Members of Parliament in Britain got to hear what traditional Republican Party members really think about the US Administration’s neoconservative approach toward Iran yesterday.
Professor Paul Sheldon Foote on a short visit from the USA was invited by Conservative members of parliament to present a briefing talk about US foreign policy toward Iran.
Paul Sheldon Foote is a Professor at the California State University and an outspoken critic of US neoconservatives and American political leaders who support war on Iran. Professor Foote served as an elected member of the Republican Party Central Committee, Los Angeles County (1990 to 1992) and as a conservative Republican candidate for the California State Assembly endorsed by the California Republican Assembly (1992). He is also a Vietnam veteran. Professor Foote is married to an Iranian-American and has conducted extensive research on Iran’s political and cultural issues.
Professor Foote was welcomed in London by some individual members of parliament, researchers and media representatives.
On Thursday, November 22, 2007 (Thanksgiving Day in America), at the invitation of the Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC) http://www.cmec.org.uk,
Professor Foote addressed a group of MPs in a Q & A meeting in parliament with the title ‘US Division of Foreign Policy Towards Iran’.
The talk highlighted the false positioning of neoconservatives as representing the far right. Instead, Professor Foote identified their agenda as being in-line with communist totalitarian ideology. From this position, neoconservatives promote the exiled Iranian Mojahedin-e Khalq organization (aka MKO, MEK, NCRI, Rajavi cult) in the pursuit of ‘regime change’. As well as being a totalitarian cult which acted as Saddam Hussein’s private army for two decades, the MEK is listed as a terrorist group in the EU and USA.
In this way, Professor Foote explained, the neoconservatives have hijacked the traditional right wing in America. According to Professor Foote, opposition toward the Administration’s foreign policy does not come exclusively from the American left and the Democratic Party. America’s traditional right is also outspoken in criticism of the neoconservatives. Among these are Congressman Ron Paul and Patrick J. Buchanan author of ‘Where the Right went Wrong’.
“Real American conservatives support setting an example of how to have a great republic at home, not how to invade other countries to steal resources”said Professor Foote.
Others include Justin Raimondo, Claes Ryn, Lew Rockwell and Bruce Laingen – a Republican and highest ranking diplomatic hostage in Iran, who has supported talks and diplomatic relations with Iran.
Professor Foote and Massoud Khodabandeh from”Centre de Recherche sur le Terrorism (Paris)”met with members of the Home Affairs Select Committee and Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the House of Parliament during which they highlighted the damage which the British parliament’s reputation has received worldwide by ignoring the infiltration into parliament of proscribed terrorist organization Mojahedin Khalq (aka Rajavi cult). The banned group’s abuse of democratic institutions, including the misuse of privileges given historically to some unelected members appears to have gone unchallenged. Mr. Khodabandeh presented documents clearly illustrating the gravity of this issue and the impact it has already had on the reputation of Parliament.
Professor Foote participated in a one hour round-table review on the significant issues in the Middle East during 2007 which will be broadcast for Press TV’s ‘Middle East Today’ program on 26 December 2007.
He also gave his expert view on the subject of the US Administration and possible ways of engaging in the problems posed by the Middle East, which will be published in next month’s edition of CFSOT (Centre for the Study of Terrorism – London) , the”Islamism Digest”.
During his trip Professor Foote also met with Anne Singleton of Iran-Interlink.