If you didn't catch it, there was a fascinating interview Friday on the
PBS NewsHour with
Iranian reformist Vice Presidential candidate Dr. Mohammad Reza Khatami, brother of the current Iranian president. It's all ery interesting, particularly his views on Iraq, nuclear weapons, and US policy in the region. Excerpts below, with my (brief) comments...
The impact of Iraq
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: The changing in the region -- let's talk about that for a moment. Do you see events in Iraq as being very positive for the reformist movement here?
DR. MOHAMMAD REZA KHATAMI: There are some negative and positive signs in Iraq. Removing the Saddam regime is very positive for the Iranian people, particularly for Iranian people. Election is very positive, and again, if really a democratic government is established in Iraq, again, it's very interesting and very good sign for Iranian people because the situation in Iraq is like, is like it is in Iran: the Kurds, the Sunni and Shia and many majority and minority groups in Iraq are the same. So, if a really democratic government is established in Iraq, it's a very good sign for Iran.
But, unfortunately, we have many negative signs also in Iraq. Occupation is not accepted by any people here in Iran or Iraq, although we can argue about that -- that it is necessary for establishment and for security in Iraq that foreign militaries should stay in Iraq more; but we should have a time table for evacuation of the military forces -- foreign military forces from Iraq -- especially after the establishment of an Iraqi government. And the insurgency in Iraq also have a bad news that everybody here in Iran and Iraq are not happy with these events and they feel that some of these insurgencies are because of the occupation of Iraq. So, we have both good sides and bad sides in Iraq, but totally speaking, I think especially after the election in Iraq, the positivity is more than the negativity.
Overall, Khatami sees the positives from the Iraq invasion as outweighing the negatives, especially if a democracy is established in Iraq
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: How do the comments of President Bush and Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, fit in here? President Bush said "To the Iranian people, I say tonight, as you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you." What's your response?
DR. MOHAMMAD REZA KHATAMI: You know, threatening the security and the integrity of the country is not acceptable by any nation in the world, so many people here in Iran feel some hostility in the speech of President Bush....
But the only way for changing the situation is for reform, not changing the regime. We have many experiences in the democracy and reform. Changing the regime is another form of revolution. It means that we should start again from zero. We want to put one stone on another stone....build a community; a democratic community. So, foreign interference with the internal affairs of Iran means that you go back to the point of zero. It's not acceptable for us.
No matter what, "regime change" or foreign interference in Iran by outside forces like the United States is NOT acceptable to anyone in Iran. Whether reformers or hardliners, pretty much all Iranians are nationalists first and foremost
DR. MOHAMMAD REZA KHATAMI:[...]I think this manner, this behavior of the President Bush and his administration is against the reform inside Iran, because as I said there are many historical taboos in our relationship...
American democracy is not useful for us. Iranian democracy is useful for us -- and if President Bush or any other country ... want(s) to impose some other democracy on us, people will be opposed to that. And at the moment, unfortunately, the government can misuse this speech to unite the people and to put more pressure on the reformists.
The Bush Administration's pressure on Iran is not helpful in that it allows the hardliners an excuse to crush the reformists.
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Do you get the feeling that the Bush administration has just given up on you. They don't think you can deliver, so they've just given up on the reformist movement...
DR. MOHAMMAD REZA KHATAMI: Yes. Because they think that reform in Iran by the Iranian people inside of Iran cannot go more.
Khatami believes that the Bush Administration has abandoned efforts to encourage and support Iranian reformers, and instead "is investing in opposition outside the country, not inside."
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: You want the administration to be patient while these reforms work themselves out.
DR. MOHAMMAD REZA KHATAMI: Yes. Support of reform is support of human rights. Support of the reform, but -- but by recognizing the Islamic Republic of Iran. I'm sure that if we have a referendum in Iran, the majority of the people will vote for an Islamic republic. But, by reading of President Khatami, not by reading of some conservatives; you know, because stability here is very important for the people.
And people do not know what will happen if the regime change, so they do not have another revolution experience in Iran; so people want to be positive; they do know what they do not want.
Iranians want the US to allow the reform movement inside Iran time to work things out. Iranians don't want turmoil, instability, or another Revolution.
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: OK, let's talk about the nuclear issue for a minute. You were in government, so you've been part of this whole debate that's gone on about the nuclear situation. Is Iran pursuing a path of nuclear weapons?
DR. MOHAMMAD REZA KHATAMI: I think the major plan of government of Iran is not to have nuclear weapons and they are against that. They realize that nuclear weapons will not give us security and immunity in this world. It's very important for world to know, but there are some radicals, maybe some of them in the government and military forces and so on -- that they clearly and announced that 'we should have a nuclear weapon,' but this is not the policy of the government, including the leader, I think...
When the United States government says very clearly that we want to change the Iranian regime, so why we should cooperate with the United States -- for demolishing all nuclear activities here... You know, the only thing in the country, that a majority, a very strong majority of the people, support the government having the nuclear technology....
Many radicals say that if you had a nuclear weapon, the behavior of the West was not as it is now. Look at North Korea.
While the "government" doesn't support Iran developing nuclear weapons, some "radicals" in the government and military clearly believe "we should have a nuclear weapon." But everyone agrees that threats by the United States just encourage the "radicals," who can point to the examples of Iraq (no nuclear deterrent; invaded by US) and North Korea (nuclear detterent; NOT invaded by US) and draw the obvious conclusion.
There's lots more, so check out the full interview. Fascnating stuff from an important, sophisticated, complex country..