For the past two years Iran and its nuclear program have dominated America's foreign policy agenda. Iran's refusal to stop enriching Uranium, which in its opinion it is entitled to as a signatory of the NPT treaty but the West believes, is an effort to develop nuclear weapons and the oft repeated statement by Ahmedinajad that "Israel will soon disappear from the map" have made Iran the number one enemy in the eyes of the West.

But now there seems to be a change taking place in US-Iranian relations and prospects for a détente seem real. Now not only is Ahmedinajad saying nice things about US diplomats, but Iran is responding positively to US overtures.

American failures in Iraq, in Afghanistan, on energy pricing, in housing and financial markets in addition to the weakening of the dollar, have handcuffed the Bush administration or else we would have surely witnessed a war against Iran. Lack of domestic appetite for another war which would surely shoot oil prices through the roof has removed the use of force option from the table. The Bush administration after asserting for years that we will not talk to Iran unless it agrees to all our demands is now engaging in direct negotiations. The decision to send William Burns, a very senior US Diplomat, to meet with Iranian nuclear negotiator along with Europeans last week, clearly signals a significant shift in US policy.

It remains to be seen however, whether this is an isolated episode or the beginning of a new modality in US-Iran relations. The talk that the US might even announce the opening of a US mission in Iran next month, which has already been welcomed by Iranians, is genuinely path breaking. If President Bush follows through, then there is no doubt in my mind that Iran could become an important partner of the US in shaping the emerging Middle East.

But before US and Iran can start normalizing relations, it is important that the mutual demonization that both sides have indulged in be deconstructed. Iran has been painting the US as a "Great Satan" and the source of all evil in the Middle East and the US has consistently labeled Iran as a terrorist sponsor and as a threat to global peace.

Reports from Iran clearly suggest that Iranians are alienated and disgusted with their own leadership and its failure to provide better governance and yo deliver on populist promises made in electoral speeches. Their resentment towards their leadership is manifesting in higher regard and esteem for the U.S. negating the anti-US rhetoric of some of its leaders. Azadeh Moaveni wrote in the Washington Post on June 1, 2008 "It might startle some Americans to realize that Iran has one of the most pro-American populations in the Middle East."

Scholars of the Middle East have repeatedly pointed out this paradox of US foreign policy. The U.S. had become most hostile to the people who were most favorably disposed towards the US in the Middle East. It will take little to win the Iranians over. A gesture of friendship from Bush, a surprise visit to Tehran by Rice, or a gift of six passenger aircrafts, should be enough to send Ahmedinajad packing in the elections due in 2009.

While Iranians are becoming pro-US, Americans are becoming anti-Iran. In order that the US-Iranian détente flourish it is important that politicians and opinion makers stop demonizing Iran and recognize its positive contributions.

US intelligence agencies are convinced that Iran abandoned its efforts to acquire nukes in 2003 (National Intelligence Estimate, November 2007). Iran helped Western powers in establishing the new government and democracy in Afghanistan and has cooperated with the US to stabilize southern Iraq and restrain Shii militias in Iraq. While Ahmedinajad does rant about making Israel disappear, he is not in charge of Iranian foreign or military policy and his claims are not repeated by those who actually do manage Iran's external affairs. A regular acknowledgement of these realities and positive Iranian contributions will help prepare American public opinion for better US-Iranian relations.

The perception that a nuclear Iran ruled by a madman poses a major threat to the world is the driving force behind Western paranoia about Iran. A sensible foreign policy from Washington is not possible until this misperception is deconstructed. Iran is not a threat; it is not capable of posing a serious threat.

Iran's air force is defunct. Its economy is in a bad shape. High oil prices do not help Iran too much since it is a net importer of gasoline and its crude oil exports are inferior to its competitors. Add to this the fact that the U.S., France, Britain and Israel all have powerful air forces and huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Additionally Islamic Iran has not invaded any country for any reason since the revolution in 1979. A record that neither the US nor Israel can match given US's unnecessary invasion of Iraq in 2003 and Israel's overreaction in Lebanon in 2006.

Both Iran and the US now have an extraordinary opportunity to change their mutual destinies. Will they hold the line?

I think the Israelis will bomb Iran anyway. Nuke or not.

I hear from some of my contacts in Saudi Arabia that the opinion there is pro-bombing of Iran. Surprised? Not really! Y'all know better than me about that!

>> Surprised? Not really! Y'all know better than me about that! <<

No not really Dumbkopf, we dont. We don't know more about what the Saudis are thinking than yourself, since the Saudi Government is afterall a non-democractic puppet regime propped up by the American Military-Industrial Complex.

Why dont you ask them to hold democractic elections there and threaten them with an economic boycott?

Actually Hijab baba, yesterday 'I'm a dinner jacket' (that is a mnemonic trick I use to remember the name of the president of Iran) announced he is going full blast(pun intended) with the atomic program. Guess who is most worried about a Shia bomb? Sunnis of course...that's what I meant when I said y'all know better - I did not mean you knew people in Saudi Arabia. You are too stupid to know people outside of your own dark little basement dungeon that you call a mosque.

By the way here's another mnemonic aid for you - can you guess who was 'yessir you're a fart'? Reminds you of yourself huh? But no - that guy was much better than you - he actually got out of the dungeon and did things in the real world - stupid and violent and terroristic as they may have been - he still was better than you, hijaab baba - sweating it out in a woman's hijaab, in the dungeon in front of your ancient PC.

