Condi Rice on that Iranian Letter

liberal catnip | May 10 2006

Following the news yesterday that Iran's president had sent a letter to the Bush administration that offered 'new solutions' to the pressing crisis the government quickly dismissed it but, in an interview with the Associated Press's editorial board, Condaleezza Rice had this to say:

SECRETARY RICE: Well, let me address the letter first. Let me first say that we have looked at it. We've not done our own translation of it, which of course we will do and we'll look at in greater depth. But the first read of it, there is nothing in this letter that in any way addresses any of the issues really that are on the table in the international community -- the nuclear program -- in a straightforward way -- the terrorism issue. I think it would be best to say it's broadly philosophical in its character; it's 17 or 18 pages, I think. And it is most assuredly not a proposal. Let me be very clear about that. And so we'll do further examination of it, but there is nothing in here that would suggest that we're on any different course than we were before we got the letter.

QUESTION: When you say it's philosophical, is it a rant? Is it hostile or is it friendly?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I'm loathe to say because we haven't done a proper translation of it; and speaking a foreign language myself, I think we want to do a translation of it. But it's not concrete in any way and it does not engage the issues. It's broadly philosophical, a little bit historical and it isn't something that you can sit and say, oh, well, here's what they're trying to tell us (inaudible).

QUESTION: Is it an opening, though?

SECRETARY RICE: I don't see it that way.

QUESTION: What is to prevent the United States from taking up -- if there's an offer, however vague or general, to enter into talks, what is the down side for us?

SECRETARY RICE: Let me just be very clear. This letter isn't it. This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of that regard. But I don't want to characterize it too much more because it's presidential correspondence. I also think that we need to get a proper translation of it. But it isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in concrete ways.

Raw Story reports that Rice also admitted to NBC that her dismissal of the letter came before a complete translation was made.

UPDATE: CNN has the completed English translation here.

UPDATE: Federal News Service has the transcript of Rice's interview with NBC (subscription required).

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