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Amanpour

Interview with Iran's President; Imagine a World

Aired September 26, 2014 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST (voice-over): Tonight as the military campaign in Iraq and Syria grows, I ask the president of Iran what would it

take for him to join the fight against ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HASSAN ROUHANI, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): All nations must feel a great degree of responsibility.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): And the clock is running on the November deadline for a nuclear deal.

Will Iran and the big powers ever come to an agreement?

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AMANPOUR: Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our special weekend edition of the program. I'm Christiane Amanpour.

An unprecedented coalition of Muslim nations is currently participating in the airstrike against ISIS in Syria. But there is one

player that is key to this fight and to the survival of Syria's Bashar al- Assad and that is Iran.

While ruling out military coordination, President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have both publicly courted Iran's support or at least

its acquiescence.

But here at the United Nations General Assembly, the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, called the allied airstrikes in Syria "illegal,"

while also though voicing many of the same concerns about, quote, "the fire of extremism and radicalism burning in the Middle East."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROUHANI (through translator): I deeply regret to say that terrorism has become globalized from New York to Mosul, from Damascus to Baghdad,

from the easternmost to the westernmost parts of the world, from Al Qaeda to Daish.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): President Rouhani's visit to the UNGA last year made history after talking by phone to President Obama and this time

around he has met with the British Prime Minister David Cameron, which is a first since the Islamic revolution of 1979.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: But Iran's nuclear program is still a major stumbling point, with the deadline approaching for a deal and the parties still

unable to bridge crucial gaps.

Amidst these intense talks and a round of public appearances, I met President Rouhani fresh from his address to the United Nations General

Assembly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: President Rouhani, welcome back to the program.

ROUHANI (through translator): I do thank you very much for having created this opportunity once again to take a few moments to speak directly

with the wonderful people of the United States of America.

AMANPOUR: Let's talk about then what's immediately at issue for the people of the United States of America and the whole world, and that is the

battle against Islamic State, ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

You have said that everybody should be combating this extremism.

Are you joining in the alliance?

Are you also combating ISIS?

ROUHANI (through translator): What I can tell you is that Iran has been at the forefront of fighting against terrorism. We can go all the way

back to the beginning years of the revolution. We were facing an extremely vicious and savage form of terrorism inside the country.

And we have rendered assistance prior to the attacks of September 11th. You're fully aware that the people of Afghanistan were fighting

against the Taliban, were standing up to the best of their abilities against the Taliban. And as you know that Iran gave a great deal of

assistance and help to the people of Afghanistan.

And you do know that that even most recently, the first government that came swiftly to the aid of the Iraqi government and people against

Daish was Iraq.

AMANPOUR: So do you believe that you face a common threat and that you also are in the alliance in some way or another?

I know that the United States informed your government that these strikes were going to take place.

ROUHANI (through translator): Well, I would like to distance myself from the word "coalition" because some countries haven't come together

under the umbrella of this coalition. I'm not quite certain how serious they may be.

But what I wish to share with you is that in reality all countries, all nations must feel a great degree of responsibility and therefore exert

everything within their powers, on the scene, in order to combat the terrorism in North Africa, other parts of Africa, in the Middle East, has

really -- the level of terrorism has really skyrocketed.

It is relentlessly savage and that does not have mercy against women, elders, children or anyone.

So it is a common threat for all of us and it is the same point that I touched upon during my talks at the U.N. General Assembly last year, which

is The Wave initiative, a World against Violence and Extremism. And this requires a unison effort from all of us.

AMANPOUR: So you're fine with these strikes inside Syria and inside Iraq against Daish, against the Islamic State?

ROUHANI (through translator): You're fully aware yourself that terrorist groups are always on the move, are constantly and highly mobile.

They're not an organized army that can be damaged heavily or considerably through aerial bombardments.

We need a vast campaign of operations, two, three, four, a dozen, two dozen, three dozen of aerial bombardments. The aerial bombardments have

more the form of a psychological operation rather than succeeding in the eradication of terrorism.

We must pay particular attention to social activities, cultural activities, financial and economic activities as well as the educational

side in every country so as to address the causes of the problem. So again, the aerial bombardment campaign is mostly, I would say, a form of

theater for -- rather than a serious battle against terrorism.

AMANPOUR: These Daish, as everybody calls them now, the Islamic State, ISIS, ISIL, whatever, have come up inside a vacuum in Syria and Iraq

for other reasons.

How do you feel as the president of Iran, as the main military backer of a regime, the Assad regime, that the United Nations has said has killed

200,000 of its own people, tortured people, executed people?

Why does Iran want to be associated with that kind of genocidal barbarism?

ROUHANI (through translator): In Syria, you're fully aware, that since the very beginning we've announced that what has been transpiring in

Syria is a form of warfare between terrorists and the legitimate army of the country.

