Obama launches (diplomatic) offensive at Iran
President Obama’s taped appearance on Leno last night has gotten a lot of attention, and understandably so. But Obama also taped a more substantial message to the people of Iran, timed for the national holiday of Nowruz. (Nowruz celebrates the first day of spring and is also the first day of the Iranian new year. There’s a nice symmetry to that concept, timing the new year with the season of renewal).
As Obama noted in the message (see below), relations between Iran and the United States have been strained for three decades now. Left as unspoken subtext was the reality that our current dispute with Iran focuses on its nuclear weapons program. Iran has a lot of different motives for seeking nuclear weaponry, among them its sense that it has been denied its rightful place among the nations of the world and that it needs a nuclear capability to fend off potential invasion by the United States.
Obama’s remarks tried to address both problems, in one case directly, in the other obliquely.
“My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community. This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect.
You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right — but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization. And the measure of that greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to build and create.”
I suspect that gesture is getting an awful lot of attention and discussion in Iran and probably around the world. It is certainly a very different way of doing business than that practiced by George W. Bush. Maybe it won’t work, but nothing is lost in the trying. It can conceivably strengthen the hand of moderates in the upcoming Iranian elections. In the event of rejection by Iraq, the fact that Obama made such a high profile effort to reach out should strengthen the American hand in organizing international sanctions later.
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88 comments Add your comment
I Report/ You Whine
March 20th, 2009
11:28 am
Iran has a lot of different motives for seeking nuclear weaponry, among them its sense that it has been denied its rightful place among the nations of the world and that it needs a nuclear capability to fend off potential invasion by the United States.
It’s always America’s fault, ain’t it?
Truly disgusting Bookman and further proof of your “dislike” of the Israeli people.
Private Parts/Corporal Punishment
March 20th, 2009
11:31 am
Diplomacy is for wussies!
Brad Steel
March 20th, 2009
11:34 am
The Iranians should give the US the benefit if the doubt.
The US would never! invade a sovereign state in the middle east. Unless they had lots of oil and there was was some type of completely unrelated terrorist attack.
Comment
March 20th, 2009
11:38 am
Speaking of Leno, looks like PresBO will get yet another pass on his bowling capabilities comment…
Yup, the double standard is alive and well…
The Corporal
March 20th, 2009
11:47 am
When all the peace efforts/attempts are over, there are only two ways left to deal with despotic led countries like Iran. The question is will the Obama administration have the guts to step up to the plate?
1) Invade them, get rid of the insane leadership, give the people a decent chance at freedom and then leave. There is a 90% chance this will fail due to the Islamic fanaticism involved and in addition the American people at this time in our history don’t like to do that.
2) Marginalize them on the world scene militarily (with a few good strikes now and then), politically and economically. They will still be a thorn in the side but at least manageable.
Copyleft
March 20th, 2009
11:58 am
Unless, of course, the peace and diplomacy efforts WORK…
which seems to be Corporal’s worst nightmare. The prospect of NOT nuking somebody causes him to lose sleep at night, it seems.
Dave R
March 20th, 2009
12:05 pm
Diplomacy only works with nations who have appointed or elected sane leaders.
Despots are like rabid dogs, and cannot be negotiated with.
The only thing you need to know about a dictator is how to whack ‘em.
DB, Gwinnettian
March 20th, 2009
12:13 pm
Ok, show of hands–who’d ever heard of Nowruz before this?
Just heard the clip. Again, Obama’s doing what we elected him to do, although frankly I’d hope that a President McCain would have done something similar, given the circumstances.
Anyway, however nutty some of the comments here might get, it will be hard for them to top Freeperville, where they are reduced to accusing Obama of purposefully “hiding the flag”!
Slick
March 20th, 2009
12:15 pm
I think President Obama’s address to the people of Iran is like a breath of fresh air and reason, after eight years of Bully Boy Bush foreign policy that has gotten us into two unnecessary and unwinnable wars, killed thousands of people, created hundreds of thousands of homeless, spent trillions of borrowed dollars – not to mention getting us into the worst economy since the Great Depression.
