Fate of top Iran nuclear negotiator in doubt (Resigned?)

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Confusion surrounded the future of Iran's top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani on Wednesday with conflicting accounts over whether he had resigned.

Rumors over Rohani's fate began circulating after the presidential election win on June 24 of hardline former Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who many diplomats and analysts expect to adopt a tougher nuclear policy stance.

Citing an "informed source" the official IRNA news agency said on Wednesday Rohani had sent his resignation letter to outgoing President Mohammad Khatami.

The report gave no reason for Rohani's decision to quit his post as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

SNSC spokesman Ali Aghamohammadi immediately denied the report, telling Reuters it was "a sheer lie ... Resigning at this time would be meaningless."

He added that Rohani had held a meeting with Ahmadinejad on Wednesday to discuss security policy, including nuclear talks with the European Union which are due to resume in August.

But a source close to Rohani said that while he had not resigned, he probably would do soon.

"It seems he is not ready to continue this responsibility (as chief nuclear negotiator) when the new president takes office," he said.

"It is doubtful that his policies will be acceptable to the new government's policies," the source added.

During the presidential race, Ahmadinejad said Iran's nuclear negotiators had been too timid although after his election win he pledged to continue the talks with the EU. Continued ...

Here's a shocker about Hassan Rowhani: "Bush Receives Endorsement From Iran"

Reported in Newsday

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

October 19, 2004, 4:22 PM EDT

TEHRAN, Iran -- The head of Iran's security council said on Tuesday the re-election of President Bush was in Tehran's best interests, despite the administration's axis of evil label, accusations that Iran harbors al-Qaida terrorists and threats of sanctions over the country's nuclear ambitions.

Historically, Democrats have harmed Iran more than Republicans, said Hasan Rowhani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security decision-making body.

"We haven't seen anything good from Democrats," Rowhani told state-run television in remarks that, for the first time in recent decades, saw Iran openly supporting one U.S. presidential candidate over another.

"We should not forget that most sanctions and economic pressures were imposed on Iran during the time of Clinton," Rowhani said of the former Democratic president. "And we should not forget that during Bush's era -- despite his hard-line and baseless rhetoric against Iran -- he didn't take, in practical terms, any dangerous action against Iran."

Though Iran generally does not publicly wade into U.S. presidential politics, it has a history of preferring Republicans over Democrats, who tend to press human rights issues.

"We do not desire to see Democrats take over," Rowhani said when asked if Iran was supporting Kerry against Bush.

The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran after militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Iranian clerics were crucial in determining the fate of the 1980 U.S. election when Republican Ronald Reagan won in part because Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter was unable to secure the hostages' release.

The hostages were freed as Reagan was inaugurated.

The United States supported Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, but by the late 1990s, U.S.-Iranian relations were somewhat better. They plummeted again after Bush accused Iran of being part of the "axis of evil" with North Korea and prewar Iraq.

The Bush administration also accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and sheltering operatives of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network. Still, Iran was happy to see Bush destroy two big regional enemies -- the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Iranian political analyst Mohsen Mofidi said ousting the Taliban and Saddam was the "biggest service any administration could have done for Iran."

And Bush, he said, has learned from his mistakes.

"The experience of two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the responsibility Bush had, will make it a very remote possibility for him to risk attacking a much bigger and more powerful country like Iran," he said.

Mofidi added that "Democrats usually insist on human rights and they will have more excuses to pressure Iran."

Republican and Democratic presidents have issued executive orders against Iran, with Reagan in 1987 barring Iranian crude oil and other imports, and Clinton in 1995 banning U.S. trade and investment in Iran.

Bush has been reluctant to offer Iran any incentives for better U.S.-Iranian relations, but in recent days there have been signs Washington will back European economic incentives if Iran stops uranium enrichment activities.

Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted by state-run television Tuesday as saying Iran is interested in buying nuclear fuel from the West, but will not concede its right to the technology.

The nuclear issue has been most sensitive, and the Bush administration is threatening to press for sanctions against Iran over it. Washington accuses Tehran of trying to build bombs. Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, for energy purposes.

Kerry, who says halting nuclear proliferation will be a priority if he becomes president, believes Bush should have done more diplomatically to curb Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. He says Iran should be offered nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes, but spent fuel should be taken back so it cannot be used to develop nuclear weapons.

Kavoos Emami, another Iranian political analyst, praised Kerry for mentioning the need for dialogue with Iran, and said the Democrat would be better for Iran.

"Bush has insulted Iran more than any other U.S. administration. If Kerry is elected, a U.S. military attack against Iran will never happen or will be a very remote possibility," he said.""

Some background info on Rohani via: More Notes by Barry O'Connell

Notes on Hassan Rowhani

Sunday September 5, 01:16 PM Iran said it was sending its top national security official Hassan Rowhani to Europe to forestall US efforts to haul the Islamic republic before the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme.

Hassan Rowhani is secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (the SNSC).He has held the position of secretary since 1988 which makes him roughly to the Ayatollah Khamenei what Condoleezza Rice s to President George Bush. He has a strong relationship with Ayatollah Khamenei based on trust and a strong personal relationship with Former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

Rowhani has a Bachelors degree from Tehran University, and a doctorate in law from Glasgow University. He is an important part of the Pragmatic faction that is in power in Iran today. Friend's in Tehran describe Rowhani as being close to UK Foreign Ministers Jack Straw. Rowhani as a western trained lawyer and a Mullah can move in-between the Iranian "Hard-Liners" and the western politicians and diplomats in ways that most cannot.

Iranian Supreme National Security Council Chief Hassan Rohani (L) welcomes EU Foreign Ministers Jack Straw, Joschka Fischer (R) and Dominique de Villepin(2nd-R) at Tehran's Saadabad Palace October 21, 2003. Iran Tuesday agreed to sign and ratify an agreement on tougher inspections of its nuclear sites and suspend uranium enrichment and processing activities, according to an official declaration obtained by Reuters. [Reuters]

"Neo-Conservative’ Likely To Be Iran’s Next President The head of Iran ’s Supreme National Security Council, Hassan Rohani, is expected to be the next Iranian president or at least to hold the foreign affairs portfolio in the new government, high-level Iranian and German sources expected.

They were quoted by the Monday, February 23, German edition of the Financial Times as saying that Rohani enjoys strong links with Iran ’s Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the country, and the chairman of the powerful Expediency Council Hashemi Rafsanjani. "Neo-Conservative’ Likely To Be Iran’s Next President

All from: http://www.sw-asia.com/People/Bio911.htm

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