White House Calls Iranian Letter a Ploy
Officials say the missive, apparently the first between the nations' leaders since 1979, fails to address U.S. concerns over nuclear program.
By Maggie Farley and Paul Richter, Times Staff Writers. May 9, 2006
UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent an unexpected letter to President Bush on Monday, in what was seen as an overture for direct talks about Tehran's nuclear program, but U.S. officials dismissed the missive as an eleventh-hour ploy to forestall punitive action by the United Nations. The letter is thought to be the first direct communication between the two countries' leaders since Iranian militants overthrew the shah and took Americans hostage at the U.S. Embassy in 1979. Diplomats hoped the letter signaled a new willingness on Iran's part to address the standoff over its uraniumenrichment program, which the Islamic Republic says is for peaceful energy purposes, but which much of the West suspects is a cover for trying to build nuclear weapons.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the letter did not contain serious proposals on the disputed nuclear program, but covered history, philosophy and religion. The missive also contained a litany of grievances and a demand to be treated as an international power, U.S. officials said. Bush, traveling to Florida, was briefed on the letter's contents. "It does not appear to do anything to address the nuclear concerns" of the international community, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters on Air Force One. As Rice prepared to meet counterparts from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union on Monday night about how to deal with Iran's refusal to stop its nuclear activities, U.S. officials said they didn't even want to talk about talking to Iran.
"We don't have anything to say to Iran until they give up their pursuit of nuclear weapons," said John R. Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. But Iran's approach may add to mounting pressure on Bush from U.S. allies and some Congress members to engage in direct talks with Tehran before resorting to sanctions or military action. The Security Council this week is considering a resolution that would pave the way for sanctions or military action if Iran fails to halt nuclear activities. Russia and China, which have veto power on the council, say that they are worried about Iran's intentions, but believe there is time for a diplomatic solution before reaching for harsher measures. China said Monday that it would not support any language that included military action.
"The U.S. is thinking we should exhaust the stick before we try the carrot, and the international community is thinking we should exhaust the carrot before we try the stick," said Karim Sadjadpour, an analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank in Washington. The prevailing attitude in Washington, Sadjadpour said, is: "Why should we reward Iran's bad behavior by talking to it when we haven't in the past? It would be conferring legitimacy on the regime. And why reward them for things they should be doing anyway?"
For months, European leaders have quietly pressed the Bush administration to join multilateral talks with the Iranians. "The only way out is for the two directly involved countries to talk to each other," said a senior non-Western official in Vienna who has been following negotiations closely. "Without this, some kind of direct discussion between the two, this issue is not going to get resolved "The idea of direct talks has circulated in Washington for some time, with pressure mounting in recent weeks. Over the weekend, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said talks should be considered, joining a chorus that includes Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other leading figures of both parties. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has also called for direct talks. The Russians and Chinese are considered to be in favor of the idea, along with the British, Germans and French, to varying degrees.
