“.. we have been talking to the Iranians, almost non stop, for 30 years. There isn’t an American president from Jimmy Carter to the present who has not authorized negotiations with Iran. The classic case occurred during the Clinton administration. We ended all kinds of sanctions against Iran, let all kinds of Iranians into the U.S. for the first time since the 1970’s, had sporting matches with the Iranians, hosted Iranian cultural events, and unfroze Iranian bank accounts. Then President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeline Albright started publicly apologizing to Iran for this and that. But when all was said and done, Ali Khamenei reminded everyone that Iran is in a state of war with the U.S., and that was the end of negotiations.”

from Understanding Iran by Michael Ledeen in Hillsdale’s Imprimis.

HKO comment- while we arrogantly discuss our preconditions to negotiate with Iran, the more pertinent question is what are their preconditions to negotiate with us.

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