March 20th, 2009 // comments (0)

So Much For ‘Smart’ Diplomacy

Yet again, this morning, President Obama reached out to the Iranian people and their government. And yet again those Iranian leaders gave the President the cold shoulder.

Iran’s supreme leader said Friday that world powers had been persuaded they could not block Iran’s nuclear progress — making no mention of a warm new-year’s message sent by President Obama to his country, Reuters reported.

Neither Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nor Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad noted Obama’s attempt to make a “new beginning” with their country in recorded messages they issued to mark the Iranian New Year.

Obama released his video Friday to coincide with the Iranian festival of Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring. In the video, Obama said the U.S. is prepared to end the strained relations if Tehran tones down its combative rhetoric.

Related:

• December 28, 2009 -- OBAMA ON IRAN PROTESTS
• January 30, 2009 -- White House Denies Iran Draft Letter
• January 28, 2009 -- Dear Iran: Obama Drafts Letter
• January 28, 2009 -- Ahmadinejad’s Idea Of U.S. ‘Change’
• January 13, 2009 -- Obama: A New Face To Hate
• June 17, 2010 -- Hillary Clinton Was Right In Predicting Iran’s Actions
• January 7, 2010 -- CHRISTMAS ATTACK REVIEW
• January 5, 2010 -- C-SPAN VS. OBAMA
• January 3, 2010 -- DESERT EXILE PUNISHMENT
• December 31, 2009 -- AGING BARACK OBAMA