Iran-U.S.A

[Rasputin]

U.S., Iran Forge Bonds in Small Steps

Mitra Kavian, an Iranian painter with dangling earrings and a bold silver necklace, did not know what to expect when she and 13 other young Iranian artists landed in the United States on Saturday. She thought the security personnel would go through her suitcase and throw much of her stuff away, damage her artwork and then interrogate her at length.

"What surprised me and affected me was that it was no different than going to Europe," the 46-year-old Kavian said yesterday. "I was welcomed just the same -- and even more."

At a time of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington -- and after 27 years without diplomatic relations since the Iran hostage crisis -- the Bush administration has attempted to break the ice with a series of cultural and artistic exchanges.

The $5 million program began with little fanfare last year with a series of visits by Iranian medical doctors and researchers and a trip to Iran by the U.S. wrestling team to compete in matches before 3,000 fans. State Department officials said they have received no reports that previous visitors had problems upon returning to Iran, making it easier to recruit Iranian citizens for future visits. All told, U.S. officials hope to bring about 100 Iranians to the United States by the fall.

This afternoon, the program will get a high-profile boost when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tours an exhibit of the Iranian art at the Meridian International Center titled "Wishes and Dreams: Iran's New Generation Emerges," the first Iranian art exhibit sponsored by the U.S. government. Rice hopes to meet with the artists and plans to speak about the administration's desire to reach out to the Iranian people. The exhibit will open to the public on Friday and runs through July 29.

The exchange program is managed by Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell, and the costs of visits are underwritten by U.S. taxpayers. But nongovernmental groups such as Meridian have organized the trips. Nancy Matthews, vice president of Meridian, made two week-long trips to Tehran to help select the artwork that would be represented, working with the Tehran University Art Gallery. Meridian has planned a three-week tour of the United States for the artists that will take them to New York, Kansas and New Mexico.

The artists' visit comes as the Iranian government this week detained a prominent American academic, Haleh Esfandiari, making her the third dual U.S.-Iranian citizen whose passport has been confiscated in recent months in apparent response to the administration's $75 million program to promote democracy in Iran.

"Whatever problems we may have with the policies of the Iranian government, we don't want to put a chill in those people-to-people contacts. We think that those are really important," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters yesterday. "It would be a real shame if these actions by the Iranian government in any way put a crimp in those kind of exchanges."

The art represented in the exhibit is striking. Kavian, one of three artists who agreed to be interviewed, paints bold canvases with vivid shades of blue, depicting dreamlike images of women that include mini-paintings floating in the canvases. Kavian's official portrait shows her wearing a hijab, but the heads of the women in her paintings are not covered.

Golnaz Fathi, a bubbly and enthusiastic 34-year-old, trained calligraphy, traditionally a male-dominated genre in Iran, but has had huge success by over time stripping the letters of any of their meaning. Now, her paintings are mostly black and white, with bold splotches of red or maybe blue, filled with random letters that make sense only in the imagination. "I treat letters like a form, a dance of alphabets," she said. "I like the tension between readability and unreadability. These are the unwritten, unspoken words."

Behnam Kamrani, 38, who produces mystical digital art and video art and teaches university students, said that already the exposure to American museums and artists was invaluable, especially because he could finally see artwork that he previously only taught from books.

Fathi, who had visited the United States once before, said that when she encountered one of Robert Motherwell's massive canvases for the first time, she plopped down on the floor in front of it in awe. "I had only seen it in a book," she said.

Kamrani said the contemporary art museum in Tehran plans to invite U.S. artists to join an upcoming exhibit on peace. "In my opinion, art and culture is ahead of politics," he said. "Through cultural and artistic exchanges we can bring people together."

[Rasputin]

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was all smiles Thursday as she met Iranian artists at an event intended to promote cultural links with Iran. Still, there were currents of unease.

Ten of the 14 Iranians who received special visas for the exhibition refused to be photographed with Rice, and two would not even accompany her through the gallery because they were "uncomfortable," two organizers said.

"Art moves above politics and I didn't want to be a part of politics," said Behnam Kamrani, a 39-year-old digital artist from Tehran.

Bahar Behbahni, a 33-year-old mixed media artist from Tehran, added, "It doesn't mean that the artists aren't political or don't (care) about politics. Artists don't want to make political gestures. Our language is our art, we express ourselves through art."

What was billed as a unique and open expression of culture bridging vast political differences between the U.S. and Iran became an exercise in crowd control as the State Department scrambled to prevent reporters from even glimpsing Rice's tour.

All journalists, including those without cameras, were kept in the final room of the exhibit behind two immense wooden doors that opened only when Rice finished and appeared with four of the Iranian artists to say how much she enjoyed the show.

"This is really a great day," she said in brief remarks. "I have so enjoyed seeing the work of these great artists.

"They are representing so well the great culture that Iran has, the great culture that goes back for so many centuries but that is being brought here today so that the American people can see another side of Iran."

Rice's visit was announced Wednesday by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. He said its importance was "the symbolism of the American secretary of state reaching out and demonstrating for the Iranian people an appreciation for products of Iranian culture."

The United States broke diplomatic ties with Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

Relations have remained frozen amid mutual recriminations and animosity, notably over Iran's nuclear program, which Washington claims is a cover for atomic weapons development, and alleged Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq and anti- Israel groups.

The cases of three Iranian-American dual citizens detained in Iran and that of a retired FBI agent who has been missing in Iran since early March have further strained the situation.

