http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/08/iran.letter/index.html

So summary: Bush administration gets a letter from the Iran president that is the first direct contact between the presidents of our nations since 1980.

And yet no where in the article does it mention WRITING BACK!


Honestly, I'm not just trying to be facetious, doesn't this seem to anyone else like it makes us look rather wrapped up in ourselves? You know, even if it is just a diplomatic ploy, I'd be fine with that, tell them thanks for the first letter in 26 years...

[Edited on May 8, 2006 at 10:53 PM. Reason : technicalities]

5/8/2006 10:50:31 PM

the bbc said that the bush administration is not planning on responding and is lining up their guys to publicly say that this first contact during my life time changes nothing.

it'd really screw up the path to war if the iranians started playing nice... although i doubt this letter was really all that nice.

5/8/2006 11:30:43 PM

5/8/2006 11:45:15 PM

Yeah, I'm a bit curious as to what it said. Was it really a reconciling letter, or was it more of the same? I personally think it was a political tactic, but I'm sure that those who are looking for an excuse to not send Iran to the Security Council will find it in this letter.

5/8/2006 11:48:25 PM

its kind of funny we want to nuke them yet our leaders have not spoken to eachother for a quarter of a century. sounds like my dad and his mom.

5/8/2006 11:50:43 PM

^^ it was probably

blah blah blah

american imerialism

blah blah blah

you support the jews

blah blah blah

get out of iraq

blah blah blah

ease up homes

5/8/2006 11:53:00 PM

oh, even better...

the jokes on Iran

President Bush can't read

5/8/2006 11:54:22 PM

Quote :

"President Bush can't read"

really?

wow.

5/8/2006 11:56:34 PM

i present to you, exhibit A

Quote :

"Senior administration officials said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and national security adviser Stephen Hadley had reviewed the letter and considered it to be a broad, historical look at the U.S.-Iranian relationship. "

5/8/2006 11:59:19 PM

now I'm really curious as to the nature of the letter. Like, if it was all "fuck you!" or "let's be friends".

More than that, it's just such an amusing idea. Did they send it through snail mail? I have this image that the Iran president was sitting around and thought "I think I'll write Bush a letter" and got it transcribed and sent. A few days later it's the big news.

I mean, what's next? A phone call?!

[Edited on May 9, 2006 at 12:09 AM. Reason : sp]

5/9/2006 12:09:31 AM

From the little I heard on talk radio I have gathered that the letter was a small step toward rebuilding relations and that our official response was "this is nothing more than a trick to derail sanctions we want to put in place". It's a shame really. It would be nice to see another administration with some sort of diplomacy in my lifetime.

5/9/2006 9:16:26 AM

haha, I can see it already. Watch Kim Jong-il write the President a letter about his godly golf skills.

5/9/2006 10:40:17 AM

Dear US,

Are you going to nuke us?

[ ] yes
[ ] no

-Iran

[Edited on May 9, 2006 at 11:00 AM. Reason : .]

5/9/2006 10:59:45 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4752831.stm

Here we go.

5/9/2006 11:14:48 AM

Quote :

""We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point - that is the Almighty God. "My question for you is, 'Do you not want to join them?'" "

So you guys really want Bush to respond and say "Let's be friends"

5/9/2006 11:21:06 AM

Dear US,

Are you going to nuke us?

[ ] yes
[ ] no
(X) maybe

-Iran

5/9/2006 11:27:32 AM

^correct.

5/9/2006 11:30:04 AM

awwww

they're pen pals

5/9/2006 11:30:14 AM

5/9/2006 11:51:41 AM

5/9/2006 11:58:38 AM

we dont negotiate with teris

5/9/2006 12:30:02 PM

Quote :

"Iraq 'lies' The letter - thought to be the first from an Iranian president to a US leader since Iran's 1979 revolution - sparked intense interest, coming at a time of tense relations between Washington and Tehran. The 18-page document has not yet been made public, but according to leaks, Mr Ahmadinejad spoke of the invasion of Iraq, and a range of other issues. "Lies were told in the Iraqi matter," Reuters news agency quoted the letter as saying. "What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture." The president also questioned the creation of Israel, asking "how can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?", Reuters reported. In an apparent allusion to Iran's nuclear programme, Mr Ahmadinejad is quoted by the Associated Press as asking: "Is not scientific R&D [research and development] one of the basic rights of nations?" In another part of the letter, Mr Ahmadinejad suggests Washington has been untruthful about the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, Reuters reports. "Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities?" he asks. The president ends the letter by appealing to Mr Bush to return to religion. "We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point - that is the Almighty God. "My question for you is, 'Do you not want to join them?'" "

ahahahhaha, i want to read this SO BAD

i bet the state officials who read this died laughing

they're like, "Is this nutjob serious?"

