EU Should Take First Step toward N-Disarmament
Angelika Beer, the co-chairperson of the EU delegation for relations with Iran, in an exclusive interview with Siasat Rooz criticized EU for not having a united security policy and asked them to bring the first step toward nuclear disarmament.
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The Lack of EU Security Policy
Angelika Beer, co-chairperson of the East-West-Institutes Parliamentarian Network for conflict prevention and human security in an exclusive interview with Siasat Rooz daily criticized the dangerous gap and the lack of a united security policy among EU members and asked them to start the nuclear disarmament from EU.
“After the last enlargement now, we are 27countries, there is a road back inside the EU to a kind of nationalism in the politics, so that means it is more difficult than before to get common positions and we have inside Europe different development rate. Some states are very fast and some states are very low in development” she said.
She described the EU member’s gap extensive.”In my view, the reason of the gap is not Washington policy because after the government change and now we recognize that Barack Obama tries to change the international politics, to get new contents in Islamic world and also in relation with Russia, But EU is not ready to follow that way because it is not unique,” she said.
“The reason is not in Americans, the reason is inside EU and that is a very dangerous situation,” Beer added.
Former member on the delegation for relations with Afghanistan and the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly spoke about the changes taken place inside EU. “EU has changed. we need a new transatlantic partnership between the Americans, the European as well as Russia and there are some proposals from the president Medvedev and It is necessary to have an open discussion about future of security in the whole world. Obama and Medvedev are ready to do that but the EU union has no confirmed security policy, so there is a lack of policy inside the European Union.
Answering a question about G20 Pittsburg Summit and its results, this former EU parliamentarian pointed to her mission in International Parliamentarian Network for Conflict Prevention in the east-west Institute, and said: We stated an international theory to the leaders from G20 to spend more money on conflict prevention even if they have the economic crisis, so our aim as a parliamentarian network for conflict prevention is not to discuss only about the financial situation but our demand is to spend more money for disarmament and conflict prevention”.
“Of course, conflict prevention can help, we have the experience in Balkans but also in Afghanistan, let me say in Iraq that wars cost much more than the politics”, she said
Turkey Membership in EU; a Success
Answering a question about his idea about Turkey formal membership in EU and the oppositions, she added: “In my view, it might be a success for EU and also for Turkey to become a member of the EU union, because also in the region Ankara plays a very good role and an important one”.
“Some in EU are afraid of and are discussing about Islamic countries membership in EU but this view can not be accepted but in my view, it is totally wrong because for example Kosovo as a country with a Muslim majority has been recognized as a state in Europe and a candidate for EU union membership; so I would perceive to have Turkey as soon as possible as a member of the EU union”, former chair of the EU parliamentarian delegation for relations with Iran stated.
Pointing to Uk Prime Minister, Gordown Brown promises for decreasing Nuclear Submarines, co-chairperson of the East-West-Institutes Parliamentarian Network for conflict prevention and human security.said “ Europeans have to bring the first steps and to be accountable and in this way, other countries can believe that Europe is one of the first partners that will start the nuclear disarmament in their own countries And the second is that running on between Medvedev and Obama, they are negotiating about the start treaty, So there are different ways to reach the aim and that means also to have an instrument against proliferation”.
Speaking about Nuclear Disarmament, he stated: “ In my view, at first I should say that it is possible to have a nuclear free zone for a free world that means also that NPT is experiencing an important period, there will be the decision about the future of our world .
Militarism against Iran;Dangerous
“Our demand from the politicians and international community is that the responsible presidents in the whole world not to think about a military operation against Iran. Moreover, we ask them to support the civil society inside Iran and so that is very clear there is a danger about making the response mistake, I don’t know which one, the situation is unstable in the moment and nobody knows what happens,” she said.
“The first point is that the European union governments stopped the discussion about sanctions because they didn’t want to thread the negotiations before they started, so that means, the first of October negotiations was a great success because the Americans were on the table officially, first time” Beer said, emphasizing on Iran right for gaining Peaceful Nuclear Energy.
Beer, ignoring US unconditional support for Palestine occupiers, admired Americans ME policy and continued: “ Barak Obama tried to bring the Israeli officials and the Palestinians together, that is a step forward which we recognize as a good one because to prevent an arm conflict in the whole area it would much be easier to control the problems for the Palestinians at first that means the tow state solution at least between Palestine and Israel and to speak about the disarmament in the whole region and the nuclear free zone”.
Responding a Question about the reasons behind EU support for Israel Crimes in Palestine Beer said” Because I am a German I should underline that Germany was responsible for the second world war, in the past we have killed most of the Jaudish people living in Germany”.“I think that on the one side the Palestine, the different parties have to formulate a common sense that means the split between Mahmood Abbass and other groups is a problem to solve it in a good form.
Palestine issue has one solution which nobody can ignore.
That is recognizing what obama posed to Syria, that is Syria is not the road state, Syria will be a partner in discussions to find a peaceful solution. That’s important and also the Israeli government have to continue the international standard and to stop the current policy against the Palestinians in Gaza,” former Europe Greens representative in EU parliament said.
