In the summer of 2009, in the aftermath of the elections, there was obviously a lot going on in Iran. But one of the things that I remember made everyone hold their breaths in those months is probably not what you’re assuming right now.
On July 15 2009, an Iranian passenger jet – a Russian-made Tupolev – crashed, killing all 168 people on board. Nine days later, another plane – a Russian-made Ilyushin – crashed in a local airport, killing over 20 people. The close succession of crashes frightened us all, and made us realize how vulnerable Iranians really are to sanctions.
At the time, I, along with many other Iranian Americans, was in Iran, and to get between cities and provinces I had to fly. I remember praying that nothing would go wrong as I entered each plane, before takeoff, and before landing. And I remember holding on for dear life when I heard the plane rattle the slightest bit. And I’m not scared of flying.
I remember asking my family why the crashes had occurred. Were Iranian planes just not up to par to American ones? “Sanctions,” they responded, surprised at my ignorance.
To an outsider, it may seem like Washington is united in favor of imposing new sanctions on Iran. But, like in Iran itself, the internal wrangling over this question among Washington policymakers is much more complex and divided by factions than one may assume.
Congressional leaders from both parties have long called for new sanctions — and, bolstered by the strong support of the pro-Israel lobby, even some Democrats have undermined the President’s engagement strategy in their zeal for a more heavy-handed approach. Now that the administration has moved past direct talks and embraced the pressure track, one would assume that Congress, the President and the rest of the Iran policymaking community is in harmony.
In case you missed our livestream video, here is the full conference video, available for viewing. We apologize for the beginning part being cut off, we experienced some technical difficulties at the start (but it gets better!)
UPDATE: It’s confirmed, we’ll be Livestreaming our conference here at niacINsight tomorrow. So tune in between 9:00 and 2:00 to see what’s happening!
Iran used to be a pretty black-and-white issue. You either wanted war, or not. Diplomacy, or not. Regime change, or not.
Those days of simple choices between two clear opposites–they’re long gone.
Now, the rise of an indigenous opposition movement has thrown a new set of variables into questions of “regime change,” diplomacy, and even human rights. Iran-watchers are struggling with the cognitive dissonance of it all: how can you still oppose war but support the dismantling of the Islamic theocracy? How can someone help the opposition but still oppose overt US government involvement? And don’t even get me started on the nuclear issue…
All of this confusion amid the new complex reality of post-June 12th Iran means it’s probably a good thing that people are still debating the issue as vigorously as ever. Open any major newspaper in the US and chances are you’ll find at least one or two (often four or five) different articles about Iran. From op-eds advocating a preemptive strike, to analysts who say the Green Movement is just a fad–there is a wider diversity of opinions now than ever before. Even politicians and pundits who might otherwise have the luxury of ignoring the Iran issue are being forced to weigh in (see Palin, Sarah), and despite their often ludicrous claims, ultimately the best thing for US-Iran policy is a robust debate about substantive issues. That’s the only way we’ll be able to think our way through this difficult challenge.
(Incidentally, some major steps have already been taken in formulating a coherent policy proposal: see here and here for one approach that’s coming clearer into view).
Our goal here at NIAC is to contribute some wisdom and clarity to the debate on Iran — both among the Iranian-American community and inside the Washington DC beltway. Toward that end, we are pleased to announce our upcoming conference on Capitol Hill: “Iran at a Crossroads: Assessing a Changing Landscape.” We’re bringing together the top Iran experts in the world, alongside members of Congress and their staffs, to explore the most important questions facing US-Iran policy today.
We’ll look into the current state of the Green Movement as the latest chapter in Iran’s 100-year democratic evolution. We’ll examine the prospects for US-Iran relations one year after President Obama began his engagement strategy, and we’ll try to determine if there is a US-Iran war looming on the horizon. (And we’ll also celebrate the upcoming Norooz holiday with some excellent food and our very own haft-seen table).
The video will be streamed live on this site, niacINsight, so check back here next Wednesday morning (March 10) at 9am for the feed. Or feel free to RSVP and show up in person.
We are grateful to our special guests Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with all of our excellent panelists (including our friends at EA).
Full info available below the jump, or at niacouncil.org/march10. Hope to see you there!
George Washington University and Georgetown University’s Iranian Cultural Societies will be screening “The Bakhtiari Alphabet” documentary at 7.30 PM in the Amphitheater at GW. The film follows the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe, located in southwestern Iran. The film is directed by filmmaker Reza Ghadiani and Professor Cima Sedigh. From the film’s press release:
“The Bakhtiari Alphabet” was created over the course of 7 years in the remote and mountainous regions of Iran, where the Bakhtiari live and migrate. Over that time, Dr. Sedigh lived with the nomadic tribe anywhere from a few weeks to a few months each year, studying their geography, history, economy, politics and culture. The film reveals both the struggle and humanity of this rapidly disappearing culture.
Admission is free. For more information on the event and to watch the trailer, please click here.
As you know, Congressman Gresham Barrett (R-SC) announced last week that he plans to introduce shameful legislation (the STEP Act) instituting the mass deportation of Iranians and blocking Iranians from visiting the US.
This bill would tear apart families and force all Iranians who have visas for work or school to be expelled from the country within 60 days of passage.
Thanks to many of you, over 2,000 letters have been signed calling on Congressman Barrett to abandon the STEP Act! But there’s still more work to be done to make sure this outrageous proposal does not go forward.
Tomorrow we will be delivering your messages in person to Congressman Barrett’s office in Washington DC.
The more letters we have to deliver, the bigger your voices will be—we want to make sure that Congressman Barrett gets the message, so we need a big push from you.
Now is the time to reach out to your friends and family to make sure they join the 2,000 people who have already signed their letter calling on Congressman Barrett to abandon the STEP Act. Everyone should be aware of this disgraceful proposal so that they can voice their opposition and stop the bill.
