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Rice: "I Don't Remember" Iran Overture -- Now
One outstanding controversy that Condoleezza Rice addressed -- or sort-of addressed -- in this morning's testimony has to do with a reported overture made by Iran to the U.S. in 2003. Only she may have contradicted what she told NPR last year.
Last June, Glenn Kessler of the Post reported that the State Department's New Eastern Affairs Bureau received a fax from the Iranians shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq:
It was a proposal from Iran for a broad dialogue with the United States, and the fax suggested everything was on the table -- including full cooperation on nuclear programs, acceptance of Israel and the termination of Iranian support for Palestinian militant groups.
But top Bush administration officials, convinced the Iranian government was on the verge of collapse, belittled the initiative. Instead, they formally complained to the Swiss ambassador who had sent the fax with a cover letter certifying it as a genuine proposal supported by key power centers in Iran, former administration officials said.
Quite a missed opportunity, if true. That's why Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) asked Rice about it in today's hearing. Rice didn't deny that the Iranians made such an overture. But she did say that "I don't remember reading" such a fax. "I can't say categorically" that it didn't happen, she specified, but she said she thought she would remember hearing about a step as dramatic as Iranian recognition of Israel.
Kessler, however, cited an interview Rice gave to NPR last year in which she appeared to have a clearer memory of what the Iranians put on offer:
Earlier this month, she made the first official confirmation of the Iranian proposal in an interview with National Public Radio."What the Iranians wanted earlier was to be one-on-one with the United States so that this could be about the United States and Iran," said Rice, who was Bush's national security adviser when the fax was received. "Now it is Iran and the international community, and Iran has to answer to the international community. I think that's the strongest possible position to be in."
Similarly, a former Mideast official at the CIA, Flynt Leverett, told Kessler he saw the document, describing it as "a serious effort, a respectable effort to lay out a comprehensive agenda for U.S.-Iranian rapprochement."
Dodd asked Rice to provide the cable traffic from the State Department during that period to the committee in closed session, so stay tuned: we may have some harder evidence in the near future of what Iran was willing to concede in the wake of the Iraq war -- years before the rise of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the increased tension with the Bush administration.
UPDATE: This story has been corrected. I originally wrote that Flynt Leverett was an aide to Rice at the time the State Deparment received the fax. In fact, he had returned to the CIA from the NSC several weeks before the fax appeared. I regret the error.
Comments (53)
mike wrote on February 8, 2007 12:20 PM:It is all a ploy to help Libby. Libby will now probably call Rice to testify that she typically forgets critical information.
legion wrote on February 8, 2007 12:22 PM:I'm torn. Either Rice is stone-cold-lying to cover her arse, which is entirely possible, or the Bush admin rejected the Iraninan proposal based on a poor grasp of reality without ever involving the supposed lead diplomat for the nation. This is equally possible.
Either way, these children will be remember by history as the worst thing that ever happened to America, and possibly the world.
ck wrote on February 8, 2007 12:30 PM:Interesting that she's using the same tactic as Scooter Libby - not denying that it could have happened, just denying that she remembers it happening - have they found a one-size-fits-all defense that is impossible to disprove?
steve miller wrote on February 8, 2007 12:30 PM:Exposure of Rice's incompetence and mendaciousness is long overdue.
Jim wrote on February 8, 2007 12:33 PM:Speaking for myself, I have no problem believing that the person who called the PDB entitled "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States" as 'historical' and called a war "the birth pangs of democracry" and was shoe-shopping when the Canadian gov't was trying to offer emergency equipment and personnel to NOLA forgot or overlooked or ignored a message from a foriegn government that didn't fit in the Messiah complex she apparently shares with her boss.
BlueFloridian wrote on February 8, 2007 12:33 PM:"No one could have possibly imagined that the Iranian government would allow a fax to be sent that would state that they would cooperate with the United States on nuclear programs and would accept the State of Israel . . . " Condi
biggerbox wrote on February 8, 2007 12:33 PM:Ya gotta love the weasel words. "She thought she would remember ... Iranian recognition of Israel". How about Iranian willingness to discuss recognition? She knows there's a world of difference.
If she's forgotten anything, it's because the clear policy of this administration has been that they will not negotiate with Iran, so whether or not Iran wants to negotiate with us doesn't matter. She probably chose not to bother even looking at the fax, since they'd already decided they wouldn't be interested. Why remember an overture that was insignificant anyway?
Robert Earle wrote on February 8, 2007 12:35 PM:Over and over and over again, the utter stupidity of the Bush White House simply amazes me.
Could they not, at the time, have trumpeted as 'proof' of the rightness of their invasion of Iraq this offer of negotiations with Iran? That invading Iraq had resulted in the evil Iranians cowering and suing for peace?
(While, at the same time, taking actual steps to prevent further destruction and loss of life? You know, a win-win?)