This former EU parliamentarian also criticized Iran officials for what he called double standards for supporting Palestine and oppressing their own opposition.
MKO; Undemocratic
Speaking about the EU decision for getting MKO (Iran opposition in exile) from EU black list, co-chairperson of the East-West-Institutes Parliamentarian Network for conflict prevention and human security stated: “
It was a court decision at first, after the European union followed that position. In my view it’s a question for justice and not a political one, because everybody wants to be informed about MKO, understands very well that this organization is neither democratic one nor oppositional one and the most important thing is that we are not to speak about the court decision but to make clear that the MKO can not be a partner for democratic politicians like I am and to isolate them, so that means I think its not important what happened on the justice side but it Is very important to make clear that the MKO, its more organization that is not parting in civil society in Iran and often which claim that Tehran should be attacked ,that’s unacceptable and it is not an organization that one can trust.
Angelika Beer is a German politician and a former Member of the European Parliament for Alliance ‘90/The Greens, part of the European Greens. She was chair of the delegation for relations with Iran and a member on the delegation for relations with Afghanistan and the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Foreign Affairs committee and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense. In January, she was not reelected on a place on the EP election list. She has left the Green Party end of march 2009. Now, he is co-chairperson of the East-West-Institutes Parliamentarian Network for conflict prevention and human security.
Interview By: Hamdollah Emadi Heidari
Monday, November 9, 2009
Nuclear technology is Iran’s right: Georgian ambassador
TEHRAN, Oct. 25 (MNA) -- Georgian Ambassador to Iran Giorgi Janjgava here on Sunday called nuclear technology the Islamic Republic’s right and said that his country strongly “supports Iran’s involvement in Nabucco gas pipeline project.”
Visiting the booth of the Tehran Times daily and the Mehr News Agency at the 16th International Press Festival, the ambassador said, “All countries, especially Iran, have the right to have peaceful nuclear activities and make use of nuclear technology.”
“Georgia fully supports Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities,” Janjgava said, calling for eradication of all atomic bombes from around the globe and establishment of a world free of nuclear weapons.
He also referred to the Islamic Republic’s important role in the region and the world, stressing the need for Iran’s more active presence in the Caucasus region.
“There is a great potential for growth of political, economic, and cultural relations between Tehran and Tbilisi,” the ambassador stated, urging expansion of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.
Commenting on the Nabucco pipeline project, he spoke of his country’s full support for Iran’s participation in the project.
“Affiliation to Nabucco is an issue upon which Iran can reflect deeply, and also discuss it with the project’s European parties,” he noted.
The Nabucco gas pipeline project is designed to pump Central Asian gas via Turkey to Austria and Germany through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, bypassing Russia. Gas supplies through the pipeline are expected to start in 2014.
The project will be a continuation of the existing Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline and will transport 20 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Two-thirds of the pipeline will pass through Turkish territory.
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq are being touted as potential suppliers.
Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves after Russia and the second biggest oil reserves in OPEC after Saudi Arabia.
The Nabucco pipeline is seen as a rival to the Moscow-backed South Stream project designed to annually pump 31 billion cubic meters of Central Asian and Russian gas to the Balkans and onto other European countries, with the pipeline’s capacity expected to be eventually increased to 63 billion cubic meters annually.
Europe has expressed concerns about being dependent on Russia, which supplies a quarter of its gas needs. Calls for diversified supplies intensified following a recent bitter price dispute between Russia and Ukraine in early 2009, when Moscow cut off gas to Ukraine, affecting consumers across Europe.
Moscow has argued, however, that South Stream and Nord Stream would cut EU dependence on transit states like Ukraine and improve European energy security.
The 16th International Festival and Fair of Press and News Agencies opened in Tehran on October 20 and will be closed today.
Visiting the booth of the Tehran Times daily and the Mehr News Agency at the 16th International Press Festival, the ambassador said, “All countries, especially Iran, have the right to have peaceful nuclear activities and make use of nuclear technology.”
“Georgia fully supports Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities,” Janjgava said, calling for eradication of all atomic bombes from around the globe and establishment of a world free of nuclear weapons.
He also referred to the Islamic Republic’s important role in the region and the world, stressing the need for Iran’s more active presence in the Caucasus region.
“There is a great potential for growth of political, economic, and cultural relations between Tehran and Tbilisi,” the ambassador stated, urging expansion of bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries.
Commenting on the Nabucco pipeline project, he spoke of his country’s full support for Iran’s participation in the project.
“Affiliation to Nabucco is an issue upon which Iran can reflect deeply, and also discuss it with the project’s European parties,” he noted.
The Nabucco gas pipeline project is designed to pump Central Asian gas via Turkey to Austria and Germany through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, bypassing Russia. Gas supplies through the pipeline are expected to start in 2014.
The project will be a continuation of the existing Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline and will transport 20 billion cubic meters of gas a year. Two-thirds of the pipeline will pass through Turkish territory.
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq are being touted as potential suppliers.
Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves after Russia and the second biggest oil reserves in OPEC after Saudi Arabia.