And some of you war mongering wags lament the passing of the tourch to an administration of reason and intelligent approaches to foreign policy…
Why am I not surprised?
GOP is gone
March 20th, 2009
12:17 pm
It sounds as if the Christian right that post here have all been current or former members of Pat Robertson’s “Let’s take em out” church.
WWJD?
One thing is for sure, if you never talk to an enemy they will always be an enemy. It is high time for the stubborn bully mindset to go away. Let’s move forward in to a new century in which we just might be able to resolve differences as grown up adults. Talk to each other in order to understand each others view points? How utterly radical. But damn, it just might work.
Bosch
March 20th, 2009
12:25 pm
I wonder who defines sane leaders, and I wonder what happens when other countries around the world think that our leaders are insane and decide to invade us and take out our leadership and put in their own folks who they define as sane.
DB, Gwinnettian
March 20th, 2009
12:26 pm
Diplomacy only works with nations who have appointed or elected sane leaders.
Did Mao meet that definition when Nixon went to China?
DB, Gwinnettian
March 20th, 2009
12:28 pm
(not that China and Iran are remotely comparable, mind you.)
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
12:30 pm
I loved that movie too. The War of the Words. Of course, the original film version with Gene Barry is the best.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
12:34 pm
WWPD. What would Pat [Roberts] Do? Why, damn them all to hell. Or, was that Charlton Heston. It doesn’t matter. If you’ve seen one war-mongering ape, you’ve seen them all.
jon
March 20th, 2009
12:35 pm
Jay: >>Iran has a lot of different motives for seeking nuclear weaponry, ….<>Let’s move forward in to a new century in which we just might be able to resolve differences as grown up adults. Talk to each other in order to understand each others view points? How utterly radical. But damn, it just might work.<<
Yea, maybe we can just all get along. That is so sweet. The terrorist supporting state of Iran, the one that has vowed the destruction of Israel and the US, just needs somebody to make nice to them. Kissy kissy, Mr. Iranian leader We love you. Now please stop trying to make nuclear bombs, that’s so bad for the environment.
david wayne osedach
March 20th, 2009
12:45 pm
Obama has to cut his You Tube theatrics and get down to governing. What is he planning next Saturday Night live?
T
March 20th, 2009
12:46 pm
Lets just invade them. I mean they have WMD’s. Then lets go to N. Korea.
Heck, why not do it simultaneously. We have all the money in the world. (funded by China)
Now where will we find the extra soldiers? Oh, the draft.
demwit
March 20th, 2009
12:47 pm
Obama is re-offering Jimmy Carter’s plan 30 years ago…, I loved the 70’s.
GOP is gone
March 20th, 2009
12:48 pm
Hey Jon,
If you are going to copy and paste MY post at least give me the credit. I will say it again, It just might work. And your simplistic statement is just that, simplistic. At least having a dialog is not going to cost Trillions of dollars and many, many lives. The “Just Bomb’em” mentality you have is usually spoken by cowards who do not so the fighting themselves.
jon
March 20th, 2009
12:53 pm
GOP, I don’t know why part of the message got dropped, there was a reply to Jay’s statement followed by an intro to yours that disappeared. Sorry I didn’t give you full credit for your simplistic belief that we can make nice with those that are sworn to destroy us.
What do we have to lose, right?
Mrs. Godzilla
March 20th, 2009
12:56 pm
Another refreshing change from our President.
Every day I am reminded how much better things are now than just a few
months ago.
If it ain’t the teleprompter it’s the teevee machine! Again,
razzing the President on the wise use of technology is EPIC FAIL.
I happen to know for a fact that the soup can the President uses for phone calls from AF1, M1 and “the beast” has plenty of cotton twine to reach from Jay Leno’s couch the the White House Sit Room.
Don’t be a’scared! He’s in touch….you are safe.
Multitasking – he does it well!
DB, Gwinnettian
March 20th, 2009
12:56 pm
Jon @ 12.53, exactly who are the “those” you describing as when you say “those that are sworn to destroy us?”
