Egypt: Congress’ Push for Democracy and Human Rights
September 1st, 2010 by Anna
In the Wall Street Journal today, Jay Solomon reports on pressure directed at the Obama administration regarding human rights and political freedoms in Egypt. It is not clear whether President Barack Obama plans to bring up issues about next year’s elections in Egypt during President Hosni Mubarak’s meeting with Obama today. The Senate is reportedly considering a non-binding resolution that encourages additional dialogue between Washington and Cairo about democracy and human rights issues, and calls for that dialogue to be a formal part of bilateral U.S.-Egypt relations. More specifically, the resolution recommends that the U.S. pressure Egyptian leaders to end the country’s decades-old emergency law.
In an op-ed for Al-Ahram recently, Mohamed Abdel-Baky expressed skepticism at Congress’ resolutions on the political situation in Egypt, calling the most recent proposal the “same old story.” He notes that although a formal statement by Congress can carry moral force and places additional pressure on the State Department in its relations with the Egyptian government, the resolutions use “soft language” and rarely make large demands.
Posted in Congress, Egypt, Elections, Human Rights, US foreign policy | Comment »
Morocco: “Beacon” of Religious Tolerance, or Repressor?
June 30th, 2010 by Jennifer
Menachem Rosensaft, founder and Chairman of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, writes at the Huffington Post that recent reactions by some U.S. Congressmen to the deportation of American citizens from Morocco on charges of proselytizing, are overly harsh and not merited. Rosensaft says that Jews and Christians practice their faith openly in Morocco without persecution, calling the North African nation “a rare beacon of tolerance in an otherwise mostly religiously xenophobic Muslim world.” He notes that Morocco is only one of many nations in the Arab and Muslim worlds with laws against proselytism on the books, and argues that the foreign citizens were expelled for violating national laws, not for their personal religion.
Rosensaft’s commentary comes in light of a hearing on religious freedom in Morocco held by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives in mid-June, in which several Congressmen leveled heavy criticism against the Moroccan government and called for repercussions. Rosensaft notes that Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) went so far as to equate Morocco’s actions to those of the Nazi regime in Germany, commenting, “these comparisons are over the top and betray either an ignorance or a disregard of history.”
Posted in Congress, Human Rights, Morocco | 1 Comment »
Rep. Lowey: No Aid to Fund Corruption in Afghanistan
June 30th, 2010 by Jennifer
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), chairwoman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs announced on Monday that she will not approve the inclusion of further aid to Afghanistan other than humanitarian assistance in the Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations Act, citing government corruption and misuse of funds as her motivation for the cuts. Lowey stated, “I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan until I have confidence that U.S. taxpayer money is not being abused to line the pockets of corrupt Afghan government officials, drug lords and terrorists. Furthermore, the government of Afghanistan must demonstrate that corruption is being aggressively investigated and prosecuted.”
The Congresswoman’s remarks come in the aftermath of an annual report released in November of last year by Transparency International, which ranked Afghanistan second worst in the world in terms of its levels of corruption, coming behind only Somalia.
James Traub asks in Foreign Policy whether Afghan president Hamid Karzai is worth the battle in Afghanistan, commenting that he was able to brainstorm a list of only 5 reasons for staying the course and 10 for abandoning the U.S. effort, among them “Karzai is too corrupt” and “Karzai doesn’t believe in it.” Nevertheless, Traub concludes that the consequences of leaving the war-torn country could prove too high, as a U.S. withdrawal would be likely to strengthen Islamic radicalism worldwide, in his assessment. If the U.S. is to carry on, Traub proposes, it must push Karzai to “take governance seriously” and remove his corrupt allies, or otherwise “get out of the way” so that others can lead.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Karzai disagreed with the negative assessments of his government coming out of Washington, stating, “We are accountable for the money that international community is donating for Afghanistan and there is transparency in usage of these donations.”
Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Foreign Aid | Comment »
Steny H. Hoyer: Democracy Should Be A Pillar of U.S. Foreign Policy
June 28th, 2010 by Jennifer
Speaking on national security policy at Center for the Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) highlighted democracy promotion as one of four “crucial tools” to safeguard national security and combat threats such as international terrorism. Calling democracy, human rights, and economic freedom “the most powerful weapons in an ideological struggle,” Rep. Hoyer pointed to the fall of the Berlin Wall as evidence that “experience shows that the values of free societies can break down the strongest walls of oppression. And American foreign policy has, at its best and most creative, taken advantage of that fact to keep our nation more secure.”
