DATE=9/25/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41462
TITLE=U-S / IRAN RELATIONS
BYLINE=PAMELA TAYLOR
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: HOPES FOR A THAW IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES
AND IRAN RECEIVED A SETBACK THIS WEEK WHEN IRANIAN PRESIDENT
MOHAMMED KHATAMI DENIED TEHRAN IS READY FOR A DIPLOMATIC OPENING
WITH WASHINGTON. HOPES OF A THAW WERE FIRST RAISED IN JANUARY
WHEN MR. KHATAMI CALLED FOR A CULTURAL EXCHANGE TO BREAK DOWN
WHAT HE CALLED THE 'WALL OF MISTRUST' BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
THESE HOPES WERE RAISED FURTHER EARLY THIS MONTH, WHEN IRAN
JOINED THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER NATIONS IN CONDEMNING THE
TALEBAN GOVERNMENT IN AFGHANISTAN. HERE'S PAMELA TAYLOR WITH A
REPORT ON U-S-IRANIAN RELATIONS.
TEXT: WHEN IRAN'S PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI CAME TO NEW YORK TO
ADDRESS THE U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIS WEEK, U-S OFFICIALS HOPED
THERE MIGHT BE AN OCCASION FOR A HIGH-LEVEL MEETING BETWEEN U-S
AND IRANIAN DIPLOMATS. THE OCCASION WHICH PRESENTED ITSELF WAS A
U-N SPONSORED MEETING TO ADDRESS THE RISING TENSIONS BETWEEN IRAN
AND AFGHANISTAN FOLLOWING THE KILLING OF SEVERAL IRANIAN
DIPLOMATS BY THE TALEBAN. IN RESPONSE TEHRAN HAD DEPLOYED TROOPS
ALONG THE AFGHAN BORDER AND WAS CONDUCTING MILITARY EXERCISES.
THE U-S GOVERNMENT HAS CONDEMNED THE SLAYINGS BUT URGED IRAN NOT
TO RESPOND WITH FORCE. PRESIDENT KHATAMI TOLD THE UNITED NATIONS
IRAN HOPES TO AVOID AN ARMED CONFLICT WITH AFGHANISTAN.
THE WEEK BEFORE PRESIDENT KHATAMI DOWNPLAYED HIS COUNTRY'S
INTENTIONS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON, SOME U-S
CONGRESSMEN MADE IT CLEAR THEY ALSO OPPOSE ANY SOFTENING OF U-S
POLICY TOWARD IRAN. A BIPARTISAN GROUP IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES SIGNED A STATEMENT CALLING FOR A STRONG U-S
POLICY AGAINST IRAN. THE LAWMAKERS SAID TEHRAN REMAINS IN THE
TERRORISM BUSINESS AND IS STILL SEEKING WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION.
CONGRESSMAN GARY ACKERMAN OF NEW YORK DISPUTED THE IDEA THAT
PRESIDENT KHATAMI IS A MODERATE, SAYING THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE
REAL CHANGE IN IRAN SINCE HIS ELECTION LAST YEAR.
/// ACT 1 ACKERMAN [FR MCDONOUGH #2-238762] ///
(IN SHORT) WE REMAIN DISTURBED AT THE NOTION THAT AT THE
SAME TIME THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS PROFFERING SOME
GOODWILL GESTURES TO THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT, PRESIDENT
KHATAMI DOES NOT GIVE US ANY INDICATION OF A CHANGE IN
HIS GOVERNMENT'S BEHAVIOR. FOR ALL THE TALK THAT MR.
KHATAMI IS A "MODERATE", WE HAVE SEEN NO ACTIONS TO BACK
THAT UP. THAT IS ALL WE ASK FOR.
/// END ACKERMAN ACT ///
TEXT: CONGRESSMAN GARY ACKERMAN OF NEW YORK SUGGESTING THAT IRAN
IS NOT YET READY TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
MANY DIPLOMATS AND ANALYSTS BELIEVE CLOSER U-S RELATIONS WITH
IRAN COULD HELP RESTORE PEACE IN THE REGION, NOTABLY AFGHANISTAN.
THE DANGER, THEY SAY, IS THAT IRAN MAY SEEK TO BECOME THE
DOMINANT INFLUENCE IN THE REGION AT THE EXPENSE OF THE WEST.
FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD MURPHY BELIEVES
IMPROVED RELATIONS ARE INEVITABLE. BUT HE SAYS HE'S NOT SURPRISED
THAT A SERIOUS THAW DID NOT HAPPEN DURING PRESIDENT KHATAMI'S
VISIT TO THE UNITED NATIONS THIS WEEK:
/// ACT 2 TAYLOR / MURPHY ///
(MURPHY) PRESIDENT KHATAMI WAS VERY CLEAR IN HIS
INTERVIEW LAST JANUARY ON C-N-N, THAT THE POINT HAD NOT
BEEN REACHED FOR A DIRECT, OFFICIAL DIALOGUE, OR A
DIALOGUE WITH OFFICIALS. IT WAS A TIME FOR IMPROVING THE
ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES THAT HAD BEEN LONG
ESTRANGED THROUGH CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE, AND
THEN AT SOME POINT, AND HE WAS NEVER SPECIFIC ON THE
TIMING, THERE COULD BE AN OFFICIAL DIALOGUE. BUT I DON'T
THINK ANYONE HAD REASON TO ASSUME THAT HIS VISIT WOULD
BE, SHALL WE SAY, THE KICK-OFF (START) FOR THAT
DIALOGUE.
(TAYLOR) COULD IT HAVE BEEN NIPPED IN THE BUD (HALTED)
WHEN THERE WAS A MOTION IN U-S CONGRESS TO STRONGLY
OPPOSE ANY IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS WITH IRAN?
(MURPHY) LET ME SAY ONLY THIS: THERE ARE SOME VOICES
CRITICAL OF IRAN WHICH ARE JUST AS STRIDENT AND
DETERMINED TO FORESTALL ANY IMPROVEMENT AS THERE ARE
VOICES IN THE MAJLIS (PARLIAMENT) IN THERAN. BOTH
LEADERS, BOTH PRESIDENT CLINTON AND PRESIDENT KHATAMI,
HAVE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE LEGISLATURES DIFFERENCES OF
OPINION, WHICH SHOULDN'T SURPRISE ANYONE. LET ME SAY I
HOPE THERE IS ENOUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE WAY THE
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WORKS ON THE PART OF THE SENIOR
LEVELS OF IRANIAN OFFICIALS THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE
UPSET BY A STATEMENT OR A MOTION EVEN IF IT WAS A SENSE
OF THE HOUSE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED IN THE CONGRESS
AS REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT.
(TAYLOR) COULD THIS BE A CASE OF OFFICIALS SAYING ONE
THING BUT PERHAPS THE PEOPLE WANTING SOMETHING ELSE. A
LOT OF PEOPLE GOT THEIR HOPES UP WHEN MR. KHATAMI
ANNOUNCED THESE CULTURAL EXCHANGES BACK IN JANUARY THAT
FINALLY WE WERE GOING TO SEE A BREAK IN THESE HOSTILE
RELATIONS BETWEEN THESE TWO COUNTRIES. DO YOU THINK THAT
THIS WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY?
(MURPHY) NO, IT HAS STARTED. I DON'T MINIMIZE WHAT'S
HAPPENED. THERE HAVE BEEN, WELL, THERE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN
VISITS BY ACADEMICS, EXCHANGES BETWEEN VARIOUS
UNIVERSITIES, SPECIALISTS IN IRANIAN HISTORY, IRANIAN
CULTURE, AND SPECIALISTS ON THE ECONOMY AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM
IRAN. IT'S ALL USEFUL AT REMINDING PEOPLE IN BOTH
COUNTRIES THAT WE EACH HAVE A VERY RICHLY VARIED SOCIETY
AND THERE ARE GROUNDS IN WHICH WE CAN MEET IN REAL
FRIENDSHIP, OF COURSE AS WE MET IN THE WORLD CUP MATCH.
THAT WASN'T DELIBERATELY ARRANGED BY EITHER GOVERNMENT,
IT HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE SAME DIVISION,
COMPETING IN SOCCER, AND IT CAME OUT TURN TO PLAY THE
IRANIANS, AND THEY HAD A BETTER TEAM - THEY WON THAT
DAY. BUT IT'S SLOW, AND I THINK AGAINST THE BACKGROUND
OF A VERY VENOMOUS AND POISONOUS RELATIONS AND THE
RHETORIC THAT HAS BEEN HURLED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN
THERAN AND WASHINGTON OVER THE LAST NINETEEN YEARS - I
DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE SURPRISED THAT IT IS TAKING
TIME TO SEE A SERIOUS WARMING.
TEXT: RICHARD MURPHY IS CURRENTLY A FELLOW WITH THE COUNCIL ON
FOREIGN RELATIONS IN NEW YORK. (SIGNED)
NEB/PAM/TW/KL
25-Sep-98 2:36 PM EDT (1836 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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