DATE=06/19/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10773
TITLE=GROWING RAPPROCHEMENT WITH IRAN
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: A DEBATE IS GROWING WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE
WISDOM OF SEEKING A RAPPROCHEMENT WITH IRAN.
THE NATION'S DAILY NEWSPAPERS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
CONTROVERSY, WITH OPINIONS ON BOTH SIDES, AND WE GET A SAMPLING
NOW FROM ___________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: IT HAS BEEN 19 YEARS SINCE AN ANGRY MOB STORMED THE UNITED
STATES EMBASSY IN TEHERAN, AND TOOK THE STAFF HOSTAGE. THERE ARE
STILL BITTER FEELINGS AMONG MANY AMERICANS ABOUT THAT VIOLENT
EPISODE, /// OPT /// WHICH CAME IN RESPONSE TO THE FALL OF THE
SHAH AND HIS EXILE FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSERVATIVE ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IN
TEHERAN, LED BY THE AYATOLLAH KHOMENI WHO WAS BITTERLY
ANTI-AMERICAN, AND IRAN'S SUPPORT OF TERRORISM, SEVERED RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS.
NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE DEATH OF AYATOLLAH KHOMENI IN
1989, THERE APPEARS TO BE A THAW IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO
NATIONS, DESPITE SERIOUS MISGIVINGS AMONG SOME QUARTERS IN BOTH
TEHRAN AND WASHINGTON. /// END OPT /// ON WEDNESDAY, SECRETARY
OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAID IN A NEW YORK SPEECH SHE WAS
LOOKING FOR A "ROAD MAP" THAT WOULD LEAD TO NORMAL RELATIONS.
AND PRESIDENT CLINTON FOLLOWED THAT BY SAYING, "WHAT WE WANT IS A
GENUINE RECONCILIATION" WITH IRAN.
/// OPT ///
[EDITORS: PLEASE DROP THIS GRAF AFTER GAME IS PLAYED ]
ADDING TO THE ATTENTION ON IRAN IS THE UNITED STATES PLAYING THE
IRANIAN NATIONAL TEAM IN FOOTBALL [SOCCER] THIS SUNDAY [6/21] IN
THE FIRST ROUND OF THE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONSHIP.
/// END OPT ///
AS WITH ANY MAJOR CHANGE IN FOREIGN POLICY, THERE IS A
WIDE-RANGING DEBATE ON CHANGING POLICY TOWARD IRAN. FOR ONE,
"NEWSDAY" IS PLEASED, CALLING IT A "HOPEFUL AND WELCOME
DEVELOPMENT."
VOICE: SECRETARY OF STATE ... ALBRIGHT SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED
FOR MAKING A COURAGEOUS PUBLIC OVERTURE TO IRAN,
SPELLING OUT WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BEEN HINTING AT
FOR MONTHS: IT'S TIME TO END THE MUTUAL DEMONIZATION
THAT HAS FROZEN U-S-IRAN RELATIONS SINCE THE HOSTAGE
CRISIS OF 1979. IRAN IS TOO IMPORTANT A PLAYER IN THE
CRITICAL PERSIAN GULF REGION EITHER TO IGNORE OR
ISOLATE.
TEXT: TAKING THE OTHER SIDE IS LONG-TIME FOREIGN AFFAIRS
COLUMNIST A-M ROSENTHAL OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES" WHO WRITES THAT
WHAT HE CALLS THE CLINTON POLICY OF APPEASEMENT TOWARD DICTATORS
AND TERRORIST REGIMES, IS FOLLY.
VOICE: /// OPT /// .... ON WEDNESDAY SECRETARY OF STATE
ALBRIGHT ADDED A HIGH SHINE [EMPHASIS] TO CLINTONIAN
APPEASEMENT POLICY BY INCLUDING UNDER ITS SHELTERING
ARMS THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN. YES, INDEED, THE IRAN THAT
EXECUTED THOUSANDS OF ITS OWN CITIZENS, HELD 53
AMERICANS HOSTAGE FOR 444 DAYS IN THE U-S EMBASSY, THE
SAME IRAN THAT BOASTS OF ITS INFILTRATION OF BOSNIA,
THAT KILLED JEWS IN BUENOS AIRES AND ALMOST DAILY SENDS
TO DAMASCUS A PLANELOAD OF WEAPONS AND FUNDS FOR
TERRORISTS AROUND THE WORLD. ..... THE U-S AND EVERY
OTHER NATION KNOWS THAT POLITICAL, MILITARY AND
GOVERNMENT POWER IS NOT HELD IN IRAN BY PRESIDENT
MOHAMMAD KHATAMI - - WHO INCIDENTALLY SPREADS
NON-MODERATE HATRED HIMSELF WHENEVER IN THE MOOD. THOSE
POWERS ARE HELD BY A REGIME OF FUNDAMENTALIST AYATOLLAHS
AND THEIR SECURITY ARMIES, WHO TURNED THE COUNTRY INTO A
HELL FOR IRANIANS AND THE COMMAND POST FOR INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM. /// END OPT /// ..... WHY DOES MR. CLINTON
DO THESE THINGS ....... BUILD THE PRESTIGE OF IRANIAN
DESPOTISM, COURT AND GET THE CONTEMPT OF DICTATORS ... ?
MONEY. ... FOR THE MIRAGE OF MONEY ..... HE LEADS
AMERICA TO SUFFER POLITICAL LOSS AND HUMILIATION,
THREATS TO ITS SECURITY AND THE END OF PRINCIPLE IN
FOREIGN POLICY. I WONDER - - BY NOW IS HE EVEN
CAPABLE OF SEEING WHERE AMERICAN PRINCIPLE LIES?
TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" HOWEVER, FEELS THE TIME IS RIGHT
FOR A THAW AND SUGGESTS HOW IT SHOULD PROCEED FROM HERE.
VOICE: THE TENTATIVE [RECONCILIATION] PROCESS SET IN MOTION IN
JANUARY BY ... PRESIDENT .... KHATAMI MAY NOW BE READY
FOR A MAJOR ADVANCE. ....THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE QUIET
DIPLOMACY, DIRECT CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO GOVENMENTS TO
TALK OVER THEIR CONCERNS IN AN ATMOSPHERE FREE OF
PROPAGANDA EXCHANGES.
TEXT: "USA TODAY" SAYS IMPROVING RELATIONS MAKES SENSE, BUT SO
DOES BEING CAUTIOUS ABOUT IT.
VOICE: /// OPT /// AS [SECRETARY] ALBRIGHT POINTED OUT, IRAN
HAS BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH MODERATION - - HOWEVER
CAUTIOUSLY - - SINCE [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI'S 70-PERCENT
LANDSLIDE WIN A YEAR AGO. ONCE ELECTED, [MR.] KHATAMI
PROMPTLY RISKED THE FURY OF MILITANT ANTI-AMERICAN
FUNDAMENTALISTS BY PRAISING U-S DEMOCRATIC TRADITIONS,
IN AN INTERVIEW ON C-N-N [CABLE NEWS NETWORK], AND
EXPRESSING REGRET FOR THE HOSTAGE OUTRAGES. HE FOLLOWED
UP WITH LONG-SOUGHT DENUNCIATIONS OF TERRORISM AND
EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY FOR ISRAELI VICTIMS OF
TERRORISTS. IRAN ALSO HAS IMPROVED DRUG FIGHTING WITHIN
ITS BORDERS, [MS.] ALBRIGHT ARGUED, AND WORKED FOR PEACE
IN AFGHANISTAN. THESE SUCCESSES DO NOT MEAN THAT IRAN
WILL SOON BE A JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRACY. /// END OPT ///
TEHRAN'S TIES TO TERRORISM REMAIN TROUBLING, AND ITS
GOVERNMENT'S PURSUIT OF BALLISTIC MISSILES AND WEAPONS
OF MASS DESTRUCTION HAS NO GOOD PURPOSE. ......BUT
EVEN SO, RESPONDING TO HIS [PRESIDENT KHATAMI'S]
OPENINGS IS IN OUR INTEREST. ..... WITH IRAN SHOWING
SIGNS OF WILLINGNESS TO TURN AWAY FROM TERRORISM, NOW IS
THE TIME TO START SUBSTITUTING CARROTS FOR STICKS.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: THE BOSTON GLOBE," CAUTIONS IT IS STILL DIFFICULT TO KNOW
WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE IN IRAN, BUT WELCOMES AN IMPROVEMENT IN
THE PREVIOUSLY HOSTILE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS.
VOICE: /// OPT /// AFTER A PRUDENT INTERLUDE FOR REFLECTION,
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY
TO THE OVERTURE SOUNDED LAST JANUARY BY IRAN'S POPULARLY
ELECTED PRESIDENT, MOHAMMAD KHATAMI. /// END OPT ///
..... IT WOULD BE FOLLY NOT TO WELCOME THE SIGNALS
COMING FROM THE KHATAMI FACTION IN TEHRAN. RECENT
DISQUIETING EVENTS DEMONSTRATE THE NEED FOR COOPERATIVE
RELATIONS WITH AN IRAN THAT IS PREPARED TO BREAK OUT OF
ITS INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION BY CHANGING ITS BEHAVIOR.
... NONETHELESS, THE U-S APPROACH TO TEHRAN RESTS ON AN
UNCERTAIN PREMISE. POLICY MAKERS DO NOT KNOW IF
[PRESIDENT] KHATAMI IS TRULY IN CHARGE OF FOREIGN POLICY
OR EVEN IF HE CAN SURVIVE A VICIOUS POWER STRUGGLE
AGAINST ENTRENCHED HARD-LINERS.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON TIMES," HOWEVER, SAYS THIS CHANGE IS BOTH
PREMATURE, AND PROBABLY A MISTAKE.
VOICE: SECRETARY OF STATE .... ALBRIGHT .......ESSENTIALLY
..... ADVOCATED REVERSING U-S POLICY TOWARD IRAN,
WITHOUT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE OR EVEN A COMPELLING REASON
FOR THE SHIFT. ...... GIVEN THE FACT THAT NOTHING
CONCRETE HAS ACTUALLY CHANGED IN IRAN, THERE SEEMS TO BE
NO REAL BASIS FOR THIS PIE-IN-THE-SKY [TOTALLY
UNREALISTIC] POLICY POSITION.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: "THE NEW YORK POST" AGREES, CALLING THE SECRETARY'S TIMING
OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT "AWKWARD AND INAPPROPRIATE:"
VOICE: ..... SHE COULD CERTAINLY HAVE PICKED A BETTER EVENING
THAN ONE THAT FOLLOWED A DAY OF STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS
AND REVOLUTIONARY GUARD REPRESSION IN TEHERAN. .....
WHEN IRAN IS READY TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY OF
NATIONS AGAIN, AMERICAN CAN NORMALIZE RELATIONS IN 20
SECONDS.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: WITH THOSE THOUGHTS WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF OPINION
ON THE CURRENT RAPPROCHEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN.
NEB/ANG/GE
19-Jun-98 1:54 PM EDT (1754 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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