In This Issue
Talking Points:
Five Questions for 2005
Democracy - Elections
AIC Press Releases & Alerts:
AIC URGES GENEROSITY IN TSUNAMI RELIEF
A VICTORY NONETHELESS!
Perspectives & Commentary:
Iran’s Domestic Environment and the Nuclear Program - speech by Farideh Farhi (Part 2 of 4)
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The American Iranian Council (AIC) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan tax-exempt [501 (C) 3] educational organization dedicated to improved US-Iran relations through dialogue, better understanding, and constructive engagement.
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Each week the Council publishes Talking Points in AIC UPDATE to improve dialogue on issues integral to improving US-Iran relations.
Five Questions for 2005
What actions, on behalf of both the United States and Iran, are necessary to promote reciprocal engagement?
When will the United States develop a well-articulated foreign policy agenda vis-à-vis Iran, given the strategic imperatives in the region and renewed international attention to Iran?
How will the government of Iran respond to the geostrategic influences of a democratic Afghanistan and Iraq?
Will the government of Iran allow intrusive inspections to demonstrate its commitment to the suspension of all nuclear enrichment and reprocessing efforts?
Will the government of Iran be prepared to commit to a comprehensive and guarded judicial process free of human rights abuses?
Democracy – Elections
At a January 1, 2005 press conference, Guardian Council spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham announced that the GC had agreed to hold Presidential elections, and simultaneous Parliamentary bi-elections, on June 17, 2005.
Iranian society is adequately politicized and socially aware, but socioeconomic problems, corruption, and widespread political apathy among the youth prevent wholesale democratization.
The future of democracy in Iran relies heavily on the peaceful resolution of ideological differences between and among the conservative and reformist political and religious elites, namely the distribution of socioeconomic resources and political capital.
Elections are a conduit for communication between the electorate and the elected public officials, so that social preferences are considered in the political and policy-making processes. Therefore, there must be an unfettered multiplicity and diversity of social preferences in the electoral process.
Democracy can be fully realized only if the Iranian state elects a President who, based on a collective national interest, has domestic legitimacy, has the trust of the international community, and has the aptitude to reconcile political factionalism.
American Iranian Council
PRESS RELEASE
Tel: (609) 252-9099 Fax: (609) 252-9698
AIC URGES GENEROSITY IN TSUNAMI RELIEF
December 29, 2004 (Princeton, NJ) - The horrifying devastation and loss of lives caused by the recent tsunami in south Asia have stunned the world and deeply saddened all who have witnessed its effects. Many of the Council’s supporters familiar with the tragedy in Bam earthquake know what awaits the victims of last Sunday’s tsunami. Likewise, many supporters are participating in relief efforts, and in the coming weeks and months the Council urges everyone to look for appropriate ways to contribute to the response.
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The American Iranian Council (AIC) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan tax-exempt [501 (C) 3] educational organization dedicated to improved US-Iran relations through dialogue, better understanding, and constructive engagement.
American Iranian Council
PRESS RELEASE
Tel: (609) 252-9099 Fax: (609) 252-9698
A VICTORY NONETHELESS!
January 5, 2005 (Princeton, NJ) – On Monday, January 3, 2005, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi claimed “victory” over the National Geographic Society’s use of the term “Arabian Gulf” in the Society’s 8th Edition Atlas of the World 2005 World Atlas. A flood of patriotic protests from the Iranian-American community, and from Tehran, prompted National Geographic to update its atlas.
Though National Geographic has removed “Arabian Gulf” from its parenthetical position following “Persian Gulf,” a new parenthetical reference now states, “Historically and most commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is referred to by some as the ‘Arabian Gulf.’” National Geographic has also removed the “administrative labels” stating “occupied by Iran and claimed by the UAE” from the Abu Musa and Tunbs islands. The former change is a curious retreat from the earlier version, but a victory nonetheless. The American Iranian Council recommends continued attention to this matter, to insure the continued use of the historical term “Persian Gulf.”
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The American Iranian Council (AIC) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan tax-exempt [501 (C) 3] educational organization dedicated to improved US-Iran relations through dialogue, better understanding, and constructive engagement.
