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AIC Update February 2005 | Volume # 2 | Number # 8 | |||
| a catalyst for change through dialogue and understanding |
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Talking Points: AIC Press Releases & Alerts: Perspectives & Commentary: Views in the News: |
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Talking Points:
Each week the Council publishes Talking Points in AIC UPDATE to improve dialogue on issues integral to improving US-Iran relations.
AIC Press Releases & Alerts:
On Tuesday, February 22, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck central Iran, destroying villages and homes made of mud brick and leaving over 500 dead and an estimated 900 injured. The earthquake was centered on the outskirts of Zarand, a town of about 15,000 in Kerman Province, 600 miles southeast of Tehran. With an epicenter 150 miles away from Bam, the earthquake did not approach the devastation of the 2003 quake that killed 31,000 people. Nevertheless, the toll was severe. About 30,000 people were affected, many left homeless. Kerman’s governor, Mohammad Ali Karimi, said that several villages were destroyed, and in the village of Sarbagh, near Zarand, nearly 80 percent of the buildings were destroyed. The Iranian Red Crescent and the Iranian government originally told international relief officers it did not need outside aid, according to a spokesman for the Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. But Iran later requested and received about $180,000 worth of tents and blankets from Japan, and declared its willingness to accept offers of help from foreign countries. In a rare, direct contact, US Assistant Secretary of State William Burns called Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Javad Zarif, to offer aid. The offer was declined, although Zarif, speaking through an aide, denied that the Iranian response was a refusal. “Iran did not refuse the help but said we can handle it domestically,” he said. Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes, experiencing an average of at least one slight earthquake every day. At this time, the Iranian Red Crescent Society does not plan on making an emergency appeal for international aid. However, concurrent with the appeal made by the International Federation Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Council urges voluntary contributions from donors. Please feel free to contact the Council at 609-252-9099 or contact@american-iranian.org for assistance in this matter. WHO: Hooshang Amirahmadi, Ph.D., Professor of Urban Policy and Planning Development, Director of Rutgers Center for Middle Easter Studies, and President of American Iranian Council WHAT: (En)Light(e)ning Lunch Series “Can Iran Become Democratic?: U.S. Foreign Policy and Democratization of Dictatorships” WHEN: March 10, 2005 WHERE: Rutgers University, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi plans to present the second in his series of lectures originally delivered at Columbia University earlier this month. When delivering the lecture at Columbia, Amirahmadi originally suggested that that normalization of relations with the United States is a “necessary condition for democratization.” The lecture can be expected to present a similar outlook, with an additional emphasis on the necessity of dialogue and engagement to prevent the impending talk of war with Iran. 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. Dear Friend of AIC: The date is fast approaching and you are cordially invited to “Tribal Life and Women’s Rights in Iran” on Saturday, February 26, 2005, from 6:00 to 10 p.m. at the Livingston College Student Center, Rutgers University. The event is organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University, and is co-sponsored by the American Iranian Council, among other organizations. Please see flyer and registration form provide detailed information. This event will feature:
Space is limited; please email mideast@rci.rutgers.edu to sign up and reserve your seat. In your email, please include your name, phone number, and an email address. We hope that you will grace this event with your presence. Sincerely, Hooshang Amirahmadi, Ph.D. Professor and Director Center for Middle Eastern Studies President, AIC Co-sponsors: American Iranian Council Rutgers Center for Women’s Global Leadership Rutgers Department of Africana Studies Rutgers University Persian Cultural Club Perspectives & Commentary:
Apparently, Jerome Corsi’s penchant for personal attacks cannot be satiated. Corsi, the co-author of the book “Unfit for Command,” has realigned his sights on John Kerry and taken stabs at other Democratic politicians in his new book, "Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians." It is unclear what Corsi’s purpose is in continuing to pursue personal attacks and half-truths by publishing a book whose main theme borders on fiction. Although the book has yet to be published, various reviews claim that Corsi has painstakingly researched and documented his book. However, Corsi’s articles on the subject of Iran, published over the last four months, lay very shaky groundwork for the book. Corsi often misstates the meaning and context of actions and events and on more than one occasion has allowed provocation to usurp reason or reality. Corsi connects various politicians and public figures to the regime in Tehran through the American Iranian Council (AIC) and in the same breathe identifies AIC as an organization “that has been certain to press its agenda to restore economic and diplomatic ties between Iran and the United States.” However, it appears Corsi is unable to look beyond his attack-dog approach, to understand that better relations between the two countries is a means for preventing, not stoking, nuclear ambitions. With Iran being on the top of the foreign policy agenda, it is most uncertain why Corsi would engage in such antics aimed at manipulating public opinion in the direction of war. One can only hope that Americans are not swayed by Corsi’s questionable agenda. The following essay was originally written by Hooshang Amirahmadi in 2002 following President George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech that characterized Iran as a member of the ‘axis of evil’. However, the ideas are as pertinent today as they were three years ago. The