DallasNE wrote on February 8, 2007 12:39 PM:Context is all important here. At the time of this fax Colin Powell was Secretary of State and responsible of diplomatic proceedings. We also know that Powell was bascially locked out of the policy making circle of advisors. With a disfunctional State Department how could one expect action on diplomatic matters, even bold ones like this. Incompetence squared is the hallmark of the Bush administration and this is just another nail in the coffin.
AJB wrote on February 8, 2007 12:49 PM:I won't bother to address the clear fact that Ms. Rice should have been dismissed long ago for incompetence. The question that dogs my mind is, how does this woman, who seems to have fumbled the ball at just about every crucial turn, even get to such a senior position of federal governing?
The mind. It simply boggles.
William Fuller wrote on February 8, 2007 12:55 PM:Don't forget the Intelligence Estimate just before 9/11 pointing out the terorist threat and Rice first saying it probably went into "the bowels" somewhere in the White House. It then shown to have been on Hadley's desk and passed on to Rice. Finally, her comment that the threat wasn't high lighted got shot down when the title was pointed out. I still cannot forgive her stalling a UN call for a cease fire last summer to give Israel two more weeks to bomb southern Lebanon into the stone age. We and our children will regret it.
Redshift wrote on February 8, 2007 12:56 PM:The question that dogs my mind is, how does this woman, who seems to have fumbled the ball at just about every crucial turn, even get to such a senior position of federal governing?
The simple answer is to look at the list of Medal of Freedom recipients -- Bush values loyalty to him personally, not effective service to the nation.
lucifer wrote on February 8, 2007 12:57 PM:while she is up there ask her about the phone call to willie mitchell on sept 10 2001
AlladinsLamp wrote on February 8, 2007 12:58 PM:Oh, she saw the fax alright.
But like all the other times, she didn't read it.
Heh.
lucifer wrote on February 8, 2007 12:59 PM:er...
Bob Bickers wrote on February 8, 2007 1:02 PM:willie brown that is
How? In answer to your question, one word, Dubya. Pretty well says it all doesn;t it?
Rick wrote on February 8, 2007 1:02 PM:Bob
Um, she's lying.
She's also the worst National Security Advisor in History. Her record:
Mrgavel wrote on February 8, 2007 1:03 PM:9/11 attack
miserable failure in Afganistan and Iraq
Her reward:
promotion to Secretary of State
You don't talk to a nation you are planning to engage in a war because it will prevent you from demonizing that country with your population.
bjobotts wrote on February 8, 2007 1:23 PM:Are we expected to believe that something this big, this important to foreign policy, especially during war was simply overlooked? Is Condi that inept at doing her job? How often do we have to hear this deaf, dumb, and blind response from our nations appointed leaders? First 'cash' is sent into a war zone, then the cash disappears; now an extremely important fax from Iran arrives with basically an offer of everything the US wanted from Iran and it's ignored. Hard to believe these people are that stupid. So what is left is they are doing these things on purpose. Maybe this administration didn't want any dialogue with Iran because it didn't fit into their plans. I'm sick of just letting things go because there's nothing we can do about it now. I want to see accountability. Ignorance is no excuse. This ordeal with Rice should cost her job.
Racerx wrote on February 8, 2007 1:23 PM:The part they don't want to talk about is the part where the Muslim nations are all offering to recognize Israel if it gets its people back BEHIND THE GREEN LINE. This of course brings up all the icky stuff about international law and Israeli violations thereof, and makes Iran look sensible in the eyes of the American people. And as others have pointed out, Americans are being prepped for nuclear attacks on Iran, so allowing them to look sensible is the LAST thing BushCo will want.
cars wrote on February 8, 2007 1:31 PM:Let me guess. The fax went to her deputy Hadley, to Cheney's hands, to the wastebasket. Rice is a figurehead.
Darrell wrote on February 8, 2007 1:51 PM:Lawrence Wilkerson - Powell's chief of staff was on a BBC program last month talking about the Iranian communication.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6274147.stm
cars wrote on February 8, 2007 2:02 PM:From that BBC report you mention:
"But Vice-President Dick Cheney's office rejected the plan, the official said."
I guessed right. Do I win anything?
Darrell wrote on February 8, 2007 2:25 PM:In the bbc story they mention that the reporter saw the iranian communication - Dodd's staff could call the BBC, maybe get a copy and not be stonewalled by rice's state dept.
