Special DispatchSpecial Dispatch | No. 2062 | September 24, 2008 Iran/Saudi Arabia Iranian Research Center:
Saudi Arabia Seeks to Topple Iranian Regime| No. 2062 | September 24, 2008An article published by Iran Diplomacy,(1) an international relations and foreign policy research center headed by former Iranian ambassador to France (2002-2005) Mohammad Sadegh Kharrazi (brother of Iranian Foreign Relations Steering Council head Kamal Kharrazi(2)), accused Saudi Arabia of seeking to topple the Iranian regime and to attain regional hegemony. The article also accused Saudi Arabia of suppressing its Shi'ite minority, "for whom Iran is a source of inspiration," and warned about the possibility of an intra-Muslim war in the region.
Following are excerpts from the article, in the original English:
"An Attack on Iran's Military Sites or Nuclear Facilities Will Set the Entire Iraq on Fire"
"Military strike on Iran is a hot topic these days, but everybody knows that in case of an attack on Iran’s military sites or nuclear facilities by the United States or Israel, the region will become a fireball, headed towards total destruction. The closest country to the site of the clash will be Iraq, and the bullets will set the whole country on fire.
"This war will influence Iraq's international status more than its domestic affairs. It will have an impact on the presence of American troops in Iraq, and it will prompt the re-emergence of some Iraqi groups that are looking for any opportunity to attract the attention of the United States and the Arab countries. These groups are ready to enter a war with Iran…
"There are radical groups in the region that are trying to spark off a conflagration. If necessary, they are ready to spend their oil revenues and to shower arms traders with money, in order to reach their goal.
"There are also others who are fetish about war. They depend on war for their livelihood and believe that others should be sacrificed so that they survive. They will do anything they can to start the war – and they know well how to go about it.
"Look at Bandar bin Sultan..."
"Look at Bandar bin Sultan, for example. These days, he frequents Russia and, by signing multi-billion dollar military contracts with it, is trying to stop their support for Iran and to bring Russia to the pro-war camp. We can say that the Saudis have replaced Saddam Hussein and are trying to trigger regional war in every possible way, just like the executed Iraqi president...
"The Saudis are now trying to draw Iran into a new crisis, in order to reach two major goals: first, to stop their Shi'ite population and other minorities from gaining power – since Iran is a source of inspiration for these groups; and second, to pave the way for a change of regime in Iran by undermining the Islamic Republic. The Saudis want rulers in Iran and Iraq who will give them no cause for concern.
"There are still other advantages in this for Saudi Arabia. If Teheran becomes weak, the Saudis will become the first power in the region, and, by wielding their accumulated oil dollars, they can expand their domination over the Middle East. But meanwhile, the Egyptians, who are never happy with Iran’s policies and who have frictions with Teheran, are extremely worried about a possible war in the region. This, during his meeting with Sa'ud Al-Faisal, Egyptian FM Ahmad Aboulgheit stated that he saw no prospect of a war with Iran. Aboulgheit thought wisely, since any war against another Muslim country would engage other Muslim countries..."
Endnotes:
(1) Iran Diplomacy (Iran), 1.8.2008.
(2) A body established in 2006 by the Iranian Supreme Leader 'Ali Khamenei. For more information about this committee see MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis Series No. 283, "Power Struggle in Iran – Part III: Iran Establishes New Foreign Relations Steering Council," June 29, 2006.
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