The Nabucco pipeline is seen as a rival to the Moscow-backed South Stream project designed to annually pump 31 billion cubic meters of Central Asian and Russian gas to the Balkans and onto other European countries, with the pipeline’s capacity expected to be eventually increased to 63 billion cubic meters annually.
Europe has expressed concerns about being dependent on Russia, which supplies a quarter of its gas needs. Calls for diversified supplies intensified following a recent bitter price dispute between Russia and Ukraine in early 2009, when Moscow cut off gas to Ukraine, affecting consumers across Europe.
Moscow has argued, however, that South Stream and Nord Stream would cut EU dependence on transit states like Ukraine and improve European energy security.
The 16th International Festival and Fair of Press and News Agencies opened in Tehran on October 20 and will be closed today.
Iran not meddling in Afghanistan: Afghan politico
TEHRAN, Nov. 9 (MNA) – An Afghan party chief has rejected Western claims that Iran is interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
Mohammad Hassan Jafari, the secretary general of the Afghan National Welfare Party, told a roundtable discussion hosted by the Mehr News Agency that such accusations by the West are attempts to cover up their failures in Afghanistan.
“Westerners accuse Iran of interfering in Afghanistan’s affairs while the Islamic Republic itself is a victim of terrorism and even in a single case in 1998 it lost 11 diplomats and a reporter,” Jafari said in a reference to the murder of Iranian diplomats at a consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif by the Taliban.
The party chief said Iran and Afghanistan share 900-kilometer border and “the Islamic Republic is seeking security in Afghanistan because it considers security in the country as security in its borders.”
Pointing to Iran’s support for Mujahedin groups in the fight against the Soviet Army, he said, “Iran’s support for Kabul has been unprecedented and unique.”
Zohouri Hosseini, an expert on Afghanistan, said Iran’s involvement in the reconstruction of the war-stricken country should not be interpreted as interference.
Hosseini said Iran is among major countries which have made some commitments in international conferences to help rebuild the country.
The expert went on to say that the Afghan Shia community, which constitutes about 30 percent of the country’s population, and even half of the Sunnis are interested in Iran.
At a time that Christian missionaries are propagating their religion in Afghanistan it is Iran’s right to interact with a nation which shares language, cultural and religious commonalties.
He said interaction with Afghanistan is different from interference as exercised by the West’s military and political intervention in the Central Asian country.
After the Mujahedin defeated the Soviet Army they intended to establish an Islamic Republic like the Islamic Republic of Iran and in order to prevent such a thing from happening the West supported Taliban to suppress the Mujahedin as a modern Islamists.
Ali Vahedi, also an expert on Afghanistan, also said accusation of interference in Afghanistan is a desperate attempt by the West to justify its failure in Afghanistan.
Vahedi said claims of interference in Afghanistan by Iran are not something new and such accusations were leveled against Tehran during the Soviet occupation of the country in the 1980s.
He said since the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan no government in Kabul has said that Iran has been interfering in the country.
“Contrary to the West’s relations with Afghanistan which have been of colonial nature Tehran’s relations with Kabul has always been fraternal.”
Iran has suffered greatly since the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 by hosting millions of refuges. Iran has also been the main victim of drug trafficking from Afghanistan.
Mohammad Hassan Jafari, the secretary general of the Afghan National Welfare Party, told a roundtable discussion hosted by the Mehr News Agency that such accusations by the West are attempts to cover up their failures in Afghanistan.
“Westerners accuse Iran of interfering in Afghanistan’s affairs while the Islamic Republic itself is a victim of terrorism and even in a single case in 1998 it lost 11 diplomats and a reporter,” Jafari said in a reference to the murder of Iranian diplomats at a consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif by the Taliban.
The party chief said Iran and Afghanistan share 900-kilometer border and “the Islamic Republic is seeking security in Afghanistan because it considers security in the country as security in its borders.”
Pointing to Iran’s support for Mujahedin groups in the fight against the Soviet Army, he said, “Iran’s support for Kabul has been unprecedented and unique.”
Zohouri Hosseini, an expert on Afghanistan, said Iran’s involvement in the reconstruction of the war-stricken country should not be interpreted as interference.
Hosseini said Iran is among major countries which have made some commitments in international conferences to help rebuild the country.
The expert went on to say that the Afghan Shia community, which constitutes about 30 percent of the country’s population, and even half of the Sunnis are interested in Iran.
At a time that Christian missionaries are propagating their religion in Afghanistan it is Iran’s right to interact with a nation which shares language, cultural and religious commonalties.
He said interaction with Afghanistan is different from interference as exercised by the West’s military and political intervention in the Central Asian country.
After the Mujahedin defeated the Soviet Army they intended to establish an Islamic Republic like the Islamic Republic of Iran and in order to prevent such a thing from happening the West supported Taliban to suppress the Mujahedin as a modern Islamists.
Ali Vahedi, also an expert on Afghanistan, also said accusation of interference in Afghanistan is a desperate attempt by the West to justify its failure in Afghanistan.
Vahedi said claims of interference in Afghanistan by Iran are not something new and such accusations were leveled against Tehran during the Soviet occupation of the country in the 1980s.
He said since the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan no government in Kabul has said that Iran has been interfering in the country.
