I would like to start by congratulating Mrs. Maryam Rajavi for the great victory which was achieved today in the European Court of Justice. I also want to congratulate the People’s Mojahedin members in Ashraf City. We have been saying this for several years that inclusion of the People’s Mojahedin in the terrorist list was for political reasons – without any legal basis – and our judicial system showed their independence and that justice was done.
I welcome Mrs. Rajavi to the European Parliament. I am also looking forward to hearing her in our EPP-ED group meeting this evening. As you may all know Mrs. Rajavi was invited by our group last summer, but the Iranian regime threatened the EU that if the visit did take place they would break off talks on nuclear issue.
As this was a clear example of blackmail, our group decided to go ahead with the meeting but Mrs. Rajavi wisely and elegantly decided to postpone the meeting. As she said then to show that this is just an excuse and the mullahs’ regime will not give up its uranium enrichment.
Once again she proved to be right. So, I think we should pay greater attention to her message after today.
I think the European Union must face the reality. The mullahs’ regime has no intention of giving up its nuclear program and there is hardly any doubt that they are pursuing a weapons program.
This is also true about the Iranian regime meddling in Iraq. The Iraq Study Group has rightly called for a change of approach to Iraq. It has also rightly called for a diplomatic offensive. I think everybody agree that Iraq is a major problem and the solution to this problem before anything else is a political one.
However, I do not think negotiation with Tehran and engaging the mullahs is the solution. The diplomatic offensive should focus on stopping Iran’s growing interference and influence in Iraq. That is the right approach. We should not engage in lengthy negotiation with the mullahs only to find out after several months or years that they have been dishonest.
The Iranian regime is using a classic tactics of dictators. If you have problem at home and can not meet the demands of your own people, create external crisis or an external war, to cover up their vulnerability at home. So, to me, the regime’s ever increasing rogue behavior is a sing of its fragility.
So, in my view, the European Union should change its approach to Iran. The most striking aspect of this change should be in our approach to the Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
EU should engage in dialogue and cooperation with the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The EPP-ED group invitation to Mrs. Rajavi is a move in this direction. We should send a clear message to Ahamadinejad that Europe and the international community no longer would tolerate their aggressive and destructive policy.