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Khatami Sees 'Positive Signals' From US - Newsweek

January 25, 2004
Dow Jones Newswires
Dow Jones

NEW YORK -- Iran's president has said there have been some "positive signals in the tone and the pronouncements" of U.S. officials recently, and he is "sure there will be new developments" unless this is a "tactical ploy."

In an interview with Newsweek magazine, President Mohammad Khatami said "we are hearing different voices from the U.S," but "we must be confident that the voice we hear is the voice of the entire U.S. administration."

Newsweek quoted the Iranian leader as saying you can't "continue imposing sanctions and leveling baseless allegations against a country and at the same time ask for dialogue."

Khatami made his comments about "hearing different voices" and "baseless allegations" when Newsweek asked his response to recent "gestures" by the U.S. - a statement by Secretary of State Colin Powell that the two nations should keep open the possibility of dialogue and U.S. assistance after a recent earthquake.

When asked about President George W. Bush labeling Iran as part of an axis of evil, Khatami said the U.S. knows that Iran is also an adversary of the terror group al Qaida and also knows that his nation has "acted wisely and rationally in Afghanistan and in Iraq."

"We must all contribute so the U.S. can be extricated from Iraq" and the occupation ended, he was quoted as saying.

The Iranian leader said his country was worried about the possible breakup of Iraq. Khatami told Newsweek a "representative government should take charge." Such a government could "decide a good destiny for Iraq with the help of the neighboring countries and even those countries that are occupying powers" along with the U.N., he told the magazine.

When asked by Newsweek, "what would it take" to get Iran "to stop producing fissile material," Khatami replied "we have said categorically that we are not looking for nuclear weapons." But he repeated Iran's position that "we regard it as our right to benefit from nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."

Khatami said India, Pakistan and Israel all have nuclear weapons and Iran expects the U.N. and U.S. "to help establish a Middle East free of nuclear weapons."

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