Near the beginning of the Clinton Administration in September 1993, Anthony Lake, a special assistant to the president, wrote to AIC Founder and President Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi. In his letter, seen below, he speaks of the need for direct dialogue between the US and Iran. He writes, "As Assistant Secretary Djerejian told Congress, despite our concerns about its behavior, we are ready for a dialogue with the Iranian government. We remain prepared to meet face-to-face with authoritative representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran wherever and whenever they choose. Iran has consistently rebuffed this offer before, but it remains open. Of course, we will raise the issues I noted earlier should Iran choose to agree to a direct, authoritative dialogue".