Jalili and Rouhani Debate Opposing Visions
The eight men chosen by the Guardian Council to compete in the
upcoming presidential election clashed over foreign policy in their last
televised debate today. The actual debate ended up between two candidates,
Jalili and Rouhani.
Saeed Jalili, the candidate of the ultraconservatives, accused Hassan Rouhani, the leading moderate candidate of subservience to Western powers when he was the country’s chief nuclear negotiator under Rafsanjani and Khatami administrations. Jalili is the presumed frontrunner in the contest.
Rouhani defended his record by saying he had headed off a possible military attack on Iran and said the country must avoid extremism.
Saeed Jalili, the candidate of the ultraconservatives, accused Hassan Rouhani, the leading moderate candidate of subservience to Western powers when he was the country’s chief nuclear negotiator under Rafsanjani and Khatami administrations. Jalili is the presumed frontrunner in the contest.
Rouhani defended his record by saying he had headed off a possible military attack on Iran and said the country must avoid extremism.
"During the presidency of Mr Khatami the country was saved from a
crisis ... two regional countries came under attack and Iran was always in the
list,” Rouhani said, alluding to Afghanistan and Iraq which border Iran. “Iran
managed to distance itself from that path through wisdom and planning."
Rouhani negotiated a suspension in Iran's uranium enrichment program
that eased tensions with Western powers, but which has been derided by
conservative rivals during the campaign. The program resumed after the hardline
populist Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005.
Jalili hit back by saying that, “During the term of Mr. Khatami and
after all the cooperation on Afghanistan, they (United States) called us 'the
axis of evil'. This method is wrong. If we want to pursue this method, we will
see those results,” Jalili added.
“All of our problems stem from this - that we didn't make an utmost
effort to prevent the (nuclear) dossier from going to the (U.N.) Security
Council,” said Rouhani. “We need to get away from extremism. We should maintain
the country's interests and national security so as to provide conditions where
we create opportunities.”
10 comments:
After Rouhani said that: "All of our problems stem from this- that we didn't make an utmost effort to prevent the dossier from going to the (U.N.)..."
He should recall that that UN, tolerated preparations and the commencement of war against Iraq under a fake dossiers supported by the same kind of puppets pretenting to be "neutral" representatives...
Maybe Mr. Rouhani, by plaing his game, will save some "additional time" to clear position of Russia in Russia's game with the West, where deployment of the "missile shield", at the Russian borders, may be an "eyes' opener"...
A-F
P.S. For information of the friendly commentators, I have to point out that during last couple (several) days, an article about the anniversary date of this website with a blog graph's drawing depicting "surging" numbers of visitors and commentators, has been absent or suspended from public viewing...
It happens again, like it had happened with an article; about an visit to Bandar Abbas by the Russian destroyer, which was absent longer time , as well as where other articles were even deleted from public viewing entirely - for instance, about massacre of 26 children in the US.
Also several my recent longer comments haven't been posted so far , without any explanations...
Iran's foreign policy since Shah Ismail, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, who established Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion of Iran at the beginning of the sixteenth century has not changed much, and its cornerstones are Shia Islam and Persian nationalism dating back 3000 years. So no matter who comes to power, Iranians will see their great nation as pivot in the Middle-East and the dominant power on the Eurasian Geo-strategic fault lines which have undergone serious destabilization since the Zionist infestation and usurpation of Palestine in 1948 as well as US and European plundering of regional oil and natural resources. This perception only accelerated after the nationalization of Anglo-American oil interests and subsequent CIA coup against Dr. Mossedegh.
Iranians have always perceived themselves as the natural leaders of the Persian Gulf and great Asia minor region. Iran has a unique sense of its illustrious history, the splendor of its rich and celebrated civilization and its unique Shia heritage which has defined the Iranian character for centuries and its pronounced transformation into a distinctive religious dimension setting it apart from its Arab neighbors.
By its sheer dint of size, resources and population, Iran dwarfs its fractious Arab neighbors or a identity challenged Turkey, unable to define its character since Musatafa Kemal's forced imposition of "secularism" and eternal identity crises, now manifesting in the Taksim Square implosion. Secondary aspects of Iranian national security are the Eastern flank of perennially unstable Af-Pak, which Iran wants to keep peaceful and in this regard Iran's key interest is defined by its stable and historic ties with India, another great civilization and an ally that can check an unstable US controlled Pakistan and its Wahabbi orientation that poses a strategic challenge to Iran as alluded to by the Presidential hopefuls in the debate.
