US to resume limited contacts with Iran: official

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 29, 2003

US to resume limited contacts with Iran: official

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The United States said Tuesday that it was prepared to resume "limited discussions" with the Iranian government but refused to consider the normalization of relations until Tehran addresses US concerns on al Qaida, a senior US official said Tuesday.

"We are prepared to engage in limited discussions with the government of Iran about areas of mutual interest as appropriate," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in a written statement when testifying at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"We have not, however, entered into any broad dialogue with the aim of normalizing relations," Armitage said.

"President (George W.) Bush has pursued a policy of containing Iran, while employing selective engagement, as has almost every American administration for the last two decades," the top US diplomat elaborated during the testimony.

"Within this context of containment, the challenges before US policymakers are how we can change Iranian behavior in key areas; how US policy can take advantage of opportunities created by reformist elements within Iranian society; and how we can generate more support from our allies on issues pertaining to Iran," he said.

Armitage stressed that the US response to these challenges will help shape the future of the Middle East, and will have significant impact on the outcome of the global war on terrorism.

The deputy secretary of state made Tehran's cooperation with the United States on al Qaida a major precondition for further improvement of relationship between the two countries.

"Despite public statements that they would cooperate with othercountries, the Iranians have refused to repeated requests to turn over or share intelligence about all al Qaida members and leaders they claim to have in custody," he said.

"Iran must change its course on this front: resolution of this issue would be an important step in US-Iranian relations and we cannot move forward without his step," he stressed.

Iran reportedly identified to the United Nations Security Council last weekend the names of 78 al Qaida members which Iran said it detained but has extradited to their countries of origin.

But Tehran has flatly rejected US request to share information on al Qaida members who had either been extradited by Iran or remains in custody in the country.

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