Iran considers diplomatic ties with U.S.

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Looks like they’re going for the Chinese model…

Iran considers diplomatic ties with U.S.](http://216.26.163.62/2003/ss_iran_04_13.html)

For the first time, Iran’s ruling clergy is said to be considering establishing diplomatic relations with the United States.

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who heads a panel established by the clergy, outlined ways that Teheran could restore ties with the United States. Rafsanjani said this could include either a national referendum or a decision by his Expediency Council, Middle East Newsline reported.

“One solution is to hold a referendum to see what the society says provided the parliament approves it and then it is accepted by the supreme leader,” Rafsanjani said in an interview with the Rahbord periodical and quoted by the official Islamic Republic News Agency. “The other solution is that the problem is referred to us [at the council] and we discuss it and announce what is expedient. Of course, the leader should approve this too.”

Rafsanjani’s reference was to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, regarded as the supreme leader of Iran. The Rahbord — “strategy” in Farsi — periodical is published by the Center for Strategic Studies.

Western diplomatic sources said Rafsanjani’s remarks could imply a significant departure from the ruling clergy’s opposition to relations with Washington. For several years, Rafsanjani’s successor, Mohammed Khatami, examined the prospect of restoring ties with Washington, but his policy was overruled by the clergy. snip…]

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This is not the first time,,, Rafsanjani tried that during Clintons administration and it was shot down by mullahs and US showed no interest either.

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Are Iranian policies based on hypocrisy?

" We hate Taliban and we will continue our support for the Northern Alliance." Northern Alliance was aided by Israel, India & U.S. So whose side were the Iranians. Ok. the taliban were bad, atleast they could have remained neutral in that case.

"We hate Saddam and we also hate the U.S." So whose side were they on. Saddam was bad but what is now is even worse. They could have stayed neutral.

Iran's deep ties with India are also not unknown!

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it is said Iran has no friends ... God knows if thats the truth ..

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My dear not-so-laeq khan, hypocrisy is not the hallmark of a single nation. Care to refresh your memory when the Pakistan government dropped its darling Taliban, the Frankenstein created by the Pak Military, like a sack of hot potatoes and allowed the US the use of its bases to attack Afghanistan? You can’t blame a country for a matter of self-interest.

In any case Iran has historic and cultural ties with Afghanistan. Despite their ideological differences with Iran people like Rabbani, Abdullah and others were living in Iran during the Taliban rule. The first people to enter into the razed to the ground Afghanistan were Iranians. Apart from distributing aid to people in Afghanistan despite the fact there are million of Afghanis in Iran itself, Iran was already re-building roads, and other infrastructure in Afghanistan which the US finally had to admit :rolleyes:. The Iranian stand on the war in iraq is/was neutral. They never have loved Saddam but in recent years they were negotiating xchange of prisoners etc (in case u r in any doubt about what happened to iranis the skulls and bones recently shown on tv is one example). Incidentally if you listen to what Iranian leaders r saying you will understand they believe US presence in iraq is more destabilising and threatening – get a map and join the dots of where us forces r: iraq in the west afganistan to the east and the Persian gulf, dotted with US navy bases, to the south and you can see iran is surrounded, and its more than just a coincidence.

As for India, well if the overland Iran to India pipeline goes ahead, Pakistan should realise the many benefits it can get from it. Thers no need to oppose just because of its dislike of india if its a win win situation for pak.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Wada Saien: *
it is said Iran has no friends ... God knows if thats the truth ..
[/QUOTE]

Well here is some information to help you decide for yourself:
Iran has very good diplomatic relations with practically every country except the US and Israel (Iran does not recognise Israel). Iran has very strong trade and economic ties with nearly every country except the US and Israel. The US position is largely self-inflicted because of the embargos and sanctions it has placed on Iran. I think if they were lifted today, Iran would have no problem in doing business as directed by its own interest, with US, without any American pre-conditions. After the revolution, during the height of US-Iran animosity in the 1980s and the hostage taking of Americans etc, people in the National Security Council in Washington were busy selling arms and equipments to Iran (Iran-Contra Affair). Even today the diplomatic wrangling between the two countries is done through a third party, through the Embassies in Pakistan, I think. Because Iran is of the view it is against the policies of American Administration and not the American people, it does still maintain cultural educational and some business relations.

As for other countries, Russia, China, India, Germany, France, UK etc, their relation with Iran can be understood in this way: if their stance for war against Iraq was based on their interests in Iraq, you can be sure that should Iran be threatened, there would be an outcry and their stance against war on Iran would be 50 times more stronger because of their existing economic and trade ties. Iran has cultivated these ties because it knows its survival and strength depends upon it. Unlike NK, it has never had an isolationist policy (post the early 80s). Instead, by maintaining such good relations, and not cutting off relationship with the outside world it has made the US policy towards Iran seem isolationist which can be seen from the world wide condemnation of the axis of evil comment. If there’s anything the Hoza Najaf and Qom educated ‘mullahs’ know and put to use to rival their Ivy League and Oxbridge educated contemporaries, its realpolitiks.
As for its relationship with countries in the mid-east, Syria and Lebanon remain the closest allies of Iran. Again it has trade ties with gulf states and being a member of OPEC it is more than influential. Other more significant relationships in the last few years much to the worry of US include its increasingly friendlier relations with Saudi Arabia.

Strategically, Iran has historic and cultural relations and is very influential with its northern (oil abundant) neighbours, former USSR countries Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan etc (a proportion of its own ethnic population) and a lot of people in these countries are Persian/farsi speaking like those in Afghanistan. It is a fact Iran is better off without Saddam and Taliban. US interference notwithstanding, Iran will try to maintain its influence with iraq on the basis of same ideology (it was the Iraqi Baqir Sadr, a genius in his own right, who wrote Iran’s constitution after the revolution) as it is doing with Afghanistan on the basis of shared culture. The US understand the potential of Iran developing into a regional power very well.

For a country that is only 23 years old, The Islamic Republic of Iran has a very impressive track record of diplomacy. The US would be better off joining them instead of trying to ‘beat’ them.

Anyway back to the topic, as I said before the real issue here is how to get Bush and co to understand what diplomacy is.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Abdali: *
This is not the first time,,, Rafsanjani tried that during Clintons administration and it was shot down by mullahs and US showed no interest either.
[/QUOTE]

ayatollah organised his revoution against shaw from where? france

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The very dear Rhia

I am the person who loves Iran more than any country in the world besides my own! I guess you are right and no country is perfect but Iran does have some mistakes!

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Many good points, Rhia :k:

More news out of Iran:
Now they’re on the record with it…
Iran Won’t Recognize U.S.-Led Iraq Gov’t](Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More)