Still, the State Department has placed great emphasis on cultural, educational and sports exchanges with Iran. The "Wishes and Dreams" exhibition that was to open to the public Friday is just the latest in a series that has already involved doctors, wrestlers and teachers.

Many of the artists whose work is on display at Washington's Meridian International Center said they hoped its presence in the United States would have a positive impact among people in the U.S.

"I am just an artist, I am not an Iranian terrorist and if I can do anything for the peace of the world, that is something I would be proud of," said Mitra Kavian, 43. She was less certain when asked if she thought the exhibit was a step toward better U.S.-Iran ties.

"I don't know," she said. "Maybe, I hope. I don't like war, I like peace everywhere."

[Rasputin]

رایس به دیدن نمایشگاه هنرمندان ایرانی می رود

کاندوليزا رايس، وزير امور خارجه آمريکا از نمايشگاه ايرانيان در واشنگتن ديدار می کند.

به گزارش خبرگزاری رویترز، اين ديدار، در راستای حمايت از «دوستی با مردم ايران، بدون درنظر گرفتن اختلافات موجود در روابط دو کشور» توصیف شده است.

روابط ايران با آمريکا، به ويژه با اتهامات واشنگتن مبنی بر مداخله ايران در امور داخلی عراق و برنامه های اتمی اين کشور، بسيار تيره است، اما جرج بوش رييس جمهوری آمريکا گفته است که می خواهد روابط نزديک فرهنگی را با مردم ايران حفظ کند.

در نمايشگاهی که خانم رايس قرار است يکی از بازديد کنندگان آن باشد، آثار بيش از ۳۰ هنرمند ايرانی بين سنين ۲۲ تا ۴۰ سال با موضوع «آروزها و روياها؛ نسل جديد ايران پديدار می شود»، در معرض نمايش قرار دارد.

اين نمايشگاه در مرکز بين المللی مريدیان با همکاری گالری هنر دانشگاه تهران در واشنگتن برپا است و تا روز ۲۹ جولای هم ادامه دارد.

وزارت امور خارجه امريکا که حامی مالی اين نمايشگاه است اعلام کرد که هنرمندان ايرانی روز چهارشنبه در انتظار ملاقات خانم رايس بودند.

شان مک کومک، سخنگوی وزارت امور خارجه گفت: «مهمترين نکته حرکت نمادين خانم رايس است که صرف نظر از همه مناقشات و، به احترام مردم و فرهنگ و هنر ايران در اين نمايشگاه حاضر می شود.»

چندی پيش، جرج بوش، رييس جمهوری آمريکا، در حالی که از جامعه بين الملل تقاضای تحريم های سنگين تری برای ايران داشت، در عين حال از ارتباط و مراودات نزديک تری بين مردم دو کشور حرف زد.

ماه گذشته، وزارت امور خارجه آمريکا، برای آماده سازی کشتی گيران اين کشور در بازی های المپيک ۲۰۰۸ پکن، از کشتی گيران ايران دعوت کرده بود تا برای برپايی اردويی مشترک به آمريکا بروند.

ايالات متحده، روابط سياسی خود را با ايران، از آوريل سال ۱۹۸۰، پنج ماه بعد از اينکه سفارتش در تهران توسط دانشجويان اشغال شد و دانشجویان تندروی ايرانی ۵۲ نفر از کارکنان اين سفارت را به مدت ۴۴۴ روز به گروگان گرفتند، قطع کرد.

واشينگتن عقيده دارد که ايران تلاش دارد به بمب اتمی دست يابد و گفته است تنها در صورتی با ايران وارد مذاکره می شود که اين کشور، کليه فعاليت های غنی سازی اورانیوم را تعليق کرده و به ميز مذاکره برگردد. اين درحالی است که ايران عقيده دارد همه فعاليت های اتمی اش برای مصارف صلح آميز انرژی است.

استوارت هاليدی مدير مرکز مريديان، که يک موسسه غيرانتفاعی است گفت: «اين نمايشگاه به شهروندان آمريکايی کمک می کند که مردم ايران را بهتر بشناسند و علايق مشترک بين دوکشور را تقويت می کند.»

اين نمايشگاه زمانی برپا می شود که ايران، یکی از شهروندان آمريکايی ايرانی الاصل را که به تهران سفر کرده ، بازداشت کرده است و همچنین به نازی عظیما، خبرنگار رادیو فردا که او نیز تابیعت دو گانه ایرانی و آمریکایی دارد، اجازه خروج از ایران را نمی دهد.

آقای مک کورمک، سخنگوی وزارت امور خارجه آمریکا، ابراز امیدواری کرد که هنرمندان ايرانی حاضر در اين نمايشگاه، در بازگشت به ايران، به خاطر ملاقات با خانم رايس دچار مشکل نشوند.

[Rasputin]

Washington DC - Tehran’s arrest of several Iranian-American visitors to Iran, including most recently a prominent Iranian-American academic, is a deplorable step that has sent chills throughout the Iranian-American community. The inexplicable targeting of Iranian-American individuals is causing great concern in a community that cherishes the ability to visit Iran and maintain close contacts with friends and family there, despite the tense political situation between the two countries.

Three Americans of Iranian origin have in the past few months been arrested or jailed in Tehran. The most recent is Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, a widely respected Iranian-American scholar and 67-year-old grandmother who was detained in Tehran during a visit to see her ailing 93-year-old mother. It is believed Dr. Esfandiari is currently in solitary confinement in Evin prison.

