In Case You Missed It: "It is a Question of Whether it is Tone or Substance ... So Far it Really has Been a Change in Tone."

In Case You Missed It: "It is a Question of Whether it is Tone or Substance ... So Far it Really has Been a Change in Tone."   UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, Discusses Iranian President Rouhani's Recent Actions on UK's "Channel 4 News" [Click here to read UANI's August 5 Op-Ed, "Rouhani's Head Fake," by Ambassador Wallace and Ambassador Mark P. Lagon.] Channel 4 News London September 19, 2013 JON SNOW, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: Is there even a smidgen of optimism in your mind? ... AMBASSADOR MARK D. WALLACE, UANI: I think it is a question of whether it is tone or substance. I think if substance and concrete actions follow from the change of tone, I think we would all welcome that change in behavior. But so far it really has been a change in tone. Certainly none of us wanted to suffer the bombastic, very hateful comments of President Ahmadinejad. And the new president, known as the "Diplomatic Sheik," is living true to his name by being very diplomatic and being very polite and courteous. But within those courteous remarks you are seeing the signs of a very similar policy as the Ahmadinejad administration. Of course saying he's not a historian when it comes to whether or not the Holocaust existed--I don't think you need to be a historian to be able to say that the Holocaust did in fact occur. ... WALLACE: We wrote an Op-Ed in early August [saying] that you would see certain signs, for example releasing a few political prisoners, taking a few actions to improve the human rights situation in Iran, even while numerous, numerous executions are occurring in Iran, hundreds of political prisoners remain. He is doing this as a show of good will and good faith to change the tone, but as I said it's really concrete actions that we're all looking for. ... WALLACE: I'm hopeful, but I think we have to be realistic. Certainly, for those political prisoners that were released it is a tremendous, good thing, and I really celebrate it for their families as well. But hundreds more remain, there has been nearly an execution per day ... President Obama has made it very clear that he is willing to engage Iran. He said it in his inaugural, and he has repeated it ever since. And to date the Iranians have refused those interactions. I hope that will change, but even when that meeting takes place, the question will become: is Iran going to change its negotiating tactics and be open to a deal? ### United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

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