“Contrary to the West’s relations with Afghanistan which have been of colonial nature Tehran’s relations with Kabul has always been fraternal.”
Iran has suffered greatly since the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 by hosting millions of refuges. Iran has also been the main victim of drug trafficking from Afghanistan.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Mark Fitzpatrick, IISS Disarmament director declares in an interview with Siasat Rooz:
Missile Defense Shield Has Not Been Canceled
Interview By:Hamdollah Emadi Heidari
The US government approach has been pradoaxical in recent years, and this paradox has grown more intense during Barak Obama’s administration. Different decisions made by Whitehouse policy makers prove this. One of the most important promises made by Obama during and after his election campaign was canceling the deployment of the missile defense shield in Eastern European countries, a promise which has not been really accomplished. However, Obama’s administration has declared officially that the shield plan has been cancelled. But Mark Fitzpatrick, Director of Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Program for the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former US assistant secretary of state says this is not true.
In an exclusive interview with Siasat Rooz daily, Fitzpatrick said he believes that the proposed US missile defense shield in Eeastern Europe has not been cancelled but changed, to move it further south.
Fitzpatrick had previously served for four years at the US Mission to International Organization in Vienna and is fully aware of the US foreign policies, and what he says about Iran and its nuclear program in this short interview can be a clear proof of this fact that in contrary to Obama’s Change slogan, the US foreign policies
toward Iran has not been changed.
The proposal of the Deployment of US Missile Defense Shield has intensified the tensions between Russia and the US.
Kremlin believes it is dangerous for its security and threatened to deploy the same system on its borders with Europe. While US has the biggest Nuclear Arsenal and has not decreased them till now.
When he was asked about the new promises made by Obama’s administration in the case of making a world free from Nuclear Weapons, he said: President Obama has stated his commitment to the goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world, and he has taken concrete steps in this direction, starting with the negotiation of a START follow-on treaty under which American and Russian nuclear arsenals would be further reduced. Strengthening the non-proliferation measures of the NPT and the verification tools of the IAEA will also be important aspects of building a stable nuclear-weapons-free world in which no country need fear that another nation will suddenly break out and become the lone nuclear power.
About of the paradoxical statements posed by US officials about canceling the missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, He stated: The missile defence shield in Eastern Europe has not been cancelled, but it will be changed, to move it further south and to concentrate on capabilities to detect and destroy any short- or medium-range missiles fired by hostile countries.
Ansewring a question about making the missile defense shield near Israel he said: I do not think the primary purpose is to defend Israel, which has other means of defense.
While, many times, IAEA inspectors and it’s general secretary in different occasions have reported Iran Nuclear activities peaceful and the remaining ambiguities are not technical and are just some claims made by Israel and its supporters, in Expressing his analysis of the current talks between Iran and the West, Fitzpatrick, ignored Tehran cooperation with IAEA and 5+1 group. “Of all of Iran’s communications with the major powers to date, the 11 September package was the most disappointing. By refusing to even touch on the cause of the dispute, Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, the package provided no basis for finding a peaceful solution,” he claimed.
This former American official criticized Iran proposed package introduction about ‘peace and justice” and related it to Iran post election events.
Reviewing the past 5+1 group talks about Iran Peaceful Nuclear Energy, Director of IISS added: In New York last Wednesday, I assume the P5+1 expressed their common determination to persuade Iran to suspend the enrichment activity as a first step toward a peaceful solution.
Former US State department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation accused Iran of trying to make Nuclear Weapons and said: 5+1 representatives on 1 October will be united in asking Iran to stop he activity that is causing so much concern.
While Iranian officials had announced the process of building a second enrichment plant at Qom in a letter to Mohammad Albaradei several months befor it was released by media, Fitzpatrick claims that the “astounding news that Iran was secretly building a second enrichment plant at Qom will strengthen 5+1 determination and the revelation of the Qom plant is further proof that the main purpose of Iran’s enrichment program is for weapons-related.”
“ One of the most interesting developments of the past week is that Russia now accepts that further sanctions are inevitable. Now that the world knows about the second enrichment plant at Qom, I expect China, too, will agree to impose additional sanctions if Iran does not demonstrate in the talks that it is serious about meeting their concerns “he added.
Ignoring all the forgotten promises and the “confidence deficit” which has grown between Tehran and West, Fitzpatrick said: Iran had been offered a very good opportunity four years ago to join with Russia in a joint enterprise to produce enriched uranium on Russian soil. The best way forward is a solution such as this that allows Iran to continue to be involved in nuclear technology and does not restrict its ability to produce nuclear power but does limit its ability to produce nuclear weapons. Any solution would also have to involve unfettered IAEA verification, including through implementation of the safeguards Additional Protocol and other measures to overcome what IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei called the ‘confidence deficit’ that Iran has created by its violation of IAEA safeguards and its refusal to fully cooperate with the IAEA.