The Iranian-American community has through their travel back-and-forth acted as a humanitarian bridge between the US and Iran. In spite of the political tensions between the two countries, their travels have kept the warm cultural and humanitarian affinity between Iranians and Americans alive. In America, they have acted as cultural ambassadors of Iran. In Iran, they have represented the greatness and generosity of American culture.

Iran's targeting of Iranian Americans will only serve to alienate the community and increase polarization between the two countries. The Iranian government would be wise not to target innocent people who belong to a key constituency in America opposing military confrontation between the US and Iran.

[Rasputin]

Wrong Move in Iran

IF IRAN wants the world's respect, as its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, claims, its Intelligence Ministry should immediately free Iranian American scholar Haleh Esfandiari.

Ms. Esfandiari, 67, the respected director of the Middle East Program at the Smithsonian Institution's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, traveled to Iran to visit her sick 93-year-old mother last year. On her way to the airport to return to Washington in December, she was robbed at knifepoint and stripped of her Iranian and American passports. Since then she has been interrogated for 50 hours, according to her husband. The Intelligence Ministry's purpose in interrogating her is unclear, because the answers to most of its questions are available online at the Wilson Center Web site, said the center's director, Lee H. Hamilton. Interrogators have tried to coerce her into false confessions about her activities and the activities of the Wilson Center, which they seem to believe is driving U.S. policy against Iran. Finally, on Tuesday, she was locked up in Tehran's Evin Prison. Officials turned her mother away when she tried to visit.

Ms. Esfandiari, who holds dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship, is one of three Americans who are being held as "soft hostages" in Iran. Among them is a journalist for Radio Farda who also was arrested while visiting her ailing mother. Human Rights Watch places the total number of political dissidents currently imprisoned in Tehran under state security laws at around 50, and in the past week at least 16 others have been arrested around the country for various political activities.

Even within the context of these human rights abuses, Ms. Esfandiari's imprisonment is particularly poignant because she has been advocating dialogue and a restoration of diplomatic relations with Iran. Some Iranian Americans accuse her of being too "soft" on Tehran. Her arrest only tends to strengthen those who argue that the Ahmadinejad regime is too cruel and irrational to make an attempt at dialogue worthwhile.

Some scholars believe Ms. Esfandiari may be a pawn in the infighting in the Iranian government, too, with Mr. Ahmadinejad trying to create "enemies" to strengthen his position. But Ms. Esfandiari is no enemy of Iran, and her efforts to promote understanding are not causing the world to lose respect for Iran. Her imprisonment is.

[Rasputin]

Last few weeks, for one reason or another, I have been reading about or seeing pictures of variety of animals in cages in zoos. From giraffs and hippos, to small monkeys. Why do we even have zoos in the 21st century?

We take a lion, supposedly the king of the wild, and confine it to a 12x8 cage for year after year after year. Or, in case of a place like sea world, we take a 4 ton whale who is supposed to swim in limitless oceans and confine it to a man made pool the ends of which can be reached by the whale in less than 5 seconds.

I remember an incident in which one of these whales had taken its trainer by his legs and had dragged him under water for a while. The whole media in southern California was in a frenzy about the "killer" whale gone mad.

One can understand the need for a zoo in big cities back in the 1950s or even as late as the 1990s. But now, with the advent of the internet, kids, or adults for that matter, can see a picture or videos of any animal complete with sound and all the info you could ever want with a click of a mouse. I see pictures of kids in villages in Afghanistan having access to the internet. So, we're not depriving too many people if we connect them to the internet for their curiousity about animals.

I think its time to slowly close down all zoos except maybe for very large open ones such as the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. But come to think of it, there are a bunch of cages there too. What the hell, close all zoos.

What and who we need to keep in cages are creatures like Ahmadinejad, G.W. Bush, and oh yes, I forgot about Bill O'reily. We'll have a spinning wheel in his cage in case he wants to stop the spin.

[Rasputin]

هشدار نامزد رياست جمهوری آمريکا نسبت به خطر ايران


میت رامنی مخالف مذاکره با ایران است
ميت رامنی فرماندار سابق ايالت ماساچوست و يکی از نامزدهای رياست جمهوری از حزب جمهوريخواه در مراسم فارغ التحصيلی کالج هيلسديل ايران و اسلام راديکال را دو تهديد جدی عليه آمريکا خواند و بر مقابله با آنها تاکيد کرد.
او گفت آمريکا بايد با آنچه او نيروهای شرير خواند قدرتمندانه مقابله کند.

ميت رامنی افزود ارتش آمريکا نياز به حداقل يکصد هزار نيروی بيشتر و تجهيزات جديد دارد.

وی گفت پروژه سيستم دفاع موشکی آمريکا نيز بايد با سرعت به جلو برده شود.

او پيشتر هم اظهارات مشابهی عليه ايران مطرح کرده بود.

وی در فوريه گذشته در يکی از سخنرانی های انتخاباتی خود گفت:

"ما وقت زيادی برای فکر کردن در مورد عراق صرف کرده ايم. اين بار نوبت ايران است. اين ملتی است که رهبرانش مطالب خارق العاده و تنفر آميزی گفته اند. آنها از نسل کشی صحبت کرده اند. آنها گفته اند که کل يک کشور يعنی دوست ما اسرائيل بايد از بين برود. آنها به جهادگرايان در عراق مواد منفجره داده اند که به کشته شدن نيروهای ما انجاميده است."

