Moscow warns U.S. Iran policy may spark "clash of civilizations"
16:28|27/ 03/ 2007
MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Moscow urges the United States to
avoid escalating tensions around Iran over its nuclear program as it
could lead to a "clash of civilizations," the Foreign Ministry said
Tuesday.
Washington has been pushing for tougher international sanctions
against Iran, which it suspects of pursuing a nuclear weapons
program. The UN Security Council passed a new resolution Saturday
introducing further sanctions on Iran.
"The international community should not risk escalating the situation
around Iran and should wait for the U.S. to make a good-faith effort
to normalize relations with Tehran," the Foreign Ministry said in a
foreign policy review signed by the president.
The Russian ministry said the Iran crisis could have devastating
consequences for relations between "civilizations," and then the
U.S. would have to prove it is not preparing for a "clash of
civilizations" by building up "Fortress America," separated from the
rest of the world by two oceans and strict border controls.
The term "clash of civilizations" is part of a theory that people of
different cultures and religions will be involved in a post-Cold War
conflict. Samuel P. Huntington popularized and expanded the term in
his book The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order in
1996.
The Russian ministry said the U.S. was capable of reaching a
compromise with Iran, and cited a visit by former Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami to the U.S. in August.
"The trip of former Iranian President Khatami to the U.S. in August
showed that dialogue between civilizations could become a useful
channel for the Americans to establish contacts with Tehran," said the
ministry review ordered by President Vladimir Putin in June.
Khatami was the most senior Iranian official to visit the U.S. outside
the UN framework in more than two decades after the Islamic Revolution
and the embassy hostage crisis in Iran.
Unlike the U.S., Russia, which is building a nuclear power plant in
southern Iran, has opposed any tough sanctions against the Islamic
Republic. Russian authorities have also been seriously alarmed by
U.S. plans to deploy a missile shield in Central Europe to prevent
possible strikes from Iran or North Korea.
In his outspoken address to the Munich security conference in
February, President Putin said the U.S. missile defense plans could
trigger a new arms race, and accused the U.S. of ignoring
international law and imposing its own rules on other countries.
"We are seeing an increasing disregard for the fundamental principles
of international law," Putin said, adding that Russia would amend its
military strategy in response.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
