Ahmadinejad: A Step Closer to Bush

Rooz Online:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's hardline president left New York last night for Tehran while his much-hoped initiative failed to produce any positive reaction in the political circles. Political observers here however feel that by participating in a photo ops with world leader's at the United Nations, he has taken a step towards Bush.

Ahmadinejad's photo with Bush, Blair, Putin and other 158 world leaders was only published in Iran’s Shargh newspaper. Iran’s pro-government newspapers made exaggerated headlines of the president's trip to New York, calling it a success, but refraining from publishing even his photo with the other leaders.

The principal focus of Ahmadinejad's speech at the U.N. General Assembly was a call for global and international private and public participation in Iran's nuclear activities. He expressed Iran's preparedness to open its doors to economic relations with United States and Europe. Ahmadinejad's nuclear proposal to international companies was the only part of his half hour speech that went on wires immediately. His defiance on curtailing the nuclear program was also obvious as he said Iran would continue its peaceful nuclear activities.

Ahmadinejad's meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in NY was the only meeting with an important world leader. READ MORE

During his talks, Ahmadinejad reiterated to his Russian counterpart that Iran was not pursuing bomb making activities, a claim that is hardly acceptable by most other nations. In a subsequent press conference with the US president, Putin said that he shared the views of Europeans and the United States regarding Iran’s nuclear program an activities. So its seems that Ahmadinejad said what he wished and took home headlines to feel a sense of achievement, while to the leaders of the major powers, there was nothing new regarding Iran’s attitude or activities, other than the continuation of the same defiance.

And with only one day left for the meeting of the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna based diplomats anticipate that Europe and United States have come to a coordinated position of applying more pressure on Iran. However, with the US president and Condoleezza Rice’s soft tone towards Iran there is a possibility that the board of governors of IAEA may after all not adopt a harsh decision on Iran's nuclear program.

Prior to his trip to New York fundamentalist allies of Ahmadinejad had asked him to ignore the US Secretary of State if approached by the latter. Nothing of the sort was initiated.

With Ahmadinejad back in his home, one recalls that when former Iranian president Khatami spoke at the UN, president Clinton and other world leaders stayed and listened while this time, Bush and Blair walked out when Ahmadinejad took the podium.

Also, president Khatami's several meetings with world leaders were not published in Tehran's official newspapers, while bold headlines appeared last week in the same newspapers referring to the interest of world leaders to meet with Iran’s new president!