Excerpts of the speech of Robert Joseph, Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, at the Free Iran 2022, is as follows:
Thank you very much. Let me say that my career spans over 50 years as a diplomat, as an academic, as a national security professional. And in those 50 years, I’ve probably heard thousands of speeches. Most of them I don’t remember.
I tell you, this evening I’ve heard three of the most inspiring speeches I’ve ever heard. And I will remember them two from our Ukrainian colleagues and, of course, our speech from Madam Rajavi. And what do these stories have in common? Well, it’s the age-old story of good versus evil, of good prevailing over evil of the costly struggle of good over evil. And I’m not here to talk to you about your sacrifices.
You have made more sacrifices than I could contemplate. You’ve lost your brothers, your sisters, your mothers, your fathers, your friends.
I would just say that my understanding is that good does prevail over evil. And even though it is costly, it is worth the sacrifice. So, thank you all for that.
It’s good to be back at Ashraf—3 and see the changes that have been made in the last few years. It’s great to hear the changes in Iran and to see the unfolding fight for freedom in Iran. It’s great to be associated with your noble cause.
It’s something that I will always be proud of. It’s terrific to in person once again feel your commitment, your excitement, your determination to end the religious dictatorship that has brutalized and held the Iranian people hostage for over 40 years.
It’s great again to feel your deep devotion and your sacrifice for a free and democratic Iran. This is a despotic regime, one that denies its people, as we’ve all talked about, the basic human rights, their basic dignity. A normal, secure government does not kill thousands, tens of thousands of its own citizens.
A normal, secure government does not masquerade as its president a mass murderer, a man who is documented as a criminal for having committed crimes against humanity.
This is a pariah regime that directly engages in acts of terrorism around the world and has long served as the world’s top supporters, top supplier of international terrorism and with its partners in crime has undertaken armed aggression throughout the region causing hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths.
This is an outlaw regime that seeks a lifeline by acquiring nuclear weapons to intimidate and dominate its neighbors. And when the time comes to deter the west from intervening in support of the Iranian people when they rise up against the mullahs.
Our duty is to deny the regime the lifeline it seeks for its very survival. We must ensure that the regime fails in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. To do so, we must recognize that despite concession after concession, negotiations have only provided more time to advance the nuclear program.
And we must recognize that relief from sanctions will only bring more missiles, more terrorism and more aggression. And most significantly, more domestic repression and brutality of the Iranian people. We must reject the shameful agreement that the Belgian government has made with the regime. As someone said, a deal with the devil that will free a convicted terrorist that targeted this gathering with the goal of assassinating Mrs. Rajavi and killing hundreds. Paying ransom to a terrorist regime, as we all know, will only bring more blackmail, more hostage taking and more terrorism.
We must end the policies of appeasement from the west into seemingly never-ending delusion that this regime will reform from within. It will not and it cannot. We must fundamentally change the narrative and accept that only the people of Iran can end the threat from the regime by overthrowing the regime. We must support the Iranian people in their valiant resistance. We must support the NCRI and the MEK.
Mrs. Rajavi, thank you for your inspiration. Thank you for your leadership, your vision, and for making a free, democratic and secular, non-nuclear Iran a reality. I know that I thank you. I know my children thank you because I’ve told them the story of your struggle.
And I know, in time, my grandchildren will thank you because you have demonstrated that through sacrifice, good will prevail over evil. Thanks. Thank you all very much.
