Islamic Republic of Iran’s Smoke and Mirrors

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arash Irandoost
by arash Irandoost
26-Jun-2010
 

americanthinker.com

 

By Arash Irandoost

Since 1977, no two men have contributed to the erosion of America’s credibility and prestige than President Carter and his foreign policy adviser, Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, with the verdict not yet out on President Obama. Jimmy Carter, aided by Mr. Brzezinski, introduced new directions in foreign policy that would ultimately trick Russia to invade Afghanistan in a cold blooded eagerness to payback Moscow for Vietnam and betray one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East. By orchestrating Shah’s failure, and supporting Khomeini, they created one of the most militant anti-American dictatorships considered by many as the most dangerous threat faced by the United States today.

 

Their short-sided and ill-conceived policies have been a source of frustration and disappointment towards America leading to lack of trust and loss of respect for this great nation. Carter’s policies have contributed to making the Middle East an extremely turbulent region giving rise to militant and ideologically-driven Islam that has been reigning terror ever since. Indeed, Taliban and Islamic Republic are the byproducts of such miscalculated foreign policy decisions.

Out of character for America in terms of her history, sense of morality and basic decency, administration after administration American policy makers continue with their failed policies aided by the intelligence Community, liberal ideologues and orchestrated by IRI financed obbyists and “so-called: reporters; university professors; opposition and human rights activists; and Iran experts. America is no longer the nation of Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower or Ronald Reagan. Gone are the days of America standing with democracy and freedom seeking groups.” Bending down and bending backward to appease dictators, extending an open hand to terrorist nations, allowing a regime that randomly arrests, imprisons, tortures, stones, hangs and rapes women to have a seat on UN Women’s Right Commission and ignoring blatant human rights violations by the United Nations member nations have become routine.

Such policies of appeasement are not gone unnoticed by various friends and foes. The United States’ continuous acquiescence of IRI leaders has disenfranchised many pro democracy Iranians. Their last glimmer of hope was painfully dashed by Obama soon after his election when he extended his hand and addressed the rapist government of Iran on the occasion Iranian New Year. Frustrated by America’s silence, demonstrators risked their lives and chanted “Obama are you with them or with us?”, providing the United States with yet another opportunity to redeem itself. Obama turned his back on them and their cries for freedom and democracy went unnoticed. Sadly, such actions have emboldened the mullahs. Reports of torture, rape and hangings continue to pour out of Iran.

Cognizant that its weapons program and human rights violations might eventually be condemned by the world community, the Islamic Republic has been spending millions of dollars on a campaign of smoke and mirrors to legitimize, justify and hide its criminal activities and weapons
program.

Lobby groups and IRI agents are hard at work to discredit pro democracy opposition groups and dissuade the world community from taking a decisive action against Iran. Deceitfully, they have infiltrated the universities, established foundations and mosques, bought out ethnic television stations to shape public opinion and the US policy. They appear on American television and news stations, write books and articles, and organize public events and orchestrate rallies. Their concerted and coordinated strategy is designed to fool the United States into thinking that Regime is pragmatic, can be reformed and Mousavi is the man to bring about the needed reforms. They oppose sanctions and claim sanctions only hurt ordinary people. They push for dialogue and diplomacy, and assassinate or smear those who oppose them as CIA, Israeli agents or belonging to MEK. All aimed at buying mullahs enough time to build their nuclear bomb to continue their vile existence.

Such handlers never talk about the white elephant in the room which has systematically monopolized major business and economic sectors of the Iranian community, the IRGC, the real power in Iran. IRGC will not allow any major economic reform to be implemented. Mousavi and any other “reformist leaders” will be powerless against them. IRGC has a lot to lose and little to gain by reforms. To some degree decisions on nuclear weapons program indirectly rests with IRGC and not Khamenei. IRGC drives massive revenues by keeping the nuclear program alive. Forcing IRI to abandon its nuclear program translates to loss of a great revenue source for IRGC.

The schizophrenic position of IRI and its propagandists are indeed bizarre at best when it comes to sanctions. On one hand, Ahmadinejad dares the West to impose strictest of sanctions, yet behind the scene he is frantically engaged in preventing it from happening. Despite what regime’s handlers have made you believe, sanction do work and the majority of Iranians are desirous and demanding of the strictest sanctions. Those who claim that sanctions will hurt the ordinary people are yet to provide any credible evidence to support their assertions. Such false claims are based on a few fabricated and phony surveys. A closer examination of such surveys reveals that they were sent to very few select individuals sympathetic to the regime. There is evidence now to support that lobbyist intentionally mislead Americans and lied to Congress using fabricated information. The majority of Iranians are angry at the West and the UN by not imposing the strictest sanctions in light of regime’s blatant human rights violations.

