Iranian Newspaper, Keyhan, Analyzes Possibility of Resumption of Iran-US Ties

TEHRAN (FNA)-

August 1, 2008

"Have Iran and America arrived to the point of holding talks and has the Ahmadinejad administration crossed a red line in this concern?" These are the opening questions of a commentary by Abdol-Hossein Mo'tamedi published in Iranian daily Keyhan earlier this week.

"Are we to arrive at a positive outcome in the relations between the two countries by this means? Has the Islamic Republic of Iran's strategic and principled outlook changed towards America? Was the rejection of talks and having relations a sham and a claim and is action being taken to the contrary at present," are Mo'tamedi's next questions.

Mo'tamedi says these are questions that in the past years have been raised in the domestic as well as foreign media atmosphere time and again on the basis of certain reports and rumors and have engendered certain ambiguities. Although in the formation of the atmosphere of ambiguity and doubt, certain actions could have been influential, the principal reason has been the keenness of a particular domestic and foreign media current to insinuate that the Islamic Republic of Iran is stepping back from its judicious and strategic principles.

Last year (beginning 21 March 2007), following the news of tripartite talks between Iran, Iraq and America over the Iraqi security issues, the aforementioned exercises at creating doubt were heightened. In the past two weeks, following the announcement about the attendance of US Undersecretary of State William Burns at the Geneva talks once again the same coordinated media wave was regenerated. In the meantime, the statements by the respected president (Ahmadinejad) about Tehran's readiness to talk under equal and fair conditions came to be cited by that media current. But, what is the reality?

Although the breaking of bilateral ties was officially undertaken by the American administration, the break was the natural outcome of 25 years of American treachery, atrocity, plunder and support for the dictatorship during the Pahlavi regime just as in the 30 years after the revolution the enmities have continued in various way - war, coup de tat, sanctions, soft overthrow and most recently, obstructing Iran becoming equipped with nuclear know-how and technology. The most natural happening in the 55-year long process is the formation of the deep revulsion and mistrust in the Iranian nation towards America.

Even if at some time the officials of the two sides embark on direct and non-mediated concentrated talks for many months nothing significant will happen until the reason behind the breaking of ties and the justified revulsion (America's arrogant, colonialist and Satanic character) has been removed. For that reason, the overexcitement and demagogy of a commissioned or mentally incompetent group that once in a while cheers for something that has not happened using the ploy of start it up and get it going will not make any difference to the principal story.

It is only enough to realize that those very talks on Iraqi security reached a deadlock after three rounds and the fourth round halted last Esfand (Iranian month beginning 20 February 2007) despite prior announcement and was never revived. Although the topic of the talks was not bilateral relations but a reminder of the responsibility of the occupiers in maintaining Iraq's security and fighting terrorism, when they started the recurring scenario was placed on the agenda by American media and a number of domestic dailies and websites that are aligned with foreigners.

As for the Geneva talks, no direct negations were carried out with America and just as American and Iranian envoys used to attend the collective Iraqi or Afghan talks, in the nuclear issue where Iran is negotiating with members of the UN Security Council, the Americans after a long time of defiance and hubris were forced to climb down from their conceited position in the hope that may be they can claim the kudos for Iran pulling its punches in the Geneva talks after their extensive military and economic threats.

However, according to the acknowledgement of the American officials themselves, Iran essentially did not protest against their demand-centered approach (suspension of nuclear technology even on a temporary basis) and presented the P5+1 group with constructive proposals with respect to world security and stability.

The media reports of the meeting, meanwhile, spoke of the failure of America's diplomacy of many months and the repeated admittance of the success of Iran's diplomacy. In fact in the past five years Iran has managed to insist on its principled rights and judicious red lines and at the same time control the threats and pressures to a great extent without paying any ransom or giving any concession to the other side, especially America. Therefore, it is clear that no red line has been violated by the negotiators and, essentially, no way has been paved for bilateral talks with America. The American side, meanwhile, is announcing that there are no plans for attending such talks again. Nevertheless, Iran's steadfastness might force them to make new turn backs.

What are true are the increasing expansion of Iran's sovereignty and the imposition of that sovereignty on the Great Satan (America). The Islamic Republic of Iran's principled position from the beginning of the revolution is clear: As long as America fails to behave in a humane way and does not desist from its bestial manner there will be no talks or relations. The rational of the respected government is based on making talks conditional on establishing a fair and just atmosphere. That is an interpretation of the same principled policy while at the same time in Iran's diplomatic maneuver the American government is reactively living its last days in the dust. That too is a translation into action of the wise advice of the sagacious leader of the revolution to the effect that one should control and wrest the cutlass from the hands of a drunk person - in its relevant context - courageously and artfully.

That has been carried out successfully throughout the last few years, side by side the development and expansion of nuclear technology in the country. The Americans have described that policy as Iran's intelligent time wasting even though Iran is seeking to establish a new and fair security order in the world, something that has acquired serious supporters among some European Union members.

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