They kept saying that these are opposition members and we will keep asking, who are these opposition members who have preferred to take up arms

so swiftly and so savagely and violently rather than resorting to talks and negotiations?

You do know that a group that goes back all the way to three years ago was fighting savagely against the people of Syria, it was the same people

that we're labeling today as Daish or ISIL and ISIS. What we do with the government that is there, on the ground?

And the Americans now are saying that we give warnings and heads-up to the authorities in Damascus, and the folks in Damascus keep saying that it

is under our -- it can be under our authority with prior coordination.

So what is really the foundation of this?

We must carry on a serious battle against terrorism and put the fate of the nation in the hands of the people of that nation.

AMANPOUR: Well, as you know, the people of that nation, it all started when they wanted a little bit of reform. The moderate forces were

on the verge of winning until Iran and Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard came into Syria in 2012 and turned it around.

So my question to you is, are you comfortable being the government that keeps President Assad in power through ground forces and all sorts of

other military cooperation?

ROUHANI (through translator): In Syria, if the army of the Syrian people, the Syrian government had not stood up and fought against

terrorism, if the people of Damascus and other cities had not fought against them, who do you think would have been the victor today?

Let's assume no one would have rendered assistance. The victor would have been the same people that everyone is recognizing as terrorists today.

AMANPOUR: Mr. President, stand by for just a second. We're going to take a break and then we're going to come back with more of our

conversation and talk about the nuclear deal that you're still trying to negotiate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: And while Iran remains hopeful of achieving a nuclear deal, what about those on the other side of the table? I've been speaking also

here to other major players in this drama and here is what both the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, and the U.S. Secretary of State John

Kerry told me this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We've been very clear with Iran that we need to try to see some progress. We need to move forward. We're

working very, very hard, Christiane, to make sure this historic moment is appropriately put to use but without -- and this is very important --

without compromising one bit what must be achieved in an agreement.

LAURENT FABIUS, FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANCE: Our position is simple to define. So far as civil nuclear energy is concerned, it's quite open to

Iran. So far as atomic bomb is concerned, the answer is no. And everything must come from these principles. But if the situation remains

like it is today, the gap is too big. And the question is raised to the Iranians, do you accept not to have a nuclear bomb?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: When we come back, more of my interview with President Rouhani as we turn to matters closer to home. That's after a break.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: Welcome back. We continue our conversation, Mr. President, about many of the challenges, including the nuclear deal that Iran and the

P5+1 are trying to negotiate.

How are these negotiations going?

We're hearing that it's still very difficult; the sides are very far apart.

Do you believe you can achieve a deal by November?

ROUHANI (through translator): There are a few points that we must pay close attention to. One of them, vis-a-vis the nuclear issue of the

Islamic Republic of Iran, we must all accept that there is only one way and that's the way of dialogue and talks and negotiations. And through these

talks and negotiations we must reach an agreement.

This means that sanctions are in an inappropriate tool. That means that threats are the wrong path. But whatever gaps exist must be resolved

at the table of discussions and negotiations.

The talks can be successful. This is the second point, because we were able in the Geneva Accords to create an understanding and reach an

agreement, albeit temporary, for six months initially, which following the deadline, was renewed for another six months.

Therefore that is concrete proof that talks and negotiations can succeed.

The third point is that I feel that the talks are quite serious, that both sides are negotiating with utmost seriousness. And on the Iranian

side, of course, we are extremely serious and very much intend to reach a mutually acceptable conclusion.

We also do believe that our counterparts are working towards the same aim.

But we must all accept that we have a difficult path ahead. There are still differences of opinion. Some of these differences of opinions can be

quite significant. But at the end of the day, we must all strive to find a solution and resolve this.

AMANPOUR: If you do not reach a deal by November, the deadline, are you willing to have another extended long, indefinite continuation of talks

and an extension of the current deadline under the interim agreement?

ROUHANI (through translator): We do not even think of that as an option; what you put forth is not even an option in our equation and our

mindset. We must be focused and highly concentrated on only concluding these talks given the timeframe that we have ahead, which is no more than

two months at the most.

But if we -- if we do not succeed, then we can think about the next steps at that time. But now we're solely and wholeheartedly focused on

reaching concrete results and agreements during the time that we have left before the deadline. And I do think we can realize this. We can reach

this objective if all sides maintain their serious postures and their goodwill.

AMANPOUR: Has it been fully made clear to you how slowly suspending and lifting sanctions will happen, that they can't be lifted without

congressional approval?

ROUHANI (through translator): Vis-a-vis what the American government must do to live up to its end of the commitment contained in that

agreement, then that's their own business, quite frankly.

And on our side as well, let's not forget that the Islamic parliament in Iran must be the alternate decision-maker as representatives of the

people of Iran to vote on many issues vis-a-vis the same agreement.

