|
|
|
Join UANI
Reuters: "Companies should not blame U.S.
sanctions for stopping them investing in Iran, a State Department
official told businesses on Wednesday, saying there were many other
risks putting off would-be investors. The United States and Europe
lifted sanctions in January under a deal with Tehran to limit its
nuclear program, but U.S. sanctions unrelated to the nuclear issue
remain, banning dollar transactions with Iran and making it harder for
companies to access finance for business in the Islamic Republic. Jarrett
Blanc, the State Department's deputy lead coordinator of last year's
nuclear deal, said companies should tell their Iranian partners that it
was not just those remaining sanctions that were holding up business
deals. 'Many times, in the past 100 days, we have found international
firms who have said to Iran: Only U.S. sanctions are preventing you
from doing business,' Blanc told 400 people at a forum for European
business with Iran in Zurich. 'But when we dig a little deeper, and
seek to answer questions about precisely your concerns, it turns out
that your business decisions, not surprisingly, in fact take into
account concerns well beyond sanctions.' ... While the United States
does not prohibit foreign banks from doing business with Iran, many are
wary after facing multi-billion dollar fines during the sanctions era.
Nonetheless, lawyers and consultants have consistently warned would-be
investors of a wide range of other risks including complex regulations,
unclear dispute mechanisms, labor issues, and corruption. Blanc said
investors who acknowledge these concerns privately should communicate
them to their Iranian partners. 'Don't take the easy way out, by just
saying U.S. sanctions, U.S. sanctions, U.S. sanctions,' he said." http://t.uani.com/1Ofx2D5
NYT: "Tensions between Iran and
the United States, never far from the surface, showed signs of
worsening on Wednesday, with the Iranians threatening to block a vital
Persian Gulf access route and protesting what they called the American
'meddling approach and tone.' The Iranian messages, conveyed in
statements by a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and
by the Foreign Ministry, came a few days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
the supreme leader, expressed exasperation with the United States, questioning
the longstanding deployment of the Navy's Fifth Fleet in the Persian
Gulf. 'It is Americans who should explain why they have come here from
the other side of the world and stage war games,' the ayatollah said in
remarks widely reported in Iran's state news media. Together, the
messages appeared to reflect a steady buildup of anti-American
sentiment in Iran recently despite the nuclear agreement that took
effect in January, which, on paper at least, eased the country's
economic isolation... But the Iranians have not yet benefited
economically and have accused the United States of obstructing their
ability to do business and attract investments, in part because of
other American financial restrictions unaffected by the nuclear
agreement... The Iranians have also taken note of efforts by some
lawmakers in Washington who opposed the nuclear agreement and who have
warned against a resumption of commercial dealings with Iran. On
Monday, for example, three members of Congress sent a letter to
Boeing's chief executive, Dennis A. Muilenburg, urging him 'in the
strongest possible terms' not to execute any sales to Iran, which the
company is considering after meeting with Iranian aviation officials
last month. Boeing has not commented on the letter but has acknowledged
opening discussions with Iran. The Iranians have also been seething
over an April 20 Supreme Court ruling that permitted the use of nearly
$2 billion in seized Iranian assets to compensate American victims of
overseas attacks that United States officials have attributed to Iran
despite its denials. Iran remains on the State Department's list of
state sponsors of terrorism, another sore point with the
Iranians." http://t.uani.com/24zHdvJ
JPost: "The United Against Nuclear
Iran organization on Wednesday slammed a two-day Europe-Iran forum
currently taking place in Zurich for promoting business to the Islamic
Republic while ignoring the county's support for terrorism and its
belligerent behavior. UANI CEO Mark Wallace and its chairman, former US
senator Joe Lieberman, issued a statement saying that it was 'alarming'
to see the event 'blindly promoting business opportunities and
investments in Iran without any acknowledgment of the severe risks or
discussion of Iran's troubling and belligerent behavior.' Iran, the
statement said, 'remains, the world's leading state sponsor of
terrorism. From ballistic missile tests and shows of force, to
political and financial support of terrorist regimes around the world,
Iran has made it clear to the world that the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal] has yielded no
real change or transformation in Tehran.' A disservice is being provided
the world's business community by presenting Iran as a 'hospitable,
ripe investment opportunity,' the group said. It also said it was
'concerning' that the forum's lead partners were Iran's Bank Pasargad
and the Iran Mines and Mining Industry Development and Renovation
Organization (IMIDRO). The properties of both institutions remains
