Defence Minister Says Syria a Part of Iran's Security
February 26, 2004
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring Middle East
Damascus -- Iranian Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani who is here at the head of a high ranking delegation, conferred here Thursday with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad on expansion of mutual cooperation.
Iran's Ambassador to Damascus Mohammad-Reza Baqeri and Syrian Defence Minister Mustafa Abd-al-Qadir Talas were also present in the meeting.
Issues of mutual interests as well as current cooperation between the two countries in fields of defence, science, education and industry featured prominently in the meeting.
The Syrian president underlined the political will of the two sides' high ranking officials to further expand mutual relations in various areas and said that besides bolstering mutual cooperation, Tehran and Damascus should deal with the threats posed by big powers.
Syria is ready to broaden and expand military, defence and security cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said adding that presence of high ranking Iranian military and industrial officials in Syria indicates the firm determination of two sides to enhance mutual cooperation.
The recent parliamentary election in Iran demonstrates the fact that the country enjoys unity and the people's massive participation in the election disappointed the enemies of the Islamic Republic and Revolution.
The Iranian defence minister, for his part, underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to help bolster and broaden defence cooperation with Syria.
Highlighting the two sides' common interests, he called for continued negotiations and cooperation in order to foil plots being hatched against the two countries under the current sensitive situation of the region.
Syria is considered as part of Iran's national security in the region, he said adding that Tehran has always paid due attention to security and territorial integrity of Syria.
Pointing to geopolitical and geostrategic developments in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, he said these developments have direct impacts on Iran's national security which requires further unity, solidarity and cooperation among regional countries to
Shamkhani Arrived in Damascus on Wednesday at the official invitation of his Syrian counterpart Mustafa Abd-al-Qadir Talas on a two-day official visit.
During the visit, the Iranian minister along with his entourage will inspect various defence and industrial centres in Syria and is to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation.
Shamkhani will leave Damascus for Beirut on Friday.
Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA
Source: IRNA news agency, Tehran, in English 1335 gmt 26 Feb 04
http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk/To: Leaders of the European Union and the People of Europe
February 26, 2004
Iran va Jahan - Letters to the Editor
Shirin Peerooz
Subject: Open Letter
BBC NEWS: 23 February, 2004: "A draft statement from an EU foreign ministers' meeting voiced "deep regret" at the conduct of the polls.
"The Council of EU foreign ministers expressed it's deep regret and disappointment that large numbers of candidates were prevented from standing in this year's parliamentary elections... making a genuine democratic choice by the Iranian people impossible," it said."
I say: you are still not getting it! The issue is not the problems between the hardliners and the so-called reformists. The issue is the great gap and the gigantic abyss that exist between these two and the people of Iran. People did not boycott the election to support the reformists. People stayed at home to say a big "NO” to the Islamic Republic in its entirety.
I am an Iranian, an Iranian woman. Like Shirin Ebadi, I am a Moslem too but that is not the issue, by no means.. I am an Iranian woman living in exile and haven't been back to my country since the clerics invaded my country and like their Arab predecessors usurped the throne and mantle of the great Achaemenian and Parthian kings.
In all these years, I have not been able to forget the land of my birth and the sufferings of my fellow countrymen. I am anxiously marking days hoping for the day that I will see my homeland freed. Throughout the years of exile, I have repeatedly sought to learn the regime's secret of survival. Indeed, it is a mystery that a regime so supremely incompetent and inconsistent at best, deeply and vastly detested at home and abroad has managed to survive. Aside from the confusion existing among my people and the lack of leadership among the opposition groups, and aside from the fact that the Islamic regime in Iran is probably one of the most ruthless and brutal regimes in the history of mankind, I find the main reason for this regime's survivability, an umbilical cord so tightly knotted into the belly of the European Union. Really, what more should these blood-thirsty crowd do for you to realize that dealing with them is just not worth it? Indeed, it can have adverse future ramifications. I am convinced that if it were not for the untiring support of EU's principal members throughout these years, the regime would have been long gone years ago.
Americans think terrorism and fundamentalism as their worst enemies. They don't know (or perhaps they know and can't do anything about it) that you are indeed their greater enemy. They have always protected you against self-inflicted internal strife, but you have repeatedly bitten the hand that fed you. Needless to say, you know they will feed you again if there is a need and they know that you will bite their hands again. They have nurtured you at time of need and in gratitude, you stab them in the back.
You know perfectly well that ruling Mullahs ruining MY country are the principal source of international terrorism. Among their innovations are the notion of martyrdom and the birth of suicide bombing. Nevertheless, so long as your coffers can profit from this brutal regime, you choose to ignore these facts. Your support pumps blood to their dying veins. It gives them energy and propagates their wretched existence. You have turned your back on my people; you are sacrificing their well being for the sake of cheaper oil and business contracts. You are taking advantage of the current situation while ignoring the fact that our homeland and the life and future of our people is wasted and destroyed by the current ruling Mullahs.
People of Europe, do you know the extra Euros in your already opulent life style is paid with the blood of people who never did you any harm? Do you know the broken and lashed bodies of the youth of my country paid for these extra benefits?
Are you aware the cost of your material gains are several million addicted children and innocent little girls who are forced to prostitute in order to live? Your governments are closing their eyes to the injustices and atrocities and keep you in the dark. Haven't you seen the women wrapped in white shrouds and stoned to death? Haven't you seen hands being severed for stealing a loaf of bread? What about eyes plucked out of their socket? Don't they remind you at all of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserable?” Aren't you afraid of God and the fact that sooner or later you may have to repent for this indifference?
Your governments are so worried about the demise of this brutal and savage regime that they have become their political supporters and faithful consultants. Whatever advise and support they need, the EU leadership provides. They constantly send their top advisers and political leaders to Iran. EU Prim Ministers, EU Ministers of Foreign affair, the head of the EU itself, even a royal Prince. To what cause? to safeguard them against our people? Against the broken hearted mother who lost four children to these criminals? Against the father who is dealing with the pain of losing a son in the war and a daughter to prostitution? Against the kidnapped writers who were stabbed to death? Against the exiles who were butchered in your own countries (recall Dr. Bakhtiar? Does it sound familiar? Recall Sharafkandi and his friends in Mikonos restaurant? How about Farrokhzad, Sahriar Shafig, Boroumand, General Oveisi, and … ?) Against imprisoned and tortured thousands in their notorious prisons? Against million expatriates suffering around the world and either afraid or too disgusted to return home? I can go on and on and on...
I was looking at the photographs of the three EU foreign ministers from France, Britain, and Germany taken during their recent travel to Tehran to help the Mullahs with their Nuclear plans; to make it short, keep them out of trouble. Their jovial laughter was like a thorn in the heart of millions of my people who have been going through the most inhumane pains in the hands of these people, and all the humiliation all these years all over the world because of those criminals. Go ahead, laugh at us, as much as you can, love and hug those bloody cruel criminals your royal highness, the Prince.
Go ahead! laugh at us, laugh at our misery. Go ahead! teach them and pamper them like spoiled children and in exchange, they will give you a little share of Iran's robbed booty.
Go ahead and brag about western civilization!, freedom!, democracy!. How can you shout about democracy in your country while you enslave other nations for your economical gains? You did this in Iraq and you witnessed the result. Now you are doing it to my country. I promise there will come a day that we will laugh at you.
My countrymen will not tolerate this regime forever and your economic dominance over my country will end soon. My country has dealt with worse situations. It has gone through many invasions, but this time, it is a different story. I hope your conscience wakes up in time and you turn your back on this regime...
This is the best time for your governments (EU in general) to understand the real issues. It is to your benefit to support the struggle of our people for freedom, this is a crucial time for us. Stop helping them and leave the rest to us...
http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2004&m=02&d=26&a=7