Mohammad Khatami's Comments at World Economic Forum in Davos

I decided to post Khatami's comments seperate from the Kerry post. Here is the partial transcript I transcribed from the webcast.

Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1997-2005): "I think the most important problem of the middle east and Iraq ... is because of the intervention of other countries, adding to these conflicts among the ethnic groups. And sectarian violence is promoted by them. And they think that with pressure and power they are in the position to solve the problem in Iraq, which is not true.

You know extremicism is getting expanded and the reformists and the ones who are in favor of peace they are getting deserted and they don't have any position anymore. We were wishing to have a stable Iraq. Of course the overthrowing of Taliban and Saddam Hussein was really good, great fortune for us. But the intervention by the foreign countries, even from the countries in the region, would add to the crisis, terrorism, and violence in Iraq.

And I am of the opinion that there are some powers that - they would like to promote the conflicts and the sectarian conflicts and clashes, it's in their favor to do so that is why they are promoting it - and they do not want to see developments in the countries of the region. We have one destiny and we have to be together, hand in hand, without any intervention of anybody from other parts of the world.

We were annoyed by Saddam, all of us, and we were pretty much upset for that dictatorship. We wanted to solve the problem ourselves. In Afghanistan we did it and it was a bit successful I can say. And of course we, but of course we worked with the Bush administration in Afghanistan, but in return, as a reward, they called us the axis of evil.

And Koffi Annon accepted the idea, but the American administration said that no I will do it alone, they occupied Iraq and the occupation of Iraq led to insecurity, terrorism, extremicism in Iraq, and the whole region, and the globe.