On Monday November 13, 2017, Rouhani submitted a bill to Iranian regime’s parliament to join the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. This once again turned into the subject of new clashes between regime’s two rival bands.

The band close to regime leader Ali Khamenei accuses Rouhani of taking advantage of the mess caused by the earthquake the night before, saying “we were too distracted to oppose the bill.”

According to the bill’s brief introduction “ICSFT is a document for preventing and counteracting different kinds of international terrorism through suppression of the financing of terrorist organizations and groups, adopted by the UN General Assembly by consensus.” With this definition, not only many of regime’s actions will be regarded as act of terrorism, but its organizations and authorities, the likes of terrorist Quds Force’s commander Ghasem Soleimani, will also be considered as terrorists and thus subject to sanctions.

In an article titled “From Kermanshah earthquake to the one caused by ICSFT” Khamenei’s Kayhan newspaper on November 28 attacks Rouhani’s government, saying “last week right when Kermanshah earthquake was on the front burner, there were reports on a bill submitted by the president to join the ICSFT. As everyone was focusing on the earthquake in Kermanshah and assisting its victims, this was paid less attention to; unaware of the fact that the government’s act was yet another earthquake! An earthquake caused by statesmen against national security and interests.”

Another state-run website writes in this regard “in addition to the extent to which terrorism has been defined in the ICSFT, its articles 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 18 could easily be used as an excuse by big powers to accuse Iran of refusing to adopt necessary measures to counteract and confiscate the funds used for financing what they refer to as illegal military groups, and also of failing to prosecute and extradite the violators.” (State-run Jahannews, November 28, 2017)

Kayhan had written on November 27 that regime’s parliament lacks the ability to handle such complex and specialized bills, and is basically incapable of understanding the complexities of international legal deals and safeguards, so they only vote based on their factional interests.”

Also in this regard, Naghavi Hosseini, spokesman for parliament’s security commission, said “such conventions act like a double-edged sword, so that if we don’t pay adequate attention and fail to reserve our rights, such memberships could be used against us and put us in trouble, just like the concerns we had about joining the FATF and agreeing to the 2030 Agenda.” (State-run Mehr news agency, November 27, 2017)

In an article titled “joining another anti national security convention amid earthquake turmoil”, state-run Afkarnews attacks Rouhani government on November 28, 2017, saying “due to its consequences for Iran, agreeing to join this convention is actually moving in the direction of the FATF, as there’s a wide-ranging definition of terrorism in this convention.“

“The wide-ranging definition of terrorism on one hand and designating Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist group by Arab League, the United States and other western countries on the other could lead to the point that Iran be easily accused of violating the convention for its participation in the axis of resistance. The government and foreign ministry have actually brought on security consequences for the country with their own hands, helping Islamic Republic’s sworn enemies to punish Iran for its support for Lebanese Hezbollah and other groups in the axis of resistance.”

Earlier, state-run Rajanews website had written “how the government is preparing for silently joining 10 international conventions?”

“A group in the country is strangely seeking to facilitate foreign domination over Iran through international organizations and agreements. This is unwise and yet against the constitution and leader’s viewpoints. In general, the enemy is trying to tie Islamic Republic of Iran’s hands and feet through different deceptive, demagogic agreements, and burden the country with new obligations so as to prevent it from making any progress.“ (State-run Rajanews website, November 24, 2017)

The media linked to Rouhani’s band on the other hand have underlined the need for taking more poisoned chalices, saying “these (opposers) are unaware of the fact that such bills need long-term preparation and that the bill’s necessary specialized procedures have been underway from long before”, implicitly assuring ‘anxious hardliners’ that Khamenei himself has given the green light on this! In an article titled “why hardliners are anxious about Iran’s joining the ICSFT?”, a website in line with Rouhani’s government writes “ICSFT has become the subject of a new round of attacks on the government. In the first half of November, the government submitted the bill to join the ICSFT to the parliament so the bill’s legal procedures are carried out. As indicated in president’s introductory speech addressing Parliament Speaker, Foreign Ministry suggested that Tehran join the international convention.”

“Critics accuse the government of submitting the bill during the week the country was busy with Kermanshah earthquake. Hardliners refer to the bill as yet another earthquake. These are unaware of the fact that passing such bills needs long-term expert procedures which has been underway from long before, and that only the bill’s final approval has been done during the disputed time. Besides, the government has joined the convention while reserving its rights, refusing to accept the convention’s wide-ranging definition of terrorism.” (State-run Rooydad 24, November 26, 2017)

At the end of regime’s heads of three branches summit, Rouhani had maintained that negotiations would be regime’s preferred solution for resolving regional issues, somehow paving the way for regime’s taking more poisoned chalices, this time the regional ones.

Source » ncr-iran