OBAMA SENDS IRANIAN PEOPLE, LEADERS MESSAGE OF HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hurray for Barack Obama and his overture to Iranian leaders and people by videotape on the occasion of the Iranian New Year that began today.

Obama was respectful of the great and long traditions of the Iranian people and wished all a Happy New Year.

Debbi Wilgoren and Thomas Erdbrink write in today's The Washington Post web site:

"The message, issued at midnight in Washington,, coincides with the ancient festival of Nowruz, which marks the start of spring and the Persian New Year. It follows promises by Obama on the campaign trail and in his initial months in office to engage Iran more directly, as a way to end decades of confrontation and address Iran's links to terror groups and its nuclear program.

"In the holiday message, Obama showed respect for Iran by referring to the country twice by its full official name, the Islamic Republic of Iran. In contrast, President George W. Bush routinely called Iran's government a "regime" that can't be trusted by its people and referred to the country as part of the "axis of evil.""

Gone was the Bush/Cheney rhetoric that threatened Iran at every phrase with nuclear destruction and catastrophe for daring to want nuclear power and proceeding with nuclear development.

I have long insisted that the United States should not consider Iran as a threat or enemy. After all, how many countries have the Iranian people invaded in the last 50 years? The answer is none. Compare that with the sorry example of the U.S. - militaristic campaigns and occupations of Vietnam, Iraq, Panama, and many more. An impartial observer would say that between Iran and the U.S., the real threat to world peace comes from the U.S. when led by those war mongers - Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Addington, et al.