Rafsanjani calls for active diplomacy to frustrate enemies' plots
Addressing a meeting of the Experts Assembly here on Wednesday, Rafsanjani said, "Accelerating issuance of a UN Security Council Resolution against Iran constitutes one of the goals of the enemies of the Islamic Revolution, as many experts believe that it is tightly linked with the issue of Lebanon."
He said enemies are profoundly worried about Iran's mightiness, and continued, "Thus, they are seeking to stop our growth and increasing power."
The official further stated, "At the early stages, they strived to justify the invasion of the region on the pretext of democracy, which was in fact aimed at taking hold of power in the region through puppet governments."
"The experience of Iraq convinced Americans that they can't bring their puppets to power and deceive different countries and the world public opinion through chanting apparently democratic slogans," he continued. Rafsanjani said that many critics of Bush believe that occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan served the interests of Iran, "while Hamas victory in parliamentary elections in Palestine served as another factor which defused the US plot called the New Middle-East Plan."
Counting US problems in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, "After the disintegration of the Taliban and the Ba'thist regime of Iraq, Americans may now be conspiring with the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) against Iran."
The vice chairman of the Experts Assembly noted US supports for Israel's invasion of Lebanon, and reminded that the failure of the Zionist regime has made emigrant and settling Jews in Israel suspicious whether to remain in the Zionist state.
Elsewhere, he pointed to the US efforts for sowing seeds of discord between the Muslim Shiites and Sunnites in the Arab countries of the region and stressed the need for the development of relations and increase of exchange of views in order to remove the relevant misunderstandings the United States has caused in this regard. He stated, "Enemies of Islam and extremists are working on a plan to destroy the unity and solidarity of the Muslim world."
The Chairman of the Expediency Council stressed that lack of solidarity and differences could inspire much hope for the enemies.
Commenting on the cultural intrusion being launched by the enemies against Islamic culture and values, the cleric said a carefully prepared strategy or plan to counter this intrusion was necessary.
"We need to have specific planning to defend the Islamic world's young generation from the massive cultural intrusion of the enemies," Rafsanjani stressed.
The Assembly of Experts is composed of 89 members, all clerics, who have the power of supervision and nomination of the country's supreme leader.
The EC chairman, in the meantime, said that the Great Middle East plan was fist suggested along with promises on establishment of democracy in the regional states, while those behind it intended to take the power in their hands and appoint their own representatives.
Rafsanjani said that the U.S. experience in Iraq proved that it is not easy to appoint its agents at government positions simply by chanting mottos on democracy and deceive the public opinion of these countries.
According to a report released by EC secretariat, he referred to the US move in Iraq and Afghanistan and said that a number of those criticizing President George W. Bush say that this has been in the interest of Iran.
He added that the victory of Hamas in Palestine election also made the U.S. face problems concerning the Great Middle East plan. Turning to the difficulties encountering U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, "Given that Baathists and Taliban have been annihilated in the East and West of Iran respectively, the U.S. may have some plans for the terrorist MKO group."