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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

A New Disciple for Nechaev

2010-02-13

By Amir Taheri "When you find yourself in a corner, provoke the adversary to change the situation." This piece of advice comes from Nechaev, the 19th century anarchist and ideological father of several generations of European anarchists and provocateurs. His advice has been heeded by many politicians and activists who, with no credible program to offer, tried to hide their ideological nakedness behind a fig leaf of provocation. The so-called developing world, including our own region has also seen a number of provocateurs, almost always ending in disaster. There was Jamal Abdul-Nasser who provoked a war that he knew he could not win. We had General Yahya Khan of Pakistan who dragged his country into a war with India, knowing that the result would be tragic for his side. The Ugandan despot Idi Amin provoked a war with Tanzania just as the Khmer Rouge tyrants triggered a military conflict with Vietnam, both knowing full well that they were committing political suicide. The Serbian tin-pot despot Slobodan Milosevic proved equally suicidal when he refused to understand that Europe, indeed the world as a whole, had become a different place. Moe recently, we had the monster of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who dug his own grave with a policy of deliberate provocation. It now seems that Nechaev may have acquired an Iranian disciple in the person of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. From the start of his presidency less than five years ago, Ahmadinejad decided to dig himself a hole by scrapping an agreement that his predecessor Muhammad Khatami had reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding a temporary suspension of Iran's programme for enriching low-grade uranium. Iran did not, and still does not, need such uranium. Most Iranian experts agree that spending vast sums of money and provoking conflict with the outside world to acquire a stockpile of enriched uranium makes no sense unless the regime's ultimate aim is to build an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Thus the Khomeinist regime's latest decision to scrap the latest talks with the IAEA and start producing a stockpile of higher grade enriched uranium, up to 20 per cent, is nothing but a deliberate provocation. Having dug a hole for himself and the country, Ahmadinejad has decided to continue digging even deeper. The latest provocation means that the United Nations' Security Council must ignore five of its own resolutions all passed unanimously, and surrender to Mr. Ahmadinejad or to meet Tehran's challenge with stronger measures that could ultimately lead to military action. Tehran's latest move has drawn negative responses even from Russia and China, the only two of the permanent members of the Security Council that had so far tried to placate the Islamic Republic through diplomatic moves. Tehran may have also lost the opportunity offered it by the advent of barrack Hussein Obama as President of the United States. Obama was the only high rank American politician prepared to bend backwards to accommodate the Khomeinist regime. Today, even he cannot continue peddling the illusion of a settlement with the Khomeinists without risking a Jimmy Carter-style fate. Thirty years ago, Carter ensured his own political destruction by trying to woo the Humanists right to the end. It is not certain that Obama would deliberately repeat that tragic-comic experience. Ahmadinejad's claim that Iran needs the 20-per cent enriched uranium for peaceful domestic does not stand to close examination. Iran's only atomic plant is the 43-year old reactor at Amirabad in Tehran. Built by the Americans, the "safe lifespan" of the reactor ended in 2003. Gholam-Reza Aghazadeh, then head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency announced that the plant would be decommissioned by 2006, three years later than its "safe life-span". Ahmadinejad decided to keep the reactor going until the end of this year, although many Iranian experts warn that it may break down in an accident and cause a catastrophe in the heart of the nation's capital. In any case, the reactor has enough fuel for another four years. Thus, Iran does not need higher-grade uranium for that purpose. Even supposing that Tehran decides to keep the dying reactor going for a few more years, the uranium being enriched at Natanz would still be useless for Amirabad. Iran does not have the technology and the industrial base needed to transform the enriched uranium into fuel rods. Te uranium enriched in Iran would still have to be shipped to one of the seven countries that could transform it into the needed fuel rods. There is one more curious fact. Tehran has decided to enrich twice as much uranium up to 20 per cent as the Amirabad plant needs, at the rate of five kilograms a month. Ahmadinejad's decision to reassert his reputation as a professional provocateur may have two other reasons unrelated to the nuclear issue itself. First, he may have moved to pull the carpet from under the feet of those within the regime who have been trying desperately to negotiate a compromise with the IAEA by accepting the Russian-sponsored idea of exchanging Iran's low-grade uranium for higher grade material from Russia and France. Such a compromise would have defused the situation and silenced those who call for tougher sanctions or even military action against the Islamic Republic. In fact, at a Conference in Germany, Ahmadinejad's own Minister of Foreign Affairs, the hapless Manuchehr Mottaki had announced Iran's acceptance of the Russian formula less than 48 hours before being overruled by his boss in Tehran. A second and more sinister reason for Ahmadinejad's provocative move may be related to his growing isolation within the Iranian political scene. Starting this week and continuing until the Iranian New Year on 21March, the opposition intends to keep the pressure on by street demonstrations, workers' strikes and efforts to persuade the regime's coercive forces to change sides. By provoking a more intense conflict with the outside world, Ahmadinejad may be hoping to provoke Iranian nationalistic sentiments and divert from the current domestic political crisis. If that is the case, Ahmadinejad has made yet another political miscalculation. The Iranians are not naive enough to abandon their democratic aspirations in the name of national unity behind a policy that could only lead to disaster for their country. Rightly or wrongly and in my opinion the letter rather than the former, Ahmadinejad has lost the confidence of the Iranian people. He has dug himself two holes deep enough to bury a dozen political careers. The trouble is that he keeps digging.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran: 'We Do Not Take Mrs. Clinton's Remarks Seriously'

2010-02-03

(CNSNews.com) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said his government no longer takes U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seriously, equating her call for increased economic sanctions on Iran with "the failed policies of the Bush administration." I got three words for you, Bubby: "Fort Marcy Park." According to a BBC translation, Mottaki told reporters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday that Clinton's comments on Jan. 29 in London were part of a "tension-creating approach" being deployed by the White House. "Mrs. Clinton's efforts to take America back to the failed policies of the Bush administration era will not benefit the people or the government of that country," Mottaki said. He continued to criticize U.S. foreign policy, saying that Iran had withstood 30 years of U.S. hostility and would not take Secretary Clinton's statements seriously until Washington "clarified" its position. "It has been three decades that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been facing the hostile approach of some American officials," he said. "Therefore, until the domestic prospect of the White House on Iran-U.S. relations is clarified, we do not take Mrs. Clinton's remarks seriously." Clinton, speaking to reporters Jan. 29 in London, said that Iran's continued defiance of the international nuclear norms left "little choice" but to pursue more economic sanctions. "Iran has provided a continuous stream of threats to intensify its violation of international nuclear norms," Clinton said. "Iran's approach leaves us with little choice than to work with our partners to apply greater pressure in the hope that it will cause Iran to reconsider its rejection of diplomatic efforts." Mottaki dismissed Clinton's remarks. "We advise Mrs. Clinton not to use repetitive and fruitless rhetoric in her tone."

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syria Should Extradite Wanted Baathist — Iraqi Official

2009-09-02

[Asharq al-Aswat] Asharq Al-Awsat- Abbas al-Bayyati, the Unified Coalition deputy and member of [parliament's] security and defense committee, has disclosed new options toward Syria which the Iraqi Government intends to undertake following Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari's recent demand for the establishment of an international tribunal to deal with the perpetrators of the attacks in Iraq similar to the tribunal established to try the defendants in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. He stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that "the first option is for Syria to extradite the Baath elements involved in the recent bombings who are wanted by Iraq and specific names denote their number." On the number of those involved wanted by the government, he said "the government is demanding 20 Baathists residing in Syria in addition to Muhammad Yunus al-Ahmad and Sattam Farhan for their role in financing and planning several terrorist operations in the country." Al-Bayyati added that "the second option is to resort to the Security Council to shoulder responsibility for maintaining regional security and the final option will be through Iraqi diplomacy by presenting the evidence and documents Iraq has which confirm these figures' involvement." He asserted that "Syria was not officially accused and we do not believe it is involved but are saying key Baath figures are involved in these actions." He expected "Syria's cooperation like its cooperation in controlling the borders, particularly as the chances of a settlement remain because of the government's desire to establish good relations with Syria. But we are hoping at the same time for the latter's cooperation in this." Foreign Minister Zebari said in a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki the day before yesterday that "the issue might take some time but there is insistence on establishing this tribunal" and recalled the one the Security Council established for Al-Hariri case. On his part, Kamal al-Saidi, a leading member of Al-Dawa Party, stressed that, by demanding an international court, the government is seeking to turn what happened into a strategic issue that is not concerned only with the recent terrorist actions but also with all that has happened in the country. He stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq "wants to change the international opinion of the violent acts in the country into genocide crimes and crimes against humanity" and pointed out that "if Iraq succeeds in this, then it will be able to turn the case of mass killings and crimes against our people into an international case that tries all the parties and countries involved in all the terrorist bombings and actions that had taken place in the country in the past and that will take place in future." On his expectations from the mediation, Al-Saidi said "we welcome these mediations but will not go back to square one of watching our people being killed" and added that "the recent cabinet decision is historic and will be the basis for Iraq's stands from now on against those who commit crimes against the people by exposing them" and noted that "the policy of calm diplomacy is finished."

