Denmark accuses Iran of planning attack
The Danish Security and Intelligence Service has accused Iran of planning an attack against presumed members of an Iranian separatist movement in Denmark. At the end of September the police had carried out a major raid in the course of their investigation. Iran has denied the accusations. What line should Denmark and the EU adopt vis-à-vis Tehran?
A clear stance vis-à-vis Tehran
The EU must take a joint stance vis-à-vis Tehran, Sydsvenskan demands:
“The EU has good reasons to take concerted action against Tehran. But that needn't involve the nuclear agreement. This agreement from which the US has withdrawn can, on the contrary, create space for expanding relations with Iran. And in this context the EU can adopt a stance without lapsing into total enmity. Because it is still necessary to conduct a constructive dialogue with Iran. But it must be clear that the laws and inhabitants of EU countries are to be fully respected. It must be clear that a country that behaves like a rogue state will also be regarded as such.”
Imported foreign conflicts
The revelations about the planned attack in Denmark highlight the dark side of globalisation, Jyllands-Posten comments:
“This is about imported foreign conflicts. ... Denmark has always offered opposition groups protection - as a sign of our free and liberal democracy and as a cornerstone of international asylum. ... But as we now see, that also makes us vulnerable. With the opening of the borders we have been forced to take a stand on 'remote' conflicts which are suddenly very near although we Danes have nothing to do with them. ... A free world demands greater vigilance.”
Not just Riyadh engages in state terrorism
Saudi Arabia and Iran are not only competing for hegemony in the Middle East, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes:
“The Islamic Kingdom and the Islamic Republic are also competing for the favour of the global public. If things go badly for the regime in Iran, for example if the country is shaken by a new wave of protests, Saudi Arabia will take pleasure in casting itself as a haven of peace and stability. If Saudi Arabia then suffers from bad press, as for example in the case of the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Iran will be able to sit back and relax. ... The fact that Iran itself has for decades brutally cracked down on opposition members, and has also had opponents of the Islamic Republic living abroad kidnapped and murdered has been forgotten for a short while.”