Alireza Jafarzadeh interview with Fox News on Iran’s nuclear promises

Fox News

November 23, 2004

An Eye on Iran

E.D. Hill: Iran claims they have frozen their uranium enrichment programs; our next guest says Iran has no plans to abandon nuclear programs. Joining us from our Washington, DC bureau is Fox News Foreign Affairs Analyst Alireza Jafarzadeh. Thank you for joining us.

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Thank You, E.D. Good morning.

E.D. Hill: Good Morning. You’ve revealed that there are several Iranian nuclear facilities and we saw some… I believe it was just a still shot… a satellite photo earlier on. How can you be so certain that the facilities that you are looking at are actually up and running, that are producing things they are not suppose to?

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Well the previous facilities that were revealed the main source was actually Iran’s opposition, the National Council of Resistance. Later on, the UN inspectors were able to go to Natanz they found centrifuge machines there being mounted, being assembled there. Then they went to Arak, they found this heavy water facility as the opposition had revealed, they went to Ab-Ali, they saw machines being tested; they have been to so many other places that actually claims by the Iranian opposition were actually proven.

E.D. Hill: Yeah

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Now this latest revelation by the Iranian opposition that talks about two sites; one in Lavizan that the opposition says that Iran is now doing laser enrichment, something Iran has said that they are not doing at all; and the other one in Parchin again doing laser enrichment. And the opposition is urging the IAEA to send their inspectors to inspect the place before they make any decisions in the upcoming meeting on Nov 25^th.

E.D. Hill: But isn’t Iran saying “Look you’ve got our word. We told you we are going to stop enriching uranium. You’ve got to believe that. We are not letting people in here.” And France and Germany seem to feel that this time they can trust Iran.

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Well, E.D. Iran has proven to be not trust worthy at all. In fact they made the promise last year in October to freeze their nuclear enrichment program; later on they resumed their program. Now this latest promise, I think is intended to take away the wind from a US push to refer Iran’s file to the United Nations Security Council only days before the upcoming meeting. It has no other purposes. After all, Iran has said that this is temporary and not permanent. Kharrazi the foreign minister of the Iranian regime said today that in three months they are going to look at this whole deal and they will decide if they will continue freezing the enrichment program or they will resume their nuclear activities. So really there is no real deal there, there is no halt of their enrichment program. That’s why I think this is a serious situation. Iran’s file should have been referred to the UN Security Council last year and the US should insist on it this year.

E.D. Hill: But to be real frank, why do they care whether they are referred to the Security Council or not. We see what has happened in the past; they really shouldn’t have that much to fear those at the Security Council. They say something about it, but there is not really anything they are going to do about it.

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Well, I agree with you E.D. I think the Security Council should not be the only means I think any effort on the part of the Security Council must be backed by political pressure otherwise nothing will come out of it. I think the US should make Iran’s nuclear weapons program, which is an asset to them now, into a major liability by threatening the very existence of the Iranian regime. And the way to do it is to reach out to the Iranian opposition who are already trying to unseat the Ayatollahs.

E.D. Hill: Alireza Jafarzadeh, thank you very much for joining us

Alireza Jafarzadeh: Thank you very much E.D.

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