Focus On Iran 2

INTRODUCTION
It is my greatest pleasure to continue my earlier discussions on the Islamic Republic of Iran after a worth while experience in that country. In part 1 of this paper, I tried to set the stage for a total understanding of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The part 1 therefore dwelled on pertinent issues like the geopolitics, economy and Iran as a regional figure. In this part 2, I want to concentrate my articulations on Iranian involvement in international politics. I am particularly interested in the area of oil politics and nuclear enrichment program of the Islamic Republic of Iran with a view to highlighting the impact on global international politics. You may recall that I had earlier stated that I personally visited Iran. Therefore every statement being made in this paper is based on my personal observation, interviews and discussions with experts in the field of international relations. The data collected from these sources were analyzed logically and conclusions and recommendations were drawn from the analysis.

IRAN IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
During the course of my geo-strategic tour, I visited two very important areas, namely the ‘Technology Research and Development Center and the Institute for International Energy Studies both in Tehran and I held discussions with a number of officials and was able to notice a number of things concerning Iranian position in international politics. First Iran is a strategic player in a world dominated by America and its allies who also believe that they should dictate the pace of global development. Second, Iranians are a resilient people with deep historical and nationalistic background. Over time, they have been able to build a formidable force that incorporates all facets of human development and a deep understanding of morality based on total submission to Allah. Unlike most United Nations (UN) acclaimed developing countries, they do not have need for Western interpretation of democracy, security, peace and justice. They depend on the dictates of the Quran to interpret phenomenal and existential issues.

IRAN AND THE US
This country called Islamic Republic of Iran, I believe has a strategic place in international politics for two major reasons. First, Iran has an unbeatable nationalistic ideology that has continued to endure Western propaganda and antagonism. Second, Iran is a completely Islamic state, under the rule of Islamic democracy by the dictates of Islamic Shariah. These two features are factors most developing countries lack and which makes them subservient to Western pressures. Islamic Republic of Iran has survived various forms of isolation and extradition for so many years. Among its numerous challenges, it has had to overcome a monumental 95-month war with neighboring Iraq, and the active hostility of the world's unrivaled superpower, the US. Because of its large population, geostrategic location, vast deposits of hydrocarbons, ideological zeal and nationalism, and fierce independence, Iran indeed, holds unique interest for the US.

The US on several occasions has continued to accuse Iran of human-rights violations, international terrorism and political intransigence. Policy makers from five administrations have sought to weaken Iran and diminish its credibility in the international arena. By my personal assessment, they may not have succeeded. These efforts have failed, and have prompted the Bush Administration, in both its public diplomacy and its covert operations, to significantly shifted its Middle East strategy. The "redirection," has brought the United States closer to a renewed open confrontation with Iran and, in parts of the region, propelled it into a widening sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Iran is therefore faced with two major challenges, first, managing the US propaganda and addressing the dichotomy between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

Iran has been widely criticized by mostly Western scholar for its religious fundamentalism. In the course of going through historical records I discovered that Iranina position towards the path of fundamentalism was induced out of historical experience. It may be recalled that the development of a political United States of America (USA) was mainly the work of a ‘fundamentalist’ religious clergy-such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others. In similar manner, the development of Iran through the activitism of Ayatollah Khomeini resembles that in Western Christianity.

IRAN AND RUSSIA
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US and Russia began to establish a new era of cooperation. Whereas the Soviet Union had enjoyed a position as "co-superpower," its political and economic collapse diminished the USSR significantly in the world's power rankings. The United States, now the sole global superpower, cautiously assisted the various Russian governments that faced severe economic and political crises. In return, the US expected a weakened Russia to comply with its wishes. In the Middle East, this compliance importantly meant overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, cooperating with the Western world on oil production and pricing, harassing the Islamic government in Iran, pursuing a benign policy in Central Asia, and abiding by US wishes concerning the explosive Palestinian-Israeli issue. To a large extent, Russia has resisted such a policy but stood quietly by during the two Gulf wars.

To the disappointment of the US, Russia decided to build a post-communist country and to establish an effective foreign policy through a renewed political interest centered to a large extent around issues concerning the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. It is on the basis of the above that Russia decided to rebuild and strengthen its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In pursuing this kind of policy, Russia found itself clashing with the US. Despite U.S. preferences, Russia has entered into numerous political, economic, military and cultural agreements with Iran. Russian cooperation with Iran in the fields of nuclear energy, military weaponry, and trade and commerce has been roundly criticized by the US. In this instance, Washington has failed to change either Iranian or Russian behavior. Instead, the opposite trend continues to develop. The more pressure exerted by the US, the closer Russia moves toward Iran.

THE US PROPAGANDA TOWARDS IRAN
Iran is believed to have biological, chemical and missile programs. Recently, the country acknowledged that its nuclear program has been underway for at least eighteen years- all in violation of Iran’s obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ("NPT"). This has continued to be a source of great concern to the US. As a result, the US strategy for nearly three years towards Iran has been to use bilateral and multilateral pressure to end the Iranian nuclear program, and to secure international consensus against Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability. It will be recalled that on November 26, 2007, the International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA") Board of Governors unanimously adopted a resolution that "strongly deplores Iran’s past failures and breaches of its obligations to comply with the provisions of its Safeguards Agreement…." There was also unanimous agreement that "should any further serious Iranian failures come to light, the Board of Governors would meet immediately to consider...all options at its disposal, in accordance with the IAEA Statute and Iran’s Safeguards Agreement."