ميت رامنی افزود: "در اين شرايط سناتور کلينتون و سناتور ادواردز می گويند بايد با ايران گفتگو کنيم. اين حاکی از هراس و عدم شناخت صحيح آنها از وضعيت فعلی است. ما نبايد با کشوری که بدنبال ساخت سلاح اتمی است بنشينيم و مذاکره کنيم. ما نبايد به فردی مثل احمدی نژاد جايزه دهيم."

نحوه برخورد با ايران، يکی از موضوعاتی است که نامزدهای رياست جمهوری آمريکا از آن برای متفاوت جلوه دادن خود با ساير نامزدها استفاده می کنند.

ميت رامنی هم اکنون مشغول رقابت های درون حزبی با ساير نامزدهای جمهوريخواهان از جمله سناتور جان مک کين و رودی جوليانی شهردار سابق نيويورک است.

[Rasputin]

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran and the United States will hold talks in Baghdad aimed at establishing security in Iraq, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The United States responded by repeating its willingness to hold talks with Iran as long as they are limited to Iraq.

The timing of the talks was unclear, with the official IRNA news agency at first saying they would be next week but later reporting the date would become clear by Friday.

Talks are rare between Iran and the United States, which accuses Tehran both of backing Shi'ite militia in Iraq and seeking an atomic bomb -- a charge Iran denies. The two states have had no diplomatic ties for more than a quarter century.

"With the aim of easing the pain of the Iraqi people, supporting the Iraqi government and strengthening security in Iraq ... Iran will talk with the American side in Baghdad," IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini as saying.

Hosseini's office, contacted by Reuters, confirmed his comments, but IRNA also quoted Hosseini as saying: "The place of talks is definitely Iraq. The exact date and level of the negotiating team will become clear by Friday."

A spokeswoman for U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said several U.S. officials had expressed willingness to discuss Iraq and made clear that would be at ambassadorial level.

"We are willing to have that conversation, focused on Iraq, at that level. That has not changed," said Lea Anne McBride, a spokeswoman for Cheney, who was in Cairo meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as part of a Middle East trip.

Iran denies backing the insurgency in Iraq and accuses Washington of igniting tensions between Iraq's Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims. Analysts say Washington and Tehran are both concerned about worsening violence, pushing them to agree to meet.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exchanged pleasantries at a lunch on the sidelines of a conference in Egypt this month on efforts to stabilize Iraq but held no substantive discussions.

NUCLEAR DISPUTE

The conference brought together Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria, as well as officials from G8 nations and the European Union.

It was a follow-up to a meeting of senior officials in Baghdad in March, where Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged neighbors to do more to end bloodshed that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis.

Hosseini said Iran's decision to hold talks with its arch enemy followed weeks of intense lobbying by Baghdad, which had sought to persuade Iran to engage in such talks.

Many experts say Tehran could play a big role in stabilizing Iraq and this should be a major area of U.S.-Iranian convergence.

"Tehran and Washington's cooperation over Iraq could be a turning point in stabilizing Iraq," said political analyst Saeed Mesri.

Both sides acknowledge meeting one-on-one in recent years for discussions specific to Afghanistan, another neighbor of Iran where the United States launched a war.

Washington has been leading diplomatic efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear program. Iran has rejected repeated U.N. demands to halt uranium enrichment, which is used to make fuel for atomic power stations but also has military uses.

Iran, a major oil exporter, says it needs its atomic program to satisfy its booming electricity demand.

[Rasputin]

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday threatened "severe" retaliation if the United States attacked his country, which is locked in a standoff with the West over its nuclear programme.

"They realize that if they make such a mistake the retaliation of Iran would be severe and they will repent," Ahmadinejad told a news conference in the United Arab Emirates. He was speaking through an interpreter.

"All people know they cannot strike us. Iran is capable of defending itself. It is a strong country," said Ahmadinejad.

He said the West could not stop Tehran pursuing its nuclear energy programme. "Superpowers cannot prevent us from owning this energy."

The United States, which has a strong military presence in the Gulf, accuses Iran of wanting to produce nuclear weapons and has sought tougher U.N. sanctions against Tehran. Iran says it wants only to generate electricity to allow more oil exports.

Using stronger language than on Sunday when he called for U.S. troops to leave the region, Ahmadinejad said Gulf countries should "get rid of" foreign forces, which he blamed for insecurity in the region.

"We in the Persian Gulf are faced by difficulties and enemies. Those do not want the region to live in safety ... peace can be achieved by getting rid of these forces," he said.

"They intervene in the region and make it insecure. They claim that lack of security is the reason for their presence (but) the problem is the intervention of foreign powers."

CHENEY VISIT

Ahmadinejad was speaking during a trip to the UAE, an ally of Washington, just days after a visit by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

Cheney met officials from the UAE and its larger neighbor Saudi Arabia to discuss issues including Iran, which he has described as a major concern to Sunni Arab states.

Dubai-based analyst Mustafa Alani said Tehran was trying to forge regional cooperation around joint interests and to push for an end to foreign troops in the region, a demand that Arab Gulf states would not support.

"The disappearance of the Americans in the region will make Iran emerge as a super regional power, this is a demand linked to their (Iranians) strategic ambitions," he said. "But they (Arab states) need foreign support in the region because there is a deep mistrust in the Iranians."

The UAE, which with its Gulf Arab neighbors has expressed concern about Tehran's nuclear plans, on Sunday voiced support for a moderate approach to Iran's crisis with the West.

Ahmadinejad's visit to the UAE is the first by an Iranian head of state since its creation in 1971.

