Supreme Leader’s Warning to Bush:
In his latest remarks yesterday, the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, backed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the person “in charge” of the nuclear case and issued a direct warning to George W. Bush that “[i]f George Bush orders a military strike against Iran, even if he leaves it up to the next Administration, the Iranian nation will sue and punish him even after his term in his office is over."
The supreme leader’s office provided the full transcript of Khamenei’s speech, which was delivered on the birth date of the first Shia Imam, to the press yesterday. In part of his speech, referring to military threats issued against Iran that are published as unofficial news by some media organizations, Khamenei said, “[i]f anyone takes any stupid action against Iran, our response will be decisive. The fact that the US government and Zionist regime are talking in order to cover up their own internal problems is their business. Yet if the plan to attack will be realized, they should know that the Iranian nation will cut off the arm of those who attack it. For the Iranian nation, it does not matter whether this criminal arm occupies a government post or not.”
Explicitly naming the current United States president, George W. Bush, Khamenei added, “[i]f George Bush orders a military strike against Iran, even if he leaves it up to the next Administration, the Iranian nation will sue and punish him even after his term in his office is over.”
Commenting on the Islamic Republic’s position, the supreme leader noted, “[o]ur red lines are clear and if the other parties respect the Iranian people, the dignity of the Islamic republic and these red lines, our officials will negotiate as long as no one makes any threats against Iran."
Ayatollah Khamenei also made a distinction between Europe and the United States: “[t]he Iranian nation makes a distinction between those who, like America, oppose [our] right to achieve nuclear knowledge and this huge advantage out of malice, and those who respect the Iranian nation and its right and respect the nation’s red lines and want to discuss various issues, including the nuclear [issue].”
Meanwhile, noting that “[t]he country’s officials are making fully informed decisions about the nuclear issue,” Ayatollah Khamenei commented on disagreements among country’s officials over whether the Islamic Republic should negotiate with the West: “[t]he supreme national security council, headed by the president, is responsible on the nuclear question. What the president and the officials say on the nuclear issue is the fruit of a consensus of all the country's officials and the heads of three branches and supreme leader’s representatives in the National Security Council are dealing with this issue with wisdom, commitment and responsibility.”
The supreme leader’s supportive remarks of Ahmadinejad are made after several international publications speculated last week about the possibility of disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program between the president and supreme leader.
Rumors of possible disagreements follow after former Islamic Republic Foreign Minister (of 16 years) and current foreign policy advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, insisted in an interview with Jomhouri Eslami daily that it is in Iran’s best interest to accept the proposed 5+1 package of incentives. An article authored by Velayati titled, “Who Rules Iran?” was published simultaneously by several prominent European newspapers. In it, Velayati declared that Ayatollah Khamenei has the last word in Iran’s foreign policy and handling of the nuclear case.
The supreme leader’s office provided the full transcript of Khamenei’s speech, which was delivered on the birth date of the first Shia Imam, to the press yesterday. In part of his speech, referring to military threats issued against Iran that are published as unofficial news by some media organizations, Khamenei said, “[i]f anyone takes any stupid action against Iran, our response will be decisive. The fact that the US government and Zionist regime are talking in order to cover up their own internal problems is their business. Yet if the plan to attack will be realized, they should know that the Iranian nation will cut off the arm of those who attack it. For the Iranian nation, it does not matter whether this criminal arm occupies a government post or not.”
Explicitly naming the current United States president, George W. Bush, Khamenei added, “[i]f George Bush orders a military strike against Iran, even if he leaves it up to the next Administration, the Iranian nation will sue and punish him even after his term in his office is over.”
Commenting on the Islamic Republic’s position, the supreme leader noted, “[o]ur red lines are clear and if the other parties respect the Iranian people, the dignity of the Islamic republic and these red lines, our officials will negotiate as long as no one makes any threats against Iran."
Ayatollah Khamenei also made a distinction between Europe and the United States: “[t]he Iranian nation makes a distinction between those who, like America, oppose [our] right to achieve nuclear knowledge and this huge advantage out of malice, and those who respect the Iranian nation and its right and respect the nation’s red lines and want to discuss various issues, including the nuclear [issue].”
Meanwhile, noting that “[t]he country’s officials are making fully informed decisions about the nuclear issue,” Ayatollah Khamenei commented on disagreements among country’s officials over whether the Islamic Republic should negotiate with the West: “[t]he supreme national security council, headed by the president, is responsible on the nuclear question. What the president and the officials say on the nuclear issue is the fruit of a consensus of all the country's officials and the heads of three branches and supreme leader’s representatives in the National Security Council are dealing with this issue with wisdom, commitment and responsibility.”
The supreme leader’s supportive remarks of Ahmadinejad are made after several international publications speculated last week about the possibility of disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program between the president and supreme leader.
Rumors of possible disagreements follow after former Islamic Republic Foreign Minister (of 16 years) and current foreign policy advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, insisted in an interview with Jomhouri Eslami daily that it is in Iran’s best interest to accept the proposed 5+1 package of incentives. An article authored by Velayati titled, “Who Rules Iran?” was published simultaneously by several prominent European newspapers. In it, Velayati declared that Ayatollah Khamenei has the last word in Iran’s foreign policy and handling of the nuclear case.
No comments:
Post a Comment