Today's Article
But does this mean
the Bush boys
aching for another
Middle East
adventure have
changed their tune?
the Bush boys
aching for another
Middle East
adventure have
changed their tune?
The American Spark
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Iran Hears "Softer Tone" From Bush Administration
By Cliff Montgomery - Apr. 23rd, 2007
The Bush Administration is showing signs of softening its sabre-rattling towards Iran, an Iranian official stated
on Sunday, but added that Tehran is still not sure if top officials will attend a meeting on Iraq with senior U.S.
officials.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said his country would decide after negotiations
this week with Iraq's foreign minister whether it will take part in a May international conference regarding the
conflict in neighboring Iraq.
Egypt is set to host the high-level meeting of representatives from such countries as Syria, Turkey and the
United States in the first week of May to discuss how to stem the violence in Iraq. The conference is a
follow-up to a March meeting held in Baghdad.
But this meeting may be unraveling before it begins. An Iranian newspaper reported earlier this month that
Tehran might not attend if American forces do not release five Iranians they are holding in Iraq. One can only
assume that it is an ancient Iranian custom to begin peace talks with a veiled threat...
But Hosseini was quick to retort that Iran had not linked the proposed conference to the release of prisoners
or other issues.
"About participating or not participating, or the level of participation, this is still under examination," Hosseini
told reporters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was preparing to hold talks with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar
Zebari this week, he added.
"After that we will announce our final decision," proclaimed Hosseini.
"The problem is the place and the context of the meeting," he stated without further elaboration.
The U.S. State Department has verified that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to attend the
meeting at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and has added she is open to direct talks with Iran over the
Iraqi situation.
America has not had official diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980, when it severed ties after the Iranian
Islamic revolution and the holding of U.S. hostages--perhaps tellingly, it is one of the few revolutions in modern
times which came from the Middle Eastern people themselves.
The Bush Administration accuses Iran of creating greater instability in Iraq--if such a thing is possible--and has
spearheaded U.N. sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear enrichment work, which administration officials
and others say may be a veiled attempt to create a nuclear bomb. Iran claims the enrichment program is strictly
for peaceful power purposes.
The first administration claim--of the Iranian government being the "bull in the china shop" of democracy that is
Iraq, holds about as little water as the falsehoods and impeachable offenses which first fooled the American
people into Iraq.
But the second claim of a possible Iranian nuclear threat is much stronger. It follows one of the necessities for
truth: a number of other governments and top experts from around the globe agree that real evidence
supports the possibility that Iran may be trying to create a nuclear weapon.
Hosseini however suggested that America may be changing its stance towards Iran. He replied in a response
to a question:
"I agree with you on the softer tone from Miss Rice and in some American officials' statements...it will be good
if we witness this change in their behavior."
"If there is goodwill and if they correct the behavior they have had so far this will create a chance for
reconsidering the kind of relations we have," he said.
Interestingly, he seems to indicate that Iran has done absolutely nothing over the past 30 years or so to bring
on any legitimate anger from the American people. I guess those American hostages really were "guests" of
the Iranian Revolution after all...
In any case, Hosseini said he saw good signs regarding the five Iranians held in Iraq. Tehran says the five are
diplomats, but the Bush Administration claims the ambassadors have links to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards,
and back Iraqi militants.
"We hope the Americans would pave the way for their release as soon as possible," he added.
Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister, Labeed Abbawi, confirmed Zebari had accepted an invitation from Tehran, and
added that the Egypt meeting and other matters would be discussed.
"We think that the presence of Iran and the rest of Iraq's neighboring countries is important and necessary for
the success of this conference," Abbawi said.
By Cliff Montgomery - Apr. 23rd, 2007
The Bush Administration is showing signs of softening its sabre-rattling towards Iran, an Iranian official stated
on Sunday, but added that Tehran is still not sure if top officials will attend a meeting on Iraq with senior U.S.
officials.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said his country would decide after negotiations
this week with Iraq's foreign minister whether it will take part in a May international conference regarding the
conflict in neighboring Iraq.
Egypt is set to host the high-level meeting of representatives from such countries as Syria, Turkey and the
United States in the first week of May to discuss how to stem the violence in Iraq. The conference is a
follow-up to a March meeting held in Baghdad.
But this meeting may be unraveling before it begins. An Iranian newspaper reported earlier this month that
Tehran might not attend if American forces do not release five Iranians they are holding in Iraq. One can only
assume that it is an ancient Iranian custom to begin peace talks with a veiled threat...
But Hosseini was quick to retort that Iran had not linked the proposed conference to the release of prisoners
or other issues.
"About participating or not participating, or the level of participation, this is still under examination," Hosseini
told reporters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was preparing to hold talks with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar
Zebari this week, he added.
"After that we will announce our final decision," proclaimed Hosseini.
"The problem is the place and the context of the meeting," he stated without further elaboration.
The U.S. State Department has verified that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to attend the
meeting at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and has added she is open to direct talks with Iran over the
Iraqi situation.
America has not had official diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980, when it severed ties after the Iranian
Islamic revolution and the holding of U.S. hostages--perhaps tellingly, it is one of the few revolutions in modern
times which came from the Middle Eastern people themselves.
The Bush Administration accuses Iran of creating greater instability in Iraq--if such a thing is possible--and has
spearheaded U.N. sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear enrichment work, which administration officials
and others say may be a veiled attempt to create a nuclear bomb. Iran claims the enrichment program is strictly
for peaceful power purposes.
The first administration claim--of the Iranian government being the "bull in the china shop" of democracy that is
Iraq, holds about as little water as the falsehoods and impeachable offenses which first fooled the American
people into Iraq.
But the second claim of a possible Iranian nuclear threat is much stronger. It follows one of the necessities for
truth: a number of other governments and top experts from around the globe agree that real evidence
supports the possibility that Iran may be trying to create a nuclear weapon.
Hosseini however suggested that America may be changing its stance towards Iran. He replied in a response
to a question:
"I agree with you on the softer tone from Miss Rice and in some American officials' statements...it will be good
if we witness this change in their behavior."
"If there is goodwill and if they correct the behavior they have had so far this will create a chance for
reconsidering the kind of relations we have," he said.
Interestingly, he seems to indicate that Iran has done absolutely nothing over the past 30 years or so to bring
on any legitimate anger from the American people. I guess those American hostages really were "guests" of
the Iranian Revolution after all...
In any case, Hosseini said he saw good signs regarding the five Iranians held in Iraq. Tehran says the five are
diplomats, but the Bush Administration claims the ambassadors have links to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards,
and back Iraqi militants.
"We hope the Americans would pave the way for their release as soon as possible," he added.
Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister, Labeed Abbawi, confirmed Zebari had accepted an invitation from Tehran, and
added that the Egypt meeting and other matters would be discussed.
"We think that the presence of Iran and the rest of Iraq's neighboring countries is important and necessary for
the success of this conference," Abbawi said.