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You All Know Hanoi Jane, Now Meet Tehran Todd
By Russ Wellen (about the author) Page 3 of 4 page(s)
"'It was revolutionary,' Mann says. 'It could have changed the world.'" The administration's reaction? It slapped away the olive branch Iran was extending as if were a gun pointed at its face.
Again in 2003, Supreme Leader Khameini's son-in-law presented an intermediary, the Swiss ambassador to Iran, with a detailed proposal for peace in the Middle East. "Scanning it," writes Richardson, "Mann was startled by one dramatic concession after another -- 'decisive action' against all terrorists in Iran, an end of support for Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, a promise to cease its nuclear program, and also an agreement to recognize Israel."
In other words, beat those swords into ploughshares, stick daisies in rifle barrels, break out the warm puppies, and let's celebrate peace in the Middle-East. The administration's response this time? To complain to the Swiss government about their ambassador's meddling.
Obviously, it's tough for Bush & Co. to justify attacking Iran. Maybe they should try the truth: that we want to be top dog in the Middle East in order to best allocate energy resources to ourselves. With the rise in oil prices giving no signs of abating, most of us would overlook how much Big Oil stands to benefit and support a resource grab. After all, a nation has to do what it has to do to survive.
But it's a measure of how desperate more and more of us are to thwart an attack that we might be ready to resort to desperate measures -- for our own sakes as well as Iran's.
For example, why not furnish Iran with its own version of a Hanoi Jane, Axis Sally, or Azzam the American -- a Tehran Todd, if you will.
Such a person could apply for work with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, from which to broadcast Iran's point of view to Americans. For instance, Tehran Todd could inform us that at a recent major Friday prayer service in Tehran one Ayatollah Kashani stressed the peaceful civilian nature of Iran's nuclear program.
He reiterated that not only do nuclear weapons play no part in Iran's defensive doctrine, but they contradict Islamic values and teachings. Besides, TT could point out to us, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty grants the acquisition or development of nuclear energy to every country that's signed on to it.
Just because the treaty's original ratifiers failed to foresee that weaponizing nuclear energy would be less difficult in the future shouldn't penalize the signatory (fancy word for signee). Outrage at Iran for enriching uranium just because we don't like its face should be channeled into an initiative to amend the offending article (IV) of the NPT.
Now is not the time for Bush & Co. to make another end run around the law. They've already made a career of it and, as a result, expend much of their energy trying to keep the telecoms from being prosecuted for warrantless spying, as well as themselves for their illegal authorization of torture.
Tehran Todd could continue by pointing out that if Iran finds itself looking longingly at nuclear weapons, Americans have only the administration to thank. Its failure to pay more than lip service to another article (VI) of NPT and begin the disarmament process in earnest makes Iran, not to mention the rest of the world, nervous.
Even more nerve-wracking is Iran's proximity to Israel, a country which is light years more guilty of illegal nuclear acts. Not only is Israel a non-signatory of the NPT, it's never even formally owned up to it nuclear weapon program.
But it would behoove Tehran Todd to gloss over that little detail in light of the antipathy, both real and imagined, that Ahmadinejad has demonstrated toward Jews and Israel. Besides, to most of the US, the Holy Land can do no wrong.
Instead, air programs about inter-faith dialogues between Iran and the US. Many have been initiated by groups such as Search for Common Ground, Network 2020 and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, all of which have visited Iran. Also, interview Iran's citizens to provide them a forum for sharing their love of American people and culture with us.
Finally, TT, report that scholars recently converged on Tehran to commemorate the 800th birthday of the poet Rumi. Not only is he revered by Muslims (anti-life Salafis and Wahabbis excepted), he's arguably America's most beloved poet since the likes of Rod McKuen and Maya Angelou.
Russ Wellen is the nuclear deproliferation editor for OpEdNews. He's also on the staffs of Freezerbox and Scholars & Rogues.
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