Dr. Marcus Papadopoulos is the publisher and editor of Politics First magazine, a non-partisan publication for the British Government. He is also a political commentator regularly appearing in TV and Radio as an expert in Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, Syria and British politics. Papadopoulos holds a PhD in Russian/Soviet history from Royal Holloway, University of London. In an exclusive interview with Khamenei.ir, Dr. Papadopoulos talks about US claims on Russia's interference in 2016 presidential elections, US hositility towards Iran and US foreign policy. The following is the full text of the interview:
The US claims the Russians have interfered in the 2016 presidential elections; what’s your take on that?
- How ironic it is that the United States, which is the leading violator of international law on the international stage, through its constant undermining of the independence and sovereignty of countries across the world, is now accusing Russia of having interfered in the American 2016 presidential elections. So far, the Americans have not produced any credible evidence to support their assertion against Moscow - certainly no evidence that a proper court of law would consider as admissible. So my message to Washington is simple: Put up or shut up. Furthermore, the US has literally destroyed countries, has caused abject pain and suffering for millions of people and has turned countries into war zones, either through invading them, bombing them, supporting invasions by its allies, supporting secessionist groups, supporting subversive groups or supporting terrorist groups. Vietnam, Cyprus, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and Syria are just some of the victims of American interventionism. And so, if a foreign country has interfered in the internal affairs of the US, then there is an old saying: What goes around comes around. I cannot say that I would have any sympathy for the US if another country did interfere in the American presidential elections.
During last decades the US has been involved in several attempts to interfere in foreign countries’ elections. Why is the US allowed to do so while it accuses Russia of having done the same?
- For decades now, the US has been interfering in the internal affairs of countries as a way to maintaining American global dominance, especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union, which paved the way for Pax Americana, a catastrophe for Russians but also for people in general. America is, without any doubt in my mind, a most dangerous imperial power, for it has the military might, economic might, political might and, importantly, cultural might, in terms of Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Hollywood, for instance. Washington is a superpower in soft and hard power. The American Empire is one of the most powerful and one of the most deadly in history. The US considers itself to be exceptional; indeed, as all American presidents say: "God bless America." American exceptionalism is at the core, along with economic motivations, for undermining other countries in the world, which is in the DNA of Capitol Hill.
When the attempts against Iran’s religious democracy in 2009 presidential elections foiled, the US officials clearly said we were supporting the unrest by all means required. Why has the US been so hostile towards Iran?
- Iran is a great country with a great history. Persia made a massive and positive contribution to the world, over thousands of years. Persian history is simply splendid - one of the best in the world. US history is a pygmy in comparison to Persian history. Iran is positioned in one of the most important geo-strategic areas in the world, and it is for this reason that the Americans want to dominate Iran. The Americans want to end Iran's independent foreign policy because this would make the US' domination of the Middle East even more entrenched. Two countries stand in the way of complete American hegemony in the Middle East: Syria and Iran. Washington is currently supporting Islamist terrorist groups in Syria in an attempt to overthrow the Syrian Government and replace it with a compliant one, while at the same time is constantly looking for an opportunity to depose the Iranian Government - and the 2009 Iranian elections were an example of this. Iran follows an independent foreign policy and one that does not bow down to US diktats. For Washington, that is an affront and a reason to act against Tehran. Iran must always stay vigilant of the US, regardless of who occupies the White House, and must always keep on developing closer ties with countries such as Russia and China, and, of course, Syria. Iran understands the malignant nature of US Foreign Policy and has immense experience in knowing how to keep the hand of American off Iranian soil. Donald Trump constitutes a serious threat to Iran, possibly even worse than that posed by Ronald Reagan. People of the world must come together to defend cultured Iran from the clutches of an incoming American President who can only be described as being totally devoid of morals and cultural enlightenment.