The UAE and Tehran have full diplomatic ties and are major trade partners despite a three-decade dispute over three strategic islands near the entrance to the Gulf, through which a third of the world's sea-borne crude oil supplies pass.

Tension between the United States and Iran has raised regional fears of a possible military confrontation that could hit Gulf economies and threaten vital oil exports.

Ahmadinejad said Iran had agreed to talk to the United States about Iraq to help the Iraqi people. The White House said on Sunday that U.S. and Iranian officials would meet in the next few weeks in Baghdad about security in Iraq.

"They know that their plans have failed in Iraq, their vision is wrong. As long as you are plotting against the Iraqi people, failure will be there day after day," said Ahmadinejad.

[Rasputin]

MOSCOW - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday the United States decided to hold talks with Iran about security in wartorn Iraq because officials believed the timing was right.


"We've had that channel (for talks) for some time, and it seemed like a good time to activate it," Rice told reporters accompanying her here for talks with Russian officials.

She said the idea of the talks came from talks with Iraq's neighboring countries in the region, saying "we all made a commitment there to do what we can to help the Iraqis."

"And one of the most important things is to help the Iraqis is dealing with their border issues, with the flow of foreign fighters and arms across the border," Rice added, "and from our point of view and the coalition's point of view, dealing with the dangerous technologies that are originating in Iran that are putting our soldiers at risk. So this seemed to be a good time to follow up on some of the general commitments that the neighbors took."

The announcement that the United States and Iran would hold the talks represented a historic political turnabout for the two countries with the most influence over Iraq's future.

Expectations of progress remain low, however, with tough issues at stake and mutual suspicions running high. Even as it announced the talks, Iran lashed out at Vice President Dick Cheney's weekend warnings about its nuclear program, saying it would retaliate if the U.S. attacked it.

Yet the two sides said they were setting aside such differences to focus on a narrow issue — Iraq's continued violence and sharp political deterioration.

"The purpose is to try to make sure that the Iranians play a productive role in Iraq," said Gordon Johndroe, the White House's National Security Council spokesman.

Cheney's spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride, also confirmed the upcoming talks Sunday, saying the vice president supports the move as long as they focus solely on Iraq.

Iran agreed to the talks "after consultation with Iraqi officials, in order to lessen the pain of the Iraqi people, support the Iraqi government and establish security and peace in Iraq," the state-run news agency, IRNA, quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini as saying.

Iraqi leaders have leaned on the Bush administration to try to cooperate with Iran in the interest of stabilizing their country. Likewise, some Mideast Arab allies of the U.S. — increasingly distrustful of Iraq's Shiite-led government — have pushed for talks with Iran as a way to reduce sectarian tensions in the country and stop attacks against Sunnis.

The decision to talk comes at a critical time of plunging U.S. support for the war and growing pressure from Congress for Iraq's government to make some political progress, or lose U.S. backing. Many critics say the U.S.- and Iraqi-led security push and troop buildup is also struggling.

In March, lower-level U.S. and Iranian diplomats did hold rare, brief talks on the sidelines of a Baghdad gathering. At a follow-up conference a week ago in Egypt, there was a casual chat between the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, and Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.

The timing of the upcoming talks in Baghdad was unclear, but Johndroe and Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, both said they expected them to occur sometime in the next few weeks.

The Baghdad setting will allow for "serious, quiet and focused discussions on the responsibilities and the obligations of all to help stabilize the situation in Iraq," Zebari said.

The U.S. sees Iran as the biggest threat to Iraq's stability, accusing Tehran of supplying Shiite militias with deadly roadside bombs that kill American troops. Iran denies the accusations.

[Rasputin]

The Bush administration is about to start negotiating with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Not only that, they will negotiate from a position of weakness and will give IRI everything they ask for. Everything.

Why? Because they have no other choice. Absolutely none. The disaster of war in Iraq threatens not only the Bush presidency, but the survival of the Republican Party. If this administration were the kind of people who could stand up, admit to mistakes, and sacrifice themselves for the good of the country to salvage a solution, then there might've been some hope. But, they clearly are not. Instead, they will go begging the IRI to help them save face.

It is obvious that only Iran has the clout, intelligence resources and communication channels to fix the mess. They will fix it, alright, but to their own lasting advantage. IRI is the winner in United State's war on Iraq. It's done.

What will IRI ask for, and Bush/Cheney give them? First, a huge monetary reward, which will be called reparations for Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980 and the subsequent eight year war. This will come out of Iraq's pocket in the form of an oil concession. Second, they will steer, if not outright dictate, the form of government in Iraq. Third, they will have sanctions and economic pressured eased, and get permission to tap into the International Monetary Fund. Fourth, they will get the „respect‰ they've been demanding for so long (whatever that is). Fourth, they will get some security guarantee against regime change in Iran. Obviously, they will also get to exact revenge on MKO and finish off that threat too. They won't get a green light for their nuclear program, but they won't get hassled over it either.

What will Bush/Cheney get? Ask Iran's help to put a government in place in Iraq- any government, and stop the bleeding, plus some blah-blah lip service about moderation and respect for Iraq's non-shia minorities. As for the real prize, OIL, I don't know. But, most importantly, they will insist IRI does not gloat. Keep it hush-hush so Bush doesn't lose any more face than is apparent. That's it.

Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt will go back to the drawing board.

All this will lead to further legitimizing of IRI. Trade will resume, followed, inevitably, by diplomatic relations.

This is the beginning of the end of United States presence in the Middle East and the end of post-soviet era dreams of an American Empire. At least for now.