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Europe

Schröder's Teheran visit kicks up storm

2009-02-22

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder - an opponent of sanctions against Iran - met with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Teheran on Saturday. The visit of Schröder, who led a Social Democratic government between 1998 and 2005, was sharply criticized by the Central Council of Jews in German and members of the German parliament. "Mr. Schröder inflicts great damage on the reputation of the German government and the Federal Republic of Germany, Stephan Kramer, the council's general secretary, told the Neuen Presse newspaper. The visit showed support for the Iranian regime and a dictator, Kramer said. "In the interests of human rights," Schröder should cancel the meeting, he said. Schröder arrived on Thursday and coordinated his four-day visit with the German Foreign Ministry. According to Schröder's office, he is conducting a "private visit." German media have reported that Schröder opposes sanctions to force a suspension of the Iranian regime's nuclear uranium enrichment program. Schröder spoke at the Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce on Saturday. When asked if his talk at the business group contradicted the Merkel administration's sanctions policy, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told The Jerusalem Post she did "not want to judge" Schröder's anti-sanctions strategy. It was a "private trip" and the former chancellor's "decision" to travel to the Islamic republic, the spokeswoman said. Schröder told the Iranian Industry and Commerce group that "the Holocaust is an historic fact and there is no sense in denying this unparalleled crime." But the new Iranian ambassador in Berlin, Aliresa Sheikh-Attar, said, "The relations between Teheran and Berlin are too important to be overshadowed by a subject such as the Holocaust." Annual trade between Germany and Iran totals roughly €4 billion, making the federal republic Teheran's most important European trade partner. In January to November 2008, German exports to Iran grew by 10.5 percent over the same period a year earlier. Last year's commerce included 39 "dual-use" contracts, according to Germany's export control office. Dual-use equipment and technology can be used for both military and civilian purposes. The Merkel administration and the Bundestag have steadfastly rejected legislation to curtail the mushrooming trade relationship. Muhammad Nahawandian, the president of the Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said, "To find common solutions, we shouldn't forget the recent massacre of people in Gaza and should internationally condemn Israel for it," according to Reuters. Michail Kortschemkin, director of the East European Gas Analysis agency, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily that Schröder is "presenting himself like a sort of Gazprom influence agent" in Iran. Soon after stepping down as chancellor, Schröder accepted Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom's nomination for the post of the head of the shareholders' committee of Nord Stream AG, raising questions about a conflict of interest. The late US congressman Tom Lantos, then-chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, likened Schröder to a "political prostitute" for his behavior. Commentators suggest that he is engaging in lobbying activity in Iran to increase business between Iran and Gazprom. Eckart von Klaeden, Christian Democratic Union foreign policy spokesman, urged Schröder on Friday to cancel his visit with Ahmadinejad to avoid "flattering" the Iranian president. Green Party MP Omid Nouripour, who was born in Teheran, said Schröder "should be campaigning actively for the SPD [Social Democratic Party], which is in such bad shape, rather than passively for Ahmadinejad." Schröder's itinerary has meetings with a who's who of Holocaust deniers and opponents of Israel's right to exist, including with Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki, who opened the "World Without Zionism" conference in Teheran in 2006 and cast doubt on the "official version of the Holocaust." Another meeting is set with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, who said early this month at the annual Munich Security Conference, "In Iran, we don't have the same sensitivities" regarding whether the Holocaust occurred. Asked if the German Foreign Ministry condemned Larijani's comments, a spokeswoman told the Post that she was not present at the conference and therefore "could not say" if Social Democratic Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeir rebuked Larijani for denying the Holocaust, which is illegal in Germany. Schröder also intends to meet with former Iranian president Ali Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who asserted in an anti-Israeli speech in 2001 that the Islamic world could sustain a nuclear strike, but one atomic bomb would obliterate Israel. In his speech, Rafsanjani said if the world of Islam obtained nuclear weapons technology it could destroy Israel.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran High Diplo in Moscow for hush hush meeting

2008-09-15

Manuchehr Mottaki who arrived in Moscow on Friday morning for a day long visit made the comment in a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. "Our relations would continue to further expand and strengthen," he said. The Iranian top diplomat considered continuous meetings between the two countries' top officials and leaders in Tehran, Moscow, and the other countries as a good base for bilateral cooperation in the future. The Russian foreign minister referred to business why are checks for Bushehr bouncing and commercial cooperation between Russia and Iran why isn't the work getting done as important fields of bilateral cooperation. The meeting between the two foreign ministers was held behind closed doors in the absence of media representatives.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hizbullah joins hunt for Mughniyeh's killers

2008-02-16

Hizbullah has sent security officials to Damascus to help investigate the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, the organisation's military commander, it emerged today. Arab media reported that Hizbullah was cooperating with the Syrian and Iranian authorities to trace the killers of Mughniyeh - hailed as a "martyr" of the resistance by the Lebanese Shia group and condemned as a terrorist by Israel and the US. Tuesday's deadly car bombing was deeply embarrassing for Syria, both as a breach of its normally tight security and as exposure of the hospitality it grants to militant groups. The Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad also have offices in Damascus. Lebanese sources said last night that several suspects, mostly Palestinians residing in Syria, had been arrested. Paleos you say! Is there a country in the world where they're not wanted? Underlining the concerns of Hizbullah's two staunchest allies, Iran's foreign minister, Manuchehr Mottaki, discussed the killing with Syria's vice-president, Farouk al-Shara. Israel has denied being behind the killing but experts say it has the hallmarks of a Mossad operation. Israel has a track record of liquidating dangerous enemies, including a previous Hizbullah leader, Abbas Musawi. That was followed in 1992 by the car bombing of Israel's embassy in Argentina. Two years later Israel's capture of a top Hizbullah commander brought the bombing of a Jewish cultural centre in Buenos Aires. In 2006, Nasrallah vowed to act to free Lebanese prisoners in Israel, and then staged a daring cross-border raid to kidnap two Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips. Hizbullah then fired thousands of rockets in the resulting month-long war in which 1,200 Lebanese were killed. Diplomats said that one consequence of the Mughniyeh killing would be an end to any hopes of a deal involving the two Israeli soldiers or their remains, if, as is widely believed, they are dead. Germany and the International Red Cross had been trying to broker a swap. "Nasrallah's rhetoric at the funeral ceremony was very harsh," said one senior western official. "They will be cautious about attacking across the border for fear of the consequences in Lebanon. But the fear is that Hizbullah will now start bombings and kidnappings again. "If they do it's the end of the road. There will certainly be revenge for what happened. Whether it will be a one-off or a military target are questions to ask. They will be careful, but they'll do something."

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Referendum is only viable solution to Palestine issue: Mottaki

2007-10-07

Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said here on Friday that the “most democratic solution” to the Palestinian problem is to hold a “free referendum” in occupied territories. “The most democratic way is to ask for the Palestinian nation’s opinion, including Muslims, Christians, and the Jews, so that they can participate in a referendum to determine their own government,” Mottaki told reporters at the World Qods Day rallies. “Such a regime will surely be recognized by all countries in the world,” he added. Now the Zionist regime is experiencing its most desperate situation, he stated.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran spares no efforts to help resolve Lebanese crisis: Mottaki

2007-08-07

(MNA) -- Iran would spare no efforts to help resolve the Lebanese crisis, said the Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki here on Sunday. In a phone conversation with his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos, Mottaki underlined that to resolve Lebanon's issues, a proper management and a comprehensive cooperation between all Lebanese groups is needed. He also pointed to his recent contacts with a number of regional and European foreign ministers on the Lebanon issue. The top diplomat also said that negotiation is the best option for settling disputes over Iran's peaceful nuclear program. Moratinos for his part lauded Iran's key role in resolving the Middle Eastern issues and stated that the Islamic Republic's regional influence is essential to help Lebanese factions reach unity. He described as positive the recent negotiations between Spain and various Lebanese factions especially Hezbollah and stated the establishment of a national unity government is the best way to remedy the situation.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iranian foreign ministry source denies news over Mottaki''s visit to Baghdad

2007-08-05

(KUNA) -- A well-informed Iranian source has denied news that stated that Iran's foreign minister Manuchehr Mottaki has left to Baghdad, confirming that Mottaki was still in Tehran. "Muhr" news agency quoted a foreign source, which it did not name, as saying that "such news were baseless." The source added that Mottaki's visit to Baghdad was not on his agenda and that he is still in Tehran. A local news agency earlier said that Mottaki had left for Baghdad.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Hezbollah investigating UNIFIL attack in south Lebanon

2007-06-27

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos telephoned his Iranian counterpart Manuchehr Mottaki on Monday asking Tehran to use its influence to help find about the causes of an explosion in south Lebanon which killed six Spanish and Colombian soldiers. Today, Hezbollah has acted on the request and launched its own investigation into the bombing attack that targeted U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah source said on Tuesday. "We are carrying out our own investigations and are ready to share (the findings) with UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force) if necessary," the source said.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran Questions EU's 'Illogical' Support For Britain Over Sailors

