:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. Bush

{{wikisource|Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. Bush (8 May 2006)}}

File:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 2010 (cropped).jpg

On May 8, 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a missive directly to then United States President George W. Bush that proposed "new ways" to end the dispute over the Islamic Republic's development of nuclear power.

2006 missive

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley both reviewed the letter and considered it to be a broad, historic look at the U.S.-Iranian relationship. It was the first direct contact between the American and Iranian heads of state since April 9, 1980.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/08/iran.letter/index.html |title=(CNN White House: Iran's letter not a nuclear fix) |access-date=2006-05-14 |archive-date=2006-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625051336/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/08/iran.letter/index.html |url-status=live }}

During his joint press conference with then-United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House in May 2006, Bush said, "Well, I read the letter of the President and I thought it was interesting. It was, like, 16 or 17 single-spaced typed pages of -- but he didn't address the issue of whether or not they're going to continue to press for a nuclear weapon. That's the issue at hand."{{Cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060525-12.html|title=President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom Participate in Joint Press Availability|access-date=2017-09-04|archive-date=2017-11-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107221705/https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060525-12.html|url-status=live}}

The letter achieved more positive press coverage, particularly in non-Iranian media, than President Ahmadinejad had received before. With Western powers unable to reach agreement about a United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program, The Washington Post said Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter (originally in Persian) promoted the idea that Iran was open to compromise at a time when the rest of the world was divided.{{cite web |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/worldopinionroundup/2006/05/iran_letters_surprising_result_1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516103717/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/worldopinionroundup/2006/05/iran_letters_surprising_result_1.html |archive-date=2006-05-16 |title=World Opinion Roundup -- Jefferson Morley's Review of Opinions and Commentary on News Around the World - washingtonpost.com}}

The letter, the first written communication between the leaders of the two countries in 27 years, criticized Bush for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, detainee abuse in U.S.-run facilities at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay Naval Base detention center and Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, and his support of Israel.

In his letter, Ahmadinejad repeatedly praised Jesus, as well as other figures considered by Muslims to be prophets. He also referred respectfully twice to Moses. He stated his belief that one who claims to follow the teachings of Jesus should not be waging war.

Ahmedinejad also questioned whether Bush could claim to follow Jesus and at the same time invade and occupy countries, kill people, and destroy their homes in the name of democracy.

At one point Ahmadinejad rhetorically asks whether there was infiltration of security services in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and why aspects have been kept secret (paragraph 28).

The letter received various reactions. "Regardless of the content of Ahmadinejad's letter ... such a communication could lead the two sides to direct talks," the centrist Shargh newspaper said somewhat optimistically. "Whatever its content, the letter crosses the red line of non-negotiation. If Ahmadinejad's letter gets a positive response, a new chapter could open and then we could say it is possible to talk and get results in the shadow of war," it said.

The Iranian newspaper Siasat-e Rooz compared the letter with the historical letter by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Mikhail Gorbachev in which he suggested conversion to Islam.[http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=271209 Mail&Guardian. Iran press hails US letter for crossing 'red line'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930201009/http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=%2Fbreaking_news%2Fbreaking_news__international_news%2F&articleid=271209 |date=2007-09-30 }}

The New York Sun, in their [http://www.nysun.com/article/32594 May 11, 2006 editorial], pointed out that the letter followed the format of an Islamic missionary (Da'wa) message, including the traditional ending used by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in his Da'wa messages to the Byzantine Empire's leaders and the nomadic polytheist Arab tribes. The newspaper translated this phrase ("Wasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda") as "peace only unto those who follow the true path", and interpreted it as a threat of violence. The phrase is more directly translated as "and peace to whoever follows the path" and is traditional with any Da'wa.{{Cite web|url=http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2006/05/history-lesson-vasalam-ala-man-atabaal.html|title=Gypsy Scholar: History Lesson: "Vasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda"|access-date=2006-05-28|archive-date=2006-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521130556/http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2006/05/history-lesson-vasalam-ala-man-atabaal.html|url-status=live}} The letter also included many references to Jesus as a Muslim prophet, a common signature of Da'wa letters directed towards Christians. The Islamic Republic News Agency says President Ahmadinejad confirmed that the letter was intended as a Da'wa invitation in a press conference.{{cite web|url=http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0605110155191821.htm |title=President says his letter to President Bush was invitation to Islam - Irna |access-date=2009-07-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902134535/http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-24/0605110155191821.htm |archive-date=2006-09-02 }}

2003 missive

According to Mohammad Khatami, in his interview with BBC News,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6108798.stm Khatami labels US policy 'a joke'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231075615/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6108798.stm |date=2017-12-31 }} 2 November 2006 Note: Khatami mentioned this in the audio interview at the URL, not the written story. Listen to the interview for confirmation. the Iranian government sent a letter to the U.S. government after the fall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but it was ignored. This may have been a retaliation to President Bill Clinton's missive on October 20, 2000, that was ignored.[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200011/07/eng20001107_54525.html Clinton Sends Letter to Khatami to Seek Dialog][http://www.farsinet.com/news/dec99wk1.html Iran Said To Reject U.S. Overtures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061120072703/http://www.farsinet.com/news/dec99wk1.html |date=2006-11-20 }} AP via FarsiNet In fact, this was Clinton's second letter to Khatami.[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40D15FB3D550C768CDDA90994D1494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fC%2fClinton%2c%20Bill U.S. to Deport Saudi Suspect in a 1996 Terror Bombing] New York Times Tuesday 5 October 1999

The letter from Iranian authorities in 2003 was confirmed by Lawrence Wilkerson, the chief of staff of Secretary of State Colin Powell.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6274147.stm |title=BBC NEWS {{!}} Middle East {{!}} Washington 'snubbed Iran offer' |access-date=2007-01-18 |archive-date=2021-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126202140/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6274147.stm |url-status=live }}

References and notes

External links

[http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-727571,36-769886@51-677013,0.html English translation by Le Monde]
Mohammad Ganjidoost: "[http://uscpublicdiplomacy.com/index.php/newsroom/pdblog_detail/060724_soft_power_noopolitik_approach_president_ahmadinejads_letter_bush A Soft Power, Noopolitik Approach: President Ahmadinejad's Letter to President Bush]," USC Center on Public Diplomacy, July 24, 2006.

Category:Letters (message)

Category:2006 documents

Category:2006 in Iran

Category:History of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Category:Iran–United States relations

Category:2006 in international relations

Category:Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration

Category:Nuclear energy in Iran

Category:Nuclear program of Iran

Category:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's foreign policy

Category:Presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Category:Iran in the Iraq War