DATE=1/8/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-224977
TITLE=IRAN/US (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JESSICA JONES
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IRANIANS HAVE PRAISED THEIR PRESIDENT, MOHAMMED KHATAMI,
FOR ADVOCATING CONTACT WITH AMERICANS IN A BROADCAST INTERVIEW.
BUT AS JESSICA JONES REPORTS FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU, IRANIAN
NEWSPAPERS SAY THE UNITED STATES MUST DO MORE TO MEND DIPLOMATIC
TIES.
TEXT: THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER, "IRAN NEWS," SAID
IN AN EDITORIAL THURSDAY THAT PRESIDENT KHATAMI IS MAKING THE
UNITED STATES RESPONSIBLE FOR FOSTERING DIALOGUE BETWEEN TEHERAN
AND WASHINGTON. IT SAID THE UNITED STATES MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TO
-- IN THE PAPER'S WORDS -- ABSTAIN FROM ADOPTING HOSTILE POLICIES
TOWARDS IRAN.
A MORE CONSERVATIVE PAPER, THE "TEHERAN TIMES," SUGGESTED MR.
KHATAMI'S STATEMENTS WERE WHAT IT CALLED A RECIPE FOR RESUMING
RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES.
THE "CABLE NEWS NETWORK" BROADCAST A PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH MR.
KHATAMI. IT RAN IN IRAN BEFORE DAWN ON THURSDAY. TEHERAN
TELEVISION SHOWED THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW A FEW HOURS LATER.
PRESIDENT KHATAMI IS THE FIRST IRANIAN LEADER TO ADDRESS THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ON TELEVISION SINCE THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN
1979. THOUGH HE CALLED FOR -- IN HIS WORDS -- A CRACK IN THE WALL
OF MISTRUST BETWEEN IRANIANS AND AMERICANS, HE DID NOT ADVOCATE
THE RESUMPTION OF DIPLOMATIC TIES BETWEEN TEHERAN AND WASHINGTON.
REPORTS SAY MANY IRANIAN CITIZENS REACTED POSITIVELY TO THE
INTERVIEW. SOME TOLD REPORTERS IN TEHERAN THEY FELT THE DIALOGUE
MR. KHATAMI PROPOSED BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES COULD EVENTUALLY
TRIGGER OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC RECONCILIATION.
IRAN'S HARD-LINE CLERGY, WHO HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF MR. KHATAMI'S
MORE PROGRESSIVE STANCE TOWARD THE WEST, DID NOT PUBLICLY
RESPOND TO THE INTERVIEW THURSDAY. SOME SAY MR. KHATAMI SHOULD
EXPECT CRITICISM FOR PRAISING AMERICAN CIVILIZATION IN THE
INTERVIEW AND EXPRESSING REGRETS FOR THE SEIZURE OF THE AMERICAN
EMBASSY IN TEHERAN IN 1979. (SIGNED)
NEB/JJ/PCF/KL
08-Jan-98 9:37 AM EST (1437 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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