June 2, 2009 State Dept Daily Press Briefing - July 4 invitation to Iranian Diplomats (ACTION ALERT!

US State Dept ^ | June 2 / 29. 2009

[don-o]

QUESTION: Can you confirm reports that the State Department has authorized the U.S. embassies to invite Iranian officials to Fourth of July celebrations?

MR. WOOD: Well, the State Department recently provided some guidance to our posts regarding governments whose officials may be invited to U.S. Government hosted representational events this year around the Fourth of July. And we review these types of invitations every year, and the decision was made this year to invite officials from Iran. So – and this is very much in line with our policy of trying to engage the Iranian Government.

QUESTION: I understand that the invitation went out on Friday. On the same day, the bombing in Zahedan happened and some Iranian officials blamed the U.S. for it. Do you know which -- was the invitation sent out after this (inaudible)?

MR. WOOD: I have no way of knowing, and there’s clearly no connection as far as we’re concerned.

QUESTION: Of course. But would it have affected the decision to send it out still?

MR. WOOD: I – you know, you’re asking me to – you’re asking a hypothetical. I just couldn’t answer that for you.

QUESTION: Well – sorry, go ahead.

QUESTION: Go ahead.

QUESTION: Has the – has the general policy that, I believe, barred contact among U.S. diplomats and Iranian diplomats been – without explicit authorization been relaxed?

MR. WOOD: I think that’s safe to say.

QUESTION: So –

QUESTION: When was – when did that happen?

MR. WOOD: We’re talking about the fact that we’re allowing – oh, I’m sorry. Yeah. I see what you’re saying, Arshad. As far as I know, since 1980, we have not had any kind of – our diplomats were not allowed to have substantive discussions with Iranian officials. This is just for the purposes right now of inviting Iranian officials to U.S. Government events, you know, in connection with July 4.

QUESTION: So they’re not allowed, however, to have substantive discussions?

MR. WOOD: Well, again, this is – this cable that went out was specifically addressing the question of inviting representatives.

QUESTION: Just so that we have clarity, just as U.S. diplomats also need clarity, can you state then that the prohibition on substantive contacts with Iranian officials absent explicit direction from the Department is still in force?

MR. WOOD: Yeah, I think that’s safe to say. We have not issued any instructions with regard to substantive discussions with Iranian officials at this point.

I mean, certainly, at a July 4th type of event, you’ll have a lot of meeting and greeting of various officials, but in terms of the substantive policy, I don’t believe at this point there has been a change.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. WOOD: That’s not to say that—

QUESTION: There won’t be.

MR. WOOD: -- there won’t be a change. I’m just saying, as I’m aware of right now, there has not been. We have only – again, as part of our policy, trying to reach out to Iran, we’ve decided that, you know, for this year’s July 4 that Iranian diplomats can be invited to those receptions.

QUESTION: And when it says that they can be invited –

MR. WOOD: Or they may be –

QUESTION: -- do you expect them to be invited?

MR. WOOD: I would assume that a number of them would be invited. That’s going to be up to the post. The language is certainly may be invited, so it’s really going to be up to the chief of mission to decide. But clearly, our policy here is to reach out and engage Iran. And so this is just one way of doing that.

QUESTION: But it’s just for chit-chat, not for anything –

MR. WOOD: This cable was solely for the purpose of inviting Iranian officials to attend July 4 celebrations.

QUESTION: But if you invite people, you have to speak to them.

MR. WOOD: Yes, and there’s no – you know, there’s no ban against, you know, greetings and speaking to officials. What we’re talking about here is engaging in substantive discussions about policy issues.

Yes.

QUESTION: But is this a one-off? So it’s not about substantive discussions, you still can’t have those. We have can have chit-chat with them. Can you have chit-chat beyond Fourth of July at other locations? Is the invitation just for – is this cable just for the Fourth of July?

MR. WOOD: Just for the Fourth of July, yes.

QUESTION: So –

MR. WOOD: For this year.

QUESTION: So there will be no further invitations?

MR. WOOD: For this year. That’s correct.

Yeah, I mean, look, as I said, our policy is to try to reach out to the Iranian Government and people. The President and Secretary have made very clear that this is what we want to do. And you know, certainly, there are going to be other opportunities to reach out to Iran. We, again, still wait for Iran to reach back. And what I’m specifically referring to is, you know, Iran informing us as to whether they’re going to respond positively to Javier Solana’s invitation to attend the next P-5+1 meeting.

QUESTION: So if American diplomats bump into Iranian diplomats at another reception at some other embassy, are they allowed to chit-chat with them?

MR. WOOD: Look, it’s always been the policy that if you’re at an official function and you’re approached by an Iranian official who wants to greet you, certainly it’s common courtesy to send a greeting back. And that has basically been the extent of our, you know, engagement with Iranian diplomats.

But again, as I said, we’re moving in a new direction. We want to engage the Iranian people, and through them, their government, and so this is just one way of doing so.

QUESTION: I hope the hot dogs are halal.

QUESTION: If this is also – if the common courtesy has always been the courtesy of U.S., how does it differ to be courteous on the Fourth of July instead of being, you know, courteous the rest of the year?

MR. WOOD: This is not --

QUESTION: What’s the difference? What is --

MR. WOOD: Well, this is – the difference is our diplomats – our missions abroad are allowed now to invite Iranian officials for –to attend a July 4th celebration. Whereas what I was talking about in addressing Kim’s question was that if you are at some type of an event, third country event, and you’re approached by Iranian --

QUESTION: So then we get into U.S. territory?

MR. WOOD: That’s correct.

QUESTION: No one is to speak with their mouth full, correct? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Well, I certainly hope not. That’s not polite.

QUESTION: Then Robert --

MR. WOOD: You wouldn’t do something like that.

QUESTION: Robert, does it follow, if you’re reaching out to the Iranians, that if they, in fact, accept a hot dog, they would have to unclench their fists?

MR. WOOD: That’s good, Charlie, but I’ll --

QUESTION: Change of subject?

[Fudd Fan]

BUMP!

[hoosiermama]

Comments were made that Hot dogs were to be the main dish. Dilemma: Do were serve “normal hot dogs made with pork or the Hebrew Kosher ones made of beef?

[PhiKapMom]

That made me burst out laughing! Some delemma! :)

[hoosiermama]

IIRC it was BO who first suggested hot dogs....Shows just how stupid the man is.

[PhiKapMom]

LOL!! The man is really stupid — he needs someone on the teleprompter to tell him what to say. Without it, he is toast and so is the wife.

[don-o]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278203/posts

Obama determined to carry on with the disgraceful behavior.

[don-o]

hopeful bump