In comments made before business executives in Dubai on Thursday, Oct. 24, Assistant Secretary of State Robert Pelletreau said that the United States was "open to dialogue with the government of Iran," and hinted that U.S. policy could change significantly after the Nov. 5 presidential elections. "Because in Washington these days, there are two phases: the short term, and the second term," wire reports quoted him as saying.
In discussions with the Foundation's Executive Director recently, many leaders in the Persian Gulf expressed concern with what they perceive as the inconsistency of U.S. policy toward the two most powerful states in the region, Iran and Iraq. They feel that the United States has no long-term strategy for the region, and is reacting on an ad hoc basis to crises as they occur. The smaller states in the region are afraid they will be left exposed on the front lines against Iran and Iraq, after the U.S. attempt to contain these regimes fails and the U.S. shifts toward a policy of engagement.
Ambassador Pelletreau's statement muddles the soup even further. Although the State Department subsequently claimed the remarks were taken out of context and did not signal any change of U.S. policy, they only confirm the worst suspicions of U.S. allies in the Gulf, and send confused signals to the Islamic Republic and to the people of Iran.
It is difficult to understand what benefits the United States sees at this time from dialogue with a regime in Tehran which consistently attacks the United States and U.S. allies in the region, consistently uses violence to oppose the Middle East peace process, and consistently represses women, minorities, and political opponents at home. The United States has spent so much effort to isolate the regime that an offer of dialogue at this point will be seen by Tehran as a sign of weakness .
It is our view that the United States would do better to adapt its public diplomacy to the fundamental American values of freedom and democracy. Instead of reiterating its offer of dialogue to the regime, the United States should publicly support the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people to choose their own form of government through democratic means.
In the event Ambassador Pelletreau's remarks reflect an imminent shift in U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic, the Foundation for Democracy in Iran urges the Department of State to maintain its insistence that Tehran:
• abandon its support for international terrorism, including the assassination of Iranian dissidents residing overseas;
• respect internationally-recognized standards of human rights;
• abandon its efforts to subvert the regimes of its neighbors; and
• abandon all actions aimed at undermining the Middle East peace process.
Furthermore, the Foundation believes the United States should hold Tehran to its commitment to the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, a binding international agreement signed by the Islamic Republic which guarantees the rights of minorities and of political representation for all citizens.
The United States should not relax its trade restrictions or consider any improvement in ties with the Tehran regime until concrete and verifiable progress has been made on these issues. Anything less would constitute a reward to terrorism.
The Foundation for Democracy in Iran is a private, non-profit corporation registered in the State of Maryland. Contact: Kenneth R. Timmerman, Executive Director (exec@iran.org). FDI materials, including the FDI Newswire, are available free-of-charge via the Internet at http://www.iran.org/.