There is no outside threat to survival of IRI for the foreseeable future. Get used to it.

[Rasputin]

امضا براي گروه دوستي پارلماني ايران-آمريكا

خبرگزاري كار ايران از جمع*آوري امضا در مجلس براي تشكيل گروه دوستي پارلماني ايران و آمريكا خبر داد.

بر پايه اين گزارش، روز سه*شنبه در راهروهاي مجلس جمعي از نمايندگان پيشنهاد تشكيل گروه دوستي و پارلماني بين ايران و آمريكا را امضا كردند.

ايلنا مي*افزايد، اين پيشنهاد تاكنون به امضاي نصيري، قنبري، جلال حسيني، عطارزاده، دانشيار، گرامي*مقدم و رودكي نمايندگان گرمي، ايلام، زنجان، نيشابور، ماه*نشان، بجنورد و شيراز رسيده است.

جمع*آوري امضا براي اين پيشنهاد ادامه داد.


نشست علني مجلس، بيست و پنجم ارديبهشت. فارس

در همين حال داريوش قنبري، يكي از نمايندگان امضاكننده اين پيشنهاد به آسوشيتدپرس گفت كه مجلس ايران مي*خواهد تنش*هاي ميان تهران و واشنگتن را كاهش دهد و"براي كنگره آمريكا واقعيت*هاي ايران را تشريح كند".

به گفته اين عضو كميسيون امنيت ملي و سياست خارجي، امضاكنندگان از هردو طيف محافظه*كار و اصلاح*طلب مجلس هستند و انتظار مي*رود تا پايان روز امضاهاي بيشتري جمع شود.

نماينده ايلام افزود: "در نبود مناسبات ديپلماتيك رسمي، ما به به دنبال برقراري رابطه پارلماني با كنگره آمريكا و پر كردن خلا كنوني در مورد تماس دو ملت هستيم".

جلال حسيني يكي ديگر از امضاكنندگان پيشنهاد گروه دوستي پارلماني ايران- آمريكا در اين باره گفت: "اگر دولت (ايران) با آمريكايي*ها در حال نيل به توافق است چرا ملت ايران با مردم آمريكا آشتي نكند".

جلال حسيني افزود: "ما در صدديم كه اين كميته دوستي را تشكيل دهيم تا سياست***هاي ضد ايراني دولت بوش را تضعيف كنيم و حسن نيت و صلح*دوستي خود را نشان دهيم".

سخنگوي وزرات امورخارجه ايران روز يكشنبه درباره تشكيل گروه دوستي پارلماني ايران- آمريكا گفت :"اين پيشنهاد را از طريق مجاري رسمي ارايه دهند تا مسئولين ما بتوانند آن را مورد بررسي قرار دهند".


محمد علي حسيني همچنين از درخواست رسمي آمريكا براي مذاكره با ايران در مورد عراق خبر داده بود.

سخنگوي وزارت خارجه همچنين ضمن اشاره به مذاكره قريب*الوقوع تهران- واشنگتن، اظهار داشت: "در پي رايزني*هايي كه مقامات عراقي داشتند، ايران اين موضوع را به طور رسمي مورد توجه قرار داد؛ بنابراين به منظور كاهش آلام و درد و رنج مردم عراق حمايت و تقويت دولت نوري مالكي، تقويت و تثبيت امنيت در آن كشور در بغداد با طرف آمريكايي گفت*وگويي خواهيم داشت".

پيشنهاد گروه دوستي پارلماني ايران و آمريكا با مخالفت*هايي هم در مجلس مواجه شده است.

رييس كميسيون امنيت ملي و سياست خارجي مجلس با انتقاد از ابتكار عمل جمعي نمايندگان بر اي تشكيل گروه دوستي پارلماني، آنها را به ناداني متهم كرد و گفت: "احتمالا اين نمايندگان از اقدامات خصمانه آمريكا عليه ايران اطلاعي ندارند".

به گزارش ايسنا، علاءالدين بروجردي با اشاره به توافق ايران و آمريكا براي گفتگو اظهار داشت: "حدود مذاكرات آينده ايران و آمريكا فقط بحث عراق است؛ و مشكلات في ما بين ايران و آمريكا در اين مذاكرات جايي ندارد؛ مگر اين*كه آمريكايي*ها گام*هاي جديدي بردارند".

بروجردي افزود: "تحريم*هاي متعدد، حمله به نمايندگي ايران در عراق و بازداشت ديپلمات*هاي ايراني از اين نوع است".

نماينده بروجرد تصريح كرد: "با توجه به مواضع آمريكا، زمينه* براي مذاكره فراهم نيست".

بروجردي گفت: "آمريكا ده ها ميليون دلار براي مقابله با ايران به تصويب رسانده و مجلس اين كشور مصوبات متعددي عليه ايران داشته است كه به خاطر اين تحريم*ها ايران دو دهه در رنج بوده است".

رييس كميسيون امنيت ملي و سياست خارجي مجلس اظهار داشت: "اين روش*ها خصمانه و غيرقابل قبول است و در چنين فضايي تشكيل گروه دوستي پارلماني ايران و آمريكا به جا نيست".

از سوي ديگر حسين ابوطالب، با لحني تهديد آميز به امضاكنندگان اين پيشنهاد گفت: " قطعا ملت توي دهن اين عده از نمايندگان خواهد زد".

