Canadian government blindly following Britain: Iran MP



 

Story Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/09/08/260423/canada-blind-follower-of-britain/

A senior Iranian lawmaker has hit out at Canada for its “hostile” decision to close its embassy in Tehran, saying the Canadian government is “blindly” following Britain.

“The British government certainly seeks to lead its friends to the same path that it had taken. Therefore, this decision was in fact blind acquiescence by the Canadian government,” Chairman of the Majlis (parliament) Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi told Fars news agency on Friday.

He added that Canada is under the control of Britain and the governor appointed by the British queen, saying that all important decisions are made by the governor in coordination with the queen.

The Iranian legislator emphasized that London has been disappointed with Iran's move to close the British embassy in Tehran.

In November 2011, Iranian lawmakers voted by a large majority to downgrade diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom in response to the UK's decision to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran, over the allegation that Tehran's nuclear energy program may consist of a covert military agenda.

Two days after the decision by Iran’s Majlis, hundreds of Iranian students staged a protest outside the British Embassy in Tehran pulling down the UK flag and demanding the expulsion of the British envoy.

Following the incident, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague announced on November 30, 2011, that London is withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Iran and that the Iranian embassy in London will be closed.

Boroujerdi further said that Canada sought to undermine the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) recently held in Tehran, adding the Canadian government’s decision was also a reaction to the success in holding the summit.

He called on Iran's Foreign Ministry to show a swift and firm reaction to Canada’s move and immediately expel the staff of the Canadian embassy in Tehran.

The 16th NAM Summit wrapped up in the Iranian capital on August 31, with the member states passing a final resolution, which included over 700 clauses.

 

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Canada closes Iranian embassy, suspends diplomatic ties

 

Source: Russia Today

http://rt.com/news/canada-suspends-ties-iran-635/

Closing ranks with the US and Israel, Canada has denounced Iran as the biggest threat to global security and said it will expel all of the Islamic Republic’s diplomats from its territory by September 12th.

"Canada views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today," Foreign Minister John Baird said in a statement.

"Under the circumstances, Canada can no longer maintain a diplomatic presence in Iran … Diplomatic relations between Canada and Iran have been suspended," he added.

The Foreign Minister also blasted Iran for its support of Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, as well as Tehran's controversial nuclear program. The fact that the Canadian government is a staunch ally of Israel has also played a part in the decision to cut ties with Iran.

“The Iranian regime is providing increasing military assistance to the Assad regime; it refuses to comply with UN resolutions pertaining to its nuclear program; it routinely threatens the existence of Israel and engages in racist anti-Semitic rhetoric and incitement to genocide," Baird’s statement claimed.

This statement by the Canadian FM was made during the APEC Summit currently underway in Vladivostok. And political analyst and the director of the Center for Research on Globalization Michel Chossudovsky told RT that it's no coinicidence such a platform was chosen for announcing the move – which, Chossudovsky believes, wasn't really made by Canada at all.

"This decision wasn’t taken in Ottawa, it was taken in Washington," Chossudovsky told RT.

He added that this form of diplomatic pressure may be just the first step of many more to come.

"All acts of mediations and diplomacy and peace-building are being scrapped in favor of a possible military strike on Iran".

Relations with Iran have been strained since former Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor, helped rescue six Americans from Iran during the hostage crisis in 1980. Ties between the two states took and even bigger hit in 2003, after a freelance photographer with dual Canadian-Iranian citizenship died in custody after being arrested while taking photographs outside a Tehran prison. Following that incident Iran recalled its ambassador. The Islamic Republic also ordered Canada's ambassador to leave the country after trying unsuccessfully to come to an agreement on an exchange of ambassadors for some time.

Canada is certainly not the first country to cut ties with Tehran. The United States hasn't had an embassy in Iran since the 1980 hostage crisis. Britain also recalled its entire diplomatic staff in 2011, following a major attack on its embassy which it claims was sanctioned by the country's ruling elite. After the attack, Britain expelled Iranian diplomats from the UK.

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