Interview with Jeremy R. Hammond
Following is the complete text of an interview by Iranian journalist Kourosh Ziabari with Foreign Policy Journal founder and editor Jeremy R. Hammond for Veteran’s Today.
Kourosh Ziabari: The past decade has been witness to unending and unremitting clash between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program. The West has constantly accused Iran of trying to build nuclear bombs while Tehran has persistently denied the allegation. What do you think about the nature of Iran’s nuclear program? Why has it become so controversial and contentious? We already know that there are four nations in the world, who are not signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but nobody in the international community pressures them to halt their nuclear program and nobody investigates their nuclear arsenals. Why Iran is being singled out?
Jeremy R. Hammond: What I think about the nature of Iran’s nuclear program is that it is a peaceful program, the right to which is guaranteed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty [NPT], of which Iran is a signatory. I don’t know as an absolute fact that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapons program, but that’s what the evidence — the lack thereof, rather — tells us. The legal standard that the West has applied to Iran is that it must prove itself innocent of attempting to produce a nuclear weapon. Like Iraq, Iran is being punished for failing to prove that it isn’t guilty of the charges the U.S. and its western partners accuse it of, like Iraq, without evidence. This policy persists despite the fact that the U.S.’s own intelligence community assessed in a 2007 National Intelligence Estimate that Iran had no active nuclear weapons program, and as Seymour Hersh just very recently reported in the New Yorker, an updated 2011 NIE reiterates that judgment.
The reason Iran’s nuclear program has become so controversial, therefore, has nothing to do with nuclear nonproliferation, any more than the war on Iraq had anything to do with weapons of mass destruction or terrorism. The problem with Iran is the same as that posed by Iraq, which is that it is too independent, too willing to defy orders from Washington, D. C. The U.S. used to support Iran’s nuclear program, when the country was under the Shah’s regime. The U.S. installed the Shah in 1953 after the CIA coup that overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq for nationalizing Iran’s oil industry, for standing up to the West and saying that Iran’s oil belonged to the Iranian people.
Iran is singled out because it defies Washington. Israel is the only country in the region that actually possesses nuclear weapons. Unlike Iran, it is not a member of the NPT. The Western media constantly repeats that Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons is a threat to the region, and that its nuclear program risks sparking a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Israel’s nuclear weapons, for some inexplicable reason, do not threaten to spark a nuclear arms race.
For example, the fact that Saddam Hussein’s decision to pursue a nuclear weapon was a direct consequence of Israel’s decision to destroy Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981, which had been under the monitoring and supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchdog that enforces the NPT, is just completely irrelevant. It can be forgotten, tossed down the Memory Hole. Never mind that the U.N. Security Council condemned the attack in a resolution that noted that Iraq’s nuclear program had been legal and that Israel’s attack threatened the very framework of the international non-proliferation regime. Never mind that U.S. intelligence assessed that Israel’s attack, along with its own possession of nuclear weapons, could spark an arms race and intensify efforts by Saddam Hussein and other Arab leaders to seek a nuclear deterrent to Israeli aggression.
You can on very rare occasions actually read about Israel’s attack on Osirak in U.S. political commentary. If it’s mentioned, it’s cited as an example of how effective the use of force is in deterring Israel’s neighbors in the region from obtaining nuclear weapons. I mean, it’s just an Orwellian fiction that turns reality completely on its head. So if it’s mentioned, it’s in that context. Otherwise, you can just forget it. Nothing to see there, no lessons to learn; down the Memory Hole.
Relevant facts just have no place in any discussion of Iran’s nuclear program, just as the fact that the IAEA had declared Iraq’s nuclear program totally dismantled had no place in the discussion in the mainstream media in the run-up to the war on Iraq, because the issue has nothing to do with non-proliferation. As with Iraq, that’s just the pretext under which the U.S. government justifies its policy, which is really a policy of regime change. This also explains why the U.S. government and media engaged in a propaganda disinformation campaign in an attempt to characterize Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in Iran’s 2009 presidential election as having been fraudulent, not only without evidence, but contrary to all evidence indicating that Ahmadinejad legitimately won.
