Interview with American author E. Michael Jones

 

E-Michael-Jones-KouroshKourosh Ziabari – Much can be said about the enormous amount of sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and its European allies. Apparently, the purpose of the sanctions is to frustrate the Iranian people and turn them against their own government, but it seems that this objective is not going to be realized, as it failed with regards to Cuba when the United States began to impose sanctions on the Latin American country in 1960.

It cannot be denied that the sanctions are harming Iran’s economy at the detriment of the ordinary people who should buy foreign goods at increasingly unstable and unusual prices, but at the same time, the sanctions are igniting anti-American sentiments among the Iranian citizens who blame the West for the hardships and difficulties they’re experiencing.

In order to study more about the impact of sanctions on Iran’s economy, foreign policy and the future of Iran-West relations, Iran Review has started a new series of interviews with prominent political scientists, authors, thinkers, academicians and intellectuals to discuss with them some questions regarding the different aspects of the sanctions. We have previously interviewed prominent peace activist Kenneth O’Keefe and former U.S Senator Mike Gravel. Today, our interviewee is Dr. E. Michael Jones.

E. Michael Jones is an author, political commentator, foreign university professor and the editor of Culture Wars magazine. His latest book “Ballet Parking: Performing The Nutcracker as a Counter-Revolutionary Act” was published in 2009 by the Fidelity Press. Jones is a vocal critic of Zionism and has been attacked by pro-Zionism organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League for his criticisms of the Israel. What follows is the text of Iran Review’s interview with Dr. E. Michael Jones.

Q: Why do you think the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and EU have diverted from nuclear disarmament and are targeting the ordinary citizens and their daily life? The sanctions are now making it difficult for the Iranian people to get access to food, medicine and other basic goods. Why is that so?

A: I think the whole issue of nuclear weapons is a pretext. I think the real issue is the revolution of 1979; first of all, the humiliation that the United States suffered because of the hostage crisis and its inability to do anything as their attempts to rescue the hostages failed is a contributing factor, and secondly because Iran has revolted against the New World Order, we see the hostilities. So, I think that’s the main reason for the sanctions. I think also there’s a political element to it in that the Israeli lobby has kept pushing for an attack on Iran, but the U.S. military did not want to do the attack and so this came out as a sort of compromise between those two options so as to placate the both sides, and that’s why we have the sanctions.

Q: Is the United States morally and legally entitled to the right to pressure the other nations to impose sanctions and put embargo on Iran and cut their trade with Iran?

A: No, they are not entitled to this right. It’s a violation of international law. The purpose of the sanctions is to cause a regime change, to cause unrest among the local population so that they rise up and overthrow the government and put in power someone who is more compatible with what the Americans want. It’s unconscionable and unjust, but the government of the United States does not really represent the will of the people. It represents the will of the powerful interests and the overwhelming majority of the people really don’t want them.

Q: Along with the expansion of the sanctions, the resistance of the Iranian nation has also increased. Why haven’t the sanctions had the effect which the West desires, whether in the political or the social level?

A: Because the majority of people in Iran support the current regime. They understand that the sanctions serve political purposes and are unjust so the sanctions aren’t going to work.

Q: It seems that Israel, through issuing frequent war threats against Iran, is after goading the United States and EU to intensify the sanctions against Iran. How much accurate is this analysis?

A: I think it’s an accurate analysis. Israelis prefer a military attack, but that’s not going to happen. The Obama administration told the Netanyahu that it will not be going to attack Iran. Netanyahu campaigned against Obama, even though that’s repugnant to most of people in the country, and he lost and so the options are being taken off the table. The Congress is dominated by the Israeli lobby, and the most certain way of placating the Israeli lobby is to do something.

Q: Iran says that the sanctions have led to some economic reforms which couldn’t be realized under normal circumstances. From what aspects are the sanctions going to turn into new opportunities for its economy?

A: Well, it will foster domestic production, and that’s why it’s good. The more you produce domestically, the more wealth everyone has in the economy. So that’s a good thing. We have the exact opposite situation in America where the domestic manufacturing is losing ground, and this invariably means the impoverishment of the American people. It will in a sense lower the cost of the Iranian goods, and raises the costs of the foreign goods, and domestic manufacturing will prosper, and it will have such positive effects.

Q: As you already mentioned, it seems that the final objective of the sanctions is to create social unrest and bring about regime change in Iran. Some Russian officials have also admitted this belief. What message do the sanctions impart? Diplomacy or conspiracy?

A: Yes, that’s true. The sanctions are aimed at turning the Iranian people against their own government. If someone tries to do that in America, it would be wrong and he would be demonized. It just shows the hypocrisy of the American foreign policy. Everybody is discussing it, but the trouble is to figure out how to stop it. That’s the problem. Because it’s all the power of money in the United States that is so entrenched, nobody knows how to break the hole on the political process. My message to the Iranian people is that you’re not going to make things better by overthrowing your government. Why would anyone follow the advice of Hilary Clinton? Look at what happened to Gaddafi; when he tried to compromise his people, she [Clinton] murdered them. So I think that’s why we are seeing this intransigence in Syria. Because they know they can’t surrender their people. Gaddafi tried to surrender and placate these people. Continue to resist. God will hear the cries of the poor, and He will prevail. Justice will prevail.

This interview was originally published on Iran Review website.