DATE=03/18/99 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11197 TITLE=IRANIAN LEADER VISITS THE WEST BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: THE U-S PRESS WATCHED WITH INTEREST THE RECENT VISIT TO ROME BY IRANIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI. ONE NEWSPAPER -- IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- CALLED THE TRIP A "GESTURE OF TENTATIVE RECONCILIATION BETWEEN IRAN AND THE DEMOCRATIC WORLD." WE GET A SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THIS POTENTIAL THAW, FROM ______________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: IN 1979, THE SHAH OF IRAN WAS OVERTHROWN BY A RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION LED BY THE AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI. THE U-S EMBASSY WAS SEIZED, AND HOSTAGES WERE HELD FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN HIT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE LEVEL. A RETALIATORY U-S TRADE EMBARGO WAS PUT IN PLACE, AND EXISTS TO THIS DAY. HOWEVER IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A GLACIAL [VERY SLOW] THAW IN RELATIONS, SOMEWHAT ACCELERATED BY THE SURPRISE ELECTION OF A MODERATE CLERIC, MOHAMMED KHATAMI, AS PRESIDENT LAST YEAR. THE U-S PRESS, INCLUDING "THE [VERO BEACH, FLORIDA] PRESS JOURNAL" WATCHED THE VISIT WITH INTEREST AND THEN COMMENTED. VOICE: THE FORCES OF REFORM IN IRAN HAVE GOTTEN A BIG BOOST, AND THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE GROWING CONFIDENCE OF REFORM-MINDED PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI. [MR.] KHATAMI, A MODERATE CLERIC, RECENTLY FINISHED A THREE-DAY VISIT TO ITALY, INCLUDING A MEETING WITH POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND. THE VISIT IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST BY AN IRANIAN LEADER TO A WESTERN STATE IN 20 YEARS, SINCE THE 1979 REVOLUTION. DURING HIS VISIT, [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI WAS QUITE CANDID ABOUT SEEKING INCREASED INVESTMENTS AND LOANS FROM WESTERN EUROPE. THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT, WITH OIL PRICES IN THE TANK, [AMERICAN SLANG FOR: "AT THE LOWEST LEVEL IN RECENT YEARS"] IRAN'S ANEMIC ECONOMY HAS NOWHERE ELSE TO TURN. /// OPT /// ... U-S COMPANIES HAVE HAD TO SURRENDER MORE THAN TWO BILLION DOLLARS IN BUSINESS TO EUROPEAN FIRMS WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. ALLOWING THEM TO GET BACK INTO THE ACTION (I.E. OIL BUSINESS WITH IRAN) WOULD BE GOOD BUSINESS BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF IT STRENGTHENS [MR.] KHATAMI'S GOVERNMENT IT WOULD BE GOOD POLICY. /// END OPT /// TEXT: FOR THE VIEW OF THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT FROM TENNESSEE, WE TURN TO MEMPHIS WHERE "THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL" HAS THIS REACTION. VOICE: /// OPT /// THE UNITED STATES HAS ENCOURAGED SPORTS AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES WITH IRAN, AND A FEW AMERICAN TOURISTS HAVE DISCREETLY VISITED. BUT THE UNITED STATES STILL BLACKLISTS IRAN FOR ITS SUPPORT OF TERRORISM, ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE THE MIDEAST PEACE TALKS AND EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. /// END OPT /// A POWERFUL FACTION IN IRAN REMAINS IMPLACABLY OPPOSED TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT IT IS IN ECLIPSE. WASHINGTON SHOULD CONSIDER EASING ITS EMBARGO TO ALLOW U-S FIRMS TO CUT A FEW DEALS WITH THE KHATAMI GOVERNMENT. /// OPT /// TEXT: TURNING TO COLORADO, IN DENVER'S "ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS," THE PAPER'S CHIEF FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST, HOLGER JENSEN, TALKS ABOUT THE CHOICE OF ITALY AS A NEW ENTRY POINT FOR AN IRANIAN DIALOGUE WITH THE WEST. WE GOT HIS COLUMN AS REPRINTED IN OHIO'S "COLUMBUS DISPATCH." VOICE: A STUDENT OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY, [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI FIRST BROACHED THE IDEA OF A 'DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS,' INCLUDING A DISCOURSE BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY, IN 1998. IT STIRRED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN WASHINGTON AND PROMPTED SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT'S OFFER TO 'DEVELOP WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC, WHEN IT IS READY, A ROAD MAP LEADING TO NORMAL RELATIONS.' HOWEVER, NOTHING CAME OF THAT INITIATIVE. AMERICAN OFFICIALS SURMISED THAT [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI STILL FACED TOO MUCH OPPOSITION FROM CONSERVATIVES CLERICS TO BEGIN A DIALOGUE WITH THE UNITED STATES. ITALY, FOR HIM, IS A MUCH SAFER CHOICE OF AN OPENING TO THE WEST BECAUSE THE ITALIAN ENERGY GROUP E-N-I AND FRENCH OIL GIANT ELF-AQUITAINE HAVE JUST SIGNED A ONE BILLION DOLLAR DEAL TO DEVELOP IRAN'S OFFSHORE DOROUD OIL FIELD. /// END OPT /// TEXT: HOW WAS THE ROME VISIT VIEWED IN TEXAS? VERY SIGNIFICANTLY, AT LEAST IN THE OPINION OF "THE FORTH WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM." VOICE: THE IMPORTANCE OF ...[THE] VISIT ... CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. IT DEMONSTRATED NOT ONLY A HAND EXTENDED IN FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM, BUT ALSO A GESTURE OF TENTATIVE RECONCILIATION BETWEEN IRAN AND THE DEMOCRATIC WORLD. IN A MEETING AS GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT AS THE ONE LAST YEAR BETWEEN POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND AND CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO, [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI ATTEMPTED TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN TWO WORLD RELIGIONS THAT OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES AT ODDS. /// OPT /// ... GRANTED, IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN AN OVERSEAS TRIP TO EUROPE TO QUIET CONCERNS ABOUT IRAN'S POLITICAL INTENTIONS. THE NATION IS BUYING WEAPONS FROM RUSSIA AND CHINA, SOME BY WAY OF NORTH KOREA. .... AND QUESTIONS ABOUT IRAN'S PARTICIPATION IN HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM REMAIN. BUT LAST WEEK'S VISIT TO THE VATICAN WAS A BOLD STEP FOR [MR.] KHATAMI, AND PERHAPS A SIGNAL TO THE WESTERN WORLD THAT PUBLIC OPINION IN IRAN IS SHIFTING AWAY FROM ISOLATIONIST HARD-LINERS TOWARD A MORE ENGAGED AND DEMOCRATIC VIEW. /// END OPT /// TEXT: IN BOSTON, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" IS ASSESSING THE TRIP WITH THESE THOUGHTS. VOICE: ... IRAN'S PUBLIC FACE IS CHANGING WITH THE CONTINUED ASCENDANCY OF REFORMIST PRESIDENT MOHAMAD KHATAMI. ... SINCE HIS RETURN [TO IRAN] HE HAS TAKEN PREDICTABLE SNIPING FROM IRANIAN CONSERVATIVES, WHO DISTRUST ANY OUTREACH TO THE WORLDLY WEST. BUT THEY'RE FIGHTING A REAR-GUARD ACTION. [PRESIDENT] KHATAMI'S STRATEGY OF OPENNESS SERVES BOTH IRAN'S AND THE WEST'S LONG TERM INTERESTS. TEXT: WITH THAT, WE BRING TO A CLOSE, THIS SAMPLING OF OPINION ON THE RECENT TRIP OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI TO ROME. NEB/ANG/GE 18-Mar-99 2:41 PM EST (1941 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .