Wexler on Iran, America’s Image

Martine Kaplan — July 29, 2009 – 11:39 am | Foreign Policy | Iran Comments (0) Add a comment

Last week, Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Europe, spoke with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about engagement, democracy and soft power.  Below are some of his comments.

On America’s resurgent image in the world:

It’s what President Obama represents, it’s his keen intellect, it’s his extraordinary charisma, it is the substantive nature of the policies he is promoting, it’s the manner in which he communicates with people, and it’s not a communication style that is dictatorial—it is a communication style that is engaging…. Also, when the president of the United States, in essence, tells the world that he’s willing to engage with leaders that are fundamentally opposed to his policies, such as leaders in Iran or leaders in Venezuela, leaders in Cuba, or wherever it may be, I think many people in the world sit back and say, “Well that’s the America I’ve always loved and respected.”

On soft power:

There is a consensus of thought that for the amount of money that we spend, which is relatively small, the value of what we gain as a result of the efforts of Radio Free Europe, of Voice of America, and the other institutions, is that this is arguably one of the most cost-effective ways to engage public opinion across the world, globally, to exert smart power, soft power, whatever the right term is, in a way that wins the hearts and minds of people all across the world, and from a position not of propaganda, but from a position of simply enabling access to information.

On Iran:

What does Iran need to do? They need to comply with the agreements that they have signed, in terms of the nuclear weapons proliferations accord. They need to stop enriching uranium in violation of international agreements. They need to allow inspectors into all facets of their programs.

Again, in all aspects of their program, they have misled and acted fraudulently for decades in terms of their responsibilities with respect to their nuclear program. There’s no reason to believe that they are not continuing to mislead and acting in a fraudulent fashion, and like the secretary has said, again, consistent with what the president has said, is that we will give them an opportunity to engage, which will be done for the purpose of changing their behavior.

The policy is no longer a change in the regime, but it is a policy of change of behavior, change of action. So what does Iran need to do? They need to change their behavior, and they need to do it relatively quickly, within the timeframe that the secretary and the president have outlined.

To read the complete transcript, click here.

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