Missed Opportunities: CNN’s
“Iran: Fact & Fiction”
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Switzerland passed to the American government an unsigned 2003 memorandum from the Iranian government suggesting in detail ways to resolve differences between Iran and America. This television program showed only a portion of the 2003 memorandum. That portion included a discussion of the Iranian Communist MEK (MKO, PMOI, NCRI, Rajavi Cult, or Pol Pot of Iran) terrorists. Brown and Sesno did not explain that President George W. Bush had used the MEK as a pretext for the Iraq War in 2002 and then protected America’s terrorist enemies at Camp Ashraf, Iraq in 2003.
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Professor Paul shedon Foote, December 08, 2007
http://360.yahoo.com/paulsheldonfoote
Paul Sheldon Foote
http://360.yahoo.com/paulsheldonfoote
December 8, 2007
On December 8, 2007, CNN’s Special Investigations Unit started televising “Iran: Fact & Fiction” with Campbell Brown and Frank Sesno. Currently, the scheduled showings are 7 and 11 P.M. (Eastern Time) on December 8 and 9, 2007.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/siu/
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/brown.campbell.html
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/sesno.frank.html
The major theme of the program is missed opportunities by political leaders in America and in Iran for peace. After years of television programs on the Fox News Channel and elsewhere promoting America’s worst enemies, the neo-conservatives (neo-Trotskyites) who want to bomb Iran, this CNN program provides some attempts to learn from past missed opportunities for peace.
Iran helped America fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, Fall 2001
Following September 11, 2001, the Islamic Republic of Iran helped America fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. CNN provided only a few of the examples of Iran’s help, such as providing safe passage for humanitarian supplies going to Afghanistan and offering to work with the American military in providing military training for a new government in Afghanistan. How did President George W. Bush thank Iran for Iran’s sacrifices and help? In his January 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said that Iran is a member of the axis of evil. James Dobbins, a former State Department official, reported the extent of Iran’s help.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-06-09-iran-taliban_x.htm
Iran’s Unsigned 2003 Memorandum
Switzerland passed to the American government an unsigned 2003 memorandum from the Iranian government suggesting in detail ways to resolve differences between Iran and America. This television program showed only a portion of the 2003 memorandum. That portion included a discussion of the Iranian Communist MEK (MKO, PMOI, NCRI, Rajavi Cult, or Pol Pot of Iran) terrorists. Brown and Sesno did not explain that President George W. Bush had used the MEK as a pretext for the Iraq War in 2002 and then protected America’s terrorist enemies at Camp Ashraf, Iraq in 2003.
Nicholas Burns, responsible for Iran at the State Department now (but not in 2003), appeared to lack knowledge of, and interest in, the 2003 memorandum.
Danielle Pletka, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), expressed her satisfaction that the Swiss official who passed the Iranian memorandum to American officials lost his job. She noted that America’s ambassadors to Iraq and to the United Nations meet with Iranian officials but nothing results from the meetings.
Brown and Sesno should have interviewed Michael Rubin at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), author of “The Guldimann Memorandum: The Iranian ‘roadmap’ wasn’t a roadmap and wasn’t Iranian” (Weekly Standard, October 22, 2007).
http://www.meforum.org/article/1764
Trita Parsi, National Iranian American Council (NIAC), regarded the Bush Administration’s failure to respond to the 2003 memorandum a missed opportunity.
http://www.amazon.com/Treacherous-Alliance-Secret-Dealings-Israel/dp/0300120575
Mohammad Khatami’s Election as President of Iran, 1997
This program included details of the efforts of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served in the Clinton administration, to respond to the opportunity provided by the election of Mohammad Khatami as President of Iran in 1997:
1. Albright gave speeches responding favorably to themes expressed in Khatami’s speeches.
2. America relaxed visa restrictions on Iranians.
3. Iranian scholars were permitted to visit America.
4. America wrestlers competed in Iran.
5. Albright gave a speech admitting American errors to a meeting of Professor Hooshang Amirahmadi’s American Iranian Council (AIC).
http://www.american-iranian.org/
This program included an appearance by Kenneth Pollack, formerly with the National Security Council, who noted that Iran’s Supreme Leader responded unfavorably to America’s friendly overtures. Brown and Sesno failed to disclose relevant details about Pollack, such as:
1. Pollack is the author of The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq. Pollack has admitted that he understands very little Arabic.
http://www.amazon.com/Threatening-Storm-Case-Invading-Iraq/dp/0375509283
2. Pollack is the author of The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America. At the end of this book, Pollack admitted that he has never been to Iran and does not know Persian (Farsi).
http://www.amazon.com/Persian-Puzzle-Conflict-Between-America/dp/0812973364
Trita Parsi explained correctly that it was a mistake for America’s political leaders to reach out to only one person or one faction in the Iranian government.
Frank Sesno explained correctly that many Iranians do not trust America’s political leaders because of American support for the Shah of Iran and of American support for Saddam Hussein against Iran in the Iran-Iraq War.
Unfortunately, Brown and Sesno did not mention that President Bill Clinton had given a speech to the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on April 30, 1995 pleasing Zionists with trade sanctions against Iran.
http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/
Nuclear Inspections
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei noted that Iran’s work with centrifuges is a political act. He reported that Iran does not allow surprise inspections or as complete access to its nuclear facilities as it did in the past. His advice for America was to “cool it”. While some American political leaders want a pressure cooker to explode, a cooler approach could result in being able to trust Iran in the future.
Former United Nations inspector David Kay regarded current Iranian leaders as dangerous but expressed the view that America has a 6 to 8 year opportunity to achieve a secure basis for peace.
Unfortunately, no one made comparisons with Israel, India, Pakistan, and with North Korea. America’s current political leaders have rewarded countries who did not even sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). North Korea is an evil communist, totalitarian regime guilty of torturing and of murdering Christians and persons who attempt to flee from North Korea. Many nuclear analysts that North Korea will never comply with agreements to end its nuclear weapons program.
2008 Presidential Candidates
Joe Klein, author of “Iran’s Nukes: Now They Tell Us” (Time magazine, December 6, 2007) noted that there is a real opportunity now for an opening with Iran, but President George W. Bush will fail to seize the opportunity. Klein predicted that the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) will hurt the saber rattling Republican presidential candidates. Rudy Giuliani, with a staff of neoconservative advisers, might be hurt the most. Among the Democrats, Hillary Clinton could be hurt because of her vote on a Senate resolution. Iranian leaders are hurting the opportunity by enriching uranium and by supporting Hezbollah. However, Iran is not building nuclear weapons.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1691625,00.html?imw=Y
David Gergen agreed that Republican presidential candidates who have supported President George W. Bush’s excessive war rhetoric will be hurt.
Paul Sheldon Foote
http://360.yahoo.com/paulsheldonfoote
November 23, 2007
On Thursday, November 22, 2007 (Thanksgiving Day in America), some Members of Parliament experienced separate talks with questions and answers by Professor Raymond Tanter [President, Iran Policy Committee; promoting the Iranian Communist MEK (MKO, PMOI, NCRI, Rajavi Cult, or Pol Pot of Iran) terrorists] and Professor Paul Sheldon Foote [opposing the MEK terrorists and neoconservatives].
The Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC) arranged for my meeting with Members of Parliament.
The following is my PowerPoint outline submitted to the Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC) following the meeting. My talk covered many, but not all, of the topics in this outline during the time period available for the meeting with some Members of Parliament.