The following is an excerpt from the English version of a speech given by Farideh Farhi at the AIC Conference “Energy Situation and Nuclear Crisis in Iran” held in Los Angeles on October 29, 2004.
Part Two of Four
Iran’s Domestic Environment and the Nuclear Program
Dr. Farideh Farhi
The point of contention is of course the Saadabad agreement that was reached with the European trio in October 2003, the content of which is itself contested in terms of the length as well as the breadth of enrichment suspension. This agreement, while a breakthrough for the Iranian government at the time, immediately created new problems for those who negotiated the agreement at the behest of the National Security Council.
The most important and perhaps unforeseen problem was that it suddenly created a new and second task for the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency’s task was initially to deal with only one distinct set of issues which had to do with the Agency’s verification of Iran’s compliance with its legal obligations under its NPT safeguards agreement. This is a technical and legal task which was made easier by the fact that in December 2003 Iran agreed to sign an additional protocol to the safeguards and began acting as if the protocol was in force, despite the fact that formal ratification in accordance with Iran’s constitutional requirements is yet to come through. This agreement gave the IAEA unrestricted access to all Iranian nuclear facilities as well as the right to unannounced spot inspection. It is important to note that Iran’s decision to put into effect the additional protocol has to some extent resulted in intended objectives. In Mr. El Baradei’s latest statement to IAEA’s general conference on September 20, it is explicitly stated that the Agency has made steady progress in understanding the nature and extent of Iran’s nuclear program. El Baradei further stated that no additional undeclared activities on the part of Iran have come to light since the effective operationalization of the protocol. As a result of open access, El Baradei also stated that some previously outstanding issues have reached the point where any further follow-up needed will be carried out as part of routine safeguard implementation. Finally, most importantly, it was hinted that some explanations given by Iran, particularly regarding the source of highly enriched uranium on contaminated equipment, may be considered plausible.
Had the agreement with the Europeans been limited to the issue of signing the additional protocol, one could argue that the process would have perhaps taken its natural course and after a while, provided no new evidence of non-compliance was found, would have ended in the closure of Iran’s case at the IAEA. However, as we all know, the weight of evidence of past violations, although none constituting evidence for an on-going nuclear weapons program, and the hostile international environment led to the Saadabad agreement to halt uranium enrichment temporarily as a confidence-building measure. This gave the IAEA a task it previously did not have: the task of monitoring Iran’s voluntary undertaking to suspend enrichment related and reprocessing activities as a confidence-building measure.
Why the Europeans asked for this, we now know, had to do with the fact that the technological gap between peaceful nuclear energy program and nuclear weapons programs has now narrowed so much that by halting domestic enrichment, and hence preventing Iran from having a complete fuel cycle, they hope to prevent Iran from a breakout capability. On the other hand, the reason for why the Iranians accepted this was clearly stated by Foreign Minister Kharrazi in a very tense parliamentary session in the summer. He publicly said that Iran had to change the very hostile atmosphere that had been created and this was why Iran accepted voluntary suspension of enrichment. He said emphatically that without temporary suspension the case could not have followed its legal and technical course at the IAEA.
What all this means is that now the IAEA as well as the European trio and the US have demands on Iran that go well beyond the obligations created by the NPT. Within this context, cooperation with the agency now not only means transparency and full access but also a rather one-sided confidence-building process, putting the negative burden of proof that they are not building weapons on Iranians' shoulder. And the only way the Iranians can do this is by not completing their fuel cycle.
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About Update
AIC Update is a public service of the American Iranian Council aimed at educating Americans, including Iranian-Americans, about US-Iran relations. AIC Update is an information resource for US-Iran relations and the efforts of the American Iranian Council to perpetuate meaningful dialogue between the United States and Iran. | Vision
The vision of the American Iranian Council is that the United States and Iran will work together, since their common interests far outweigh their differences. AIC also envisions the Iranian-American community playing an increasingly significant role in American society, and Iran becoming a democratically developed member of the global community with full respect for human rights.
| Mission
The mission of AIC is to be a constructive force, in cooperation and partnership with other organizations, in bringing the United States and Iran together, involving the Iranian-American community in the dialogue, and bringing attention to social and political conditions in Iran.
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