Obama Faces Long Odds on Iran Diplomacy

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Iran's nuclear program -- which started under the Shah at the encouragement of the United States -- is massively popular amongst the people of Iran. By threatening Iran, the US is just fitting itself into the shoes of the Imperial British and Russians whom Iranians resent to this day for trying to dominate their country.

Tim of NY 8:22AM April 30, 2009

If you in the West want to try to pursuade Iranians to abandon nuclear weapons, it's best to talk to the peoples of Iran directly and bypass the Mollahs. If you want to play short term gain geo-politics, keep talking to the dieing old Mollahs that we Iranians have written off as the corrupters on earth.
The choice is clear. The peoples of Iran are planning post Mollah parties and are looking down the line past Khamanei's burial. So stop beating the dead horse of Islamic Republic to bring it back to life.
Like communism, mullahism is dead too. It's time the West learns this. Also know that it is the Iranians that own Iran, NOT the mollahs. So talk to the real owners of Iran, join the party and stop calling our nation by its buried name. You'll gain more.

Nasser of CA 10:53PM April 29, 2009

Insha-Allah this woman's chastity is guarded, and that her salats are not hampered, and all courtesy is shown to her, despite any misunderstanding. Whether in violation of Islamic Law, jurisprudence, Hadith, Sunnah, or if it is political/judicial then we are sure the appropriate protocol is being followed. If sincerity is the underlining motivation, then again, Insha/Masha-Allah things will proceed accordingly. We don't want to question Allah's ultimate purpose with His hand in the situation. Therefore, once the laws of Allah, nature, and the land plays its role, the proper outcome will occur.
Peace, peace;
Patrick O. Christian
American Fundamentalist Movement

Patrick O. (Aqil Mummin) Christian of NC 9:03PM April 29, 2009

As a persian I'll tell you whats wrong with the US strategy and Omaba's message so far. Most who have visited Iran have come back and talked about Iranian hospitability and culture. Obama needs to understand the psyche of iranians which ironically has several peculiar twists and different from Arabs where the US dictate terms to them, and they accept hence they are allies. To get Iranians to play ball you need to try it another way.. Iranians like respect so that they can reciprocate their hospitality, but they wont stand for others making them "koochik" or belittling them...its to do with pride.
So to start Obama should reign in people lile Hilary Clinton and Robert Gates who are still talking the language of sticks, i.e. crippling sanctions. Hearing them, iranians would think that the US hasnt gotten its act together yet and they wont bother talking to you.... because the carrot and stick methodology belittles us, and we wont talk to people who remain hostile. So yes Obama has much more to do to get a coherent message out to Iran. Obama has also to undestand that there are many spoilers out there, namely the Arabs across the gulf in saudi arabia. Getting advice from them is a sheer conflict of interest since they cannot compete with what the huge iranian economy's potential. Iran has near 75M people and is ripe for a south korea like expansion (1960s-now) which will expand its economic might. Its is a matter of demographics and industrialization. The Saudi's perhaps rightly dont want this potential to play out, so Obama should stop sending his envoys to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for advice...
Finally, the second iranian personality twist i mentioned is that the Iranians themselves are spoilers, half the time dont get along with each other, and many have a resentment of religion. Such expatriates will paint the darkest image of the iranian leadership and bring about arguments that are invalid. They are the "Ahmad Chalabi's" of Iran and have their own personal agendas.
In conclusion, to overcome obstacles Obama needs to take with a grain of salt what others say, and send his envoy to tehran. You wont know until you try. There is no point just talking, and saying that well the iranians havent taken up our offer. With languages of threats still present aka Hilary and Robert Gates, dont expect much from Iran yet.

Reza of NY 6:05PM April 29, 2009

If Iran "wanted" nuclear weapons, they why have they offered to place additional limits on their nuclear program beyond their existing obligations, and beyond what other countries with similar technology (such as Brazil and Argentina) have agreed to?
It took Pakistan 4 years to build the bomb, back in the 1960s. Iran today is far more technologically sophisticated than Pakistan ever was. If Iran wanted the bomb as everyone including the media keep telling us (without any evidence) then they would have obtained it by now.

Tim of NY 4:50PM April 29, 2009

Its not really hard to see what the Regime in Tehran wants.If Obama stopped talking and started listening to them, even he could figure it out.It wants nuclear weapons so that it can dominate the Gulf and beyond. It wants the Shia to supplant the Sunni and Persians to m supplant Arabs as the default power brokers in the Middle East and it wants Israel to disappear.Even a second tier Chicago Pol could get it if he stopped talking so much and listened more

Drew of CA 4:37PM April 29, 2009

Are you kidding me? You are not serious. Any political novice with an IQ of a brockley knows that 1979 revolution was the direct result of political bombing to oblivion of thier young democracy back in 1953. CIA and Brits thought they did the coup on the cheap. Please do yourself and humanity a favor and read a bit more about the history of this ancient nation.
The Persian Dude.

The Persian Dude of TX 4:12PM April 29, 2009

As an Iranian i am disappointed at what Obama is doing.
By talking to dictators of Iran he is not doing Iranian people a favor. And the fact that he calls the country "islamic republic" instead of just "Iran", shows that he is absolutely fine with expansion of a bloody Islamic realm that has nothing to do with Persian identity.
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, hated Persians and Persian, and many times told to his fellow Arabs that they have to attack persia and steal its treasures. Something that unfortunately happened later.
Mr. Obama, wake up before it is too late.
Fighting Islamic maniancs is what people of Iran expect from you.

Peyman Khodabadeh of NY 3:58PM April 29, 2009

No, it isn't. They want rid of Israel, they want the West in decline and they want worldwide Islam. They also want to sell oil.
We should have started bombing their oilfields and military infrastructure to oblivion in 1979 when the hostage crisis hit it's second week. Then we would not even HAVE this continued brand of "leadership" there because their people would not have tolerated it.
I don't blame Carter really for TRYING to be peaceful. But, unfortunately, it back-fired to 30 years of menace-making over there. Then we didn't "know" for sure what the Iranian Revolution was to be about. Now we do.
In defense of Barack, however, this does not mean we can afford 30 more years of no talk---while they make nukes.

Muser of NM 2:50PM April 29, 2009

Hass' points are valid, but Iran's clearly stated goals of establishing a new Persian empire cannot be ignored. Do we wait until they have a dozen ICBM mounted nukes? Then we'd be afraid to confront them because they're leaders are just crazy enough to launch a war. They're not as lucid/logical (or civilized) as the Russians in avoiding MAD - Mutual Assured Destruction. Talk about educating oneself, read up on historical and current Iranian leadership and their thinking.
Don't forget, Martyrdom is honorable to them, so mutual destruction is very much acceptable in their eyes. And they WILL drive hard toward that final confrontation as they truly believe that is their destiny.
Read: Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation by Barbara Slavin

RM of MN 2:43PM April 29, 2009