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Obama offers new start with Iran
Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:33am EDT
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By Matt Spetalnick and Parisa Hafezi
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama made his warmest offer yet of a fresh start in relations with Iran, which cautiously welcomed the overture but said on Friday it was waiting for "practical steps," not talk.
"The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right -- but it comes with real responsibilities," Obama said in an unprecedented video message released to Middle East broadcasters to mark Iranian New Year.
"...that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization."
Relations have been almost deep-frozen for decades, and remain blighted by differences over Iran's nuclear program, Iraq, Israel and other issues.
In separate New Year messages to their nation, neither Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nor President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad mentioned Obama's offer. Khamenei said world powers had been persuaded they could not block Iran's nuclear progress.
Aliakbar Javanfekr, aide to Ahmadinejad, told Reuters: "The Iranian nation has shown that it can forget hasty behavior but we are awaiting practical steps by the United States.
"The Obama administration so far has just talked," he added, calling for "fundamental changes in his policy toward Iran."
The United States accuses Tehran of backing militant groups and seeking to develop a nuclear bomb under cover of a civilian atomic power program -- a charge Iran denies.
Javanfekr said Iran welcomed "the interest of the American government to settle differences." But he said the United States "should realize its previous mistakes and make an effort to amend them."
Washington's sanctions against Tehran were "wrong and need to be reviewed." Its backing for Israel, Iran's main enemy in the region, was "not a friendly gesture."
The White House distributed the Obama video with Farsi subtitles and posted it on its website. It was not shown or mentioned on Iran's main 2 p.m. state television news, but was reported by Iranian news agencies.
"MIXED MESSAGES"
France and Germany, which with Britain have led unsuccessful European Union efforts to persuade Iran to give up uranium enrichment, both welcomed the Obama initiative.
"I think the message reflects exactly what the Europeans have always wanted -- that an offer is being made to Iran and... (I hope) that this is being used," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at an EU summit in Brussels.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: "For my part I remain convinced that with a barrel of Brent (crude oil) well under $50 the policy of sanctions remains relevant, while at the same time there is need for dialogue." Continued...
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