ABC news has just released the complete transcript of a lengthy discussion with Manoucher Mottaki, Iranian foreign minister.
ABC: So President Bush said today that the U.S. would be willing to talk to Iran specifically about Iraq, but only on the condition that Iran stop its uranium enrichment. Is that a condition that Iran is willing to meet?
Manoucher Mottaki, Iranian foreign minister:...I think if any party is going to put any condition for any negotiation, that is the Iranian side not the American side.
ABC Interview with Manoucher Mottaki
Iran says why waste time negotiating if Bush isn't willing to change policy in Iraq! More below the fold
The Iranians clearly are feeling their oats after watching the failure of Bush. I will highlight some of the key comments from the interview. All quotes are from the ABC transcript.
the American policies in Iraq is failed. And everybody now in the United States is talking about the necessity of changing the policies. And in our understanding that, that is the most important area which the U.S. administration should take into consideration. And changing the policy is not in talking.
So what do you say to that George? They won't talk with you unless you do more than just talk, but show that you are changing your failed policy! See what a bind putting conditions on talking can get you into?!
Q: Would Iran be willing to speak to the U.S. about helping to calm the situation in Iraq, and if so under what conditions?
A: Deciding about any negotiation needs some preparation. And the most prime preparation, as I mentioned, is the U.S. administration's decision to change its policies. For example, we have two main areas of difficulties in Iraq — the two sides of a coin. One side is instability, terrorist activities. And the other side is continuation of the presence of foreign troops. Any solution should catch these two important elements. What is the policy of the United States? And parallely, there must be decision for solving the instability terrorist activity
Iran wants to hear what most of us want to hear, that the U.S. intends to withdraw from Iran.
Q: Iran wants a timetable for withdrawal. Is that Iran's condition?
A: We are not talking now for about how and when they should withdraw from Iraq. That should come through the negotiation between the Iraqi's government and the Americans. But it must be announced that that is the most important things.
Bushco has never made that announcement. In their neocon fantasy world we colonialize Iraq.
Q: If it is announced, a date, a prospective date, would Iran, would that meet the conditions that Iran has to talk to the U.S.?
A: Definitely, definitely, announcing of the withdrawal. Then they need some, you know, plan of action and time table and any, any related preparation for such decision.
Iran can see that Emperor George has no clothes:
we are not asking for any negotiation. Negotiation is not in our agenda for the time being. United State has a problem in Iraq. First of all, they should accept that their policy is failed in Iraq. They should accept the basic approach to the situation is to change their policies, practical step is to make decision to withdraw from Iraq. If they are concerned about the security in Iraq, then we do believe transferring the management of the security to Iraqi's government, they will make them capable to, to have their prepared approach to the situation. This is the real picture. This is the reality on the stand and, you know, you know there are the problem or the question is not negotiations. We are not asking for a negotiation. I don't want to say we are against negotiation, but there must be some reason for negotiation.
The video that accompanied the interview that was aired showed a busy country with intelligent people, engaged in te issues and willing to engage with the U.S.
We consider the situation in Afghanistan very shaky, and five years ago the American administration said we are going to Afghanistan for establishment of stability and security in Afghanistan. A few months ago Mr. Kofi Annan was here. He told me in the meeting that the main problem in Afghanistan is instability, is the stability and the security. It shows very easy that some part of the policies were wrong. And somebody do they, are they waiting for another Baker-Hamilton's report on Afghanistan to reconsider their policies? This is the realities in our region. We are living in this region. Unfortunately, most of the American people do not know what is going on in this region. They don't, maybe most of the people don't know where is the Middle East
ABC asks if Iran is supporting the Shiite militias. He denies it, and instead blames the sectarian violence on the US and the British. In support he sites the history of the British throughout the world in their colonialism such as in Kashmir.
The Iraqi's were living together for several centuries, Sunnis, Shia, Kurdish, Turkmans, all together based on co-existence. What happened nowadays, we do strongly believe that this sectarial fighting in Iraq is a plan from outside not by the Iraqi's people. Not by the Shiites and Sunnis and Imam (inaudible), the, the main leader, the first leader who worked lots to bring all the Muslims together, either Shis or Sunis, all the follower of Islam. At the same time, the international message is unification or unity of all followers of different religions even. This is, this is the basics which we follow here. We do not have any interest from, for the instability, instable situation in Iraq. That is not in our favour. Our national interest, our national security is related to a stable Iraq, not to instable or dis-stable Iraq, and that's very clear. And the funny part of this question is 140,000 U.S. soldiers are in Iraq. That is not interfere, but if Iran support the political process, the government-making process in Iraq, is that interfering Iraq? I think no.
...
We have 10,000 years history. Our people could keep their unity within all these long history based on co-existence and dialogue among themselves, despite of different ethnics which we have. You know we have cults, we have Turks, we have Turkman, we have Arabs, Banuch and all the other different ethnics in this country, but we are living together for several thousand years.
On nuclear testing the foreign minister makes it clear that Iran is not in violation of any of the treaties that it has signed, and instead has an absolute right to engage in peaceful use of uranium.
We are not doing anything wrong. We are following through the NPT, through IAE rules and regulations to realise our right.
We are seen as the colonialists, and for good reason. Bush continues to act in his arrogance as a colonialist. But Iran and other nations will no longer be treated as 2nd or 3rd class citizens. They need to be treated with respect, not demonized like naughty children.
The time of colonialist period is over and now they are looking for a modernised colonialism — only six, five, seven or anything which they have decided are able to enter into some areas. That is not acceptable today.
ABC asks if he believes there is a real possibility that either the US or Israel will attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
A: From the very beginning of this issue, two options were on the table. The option of co-operation and the option of confrontation. Our priority always was the first one. But due to the nature of the Americans approach, we should prepare ourselves for the second option also.
He goes on to say that the statement by Israel that it has nuclear weapons "shows their weak position." He concludes by stating that "we hope the parties come back to the negotiation table for the nuclear issue." He believes it is most likely any attack would come from the Israelis.
He believes however that the parties ought to cooperate, not engage in confrontation:
And you know this, this activity is not an area which you can say, "Okay, today cooperation is finished." No, this co-operation should continue forever. ... That is why we invite everybody at the last days of the current year [2006] to come back to negotiation. And this is what the message I have sent to some of my colleagues and we, we do hope they chose the wisdomly approach and option. Thank you very much.
One reason Bush can't negotiate with the Iranians is that the Iranians will not accept the neocon version of the world. They simply tell it like it is. Bush can't talk with those folks.