29 September 1999White House Report, Wednesday, September 29, 1999
(Iran) (220) CLINTON SENT LETTER TO IRAN'S PRESIDENT, LOCKHART SAYS White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart acknowledged at his daily briefing September 29 that President Clinton had sent a letter to Iran's President Mohammad Khatami. But Lockhart would "not get into the details of the letter" saying "it's a private, diplomatic correspondence." The Washington Post reported September 29 that Clinton had sent a letter to Khatami in which Clinton held out the prospect of better relations between the two countries if Iran helps U.S. investigators find those responsible for the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers, a U.S. military facility in Saudi Arabia. Nineteen U.S. servicemen died in that bombing and 500 others were wounded. The Washington Post article said the request from Clinton was based in part on intelligence reports linking the bombing to three Saudi men who have taken refuge in Iran. While not directly referring to the article, Lockhart said "we are seeking the help of many countries in this, including Iran." Asked what response the administration has received from Iran, Lockhart said, "Well again, I'm not going to get into whether they have responded or how they have responded...I will point out that they have stated publicly that they are not responsible for the Khobar Towers bombing."
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