The secretary general of Iran's powerful Expediency Council called Sunday for the creation of an Islamic security belt around the Israeli border to help protect Palestine from further attacks.
"We, the revolutionary forces in Iran -- who feel that an unacceptable offence is being committed by international circles and governments -- have decided to create an anti-Zionist movement," Mohsen Rezai told reporters in Tehran.
He voiced discontent with the way Iran had handled the issue so far, saying "we believe that our government and parliament should have taken a far harsher stance toward the issue of Palestine."
Rezai presented a three-point plan demanding the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homeland, as well as free elections and the establishment of a government and constitution based on the approval of the majority of Palestinians.
He also demanded the creation of an Islamic committee in cooperation with the United Nations to serve as an election watchdog and to secure the return of all refugees.
The third point envisaged the dispatchment of a "freedom-securing force from Islamic countries in cooperation with the UN to the Palestinian borders with Jordan, Syria and Lebanon."
"If Israeli military forces should want to break the law, these forces can defend the Palestinians from Zionist attacks, and if necessary, even send airplanes to bomb the Israeli troops, with provided military help," Rezai said.
However, the secretary general of the council, which is headed by Iran's influential former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, stressed that the forces should not enter Palestinian ground themselves, but rather serve as shield to protect "Israeli troops who want to attack the Palestinian people."
But before this project can be carried out, they would need "vast global aid," including financial, economic, political and "even defense aid in order to prevent a further killing of people on Palestinian land," he said.
"When peace efforts fail, the people come to the conclusion that they have to intervene themselves," Rezai said.
"Today, that which is important, is to realize that the peace process was a political and propaganda project, not a serious project," said Rezai, who said a "revolution is breaking out."
Iran does not recognize the Jewish state and its support for Hizbollah guerrillas helped drive Israeli troops out of south Lebanon in May after 22 years of occupation -- TEHRAN (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