Dumbkopf, you and your stupid neocon family members only wish that Sunnis were running scared of a Shia bomb. You are hardly anyone to give a lecture about Sunni-Shia relations. Look what a mess your family has created in Iraq.

I am sure you thought the Shias would be bending over backwards when you showed up, "hey cowboy friends, come on in and take our oil for free. Thank you for getting us rid of Sadum. We love you yankee doodles." Now that the world finds you bending over instead, you are hoping to scaremonger those stupid Saudi bedouin kiss-ups of yours into believing that "the Shias are out to get them."

People dumbass are not as stupid as you are and as you think. Everybody there knows they are better off with Shia Iran having the bomb then themselves having a permanent yankee finger up their own timbuktu. Pakistan has already provided the Iranians with help. And Iran would be stupid dropping a bomb on Saudi Arabia or next door on its gulf neighbors with 30% - 60% Shia populations. What the hell are you talking about????

And insofar as Yasser Arafat, nobody took him seriously in the Middle East when he was alive, he was an idiot narcassit, media darling and unwitting tool for Jewish hemogeny. Idiot ruined himself by siding with Saddam in 1991. Yasser never was a serious figure in the Islamist circles. So I have no clue what you are talking about. You have absolutely no clue about Middle Eastern politics. Classic neocon.

Hijaab Baba, recently the Israelis bombed a 'suspected nuclear site' in
Syria. What do you think was the reaction in Saudi Arabia? Quiet approval.

It is not that the Saudis think Syrians would have nuked anyone in the middle east. Just as you correctly point out, Iran will not bomb Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. What they may do(and most likely will if they get hold of a nuke)is try to bomb Israel or the US or the US interests. And the Saudis know that that will surely cause the Saudis to suffer along with your dear Pakis and the others of your and bearded clan.

Do you get it now Hijaab Baba? Or is that woman's hijaab you are wearing making you deaf as well as dumb?

>> Syria. What do you think was the reaction in Saudi Arabia? Quiet approval. <<

When you keep refering to "Saudi Arabia", what you mean is the "Saudi Regime." Because what people in Saudi Arabia hold dear and care about and what the Saudi regime cares about are two very different things. Which is why most of the Muslim World is not too worried about Iran having nuclear weapons. They would be downright stupid to harm ordinary Sunni Muslims in Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and elsewhere. It would be a publicity disaster.

The only people who are shaking in their pants are the Gulf Rulers (including the Saudi Regime), because A. they have oil which the Iranians next door won't mind taking control of and B. because they cold heartedly financed Saddam's war on Iran as puppets of Americans in the 1980s.

The Gulf Rulers do not represent the aspirations of the Sunni Muslim World. They do not even represent the aspirations of the Salfi-Wahabi types. The salafis are in bed with the Gulf rulers more out of necessity and survival, then out of any commonality of purpose or ideology. The Gulf Rulers are basically puppets of American-Israeli interests. They get to live like undemocractic kings in their little oil-ruch fiefdoms, in exchange for protection from the Muslim masses and neighbors by the US and Israeli Military Industrial Complex.

So Dumbkopf, when you harp on and on about Saudi Arabia on this Muslim Website, you are harping on and on about American Israeli interests. You have not a shred of sympathy for ordinary Muslims or for Saudis or for Saudi Arabia itself.

Hijab Baba, that hijab you are wearing is so tight, it must really hurt!

Now that you are the self-appointed spokes'person' for the Muslim community (quite a progressive community at that- to have a tranny for a spokesperson!) 'except the puppet rulers' of course, let me ask you this. What difference does it make what the billion odd Muslims think if they have no power whatsoever to act? Assuming you are right about the Muslim subjects being at odds with the rulers, which is suspect!

Reading what you two write back and forth to each other it is easy to understand why Iran and Israel cannot seem to coexist without the threat of war.

Whether or not you believe the UN was justified in creating Israel (and I do not) the reality is that it exists and the country has prospered (but not the Arabs there). It has a legitimate right to exist and when the Head of a State denys the Holocaust and threatens to exterminate a nation you cannot blame that Nation for being defensive and threatening a fist strike. If someone threatened my son's life I would not wait for the Police to "do nothing".

On the other hand I have Iranian friends and studied with Iranians here in the USA and to me they were not very different than most Americans except for their faith. They wanted the same things in life that I did. I believe most folks in Iran do not want to exterminate Israel and are subject to the rule of "special intersts" as we are here via the Bush government.

However dialogue is necessary not accusations. If war comes and many die or are horribly disfigured for life who will be the guilty party?
Who will say "How did it ever happen?" I served my country in Vietnam and war is not something you read about in books or watch on TV. War is folks like you two having to live with emotional pain worse than any physical pain for the rest of your life. War is the work of Evil and as you both express Faith you should at least talk the talk (as I have no way to know if "you walk the walk").

>> It has a legitimate right to exist and when the Head of a State denys the Holocaust and threatens to exterminate a nation you cannot blame that Nation for being defensive and threatening a fist strike.

But "I'm a dinner jacket" never did say those things. So you need to verify who and why you're defending your son before you do anything drastic.

This new shift in American policy is seemingly worsened by th current Financial crisis. I almost wish the US would suffer continuous financial setbacks. It will result in a faster pullout from Iraq and less threats on Iran. Pakistanis will protect their borders from US incursions and the US is likely to comply. I wish more banks would need bailouts. (All said with my tongue firmly in my cheek)