海角大神

Iran鈥檚 President Hassan Rouhani today called for global unity to fight the 鈥渇ire of extremism and radicalism,鈥� blaming聽the West鈥檚聽鈥渟trategic blunders鈥� for creating fertile ground for Islamic State jihadists.

In a speech to the United Nations聽General Assembly, Mr. Rouhani also said that a nuclear deal with world powers that respected Iran鈥檚 nuclear 鈥渞ights鈥� and continued uranium enrichment would result in an 鈥渆ntirely different environment鈥� for cooperation.

The speech was聽something of聽an 鈥淚 told you so鈥� moment for Rouhani,聽who used his appearance at last year鈥檚 summit to warn聽about the spread of radical violence, and proposed a project called the 鈥淲orld Against Violence and Extremism.鈥澛�

During that visit, he spoke by phone with President Barack Obama 鈥� the first such high-level contact since Iran鈥檚 1979 Islamic revolution, and an indication of a potential thaw between the two countries.

Since then, Islamic State (IS), a聽Sunni jihadist group,聽has聽spread聽in Syria聽and Iraq聽and declared a caliphate that has put the words 鈥渢errorist threat鈥� back on the lips of every regional leader. Mr. Obama鈥檚 UN speech yesterday focused on fighting the IS 鈥渘etwork of death鈥澛爋ne day after US-led warplanes expanded their bombing of IS targets聽from Iraq into Syria.

鈥淧erhaps in the past year, few people could forecast the fire that would rage today,鈥� Rouhani told the UN. 鈥淭oday, again, I shall warn against the spread of extremism and the danger posed by the inadequate understanding and incorrect approach.鈥�

For now,聽Iran and the United States are on the same side in Iraq, with Iranian advisors on the ground and American jet fighters in the air, in parallel helping the Iraqi military push back IS gains.

But in Syria the battle lines are drawn very differently. Iran supports President Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 fight against IS, which is one of several anti-Assad rebel groups. The US has,聽in fits and starts,聽supported those anti-Assad rebels 鈥� though not the IS or other Islamist ones.

Moreover, one of Assad鈥檚 key battlefield allies is the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah. While Hezbollah is fighting anti-Assad rebels in Syria, the fact it also battles IS 鈥� like the US 鈥� underscores both the murkiness of the Syria conflict, and the variable definitions of 鈥渢errorism.鈥� The US considers Iran a state-sponsor of terror, partly due to its support of anti-Israel groups like Hezbollah, just as Iran criticizes the US for its unconditional support of Israel.聽

'Improper interference'

Iran聽also聽believes that Persian Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar,聽which are running bombing missions over Syria as part of a US-led coalition, enabled IS to thrive聽in the name of overthrowing Assad.

鈥淐ertain intelligence agencies have put blades in the hand of madmen, who now spare no one,鈥� said Rouhani. 鈥淎ll those who have played a role in founding and supporting these terror groups must acknowledge their errors that have led to extremism. They need to apologize鈥�to the next generation.鈥�

Rouhani criticized Western military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq, and 鈥渋mproper interference鈥� in Syria, for fomenting extremists.

In sharp counter-point to Mr. Obama鈥檚 40-member coalition to fight IS 鈥� which does not include Iran 鈥� Rouhani said regional powers聽should聽lead their own coalition, 鈥渟ince the pain is better known鈥� to them.

鈥淚 warn that if we do not muster all our strengths against extremism and violence today, and fail to entrust the job to the people in the region who can deliver, tomorrow聽the world will be聽safe for no one,鈥� said Rouhani.

Nuclear talks

He also linked Iran鈥檚 security cooperation to progress on a nuclear deal, which faces a聽Nov. 24聽deadline.聽Iran has been holding talks with the US and other world powers on the sidelines of the UN summit.聽On Wednesday, Rouhani met British Prime Minister David Cameron, the first such bilateral since 1979.聽

Both Iran and the US have insisted that the nuclear talks are being negotiated separate of any other regional or bilateral issue. The night before his UN speech, Rouhani reminded an audience of a Persian saying that it was better to first raise a baby just born before starting on a second one.

Yet in his speech, Rouhani said a nuclear deal 鈥渃an carry a global message of peace and security, indicating that the only way to attain conflict resolution is through negotiations and respect and not through conflict and sanctions."聽

Still, after years of US-orchestrated sanctions, said Rouhani, Iranians 鈥渃annot place trust in any security cooperation鈥�with those who have imposed sanctions and created obstacles in the way of satisfying even their primary needs such as food and medicine.鈥�

Iranians are 鈥渄evoted鈥� to the values of 鈥渋ndependence, development and national pride,鈥� added Rouhani. 鈥淚f this obvious national fact is not understood by our negotiating partners and they commit grievous miscalculations in the process, a historic and exceptional opportunity will be lost.鈥