AIC Articles http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/ en Copyright 2009 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:10:42 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss A Fierce Urgency for Peace, by Roger Cohen (NYT: March 26, 2009) Pressure on President Obama to recast the failed American approach to Israel-Palestine is building from former senior officials whose counsel he respects. Following up on a letter dated Nov. 6, 2008, that was handed to Obama late last year by Paul Volcker, now a senior economic adviser to the president, these foreign policy mandarins have concluded a "Bipartisan Statement on U.S. Middle East Peacemaking" that should become an essential template. Deploring "seven years of absenteeism" under the Bush administration, they call for intense American mediation in pursuit of a two-state solution, "a more pragmatic approach toward Hamas," and eventual U.S. leadership of a multinational force to police transitional security between Israel and Palestine. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/a-fierce-urgency-for-peace-roger-cohen-nyt-march-26-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/a-fierce-urgency-for-peace-roger-cohen-nyt-march-26-2009.html Roger Cohen Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:10:42 -0500 AIC Nowruz/Symposium Speech, by Fatemeh Haghighatjoo (March 25, 2009)
Official U.S.-Iran Contacts Post-9/11 Prior to the War in Iraq By Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, Ph.D.
I would like to thank the AIC for organizing this panel. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to President Obama for his Nowruz address and I am hopeful that the talks with his leadership will based on mutual respect and interest. Let me tell you as an Iranian insider how I perceived Iran's Supreme Leader respond to the Nowruz Message of the President. Ayatolah Khamenei felt Obama's remarks were so significant that he should be the first person to respond. He said "we are not going to be emotional and we will calculate and if the US would change, we would change too". And finally he asks for tangible steps. Last year, he said that if I know that the US-Iran talk/relations is useful, I would be the first one to talk. Therefore, both sides should not miss this opportunity. ]]> http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/aic-nowruzsymposium-speech-by-fatemeh-haghighatjoo-march-25-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/aic-nowruzsymposium-speech-by-fatemeh-haghighatjoo-march-25-2009.html Fatemeh Haghighatjoo Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:29:39 -0500 Response to President Obama's Nowruz Statement, Ali Khamenei Regarding the foreign affairs of our country, I would like to mentions one point, and that is the issue between us and the United States. One of the main challenges for the Revolution, right from the beginning, was the same issue. Right from the first day of the Revolution's victory, a phase was opened for the Iranian nation, as a major test in its relations and interactions with the government of the United States of America. This major and important test continued for the past 30 years. The US Government faced this Revolution with an angry and frowning face, and opposed us from the beginning. Of course, they had the right to do so, considering their own calculations. Before the Revolution, Iran was in the hands of the United States, its vital resources were in the hands of the United States, its political decision-making centers were in the hands of the United States, decisions to appoint and depose its vital centers were in the hands of the United States, and it (Iran) was like a field for the United States, the US military, and others on which to graze. Well, this was taken away from them. They could have expressed their opposition in not such an aggressive manner. But from the beginning of the Revolution, both their Republican presidents, and the Democrats, did not behave well toward the Islamic Republic. Th! is is no t secret from anyone. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/response-to-president-obamas-nowruz-statement-ali-khamenei.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/response-to-president-obamas-nowruz-statement-ali-khamenei.html Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:47:05 -0500 From Tehran to Tel Aviv, by Roger Cohen (NYT, March 22, 2009) With his bold message to Iran's leaders, President Obama achieved four things essential to any rapprochement. He abandoned regime change as an American goal. He shelved the so-called military option. He buried a carrot-and-sticks approach viewed with contempt by Iranians as fit only for donkeys. And he placed Iran's nuclear program within "the full range of issues before us." By doing so, Obama made it almost inevitable that one of the defining strategic issues of his presidency will be a painful but necessary redefinition of America's relations with Israel as differences over Iran sharpen. I will return to that below. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/from-tehran-to-tel-aviv-by-roger-cohen-nyt-march-22-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/from-tehran-to-tel-aviv-by-roger-cohen-nyt-march-22-2009.html Roger Cohen Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:29:58 -0500 President Bush's 2008 Nowruz Message For the millions of people who trace their heritage to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, India, and Central Asia, Nowruz is a time to celebrate the new year with the arrival of spring. . . . Our country is proud to be a land where individuals from many different cultures can pass their traditions on to future generations. The diversity of America brings joy to our citizens and strengthens our nation during Nowruz and throughout the year. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/president-bushs-2008-nowruz-message.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/president-bushs-2008-nowruz-message.html President Bush Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:27:07 -0500 President Obama Offers Hope of a New Day to Iran THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2009 THE PRESIDENT: Today I want to extend my very best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz around the world. This holiday is both an ancient ritual and a moment of renewal, and I hope that you enjoy this special time of year with friends and family.]]> http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/president-obama-offers-hope-of-a-new-day-to-iran.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/president-obama-offers-hope-of-a-new-day-to-iran.html Obama Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:43:30 -0500 Mideast Dream Team? Not Quite, by Roger Cohen (NYT, January 11, 2009) The Obama team is tight with information, but I've got the scoop on the senior advisers he's gathered to push a new Middle East policy as the Gaza war rages: Shibley Telhami, Vali Nasr, Fawaz Gerges, Fouad Moughrabi and James Zogby. This group of distinguished Arab-American and Iranian-American scholars, with wide regional experience, is intended to signal a U.S. willingness to think anew about the Middle East, with greater cultural sensitivity to both sides, and a keen eye on whether uncritical support for Israel has been helpful. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/mideast-dream-team-not-quite-by-roger-cohen-nyt-january-11-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/mideast-dream-team-not-quite-by-roger-cohen-nyt-january-11-2009.html Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:03:52 -0500 Iran is Job One, by Roger Cohen (NYT, October 22, 2008) Until he retired from the State Department earlier this year, Nicholas Burns was, as under secretary of state for political affairs, the lead U.S. negotiator on Iran. And how many times, during his three years in this role, did he meet with an Iranian? Not once. Burns wasn't allowed to. His presence was supposed to be the reward if the Iranians suspended uranium enrichment and sat down at the table. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/iran-is-job-one-by-roger-cohen-nyt-october-22-2008.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/iran-is-job-one-by-roger-cohen-nyt-october-22-2008.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:57:26 -0500 A U.S.-Iranian Conversation, by Roger Cohen (NYT, December 11, 2008) The United States and Iran are talking to each other about the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. That is a good thing. On the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, it shows there is nothing in the DNA of the two nations that precludes dialogue. The discussions - often bruising but never to the point of a breakup - are proceeding within the framework of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. That's an unwieldy name for something the world should cheer. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/a-usiranian-conversation-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-22-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/a-usiranian-conversation-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-22-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:30:51 -0500 What Iran's Jews Say, by Roger Cohen (NYT, February 22, 2009) At Palestine Square, opposite a mosque called Al-Aqsa, is a synagogue where Jews of this ancient city gather at dawn. Over the entrance is a banner saying: "Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution from the Jewish community of Esfahan." The Jews of Iran remove their shoes, wind leather straps around their arms to attach phylacteries and take their places. Soon the sinuous murmur of Hebrew prayer courses through the cluttered synagogue with its lovely rugs and unhappy plants. Soleiman Sedighpoor, an antiques dealer with a store full of treasures, leads the service from a podium under a chandelier. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/what-irans-jews-say-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-22-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/what-irans-jews-say-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-22-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:10:28 -0500 Iran, the Jews and Germany, by Roger Cohen (NYT, March 1, 2009) So a Jerusalem Post article says that I'm "hardly the first American to be misled by the existence of synagogues in totalitarian countries." The Atlantic Monthly's Jeffrey Goldberg finds me "particularly credulous," taken in by the Iranian hospitality and friendliness that "are the hallmarks of most Muslim societies." (Thanks for that info, Jeffrey.) A conservative Web site called American Thinker, which tries to prove its name is an oxymoron, believes I would have been fooled by the Nazis' sham at the Theresienstadt camp. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/iran-the-jews-and-germany-by-roger-cohen-nyt-march-1-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/iran-the-jews-and-germany-by-roger-cohen-nyt-march-1-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:08:17 -0500 Iran's China Option, by Roger Cohen (NYT, February 8, 2009) What Iran fears most is a Gorbachev figure, somebody from within the regime who in the name of compromise with the West ends up selling out the revolution and destroying its edifice. The jostling ahead of the June 12 presidential election -- the world's most important since America's -- must be viewed through this prism. The core debate is: can Iran manage a Chinese-style reform where its Islamic hierarchy endures through change, or does opening to America equal Soviet-style implosion? http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/irans-china-option-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-8-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/irans-china-option-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-8-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:04:49 -0500 The Magic Mountain, by Roger Cohen (NYT, February 15, 2009) The Alborz Mountains soar above the north side of the megalopolis that is the Iranian capital, their snowy peaks arousing dreams of evasion in people caught by the city's bottlenecks. One day I could resist them no longer. Near Evin prison, where thousands languish and executions are frequent, a trail begins. Following a rushing stream, it winds up past teahouses full of the fragrant smoke of hookahs and stalls offering fresh pomegranate juice, into the bracing wild. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/the-magic-mountain-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-15-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/the-magic-mountain-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-15-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:03:01 -0500 The Unthinkable Opton, by Roger Cohen (NYT, February 4, 2009) When it comes to Iran, the choice of metaphor is limited. "I would never take a military option off the table," Barack Obama declared during the campaign, a position unchanged since he became president. "We are not taking any option off the table at all," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at her Senate confirmation hearing. http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/the-unthinkable-opton-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-4-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/the-unthinkable-opton-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-4-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:01:15 -0500 Iran's Inner America, by Roger Cohen (NYT, February 11, 2009) The young Revolutionary Guardsman, in his light tan uniform, was all smiles. "I had longed to see a real American," he said, extending a hand. We were standing near the shrine to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the man who inspired the Islamic Revolution whose defense is the mission of the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guards. "And, what do you think?" http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/irans-inner-america-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-11-2009.html http://american-iranian.org/publications/articles/2009/03/irans-inner-america-by-roger-cohen-nyt-february-11-2009.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:58:55 -0500