Wurde Statement des ÖVP-Politikers Kopf vom Iran verfasst?

„You probably haven’t heard of Karlheinz Kopf. He’s one of three Austrian politicians currently sharing that country’s presidency following the departure of the previous incumbent in July. Kopf just returned to Vienna from Iran, where he distinguished himself by calling on the United States to ditch those sanctions against the Tehran regime that have remained in place since the Iran nuclear deal was signed last year. And that wasn’t the half of it. Frankly, Kopf’s statements during his visit might have been drafted by his Iranian hosts. Asked about trade with Iran, he waffled on about ‚140 years‘ of friendship between the two nations before touting the growing trade between them, which includes a ‚roadmap‘ for the expansion of commercial ties over the next four years. He expressed regret that continuing U.S. restrictions on Iranian banks prevent investment in the Islamic Republic. When asked about the zealous imposition of the death penalty in Iran, he retorted that he had not come to Tehran to ‚moralize.‘ Since prisoners can face execution in the U.S., who are westerners to deliver lectures?

One can only imagine the delight with which the Iranians greeted these remarks, which sound more suited to someone like Noam Chomsky than a provincial Austrian politician in a gray suit. And you can hardly blame them. European leaders, like Kopf, are the gift that keeps on giving, all the way up to publicly admitting, while standing in Tehran, that there is no essential moral difference between America and Iran – while Iran’s proxy in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad, is pulverizing thousands of children in Aleppo with air strikes. In that regard, Kopf had nothing but praise for Iran’s regional role, describing it, according the regime’s official mouth piece, Press TV, as helping to ‚reduce conflicts and restore peace and stability to the Middle East.‘. (…) Austria is a particularly odious example of a state that can’t stop publicly salivating at the prospect of lucrative Iranian business contracts.“

(Ben Cohen: „Meet the Austrian politician fawning over Iran“)

Mehr zum Thema auf Mena Watch:

Iran erklärt hohem ÖVP-Politiker das „zionistische Gebilde“

„Der Iran spielt eine stabilisierende Rolle im Nahen Osten“