Election Turmoil Complicates U.S. Overture to Iran (VIDEO)

From the Los Angeles Times, "Iran Election Result Makes a U.S. Overture More Difficult:

The reelection of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a stinging setback to the Obama administration's hopes of cultivating a better relationship with the Islamic Republic.

U.S. officials insisted Saturday that they intended to press forward with their effort to engage Iran, despite their misgivings about the outcome of the election. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said U.S. officials were "watching and waiting," and hoping that "the outcome reflects the will of the Iranian people."

Yet the disputed victory by Ahmadinejad was clearly a disappointment for the administration, coming one day after President Obama hailed the public debate in Iran as a sign that its people were open to "new possibilities."

Former U.S. officials and other experts said the outcome could make it even harder for the United States to work with Iran.

Bruce Riedel, a veteran U.S. intelligence official now at the Brookings Institution think tank, said that if the divisions from the election lingered, Iran would be less able to begin diplomacy.

"Iran in turmoil will not be ready to engage Obama," he said.

If the world comes to see Iran's government as illegitimate, diplomatic outreach and new incentives from the United States will come to look like a questionable idea.

More at the link.

Daniel Pipes has an updated analysis, "Assessing the Iranian Election." This is key:

Ahmadinejad symbolizes the rejection of Barack Obama's overtures to Iran and, as such, his selection represents a slap in the face of the American president's pro-Islamist policies.

Meanwhile, here's this from CNN, "Ahmadinejad to Hold Victory Rally Amid Protests." And from the Washington Post, "Ahmadinejad Vows New Start As Clashes Flare."

See also, "Reformists Arrested Following Street Clashes in Iran."

And check Memeorandum for updates.