Speaking about rationality and fairness of allowing some governments and regimes like India, Pakistan and Israel to have Nuclear Arsenals and struggling for preventing Iran from having Peaceful Nuclear Energy, he continued: Iran freely undertook an obligation under the NPT to forgo nuclear weapons and to allow the IAEA to verify that its nuclear activities are peaceful. Iran is being asked to adhere to its obligations. This is hardly unfair. And because Iran violated its safeguards obligations, it was asked to stop producing enriched uranium until the world is persuaded that the nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. It is desirable that all countries sign the NPT. The fact that three of them have not is not a justification for Iran to violate its NPT obligations and to seek a nuclear weapons capability. If Iran seeks to leave the NPT and to produce nuclear weapons, I predict that it will trigger war. I certainly do not want this, and I do not think any reasonable people in Iran do either.
former US State department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation, called Tel Aviv threats against Iran Nuclear Facilities acceptable and said: Iran’s proposal for protecting the IAEA member’s Nuclear Facilities from Airial attacks is obviously self-serving and unacceptable. If Iran is intending to use its nuclear facilities to produce fissile material for weapons purposes, as certainly appears to be the case, then they should not be given international legal status that protects them from military attack.
......................................
Mr Fitzpatrick had previously served for four years at the US Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, including as Charge d’Affairs and as Counselor for Nuclear Policy, in charge of liaison with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Now he is the Director of the IISS Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Program.
Interview By:Hamdollah Emadi Heidari
The US government approach has been pradoaxical in recent years, and this paradox has grown more intense during Barak Obama’s administration. Different decisions made by Whitehouse policy makers prove this. One of the most important promises made by Obama during and after his election campaign was canceling the deployment of the missile defense shield in Eastern European countries, a promise which has not been really accomplished. However, Obama’s administration has declared officially that the shield plan has been cancelled. But Mark Fitzpatrick, Director of Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Program for the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former US assistant secretary of state says this is not true.
In an exclusive interview with Siasat Rooz daily, Fitzpatrick said he believes that the proposed US missile defense shield in Eeastern Europe has not been cancelled but changed, to move it further south.
Fitzpatrick had previously served for four years at the US Mission to International Organization in Vienna and is fully aware of the US foreign policies, and what he says about Iran and its nuclear program in this short interview can be a clear proof of this fact that in contrary to Obama’s Change slogan, the US foreign policies
toward Iran has not been changed.
The proposal of the Deployment of US Missile Defense Shield has intensified the tensions between Russia and the US.
Kremlin believes it is dangerous for its security and threatened to deploy the same system on its borders with Europe. While US has the biggest Nuclear Arsenal and has not decreased them till now.
When he was asked about the new promises made by Obama’s administration in the case of making a world free from Nuclear Weapons, he said: President Obama has stated his commitment to the goal of a nuclear-weapons-free world, and he has taken concrete steps in this direction, starting with the negotiation of a START follow-on treaty under which American and Russian nuclear arsenals would be further reduced. Strengthening the non-proliferation measures of the NPT and the verification tools of the IAEA will also be important aspects of building a stable nuclear-weapons-free world in which no country need fear that another nation will suddenly break out and become the lone nuclear power.
About of the paradoxical statements posed by US officials about canceling the missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, He stated: The missile defence shield in Eastern Europe has not been cancelled, but it will be changed, to move it further south and to concentrate on capabilities to detect and destroy any short- or medium-range missiles fired by hostile countries.
Ansewring a question about making the missile defense shield near Israel he said: I do not think the primary purpose is to defend Israel, which has other means of defense.
While, many times, IAEA inspectors and it’s general secretary in different occasions have reported Iran Nuclear activities peaceful and the remaining ambiguities are not technical and are just some claims made by Israel and its supporters, in Expressing his analysis of the current talks between Iran and the West, Fitzpatrick, ignored Tehran cooperation with IAEA and 5+1 group. “Of all of Iran’s communications with the major powers to date, the 11 September package was the most disappointing. By refusing to even touch on the cause of the dispute, Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability, the package provided no basis for finding a peaceful solution,” he claimed.
This former American official criticized Iran proposed package introduction about ‘peace and justice” and related it to Iran post election events.
Reviewing the past 5+1 group talks about Iran Peaceful Nuclear Energy, Director of IISS added: In New York last Wednesday, I assume the P5+1 expressed their common determination to persuade Iran to suspend the enrichment activity as a first step toward a peaceful solution.
Former US State department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation accused Iran of trying to make Nuclear Weapons and said: 5+1 representatives on 1 October will be united in asking Iran to stop he activity that is causing so much concern.
While Iranian officials had announced the process of building a second enrichment plant at Qom in a letter to Mohammad Albaradei several months befor it was released by media, Fitzpatrick claims that the “astounding news that Iran was secretly building a second enrichment plant at Qom will strengthen 5+1 determination and the revelation of the Qom plant is further proof that the main purpose of Iran’s enrichment program is for weapons-related.”
“ One of the most interesting developments of the past week is that Russia now accepts that further sanctions are inevitable. Now that the world knows about the second enrichment plant at Qom, I expect China, too, will agree to impose additional sanctions if Iran does not demonstrate in the talks that it is serious about meeting their concerns “he added.
