over Iran’s nuclear program
Obama told Telemundo that the content of his letter to Rouhani was that the U.S. was interested in resolving the nuclear issue “in a way that would allow Iran to rejoin the international community.”
“There are indications that Rouhani … is somebody who is looking to open dialogue with the West and with the United States in a way that we haven’t seen in the past. And so we should test it,” Obama said.
The president made the remark in an interview with Telemundo, the American Spanish-language broadcast television network.
On Sunday, Obama confirmed publicly during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” that he has exchanged letters with Rouhani and remains hopeful the two can “strike a deal” over Iran’s nuclear program
Obama told Telemundo that the content of his letter to Rouhani was that the U.S. was interested in resolving the nuclear issue “in a way that would allow Iran to rejoin the international community.”
“But it’s [Iran] going to have to show the international
community that it’s not trying to weaponize nuclear power,” Obama added.
(Telemundo/ABC News, 17 September)
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told IRGC
senior commanders today that he was not against “proper” diplomatic moves.
“Diplomacy is the field of smiling and requests for talks,” Khamenei said. “I am not opposed to proper moves in diplomacy, and I still believe in what I named years ago as champion’s leniency.” (khamenei.ir, 17 September)
“Diplomacy is the field of smiling and requests for talks,” Khamenei said. “I am not opposed to proper moves in diplomacy, and I still believe in what I named years ago as champion’s leniency.” (khamenei.ir, 17 September)
Blogger’s Note: It was not clear what His Eminence meant
by “smiling and request for talks.” This blogger believes that smiling and
request for more talks would not resolve the nuclear impasse between Iran and
the West.
If the new round of negotiations is to succeed, the talks should
revolve around substantive issues, and most importantly on actions on part of
Iran to confirm Ayatollah Khamenei’s opposition to building nuclear weapons by
Iran, and on part of the West by immediate removal of oil and banking sanctions
against the country.
"“There are indications that Rouhani … is somebody who is looking to open dialogue with the West and with the United States in a way that we haven’t seen in the past."
ReplyDeleteLike when then President Rasfanjani made an outreach toward American business only to have it shut down by Clinton?
Like when then President Khatami provided critical support to the United States leading up to and during the initial phase of Operation Enduring Freedom, only to be branded part of an Axis of Evil by Bush?
The list goes on...
The problem with statements like these from our American president is that better informed persons are aware of the past track record of Iranian attempts to improve relations, an excellent source for such being "Going to Tehran" by former U.S. national security officials Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett.
Mark, Let’s stay with present and let the historians worry about the past. We have two new presidents that seem to be sincere in resolving the impasse peacefully. Let’s wish them best of luck.
Delete"Those who do not learn the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat its mistakes"
DeleteLet us hope that obama has learned this lesson,but considering americas past record in the region only a fool would be optimistic
US, Israel worried about Iran’s technologic achievements: Analyst
ReplyDeleteIn a Tuesday interview with Press TV, Mark Glenn, with the Crescent and Cross Solidarity Movement, said Iran’s nuclear issue serves as “an excuse” for Washington and the Tel Aviv regime to keep the illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The analyst stated, “The West and particularly Israel … cannot afford to have a country such as Iran - a Middle Eastern country, an Islamic country - being technologically independent of the West meaning that it can produce its own industrialized goods.”
What the US and Israel “are concerned about is that Iran is going to become a supplier of finished goods for the countries in the Middle East,” said Glenn, adding that they want to make sure that “Iran cannot compete with the West in terms of industrialized finished goods that can be used to supply the Middle East [countries] with the things that they need.”
He also described the pace of Iran’s progress as “amazing,” saying, “I think it’s what keeps people such as [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu awake at night.”