This blog and its title were inspired by Henry Kissinger, quoted in “Lunch with the FT: Henry Kissinger”, Financial Times, May 24/25, 2008, Interview conducted by Stephen Graubard, found here.
“I ask him to outline specifically what his policy on Iran would be. He is firm in his response: “I have advocated that the United States have comprehensive negotiations with Iran … We need to have an open discussion of all differences.” This, in his mind, requires Iran to decide “whether it is a nation or a cause. If Iran thinks of itself as a nation or can be brought to do so, it can be accorded a respected place in the international system.” America’s relations with the Shah – who was Kissinger’s friend – were never simply personal, he says; they were grounded in an understanding of the strategic importance of Iran, a situation that still holds today. “Any serious effort to compromise differences between the United States must begin in bilateral negotiation, with each side seeking to understand the other’s perceptions. In the end the negotiations must become multilateral, leading to an international accord that will engage all of Iran’s neighbours.” Kissinger sums up his position: “The challenge is to find a formula for resolving the Iran nuclear issue that allows for effective supervision and control acceptable to the international community.”
Neal Coates is a professor and chair of the Department of Political Science & Criminal Justice at Abilene Christian University. He teaches courses about international relations and international law, including Politics of the Middle East and courses on Iran, Israel, and on Terrorism. He has published and presented on topics such as the Bush Doctrine, democracy and terrorism in the Middle East, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Coates has taught at ACU since 1999, and holds a J.D. from the University of Kansas and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Connecticut.
In his course “Iran and Nuclear Weapons”, a number of topics are covered. This includes Geography, Life in Iran, Culture, Media and the Internet, History of Iran, Islam, Sunnis, Shiites, Sharia, 1979 Revolution, Support of Terrorism, Hezbollah, Government, Democracy and the 2009 Election, Holocaust Denial, 12th Imam, Natural Resources and Economy, Military, Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, Nuclear Energy and Weapons, United States and Iran, Sanctions, and the JCPOA.
Coates has penned a number of op-eds regarding the JCPOA (the “Iran Nuclear Deal”).