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Biography of Iran's Nuclear Negotiating Team Head Javad Va'Idi

Posted on: Sunday, 15 January 2006, 12:00 CST

Va'idi is the head of Iran's nuclear negotiating team. A hardliner, Va'idi also heads the international security department of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). The post was created in September 2005 after the resignation of Hoseyn Musavian, the head of the SNSC foreign policy committee and former nuclear negotiator. The committee was subsequently split into three directorates of international security, foreign policy and strategy. Va'idi is also the editor-in-chief of the conservative weekly `Diplomatic Hamshahri' newspaper.

Prior to his recent appointments at the SNSC and as chief nuclear negotiator, Va'idi headed the foreign policy group of the Political- Security Committee and the foreign policy department of the powerful Expediency Council's Strategic Research Centre. Va'idi was also a former colleague of the ultra-conservative SNSC secretary, Ali Larijani, at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). As a close associate of Larijani, he has become a very high profile personality. He appears, however, to have been playing a key role within the power elite even before his appointment.

According to the London-based electronic newspaper `Rooz', Va'idi had been engaged in "secret talks with European and US emissaries in Switzerland and Sweden \ at a time when Iran and the UK were exchanging their harshest words over the bombings in Iran's Khuzestan province and the attacks on British soldiers in Basra".

The paper also ascribes President Ahmadinezhad's speech to the UN General Assembly in September 2005 to the chief negotiator. "It is reported that Va'idi was the author of Ahmadinezhad's UN General Assembly speech last month," the paper reported in October 2005.

It also claims that Va'idi was close to the group lead by Sa'id Emami, who was implicated in the ministry's serial killings a few years ago and who reportedly committed suicide while in custody.

Javad Va'idi on:

USA: "America's current war with Iran is not conducted with the aid of military might, but by way of the internet. Its aim is to replace an Islamic way of life with an American one. America's next objective is to establish a weak government in Iran." (`Kayhan', February 2005)

Britain: "Britain's approach to our nuclear dossier is similar to their 19th century colonial approach. It is dealing with Iran's nuclear issue as it did when it deprived nations of their rights," Va'idi was quoted as saying by the student news agency ISNA. (Mehr News Agency, September 2005)

IAEA: "I insist on using these three words: continuous, active and effective cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]\

"Therefore, the Western media's attempt to sensationalize the resumption of Iran's nuclear research,is aimed at distorting the issue and portraying the decision as an aggressive act. They claim that the resumption of nuclear research means that Iran has completely abandoned its voluntary suspensions. This is not true. We must distinguish between research and Iran's voluntary suspension of its nuclear cycle\(IRTV1, 14 January 2006)

Europe: "They assume that we, the Iranians, need Europe and that such a need is one-sided. Therefore, they expect us to accept whatever they, that is the Europeans and other Westerners, say. Otherwise, they believe, that if we do not follow their instructions on our nuclear programmes, we will miss the chance of expanding relations with Europe." (IRTV1, 14 January 2006)

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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