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This is Theta for October 4, 2013.
On Friday, September 27th, United States President Barack Obama had a 15 minute telephone conversation
with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani.
It is not uncommon—and especially not newsworthy—that two world leaders would have a telephone conversation
together. But the exchange between Obama and Rouhani is noteworthy because it is the first
official communication the country’s governments have had with each other since 1980.
Here is a bit of the history.
In the year 1856 the United States had its first diplomatic relations with Iran when
the two nations entered an international trade agreement. At the time Iran was wary of European
colonial ambitions and saw an alliance with the United States as a safe opportunity to
expand trade.
But relations soured slightly in the early 1950s when the democratically elected prime
minister of Iran, Mohammad Mosaddegh, expelled all foreign oil companies from Iran in an
effort to have all Iranian oil production controlled by the state. In 1953 a joint US
and British effort led to the coup which removed Mosaddegh from power and reinstated western
oil companies in the country.
Despite the overthrow of his prime minister, the reigning Shah (or King) of Iran at the
time, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, retained close relations with the United States. Shah Pahlavi
firmly believed (contrary to many in his country) that close ties with the United States would
lead to better economic opportunities and modernization for Iran.
But over the decades the Shah’s close relations with the West were a cause for suspicion among
some of the more conservative Muslim clerics in his country.
In October 1977 Iranian students began demonstrating in public against the Shah and an anti-Shah,
anti-American movement grew quickly. By February 1979 what had become the Iranian Revolution
removed the shah from power and abolished the Iranian monarchy. Iranians had grown to
despise their shah and, along with him, the western influence of the United States.
In November of 1979 a group of Iranian students supporting the Iranian Revolution invaded
and took over the United States embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage in the
process. The siege lasted for 444 days until, in January of 1981, the People’s Republic
of Algeria helped to work out a peaceful end to the conflict. On April 7th of that year,
with the hostages safely back at home, the United States officially broke off diplomatic
relations with Iran.
This phone call last Friday between Presidents Obama and Rouhani represent the first efforts
to heal more than 30 years of bitter animosity.
As was expected, the government of the United States failed to reach a budget consensus
this past week resulting in the first government shut down in almost 20 years.
The following news package, produced by Voice of America, provides the latest details on
this story which was our Theta story for analysis last week.
Reporter: President Obama met with a group of Republican law makers at the White House
late Wednesday in another effort to reach a compromise that would end the shut down.
After about an hour of talks the parties had not resolved their standoff over President
Obama’s signature health care iniative. Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner
accused the Democrats of refusing to negotiation.
John Boehner: You know, at times like this the American people expect their leaders to
come together and to try to find ways to resovle their differences. The President reiterated
one more time tonight that he will not negotiate.
Reporter: Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed disappointment that Republicans
do not want to discuss a new budget, but only a temporary measure to reopen the government.
Harry Reid: We have the debt ceiling staring us in the face and he wants to talk about
a short term CR [continuing resolution]. I thought that they were concerned about the
long term fiscal affairs of this country. And we said we are, too. Let’s talk about
it.
Reporter: Before the meeting, President Obama told CNBC television that he has made every
effort to cooperate with the Reublican Party without success. He said another temporary
spending measure would give lawmakers time to negotiate on a real new budget.
Barak Obama: Let’s get a budget that allows people to plan over the long term, that allows
us to deal with our fiscal problems in a sensible, reasonable way even on an issue like healthcare.
Reporter: President Obama said the shut down could end any time if Boehner—the top Republican
in the House of Represetnatives—would allow a vote on reopening the government at current
funding levels.
Barack Obama: And if and when they vote to make sure Congress pays our bills on time
so America does not default on costs it has already accrued, then I am prepared to have
a reasonable, civil, negotiation around a whole slew of issues.
Reporter: But Mr. Obama said some Republicans are willing to allow the United States to
default on its debt for the first time in history regardless of the consequences because
of their obsession to repeal the new health care act that has been passed by Congress
and declared constitutional.
Barak Obama: Am I exasperated? Absolutely I am exasperated, because this is entirely
unnecessary.
Reporter: Mr. Obama wants to raise the US government’s borrowing limit before an October
17 deadline. He says if this shut down continues it could have disastrous consequences for
the US economy. {?} VOA News, Washington.
Violence is increasing in the Republic of the Sudan.
For years the east African Sudanese government had subsidized the price of fuel in the country,
making gasoline and other products available very cheaply to the people of the Sudan. But
ever since the southern most region of the Sudan seceded in 2011 to form the Republic
of Southern Sudan, the government of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has struggled to
maintain peace and stability in the country.
Along with South Sudanese independence, the Republic of Sudan lost most of its oil revenue
since the richest and most plentiful oil fields in the region lie within the territory of
South Sudan. The loss of oil income has created a significant financial strain on the country
and prompted the Sudanese government to end the subsidies.
As crowds of Sudanese gathered last Friday to protest the repeal of the oil subsidies,
Sudanese government security forces attempted to disperse the people by firing teargas into
the gathering. Outside observers report as many as 50 Sudanese were killed in skirmishes
with police.
On Saturday the funeral procession for a prominent Sudanese man turned into a protest and government
forces again fired on the crowd, this time with live ammunition. The government of Sudan
denies that it has killed any of its citizens.
The people of the Sudan are calling for the resignation of their President Omar al-Bashir
who has ruled the country since a 1989 coup which overthrew the previous government.
Today’s story on Theta is the growing refugee crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic. How did
the situation get to where it is today? What are the people of Syria fighting over? Watch
the news package provided on the “Today’s Story” page using the button above and then
move over to our “Analysis” page for some more of the background information.