| "[I]f countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us." – President Barack Obama Dear 5849376, The inauguration of Dr. Hassan Rouhani as the new president of Iran presents us with a potentially gamechanging opening for diplomatic engagement to avoid another unnecessary and costly war. President Rouhani, who is no hardliner, campaigned on a pledge to "pursue a policy of reconciliation and peace" and said he will ensure "constructive interaction with the outside world." While hawks have scoffed at President Rouhani's diplomatic overtures, the recently averted American military intervention in Syria is a powerful and timely reminder that diplomacy works. Next Tuesday both President Obama and President Rouhani will be in New York to give speeches at the United Nations General Assembly. Ask President Obama to seize this opportunity to meet with President Rouhani and jumpstart renewed diplomacy with Iran. Click here to automatically sign the petition. The United States have not had direct diplomatic relations with Iran in over 30 years. But President Rouhani, a moderate pragmatist whose electoral victory shocked those following the Iranian president election, represents a stark break from his hardline predecessor. Since taking office, President Rouhani has shown a desire to engage diplomatically with the United States. Now is the time to test his willingness to strike a deal that could prevent rightwing hawks in the U.S. from starting another disastrous war in the Middle East. For diplomacy to succeed, time is of the essence. There may only be a relatively short window of time for negotiations to continue before the military hawks in Congress use a lack of progress as an excuse to tie President Obama's hands and set us on a path that would make war with Iran inevitable. A meeting with President Rouhani would cost President Obama nothing. But after decades of mutual mistrust, a direct meeting between the president of the United States and the president of Iran would help foster the kind of constructive environment that would allow diplomacy to succeed. Ask President Obama to seize this opportunity to meet with President Rouhani and jumpstart renewed diplomacy with Iran. Click the link below to automatically sign the petition: http://act.credoaction.com/go/1920?t=4&akid=8930.3291973._9EmLP Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager
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