blocked in the US. UANI sent a representative, former Italian foreign
minister Giulio Terzi, to the parley to raise the alarm about doing
business with an unrepentant Iran. 'It is our hope that minister
Terzi's presence will launch more equitable, substantive dialogue among
conference attendees, and offer sorely needed transparency during an
otherwise imbalanced forum,' the statement read." http://t.uani.com/1Wblycg
U.S.-Iran
Relations
AP: "On, Wednesday, Iran filed a
formal protest with the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which handles American
interests, over a resolution filed by Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., that
referred to the body of water as the 'Arabian Gulf' and objected to
Iran's actions there. A report by the state-run IRNA news agency quoted
Iran's Foreign Ministry as saying the country will take any necessary
action to maintain security, peace and stability of the Persian Gulf
region. Forbes said in a statement that the protests over the name are
'indicative of Tehran's aspirations to control the Straits of Hormuz
and turn the Gulf into an Iranian lake.' 'Our Navy is the only thing
preventing that from happening, and that's why Iran has been harassing
our ships and sailors and trying to drive us out of the Gulf,' he
said." http://t.uani.com/24xEQcM
AP: "Chevrolet, the U.S. car
brand once advertised as the 'Heartbeat of America,' won't be rolling
new models through the streets of Iran anytime soon despite the recent
lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal with world powers. Models
from the General Motors Co. division have been struck off a list of
allowed brands for the Iranian market after a speech last week by
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing American
automobiles... As many as 200 Chevrolets worth $7 million were to be
shipped to Iran from South Korea, according to a report carried by the
semi-official Mehr news agency that later was republished by Iranian
state television. It said Iran allowed in 24 Chevrolets in recent
months... The Mehr report said authorities struck the Chevrolets off
the list of approved foreign cars that can be imported. BMW, Hyundai,
Mercedes Benz, Toyota and others still can be imported - even Porsche's
Macan luxury crossover utility vehicle, according to the list now
available. It wasn't clear from the Iranian reports whether the
Chevrolets were being resold or coming directly from GM's factories in
South Korea. Farah Amhaz, a spokeswoman for GM based in Dubai, said the
Detroit-based manufacturer 'is fully committed to complying with U.S.
sanctions, including those that continue to prohibit most transactions
with Iran.' 'We have no plans to enter the Iranian market at this time
and are taking appropriate steps to prevent local entities from
importing GM vehicles into Iran,' she said." http://t.uani.com/1QSUsOv
Congressional
Action
AP: "Three Republican congressmen
from Illinois are urging the chief executive officer of Chicago-based
Boeing to avoid doing business with Iran and not sell aircraft to
upgrade its fleet. The lawmakers told Boeing chief Dennis Muilenburg in
a letter sent Monday that commercial aviation sales to Iran would
subsidize a country that continues to be a leading sponsor of
terrorism. 'We urge Boeing - in the strongest possible terms - not to
do business with Iran until it ends its support for terror,' wrote
Reps. Peter Roskam, Robert Dold and Randy Hultgren. Boeing did not
immediately respond to a request for comment on the May 2 letter. The
company has offered Iranian airlines three models of new aircraft to
replace the country's aging aircraft fleet, the Islamic Republic's
state-run news agency reported in April... The congressmen told
Muilenburg they are confident Boeing's discussions with Iran comply
with the law and called the company an 'American icon' that creates
thousands of jobs of Illinois. But, they wrote, 'this is not doing what
is legal - it is about doing what is right.'" http://t.uani.com/1SR1V2Q
Business
Risk
SHANA
(Iran): "A
senior Iranian energy official called for hastening banking and
insurance relations between Iran and Germany, saying, 'Germans hope to
resolve an issue with insurance ceiling for Iranian projects to offer
up to €5.5b in insurance coverage of projects in Iran.' Speaking with
Shana, Roknoddin Javadi, managing director of National Iranian Oil
Company (NIOC), talked about the highlights of his Tuesday meeting in
his Tehran office with German deputy minister of economic affair and
energy. He said resolution of banking restrictions between the two
countries was the chief topic of discussion during the meeting. Javadi
said German companies have signaled their willingness to join energy
projects in a ban-free Iran. 'German banks are kept behind the
country's industries and we asked Germans to spur their banks into more
cooperation with Iran abreast with their industries,' the official
said." http://t.uani.com/1TLm24I
Sanctions
Relief
Nikkei: "South Korea and Iran are set
to pursue joint projects involving energy, railroads and other
infrastructure totaling $37.1 billion as part of economic cooperation
agreed on between the countries' presidents. 'Seoul will re-establish
investments and expand bilateral trade to help Iran quickly rebuild its
economy and achieve growth,' President Park Geun-hye said at a news
conference following a summit with her counterpart in Tehran on Monday.
