DATE=1/8/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-38621
TITLE=NEY/IRAN
BYLINE=PAULA WOLFSON
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE LATEST SIGNALS FROM IRAN ARE BEING WATCHING CLOSELY
AT THE WHITE HOUSE, THE STATE DEPARTMENT, AND IN A SMALL TOWN IN
THE STATE OF OHIO. ST. CLAIRESVILLE IS THE HOME OF CONGRESSMAN
BOB NEY (NAY) -- THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE U-S HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES WHO HAS LIVED IN IRAN, AND THE ONLY FARSI SPEAKER
IN THE LEGISLATURE. HE TALKED WITH V-O-A'S CONGRESSIONAL
CORRESPONDENT PAULA WOLFSON.
TEXT: BOB NEY REMEMBERS THE EARLY DAYS OF THE IRANIAN
REVOLUTION. HE WAS THERE.
////NEY ACT////
YOU COULD TELL A BIG CHANGE WAS COMING. YOU COULD TELL
PEOPLE WERE FRUSTRATED AND UPSET.
////END ACT///
HE TAUGHT ENGLISH IN THE CITY OF SHIRAZ. HE WAS A YOUNG
AMERICAN, NOT LONG OUT OF COLLEGE, WITH AN UNUSUAL COMMAND OF THE
FARSI LANGUAGE -- A SKILL HE PICKED UP FROM AN IRANIAN EXCHANGE
STUDENT HE MET IN THE UNITED STATES. BOB NEY MADE FRIENDS IN
IRAN...HE WAS WELCOME THERE...BUT AS THE REVOLUTION BECAME MORE
VIOLENT, HE KNEW HE HAD TO LEAVE.
////NEY ACT///
...AND IT WAS A TIME FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO DETERMINE THEIR
OWN DESTINY. AND IT WAS A TIME FOR US NOT TO BE THERE AS
AMERICAN CITIZENS BECAUSE IT REALLY WASN'T SAFE. YOU
COULD SENSE IT AND YOU COULD SEE IT.
///END ACT///
WHEN BOB NEY RETURNED FROM IRAN IN 1978, HE TURNED FROM TEACHING
TO POLITICS. IN 1994 HE WAS ELECTED TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
-- A REPUBLICAN FROM A DISTRICT WHERE MOST OF THE VOTERS ARE
REGISTERED DEMOCRATS.
HE BECAME KNOWN FOR HIS WORK ON TRADE ISSUES AND LEGISLATION
REFORMING ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMS. BUT HE NEVER FORGOT IRAN. FOR
MANY YEARS, HE TOOK A HARD LINE AGAINST THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT.
BUT CONGRESSMAN NEY BEGAN TO SENSE A SHIFT IN TEHERAN WITH THE
OVERWHELMING ELECTION LAST YEAR OF PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI.
THE LEADING CLERICS IN IRAN BACKED OTHER CANDIDATES. THEY
THOUGHT MOHAMMED KHATAMI WAS FAR TOO MODERATE. CONGRESSMAN NEY
SAYS HE DOUBTS PRESIDENT KHATAMI'S NEWS-MAKING COMMENTS ON
AMERICA HAD THE TOTAL BACKING OF THE AYATOLLAHS. INSTEAD, HE
THINKS IRAN'S NEW LEADER WAS EXPRESSING THE HOPES AND DESIRES OF
THE IRANIAN PUBLIC.
////NEY ACT////
I THINK THE PRESIDENT OF IRAN IS DOING THIS WITH THE
KNOWLEDGE THE MASS MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF IRAN THINK
THAT HE SHOULD TAKE A SLOW METHODICAL STEP-BY-STEP
PROCESS TO COMMUNICATE WITH AMERICA.
////END ACT////
CONGRESSMAN NEY IS FOLLOWING THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN
CLOSELY, AND HE DISCUSSES THEM WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS. IN HIS
DISTRICT OF FACTORY TOWNS AND FARMS, FEW PEOPLE ARE WELL VERSED
IN THE HISTORY AND POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT THEY ARE
RESPONDING TO THE CALL FOR DIALOGUE WITH IRAN.
/////NEY ACT////
I AM IN APPALACHIA OHIO (A RURAL AREA ALONG THE
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS). I ASK MY CONSTITUENTS, WHAT DO
YOU THINK ABOUT A DIALOGUE? THEY SAY THE SAME THING:
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH AT LEAST TALKING? IT DOESN'T HURT
ANYTHING!"
////END ACT////
FOR NOW, IRAN IS ONLY SIGNALLING AN INTEREST IN INFORMAL
EXCHANGES, NOT OFFICIAL CONTACTS. AND NO ONE IS EVEN PREDICTING
WHEN A CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MAY SET FOOT AGAIN ON IRANIAN
SOIL.
BOB NEY SAYS HE WANTS TO BE ON THAT DELEGATION, THOUGH IT COULD
BE YEARS AWAY. IN THE MEANTIME, HE SAYS IRANIAN AND AMERICAN
LAWMAKERS SHOULD LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CONNECT AND LEARN
MORE ABOUT EACH OTHER. CONGRESSMAN NEY SAYS HE HAS HEARD OF A
POSSIBLE TELEVISION LINK-UP BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE U-S CONGRESS
AND THE IRANIAN PARLIAMENT. "IT WOULD BE A CHANCE TO COMMUNICATE
USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY," HE SAYS AND ADDS "THAT'S TOTALLY
ACCEPTABLE." (SIGNED)
NEB/PT
08-Jan-98 8:06 PM EST (0106 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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