In conjunction with the Falnama: The Book of Omensexhibit, the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries’ 14th Annual Iranian Film Festival features five new films and a special presentation by Abbas Kiarostami. The film festival runs all month from January 8 to February 21 and is organized by Carter Long of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts with the support of ILEX Foundation: Olga M. Davidson and Niloofar Fotouhi.
Films include, Payman Haghani’s A Man Who Ate His Cherries, Kiarostami’s Taziyeh (The Spectators) and Shirin, Samira Makhmalbaf’s Two-Legged Horse, Niloofar and Shalizeh Arefpour’s Heiran. Film topics range from a story of a wealthy child with no legs and 12-year old girl’s quest for an education and an Iranian girl who falls in love with an Afghan refugee.
All films are in Persian with English subtitles. The festival recommends viewers to arrive at least an hour early; as there is high demand for tickets, assigned seating is in effect and tickets are distributed one hour before show-time with a two-ticket-per-person limit. For information on the film festival, please click here.
There was an attempted assassination attempt against Mehdi Karroubi several hours ago, when the cleric and leading opposition figure arrived in Qazvin for a mourning ceremony of opposition supporters killed in protests.
“Members of the Basij and Revolutionary Guards gathered at their garrisons prior to Mr. Karroubi’s arrival. As soon as he entered Qazvin, they appeared. Their actions were fully coordinated with Fars News Agency. As soon as Mr. Karroubi entered the private home where he was staying, Fars News reported it. The coordination between the Revolutionary Guards and Fars News was extensive.
When the Basij and Revolutionary Guards members assembled to protest Karroubi’s presence in Qazvin, two bullets were fired at his car. Fortunately the car was bullet proof. The front windshield was much stronger and only cracked. Otherwise the bullets would have entered the car and caused serious injuries.
I believe the message to Mr. Karroubi is that he is not safe anywhere he goes and if he doesn’t restrict himself to his house, he will be targeted.”
Congressman Gresham Barrett (R-SC) has announced his intention to reintroduce legislation that would prohibit “the admission of aliens from countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism as well as Yemen to the United States.” The Stop Terrorist Entry Program (STEP) Act, first introduced in 2003, also would have required all persons from these countries on student visas, temporary work visas, exchange and tourist visas to leave the United States within 60 days, despite their legal status in the country. Residents and nationals of Iran, Cuba, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen would be affected.
The bill makes an exception only in the cases of individuals who are seeking political or religious asylum, or who have immediate emergency medical needs.
Congressman Barrett said his bill came in response to the Fort Hood shooting and the Christmas-day attempt to blow up an airplane over Detroit. “While President Obama may have declared an end to the War on Terror, it is clear our enemies did not get the message. Twice in the past two months, radical Islamic terrorists have attacked our nation and the Administration has failed to adapt its national security and immigration policies to counter the renewed resolve of those who seek to harm our citizens.”
The American Army major and Nigerian alleged to have committed those attacks would not have been affected by the STEP Act.
In response to Barrett’s announcement, the National Iranian American Council has launched a campaign against the bill, saying it is “offensive to American principles, harmful to US interests, and discriminates against Iranians and Iranian Americans.” The group also noted that no Iranian has ever committed a terrorist act on American soil.
The 2003 version of the bill is available online. Congressman Barrett’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Aside from the inclusion of Yemen, and a new provision to prohibit the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison to the United States, Congressman Barrett has not indicated any further differences between his new bill and the legislation he introduced in 2003.
The 111th Congress is barreling forward in a last minute race to enact what may prove to be one of the most damaging American foreign policy decision for years to come before adjourning for the holidays. It is a decision that may isolate us from our closest allies and biggest trading partners, pose momentous new challenges for our efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and the greater Middle East, undermine the Iranian people’s struggle for democracy, and once again place the United States on the grave path towards military confrontation. But if you think Congress is engaging in the type of spirited debate that such a strategically significant policy deserves, think again.
With President Obama’s year-end deadline approaching for Iran to resume nuclear negotiations, the administration is seriously considering applying sanctions on Iran.
“I think that you are going to see some significant additional sanctions imposed by the international community, assuming that the Iranians don’t change course,” Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Friday at a talk with U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq.
Politico reported today that in a taped interview with Al Jazeera English, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the “time has come” for the world to condemn Iran’s nuclear program.
Politco:
Clinton did not say, when asked, whether the United States would support an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, but she did express disappointment at Iran’s diplomacy.
‘What we have tried to do is engage in diplomacy in a very vigorous way in order to reassure the international community, including all states, that Iran’s nuclear program was for peaceful purposes,’ she said. ‘Unfortunately, we haven’t had the kind of response we were hoping for from the Iranians.’
‘I think the international community really still wants to engage with Iran, but people are going to now turn to other routes like more pressure, like sanctions to try to change their mind and their behavior,’ she said.
Here at NIAC, we’ve been focusing on doing our work rather than devoting all our time to responding to the flimsy allegations made against us by Eli Lake (with the assistance of an individual we’re suing for defamation, and parroted by neoconservative bloggers).
But since BBC Persian has done an actual investigation of the allegations against NIAC and the political motivations behind them, we felt like this video is worth sharing. (Persian, and skip ahead past the first 20 seconds)
English readers who’d like more information can find our response to Mr. Lake’s *ahem* journalism here and a point-by-point response to the many insinuations (and outright falsehoods) in his article here.
And for those unfamiliar with the quotation this post’s title is taken from–it’s one of my favorites by Winston Churchill–here it is reproduced in its entirety:
“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”
Posted by Setareh Tabatabaie 
niacINsight - The Blog of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) 