Iran 'hopes that South Korean corporations will take part in the
development of energy and other Iranian industries,' President Hassan
Rouhani said in response. Park, who wrapped up her trip Tuesday, also
met with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a joint statement,
the two countries announced plans for annual foreign ministers meetings
and cabinet-level gatherings on economic cooperation. They also agreed
on expanding trade of energy resources, including petroleum and natural
gas. South Korea will support Iran in building roads, ports and other
infrastructure as well as developing its medical sector. The countries
look to bolster their economic activities following the lifting of
international sanctions on Iran. Bilateral trade totaled $17.4 billion
in 2011, but plunged to $6.1 billion in 2015. Rouhani hopes to boost the
figure above $30 billion in the next five years, according to the South
Korean president's office. Seoul and Tehran also agreed to launch
direct flights between the countries. Park is the first South Korean
president to visit Iran since the countries established diplomatic ties
in 1962. She was accompanied by South Korea's largest business
delegation on record, made up of 236 representatives from business
organizations and companies such as Samsung... The 30 agreed-on joint
projects cover rail and road construction, oil and gas, the medical
sector and other fields. They have signed a provisional engineering,
procurement and construction contract for a 541km rail link between the
central Iranian cities of Isfahan and Ahwaz in which Hyundai Rotem
likely will take part. They also signed memorandums for South Korean
companies to help build six hospitals, including a facility for the
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, through assistance from the
Export-Import Bank of Korea." http://t.uani.com/1T0wi97
Korea
Times:
"President Park Geun-hye expressed hope, Wednesday, that improved
ties with Iran will create growth momentum for the South Korean
economy. Park returned home from her historic trip to Tehran - she was
the first South Korean leader to visit the Middle East country since
the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1962. 'I believe
Iran can become a land of opportunity for many South Korean firms,' Park
told reporters on a plane back to Seoul. 'I will make efforts to create
the second Middle East boom.' She referred to extensive construction
orders won by Korean companies in the 1970s and 1980s, which laid the
foundation for the country's rapid rise to economic prosperity. Her
trip was initiated to upgrade the ties between Korean and Iran as the
latter is emerging as a land of opportunity for foreign investment
after the lifting of international sanctions in January. During her
visit, the two countries signed 66 memoranda of understanding that
could lead to contracts worth $37.1 billion to revitalize Iran's
economy, stunted by the sanctions. 'Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
and President Hassan Rouhani expressed a strong desire for Iran to
improve the strategic cooperative ties with Korea in a variety of
areas,' Park said. 'We have agreed to expand cooperation in fresh
sectors including health care, medicine and energy as well as in
large-scale infrastructure development projects.'" http://t.uani.com/21A1Mqe
Reuters: "Siemens revised upwards its
valuation of its backlog of orders from Iran on Wednesday, citing
resurgent business prospects in the country following the easing of
international sanctions. The German industrial group, present in Iran
since it built the Indo-European telegraph in the 19th century, said
the revaluation had boosted second-quarter revenue by 174 million euros
($200 million) and profit by 130 million euros. 'This is a one-off
effect due to the resurgence of business expectations,' Chief Financial
Officer Ralf Thomas told reporters on a conference call. 'The backlog
can be worked through because the sanctions have been lifted.' The revaluation
partially reverses a 2012 writedown of the value of its Iranian
business after restrictions were tightened, causing a hit of 347
million euros to its profit. Munich-based Siemens maintained an office
in Tehran throughout sanctions regimes imposed by the United Nations,
United States and European Union over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Having
reluctantly stopped all new business in Iran in 2010, it has been quick
to seize opportunities since sanctions were eased in January and was
the first major German company to agree a deal with Iran this year.
Siemens signed memoranda of understanding in March on rail
infrastructure and gas equipment projects potentially worth billions of
euros, as well as an energy agreement with Iranian power and
infrastructure group Mapna... Siemens stopped doing new business with
Iran in 2010 but continued to service existing contracts as long as
they did not contravene sanctions. Siemens had been slammed for selling
telecoms equipment that was used to spy on dissidents in Iran." http://t.uani.com/23rOdZi
Bloomberg: "Iran is in talks with
Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings about restarting sovereign
credit ratings for the oil-rich state, Economic Affairs and Finance
Minister Ali Tayyeb Nia said. The government is negotiating with both
companies, Tayyeb Nia said in an interview at a conference on Islamic
finance in Tehran, without giving a timeline for the talks or a
prospective Iranian debt sale on overseas markets... Fitch withdrew its
B+ sovereign rating, the fourth-highest junk grade, for Iran in 2008
following the maturity and full repayment of its last sovereign
Eurobond that year. Moody's withdrew its B2 rating on Iran in 2002,
according to data compiled by Bloomberg. 'In March, Fitch confirmed it
was in discussions with Iran, but we will not be commenting in further
specific detail about the potential for or timing of new ratings at
this time,' Fitch Ratings said in an e-mailed response to questions.
Moody's declined to comment. Iran's government is also encouraging
companies to issue debt at home. Domestic bond sales are expected to
double this year, Rouhollah Hosseini Moghaddam, vice president for
issues and members at the Tehran Stock Exchange, said in an interview
last month. Thirty new offerings with a combined value of $10 billion
are expected by March 2017, he said, compared with eight sales worth a
total of $5 billion in the last Iranian year. The oil ministry is looking
into an international bond to fund oil and gas projects, state-run
National Iranian Oil Company said last week. Doing so would require
reviving ties with Fitch, a process that would probably take about
eight months, the oil ministry's Shana news agency cited NIOC's deputy
investment and financing director Ali Kardor as saying." http://t.uani.com/1rsD7an
Reuters: "Iran's new oil industry
investment contract for international oil firms will be ready by July,
a senior Oil Ministry official was quoted as saying on Thursday by
Iranian state TV. 'The new contracts will be ready in June, July ... We
welcome investors from all countries,' Deputy Oil Minister Rokneddin
Javadi said. Some 135 companies including BP, Total, Italy's Eni and
Spain's Repsol attended a conference in Tehran in November to hear
about the new Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) but its launch has been postponed
several times. Hardline rivals of pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani
have criticized the IPC, which would end a buy-back system dating back
more than 20 years under which foreign firms have been banned from
booking reserves or taking equity stakes in Iranian companies.
'Hopefully we will have oil tenders with new oil contracts in July,'
Javadi said. 'Iran's doors are open to all investors,' the
semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Javadi as saying. Javadi said
Iran had no plans to hold any conference abroad to introduce the new
oil and gas contracts to foreign investors. Iran canceled a London
conference set for Feb. 22-24. 'The introduction of the contract to
investors can be done in Iran,' Javadi said. Foreign companies will be
invited in July to bid for the new IPCs, the managing director of the
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said." http://t.uani.com/1TuA5Jj
WSJ: "Technology companies already
allowed to export to Iran under a U.S. general license now have
mechanisms under which they can more easily do it, thanks to the Iran
nuclear deal, experts say. The U.S. Treasury Department began
authorizing exports of personal communication technology and related
services to Iranians in May 2013, and expanded the authorization the
next year. The purpose for the U.S. authorization, at the time, was to
promote freedom of expression. Companies, under the license, can
export to Iran items such as mobile phones, satellite phones, radio
equipment, modems, laptops, anti-tracking software and anti-censorship
tools, along with support systems for their use. The nuclear deal with
Iran implemented in January doesn't explicitly change the legal
landscape for the sector, but it can provide clarity that helps with
compliance while revealing new risks, the experts said. It 'will
hopefully make things a little easier' for personal-communications
companies to do business in Iran, said Collin Anderson, an independent
technology researcher. 'Its influence on software [and personal
communications] exports isn't through direct authorization. It provides
a better environment' for the exports, said Mr. Anderson." http://t.uani.com/23rNGXg
Yonhap: "Hyundai Rotem Co., a
train-making unit of Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday that it has
signed a tentative deal to supply diesel-driven trains to Iran for
about US$260 million. The deal signed with Iran's state-run railway
corporation calls for Hyundai Rotem to produce and supply 150 train
cars. An official contract is expected to be inked in late July, the
company said in a press release. The trains to be supplied will be
deployed on the 960-kilometer line in operation in the suburban region
of Tehran. Hyundai Rotem said that the contract from Iran was possible
in part thanks to its continued cooperative business ties in Iran even
after international sanctions were imposed on the country. Hyundai
Rotem signed a similar deal in 2004 to supply 150 train cars to Iran
but it had to be put on hold after 2010 due to the sanctions. Before
the suspension, the company had supplied 68 cars of the total without
receiving pay. As the sanctions were lifted earlier this year, the
