iran
President Mohammad Khatami said Tuesday U.S. aid to earthquake victims in Iran, while welcome, would not alter the state of relations between the two arch foes who broke off ties nearly a quarter century ago.
"I don't think this incident will change our relations with the United States," Khatami told a news conference in the capital of southeastern Kerman province where officials say up to 50,000 people were killed in a quake that struck Friday.
I certainly didn't expect the mullahs to change their tune. But the people will. And then there's this:
Nothing could ever show the real sense of diconnectivity and distrust between Iranian people and the Islamic regime, and its deeply dysfunctionality better than a devastating quake. Everywhere you go and every blog you read, there is talk about the political implications of such tragedy going on.
Read the whole thing. It may make you think differently about the situation.
Comments
I don't think Khatami is really anti-U.S. - he just has to deal with domestic politics and the mullahs as best he can. I think it is possible he could end up being a transitional figure in history similar to Gorbachev - a reformer who gets swept aside by the force of a movement he helped foster.
Posted by: MikeR | December 30, 2003 06:42 PM