Another strategy embedded within the propagandists’ mission is to use the potential for war as the scare tactic and portray opposition groups as “war mongers.” This is yet another ploy to push for dialogue and diplomacy with the rapist regime. In my opinion, just the opposite is true. Facts are, despite their differences of opinion, world community is united on one issue. They are intent on preventing Iran from going nuclear and will not allow Iran to possess a nuclear bomb. If successful, it is the IRI propagandists, lobby groups and IRI policies that are inching Iran towards an all out war. Their strategy of aiding IRI to develop a nuclear weapon will ultimately lead to confrontation between Iran and the 

The West was fooled once by Khomeini. He was sold to Americans as the great visionary, a Ghandhi and MLK like character with saintly qualities by agenda driven propagandists. Many of IRI’s criminal activities and human right violations were initiated by Khomeini and carried out by Mousavi and Mousavi type characters. Mousavi sees Khomeini as his source of inspiration and dreams of returning Iran to that era. Mousavi is an anti American and a staunch supporter of nuclear weapons program and was instrumental in establishing Hezbollah.

 

After the imposition of fourth round of watered down sanctions to stop IRI’s nuclear weapons’ program and anticipating yet another failure, decision makers in the United States must ask themselves as to whether to continue to be hoodwinked by masterful IRI propagandists and buy in their fuzzy and deceptive logic that dialogue and diplomacy is the answer, or change the course and work towards regime change and support pro democracy groups? They need to consider that:

·
US Leaders must accept the obvious. Thirty one years of appeasement and failed attempts at dialogue has been a source of frustration and embarrassment for various US leaders at various times from Carter, to Reagan, Bush, Clinton and perhaps in the not so distant future, Obama.

·
The regime is intent on developing nuclear weapons. It is a mandate from Khomeini in the aftermath of his failed war with Iraq and a part of ideologically driven expansionist agenda to export Islam beyond Iran’s borders.

·
An examination of IRI’s constitution, elections process, and power structure makes this abundantly clear that reform is not possible. In regime’s mind, it is the West that needs the reform. Theirs is a religious duty and a mandate from Allah. They perceive their theocratic system of governance superior to that of any other nations.

·
Inaction by the West will have disastrous consequences for the world. With nuclear weapons at their disposal, mullahs are bent on wiping Israel off the map, expand their religion to remote corners of the universe and settle some unsettled issues.

Dr. Brzezinski’s strategy of using militant Islam against Russia has been obviously abysmal failure. IRI not only has not served as a defense against Russia, but has intimately allied itself with her.Many Iranians, having seen the real face fundamental Islam over the past 31 year, are turning away from it in large numbers and are converting to Christianity and Zoroastrianism, something which Islamic Republic paid pundits do not tell Americans about. The notion that Iran is going to fall into Communist hands is no longer a valid theory. Iranian Communists and Marxists after a series love and hate relationship with IRI have now allied themselves with IRI and are working toward regime’s survival.

Regime change if successful, will be two birds with one stone and hopefully get rid of both IRI and the Iranian Left. Iranians, during the demonstrations chanted several significant slogans expressing their prevailing views. Chief among them were slogans directly aimed at Russia, another in solidarity with Israel, and yet another one against Hamas and Hezbollah. In reality, this is a great opportunity for the United States to seize the moment and support the Iranian pro democracy demonstrators, since their political views are closely aligned with that of the United States.

 

Dr. Arash Irandoost is the founder of Pro Democracy Movement of Iran (PDMI) which focuses on human rights and pro democracy initiatives. He is an Iranian-American activist, who works to inform and educate about the threats posed by Islamic Republic and radical Islam. He believes that Islamic Republic cannot be reformed and regime change is the only viable option. Dr. Irandoost is a researcher, a literary translator, an essayist, and a political analyst. He writes regularly for online publications such as New Media Journal, The American Thinker, Faith Freedom International, Free Republic, Israel National News, Right Side News, Global Politician and the Iranian Online magazines. He can be contacted at hakemiat.e.mardom@gmail.com. The pen name Arash Irandoost is used due to his concerns for personal safety. Read more of his blogs //hakemiat-e-mardom.blogspot.com.