[Edited on May 9, 2006 at 12:46 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2006 12:45:55 PM

Quote :

"At a party Jerry: Oh yeah, like you know what you're talking about. George: Like you do. Jerry: Well what do you think? They put the statue on a giant raft and a tugboat pulled it all the way from France? George: What do you think? The brought it over in pieces and screwed it together like a coffee table? Jerry: I don't know. It's too early for a Christmas party isn't it? George: Why did France give that to us anyway? Jerry: It was a gift. George: So countries just exchange gifts like that? Jerry: If they like each other. "

5/9/2006 3:36:40 PM

We told Iran to go fuck itself today.

Bush is not real big on diplomacy.



I wonder how greatly peaceful negotiations been set back by Bush hurting the egos of dictators and other leaders around the world. Not that diplomacy typically works when dealing with countries like North Korea and Iran, but Bush's pre-emptive "Fuck You" to every leader who disagrees with our foreign policy doesn't exactly promote a healthy discourse.

5/9/2006 4:07:52 PM

that motherfucker put "GO DEVILS" at the bottom of that fucking letter

invade now!

5/9/2006 4:16:17 PM

W00t! GO DEVILS!!!

5/9/2006 7:29:44 PM

Quote :

"We told Iran to go fuck itself today."

So, for the sake of argument....what would you do? How would you respond to Iran's letter?

5/9/2006 8:29:08 PM

i'd have to read that letter first

5/9/2006 8:38:17 PM

Quote :

"How would you respond to Iran's letter?"

Thats easy. I would open up talks directly with Iran, something that should have been done several years ago.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle as well as most foreign leaders are urging the Bush administration to talk with Tehran directly rather than this bullshit "Hey France, tell Ahmanejihad to do this, or else."

[Edited on May 9, 2006 at 8:55 PM. Reason : 2]

5/9/2006 8:54:19 PM

The letter


http://www.cnn.com/interactive/world/0605/transcript.lemonde.letter/

5/9/2006 9:19:27 PM

Bush is so far up the royal families ass he wouldn't dare speak with Tehran. And by royal family I mean Saudia Arabia

5/9/2006 9:28:51 PM

The letter doesn't seem very conciliatory. Mostly Mahmoud seems to be chastising Bush for losing faith in God (PBR). Which is somewhat ironic, considering how much grief Bush used to get for it.

There's also a dash of Zionist conspiracy thrown in for a little Salisbury flavoring.

^^ I don't think that direct talks would help. Ahmanejihad has already stated that he would like to see an end to Israel. They've already turned down offers from Russia to help them with their civilian nuclear program, even though peaceful purposes is what Iran claims to be after. Ahmanejihad speaks of confrontations with the west. And, of course, when the US goes on independent ops, that's not really acceptable to a lot of people either.

5/9/2006 9:52:34 PM

so i just read the letter

his literary devices are pretty easy to spot

i'd give the letter a 7/10, woulda been higher if he didnt go with the "mr president," format consistently through the thing

honestly i just wish there was some way the us could stop being so arrogant and iran would stop being so stubborn and just work this thing out peacefully

5/9/2006 10:02:05 PM

the first 2/3s of his letter was well written, rational, and makes a compelling case. americans should read it, if only to understand how the average muslim views us. I think it's pretty representative.

but the last third, with all the quotes from Koran and name-dropping all those prophets (PBUT), was too obscure. he totally lost my interest there, and will probably lose most americans, those who bother to read it that is.

of course, you might argue that he was really writing it for the Iranian people...

(FWIW, I bet only 1/10 posters in this thread will even read it, but 9/10 will condemn it)

5/10/2006 1:54:01 AM

so, trying to post it...

5/10/2006 3:12:21 AM

^
So what's with the typos in that letter? Translation error?

5/10/2006 7:39:32 AM

Quote :

"In another part of the letter, Mr Ahmadinejad suggests Washington has been untruthful about the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, Reuters reports."

OH MY GOD! AHMADINEJAD IS salisburyboy! IT MAKES SENSE!

[Edited on May 10, 2006 at 8:55 AM. Reason : .]

5/10/2006 8:55:25 AM