My colleagues and I from both Houses of Parliament and all major parties, prominent Middle East experts and jurists today participated in a conference in the House of Commons, organised by the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF), to discuss the quest for freedom and democracy in Iran.
The conference was broadcast live on internet and the panellists included, Rt Hon. David Jones MP, former State Secretary of Wales; Steve McCabe MP; Sir Roger Gale MP; Keir Starmer MP; Lord Clarke of Hampstead CBE; Lord Cotter; Struan Stevenson, President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association (EIFA) and chairman of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-2014) and Dr Sabah al-Mukhtar, President of the London-based Arab Lawyers Association.
Participants expressed concern that the nuclear deal with Iran ignores six UN Security Council resolutions requiring Tehran to dismantle its nuclear programme and stop all uranium enrichment. The cross party panellists warned that the Iranian regime cannot be trusted and, thus, compromising on the requirements stipulated in these resolutions will never block Tehran's pathway to a bomb.
We further emphasised that Tehran needed a deal more than anyone else in fear of popular uprisings due to the growing dissent and the explosive social state in Iran following years of repression, corruption, mismanagement and the burden of international sanctions.
We agreed that if the P5+1 had been more decisive, Tehran would have no other option but to comply with the six UN Security Council resolutions, permanently give up its nuclear programme and efforts to acquire nuclear weapons and suspend altogether the enrichment of uranium.
Keynote speaker, Struan Stevenson, presented his new book "SELF-SACRIFICE" regarding the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI). "Whoever takes on the challenge of countering Iran should be certain of one thing; there is a credible opposition movement waiting in the wings to take over power from the evil mullahs, the PMOI and their inspirational leader Mrs Maryam Rajavi ... Theirs is a vision of freedom and liberty for the oppressed millions in Iran. It is a vision that they have fought and died for", Mr Stevenson said in his remarks.
The former Senior conservative MEP also criticised the P5 + 1 nuclear deal with Iran as "an historic mistake" and said, "Determined to secure his footnote in history, Obama swept aside all warnings and fears and signed an agreement that effectively ends sanctions on the Iranian regime and releases over $150 billion of assets that were previously frozen. The West gets virtually nothing but empty promises in return ... This is a windfall for a regime whose biggest export is terror; a regime which funds Hizbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and the brutal Shi'ite militias in Iraq."
Also considered and strongly condemned was Iraqi National Security advisor, Faleh Fayaz, for ordering Iraqi forces to prevent the entry of food, fuel and septic tankers into Camp Liberty. We considered evidence as to how the camp is currently on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe and urged the U.S., EU and the UN to take immediate measures in order to lift the repressive restrictions on the members of the Iranian opposition residing in the camp.
Rt Hon. David Jones MP announced renewed policy recommendations to be communicated to the UK government and Prime Minister David Cameron that were supported by nearly 100 MPs and Peers from both Houses of Parliament calling for a firm policy on Iran and support for Iran's democratic opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
"Our government along with our Western allies has pursued a conciliatory policy with Iran, hoping that would encourage the Iranian regime to change its behaviour. Regrettably, this respect, the Iranian opposition and the desire of the Iranian people for change has been ignored. It is time to scrap that misguided approach", the 100 signatories said in their initiative.
The NCRI UK representative, Dowlat Nowrouzi, thanked the British Parliamentarians for standing with Iranian people to change the ruling religious dictatorship and for supporting Maryam Rajavi's 10-point plan to establish human rights, equality and democracy in Iran.
She strongly condemned the fuel, medical and food siege on Camp Liberty defenceless residents on the malicious whim of Iraqi National Security advisor, Faleh Fayaz, at the behest of the Iranian regime and called on the U.S., UN, UK and EU to press the new Iraqi government to abide by its international obligations to stop torturing and killing the brave Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty.