Posted on 06/29/2007 12:27:14 AM PDT by freedom44
Iranian American experts on Iran's fundamentalist Islamic government say an American strike on Iran could backfire against the United States and serve to strengthen elements within the regime. Since 2005, the Center for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights (CFPD), an L.A.-based Iranian American nonprofit, has been examining the Iranian government's actions and educating lawmakers in Washington, D.C. on how to deal with the regime.
"Twenty-five years of research and studying this government teaches us that the Islamic Republic of Iran provokes crisis to remain in power," said Farhad Mansourian, an Iranian Muslim research fellow at the CFPD. "They are looking forward to someone, one of these days, to do exactly what they want, which is to answer back on that provocation so they can capitalize on it."
In an interview on the CBS "Face the Nation" on June 10, Lieberman said the United States should consider limited air attacks against camps in Iran where insurgents are being trained to fight American forces in Iraq.
Mansourian believes that rather than attack Iran, the United States needs to develop a comprehensive policy of supporting pro-American elements there to bring about the demise of the regime from within.
"We have been procrastinating on Iran for 28 years, and it's time to talk about the only option that will deal with this cancer, and that is regime change," Mansourian said. "The ayatollahs in Iran have a vision of destruction in the world so their 'mahdi' or messiah can come."
This belief, he said, "is not a joke. That is why we must talk about the only viable option that destroys this cancer cell, since anything less than that is cosmetic."
Members of Iran's government have been quick to exploit Lieberman's statements because he is Jewish, as part of their long running anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Mansourian said.
"Various news reports from the Islamic Republic's controlled media used words to the effect that the 'Jew Lieberman' -- as opposed to Joe -- 'a known Zionist U.S. Senator, after meeting in Israel calls for military strikes on Iran ... and we know who controls U.S. policy,'" Mansourian said.
Iranian Jewish leaders, including Sam Kermanian, secretary general of the L.A.-based Iranian American Jewish Federation, argue that U.S. officials should put their efforts into supporting democratic movements within Iran, since nearly 90 percent of the country's population is believed to oppose the regime.
"The people of Iran are so fed up with their regime that they are willing to risk their freedom and even their lives for a chance at a better future," Kermanian said. "But they need to know that their struggle indeed has a chance, and the civilized world in general and the United States in particular will support them in this struggle."
Leaders of many local Iranian Jewish groups have mostly stayed out of political matters concerning Iran, out of fear that their statements could be used by the Iranian government as excuses to punish the nearly 20,000 Jews still living in Iran.
Frank Nikbakht, an Iranian Jewish activist and director of the L.A.-based Committee for Minority Rights in Iran, said a substantial number of Jews have stayed in Iran because they feel they will face economic and cultural challenges if they leave the country.
"Some successful and resourceful Jews [in Iran] have either a false sense of security or are willing to take risks, hoping to outlast the regime," said Nikbakkht, "while some have converted to Islam or other 'safer' religions such as Christianity to help them survive."
Nikbakht also said that in recent years Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to retaliate against the United States by hitting oil fields in Persian Gulf countries, attacking oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz and striking U.S. military forces stationed in the Persian Gulf and throughout the region. Moreover, he said, Iranian officials have indicated that they will attack U.S. interests in the Gulf in the event of an Israeli attack on Iran.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has made it clear that even an Israeli strike alone will be considered as a U.S. attack, since according to the Iranians, the Israelis would not strike without U.S. approval," Nikbakht said.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have also intensified within the last year as Iranian officials have refused to halt enrichment of uranium, which many Western experts believe will be used for the creation of nuclear weapons.
While U.S. and Iranian officials met in Iraq in late May for direct talks for the first time in 28 years, U.S. military officials have released new evidence showing that Iran has been aiding Shiite insurgents in Iraq as well as arming members of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Assadollah Morovati, the Iranian Muslim owner of Radio Sedaye Iran (KRSI), a Persian language satellite radio station based in Beverly Hills, said radio listeners in Iran have frequently called his station expressing their desire for the United States to attack Iran.
"Unlike in Iraq, people in Iran know that America does not want to take over their country," Morovati said. "We have people calling in from Iran everyday saying that America should launch military attacks on Iran so that they can be free from the oppression of the regime -- but mind you, this isn't my opinion."
On June 4, the California Assembly unanimously passed legislation that would require state pension funds to divest an estimated $24 billion from more than 280 companies doing business with Iran. The bill is slated for a vote in the California State Senate later this summer and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Earlier this month, Florida became the nation's first state to pass an Iran divestment bill into law. Legislatures in Texas, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey are also weighing similar divestment legislation.
Many Iranian Muslim experts have compared the Iranian threat faced by the United States to that of Nazi Germany during World War II.
"Would we be able to say to the Germans during World War II, 'OK you've only killed 7 million Jews, that's enough, from now forward let's have Eichmann run your government'? No, that entire system was based on discrimination and destroying of a race!" Mansourian said. "Now these guys in Iran want to destroy all the races that don't subscribe to their thinking, so there is no other way to deal with this problem than regime change."
Why am I not surprised by their conclusions?
Was there any chance of this particular group coming to different ones?
I'm not sayin' just asking--not sure if this is one of those CAIR-like groups.
I guess if I had loved ones living there, I might give pause, no matter how hideous the government.
I’m not advocating an attack on Iran. And your point is a good one. I’m just unfamiliar with this group.
Our military forces do not operate as armies with old weapons did during World War II. We have very accurate weapons now. The nuclear and other military facilities are mostly isolated enough from civilians, and civilians near any such facilities would be given notice and time to get away from them.
My guess is that an important emphasis would be on more construction engineers and equipment for faster rebuilding of public utilities (clean drinking water, food, electricity and the like).
Would Iranian military forces be likely to force large numbers of civilians to be “human shields?” Or would Iranian military forces fight as real soldiers in the field, away from the built-up cities of their civilian relatives?
Yes, I do business with a number of Persian Americans in LA and they are all opposed to a military attack on Iran. They want the US to turn up the pressure but not use force. If we look at the Cold War it took 50 years to dislodge the tyranny. Guess we have another 20 years or so to go. Hope we and Israel have the time.
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