An Asia Strategy for Iran
The only clear lesson to emerge so far from Iran’s disputed presidential election is that the country has a vibrant and dynamic civil society, which means there is real hope that Iran can change, modernize, and open up, just as the rest of Asia has. Indeed, the West should stop trying to isolate Iran and instead encourage it to engage more with Asia.
SINGAPORE − When the ongoing turmoil surrounding the Iranian elections finally ends, the West is likely to walk away with a simple black and white judgment: the bad guys won. Of course, the West did the right thing by supporting the good guys, the street demonstrators. Hence, the West need not bear any responsibility for the outcome.