In a speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, United States Secretary of State Warren Christopher, on Tuesday, said that there was growing evidence that the rogue state of Iran was using terrorism to undermine the Middle East peace process. Christopher renewed a call to European allies to join the U.S. in imposing trade restrictions with the country that is known to sponsor international terrorism.
Christopher did not name, but did accuse an Iranian-backed group of conducting a drive-by shooting at a bus stop in Isreal last week that resulted in the death of an Isreali- American.
The Secretary of State said, "There should no longer be any debate about Iran's involvement in terrorism against the peace process. The evidence has grown in recent months. In advance of Isreal's elections, Iranian-trained terrorists have been sent to infiltrate Isreal and the Palestinian territories. Some have been intercepted. Others narrowly failed in carrying out their deadly activities. Still others have succeeded in their murderous missions. We believe that an Iranian-backed group was responsible for last week's drive-by shooting of an Isreali-American yeshiva student in the West Bank." David Baum, an Isreali-American student was shot in the head on 13 May 1996. A car with gunmen identified as Palestinians shot into a crowd at a bus stop in the West Bank and killed Baum.
Christopher said in his speech that Iran is providing upwards to $100 million to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. Iran also gives several million dollars a year to other terrorist organizations such as Islamic Jihad and HAMAS. Besides money, Iran is also known to provide terrorist groups with arms, training and sometimes "operational guidance."
The Secretary again called upon U.S. allies in Europe to join the U.S. in restrictions on trade with the outlaw country. He said, "We now share a similar analysis of the facts, we differ when it comes to how best to deal with Iran. The Europeans themselves acknowledge that their policy has produced no significant change in Iranian behavior. We remain convinced that no amount of dialogue will alter Iran's policies unless it is coupled with real economic pressure."
At the U.S. State Department, spokesman Nicholas Burns later said that the Secretary of State made his comments based on "dramatic and additional evidence that Iran is behind a variety of terrorist groups and terrorist operations throughout the Middle East."
In Isreal on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shimon Peres said that Iran was still plotting attacks against the Jewish state. Peres said, "They're almost nervous as we're coming close to the end of the election. They really want to stop the peace process. They want to frighten our people and they want to topple our government."
The Prime Minister was asked what evidence that he had to support his statement, and Peres replied, "We have caught some people who came under the strict orders of Iran to cause here killings and damage. And we know for sure from our information that Iran is pressing very hard upon the Hezbollah and upon Islamic Jihad and upon HAMAS to try and destroy the electoral process by bombing and killing and sending Katyushas."
In another interview in the London-based Jane's Defense Weekly, U.S. Army General Binford Peay, the commander-in- chief of the U.S. Central Command, said that Iran's current arms program far exceeds what it needs to defend itself and its missiles could soon reach targets in Europe. Peay also said that Iran's neighbors are becoming increasingly concerned about the intentions of the rogue state.
General Peay said that the rate of Iran's recent modernization of its navy, missiles and weapons of mass destruction is well beyond what it needs to just defend itself from attack. Peay said, "Clearly, every senior leader -- civilian or military -- emir, king or chief of service that I talk to in the Gulf today describes Iran as the long-term threat."
The General also said that scientists from the former Soviet Union are now known to be working in Iran in an effort to extend the range of Iran's Scud missiles. Peay said that he believes Iran's missiles will soon be able to reach targets in Europe. Central Europe is only 1,500 miles from the borders of Iran.
A senior Iranian offical in Tehran on Wednesday angrily denied the assertions of the United States. Atollah Mohajerani, the vice- president in charge of parliamentary affairs, accused the U.S. of formenting tension in the Gulf and for presenting Iran as a threat of countries in the Middle East region.
Mohajerani said that Iran resents the military presence of the United States in the Gulf region and said the patrols of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in support of the U.S. policy of "dual containment" against Iran and Iraq was, in his opinion, "A major source of tension." Mohajerani also said, "Regional security is the responsibility of regional countries alone, and no-one else's."
In referring to the United States, Mahajerani said, "Certain countries, in order to dominate the region, try to create a gulf between the regional countries. They also try to distort Iran's image and present the Islamic Republic as a potential danger to other regional countries."
If one were to read between the lines of Mohajerani's rhetoric, what he was really saying is that he wishes that the United States would just go away and leave the Gulf area so that Iran can increase its efforts to overthrow Arab governments and establish other strict Islamic regimes with Tehran at its center.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian state radio said that the U.S. wants to destroy Iran's Islamic government. The commentary said, "Fabricated and relentless United States and Zionist regime black propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran is part of their common strategy to destroy the Islamic government in Iran."
With all the rhetoric coming out of Tehran in response to Christopher's speech -- it reminded one of a hornets nest turned angry. Even the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei got into the act on Wednesday. The Ayatollah rejected the U.S. Secretary of State's offer to open a dialogue between to two countries. Khamenei said, "In principle Islam believes in dialogue and talking. But talking to whom, where and about what? They (Americans) basically want the Islamic Republic of Iran not to exist in the world."
Analysis of Iran's rhetoric may be interpreted that Iran may, indeed, be feeling some heat from its criminal actions and they are becoming quite concerned that U.S. allies in Europe may finally join in imposing strict economic restrictions on the government in Tehran. Iran may finally join the group of world pariah nations that boasts Iraq and Libya as members.
Military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran looks to be getting closer and closer. Prime Minister Shimon Peres says that it is only a matter of time ... before something dramatic will happen.
(c) Emergency Response & Research Institute, 1996, All rights Reserved.