LIBERATION OF IRAN AND THE WAR ON TERRORISM
By Dr. Shaheen Fatemi*
PARIS (IRAN VA JAHAN) As we approach the anniversary of 9/11, we are more and more reminded that the war on terrorism is no longer solely an American agenda. The entire world from Russia to Yemen and from Canada to Malaysia, every government and every citizen is getting involved in this struggle for life or death.
In spite of its significant importance, at times it seems as if the main effort of this war, finding and dismantling the terrorist network before they strike again, is making little progress. Time is of the essence in this struggle because once these networks get their hands on WMD (weapons of mass destruction) it might be already too late.
Had those responsible for the WTC massacre been equipped with such weapons the outcome would have been unimaginable. Today there seems to be ample evidence that some of the active elements of this network of terror are desperately seeking such weapons. But they would have insurmountable difficulty in succeeding without direct assistance from a "state" willing to take the risk of actively helping them. The question is where would they logically go in search of such support?
Most knowledgeable observers have been pointing their fingers at Iraq. In a recent well-documented article, the Economist of London has best illustrated the danger that Iraq poses in this respect. The Economist makes a very strong case for a pre-emptive attack against that country at this time. But going after Iraq before finding a realistically reasonable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we are told, might trigger mass uprisings in the Arab world and endanger such "friendly regimes" like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and even Jordan.
However, over the past decade, obtaining any reasonable accommodation between the Palestinian and the Israelis has become an impossible task. Anytime that there is the slightest hope for peace through negotiation between the two sides, invariably the terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Jihad strike at the crucial moment with another bloody suicide attack. This in turn is immediately followed by over-kill reactions of General Sharon´s scorched earth tactics in the occupied territories.
Support and direction of the Iranian regime is the main backbone of these
terrorist groups-this fact has been established and widely reported by the press. We should ask who benefits from the delay in an eventual Arab-Israeli settlement? Iraqi regime is now confident that the prolongation of any settlement of the Palestine issue delays any American military action and gives it sufficient time to further develop and/or better hide its WMD.
The Iranian regime seems to be the intermediary for provision of support to the terrorists whose sole function is sabotaging any hope of a peaceful settlement. Recently we have seen further evidence of this complicitous relationship between IRI and the Iraqis. In a series of visits, which has been nicknamed "children’s diplomacy", Qusay Hussein has visited Iran and Rafsanjani´s daughter, Fa’ezeh, has been seen with high officials in Baghdad.
With no prospects of any improvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, crucial regional and international ingredients for the successful eradication of the Iraqi threat are missing and this brings us back to square one and results in continuation of the existing "policy paralysis in the global war on terrorism."
The question is how can we break this vicious circle of crime and conspiracy? One solution lies in liberation of the Iranian people from the current oppressive regime. If Iran were to be liberated by the power of its own people and a democratic government with popular support were supplant the present regime, the chessboard of the entire region would change;
- The radical elements, Hamas, Jihad, Hezbollah and the like would no longer receive financial, military and tactical support from Iran.
- Syria, another terrorist state in the region, would feel further isolated and would substantially cut back on its support for the terrorists.
- The problem of Iraq would radically change, as the new regime in Iran would begin to demand war indemnity and realignment of the disputed borders. A new regime with the support of its seventy million strong population would prove to be a serious concern for Saddam, if he is still able to hold on to power.
- A close and friendly network of democratically elected governments in Iran, Turkey, Jordan and hopefully other countries, would at last, bring some peace and stability to the region after a quarter-of-a-century of turmoil.
Is this a dream or could it be a blueprint? ENDS IRAN FIRST 10802
Editor’s note: *Dr. Fatemi is a senior professor of Economics at the American University of Paris and Editor of the Paris-based internet website Iran va Jahan (Iran and the World), which published the above commentary on 9 August 2002.