Hoyer went on to detail lessons learned on democracy promotion from the Bush era, arguing that “democracy cannot be imposed by force; that elections alone do not equal democracy; that democratization and economic growth do not always go hand-in-hand; and that failing to lead by example weakens democracy around the world.” In that light, he called for a renewed U.S. commitment to recognizing and supporting democratic movements publicly, mentioning Iran and Egypt specifically in that regard. Hoyer emphasized his belief in a dovetailing of U.S. interests and values on this issue, proposing that working to enable greater democracy and freedom worldwide would bring American foreign policy into line with national ideals, while ultimately making the country safer as well. “All of our presidents have understood the value of pragmatism,” he stated, “but they have also understood that it must be balanced with America’s historic role as the advocate of democratic values and democratic movements around the world.
Hoyer also criticized policies that violate the rule of law and human rights on the home front, including use of torture, rendition, and extrajudicial detention.
Posted in Congress, Democracy Promotion, US foreign policy, US politics | Comment »
Iran Sanctions Bill Passed
June 25th, 2010 by Farid
Yesterday, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act (H.R.2194) was passed unanimously in the Senate , 99-0, and the House, 408-8. The final version of the bill can be found here in a pdf version. Josh Gorbin writes at Foreign Policy that a few changes have been made to the bill, including a request that the President address the impact of ethanol on Iran’s nuclear capacity and Iranian energy “know-how” through joint ventures that could potentially “aid Iran’s energy sector.”
Gorbin reports that both the House and the Senate are confident that President Obama will sign the bill into law, but some are worried about its implementation. “So lawmakers and staffers are planning to keep a close watch to see how the law is carried out,” says Gorbin. The U.S. administration has been reluctant to address the impact of these sanctions, as uncertainty still exists over their effect.
Posted in Congress, Iran, Legislation, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Iran: Are Sanctions and Engagement Compatible?
May 21st, 2010 by Josh
Echoing the frustrations of others earlier this week, Roger Cohen uses his most recent New York Times op-ed to question the wisdom of the Obama administration’s “bristling” response to the trilateral nuclear fuel swap deal. Cohen believes that the president should have exclaimed, “Pressure works! Iran blinked on the eve of new U.N. sanctions. It’s come back to our offer. We need to be prudent, given past Iranian duplicity, but this is progress. Isolation serves Iranian hard-liners.” Instead, the administration not only distanced itself from the deal, but also insisted “on a prior suspension of enrichment that was not in the October deal.”
Over at World Politics Review, Nikolas K. Gvosdev asks “Where does this process go from here?” One possibility, he says, is that “the Obama administration could run up against a growing domestic U.S. consensus that both a U.N. resolution and congressional legislation are needed — that having one without the other is insufficient.” Gvosdev predicts that such a scenario may complicate diplomatic overtures in the future. But Time’s Tony Karon isn’t so sure, writing that a “two-track” complementary approach of punitive pressures and diplomatic engagement “may be Washington’s answer to Iran’s strategy of negotiating while steadily adding to its stockpile of nuclear material.”
Posted in Congress, Diplomacy, Iran, Legislation, US foreign policy, US politics, sanctions | Comment »
Egypt: More Pushback on the Endowment
May 14th, 2010 by Josh
On the heels of Josh Rogin’s report yesterday, Scott Carpenter from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has a piece up underscoring the varied reasons why an endowment for President Mubarak’s regime would be “bad for both American taxpayers and the Egyptian people.” Although he’s moderately encouraged that the Obama administration appears to be resisting both the scale and comprehensive nature of Egypt’s request — which calls for a “phasing out” of traditional U.S. aid in favor of a consolidated program of economic support under the endowment — Carpenter still views the $50 million already allocated under the December 2009 appropriations bill as “stunningly deferential to the Egyptian government,” and he’s shocked that Congress has yet to hit the brakes on a proposal that would “emasculate its oversight role regarding U.S. aid to Egypt.”
All told, Carpenter doubts the endowment will incentivize real change and he advises the administration to pause in order to review the objectives of the U.S.-Egypt aid relationship. Establishing negotiated benchmarks for increased assistance in targeted sectors, for example, will “create the promise of a win-win proposition” and, if done in direct partnership with the Egyptian cabinet’s economic team, may “maximize the impact of U.S. assistance.”
Posted in Congress, Diplomacy, Egypt, Foreign Aid, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Iran Sanctions: Why Does the U.S. Government Do Business With Companies Doing Business in Iran?”
May 12th, 2010 by Josh
The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee held a hearing to explore the history, efficacy, and enforcement of sanctions that target companies who do business with both the United States and Iran. The committee invited three individuals to provide testimony: Danielle Pletka, Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; Joseph Christoff, Director of International Affairs and Trade at the Government Accountability Office; and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL).
For POMED’s notes in PDF, click here. Otherwise, continue below the fold.
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Posted in Congress, Congressional Hearing Notes (Senate), Diplomacy, Iran, Legislation, Oil, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
Sen. Conrad Receives Ire of Foreign Policy Community
April 30th, 2010 by Chanan
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has not been in good stead with the foreign policy community since announcing last week his decision to slash some $4 billion from the Obama administration’s $58.5 billion budget request for State and USAID for fiscal 2011.
The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) recently expressed their “deep disappointment” in Sen. Conrad’s proposal and also organized a letter signed by all eight living former Secretaries of State encouraging Congress to express their support for the full international affairs budget. The same argument has been made over the last week by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), and even U2 front-man, Bono. ”Development gets even less if Senator Conrad gets his way,” Bono said in a speech at the Atlantic Council’s annual awards dinner on Wednesday night. “So you peaceniks in fatigues have a job to do over the next few weeks.”
Posted in Congress, Legislation, US foreign policy, US politics, Uncategorized | Comment »
Mounting Pressure to Fully Fund Administration’s Foreign Affairs Request
April 28th, 2010 by Josh
Via Laura Rozen, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition has coordinated an effort [PDF] by all eight living U.S. Secretaries of State to urge members of Congress not to cut the international affairs budget. This joint letter is part of a larger USGLC campaign that has enlisted the support of Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, 31 senators, as well as various congressional coalitions and caucuses [all in PDF].
You can read more about the Middle East-related components of the Obama administration’s FY2011 budget request in POMED’s recently released report.
Posted in Congress, Legislation, US foreign policy, US politics | 1 Comment »
Senate Budget Committee Cuts FY11 Request for Foreign Affairs
April 21st, 2010 by Josh
Via the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad has cut President Obama’s FY11 foreign affairs budget by $4 billion, the only reduction in any area of discretionary spending from the administration’s FY11 request. USGLC Executive Director Liz Schrayer expressed disappointment with Senator Conrad’s decision, saying that this 7 percent cut is “especially dramatic considering the President’s $58.5 billion request for FY 2011 is basically a flat-line request over last year.”
This move came despite a bipartisan letter from 31 senators urging Conrad and Ranking Republican Member Judd Gregg to adopt the president’s foreign affairs budget request in full.
Posted in Congress, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Global Internet Freedom: A Foreign Policy Imperative in a Digital Age”
March 24th, 2010 by Chanan
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted an event to formally launch the U.S. Senate Caucus on Global Internet Freedom, a bi-partisan initiative determined to promote global Internet freedom. The event featured opening remarks from caucus co-chairs Senators Ted Kaufman (D-DE) and Sam Brownback (R-KS), as well as other Senate caucus members including Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Robert Casey (D-PA).
John Nagl, CNAS president, introduced the senators by lauding Congress “as a real leader on Internet freedom,” especially for its efforts last summer to pass The Victims of Iranian Censorship (VOICE) Act.
Click here for POMED’s notes in PDF. Otherwise, continue reading below.
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Posted in Congress, DC Event Notes, Egypt, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Protests, Technology, US foreign policy, Uncategorized | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Iran at a Crossroads: Assessing a Changing Landscape”
March 10th, 2010 by Chanan
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) hosted a morning-long event to discuss the prospects for democracy in Iran and to evaluate the current state of U.S.-Iranian relations.
Following some brief welcoming remarks by Trita Parsi, president of NIAC, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) delivered the opening address by stating that “Iran is at a crossroads like no other.” As members of the Green Movement fight and die for more basic freedoms, “the world is watching how this popular movement plays out.” Eshoo, whose district has one of the largest Iranian-American populations, expressed appreciation for the role played by technology in combating the government’s abuse of power, specifically citing Facebook’s creation of a mobile application that could not be blocked by Iranians and the decision by Twitter to delay maintenance to help dissident Iranians communicate during last summer’s protests. She also criticized the U.S. invasion of Iraq for emboldening Iran and expressed skepticism about the value of sanctions in achieving U.S. goals: “We have to work very hard to educate our colleagues of the very failure of sanctions because they will end up hurting the people we want to help.”
For POMED’s notes in PDF, click here. Otherwise, continue reading below.
