The following dispatches are qoutes taken directly from government and leadership and news media in Iran, Syria and Lebanon.
*WARNING* This is a very informative read but will take at least 15 min.
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD120406 .
In statements published over the last few weeks, senior Iranian officials advocated an escalation of the violent activity against Israel and against "Zionists" around the world.
Additionally, in mid-June 2006, Syria and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement. The Syrian defense minister stated on that occasion that the two countries "are establishing a joint front against Israel... [since] Iran regards Syria's security as its own."
For the last few weeks, Iran has been constantly delaying its response to the ultimatum presented to it by 5+1 (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany) regarding its nuclear program, since it has no intention of accepting the international community's terms and of suspending its uranium enrichment activities. Iran was required to respond to the ultimatum by July 12 (before the G8 summit in Saint Petersburg). So far, the international community has not yielded to Iran's attempts to evade the ultimatum, and has denied Iran's request to postpone the deadline to August 22, 2006.
Iranian National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, who is in charge of Iran's nuclear dossier, made a surprise visit to Damascus after meeting with E.U. Council Secretary-General Javier Solana on July 11, 2006. Syrian Vice President Farouq Al-Shar' stated after the meeting that the resistance [movements] in Lebanon and in Palestine [i.e. Hizbullah and Hamas] would make their own decisions regarding their affairs.
It is possible that the escalation on Israel's borders, set off by elements supported by Iran - Hamas, Hizbullah and Syria - is meant to take the pressure off Iran by triggering a major military clash in the Middle East, which will divert international attention from Iran's nuclear program.
The following are excerpts from statements by top Iranian figures and details about the Syrian-Iranian military agreement:
Military Cooperation Agreement Between Iran and Syria
On June 16, 2006, the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported
1) "Well-informed sources in Tehran have told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the talks held in Tehran between Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani and his Iranian counterpart Mustafa Mohammad Najjar did not only deal with military and security aspects of the strategic cooperation between the two countries, but also with the situation in Lebanon... [The talks also] dealt with the situation in Palestine, and with the ways of assisting the Hamas and the [Islamic] Jihad in their conflict with Fatah...
"In a meeting with reporters after the signing of the military cooperation agreement, the Syrian defense minister stated that 'the American threats against Iran and Syria are nothing new... We are examining ways of countering these threats, and are establishing a joint front against Israel's threats... [since] Iran regards Syria's security as its own.'"
The daily reported that the Syrian defense minister had visited Tehran at the head of a large delegation escorted by army and intelligence officers, and met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian Chief of Staff Hassan Fayrouz and Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Yahya Rahim Safavi.
It further reported that "Iran has agreed to finance Syrian military deals with Russia, China and Ukraine, to equip the Syrian army with cannon, warheads, army vehicles, and missiles manufactured by the Iranian Defense Industries, and to enable Syrian navy drills.
"Syria, on its part, has renewed its previous agreements with Iran which allow Iranian ammunition trucks to pass [through Syria] into Lebanon..."
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat added that the Syrian and Iranian defense ministers "had agreed to establish a 'consultation room' and maintain open communication channels between the two countries in security and military matters."
Threats by Iranian President Ahmadinejad
In a television program aired on July 11, 2006, Iranian President Ahmadinejad warned Western countries not to support Israel, because "the rage of the Muslim peoples will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region... The waves of the explosion... will reach the corrupt forces [i.e. the Western countries] which support this fake regime." The following is an excerpt from Ahmadinejad's statement on the program: (2)
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Today, it has been proven that the Zionists are not opposed only to Islam and the Muslims. They are opposed to humanity as a whole. They want to dominate the entire world. They would even sacrifice the Western regimes for their own sake. I have said in Tehran, and I say it again here - I say to the leaders of some Western countries: Stop supporting these corrupt people. Behold, the rage of the Muslim peoples is accumulating. The rage of the Muslim peoples may soon reach the point of explosion. If that day comes, they must know that the waves of this explosion will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region. They will definitely reach the corrupt forces that support this fake regime."
Editor of Iranian Daily Kayhan: No Zionist Should Feel Secure Anywhere in the World
On July 3, 2006, editor of the conservative Iranian daily Kayhan Hossein Shariatamadari, who is close to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote, "The reaction to Israel's crimes in Gaza should not be confined to the occupied territories. Why should the Zionists [feel] secure when there is no security for the Muslims?"
In an interview with the conservative Iranian news agency Mehr, Shariatamadari reiterated that the Muslim world should not limit its responses to the Zionist attacks only to the Gaza Strip, but should see to it that "no Zionist feels secure anywhere in the world." He added that the Zionist attack in Gaza does not reveal the Zionists' power, but [only] their fear.
According to Shariatamadari, the U.N. is useless since "all its rules are interpreted [in a way that] favors [the aggressors], and the Israeli attack in Gaza elicits a mere expression of sorrow on the part of the U.N."
