Iran

Dual standards in approaching terrorism

The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mohammadi, in a speech delivered at the international conference on the culture of resistance held in Tehran said that “given that Iran has been a victim of terrorism more than any other country, it is quite sensitive to it”. It is the first international conference of the kind opened on the anniversary of Morteza Motahhari’s assassination, a victim of the wave of terrors triggered by MKO following the Islamic revolution.

He urged that the United Nations should define state terrorism within the framework of international terrorism and severely condemn it. He said that no comprehensive definition has been presented by the UN for terrorism.

He added that difference of views on terrorism is the most important obstacle facing the UN General Assembly towards campaign against it after 2001.

"Today terrorism has been divided into two types, including good and bad. The present activities of the terrorist MKO group is a clear example of the West’s dual standards in approaching terrorism," he said.

Urging the need for a broad-based definition of terrorism, he said that it should be defined in such a way as to include governments’ use of force (state terrorism).

IRNA – 02/05/2007

May 3, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Iranian Foreign Ministry summons German and Belgian envoys

TEHRAN, March 10 (Mehr News Agency) — The Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned German Ambassador Herbert Honsowitz and the Belgian charge’ d’affaires Paul De Vos to receive Iran’s protest over a terrorist group’s conference in Brussels.

Foreign Ministry Director for Western European Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpur expressed surprise over the permission given to the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) to hold a conference in Belgium.

"Belgium has allowed a group that is in the European Union’s list of terrorists to hold a conference" while the Belgian Ambassador to Tehran Herve’ Goyens is on a Middle East tour to hold talks on fighting international terrorism, Rahimpur told the envoys in separate meetings.

MKO is listed by both the European Union and the United States as a terrorist organization.

The German and the Belgian envoys stated that they will deliver the message to their respective governments and the EU.

Germany is the president of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2007.

Payvand’s Iran News – 3/10/07

March 19, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Case on Saddam’s crimes against Iran open

Prosecutor general: Case on Saddam’s crimes against Iran open

Prosecutor General Ghorban-Ali Dorri Najafabadi on Thursday said that dossier concerning Saddam Hossein’s atrocities against Iranians is still open and should be investigated.

He told IRNA that the file includes two aspects: one involves all individuals who committed or advocated crimes such as Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) and another includes the losses that Iranians suffered during the eight-year imposed war.

"The UN has put the amount of losses inflicted on Iran at more than dlrs 100 billion, while Iran has estimated them at dlrs 1,000 billion," he added.

The provisions of the Resolution 598 should be implemented by the Iraqi government, he noted.

Pointing out that the goal behind lodging Iran’s complaint before Saddam’s trial was to following up the Iranian nation’s rights, he said Tehran did not have any hope to witness the hearing of Saddam’s crimes against Iranians from the beginning of the court.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to the efforts made by the judiciary and government to create 800,000-1,000,000 new jobs annually nationwide.

Attending Semnan province’ administrative council session, he underlined that people’s massive presence in the Bahman 22 rallies (marking the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran on February 11) will show the power of the Islamic system, and make its enemies disappointed.

Touching on the critical condition of the region, he expressed hope that stronger presence of people in the event will send a clear message to the West, particularly the US to recognize Iran’s legitimate right to access peaceful nuclear technology.

He also recommended all countries involved in Iran’s nuclear case to resume negotiations and avoid setting any precondition in this respect.

Referring to the US warmongering policy in the region, he called on the American people to prevent their leaders from continuing their bullying policies worldwide

Feb 1, IRNA

February 5, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Iran offered to cut off Hezbollah in overture to US in 2003: BBC

Iran offered to cut off aid and support for the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas, and promised full transparency on its nuclear program in a secret letter to the United States soon after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the British media reported.

According to the BBC, the letter, which it obtained, was unsigned, but the US State Department understood that it came with the approval of the highest Iranian authorities.

The Islamic republic also offered to use its influence to support stabilisation in Iraq, and in return asked for a halt in hostile American behaviour, an abolition of all sanctions, and the pursuit and repatriation of members of the Mujahedeen Khalq (People’s Mujahedeen MKO).

The MKO is an exiled Iranian opposition group which fought alongside former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s army in the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, and is currently based in Iraq.

Initially, the State Department was positive on the offer, according to Lawrence Wilkerson, former US secretary of state Colin Powell’s chief of staff, who spoke to the BBC.

"As soon as it got to the White House, and as soon as it got to the Vice-President’s ( Dick Cheney) office, the old mantra of ‘we don’t talk to evil’ … reasserted itself," Wilkerson told the broadcaster.

"To our embarrassment at State … the cable that I saw go back to the Swiss actually upbraided the Swiss for being so bold and audacious as to present such a proposal to us on behalf of the Iranians."

According to Wilkerson, the State Department was also offered a deal by the Iranians after it led the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 which involved Iran giving up senior Al-Qaeda terror network figures in return for help pursuing the MKO.Powell and Wilkerson were unsure how high in the Iranian government the approach came from, however, and did not pursue the offer, the BBC said.

Iran offered to cut off Hezbollah in overture to US in 2003: BBC

LONDON (AFP) – January 18, 2007

According to the BBC, the letter, which it obtained, was unsigned, but the US State Department understood that it came with the approval of the highest Iranian authorities.

The MKO is an exiled Iranian opposition group which fought alongside former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s army in the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, and is currently based in Iraq.

Initially, the State Department was positive on the offer, according to Lawrence Wilkerson, former US secretary of state Colin Powell’s chief of staff, who spoke to the BBC.

LONDON (AFP) – January 18, 2007

January 22, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Iranians’ complaints against Saddam to be compiled

Iranians’ complaints against Saddam Hossein and his international accomplices for the atrocities they committed, will be compiled, head of the Sacred Defence Foundation said on Wednesday.

Mir Faisal Baqerzadeh told IRNA that the foundation has planned to forward the attorney general’s letter including documents of Saddam regime’s crimes against Iranians to Iraqi Supreme Court.

He expressed hope that in the current situation when the US avoided hearing other crimes of Saddam regime such as imposing eight-year war on Iran (1980-1988), releasing the documents will pave the way to reveal crimes of Saddam and its international supporters, the US, against Iranians.

Documents related to chemical attack against Iranian nation, bombing educational and medical centers, destroying environment as well as mistreatment and execution of Iranian prisoners of war (PoWs) will include the complaint.

Baqerzadeh also referred to the documents of allocating military equipment to the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) by Baath regime, the reports of the UN envoys on the losses induced via the imposed war against Iran, and the list of Iraq’s air attacks against Iranian cities as well as the public complaints as other facts will be released in the future.

IRNA, Jan 3

January 11, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Iran Says Nuclear Spy Arrested

Iran has arrested a man suspected of leaking secrets of the country’s disputed nuclear activities to an exiled Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MEK), state radio reported on Tuesday. Mohammad Tavakoli says the "spy" has worked in the Iranian parliament’s research center since 2001.

MKO, labeled a terrorist group in the European Union and the United States, was the first body to expose Iran’s covert nuclear program in 2002.

A leading MP confirmed the arrest. "The man has been working in parliament’s research centre since 2001," Ahmad Tavakoli told the semi-official Fars news agency.

He said the case has been completed for trial, which he said will start soon. The MEK is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

Iranian analysts say the People’s Mujahideen lacks support in Iran where few can forgive its siding with Saddam Hussein in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Huliq.com – 10/01/2007

January 11, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Iran dismisses European Court’s ruling on MKO assets

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad- Ali Hosseini on Wednesday dismissed as "legally unjustified and unacceptable" a ruling by the European Court of First Instance which annulled an EU decision to freeze the assets of the terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization (MKO).

"The ruling runs counter to the spirit of the UN Security Council resolution 1373 which holds governments responsible for fighting terrorist groups," said Hosseini on Wednesday.

Hosseini said such a measure will bring the credit and competency of authorities whose main responsibility is to defending people’s interests and fundamental rights under question.

The world public opinion will never forget MKO’s black record of inhumane crimes including their complicity in massacre of innocent Iranian and Iraqi people by former regime of Saddam Hussein, he added.

He said MKO has been recognized as a terrorist group by international organizations on the basis of the UN Security Council resolution 1373 and an European Union approval.

He added that any measure to unfreeze terrorists’ assets could serve to revive terrorism and spread terrorist activities. It will also be contrary to the responsibilities of the European Union in campaign against terrorism, he added.

Iran calls for an appeal against the European Court of First Instance, urging a fair and just judgment.