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Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, DC Event Notes, Elections, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, US foreign policy, Uncategorized, Women, sanctions | Comment »
Iran: U.S. Sanctions Following Human Rights Violations, Political Instability, & Nuclear Uncertainty
January 29th, 2010 by Jessica
In a post for The Cable, Josh Rogin comments on the Iran sanctions bill that passed the Senate late last night. During debates over S.7299, Senator John McCain voiced concerns that the bill primarily focused on security issues and did not address sanctions for Iranian officials guilty of human rights violations and abuses against civilians engaging in peaceful political activity. McCain proposed an amendment that would allow visa bans, asset freezes, and financial restrictions on persons found guilty of the aforementioned offenses. Time restrictions led to a compromise: McCain agreed to withdraw his amendment if Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed to address the substance of the amendment in the conference report concerning the bill. The bill passed the senate with an overwhelming majority.
The passing of S.7299 follows the hanging of two Iranian activists, who were reported to be active participants in anti-government protests. Evan Hill reports that the two protesters, Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour, were accused of attempting to overthrow the Iranian government and being enemies of God. Nasrin Sotoudeh, Rahmanipour’s lawyer, told sources that she was only allowed to meet with her client once and her participation in the court proceedings was denied. Sotoudeh also said that allegations leveled at Zamani and Rahmanipour were false and that their confessions were made in light of threats against the accused’s families. Nine more Iranians have been accused of similar crimes with identical sentencing being imposed.
White House spokesman Bill Burton commented harshly on the hanging of the two individuals, “We see this as a low point in the Islamic Republic’s unjust and ruthless crackdown on peaceful dissent. Murdering political prisoners exercising their universal rights will not bring the respect and legitimacy that Iran seeks.” Previously critical of a hard-line stance on Iran, the Obama administration has begun to favorably consider tougher sanctions. In an interview with CNN, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented, “Our assessment is that sanctions will be tough and clearly aimed at the Iranian economy, but that the international community does not have a choice . . . This is not meant to punish Iran; it’s meant to change their behavior, and it’s not meant as a target at any one person. It’s meant to change the calculation of the leadership.”
Posted in Congress, Human Rights, Iran, Legislation, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
SOTU: Reaction to the Foreign Policy Sections
January 28th, 2010 by Josh
Despite the relative dearth of foreign policy pronouncements in last night’s State of the Union, some are voicing displeasure with what they see as the speech’s simplistic view of the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. IraqPundit is astonished that President Obama implied a forthcoming end to the Iraq war simply by virtue of withdrawing the remaining U.S. troops. “Surely he must know that just because he pulls some U.S. troops out of Iraq not much will change. The terrorists will continue to murder.”
Over at The Cable, Josh Rogin interprets this brief passage as Obama taking “credit for the one problem that seems to be resolving itself.”
Contrary to IraqPundit, Juan Cole views the Iraq line as Obama’s strongest foreign policy declaration within the speech, noting that it signals Obama’s recognition of Iraq as “irrelevant to the war on terrorism” and makes it “quite clear that the U.S. military is departing Iraq on the timetable worked out with the Iraqi parliament.” However, Cole is less pleased with Obama’s rhetoric on Iran, which he sees as “essentially a capitulation to Neoconservative themes on Iran, rather than retaining Obama’s central plank of keeping negotiating lines open to Tehran.” He also dismisses the efficacy of sanctions to do anything other than “keep a country weak and harm civilians.” They can not, according to Cole, produce regime change.
Commenting on the Obama’s priorities, Laura Rozen isn’t surprised with the “downgrading of foreign policy emphasis in the speech.” She relays a revealing conversation she had last week with a Democratic strategist who predicted that by early mid-summer, it will only be Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan on the president’s agenda. “The president is now a war president and an economy president,” the strategist said.
Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Diplomacy, Iran, Iraq, Neocons, US foreign policy, sanctions | Comment »
State of the Union: Excerpts on Foreign Policy
January 28th, 2010 by Josh
President Obama delivered his first State of the Union Address last night, focusing mostly on domestic issues such as job creation, alternative energy investment, and the budget deficit. Although foreign policy took a back seat, the speech did include a few notable passages, including one on the potential for Iranian sanctions should Iran’s leaders continue their diplomatic belligerence:
Now, these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons. That’s why North Korea now faces increased isolation, and stronger sanctions — sanctions that are being vigorously enforced. That’s why the international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated. And as Iran’s leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: They, too, will face growing consequences. That is a promise.
Obama’s only mention of Iraq and Afghanistan came in the context of troop deployments and deadlines. For Iraq:
We will support the Iraqi government as they hold elections, and continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity. But make no mistake: this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home.”
