U.S. Senator Wants Permission to Talk to Iran
May 4, 1998 - 0:0
KUWAIT A senior U.S. senator called on Sunday for Washington's permission to start a dialogue with Iran. I think it is high time now in view of the attitude being expressed here in the Persian Gulf, that we do that and I am going to renew our request for permission for our committee to meet with the Parliament of Iran, said Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Ted Stevens. Stevens, a Republican from Alaska, was speaking to reporters before leaving for Saudi Arabia. He was apparently referring to a warming in ties between the Islamic Republic and Persian Gulf Arab neighbours since Mohammad Khatami became president of Iran in August. Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri last week visited Kuwait. Stevens, who is leading a delegation of seven senators, discussed dealing with Iran with Kuwait Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah.
We are very pleased with the scope of our discussions with the crown prince and I am most pleased with the attitude he expressed concerning the advisability of members of our country trying to open up a new dialogue with Iran, the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) quoted him as saying. Stevens said that last year he tried to establish contacts with Iran but was not granted permission to leave the United States but he pointed out that they would use U.S. agricultural products as a new avenue for peace in the Persian Gulf, and I hope we could find some way to reopen relations with Iran. We think we ought to have some mechanism for reopening relations with Iran, he was quoted by KUNA as saying.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Nateq Nouri said in Kuwait on Wednesday that the United States was continuing to build a huge wall to block the possibility of improving ties, accusing Washington of plotting against Tehran before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The U.S. Senate team's talks in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are also aimed at finding new ways to finance the large U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf. We want to find the answer to the problem of costs for our deployment, not only here, but worldwide...(which puts) a tremendous strain on the system to keep the rotations and keep the deployments, Stevens said.
The U.S. has some 35,000 troops in the region deployed on warships and in several Persian Gulf Arab countries. Earlier this year, some of Washington's regional allies showed reluctance to pay for additional troops and hardware rushed to the Persian Gulf in a dispute between Iraq and the United Nations over arms inspections. Kuwait, which was freed of an Iraqi occupation by the U.S.- led 1991 Persian Gulf war, pays most in-country costs for U.S. and other foreign troops deployed in the tiny Persian Gulf Arab state.
KUNA said Stevens denied asking for direct financial support, stressing that we have no intention whatsoever to leave this area, we intend to keep our commitments and do everything we can to keep (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein right where he is, in Iraq. (Reuter)
We are very pleased with the scope of our discussions with the crown prince and I am most pleased with the attitude he expressed concerning the advisability of members of our country trying to open up a new dialogue with Iran, the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) quoted him as saying. Stevens said that last year he tried to establish contacts with Iran but was not granted permission to leave the United States but he pointed out that they would use U.S. agricultural products as a new avenue for peace in the Persian Gulf, and I hope we could find some way to reopen relations with Iran. We think we ought to have some mechanism for reopening relations with Iran, he was quoted by KUNA as saying.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Nateq Nouri said in Kuwait on Wednesday that the United States was continuing to build a huge wall to block the possibility of improving ties, accusing Washington of plotting against Tehran before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The U.S. Senate team's talks in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are also aimed at finding new ways to finance the large U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf. We want to find the answer to the problem of costs for our deployment, not only here, but worldwide...(which puts) a tremendous strain on the system to keep the rotations and keep the deployments, Stevens said.
The U.S. has some 35,000 troops in the region deployed on warships and in several Persian Gulf Arab countries. Earlier this year, some of Washington's regional allies showed reluctance to pay for additional troops and hardware rushed to the Persian Gulf in a dispute between Iraq and the United Nations over arms inspections. Kuwait, which was freed of an Iraqi occupation by the U.S.- led 1991 Persian Gulf war, pays most in-country costs for U.S. and other foreign troops deployed in the tiny Persian Gulf Arab state.
KUNA said Stevens denied asking for direct financial support, stressing that we have no intention whatsoever to leave this area, we intend to keep our commitments and do everything we can to keep (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein right where he is, in Iraq. (Reuter)