Pen and sword

Washington dismisses a letter sent to Bush by Ahmadinejad as negotiations continue in the Security Council over a binding ultimatum on Iran, Rasha Saad reports

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US officials dismissed Tuesday a surprise letter written by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which he proposed, via the "words and opinions of the Iranian nation", a "way out of problems humanity is suffering from," as a rambling 18-page philosophical tract that does not change Washington's position in the nuclear dispute.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the letter, addressed to US President George W Bush, does not help resolve the standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.

"This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort," Rice said. "It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way," she added. Referring to Rice's comments as sufficient, US officials said there is no need to draft a formal response to the Iranian letter.

Iran's former ambassador to France, Sadeq Kharrazi, described Rice's reaction as "hasty", giving "pretext to those in Iran who oppose re-establishment of ties with America." The letter, he added, "could have been a turning point in relations."

Iranians believe the letter -- the first from an Iranian head of state to an American president in 27 years -- was an invitation to the US to dialogue that should not be disregarded. Informed Iranian analyst Mohamed Sadeq Al-Husseini told Al-Ahram Weekly that, "the letter is not a philosophical piece but rather a proof that the Islamic Republic still believes that dialogue is the only way out of the stalled situation and the way to save the world from the chaos created by the US."

Al-Husseini also believes the letter serves to quash fears with regard to Iran's nuclear intentions, proving that Iran has no interest in clashing with the international community or defying it. Iranian political analyst Said Leilaz said Rice's comments could only strengthen Iranian distrust of America's agenda. "It could have been the beginning of a new process," Leilaz said, but Rice's response "strengthens the suspicion that the US is thinking only of a military solution [to the nuclear standoff], and not a political one".

Timing the dispatch of the letter with the UN Security Council's meeting on the Iran nuclear issue made US officials suspicious that the letter "is connected with trying in some manner to influence the debate before the Security Council."

The letter, its full text published Tuesday, did not address directly the nuclear standoff but referred to Iran's rights to peaceful nuclear ambitions in asking why "any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East region is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime. Is not scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations?"

Otherwise, the letter carried heavy criticisms of US foreign policy. The Iranian president attacked the US invasion of Iraq and urged Bush to return to religious principles.

Ahmadinejad also questioned the creation of the state of Israel, asking "how can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?" reminding Bush that the cost of establishing Israel was the loss of many thousands of lives, the forced expulsion of millions of indigenous people made refugees, and the seizure or destruction of hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland and olive plantations, and hundreds of towns and villages.

"This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for 60 years now," wrote the Iranian president.

Iran's president also lamented "an ever- increasing global hatred" of the US government and declared that liberalism and Western-style democracy "have not been able to help realise the ideals of humanity." The letter adds: "Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems."

The letter also lambastes Bush for his handling of the 11 September terror attacks, accusing the media of spreading lies about the Iraq war. It questions whether the world would be a different place if the money spent on Iraq had been spent to fight poverty. "Would not your administration's political and economic standing have been stronger?" the letter asks. "And I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever- increasing global hatred of the American government?"

Ahmadinejad says that people around the world have lost faith in international institutions, questioning whether the Bush administration has covered up evidence surrounding the 11 September attacks. Ahmadinejad suggests that Bush should look inward, saying history shows how "repressive and cruel governments do not survive".

"How much longer will the blood of innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people's houses destroyed over their heads? Are you pleased with the current condition of the world? Do you think present policies can continue?"

Meanwhile, ministers from the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union failed to reach an agreement on a possible UN resolution on Iran after talks this week. No progress was reported in dissipating Russian and Chinese resistance to American calls for tough action under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. There will be another round of talks in Europe next week.

Moscow and Beijing want a resolution but oppose invoking Chapter 7, the article of the UN Charter used in Security Council resolutions that address grave concerns regarding international peace and security and that become legally binding and enforceable. Chapter 7 allows for sanctions and even war, though a separate resolution would be required to take steps of that nature.

While the US is firmly pressing the Chapter 7 agenda, France's chief diplomat, Philippe Douste-Blazy, said that ministers discussed "incentives and dissuasive measures," inferring that it may not be too late for a negotiated solution to the impasse. Among the incentives listed by the French diplomat were cooperation in civilian nuclear energy, increased commercial and technological ties, and security guarantees that the United States has refused to provide.

From his side, top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani revived hopes Tuesday that Iran would reconsider Russia's proposal that Tehran permit its uranium to be enriched on Russian soil. "As far as the Russian plan is concerned... our position is that it can go ahead but they have to give us more time to get a positive result with the Russians," Larijani said.