For Afghanistan:
In Afghanistan, we are increasing our troops and training Afghan Security Forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011, and our troops can begin to come home. We will reward good governance, reduce corruption, and support the rights of all Afghans - men and women alike.
With regard to universal principles of justice, Obama briefly alluded to America’s history of supporting those who seek empowerment:
America takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores… That’s why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in Afghanistan; why we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of Iran… For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity. Always. Abroad, America’s greatest source of strength has always been our ideals.
We will highlight commentary on the speech and its significance throughout the day.
Posted in Afghanistan, Congress, Freedom, Iran, Iraq, US foreign policy | 1 Comment »
Congress: Anti-American Media Bill Criticized
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Bikya Masr reports The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) has come out criticizing a bill (see our previous post) recently passed in the House that would identify and seek to isolate international news media that broadcast “anti-American incitement to violence.”
According to ANHRI, the bill “represented a sharp additional decline on the U.S. promises to improve its poor record in civil and political freedoms locally and internationally.” Furthermore, ANHRI claims the bill violates American obligations to international treaties. In an interview with Bikya Masr, local media analyst Hassan al-Naggar argues Congress has further “tarnishe[d] Obama’s struggling image.”
However, the article suggests Congress hopes the legislation “will create more equitable television viewing that leaves violence off American air waves.”
Posted in Congress, Freedom, Journalism, Legislation, Middle Eastern Media, NGOs, Public Opinion, US foreign policy | Comment »
Iran: Gasoline Sanctions Counterproductive?
December 17th, 2009 by Jason
Debate still continues over the House passage of the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA). Jeff Bergner argues the U.S. must “compel” Iran to negotiate through some combination of a naval embargo, targeted military action, a free leash for Israel, or crippling sanctions.
However, Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution argues against IRPSA. Instead, if the U.S. imposes enhanced sanctions, it must delineate clear and limited objectives, continue negotiations while imposing sanctions, seek international consensus, focus on direct and immediate costs, and target those responsible for human rights abuses, not the Iranian people.
Matt Duss agrees with Maloney, calling IRPSA not only “ineffective” but “counterproductive” as well. It offers “Iran’s hardliners a powerful propaganda lifeline, and would likely facilitate greater regime consolidation right at the moment that the conservative consensus around Ahmadinejad is starting to crack up.” Therefore it’s no wonder why the Green movement is against IRPSA and the administration is attempting to “put the brakes” on the Senate version.
Meanwhile, Eric Anderson urges to apply some “pragmatism to engaging with Iran” and realize that there is little the U.S. can do to stop an Iranian nuclear weapon. But Roger Cohen contends there is a lot the Iranian people can do. Therefore, when he is asked “where the ’stick’ is in Iran, [his] response is the stick is Iranian society - the bubbling reformist pressure now rising up from Iran’s highly educated youth and brave women.” Therefore, Cohen argues “the time has come to do nothing in Iran.”
Much of the push for enhanced sanctions stems from Iran’s failure to negotiate in good faith. Ray Takeyh in the Boston Globe explains how Ayatollah Khamenei created a new committee to oversee foreign affairs, comprised by members of Khamenei’s staff, the intelligence community and the head of the Revolutionary Guards. Takeyh argues it was this committee formed in October that scuttled the nuclear deal, not external dissent from opposition leaders and the Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani.
Babylon and Beyond offers further detail on the new trend of Iranian men posing in pictures wearing the veil out of solidarity with Majid Tavakoli, a student leader arrested for his activism. niacINsight reports that the government’s head of university affairs approximates 70 percent of university students oppose Ahmadinejad and has called for a stronger response against students and professors who are purportedly “weakening the regime.”
AFP reports that Iran’s judiciary also warned opposition leaders that it has accumulated enough evidence to try them, comparing them to “the regime’s most despised enemy, the People’s Mujahedeen.” Iason Athanasiadis observes that while the abuses of Evin Prison are well known, Iranians truly fear the “string of hidden detention sites” throughout Tehran.
Finally, niacINsight expresses its disappointment with Time Magazine over its decision to not include the Iranian people on their shortlist for Person of the Year, even though balloting showed greater support for the Iranian people compared to the second and third choices combined.