So I do think that if the agreement is reached, it can see immediately cease and melt away -- take away these sanctions. And certainly the U.N.

Security Council resolutions can be executed in order to take away the effect of the previously passed resolutions.

AMANPOUR: The other sides are saying that you're playing very hard ball, being very, very hard line and not showing flexibility in order to

close the gap, the Iranian side.

Why not?

ROUHANI (through translator): Flexibility meaning exactly what?

For any country, there are red lines. There are borders, trespassing which are unacceptable. Flexibility has its own framework and borderline

as well. When we reach the far reaches of flexibility, then it becomes trampling on people's rights. We're not ready to go that far.

We do believe that even up to today, we have shown enough flexibility. And our counterparts are fully aware of how flexible we have been and in

which arenas we're able to show the greatest deal of flexibility, perhaps unexpected even for them.

But if we realize that the counterparts are asking for too much then, of course, that factor will render reaching an ultimate agreement quite

difficult and it can delay this conclusion for a long period of time.

AMANPOUR: You've talked a lot about what your people want. They want social media. They want more social freedoms. There have also been

crackdowns.

Stand by, Mr. President. We'll take a short break and we'll come back and talk about those.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: Welcome back for our final segment, Mr. President.

The CEO of Twitter has noticed that you've been tweeting and you keep tweeting and he said, lovely, but please can you let your own people tweet?

We talked about this. We talked about this last year. You said you were going to try.

Why is it they're still not able to legally use social media?

ROUHANI (through translator): We started many endeavors. We took a lot of actions. It is correct; we have not yet reached a point in which we

feel completely comfortable in what our people intended during the elections and voted for.

But our people realize that we have taken steps forward. And our people are fully aware that, in such matters, we must have a coordination

with other -- with other branches of the government, with the judiciary, with the parliament, the legislatures.

So it -- there is a great deal of coordinating effort that goes into this, to move forward. We are thinking about creating a vast information

network throughout the country. And we have started laying the foundation for this.

You know that the bandwidth have increased considerably compared to last year when we took office, therefore people today have a much easier

time receiving information and having access to the Internet and benefiting from that.

Of course, this is not to say that the people have everything that they wish for. But what is important to keep in mind is that we've had

sustainable movement forward throughout the past 12-plus months.

AMANPOUR: Well, certainly your people will be looking forward to a lot more of that and so will all the people who watch you tweet all the

time.

But now I want to ask about a gesture of goodwill to the United States and to others. You have -- and I'm going to read here -- a group of

American Iranians, a British Iranian in prison right now.

Jason Rezaian, a journalist for "The Washington Post," and his wife; Saeed Abedini, who's a Christian; Amir Hekmati, who's been in jail for a

long time; the English Iranian, Ghoncheh Ghavami, who's also in jail.

Without charge, without anything and we don't understand why and we would like to know whether you're prepared to deliver a gesture of goodwill

to these people, to their families and to the world whom you're addressing from here at the United Nations.

ROUHANI (through translator): We never wish for any individuals, Iranian or non-Iranian, be it in Iran or in other countries, to be

imprisoned or detained or be put on trial. But the bottom line is that our aim is for the laws to be respected at every step of the way.

If they do go to trial, their trial be fairly executed for them to have access to every legal defense allowed under the law, proper defensive

representation through qualified attorneys. And we do hope that their families can gain the certainty that fairness and justice will be employed

towards the cases and case files of their loved ones.

AMANPOUR: Our colleague, the journalist, do you have any reason to believe there's any reason for him to be in jail?

ROUHANI (through translator): You see, I really don't believe -- in fact, at all, I do not believe that an individual would be detained or put

in prison for being a journalist.

But as a matter of course, these charges, if proven, after the investigation, they must be answered to in a courtroom.

But my personal opinion is -- and I've announced it several times when I've spoken on different occasions -- we believe that the general behavior

towards reporters and journalists and those who carry the heavy weight of informing our citizenry must be quite flexible. Doesn't mean that we

should not consider the law and the constitution of the country.

But we can open the atmosphere for them. During the past year, if someone would go to our media, they will see that they write quite

comfortably, they speak quite comfortably in criticism of this government, be it radio channels, television channels or social media or Internet

articles or print articles.

But we are particularly sensitive towards those who disseminate truth and information, journalists and reporters. And it is important for us to

have a more nuanced approach towards that.

But what I must be assured of as the chief executive of my branch is that the constitution and the laws and the civil rights are being respected

to the letter.

AMANPOUR: Mr. President, thank you very much for being with us tonight.

ROUHANI (through translator): I also thank you. God bless you and I wish you success and continued health.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: That's it for our program tonight as we wrap up our week at the United Nations General Assembly. And you can always contact us at our

website, amanpour.com, and hear what all the major players in this new war against ISIS told me right here in New York.

And of course you can always follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for watching and goodbye from New York.

END