Posted on 07/03/2003 4:39:18 PM PDT by freedom44
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) backed away from intervention in Iranian politics on Wednesday, saying Washington should stay away from what he called a "family fight" between reformists and conservatives.
Powell also reminded listeners in a radio interview that President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites) won elections and said that Iranian rulers might make concessions to the protest movement.
The Bush administration annoyed the Iranian government last month by coming out strongly in support of student protests last month against Iran's clerical rulers. The protests included harsh criticism of Khatami, a moderate, as well as the conservative clerics who have blocked his attempts at reform.
President Bush (news - web sites) says Iran is part of an "axis of evil" and administration officials have said Washington reserves the right to use military force against Iran's nuclear programs.
But the protests have since subsided, leaving the United States little to show for its intervention in the conflict.
Powell told the Washington radio station WMAL: "The best thing we can do right now is not get in the middle of this family fight too deeply."
"Remember that the president of Iran is freely elected. President Khatami was elected by his people, not in an American kind of election but an election that essentially tapped into the desires of the people," he added.
His remark echoed a controversial comment by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who told the Los Angeles Times that Iran was different because it was a democracy.
A group of hawks close to the Bush administration favors intervention to change the government in Tehran.
But Powell suggested it would be wiser to leave the internal conflict in Iran to play itself out.
"I think it's best for us to see if this movement that is under way with people marching and expressing their views is enough to put pressure on the political part of the Iranian government, President Khatami, and then the religious part under (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamanei to see whether this causes them to realize that they are going down a loser trail," Powell told the radio station.
The President of Iran is only allowed to run after being vetted by an extremely hard-line 12 man group. Khatami was elected after 234 out of the 238 candidates disqualified. If this is any form of democracy then Saddam Hussein, and Fidel Castro also had/have democracy.
Afterall, SADDAM WON with 99.9 percent of the Vote supposively.
Stupid, Powell, really, really STUPID!
Powell is doing exactly the job he is supposed to do. Powell's job is to be the diplomat that can meet with anyone he needs to, keep the door open.... not to be a hawk. That is why there is both a Dept of State and a Dept of Defense.
You honestly believe that? - Powell reports to the Bush administration.
It is standard 'good cop' : 'bad cop'. Bush gets to say all the tough stuff he wants, and Powell is the guy who can still make phone calls as needed to anyone, and work with whoever ends up winning. He can still get an invite anywhere. It works I guess... Even you guys believe he is not speaking for Bush.
"Remember that the president of Iran is freely elected. President Khatami was elected by his people, not in an American kind of election but an election that essentially tapped into the desires of the people," he added.
"Remember that the president of Iran is freely elected. President Khatami was elected by his people, not in an American kind of election but an election that essentially tapped into the desires of the people," he added.
You know what the response to that would be. Powell is black and he has high approval ratings. If Bush fired him the liberal RATS in the media would cry racism. And Karl Rove wouldn't stand for that, certainly not before a general election.
I still believe though that the media plays up supposed "rifts" within the administration and they would love nothing more than to see Powell leave or be fired. And I'm sure they love every minute of it when Powell is taken to the woodshed by conservatives. But if there are all these "rifts" between Powell and the rest of the Administration why is it that his viewpoint seems to previal (e.g., going to the UN before the Iraq war, the Mideast "roadmap", aid to Africa, ect.) - unless of course others in the Administration (e.g., Bush, Rice) happen to agree with him.
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