KZ: Over the past years, the United Nations Security Council, under the pressure of the United States and its European allies, imposed four rounds of crippling economic sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. These sanctions targeted Iran’s oil and gas sector, aviation industry, health and medicine sector, consular affairs and in a nutshell, every aspect of the daily life of the Iranian citizens who had been trying to rise from the ashes of the devastating war with Iraq in 1980s. What do you think about these sanctions and their impact on the life of the Iranian citizens? Don’t these sanctions resemble some kind of human rights violation? Iranian people are deprived of having access to the most essential commodities of their daily life as a result of these sanctions. What’s your take on that?
JRH: The sanctions are a violation of the U.N. Charter and Iran’s rights under the NPT. The NPT obliges member nations to accept the safeguards regime of the IAEA, which the treaty explicitly states shall implement its duties without hampering Iran’s economic or technological development. Article IV of the NPT states explicitly that nothing within it may prejudice Iran’s right to develop, research, and use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including uranium enrichment.
The U.N. sanctions originate from U.N. Security Council Resolution 1996 of 2006, which expressed concern that Iran had not taken certain steps requested of it by the IAEA and called on Iran to suspend enrichment activities. Iran had previously suspended its uranium enrichment on a voluntary basis, as a show of good faith to the West, and to go out of their way to create an atmosphere conducive to negotiations with the European Union. Part of that agreement was that the E.U. would offer Iran security guarantees. Yet the E.U. failed to fulfill its obligation and the U.S. and Israel continued to threaten Iran with military force. The West also stalled on negotiations, with the Bush administration refusing to engage Iran diplomatically and instead issuing the ultimatum that Iran must end enrichment as a precondition to talks—which would, of course, defeat the whole point of negotiating for Iran.
As result, Iran ended its voluntary cessation of enrichment activities and resumed research.
The IAEA then called upon Iran to once again implement a voluntary cessation. That IAEA resolution in fact did not find Iran to be in violation of any of its obligations under the NPT, and in fact explicitly recognized Iran’s inalienable right under the NPT to develop, research, and produce nuclear energy, without prejudice. It merely expressed concern that Iran had been disinclined to acquiesce to the agency’s requests that it once again voluntarily suspend enrichment. It’s important to emphasize again that this was not a legal obligation under the NPT, but a voluntary unilateral action demonstrating good faith on Iran’s part. That IAEA resolution is the legal foundation for U.N. Resolution 1696 and subsequent resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran. In other words, the U.N. sanctions against Iran have no legal basis whatsoever. On the contrary, they are themselves a violation of the U.N. Charter and the NPT.
This is further illustrated by the fact that Resolution 1696 was passed under Article 40 of Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter. It states that the Security Council may call upon parties to comply with provisional measures as it deems necessary, but only under two conditions. The first is in cases where the Council has determined that a threat to the peace exists, which the U.N. has not done in the case of Iran. The second condition is that if a threat to the peace is determined to exist, any measures the U.N. takes shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims, or position of Iran. That includes Iran’s “inalienable right” under the NPT to enrich uranium.
Beware the NONSTOP Propaganda Campaign for War against Islamic Republic of Iran
This is all nonstop propaganda lies of nonsense like in IRAQ with WMD by zionist US aggressor from Iraq, Afghanistan to Libya.
Iran has no nuclear weapons program and has been consistent all times.
For about 12 years, Israel has claimed that Iran will have a nuclear bomb within 6 months or a year.
The USA constantly issues accusations about Iran’s “nuclear weapons” but to this day, has not produced one shred of evidence to support those accusations.
So, why should one believe anything they say now? any potential delay in it is just imaginary.
Iran wants to enjoy the benefits of NPT for peacefull nuclear energy that’s why Iran is to remain in NPT
Otherwise, Iran has quit from NPT a long time ago.