Most Iranians? Just the current titular President? the theocrats who actually run the joint, at present?
Or are you basing this on some “Death to America” placards you can recall from street demonstrations?
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
12:58 pm
What possible reason could Iran have to not trust US! After all that we have done for them.
…On that same day, the UPI wire service reported from the UN: “Mustard gas laced with a nerve agent has been used on Iranian soldiers … a team of UN experts has concluded … Meanwhile, in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, US presidential envoy Donald Rumsfeld held talks with foreign minister Tariq Aziz.”
The day before, Iran had accused Iraq of poisoning 600 of its soldiers with mustard gas and Tabun nerve gas.
There is no doubt that the US government knew Iraq was using chemical weapons. On March 5, 1984, the State Department had stated that “available evidence indicates that Iraq has used lethal chemical weapons”. The March 30, 1984, NYT reported that US intelligence officials has “what they believe to be incontrovertible evidence that Iraq has used nerve gas in its war with Iran and has almost finished extensive sites for mass producing the lethal chemical warfare agent”…
What! You mean there’s more!
Truth
March 20th, 2009
1:02 pm
Some of you are asking WWJD. Checkout the War of Gog and Magog… I believe this refers to Russia and Iran.
Private Parts/Corporal Punishment
March 20th, 2009
1:10 pm
Well… somebody tell the Irans that we’ll git’m, whack’m, bomb’m, and destroy’m. Just like we did there neighbor the Iraqs and Mr. Hoosane – (similar to Barak “Hoosane” Obama).
And with what we have learnt from the Iraqs, we can probably win with less than 1/2 the number of dead and 1/2 the price.
LINE UP – there’s gonna be a 1/2 price sale in the Iran.
G
March 20th, 2009
1:12 pm
When Bush was selected to his first term, I wasn’t happy, but I was willing to give him a chance. After four or five months in office, I saw him for the walking disaster that he is today. But the point is, I at least accepted him as my president until he proved unworthy…seems as though most of the seriously hard core Rushpublicants cannot see past their hatred of anything not Rushpublicant…thank God I can actually have civil conversations with my conservative friends in real life…the people posting here come across as though they are mainlining Pillboy and O’Roilly 24/7.
G
March 20th, 2009
1:16 pm
President Obama in one overture has started a path of reconciliation with Iran that no one thought possible.
G
March 20th, 2009
1:19 pm
The only way that the Middle Eastern countries are going to be able to wipe the slate clean and start over with us, so to speak, is to hold Bush and his administration accountable for the war crimes they committed.
This must be done first. This is what the Iranian leader was hinting at when he said, “But the way to do that is not by Iran forgetting the previous hostile and aggressive attitude of the United States.”
I agree with him.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
1:21 pm
Oh. There IS more. A LOT more.
…By the end of 1983, US$402 million in agriculture department loan guarantees for Iraq were approved. In 1984, this increased to $503 million and reached $1.1 billion in 1988. Between 1983 and 1990, CCC loan guarantees freed up more than $5 billion. Some $2 billion in bad loans, plus interest, ended up having to be covered by US taxpayers.
A similar taxpayer-funded, though smaller scale, scam operated under the auspices of the federal Export-Import Bank. In 1984, vice-president George Bush senior personally intervened to ensure that the bank guaranteed loans to Iraq of $500 million to build an oil pipeline. Export-Import Bank loan guarantees grew from $35 million in 1985 to $267 million by 1990.
According to William Blum, writing in the August 1998 issue of the Progressive, Sam Gejdenson, chairperson of a Congressional subcommittee investigating US exports to Iraq, disclosed that from 1985 until 1990 “the US government approved 771 licenses [only 39 were rejected] for the export to Iraq of $1.5 billion worth of biological agents and high-tech equipment with military application …
And, that’s not all folks.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
1:24 pm
A 1994 US Senate report revealed that US companies were licenced by the commerce department to export a “witch’s brew” of biological and chemical materials, including bacillus anthracis (which causes anthrax) and clostridium botulinum (the source of botulism). The American Type Culture Collection made 70 shipments of the anthrax bug and other pathogenic agents.
