June 27th, 2007 by Matt

Bill Richardson delivered a foreign policy address today at the Center for National Policy, focusing mainly on his ideas for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue. Though he did not address democracy promotion directly, a few statements he made gave a sense of his general feelings about it. In discussing his plan for a “New Realism” in American foreign policy, Richardson explicitly rejected the tactic of pushing for regime change in Iran, arguing that it would only engender more distrust in the Iranian government and more defensive nationalism in the Iranian people. He said that the U.S. should not fund emigre groups who seek to topple the regime, and should squelch any regime change rhetoric. Instead, he advocated for a dialogue with moderate elements within Iran, such as business and civil society leaders.

Richardson was guardedly optimistic about prospects for more democratic reform in Iran, noting that many elements of a modern democracy already exist, including a national conversation about the need for more democratic freedoms. Richardson expressed a desire to strengthen moderates and isolate extremists across the Middle East, and said that Iran was a good place to start, as many moderates are “waiting in the wings” as the hard-line policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prove mostly unsuccessful.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a post on reaction to the speech, as it will undoubtedly filter in.

Posted in Election 08, Iran, US politics |