I'm sure someone at state is iching to release a copy of this thing
Iranian wrote on February 8, 2007 2:32 PM:As an Iranian, I remember almost 30 years ago, when Iran and USA were very close allies. Everything was in harmony. Middle East was stable, little fightings (except in Palestina, because of Israeli attacks). And then suddenly, under the pressure of Zionist lobby, USA and France brought Khomeyni to power. This was an Israeli plan, and the only way to weaken a country, then much stronger than Israel. After the US-France-made islamic revolution in Iran, the most important task of USA (again zionist lobby) was to weaken the very strong military of Iran. And that stupid idiot called Saddam, was used and backed by almost the whole world to invade Iran. One thing that the whole world forgot: Iranians are in the first place PERSIANS, they will fight against any one who attacks their country. Even people who were against Khomeyni fought against Iraq. Not for the Iranian regime, they fought for their country. Now, that USA has become Irans best friend, by removing Saddam and the Taliban, it is time to sit together and talk peace. Don't fight us, join us. Forget about Israel, they cost American tax payers billions of dollars each year. Is that necessary? Become Irans ally, and make money instead of losing as you are doing now. hope for the best for both countries
SteinL wrote on February 8, 2007 2:34 PM:Numerous "fallacies" in the comments above.
It appears that the commenters actually believe that the WH wanted peace and accommodation with Iran. Anyone remember "Real men go to Damascus"?
Or have you forgotten the tough-talking Perle, Adelman and others who were "expecting" Iran to fall as Baghdad fell, as the people there rose against the clergy rulers?
But the greatest fallacy lies in assuming that the war was legitimate, and that its purpose was to reduce a threat from Iraq.
The ONE AND ONLY purpose of the illegal assault on Iraq was to replace the government of that nation with stooges that were sympathetic to the cause of the VP and his oil company buddies.
Wolfowitz and others were looking into piping Iraqi oil to Israel, for the love of God, in the days immediately following the fall of Baghdad -- and the original, and still in play, plan was to follow the attack on Iraq with a "domino" effect attack on both Iran and Syria, thus securing it for the long-term energy interests of the US.
Thus - the comments above - expecting Rice and others to act rationally, in the interest of world peace or some other ideal, are besides the point.
The point being that an administration that fakes "uranium from Niger" evidence; that chases UN inspectors out of Iraq; that ignores the PDB of August 6, 2001; and that goes through the charade of having soldiers wearing ABC protective gear during the illegal assault on an Iraq they well knew had no WMD -- was simply looking for the most expedient "buraucratic" excuse under which to go old-style colonial nationgrabbing.
Thus - any claim that Rice should have known better falls against the argument that she did know better. The WH was completely uninterested in any accommodation with Iran, and thought it would quickly be able to paint Iran with the same brush it had painted Iraq.
Instead, they had to wait four years, but now they are going for a big roll of the dice, against Iran, in order to see their game plan through.
The US was hi-jacked by a group of irrational and quite possibly delusional powermongers who thought that Realpolitik and Risk have something to do with one another.
Unfortunately, under the gaze of an idiot president, they were able to get away with it, until now.
And it's time they were stopped in their tracks. No amount of post rationalization about what's in the long term interests of the west can defend the absolute mayhem they seem willing to unleash as NATO and the US suddenly find themselves in the midst of a religious, colonial war against the Muslim world - far, far away from home.
Don wrote on February 8, 2007 2:39 PM:Well.. what can we say? This government went to a war with a country for oil and big contracts now can anyone be really surprised about this new thing? We still don't know so much about what these people did and we probbaly wont even find out in our life time but the clouds can't hide the moon for ever.
Resonance wrote on February 8, 2007 3:25 PM:In December of last year former CIA employee and NSC member, Flynt Leverett, wrote an Op-Ed for the New York Times that never made it to print because it was blocked by the NSC; even after the CIA cleared it. Leverett says that all the information he included has been stated publicly before by Condi Rice and others, so the motivation to block it was most likely political and had not bearing on national security.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/washington/19secret.html?ex=1324184400&en=c3f6ba16c77eb640&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Also, in 2005 one of Iran’s presidential candidates, Mohsen Rezaie, campaigned on a claim that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards spearheaded the overthrow of the Taliban and gave material support to US allies, the Northern Alliance. The Pentagon downplayed their contributions of course, but it shows that at the very least there were Iranian presidential candidates running on platforms of reconciliation with the US.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-06-09-iran-taliban_x.htm
bunny99 wrote on February 8, 2007 3:46 PM:Bush will not talk to Iran or Syria, never would and never will. That's always been the plan, no matter how far the olive branch is extended. Iran and Iraq were on the board the minute these guys got into the WH, with the intent to create a new ME. You know, those birth pangs of a new ME that the lying incompetent Condi so eloquently told us about last summer, while little children were being burned by the phosphorus bonds Israel rained on Lebanese civilians. But hey, Israel has a right to defend itself. So, you can't start diplomacy with a regime you plan to attack. Iran is and always was the nation of evil doer's. This was propsed by that hack, Feith who wrote a white paper for the Likud's claiming that to secure Israel, these two countries (with Syria if possible) had to go down, and Perle and Wolfowitz sold it to Cheney and Rumsfeld. Bush is just a salesman, he's a moron without an original thought his whole life. Bush prefers to lock himself in his bedroom like a spolied brat, not talking to anyone who disagrees with him.
