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On May 8, 2006,IranianPresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad sent amissive directly toUnited StatesPresidentGeorge W. Bush that proposed "new ways" to end the dispute over theIslamic Republic'sdevelopment ofnuclear power.
U.S.Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice andNational Security AdvisorStephen Hadley both reviewed the letter and considered it to be a broad, historic look at theU.S.-Iranian relationship. It was the first direct contact between the American and Iranian heads of state since April 9, 1980.[1]
During his joint press conference with then-United KingdomPrime MinisterTony Blair at theWhite House in May 2006, Bush said, "Well, I read the letter of the President and I thought it was interesting. It was, like, 16 or 17 single-spaced typed pages of -- but he didn't address the issue of whether or not they're going to continue to press for a nuclear weapon. That's the issue at hand."[2]
The letter achieved more positivepress coverage, particularly in non-Iranianmedia, than President Ahmadinejad had received before. WithWestern powers unable to reach agreement about aUnited NationsSecurity Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program,The Washington Post said Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter (originally inPersian) promoted the idea that Iran was open to compromise at a time when the rest of the world was divided.[3]
The letter, the first written communication between the leaders of the two countries in 27 years, criticized Bush for the invasions ofAfghanistan andIraq, detainee abuse in U.S.-run facilities atCuba'sGuantanamo Bay Naval Basedetention center and Iraq'sAbu Ghraib prison, and his support ofIsrael.
In his letter, Ahmadinejad repeatedly praisedJesus, as well as other figures considered by Muslims to be prophets. He also referred respectfully twice toMoses. He stated his belief that one who claims to follow the teachings of Jesus should not be waging war.
Ahmedinejad also questioned whether Bush could claim to follow Jesus and at the same time invade and occupy countries, kill people, and destroy their homes in the name of democracy.
At one point Ahmadinejad rhetorically asks whether there was infiltration of security services in theterrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and why aspects have been kept secret (paragraph 28).
The letter received various reactions. "Regardless of the content of Ahmadinejad's letter ... such a communication could lead the two sides to direct talks," the centristShargh newspaper said somewhat optimistically. "Whatever its content, the letter crosses the red line of non-negotiation. If Ahmadinejad's letter gets a positive response, a new chapter could open and then we could say it is possible to talk and get results in the shadow of war," it said.
The Iranian newspaperSiasat-e Rooz compared the letter with the historical letter byAyatollah Ruhollah Khomeini toMikhail Gorbachev in which he suggested conversion toIslam.[4]
The New York Sun, in theirMay 11, 2006 editorial, pointed out that the letter followed the format of an Islamic missionary (Da'wa) message, including the traditional ending used by the Islamic prophetMuhammad in his Da'wa messages to theByzantine Empire's leaders and thenomadic polytheistArab tribes. The newspaper translated this phrase ("Wasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda") as "peace only unto those who follow the true path", and interpreted it as a threat of violence. The phrase is more directly translated as "and peace to whoever follows the path" and is traditional with any Da'wa.[5] The letter also included many references to Jesus as a Muslim prophet, a commonsignature of Da'wa letters directed towardsChristians. TheIslamic Republic News Agency says President Ahmadinejad confirmed that the letter was intended as a Da'wa invitation in a press conference.[6]
According toMohammad Khatami, in his interview withBBC News,[7] theIranian government sent a letter to theU.S. government after the fall of IraqiPresidentSaddam Hussein, but it was ignored. This may have been a retaliation to PresidentBill Clinton's missive on October 20, 2000, that was ignored.[8][9] In fact, this was Clinton's second letter to Khatami.[10]
The letter from Iranian authorities in 2003 was confirmed byLawrence Wilkerson, the chief of staff of Secretary of StateColin Powell.[11]
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