Looks as though Iran has taken a firm position with the new US Administration following its message of trying to improve the relationship between the two countries. Iran (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ) does not seem to be that much impressed and came back with the US needing to change its attitude first. Wonder exactly what that is supposed to mean? Perhaps this is posturing and has been said to impress Iranians more than the World? Still, it is an insult to the new United States Administration. Both Iran and China seem to be taking the same position viz a viz the US. Wonder how Obama and Hillary Clinton will respond, if at all?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_obama
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_obama
| Quote: |
| Khamenei asked how Obama could congratulate Iranians on the new year and accuse the country of supporting terrorism and seeking nuclear weapons in the same message.
Khamenei said there has been no change even in Obama's language compared to that of his predecessor. "He (Obama) insulted the Islamic Republic of Iran from the first day. If you are right that change has come, where is that change? What is the sign of that change? Make it clear for us what has changed." Still, Khamenei left the door open to better ties with America, saying "should you change, our behavior will change too." Diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Iran were cut after the U.S. Embassy hostage-taking after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which toppled the pro-U.S. shah and brought to power a government of Islamic clerics. The United States cooperated with Iran in late 2001 and 2002 in the Afghanistan conflict, but the promising contacts fizzled — and were extinguished completely when Bush branded Tehran part of the "Axis of Evil." Khamenei enumerated a long list of Iranian grievances against the United States over the past 30 years and said the U.S. was still interfering in Iranian affairs. |
