Almost unanimously, both U.S. and other foreign relations professionals have quietly rejected and are openly critical of the Bush administration's refusal to permit Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to lay a wreath in memory of the people killed on 9/11 at the site of the World Trade Center.

Diplomatic professionals viewed Ahmadinejad's request as an open offer to begin a relationship with the U.S. Bush's open rejection of the offer is viewed as not only rejecting the Iranian offer, but an attempt to openly embarrass the Iranian president. Most experts, including almost all of our career diplomats view the decision as a tremendous opportunity missed.

Did you ever consider that Iran actually does desire an opening of negotiations with the U.S. and knows that no such action can or will be taken if John McCain is elected? Don't forget that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not necessariy the "face"of Iran. It is a very young and well-educated country whose residents would very much prefer a peaceful relationship with the U.S. as opposed to the non-relationship fomented by the Bush-Cheney neocons? Do you recall any other Iranian making statements about Israel other than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

Don't get me wrong. There are still deep-seated feelings in Iran over the U.S. arranging for the overthrow of popular and nationalistic Mohammad Mosaddeq, replacing him with our choice the brutal dictator, the Shah of Iran. That decision pretty much the same issue as has effected all U.S.-Middle East relations since--oil. Mossaddeq wanted to nationalize the Iranian oil industry, and we wanted the American-freindly companies running the Iranian oil industry to reamin in power. So we arranged to have Mossaddeq removed and replaced with the Shah, who was freindly to the U.S., but a brutal and hated dictator of the Iranian people.

No, any improvement in the relationship between the U.S. and Iran is likely to take some time. But it almost certainly can't begin without a continuing dialog.