DATE=4/3/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-39458
TITLE=U-S / IRAN
BYLINE=MIKE O'SULLIVAN
DATELINE=LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IRAN'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, HADI NEJAD
HOSSEINIAN, SAYS HIS COUNTRY REMAINS OPPOSED TO DIRECT
GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT TALKS WITH THE UNITED STATES. MR.
HOSSEINIAN SPOKE THURSDAY NIGHT IN (ANAHEIM) CALIFORNIA AT A
SYMPOSIUM ON IRANIAN - U-S RELATIONS. V-O-A'S MIKE O'SULLIVAN
REPORTS THE DIPLOMAT'S APPEARANCE -- APPROVED BY THE U-S STATE
DEPARTMENT -- IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF THE GROWING INFORMAL
DIPLOMACY BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS.
TEXT: THERE WAS LITTLE NEW IN WHAT MR. HOSSEINIAN TOLD A JOINT
MEETING OF THREE LOCAL CHAPTERS OF THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL, A
PRIVATE ORGANIZATION OF BUSINESS AND CIVIC LEADERS WITH AN
INTEREST IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS. THE DIPLOMAT CITED A LIST OF
FAMILIAR GRIEVANCES, CALLING FOR AN END TO U-S OPPOSITION TO
IRAN'S NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAM AND A HALT TO ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
AGAINST HIS COUNTRY.
BUT MR. HOSSEINIAN'S PRESENCE IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WAS
SOMETHING OF A BREAKTHROUGH. HE TOOK PART IN THE LATEST OF A
SERIES OF PRIVATE ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES WHICH IRANIAN
PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI CALLED FOR IN A JANUARY INTERVIEW WITH
THE AMERICAN TELEVISION NETWORK C-N-N.
MR. HOSSEINIAN'S APPEARANCE IN CALIFORNIA WAS EFFECTIVELY
APPROVED FROM THE U-S GOVERNMENT. AS AN IRANIAN DIPLOMAT
ASSIGNED TO THE UNITED NATIONS THE AMBASSADOR IS RESTRICTED TO
THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY, BUT THE STATE DEPARTMENT APPROVED
HIS TRAVEL WEST FOR THURSDAY'S MEETING.
MR HOSSEINIAN SAYS THE TONE OF SOME US OFFICIALS TOWARD IRAN HAS
CHANGED POSITIVELY, BUT HE COMPLAINS THAT U-S POLICIES REMAIN
STAGNANT. ANOTHER CONFERENCE SPEAKER NOTES IT IS NOT THE
UNITED STATES, BUT IRAN THAT IS OPPOSED TO FORMAL RELATIONS.
ROSCOE SUDDARTH IS A FORMER U-S DIPLOMAT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. HE
WAS U-S AMBASSADOR TO JORDAN IN THE LATE 1980'S AND IS NOW
PRESIDENT OF THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON.
/// SUDDARTH ACT ///
THERE IS A BAR -- BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY THAT THE
AMBASSADOR TALKED ABOUT HERE -- TO OFFICIAL RELATIONS.
THERE ARE MAJOR ELEMENTS IN IRAN THAT ARE AGAINST THIS.
THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
THE U-S GOVERNMENT IS IN FAVOR, BUT THE IRANIANS STILL
HAVE TO GET THEIR GOVERNMENT TO A CONSENSUS TO MOVE, BUT
THINGS ARE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION. THERE ARE
RECIPROCAL GESTURES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, SUCH AS THE
STATE DEPARTMENT ALLOWING THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
OF IRAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO COME HERE TODAY.. SO
THERE IS SOME MOVEMENT. WHETHER IT'S ENOUGH TO PRODUCE
ACTUAL GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT TALKS IS AN OPEN
QUESTION.
/// END ACT ///
AMONG THOSE ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED MEMBERS
OF THE LARGE IRANIAN EXPATRIATE COMMUNITY IN CALIFORNIA. THE
DIPLOMAT LEFT THE CONFERENCE ROOM BEFORE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE
WERE ABLE TO POSE QUESTIONS. HIS AIDE CITED SECURITY CONCERNS AS
THE REASON FOR HIS RAPID DEPARTURE. BUT WHEN HE HAD GONE THERE
FOLLOWED A HEATED EXCHANGE OVER THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN
POST-REVOLUTIONARY IRAN. ONE SPEAKER WITH REASON TO HARBOR HARD
FEELINGS WAS A FORMER AMERICAN DIPLOMAT WHO SPENT 444 DAYS IN
CAPTIVITY IN IRAN. BRUCE LAINGEN WAS THE HIGHEST RANKING HOSTAGE
IN THE U-S EMBASSY SIEGE IN 1979, BUT HE SAYS IT IS TIME TO
IMPROVE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
/// LAINGEN ACT ///
WELL, I'M GOING TO MAKE THE POINT STRONGLY THAT WE'VE
GOT TO PUT THE PAST BEHIND US THAT OUR RESPECTIVE MUTUAL
INTERESTS IN THAT REGION, BOTH IRANIAN AND AMERICAN, ARE
NOT SERVED BY THE CURRENT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN OUR TWO
COUNTRIES. WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS THESE
PROBLEMS. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN RESOLVE ISSUES IN ANY
DISPUTE ANYWHERE IS TO BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THEM, NOT
TO HURL VITRIOL AND ANGRY WORDS AT EACH OTHER.
/// END ACT ///
VETERAN MIDEAST DIPLOMAT ROSCOE SUDDARTH SAYS THERE ARE TIMES IN
THE MIDDLE EAST WHEN AN UPWARD DIPLOMATIC TREND OFFERS THE
POSSIBILITY OF PEACEFUL RELATIONS BETWEEN COUNTRIES WITH
STRATEGIC INTEREST IN ONE ANOTHER. HE BELIEVES THIS IS ONE OF
THOSE TIMES. AND HE BELIEVES INFORMAL EXCHANGES, SUCH AS A VISIT
BY U-S WRESTLERS TO IRAN IN FEBRUARY -- AND A RECIPROCAL VISIT BY
IRANIAN WRESTLERS TO THE UNITED STATES THIS WEEK -- MAY HELP PAVE
THE WAY.
NEB/MOS/TM/WTW
03-Apr-98 7:30 AM EST (1230 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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