Iran key relations are now defined by economic and geo-strategic interests in the Asia centric world power balance with China as Iran's key trading partner and Russia as is prime military/strategic ally. In terms of the weak, tiny and fractured Persian Gulf sheikhdoms or light-weight US occupied Saudi-Arabia, Iranians don't see them as a credible threat on their own. Iran's prime interest since the days of the shah is to promote a strong regional Shia power bloc, hence the support for Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain (historic part of Iran).
Iran's foreign policy will remain pragmatic and will serve its historic interests, preserve its alliances and improve relations with major Muslim nations like Turkey and Egypt. Today, in the era of US collapse and European disintegration, the Asia centric world of Iranian foreign policy is ideally suited to take advantage of the new global order. Iran will be one of the nations that will define the world's future with other rising powers like China, Russia, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Brazil.
It should be quite obvious to even the insane by now that a nation of over 80 million people, with immense natural resources straddling the prime geo-strategic location in the geographical center of the world can neither be "sanctioned" or "marginalized", especially since its neighborhood is imploding and Iran remains as the key to regional and global stability.
No matter who wins the elections, the new President will inherit the top echelons of power in a great powerful nation that is accelerating towards its manifest destiny as great power with confidence in its vision, aspirations and capabilities. Iran is neither a hegemony or an aggressor but a an anchor of self-reliance and stability in a troubled Middle-east undergoing an epic transition as global power shifts. Iran will remain a good neighbor but will carry a big stick to defend its land and interests.
How Iran and Russia turned the tables on US/Zionists in Syria
The official mood in the Syrian capital has been upbeat for weeks. The great "battle for Damascus" heralded by the Saudi and Qatari, Jordanian based terrorist "opposition" failed to materialise. A promised "southern offensive" fuelled by weapons flowing in from Saudi Arabia to Jordan to more "disciplined" and less cannibalistic rebel forces under a "unified command" petered out before even NATO weapons were distributed. The growth of the savage jihadi Jabhat al-Nusra front, an al-CIAda affiliate, fueled Arab and Muslim fears about the so-called "rebels" mostly the creation of western intelligence agencies. Disarray and acrimony over the EU arms supplies with UK and France flogging a dead horse was grist to Assad's mill.
"In the short term we are paying a very heavy price," Khaled Mahjoub, a businessman and close confidant of the president said recently. "In the medium and long-term everyone will say that Bashar was right."
The regime's resilience has confounded western predictions about the attritional damage being done to the Syrian military. Now most estimates are that the Syrians have suffered minimal losses in men and material and much of the recent fighting has been done by Iranian-trained Shia militiamen, volunteers from the Shia diaspora and the Peoples Army, backed up by trusted elite formations such as the 4th Division commanded by the President's very competent younger brother general Maher-al-Assad and the highly trained and motivated Republican Guards – and above all the legendary Hezbollah.
The relationship between Iran and Syria is based on a unique convergence of interests. Both are led by Shia sects and have a strong religious dimension. Iran and Syria resent the US influence in the Middle East, both have supported Palestinian resistance against the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and both had shared a bitter common enemy in the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was the darling of the west.
The US-led disastrous invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the years after the 9/11 attacks greatly sharpened the regional fault-lines, drawing Syria and Iran even closer together. Egypt underwent a revolution and neutrality, Saudi Arabia and most of the Persian Gulf puppet Arab states belonged to the so-called “moderate camp”, under the thumb of the West.
After the US invasion of Iraq, Iran and Syria worked to prevent the emergence of a US-dependent regime in Baghdad that could pose a threat. While Syria’s influence in its traditionally hostile neighbor remained limited, Iran developed a close relationship with Iraq’s Shiite political parties by creating and arming its allied militias. To counter the hated Saudis, the Shia-dominated Iraqi government followed Iran’s lead by staunchly opposing calls for regime change in Syria following the outbreak of the anti-government uprising in the country. As the Syrian "opposition" were increasingly exposed as foreign Salafi terrorists operating under the aegis of corrupt Arab petro-monarchies, the Iraqis threw their full weight behind Iran's Syria policy and turned a blind-eye to Shia militias entering Syria to support their kinfolk. An allied Syria acts as a conduit for the flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah, the prime Lebanese Shia movement whose armed wing is the strongest military force in Lebanon.
