Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Leiter outlined on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” a vision for a “period of transitional government” in Iran.
“What we’re hoping for is that we move into a period of a transitional government where the minorities come together, where the majority of the people come together, all the various opposition parties come together for a transitional government where they can leave the country for a year or so — together with the guidance from the United States and Israel and other regional allies who will no longer live under the fear of being hit by ballistic missiles — and then move into a mode of a democratic process,” Leiter said. “Let the people choose.”
Questioned by host Margaret Brennan about the likelihood that the transition he outlined would take a long time and go beyond a limited military operation, Leiter said: “This isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan, because in this case, 80% of the people oppose the regime.” He argued that “they just need the ability to express themselves — that’s what we’re emphasizing here.”
“This is not a repeat of forever wars,” Leiter said. “They’ve got to put their boots on the ground, and they’re beginning to be motivated and to feel that they’re going to be able to accomplish that. They’re beginning to move forward; it’s just going to take a little bit more time. There’s no long-term gain without some minimal pain.”
The ambassador said they want “a united Iran,” outlining that “we want to empower the minorities to have their say” in the political process.
“So it’s not a matter of supporting this particular minority or another, it’s supporting all the minorities,” Leiter said. “What we’re encouraging them to do is to coalesce, is to come together, to unify.”
The ambassador said, “We can help them come together and rise up and say, ‘we’re taking our country back.'”
“That’s ultimately the end game,” Leiter said.
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