In principle, however, nothing in international law or in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty forbids the enrichment of uranium. Besides Iran, several other countries, parties or not to the treaty, enrich uranium without being accused of “threatening the peace.” And in Iran, this activity is submitted to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. These inspections, it is true, are constrained by a safeguards agreement dating from the 1970s. But it is also true that the IAEA has never uncovered in Iran any attempted diversion of nuclear material to military use.
While the US possesses and has used nuclear weapons in the past, Washington, in a politically-motivated move, is imposing unilateral sanctions against Iran, which does not possess nuclear weapons nor does it seek to develop such weapons.
WikiLeaks – A fabricated conspiracy of nonstop propaganda lies to isolate Iran from other Muslim nations for US’s benefits on behalf of unbreakable bond Israel.
“NOTHING CAN DEPRIVE IRAN OF ITS NONSTOP INALIENABLE RIGHT AND KNOWHOW FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY.”
BUT, YOU CAN KEEP TRYING BY ALL MEANS TO SABOTAGE IT SUCH AS SANCTIONS, VIRUS, ALL KINDS OF PARANOID MEDIA PROPAGANDA LIES IN THE NEWS VIA FAKE DOCUMENTS LIKE WIKILEAKS, WMD IN IRAQ, TERRORISMS, IRAN IS A THREAT OR YOU NAME IT LIKE THE WAY THE BIBLE WRITTEN TO BE READ, ASKING FOR SACRIFICES ON ISRAEL’S BEHALF.
UN CHARTER VII ARTICLE 51:
Provides for the right of countries to engage in military action in self-defense, including collective self-defense (i.e. under an alliance) FOR IRAN TO NONSTOP FIGHT FOR ITS RIGHTS AND FREEDOM, LIBERTY. IRAN IS A LAND OF THE BRAVES.
The clash between Iran and the West is not really over Tehran’s nuclear program. If Tehran stops the program today, West will clash over missile program. West actually want to stop Tehran from whatever makes Iran an influential power. Because first they want to peacefully rob ME resources. Secondly they do not want anything disturbing Israeli’s genocide operation in Gaza concentration camp.
american people being brainwahed by we all know who.everything the author said sound right to me.but us has the military power and the gold.in long term iran will lose (they like saudi idiot rulers,yes sir,yes sir ,yes sir ) iran must make the nuclear bomb and then kiss the master hand.i am a realist ,there is no other way.
all prograssive people of the world unit.
It is Vital to know just who American Led NATO are, because it will help to find a proper Roadmap for a end to the Conflict in Libya.
The first thing to understand is that the America and its NATO Puppets are Premeditated Cold Blooded Murderers; they are Hardened Liars; they are Malicious Slanderers; they are Corrupt Thieves; and their Evil Deeds knows no limit.
The other thing to note is that Libya has shown the World that the Greatest Permanent Threat to Global Peace and Security on this planet are the Five Permanent Veto Holding Members of the United Nations Security Council.
Unless the United Nations is Seriously and Properly Reformed, then smaller Countries would be wise not to grant this Evil Corrupt Organization any more legitimacy, and they can do that by withdrawing their membership from the United Nations Organization.
This is because these small Countries will Legitimize their own extinction, and that is why they should leave, and they should makes lots of noise while doing it, and continue to make noise after they leave that Evil Corrupt Organization.
The General Assembly of the United Nations needs to bring certain matters to a Vote.
The first Reform should be that there are 11 Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council.
Another Reform should be the Abstaining to Vote on any Resolution by any Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council is a VETO and a NO Vote just like the United Nations Charter says.
We know that the dual Evils of the Soviet Union and the American King set the dangerous precedent that abstaining to Vote was not a VETO or a NO Vote, but it was the same as a Yes Vote, rather than the NO vote that the United Nations Charter states.
We have seen this Evil Corrupt United Nations Organization set up Courts that are a Travesty of Justice, and are only needed to Pervert the Course of Justice especially by America.
There is more than enough Stinking Garbage in the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council to keep ant Court busy for as long as their Vile Trash continue to be a complete waste of Oxygen.