essay has been slightly adapted and updated to reflect current events. Iran has condemned terrorism, calling the fight against it a “holy war”. The terrorists who attacked the United States on 11 September 2001 have been Iran’s enemies for years. Yet, to cooperate with the United States in the fight against terrorism, Iran must stop all relations with rejectionist Moslem groups and denounce their violent activities. It is not acceptable that Iran should use some of these groups to project power. That power should be built elsewhere. This change in policy will help Iran play a positive role in the peace process and in working with the United States on a definition of terrorism and its causal explanation. Iran is a party to all international conventions and agreements relating to weapons of mass destruction. Iran’s nuclear facilities are also open to international inspection. Iran’s sole reason to acquire WMD was the Iraqi threat. The war with Iraq demonstrated to Iran that Saddam would mercilessly use all types of mass destruction weapon he controls. Israel and the United States are not targets. In the absence of the Iraqi threat, Iran can be persuaded to enter into a mutually acceptable deal with the United Nations or even the United States on weapons of mass destruction. However, a surgical strike will exacerbate Iran’s inspiration for WMD as it did in the case of Iraq. This new approach to US-Iran relations require a stronger and unified government in Iran and a three-track US focus: good public relations, building trust with the Government, and enlisting support of regional states, Israel included. Tehran must put its house in order by rallying around reformist elements, giving him them a mandate to work with Washington. The Leader Ali Khamenei must put his stamp of approval on the new policy. Those who oppose such an approach must be isolated. National reconciliation within a democratic framework is an urgent necessity. At stake is Iran’s national interest and future progress. The United States must support human rights, political reforms, economic development and social justice in Iran, but refrain from taking sides in Iran's domestic affairs. President Khatami’s successor must offer strong leadership to the reform movement, not allowing it to silently bow to conservative rumblings. Likewise, the movement must seek more support from the public while working with the leadership. Iran’s transition to democracy must succeed. This might entail broadening the government to include representatives from the upper, middle, and lower classes of varying ideological and political orientations. Only a democratic Iran can hope to have democratic relations with the United States. Views In The News:
The growing voices over Iran’s nuclear program are not all on the same page. Despite what appears to be increasing evidence that the United States intends to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions with military force, other voices have begun to suggest that US involvement must be more constructive. The following article outlining the opinion of Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA was originally published in the Financial Times on February 20, 2005. By Christopher Adams in London and Guy Dinmore in Washington Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has called on the US to join Britain, France and Germany in their diplomatic efforts to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In an interview published on Sunday in Der Spiegel, the German news magazine, Mr ElBaradei said that the European initiative could only succeed if "the United States joins in and throws its weight behind it". He said that without US involvement, the so-called "EU-three" could not offer Iran enough economic and security guarantees to persuade it to permanently stop enriching uranium and renounce its nuclear ambitions. "Progress is difficult to conceive without Washington," said the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We need a common front." Mr ElBaradei said that if Iran was determined to have nuclear weapons - as the US believes it is - they could be available within two or three years. But he voiced his alarm over the possibility of a military attack by the US on Iran, saying it would only make the country more determined to acquire a nuclear deterrent. "After such an attack the Iranians would certainly set themselves in earnest to making a bomb in secret." European diplomats have warned that a deal with Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions looks increasingly remote. An official close to the negotiations said on Sunday: "There is unlikely to be an agreement for months." As the US conducts a review of its policy on Iran, future talks between the Islamic republic and the EU-three are expected to focus on how an agreement to suspend enrichment of uranium can be made permanent. As George W. Bush, US president, prepares for his first meeting since re-election with EU leaders in Brussels on Tuesday, officials on both sides of the Atlantic said Iran would be high on the agenda. The talks follow tension between Washington and Tehran that has unsettled financial and energy markets. Mr Bush and European leaders agree that Iran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. But differences over strategy remain and these are likely to surface if the US pushes for Iran to be referred to the UN Security Council. Washington has refused to rule out military action against Iran and Mr Bush wants the Europeans to stress the penalties it could face. To encourage Tehran to adhere to its suspension of uranium enrichment, some incentives will be offered. Modest offers of humanitarian aid from Europe are likely to form part of the negotiations, along with help ensuring that food products meet standards for export to western markets. Iranian officials have privately made clear to European negotiators they are determined to develop a nuclear programme for civil purposes and complain that Iran has not benefited from its earlier commitment to suspend uranium enrichment. The issue could flare in the summer if Iran carries out a threat to restart the process. Additional reporting by Bertrand Benoit in Berlin |
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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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