Sky News TV, 29 March – Interview with Hossein Abedini
Joining us from our central London studio is Hossein Abedini from the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Thank you for joining us on Lunchtime Live this afternoon Mr. Abedini about what we have been discussing about the suggestion that this case may face a legal path, where do you think this leaves both governments?
Sky News TV, 29 March – Interview with Hossein Abedini
Joining us from our central London studio is Hossein Abedini from the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Thank you for joining us on Lunchtime Live this afternoon Mr. Abedini about what we have been discussing about the suggestion that this case may face a legal path, where do you think this leaves both governments?
Hossein Abedini: Thank you for having me. First of all, as a victim of the Iranian regime’s terrorism myself and someone who still to this day suffers from injuries received by the mullahs hit men, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the abducted sailors and I very much hope that they will soon be free.
We, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, believe that the only effective policy vis-ÃÂ -vis this regime is a policy of firmness. We support the decision by the British government to freeze all business and contacts with the mullahs, but we think it’s insufficient, because this act of aggression by the Iranian mullahs, which has absolutely breached all international laws, has to be dealt with very severely.
So, it is a blatant act of international terrorism. This case must be referred to the Security Council of the United Nations and be dealt with in that way. We believe that the Iranian mullahs only understand the language of firmness and a firm policy is really the only possible option to resolve this situation, because they have used this hostage taking and this blackmail policy in the past to threaten the international community and the action to gain concessions over their nuclear weapons programme, prevent firm action against their mercenaries in Iraq and imposition of pressure by EU governments on Iran’s democratic opposition movement.
– I just wanted to ask you Mr.Abedini, I mean as far as the Iranian authorities are concerned and as far as their co-ordinates are concerned, the British service personnel were intruding on their territorial waters, they have been taken to somewhere in Iran where they have admitted trespassing into Iranian territorial waters, that is where the Iranians are coming from.
Well, this is what the mullahs say, but all the indications and all informations prove that the British personnel, navy personnel were abducted at gunpoint and they have been taken to Tehran forcibly and they are being interrogated. So, we have information that this was a carefully concocted plan by the revolutionary guards and these plans always carry the seal of the highest political and military authority of the Iranian regime, which lies at the hands of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and its President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.
I am going to have to stop you just for a second, because I want to let our viewers know the latest that we are hearing as a result of those comments by Iran’s leading negotiator that this case may face a legal path if Britain pursues any sort of resolution. We are hearing from our sources now that Britain is to pursue a UN condemnation of Iran’s actions, but not necessarily a resolution at this stage, but certainly Britain has decided that it will go to the United Nations, because it wants to pursue a UN condemnation of Iran’s actions. Does that go anyway to what you were suggesting Mr.Abedini.
Exactly, we believe that severing all ties with the Iranian mullahs and the imposition of comprehensive sanctions against the regime, as well as removal of the obstacles and restrictions against the Iranian opposition, especially this unjust and unlawful terror tag against the major democratic opposition movement of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran, are the two pillars of a right policy vis-ÃÂ -vis the regime.
But unfortunately, on the contrary the British government has been pursuing a placating policy in the past several years vis-ÃÂ -vis this regime and even when the European Court of Justice has removed the terror tag. To keep the PMOI in the list, the British government has been spearheading and pushing to keep the PMOI in its terror list.
So we believe that no amount of concessions and further negotiations with this regime will deter their stated policy, which is to carry on with their murderous policies inside Iran, as well as aggressive policies to acquire nuclear weapons and increase their meddling and terrorist activities in Iraq and expand and export their fundamentalism to the whole region.
So, we believe that support the Iranian democratic opposition movement, coupled with increased sanctions, comprehensive diplomatic, technological, oil and arms embargo against the regime is really the right policy.
Ok Mr.Abedini thank you for sparing the time to speak to us. We do appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed
