Iran ready for talks with U.S.: Ahmadinejad

[Praxius]

Iran ready for talks with U.S.: Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday he welcomes talks with the United States, provided they are based on mutual respect.

"The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks … in a fair atmosphere," said Ahmadinejad, speaking at celebrations in Tehran marking the 30-year anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

The Iranian leader said terrorism, the elimination of nuclear weapons, restructuring the UN Security Council and fighting drug trafficking could be topics for the two sides to talk about.

"If you really want to fight terrorism, come and co-operate with the Iranian nation — which is the biggest victim of terrorism — so that terrorism is eliminated," he said.

"If you want to confront nuclear weapons … you need to stand beside Iran so it can introduce a correct path to you," he said.

His comments come a day after U.S. President Barack Obama, speaking at his first presidential news conference, renewed his call for direct talks with the Iranian president.

"My expectation is, in the coming months, we will be looking for openings that can be created where we can start sitting across the table face-to-face with diplomatic overtures that will allow us to move our policy in the new direction," Obama said Monday.

'An era of dialogue and intellect'

That approach is a marked change from the policy of the preceding Bush administration, which had ruled out direct contact with Tehran. But Obama was quick to qualify his offer for talks, saying "it's time now for Iran to send some signals that it wants to act differently."

Ahmadinejad said that the "world does not want to see the dark age of Bush repeated."

But now, he said, "the world is entering an era of dialogue and intellect."

He acknowledged the U.S.'s willingness under Obama to bring about changes, but stressed that "real change must be fundamental and not tactical."

"It is clear the Iranian nation welcomes real changes," he said.

The United States and Iran cut diplomatic ties following the 1979 revolution that deposed the U.S.-backed Shah.

Relations between the two countries have coarsened in recent years, with the U.S. accusing Iran of pursuing the development of nuclear weapons. Iran has maintained it only aims to harness nuclear power for civilian energy purposes.

Well jeez..... finally.

Hopefully this will actually head in a positive direction, more then just words to the media.

 

[EagleSmack]

You know what is funny is they said that Iran and the US broke ties after the Iranian Revolution.

Yeah... in the form of Iran sacking the embassy and holding everyone hostage for over a year.

 

[Praxius]

You know what is funny is they said that Iran and the US broke ties after the Iranian Revolution.

Yeah... in the form of Iran sacking the embassy and holding everyone hostage for over a year.

Whatever the means, those are the ends. From what I've heard, there was plenty done to Iran via the US which caused the whole stink in the first place.... but I'm pretty sure we debated all of this a while back as well.

 

[EagleSmack]

Whatever the means, those are the ends. From what I've heard, there was plenty done to Iran via the US which caused the whole stink in the first place.... but I'm pretty sure we debated all of this a while back as well.

Well nobody's hands are totally clean in this.

 

[Praxius]

Well nobody's hands are totally clean in this.

Well no, I never said they were.... my original comments about more then just talk to the media was in relation to both the US and Iran. Hopefully things get better between the both of you..... that was a good thing I thought.

 

[petros]

Before some of you go off on a tangent about nukes remeber this "you don't need plutonium to make a fusion bomb". Plutonium is one of the crappier materials to make bomb from and certainly not the easiest way but it sure makes for awesome propaganda.

 

[EagleSmack]

Well no, I never said they were.... my original comments about more then just talk to the media was in relation to both the US and Iran. Hopefully things get better between the both of you..... that was a good thing I thought.

Me too. It can't hurt.

 

[Tyr]

You know what is funny is they said that Iran and the US broke ties after the Iranian Revolution.

Yeah... in the form of Iran sacking the embassy and holding everyone hostage for over a year.

I remember that.... It was the Canadians that sved their sorry butts (yet again)

We still haven't been paid though...:roll:

 

[Tyr]

Before some of you go off on a tangent about nukes remeber this "you don't need plutonium to make a fusion bomb". Plutonium is one of the crappier materials to make bomb from and certainly not the easiest way but it sure makes for awesome propaganda.

Plutonium is the easiest and cheapest way to make a "dirty bomb"

 

[EagleSmack]

I remember that.... It was the Canadians that sved their sorry butts (yet again)

We still haven't been paid though...:roll:

Saved their sorry butts? Hardly. Another CIA led operation involving Canadians. Of course some Canadians take ALL the credit.

They are actually making a movie about it now. I bet it is going to be a HUGE hit in Canada! :lol:

However most of the embassy staff spent 444 days as hostages.

 

[lone wolf]

I remember that.... It was the Canadians that sved their sorry butts (yet again)

We still haven't been paid though...:roll:

Wanna bet? I was hauling into the States then. You can't imagine how many on the house meals, coffees and ... um.... Yessir, them wus good days to be a Canadian....

Geez ... I wonder what would have happened had Taylor got more than a handful out....