Shariatamadari called on the Muslim countries that maintain economic ties with Israel to sever these ties, and also to minimize their ties with countries that support Israel and to recall their ambassadors to these countries.(3)
Threats by Hassan Nassrallah in Conservative Iranian Daily Jomhouri-ye Eslami
On the morning of July 12, concurrently with the Hizbullah attack on Israel's northern border, the conservative Iranian daily Jomhouri-ye Eslami, which is affiliated with the religious seminaries of Qom, published a speech given by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nassrallah on May 23, 2006 at a conference on "The Culture of Resistance." The following are excerpts from the speech:
"We can hit Israel's entire northern region with thousands of rockets... All of Israel is now within the range of our missiles. Its seaports, [military] bases, industrial plants and everything else are all within our range... I repeat and say that our stockpile of weapons is significant, both in quantity and in quality... Another advantage that I wish to mention is the geography of Lebanon and Palestine. Most of Israel's vital areas are concentrated in the northern [half] of occupied Palestine, while the south is uninhabited and desolate. More than two million Jews live in the north of occupied Palestine, which contains the recreation centers and [tourist] resorts, the industrial plants, the agricultural [areas] and the important military airports and bases. This is an advantage for us... Our presence in South Lebanon, in proximity to the north of occupied Palestine, is our greatest advantage..."(4)
Emphasis on Hizbullah's Importance to Iran
According to a May 11, 2006 Al-Sharq Al-Awsat report, a high-level Iranian official who held a closed meeting with a small group of Western diplomats in London emphasized Hizbullah's importance to Iran: "Hizbullah is one of the pillars of our security strategy, and forms Iran's first line of defense against Israel. We reject [the claim] that it must be disarmed..."(5)
Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel's Borders (2): Reaction in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD120506 .
On July 13, 2006, the Iranian, Syrian, and Lebanese media published articles and statements on the emerging conflict between Israel and Hizbullah.
It is noteworthy that on May 4, 2006, Hizbullah founder and former secretary-general Sheikh Subhi Al-Tufeili told Al-Arabiya TV: "They [Hizbullah] are committed to the Iranian policy... I have said before that the Shi'ites in Lebanon serve as Iran's 'playing ground'... Hizbullah definitely fosters its relations with the Syrians, but its real leadership is 'the rule of the jurisprudent' – in other words, [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei." (See MEMRI TV Clip No. 1132, May 4, 2006, http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1132 ).
The following are excerpts from the articles and statements in the Iranian, Syrian, and Lebanese media.(1)
Iranian President Ahmadinejad Threatens Europe
Following the July 12, 2006 decision by the 5+1 (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany) to return Iran's nuclear dossier to the Security Council, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened Europe, saying:
"If the Iranian nation and its government conclude that the Western countries do not have good will [in resolving Iran's nuclear issue], they will change their policy vis-à-vis the package of incentives [offered to Iran by the West in exchange for halting uranium enrichment]... No one can expect tense relations that have existed for a number of years to be resolved in a very short period of time... The exacerbation of the tensions in the [Middle East] region will be to the detriment of the Europeans. The Iranian nation and government are sufficiently strong and safe from any harm that [any] tensions can cause."
Ahmadinejad also warned Israel's supporters that "any help to the [Israeli] regime will make them partners in the crime of genocide and other illegal acts in the occupied territories, and to their Muslim citizens... The Zionist regime was created by repression and terror, and the continuation of its crimes will only hasten its downfall."(2)
Conservative Iranian Daily Kayhan: Nuclear Iran has Eradicated Israel's Nuclear Prestige
In a July 13, 2006 editorial, the conservative Iranian daily Kayhan, which is close to Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei, praised the Hizbullah operation and stated3) "[Prior to the Hizbullah operation,] the oppressing Israeli regime would appear with three cards in the Palestinian game: the card of America, the card of the [Arab] regimes in the region that are sympathetic to it, and the card of [its] nuclear superiority. With these three cards, [Israel] would come out the winner in every game, and vanquish its opponents [in the region].
"With today's perspective, [these three cards] have collapsed completely, because America's ability to impose Israel's will on the Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian side has come to naught. At this time, the Hamas government, the Lebanese government, and the Syrian government cannot permit America to enter into the Palestinian-Israeli equation. That is, the factors within the countries in the region that used to turn America's involvement into something influential have collapsed.
"On the other hand, Israel's military advantage in the region has eroded, and nuclear Iran is eradicating the nuclear prestige of Israel... Today's Iran has - by virtue of its impenetrable leadership and with top officials who are unanimous in their support of [Iran's Supreme] Leader [Ali Khamenei], and who are well-liked in the Middle East - have struck, time and again, at... Israel's force, and have brought it to the verge of collapse."
Syrian Government Daily Al-Thawra Calls to Continue in the Path of the Resistance That has Proven its Effectiveness
In a July 13, 2006 editorial, the Syrian government daily Al-Thawra called for the continuation of the path of the resistance, which, it said, is the only one that has been effective with the Israelis: "The language of intimidation and threat is nothing but the language of those who have not experienced the pride of the resistance. Likewise, it is language that will lead to nothing but submission, and thus we must persist in not listening to those who speak it. This is because no one can deny the right of the resistance to bring back the resistance fighters from the Israeli prisons...
"The [only] language that is effective with the Israelis is [the language] of the resistance!! No other path has been effective - on the contrary, [every other path] has only increased the Israeli arrogance, to the level that Israel has acted as if it lives alone in the world!!...
"The congratulations that the Arab citizens exchanged with each other [following the Hizbullah operation] are a kind of request [to implement] the program of the resistance, which began to develop more and more amongst the Arabs after they sensed the height of the power of the positive results of the resistance...
"Thus, the culture of the resistance is expected to spread further - because it has proven its effectiveness and its usefulness, and it is now the culture of the Arab street, which is always willing to pay the price of the resistance, however [high] it may be. Pay attention to what [Hizbullah Secretary-General] Hassan Nasrallah has said: [We are] ready and willing [to fight]."(4)
Two Lebanese Dailies: Was Hizbullah Operation in Service of Iran and Syria?
*Was Yesterday's Operation Aimed at Taking the International Pressure Regarding Nuclear Dossier Off Iran?
Also on July 13, Sarkis Na'um, columnist for the Christian Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, wrote: "The successful military operation carried out yesterday morning by the Islamic Resistance [i.e. Hizbullah]... raises many questions among the Lebanese: [For example,] was yesterday's operation aimed at liberating the Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails... [when] there are alternative ways to achieve this goal - [alternatives] which would spare Lebanon [all] the destruction, damage, invasions and fatalities?...
"Was yesterday's operation aimed at easing the considerable pressure being brought to bear by the international community, headed by the U.S., on the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding its nuclear dossier? [Was the operation meant to ease this pressure] by shifting the [world's] attention towards Lebanon and the region - which will enable Iran to get what it wants before giving the international community its response to the [West's] 'incentives package' - and will free it from the [threat that its nuclear dossier] will be referred to the Security Council?"
*Iran Can Use This Operation to Imply That it "Holds the Region by its Veins"
In a July 13, 2006 editorial, the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal criticized the Hizbullah attack on Israel: "Despite the universal joy felt by the Lebanese and Arabs over the success of the Hizbullah operation... the timing [of this operation] has distressed and is [still] distressing large sectors in Lebanon... What distresses them most is that the prerogative of taking a decision [in matters] of war and peace, which [belongs to] the State of Lebanon, has been usurped by the resistance [i.e. by Hizbullah]. Whatever circumstances and reasons [behind] the secrecy of Operation True Promise [Hizbullah's name for the attack; it promised to liberate all prisoners in Israeli jails], they do not change the fact that the State of Lebanon, and all the Lebanese [people], have been presented with a fait accompli for which they did not prepare, [and now] they must bear its consequences, which may be dire, when they never [even] had a part in shaping their own fate.
"Moreover, the great promise [made to] the Lebanese [by their government] - a quiet summer full of tourists that will give them the economic boost that they so desperately need and that is urgently [needed] by the [Lebanese] economy, which is on the verge of collapse - has given way to another, more important, promise, [namely, that of liberating the prisoners]. It is natural that now, when there is no chance of fulfilling [the promise of a peaceful summer], the Lebanese will return to their despair. The greatest danger is that helplessness and extremism will increase among them, and they will sink into frustration [that may] undermine the unity of Lebanese society...
"As legitimate as this operation may be, some Lebanese are entitled to question whether its timing was free [of external considerations], and to what extent it serves the overall Syrian-Iranian strategy.
"Iran, which is [currently] engaged in difficult negotiations with the West, and especially with Washington, regarding its nuclear dossier, can use this operation as one of the 'messages' that it aims daily at the West, and especially at Washington - thus implying that it holds the region by its veins and controls it by force. Syria... can [also] use this operation... to pressure Washington into concessions regarding the Lebanese [issue], and especially regarding the investigation into the murder of former [Lebanese] prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri..."(5)
Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel's Borders (3): Reactions in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD120606 .
The following is the third dispatch in the series on Iran and the recent escalation on Israel's borders.(1) During July 12-14, 2006, the Iranian, Lebanese, and Syrian media published articles and statements on the emerging conflict between Israel and Hizbullah.
The following are excerpts:
IRANIAN REACTIONS
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran is Doing its Best to Maintain a Constructive Approach to the Nuclear Issue; Any Problem Created for Iran in the Region Will Be Detrimental for Everyone
In a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said: "If the regime that occupies Jerusalem perpetrates the foolish crime of attacking Syria, this act will be tantamount to an attack on the entire Islamic world. This regime will [then] encounter an even fiercer reaction... [Israel's] insane attacks indicate the extreme weakness and impotence of this fake regime, which will soon bring about its fall."
In public appearances in northern Iran, Ahmadinejad stated that due to its aggressive nature, the Zionist regime is unable to exist in peace and tranquility.
He also warned the "great powers" against supporting the "crimes of the Zionist regime... [since] the continuation of these crimes and of the support [for them] will fan the flames of Muslim rage, which will annihilate them all."
Addressing the nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad said that Iran would respond to Europe's proposal towards the end of the second month of summer [i.e. on August 22], and that "time is not so important in nuclear talks"...
He added that Iran is doing its best to maintain a constructive approach to this issue, but that the U.S. is aiming to create tension. He warned that any problem created for Iran in the region will be detrimental for everyone.(2)
Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani condemned the Zionist regime's attacks on Lebanon and said that Iran would support the Lebanese people in their resistance to the Zionists. Larijani stressed that the Zionist actions would motivate further resistance in the region.(3)
LEBANESE REACTIONS
Walid Jumblatt: Hizbullah Played a Very Dangerous Game by Kidnapping the Soldiers; It is Raising the Stakes, With the Support of Iran and of Syria - Which in the Past Year has Become a Satellite State of Tehran
In an interview, prominent Lebanese Druze MP Walid Jumblatt told the French daily Le Figaro: "Hizbullah played a very dangerous game by kidnapping these two soldiers... Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon. These kidnappings took place outside our country's borders. Hizbullah is raising the stakes, with the support of Iran and of Syria - which in the past year has become a satellite state of Tehran. Owing to the lack of an Arab or Western initiative regarding the Israeli-Palestinian question, Iran and Syria have taken over, and in this context Lebanon constitutes a natural battlefield...
"Hizbullah will have to explain itself to the Lebanese... [We need to decide] who makes the decisions regarding war and peace in this country."(4)
Lebanese Government: It is the Government's Responsibility to Enforce its Sovereignty Over All of Lebanon
Following its special session on July 13, 2006, the Lebanese government issued the following statement: "The government of Lebanon emphasizes that it is responsible for defending the homeland and its citizens, and for safeguarding their security and wellbeing. Likewise, it is [the government's] responsibility to extend its control over all of the Lebanese lands, to enforce its sovereignty, and to make its national decisions [concerning] foreign and domestic [policy]."
When asked whether this statement meant that the Lebanese army would deploy in southern Lebanon, PM Fuad Al-Siniora replied: "We did not discuss this issue."(5)
Former Lebanese President Amin Jumail: Lebanon Refuses to Be the Spearhead of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Former Lebanese President Amin Jumail told Al-Jazeera on July 12, 2006: "What occurred today is something very dangerous... We all know that decisions relating to war and peace are sovereign decisions that need to be taken by the government. The initiative that was taken [by Hizbullah] will entangle the country in controversial military actions... This is a great danger to Lebanon, since it is not willing to be the spearhead of the Arab-Israeli conflict so long as Syria's borders are calm and not a single shot [is being fired] from Syria on the Golan Heights."(6)
The next day, Jumail told Iranian Al-Alam TV: "What is currently going on results from the decision of [one] political party [Hizbullah], and not from a decision by the Lebanese government. If there is an initiative that leads to war, as is clearly the case right now, there needs to be a minimal level of national agreement on the part of the Lebanese constitutional institutions...
"The Lebanese government has been defeated. There are partisan forces that make decisions unilaterally, without consulting anyone. They have the ability to implement [their decisions], and the [Lebanese] government is forced to accommodate itself to the new situation."(7)
Lebanese Communications Minister: Syrian VP Gives Commands, Hizbullah Carries Them Out
In an interview, Lebanese Communications Minister Marwan Hamada told the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal: "Syrian Vice-President Farouq Al-Shar' gives the commands, Hizbullah carries them out, and Lebanon is the hostage [of Syria's commands]."(8)
Top Officials in the March 14 Forces Criticize the Operation
The March 14 Forces, a union of several political parties and factions in Lebanon headed by Al-Mustaqbal Party leader Sa'd Al-Hariri, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and Lebanese Forces commander Samir Geagea, published an announcement stating that they "oppose including Lebanon within the framework of the considerations of [various] regional forces, which have nothing to do with Lebanese interests, in order to reap benefits and opportunistic profits at the expense of the Lebanese people and its sacrifices. The March 14 Forces also emphasize Lebanese unity in the face of any Israeli attack and their unified position to restore all their rights. Moreover, they stress that no element, local or external, may exclusively determine the priorities in the campaign against the Israeli enemy..."(9)
Samir Geagea said: "Regardless of [Hizbullah's] success, no Lebanese group may gamble with the fate of the entire Lebanese people through a unilateral decision. There are many [Lebanese] detainees in Syrian prisons. Would it be conceivable for us to abduct Syrian soldiers and then conduct negotiations for their release?"(10)
Maronite Patriarch: It Would Be Difficult to Disarm Hizbullah, Since Syria and Iran Run it
Upon his return from the U.S., Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir told a press conference: "We denounce the latest Israeli attacks against the Lebanese people and the [Lebanese] infrastructures. But we also hope that Hizbullah will lay down its weapons and join the rest of the Lebanese citizens in finding a political solution to all of Lebanon's problems."(11) He added that "nobody agrees" to Hizbullah's retaining its weapons, but pointed out the "difficulty in disarming it, since it is Syria and Iran that run it."(12)
SYRIAN REACTIONS
Syrian Government Daily Al-Ba'th: The Israelis Refuse to Learn Their Lesson, and Therefore Hurl Accusations Against Regional Forces
In an editorial, the Syrian government daily Al-Ba'th wrote: "The Israeli government still hasn't realized that its occupation of Arab lands comes at a price which it will have to pay, today, tomorrow, and every day, just as it has paid in previous years... Today, the Arab resistance fighters in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank are emphasizing this fact.
"Logic dictates that occupation and aggression [cannot continue] without resistance. This fact will require Israel to give in to [the demands for] the Arabs' rights, to withdraw from the occupied territories, and to pay the price of its longstanding aggression against the Arabs throughout the long decades...
"These criminals and those like them [i.e. the Israeli leaders] can talk a lot... and can tie this operation [by Hizbullah] to elements acting in the region. But [the decision making] remains at the level [of those] in the field itself... It is the resistance fighters [themselves] who choose the place, the time, and the target of their actions. Judging from the latest events, the leaders of the occupation, who are well aware of these clear-cut facts, do not want to learn from the painful lessons of the past and of the future. Consequently, they hasten to export the crisis, to hurl accusations [against regional forces], and to make empty threats, that have not brought and will not bring Israel security.
"The solution is simpler than they imagined, and it begins with an Israeli withdrawal from every occupied inch [of land and] a release of the prisoners and detainees in the occupation's prisons. If the Israeli leaders think otherwise, then they are proving once again that they still haven't learned the lessons of the past, and that they need to be taught a new lesson."(13)
*WARNING* This is a very informative read but will take at least 15 min.
