Iran's President Mohammad Khatami said on Monday that Iran is against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but stressed that Tehran will persist on
its legitimate right to become strong based on science, technology and a capable economy. "We have always opposed the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)," he stated.
Khatami, speaking before an annual military parade to mark the beginning of Iran`s Sacred Defense Week, said Iran will never be misled from its path by the ballyhoos of other states and that Iran will strongly continue to pursue the policy of peace, justice, freedom and progress for all nations. "This is the ballyhoo makers who should change their behavior," he said, according to IRNA.
Khatami termed terrorism and the expansion of weapons of mass destruction as two major dangers that are threatening the whole humanity.
"Today, our region has become the center of aggressions, terrorism and storing of weapons of mass destruction and the center of all these is the Zionist regime," he said. "Iran has always been advocating peace and justice and its military strategy has always been merely defensive. Iran has repeatedly declared that it has taken no step toward developing access to weapons of mass destruction but is still under pressure," Khatami declared.
He added that Israel possesses the largest arsenal and is exercising the state terrorism against the Palestinians, but stressed that the Islamic Republic is advocating peace, stability and a nuclear-free Middle East.
"Israel, which is not respecting any international law, enjoys the support of certain states, but many powers want to put pressure on the Iran as a result of Israel`s provocations," the Iranian leader noted.
Stressing that Palestine belongs to Palestinians, he added: "Only the vote of Palestinian people has significance and determinant in the future of Palestine."
Khatami recalled Iran`s policy of detente, stressing that Iranians will never attack any country and will neither allow any state to attack it. He outlined that the Iranian armed forces are ready to defend Iran`s independence, dignity and territorial integrity, adding that Iran`s military are the defenders of peace and security in the region.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatami urged the occupiers of
Iraq to withdraw and leave its affairs to the Iraqi people.
"Iran advocates peace and security in Iraq, and the first step in promoting peace and security in the country is to enable the Iraqis to run their own affairs. I hope Iraq`s occupiers would listen to the advice of the Islamic Republic," he said.
"Today, the occupiers are struggling in a crisis that they themselves have created and we had predicted this situation. We warned about it but there was no listening ear. Now, Iraq and the occupiers are paying for this mistake."
At the end of President Khatami's lecture, the elite units from the Islamic Revolution Guardian Corps (IRGC), army, Basij (volunteer forces), police and the defence ministry marched past the podium.
Meanwhile, also Monday, on the anniversary marking the outbreak of its long war with Iraq, Iran flaunted its latest ballistic missiles sporting anti-Israeli and anti-US slogans and vowed not to back down to increasing pressure over its nuclear program.
In a military parade which launched "Sacred Defence Week", seven of the Islamic republic's new Shahab-3 missiles were rolled out daubed with the slogans "We will crush America under our feet" and "Israel must be wiped off the map". (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
