Khamenei: Iran Ready to Change if U.S. Leads the Way

[tekisui]

Source: The Raw Story

TEHRAN – Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the Islamic republic is ready to reciprocate if US President Barack Obama changes American attitude towards his country.

"If you change your attitude, we will change our attitude," Khamenei said in a groundbreaking address to thousands of Iranians in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad which was broadcast on state television.

Speaking a day after Obama offered Tehran a "new beginning" to turn back the tide on decades of mutual animosity, Khamenei -- the final decision maker on Iranian strategic issues -- said however Iran is yet to see any change in Washington's attitude towards Tehran.

"We have no experience with the new American government and the new American president. We will observe them and we will judge," he said.

"We cannot see any change. What is the change in your policy? Did you remove the sanctions? Did you stop supporting the Zionist regime? Tell us what you have changed. We can't see change even in the words of the new American president. Change only in words is not enough. Change must be real," Khamenei said.

"The American leaders and others must know that they can't deceive our nation or scare it."

Khamenei accused Washington of having had a "hostile" attitude towards Tehran since the Islamic revolution toppled the US-backed shah in 1979.

"They supported all the terrorist and opponent groups" against Iran, he said.

"We can see the American hand behind these groups. Unfortunately, this support is still continuing," he said, adding that US-backed groups were aiding rebels fighting Iranian security forces along the Iran-Pakistan border.

"The new American government wants to negotiate. They say to forget the past and are extending their hand. But if it is an iron hand in a velvet glove, it won't have a good meaning," he said.

more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Khamenei_Iran_ready_to_change_if_0321.html

[Phx_Dem]

1. It's a start.

I wish I could recall the three words Pat Buchanan used to describe the President's video to Iran. Shockingly, the first one was brave, and the other two were equally positive. Shoot I wish I could remember. It was this morning on MSNBC with Alex Witt. Anyone else see it?

[FrenchieCat]

2. Iran leadership is going to end up looking bad to its own people.....

as well as other countries in the ME, if they kick sand in the President's eyes.

They are demanding concretes from this President,
but yet, their attitude hasn't changed, although they said it would
right there in that letter.
Sounds like it is their move.

[iamthebandfanman]

4. i agree, its in their best interests

to atleast pretend to want to co-operate and make compromises....

i mean, you cant complain if you bite the hand that trys to shake yours when you dont get your way...

they stand to gain more than theyd care to lose, so i think theyll atleast go through the motions...

i hope its more than that...

[FrenchieCat]

5. I think they are testing Pres. Obama, as that is the new game in town.

What they fail to understand, as many of the powerful in the U.S. still don't, is that Barack Obama has a tendency to bring out debate from everyone. Hell, that can be evidenced here at DU.

In Iran, debate is wanting, and so it will now be had.
That's good for us, if the people of Iran start debating amongs themselves
what the best course of action is.
They will start to pay more attention,
and that is something their leaders would prefer they didn't do,
as it limits their regular use of propaganda against America (a lot warranted during the Bush Years)

In otherwords, President Obama is stirring the water, and doing it as always,
in a classy, smooth and thoughtfully provocative way.

[iamthebandfanman]

3. lets hope talks move forward

and compromise can be reached on issues.


iran must understand it benefits from a succesfull united states, and vice versa...
if we can learn to look past differences...

[LittleBlue]

6. It may not look significant, but it is

I don't believe their Supreme Leader has ever stated something like this toward the U.S., but I could be wrong. Certainly not under Bush.