Interesting enough, even in Iranian TV it was broadcasted that islamofacist Jalili has the same type of thought as Al qaida, which is true (7:53)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcKDpMe_ZZ0
Iranian-Russian drones dominate the battlefield
Syria using drones from Iran, Russia against terrorists
NICOSIA — The Syrian military and its allies have been using
unmanned aerial vehicles in the war against terrorists.
Military sources said Syria as well as Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps were using armed reconnaissance UAVs in the latest offensive against fleeing terrorists. They said the tactical UAVs were produced in Iran and Russia.
In virtually every major ground operation, we see UAVs conducting
reconnaissance before an assault,” a source said.
The "opposition" has confirmed the UAV operations for the government of
Syrian President Bashar al Assad. The so-called "opposition" political coordinator Louay Mekdad said the rebel force was at a loss on how to deal with the unmanned platforms, but did not elaborate.
The sources said the Syrian military introduced UAVs in early 2012. They
said the first UAVs were believed to have been supplied by Russia, the
leading military ally of Damascus. Iran's key Hezbollah allies are also known to operate a wide range of UAV and have often flown them over Zionist occupied Palestine. The Syrian military is now becoming very proficient in high-tech and combined arms operations.
Iran soon joined in UAV operations. The sources identified some of the
UAVs as the Ababil, also operated by Hezbollah.
The sources said President Assad’s Army and Air Force were using UAVs for both
reconnaissance as well as battle damage assessment. They said the platforms
helped enhance artillery and rocket operations. Iranian fire locating radars are also linked to UAV data and GPS identification of targets.
Another good recap of the debate HERE:.
Al-Qaeda urges rebels as Syria's civil war nears Israel's door
Dubai: The Syrian civil war came a step closer to Israel's border as Syrian rebels were reported to have seized temporarily the only crossing point between Syria and Israel in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Salafi terrorists fleeing the Syrian-Hezbollah onslaught at Qusair briefly took control of the Quneitra crossing on the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday before being pushed out by troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Israel's Army Radio reported.
The violence came as al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a message urging the rebels to fight for an Islamic state in Syria that could then wage all-out war with the usurping criminal Zionist entity.
Israeli security sources said the presence of Salafi rebels at Quneitra could create flashpoints.
All the fighting took place on the Syrian side of the boundary, although two mortar shells landed in the Israeli-occupied area, according to Israeli military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The post on blog’s sixth-year anniversary and the chart depicting the growth of its readership was published on 1 June and remains. So is the post on Bandar Abbas’s visit by a Russian destroyer. You need to stop false comments trying to “undermine” the credibility of this blog. What you do is damaging your own credibility. We never had a post on children’s massacre, if you give us more description of the content or approximate date of publication, I’ll search and report back.
We will welcomed your comments on the issues on hand, even if they oppose the some of the authors here, but you have been warned many times that we will not allow you to post personal attacks and accusations against the authors of this blog. If any of your comments had not been published, those were of the latter category. This blog has consistently provided space for all points of view, and our pages in these six years are the witness of that policy. Hooliganism, personal attacks, and accusations against authors and other commentators, mostly under assumed names, are not regarded expressions of opposing views and contrarian and critical thinking, and are discouraged here. If we don’t publish any of your comments, it's because they belong to these categories.
Anon 7:46
You are all about "bahane" aren't you? :)
Articles sometimes dissapear for me too, as i'm sure it does for lots of other visitors aswell. I don't know the precise cause for this as i'm no expert on computers, but if i were to take a guess, i would say it's some sort of compatibility issue between the browser version (maybe not up-to-date?) that you're using and the requirements of this site. Perhaps Mr Puryz can provide additional detail...he is the creator of the layout of this site afterall.
Regarding the article that you are requesting, type the following into the search bar..."US school shooting" and you will find an article posted by Mr Fazeli.
As a regular reader and commenter on this site, I like to congratulate Nader and the rest of the team on the rise in readership of this useful space for discussion of issues on Iran. So far, I have not experienced any disappearance of my comments, I guess because I have followed the "rules". I read a lot of other major blogs and do know they all have rules and so does this one. Let's move on with the issues and not nasty irrelevant comments !
Az in MD
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