Archive for May, 2009

Posted on May 26, 2009 - by Optifex

On eve of election, Iranian president asks to meet with President Obama if re-elected

In a move that could be pivotal for world peace, as much hinges on the outcome, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced today that he would like to meet with President Obama if re-elected.

Ahmadinejad said that the nuclear issue would not be on the table, because the Iranian uranium enrichment program is not for military use. Over 98% of American nuclear waste is generated from industrial use.

“So Mr Obama’s hopes for a new and constructive dialogue with Iran on the nuclear issue look as far away as ever, says the BBC’s Jon Leyne in Tehran,” according to a BBC article.

This is actually a strong move on the part of the President, as it would prevent President Obama from repeating the mistakes of the past. As we learned when former President George W. Bush created false “weapons of mass destruction,” this is an important distinction: if the nuclear program is peaceful, then it is not cause for war.

According to international law, it is illegal to start a war unless another country has attacked first.
By standing firm on this issue, President Ahmadinejad could set a positive precedent in global governance for states to respect laws preventing illegal wars, and important step for world peace.

In line with this, “Mr Ahmadinejad did confirm that he would be presenting to the powers negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme a package of proposals on managing global issues.They are likely to include proposals for global nuclear disarmament,” the same article said.

Likewise appealing to this law is the other issue which has taken precedent the U.S.-Iranian dialogues: the funding of Hamas. The Obama administration has said that by donating money to Hamas, Iran funding a terrorist organization. This is up for debate, as Hamas is the only government the Palestinians are allowed by the Israelis, whose aggressive actions this January against the people of the Gaza Strip ghettos verged on genocide.

Palestine’s lack of statehood has been a human rights problem for the disenfranchised nation, as they are not represented, and President Ahmadinejad has undertaken their cause very seriously. If Ahmadinejad lets this issue define his debate with President Obama, he could put an end to the the talks before they begin, likewise jeopardizing his ability to work with the United States to positively affect their position.

Palestinian statehood is a “legitimate right,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today to the UAE state news agency WAM, while emphasizing its importance to Middle Eastern security.