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD120406 .
In statements published over the last few weeks, senior Iranian officials advocated an escalation of the violent activity against Israel and against "Zionists" around the world.
Additionally, in mid-June 2006, Syria and Iran signed a military cooperation agreement. The Syrian defense minister stated on that occasion that the two countries "are establishing a joint front against Israel... [since] Iran regards Syria's security as its own."
For the last few weeks, Iran has been constantly delaying its response to the ultimatum presented to it by 5+1 (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany) regarding its nuclear program, since it has no intention of accepting the international community's terms and of suspending its uranium enrichment activities. Iran was required to respond to the ultimatum by July 12 (before the G8 summit in Saint Petersburg). So far, the international community has not yielded to Iran's attempts to evade the ultimatum, and has denied Iran's request to postpone the deadline to August 22, 2006.
Iranian National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, who is in charge of Iran's nuclear dossier, made a surprise visit to Damascus after meeting with E.U. Council Secretary-General Javier Solana on July 11, 2006. Syrian Vice President Farouq Al-Shar' stated after the meeting that the resistance [movements] in Lebanon and in Palestine [i.e. Hizbullah and Hamas] would make their own decisions regarding their affairs.
It is possible that the escalation on Israel's borders, set off by elements supported by Iran - Hamas, Hizbullah and Syria - is meant to take the pressure off Iran by triggering a major military clash in the Middle East, which will divert international attention from Iran's nuclear program.
The following are excerpts from statements by top Iranian figures and details about the Syrian-Iranian military agreement:
Military Cooperation Agreement Between Iran and Syria
On June 16, 2006, the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported
1) "Well-informed sources in Tehran have told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the talks held in Tehran between Syrian Defense Minister Hassan Turkmani and his Iranian counterpart Mustafa Mohammad Najjar did not only deal with military and security aspects of the strategic cooperation between the two countries, but also with the situation in Lebanon... [The talks also] dealt with the situation in Palestine, and with the ways of assisting the Hamas and the [Islamic] Jihad in their conflict with Fatah..."In a meeting with reporters after the signing of the military cooperation agreement, the Syrian defense minister stated that 'the American threats against Iran and Syria are nothing new... We are examining ways of countering these threats, and are establishing a joint front against Israel's threats... [since] Iran regards Syria's security as its own.'"
The daily reported that the Syrian defense minister had visited Tehran at the head of a large delegation escorted by army and intelligence officers, and met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian Chief of Staff Hassan Fayrouz and Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Yahya Rahim Safavi.
It further reported that "Iran has agreed to finance Syrian military deals with Russia, China and Ukraine, to equip the Syrian army with cannon, warheads, army vehicles, and missiles manufactured by the Iranian Defense Industries, and to enable Syrian navy drills.
"Syria, on its part, has renewed its previous agreements with Iran which allow Iranian ammunition trucks to pass [through Syria] into Lebanon..."
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat added that the Syrian and Iranian defense ministers "had agreed to establish a 'consultation room' and maintain open communication channels between the two countries in security and military matters."
Threats by Iranian President Ahmadinejad
In a television program aired on July 11, 2006, Iranian President Ahmadinejad warned Western countries not to support Israel, because "the rage of the Muslim peoples will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region... The waves of the explosion... will reach the corrupt forces [i.e. the Western countries] which support this fake regime." The following is an excerpt from Ahmadinejad's statement on the program: (2)
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Today, it has been proven that the Zionists are not opposed only to Islam and the Muslims. They are opposed to humanity as a whole. They want to dominate the entire world. They would even sacrifice the Western regimes for their own sake. I have said in Tehran, and I say it again here - I say to the leaders of some Western countries: Stop supporting these corrupt people. Behold, the rage of the Muslim peoples is accumulating. The rage of the Muslim peoples may soon reach the point of explosion. If that day comes, they must know that the waves of this explosion will not be restricted to the boundaries of our region. They will definitely reach the corrupt forces that support this fake regime."
Editor of Iranian Daily Kayhan: No Zionist Should Feel Secure Anywhere in the World
On July 3, 2006, editor of the conservative Iranian daily Kayhan Hossein Shariatamadari, who is close to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote, "The reaction to Israel's crimes in Gaza should not be confined to the occupied territories. Why should the Zionists [feel] secure when there is no security for the Muslims?"
In an interview with the conservative Iranian news agency Mehr, Shariatamadari reiterated that the Muslim world should not limit its responses to the Zionist attacks only to the Gaza Strip, but should see to it that "no Zionist feels secure anywhere in the world." He added that the Zionist attack in Gaza does not reveal the Zionists' power, but [only] their fear.
According to Shariatamadari, the U.N. is useless since "all its rules are interpreted [in a way that] favors [the aggressors], and the Israeli attack in Gaza elicits a mere expression of sorrow on the part of the U.N."
Shariatamadari called on the Muslim countries that maintain economic ties with Israel to sever these ties, and also to minimize their ties with countries that support Israel and to recall their ambassadors to these countries.(3)
Threats by Hassan Nassrallah in Conservative Iranian Daily Jomhouri-ye Eslami
On the morning of July 12, concurrently with the Hizbullah attack on Israel's northern border, the conservative Iranian daily Jomhouri-ye Eslami, which is affiliated with the religious seminaries of Qom, published a speech given by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nassrallah on May 23, 2006 at a conference on "The Culture of Resistance." The following are excerpts from the speech:
"We can hit Israel's entire northern region with thousands of rockets... All of Israel is now within the range of our missiles. Its seaports, [military] bases, industrial plants and everything else are all within our range... I repeat and say that our stockpile of weapons is significant, both in quantity and in quality... Another advantage that I wish to mention is the geography of Lebanon and Palestine. Most of Israel's vital areas are concentrated in the northern [half] of occupied Palestine, while the south is uninhabited and desolate. More than two million Jews live in the north of occupied Palestine, which contains the recreation centers and [tourist] resorts, the industrial plants, the agricultural [areas] and the important military airports and bases. This is an advantage for us... Our presence in South Lebanon, in proximity to the north of occupied Palestine, is our greatest advantage..."(4)
Emphasis on Hizbullah's Importance to Iran
According to a May 11, 2006 Al-Sharq Al-Awsat report, a high-level Iranian official who held a closed meeting with a small group of Western diplomats in London emphasized Hizbullah's importance to Iran: "Hizbullah is one of the pillars of our security strategy, and forms Iran's first line of defense against Israel. We reject [the claim] that it must be disarmed..."(5)
Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel's Borders (2): Reaction in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD120506 .
On July 13, 2006, the Iranian, Syrian, and Lebanese media published articles and statements on the emerging conflict between Israel and Hizbullah.
It is noteworthy that on May 4, 2006, Hizbullah founder and former secretary-general Sheikh Subhi Al-Tufeili told Al-Arabiya TV: "They [Hizbullah] are committed to the Iranian policy... I have said before that the Shi'ites in Lebanon serve as Iran's 'playing ground'... Hizbullah definitely fosters its relations with the Syrians, but its real leadership is 'the rule of the jurisprudent' – in other words, [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei." (See MEMRI TV Clip No. 1132, May 4, 2006, http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1132 ).
The following are excerpts from the articles and statements in the Iranian, Syrian, and Lebanese media.(1)
Iranian President Ahmadinejad Threatens Europe
Following the July 12, 2006 decision by the 5+1 (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany) to return Iran's nuclear dossier to the Security Council, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened Europe, saying:
"If the Iranian nation and its government conclude that the Western countries do not have good will [in resolving Iran's nuclear issue], they will change their policy vis-à-vis the package of incentives [offered to Iran by the West in exchange for halting uranium enrichment]... No one can expect tense relations that have existed for a number of years to be resolved in a very short period of time... The exacerbation of the tensions in the [Middle East] region will be to the detriment of the Europeans. The Iranian nation and government are sufficiently strong and safe from any harm that [any] tensions can cause."
Ahmadinejad also warned Israel's supporters that "any help to the [Israeli] regime will make them partners in the crime of genocide and other illegal acts in the occupied territories, and to their Muslim citizens... The Zionist regime was created by repression and terror, and the continuation of its crimes will only hasten its downfall."(2)
Conservative Iranian Daily Kayhan: Nuclear Iran has Eradicated Israel's Nuclear Prestige
In a July 13, 2006 editorial, the conservative Iranian daily Kayhan, which is close to Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei, praised the Hizbullah operation and stated
3) "[Prior to the Hizbullah operation,] the oppressing Israeli regime would appear with three cards in the Palestinian game: the card of America, the card of the [Arab] regimes in the region that are sympathetic to it, and the card of [its] nuclear superiority. With these three cards, [Israel] would come out the winner in every game, and vanquish its opponents [in the region]."With today's perspective, [these three cards] have collapsed completely, because America's ability to impose Israel's will on the Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian side has come to naught. At this time, the Hamas government, the Lebanese government, and the Syrian government cannot permit America to enter into the Palestinian-Israeli equation. That is, the factors within the countries in the region that used to turn America's involvement into something influential have collapsed.
"On the other hand, Israel's military advantage in the region has eroded, and nuclear Iran is eradicating the nuclear prestige of Israel... Today's Iran has - by virtue of its impenetrable leadership and with top officials who are unanimous in their support of [Iran's Supreme] Leader [Ali Khamenei], and who are well-liked in the Middle East - have struck, time and again, at... Israel's force, and have brought it to the verge of collapse."
Syrian Government Daily Al-Thawra Calls to Continue in the Path of the Resistance That has Proven its Effectiveness
In a July 13, 2006 editorial, the Syrian government daily Al-Thawra called for the continuation of the path of the resistance, which, it said, is the only one that has been effective with the Israelis: "The language of intimidation and threat is nothing but the language of those who have not experienced the pride of the resistance. Likewise, it is language that will lead to nothing but submission, and thus we must persist in not listening to those who speak it. This is because no one can deny the right of the resistance to bring back the resistance fighters from the Israeli prisons...
"The [only] language that is effective with the Israelis is [the language] of the resistance!! No other path has been effective - on the contrary, [every other path] has only increased the Israeli arrogance, to the level that Israel has acted as if it lives alone in the world!!...
"The congratulations that the Arab citizens exchanged with each other [following the Hizbullah operation] are a kind of request [to implement] the program of the resistance, which began to develop more and more amongst the Arabs after they sensed the height of the power of the positive results of the resistance...
"Thus, the culture of the resistance is expected to spread further - because it has proven its effectiveness and its usefulness, and it is now the culture of the Arab street, which is always willing to pay the price of the resistance, however [high] it may be. Pay attention to what [Hizbullah Secretary-General] Hassan Nasrallah has said: [We are] ready and willing [to fight]."(4)
Two Lebanese Dailies: Was Hizbullah Operation in Service of Iran and Syria?
