<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">US hostility towards Iran - amounting to acts of war - has been consistent for a generation. Obama continues it, with perhaps more viciousness and less candor than his predecessors.<div><br></div><div>It's based on two things: (1) orders (Iran doesn't follow ours); and (2) oil (Iran has it - and see (1)). </div><div><br></div><div>Obviously, there is no "stand-off over Iran's nuclear program," except that the US has scuttled efforts by the UN and countries in the region to make the Mideast a nuclear weapons free zone (NWFZ). Here is a good account of the "Iranian threat" (review the difference between active and passive genitives: who's making the threat?), almost never accurately reported in the US press and hence not part of the discussion within the US political class:</div><div><br></div><div><<a href="http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20100702.htm">http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20100702.htm</a>></div><div><br></div><div>"...Instead of taking practical steps towards reducing the truly dire threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, the US is taking major steps towards reinforcing US control of the vital Middle East oil-producing regions, by violence if other means do not suffice..."</div><div><br></div><div>--CGE<br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><div>On Jul 15, 2013, at 10:07 AM, Robert Naiman <<a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252"><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(80,0,80)">There is a bipartisan Congressional letter led by Dent and Price circulating with the same idea: let's give talks with new pro-diplomacy guy a chance before escalating further. If you're the sort of person who occasionally deigns to interact with your Representative's office, now would be a good time. As of 3 days ago, the Dent-Price letter had more than 50 signers. The letter closes Wednesday. </span><br>
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<br></div><div>The Dent-Price letter is mirrored here:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/dent-price" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/dent-price</a><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
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<td style="padding:5px 10px" width="648" bgcolor="#ffffff"><p><a title="National Iranian American Council" href="http://www.niacouncil.org/site/R?i=-XyLktFBhW-bDmuFoan2gg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.niacouncil.org/images/content/pagebuilder/11339.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="650" height="96"></a></p>
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<td style="padding:10px"><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="text-align:right" dir="ltr"><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong><br><span>Contact: Jamal Abdi</span><br><span>Phone: <a href="tel:202-386-6408" value="+12023866408" target="_blank">202-386-6408</a></span><br>
<span>Email: </span><a href="mailto:jabdi@niacouncil.org" target="_blank">jabdi@niacouncil.org</a></p><p dir="ltr"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Washington, DC - Twenty-nine prominent former government officials, diplomats, military officers, and national security experts are calling on the White House to pursue direct negotiations with Iran once the country's new president, Hassan Rouhani, is inaugurated. In a letter to President Obama today, the group called the election of Iran's new president "a major potential opportunity to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program." </font></p><p dir="ltr"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The letter comes as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for ratcheting up sanctions and threats of military action, and Congress is reportedly mulling a new round of sanctions. <span style="font-size:10pt">The letter cautions that "diplomacy will only succeed if we are prepared to leverage existing sanctions and other incentives in exchange for reciprocal Iranian concessions," and said that "in the leadup to Rouhani’s inauguration, it is critical that all parties abstain from provocative actions that could imperil this diplomatic opportunity."</span></font></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"It remains to be seen whether this opportunity will yield real results," reads the letter. "But the United States, Iran, and the rest of the international community cannot afford to miss or dismiss the potential opportunity before us."</font></span></p><p dir="ltr"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The full letter is below:</font></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">July 15, 2013</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The Honorable Barack H. Obama<br>President of the United States of America<br>The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW<br>Washington, DC 20500 </font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><span style="font-size:10pt"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Dear President Obama,</font></span></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">The election of Hassan Rouhani to be Iran’s next president presents a major potential opportunity to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. We strongly encourage your Administration to seize the moment to pursue new multilateral and bilateral negotiations with Iran once Rouhani takes office and to avoid any provocative action that could narrow the window of opportunity for a more moderate policy out of Tehran.</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Once the new president has been inaugurated, the United States should pursue coordinated multilateral engagement on the nuclear issue through the P5+1. Additionally, the U.S. should prepare to redouble its efforts to pursue direct, bilateral negotiations with Iran to engage on issues beyond the nuclear file, such as human rights and regional security. After assessing the orientation of the new Iranian government, the U.S. and partners should prepare to offer a new set of proposals to limit Iran’s enrichment and nuclear materials stockpiles combined with stringent oversight and verification measures.</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">While it will take time to secure an agreement to resolve all concerns, diplomacy will only succeed if we are prepared to leverage existing sanctions and other incentives in exchange for reciprocal Iranian concessions. Further, in the leadup to Rouhani’s inauguration, it is critical that all parties abstain from provocative actions that could imperil this diplomatic opportunity. For the U.S., no further sanctions should be imposed or considered at this time as they could empower hardliners opposed to nuclear concessions at the expense of those seeking to shift policy in a more moderate direction.</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">It remains to be seen whether this opportunity will yield real results. But the United States, Iran, and the rest of the international community cannot afford to miss or dismiss the potential opportunity before us. In the past, when one side has failed to seize an opportunity to resolve the standoff between the U.S. and Iran, it has only produced worse outcomes and diminishing options. Given the current state of Iran’s nuclear capability, the heightened tensions in the region, and the potential for a confrontation, all parties involved should be ready and willing to seize this opportunity to achieve diplomatic progress towards a peaceful resolution of the standoff.</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Sincerely,</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Barry Blechman, co-founder of the Stimson Center</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Prof. Juan Cole, University of Michigan</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Prof. Farideh Farhi, University of Hawai'i at Manoa</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. Chas Freeman, former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Lt. General Robert G. Gard, Jr. Former President of National Defense University</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Col. Sam Gardiner, United States Air Force, Retired</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Morton Halperin, former Special Assistant to the President, Senior Director for Democracy at the National Security Council, and State Department Director of Policy Planning</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">General Joseph P. Hoar, former Commander in Chief, United States Central Command </font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. Steen Hohw-Christensen, former Ambassador of Sweden to Iran</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. Peter Jenkins, former Ambassador of the UK to the IAEA</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. Dennis Jett, Professor of International Affairs, Penn State University</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Brig. General John Johns, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Larry Korb, former Assistant Secretary of Defense</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. John Limbert, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Reza Marashi, former Iran Desk officer, US Department of State; Research Director, National Iranian American Council</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Alireza Nader, Iran analyst</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. François Nicoullaud, former Ambassador of France to Iran</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Dr. Trita Parsi, President, National Iranian American Council </font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Bruno Pellaud, former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. Thomas Pickering, former Under Secretary of State</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Paul Pillar, former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, Central Intelligence Agency</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Gary Sick, Iran specialist on National Security Council under Presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan; Columbia University</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Anne-Marie Slaughter, former State Department Director of Policy Planning </font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><em></em><em style="font-size:10pt">John Steinbruner, Director, Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland, University of Maryland</em></font></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Greg Thielman, former Director of the Strategic, Proliferation and Military Affairs Office in the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Amb. Roberto Toscano, former Ambassador of Italy to Iran</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Dr. Jim Walsh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program (SSP)</font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Wayne White, former Deputy Director of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence </font></em></p><p style="padding-left:30px" dir="ltr"><em><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">Col. Larry Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Gen. Colin Powell</font></em></p><span><font color="#888888"><div style="text-align: center; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></font></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><span><font color="#888888"><span><font color="#888888"><br></font></span></font></span></div></div>
<span><font color="#888888"><br></font></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>-- <br>Robert Naiman<br>Policy Director<br>Just Foreign Policy<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/" target="_blank">www.justforeignpolicy.org</a><br>
<a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a><br>
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