The Charlie Rose Show, on November 18 featured an interview with Mohammad Javad Larijani, head of Iran’s Human Rights Council and close adviser to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei that was fairly informative.
Below is the segment regarding the dispute between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear program. This transcription is at from about 13:50 until about 19:35 in the interview after which Rose moves to the subject of sanctions.
ROSE: There has been an argument, I think, by Graham Allison and I want to be clear about this, in which he suggests you look at this on a football field and if, an American football field, and if you're advancing down the field that Iran is about at the 30 yard line, so it's already advanced 70 yards. It has 30 yards to go to have a nuclear program on explosive devices and you only have 30 to go and that you can take 20% enriched and over a process of a couple of years make it into weapon grade materialI want to highlight this exchange:
LARIJANI: Well, this is not a good similarity. I mean, we are, right now, if you ask in terms of real work in the field, we are 100% away from the military use. If you ask in terms of capability, hypothetically, is Iran capable to do that if it decides, obviously yes. Any country who has nuclear technology is capable of doing that. I mean the Germans can do it in two months. The Japanese in less than a month or others in
ROSE: Is that where you want to be though? Do you want to be exactly where the Germans and Japanese are?
LARIJANI: We want to be beyond them because this is capability here
ROSE: But you want to have the same capability that the Japanese and the Germans do
LARIJANI: It is a natural outcome. If you are advanced in this area of science, then you will acquire this capability
ROSE: But that's an interesting question. If you're saying, yes you want the same capability that Japan and Germany have
LARIJANI: Beyond that. We even want to get more sophisticated then they
ROSE: Then you want to have the capability that would allow you to, if you decided to take the additional step of making a nuclear device, happen within months, that's the capacity you would like to have?
LARIJANI: So what? Should we be punished because we are advanced?
ROSE: No.
LARIJANI: It is like a man who has faculty of thinking, then you say "Ok, if you are strong in thinking, you may think in the wrong direction. So, close out your thinking." I mean, this is the natural capacity of a nation. How should we be deprived of that? Is there a limit for Iranians for advancement in science and technology?
ROSE: So you're basically saying, we want the capacity to make a nuclear weapon
LARIJANI: No.
ROSE: Even though we don't have a program to actually make a weapon we just want the capacity, which is exactly what the Japanese have
LARIJANI: Even that is not the correct wording
ROSE: What's the wording? The ability, the capacity, the materials?
LARIJANI: The correct wording is that we want advancement in science and technology related to nuclear area, not directed toward the weapon area
ROSE: So you want to be at a level where instantly you could turn it
LARIJANI: It's naturally, it comes. If you are advanced in making a good machine then you can make another machine
ROSE: The problem comes in the debate. There is a great fear of Iran having a nuclear weapon. It would destabilize the region and many other reasons are expressed. It violates the NPT and all of that. If Iran violates the NPT, so will other countries violate the NPT as you well know. They worry about that. Do you worry about that?
LARIJANI: Not at all.
ROSE: You don't worry about that?
LARIJANI: Not at all. Instability in the region is not stemming from Iran. Violating the NPT also is not a big problem for the United States.
ROSE: Would you like to Saudi Arabia have a nuclear weapon? Would you like to see, ah?
LARIJANI: Nuclear weapon or nuclear technology? Two things.
ROSE: Ok. Fair. Nuclear weapon. Would you like to see Saudi Arabia, would you like it to have a nuclear weapon?
LARIJANI: We are a signatory of NPT, we are a sincere signatory to the NPT. We think non-proliferation is a benefit of Iran and all of us.
ROSE: Would you like to see Saudi Arabia have the same kind of capability to produce a nuclear weapon that you say, capability, if you decided to go that last distance
LARIJANI: We are an advocate of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons. But in terms of developing nuclear technology for all other peaceful uses, we are even ready to share with them our capability. No problem.
ROSE: All of it?
LARIJANI: Yes.
ROSE: How close are you if you wanted to today, today, to make a nuclear weapon, an explosive device, how close are you if, in fact, you made that decision?
LARIJANI: Well, professionally, I cannot answer that rigorously, only thing, because it depends on a lot of points, but I tell you personally that to build a bomb is not a big deal, I mean from the technological point of view
ROSE: Having the material to build a bomb is a big deal otherwise you wouldn't be engaged in this
LARIJANI: (Nodding no) I mean, you see Pakistan already has a bomb
ROSE: many bombs
LARIJANI: but their technology is far behind us, in nuclear sense. To build a bomb through plutonium, they use a candle-type reactor, but, well, we think the area of science and technology in this area is so interesting. I mean, why would we need a weapon at all? We are so strong in the region. We are capable to deter any eminent threat. Why would we need an atomic bomb?
ROSE: That's a very good question
LARIJANI: We don't need it
ROSE: Ok, but you do need the capacity do to it. You've just said that.
LARIJANI: No. The capacity is natural. When you get strong you can lift heavy weight. I mean, this is obvious.
ROSE: Let's see. I hear you, and I hear you clearly.
ROSE: Would you like to see Saudi Arabia have the same kind of capability to produce a nuclear weapon that you say, capability, if you decided to go that last distanceThe supposed rivalry between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia goes in only one direction: from Israel against Iran. Saudi Arabia takes Israeli orders transmitted through the United States, but this is not an organic dispute.
LARIJANI: We are an advocate of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons. But in terms of developing nuclear technology for all other peaceful uses, we are even ready to share with them our capability. No problem.
When Iran and Saudi Arabia were fellow US colonies with Iran ruled by the Shah, the two countries had good relations. When what we call Saudi Arabia gets, like Iran, a political system that reflects the values and positions of the people governed rather than the instructions from the US embassy, they are going to have good relations again.
