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Yunesi: U.S.-Led Attacks "Big Blunder", Precursor To America's Collapse

Iran News (Tehran), Posted Saturday October 20, 2001 - 09:22:15 AM EDT

Tehran - Iran's Information Minister Ali Yunesi has called U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan "a big blunder", saying the strike is a precursor to America's collapse in the international scene, similar to what happened in the former Soviet Union. "America will definitely be the main loser in this war," he told at the Feyzieh Seminary School in Qom on Wednesday, adding this will lead further to its despise.

"The West's arrogance and its extreme reliance on machinery, money and science has made America disregard even its own future and start an unwise war," the mid-ranking cleric said. America's big blunder, Yunesi said, was that "it is intending to answer an intelligence war with a military attack". "This is while the fight with terrorism is not similar to a military and classic operation. It is rather an intelligence fight which requires its own means," he added.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a victim of terrorism more than any other country, has the biggest experience in fighting terrorism, the minister said, adding the country had managed to dismantle tens of terrorist networks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) has assassinated tens of Iranian officials, beside carrying out terrorist attacks throughout the country. Yunesi said U.S. President George W. Bush, Pakistani Military Ruler General Pervez Musharraf and Taliban Leader Mohammad Mulla Omar would be the ones to lose most while the prime suspect in the September 11 terror attack on America. Osama Bin Laden would also gain more than anyone else.

"Other regional countries such as Russia, India and China have gained very much (from the attacks) but America should remember that these countries will not stay beside it except for few days," the Iranian information minister said. Yunesi rejected claims on the violation of the Iranian airspace by the U.S. planes, saying, "America has informed us through a third person that it will not violate the Iranian air space and will not approach our sea borders. We have instead told (Americans) that if a plane crashes in the Iranian territory, we would provide help and return it but we would not allow Americans to enter Iran." Iran has had no diplomatic relations with the United States which severed its ties after the students following a group of students stormed the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and took its staff hostage for 444. Tehran was swift to condemn the terror attacks on Washington and New York but has denounced the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, saying civilians would be the ones to bear the brunt.

Iran has called for an international campaign against terrorism under the leadership of the United Nations. Yunesi said that the United States was after two short-term and long-term objectives in its military showdown in the region. "The short-term objective in this war is to move an internal crisis outside and restore a severely-battered prestige in the wake of the recent incidents in America." Washington's long-term objective was to dominate the region through its presence and surround Iran, Russia and China, Yunesi stated, adding it was also seeking to divide Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, China and India.

The United States has been caught in a trap set by itself, he said, adding the American intelligence agencies were the ones which helped the rise of the Al-Qaeda group and its kingpin Bin Laden as well as Taliban as part of Washington's plans to confront Iran's Islamic Revolution. "Now, these obstinate, ignorant and hardline elements have turned against America itself," Yunesi said. The existence of Taliban regime in Afghanistan is only to the prejudice of Muslims, he said, adding "Only illegal drugs and banditry have been exported" during the ultra-Orthodox cult's rule in the war-torn country.

© Copyright, Iran News (Tehran), Fair Use for Education and Research Purposes Only.

-- Robert Riggs (rxr.999@worldnet.att.net), October 23, 2001

Answers

Action gets reaction; The men who shout "death to the United States" and call us the " great Satan, that needs to die" do they feel we will return there negative with warm and fuzzy's? Go figure. What a mess we are living in. love to all Judy

-- Judy/W (judywhalen@aol.com), October 23, 2001.

I fear that once terrorists score a few big hits upon our nation, other enemies that have feared to strike us openly will decide to join in and will start launching their own terrorist attacks upon us until, so weakened we appear to be no longer an invincible world power they might actually consider openly trying to overthrow us militarily. I am speaking of Russia and China.

-- ainitfunny (jusme@earthlink.net), October 25, 2001.