NationStates Jolt Archive

Heres an interesting article.

It seems that something in the wind has shifted. Although I am slightly skeptical as to Iran's motivations, I am also of the opinion that the possibility of civil war on their borders has not been fully thought over until now by the Iranian leadership.

I guess I can really only think of two reasons for why Iran has come to this decision.

1. Iran faces some issue, whether directly related to Iraq or not, that they feel the U.S. is in the best position to help them with.

2. Iran want's something from the U.S., and is willing to talk it over, but my guess is that whatever it is, the U.S. won't exactly be thrilled.

I hope that this can be a step in the right direction. What do you think will come of this?

---

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/16/iran.iraq.us/index.html

Report: Iran would talk with U.S. about Iraq
Thursday, March 16, 2006; Posted: 8:15 a.m. EST (13:15 GMT)

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran is willing to hold talks with the United States on Iraq, a top Iranian official said Thursday, according to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Ali Larijani, Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator and head of the country's Supreme National Security Council, made the comments during a closed-door session of Iran's parliament, IRNA said.

Larijani's statement comes a day after a top Iraqi leader called for such talks and marks a major shift in Iranian foreign policy, The Associated Press reported.

Larijani said Iran had accepted a request from Abdul Aziz al-Hakim that Tehran negotiate with Washington, IRNA said. Al-Hakim is the head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

The United States has accused Iran of sending fighters into Iraq and of providing materials for bombs. Iran denies the accusations.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently called Iran "the greatest challenge of any single country" facing America.

Washington and Tehran have no diplomatic ties and no mechanism for talks to take place.

Larijani said Tehran would accept al-Hakim's request because it wanted to promote a free and independent government in Iraq, IRNA said.

"We will appoint a negotiating team for talks soon," he said.

"To resolve Iraqi issues and help establishment of an independent and free government in Iraq, we agree to (talks with the United States)," AP quoted Larijani as telling reporters after the closed meeting of parliament.

It was the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran has officially called for dialogue with the United States, which it has repeatedly condemned as "the Great Satan," AP reported.

Al-Hakim made his request during an address on a Shiite television station on Wednesday, IRNA reported.

"I demand the leadership in Iran to open a clear dialogue with America about Iraq," AP quoted al-Hakim as saying.

"It is in the interests of the Iraqi people that such dialogue is opened and to find an understanding on various issues."

Either way, I hope there's punch and cookies.

Either way, I hope there's punch and cookies.

Do Iranians make good cookies??

Do Iranians make good cookies??

I would think so, but they probably call them "Buttons of the Prophet" or some other strangeness. That's ok ... as long as there are chocolate chips.

I would think so, but they probably call them "Buttons of the Prophet" or some other strangeness. That's ok ... as long as there are chocolate chips.

I doubt they call them that...it's leans a little towards idolatry. :p

But yes...they can call them whatever they like, as long as there are chocolate chips. :)

I doubt they call them that...it's leans a little towards idolatry. :p

Heheh .. then you're obviously not familiar with the Roses of the Prophet. :D

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/16/iran.danish.pastries.ap.ap/

See? We agree on chocolate chips. There is hope for peace whenever chocolate is involved. Jimmy Carter would be proud.

Heres an interesting article.

It seems that something in the wind has shifted. Although I am slightly skeptical as to Iran's motivations, I am also of the opinion that the possibility of civil war on their borders has not been fully thought over until now by the Iranian leadership.

I guess I can really only think of two reasons for why Iran has come to this decision.

1. Iran faces some issue, whether directly related to Iraq or not, that they feel the U.S. is in the best position to help them with.

2. Iran want's something from the U.S., and is willing to talk it over, but my guess is that whatever it is, the U.S. won't exactly be thrilled.

I hope that this can be a step in the right direction. What do you think will come of this?

---

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/03/16/iran.iraq.us/index.html

~~Snip~
From another source (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060316/iran_us_talks_060316?hub=World&s_name=&no_ads=)(Canadian) we have this:

A top Iranian official said Thursday that Tehran was ready to open talks with the United States over Iraq, marking a major shift in Iranian foreign policy a day after a top Iraqi leader called for such talks.

Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator and also secretary of the country's Supreme National Security Council, told the Islamic Republic News Agency that any talks between the United States and Iran would deal only with Iraqi issues.

This makes a lot of sense in that the sooner the Iraqi situation is resolved, the sooner that US troops would be leaving the area?

"To resolve Iraqi issues and help establishment of an independent and free government in Iraq, we agree to (talks with the United States),'' Larijani told reporters after a closed meeting of the parliament Thursday.

The statement marked the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran had officially called for dialogue with the United States, which it has repeatedly condemned as "the Great Satan.''

The proposal to hold direct talks on Iraq came in response to a request from senior Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who on Wednesday called for Iran-U.S. talks on Iraq.

Al-Hakim has close ties to Iran, and heads one of the main Shiite parties in Iraq, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Also of interest from the same article:

The United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran in 1979 after the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was seized by students to protest Washington's refusal to hand over Iran's former monarch to Iran for trial. Militant students held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Tehran-Washington relations began thawing after the 1997 election of former President Mohammad Khatami, who called for cultural and athletic exchanges to help bring down the wall of mistrust between both countries.

But relations worsened after U.S. President George W. Bush named Iran as part of an "axis of evil'' and after the election of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and growing differences over Iran's nuclear activities.

I have said this all along, that it was Bush who made relations with Iran worse not better, after his declaring Iran as part of an "axis of evil". I really don't think Bush wants peaceful relations with Iran, as they might interfere with the long term objective of conquest and control.

From another source (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060316/iran_us_talks_060316?hub=World&s_name=&no_ads=)(Canadian) we have this:

A top Iranian official said Thursday that Tehran was ready to open talks with the United States over Iraq, marking a major shift in Iranian foreign policy a day after a top Iraqi leader called for such talks.

Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator and also secretary of the country's Supreme National Security Council, told the Islamic Republic News Agency that any talks between the United States and Iran would deal only with Iraqi issues.

This makes a lot of sense in that the sooner the Iraqi situation is resolved, the sooner that US troops would be leaving the area?

"To resolve Iraqi issues and help establishment of an independent and free government in Iraq, we agree to (talks with the United States),'' Larijani told reporters after a closed meeting of the parliament Thursday.

The statement marked the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran had officially called for dialogue with the United States, which it has repeatedly condemned as "the Great Satan.''

The proposal to hold direct talks on Iraq came in response to a request from senior Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, who on Wednesday called for Iran-U.S. talks on Iraq.

Al-Hakim has close ties to Iran, and heads one of the main Shiite parties in Iraq, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Also of interest from the same article:

The United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran in 1979 after the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was seized by students to protest Washington's refusal to hand over Iran's former monarch to Iran for trial. Militant students held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Tehran-Washington relations began thawing after the 1997 election of former President Mohammad Khatami, who called for cultural and athletic exchanges to help bring down the wall of mistrust between both countries.

But relations worsened after U.S. President George W. Bush named Iran as part of an "axis of evil'' and after the election of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and growing differences over Iran's nuclear activities.

I have said this all along, that it was Bush who made relations with Iran worse not better, after his declaring Iran as part of an "axis of evil". I really don't think Bush wants peaceful relations with Iran, as they might interfere with the long term objective of conquest and control.
Yep. Its the incompetence and the ideological rigidity, stupid.


Not you, I mean Bush. It's a call back to the dumper sticker slogan that got his dad defeated. you know, "It's the economy, stupid."

Bump!

Did you know that Iran has issued a Fatwa against Terrorists? That it fights hard to destroy the drug trade from Afghanistan that funds AQ (some 3,000 Iranian troops died in the fighting there)? That its Supreme Ayatollah said that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons?

All interesting facts that I learned today. Really, the US and Iran have the same interests in the Middle East: Political Stability, Containment of radical Sunni Islamic movements, a stable market for resources.