*Was Yesterday's Operation Aimed at Taking the International Pressure Regarding Nuclear Dossier Off Iran?
Also on July 13, Sarkis Na'um, columnist for the Christian Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, wrote: "The successful military operation carried out yesterday morning by the Islamic Resistance [i.e. Hizbullah]... raises many questions among the Lebanese: [For example,] was yesterday's operation aimed at liberating the Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails... [when] there are alternative ways to achieve this goal - [alternatives] which would spare Lebanon [all] the destruction, damage, invasions and fatalities?...
"Was yesterday's operation aimed at easing the considerable pressure being brought to bear by the international community, headed by the U.S., on the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding its nuclear dossier? [Was the operation meant to ease this pressure] by shifting the [world's] attention towards Lebanon and the region - which will enable Iran to get what it wants before giving the international community its response to the [West's] 'incentives package' - and will free it from the [threat that its nuclear dossier] will be referred to the Security Council?"
*Iran Can Use This Operation to Imply That it "Holds the Region by its Veins"
In a July 13, 2006 editorial, the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal criticized the Hizbullah attack on Israel: "Despite the universal joy felt by the Lebanese and Arabs over the success of the Hizbullah operation... the timing [of this operation] has distressed and is [still] distressing large sectors in Lebanon... What distresses them most is that the prerogative of taking a decision [in matters] of war and peace, which [belongs to] the State of Lebanon, has been usurped by the resistance [i.e. by Hizbullah]. Whatever circumstances and reasons [behind] the secrecy of Operation True Promise [Hizbullah's name for the attack; it promised to liberate all prisoners in Israeli jails], they do not change the fact that the State of Lebanon, and all the Lebanese [people], have been presented with a fait accompli for which they did not prepare, [and now] they must bear its consequences, which may be dire, when they never [even] had a part in shaping their own fate.
"Moreover, the great promise [made to] the Lebanese [by their government] - a quiet summer full of tourists that will give them the economic boost that they so desperately need and that is urgently [needed] by the [Lebanese] economy, which is on the verge of collapse - has given way to another, more important, promise, [namely, that of liberating the prisoners]. It is natural that now, when there is no chance of fulfilling [the promise of a peaceful summer], the Lebanese will return to their despair. The greatest danger is that helplessness and extremism will increase among them, and they will sink into frustration [that may] undermine the unity of Lebanese society...
"As legitimate as this operation may be, some Lebanese are entitled to question whether its timing was free [of external considerations], and to what extent it serves the overall Syrian-Iranian strategy.
"Iran, which is [currently] engaged in difficult negotiations with the West, and especially with Washington, regarding its nuclear dossier, can use this operation as one of the 'messages' that it aims daily at the West, and especially at Washington - thus implying that it holds the region by its veins and controls it by force. Syria... can [also] use this operation... to pressure Washington into concessions regarding the Lebanese [issue], and especially regarding the investigation into the murder of former [Lebanese] prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri..."(5)
Iran and the Recent Escalation on Israel's Borders (3): Reactions in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria
To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD120606 .
The following is the third dispatch in the series on Iran and the recent escalation on Israel's borders.(1) During July 12-14, 2006, the Iranian, Lebanese, and Syrian media published articles and statements on the emerging conflict between Israel and Hizbullah.
The following are excerpts:
IRANIAN REACTIONS
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran is Doing its Best to Maintain a Constructive Approach to the Nuclear Issue; Any Problem Created for Iran in the Region Will Be Detrimental for Everyone
In a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said: "If the regime that occupies Jerusalem perpetrates the foolish crime of attacking Syria, this act will be tantamount to an attack on the entire Islamic world. This regime will [then] encounter an even fiercer reaction... [Israel's] insane attacks indicate the extreme weakness and impotence of this fake regime, which will soon bring about its fall."
In public appearances in northern Iran, Ahmadinejad stated that due to its aggressive nature, the Zionist regime is unable to exist in peace and tranquility.
He also warned the "great powers" against supporting the "crimes of the Zionist regime... [since] the continuation of these crimes and of the support [for them] will fan the flames of Muslim rage, which will annihilate them all."
Addressing the nuclear issue, Ahmadinejad said that Iran would respond to Europe's proposal towards the end of the second month of summer [i.e. on August 22], and that "time is not so important in nuclear talks"...
He added that Iran is doing its best to maintain a constructive approach to this issue, but that the U.S. is aiming to create tension. He warned that any problem created for Iran in the region will be detrimental for everyone.(2)
Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani condemned the Zionist regime's attacks on Lebanon and said that Iran would support the Lebanese people in their resistance to the Zionists. Larijani stressed that the Zionist actions would motivate further resistance in the region.(3)
LEBANESE REACTIONS
Walid Jumblatt: Hizbullah Played a Very Dangerous Game by Kidnapping the Soldiers; It is Raising the Stakes, With the Support of Iran and of Syria - Which in the Past Year has Become a Satellite State of Tehran
In an interview, prominent Lebanese Druze MP Walid Jumblatt told the French daily Le Figaro: "Hizbullah played a very dangerous game by kidnapping these two soldiers... Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon. These kidnappings took place outside our country's borders. Hizbullah is raising the stakes, with the support of Iran and of Syria - which in the past year has become a satellite state of Tehran. Owing to the lack of an Arab or Western initiative regarding the Israeli-Palestinian question, Iran and Syria have taken over, and in this context Lebanon constitutes a natural battlefield...
"Hizbullah will have to explain itself to the Lebanese... [We need to decide] who makes the decisions regarding war and peace in this country."(4)
Lebanese Government: It is the Government's Responsibility to Enforce its Sovereignty Over All of Lebanon
Following its special session on July 13, 2006, the Lebanese government issued the following statement: "The government of Lebanon emphasizes that it is responsible for defending the homeland and its citizens, and for safeguarding their security and wellbeing. Likewise, it is [the government's] responsibility to extend its control over all of the Lebanese lands, to enforce its sovereignty, and to make its national decisions [concerning] foreign and domestic [policy]."
When asked whether this statement meant that the Lebanese army would deploy in southern Lebanon, PM Fuad Al-Siniora replied: "We did not discuss this issue."(5)
Former Lebanese President Amin Jumail: Lebanon Refuses to Be the Spearhead of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Former Lebanese President Amin Jumail told Al-Jazeera on July 12, 2006: "What occurred today is something very dangerous... We all know that decisions relating to war and peace are sovereign decisions that need to be taken by the government. The initiative that was taken [by Hizbullah] will entangle the country in controversial military actions... This is a great danger to Lebanon, since it is not willing to be the spearhead of the Arab-Israeli conflict so long as Syria's borders are calm and not a single shot [is being fired] from Syria on the Golan Heights."(6)
The next day, Jumail told Iranian Al-Alam TV: "What is currently going on results from the decision of [one] political party [Hizbullah], and not from a decision by the Lebanese government. If there is an initiative that leads to war, as is clearly the case right now, there needs to be a minimal level of national agreement on the part of the Lebanese constitutional institutions...
"The Lebanese government has been defeated. There are partisan forces that make decisions unilaterally, without consulting anyone. They have the ability to implement [their decisions], and the [Lebanese] government is forced to accommodate itself to the new situation."(7)
Lebanese Communications Minister: Syrian VP Gives Commands, Hizbullah Carries Them Out
In an interview, Lebanese Communications Minister Marwan Hamada told the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal: "Syrian Vice-President Farouq Al-Shar' gives the commands, Hizbullah carries them out, and Lebanon is the hostage [of Syria's commands]."(8)
Top Officials in the March 14 Forces Criticize the Operation
The March 14 Forces, a union of several political parties and factions in Lebanon headed by Al-Mustaqbal Party leader Sa'd Al-Hariri, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and Lebanese Forces commander Samir Geagea, published an announcement stating that they "oppose including Lebanon within the framework of the considerations of [various] regional forces, which have nothing to do with Lebanese interests, in order to reap benefits and opportunistic profits at the expense of the Lebanese people and its sacrifices. The March 14 Forces also emphasize Lebanese unity in the face of any Israeli attack and their unified position to restore all their rights. Moreover, they stress that no element, local or external, may exclusively determine the priorities in the campaign against the Israeli enemy..."(9)
Samir Geagea said: "Regardless of [Hizbullah's] success, no Lebanese group may gamble with the fate of the entire Lebanese people through a unilateral decision. There are many [Lebanese] detainees in Syrian prisons. Would it be conceivable for us to abduct Syrian soldiers and then conduct negotiations for their release?"(10)
Maronite Patriarch: It Would Be Difficult to Disarm Hizbullah, Since Syria and Iran Run it
Upon his return from the U.S., Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir told a press conference: "We denounce the latest Israeli attacks against the Lebanese people and the [Lebanese] infrastructures. But we also hope that Hizbullah will lay down its weapons and join the rest of the Lebanese citizens in finding a political solution to all of Lebanon's problems."(11) He added that "nobody agrees" to Hizbullah's retaining its weapons, but pointed out the "difficulty in disarming it, since it is Syria and Iran that run it."(12)
SYRIAN REACTIONS
Syrian Government Daily Al-Ba'th: The Israelis Refuse to Learn Their Lesson, and Therefore Hurl Accusations Against Regional Forces
In an editorial, the Syrian government daily Al-Ba'th wrote: "The Israeli government still hasn't realized that its occupation of Arab lands comes at a price which it will have to pay, today, tomorrow, and every day, just as it has paid in previous years... Today, the Arab resistance fighters in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank are emphasizing this fact.
"Logic dictates that occupation and aggression [cannot continue] without resistance. This fact will require Israel to give in to [the demands for] the Arabs' rights, to withdraw from the occupied territories, and to pay the price of its longstanding aggression against the Arabs throughout the long decades...
"These criminals and those like them [i.e. the Israeli leaders] can talk a lot... and can tie this operation [by Hizbullah] to elements acting in the region. But [the decision making] remains at the level [of those] in the field itself... It is the resistance fighters [themselves] who choose the place, the time, and the target of their actions. Judging from the latest events, the leaders of the occupation, who are well aware of these clear-cut facts, do not want to learn from the painful lessons of the past and of the future. Consequently, they hasten to export the crisis, to hurl accusations [against regional forces], and to make empty threats, that have not brought and will not bring Israel security.
"The solution is simpler than they imagined, and it begins with an Israeli withdrawal from every occupied inch [of land and] a release of the prisoners and detainees in the occupation's prisons. If the Israeli leaders think otherwise, then they are proving once again that they still haven't learned the lessons of the past, and that they need to be taught a new lesson."(13)
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