The Nation, Pakistan
America Should Talk to Iran 'Without Preconditions'

EDITORIAL

June 2, 2006

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IN what is being widely interpreted as a reversal of its 27-year policy of no substantive engagement with Tehran, Washington is now willing to hold direct, if not bilateral, talks with that nation. This is also seen by many as the victory of engagers like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the isolators, led by Vice President Dick Cheney. The move has been characterized as an example of "robust diplomacy" by President Bush, and has been necessitated by both domestic and international imperatives.

The Bush administration’s ratings have dropped due to the deteriorating situation in Iraq, and if Iran is pressed too hard, it is capable of making the Iraqi situation far worse. Already bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, the White House can ill afford to open a new front, which could very well prove even more costly, both in human and material terms. While Dr. Rice has not taken the military option off the table, there is a perception that America's fractious collection of allies will not hold together to enforce sanctions or wage war. Oil prices have shot up from $27 per barrel before the Iraq invasion to above $70 today. And in event that Washington takes punitive action, the price could escalate to the $100 range. The sensitivity of oil markets to U.S.-Iran relations was clear to see, when within hours of the U.S. announcement, oil futures fell by $1.50 a barrel in New York trading. Under the circumstances, Washington has no rational choice left other than talks.

But Washington's conditions for direct talks are unrealistic. These include the immediate suspension of all of Iran's enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, as well as full cooperation with the IAEA and greater IAEA access to Tehran's nuclear facilities.

These conditions could hardly be acceptable to Tehran, as President Ahmadinejad has committed his country never to back down on enrichment. Under the circumstances, it is understandable that Tehran is calling the offer a propaganda gimmick aimed at misleading global opinion.

The Bush Administration simply must be realistic. Iran is within its rights to undertake enrichment for its civilian nuclear energy needs. Indeed, it has already announced that it has stepped over the enrichment threshold, but has undertaken not to go beyond that. Tehran, too, has said it is willing to hold talks.

It is the height of hypocrisy for Washington to reward India - the nation which ignited South Asia's nuclear arms race - by providing it with civilian nuclear technology, while at the same time punishing Iran, which says it has no plans to acquire nuclear weapons. If President Bush is really sincere in his claim that he wants a "positive relationship between the American people and the people of Iran," then the U.S. should enter talks with Tehran without preconditions.

VIDEO FROM IRAN: 'BAD COWBOY' ANTI-U.S. PROPAGANDA CARTOON

Jaam-E-Jam3 TV, IRAN: Excerpts from a cartoon broadcast on Iranian television, preparing Iranians for war, May 15, 00:01:18, Via MEMRI

"Beyond the high mountains, beyond the boundless seas, in the new land sits an eagle with closed beak and spread wings. At the tips of its claws - arrow, blade, and sword Little contemptible cowboys behind this impressive image see themselves dressed like kings and caesars."

ANTI-U.S. PSY-OPS