نماينده* مردم تهران اظهار داشت: "حرمت رابطه نداشتن با آمريكا را كسي حق ندارد، بشكند و حداقل از مجلس اصولگرا انتظار نمي*رود كه در ايجاد رابطه با آمريكا پيش*قدم باشد".

ابوطالب افزود: "آن*ها كه فكر مي*كنند كنگره آمريكا جداي از آمريكاست و ارتباط بين كنگره*ها به معناي رابطه بين مردم آن*هاست، از اصول اوليه*ي سياست خارجي و ديپلماسي اطلاعي ندارند."

[Rasputin]

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian deputies were gathering signatures to try and form an Iranian-U.S. friendship committee in parliament to hold contacts with the U.S. Congress, legislators involved in the effort said Tuesday.



It was the first effort organized by parliament to find a way to bridge nearly three decades of estrangement between the U.S. and Iran. It comes days after the governments of the two countries agreed to hold direct talks on one of the main issues dividing them — the conflict in Iraq.

Darioush Ghanbari, one of at least 10 deputies who has signed the document calling for the establishment of the committee, said Iranian parliamentarians were seeking to reduce tensions with America and "explain Iran's realities to the U.S. Congress."

The document had signatures from both conservatives and reformists and more signatures from the 290-member legislature were expected by the end of the day, Ghanbari said.

"In the absence of formal diplomatic relations, we seek to establish a parliamentary relationship with the U.S. Congress and fill the existing gap of contacts between the two nations," Ghanbari, a pro-reform lawmaker, told The Associated Press.

No specific number of deputies is required to form such a committee. The document signed by lawmakers will be presented to the parliament's speaker, who has the right to accept or reject it.

It was unclear what he would do. The speaker is Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, a close associate of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds final say in all matters in Iran. Haddad Adel is considered a relative moderate among the conservatives and hard-liners who make up Iran's top leadership, and it is likely he would consult with Khamenei before taking any decision.

Washington severed diplomatic ties with Tehran after Iranian militant students stormed its embassy in Tehran in 1979, to protest America's refusal to hand over Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi for trial.

Ever since, talk of ties with the United States has long been a taboo among Iran's hard-line clerical leadership. Hard-liners stymied cautious efforts by reformists in the late 1990s to open up contacts with Americans — though the leadership has condoned occasional talks on specific issues with Washington.

One hard-line lawmaker, Saeed Aboutaleb, denounced the effort to create the friendship committee, saying Tuesday, "the nation will strike the mouth of these lawmakers."

Khamenei's stance on the committee was not known. But Iran's acceptance of ambassador-level talks with the U.S. on improving Iraq's security could be a sign the supreme leader sees the need for contact with the United States amid the two countries' escalating tensions.

The United States accuses Iran of fueling Iraq's violence by backing militants there, a charge Iran denies. Tehran, in turn, says the U.S. troop presence in Iraq is the cause of the country's turmoil. Washington and its allies also accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons — a charge Iran also denies — and the United Nations has imposed limited sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Iraqi government — which is backed by the United States but also close to Iran — has pushed for the two countries to end their disputes.

Proponents of the friendship committee said it could help avert anti-Iranian legislation by the U.S. Congress.

"If (Iranian) government officials are reconciling with Americans, why can't the Iranian nation reconcile with the American people?" said Jalal Hosseini, another Iranian reformist lawmaker who signed the petition.

"We are seeking to form this friendship committee to undermine anti-Iran policies of the Bush administration and show our good will and our peace-loving spirits," he said.

[Rasputin]

Rice calls on Iran to release jailed US-Iranian scholar

MOSCOW (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Iran Tuesday to release immediately a US-Iranian scholar jailed in Tehran on charges of acting against Iran's national security.

"She ought to be released and she ought to be released immediately," Rice said of Haleh Esfandiari.

Esfandiari works for the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars and has been held in Tehran's Evin prison since May 8 after being prevented from leaving the country for several months.

Rice told journalists during a visit to Moscow that Esfandiari's arrest "underscores the nature of the Iranian regime."

"It just gives strength to the argument that it's a regime that, in addition to all of the problems it causes internationally, does not treat its people, or in this case a dual citizen, very well," she said.

Iranian officials confirmed earlier Tuesday that Esfandiari was being held by the country's intelligence service for "acting against national security."

Iran does not recognise dual nationality and the authorities in Tehran have emphasised that she will be treated as an Iranian.

Relatives of Esfandiari, who has lived in the United States for more than 25 years, said she had been prevented from leaving Iran since December after returning to visit her ailing mother.

Her passport was confiscated and she was subjected to interrogations by the intelligence service before being arrested last week.

An Iranian hardline paper on Saturday accused Esfandiari of being an "Israeli intelligence service agent" and seeking to foment revolution in Iran.

"As she has followed secret missions, she is one of those who could be categorised as a media and academic spy," the Kayhan daily said.

Esfandiari's arrest came after the authorities confiscated the passport of another dual US-Iranian national, Parnaz Azima, who is a journalist working for the US-government broadcaster, Radio Farda.

Azima visited Tehran in January, also to visit a sick family member, and her Iranian passport was taken at the airport, leaving her stranded in the country ever since.

The State Department has said an ex- FBI agent, Robert Levinson, went missing earlier this year on the southern Iranian resort island of Kish but Tehran insists it has not detained the man.

The United States has said it has no information that Levinson ever left Iran but the authorities in Tehran have for their part stressed there is no information that he ever went to Kish island.

His wife has written a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asking for help in finding out more about his mysterious disappearance.