A Classic Corrupt Court is the so-called International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, or ICTY.
The other Corrupt Court is the International Criminal Court, or ICC, which is properly known as the International Criminal Cabal.
The boss of the International Criminal Court is called Ocampo, if he is Camp, then American can blackmail him to Pervert the Course of Justice, because that is what Perverts like to do.
These two Evil Empires were Partners when it was in their mutual interests, and neither the Soviet Union, nor hypocritical America could be bothered with Constitutions, Laws, Treaties, or Democratic Principles, or any Proper Principles, because it was just too much of a fuss for these Evil Dictators.
Another Reform is that a Vote by two thirds Vote by the General Assembly of the United Nations overrides and is a Veto for anything the 11 Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council may pass.
Another Reform is that Only the General Assembly by a two thirds Vote of the General Assembly of the United Nations can authorize war.
Another Reform is that if there is to be any International Criminal Court, then the Past and Present Leaders of the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council Must be the First to go to Trial.
Anglo-France Says one Thing, and they Do Something Else; they See Certain Things, but they Deliberately Ignore and even Cover Up other Things.
Anglo-France take umbrage at the Slightest Indication or Vaguest Feeling of Suspicion, Doubt, Hostility, at Nothing and keep Totally Silent over the Horrifying.
Anglo-France Gives a Cent, but takes a Dollar; they Help and Demand Over Payment for Services Rendered.
This Describes the Foreign Policy of England, France, Canada, America, and this is the Foreign Policy Framework that has to be adopted if other Countries are to qualify for Membership among the Elite Thugs and Thieves of this World.
These are Mankind’s supposed Friends; the kinds of People who Demand that others worship them on account of ‘Geo-political Realities’ in the quest for Fake Democracy, that is really a Dictatorship.
These Dictators and their Puppets want others to Barter their Sovereignty, to Submit to Land theft Proposals; to Erase History, Culture and Civilization and so on, for a Fake Democracy that is really a Dictatorship.
EULUX, which stands for the European Union’s Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, and should really be termed NAZILUX, claims it is capable of Protecting Non-Albanians from Albanian Terrorists and Ethnic Cleansers, but it is just lying as usual.
NAZILUX claims that it can monitor that Non-Albanians in custody are Treated according to European Union Standards, but they are there to assist the Ethnic Cleaning of all Non-Albanians of Serbia’s Province of Kosovo.
This is because the Leading Contributors to NAZILUX are on the Record as saying that they want to Steal Serbia’s Province of Kosovo, and give it to the Albanians of Kosovo.
NAZILUX says that it can Impartially carry out an Independent Investigation on Albanian Criminals, and that it can Protect those who would Testify at any Trial against the Kosovo Albanian Leadership.
The Truth of the matter is that NAZILUX are just even Bigger Criminals in many respects, than those they Claim to be bringing European Standards to, because they are Partners in Crime.
If one of these Partners should be found, Guilty, then other Partner will be found Guilty, because they are Partners, and they Both have the Dirt on Each Other, and this is what ensures the Lies and the Cover Ups.
The other day, France gifted arms and ammunition to a bunch of Terrorists fighting Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.
We are Reminded of America arming the Mujahideen in Afghanistan against the then Soviet backed Government, and who later became Al-Qaeda and Secretly remained America’s Secretly Funded Ally, while pretending to be America’s enemy.
These are just minor details to America who has and continues to prop up, defend, and even saluted the Worst Terrorists the World has known as long as they have served Strategic, Political, and Economic Interests.
France did not have a Mandate from even the Sorely Compromised United Nations to arm anyone, especially Terrorists, while England, France, and America are Allies of Tyrants.
England, France, Canada, and America constitute an Axis of Evil that follows this Policy of Double Standards, where Anything Goes for the Axis of Evil, but for other Countries every minor flaw is exaggerated beyond reason to deflect attention away from their own Evil Deeds.
Targeted assassination is not within the scope of the United Nations Security Council Resolution, and it violates American Law, International Law, International Humanitarian Law, and International Human Rights Law.
The American Led NATO War Criminal has targeted Innocent Civilians that it claims to Protect, but the only thing Anglo-France protects is their own Interests.
American NATO bombs and missiles exploded in Residential Neighbourhoods, hit schools, exploded near Hospitals, destroyed parts of the Public Broadcasting Infrastructure.
A NATO Naval Blockade allows arms to flow to NATO’s Libyan Terrorist Allies, but stops Food, Fuel, and Medicine from entering areas that are held by those Loyal to Libyan Constitutional Arrangements.
All this is what the Obama Administration is Sanitizing as ‘Kinetic Military Activity (KMA)’, which is just America’s Code for Kiss My Anus (KMA) to the Rest of the World.
Innocent Civilians are being Deliberately killed and maimed in Libya, and NATO Forces are doing this.
The Perpetrators and Supporters of this action as well as those who Ignore and Cover Up all of this are Pretend to be Upset about some ALLEGED war crimes in some other place, in order to direct attention away from their Hubris, their Arrogance, which is expressed by their Evil Deeds that knows no limit.
This is why it is Vital for the smaller Countries to put forward Reform Proposals for the Dangerously Corrupt and Evil United Nations Organization.
The word “Iran” is used to describe the activities of the Hezbollah in Iran. And yes the Hezbollah should be singled out and brought to justice for all the atrocities they have comitted in the name of God. But please use the correct words.
The blunder is that disillusioned protesters attack the prospers portion of the regime as fault and not the illegal ones voicing American and Israel’s fancy
We claim to be the ancestors of Cyrus the grate
We brag about his charter
And yet we insult people for their belief, religion, and race
To protest for decades of more of Pahlavi or Ghajar dynasties or another team of hungry position and wealth seekers, and or clan lovers to rule us is madness
Behind the seen
To discover what is going on behind the seen one should look at the events and the core
Media warns of Iran’s authority raise in the territory and at the same time encourages us to oppose and help us for uprising why?
If Iran is becoming strong with increase of influence in a territory once was the Empire why should we have a revolution?
By using the wealth of one and half billion humans of nations undeserved for a better life?
That the Islamic or Christianity or Jewish culture of countries undermined by communist regimes has been dissolved?
Does this make sense?
Dividing us to rule?
Of course we need change and we should stand up for it
But not to change the faith of the people of this territory an impossible task
We have to change the politicians who oppose the rule of law by legal means
The rule of law
That individuals, persons and government shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law, and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals.
In the most basic sense, the rule of law is a system that attempts to protect the rights of citizens from arbitrary and abusive use of government power
The rule of law is a legal maxim that states no person is immune to law, and no one can be punished by the government except for a breach of the law
Having the peaceful nuclear energy hence having the knowledge of building the bomb takes away the importance of possession and helps the destruction of such weapons
IRAN SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT TWICE before trying to build nukes.
Iran had a clandestine nuke program that got busted…….. that’s why America will eventually take them out. Don’t build nuclear weapons, America and free countries won’t blow you even further back to the stone age.
Cheers!
Pete, Iran has never been found to have had a nuclear weapons program. Also, please explain your hypocrisy.
America needs to snap out of the grip from zionists the true EVIL. Iran has every right to develop nuclear energy in any aspect. Just like Israel does..so does Iran.. Iranians are Persians and a old civilization. The zionists from Israel will make America attack Iran just like it did IRAQ in 2003.
The only evil regime i see in the middle east is the zionist one. I don’t mean jews but the zionist jews, who hate anything none jewish.
If America attacks Iran it will make the biggest mistake ever… And as i see the new republican president candidates are idiots who are supported by AIPAC ( zionists)
The only person i am voting for in RON PAUL in 2012 he is Americas only solution to peace and getting us out of this debt. NO more (AIPAC) rule of congress. The congress needs to listen to the American hard working man not what some zionists say. We don’t care about Israel, Iran, or Palestine. Let them work it out..
