Mr. President: RSVP to Ahmadinejad

Coincidentally, on the same day that President Bush received the 8-page letter written in Farsi from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, I received a little green book with Arabic writing on the cover. At first glance, it looked fairly radical. Perhaps it was the collected sayings of Sayyid Qutb.

Although my Arabic is rusty, I could read the title: "Constitution of the United States of America." The pocket-sized booklet was sent to me by a senior fellow at the CATO Institute whom I met recently at a conference. Published by CATO, the booklet is an Arabic translation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

As I thumbed through the booklet, with Arabic on one side and English on the other, I thought that this could indeed be a subversive document, especially were it to be widely distributed in the Arab world.

Words and ideas are powerful things. They propel revolutions and legitimize--and sometimes de-legitimize--political systems. In the struggle against nihilistic Islamic extremism, words and ideas ultimately will be more important than smart bombs or boots on the ground.

Reading through the 8 tedious pages of Ahmadinejad's letter, one might dismiss it as a wacky diatribe from a less-than-rational leader. But, using powerful words of his own, the Iranian leader taps into long-simmering grievances against the United States that are held in the Middle East and other parts of the developing world.

Americans may not agree with his interpretation of history and religion, or his incessant demonization of Israel. But many people across the Muslim world do share his perspective and will find his words compelling. We should not simply dismiss such sentiments as ridiculous. Instead, we should challenge and refute them in active, open discourse.

The letter clearly was written more for Ahmadinejad's domestic audience than for the American president to whom it was posted. But it provides President Bush with an opportunity to address the Iranian people, and the broader Muslim world, in an unconventional and innovative way. Bush should call Ahmadinejad's bluff and reply to him in writing. And the White House should post Farsi and Arabic translations of his letter on the internet.

Some might argue that, by responding to the Iranian hothead with a letter of his own, Bush would undermine the dignity of his office. But choosing to respond in a serious and thoughtful manner could open the door for a contest of ideas similar to that which took place during the Cold War. It might help break the diplomatic impasse with Iran, and could also score some points in the region. Even if his answers don't satisfy many Muslim readers, the fact that the American president replied in writing to the Iranian president would be a significant symbolic gesture. Even if it produces no positive results, it certainly couldn't make matters any worse than they already are.

Iran may indeed be seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. From a foreign policy "realist" perspective, acquiring a nuclear deterrence capability is a rational move to enhance Iran's own security, especially with US combat troops on two of its borders, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But even if Iran's motives are purely "defensive" -- which is unlikely -- its actions are increasing the insecurity of its neighbors. This is what political scientists call a "security dilemma." And security dilemmas have a nasty habit of producing arms races and tit-for-tat reactions that can spiral out of control.

The best way to overcome a security dilemma is through clearer communication. After the Cuban Missile crisis--the classic security dilemma--the US and the USSR set up the Hotline. They still didn't trust each other, but they knew they had to communicate in order to understand each other's intentions and to avoid an unintentional nuclear war.

Opening new lines of communication, even as tensions increase, can only be good policy. We maintained diplomatic relations with Soviet Union throughout the Cold War, and we have an embassy in Damascus despite our poor relations with Syria. So why can't we talk to the Iranians? Who knows where a letter from Bush might lead?

I'm not sure if CATO plans to publish the US Constitution in Farsi. If they do,
Bush could include a copy with his letter to Ahmadinejad.