June 2008

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The U.S. and Iran
by Ginger Riley

At the recent annual meeting of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the United Nations Association-USA, the keynote speaker was Mr. Ed Martin, whose presentation focused on Iranian-U.S. relations. Ed worked with the Mennonite Central Committee in Iran following the devastating earthquake in 1991 and recently returned there with the American Friends Service Committee.

Several happenings were recounted which led Iran to view the United States in an unfavorable light. First of all, Iran remembers back to 1953 when the U.S. sent agents to depose their democratically elected prime minister. Then the U.S. supported Iraq (against Iran) in the 1980s, and the U.S. has never fulfilled its promise to reimburse Iran the $30 million for the Iranian airliner it shot down in the Persian Gulf.

To back an attack on Iran, Vice President Dick Cheney said he thinks Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program, but he has no way to prove it. The Iranian government claims it’s “all for civilian energy purposes.” In a recent meeting, the current Iranian President cited the religious ruling in the Koran which states that it is wrong for Muslims to stockpile or use weapons for mass destruction. Also, he stated that nuclear weapons would NOT bring security–if so, Russia and South Africa would still be relying on them.

In the 1970s, during the Nixon-Ford Administration, the United States provided Iran with nuclear reactors and approved their right to do the enrichment of uranium. (Dick Cheney, Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz held key national security posts at the time and were noted as strong supporters of Iran’s ambitions).

Iran is ready to renew relations with the U.S., and Ed believes it is very important to reestablish diplomatic relations now. In 2003, the U.S. missed an opportunity when Iran put forth a proposal to the U.S. for talks. It is felt if the U.S. and Iran could sit down together without any pre-conditions–all history of their nuclear program could be cleared up in a matter of weeks.

For more information on Iran, a book recommended for reading is All The Shah’s Men, by Stephen Kinzer (2008).

The United Nations Association of the USA is dedicated to educating, inspiring and mobilizing Americans to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations, strengthening the United Nations system, promoting constructive United States leadership in that system, and achieving the goals of the UN Charter. For more information on the United Nations Association of the USA, the website is www.unausa.org, or phone (212) 907-1300.

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Last updated June 18, 2008

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