Politics: Diplomatic Response

Politics


This is the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who recently sent a letter to George W. Bush. This letter, the first communication between the two leaders of their respective countries since the fall of the Shah, has been discussed by many pundits and politicians in the press recently. Although it was sent to Mr. Bush, it was also released to members of the United Nations by the Iranians... who promptly delivered it to the press. Why the White House has not yet released it remains a mystery.

The letter takes the form of a lecture to Mr. Bush on why the West (USA) are wrong in everything they do in the world...Particularly the Middle-East. It also criticizes the West for establishing Israel as a state even if, as he puts it, the holocaust was true. He also says that supporting Israel is not the "Christian" thing to do. He did not apologize for stating that Israel should be "wiped off the map".

The prose of the letter resembles others of it's kind issued by various Islamic fundamentalists over the past few years. The fact that this one has been issued by the leader of a powerful Islamic state, with ballistic missiles and enriched uranium, makes it somewhat unique.

Some politicians are saying that, no matter the content or quality of the letter, this is an opportunity to open a diolougue between the two countries. The USA has refused to enter direct talks with the Iranians concerning their nuclear ambitions..or any other matter of global or regional import.

Some other politicians say that this letter is just another smoke screen and a delaying tactic by a Middle-East power in order to avoid sanctions over their pursuit of WMD and their ongoing Jihad against the West.

The Iranian president also has some words of "wisdom" for Mr. Bush. He says that Democracy is a failed concept and that it is time for America (the West) to abandon it and return to a monotheistic form of government. Apparently God wants to rule the earth, by proxy it seems, and only a hierarchy of clergy, or their dedicated secular servants are fit to do such a thing...God wants it that way!

I wonder if George is entirely in disagreement with that last concept? I'd like to think so.

For once I agree entirely with Mr. Bush in his negative response to this letter from Iran, and I think that most of the "free" world does also. There is no reason to enter into discourse with the Iranians. The fact is that they already have the nuclear technology, the missiles, and the insane logic that will facilitate their use someday. Too late for talking now.

The United Nations should take this matter to hand and send a clear and unanimous ultimatum to the Iranians. It is not just the USA and the West that are in peril here. Technology run rampant cannot be contained. All emerging nations should know that prolifiration of this sort will not be permitted. Nuclear war will never be limited to a regional conflict, but will draw the peoples of many nations into the disaster.

Mr. Bush has said little concerning the letter, but I think I can imagine what his inner feeling might be on the matter. If he did respond I am sure his answer would something along the line of: