WASHINGTON - The political unrest in Iran presents the Obama administration with a dilemma: keep quiet to pursue a nuclear deal with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader, or heed calls to respond more supportively to the protesters there — and risk alienating the Shiite cleric.
President Obama and his advisers have struggled to strike the right tone, carefully calibrating positive messages about the protests in an effort to avoid giving the government in Tehran an excuse to portray the demonstrators as pro-American. Nevertheless, the Iranian Foreign Ministry yesterday summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents American interests in Tehran, to complain of "interventionist" comments by U.S. officials, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Perhaps President Obama should do to Ahmadinejad what he did to President Bush and what Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did to the USSR leader Gorbachev – write a letter to them.
He should preface his remarks by mentioning that he was an American professor of the U.S. Constitution.
He should then mention the words from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s letter to U.S. President George Bush sent on May 7, 2006:
"You must know that there is only one way to solve the problems of the world - and that is turning to the truth."
Obama should explain to Khamenei what a true Republic is. It’s a state or country that is not led by a monarch, in which the people have an impact on its government. The people rule the land, not one man or woman. We (leaders), are but representatives of our nation’s people.
Then he should go into subject of what he hopes happens in Iran for the sake of all Iranians and their current leadership.
He could say something like; because the people of Iran are showing their distrust in the government of Iran and because of that unrest, perhaps Khamenei chould, in the interest of justice and fairness, offer to hold a new election with U.N. representatives watching over the election at various voting booths.
President Obama could then admit that he and the American people were not involved in the election process of Iran so he doesn't know the facts of whether or not anything was done illegally or not; but the people of Iran seem to think the election was illegal, so for the sake of the nation as a whole, perhaps it’s time to listen to the people. Obama could than quote something Ahmadinejad’ said to President Bush in a letter in 2006:
""The Almighty God sent His prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them divine signs and purify them from sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the balance so that the people display justice and avoid the rebellious..."
While this quote may be taken out of context, it could also be used during this crisis in Iran don't you think?
Obama can then say something like; meanwhile, I anxiously am waiting to have meaningful and productive discussions with whomever wins the support of the Iranian people as their leader.
The Obama administration would then LEAK the letter to the press.
That way the administration can prove they are speaking out against any illegal actions, standing by the 'people' of Iran, and yet ready and willing to start up negotiations with the Iranian leadership.