company said that it will hold negotiations to settle the unpaid bill
worth around 87.6 billion won (US$76.1 million) and supply the
remainder of the promised train cars to Tehran." http://t.uani.com/1ZhHujn
Terrorism
JPost: "Iranian Defense Minister
Hossein Dehqan pledged support for Palestinians groups that fight
against the 'Zionist regime,' in a meeting with the head of Islamic
Jihad. 'The secret of victory over the Zionist regime and the
liberation of the Holy al-Quds [Jerusalem] lie in the unity of all
Muslims,' Dehqan told Ramadan Shalah in their meeting in Iran on
Tuesday, Fars News Agency reported. 'The goal of the big powers is to
wage war, create turmoil and promote terrorism in the region in a bid
to guarantee the security of the Zionist regime and forget the
Palestinian cause,' the defense minister said. Shalah and his
delegation met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, and
have met other Iranian leaders during their current visit." http://t.uani.com/1rXgony
Human
Rights
WashPost: "Atena Farghadani, the
29-year-old artist who had been sentenced to more than 12 years in
prison after drawing Iran's parliament as animals, has just been freed,
according to her attorney. 'She's very, very happy,' her attorney,
Mohammad Moghimi, told The Post's Comic Riffs through an email interview
communicated and translated by Nikahang Kowsar, a board member of
Washington-based Cartoonists Rights Network International. Farghadani's
crimes, the Iranian courts had said, included 'insulting members of
parliament through paintings' and 'spreading propaganda against the
system,' according to human-rights groups. Farghadani was arrested in
the summer of 2014 after she drew 'parliament as animals' to protest
the government's measures to curb birth control... Moghimi says that
Farghadani's joy over her release is mixed with the sadness of knowing
that her former cellmates remain at Evin Prison, with fewer to no
public supporters because of their lower profiles. Farghadani's case
had attracted worldwide attention, including visual protests by artists
based in Europe, Australia and the United States. During her
imprisonment, Farghadani reportedly was subjected to strip searches and
a forced 'virginity test' - the latter after Moghimi himself was
imprisoned for shaking hands with his client while working on her case.
He says that his time inside a cell affirmed his belief that Iran's
correctional system needs to evolve." http://t.uani.com/1T3h1aW
Amnesty: "The release of Iranian
artist and activist Atena Farghadani yesterday is a long-overdue step
towards righting the injustice against her and must be followed by the
immediate and unconditional release of other peaceful artists and
activists who remain behind bars, Amnesty International said today.
'Atena Farghadani's release represents a legal and moral victory for
her and encourages the efforts of activists worldwide to campaign for
the release of other prisoners of conscience in Iran, as well as for
reforms to the unjust laws used to put them behind bars in the first
place,' said Magdalena Mughrabi, interim Deputy Director of the Middle
East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. 'While this
is a time for celebration, it is vital that the world doesn't forget
that Atena Farghadani should never have been imprisoned in the first
place and that many others like her continue to languish in cells or
have the threat of prison hanging over their head for peacefully
exercising their rights.'" http://t.uani.com/1SR33Ud
Opinion
& Analysis
Lawrence
A. Franklin in Gatestone: "Central Bank of Iran (CBI) officials have admitted
that the regime's own financial policies, and not the United States,
are responsible for some of the country's banking problems. CBI
governor Seif Valiollah admitted recently that Tehran's failure to reap
more economic benefits from the JCPOA agreement is, at least in part,
Iran's own fault. These revelations by Iran's top banking officials
refute charges by Iranian hardliners that the United States has been
orchestrating a toteyeh bozoorg ('grand conspiracy') to deny Iran
access to international banking networks. CBI officials and others have
detailed the shortcomings of Iran's own banking system. These CBI
statements challenge the skewed comments in the Iranian press that
America's refusal to grant foreign banks access to U.S financial
services is what is responsible for Iran's bank problems. Some of the
negative commentary came from economists disappointed with President
Rouhani's management of the economy. CBI governor Valiollah said that
the failure of the country's banks to adhere to standard international
reporting practices is at fault. He also blamed the financial policies
of former President Ahmadinejad as contributing to the present disorder
in Iran's banking network. Valiollah criticized, for instance,
Ahmadinejad's populist policies, such as frequent and careless loans,
as a waste of finances. Valiollah also specifically mentioned
Ahmadinejad's penchant for using non-accredited financial institutions,
through which he doled out rewards to political cronies, and addressed
the lack of liquidity in Iran's banks as a consequence of the large
amount of failed loans. Subsequently, these bad loans necessitated the
buy-back by the government of physical assets, such as residential and
business properties. Valiollah offered an overall bleak assessment of
Iran's tarnished financial image, which he suggested, has discouraged
foreign investment. In a swipe at the hardliners who oppose President
Rouhani's economic 'opening to the West,' Valiollah also mentioned that
Iran has a reputation for not being exactly transparent on countering
financial support for terrorist operations. He further blamed the
regime's willingness to facilitate money-laundering schemes as another
factor discouraging investment from abroad, and indirectly criticized
the overweening influence of the huge business conglomerates run by the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the Iranian economy.