Ignoring all the forgotten promises and the “confidence deficit” which has grown between Tehran and West, Fitzpatrick said: Iran had been offered a very good opportunity four years ago to join with Russia in a joint enterprise to produce enriched uranium on Russian soil. The best way forward is a solution such as this that allows Iran to continue to be involved in nuclear technology and does not restrict its ability to produce nuclear power but does limit its ability to produce nuclear weapons. Any solution would also have to involve unfettered IAEA verification, including through implementation of the safeguards Additional Protocol and other measures to overcome what IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei called the ‘confidence deficit’ that Iran has created by its violation of IAEA safeguards and its refusal to fully cooperate with the IAEA.
Speaking about rationality and fairness of allowing some governments and regimes like India, Pakistan and Israel to have Nuclear Arsenals and struggling for preventing Iran from having Peaceful Nuclear Energy, he continued: Iran freely undertook an obligation under the NPT to forgo nuclear weapons and to allow the IAEA to verify that its nuclear activities are peaceful. Iran is being asked to adhere to its obligations. This is hardly unfair. And because Iran violated its safeguards obligations, it was asked to stop producing enriched uranium until the world is persuaded that the nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. It is desirable that all countries sign the NPT. The fact that three of them have not is not a justification for Iran to violate its NPT obligations and to seek a nuclear weapons capability. If Iran seeks to leave the NPT and to produce nuclear weapons, I predict that it will trigger war. I certainly do not want this, and I do not think any reasonable people in Iran do either.
former US State department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation, called Tel Aviv threats against Iran Nuclear Facilities acceptable and said: Iran’s proposal for protecting the IAEA member’s Nuclear Facilities from Airial attacks is obviously self-serving and unacceptable. If Iran is intending to use its nuclear facilities to produce fissile material for weapons purposes, as certainly appears to be the case, then they should not be given international legal status that protects them from military attack.
......................................
Mr Fitzpatrick had previously served for four years at the US Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, including as Charge d’Affairs and as Counselor for Nuclear Policy, in charge of liaison with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Now he is the Director of the IISS Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Program.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Polish journalists intrigued by Iran’s Muharram rituals
By: Hamdollah Emadi Heidari
TEHRAN -- Among the world’s most unique religious ceremonies, Muharram rituals are extremely fascinating, Polish photojournalist Marcin Kalinski told MNA on Friday.
Polish photojournalist Marcin Kalinski and his brother Piotr, a music specialist from the Dziennik newspaper, traveled Iran to take photos and also to review music performed during the Muharram ceremonies.
They unite Iranians into a single family who mourns for the loss of their most beloved member, namely Imam Hussein (AS).
They expressed their amazement over the continuation of such rituals for centuries in Iran and also lauded the collective nature of the mourning ceremonies.
“The Muharram rituals I observed were very different from Muharram I knew previously through Western media,” Marcin Kalinski mentioned.
“I saw a Reuters photo in which a Pakistani stabbed himself in the chest during a Muharram ceremony but the ceremonies I have witnessed in Iran are intense and meaningful, but without self-mutilation,” he added.
“I had expected to see Iranians injuring their bodies during the rituals but I did not see such a thing. In Iran, the Muharram mourning ceremonies were really quite different from what I expected.
“I have traveled to many countries and took several photos of different religious ceremonies but none of them were as extensive as those here in Iran. It seemed as though my brother and I were the only ones in the whole country not mourning Imam Hussein (AS),” he said.
Marcin Kalinski, who also traveled to Bander Abbas in southern Iran, commented on the Tazieh, Iranian passion plays performed in the street during the mourning period of Muharram. He said that although professional actors perform the Tazieh in Tehran, in other Iranian towns amateur actors perform in them.
Piotr Kalinski said that although he did not understand the liturgy recited during the Muharram rituals, he found that the music compositions performed were intriguing, sorrowful but also tranquil.
Tehran Times Art Desk
TEHRAN -- Among the world’s most unique religious ceremonies, Muharram rituals are extremely fascinating, Polish photojournalist Marcin Kalinski told MNA on Friday.
Polish photojournalist Marcin Kalinski and his brother Piotr, a music specialist from the Dziennik newspaper, traveled Iran to take photos and also to review music performed during the Muharram ceremonies.
They unite Iranians into a single family who mourns for the loss of their most beloved member, namely Imam Hussein (AS).
They expressed their amazement over the continuation of such rituals for centuries in Iran and also lauded the collective nature of the mourning ceremonies.
“The Muharram rituals I observed were very different from Muharram I knew previously through Western media,” Marcin Kalinski mentioned.
“I saw a Reuters photo in which a Pakistani stabbed himself in the chest during a Muharram ceremony but the ceremonies I have witnessed in Iran are intense and meaningful, but without self-mutilation,” he added.
“I had expected to see Iranians injuring their bodies during the rituals but I did not see such a thing. In Iran, the Muharram mourning ceremonies were really quite different from what I expected.
“I have traveled to many countries and took several photos of different religious ceremonies but none of them were as extensive as those here in Iran. It seemed as though my brother and I were the only ones in the whole country not mourning Imam Hussein (AS),” he said.
