DATE=JANUARY 10, 1998
TYPE=ON THE LINE
NUMBER=1-00600 SHORT # 1
TITLE= IS IRAN CHANGING?
EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY - 619-0037
CONTENT= INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES
THEME: UP, HOLD UNDER AND FADE
ANNCR: ON THE LINE -- A DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES
POLICIES AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THIS WEEK,
"IS IRAN CHANGING?" HERE IS YOUR HOST,
--------.
HOST: HELLO AND WELCOME TO ON THE LINE. THE UNITED
STATES HAS NOT HAD DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH
IRAN SINCE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARIES SEIZED THE
AMERICAN EMBASSY THERE IN 1979. RECENTLY, THE
PRESIDENT OF IRAN, MOHAMMED KHATAMI, SUGGESTED
THAT THE PEOPLES OF IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES
ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE. IN RESPONSE, PRESIDENT
BILL CLINTON SAID THERE ARE THREE ISSUES THAT
IRAN WOULD NEED TO ADDRESS. THE IRANIAN
GOVERNMENT IS THE PRINCIPAL STATE SPONSOR OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. IRAN HAS TRIED TO
DESTROY THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. AND IRAN
HAS INTENSIFIED ITS EFFORTS TO DEVELOP OR
ACQUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, INCLUDING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
KENNETH TIMMERMAN IS PUBLISHER OF THE MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER, IRAN BRIEF. HE SAYS THE IRANIAN
OVERTURE IS AIMED AT ENDING THE U.S. TRADE
EMBARGO.
TIMMERMAN: THE ECONOMY IS IN A SHAMBLES. IT'S IN A
SHAMBLES BECAUSE OF MISMANAGEMENT AND CORRUPTION
BY THIS REGIME. JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE MR.
KHATAMI SPOKE, AN IRANIAN OIL ANALYST IN TEHRAN
ADMITTED FOR THE FIRST TIME PUBLICLY THAT THEY
NEEDED NINETY BILLION DOLLARS IN FOREIGN
INVESTMENT AND FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY IF THEY WANTED
TO STOP IRAN FROM BECOMING A NET OIL IMPORTER IN
THE NEXT TEN YEARS. NOW, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY
EXTRAORDINARY. THEY'VE NOT INVESTED IN THE OIL
INDUSTRY FOR THE PAST EIGHTEEN YEARS. THEY
DESPERATELY NEED U.S. AND BRITISH TECHNOLOGY,
BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BEST OIL TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE IN THE WORLD. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO
GET IT BECAUSE OF THE SANCTIONS. AND I THINK
THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT.
HOST: PETER RODMAN IS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY
PROGRAMS AT THE NIXON CENTER FOR PEACE AND
FREEDOM. HE SAYS THAT PRESIDENT KHATAMI DID NOT
TELL THE TRUTH IN HIS C-N-N TELEVISON INTERVIEW
ABOUT IRANIAN INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM AND
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
RODMAN: HE'S DENIED THAT THEY HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PROGRAM. YET I THINK THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT AND PROBABLY MOST WESTERN GOVERNMENTS
KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE IS A CLANDESTINE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. SO HE JUST SPOKE WITH
LESS THAN TOTAL VERACITY AND THAT IS PART OF THE
PROBLEM.
HOST: PATRICK CLAWSON IS DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AT THE
WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY. HE
SAYS THAT THE U.S. SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
IRANIAN PROPOSAL FOR EXCHANGES.
CLAWSON: I THINK WE SHOULD REMIND THE IRANIAN PEOPLE THAT
WE ARE INTERESTED IN DIALOGUE WITH THE IRANIAN
GOVERNMENT. AND THE LIMITED STEPS THAT KHATAMI
PROPOSED -- THE EXCHANGE OF SCHOLARS AND
ACADEMICS -- WE SHOULD ANNOUNCE SOME STEPS THAT
WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT. AT THE SAME TIME, WE
SHOULD SAY THAT ANY LIFTING OF OUR SANCTIONS IS
GOING TO BE CONTINGENT UPON CHANGES IN IRANIAN
BEHAVIOR.
HOST: KENNETH TIMMERMAN SAYS THAT THE U.S. SHOULD TELL
IRANIANS THAT AMERICANS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE
EMERGENCE OF DEMOCRACY IN IRAN.
ANNCR: YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO "ON THE LINE" -- A
DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES POLICIES AND
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THIS IS --------.
09-Jan-98 4:37 PM EST (2137 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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