Sanctions, please
Yes to sanctions on the Islamic Republic for refusing nuclear demands

August 30, 2006
iranian.com

The deadline for Iran to desist nuclear activities is over. The incentives package, delivered to the IRI on June 6, by the 5 + 1 (5 members of the UN Security Council, along with Germany) has been rejected by the IRI. The Iranian file shot back to the forefront of world attention. The case of Iran’s nuclear programme is going to be tackled in the United Nation Security Council.

The incentive package was meant to persuade the IRI to stop enriching uranium out of concerns it will be used to produce nuclear weapons. The main bone of contention at present is that the IRI does not accept any suspension of enrichment activities to be a pre-condition to talks, while the West demands that all such activities cease before negotiations commence. IRI’s leaders demagogically pretend the enrichment is to be used for peaceful purposes, including as an alternative to carbon-based fuels.

As I described in a previous article, Atom-Allah, the IRI will not and cannot abandon its nuclear programme because it is in fact an ideological project of its military strategy. Although, it is only up to Iranian people to decide about peaceful nuclear technology, but it is clear that the IRI wants to use it for its “Islam’s army”--their  “Seif-al-Islam”, sword of Islam, must now be replaced with an efficient arsenal or in their would-be “atom-al-Allah”.

The IRI knows that the sword of Islam cannot achieve the same military victories as it did for “dar-al Islam”, territory of Islam, during the Golden Age of Islamic Caliphate. “The rusty sword of Islam is so dull that it could not effectively defend the Iranian- backed Lebanese Hezbollah from the recent Israeli attacks” or, worst, “it cannot free the occupied “Islamic” territory of Palestine from the arch foe of Islam, Zionist Israel”. Since the “dull” sword and bellicose jihadist strategy of the IRI cannot practically complement each other, today, the regime needs a sharp “sword”, a new efficient weapon. In this perspective, its nuclear programme would stand for the most efficient alternative.

Regarding the jihadist aims of the IRI, an optimistic solution for the atom conflict between the international community and IRI’s officials is nothing but an illusion. In reality, the IRI cannot and will not desist from its nuclear weapons; such a “sin” would be in breach of“jihad fi sabil Allah”, war for the cause of Allah. Furthermore, the IRI’s nuclear ambitions do not consider the interests of Iranian national economy, but mainly have roots in its military purposes.

In fact, the standoff is not only between the IRI and the UN, but more profoundly between the IRI and Iranian people. While the international community is not enough aware or does not care about the anti Iranian nature of the IRI, the UN permanent members will eventually decide about the measures of sanctions on Iran, not the IRI. 

Many of those who are serious about preventing an IRI’s nuclear programme cannot address their threats to Iranian people. For example, the Bush administration hypocritically uses the word “Iran” instead of the IRI; it implicitly means that Iranian people should atone for the IRI’s nuclear ambitions. It is time that Bush and some other western leaders and  media finally improve their diplomatic vocabulary by realising that there is a gulf of contradiction between people and their non-democratic elected governments, especially between Iranian people and the anti-Iranian IRI.

What concerns all Iranian democrats, we must try to influence the UN’s decisions so that the sanctions punish IRI’s perpetrators, not Iran and Iranian people.

With focus being placed on the military related means and judicial measures against the IRI’s officials, Iranian people will be coming out as the real winners of any sanction against IRI’s officials. Long-term interests of Iranian people consist of developing appropriated sanction measures to improve the effectiveness of UN sanctions against the anti Iranian Islamic regime.

All freedom-loving people around the world, especially Iranian people in Iran who are the first victims of IRI’s atrocities, welcome sanctions for any reason on the IRI provided Iranian people are not themselves subject to these sanctions. The sanction measures must be set up by such appropriate UN resolutions that they weaken the IRI’s apparatus while strengthening the position of people.

As I described in my previous articles, the sanctions can only bring results when the measures are merely aimed at the IRI’s leadership, but not target those economic branches providing necessary needs for people. Sanctions of food and medical supplies raise the infant mortality, malnutrition problems, the massive deteriorations in basic problems, in particular in massive poverty, the health-care system and hygienic conditions, as it saw the case during the sanctions on Iraq under Saddam.

In another hand, the state mafia in Iran will be even content with abusing UN economic sanctions to gain more profit. As we saw during the Iran/Iraq war, a country at economic crises is an oasis for the corrupt ruling class.

The sanctions must start by expelling the IRI from the UN and all related institutions. The UN should then avoid any measure applying to supplies of non-military uses. In general, the sanction measures should not apply to ordinary use of people, but ban the direct or indirect sale, supply and transfer to IRI-controlled areas of technical advice, assistance or training related to the military forces which form the IRI’s apparatus of suppression.

The sanctions must efficiently and directly target IRI’s means of suppression, in a higher proportion, their military plans, its repressive organs and its administration. Once again, the UN should punish the suppressive IRI, but cannot furthermore punish the suppressed Iranian people. We all Iranians should express concerns at the possible adverse impact of sanctions on our people, especially on the most vulnerable segments of the population, such as less protected poor people and children.

Attacks on Iranian military installations are not only illegal under international laws, but they would also tighten the dictatorship in Iran and harbour incalculable consequences for the entire region. It costs many lives and seriously damages the national infrastructures. The UN along with the international community must initially try all non-military means to contribute their helps to free Iran from the plague of the IRI.

It is necessary that the UN creates a sanction committee to work out and to control effectiveness of sanction measures on the IRI. The sanctions must be vigilant, smart and precise targeted actions merely aimed at all the institutions of regime and its officials. Such a committee should require all State Members to reduce the number of IRI’s diplomatic personnel, restrict or ban the entry and transit of IRI’s officials in their respective countries. They should freeze all funds, financial assets and economic resources that are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by IRI’s officials and their related institutions.

