Back to home page Alireza Jafarzadeh on Fox discussing President Bush’s trip to Europe
Fox News Channel
Fox & Friends Weekend
Sunday, February 20,
2005
Iran-Syria Pact
Mike Jerrick: President
Bush says he has no intentions in going to war with Iran, but it is reported
the country, Iran is still prepping for a possible attack by the U.S.
Juliet Huddy:
Alireza Jafarzadeh joins us now from Washington. He is the president of Strategic Policy Consulting
and a Fox News Foreign Affairs Analyst, great to have you here again.
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Great
to be here.
Juliet Huddy: The
Washington Times reports that Iran
is preparing in case the US
attacks. Can you elaborate on this?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Well,
clearly the Ayatollahs ruling Iran
are extremely frightened and paranoid, perhaps not because anybody is really
intending to attack; because President Bush has clearly said that the military
option is not his first priority. But I think it has a lot to do with what the
President said in his State of the Union address when he struck at the Achilles’
heel of the Ayatollahs when he said that America
will stand with the people of Iran
as they stand for their liberty. And I think that was a significant blow to the
regime, a very serious thing that has not been done before and has really
frightened the Ayatollahs because they are aware of the level of discontent; of
the level of opposition inside the country. And they are preparing themselves
for it.
Julian Phillips: We also
have the Russia
factor here, Russian President Putin
says that he does support them in a sense. He doesn’t believe that the nuclear
capabilities are for military purposes. Something ,of
course clearly President Bush will address when he meets with the Russian
president. What do you think about that?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: The
Russians certainly have a horse in this race. I mean they are heavily involved
in Bushehr nuclear reactor so they want to see conditions that would continue
their presence, involvement with Iran’s
nuclear program. So, I am not surprised that the Russians are saying this. And
I think President Bush is right in insisting that Iran
will have to give up its uranium enrichment program.
Mike Jerrick: If this week
is supposed to concentrate on these summit talks developing some kind of shared
strategy with these different European countries on how to deal with Syria and
Iran, who can we trust when it comes to if we have to all stand up against
Iran? Who do we trust? Who has the closest ties that they may not want to break
with Iran?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: First,
in terms of the Syrians, they are the strategic allies of Iran
for many years and since the going is now getting tough in the region, the
Iranians are now resorting and turning to their Syrian partners. But I think
the Europeans all have close relationship with both Syria
and Iran. I
don’t think they are willing to give up that kind of relationship both in terms
of economic relations and also in terms of other aspects. So, I think the
United States will have to press on its general policy of putting pressure on
Iran internationally; insisting on Iran ending its nuclear weapons program; insisting
on Iran giving up its support for terrorism--which is one thing that Syria is
also doing--and insisting that Iran would have to end its opposition to Peace
in the Middle East and the suppression of its own population.
Juliet Huddy: So, Alireza
it sounds like you’re saying that the United
States, when it comes to pressuring Iran,
is going to essentially be going it alone?
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Well, I’m
not saying that. I think the US
is on the right track in trying to get the Europeans involved, in finding
common ground. But the US
would also have to keep in mind that when push comes to shove, when it comes to
principles and the values, it has to be prepared to defend those values.
Julian Phillips: Alireza
Jafarzadeh, thank you so much, as always, sir.
Alireza Jafarzadeh: Thank
you very much; always a pleasure.
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