Does Penitence Work in Foreign Policy?

President Obama has decided to either apologize for American past "misdeeds" around the world (for example, not defending US attempts to oust Castro after he betrayed the Cuban Revolution), or to act much more deferential and conciliatory to international bad apples like Iran. So much for changing the tone: Iran arrests a journalist and a blogger, gives them hour-long trials, and delivers stiff prison sentences for "spying". The New York Times assures us that
Mr. Ahmadinejad will do his utmost (read: not much) to guarantee them due process. Gee, thanks.