The time is ripe and evidences at hand that political Islam along with all its different related associations, paramilitary organisations, training camps, jihadist centres and all its related financial resources be outlawed. Furthermore, all Islamist institutions, centres, mosques and etc, as potential danger to democracy and human life in the non-Islamic world, should be banned or be put under restrict control of the local authorities.

As long as IRI’s officials cannot be brought before an international court, the Security Council, by using the article 41 of the UN Charter, should urge all countries to prevent entry into or travel through their territory of individuals suspected of involvement in the crimes committed by the IRI. In this perspective no visa should be issued to IRI’s officials or former insiders of the regime.

Many documentary evidences and lists of IRI’s officials, former insiders and their  collaborators are at hand, the sanction committee is expected to order the Member States to freeze and confiscate all funds, financial resources financial assets and economic resources that are held by IRI’s senior officials or even members of their immediate families. The Iranian democratic opposition must already ensure that after the fall of the IRI, their assets can be recuperated. The plunder of people’s wealth by the late Shah and his family should not be repeated once more.

Whether the adopted sanctions be lifted or not, Iranians will avoid yielding any compromise with the IRI’ various manoeuvres. The main purpose of all Iranian democrats is to get rid of the IRI. Therefore, by using any international tribune, including the UN, to put the question of IRI’s legitimacy at the centre of dialogue, the people do not divert from their main purpose.

It is not a secret; the U.N. is dominated by developed capitalist states whose philosophy can end up to ignore or to restrain moral values in their diplomacy. Russia and China, with historically no respect for human rights, are less resolute toward the IRI. The fact that Bush has suddenly used the word“fascism” for Islamic fundamentalists seems to be the new buzz word for his Republican Party in an election season dominated by an unpopular war in Iraq.

We know that Bush’s global war on terror cannot be necessarily promoted into a war against Islamic fascism. In fact, if Bush has now discovered the word”fascism”, with loses of many thousands, Iranians know that the IRI has been committing the most fascistic crimes in the 27-year-old of its existence and if Bush looks for a sort of “regime change”, Iranians do not look for a regime change à la Bush, but a topple of the whole Islamic regime

In such a perspective, the UN systematically can undermine itself in a vicious circle of failures which end up prolonging parasitic life of the IRI. The UN policy either has already ignored the crimes of the IRI or has been too complaisant towards the regime. The result is that in the consciousness of both freedom-loving and Iranian suppressed people the U.N. cannot easily lend itself to the equation of its concept with the ideals of humanity.

Just how the sanctions can be pushed against the IRI remains still debatable. Since early this year, in meeting after meeting of the Security Council, the US have failed to get China and Russia -- both allies of the Mullahs -- regarding more strident action against the IRI. Analysts believe that Iran's recent answer is likely to exacerbate divisions among Security Council members. Russia and China want to remain committed to a political solution, wishing to keep the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), not the Security Council, at the centre of the process.

Iranian people are not so naive to forget that the economic interests of the five countries with veto power have the upper hand in their decision about the sanction regimes. On the other side, camp under the IRI is hypocritical as far as its existence is concerned; IRI’s officials do any compromise when they see danger approaching. Therefore, new proposals might be tactically set up sending IRI’s current atom policy in the backbench. In such a case, Iranians should not remain tight lipped about the proposals, but demand the UN to examine other, worst, records of the IRI.   

Atom conflict aside, the U.N. should declare its duty and responsibility when a totalitarian regime like the IRI systematically stands against its people. Iranians want to know what the UN is practically supposed to do when their state is anti Iranian and is in permanent conflict with the people but does not give up the power in a peaceful process.

The U.N. is expected to determine effective actions to stop massive human losses in Iran. The UN is expected to officially express itself about the losses of some 150000 political executions since the existence of the IRI. The UN must now take the consequences in attempting to convince Iranians how it reacts against the culprits of such a massive genocide.

The dubious opposition of some IRI’s former insiders can implicitly mean that they disappointedly predict a regime fall in Iran. They escape in fact the court of post-IRI. Many of them like Akbar Ganji have made their career in the IRI’s repressive organs. He is now freely on his tour around the world, making dubious campaigns in which he demagogically condemns some of his ex-colleagues, but never frankly describes his own Islamist past. He should be interrogated by an international judicial organ like The Hague court for his involvement and his important information about the crimes committed when he was in the repressive organs of the IRI.

When the IRI calls on all Muslims to wipe out Israel, it is a dangerous threat, but what they have done since 27 years in Iran is not only a threat, but flagrant acts of atrocity. What concerns the failure of the UN; the reasons for the arrogance of political Islam are partly due to the resoluteness of the UN. The vicious circle of Islamic crimes cannot be stopped as long as the UN has not issued resolutions rejecting and definitively stopping the plague of political Islam. Furthermore, the UN is responsible to mandate the international community to bring all the IRI’s leaders and their collaborators before an international court for their crimes against humanity.

The IRI remains as defiant as ever. Supreme leader Khamenei said Monday that Iran would not bow to international pressures. Not insignificantly, Iran also staged massive military war games "to test new weapons and tactics against a potential enemy," as reported by state television. It is also important to mention that by emphasising on the nuclear conflict, the IRI skilfully diverts the international community from its increasing violations against human rights. Iranian people, along with the international community,hope that the UN would learn from the IRI’s previous vicious games and do not enter a new phase of compromises and complaisance with the totalitarian and anti Iranian regime of Mullahs. Comment