President Supportive Of Iran Talks Clinton Wants Discussion Of Terrorism, Nuke Weapons

The prospects for closer U.S.-Iranian ties appeared to edge forward Monday as President Clinton responded to agreeable remarks by Iran’s president by saying he “would like nothing better” than to open talks with Tehran.

Clinton said a dialogue was possible so long as the Iranians consented to an “honest discussion” of U.S. concerns about Iranian terrorism, its “violent attacks” on the Middle East peace process and its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.

Clinton was responding to remarks Sunday by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who said he hopes “to have a dialogue with the American people and about the United States in the not too distant future.”

It was the second time in less than a week that Khatami signaled a desire to reach out to the country Iran has called “the Great Satan.”

In remarks last Tuesday to a summit of Muslim leaders in Tehran, Khatami urged the “establishment of dialogues” to achieve “deep-rooted understanding of the cultural and moral dimensions of other societies.”

The United States has been calling for a dialogue with Iran for several years. Khatami did not agree to such a discussion, indicating instead that he is more interested in a dialogue at the people-to-people level as opposed to government-to-government.

Still, Khatami’s remarks contrasted sharply with the across-the-board anti-American vitriol customary in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

But Khatami’s freedom of movement on foreign policy issues is constrained by a powerful clergy that favors a continuation of the status quo.