A POTENTIAL NUCLEAR POWER, IRAN IS ALREADY A TERRORISM SPONSOR
By Bill Samii
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 8, No. 111, Part III, 14 June 2004
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of
Governors is meeting on 14 June to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions
and its level of cooperation with the nuclear watchdog. While the
world worries about a nuclear-armed Iran in the future, it must not
forget about a terrorist Iran today.
The U.S. State Department first designated Iran as a state
sponsor of terrorism in January 1984, and it has been on the list
ever since. Indeed, "Iran remained the most active state sponsor of
terrorism in 2003," according to the State Department. By now, Tehran
is jaded about this and, as it has every year, responded with denials
and counter-accusations. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman described
the charges as "repetitive, demagogical, and worthless." He added
that the United States "has had an active role in spreading murder
and terrorism and is not in a position to assess the record of
others." Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, chairman of the
Expediency Council and the second most powerful figure in Iran, said
in a 30 April Friday prayer sermon that the terrorism charges merely
relate to the upcoming U.S. presidential election, and he went on to
describe U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as acts of
terrorism.
Tehran does not hide its relationships with terrorist groups
such as Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas. Hizballah's Sheikh Abd-al-Karim
Obeid, who was released from an Israeli prison in January, visited
Tehran in April and met with President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami,
Rafsanjani, and other officials. Moreover, Hamas has a permanent
representative in Tehran: Abu Osama Abd-al-Moti. Tehran does,
however, challenge the U.S. characterization of its relationship with
these organizations, saying that it provides only moral and political
support, not arms and money. Tehran also views Hizballah and other
groups as liberation movements, not terrorist organizations.
U.S. officials have expressed concern about Iranian
activities in Iraq, while Tehran denies that it is interfering there.
Nevertheless, Iran is openly advocating suicide bombings
(euphemistically called martyrdom operations) in Iraq. Enrollment
forms for volunteers were distributed after a 2 June meeting in
Tehran, where Tehran parliamentary representative Mehdi Kuchakzadeh,
military officials, and scholars spoke on topics such as "Martyrdom
Operations and Military and Security Strategies" and "Martyrdom
Operations -- The Last Weapon," the Iranian Labor News Agency
reported on 4 June. Kuchakzadeh has expressed similar attitudes
before. He said in the legislature's inaugural session on 27 May, "I
call on you to chant slogans for the defeat of the occupying American
forces, who have attacked holy sites, and turn your attention to the
issues which need attention," the Islamic Republic News Agency
reported. His colleagues responded by shouting, "Death to America."
The awkwardly named Headquarters for Tribute to the Martyrs
of the Global Islamic Movement announced, "We are confident that
expelling the British and American occupiers from Iraq is not
possible in any way other than martyrdom-seeking operations," the
"Kayhan" daily reported on 22 May. "The headquarters has started
registering the names of volunteers for martyrdom-seeking operations
against the British and American occupiers," it added. The same
newspaper, which is officially linked with Iran's leadership,
reported five days later that more than 2,000 people -- including a
13-year-old boy and a 45-year-old woman -- had registered to blow
themselves up. This suicide-bombing headquarters reportedly is
connected with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), an arm of
the Iranian armed forces.
The Center for Doctrinal Studies, which is connected with the
IRGC, is doing more than calling for suicide bombings. The center's
director, Hassan Abbasi, said at a seminar at Tehran University: "We
will burn the roots of the Anglo-Saxon race. We have made plans for
America's Achilles heel, and we will present these to all the
guerrilla organizations in the world," "Vaqa-yi Etefaqi-yi" daily
reported on 25 May. Abbasi added: "Our missiles are now ready to hit
their civilization. As soon as we receive the orders from the leader,
we will launch the missiles toward their cities and installations,"
"Al-Sharq al-Awsat" reported on 28 May. Abbasi added that 29 sites in
the United States and elsewhere in the West have been targeted.
Iran's relationship with Hizballah and Iran's role in Iraq
are brought together by individuals like former Tehran
parliamentarian Ali-Akbar Mohtashami-Pur, who as ambassador to
Damascus in the 1980s was instrumental in Hizballah's creation. He
said in a discussion about Iraq, "Sharq" daily reported on 27 May:
"Our duty today is very clear. We, the Islamic countries, should
create a massive storm against America and Israel.... Many of the
youths and Muslims are ready to carry out suicide operations against
the American crusaders." He continued, "Today, Islamic resistance in
Iraq and the devoted and brave forces in Al-Najaf and Karbala need
the moral and material support of the entire world of Islam."
Nor is it just the sponsors of terrorism in Iran who are
advocating action in Iraq. Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah said in an 18 May speech that the forces of Iraqi cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr should "fight until the last drop of blood" against
U.S. forces in the holy cities of Al-Najaf and Karbala. In his 21 May
speech to an audience that included people wearing white burial
shrouds, which indicate their readiness to die, Nasrallah said the
only way to defeat the enemy is through "jihad, martyrdom, and
anger."
It is possible that the statements of Iranian leaders and
their proxies are nothing more than rhetoric meant for domestic
audiences. Yet Tehran's long and bloody record in supporting
terrorism, its professed hostility to the United States, and its
1,500-kilometer border with Iraq mean that Iran's threats should not
be ignored.