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States’ Wooster Discusses U.S.-Iranian Relations

USINFO Webchat transcript, June 26

Henry T. Wooster, deputy director of the Office of Iranian Affairs at U.S. Department of State, answered questions during a June 26 USINFO Webchat on U.S. Iranian Issues.

Following is the transcript:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
USINFO Webchat Transcript

U.S. Iran Issues: An Online Discussion with Henry Wooster, Deputy Director for Iranian Affairs

Guest:     Henry Wooster
Date:      June 26, 2007
Time:      10:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT)

Moderator: Welcome to our webchat on U.S. Iran Issues. The live webchat will take place on Tuesday, June 26 at 10:00 a.m. Washington; 14:00 GMT; 17:30 Tehran. We welcome questions in advance, please select the tab marked "Submit Question or Comment."

Moderator:

آدرس وب سايت: webchat.state.gov
زمان گفتگو: ساعت 10 صبح به وقت شرق امریکا برابر با 14 گرینویچ

نگاهی کوتاه به صفحه گفتگوی اینترنتی: دفتر امور خاور نزدیک وزارت امور خارجه میزبان یک گفتگوی اینترنتی باشرکت هنری ووستر، معاون اداره امور ایران خواهد بود. منظور از سازمان دادن این گفتگو برقراری گفت و شنود میان مقامات رسمی و کسانی است که به امور ایران علاقه مند هستند. موضوعات مورد بحث می تواند مذاکرات دو جانبه آمریکا و ایران را درباره عراق، برنامه هسته ای ایران و قطعنامه های شورای امنیت سازمان ملل متحد را در مورد ایران شامل شود، ولی به این مطالب محدود نخواهد بود. نحوه ارتباط: پرسشهای خود را ميتوانيد به آدرس الکترونيکی Persian@state.gov ، ارسال نمائيد. لطفا در بخش موضوع عبارت Chat with Henry Wooster را تايپ نمائيد.

Moderator: Dear participants. Welcome to today's webchat. We see your questions coming in, thank you. There is no need to submit your questions/comments more than once.

The webchat will begin today at 1400 GMT.

Moderator: Dear "Noggr the Bloggr". Currently the U.S. is on Eastern Daylight Time during which 10:00 a.m. = 14:00 GMT.

Henry Wooster: Welcome! We are ready to begin our discussion. I look forward to your questions. Regards, Henry

Moderator: Dear Afrasiab, we do see your questions. Thank you. Your questions and others' questions will appear on this screen only after they have been answered by Mr. Wooster. We ask for your patience as he reviews the many questions coming in.

Question [Reza Hossein Borr]: Iranian nationalities constitute 60 to 70 percent of population. What role they can have in regime change? Democracy is the most wanted demand of Iranians. Can federalism as a back up to democracy prevents dictatorship in Iran?

Answer [Henry Wooster]: U.S. Iran policy advocates for a change in regime behavior. The United States looks for Tehran to cease its pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability; to cease lethal support to extremist militias in Iraq; to cease arms shipments to the Taliban; to cease its continued support for terrorism; and to stop hindering the development of Iranian civil society.

Q [Ringo]: Anyway, why Iranian nuclear program seems so ‘awful’ for the US administration? Is everything OK with nuclear projects within United States?

A [Henry Wooster]: One would be mistaken to presume that Iran's nuclear program is a problem simply for the United States. Iran's nuclear program continues to have many, serious unresolved questions. These problems have been recognized by the community of nations, most particularly through two UN Security Council resolutions. The United States opposes Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability -- we do not oppose the peaceful use of civil nuclear energy for Iran.

Q [Saeid]: Dear Mr. Henry Wooster, I am an Iranian PhD student. I am married and have 2 US born sons. After 3 years of study, we came back to Iran to visit family and look for possible jobs. On the way back we stopped at US Consulate in Dubai and applied for visa. Unfortunately our visa refused because the consular officer said I am not going to return back to home when my studies are done. Regardless of too many logics that I can articulate that I will come back to Iran after finishing my studies, please tell me why should there be too much discrimination toward Iranian students? As all other students with different nationalities are free to even exit and enter US with less difficulties, and if US government has problems with Iranian government, please tell me why should students pay this price? Do you think it is fair? Now, my life and my family’s life are ruined, because without finishing my degree, I cannot even find a job. Please tell what I should do? Thanks, Saeid

A [Henry Wooster]: Dear Saeid, I am sorry to learn of your visa-related difficulties. I have no remit for consular issues.

Moderator: Today’s webchat is the third in a series of online discussions covering U.S. Iran issues. Previous webchats are available on line at:

http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/USINFO/Products/Webchats/jeffrey_08_feb_2007.html

and

http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/USINFO/Products/Webchats/jeffrey_16_nov_2006.html

Q [Javad]: My Question: Nowadays you hear lot of news/rumors about consulates bothering Iranians who want to come to the United States for education and residency. I’m personally eager to continue my education and apply for residency there, but I’m afraid, might not be possible. Why do you think, this is the case?

A [Henry Wooster]: Dear Javad, I am not aware of any U.S. consulates "bothering" Iranians. Our Iran policy supports people-to-people exchanges, including of course, students. I believe that an educational consulting office has just opened in Dubai to advise & counsel Iranian students interested in considering U.S. education.

Q [Chat Participant]: What is the U.S. doing lately to make it easier for Iranians to get visas to study at your universities? And, what advise can you give us before applying for the student visa (for undergraduate or graduate study)? Thank you

A [Henry Wooster]: Please note the response I provided to a similar question from Javad. While I am not a consular official, I would suggest that before you apply for a visa, you document thoroughly any educational plans which you wish to pursue in the United States.

Moderator: Today's participants may be interested in our recent webchat EducationUSA: Visas and Beyond-- Getting your U.S. Student Visa and Preparing for U.S. Campus Life.

Q [Keyvan]: Dear Mr. Wooster, I'm so happy to hear that some attempts are taking action to recover the relationship between Iran & U.S., I hope diplomatic conversations goes well.

Although I am eagerly waiting for it's friendly conclusion, I'm concerned about the tendency of your government in the current discussion, what measures US can take to encourage Iran for strengthening the relations?

Regards; Keyvan

A [Henry Wooster]: Dear Keyvan, The United States -- and moreover, the international community -- has taken extraordinary measures to encourage Iran's movement toward a diplomatic solution of the nuclear issue. This diplomacy continues today, even as you & I chat on the web.

Last year's "P5 1" proposal to Iran remains on the table. Talks continue between Solana and Larijani. U.S. & Iranian diplomats spoke last month in Baghdad. At the same time, Coalition Forces continue to be killed and wounded in Iraq by Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs); Iran continues its train and equip program to assorted Iraqi militias; we are detecting arms from Iran in Afghanistan; Iran continues to supply weapons to Hezbollah and it continues to finance Hamas. "Encouragement" must become a mutually complementary activity if diplomacy is to succeed.

Q [Chat Participant]: These days, we see reporting that Iran’s economy is going through a bumpy period despite government revenues in the tens of billions in oil revenues. Although outside experts – such as the IMF – estimate that Iran’s annual growth rate has surpassed 5 percent between 2004 and 2007, other experts have observed that the average Iranian suffers from high rates of inflation and pockets of unemployment. What is your view on this? And, are international sanctions to blame for these economic woes?

A [Henry Wooster]: Allow me to note that I am not a trained economist. With that caveat in place, I would observe that Iran has a remarkably youthful (and well educated) populace.

Each year, about one million new job seekers enter Iran's marketplace; however, there are not a sufficient number of jobs available to keep pace with the annual influx of new labor. Even for a non-economist, this is not a rosy scenario. Notwithstanding any limitations sanctions may have, you can bet they will not aid Iran's economic woes. It has been widely reported in the media that a number of prominent international banks have cut-off their relationships with Iranian banks. Letters of credit have become more difficult for Iranian merchants to obtain. Some of Iran's most serious trading partners have reduced sharply their export credits.

If Tehran continues to flout its legal obligations as a UN member state, and if it continues to defy international normative standards of behavior, again, we can presume only the most sober economic future for Iran. Those words said, remember please, the objective behind these measures is not pain per se; rather, the goal is to have Iran return to the negotiating table and rejoin the community of nations.

Q [Khashayar]: A question for Mr. Wooster. As an Iranian citizen, I'd like to know why the United States' gov’t doesn't support democratic and peaceful regime change in Iran? Thank you

A [Henry Wooster]: Dear Khashayar, The United States supports Iran's movement toward democracy. We support democratic principles & we support civil society. It is up to the Iranian people to determine their government.

Q [Chat Participant]: Are there any exhibition matches being planned between the U.S. and Iran in some of our favorite sports? Basketball? Weight-lifting? Freestyle wrestling? Other sports? How can we find out about these sports programs?

A [Henry Wooster]: U.S. & Iranian wrestlers competed in the most recent Takhti Cup, with the U.S. team traveling to Iran for this event. I recall speaking to our team before their departure. A number of the wrestlers had traveled to Iran several times already. They were delighted to return -- for the competition and for the warm reception that they knew would await them as wrestlers in Iran. Iranian wrestlers were scheduled to come to the U.S. Olympic training facility this summer, but I must confess to having lost track of just where that possibility stands today. We have a superb officer in the Department who works on athletic exchanges. I do not know when the next competition is scheduled, but you have raised a good point & I will see if we might make news of such events available on the internet before they occur. Thank you for raising that idea.

Q [Iman Samizadeh]: Dear Wooster, do you really think behavior change it’s an ideal approach and will get to succeed in short period of time before IRI achieve the atomic BOMB, or US already have accepted IRI as another country with atomic bomb in region like Pakistan.

A [Henry Wooster]: Dear Iman Samizadeh, As evidenced by two recent UN Security Council resolutions (1737 & 1747), neither the United States nor the international community has "accepted" the idea of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon capability.

Henry Wooster: Thank you, everyone, for participating in today's chat. I regret that I was unable to answer all your questions. However, I do hope we may do this again in the near future, if people find it agreeable. Warm regards, Henry Wooster

Moderator: We wish to thank Henry Wooster for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. Please visit our USINFO Webchat Station homepage for more information on upcoming events and a transcript of today’s discussion (posted within one business day).