Embassy News
Ambassador Ryan Crocker Interview with Katayoun Beglari-Scarlet, Voice of America
March 3, 2008
QUESTION: (In progress) Ahmedinajad, Iran’s president came to Iraq but he used the opportunity to criticize United States. What does his trip mean to you?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: It’s to me not a surprising thing since Iran and Iraq are neighbors that there are visits back and forth. President Talibani, of course, was in Iran last year. So I don’t attach tremendous significance to the visit itself.
QUESTION: Why do you think it’s important that the two countries should have a good relationship?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: It is important that Iran and Iraq have a good relationship. I think it’s important for the peoples of both countries clearly, given the past, the tremendous suffering that the Iran-Iraq war caused in both Iran and in Iraq; no one wants to see that repeated. But if there is to be a good relationship and a stable relationship I think it’s very important that Iran pursue a different strategy than it has been pursuing so far in Iraq. Iranian actions here have led to instability, not the opposite.
QUESTION: We were talking to Iraq’s National Security Advisor Moafik al-Rubaie and he said we’ve been asking Arab countries, our Arab brothers, to send even one ambassador to Iraq and they’ve been reluctant but the leader of Iran comes here. So do you think this is an opportunity for Iran if there is absence of other countries in Iraq?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: It’s certainly an opportunity for Iran to bring its actions into harmony with its stated policy. A stable, secure, democratic Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors and does not harbor terrorists is a benefit to the region, including Iran. We would like to see Iran change its policy from what it’s doing now toward that end.
Iraq, of course, is a state in this region with a long history. It is a founding member of the Arab League. Its Arab character is important to Iraqis and I think the Arab neighbors of Iraq should take into consideration how important Iraq is as an Arab state and further develop some constructive, positive relations with the government here in Baghdad.
QUESTION: So why do you think they’re reluctant?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: I made a visit through the region late last year and talked to a number of Arab leaders. They are aware that things are changing. We heard from several governments that plans are underway to reopen embassies, to send ambassadors, we welcome that, we think its important they do so quickly.
In part, I think, the Arab states, when security began to deteriorate, when some Arab embassies were attacked, the Egyptian ambassador was assassinated, I think they withdrew and have been, perhaps a little slow to recognize the improvements that definitely warrant their return.
QUESTION: There’s a long history between Iranian Shiites and Iraqi Shiites, a historical relation, cultural, but also do you think Iran’s influence is only limited to Shiites in this country? Because Iran has good relations with Kurds too, Jalal Talibani welcomed very warmly President Ahmedinajad yesterday.
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Well I think it’s very important that in the new Iraq that states have relations with the State of Iraq and with all of Iraq’s people. It does not help to deal only with one element of the population or two elements of the population. I think it’s very important that Iran make the effort to indicate that it is a good partner and a good friend and not the opposite. You saw some of the negative reactions from Iraqi Sunnis yesterday. That should be a signal to Tehran.
QUESTION: Also you know now that the US Security Council is considering a third resolution against Iran. Do you think that it was a good PR on Ahmedinajad’s side to come at this time to Iraq?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Well, I’m not sure that is going to have much of an effect on the deliberation in New York quite frankly. The concerns of the international community over the behavior of the Iranian Government, its pursuit of policies that have destabilized conditions here in Iraq and threatened the region and the international community are not going to be affected by this visit.
QUESTION: There are two opposition groups, Iranian opposition groups, in Iraq, one is Mujahedin Khalq and the other is the Kurds in the northern part of Iran, in Kurdistan part of Iraq. Is there any contact between the United States and these two groups?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Well we consider the Mujahedin Khalq to be a terrorist organization. They killed American officers in Tehran in the ‘70s and they were a part of Saddam Hussein’s security apparatus here until 2003 so our position on that is clear. We stand against terrorist organizations wherever they are and whoever they are and the MEK is a terrorist organization.
Similarly we consider the PKK a terrorist organization and we look very closely at any Kurdish group that has relations with the PKK.
