Gestures of Amiability

U.S. wrestlers were welcomed to Iran on Tuesday with bouquets of pink and white flowers at a time of increasing tensions between the two countries, recalling the days before Tehran's reformers were defeated by its current hard-line leadership.

The Americans, wearing jackets emblazoned with "USA Wrestling," were given the warm greeting by young girls in traditional Iranian dresses at an airport in the southern city of Bandar Abbas.

Warm welcome for U.S. wrestlers in Iran

Doubtless there are some who will interpret this as a devious display of good will, but I am of the belief that the bulk of the Iranian people do not wish to become involved in mutual bloodshed. Stubborn leaders and hidden agendas are pushing us towards lethal confrontation with Iran in lieu of diplomacy. Dovish? Nahh... just practical.

Correction: Iran wrestling story
January 18, 2007

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- In a Jan. 16 story about U.S. wrestlers visiting Iran, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Iran boycotted the 2003 world freestyle wrestling championships in New York. Iran initially announced it would boycott but in the end participated in the tournament.