Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Iran & US

Thinking the unthinkable, or the logical?

"Anti-Iran hawks will be horrified at the idea to partner with Iran against al-Qaida. Iran’s ties to Hezbollah and Hamas, they will claim, establish Iran and al-Qaida as woven from the same terrorist cloth.

But such charges gravely distort reality. There is no such a thing as good and bad terrorism; terrorism kills and maims innocent civilians, regardless of the cause. But failure to grasp the importance of conflicts between al-Qaida and Iran benefits al-Qaida and blinds us to common American and Iran-ian interests in the peace, security and stability of Iraq.

Ideologically, the worldviews of Iran and al-Qaida clash. Iran is a status quo power, and al-Qaida is a revolutionary non-state terrorist actor. Iran seeks to shore up its national security interests, whereas, al-Qaida aspires to tear down national boundaries and re-establish the caliphate, the seventh-century Islamic empire.

To al-Qaida, jihadists serve its chiliastic mission of establishing Islamic rule worldwide. To Iranian leaders, Hezbollah and Hamas function as deterrents to Israeli military strikes against Iran.

Al-Qaida leaders are unlikely to abandon their holy war against the West and Israel. By contrast, Iran has offered to discuss its ties to Hezbollah and Hamas and to accept a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Such underlying philosophical differences between Iran and al-Qaida were on display in the wake of the savage attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001. Within hours of the attacks, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami condemned them as "assaults on human dignity and rights" and told the world later that the attacks were perpetrated by "a cult of fanatics" who could communicate with perceived opponents only "through carnage and devastation."

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was the first Muslim cleric in the world to declare holy war (jihad) against terrorism as a "global scourge." Thousands of ordinary Iranians held candlelight vigils for the American victims of terrorism."

read more of professor Ramazani's column in the Daily Progress ...

Also, Trita Parsi's take on Bush's Anti-Diplomacy


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From discourse of democracy, to discourse of normalization

27 comments:

David said...

I read Dr. Ramazani's entire article. I find him to be a very thoughtful and wise man. I agree with him that there are numerous areas of common ground between the U.S. and Iran. It would be to the benefit of both countries to cooperate in matters of common interest. I hope that someone in the U.S. State Department reads this article!

Anna said...

Perhaps not only should "someone" in the US State Department" read this article.
It's - in my opinion - finally all a matter of mutually possible truthworthyness. An not only I think, but know, that unfortunately it was above all the US - not to talk about Israel - that should set a milestone in this matter. Which concretely whould mean nothing less, than stop all the already committed and still planned massive open and covert actions on subverting Iran. Supporting and financing terrorist-groups like for example Jundullah. To stop as well all the false-flag operations to blame Iran. These btw are no secrets or conspiracy-theories but openly accessable facts! (covered by Hersh, Chossudovsky, Chomsky, Kurt Nimmo and others) And they should not primarily have nothing else in backyards of their mind but to topple the regime! That is an eternal fix idea in US-policies to push through nothing but THEIR interests, which up till now everywhere just failed and has led to worse situations as befor. Nothing ever will change if the US does not begin to understand, what's finally the prize for this arrogancy. And who all over has to pay the prize for.

How goes the saying? Hope always is dying last. So let's hoping, but not without having a close watch!

DivaJood said...

Oh, sorry - with the present US administration, the only interest is in the US controlling the entire region. This is not a thoughtful, nor wise, administration we have.

Naj said...

:)

How does everyone feel about a weekend with "Dr Strangelove" or .. how I stopped to worry and started to love the bomb!

This is the cold-war, round two!

...

Iranians are used to being in the eye of the storm; and there hasn't been a superpower in the history that has not flexed its muscles at Iran. Iran's strength is liquid, and acidic too; it will erode the empire ...

Anonymous said...

it will erode the empire ...

So funny,,,,,

Anonymous said...

Iraq Draws U.S., Iran to the Table

http://www.cfr.org/publication/13460/iraq_draws_us_iran_to_the_table.html

David said...

I watched a segment today on CNN in which Anderson Cooper interviewed an Iranian expert named Reza Aslan. They started talking about the meeting between the U.S. and Iranian representatives, but a bit later, Reza was talking about how many Iranians do not so much fear a resurgence of fundamentalism, but rather an increase in militancy within Iran. He was talking specifically about the Revolutionary Guards. He said that in theory the Guards answer to the Supreme Leader, but in practice, maybe not (for example, he said, the Guards may be shipping weapons into Iraq without the Leader's permission). If this is true, it seems possible that a military coup could occur in Iran if the Supreme Leader started making decisions that the Guards did not agree with. What do you think Naj?

Anonymous said...

This is US do you know

"I am deemed a radical because I believe that partisan politics should be left to the wayside when hundreds of thousands of people are dying for a war based on lies that is supported by Democrats and Republican alike. It amazes me that people who are sharp on the issues and can zero in like a laser beam on lies, misrepresentations, and political expediency when it comes to one party refuse to recognize it in their own party. Blind party loyalty is dangerous whatever side it occurs on. People of the world look on us Americans as jokes because we allow our political leaders so much murderous latitude and if we don’t find alternatives to this corrupt "two" party system our Representative Republic will die and be replaced with what we are rapidly descending into with nary a check or balance: a fascist corporate wasteland. I am demonized because I don’t see party affiliation or nationality when I look at a person, I see that person’s heart. If someone looks, dresses, acts, talks and votes like a Republican, then why do they deserve support just because he/she calls him/herself a Democrat?"
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/5/28/12530/1525

Daniel said...

