Blue State Iran

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has congratulated Barack Obama on Tuesday's victory. In a letter mercifully much shorter than the 18 page missive he sent to Bush in 2006, Ahmadinejad implores Obama to "leave a good name behind for yourself":

People expect an immediate and clear response to the pressure for fundamental change in the American government's policies, both foreign and domestic. This is the desire of all the world's nations and of the American nation as well, and it should be the objective and basis of all your future government's programs and actions.

...

In the sensitive Middle East region, in particular, the expectation is that the unjust actions of the past 60 years will give way to a policy encouraging full rights for all nations, especially the oppressed nations of Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The really interesting part for me is when the Iranian President confesses that, "Iran would welcome major, fair and real changes, in policies and actions, especially in this region." What's to stop Obama taking taking his advice? The world wants to believe that Obama's ready to move away from Bush's hawkish policies, and Obama has more political capital to spend than any recent US president. Suggestion- in January Obama takes Ahmadinejad at face value and promises 'major, fair and real changes, in policies and actions' in the region, in exchange for a halt to Iranian nuclear development. He'll be making those sorts of promises anyway- why not put them to good use in Iran?

Comments

[Mohammad- R]

I( As an Iranian) think On US-Iran relations, one should say that Bush’s mistake was assuming Iran as an enemy. The US was using these fantasized enemy countries and was hiding behind them to reach what he wanted to achieve. At the same time, Iran was also making an enemy of the US and the two countries did not take one step back. This led to their inability to reach a common point of agreement.
Due to this fact, Iran and many other countries in the region believe that by the election of Barack Obama as the US president, it would be possible for the US and Middle East countries to achieve a common point and resolve differences.
I think this link might be interesting for you.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//081105/481/a9de2357a2b14c2ba34d326273f0d9c4/

[Mike Dunn]

@Mohammad-R - I think you're right- both the US and Iran used the other as an enemy as means to their own ends. I'd like to think that Ahmadinejad means what he says in the letter and can use the beginning of a new presidency as a face-saving way of stepping back from this confrontation, and I'd also like to think Obama won't be too stubborn to accept this.

One other thing- the link you attached is a file path, not a url- is that correct? Let me know...

[Mohammad- R]

So sorry about the link you're right I am trying to find it again,
That is about an unidentified Iranian man decorates on his shirt with a badge of US President elect Barack Obama, in Tehran, Iran on Wedensday Nov. 5, 2008.

[Mohammad- R]

Mike,
Here is the link which I told you about.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//081105/481/a9de2357a2b14c2ba34d326273f0d9c4/

[Mike Dunn]

Thanks Mohammad, good link. I've edited your original comment so it now points to the url as well.

[Mo]

I agree. Although I don't think Iran has used the US as an enemy and as a means to its own ends (after all it was the US that overthrew the Iran government, installed the Shah, supported the Shah's oppressive regime, supported Saddam Hussain, helped him obtain and use weapons of mass distruction against Iranians and especially Iranian civilians, shot down an Iranian civilian airliner and awarded the commander of the ship that did it with a medal, entered the war on Saddam's side, supported and continues to support terrorist organizations against Iran, supported the Taleban in the 90s, imposed sanctions on Iran, continues to hold Iranian diplomats in Iraq hostage, supports apartheid in Israel,...), I think that the Iranians are willing to establish better relations with the US if Obama is honest about change and is willing to make a significant step forward.

[Mike Dunn]

"I think that the Iranians are willing to establish better relations with the US if Obama is honest about change and is willing to make a significant step forward"- which ties in well with the photo Mohammad-R linked to above. I agree that honesty is the key but is this possible when, as Scott's post today (http://enduringamerica.com/2008/11/07/obama-his-chief-of-staff-and-the-middle-east/) shows, Obama's already given us two differing versions of his Israel policy?

[Lev]

Obama is nothing but a neo-con in (very thin) disguise. No real change in the Cheneyite policies regarding Iran can reasonably be expected to be forthcoming. Just more of the same. But at least the U.S. military machine is worn down to a nub and is in no shape whatsoever to be a threat to Iran. And if Obama tries any airstrikes, about the only thing left the U.S. military CAN do, Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz and sink the three carriers in the Gulf in an afternoon. If Obama's smart (or his handlers I should say, as it's not as if Obama himself decides anything, he's just the figurehead) then the U.S. won't screw around with Iran. Otherwise it will be a sure way to get the U.S. kicked out of the Middle East permanently.