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more from arash Irandoost
 
Pari

Regime Change for Iran by ......

by Pari on

Mr. Irandoost is suggesting regime change for Iran but I don't think he is asking the West to do it.  The way I read it is that he is asking the US and West to stop reaching out to the Islamic Regime in Iran over their nuclear weapon progeam as these efforts in the past 9 years have not resulted in anything but buying time for IRI to advance in their quest for nuclear weapons.  Instead, they can give their support to the pro-democracy movement not only in words but in action by cutting the life line of IRI which is the oil money.  The more time IRI has, the closer they get to build the bomb, the higher chance for military action.  The IRI lobbyists have had a lot to do with buying time for IRI by giving false information to the politicians that there are moderate elements in Iran that would be willing to negociate with the West.  The history has obviously shown quite the contrary.   Anyway, there are no moderate voices in Iran anymore.  The IRGC has prisioned them all.

Regime change in Iran needs to happen by the Iranians but the world has an ethical responsibility to support the Iranians who seek freedom if by nothing else but stopping to keep appeasing, as Mr. Irandoost calls it, this rapist regime. 


AMIR1973

Dear Arash Irandoost

by AMIR1973 on

I had not heard of you before and probably need to learn more about your efforts. However, at first glance, it looks like you are doing good work by trying to bring more attention to the crimes of the IRI. Good luck in all your endeavors and may we both live to see a day when our people live in a free, democratic, just, and prosperous country. Movaffaq bash.


arash Irandoost

Dear Inquiring Mind ...Amir jan

by arash Irandoost on

Dear Amir, opposition groups are both inside and outside Iran, anybody who opposes regime’s censorship, rape, stoning, killing, stoning
and has the guts or decency to speak up! I do not consider myself an opposition leader, only the voice of a segment Iranian opposition groups who believe in regime change. FYI, I am the International Spokesperson (by their request- since the regime hacks their website routinely)to a group of 25,000 or so Iranian current and former students who are actively engaged in fighting the regime. And no they are not May I ask what is YOUR real identity; I do have an inquiring mind as well! My guess ... NOT!

 


arash Irandoost

Dear Moosirva Piaz (stinky) ..Talk is cheap...prove it!

by arash Irandoost on

Dear MOOSIRvaPIAZ, Talk is cheap, please show me one document showing that I have collaborated or schemed with neocons. I have sent my articles to various magazines, including to Mr. Jahanshah Javid Iranian.com. To this day, Iranian.com has refused to publish my articles. I have kept my emails of article submissions to him. No victims her. My alias name is a name of an Iranian hero who lost his life for Iran. We will be victorious…just trying to let the world know: IRI crimes by their agents are well documented. And yes IRI lobbyists are distorting facts. Please keep an open mind and do your research, you will reach the same conclusion. The Internet is a wonderful tool for independent research and fact finding.


arash Irandoost

Fantasyland?

by arash Irandoost on

Dear United Iran, fantasy land? Why? This is the most demonstrations Iranians have had in 31 years. We need to be their voice here enjoying the freedom we have … I am just a mirror reflecting their views. As I said opposition is trying to depict a different picture…just recently Maziar Bahari via Farid Zakaria said Khamenei and Ahmadinejad are very popular and on VOA Kadivar shamelessly said that Iranian demonstrators were chanting: “ham Gaza, Ham Lebnaan, Janam fadaaye Iran” meaning “yes to Gaza, Yes to Lebanon, I will die for Iran” a totally irresponsible act and discredit to Mousavi supporters. Since them I have posted you tube videos of showing the Iranian chanting: No Gaza, No Lebanon, I will die for Iran. Hope you get my point. Mr. Kadivar in my view lost all the credibility he had as a religious leader by lying in bright day light. Then again my view is that IRI leaders are shameless: from Khomeini who promised freed electricity to Iranians, to Khatami who promised reform, to Mousavi who said he is ready to give his life to Ahmadinejad who denies the Holocaust and say there are no gays in Iran or see a halo at the UN, to Khomeini who thinks his regime is the envy of the world.


arash Irandoost

Same question can be asked who is the "Real Mcoy?"...but...

by arash Irandoost on

Dear "Real McCoy" I say, I am an activist.  More of a human rights activist than political…I have never cared for politics and do not like it…a dirty game. You complaint about my identity, may I ask you ..Are you not using an alias yourself? But I will not get into such argument…I only would say that the regime has been attempting at silencing the oppositions for a long time.  Initially they started with assassinations, we lost many good leaders during that time, Dr. Bakhtiar being the most prominent and Mr. Freidoon Farrokhzad most vocal at the time. Both were brutally murdered.
Their next best strategy is to buy out and silence them that way.  Other strategy is to put pressure on opposition families inside Iran hoping them to silence the opposition.  Yet another strategy is “smear campaign.”
Regime agents are actively at work and regime spends a lot of money to discredit and alleviate any opposition by call them spies, etc, creating disunity among opposition groups and it has worked really well. I am sure you
would agree with me, using an Avatar is best at this juncture. Having said that I have met in person and actively talk to American politicians and Iranian opposition groups using my real identity. Something is attempted within the 18 or so comments within the confines of this article. I am labeled as a neocon puppet according to MOOSIRvaPIAZ, Hope you get my point. Mr. Hassan Dai is also
labeled as war monger and an MEK member, despite his writings and speeches. But when Dr. Trita Parsi meets with Iranian high level diplomats or dines with Levrettes…it is OK and nobody calls him a spy for the regime.

