Let’s Talk
After 9/11, the U.S. and Iran worked together in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban and rebuild the Afghan government. The Iranians had been fighting the Taliban long before we were. James Dobbins was Bush’s special envoy to Afghanistan and met with the Iranians several times a day.
In the fall of 2001, during our military campaign in Afghanistan, Iran cooperated on the ground providing vital information and worked alongside the U.S. to establish the government of Hamid Karzai.
Dobbins was surprise to learn that Iran was prepared to participate in a program to assist the creation of a new Afghan national army under U.S. leadership. The Iranians were prepared to house, clothe, equip and train as many as 20,000 recruits as part of a broader American led effort. They proposed that their army would collaborate with American leadership in a joint program to train the national Afghan army.
Another, surprising offer was that the Iranians wanted to expand this dialogue to other issues. They were ready to discuss the Middle East peace process with the Palestinians. Dobbins and Hillary Mann the Iran and Afghanistan specialist at the National Security Council were amazed, when Bush announced in his State of the Union Address that Iran was part of the axis of evil.
In May of 2003, Iran proposed cooperating with the US on its nuclear program, stabilizing Iraq and helping with counter-terrorism throughout the Middle East, which implied recognition of Israel. In exchange Iran asked for a “security guarantee,” which included a commitment to disavow all intentions of regime change, along with an abolishment of sanctions, and “recognition of Iran’s legitimate security interests in the region.” The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and former President Khatami were active in the drafting of the proposal.
Not unlike Bush supporters in 2004, the Iranian people, responded to the fear of being attacked by the most powerful military on earth by replacing their moderate President Khatami with bellicose hard liner Ahmadinejad.
At Columbia University, last September President Ahmadinejad called for diplomatic relations to be increased between our two nations. As president, Barack Obama might want to start by talking to Iran about their 2003 proposal.
In the fall of 2001, during our military campaign in Afghanistan, Iran cooperated on the ground providing vital information and worked alongside the U.S. to establish the government of Hamid Karzai.
Dobbins was surprise to learn that Iran was prepared to participate in a program to assist the creation of a new Afghan national army under U.S. leadership. The Iranians were prepared to house, clothe, equip and train as many as 20,000 recruits as part of a broader American led effort. They proposed that their army would collaborate with American leadership in a joint program to train the national Afghan army.
Another, surprising offer was that the Iranians wanted to expand this dialogue to other issues. They were ready to discuss the Middle East peace process with the Palestinians. Dobbins and Hillary Mann the Iran and Afghanistan specialist at the National Security Council were amazed, when Bush announced in his State of the Union Address that Iran was part of the axis of evil.
In May of 2003, Iran proposed cooperating with the US on its nuclear program, stabilizing Iraq and helping with counter-terrorism throughout the Middle East, which implied recognition of Israel. In exchange Iran asked for a “security guarantee,” which included a commitment to disavow all intentions of regime change, along with an abolishment of sanctions, and “recognition of Iran’s legitimate security interests in the region.” The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and former President Khatami were active in the drafting of the proposal.
Not unlike Bush supporters in 2004, the Iranian people, responded to the fear of being attacked by the most powerful military on earth by replacing their moderate President Khatami with bellicose hard liner Ahmadinejad.
At Columbia University, last September President Ahmadinejad called for diplomatic relations to be increased between our two nations. As president, Barack Obama might want to start by talking to Iran about their 2003 proposal.
posted by Jim O'Leary | 12:00 AM
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