Wednesday, 30th January 2008
EU policy on Iran slammed by Scottish Euro MP
In a heated debate in the European Parliament, Brussels today, Scots MEP Struan Stevenson blasted External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Walder and High Representative for Foreign Affairs Javier Solana for their "policy of appeasement on Iran."
In the debate, Mr Stevenson, who is Vice President of the ruling EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament said:
"We are debating today human rights and the nuclear issue in Iran. Both Mr. Solana and Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner have stressed repeatedly the need for dialogue/negotiation/persuasion. Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner highlighted the need for people-to-people contact. She even told us of the success of our Erasmus Mundus student funding and poverty alleviation programmes. So, according to her, we are training Iranian nuclear physicists in our universities, at our tax payers´ expense. We are paying for poverty relief in one of the world's richest oil producing countries, because the ruling mullahs have corruptly stolen money from their own people and squandered billions of dollars on developing nuclear weapons.
"What has our policy of appeasement achieved? ´So far no success´ according to Mr. Solana, ´the Iranian regime ignores us´ he says. ´More executions than ever before', Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner says. Let me tell you, 23 people were executed in the first two weeks of this year, including several women. Five people had their hands and feet amputated. Men and women are stoned to death by this jihadist, misogynist, homophobic, genocidal, brutal regime which is the world's leading sponsor of terror.
"If we wish to support Iranian students, we should support the brave students of Tehran University who have demonstrated for the past five days demanding regime change. Instead of backing appeasement, we should back the legitimate Iranian opposition. Instead of keeping the PMOI on the EU terror list, we should put the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Qods (Jerusalem) Force on the EU terror list."
