Rice's snub of Iran president's letter hardens anti-U.S. feelings in Iran

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/714073.html

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's abrupt dismissal of a letter from Iran's president raised ire within the country, with some warning it would only strengthen hardline attitudes and mistrust of America.

As President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began a high-profile visit to a key Muslim country, Indonesia, a former top Iranian official said Rice's response would give new justification to those who oppose ties with the U.S.

Iran's former ambassador to France, Sadeq Kharrazi, said the letter - the first from an Iranian head of state to an American president in 27 years -"could have been a turning point in relations." But he said Rice squandered the opportunity with what he called a "hasty reaction."

"This gives a pretext to those in Iran who oppose re-establishment of ties with America," he said.

Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter to U.S. President George W. Bush touched only indirectly on the hottest dispute between the two countries - Iran's nuclear program. Instead, it mainly discussed history, philosophy and religion, fixating on a long list of grievances against the United States and seeking to build on a shared faith in God to resolve them.

Rice said the letter "isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way."

[muntrv]

1. Actually, our presence in Iraq is hardening

anti-U.S. feelings in Iran. If my memory is correct, Iran offered their help to us after 9/11 in fighting the terrorists.

[leftchick]

2. it isn't just Iran either

this isolates the US rather than Iran.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. proof positive that she is way out of her league. WAY OUT.

elsewhere I called her the anti-Midas touch girl. Every single thing she touches turns to shit.

[Rocknrule]

4. We know there's only one outcome she and her boyfriend will accept:

WAR

Just like Iraq, even if Iran abandons their nuclear (excuse me, nookyular) program entirely and surrenders all their weapons, down to the last water pistol and M-80, we're still gonna nuke em