Ali Larijani, Iranian Parliament Speaker, Slams Obama's Nowruz Greeting

New York Times:

Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran's Parliament, on Wednesday criticized the United States in harsher terms than any other leading Iranian figure has done since President Obama extended his videotaped olive branch to Iran last week.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Kache]

12:50 AM on 03/26/2009

So what did we expect from Larijani? "Wow, I'm glad we cleared that up Bro. We were thinking you guys are mad at us or something. Maybe we can shoot a few hoops together, whatdayasay?"

When Larijani was Iran's negotiator with the EU on the nuclear issue he made a proposition that would have physically guaranteed the impossibility for Iran to divert peaceful fuel to warhead fuel - basically the same mechanism that the EU uses among it's member states. The EU supported the proposition, Bush nixed it, Ahmadinejad fired Larijani for offering it. Larijani's offer had the support of Ayatollah Khamenei (after he was fired Larijani was elected to Parliament representing Qom, Khamenei's residence). One of Obama's campaign advisers was an MIT scientist who lead a technical project in response to Larinjani's offer to the EU.

Larijani is indeed a hardliner. But he's a pragmatist (he has PHDs in math, computer science and Western Philosophy) who envisions Iran's role in the world along the model of India's and makes no secret of his contempt for Ahmadinejad's cartoonish presidency. Maybe he means just what he said - Show Me! If so, that progress!

[mikesw]

10:21 PM on 03/25/2009

Mr. Larijani said “the Americans stood against the Islamic State of Iran by supporting Saddam in his eight-year-long war against Iran.”

Mr. Larijani may have some credibility to criticize US support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) once he criticizes the Iranians who took over the US Embassy and held 52 US diplomats for 444 days (1979 to 1981).

He may also have some credibility to criticize US humiliation of Iraqis once he does the same for the Iranian revolutionary guards' interrogations and reign of terror.

Obviously, one wrong doesn't make another right. But until Mr. Larijani is willing to do what Obama is doing (that is, critically reexamine US-Iranian relations), he can probably be dismissed as another hypocritical ideologue that is keeping Iran held back.

[Human-Being]

10:13 PM on 03/25/2009

Those pesky people he thinks he controls must have told him they liked Obama, it brings out the worst in the leaders. For instance look at the GOP and it's behavior.

[Republicrats]

09:07 PM on 03/25/2009

Good diplomatic game, play to the folks back at home, but accept our invitation to the conference, better than no talk at all...

[Spencaa]

04:13 PM on 03/25/2009

Where would Iran be without the evil US to always demonize?

Obama is bringing change and the corrupt regimes around the world are realizing that they are losing their boogeyman.

[Rog49Thomas]

06:50 PM on 03/25/2009

When do we lose ours?

[SurrealPumpkin]

03:19 PM on 03/25/2009

Well, well, Obama hit a nerve, did he? That's a hopeful sign :)

[Paulo1]

03:13 PM on 03/25/2009

Well duh,

If you want talk with your enemies don't be surprised when the first things you hear are things you don't really like. They are after all your enemies and talking to them does not mean that they are going to say nice things.

But at least they are talking and a shouting match is much better than a shooting match any day.