DATE=03/18/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11197
TITLE=IRANIAN LEADER VISITS THE WEST
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE U-S PRESS WATCHED WITH INTEREST THE RECENT VISIT TO
ROME BY IRANIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI. ONE NEWSPAPER -- IN
FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- CALLED THE TRIP A "GESTURE OF TENTATIVE
RECONCILIATION BETWEEN IRAN AND THE DEMOCRATIC WORLD." WE GET A
SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THIS POTENTIAL THAW, FROM
______________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: IN 1979, THE SHAH OF IRAN WAS OVERTHROWN BY A RELIGIOUS
REVOLUTION LED BY THE AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI. THE U-S EMBASSY WAS
SEIZED, AND HOSTAGES WERE HELD FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN HIT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE LEVEL.
A RETALIATORY U-S TRADE EMBARGO WAS PUT IN PLACE, AND EXISTS TO
THIS DAY.
HOWEVER IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A GLACIAL [VERY SLOW]
THAW IN RELATIONS, SOMEWHAT ACCELERATED BY THE SURPRISE ELECTION
OF A MODERATE CLERIC, MOHAMMED KHATAMI, AS PRESIDENT LAST YEAR.
THE U-S PRESS, INCLUDING "THE [VERO BEACH, FLORIDA] PRESS
JOURNAL" WATCHED THE VISIT WITH INTEREST AND THEN COMMENTED.
VOICE: THE FORCES OF REFORM IN IRAN HAVE GOTTEN A BIG BOOST,
AND THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE GROWING CONFIDENCE OF
REFORM-MINDED PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI. [MR.]
KHATAMI, A MODERATE CLERIC, RECENTLY FINISHED A
THREE-DAY VISIT TO ITALY, INCLUDING A MEETING WITH POPE
JOHN PAUL THE SECOND. THE VISIT IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE
IT IS THE FIRST BY AN IRANIAN LEADER TO A WESTERN STATE
IN 20 YEARS, SINCE THE 1979 REVOLUTION. DURING HIS
VISIT, [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI WAS QUITE CANDID ABOUT
SEEKING INCREASED INVESTMENTS AND LOANS FROM WESTERN
EUROPE. THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT, WITH OIL PRICES IN THE
TANK, [AMERICAN SLANG FOR: "AT THE LOWEST LEVEL IN
RECENT YEARS"] IRAN'S ANEMIC ECONOMY HAS NOWHERE ELSE TO
TURN. /// OPT /// ... U-S COMPANIES HAVE HAD TO
SURRENDER MORE THAN TWO BILLION DOLLARS IN BUSINESS TO
EUROPEAN FIRMS WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. ALLOWING
THEM TO GET BACK INTO THE ACTION (I.E. OIL BUSINESS WITH
IRAN) WOULD BE GOOD BUSINESS BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF
IT STRENGTHENS [MR.] KHATAMI'S GOVERNMENT IT WOULD BE
GOOD POLICY. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: FOR THE VIEW OF THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT FROM TENNESSEE, WE
TURN TO MEMPHIS WHERE "THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL" HAS THIS REACTION.
VOICE: /// OPT /// THE UNITED STATES HAS ENCOURAGED SPORTS AND
CULTURAL EXCHANGES WITH IRAN, AND A FEW AMERICAN
TOURISTS HAVE DISCREETLY VISITED. BUT THE UNITED STATES
STILL BLACKLISTS IRAN FOR ITS SUPPORT OF TERRORISM,
ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE THE MIDEAST PEACE TALKS AND
EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. /// END
OPT /// A POWERFUL FACTION IN IRAN REMAINS IMPLACABLY
OPPOSED TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT IT IS IN ECLIPSE.
WASHINGTON SHOULD CONSIDER EASING ITS EMBARGO TO ALLOW
U-S FIRMS TO CUT A FEW DEALS WITH THE KHATAMI
GOVERNMENT.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: TURNING TO COLORADO, IN DENVER'S "ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS," THE
PAPER'S CHIEF FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST, HOLGER JENSEN, TALKS
ABOUT THE CHOICE OF ITALY AS A NEW ENTRY POINT FOR AN IRANIAN
DIALOGUE WITH THE WEST. WE GOT HIS COLUMN AS REPRINTED IN OHIO'S
"COLUMBUS DISPATCH."
