Iran can ask Canada to list US, Israel for sponsoring terror: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Alfred Lambremont Webre, an international lawyer from Vancouver, to discuss a ruling by Ontario Superior Court of Justice to give Iran’s non-diplomatic assets to the American victims of bombings blamed on Hamas and Hezbollah.  

A rough transcription of the interview appears below.

Press TV: Can a country’s internal court give itself the jurisdiction to rule on international matters like this?

Webre:  The easy answer is yes, because a national court can open itself for the enforcement of valid judgments from other recognized jurisdictions under recognized norms and that is what the Canadian court is arguing here. Now, If I were in the position of Iran, I would advise them as follows especially as the new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who is a serious, progressive, open-minded person who wants to re-open diplomatic relations and that is that they have the reason why Iran has found itself vulnerable under the Canadian legislation is that Canada has listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Now, what Iran could point out is that it could apply to have the United States, Israel and the UK listed as state sponsors of terrorism under the Canadian act because now there are even books being published and most of the literate public understands that the United States, Israel and the UK are the sponsors of the terrorism of ISIS and the ISIS terrorism organization.

This is called surrogate warfare and so now that we are in 2016 and we have busted through the curtain of disinformation, I think that these two great nations of Iran and Canada should get into truth speak which I know Justin Trudeau, I have met him once briefly, is into and you can say look Iran is not a state sponsor of terrorism in the sense that the United States, the UK and Israel are not purposes of the Canadian law and Canada can intervene in this case. That would be my legal advice

Press TV: In this case at hand, how can Iran defend itself and get into the due process to exonerate itself in this ruling that just took place in Canada?

Webre: I just stated how. It can counter-claim to have the United States, Israel and the UK listed as state sponsors of terrorism under the Canadian law and the only reason why they are going after Iran is that Canada listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism under the law. So then Iran can say well the US, the UK and Israel are sponsoring ISIS. So, you have to list them and Justin Trudea will finally understand and he will take Iran off of the list and he would be vulnerable.

Press TV: Could second and third-party allies be held accountable for a specific group's actions even when that group has not even been proved to have carried out that crime per se?

Webre: Yes, that is called surrogate warfare and that is unlawful under international law and that is what occurring here and I think that this is Iran’s opportunity to reach out Justin Trudeau and mutually reach an understanding to take Iran off of the state sponsor of terror list and this matter would be resolved.     

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