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 uthor's
note: If you could read Persian, lived in
Iran, and thought a lot about politics, you'd probably be a regular
reader of Siasat Roos, a daily newspaper from Tehran whose
name means "Politics of the Day." Siasat Roos frequently
runs interviews with foreign political specialists. Below is a recent
Siasat Roos interview, conducted by e-mail, with me. It marks
my second appearance in Siasat Roos.
Q. What do
you think about world coalition against terrorism and who must lead
this phenomenon?
A. First of
all, I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak with your readers.
I hope that relations between Iran and the United States will improve,
as the people in each nation learn to understand each other better.
Right now there is a special opportunity for the United States and
Iran to overcome the mistakes that each nation made in the past,
and to build a better relationship. Many Americans have been pleased
to learn of the remarks of Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi and other
Iranian leaders who have spoken out against the terrorist attacks
on the United States. In the current struggle against bin Laden,
the United States will be the leader, because the United States
has suffered the greatest injury from bin Laden, and because the
United States has the greatest determination to eliminate bin Laden.
Over the coming years, there will be many different struggles against
different terrorists, and each country will find its own ways to
lead and to participate.
Q. "You
are either with us or with the terrorism" — is it logical
or rational as President Bush confirmed and if it is not correct
what should be the correct one?
A. Some countries
work very hard to make sure that their territory is not used by
terrorists. These countries will ensure that terrorists cannot train
in their country, cannot make plans in their country, and cannot
store money in their country. If different countries allow terrorists
to operate with the national borders, or provide financial support
to terrorists, then the countries are helping terrorists. Terrorism
is like a contagious disease in a big city; every household must
work to destroy the infection, and the households which do not try
to stop disease in their own houses become a danger to everyone
else.
Q. What do
think about possibility of conflict between civilizations due to
terorrism attacks and U.S. action against it?
A. The world
of Islam has created some of the great achievements of human civilization.
The Western world has also created great achievements of civilization.
Civilized Islam and the civilized West are both threatened by terrorism.
Terrorism is not a form of Islam; it is merely barbarism. Both the
Islamic world and the West need to recognize their common interest
in crushing terrorism.
Opponents of
terrorism should not worry about terrorist reprisals. When Japan
and Germany attacked the United States, in World War II, the United
States did not worry that fighting back against the Japanese and
Germans would cause more violence. Instead, the United States determined
to destroy the evil governments which had started the war. Today,
the United States, Japan, and Germany are good friends. Similarly,
after terrorism is crushed, and people are not so afraid, it will
be easier for people to be friends.
Q. Do you accept
Bush's foreign policy to campaign against terorrism? If it is wrong
what should be the new one?
A. Not since
the beginning of World War II has there been so much popular support
in America for a President's foreign policy. Americans recognize
that terrorism is an attempt to destroy the American way of life.
Most Americans do not believe that the main reason for the attack
was American foreign policy — such as support for Israel, or
military bases in Saudi Arabia. Rather, they believe that the reason
for the attack was the American way of life: religious tolerance,
freedom for women, free speech. As in the years after Pearl Harbor,
the majority of the American people will stay united for as long
as it takes to win the war. The new war is not like the Vietnam
War, which many Americans thought was not related to America's most
important interests. Today, Americans recognize that destroying
terrorism everywhere is necessary for the ability of Americans to
live in peace in
their own homes.
Q. Iran's leading
cleric confirmed Iranian conditions for fighting terrorism; according
to this condition, Iran does not accept U.S leadership for fighting
terrorism and also he rejects Bush policy — i.e. "You
are either with us or with terrorism." What is your idea about
the Iranian leading cleric's policy and does it has any effect for
the other countries to chose their own policy against terrorism?
A. The statement
is disappointing, but it is not surprising, because there have been
so many problems in relations between Iran and America for so long.
I think that the United States will respect Iran's wishes that American
planes not use Iranian airspace on their way to Afghanistan. But
it would have be better if Iran did allow such overflights, because
the Iran and the United States have some important common interests.
By helping the United States fight the Taliban, Iran would be helping
itself. Both Iran and the United States support the Northern Alliance.
Of course the Taliban want to destroy every form of religion that
is not exactly like their own religion. The Taliban viciously persecute
the Shi'a in Afghanistan, and the Taliban would persecute the Shi'a
of Iran just as viciously, if the Taliban had the opportunity. That
means that the Taliban are hostile to the United States and to Iran
for the same reason: both nations have religions which are not exactly
like the Taliban's sect. If the Taliban are not stopped, they will
attempt to destroy everyone else; both American and Iran would become
victims of the Taliban.
The war against
terrorism will be a very long war. In some aspects — such as
the war against bin Laden — the United States will have support
from many countries. In other parts of the war, the United States
will have less support from other countries. Every country must
decide what is necessary for itself. I hope that every country realizes
that terrorism is harmful. Even though a country might find short-term
benefits from allowing terrorists to use its territory, countries
should realize that in the long run, allowing terrorist operations
will destroy the host country. This is what is happening to Afghanistan,
and this is what will happen to every other country that provides
terrorist bases.
Just as Iran
must pursue its own best interests, so must the United States. Therefore,
it is almost certain that the United States will not limit its actions
to whatever the United Nations approves, or to whatever Egypt, Iran,
or other nations approve. Simply put, the United Nations has been
a failure, and there is little reason to believe that a UN-led effort
would actually stop terrorism. The United Nations has completely
failed to stop Saddam Hussein from developing weapons of mass destruction.
The United Nations completely failed to stop the genocide in Rwanda.
I am sure that if Iran were attacked by terrorists tomorrow, Iran's
leaders would start fighting back against the terrorists on the
very same day. Iran's leaders would not endanger the people of Iran
by waiting for the United Nations to pass an empty resolution consisting
merely of words.
If poisonous
snakes came in your house and killed one of your children, you would
destroy all the poisonous snakes as soon as possible. You would
not worry about what your neighbors or anyone else thought you should
do. Nor would you wait until the people of the whole world formed
a consensus about snakes.
The essential
self-interest of the United States is to eradicate every terrorist
group which threatens the American people. Americans will be happy
to have support from other nations, including Iran, but Americans
will have no hesitation about acting unilaterally, if necessary.
Q. Do you accept
that one person such a bin Laden or his group can do the attack?
If not, who can do that?
A. It would
not be surprising if bin Laden had assistance from a national government.
Many Americans think that Iraq might have assisted. Several weeks
before the September 11 acts of war, one of the terrorists met with
an Iraqi official, in Germany. If Iraq did participate, Saddam Hussein
will share the same doom as the Taliban. Almost no one in America
believes the absurd claims, with no evidence, that have been made
in some Egyptian newspapers, which pretend that the attacks were
the work of Japanese, Israelis, or Americans.
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