Is there anyone who does not know the slogans shouted by the White House in support of democracy and human rights are nothing but blatant lies?
For years, the American regime has carried out the largest number of assassinations. It has organized the largest number of hostilities against independent Asian, African, and South American governments. It has supported the most reactionary coup d'état leaders and their imposed governments. It has shipped the largest number of lethal weapons to different parts of the world. It has trained the most dangerous terrorists and sent them out into the world. It has massacred the largest number of civilians. It has deprived the most oppressed people in the world – that is, the Palestinian people – of their human rights. It has provided the most brutal regime in the world – namely, the Zionist regime – with more support than any other government. It kept the oppressive and corrupt Pahlavi regime in power for several decades. In political, economic, and military arenas, it has imposed the most appalling forms of oppression and treachery on the Iranian nation. But now the American government is accusing our independent, populist, and free government of supporting terrorism, violating human rights, and selling or manufacturing weapons!
Since the year 1945, the American government has played a role in overthrowing 40 independent governments that were not dependent on America, taking military action in more than 20 cases! In all of these cases, America's interference has always led to massacres and great tragedies. Of course they have been successful in some cases and unsuccessful in others. The atomic bombings of Japan at the end of World War II and the bloody Vietnam War are two examples of their failure. They also overthrew governments in Chile and Iran – "The 28 Mordad Coup" – as well as other countries. All of these events were caused by great financial institutions, American tycoons, power thirsty parties, influential Zionist groups, and the individuals in charge who were morally and intellectually corrupt. They have a very disgraceful track record. These things are not insignificant. Americans do not care about human life, destruction of national wealth, justice, and human tragedies. None of these things are considered an obstacle in the way of Americans. Of course they are using their numerous propaganda machines and media facilities in order to save face. They try to cover up the tragedies they have caused through their media. They use their propaganda machines to portray themselves as supporters of peace, democracy, and human rights.
During the presidency of George Bush Sr., gross injustice against African Americans sparked off great uprisings in some states of America. And they used the army to put down the uprisings because the police could not deal with the situation. During the term of the next US president, more than eighty members of the Davidian sect – a Christian sect that is opposed to American policies – were burnt to death. The police warned them to get out of the house in which they had assembled, but they did not pay attention to the police warnings. There were women and children among them, and they were all burnt to death. The American government did not care! This is what they mean by respect for human rights! During the term of George Bush Jr., besides the bombs that they had dropped on civilians and the tragedies they had caused in the cities of Afghanistan, they opened fire on a large number of prisoners in a prison in the northern part of Afghanistan and massacred them. The news of this massacre rippled through the world, but their news empires would not let such news remain available to people. American violations of human rights inside and outside America are more than any other country. But they accuse the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic as well as other countries of violating human rights! The flag of human rights is being carried by the greatest violators of human rights in the world.
Ayatollah Khamenei, March 18, 2002
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