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Source: http://www.bitterlemons-international.org/inside.php?id=1103
Will Iran Respond to U.S. Engagement?
[bitterlemons-international.org] Michael Rubin - Every U.S. president has sought rapprochement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, all presidents discover they are powerless to resolve differences with Tehran when Iran's leadership does not desire it. The Islamic Republic is an ideological entity. It roots sovereignty not in the will of its citizens but upon the notion that the supreme leader acts as a place holder for the Hidden Imam. To deflect responsibility for failure, it pays to have an enemy to rally masses around the flag. Iran's leadership has determined that the U.S. - the "Great Satan" - is it. Meaningful rapprochement would mean the regime's demise. Therefore, Iranian authorities impose ever more obstacles. Ahmadinejad's recent speech at Geneva and the arrest of Iranian-American journalist Roxanna Saberi are just the beginning. The writer is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.