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; A. If this solution is accepted, it does not go well with what I have just mentioned, but I think the people of Palestine would be one step closer to the realization of their objectives. I do not think this will be the solution, however, and so the conflict will continue. If the U.S. insists on keeping alive a racist Jewish state, our countersuggestion would be to create a Jewish state within U.S. boundaries, giving it the status of the 51st state.
Q. You have been critical of the U.S. and the West for not doing more about Bosnia. What would you like them to do?
A. I think the U.S. could do much more than it has so far. During the occupation of Kuwait, the U.S. showed what it could do.
Q. In other words, if the U.S. took military action on behalf of the Bosnian Muslims, it would not be interpreted by you as some imperialist plot?
A. No.
Q. Would you put Bosnia on the same level as Kuwait two years ago?
A. The human issue is more important in Bosnia. And that is our most important criticism of the U.S., that it does not consider human issues as important as economic matters. From the economic point of view, Kuwait was more important, especially for a country like the U.S.
Q. There is a perception abroad that there are two Rafsanjanis -- the moderate and the hard-liner.
A. These terms -- moderate and extremist -- are your words. I believe I've been consistent from the very beginning. I'm a revolutionary figure; I was involved in the struggle and spent almost all the young years of my life in prison. In our culture both extremes are rebuked: we believe that people should be moderate. When I defend revolution, you say I'm a hard-liner. When I say we would like to have cooperation with the West, you say I'm being moderate. That's because you don't know Iran. As far as we are concerned, they go together.
Q. Is support for the revolution as strong as it was five years ago?
A. Even stronger.
Q. Are people for Rafsanjani or for the revolution?
A. If I turn my back on the revolution, the people will no longer support me.
FOOTNOTE: *Despite objections by several U.S. Senators, Captain Will Rogers III of the U.S.S. Vincennes received the Legion of Merit. The decoration was described as an "end of tour" award, not connected to the shoot-down. Rogers has since retired.