IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI PASSES UP U.S.-

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000070

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL IR NI
SUBJECT: IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI PASSES UP U.S.-
BASHING OPPORTUNITY IN NIGERIA


1. Summary. On a state visit to Nigeria, Iranian
President Khatami passed up an opportunity to bash the
U.S. in public remarks. Instead, in responding to a
journalist's leading question during his press
conference with Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Khatami
condemned Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, and called
for self-rule for Iraq and Afghanistan. The Nigerian
Foreign Minister also announced a program-sharing
agreement between the Nigerian and Iranian broadcast
agencies. In his lecture, Khatami stressed the need
for religious tolerance and pledged Iran's support for
African development. End Summary.

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The U.S.: A Great Nation"
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2. On January 12, Iranian President Khatami, on a
state visit to Abuja, gave a well-received lecture on
peace and tolerance in a multicultural society. In the
question-and-answer session afterwards, a Nigerian
journalist asked a leading question, alleging that the
U.S. had rigged elections and backed coups in Iran,
Central America, and Afghanistan, and was in the
process of rigging an election in Iraq; how, asked the
journalist, did Khatami plan to avoid the same fate for
Iran?


3. Khatami began by calling Afghanistan's recent
history a "human tragedy," noting that a small "radical
hard-line group," which had been supported by the U.S.
in the fight against Soviet occupation, had overwhelmed
the country "in the name of Islam." Make no mistake,
Khatami said; Iran is firmly against the occupations of
Afghanistan and Iraq, but "no one is unhappy or sad
because of the downfall of the Taliban or Saddam
Hussein." These "tyrannical" regimes were responsible
for "conflict, wars, and drug trafficking," he said.


4. Afghanistan and Iraq must rule themselves, Khatami
insisted, and this can only happen through democratic
elections, which cannot take place without the
withdrawal of the U.S. from both countries. In a line
that generally headlined media reports of the event, he
said that the presence of the U.S. in Iraq continues to
inflict suffering in the region, and on the U.S. forces
there. Khatami said he was against the killing of U.S.
troops in Iraq, but he was also against the killing of
innocent Iraqis by U.S. troops "hunting terrorists."


5. The U.S. is a "great nation," Khatami said, then
asked rhetorically how many resources it had used to
"repress liberation movements" around the world.
Insisting on the right of people to choose their own
leaders, as they do in the U.S., he said, "Let logic
and justice always prevail over violence and terror."

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Nigeria and Iran to Exchange TV Programming
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6. Before the lecture, the Nigerian Foreign Minister
announced that the Nigerian Television Agency had
signed an agreement to exchange news, arts, culture,
and science programming with the Iranian broadcast
agency, with no fees attached. The announcement was
greeted with loud applause from the packed auditorium.

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Nigeria Needs Tolerance, and Development
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7. In his lecture, Khatami, formerly a professor of
Islamic political thought, stressed that Nigerians
should learn to emphasize the commonalities of the two
holy religions and develop tolerance for the believers
of other religions, those of other persuasions, and
those with other historical experiences. This, he said
would facilitate the acceptance of cultural diversity
as a foundation and a cause for promoting cooperation
and coexistence. This is particularly so because
cultural diversity is a driving force for development
as it enhances human resources and national
resourcefulness.


8. The other theme of the lecture was NEPAD. Khatami
said he believed in the fact that Africa can and must
be built with the help of the resources of Africans.
NEPAD, which for him is a comprehensive development
plan for Africa, is a great step in the right
direction, which will provide great hope for the
emancipation of Africa from the evil rule of
underdevelopment and poverty. He promised Iran's
readiness to participate in implementing the various
projects of NEPAD.

CAMPBELL