Wednesday, September 24, 2008

US, Iran Hold Secrets Talks in Geneva

Over the last week of July 1988, Washington and Tehran have exchanged a few messages through a third party, not known but most likely to be Swiss officials. The message from the US administration is said to congratulate Iran for accepting the ceasefire and to seek the help of Iranians officials to secure the safe release of the US citizens held hostage in Lebanon.Iranian leaders have publicly said that they would use their influence over Hezbollah if the US returns Iranian assets frozen following the Islamic revolution.Fearful that such agreement would resurrect the memories of the Iran-Contra affair, the Reagan administration immediately rejected such a demand. At least, that is what the American public was told. (According to former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, the assets were almost entirely returned.)On Oct. 6, 1988, L. Paul Bremer, described as "preposterous" a spate of reports that the US had offered money or weapons to Tehran in order to secure the release of American hostages held in Lebanon. The US president himself denied any such ongoing deals with Tehran. Read full story

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