Rubaie told “Al Hayat”: the stability of Iran and Iraq is in the regional interest
LONDON – Raed Jaafar – The national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said the security and political stability in Iran is in the interest of the region in general and Iraq in particular, and warned that any political or security flaw in Iran would have a negative impact in the region in general and Iraq in particular, explaining that “Our intelligence confirms that during the manifestations of opposition, elements of the Mujahideen infiltrated among the demonstrators, giving rise to riots”.
Rubaie told “Al Hayat” that “the differences between the so-called Reformists and Conservatives in Iran focus on domestic issues more than specific foreign policy”. Referring to “the absence of major differences in the foreign policies of Iran”, he added “Whoever wins in Iran will not change the policy with Iraq since Tehran’s policy toward Iraq will not be much affected by the victory of any of the parties”, explaining that “foreign policy is almost uniform with the same constants”.
Rubaie said that the “Iraqi leaders governing the country now, and since the days of the late opposition to the regime of President Saddam Hussein, have strong historical ties with the ruling power in Iran now, the conservatives, from the top of the pyramid below them”. He continued: “They have been in power for a long time, such as the Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the others, and have close ties with the Iraqis, and that gives Iraq a particular role for the Iranian regime”.
He added: “But we do not know many Reformists, and we had no relations with them in Iraq despite their 8 years under Khatami. We were not in power (in the first two years after the occupation of Iraq) and there is no strong relationship with the Reformists, without that meaning any diminution of them”. He added that “the Conservatives understand Iraq more than the Reformists, as they have a clear record in support of the Iraqi opposition (during Saddam’s rule), and support for the political process after the fall [of Saddam]”.
Rubaie confirmed “we do not interfere in the internal affairs of Iran in any way, in a trend to prefer any party, but limit ourselves to respect the choices of and support the Iranian people and respect the existing system of the Constitution and laws, institutions and others in Iran”.
He added: “But from our point of view from outside and our knowledge of Iranian affairs, and our long experience, we believe that the vast majority of Reformers are part of the very essence of the Islamic system».
He added that “Our intelligence confirms the presence of very small groups, few in number, including elements of the Mojahedin organization in opposition to the regime, which infiltrated demonstrations in protest against the results of the presidential election, which escalated the protests and demonstrations into riots”.
Rubaie denied the possibility of infiltration of the «Mujahideen» from Camp Ashraf in Diyala province, into Iran to participate in the protests or the riots there, explaining that the Iraqi authorities overseeing the camp do not allow its members to get out, and added that “elements of the Mujahideen entered from several countries into Iran, not from Iraq, some of whom were already present, too, to stir up trouble”. He warned that the “high probability of migration is the opposite for these elements, therefore, we have enhanced our intelligence level of preparedness and readiness on the border with Iran, for fear of infiltration of the elements of the Mujahideen Khalq, and crossing the border into Iraq and their attempt to enter the Camp Ashraf”.
In addition, some criticized the Arab media, dealing with the repercussions of the Iranian presidential elections, as “short-sighted, as I believe that support for the Reformists can win the Reformists and weaken Iran”. This was seen as a “kind of revenge or wishful thinking”, stressing that “any instability in Iran, meaning the lack of stability in the region, especially the Gulf States and Iraq”. He said that “some of this is media-driven, non-political, professional”, referring to the “ethnic and racial factors which play a role in this area, such as Arabs and Shi’ites, and this demonstrates the short-sightedness of the media … considering that the stability of a large country like Iran in the region is a stabilizing factor for the entire region”.
Al Hayat (Arabic), London,