26.06.2004 IRN TEHRAN.
Holding prayer beads, a veiled Iranian woman looks through binoculars during a ceremony by police to burn 50,000 kg of narcotics to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 26, 2004. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Photo: AP
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Hello, Arms
// Iran to create an A-bomb in case of a war with the USA
friendship of nations
The annual festivals dedicated to the anniversary of the Islamic revolution started in Iran. Apropos of this Teheran came out with a very menacing statements concerning the USA. It was the first time that the Iranian authorities actually threatened Washington with the nuclear weapon. According to the Secretary of the Security Council of Iran Hasan Rohani, in case of an attack from the USA or Israel, Teheran “will expand its activity in the field of the nuclear cycle improvement.
A bomb for a holiday
Thursday is the climax of the festival dedicated to the 24-anniversary of the Islamic revolution. But an important “pre-holiday” announcement was made yesterday. The Secretary of the Supreme Board of the Security Council Hasan Rohani declared that “if the USA or Israel attacked Iranian nuclear objects” Iran would immediately attack back. The secretary of the Iranian Security Council didn’t specify what country they would attack, but actually threatened with the nuclear weapon. According to him, Iran “as a retribution, will hasten its works on mastering the atom” because “the potential of the country in the sphere of production of the nuclear components at the damage caused will still be at the top level. ”
However Rohani stated that at the present moment the Iranian nuclear program purposes its peaceful objects. In other words, in case of the American attack Iran will transfer it into military and will get nuclear weapon.
Never in the history the Iranian officials made such a bold statement containing a threat to the USA. Rohani’s statement is a paraphrase of the famous statement prescribed to an Israeli Prime Minister Golde Meir that supposedly said that her country “has got no nuclear weapon, but if it needs it, it will use it.”
The subject of an adequate response to the aggression and some secret weapon possessed becomes a favorite among Iranian officials lately. “Now we can say that we possess such a power that no country will decide to attack us, for nobody knows for sure our military potential because we can use flexible strategies. We can affirm that we managed to create weapons that are strong means of threatening”- the Iranian Minister of Defense Ali Shamhani stated lately.
“The Iranian armed forces are ready to resist any aggression. Iran will destroy any troops that may interfere with the internal affairs.”-Hasan Firuzabadi, the commander of the armed forces of Iran said last Saturday. And finally, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Republic Ali Hamenei stated yesterday that “the major problem of the powerful self-confident countries, led by the USA, is that Iran had been under American influence and now out of it and can resist them with dignity.” Rohani summarized the martial announcements of his colleagues: “I don’t think Americans will run such a risk: they know our ability for attacking back.” These statements of the Iranian leader resemble the words of Saddam Hussien and his surrounding before the American invasion. Bagdad used to say that they would resist the “American soldiery”. “Iraq is not Afghanistan” they used to say. But it turned out that it made no difference for the Americans. The USA may be bad in putting a place in order, but they are good in overthrowing the regimes they don’t like. The fact that the Iranian officials make statements like that means that they have seriously perceived the last statements of the USA administration and are getting ready to the American invasion.
Uranium for negotiations
Rohani’s revelations concerning the nuclear potentials sounded just like before the negotiations between Teheran and EU on the atomic program. The negotiations start today in Geneva. The European three [Great Britain, Germany and France] that has the economic interests in Iran are trying to persuade Teheran to refuse the enriching the Uranium and the processes connected with it. Sometimes the Iranian government gives such promises, but then just refuse to keep their words. There will be the same in Geneva. Rohani stated yesterday that “West has nothing to offer Teheran to convince to close the nuclear program.” According to him, the Islamic Republic can only stop the enrichment for a time, to carry on some weeks later after the negotiations are over. In other words these negotiations are just the same as before. But they are interesting from another point of view: how the USA will react to the Iranian-European dialogue.
Up to now Washington was very fussy about these negotiations and kept on saying that they couldn’t believe Iran, for it was breaking the international treaties and called upon to apply sanctions against Teheran. But suddenly Washington changed the tone. Condoleezza Rice stated that attack of Iran is not in the scheduled and they should pay attention to the diplomatic means. The head of Pentagon Donald Ramsfeld told CNN that Iran is on the way to get a nuclear weapon but doesn’t have it presently. To all appearance, it’s a question of some years. However he talked about diplomacy, which is unusual for him, that is priority to Washington.
Finally, on Sunday evening, the Vise President of the USA Dick Chaney for the first time in the last years agreed to participate in the talk show. He started to compliment Europeans for their diplomatic efforts on Fox News. He said that Iranians knew that Americans didn’t want them to get nuclear weapon and the entire civilized world doesn’t want it either.
The position of the American administration is clear. The USA has changed the tactics. They will hardly demand IAEA to condemn Iran and apply sanctions against the country, as they haven’t demanded the UN Security Council to carry an anti-Iraqi vote. Washington will just watch the way negotiations go until the first collapse. And the collapse is inevitable due to the changeable position of Iraq. And then they will finish with the present lull and the American authorities will say they are scheduling the invasion.
Oil for war
The spiritual leader Hamenei in his last appeal to the nation declared that the unexpected softening of the American rhetoric is caused by the fear of the Iranian power.
According to him, the annual festival dedicated to the anniversary of the revolution “is frightening them no matter what the propaganda says.” Actually, he ‘s almost right: the festive statement of Rohani is an alarm for Washington.
No doubt Teheran has other aces that may complicate the life of the USA. Before they pass on to the stage of the operations they are to evaluate all the risks. The major of them is not the nuclear threatening but the ability of Iraq to paralyze the world petroleum industry. In case of a war all Teheran will need to do is to wreck a couple of tankers near Bender-Abbas. And the Iraqi, Kuwaiti, Emirate, Quatari and Saudi oil will be locked in the Persian Gulf and the price for it will be sky high. The world economy will suffer from the crisis. And the events development like this will seem more dangerous than nuclear experiment of Teheran.
Washington can foresee this option and has been promising to talk to the local opposition for it to handle the mullah regime. One of the ideologists of the American administration, the advisor to the head of Pentagon Richard Pearl likes to say that the Iranian regime is a colossus on the clay legs. They just need to help the rebellious students, the national movements and monarchists and they will put an end to the Islamic Republic.
It’s hard to say how far the USA now in the preparation of the “fifth column”, but apparently they well need some more time. It’s likely that Iran will celebrate its 25-th anniversary. But it’s a question if the USA are too frightened to defer their plans for a long tome.
Mikhail Zygar
All the Article in Russian as of Feb. 08, 2005
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