The head of Iranian Melli Bank, Mahmoud-Reza Khavari, has reportedly escaped to Canada after an embezzlement scandal was discovered in the Islamic Republic. Khavari’s escape raises a more serious questions about Western attitude to grant special treatment to IRI’s high ranking officials.

Officially, Khavari has been heading the largest bank in Iran that is targeted by international sanctions. The Melli Bank along with other financial institutions  are involved in regime’s terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapon. However, Khavari’s involvement in such activities has not been a hurdle to obtain Canadian citizenship that facilitated his escape from Tehran and settling in North America.

Khavari is among many other Iranian officials who have moved to the West and started a new political and business career here, a career that by no mean is different from what they pursued before: assisting the Iranian regime and its various Mafia kind factions.

There is two reasons for granting VIP status to these Iranian officials; first, Western corporations seek their help to arrange business deals with the Iranian regime. Second, political circles especially those who seek friendship and engagement with Tehran, will use them as a bridge with the regime and its factions.

These corporations and political circles will provide protection and assistance to these newly arrived officials who in return will become important factors to influence and shape Western policies with Iran.

There are many examples of former Iranian officials who easily immigrated to the West (especially to the US) and started a lobby activity to promote appeasement policy with the Iranian regime.

Khavari’s scandal is not uniquely about his past association with a terrorist and barbaric regime but more importantly, is about his new career in Canada (in case he does not return) to assist the Mullahs’ regime and undermine the interests of Canadian and Iranian people.

http://iraniansforum.com/index.php/washington-insight/289-thieves-but-vip-guests