[Peace-discuss] N-G letter re: Kinzer visit 2/17

[Robert Naiman]

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette
Thursday January 24, 2008

UI campus speech to focus on U.S., Iran

Many hoped the release of the national intelligence estimate on Iran,
which concluded Iran does not have a nuclear weapons research program,
would lead to a fundamental change in American policy. Many hoped the
apparent reduction in violence in Iraq the Bush administration had
previously blamed on Iran would lead to more diplomatic engagement.

But President Bush disowned the assessment of his intelligence
agencies and continues to push toward military confrontation. The Bush
administration continues military threats, although these violate
international law. This month the Pentagon escalated tensions by
releasing information about a military encounter with Iran that turned
out to be largely false and misleading.

Award-winning journalist and author Stephen Kinzer has written about
the history of U.S. relations with Iran, beginning with the U.S. coup
that overthrew the democratic government there in the 1950s. Kinzer is
now on a national tour, warning of the danger of military
confrontation with Iran and pressing the case for real diplomacy –
direct and comprehensive talks without pre-conditions.

Kinzer will be speaking in Champaign on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. at
a forum on U.S. relations with Iran at the University YMCA on the
University of Illinois campus. The forum is free and open to the
public.

ROBERT NAIMAN

Urbana