Valiollah also called for Iran to have a unified and stable exchange
rate tied to the market rate, not one subject to manipulation by
powerful groups affiliated with the regime." http://t.uani.com/1T3hyJX
Michael
Rubin in Commentary:
"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the so-called
Iran nuclear deal, has become like a bad timeshare agreement an
instance in which the costs seemingly continue to grow and new
conditions arise that were not disclosed upfront. Few signed onto the
agreement wholeheartedly and Congress refused a direct vote on the
agreement's merits. In hindsight, that was probably a good thing
because the deal has only gotten harder to defend. Consider all the
hidden costs or assurances provided by Secretary of State John Kerry or
other administration officials that at best were misleading and at
worst were outright lies... Indeed, at almost every instance when the
Iranian government raised objections about conflicts over
interpretation of the deal, Kerry's State Department sided with Tehran,
so desperate have he and his aides become to claim the deal to be a success.
With so many baits-and-switch and hidden costs, it's not surprising
that Congress simply doesn't trust anything that comes out of the White
House or State Department on the subject of Iran. Fool me once, fool me
twice, or perhaps in this Congress, fool me five or six times, but not
more. The recent efforts by Peter Roskam (R-Illinois) and Rep. Jackie
Walorski (R-Indiana) enshrined in 'No Defense Contracts for Terror
Profiteers Act of 2016' (H.R. 5139) is an unfortunate necessity,
especially given the stranglehold which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps' economic wing still has over trade and the Iranian economy. The
bill seeks to prevent the Department of Defense from awarding any
contracts to any company that does business with entities complicit in
Iran's support for terrorism, its ballistic missile program, its human
rights abuses, and other illicit activities. This should be a
no-brainer. How telling it would be if the White House and State
Department end up opposing the bill, arguing in effect that the deal
Kerry negotiated entitles Iran to U.S. Defense Department
dollars." http://t.uani.com/1WaeVpT
Michael
Rubin in Commentary:
"What's actually telling is how much the National Iranian American
Council (NIAC), the de facto Islamic Republic of Iran lobby in the
United States, has come to rely on RT to publicize itself during the
same period in which RT had become an offensive propaganda weapon.
Here, for example, are just a few of the RT contributions of NIAC's
permanent leader, Trita Parsi. And here are similar conspiratorial
inputs by Jamal Abdi, the group's policy director who opined, for
example, that a terrorist attack in Israel might actually be about
providing a pretext for Israel to attack Iran. And here is Reza
Marashi, who had started at the State Department as an intern and come
to the attention of his bosses for his unnatural curiosity about the
identities of democracy grant recipients inside Iran, passing himself
off as 'a former State Department officer' to purport to tell RT what
U.S. intelligence agencies were saying. Many organizations seek to
chime in and seek to inform or shape the policy debate, but few would
think it wise to make their case alongside 9/11 Truthers, Neo-Nazis,
and other hate-groups. Then again to argue that the Islamic Republic of
Iran is a normal state that has shed its ideology is to be just as
divorced from reality. What is shocking, however, and more than a bit
worrying is that those purporting to advance a relationship which they
argue would be good for the United States think nothing of associating
themselves with such conspiracy theorists or lending themselves as
agents of Kremlin propaganda." http://t.uani.com/1NkIJhd
|
|
Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against
Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear
Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive
media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with
discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please
email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com
United Against Nuclear
Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in
a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a
regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an
issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own
interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of
nuclear weapons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment