NCRI – On Saturday, February 11, coinciding with the 33rd anniversary of the anti-Monarchial Revolution in Iran, in a great gathering in Paris, thousands of Iranians, while being supported by a number of prominent European and American dignitaries, reminded that a major development is on the way in Iran and a democratic change, as a solution to avoid an unprecedented regional and international crisis, is at hand.
Bill RICHARDSON, former Ambassador to the United Nations and Governor of New Mexico (2003-2011): Thank you very much. Enchante d’etre ci avec vous. I want to thank Mrs. Rajavi, the Iranian Resistance movement, this is a distinguished panel. American, European, African, military, diplomatic, politicians. The politicians are the best ones (you’ll). [laughter] Foreign minister, and the great government of Norway, the chairman of our panel today. But I also want to pay tribute and thank you, those of you in the audience that are here, that have your blood, your families, your sweat, your heart, your soul in this issue. And I see you here smiling, cheering, sometimes sleeping. [laughter] But I want to thank you for being here and being part of this great movement. [applause] We each have ten minutes, but nobody ever follows it. I will try to do that.
Here, I’m an American and I like to make lists. You know, we like to do that. It’s an annoying habit, but I made lists of five things that I would hope after this meeting we’re all united. And I think we are, obviously, because we’re like-minded, we care about what’s happening in our countries and the international community. But I think if there’s one objective that we all want here is the need for democracy in Iran, one. Two, we need to protect the residents and the human beings who have suffered enough at Camp Ashraf. Protect them from attacks, protect them to make sure they keep their human rights, if they move to Camp Liberty that this be an adequate facility, that it be a protected facility. There are so many guarantees that are needed. Number three, for that to happen, and for this movement to be strengthened, my hope is that the United States government delists the MEK. I think that’s critically important. [applause]
And several speakers mentioned this, because there’s an Arab Spring that started in Tunisia with a young fruit vendor burning himself. And what he did caught the imagination of freedom-loving people everywhere, especially in the Middle East, in Egypt, in Tunisia, in Yemen, and in Syria, I Syria today. We’re having to stand today, we have to, with the people of Syria because their government is repressing them, like they do in Iran. Because in the United Nations last week, a resolution to put sanctions and condemn Syria was vetoed by Russia and China. And so what has to happen is an international coalition, a coalition of the willing led by the United States and the European Union, but also by people, by social media, by the Internet, by the young, by women, by those freedom loving people like you in the Middle East, in Europe, and around the world. So it’s that more urgent that we stand behind a nation that right now their own people are being killed by their government. Not just repressed, killed. And I think those of you from Iran can sense that’s what’s happening too in your country.
My last point is that we take advantage of this period. It’s a very important period, these next three months or six months or until the end of the year, because it’s a year full of interesting conditions, political movements, elections, temperatures in various countries, and I think it provides us with some unique opportunities for this issue to move forward. So that when we have another conference like this, we know that the people of Ashraf are safe and protected. [applause] So first, again, that we make every effort through the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, NGOs, to make sure these human beings that have already been hurt in some massacre at Camp Ashraf, whether they move or not, to Camp Liberty that they be protected and just afforded the same human rights as anybody.
What is the other situation that affects what’s happening now? And that is in my country we’re about to have a presidential election, in case you haven’t heard. But it’s a presidential election that decides what foreign policy is going to be made. And this is an issue that is growing in the American peoples’ view and I believe the American people are very much with the Iranian resistance. They’re with you. But that has to translate into political action. [applause]
Number three, what is another factor today? And that is the internal politics and foreign policy of Iraq. The United States has withdrawn its troops. Iraq is developing a new government, a coalition government. Many thinking that it’s not heading in the right direction. The government of Iraq has not been friendly to the issue of Camp Ashraf, but it is hopefully a democracy that will listen to its friends and the European Union and the United States and individuals like you. But that is a very volatile situation, what is happening in Iraq.
Number four, at this very moment the United States is considering whether to delist the MEK. In other words, the meetings are taking place; should it happen, should it not happen? There are many more experts on this issue, military, national security that can say more about this. It seems to me it’s clear they should be delisted. It seems to me that courts and international public opinion and the European Union and many others around the world feel that what we need now is to strengthen the Iranian resistance, to strengthen the ability of those that want democracy and speak for democracy to be moving forward.
I mention the situation in Syria. What does this have to do with Iran? Well, it has to do a lot with Iran. Syria is a client state of Iran. Syria is supported by the government of Iran. Hamas, Hezbollah with weapons, with international funding, with support, and the client state of Iran, Syria, is in trouble. Maybe Assad will hang on a little longer. But eventually the tyrants in history go down. And I think it’s just a matter of time. And so this is why I don’t believe it’s been a very good year, last year and this year, for Iran. Look what’s happened in Syria.
Lastly, I will go to international, European and U.S. policy towards Iran. Now, I know that talks with Iran have failed. The international community wanted them to stop their nuclear weapons, as they should. But Iran refused. The talks in Turkey, they laughed at the international community. They led the international community on. “Oh yeah, we’ll have a dialogue.” Not a thing, nothing. So they continue with their nuclear ambitions, which are unacceptable to the international community, which should be. But what has changed in the last year is sanctions because more countries are involved, are starting to work. Not perfectly, but they’re working. They’re including oil embargos by some countries. They’re including banking sanctions. They’re including the Iran central bank. They’re including ways that money is transferred, to the point where Iran made a very irresponsible threat that they were going to block the Straits of Hormuz for oil shipments to come in. And thankfully the international community and the United States has contingency plans, and Saudi Arabia stepped in and said, we’re not going to let this action of Iran jeopardize oil shipment.
It is still a very dangerous situation. But Iran is taking those very irresponsible steps because it’s being bit, and things are different. Not perfect for you or for me, but they’re starting to feel these. They’re starting to feel the international pressure. They’re starting to feel their client states in Syria get squeezed. So, it’s a little bit of a different situation, and this is the time to put the pressure on. This is the time to make some tough decisions. This is the time to protect human beings at Camp Ashraf. This is the time to have this coalition of the European Union and the United States and individuals like you. Ensure that the resistance, that the group that is assembled here by Mrs. Rajavi stays strong, remains strong, uses social media, uses young people, uses women, uses the message that is being sent by this conference.
And so I am here once again with you. And I love to have these conferences in Paris. I love these conferences internationally that bring so many people together. And I want to thank those that have been on this issue long before I have. The Europeans, the Africans, the Middle Easterners, the Norwegians. I see a very good friend in America, what you see here is Republicans and Democrats. A little few more Republicans, but that’s okay. My friend Spencer Abraham who was secretary of energy after I was. And he was a very positive bipartisan secretary. My friend, Governor Ed Rendell, he’s in my party. And we used to—we’ve worked together for many years, and I’m delighted he’s taken an interest in this international issue. Anyway, I’ve said enough. I appreciate you. I want you to know that I am on minute number ten, and I will give you now the best part of my speech. Le fini. Thank you. [applause]