Marcin Kalinski, who also traveled to Bander Abbas in southern Iran, commented on the Tazieh, Iranian passion plays performed in the street during the mourning period of Muharram. He said that although professional actors perform the Tazieh in Tehran, in other Iranian towns amateur actors perform in them.
Piotr Kalinski said that although he did not understand the liturgy recited during the Muharram rituals, he found that the music compositions performed were intriguing, sorrowful but also tranquil.
Tehran Times Art Desk
ANSWER director: Israeli actions are ‘a crime against the humanity’
By: Hamdollah Emadi Heidari
TEHRAN - The Mehr News Agency has conducted an interview with Brian Becker, the director of the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) organization, on Israel’s war on Gaza.
ANSWER is a U.S.-based protest organization that has organized many of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the United States.
Becker believes what is Israel is doing in Gaza is a “war crime”. He says, “It is really a crime against the humanity and war crimes as defined by all international standards including the Nuremberg Treaty, the Nuremberg Trial and the Geneva Convention.”
Following is an excerpt of the interview:
Q: What is your view on the UN’s silence about the Gaza tragedy and the killing of women and children?
A: People are demonstrating in the streets and yet the UN does nothing and the reason is that the UN is manipulated by the U.S. It is the exercise of the dictatorship by the U.S. and then other countries of the world because these exercises of power are in the Security Council. The charter of the UN is now a mockery because the UN, rather than bringing peace, allows a war of aggression carried out by Israeli government but supported and financed by United States.
Q: Do you think the crimes committed in Gaza can be classified as war crimes?
A: It is really a crime against the humanity and war crimes as defined by all international standards including the Nuremberg Treaty, the Nuremberg Trial and the Geneva Convention. It is illegal to target or even to allow military combatants to target civilians…. That is a violation of international law. Clearly the Israel government is not only targeting the military and governmental centers in Gaza but this is a war against the entire people and this is a war crime and a crime against the humanity.
Q: Some analysts say Israel does not intend to stop the attacks. What do you think?
A: Israel has a goal and its goal is shared with the U.S. The goal is to destroy all organizations… those resistance organizations that reject the colonial projects called Israel. The goal is to destroy Hamas and other organizations that continue to resist against the colonial projects. Israel’s goal is to destroy the (Hamas) movement.
Q: Is there any effort to bring Israeli officials to trial?
A: To be realistic I don’t believe there will be a trial because U.S. and Israel almost represent one entity and they have a great power to stand trial in any court. So the court we are going to is the court of the world public opinion and the people have to rise up against the aggression that has been done by Israel and supported by the U.S.
Q: How will the EU respond?
A: I think the EU too is under the political and military dominance of NATO and I believe that they won’t act independent of the desire of the U.S.
Q: What are you trying to do for Palestine?
A: This (U.S.) government speaks in our name and spends our taxes in our name for policies that are unjust and are harmful and for aggression and we have a moral obligation to stand up and speak to say no. The government speaks in our name but we do not approve it.
Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN - The Mehr News Agency has conducted an interview with Brian Becker, the director of the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) organization, on Israel’s war on Gaza.
ANSWER is a U.S.-based protest organization that has organized many of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the United States.
Becker believes what is Israel is doing in Gaza is a “war crime”. He says, “It is really a crime against the humanity and war crimes as defined by all international standards including the Nuremberg Treaty, the Nuremberg Trial and the Geneva Convention.”
Following is an excerpt of the interview:
Q: What is your view on the UN’s silence about the Gaza tragedy and the killing of women and children?
A: People are demonstrating in the streets and yet the UN does nothing and the reason is that the UN is manipulated by the U.S. It is the exercise of the dictatorship by the U.S. and then other countries of the world because these exercises of power are in the Security Council. The charter of the UN is now a mockery because the UN, rather than bringing peace, allows a war of aggression carried out by Israeli government but supported and financed by United States.
Q: Do you think the crimes committed in Gaza can be classified as war crimes?
A: It is really a crime against the humanity and war crimes as defined by all international standards including the Nuremberg Treaty, the Nuremberg Trial and the Geneva Convention. It is illegal to target or even to allow military combatants to target civilians…. That is a violation of international law. Clearly the Israel government is not only targeting the military and governmental centers in Gaza but this is a war against the entire people and this is a war crime and a crime against the humanity.
Q: Some analysts say Israel does not intend to stop the attacks. What do you think?
A: Israel has a goal and its goal is shared with the U.S. The goal is to destroy all organizations… those resistance organizations that reject the colonial projects called Israel. The goal is to destroy Hamas and other organizations that continue to resist against the colonial projects. Israel’s goal is to destroy the (Hamas) movement.
Q: Is there any effort to bring Israeli officials to trial?
A: To be realistic I don’t believe there will be a trial because U.S. and Israel almost represent one entity and they have a great power to stand trial in any court. So the court we are going to is the court of the world public opinion and the people have to rise up against the aggression that has been done by Israel and supported by the U.S.
Q: How will the EU respond?
A: I think the EU too is under the political and military dominance of NATO and I believe that they won’t act independent of the desire of the U.S.
Q: What are you trying to do for Palestine?
