Iran experienced terrorist attacks last week in the form of twin bombings outside a mosque in its southeast. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said it had credible evidence that these terrorist groups were being equipped by US and NATO forces inside Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The following is Press TV’s interview with journalist and political analyst Ghanbar Naderi in Tehran and political analyst Dr. Kamel Wazni in Beirut to discuss the charges.
Press TV: Dr. Kamel Wazni, going back to 2009, can you tell us about the secret directive signed by General David Paterues, in which the new order, including anti-Iran covert operations were intended to make US efforts systematic and long term?
The name of the directive was ‘Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Execute Order,’ signed in September 30, 2009, known as a clandestine activity, one that does not require the US president’s approval or regular reports to the Congress.
Kamel Wazni: Obviously, the Americans have been conspiring with other intelligence and with NATO and unfortunately with some Arab country against the Islamic Republic. They have been funding and directing some political terrorists in the region and there was evidence by a former Pakistani general which indicated that Jundallah have been funded with millions of dollars from the CIA and other intelligence (agencies) to conduct operations against innocent people inside Iran. What we saw this past week is an example of what the American money has done by encouraging terrorists to launch attack against civilians. This reprehensive act by the CIA should be brought to the international community and should be prosecuted and the finger should be pointed at the American administration which called for dialogue and peace and on the other hand it directed its intelligence operations to conduct this heinous crime against the innocent and civilians.
Press TV: Ghanbar Naderi, Dr. Wazni mentioned Jundallah. The arrest of Jundallah terrorist group’s ringleader Abdolmalek Rigi: he told Press TV that since 2005 he held several "confidential" meetings with FBI and CIA agents in Karachi and Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. He said two female US agents had offered weapons and safe bases in Afghanistan, and professional trainers, while inquiring about how many people the Rigi group could gather for military training. Can you expand on that?
Ghanbar Naderi: All these hostile measures taken against Iran are not something new. This didn’t happen overnight. This hasn’t been going on for the past one or two or three years or since 9/11 attacks, no, this kind of hostilities toward Iran has been going on for the past 30 years. For the simple fact that Iran is not following the orders of the US in the region. That’s as simple as that.
All I am concerned about is that somehow the situation might get out of control and the US might be forced to pay a heavy price for that. We don’t need our president to provide us evidence to prove beyond doubt that the US is training and financing terrorist groups in the region. We don’t need the reports of the US media to tell us exactly the same kind of information. I believe US actions speak louder than words and we haven’t seen anything at all friendly until this point in time since the 9/11 attacks about some kind of actions that is going to restore order in this volatile region.
Press TV: Kamel Wazni, let’s expand more on other Rigi statements, Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, "The US must explain what AbdolMalek Rigi was doing at the US base in Afghanistan and why he was going to meet high-ranking US officials at the US Manas base near the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek."
Kamel Wazni: This cooperation between Jundallah and its leader who has been executed have been going on more than 2005 and that was actually mentioned in the Financial Times which disclosed that a large sum of money was handed by the CIA to the [Jundullah] leader to conduct clandestine operations inside Iran and attack sites inside the Islamic Republic. The Americans have been inciting this hatred and division between the Muslim world, capitalizing on some of that division and putting arms in the hands of a dangerous terrorist to commit this heinous crime. That’s taking place not only against Iran but is taking place against the people of Iraq. We have been seeing the bloodshed that’s taken place in Iraq and also what happened in Afghanistan.
This has to be brought to international courts and to the international community and I know the Iranians found confessions made by Rigi, they have evidence to show the whole world how the CIA was instrumental in training and helping and funding these terrorists and how they gave him some safe haven inside Pakistan and Afghanistan and other places to hide and to continue their crimes against Iran and other countries in the region.
Press TV: Ghanbar Naderi, Dr Wazni mentioned sowing discord in terms of creating division. That’s taking it a step further than just providing terrorists with intelligence and equipment. Expand on the deep ‘US plan’ to penetrate the Iranian people and the psychology and intention behind that.
Ghanbar Naderi: That’s a very good question. What you are telling us is America is not at war with Iran’s government or the Islamic Republic. America is at war with its people. That’s why it’s trying to create division among ethnic groups and minorities in this country which by the way form the very basis for this country. Iran is formed by these minorities. We don’t have just Balushis or Sistanis. We have so many different minorities in this country such as Kurds, Turks and like that. So we get the impression now that America is actually at war with the Iranian people and that’s why it’s not going to succeed. My sense is that terrorist groups such as Jundallah or MKO in Iraq are like hippies that belong to the past. They don’t belong to this point in time. They are not going to succeed because they don’t have so many members. As far as I am concerned their sort of activities are not going to topple Iran’s government because we don’t have an Iranian government. We have an Iranian nation. The government belongs to the people. That’s why America is not going to topple this country or its regime because we don’t have such a regime. We have people. America is trying to stand up against the Iranian people and has been doing so for the past 30 years and has failed miserably until this point in time.
Press TV: Dr Kamel Wazni, what about reports that US military forces in Iraq are training 150 members of the MKO terrorist organization? The trainings are taking place at Camp Taji, a base located near the central town of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province apparently.
Kamel Wazni: That’s very obvious and they have been giving protection to a lot of these terrorists who have been known to commit crimes against women and children. They have been terrorizing and planting bombs and the US is clearly taking an interest in training and giving protection for these terrorists. That act is unacceptable especially for the Obama administration who wanted to fight terrorism, who wanted to fight evil. This is an act of evil sponsored by the CIA and its military operation and this act should not be tolerated either by the Iranian people and the Iranian government or by the international community. Any act of killing is a murder especially when it comes from a country who sponsors terrorism and claims itself a democratic nation.
Here the US is playing the devil by training the well-known terrorists and they have a history of blood on their hands and that’s a heinous crime. And that should be prosecuted by the international community.