Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 15 / Trend corr D. Khatinoglu / Obama's promise on unconditional discussion with Iran does not contradict to Dennis Ross's appointment as an independent ambassador to Iran.
Dennis Ross is a neutral and experienced diplomat and that his mother is a Jew does not mean that he will support only one side, Mohsen Sazegara, head of the Center for Modern Iranian Studies, functioning in Washington D.C., told Trend .
The information provided by the Iranian official agency IRNA on Jan. 14 criticized Ross's appointment as an ambassador to Iran and forecasted that he will push the USA to attack on the Islamic Republic.
In 1991, Ross was U.S. President Ronald Reagan's advisor on national security and was appointed to the basic posts during the term of other presidents.
Ross knows the Middle East very well and he is also well-informed about Iran, Sazegara said in a telephone conversation on Jan. 14.
Ross is also the chairman of Washington Institute for Near East Policy. IRNA reported that this institute co-operates with Israel, and Ross is an Israeli lobbyist. During the presidential term of Bill Clinton, Ross was the representative of the United States in the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
Although Ross connected the failure of these negotiations with the extreme exactingness of former-head of Palestine Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian side accused him of supporting Israel.
Sazegara said that worked with Ross for six moths in Washington Institute for Near East Policy and knows his opinions very well. Sazegara added that Ross should not be regarded as a supporter of any side. He is a diplomat who tries to think neutrally.
The Iranian expert also added that Ross doesn't regard the authority of the Islamic Republic as a reliable partner and approaches its steps with doubt.
In June 2006, in his interview with the German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost, Ross said that the United States is compelled to attack Iran. He underlined the importance of using every means to stop the nuclear program of Iran.
According to Sazegara, the USA has many experts for foreign affairs, and Ross's attitude of towards Iran influences the common policy of Washington, but it will be paltry.
Ross is very experienced and exigent, chairman of the Evrosevik studies center Piruz Mujtahidzade told Trend in a telephone conversation on Jan. 15.
"Appointing such exigent diplomat as Ross to this position, Obama attempts to compel Iran to make considerable concessions in the talks," professor of international relations faculty of Teheran University Mujtahidzade said.
According to Mujtahidzade, one person does not define the policy of the United States towards Iran and therefore, this appointment will not change Obama's policy on Iran. Mujtahidzade said that it would be more expedient if Obama selects more neutral diplomat for re-establishing Iran-U.S. relations.
According to Mujtahidzade, the United States refrains from the war with Iran and Ross's exactingness is not for giving a ground to war, but for ensuring the interests of official Washington.
Sazegara said that Ross's opinions have two directions. Thus, Ross thinks that the responsibility and power is in hands of religious leader Ali Khamenei and other officials obey to his orders.
"Firstly, the United States must hold discussions with the religious leader of Iran. Ross also thinks that the USA should pursue stick policy on Iran. He thinks to extend sanctions upon Iran, especially with regards to on oil and gasoline," Sazegara added.
Sazegara considers that Obama will try to gain full support of China, Russia and European countries for beginning talks with Iran.
Up to now, the UN Security Council adopted five resolutions and introduced three sanctions with regards to Iran to stop the nuclear program of Iran. The West states that Iran intends to produce nuclear weapons, but denying this, official Teheran stated that the nuclear program is realized for the peaceful purposes. In order to strengthen economic pressure on Iran, the U.S. congress repeatedly discussed the question of imposing sanctions on the import of gasoline into this country. Some 40 percent of the utilized gasoline in Iran is imported.
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