- Coalition that opposes a U.S. invasion of Iran as a means of stopping Tehran's leaders from developing nuclear weapons
- Is composed mostly of leftist groups, but also a few conservative organizations
- Asserts that "sanctions cannot replace diplomacy as a means of resolving differences between nations," and decries "hostile official rhetoric which exacerbates tensions and reinforces misunderstandings and false animus between people in the United States and Iran"
The Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran (CNAPI) was founded in 2008 to counsel against a U.S. invasion of that nation; at the time, there was much speculation that President Bush might be planning to launch a war against Iran in an effort to derail its nuclear weapons program. Said one of CNAPI's organizers, Carah Ong of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation: “The current rumor here in Washington is that Bush will attack [Iran] after the November [2008] elections so it won't hurt the Republican nominee politically. Many around him say he feels he has to do something before he leaves office.”
According to Ong, CNAPI originally grew out of a November 2007 meeting of liberals and conservatives at the Washington, DC headquarters of Americans for Tax Reform. CNAPI bills itself as "transpartisan" to reflect the fact that some of its constituent groups and advisors include political conservatives such as the American Conservative Defense Alliance, the Libertarian Party, and the American Cause, which is headed by Patrick Buchanan.
As of June 2008, CNAPI consisted of 42 “partner groups,” including the American Friends Service Committee, Antiwar.com (headed by Dennis “Justin” Raimondo), the Backbone Campaign, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Institute for Policy Studies, the Mennonite Central Committee’s Washington Office, George Soros’ Open Society Policy Center, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Women’s Action for New Directions.
CNAPI’s mission statement reads, in part, as follows:
“A military confrontation with Iran would have enormous human and financial costs and would plunge the Middle East into further chaos.... While serious concerns regarding the Government of Iran's statements and behavior persist,... CNAPI supporters believe sanctions cannot replace diplomacy as a means of resolving differences between nations. They also decry hostile official rhetoric which exacerbates tensions and reinforces misunderstandings and false animus between people in the United States and Iran…. Supporters of CNAPI believe sustained, direct, unconditional, bilateral, and comprehensive talks between the governments of the United States and Iran represent a realistic way to resolve long-standing conflicts that destabilize the Middle East and by extension, threaten the global economy.”
A number of CNAPI “experts” are available to speak, in media interviews and at special events, on the subject of Iran. These experts include:
- Doug Bandow, a Fellow with the American Conservative Defense Alliance
- Joseph Cirincione, who was named President of the Ploughshares Fund in February 2008
- Jake Colvin, Director of USA Engage, a coalition that seeks “educate the public on the harmful effects of unilateral U.S. sanctions”
- James Dobbins, Director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation
- Robert Dreyfuss, a contributing editor or writer for The Nation, The American Prospect, and Mother Jones magazines
- Robert G. Gard, Jr., the Senior Military Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- Phil Giraldi, a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist who currently works as a contributing editor for The American Conservative magazine and as a columnist for Dennis “Justin” Raimondo’s Antiwar.com website
- John Isaacs, Americans for Democratic Action’s legislative representative on foreign policy and the U.S. defense budget
- Stephen Kinzer, a foreign correspondent who has covered more than 50 countries
- Flynt Leverett, who, after working as a foreign policy advisor in the U.S. government from 1992 to 2003, left the Bush administration because of disagreements about Middle East policy and the conduct of the war on terror
- William H. Luers, who was elected President of the United Nations Association of the USA in 1999
- Justin Logan, Associate Director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute
- Ed Martin, currently the Iran Country Representative for the American Friends Service Committee, and formerly the leader of a Mennonite Central Committee relief program in Iran
- William Miller, a Senior Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson international Center for Scholars
- Carah Ong, the previously mentioned Iran Policy Analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- Trita Parsi, author of the 2007 book Treacherous Alliance -- The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States
- Thomas Pickering, a former U.S. Ambassador who currently is affiliated with the International Crisis Group
- Barbara Slavin, author of the 2007 book Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S. and the Twisted Path to Confrontation
- James Walsh, a Research Associate in the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
CNAPI encourages Americans to take the following measures to influence U.S. policy towards Iran:
- “Urge your Members of Congress to support direct, unconditional, bilateral, and comprehensive talks between the governments of the United States and Iran.”
- “Run an ad in your local paper” to “raise awareness about the dangers of a U.S. military attack on Iran and to spread the message that Americans want diplomacy, not war, with Iran.”
- “Write letters to the editor on Iran.”
- “Call into radio talk shows” and “make the point that real diplomacy is needed with Iran.”
- “Organize or attend an event on U.S.-Iran relations in your community.”
|