Tehran, Dec 13, IRNA

December 14, 2006 0 comment

Iran

Iran, Iraq Issue Joint Statement

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- To conclude the 3-day visit to Tehran by President Jalal Talabani, Iran and Iraq issued a joint press statement here on Wednesday.

According to the Presidential Press Office, the two sides have stressed in the statement that Iran and Iraq share many common views about various bilateral, regional and international issues.

The statement further said that both sides are insistent on upgrading their present level of relations and cooperation in all political, security, oil, industry, economic and cultural spheres, given their abundant age-old historical, cultural and religious commonalities.

The Islamic republic of Iran has also stressed the necessity for the safeguarding of Iran’s national unity, territorial integrity and independence, while it also voiced support for the building up of a political trend, establishment of democratic institutions, and restoration of the Iraqi nation’s right to control their countries’ natural wealth, enjoy territorial integrity and form their desired political life based on Iraq’s new Constitution.

….

In another part, the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomed the recent decision and a relevant approval of the Iraqi government for expelling the members of the terrorist group Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) from that country, and stressed that accelerating implementation of the said decision will be a positive step in the development and deepening of the two countries’ relations.

Reminding the crimes committed by Saddam’s regime against Iraqi people and its military aggression against Iran and Kuwait, the two sides reiterated the necessity for a transparent and just trial of Saddam and the other high ranking officials of the former Iraqi regime.

Fars News Agency – 2006-11-30

December 4, 2006 0 comment

Iran

Charge d’affaires explains invalidity of MKO testimony

Charge d’affaires explains invalidity of MKO testimony to Argentine Judge

Iranian charge d’affaires to Argentina Mohsen Baharvand explained invalidity of the testimony made by members of terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) to Argentine Judge Rodolfo Conicoba Corral, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Sunday.

He told reporters that the meeting of the charge d’affaires with the Argentine judge had been arranged seven months ago in the context of cooperation between Tehran and Buenos Aires on legal proceedings about bombing of Argentine Jewish Center (AMIA).

"Following Tehran prosecutor’s decision to reciprocate Argentine justice system’s action violating immunity of Iranian government, the Foreign Ministry planned a meeting to take place in Buenos Aires between Iranian charge d’affaires and and Judge Corral to help him get rid of isolated approach and the big mistake he committed in the legal proceedings about the AMIA bombing."

"The charge d’affaires enlightened the Argentine judge that testimony produced by MKO members who according to US State Department are the dangerous terrorists of the Middle East is invalid and away from wisdom, especially the allegation that the terrorist bombing has taken place in reaction to Argentine government’s refusal to go ahead with cooperation on nuclear program," Hosseini said.

The spokesman said that Iranian Jewish community enjoy freedom and they have historical co-existence with other communities of Iranians so that the Argentine justice system has been misled by the false testimonies to bring those responsible to justice.

He said that Iranian nation and government sympathize with the bereaved families of AMIA bombing and is ready to cooperate with Argentine justice system to hunt down the terrorists.

"Iran reserves the right to defend Iranian nationals against baseless allegations about AMIA bombing and expects Buenos Aires government to respect immunity of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its senior officials."

IRNA – December 03, 2006

December 4, 2006 0 comment

Iran

Mottaki confers with French MP, calling France major trade partner

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that Iran and France were seriously determined to expand political, cultural and economic ties.

Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with member of French National Assembly Xazier de Roux while pointing to deep-rooted ties between the two sides.

"Iran and France enjoy great potentials to develop cooperation.

France is an important European partner for Iran," he said.

Referring to terrorist measures adopted by terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization (MKO) to damage ties between Tehran and Paris, he said, "There is no a good or bad terrorist in the world."

The minister pointed to France’s special cultural and scientific position in the world and called on the country to resist to scientific apartheid and discrimination among countries on peaceful use of nuclear energy.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is against production, proliferation and test of nuclear weapons," Mottaki said.

The French MP, for his part, assessed as "very pivotal" Iran’s role in establishing regional and international peace and security.

He said France has an independent stance on regional and international developments, adding cooperation with Iran to establish peace and security in the region would be inevitable.

He stated that his country’s officials regard the MKO as a terrorist group.

On Iran’s nuclear case, he stressed that Paris has never opposed to Tehran’s right to have access to peaceful nuclear energy and expressed his country’s readiness to cooperate with Iran in this field.

IRNA – November 07, 2006

November 14, 2006 0 comment

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