 


arash Irandoost

To Holy Truth ...

by arash Irandoost on

Dear Holy Truth: First of all thank you for reading the article and caring enough to leave comments, I read them diligently, value your opinions, see them as constructive criticism and try to incorporate your suggestion in my future
work. I will respond to a few here and explain my intent for writing and activism. Holy Truth, you are right Dr. Brzezinzki is valued especially now
that democrats are at the White House. 
This article was partially in response to his private appearance in just recently in Senate Foreign Relations Committee. From his perspective the whole thing makes perfect sense.  American national security is paramount and aftermath of his policies does not matter much to him. But realistically speaking and knowing the Middle East particularly a bit more than he does culturally, his ideas have been proven to some degree invalid. He wanted to create a protective wall of religion against Russia…no mullahs (believers) and non-believers) have formed an “unholy alliance.”  But he was successful in teaching the Russians a lesson and as a payback for his Viet Nam war interference. One might argue the same about G. W. Bush war with Iraq. Some claim was in response to Saddam attempt on his dad! History will be the ultimate judge.

 


UnitedIran

Amir....

by UnitedIran on

Point taken...........unfortunately I was one of those exiles backe then. Hope we can do much much better the next time, and hope that time will be vey soon.


AMIR1973

UnitedIran

by AMIR1973 on

No, I am not comparing the opponents in exile of the IRI today to those of the Shah. I was simply speaking to the hypocrisy on the part of IRI supporters who are always denouncing anti-IRI Iranians living abroad as "exiles" by pointing out the fact that their beloved IRI was established with the major participation of exiles, including its founder and Leader, the "Turbaned One".


UnitedIran

Benross dear...

by UnitedIran on

Relax....flag is it! Long answers not necessary. Nobody is hesitating....we need a change in Iran. See the problem.....by the time we decide your avatar or mine, we will both be too old to put up any fight, good or uhhhhh. There is one Iran and Iranian, one flag, many cultures, languages and beliefs....once we recognize that, avatar will only be a bad movie!


comrade

Opposition, my schmoposition

by comrade on

I wish one of our learned friends would have shed some light on the subject of "internal, and (if not VS) external opposition". As I recall, the religious opposition in exile during the Shah's time kept a strong, and unified relevance within certain layers (grass roots) of Iranian society; while the leftists were immersed in intellectual, Utopian kind of arrogant elite mentality. And then there were some centrists etc...

Remember! I'm supposed to be the BS propaganda fellow, not you. Let me learn from your honest input.

Never late to learn....//davidharvey.org/reading-capital/


benross

But under what banner of

by benross on

But under what banner of unity are they gathering together abroad to fight the good fight

Actually this is the crucial question that nobody has time, nor possibility to answer while under repression of IRI. That's why we abroad have the greatest responsibility. Under what banner? I can respond extensively but it would be repeating myself. A short answer will suffice for this discussion. Under Iranian flag and restoration of our constitution. Wherever you see the hesitant, you see the problem... starting with your avatar.

Don't get me wrong. You can choose whatever avatar you want. Even the national flag can always be modified in a democratic process. But when you choose the flag, it should be the flag. Make-up your mind!


UnitedIran

Dear Benross,

by UnitedIran on

You are correct that they all end up leaving or worse yet in prison or killed. But under what banner of unity are they gathering together abroad to fight the good fight and resist the conditions in Iran? The new generation of expatriates doesn't have enough unity to take care of their own Iranian neighbors let alone the ones thousands of miles away. 

By the way thanks for the correct spelling of "vell mo'atal"...live & learn.


UnitedIran

Amir Khan...

by UnitedIran on

Are you comparing the caliber, prominence, fame.......not to mention the fortune of the exiles today to that of "The Turbaned One" and his band of collaborators? Who in the exile movement today enjoys the prominent support of France or Iraq of its time and even the U.S.? That was another time and all those people served another purpose which had nothing to to with the well being of the Iranian people.

