Clinton Meets Wrestlers Who Wowed Iranians

In a direct signal of his administration’s interest in resuming relations with Iran, President Clinton met Thursday with U.S. wrestlers who made a groundbreaking visit to Tehran and encouraged other Americans to participate in exchanges with Iranian organizations.

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said Clinton was “encouraged by the warm reception” that Iran extended to the American wrestling team last month and welcomes increased contact between citizens of the two long-standing adversaries.

“People-to-people contact,” McCurry added, “is something useful for both nations.”

The White House visit, highly unusual for an otherwise minor group of athletes, was intended to reciprocate the interest initiated by Iran’s reformist President Mohammad Khatami, a senior administration official said.

In January, the new Iranian leader called for opening a “crack in the wall of mistrust” through cultural exchanges between Iran and the United States. Khatami urged a cultural dialogue to prevent a “clash of civilizations.”

“We want to encourage Khatami’s efforts and send a signal back,” the administration official said. “President Clinton wants to see an end to the estrangement of people, and [the wrestlers] are a symbol of trying to do that.”

Adding further to the symbolism of Thursday’s event was the attendance of Bruce Laingen, the highest-ranking U.S. hostage held in Iran for 444 days after that nation’s Islamic revolution in 1979. Laingen’s presence showed the support of former hostages for U.S. reconciliation with Iran, a U.S. official said.

Normally, the president hosts only sports teams that have won national titles or international championships. In this case, the five American wrestlers--Zeke Jones, Kevin Jackson, Melvin Douglas, Shawn Charles and John Giura--competed in the Takhti Cup, a tournament in which they won a gold and two silver medals.

The wrestlers presented the president with their gold medal and one of their silver medals.

What made the wrestling match such an important symbol was the timing. The sporting event was held during the 19th anniversary of Iran’s revolution, which toppled a U.S.-backed monarch who had been reinstalled to the Peacock Throne in 1953 by the CIA after a nationalist uprising forced him to flee.

After a conciliatory speech by Khatami this year, the White House encouraged the wrestlers to go to the tournament in Iran, U.S. officials said. Wrestling is one of Iran’s two most popular sports, along with soccer, and the U.S. team played to packed crowds. It made such a positive impression that it was cheered wildly even when members defeated Iranians.

The movement between Iran and the United States is now two-way. Zahra Shojaie, the Cabinet-level advisor to Khatami on women’s affairs, spoke this week at various universities and think tanks in New York and Washington. Three weeks ago, Moustafa Torkzahrani, an academic who trains Iran’s career diplomats, participated in the first cultural exchange visit to the United States.

Although Washington is showing flexibility on Iranian visits, U.S. officials stress that they have not yet seen changes in key areas that have blocked improved relations: Iran’s opposition to the Middle East peace process and the U.S. belief that the regime supports extremist groups and is attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction.