Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
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Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro<br />
<strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
THE INDEPENDENT~<br />
Saturday IS March 2000 __~<br />
• DIPLOMATIC THAW The nation once bran<strong>de</strong>d a 'terrorist state' is sud<strong>de</strong>nly<br />
embraced by Washington to bolster Khatami's <strong>de</strong>mocratic reforms<br />
America ends<br />
half a century of<br />
hostility to Iran<br />
BY MARY DEJEVSKY<br />
in Washington<br />
THE UNITED States took a<br />
nuijor step towards normalising<br />
relations with Iran yesterday,<br />
announcing the easing of<br />
economic sanctions and coming<br />
close to apologising for past<br />
interventions in Iranian affairs.<br />
The policy shift, which entailed<br />
a comprehensive revision<br />
of the US approach to Iran<br />
over the past half-century, was<br />
s<strong>et</strong> out by the US Secr<strong>et</strong>ary of<br />
State, Ma<strong>de</strong>leine Albright.<br />
Ina speech laced with calls<br />
for "a new beginning" to coinci<strong>de</strong><br />
with the Iranian New Year<br />
next week, Ms Albright announced<br />
an end to the ban on<br />
imports oflranian luxury goods<br />
into the US, including carp<strong>et</strong>s,<br />
pistachio nuts, dried fruit and<br />
caviar - of limited significance<br />
in US economic terms but key<br />
to the Iranian economy. The<br />
Albright: 'Easy to see why<br />
Iranians resent US'<br />
gesture could open the way for<br />
Iran to import US wheat.<br />
Ms Albright, speaking in<br />
Washington at a conference<br />
arranged by a pro-business<br />
group, the Iranian-American<br />
Council, also said the US was<br />
ready to negotiate "a global s<strong>et</strong>tlement"<br />
of Iran's outstanding<br />
legal claims against the US, to<br />
inclu<strong>de</strong> the r<strong>et</strong>urn of Iranian<br />
ass<strong>et</strong>s frozen since 1979.<br />
The tone of Ms Albright's<br />
speech was concIliatorytowards<br />
Iran as an Islamic state. "We<br />
recognise that Islam is central<br />
to Iran's cultural heritage," she<br />
said She spoke of "a growing<br />
number of areas of common interest",<br />
including stability in<br />
the Persian Gulf region.<br />
In a clear overture to Iran's<br />
intellectual community, Ms<br />
Albright offered a critical survey<br />
of US policy towards Iran<br />
over 50 years, which inclu<strong>de</strong>d<br />
references to US involvement<br />
in the coup againstMoharnmad<br />
Mossa<strong>de</strong>gh in 1953,and support<br />
for Iraq in the 1980s Gulf conflict.<br />
While US backing for Iraq<br />
was "shortsighted", she said the<br />
anti-Mossa<strong>de</strong>gh coup "was<br />
clearly a s<strong>et</strong>back for Iran's p0-<br />
litical <strong>de</strong>velopment and it is<br />
easy to see now why many<br />
Iranians resent US intervention<br />
in their affairs".<br />
The US broke off relations<br />
with Iran in 1979 after the overthrow<br />
of the Shah and the<br />
seizure of its embassy in<br />
Tehran by Revolutionary<br />
Guards. The election 01 Mohammad<br />
Khatami as Presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
in 1997 led to a very<br />
cautious rapprochement. In<br />
1998, Washington announced it<br />
would ease travel for aca<strong>de</strong>mics<br />
and sports teams and would lift<br />
sanctions on some exports of<br />
food and medicine to Iran.<br />
Ms Albright conce<strong>de</strong>d yesterday<br />
that "after the election<br />
of Presi<strong>de</strong>nt Khatami we bad to<br />
ac\just the lens through whiçh<br />
we viewed Iran". The landsli<strong>de</strong><br />
election of reformers to parliament<br />
last month sealed the<br />
change ofmood in Washington.<br />
But Washington is still holding<br />
the biggest prize. Earlier<br />
this week, Presi<strong>de</strong>nt Clinton renewed<br />
the ban on US invéstment<br />
in Iranian oiffor anollier<br />
year. Itwill be lifted, according<br />
to US officials, when Washington<br />
is satisfied that Iran is<br />
committed to nuclear non-proliferation<br />
and will not obstruct<br />
the Middle East peace process.<br />
1953: Britain<br />
and UShelp<br />
army officers<br />
to<strong>de</strong>pose<br />
Mohammad<br />
Mossa<strong>de</strong>gh,<br />
premier who<br />
wanted to<br />
nationalise the oil industry.<br />
1979: Shah flees after<br />
<strong>de</strong>monstrations and strikes.<br />
A,yatollah Khomeini (above)<br />
r<strong>et</strong>urns from exile and takes<br />
power. Stu<strong>de</strong>nts seize 63<br />
hostages at US embassy.<br />
1980: US bid to rescue<br />
••<br />
•<br />
hostages ends disastrously,<br />
humiliating presi<strong>de</strong>nt<br />
Carter (right). Shah dies.<br />
Iraq-Iran war (ends 1988).<br />
1981: Last US hostages<br />
freed after 444 days.<br />
1985-6: US-Iran talks lead to<br />
arms shipments, allegedly<br />
for Iranian help in releasing<br />
US hostages in Lebanon.<br />
But profits went to<br />
Nicaraguan rebels, in what<br />
became Iran-Contra crisis.<br />
1989: Khomeini dies; Rafsanjani<br />
elected presi<strong>de</strong>nt.<br />
19~91:Rapprochement<br />
with West<br />
hin<strong>de</strong>red by<br />
Khomeini's<br />
1989fatwa<br />
onSalman<br />
Rushdie.<br />
1993: Bill<br />
Clinton takes<br />
office then tries to isolate<br />
Iran, accusing it of terrorism.<br />
1995: US sanctions on Iran.<br />
1997: Muhammad Khatami<br />
elected Presi<strong>de</strong>nt of Iran;<br />
later calls for a "dill1ogue<br />
with the American people".<br />
Source: BBC World Service<br />
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