Pishi wrote on February 8, 2007 3:47 PM:Condi is such a liar, at this point I put her in Cheney's league of contempt for people outside their circle. All of us are to be used, our sweat, our support, our cash, all for their benefit.
Washington remains confused about what Iran is doing and what they should do about Iran. Bush, Rice and others are frustrated by their own inability to deal with Iran. People of Iran and other countries in the region are laughing real hard regarding Ms. Rice and Bush's call for democratisation in Middle East while their partners in the region all have dictators (kings and presidents for life). As Seymour Hersh said “they're afraid that Congress is going to vote a binding resolution to stop a hit on Iran, à la Nicaragua in the Contra war.”
Anonymous wrote on February 8, 2007 4:06 PM:To be fair, she wasn't the top diplomat in 03.
Either way, it's sad but not hard to imagine them dropping the ball on this.
Hedley Lamarr wrote on February 8, 2007 4:06 PM:Iran is just lucky we got bogged down in Iraq, for they were on the schedule to be invaded in 2004. Talking with them in 2003 would have queered the deal.
Sudo wrote on February 8, 2007 4:17 PM:@Iranian
Interesting conspiracy theory about Americans/Zionists/French bringing Khomeini to power.
Considering Khomieni was Anti Zionist and the Americans actually triggered the coup to reinstall the Pahlavi dynasty to control the Oil Infrastructure.
See Operation Ajax:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_ajax
Also, Iran under the Shah was only one of two Middle Eastern countries to recognise Israel.
You sound like someone who get exiled/escaped from Iran during the revolution.
Hank Essay wrote on February 8, 2007 4:43 PM:So she was for remembering before she was for forgetting.
Do I have that right?
-
tom baker wrote on February 8, 2007 4:56 PM:Obviously, they didn't understand that, as "children" in the world of crazed right-fringe wackos, they were not to speak until spoken to, or fax until faxed to.
Memory Keeper wrote on February 8, 2007 4:57 PM:To me this smacks of another collosal intelligence failure on the part of the CIA. Aren't they the organization that is supposed to provide the context to these sorts of overtures from foreign governments? What did they tell the NSC, State, and the POTUS about this overture? How did they characterize this effort at rapprochement by the Iranians at the time? Did they have any sources of their own that could put this overture in context for the policy makers? Or, did they simply rely on the information provided by "liaison" partners--all of whom had their own reasons for the US to reject this request of the Iranians?
It is my opinion that the people in charge of the CIA at the time, Tenet, McLaughlin, Pavitt, Kappes, insisted that this attempt by the Iranians was nothing serious, was to be viewed cynically and with great skepticism. These four officials, in particular, are well known Iranian haters and were supposedly engaged in bringing about a conversion of the Libyan government at the time. Apparently, they couldn't do two things well (assuming they were more than simply shills for the Brits) at the same time.
benjoya wrote on February 8, 2007 9:29 PM:"I think that's the strongest possible position to be in."
a minute ago, we couldn't talk to the iranians so as not to "negotiate from a position of weakness, and here condi says we're "in the strongest possible position to be in."
what a lying, incompetent, callous POS. but you knew that.
Victoria wrote on February 9, 2007 12:07 AM:So does that make this entire story VOID? What about your source?
Samuel Clemens wrote on February 9, 2007 7:49 PM:If you tell the truth you don't have to remember it...... I just made that up.
Samuel Clemens wrote on February 9, 2007 7:49 PM:If you tell the truth you don't have to remember it...... I just made that up.
John Samuel Clemens Latimer wrote on February 9, 2007 7:50 PM:If you tell the truth you don't have to remember it...... I just made that up.
John Latimer wrote on February 9, 2007 7:53 PM:Well, that'll teach me for trying to be humorous. The Muckraker flagged me for not using my proper name. So I posted again and again and again..... Of course, this oft quoted chestnut is from Mark Twain (his 1894 Notebook, according to twainquotes.com).
Magee wrote on February 10, 2007 7:11 AM:Was the fax simply disinformation?
Irish_Mark wrote on February 11, 2007 6:45 AM:KBR, Halliburton, Raytheon, Lockheed-Martin and various other interests don't make any money if the US talks to Iran.
Iran is currently remembering the revolution when the brutal US-backed Shah was overthrown.
margaret@hotmail.com wrote on April 26, 2007 7:25 AM:Also, we should forget the the Bush admin has employed Iran-contra felon, Elliott Abrams.
penis burned
margaret@hotmail.com wrote on April 26, 2007 7:26 AM:penis burned
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