Political Quotes

“It has been almost twenty years since the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and the year-long ordeal of the American hostages in Tehran. The U.S. swiftly responded to those incidents by isolating Iran diplomatically, militarily, and economically. Today our policy of isolation continues. The U.S. has legitimate, serious concerns about the Iranian Government's support for international terrorism, its efforts to undermine the Arab-Israeli peace process, and its acquisition of weapons of mass destruction. We must continue to vigorously pressure Iran to modify its conduct in each of these areas. However, rather than adhere blindly to all aspects of a policy that was conceived in response to events in 1979, it is time to reevaluate our relationship with Iran and its people and consider the advantages that might result from a more open dialogue. Too often our antagonism toward Iran obscures the fact that many Iranian citizens desire better relations with the United States.”