[Rasputin]

ده روز مانده به برگزاری اولین مذاکره رسمی و علنی ایران و آمریکا پس از بیست و هشت سال قطع رابطه بین دو کشور، طرحی در مجلس نمایندگان و سنای آمریکا در انتظار تصویب است که در صورت نهایی شدن می تواند ایران را از سرمایه گذاری کشورهای اروپایی و آسیایی در صنعت نفت و گاز خود کاملا بی بهره کند.
در روز های گذشته همزمان با انتشار خبر موافقت رهبر جمهوری اسلامی ایران با انجام گفتگوی رودرروی ایران و آمریکا درباره عراق، چند قانون گذار از حزب دموکرات آمریکا در پی اعمال فشار بیشتر اقتصادی بر ایران بوده اند.

اگرچه در میان برخی سیاستمداران ایرانی همواره این تصور وجود داشته که از میان دو حزب مطرح آمریکا، حزب دموکرات مواضع معتدل تری نسبت به ایران دارد، این " باراک اوباما"، سناتور دموکرات و نامزد ریاست جمهوری آمریکا بود که این طرح را به سنا ارائه کرد.

طرح سناتور اوباما در صورت تبدیل به قانون ، متحدان آمریکا، شرکت ها و اشخاص حقوقی سرمایه گذار در صنایع نفت و گاز ایران را برای خروج سرمایه های خود از ایران و قطع رابطه تجاری با جمهوری اسلامی ایران تحت فشار می گذارد.

بر اساس طرح دیگری که توسط" بارنی فرنک" رییس کمیسیون بازرگانی و"تام لنتوس" رییس کمیته روابط خارجی مجلس نمایندگان ارائه شده دولت آمریکا موظف می شود هر شش ماه یکبار فهرستی از شرکت هایی را تهیه کند که میزان سرمایه گذاری آنها در صنایع نفت و گاز ایران فراتر از بیست میلیون دلار است.

ارائه کنندگان این طرح معتقدند با دسترسی به این فهرست، سرمایه گذاران می توانند در معاملات خود با شرکت های خارجی با آگاهی بیشتری تصمیم بگیرند و در عین حال مقامات محلی و ایالتی اجازه می یابند هر گونه سرمایه گذاری در شرکت های موجود در فهرست سیاه دولت را ملغی کنند. فراتر از این حتی اگر مدیران برای چنین اقدامی با شکایت حقوقی افراد مواجه شوند مورد حمایت قرار خواهند گرفت.

فهرست غیر دولتی

اگر چه ملزم شدن دولت آمریکا به تهیه این فهرست منوط به طی مراحل قانونی در کنگره و موافقت نهایی رییس جمهوری است اما مدت هاست چنین فهرستی توسط یک نهاد غیر دولتی آمریکایی تهیه شده است.

موسسه محافظه کار "امریکن انترپرایز" که کارشناسانش تا حد زیادی زمینه ایدئولوژیک حمله به عراق را پیشاپیش برای کاخ سفید فراهم کرده بودند این بار فهرستی جهانی از شرکت هایی را فراهم کرده که با ایران ارتباط تجاری دارند و البته این ارتباط تنها به سرمایه گذاری در صنایع نفت وگاز منحصر نمی شود بلکه حمل و نقل، مهندسی و ارتباطات را هم در حوزه سرمایه گذاری های این فهرست قرار می دهد.

طرح جدید کنگره آمریکا عمدتا صنایع نفت و گاز ایران را هدف قرار داده است

نام شرکت هایی چون زیمنس، دایملر- کرایسلر و فولکس واگن آلمان، رنو و پژوی فرانسه و نیز ولوو و اریکسون سوئد در فهرست تهیه شده توسط امریکن انترپرایز قراردارد و بی شک شرکت های اروپایی از زمان منتشر شدن این فهرست در هشت روز پیش، با نگرانی بیشتری خبرهای کاخ سفید را پی می گیرند.

اگرچه امریکن انترپرایز از مطرح ترین گروه هایی است که مدتهاست برای فشار گسترده به ایران در تلاشند با این حال دانیل پلتکا، معاون مطالعات سیاسی دفاعی این موسسه معتقد است دولت آمریکا تا کنون تمایلی نداشته است با وارد کردن فشار بیشتر بر شرکت های اروپایی باعث ناخرسندی متحدان خود شود.

امریکن انترپرایز که دیدگاه اصلی گردانندگان آن تغییر رژیم در ایران است و توسل به گزینه نظامی علیه ایران را هم سو با منافع آمریکا می داند این پروژه را سرمایه گذاری جهانی در ایران نام گذاشته است.

در این پروژه کشورها و شرکت های وابسته به آنها که با ایران مبادلات تجاری دارند شناسایی شده اند، میزان صادرات و وارداتشان به ایران در سالهای گذشته و نوع ارتباط تجاری، محصولات و تکنولوژی های مورد مبادله ، میزان سرمایه گذاری و حوزه های آن به جز مشخص شده است.

اگر چه دموکرات ها درآمریکا پیش از این هم سابقه اعمال تحریم علیه جمهوری اسلامی را داشته اند و برای نخستین بار دولت جیمی کارتر در پی بحران گروگانگیری در سفارت آمریکا دست به تحریم ایران زد، اما شاید آنچه طرح جدید دموکرات ها برای اعمال فشار اقتصادی گسترده بر ایران را قابل توجه می کند همراهی آنها با محافظه کاران تندروی آمریکایی است که تلاش برای خروج سرمایه از ایران را رهبری می کنند.