A: This (U.S.) government speaks in our name and spends our taxes in our name for policies that are unjust and are harmful and for aggression and we have a moral obligation to stand up and speak to say no. The government speaks in our name but we do not approve it.
Tehran Times Political Desk
Israel’s crimes against Palestinians is out of ‘desperation’
By: Hamdollah Emad Heidari
TEHRAN - Sarah Flounder, director of International Action Center Organization in U.S., believes that brutal attacks against Palestinians in Gaza is out of desperation as the Tel Aviv regime has lost support among governments around the world.
Flounder is of the opinion that the resistance by Palestinians cannot be defeated even with the “most powerful weapons” in the world. She also says Israel will “cease to exist” by continuing such a policy.
In an interview with the Mehr News Agency she said the Israeli officials’ crimes against Palestinians is out of “desperation because more and more they have lost support everywhere in the world except from Washington and they have realized that even among Jewish people around the world and their own population they have lost the support they once had.”
She said it has become “impossible” for Israeli officials to “maintain an apartheid state”.
“A state built on racist exclusion is no longer possible in this world today. That is making them desperate to crush any form of resistance.
“They will not succeed although the impact for Palestinian people will be very hard, will be very terrible, but the Palestinian resistance will continue and in the long run Israel will cease to exist because… such a colonial enterprise cannot survive even with support from Washington.”
She stated the “resistance” shown by the Palestinians is “so powerful” that the “most powerful weapons in the world can not destroy it.”
“The bombardment from air, from land, from sea cannot destroy it and still in the impossible conditions Palestinians resist with tunnels with suicide bombs, just like the World War Second which people fought with rocks against the Nazis.
“So today what we see in Palestine is a heroic level of struggle and it has the solidarity of people everywhere in the world. Millions of people are demonstrating around the world… in New York, in Washington, in Boston in Los Angeles…”
She added that people from all major cities have poured into the streets “in support of Palestinian peoples, both Arabs, Muslims, Jews, Christians, secular forces, antiwar forces, peace organizations, trade unions… and this support is growing and growing and Israel is more isolated in its crime against Palestinian people.”
The Israeli criminal action in Gaza with “every form of explosive destruction” largely on “civilian population” is an effort to break any Palestinian resistance, she explained.
“This will not succeed and the whole world stands with Palestinian people against the occupation and the seizure of their land. And we are confident that Israel will not prevail.”
The director of International Action Center Organization said the U.S. is giving political, financial, and military support to Israel in its “great crime” against the Palestinian nation.
Flounder predicted that “this crime can not continue.”
“Israel’s action is genocide,” she noted.
She blasted the U.S. administration for its blind support for Israel.
“Here in U.S. we have a criminal government and it is people that must demand an end to aid for Israel’s military.
Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN - Sarah Flounder, director of International Action Center Organization in U.S., believes that brutal attacks against Palestinians in Gaza is out of desperation as the Tel Aviv regime has lost support among governments around the world.
Flounder is of the opinion that the resistance by Palestinians cannot be defeated even with the “most powerful weapons” in the world. She also says Israel will “cease to exist” by continuing such a policy.
In an interview with the Mehr News Agency she said the Israeli officials’ crimes against Palestinians is out of “desperation because more and more they have lost support everywhere in the world except from Washington and they have realized that even among Jewish people around the world and their own population they have lost the support they once had.”
She said it has become “impossible” for Israeli officials to “maintain an apartheid state”.
“A state built on racist exclusion is no longer possible in this world today. That is making them desperate to crush any form of resistance.
“They will not succeed although the impact for Palestinian people will be very hard, will be very terrible, but the Palestinian resistance will continue and in the long run Israel will cease to exist because… such a colonial enterprise cannot survive even with support from Washington.”
She stated the “resistance” shown by the Palestinians is “so powerful” that the “most powerful weapons in the world can not destroy it.”
“The bombardment from air, from land, from sea cannot destroy it and still in the impossible conditions Palestinians resist with tunnels with suicide bombs, just like the World War Second which people fought with rocks against the Nazis.
“So today what we see in Palestine is a heroic level of struggle and it has the solidarity of people everywhere in the world. Millions of people are demonstrating around the world… in New York, in Washington, in Boston in Los Angeles…”
She added that people from all major cities have poured into the streets “in support of Palestinian peoples, both Arabs, Muslims, Jews, Christians, secular forces, antiwar forces, peace organizations, trade unions… and this support is growing and growing and Israel is more isolated in its crime against Palestinian people.”
The Israeli criminal action in Gaza with “every form of explosive destruction” largely on “civilian population” is an effort to break any Palestinian resistance, she explained.
“This will not succeed and the whole world stands with Palestinian people against the occupation and the seizure of their land. And we are confident that Israel will not prevail.”
The director of International Action Center Organization said the U.S. is giving political, financial, and military support to Israel in its “great crime” against the Palestinian nation.
Flounder predicted that “this crime can not continue.”
“Israel’s action is genocide,” she noted.
She blasted the U.S. administration for its blind support for Israel.
“Here in U.S. we have a criminal government and it is people that must demand an end to aid for Israel’s military.
Tehran Times Political Desk
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