JPost: South Africa Provides Diplomatic Cover for Iran

With the international community poised to make a critical decision in Vienna regarding whether to send the Iranian nuclear dossier to the United Nations Security Council, South Africa's behavior on the issue has raised eyebrows in a number of western capitals, including Jerusalem. South Africa was one of five countries, alongside Libya, Algeria, Indonesia and Belarus, which abstained when the International Atomic Energy Agency voted last month to report Iran to the Security Council. Only Cuba, Syria and Venezuela voted against. Western diplomatic officials said South African President Thabo Mbeki's government has come under a degree of "cajoling" in recent weeks from the US and European countries to stop giving Teheran diplomatic cover to continue its nuclear program. One western official said that over the last few months South Africa has been the most reticent, among non-Arab or Muslim players on the international stage, to join in international condemnations of Iran. The reasons given for this are varied, and include a South African sense of solidarity with the Iranians as a member of the "revolutionary club," support the ruling African National Congress received from Iran during the years when it fought apartheid, and strong bilateral trade relations.

Read the whole article here.

As I have said before, South Africa is trying to position itself in a strategic position between the US and Iran. If South Africa is perceived as having influence over Iran then it strengthens our position internationally (and will add weight to South African calls for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council).

But the utility of this strategy may be drying up.

The South Africans, according to diplomatic officials, maintain that they are one of the few countries with direct ties to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and to the country's supreme Islamic leadership. The officials said that South Africa is trying to use this status with the Iranian leadership as a way to upgrade its status as a major player on the world's stage. Some officials, however, believe that South Africa has already overplayed its hand, and that rather than upgrading its position, by voting with countries like Libya, Algeria, Belarus and Indonesia, it is placing itself in international company that it does not necessarily want to be associated with.

A while ago there were reports that South Africa was planning to supply Uranium to Iran. But Israel says that South Africa is behaving very responsibly.

Israeli and US officials deny that South Africa is supplying Iran with any nuclear material or know-how to help develop its program, with one Israeli official saying that South Africa has behaved "very responsibly" when it comes to its nuclear know-how and materials.

South Africa was also one of the only western countries who failed to condemn Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s calls to wipe Israel off the map. South Africa later put this down to an “administrative oversight.”

More IAS coverage on the murky relationship between SA and Iran:
SA and Iran in close consultations
US seeking SA help over Iran
SA in new talks with Iran
SA side-steps calls by Iran to annihilate Israel
SA signs memorandum of understanding on bilateral communication with Iran

Comments

[Gary]

The old National Party government had many faults but one thing that I can say for them: They would never have aligned themselves with evil regimes like Iran , Iraq under Saddam, Syria, Libya , Cuba , North Korea, Red China , Sudan and Hamas.

In that way the NP government of old where far superior to the morally bankrupt ANC which rushes to embrace every evil totalitarian and terrorist regime in the world, just out of sheer bloodymindedness.

[James Clark]

[quote]They would never have aligned themselves with evil regimes like Iran , Iraq under Saddam, Syria, Libya , Cuba , North Korea, Red China , Sudan and Hamas.[/quote]

No... But if Nazi Germany had still been around, it might have been another matter.

I hope our government uses its apparent diplomatic leverage over Hamas in the upcoming talks, instead of just playing to the cameras and political rags for more perceived international prestige. It's no good having the influence if you aren't going to use it for the good of the people.

[Steve]

South Africa has alot to offer if we use our assets correctly.

Make no mistake: The Palestinians do listen to what we have to say - we do have influence.

Imagine if SA had said to Hamas "we are waiting to call you to arrange talks - but we are first waiting for you to recognise Israel."

That would have sent a message to Hamas that even SA - their brothers in the struggle will not play until they fulfill their most basic responsibility.

That would also increase the currency of talks with us. Hamas would realise that they cant get talks with us that easily.

Talks with us would be seen by the world as reward for something.

I hope we dont repeat the mistakes we made in the 90s with arafat.

we invited arafat during Oslo before witnessing his willingness to deliver on the deals he signed.

He came here - was treated as a revolutionary hero - and had talks which amounted to nothing.

While he was here he spoke radically at a mosque calling for Jihad. He said that Oslo is just a ruse etc etc.

It was a huge diplomatic blunder. He would never have done that in the USA. But for some reason he realised he could get away with inciting radicalims in SA.

We cannot have a situation here were Hamas preach radicalism in mosques in SA.

[Gary]

Don't hold your breath waiting for SA to ask Hamas to recognize Israel.
They will simply reitearte their support for the 'Palestinian struggle' and condemmn Israel. Nothing calling on Hams to recognize Israel or lay down arms.
Kasrils will be there too and he'll make sure he's noticed fraternizing with Hamas.
Just wait and see...it will happen exactly as I say.