Bush uses earthquake aid in appeal to pro-democracy forces in Iran

[Judi Lynn]

Bush uses earthquake aid in appeal to pro-democracy forces in Iran

Friday, January 2, 2004



(01-02) 00:43 PST FALFURRIAS, Texas (AP) --

President Bush says the humanitarian aid the United States is sending to Iran's earthquake victims shows Americans are generous, despite concerns about Iran's support of international terrorism.

"What we're doing in Iran is we're showing the Iranian people the American people care, that we've got great compassion for human suffering," Bush said as he made an appeal directly to Iran's pro-democracy forces in Iran.

The president spoke to reporters in southern Texas, where he and his father went quail hunting on New Year's Day, and didn't alter his administration's public stance toward Iran -- a nation he has labeled, along with Iraq and North Korea, as an "axis of evil." The president continued to call on Iran to give up its nuclear weapons and do more to fight terrorism, but his words lacked the harsh, warring tones of earlier statements he's made about the nation.

The Washington Post reported Friday that the United States has approached Iran about sending a high-level humanitarian delegation to Tehran. It would be the first public U.S. official visit since 52 Americans were held hostage in Iran for 444 days from 1979 to 1981.

The newspaper said the delegation, headed by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., also would include an unspecified member of the Bush family. Iran's President Mohammad Khatami has not yet responded to the overture, the newspaper quoted U.S. officials as saying.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/02/national0343EST0434.DTL

[leetrisck]

1. Maybe bush could just invade Iran

now. You know under the guise of saving them.

[Tinoire]

2. This is frightening

I trust neither the US nor the Israeli government in this matter.

[leetrisck]

3. Neither do I but would put nothing

past this administration. Sending E.Dole and a member of the bush family over there. Garbage - if we're going to try to help, there would have to be so much security that nothing would be accomplished and doubt any humanitarian goals.