[Peace-discuss] Would It Kill Us to Apologize to Iran for the Coup?

[Robert Naiman]

When President Obama told al-Arabiya, "if countries like Iran are
willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from
us," the most widely reported Iranian response was President
Ahmedinijad's suggestion that if the U.S. truly wants good relations
with Iran, it should begin by apologizing for U.S. "crimes" against
Iran, including U.S. support for the coup that overthrew Iranian
democracy in 1953. Not surprisingly, there hasn't exactly been a
groundswell of popular support in the United States for President
Ahmadinejad's suggestion...

Of course, if you know anything about the United States, you wouldn't
leap to the conclusion that Americans, as a country, are a bunch of
jerks who can't admit when they've done anything wrong. Most Americans
have little knowledge about the history of U.S. foreign policy in the
Middle East. As far as they know, the U.S. hasn't done anything wrong.
So why should we apologize?
...
There is a close precedent. In 1999, President Clinton gave a
"near-apology" for the U.S. role in Guatemala's civil war. If
President Clinton could "near-apologize" for the U.S. role in
Guatemala, is it beyond the realm of imagination that President Obama
could "near-apologize" for the U.S. overthrow of democracy and support
of dictatorship in Iran?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/would-it-kill-us-to-apolo_b_163957.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/2/4/134155/4104

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/39545

--
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org