American people back Iran's right to enrich uranium: Chomsky

26 October 2008

Berlin-The American people support Iran's right to enrich uranium and are "strongly opposed" to issuing any military threats against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program, said a leading US foreign policy expert in an exclusive phone interview with IRNA in Berlin on Saturday.

Noam Chomsky lashed out at western media reports saying Tehran was "defying the world" over its nuclear program.

"That's a funny definition of the 'world'. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), for example which is the majority of countries, endorses Iran's right to enrich uranium," said Chomsky.

"Now nobody thinks they have the right to develop nuclear weapons, however that's different issue. But the majority of the (American) population agrees (on Iran's right to enrich uranium)," he added.

Iran has repeatedly stressed that having nuclear arms would be against its Islamic teachings and laws.

The distinguished 80-year-old professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said, "Public opinion here overwhelmingly holds that Iran should have the right to develop nuclear energy..."

Chomsky reaffirmed also that Iran was "of course entitled to uranium enrichment as a member of the NPT."

The US scholar made clear that most Americans reject the Iran policy of President George W. Bush.

"With regard to Iran, a substantial segment of pretty mainstream opinion has been harshly critical of the confrontational approach and has called for negotiations and diplomacy," Chomsky said.

He added there could have been a US-Iranian "rapprochement for the last 10 years."

"It did not happen because of the extremism of the Bush administration was simply directed at making relations harsher, more bitter, militarizing them and that's why the Bush administration even antagonized allies," Chomsky said.

Asked whether the US-Iranian estrangement could finally end, he pointed to the possibility of a "working relationship" between both adversaries.

Chomsky emphasized that a working relationship between the US and Iran could "improve the overall situation" in the Middle East.

"There is a strong establishment pressure ... moving towards a diplomatic and developmental approach rather than a military approach.

The American popular opinion is strongly in support of it," Chomsky added.

He emphasized Washington's hostile stance towards Tehran stems from Iran's refusal "to subordinate itself to the US will." "Iran is an independent actor. It is defiant of the US and that's not tolerated," Chomsky said.

"In fact that's official policy going back to War II in which the US would try to create a world order in which it is dominant. No exercise of sovereignty should be tolerated, if it intervenes with US efforts to construct a certain kind of world order," he added.

The American professor said the US viewed Iran as an "impediment" to its energy interests in the Middle East.

"Nobody is seriously concerned about Iranian aggression. There has been no sign of any. But they are upset about Iran's influence in the region. Also in the background is the concern that Iran might turn East. That's not discussed very much but that's certainly a policy concern," the feisty US political dissident added.

Chomsky's political activism dates back to the Vietnam War in the early 1960s when he established himself as a prominent critic of American foreign and domestic policy.

Commentary:
As to Mr. Noam Chomsky speaking in this manner about Iran, I will admit I was surprised had to agree with him on some points and with no disrespect, on different occasion’s with his views on Palestine; I will admit, I did not always agree with his ideas on numerous issues that appeared contrary, to what actually was going on in the country.

But as far as Iran, he is much more on the spot in my opinion, then he was on Palestine, which I thought was a bit more negative bias of all things; towards the Jewish people. But this also comes at a time when people where being lied to so badly by the US it made the head swim, which may have been his dilemma also, but this is only a guess.

Even for me wishing so much to do what was good and right for everyone in my country and to actually understand why there was a war, in learning it should have came under the heading that, ‘the truth was stranger then the fiction’ or the US created such a tangled weave they made to practice to deceive; not just everyone in Palestine, but the globe.

Furthermore, in learning the truth, what was so very hard for me and actually stomach wrenching, was how anyone could subject people to such cruelty as the US did because they believe in Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia; which as everyone knows, I certainly do not.

This is one of the reason’s why what occurred to the Black American’s and the cruelty that has been done to them for far to long, kept coming into focus in my mind; to even what actually did occur that created the Holocaust, that the Jewish and Palestinian people where so horribly subjected too. To understand this situation, one did not just take into account the 108 year war, but a much larger scope of history of extermination and slavery of a historical people both Jewish and Muslim of a country known as Palestine, that is very loved by Allah (God) Himself; to what is occuring among people all over the globe.

People may call this situation by any number of definitions today, such as Global Domination or what have you; but the bottom line is death, slavery and sorrow. Which will never be acceptable in any manner of normal human reasoning; in part in the name of Democracy and some in blasphemy of using, 'in the name of Christianity;' which is being seen more on a daily basis.

Nevertheless, what happened in Palestine to create this horrible scenario, was to create what became known as the Gladiator Syndrome, so that two groups of people that happened to be Muslim and Jewish would fight; which was against there will, do to the historical significance that they are family and had always embraced in love for each other in the past.

But yet, this still only part of what has occurred, especially using the known historical 9,000 old opponent’s of the Jewish and Palestinian people against them, namely the Canaanites; in US collaboration; with the Canaanites age old thirst to steal all of Palestine, by blood.

But even yet, as to the global situation, one could continue far into the shadows of the night.