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QUESTION: Secretary Clinton said yesterday that Iran has an opportunity to open dialogue with the U.S. And today President Ahmadinejad said that - he demanded that President Obama apologize for past U.S. crime before opening such a dialogue. What is your reaction?
MR. WOOD: Well, again, haven't seen his comments, but I think it's clear from what the Secretary said yesterday and what the President has said that we obviously are reviewing our policy toward Iran. We are certainly interested in having a dialogue with Iran. But with regard to those remarks from President Ahmadinejad, haven't seen them. But I think we've been pretty clear, and the Secretary certainly was yesterday, in terms of how we plan to at least proceed with regard to dealing with Iran.
QUESTION: Do you think that would fit in well with the President's comments, I think on Inauguration Day, that the U.S. would take - would be - would act with more humility worldwide?
MR. WOOD: That's what the President said. He was very clear that this Administration is going to make diplomacy and dialogue the center. And I just don't have anything more on -
QUESTION: But what the --
MR. WOOD: (Inaudible.)
QUESTION: But what President Ahmadinejad was saying was it's nice to say that you want a dialogue with Iran, but not only, like - you know, he didn't - obviously didn't talk about his own policies, but he said that, you know, it can't just be the tone, U.S. policy towards Iran had to change.
MR. WOOD: Well, I think what we want to see is improved behavior on the part of Iran internationally. We're certainly interested in having a dialogue with the Iranian people. Americans are - have a lot of respect for Iran, its culture, and its people. But there are certain things that Iran knows it needs to do if it wants to get back into the good graces of the international community, particularly with regard to its nuclear program, in terms of its activities in supporting terror in the Middle East region. So Iran needs to take a number of steps before the international community is going to welcome it back into its good graces.
QUESTION: Do you think that this position of President Ahmadinejad could have to do with the fact that there are elections scheduled in --
MR. WOOD: Honestly, Sylvie, it's hard for me to say. I don't know what Ahmadinejad is thinking or what the motivation is for his comments.
Sue.
QUESTION: You said that Iran knows what it needs to do. Does that mean suspending its uranium enrichment? Is that what you're referring to? In other words, does that precondition remain?
MR. WOOD: It's been very clear what Iran needs to do. We've said from - many people have said from the U.S. Government that Iran needs to play a positive role in the region of the Middle East. And its nuclear program is one that's of great concern. The Secretary and the President have said it would be unacceptable for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. And again, there are a number of steps Iran needs to take before it can get back into the good graces of the international community.
QUESTION: But what about specifically the suspension of enrichment? Is that one of those things? I mean, you've said - I'm not sure that I know what Iran has to do anymore because there's been a change of administration.
MR. WOOD: Well --
QUESTION: So maybe if you could --
MR. WOOD: Well, one of the things --
QUESTION: -- maybe if you could just illuminate me on that.
MR. WOOD: Sure. One of the things that the Administration has said is that we are undertaking a review of our policy on Iran. That review is ongoing. And before I get into more specifics about where we're going to go with regard to various positions on Iran, that review has to be completed. However, it is very clear that Iran's nuclear program is of trouble to not just the United States, but to a number of countries around the world. And it needs to take - it needs to take steps to address those concerns of the international community, and I think we all know what they are.
QUESTION: So in other words, until you've finished your review, there's going to be no real change? You're just going to be in a sort of coasting along?
MR. WOOD: That was your word, coasting. It's not ours. There's going to be - there'll be a P5+1 meeting coming up, as I spoke to yesterday. And we're going to be engaging with our partners to try to figure out how we go forward. And those partners are going to be interested in hearing what Under Secretary Burns is going to have to say, and we go from there.
QUESTION: Do you have any time and- sorry, Sylvie. Do you have any time and date and who's -- you just said Ambassador Burns will be attending. Is that --
MR. WOOD: That's right.
QUESTION: Yeah.
MR. WOOD: I don't have the dates. As I said yesterday, refer you to the Germans. Yeah.
QUESTION: But is the suspension of nuclear activity or enrichment activity still a precondition to a dialogue?
MR. WOOD: Sylvie, I think I've spoken to that already what needs to be done. Iran's nuclear program is of concern.
QUESTION: What needs to - no, you - you weren't specific about what - you said there needs to be a review. You didn't say what they need to do.
MR. WOOD: I said there's a review. It's underway. You got to let me finish. There's a review that's underway. Iran's nuclear program, regardless of conditions, it is of serious concern to the international community. And Iran knows the steps that it needs to take, it's been outlined, and we want to see Iran take those steps. And that's about as far as I'm going to go on that.
QUESTION: It is not a precondition anymore?
QUESTION: I don't understand --
MR. WOOD: Just a second.
QUESTION: It's not a precondition anymore.
MR. WOOD: I've said what I can say on that subject right now.
QUESTION: I just don't understand what the difference between prior Secretary Rice's preconditions for meeting are and Secretary Clinton's preconditions are. President Obama indicated that there would be a change of policy and openness. But clearly, you're saying that there are preconditions for a meeting and we're just not clear about--
MR. WOOD: I didn't - I did not say there are preconditions for a meeting. I said, first of all, our Iran policy is under review. But I said there are international concerns about Iran's nuclear program that are known, and the international community wants to see them addressed. That's what I was saying.
QUESTION: Robert, this is - with Iran being such a high-profile issue with this Administration, when can we expect to see somebody, like a special envoy, who will be tasked specifically with looking at this?
MR. WOOD: I can't say when that will happen. But clearly, the focus of our efforts here, once the review is complete and once we have the - you know, the complete team in place, will be how we can convince Iran to -- you know, to back down from moving forward with its nuclear program. As I said, it's a major concern.
QUESTION: But it seems quite noticeable at this point that there is a lack of a special representative on that issue when you have two other very important places that very quickly got somebody in command.
MR. WOOD: Well, look, when we're ready to announce someone to, you know, deal with the Iran portfolio, and somebody will do that -- it's a concern - Iran's program and Iran's behavior worldwide, but I can't tell you when that's going to happen. But we'll certainly let you know as soon as we can on that.
QUESTION: Are you in the process of reviewing candidates? Is that what's holding it up?
MR. WOOD: I'm not going to get into the --
QUESTION: It's part of the review.
MR. WOOD: -- process of what's going on.
QUESTION: How long will that review take?
MR. WOOD: It's hard to put a timeframe on it.
Yes.
QUESTION: Change of subject? On Pakistan.
MR. WOOD: Anybody else on this subject?
QUESTION: Robert?
MR. WOOD: Yes, Dan.
QUESTION: Does the - to the apologies to Iran about the U.S.'s past conduct issued by President Clinton in 1999 and Secretary Albright in 2000, do those still apply?
MR. WOOD: This is a new Administration, so - those were previous administrations, so I don't have anything more to say on that.
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