Simon Shercliff

UK-US on Iran

Today, when they met at the G8 in L'Aquila, our Prime Minister and President Obama discussed, amongst other things, Iran. While the US and UK governments still share great concern over Iran's nuclear programme, that subject obviously topped the billing. But in addition the UK has the immediate problem of dealing with the completely unacceptable behaviour of the Iranian regime in continuing to detain a member of the British Embassy in Tehran on the patently ridiculous charge of conspiring to fuel the violence in the immediate post-election aftermath. We are grateful for the firm solidarity that President Obama expressed with us on the issue.

Posted at 19:02 09 July 2009 by Simon Shercliff  |  Comments[2]

Green Shoots?

20 March - Noruz - or the Iranian New Year, was always my favourite time of year in Iran. Sunshine, warmer temperatures, a long holiday and plenty of relaxed socialising with friends, not to mention the fact that it was the only time in the year when Tehran was not masked by a brown, clagging smog - all giving rise to positivity and optimism for the year to come. The Noruz period would see a "Haft Sin" (seven items beginning with the Farsi letter 'S') in every home - one of those items is always a small dish containing with new shoots of grass, wheat or barley, symbolising a fresh start. In the concrete jungle of Tehran, it was always heartening to see those green shoots taking root for a few weeks, even if it sometimes felt as though the dense, brown smog would eventually discolour and smother them.

So for this reason President Obama's Noruz message to the Iranian people resonated loudly with me, as I know it did to many Iranians. Perfectly pitched as it was, though, clearly it will take more than a three minute video address to overcome 30 years of mutual hostility. Karim Sadjadpour set out the context very well here - in particular by explaining that "it takes two to tango". The Iranian regime's first reaction to Obama's message was predictably defensive: it would be hard to imagine otherwise. But let's hope that these green shoots, planted by Obama, will properly take root, and fight their way through the smog which will be belched out by the regime in the coming months.

Posted at 11:29 24 March 2009 by Simon Shercliff  |  Comments[0]

A different way to speak to Muslims

Well, here we are. President Barack Hussein Obama. Like everyone else lucky enough to witness at first hand the inauguration in Washington DC today, I am pretty sure the memories will be with me for life. But aside from the huge crowds, the excited atmosphere, and the massively impressive pomp and ceremony, I thought President Obama’s inaugural speech hit some sensitive spots with great dexterity. Not just for Americans who had voted for him, or even for Americans who had not. But for all those out there in the world who might still be wondering in what direction the new President will take his country, he made his intention clear: “And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more”.
 
In Iran I am sure his every word will be pored over, by the regime as well as by the general population. Two aspects of his speech sparked my interest in this context. Firstly, according to speechwars.com, this was the first ever US Presidential inaugural address which made direct reference to Muslims: “For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace”. It will be hard for a Friday prayers leader in Tehran to twist that into a direct attack from the “Zionist-Christian alliance” towards the Islamic world, although I am sure they will try.

The second line held out a conciliatory hand towards the wider Islamic world, using the sort of language that Iran often touts when it feels that the West is being unfair: “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect”. Then a warning that the ultimate arbiter on the quality of leadership bestowed upon a country is the people of that country themselves: “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist”. Powerful stuff, and once again, it will be hard for America’s opponents to argue convincingly against that.

Posted at 11:34 21 January 2009 by Simon Shercliff  |  Comments[1]

Solving the Iran Puzzle. Whose problem is it anyway?

Iran is a complex country. Everyone agrees with that. "We" (which at different times over the last few years has meant the UK, UK/France/Germany, Europe, the E3 plus US, the E3+3 - almost any combination of the membership of the international community) are all worried about the notion of Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

Rightly so - the prospects of yet another broadside being fired into the Non Proliferation Treaty (the only legitimate piece of global architechture out there which has a chance of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons technology); an arms race in the Middle East; and of course President Ahmadinejad's rhetorical blasts at Israel being backed by real weapons, are all highly toxic.

Yesterday I attended a symposium at the US Marine Corps University at Quantico where a wide-ranging presence attempted to address the Iran puzzle. Unsurprisingly there were no silver bullets discovered - if there were any out there, the huge numbers of highly qualified brains who have been thinking about this for years now would have found them. Instead we all concluded that the jigsaw puzzle must be solved by steady, sustained and comprehensive effort, using all the tools available to us. Some of those tools involve pressure, and some engagement. And a key element of the solution is turning the "we" into one team, all pulling in the same direction with both pressure and engagement.

Posted at 09:37 22 September 2008 by Simon Shercliff  |  Comments[1]