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Iran Calls U.S. Elections Propaganda, Cites U.S. Support for Terror Groups, U.S. Stay Mum

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, July 2 -- The governments of the United States and UK both support or assist terrorists, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the Press on Wednesday. He hearkened back to U.S. funding of Osama Bin Ladin and his base in Pakistan, and to the UK parliament's removal of Mujaheddin-e-Khalq from its terror list.  Asking Mottaki about the elections in the U.S. and Zimbabwe (video here from Minute 55), Inner City Press asked U.S. Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad about the U.S.'s reported support of groups such as Mujaheddin-e-Khalq and Jundallah. Amb. Khalilzad responded that "I do not discuss any intelligence related activities." Video is here.

Perm Rep Khazaee, Minister Mottaki and friendly question-taker, John McCain answer not shown

Here's from U.S. transcript --

Inner City Press: On Iran, Foreign minister Mottaki just criticized the U.S. for supporting what he called terrorist groups including like the Jundallah, there are a number of groups that are in the Seymour Hersh story that's in the New Yorker this week.  So he spoke about and talked about the U.S.’s history of supporting such groups [including Mujaheddin-e-Khalq.]  Does the U.S. acknowledge the programs that these, covert programs for example to undermine Iran?

Ambassador Khalilzad: Let me say first of all that I do not discuss any intelligence related activities but you should not take that as meaning that I believe something is going on. But it is my general policy not to discuss any intelligence issues. With regard to Mujaheddin-e-Khalq, and others, our policy has got a long history to it. We have no ill will towards the people of Iran and we want to increase our engagement with the people of Iran, this is a great country a great civilization I have personally benefited given that I speak the language from many products of Iranian history and civilization. So the issues are differences, significant differences, important differences with the government the current leadership in Iran. That has to do with the nuclear issue that we have discussed.  It has to do with specific policies on the peace process, specific statements calling for the destruction of a sovereign state, support for groups, militant groups, armed groups in some of the neighboring states. Those are some of the specific issues.

I do believe that one can come to terms with an Iran that has reasonable objectives and is in compliance with international law and demands of the Security Council and as I said before we have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the people of Iran, we have many fellow citizens here who are of Iranian origin, quite substantial in number. So there shouldn’t be any misunderstanding in terms of where we are.

            Mottaki referred to just such Americans of Iranian origin, saying that Iran has hired some to work in its interest section within Pakistan's embassy in Washington. Mottaki expressed frustration that while Iran granted over 150 visas to U.S. journalists last year, Iranian journalists in the U.S. face restrictions. The U.S. Mission to the UN subsequently distinguished between independent journalists and those for state-run media. Iran's spokesman Mansour Sadeghi, at Wednesdays' press conference, pointedly called on a reporter from Voice of America, perhaps for just this reason.

  On the U.S. elections, Inner City Press asked Mottaki to comment on the singing of "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" by John McCain, to a Beach Boys melody. "Let me avoid commenting around U.S. presidential candidates," Mottaki began. "For two years within a monopoly or propaganda between two parties alone and nothing outside... we do not look at individuals or parties [but rather] at the implemented policies of the U.S. government. Some previous presidents of the U.S., once they left their office and position, express positions different from they did in the White House."

  It seemed clear that this referred, at a minimum, to Jimmy Carter. Mottaki went on to answer Inner City Press' request for Iran's position on the Zimbabwe elections, click here for that.

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

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