Khamenei snubs U.S.

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN), MARCH. 27. Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme religious leader, has pipped his President to the post in responding to the overtures made by the U.S. a week ago.

Earlier statements by other hardline conservatives had indicated that Mr. Khamenei would reject the overture and he did not disappoint them. While the President, Mr. Mohammad Khatami might have taken a more conciliatory line, the circumstances were not propitious for him to do so and with the Ayatollah having stated his position, it will now be more difficult.

A little over a week ago, the U.S. Secretary of State, Ms. Madeleine Albright had outlined a new and softer approach to Iran. This included the lifting of some embargoes and the expression of regret for some U.S. actions in the past which had harmed Iran. In his first comments on Ms. Albright's speech, Mr. Khamenei said such ``confessions'' of past misdeeds were not sufficient to restore the U.S. in Iran's good books, especially since they did not go so far as an apology.

Almost the same day that Ms. Albright made her presentation to a group of Iranians based in the U.S., the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps condemned it as an attempt to deepen the divide within Iran and vowed to resist this attempt. Other hardline conservatives had also criticised Ms. Albright's speech as an intervention in Iran's internal affairs. While addressing an organisation of Iranians based in the U.S. (a meeting attended by serving Iranian diplomats as well as U.S. diplomats who had served in Iran), Ms. Albright announced that the U.S. administration was lifting the embargo on the imports of Iranian caviar, carpets and pistachios. She also announced that the administration would remove some of the unnecessary impediments to increased contacts between U.S. and Iranian professionals, intellectuals, artists, athletes and NGOs. Iranians have faced irksome procedures while trying for U.S. visas and some unnecessary conflicts have been thrown up in the process.

The U.S. Secretary of State had also announced that the administration was prepared to ``increase efforts with Iran aimed at eventually concluding a global settlement of outstanding legal claims between our two countries''. This was a reference to the monetary claims that the two sides, or their citizens, have vis-a-vis each other. Iran has for long been incensed that the U.S. froze billions of dollars which they held in U.S. banks or which had been paid for undelivered defence equipment. A part of these sums is understood to have been settled in earlier arbitration agreements.

The statement does leave open the possibility that a more positive response could have been made if there had been greater contrition from the U.S. side. It should also be noted that the Ayatollah chose to hold back his statement till the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton wound up his visit to South Asia. In the circumstances, it is tempting to take the view that Mr. Khamenei was waiting to see whether the U.S. would rekindle friendly ties with an old ally, and in Iran's view an irksome neighbour before he issued his response.

The U.S. had most certainly hoped that the response would come from Mr. Khatami since Ms. Albright's new enunciation on policy came after his supporters had achieved an overwhelming victory in the parliamentary polls in February. Most commentators are agreed that Ms. Albright's intention was to strengthen Mr. Khatami's hand. However, Mr. Khatami's hands will not be entirely freed till the composition of parliament is complete following the second round of voting to be held soon. All manners of tendencies are represented even in the pro-reform camp which has a solid majority.

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Section  : International
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