The Iranian letter

So, we find out that in May 2003 the Iranians wrote us a letter. They sent it to us via the Swiss, who dutifully delivered it. In it, they pretty much put everything on the table, offering everything we wanted (including being completely open about its nuclear programme, helping to stabilise Iraq, ending its support for Palestinian militant groups and help in disarming Hezbollah) if only we would stop being agressively hostile to them take them off the "axis of evil" list. After all, Iran had just - a month previous to that speech - been helping us against the Taleban in Afghanistan. (Like the rest of world, or most of it, the Iranians were on our side after Sept 11th.)

But, as the BBC's security analysit Gordon Curera said, that was when the US was at "its most triumphalist." The letter was rejected with disdain. Larry Wilkerson, at the time Chief of Staff for Powell, (who said "I can only guess, but my guess is going to be pretty good") surmises that Cheney said 'We don't talk to evil.' After all, we were on the way to an easy victory in Iraq, after which we could dictate to Iran - and everyone else in the Mid East.

So we turned down the offer to talk, treated Iran like an enemy - and last year Ahmadinejad was elected.

Perhaps Bush should look at that line in his Bible which promises that whosoever soweth the wind shall reap the whirlwind.