QUESTION: What about the Kurds? I mean because --
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: I was referring to the PKK --
QUESTION: But they are not PKK, they are fighting with the Iranian regime. So-- but United States hasn’t criticized them but has criticized PKK. They call PKK a terrorist group but not the Iranians -- Iranian Kurds who are fighting with the Iranian regime. Is there a different policy towards these two Kurds?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: We have a process of designating a terrorist organization we go through carefully. I think we’re looking at PJAK as it’s called, but I’m not aware that we’ve made a determination.
QUESTION: What is going to happen to Mujahedin in Camp Ashraf? Because yesterday Jalal Talibani said that they are illegally here and he wants to expel them so where are they going to go?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Well, that’s an important question and it’s something we’re engaged in discussions with the Iraqi Government about. If they’re going to leave Iraq they’re going to have to have another destination and that will have to be worked out.
QUESTION: Mr. Ambassador, there were two rounds of talks between Iran and the United States in Baghdad and the third one was supposed to happen like about three weeks ago but Iran requested that it should be postponed. When is the next round of the talks and also, the other two talks, the other two rounds of talks that were held before, were they really fruitful?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: We have had several rounds of talks; we have been ready for others. The Iranians, for whatever reason, have chosen to delay an additional round. We’ll have to see when and how that can be scheduled.
We did not see any concrete results coming out of the first round of talks. We made clear that Iranian behavior needed to change but there has been no evidence of that so far. That said, we’re prepared to continue the dialogue. We’ll do anything reasonable to try and improve security here in Iraq.
QUESTION: There’s no date set for the next round of talks yet?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: No, there’s not.
QUESTION: Okay. Back in 2003 there was a letter sent by, at that time President Khatami the President of Iran, to the United States and they expressed a willingness to open all the files and they wanted to talk to the United States about everything from Iran’s nuclear program to terrorism and everything. But that talk never happened. Do you know anything about this letter?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: I actually don’t. I’ve heard reports of the letter, I’ve never seen it. I’ve actually never talked to anyone who could definitively say that it was received. At that time I was not in Washington I was actually out here in Iraq so I really can’t comment on it.
QUESTION: Some of the Sunni countries and some of the Iranians that I was talking to they say there are many other countries who would benefit from lack of relations between Iran and the U.S. Do you agree with this idea?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: That many countries would benefit from the absence of relations?
QUESTION: Lack of a relation, yeah.
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: I really couldn’t comment on that. I mean, we don’t see the issue in those terms. We have significant differences with this regime but I expect that some day under some circumstances that Iran and the U.S. will come back to a relationship. Historically we’ve had close ties and think we will again in the future.
QUESTION: You’ve been in Iran, what memories do you have from Iran?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Oh, I had a wonderful time in Iran. I began my Foreign Service career there in Khorramshahr in the 70s and I had the opportunity to visit really all of Iran. I remember Shiraz with particular fondness, the wonderful gardens there, the home of Sa’di and Hafez, Isfahan. It’s a beautiful country, a very cultured people and a very rich history. It’s contributed a great deal to world civilization.
QUESTION: Do you remember any Persian?
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: In Farsi
QUESTION: Thank you so much. And my final comment is that VOA is a direct line between the U.S. and Iran so you have this opportunity to say what you like to Iranians, Iranian people and Iranian leaders.
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: To the people of Iran, again, the two years I spent among you as a young man were two of the best years of my life. The hospitality of the Iranian people and again, the depth of Iranian culture and history are things that I have taken away with me along with my collections of poetry from Sa’di and Hafez and others.
Those were very enjoyable times and I think it’s important that with all of our differences between our two governments that we remember we have a great deal in common as people. I have admired what Iranian students have done over the past few years, the willingness to speak out in spite of the risks. The defense of freedom and liberty, those are the qualities that reside with the Iranian people and I admire them greatly.
QUESTION: Thank you so much Mr. Ambassador, we are grateful to you.
AMBASSADOR CROCKER: Thank you.
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