Roxana Saberi - Concession or Justice?
You have probably heard of the American journalist Roxana Saberi, who was imprisoned in January by Iran on charges of spying. Saberi protested her innocence, and even embarked on a hunger strike. She was released this week.
Saberi became a touch-point in diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran. The New York Times reports that: “The Iranian government, some analysts said, sought to use the arrest of a journalist to gain leverage in talks with the United States over its nuclear program and other matters.” Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/world/middleeast/12iran.html
There are several theories about why Saberi was released.
On Foreign Policy’s blog Shadow Government (http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/05/12/how_to_understand_the_case_of_roxana_saberi), the author Michael Singh theorizes that Saberi’s release was a negotiation tactic by the Iranians, in order to appear as if they have made a concession.
This is interesting because it goes to the role of perception in negotiations, especially in diplomatic negotiations. If we think the other party is making a fair concession, are we also likely to make a concession? In this case, what concession is Iran looking for from the United States? Is this merely a power play?
Diplomatic negotiations with an authoritarian regime like Iran’s tend to be largely based on assumptions. Dr. Chester Karrass says in his book Give and Take: The Complete Guide to Negotiating Strategies and Tactics:
“The reality of negotiation is that we must and should make assumptions about our opponents. We must assess as best we can what they can or will do, what risks they are willing to take, and what decision criteria are most important...The important thing to remember is that your assumptions are just that. They are no better than poorly educated guesses, at best.”
In this case, the United States faces hurdles in verifying assumptions, because we depend on the Iranians to give us information and access. We may never know what the Iranians intended with Saberi’s arrest or release.
Is Saberi being used as a pawn in US-Iran negotiations? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Saberi became a touch-point in diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran. The New York Times reports that: “The Iranian government, some analysts said, sought to use the arrest of a journalist to gain leverage in talks with the United States over its nuclear program and other matters.” Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/world/middleeast/12iran.html
There are several theories about why Saberi was released.
On Foreign Policy’s blog Shadow Government (http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/05/12/how_to_understand_the_case_of_roxana_saberi), the author Michael Singh theorizes that Saberi’s release was a negotiation tactic by the Iranians, in order to appear as if they have made a concession.
This is interesting because it goes to the role of perception in negotiations, especially in diplomatic negotiations. If we think the other party is making a fair concession, are we also likely to make a concession? In this case, what concession is Iran looking for from the United States? Is this merely a power play?
Diplomatic negotiations with an authoritarian regime like Iran’s tend to be largely based on assumptions. Dr. Chester Karrass says in his book Give and Take: The Complete Guide to Negotiating Strategies and Tactics:
“The reality of negotiation is that we must and should make assumptions about our opponents. We must assess as best we can what they can or will do, what risks they are willing to take, and what decision criteria are most important...The important thing to remember is that your assumptions are just that. They are no better than poorly educated guesses, at best.”
In this case, the United States faces hurdles in verifying assumptions, because we depend on the Iranians to give us information and access. We may never know what the Iranians intended with Saberi’s arrest or release.
Is Saberi being used as a pawn in US-Iran negotiations? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Labels: Negotiation Strategies
posted by Karrass at
11:30 AM
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