Ahmadinejad Says Iran May Use Oil as a Weapon

Khaleej Times Online:

Iran would consider using oil as a weapon and denial of access to international nuclear inspectors if the United Nations Security Council is pressurised by the US and allies to impose sanctions against it merely on suspicion that it is manufacturing weapons of mass destruction, asserts Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. READ MORE

In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, President Ahmadinejad said Iran like other countries had the right to pursue peaceful uses of nuclear energy and no nation could dictate to it. There was no question of Iran using nuclear energy for making weapons as the country was governed by islamic principles which prohibited production or use of nuclear weapons.

On the Bush administration dubbing Iran as a part of an “Axis of Evil“ and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in his opening address to the latest UN General Assembly session warning about the spread of nuclear weapons and terrorism, Ahmadinejad said: “Look at the tough language that the American government use in their relations with other countries. Our religion prohibits us from having nuclear arms and our religious leader has prohibited it from the point of view of religious law. Its a closed road. I Insist we don't need nuclear arms and our laws don't allow us to produce them. We are always acting in accordance with International law.”

Alluding to the US government's suspicion that Iran is stirring up violence in Iraq against US and Coalition Forces, the President said Washington has levelled all sorts of allegations but had not produced any documentary proof. “If there is insecurity in Iraq, the first ones to suffer from it are the neighbouring countries like Iran. We consider there is a direct link between the lack of security in Iraq and the continuation of the occupation. The pretext for the continuation of occupation is lack of security. We wish security comes back to the area as soon as possible.”

Parrying a query whether withdrawal of US troops from Iraq would result in a civil war, Ahmadinejad said the American Army should assume many more responsibilities for ensuring security there as the explosions and acts of terrorism had created a distinict feeling of insecurity among the people.

Accusations

He dismissed accusations that Iran was protecting Al Qaeda and pointed out that “Al Qaeda is sure the enemy of Iran, they killed 11 Iranian diplomats. We have alwayes wished to destroy them. These are the most dangerous enemies for us.“

He said Iran had made four important points at the latest UN summit: stressing our rights to pursue and have nuclear energy, acceptance of all the points and agreements of the International Atomic Energy Agency, underlining the right of all countries to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the creation of a special committee to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the continuation of such talks within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Fielding a query about the US, Britain, France and Germany being suspicious that Iran's nuclear lab research is equipped to build a bomb, the President said his country will never develop nuclear weapons but was ready to transfer nuclear knowhow for peaceful harnessing of energy to the Islamic countries due to their need. Iran was currently being denied the technology to produce peacful nuclear energy.

He expressed surprise that countries which had nuclear fuel insisted on selling it to Iran while making all efforts to prevent it from making its own fuel.

On the attitude of the western powers, Ahmadinejad said, "We understand and we know that their intentions are bad. All of our activities have been transparent to the IAEA and we've announced many times that because of our religious and cultural views are against the creation and use of nuclear weapons. We are a country that rules according to our religious laws and our religious scholars have issued religious decrees that the creation, the research towards the creation and use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction is not allowed. So our country cannot allocate any specific budget or resources to such activities. I ask the UN committee to investigate those powers which had given Israel the technology to develop nuclear weapons. So I urge the UN not to bend to US pressure.“

Threats

Asked about reported threats by some Iranian officials to trigger a rise in oil prices and pull out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Iranian leader observed, “Any smart human being should use every resource in order to achieve his independence. I doubt that the leaders of US and Europe are that for removed from reality. They are smarter than denying us this legal right. It's natural, they will use whaterver they have, which is the UN Security Council but our nation has the means to defend to its rights. So we think that the dictation of rules in the international arena by some powers is unacceptable to us. This is what we refuse. If the International Atomic Energy Agency gives us the lawful framework, sure, we'll cooperate. The biggest degree of cooperation with the IAEA has been carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran.“

Ahmadinejad expressed his determination to make all efforts including fighting for Iran's right to nuclear fuel supply for development to fulfil his presidential election promise to increase economic opportunities for the poor and middle class.

"I said I'll do every thing in order to uphold our national interest. One of these things is that we will have access to the nuclear supply process. We don't want to be at war with the world, as you see they're trying to impose their will on our country. I have no worries about all that. We will have peace, prosperity and the nuclear supply cycle. In the last General Assembly, I insisted on working for complete nuclear disarmament and to establish a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.“

On how he perceived the quality of political freedom in Iran, the President said, “Our country is free, the presidental elections is the result of democracy in our country. It was the people's decision, even the former president Mohammad Khatami did lots of good things in our country. He served Iran and all these services will continue, but we'll add some new things and new developments.“

Touching on the controversy generated by a report that he was one of the hostage takers during the 1979 overthrow of the Shah's regime, Ahmadinejad had this to say, "I heard that news after I was elected and you know frankly, I laughed at it. I don't know how they had reached such a conclusion, I didn't have the beard then. I saw the picture that they tried to impose. My God, what kind of thought is this!“

Terrorism

Dismissing charges that Iran was a sponsor of terrorism, he noted that many of Iran's biggest leaders were killed by a terrorist group. “Even our president and one of our prime ministers in the past were killed by a terrorist group. So how can we be sponsors of terrorism?"

On his asking the UN to allow foreign countries as well as private companies to participate in Iran's uranium enrichment programme and what would his response if the International Atomic Energy Agency turned Iran's case to the UN Security Council leading to sanctions, he said, “We have been extremely cooperative, we have had more than 1,200 mandays of Inspections, monitoring cameras are every where in our facilities. But I really ask how is it that we see the occupiers of Jerusalem have been getting nuclear warheads, but there is absolutely no report about controls in that country. There is no report about controls in countries where nuclear arms already exist, so we think all this toward Iran is just political. But if Iran's case is sent to the Security Council, we will respond by many ways for example by holding back on oil sales or limiting Inspections of our nuclear facilities.“

On compliance with "Fatwa", he said it was mandatory to follow it when Iran's supreme religious leader issued it. “So when Iran's supreme religious leader issues "Fatwa" forbidding any thing including use of nuclear and weapons of mass destruction, It means nobody can go in that direction any more. It means the parliament can't pass any law."