Iran hits back at Bush over terror claim
Iran’s supreme leader yesterday harshly condemned US President George Bush’s State of the Union address, saying his administration would fail in its attempt to uproot the ruling Islamic establishment.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was responding to Bush’s annual speech to the US Congress on Wednesday, in which he accused Iran of being “the world’s primary state sponsor of terror”.
Syria, also named in Bush’s speech as a supporter of terrorism, said the democracy America seeks for the Middle East cannot come through force, but welcomed the president’s call for an independent Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel.
In Iran, Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran and is also the commander in chief of the armed forces, blasted Bush’s words against Tehran.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, because of supporting the oppressed and confronting oppressors, is being attacked by the global tyrants,” state-run television quoted Khamenei as saying.
In his address, Bush said Washington is working with European allies to convince Iran to end its nuclear programs and stop supporting terror. Addressing the Iranian people, he said: “As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.”
The European Union welcomed Bush’s comments on co-operative diplomatic efforts concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
“To cooperate with the Americans is very important and very helpful,” said Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn of Luxembourg, which holds the EU presidency. “Together, the Europeans and the Americans can put real pressure on Iran to find a solution.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the US administration had expressed a “vision” for how to move forward on the peace process.
Bush had also called on Saudi Arabia and Egypt to take steps toward democracy, words that some considered interference.
Europeans hoped Bush’s speech signalled a more multilateralist approach to international affairs in his second term.
“One encouraging feature of the speech is that there is a very long paragraph in it in which he actually talks about working with other countries, praises allies, talks about even the United Nations as being helpful, he mentions NATO,” Robin Cook, former Leader of Britain’s House of Commons, told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
That sentiment was echoed in Germany, which split with the United States and Britain by refusing to support the 2003 Iraq war.