Posted in Congress, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Legislation, Military, Multilateralism, Oil, Protests, US foreign policy, US politics, Women, sanctions | Comment »
Iran: House Passes Gasoline Sanctions
December 16th, 2009 by Jason
As expected, the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (H.R. 2194) passed overwhelmingly in the House, with 412 voting for, 12 against, and 4 present. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl) explained she hopes to “impose sanctions so painful that they should threaten the Iranian regime’s survival.” The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Cali.), emphasized how “Iran has had ample time to respond positively to President Obama’s generous engagement offer. Regrettably, the response has been only one of contempt.”
But there was congressional opposition to the bill as well. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) lamented how “we’re telling the Iranian people, ‘we have feelings of friendship for you. We like you so much, but we’re going to cut off your home heating oil.” Additionally, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) expressed his “strongest opposition” to this bill that represents “another significant step” towards war. Paul argued argued that history shows “it is citizens rather than governments who suffer most” under sanctions, which have been proven to only “strengthen regimes they target and marginalize any opposition.”
Laura Rozen reports the administration is “quietly working” to make modifications to the Senate version. Two issues being discussed are whether the sanctions would alienate America’s partners and whether the sanctions will be mandatory or allow the President to exercise discretion in their implementation. Under the House version, the president must seek a waiver in every case the sanctions would not be imposed.
In response to a letter sent by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee stating that the sanctions legislation “might weaken rather than strengthen international unity and support for our efforts,” Jennifer Rubin calls the administration “a crowd that’s allergic to leverage.”
Rozen also reports that the State Department has asked the Treasury Department to allow Iranians to download free mass market software that enhances their ability to communicate. In response, NIAC President Trita Parsi lauded the decision that makes sure “the policies of the U.S. government don’t unintentionally aid the Iranian government’s efforts to silence its people.”
In a likely response to the legislation, Iran has test-fired an improved Sejil 2 solid-fuel missile, which has a range capable of striking Israel and U.S. bases throughout the region. Meanwhile, Tehran Bureau reports that the Iran’s Prosecutor General has confirmed the rape of opposition members in prison but rejected the involvement of prison guards. In addition, hundreds of of pro-govenrment and pro-opposition students held rival rallies in Tehran yesterday.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Saeedi has resigned as deputy director of Iran’s atomic energy body. Meir Javedanfar suggests the resignation may indicate infighting within the regime over nuclear negotiations. The regime also seems split over what to do with Mir Hossein Moussavi and other opposition leaders. Mea Cyrus at Tehran Bureau observes “the Islamic Republic of Iran is so fed up with post-election protests that it is willing to adopt extreme measures to bring them to an end,” even if it means imprisoning or assassinating opposition leaders like Moussavi.
Masoud Golsorkhi explains how the regime’s efforts to discredit Majid Tavakoli have backfired because they have failed to understand that the green movement is “a post-modern, post-ideological civic movement” where women are at the “forefront.” Finally, Omid Memarian argues the opposition have “entered a new phase” in protesting the Islamic regime itself, and not just the contested elections.
Posted in Congress, Diplomacy, Iran, Legislation, Military, Multilateralism, Oil, Protests, Technology, US foreign policy, US politics, sanctions | Comment »
Iran: Gasoline Sanctions Debate Today
December 15th, 2009 by Jason
The House is currently debating the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (H.R. 2194), and they will likely pass the legislation before the end of today. That news likely comfort Ephraim Kam, who writes in Haaretz that the West must impose “harsher sanctions” and threaten Tehran with potential violence.
Nonetheless, niacINsight urges the U.S. to “stand with the Iranian people” by opposing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, which many members of the green movement have said would hurt the Iranian people and not the regime. Jamal Abdi warns such sanctions “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 gave path towards military confrontation.”
Instead, niacINsight hails the introduction of the Stand with the Iranian People Act (SWIPA H.R. 4303) introduced by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and the Iranian Digital Empowerment Act (IDEA H.R. 4301) introduced by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA). Both of these acts were introduced yesterday. SWIPA would enable Americans and Iranians to work together to promote human rights or for projects like building hospitals and schools, while also imposing targeted sanctions on the regime and companies that work with it. IDEA would legalize the transfer of communication and anti-censorship tools between the U.S. and Iran.
Arguing in favor of SWIPA and IDEA and against IRPSA, Patrick Disney contends, “the yardstick for an effective Iran policy is not how much pain and suffering it will cause among innocent Iranians. Rather, changing the policies and behavior of Tehran’s repressive government should be our ultimate goal. This means that when it comes to sanctions, bigger is not always better.”
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Posted in Congress, Diplomacy, Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Judiciary, Legislation, Military, Oil, Protests, Technology, US foreign policy, US politics, sanctions | Comment »
