MSNBC News, 27 March –
Contessa Brewer: The US is putting on a display of military might today, practically in Iran’s back yard. Two US aircraft carriers including the USS John C. Stennis, more than 100 military planes and about ten thousand military personnel are taking part in some practice exercises. The military calls this routine but it is taking place as 15 British sailors and marines remain in Iranian custody. It is happening in the midst of Iran’s stand off as well with the West and its nuclear ambitions. Is Iran trying to provoke a conflict with the West? Let’s turn to Alireza Jafarzadeh. He is the author of The Iran Threat: President Ahmadinejad and the Coming Nuclear Crisis. Alireza, great to see you today.
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Great to be here Contessa.
Contessa Brewer: Is the arrest of these sailors related to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: I think it is because Iran is trying really to use blackmail against the Western countries, especially Britain; because Britain is the leading player among the EU3, Britain, Germany and France. They have been involved with negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program over the past three, four years and Iran is trying to pressure Britain to back down on its position regarding the nuclear program but also in regards to Britain’s position regarding Iran’s involvement in Iraq which is also another point of concern.
Contessa Brewer: Speaking of the involvement in Iraq, US News and World Report is reporting that American troops were recently attacked by Iranian soldiers well inside Iraq. Is Iran trying to provoke, not only the Great Britain as you say but the United States as well?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Absolutely. Iran has a bigger agenda in the whole region. In the first step they want to establish an Islamic Republic next door in Iraq. That was their ambition for many years. And then they want to expand their rule beyond the Iranian borders into the whole region. Iran has been sending arms, explosives, agents and money into Iraq since 2003. I received information from my sources in Iran very recently that terrorist training camps in Tehran are training Iraqi Shiite militia groups and they are sending across the border to Iraq to target the British and the American forces. They are using EFPs and IEDs targeting Americans. That is a serious concern.
Contessa Brewer: And you also said that Iran has covert nuclear weapons program not just for peaceful means, not nuclear technology that is intended to supply energy to the country but actually for weapons. Do you think that these military exercises in the Gulf are likely just to ratchet up the tension between United States and Iran?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: It could very well be the case, but legitimately both the United States, Britain and a number of other countries in the region are concerned about Iran’s nuclear weapons program, because Iran ran a clandestine nuclear program for 18 years until the main Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran in August of 2002 revealed the major nuclear sites in Natanz and Arak. Now since then even though the IAEA got involved in trying to inspect sites but Iran has defied the calls by the IAEA inspectors.
Now, after the presidency of Ahmadinejad, it is now the Iranian Revolutionary Guards which is really dominating the whole nuclear program. There are a number of secret sites run by the military, by the Revolutionary Guards who are doing research and development. There is a university called Imam Hussein University, run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp that houses a number of top nuclear scientists of Iran and a number of research labs. That site has been off limits to the IAEA. There is another site known as Lavizan II that Iran is also doing research and development there. Again the IAEA has not been allowed to that place. So this is serious when you have a president like Ahmadinejad on top of that nuclear program. That becomes very dangerous.
Contessa Brewer: Alireza, we appreciate you joining us and sharing a little bit of your experience.
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Thank you very much, Contessa.
