Iran: Apology Shmology

Much hay has been made over the President's apology for the United States' role in the 1953 coup against Mohammad Mossadeq. Despite the fact that Mossadeq was ruling by emergency decree at the time and had threatened President Eisenhower that he would align Iran (and its energy supplies) with the Soviet Union, Mossadeq is remembered in Iran today as something of a George Washington figure, an enlightened leader.

So maybe the President's apology will get us somewhere with Iran?

Probably not.

Few seem to remember that Secretary of State Madeline Albright already apologized on behalf of Kim Roosevelt and the CIA in 2000. The response from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was hardly enthusiastic:

They [American officials] know what they are doing. All this talk on their part about starting a dialogue with the government of Iran is just another ploy. They are laying the groundwork for their future sinister plots. These are deceptions. It is not as if some people can approach America in the hope of starting a dialogue. America's animosity will not be resolved through discussions. America is only pursuing its own interests in Iran. If on the one hand a puppet government, similar to that of the former shah rules Iran, then the country will suffer, as it did before. If on the other hand, an independent government manages Iran, then America would act with hostility towards it, as it is doing today. And if we compare these two alternatives we come to the conclusion that a nation suffers considerably less for standing up to America than if it were to surrender to the latter's bullying. The brave Iranian nation has stood up to America's conspiracies, deceptions and interference. The Iranian nation has relied on its innate strength, intelligence, courage and the country's capable officials to fight its enemies.

The Iranian nation will be able to make all its enemies including America regret their animosity towards Iran - as some of Iran's former enemies have done so.