2007-04-01

"Great Britain can count on the tight and unconditional support of all Europeans," [German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter] Steinmeier said. "We expressed this also toward our British colleague. And we advised them to seek consultations with Tehran, which I discussed with [EU foreign-policy chief] Javier Solana, in order to find a fast solution." "Tight and unconditional support". France has already stated that only dialog is permissible, and a call for trade sanctions against Iran were tabled. Well done, Chocolate Makers! Britain says its evidence shows the British sailors were in Iraqi waters on March 23 when Iranian warships surrounded their boats. Since then Iranian television has aired footage of one of the 15 British sailors apologizing for the ship entering Iranian waters. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini appeared on television March 31, telling the European Union they had the facts wrong and that anyway the EU had no place in the dispute, which is just between Tehran and London. "We suggest that European officials and EU officials that they pay attention to evidence and existing documents before illogically supporting the British government," Hosseini said. "It [the foreign ministry] also warned the European Union to avoid issuing baseless statements and interfering in an issue, which is a bilateral issue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the British government and asked them to encourage the British government to find bilateral solutions to solve the issue. It also asked them to avoid [taking] any actions that would cause the issue to become more complicated and take a longer time [to be resolved]." Two matters of interest here: 1) Persian emphasis on "bilateral relations" between the UK and Iran. a) The UK inspection regime is conducted under a UN mandate - This is an Iranian assault on the authority of the UN Security Council. b) An attempt by the Iranian government to dissolve bonds of alliance between Britain and its Coalition partners. c) Demoralize the British people and their ruling class. 2) The Iranian ballistic missile program and its nuclear weapons program proceed. Sooner rather than later, every EU country will be within range of Iranian ballistic missiles. Contemptuous remarks delivered by a Persian foreign minister to Europe will be backed by the capability of delivering nuclear warheads to Europe's capitals. Speaking at Camp David on March 31, U.S. President George Bush called on Iran to unconditionally release the wrongfully detained British sailors. "The Iranians must give back the hostages," Bush said. "They're innocent, they did nothing wrong, and they were summarily plucked out of water. As I say, it's inexcusable behavior." As for the British sailors, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said today on state television that "Iran is waiting for a change of behavior by Britain and a balanced stance by this country over our legal demands." Mottaki did not specify what a change of behavior meant, but on March 31 Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad called Britain "arrogant" and said he expected an official apology from London. The only proper answer to give Iran would be an iron-clad promise to increase defense spending by 50%+. There are no statesmen or women in Britain today. Too bad.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran speeds up nuclear plant payments to Russia

2006-12-12

Construction of the Bushehr plant delayed, forcing Tehran to accelerate payments to Russia to complete it on schedule. 'Every country in the world has the right to develop nuclear industries for peaceful purposes and this goes for Iran too,' says Russian atomic director Iran will accelerate its payments to Russia so that the latter will complete the construction of the Bushehr power plant according to the agreed schedule, this according to the head of the Russian atomic agency on Monday. Russia has been contracted by Iran to construct a light water reactor for the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which Iran claims will only be used for civilian purposes. Busheher is separate from the uranium enrichment projects concentrated primarily in the Natnaz and Isfahan sites. Iran has agreed to pay Russia USD 800 million for the construction of the reactor – Russia in turn pledged to complete the job within several months, but the project encountered numerous financial and bureaucratic hurdles. Until recently the construction of the reactor was a key factor in the dispute between Russia and the West regarding global sanctions on Iran. Western states wanted to forbid the sale of Russian nuclear fuel to Iran as part of the sanctions. Russia opposed the clause and rejected the grave sanctions. However, the West recently displayed flexibility over the issue, saying that Russia may continue to construct the reactor and sell nuclear fuel to Iran after its completion, even to a sanctioned Tehran. This Western flexibility hopes that Russia will now drop its objection over the sanctions. Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and Head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency Sergei Kiriyenko signed a 17-clause agreement, pledging cooperation in matters of energy, gas, electricity, nuclear energy, technology, space and commerce. Kiriyenko also met with Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Director Gholamreza Aqazadeh to discuss the works at Bushehr. Agazadeh said during a joint press conference with Kiriyenko that Iran has decided to provide assistance beyond previous agreements to Russia in order to solve the technical problems of the power plant and to bring it on stream on schedule. IAE Deputy Director Mohammad Saeedi emphasized that, “Iran will not pay Russia more than what has been agreed.” Iranian FM Mottaki said that the construction of the light water reactor is a symbol of Iran-Russia relations. "Iran’s nuclear issue must be resolved through diplomatic channels," said Kiriyenko, adding that Russia believes that "every country in the world has the right to develop nuclear industries for peaceful purposes and this goes for Iran too."

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