Naj, you are one of the most intelligent bloggers on the net. May your circle of influence grow and grow.

Cheers.

David said...

Hi Naj, you don't need to post this. I just thought you might enjoy my friend Niki's new post about books in Iran:

http://benevis-dige.blogspot.com/2007/05/while-back-i-was-doing-stint-as.html

.

Anna said...

For me, to see some peoples physiognomy – as a part of their nonverbal communication - when explaining and defending their objectives, is always and all over again a source of astonishment and recognition.

Just a characteristic example:
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8603090314

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8602130179

Another eternal question of course is: Who exactly is in need „to help“ themselves by sticking to doublestandards, telling and selling blatant lies all over again (to themselves, their electors and „the world“) in order to let come true their imperialistic wetdreams?
And the winner is .......... :-D

(And still I have said nothing about so called iranian "reformists" supporting this very special kind of "applied philosophy")

Anonymous said...

While America is the most influential body for the life and fate of Iranians by being involved in the case of nuclear program at present, why the problems of Iranians should not be as important as the problems of Iraqis for Iranian officials?

Naj said...

a fascist corporate wasteland
in the US trying to fight religious militia and a fascist militia wasteland in Iran trying to fight godless corporation ...

David, yes the fear of militarization is what Iranians are very nervous about; and this is why it is essential that US stop provoking and threatening Iran.

The coup, if happens, will have a look like: "Anti-American zealots toppled the Leader who wasn't tough enough against America" ... but in reality, the coup will be an American coup, aimed at destabilizing the power structure, and the government in Iran, and open the way for chaos; from which Haliburton will be fishing first.

Any further militarization, radicalization, and fundamentalism in Iran will be a DIRECT result of American policies ...

Democrracy and strong government in Iran has never been advantageous to the US or the UK or Russia or those little Arab sheikhs!

Naj said...

Anna's links:
Our lovely Rice Pudding rejecting Iran's demands!

and

our shy one of the esteemed Larijani brothers!

I wonder, does this guy's blondness have anything to do with his foreign-related appointments?

Anna said...

Naj: I don't quite understand your question about Larijani? Is it meant ironically or is something wrong with Larijani? (I do'nt know his brothers,one is member of the guardians of public morality, I guess

Naj said...

Hi anna,

Re Larijani, I was rather joking (although I am annoyed that these brothers are holding the portals to the world. I mean I have never seen so much family relations in the top jobs! This is troubling!)

That said, I am also annoyed that Iranian envoys speak through translators!

Anonymous said...

That said, I am also annoyed that Iranian envoys speak through translators!

While he hold Dr/PhD degree, Is that because he is very prod been Persian?

Anna said...

Aha, mersi for the answer!
Well, such relations and may yet other ties of course always are problematic. It's pretty well known from elsewhere too ;-)
Nevertheless I consider him to be a good negotiator in the nuclear cause of which the whole theater is going on and on about. I'd wish, Iran could concentrate more in resolving other problems and questions!
As for the speaking through translators, I don't know. I never heard a russian politician talk in any other language, though Putin for example is speaking german perfectly, and possibly english too.

Naj said...

Anna,

The nationalist statement could be one possibility (a valid one, in my opinion.) I prefer my politicians be capable of "understanding" what is spoken to them independent of translators, even if they chose to respond only in their native language.

Naj said...

By the way Anna, re nuclear technology ...

It is a statement that Iran is making. On this issue, I am fully behind Ahmadinejad.

He is making a statement that

- Iran cannot be denied right to research and development
- Iran cannot be dictated what kind of research and development it does
- Iran is aware of the fossil fuel running out
- Iran is not bending over to the 5+1 threats of sanctions and etc.
- Iran will defend itself

Anonymous said...

when did Iran change from a "Revolutionary" actor into a "status quo" actor. They seem to think of themselves as revolutionary.

Naj said...

Who is "they"??

nunya said...

It's about the oil. MY suspicion is that it's about who will control Iraq's oil. Western companies, or Saudi Arabia or Iran? With more and more people on the planet, and agriculture, commerce, and basic subsistence more and more dependent upon it, the competition will be fierce.
Then there are the depletion levels.

Sorry for being so cynical, those dang economics classes.

nunya said...

I should have added that I don't think the US making a stink about the uranium enrichment has anything to do with uranium enrichment.

Anna said...

Naj, re nuclear technology I FULLY (!) agee with you. My wish, that Iran could concentrate more to care about other problems and questions is due to the western doublestandard policies and continuous pressures on Iran. No other country ever had to face such a hypocritical sanction-histery just because realizing a project it has every right to! To the contrary!

Hello NPT, Hello Dimona!

Naj said...

Nunya,

Oil is not Iran's only asset. Iran's autonomy, and economic strength makes it a strong rival to Israel.

But yes, economy is a big part of the picture; but not just the oil economy.

Power is the bigger part of the picture. It's about preventing a "muslim" state becoming a "model" for the middle east.

Yes Anna, they are squeezing Iran with sanctions. I just wish those idiots in the government didn't alienate "Iranians" and let us all participate in defense of our country!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous:

Iran has acted as an status quo actor since the end of Iran-Iraq War.

The conduct of that state in Central Asia, in Southern Cacasus, and in the Persian Gulf attests to that.

The Jacobin staes have been Israel & US because they apparently think that they are omnipotent.

pen Name