Naw! You don’t say. To where? NO! You don’t say! Well, no wonder we “knew” what Saddam had.
Truth
March 20th, 2009
1:26 pm
Get over the war ceimes thing already… It’s not gonna happen!
Truth
March 20th, 2009
1:26 pm
Crimes
rightofcenter
March 20th, 2009
1:26 pm
G,
I would hope that when you have conversations with your conservative friends, YOU are civil and don’t call them names like Rushpublicant and constantly refer to there “hatred.”
Slick: 2 unnecessary wars? Are you actually calling the Afghanistan War unnecessary? Very interesting. Perhaps you should let our esteemed leader know that, since he is doubling down there.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
1:29 pm
On September 8, 1988, the US Senate passed the Prevention of Genocide Act, which would have imposed sanctions on the Hussein regime. Immediately, the Reagan administration announced its opposition to the bill, calling it “premature”. The White House used its influence to stall the bill in the House of Representatives. When Congress did eventually pass the bill, the White House did not implement it.
You mean the Republicans aborted the preemie. That’s just sick.
Bosch
March 20th, 2009
1:39 pm
Salt and Vinegar potato chips are excellent.
G
March 20th, 2009
1:45 pm
Just because it was premature was no reason to abort it. Those Rushpublicant hypocrites.
G
March 20th, 2009
1:47 pm
roc @ 1:26, I need no etiquette lessons from anyone, the least of all, you.
GOP is gone
March 20th, 2009
1:49 pm
We must remember that the Iranian leadership is different from Iranian people on the street, just your everyday Mohammed. I know and work with many Persian people. They are not horned devils, they are just people. If you read anything about the country and people you would know that the leadership does not reflect the views of the average civilian.
But I am down right sure of one thing, if America invades or bombs Iran, EVERYONE in Iran will surely hate Americans, and rightly so. Stop to think how much hatred we Americans have developed after 9-11, and then image those bombs dropping on Alpharetta killing our families and destroying our houses. We would devote the rest of our lives to killing Iranians, which they would surely do if we bombed them. The heavy handed approach sets up a climate for terrorist to get recruits who are willing to blow themselves up to get back at aggressors.
Civilized people talk to each other. It is not that hard to understand.
GOP is gone
March 20th, 2009
1:52 pm
And I just had a wonderful toasted Einsteins bagel, that was good too. They do know how to make a bagel.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
March 20th, 2009
1:55 pm
Three words – WAG THE DOG – to take our nation’s attention off the Obama administrations bumbling of all matters economic and its culpability in the AIG debacle.
Shame on President Obama for hiding behind a non-essential Iranian initiative instead of speaking the truth about the AIG bonuses. President Obama should: a) admit that the Obama Administration knew about and approved the AIG bonuses before increasing the size of the AIG aid package; 2) the Obama Administration inserted the protection of the AIG bonuses into the stimulus package; 3) that a workable and comprehensive financial institution recovery plan will cost between $2.5 and $3.5 billion more dollars; 4) that a workable and comprehensive financial institution recovery plan will be ugly and painful to our citizenry; and 5) that certain scoundrels will inevitably profit unfit from that a workable and comprehensive financial institution recovery plan, but that it would be like throwing out the baby with the bathwater if we did not move forward with a that a workable and comprehensive financial institution recovery plan.
In fact, beyond President Obama, the media and politicians bear a great deal of shame for the Kristallnacht-like frenzy that has been whipped up against the private citizens thusly bonused by AIG who were doing little more than protecting their families by obtaining signing bonuses to stay at a troubled company. The average ignorati in the American public, fueled by slanted reporting, believes that the governmanet GAVE money to the banks. Nothing could be further than this, the Fed facilities require interest payment and TARP requires dividends, both at a rate that exceeds Treasury’s cost of funds.