This takes us back to the origin of this blog and how the miscalculation of Jimmy Carter, aided by Mr. Brzezinski, introduced new order for the area that left a lot of us "homeless" of a certain kind.


AMIR1973

Of course, internal opposition is important, but...

by AMIR1973 on

No one is saying that internal opposition is not important (of course it is), but there is a lot of hypocrisy on the part of IRI supporters condemning "exiles". I seem to recall that the founder of the IRI was a certain turbaned figure who carried on enormous amounts of anti-regime agitation while living for almost 15 years under the protection of the Iraqi and then French governments. Many, many of this fellow's advisors, followers, like-minded individuals, and collaborators were also "exiles" who had lived abroad: Ebrahim Yazdi, Qotbzadeh, Bani Sadr, Mostafa Chamran, Beheshti, Mohammad Khatami, Masoomeh Ebtekar, Ali Akbar Velayati, Ali Shariati, Mohammad Javad Zarif, etc


benross

Dear UnitedIran

by benross on

You contradict yourself. The most vocal activists inside Iran end up abroad, if not killed or in prison. This is how it's been for 30 years and 'green' is just discovering it. IRI is overcoming its opposition by killing or chasing out its most outspoken people, who then become 'vell mo'atal'.

If I feel 'vell mo'atal', as I did for 10 years or so, I wouldn't be writing here to begin with. What is this? a country club?


UnitedIran

Dear Benross...

by UnitedIran on

No one is avoiding responsibility here. We should all do as much as we can, yelling and screaming as loud as we can, to get the word out and let the whole world hear the cries from inside Iran. But at the end of day, given the reality of the world today, the only opposition that will matter is the one actually inside Iran. It is what finally directed the attention of the world towards our country, and showed the real face of the regime.......the rest of us brave Iranian, no matter how loud we yell and how long we protest in Westwood are helpful, but at the end of the day...."vell maatal"! Sorry it is the truth!!


Artificial Intelligence

Great Article

by Artificial Intelligence on

Very informative on NIAC.


benross

The rest of us...

by benross on

Actually a good number of those brave men and women don't mind at all to live abroad and in safety, if they could, as we do. A good number of their activists ended up abroad as we speak anyway.

Don't dump your responsibility by glorifying a token 'those brave men and women'. You are one of them. Do your part.


UnitedIran

I second that question....Mr. Amir

by UnitedIran on

Who are they? Just various self serving groups outside of Iran which all they know is bull....to promote their own agenda? The only opposition group I can really recognize are the brave men and women that filled the streets of Iran during the past year. The rest of us are "sar goud neshin va goft lengesh koun" crowd. Be real!!


AMIR1973

MOOSIRVAPIAZ: who are the REAL pro democracy oppositions groups?

by AMIR1973 on

Inquiring minds want to know...


MOOSIRvaPIAZ

Arash Irandoost resident neocon puppet

by MOOSIRvaPIAZ on

"Lobby groups and IRI agents are hard at work to discredit pro democracy opposition groups and dissuade the world community from taking a decisive action against Iran."

Playing the victim card here just like a certain groups of influential people in the Washington establishment. It's the opposite, Mr. Irandoost.

I would argue that lobby groups and pro-Israeli agents are hard at work to discredit REAL pro democracy oppositions groups and PERSUADE the world community to take decisive (read, military) action against Iran. A Husni Mubarak figure in Iran is what Israel and the US neocons want. They dont give two shits about democracy.


UnitedIran

Mr. McCoy....

by UnitedIran on

I am not trying to be a "Hatfield" here, but since we have both read this blog and are familiar with Mr. Irandoost's site......correct that he may be in a sort of fantacyland, but history is history and those people had a lot to do with where we are today in Iran, and how we got here.


Real McCoy

Who are you, fellow Irandoost?

by Real McCoy on

It's amazing how much comfort can an avatar, and a loaded ID can provide
for people with an exotic agenda. I live, so cowardly, in the same neighbourhood as yours, but at least I don't try to preach my fellow citizens.

Do you have something to say my friend? Let's hear it. Starting with your name , and background. You will not be the first one, DK is doing it for years so honestly, and so courageously. 

Why do you think your potpourri blog, and personal website about Carter's saga, and Shah's corrupt regime have  anything to do with Iran today?

There is no love lost between Israelis, and Brzezinski. So be it.


UnitedIran

Holy Truth.....

by UnitedIran on

Thanks Arash for articulating the mess in Iran and the whole neighborhood, so well. It is scary how Zbigniev Brezezinski's opinion is still valued so much in various news shows, including "Morning Joe" couple of days ago.