America vote RON PAUL 2012
Practice of prejudice, hatred, deception, and invert the truth, has been propaganda apparatus to validate injustice in the region, holocaust a grave tragedy, and no one denies, but the plot to form Zionist regime is the question
For centauries through out the history the natives lived together dominated by majority rule in harmony, and they respected each others heritage, related to one another through intercourse, association, socializing and being part of it, as one family
Israel is not a Jewish state, and not because they are or not Jews but because they don’t belong to the environment and since the circumstances is not like the new world, they don’t understand the heritage, culture, and the history of the land
The Arabs are in Arabian Peninsula, the Arab speaking nations lost their native tongue after they became Muslims, many other Muslim nations kept their native tongue as Persians, Tajik, Turk, Urdu, The natives in Israel are not the settlers; the natives are Jews, Christians, and Muslims, who were Jews or Christians before becoming Muslims this artificial phenomenon has been created to divide and rule
Chris, the lies that Iraq possessed WMD used as pretext for the war against Iraq in 2003 were 100% Made in the USA.
I am also voting for Ron Paul in 2012, as I did in 2008.
US war with Iran will take between 25 to 50 years. Iranians are very resilient; Iran is much larger and has much more mountains than Afghanistan and Iraq. They have right and will make the bomb if war with an atomic country like US or Israel starts.
That kind of war will reduce US economy down to a colony of Canada. China may buy the rest of the US economy (if anything left to buy). US will definitely loss control in ME. Arab puppet dictators will fall much faster. Taliban will capture Pakistan and Turkey will transforms to an anti-western Ataman empire controlling Central Asia and Middle East. The most important lost is thousands American life. Only American enemies are asking for war.
Alternatively US should focus on their real enemies, Taliban, which now have 90% support form Pakistani people. Taliban and other Wahhabism terrorists can reach Pakistani bombs for their next 9-11 type attacks.
Atomic Iran will only add one more name to the long list of atomic courtiers. We MUST STOP falling into Israeli traps.
As some of you may have noticed, if you keep up with the news, this non stop propaganda against Iran and the false information campaign started right after BEBE YAHOO of the Zionist entity came over here and spoke in our congress. He ordered our representatives and Senators to take the heat off of him and stop pressuring him to make peace with the Palestinians and instead to put Iran and her nuclear program back on the front page. But off-course these Zionist stooges in DC had no other choice but to abide with that demand and now you see the same old propaganda and non sense on Iran is back in the news,
The biggest threat in our country today is the infiltration of the Zionist in our government. Their total control of our News Organizations controls our perception of the events in the ME and public opinion in our country. No journalist has the right or the courage to say anything about the Zionist entity or criticize their atrocities such as the “Goldstone” report by the UN, or killing a dozen unarmed peace activist on the international waters, their concentration camps in the Gaza Strip etc etc etc.
They may want to blame Iran for everything that goes on in the ME or the Islamic world and start a new war against Muslims in the ME, but Iran has not attacked anyone and is protecting its own interests within her boarders. we are the one at their door step with over 3 carrier task force threatening to change their government as we did in 1953 to set up another puppet government and create another submissive group of people to do our dirty work for us
Get real.
PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE FOR RON PAUL IN 2012.
There are not much differences between candidates, however, the first black president is worse than white president because the FBP has activated the black tribe against Muslims in the targeted countries where are mainly Muslims. Today, we have the reactionary blacks, more than 95% of them, support war monger and Zionist stooge, Barak Husain Obama, in his war against Muslims where majorities are Africans. Obama let to power by White to execute their WHITE agenda for them, to kill more people of color.
The balck tribe is happy to have just a black face at the WH. This is shameful. Obama MUST BE DEFEATED AT ANY COST. HE IS A WAR CRIMINAL AND A BABY KILLER. Since all candidates are the same, ready to serve zionist interests, thus he must be kicked out office so he can be given a lesson that a BLACK FACE cannot fool people, except himself and those who want a black face at the WH.