Word: ahmadinejad
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...Iran and the U.S. communicated directly. Was the missive, punctuated though it was with diatribes against Israel and condemnations of U.S. policy, a signal that Iran wanted to step back from the brink? "All prophets speak of peace and tranquility--based on monotheism, justice and respect for human dignity," Ahmadinejad wrote. "Do you not think that if all of us abide by these principles, we can overcome the world's problems? Will you not accept this invitation...
There are some indications that the Iranians may be looking for a face-saving way out. The Ahmadinejad letter was preceded by a separate, more pragmatic overture: an "open letter" submitted to TIME and published on TIME.com from Iran's former top nuclear negotiator, who is now a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei. The piece lays out a multistep plan to resolve the nuclear standoff. Officially, the Bush Administration rejected Tehran's purported attempts to start a direct dialogue. "It's not a serious diplomatic overture," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. Instead, Washington signed...
That mild thaw ended not long after Bush labeled Iran a member of the "axis of evil," chilling relations with then President Mohammed Khatami, Ahmadinejad's reform-minded predecessor. But as late as May 2003, the two sides discussed swapping members of the Iranian exile group Mujahedin-e Khalq (M.E.K.) whom the U.S. had detained after the invasion of Iraq for al-Qaeda prisoners held by Iran. But the talks ended after the U.S. received intelligence suggesting Iran's complicity in a terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia. Former officials like Flynt Leverett, who headed Middle East policy at Bush...
Launching negotiations, though, carries no guarantee of success. Part of the problem begins with finding the right person to talk to. Ahmadinejad is the elected President of Iran, but ultimate power in the theocratic state lies not with him but with Khamenei. Still, Ahmadinejad's nationalist statements have bolstered his popularity with many ordinary Iranians. Ahmadinejad's letter to Bush may have been less an invitation to talk than an attempt to appeal to devout Muslims around the world by mimicking the letters sent by the Prophet Muhammad to leaders during the 7th century, exhorting them to return...
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he wants to negotiate on nukes but is not tamping down his strong rhetoric. His defiance of the West is in the mold of the AYATULLAH KHOMEINI, who led Iran's Islamic revolution...