Put another way, the funds were not a gift to banks; rather these funds must be paid back with interest. TARP has been very effect. LIBOR spreads have narrowed by 360 +/- bp since October, bank lending has grown moderately, and no large banks have failed since the advent of TARP. The real problem lies within the shadow banking industry where loans were bundled and securitized by monocline originators, but, at the bank level, loans have been made and balances have not shrunk as they would have had TARP not been in place.
Oh, that we had a leader with the clarity and courage exhibited by President Bush in leading the surge that ensured (subject only to the bumbling of the Obama administration) victory in the Iraqi theatre of the global war against terror.
What a horrid and shameful sight for any person who cares about America to see Charlie “What, me pay taxes?” Rangel and Barney “How should I know my lie-in was running a gay brothel from my home” Frank taking the “moral high ground” and excoriating private citizens who did nothing more than negotiate a contract and fulfill their respective commitments under the contracts.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
1:58 pm
An Einsteins bagel! Is it full of vitamin E.
GOP is gone
March 20th, 2009
2:01 pm
No, just a pure carb loading good time
The Corporal
March 20th, 2009
2:02 pm
Copyleft:
I challenge you to show me where I ever said “nuke”. No need for that. Much easier done other ways if need be. However, if we don’t get them in check, guess who might?
Dave R:
Your 12:05 – excellent point.
GOPisGone:
Where have you been? This is WJWD (what Jesus will do !):
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
Translation: Messiah came once … He’s coming again … be ready.
demwit:
Yep. Carter started most of this by letting the Shaw go down the tubes.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
2:09 pm
The Bush Family Lies. Now, there’s a feature-length film that would tell a different story than what we have ever been told by the Grand Old Party of panderers. How do they keep those horns concealed so well.
“Only on August 2, 1990, did the US agriculture department officially suspend the loan guarantees to Iraq–the same day that Hussein’s tanks and troops swept into Kuwait”, noted Frantz and Waas.
I always did wonder why the US Agriculture Dept had such huge expenditures. Who would have ever thought that it had anything to do with the Republicans and their desires to fund Saddam’s “agricultural activities” with taxpayer dollars. Riiiight. “Agricultural” activities.
Paul
March 20th, 2009
2:13 pm
I believe this is what the pundits refer to as ‘leadership.’
What’s the worse that could happen with this initiative? That we’re back where we are now. What good could come of it? Use your imagination. One thing’s for sure: if we don’t try, not only will relations not improve, they will surely continue to deteriorate.
Remember, the mullahs in Iran came up through the revolutionary 70s (same with the current Pres) and have that political slant to their ideology. That’s widely different from the majority of the populace. IF their elections are driven by old rhetoric regarding The Great Satan (us) and IF we demonstrate a willingness to change our relations AND appeal to the pride of the Iranian people (never underestimate the importance of pride and appearances) then we can cause that part of their population who are not the Islamic revolutionaries to really, really question their votes and their future.
GOP is gone
March 20th, 2009
2:13 pm
Taxpayer,
We both know that Saddam was our BFF when he was fighting the big bad Iranians for us, we could not give him arms fast enough. America has along history of meddling in other countries politics. Who helped to oust the leadership of Iran to put the Shah in charge? Good old Uncle Sam. Who invaded Cuba in the early 20th century starting a path to socialism and Castro? Good old Uncle Sam. Every time America has invaded a country with the intent to change a government it has turned out badly for us.
But some people feel that we have to be the Big Bad A$$ of the world to get any respect. I have never thought much of the playground bully.
Taxpayer
March 20th, 2009
2:14 pm
GOP is gone, I was just curious because I hear Einstein’s E is full of mc^2. That’s a lot of energy.
Paul
March 20th, 2009
2:16 pm
G
[[Just because it was premature was no reason to abort it. ]]
Great line!
The Corporal
March 20th, 2009
2:19 pm
GOP is gone:
“Every time America has invaded a country with the intent to change a government it has turned out badly for us.” Every time ????
Surely you jest? Anyone want to start the list?
The “Indian” territories
The Philippines
Germany
Japan
Italy
South Korea
Grenada
Iraq (stay tuned)
That dog won’t hunt Gop !