Iran 'not to bow to US oppression'

Prominent American scholar Noam Chomsky says Washington cannot apply its policy of oppression to Tehran, saying it is not in Iran's nature to follow orders.

Speaking in Beirut after Israel denied him entry into the occupied West Bank, Chomsky said the US is not concerned about what government is in power, adding that it solely wants administrations "to follow orders."

The world-renowned political analyst, however, went on to caution the US in the case of Tehran, saying that "Iran does not follow orders. It is trying to pursue its sovereignty. "

In his speech, which marked the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon ten years ago, Chomsky drew parallels between Israel and South Africa's apartheid regime.

Pointing to the fact that during the apartheid era, the whites in South Africa cared for the black natives and supported them, Chomsky said that Israel does not even take responsibility for the Palestinians.

"Israel does not need the Palestinians. It doesn't want them. If they wither away like the leaves of autumn the way that the native Americans did, that is fine. They go somewhere else that is fine. But, they don't take any responsibility for them and they don't need them. So it's much worse than apartheid," he said.

Last Monday, the fierce Israeli critic was scheduled to deliver a lecture at a Palestinian University near Ramallah. He, however, was denied entry by the Israeli forces and spent several hours in detention before being allowed to return to Jordan.

Reacting to the move, some Israeli papers described the treatment of Chomsky as marking the start of a slide into fascism. The media's harsh criticism forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue an apology to Chomsky, promising to grant him an entry visa for future visits. PressTV