Interpol shows its double standards in rejecting Iran's arrest warrant against Trump
Written by: Hamidreza Gholamzadeh
On Jan. 3, 2020 US President Donald Trump issued an assassination order that divided the history of the West of Asia region into two parts. American forces, apparently abetted by the Israeli regime, attacked the convoy carrying Iranian legendary IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq’s Hashd Al-Shabi Popular Forces Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The latter was officially receiving the former who was visiting Baghdad on official invitation of the Iraqi PM for bilateral talks.
General Soleimani was the most significant figure in fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. Soleimani’s elite forces had in several cases survived many cities from collapse, when they were abandoned by the US, other Arab countries and neighboring Turkey. Thus, his assassination temporarily gave terrorist groups in the region a time to breathe, and has postponed a victory over terrorism in the region, keeping it, as the US favors, in turmoil.
Moreover the terrorist attack on General Soleimani shut all the doors to possible talks between Tehran and Washington. Decades ago, the US carried out a coup in Iran and replaced a democratically elected PM with a tyrant Shah, planting seeds of distrust in Iranian minds. Distrust grew up when Washington received the Shah after the Islamic Revolution, despite serious opposition by Iranian people and government.
The US administration preferred to take the Shah’s side despite being warned by several officials and experts from both sides that the decision could lead to public anger and seizure of the American embassy in Tehran, which did occur. While Iranians had all the reasons to be mad at US policies and officials, the White House and mainstream media managed to deliver a narrative about the embassy takeover which would give Americans the reason to hate Iranians. Since then, the relations were cut for many reasons, not all of them good, rational ones.
All the sanctions and pressures, eight years of intensive war cosponsored by western powers against Iran, various sabotage or assassinations, maximum pressure campaign, etc. made Iran to resist and strengthen itself against threats.
Being located at the heartland of energy in the world and as they’ve become a regional power, Iran is a significant global player. Lack of relations between powers in global issues such as terrorism, results in unnecessary and useless friction and hinderance in path to tackle such problems.
While Iran has its foot firm on the ground in the West Asia, the US cannot even buy such a stance by spending trillions of dollars and huge tolls. Iran and the very same General Soleimani helped Washington get out of a quagmire after the war against Afghanistan in 2001. This means that in lack of cooperation, US will continue to resort to destabilizing the region, to at least benefit from arms sales while engaging Iran and other regional players in unnecessary conflicts and problems, simply moving the world toward more conflict, war and victims.
Assassinating an Iranian national hero put an end to any possibility for talks or cooperation. According to a Maryland University poll, over 80 per cent of Iranians admired General Soleimani and he was the most popular figure in the country.
In late June, Iran issued an arrest warrant against Donald Trump who has admitted personally ordering the assassination and dozens of others involved in the attack. Tehran called on Interpol for help in detaining those named in the warrant including President Trump. According to Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr, over 30 people face "murder and terrorism charges" and Interpol has been asked to issue red notices for them.
Interpol, however, issued a statement claiming that its constitution forbade it to undertake "any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character," trying to step aside from the US-Iran tension.
Yet the history of the international organization, interestingly regarding the Islamic Republic, shows that the claim that "… if or when any such requests were to be sent to the General Secretariat ... Interpol would not consider requests of this nature," is not true for every country.
In Nov. 2003, following a request by Argentina, INTERPOL issued Red Notices for 12 Iranian nationals including current and former officials, for allegedly taking part in the 1994 AMIA terrorist bombing in Buenos Aires. The list included former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former FM Ali Akbar Velayati and former intelligence minister Ali Fallahijan and former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei among others.
The red notices by Interpol were published without verifying the verdict of the Argentinian judge, who was later proved to have been bribed into issuing the warrants. Less than two decades ago, Interpol did not hesitate to stand against Iran and play a puppet role in a political fabricated scenario against Iran. They issued red notices, until years later, when the judge’s removal forced them to reconsider their notice. The notice against Fallahijan is still in place, it can be seen on their website.
Iranian officials could reasonably expect that Interpol would issue notices and take measures against Trump and the US government. It is a principal policy of the Islamic Republic to take all conventional steps in the international arena, to avoid any excuses justifying others' misconducts.
There is the experience of the JCPOA, a multilateral agreement reinforced by UNSC resolution, being easily violated by the US and European Troika without any punishment. It is no surprise for Tehran to see Interpol refusing to be involved in reaction to an assassination which has violated the U.N. Charter and is against the international law, according to UN human rights investigator and expert Agnes Callamard.
“The world is at a critical time, and possible tipping point ... The Security Council is missing in action; the international community, willingly or not, stands largely silent,” Callamard has told Reuters.
The recent move by Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr would give the world another chance to realize the hypocrisy and double standards of the international bodies. It shows the world that real politics differs totally from textbooks and statements and charters.
During the Coronavirus crisis, none of the presumed world orders have been observed, while Western countries steal protective equipment and test kits from one another, violate any rules and protect their own interests by putting pressures on international organizations, whether its UNESCO, UNICEF or the UN Human Rights Council.
The move by Iran and the response by Interpol can explain why the Iranian people can trust neither the US, Interpol or any other international organizations.
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