ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <!-- saved from url=(0044)http://www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/02131637.htm --> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=unicode"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4616.200" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY><PRE> <BR>thr 033 <BR>Press-Straw-Visit /GNR/ <BR>  Dailies analyze Straw's visit to Tehran <BR>Tehran, Sept 24, IRNA -- Three English-language dailies on Monday <BR>analyzed the imminent visit, the first ever by a UK foreign secretary <BR>to Iran since the 1979 victory of the Islamic Revolution. <BR> British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's remarks that "Britain and <BR>Iran have steadily improved their relations in recent years" and that <BR>"my visit is an opportunity to open a new era of British-Iranian <BR>cooperation," would have sounded more routine if the visit to the <BR>country would have taken place in November as was originally <BR>scheduled, pointed out 'Kayhan International'. <BR> It quoted British Prime Minster Tony Blair as also having said <BR>that "Straw is visiting Tehran following recent letter exchanges and <BR>telephone conversations between Blair and President Khatami on the <BR>subject of strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism." <BR> Even US Secretary of State Colin Powell also made it known that <BR>Straw will be carrying a message from his government for the Iranian <BR>government, it noted. <BR> Iran fully supports "all people who confront the oppressors and <BR>the usurpers be it the Hizbullah in Lebanon or the Palestinian freedom <BR>fighters in the occupied land of Palestine," stressed the paper. <BR>But nevertheless, from the Islamic Republic of Iran's point of view, <BR>which is in accordance with the Islamic principles, "killing of <BR>innocent people under any pretext and in any part of the world is a <BR>great sin," emphasized the daily. <BR> Therefore the current hue and cry raised by Washington against <BR>terrorism in spite of the vast propaganda campaign going on in full <BR>swing in its justification, "cannot be readily acceptable as long as <BR>America supports Israel which is dealing in the most inhuman and <BR>barbaric ways with the whole nation of Palestine," hit out the paper. <BR> Notwithstanding who is right and who is wrong, "Jack Straw's <BR>current assignment does seem a difficult one," believed the daily. <BR> Commenting on the same issue, `Iran Daily' noted that the most <BR>important point on Straw's agenda will most likely be the "future of <BR>Iran's ties with the West, particularly the US." <BR> But the primary question that arises in one's mind now is "what <BR>objective the US and the UK are after" anyhow? asked the daily. <BR> Anyhow the existing wall of mistrust between Iran and America has <BR>left the issue of direct talks and diplomatic bargaining in the dark, <BR>it said. <BR> In fact, it had been expected that the "icy relations would melt <BR>and the walls of mistrust removed. But that did not happen and very <BR>likely may not happen during Khatami's second term," believed the <BR>paper in its perspective column. <BR> From a strategical point of view, Washington wants Tehran to <BR>revise its Palestinian policy," it pointed out. The US government is <BR>mistaken if it thinks, for whatever reason, the "plague of global <BR>terrorism will vanish when the dispute between Arabs and Israelis is <BR>finally settled." But the US government must remember that the Iranian <BR>nation and its government consider "spiritual support for Palestinians <BR>a fundamental principle," emphasized the article, pointing out that <BR>Iran however "draws a clear line between the legitimate struggle of <BR>Palestinians for their motherland and fighting terrorism. <BR> And the only best way to combat terrorism is "to initiate and <BR>implement a UN-led policy with the collaboration of all countries and <BR>keep safe distance from hasty decisions," concluded Iran Daily. <BR> Commenting on the same issue, `Tehran Times' wrote that British <BR>foreign secretary's visit, which was postponed several times in the <BR>past by London "has now however been expedited due to some worries <BR>besetting London." <BR> From what can be gathered from the contents of the telephone <BR>conversation between Blair and Khatami, requested by Blair himself and <BR>held after a one-day delay by Iran, it "clearly reveals that London is <BR>worried about the path it is now treading," noted the paper, reffering <BR>to the London's support of US policies. <BR> The paper stressed that it is the moral duty of Iran to "defend <BR>the rights of all Muslims and sincerely admonish the supporters of <BR>military aggression on Afghanistan." The Islamic Republic, as the <BR>victim of acts of terrorism committed by some "20 terrorist groups <BR>mostly harbored in US and Europe, more than any other country," <BR>expects the international community to take firm action against <BR>terrorists and their supporters," stressed the daily. <BR> The paper noted that if London goes ahead with its plans of siding <BR>with the US bullying policies, Britain must remember that its <BR>diplomacy is doomed to fail, concluded the paper. <BR>FH/HM <BR>End <BR>::irna 13:16 <BR></PRE></BODY></HTML>