On the part of the US, it has already reconfigured its priorities in the Middle East. For instance, in Lebanon, the Bush Administration has cooperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in some operations which some commentators believe are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran. There are also speculations that the US has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda.

LESSONS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES LIKE NIGERIA
In its attempt to protect and expand its hegemonic power, the United States has pursued policies designed to weaken all kind of regional powers around the world and Iran and China are the major focus. In Africa, Nigeria is evidently a focus but not a threat but Nigeria is obviously an ally of the US. For instance, when the US deployed war ships to the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria’s vital interest, the mass media immediately reacted but there was little or not reaction from the presidency. Also, the idea of AFRICOM is obviously not in the interest of Nigeria and Africans but it has been internalized by Nigerian presidency and has become part of our policy. Any time I find the US forming alliance with any group of nation, I consider it as their doom. This is very evident in several instances. For instance, when President Regan in 1985 first introduced a group of Afghan men on America’s television, he introduced them as thus: "these are the moral equivalent of America’s founding fathers". This same group of men who were trained, funded and supported by America was later described as terrorist and that the whole world should rise and fight them.

It is important for developing countries like Nigeria to understand the dynamics of international politics. No matter how close the US may be with a country like Nigeria, it cannot remain a permanent friend. What ever the US is doing for Nigeria is definitely in the interest of the US. Countries like Iran and China discovered this and decided to take drastic solutions to their existential problems. Today, Iran is one of the few oil producing countries that have achieved almost 95% local content in oil exploration and exploitation. Despite all efforts to destroy the nation, the country has persevered patiently. This perseverance is attributed to the two factors earlier mentioned; Islam and nationalism. Theses factors gave Iran the impetus to act independently of all foreign influences, particularly the US. And importantly they were ready to face the big stroke of challenging a global hegemon-the US. Consequently, the US expanded its search for friends in the neighborhood and found guys like Saddam.

WESTERN DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW AND IRAN
Going by Western claims, they believe that they are the upholders of democracy and the rule of law globally. Even the most brutal of dictatorships that were self consciously Western, such as Nazi Germany and apartheid South Africa, insisted that they were upholders of the rule of law. Similarly, America believe that the are the upholders of the rule of law despite their contemptuous dismissal of international rules, agreements and treaties. During the Cold War, the US dealt with the UN at arm’s length, limiting participation and cooperation to issues, agencies, and periods that suited American interests. It paid due if and when it considered necessary and in the amount it chose to pay.

In the name of rule of law, democracy and international justice, the US has continually spread international terrorism. For instance, the Cold War was fought on the ground of the Third World countries through wars that were mostly covert. They sponsored a lot of Islamic networks to fight the then USSR. These networks which had their focus and objective actively carried out the assignment given to them by the US. They were trained, armed, organized by the CIA, Pakistan, Egypt, and others to fight a holy war against the Russians. They fought a holy war against the Russians. They carried terror into Russian territory. They may have delayed the Russian withdrawal, a number of analysts believe, but they did win the war and the Russian invaders withdrew. The war was not their only activity, they had other objectives. By 1981, groups based in some of these networks assassinated President Sadat of Egypt, who had been instrumental in setting it up. In 1983, one suicide bomber, believed to be connected to the same networks, essentially drove the US military out of Lebanon. By 1989, they had succeeded in their holy war in Afghanistan. As soon as the US established a permanent military presence in Saudi Arabia, these networks announced that from their point of view this was comparable to the Russian occupation of Afghanistan and they turned their guns on the Americans.

America, the World greatest fighter of terrorism, the world greatest supporter of democracy and rule of law was responsible for the use of ‘agent orange in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. How did the US respond to the Sierra Leonean civil war, Congo, Rwanda? If not for the initiative of Nigeria which was earlier criticized by Western media, Liberia, Sierra Leone and others would have been at totally destroyed. It is on the basis of the above that I draw the attention of Nigeria on the need to emulate Iran. One of the first things we should embark upon is to start associating with countries like Iran and China. These countries would definitely initiate symbiotic relationships. Unlike the Western countries that keep warning its citizens to be careful when going to Nigeria, meanwhile, they are the ones that get most of the contracts in the oil and gas industries. Are we obligated to comply with their dictation? Are the American citizens in whose these inhuman policies are being made better human beings than Nigerians?

I think we can learn a lot from these countries who have dare to think independently and act decisively. Iran, I must state emphatically is living very well despite isolation. Iranians are highly educated, industrious and devoted. They have experienced a lot of challenges which they have been able to overcome by their determination. In terms of oil and gas, they have made landmark developments.

REFERENCE
Mohsen Rezaei, Regional Iran: A Selection Case Study in Forming the Region of Southwest Asia, Publication of the National Geographical Organization, Iran, 2005).
Reinhard Schulze, A Modern History of the Islamic World, (New York: New York University Press, 2002).
Samuel Huntington, "The Clash of Civilization?", Foreign Affairs, 72, No 3, Summer 1993.
Mahmood Mamdani, Good Muslim Bad, (Lagos: Malthouse