DATE=1/8/98

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-224977

TITLE=IRAN/US (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=JESSICA JONES

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO: IRANIANS HAVE PRAISED THEIR PRESIDENT, MOHAMMED KHATAMI, 

FOR ADVOCATING CONTACT WITH AMERICANS IN A BROADCAST INTERVIEW.  

BUT AS JESSICA JONES REPORTS FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU, IRANIAN

NEWSPAPERS SAY THE UNITED STATES MUST DO MORE TO MEND DIPLOMATIC 

TIES.



TEXT: THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER, "IRAN NEWS," SAID 

IN AN EDITORIAL THURSDAY THAT PRESIDENT KHATAMI IS MAKING THE 

UNITED STATES RESPONSIBLE FOR FOSTERING DIALOGUE BETWEEN TEHERAN 

AND WASHINGTON.  IT SAID THE UNITED STATES MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TO

-- IN THE PAPER'S WORDS -- ABSTAIN FROM ADOPTING HOSTILE POLICIES

TOWARDS IRAN.



A MORE CONSERVATIVE PAPER, THE "TEHERAN TIMES," SUGGESTED MR. 

KHATAMI'S STATEMENTS WERE WHAT IT CALLED A RECIPE FOR RESUMING 

RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES.



THE "CABLE NEWS NETWORK" BROADCAST A PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH MR. 

KHATAMI.  IT RAN IN IRAN BEFORE DAWN ON THURSDAY.  TEHERAN 

TELEVISION SHOWED THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW A FEW HOURS LATER.



PRESIDENT KHATAMI IS THE FIRST IRANIAN LEADER TO ADDRESS THE 

AMERICAN PEOPLE ON TELEVISION SINCE THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN 

1979. THOUGH HE CALLED FOR -- IN HIS WORDS -- A CRACK IN THE WALL

OF MISTRUST BETWEEN IRANIANS AND AMERICANS, HE DID  NOT  ADVOCATE

THE RESUMPTION OF DIPLOMATIC TIES BETWEEN TEHERAN AND WASHINGTON.



REPORTS SAY MANY IRANIAN CITIZENS REACTED POSITIVELY TO THE 

INTERVIEW.  SOME TOLD REPORTERS IN TEHERAN THEY FELT THE DIALOGUE

MR. KHATAMI PROPOSED BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES COULD EVENTUALLY 

TRIGGER OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC RECONCILIATION.



IRAN'S HARD-LINE CLERGY, WHO HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF MR. KHATAMI'S 

MORE PROGRESSIVE STANCE TOWARD THE WEST, DID  NOT  PUBLICLY 

RESPOND TO THE INTERVIEW THURSDAY.  SOME SAY MR. KHATAMI SHOULD 

EXPECT CRITICISM FOR PRAISING AMERICAN CIVILIZATION IN THE 

INTERVIEW AND EXPRESSING REGRETS FOR THE SEIZURE OF THE AMERICAN 

EMBASSY IN TEHERAN IN 1979. (SIGNED)



NEB/JJ/PCF/KL



08-Jan-98 9:37 AM EST (1437 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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