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Iran Seeks Direct Talks With U.S.
Iran is seeking bilateral talks with the United States on its controversial nuclear program, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, May 23). “Two months ago nobody would believe that [Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei and Mr. Ahmadinejad together would be trying to get George W. Bush to begin negotiations,” said Saeed Laylaz, a former official and analyst in Tehran. “This is a sign of changing strategy. They realize the situation is dangerous and they should not waste time, that they should reach out.” Laylaz and several diplomats said top Iranian officials have sought various channels to convey their desire for talks to Washington. He said top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani asked International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to carry that message to U.S. officials during his trip to Washington this week. Messages have also been seen through Indonesia, Kuwait and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. “They’ve been desperate to do it,” said a European diplomat in Tehran. U.S. intelligence analysts and others believe that Ahmadinejad’s letter was a significant overture. U.S. officials said experts have been pressing the Bush administration to reply to the letter, which has so far been dismissed by the administration. “The content was wacky and, from an American point of view, offensive. But why should we cede the high moral ground, and why shouldn’t we at least respond to the Iranian people?” said one official. “There is no question in my mind that there has been for some time a desire on the part of the senior Iranian leadership to engage in a dialogue with the United States,” said Paul Pillar, former senior Middle East intelligence analyst at the CIA. “Much stranger first steps have led to dialogues than this letter. And as weird as the letter may be, if the Iranians want to begin discussions based on the theme of righteousness, that’s something we should not be afraid to engage on,” he said. “We have pretty strong arguments about justice and righteousness of our own, so we should not shy away from that” (Vick/Linzer, Washington Post, May 24). Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and other administration hard-liners are complicating European Union efforts to compile an incentives package that is hoped to lead Iran away from uranium enrichment, the Financial Times reported today. One diplomat said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has “gone out on a limb” in support of the package but was facing resistance from Cheney. Such conflicts within the administration are delaying agreement on a strategy, according to another diplomat. Washington is likely to support the package if Russia backs a legally binding U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Iran suspend enrichment, according to some European diplomats. “The idea is that something moves if everything moves,” said one EU diplomat. “The positive elements of the package have to move at the same time as Security Council action.” However, diplomats remain doubtful that a deal that completely closes the book on uranium enrichment would be agreed to by Tehran (Dinmore/Dombey, Financial Times, May 24). France, Germany and the United Kingdom yesterday fine-tuned a compromise strategy that would eliminate the threat of military action against Iran, the Associated Press reported. The last-minute changes came ahead of talks among the world powers that opened today in London. The compromise is aimed at resolving Security Council disagreements. Russia and China remain opposed to Western countries’ calls for a U.N. resolution threatening sanctions and military action. The proposal calls for a resolution imposing sanctions under Chapter 7, Article 41 of the U.N. Charter if Iran continued to defy demands for a suspension. However, it does not mention Article 42, the trigger for military enforcement. The plan also calls for additional talks among the five permanent council members on any further action. Beijing and Moscow have complained that a tougher resolution would automatically lead to military action. However, the draft resolution still declares Iran a threat to international peace, language opposed by both China and Russia, according to AP. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday again called for a diplomatic solution but added that Moscow supports the EU approach. The text lists among possible sanctions a travel ban on Iranian officials; a financial transaction freeze on key officials; an arms embargo; and blocking refined oil product exports to Iran, according to AP. A pledge by Iran to enter new negotiations and lift a ban on intrusive international inspections would lead to benefits. Its nuclear dossier would be returned to the International Atomic Energy Agency and it would receive other rewards, including light-water reactor construction assistance and a guaranteed nuclear fuel supply for up to five years. Washington is likely to compromise only on its insistence that any resolution be automatically militarily enforceable, according to a European diplomat (George Jahn, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, May 24). Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko yesterday expressed hope for a “major breakthrough” at today’s meeting in London, Reuters reported. “I hope that [the European] proposal would be a major breakthrough in this issue,” said Kiriyenko, after meeting with Rice and other senior U.S. officials. However, one U.S. official said after initial meetings on the draft yesterday that “there was no determination on the package” that would be offered to Iran. He added that there were likely to be “more talks next week” (Carol Giacomo, Reuters/Yahoo!News, May 24). Ahmadinejad today praised his nation’s nuclear program and again warned against any nation attacking Iran, Agence France-Presse reported. “Today, Iran has mastered the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from start to finish, thanks to young Iranian scientists,” he said. “The enemies are looking to plot and want to create differences among Iranians to stop us getting our rights,” Ahmadinejad said. “But if they do the slightest damage to the Iranian people, if they commit the slightest aggression, they will receive an historic slap” (Agence France-Presse I/IranMania.com, May 24). Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki today arrived in Pakistan for a three-day visit, AFP reported. “The two sides will review the bilateral relations and naturally they will also discuss the current nuclear row,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told AFP (Agence France-Presse II/IranMania.com, May 24).
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