VOICE: A STUDENT OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY, [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI
FIRST BROACHED THE IDEA OF A 'DIALOGUE OF
CIVILIZATIONS,' INCLUDING A DISCOURSE BETWEEN ISLAM AND
CHRISTIANITY, IN 1998. IT STIRRED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST
IN WASHINGTON AND PROMPTED SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE
ALBRIGHT'S OFFER TO 'DEVELOP WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC,
WHEN IT IS READY, A ROAD MAP LEADING TO NORMAL
RELATIONS.' HOWEVER, NOTHING CAME OF THAT INITIATIVE.
AMERICAN OFFICIALS SURMISED THAT [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI
STILL FACED TOO MUCH OPPOSITION FROM CONSERVATIVES
CLERICS TO BEGIN A DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES.
ITALY, FOR HIM, IS A MUCH SAFER CHOICE OF AN OPENING TO
THE WEST BECAUSE THE ITALIAN ENERGY GROUP E-N-I AND
FRENCH OIL GIANT ELF-AQUITAINE HAVE JUST SIGNED A ONE
BILLION DOLLAR DEAL TO DEVELOP IRAN'S OFFSHORE DOROUD
OIL FIELD.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: HOW WAS THE ROME VISIT VIEWED IN TEXAS? VERY
SIGNIFICANTLY, AT LEAST IN THE OPINION OF "THE FORTH WORTH
STAR-TELEGRAM."
VOICE: THE IMPORTANCE OF ...[THE] VISIT ... CANNOT BE
OVERSTATED. IT DEMONSTRATED NOT ONLY A HAND EXTENDED IN
FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM, BUT ALSO A
GESTURE OF TENTATIVE RECONCILIATION BETWEEN IRAN AND THE
DEMOCRATIC WORLD. IN A MEETING AS GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT
AS THE ONE LAST YEAR BETWEEN POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND
AND CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO, [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI
ATTEMPTED TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN TWO WORLD RELIGIONS THAT OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES
AT ODDS. /// OPT /// ... GRANTED, IT WILL TAKE MORE
THAN AN OVERSEAS TRIP TO EUROPE TO QUIET CONCERNS ABOUT
IRAN'S POLITICAL INTENTIONS. THE NATION IS BUYING
WEAPONS FROM RUSSIA AND CHINA, SOME BY WAY OF NORTH
KOREA. .... AND QUESTIONS ABOUT IRAN'S PARTICIPATION IN
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM
REMAIN. BUT LAST WEEK'S VISIT TO THE VATICAN WAS A BOLD
STEP FOR [MR.] KHATAMI, AND PERHAPS A SIGNAL TO THE
WESTERN WORLD THAT PUBLIC OPINION IN IRAN IS SHIFTING
AWAY FROM ISOLATIONIST HARD-LINERS TOWARD A MORE ENGAGED
AND DEMOCRATIC VIEW. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: IN BOSTON, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" IS ASSESSING THE
TRIP WITH THESE THOUGHTS.
VOICE: ... IRAN'S PUBLIC FACE IS CHANGING WITH THE CONTINUED
ASCENDANCY OF REFORMIST PRESIDENT MOHAMAD KHATAMI. ...
SINCE HIS RETURN [TO IRAN] HE HAS TAKEN PREDICTABLE
SNIPING FROM IRANIAN CONSERVATIVES, WHO DISTRUST ANY
OUTREACH TO THE WORLDLY WEST. BUT THEY'RE FIGHTING A
REAR-GUARD ACTION. [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI'S STRATEGY OF
OPENNESS SERVES BOTH IRAN'S AND THE WEST'S LONG TERM
INTERESTS.
TEXT: WITH THAT, WE BRING TO A CLOSE, THIS SAMPLING OF OPINION
ON THE RECENT TRIP OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI TO ROME.
NEB/ANG/GE
18-Mar-99 2:41 PM EST (1941 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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