Certain ex-girlfriends of mine have complained that I'd never wrote them letters. It's not true, I did write reams of words, but none were crafted enough for my insecure perfectionism to consider submittable. The latter writings, in particular, they wouldn't want to read, anyway.
So, when leaders write to each other, it's surely meant to express sweetness or anger or something they just can't talk about in person.
Reports that Ahmedinejad's written Bush a letter, delivered via Swiss Embassy courier, strikes me as pretty humorous, but also insightful into how stilted domestic rhetoric plays and bleeds over into international relations. The simple fact that Ahmedinejad's sending a letter means two things:
1. He's got a Khomeni complex.
This is obvious to Iran watchers due to Ahmedinejad's attempts to fire up his base with religious rhetoric. Iran, you might recall, actually has a council of Ayatollahs to do this if necessary, and Amedinejad's not an ayatollah (no matter what Americans who've been frightened think). Need further proof? Check out the historic letter that Khomeni sent to Gorbachev in 1989 [NYT summary].
"If you wish to put an end to the economic woes of socialism and communism by simply resorting to the core of estern capitalism, you will not only not ease the pains prevalent in the Soviet society, but others must come after you to offset the mistakes you will have committed," since communism will be relegated to the "museums of the world's political history, since Marxism cannot meet any of the real needs of human beings."
He wants his public to know that he's a leader of the highest caliber, emulating the guy who's created the modern state of Iran. Further, sending a letter into the international ether brings up the next point.
2. Diplomacy's still an option
I've said this all along: the 20+ year history of US-Iran relations has been so dominated by inflammatory rhetoric that rhetorical enemity means nothing more than that there's willingness to talk, the contents aren't as immediately relevant. That both the US and Iran have used (lately) the IAEA as go between for their issues and this letter is just the latest in the stable and ongoing pattern of talky. Note, not "bomby," but talky. Since there aren't any direct talks between the US and Iran (this has been overdue and really needs to happen), floating a letter in a bottle is about as effective a means of direct communications as exists. The international stage is exploited quite well by both Iran and the US to play out what seems to be high drama. (Thanks UN, for scurring and scrambling and the tearing of hair!) This latest in dramatics continues to highlight the very apparent void of behind the scenes, back channel diplomacy that could be going on, but apparently hasn't been. Is this letter trying to say what they don't know how to say? "What I learned in my last relationship: Communicate more."