http://pdmi.org/2011/11/letter-to-senator-mark-kirk-in-support-of-his-amendment-to-iran-sanctions/
November 28, 2011
The Honorable Senator Mark Kirk
Senate Appropriations Committee
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC, 20510
Dear Senator Kirk,
We would like to sincerely thank you for your support of Iranians and Iranian-Americans. The Iranian-American community, Iranians and friends of Iran strongly support your amendment to the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, to impose crippling sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran. It is the primary bankroller of the IRI’s global terror network, its nuclear program and other illicit activities. We appreciate that the amendment provides the President with a waiver authority for humanitarian exception for the Iranian-American community allowing us to send food, medicine and medical supplies to the Iranian people. We are ready and willing to provide you with further information which may assist you in our struggle for democracy in Iran.
Even if the sanctions might hurt ordinary Iranians, as claimed by regime’s propagandists, a temporary hurt of this nature is a price that people are willing to pay to get rid of this scourge of the IRI. These Mullahs are determined to get their bloody hands on the atomic bomb and further strengthen their position in promoting violence and mayhem in the Middle East and beyond. In the process, we, the Iranian people, will end up being victimized. President Obama must step up the pressure on the IRI. Once the IRI falls, the lynchpin of Islamic extremism will be destroyed. America, Israel, and the rest of the world will be hugely safer without the end-of-the-worlder zealots being in command with nuclear weapons at their disposal.
We are extremely disappointed however, with the six-month exemption for oil transactions purportedly designed to ease the burden on U.S. allies, under the pretext of sending “calming signals to oil markets.” We are afraid that might be too late. It needs to go into effect immediately. We do not subscribe to the notion that bringing down Iran’s economy would disrupt world oil markets and raise the price of energy. Especially in light of the facts that many Persian Gulf states have either tacitly or openly expressed their willingness to increase their oil production to alleviate any subsequent crises.
Senator Kirk, after the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluding that Iran is engaged in activities “highly relevant to a nuclear weapons program,” without immediate and serious action, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have a nuclear weapons capability in the near future. According to the report, regime activities include: efforts to procure nuclear-related equipment and materials; an undeclared nuclear material production line; work on an indigenous design for a nuclear weapon and testing of components; and efforts to integrate a new payload into the re-entry vehicle of the Shahab-3 missile – a payload that the IAEA assesses would only be used to accommodate a nuclear warhead.
The Islamic Republic, as the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism, would transfer its nuclear weapons to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. It is almost certain that an Iranian bomb will set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East – from Saudi Arabia to Egypt. We must act now or face the consequences of a nuclear Iran.
Senator Kirk, we believe that there is a much simpler and less risky solution to current threat by the Islamic Republic: Influenced and misguided by lobbyists and regime apologists, Western governments have been all too busy appeasing the criminal government and have not utilized the most potent tool, the Iranian people, against the brutal dictatorship. Masses of Iranians are irreparably alienated from the corrupt oppressive Islamic rule. The rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is crumbling. The previously solid edifice is showing many cracks that keep growing.
The Islamic Republic in Iran cannot be reformed and regime change is the only viable option. After 33 years of arbitrary arrests, flogging, stoning, religious persecutions, torture, rape, hangings, persistent double-digit inflation and unemployment rates, the Iranian people are extremely disenchanted with their occupier government. Left unchecked, the regime will usher in an Islamic Caliphate destined for world domination and wiping Israel off the map.
It is time for Western governments to support the pro-democratic, secular and freedom-loving Iranian people who are already fighting this brutal regime. They have sacrificed many lives and suffered many casualties. There are reports of mass-disillusionment by regime’s closest allies. Recent Mohesn Rezaie sons’ assassination is a good case in point. The regime is weak and ruptured. Our struggle and fight against the regime will continue. It is time for the US government to take sides and stop the double-standard that has crippled its foreign policy towards Iran that is manipulated by IRI lobbyists, apologists and Iranian-American businessmen who conduct lucrative business with a terrorist regime in violation of Iranian sanctions and on the back of innocent and ordinary Iranians.
Sincerely,
Arash Irandoost, Ph.D.
Founder-Pro democracy Movement of Iran
The Undersigned:
Dr. Arash Irandoost, Founder, Pro-Democracy Movement of Iran (PDMI)
Hassan Dai, Political Analyst, Reporter, and Iran Expert
Reza Kahlili, Former CIA Operative in Iran, Author of A Time To Betray
Hon. David Kilgour, Member of Parliament, Edmonton-Beaumont, Canada
Frank Salvato, Executive Director, BasicProject.org
Firouzeh Ghaffarpour, Television host and Political analyst
Sheri Alvandian, Publisher and human rights activist
Waltom Martin III, Director, the Iran Information Project, USA
Dr. Gill Gillespie, Director – Iran Refugee Action Network
Amil Imani, Author:The Persian Gulf and Obama Meets Ahmadinejad, Journalist and Poet, http://amilimani.com/
Shabnam Asadollahi, Human rights activist, Canada
Cina Dabestani, Constitutionalist Party of Iran (CPI-DC)
Parvin Irandoost, Human rights advocate
Roxanne Ganji, Political and Human rights activist, USA
Mohammad T. Moslehi, Journalist and Political activist, USA
Ali Kimiai, Political and human rights activist, USA
Dokhi Abdi, Aryaee TV Host, Analyst and Political Activist
Parviz Haddadizadeh, Nahad Mardomi (TNI) Commissioner, www.thenewiran.com
Homayoun Naderifar, Executive Board Member Azarbaijan Movement for Democracy and Integrity of Iran
Soheila Nikpour, Director, Iranian Refugee Amnesty Network
Fred Alavi, Political activist, USA
Cyrus Shares, Iran Secular Democracy & Human Rights Advocate, New York
Siavash Afshar, Developer, Human Rights and Secular Democracy Advocate, USA
Gilda Karbassi, Broker Associate- Coldwell Banker, USA
Shahriar Fathi, Radio Padeshahi, Host and Political Activist
Dokhi Abdi, Aryaee TV Host, Analyst and Political Activist
Parviz Haddadizadeh, Nahad Mardomi (TNI) Commissioner, www.thenewiran.com
Poorang Soleimani, Medical Technology-Royal Institute, Sweden
Esfandiar Borzoo, Construction Consultant Management, Sweden
Setareh Arteshi, Democracy & Human Rights Activist, Iran
Farhmand M. Kalayeh, Presdient/CEO Nestologies, Inc.
Dr. Hassan Kianzad, Nahad Mardomi (TNI) Borad of Trustees, www.the newiran.com
Mahin Arjoamand, Nahad Mardom (TNI) Member, www.thenewiran.com
Arman Moseni, The Unicord Companies, www.unicordcorp.com
Mazda Aryaee, Human Rights Activist, Sweden
Aref Irandoost, Human Rights Activist, Sweden
Leila Irani, Hotel Management, Sweden
Cynthia Ayers, Vice President of EMPact America
Arian Vatankhah, Owner and manager, Aryaee Television, California
Hamid Hirad
Sateeh Lashkarloo
Athor Yadegarians
Janet Yadegarians
David Yadegarians
Alexander Bavand
William Zaya
Melvin Zaya
Don Scruggs
Ferdowsi, Wir Wollen Demokratie fur Iran
Mali Stewart
Ali Kashani
Mahnaz Gidanaian
Mina Shirdel, Former Iranian Refugee, USA
Pardis Irani, Iran
Reza Nikzad, Canada
Shayan Shadmehr, Iran
Dr. M. Assemani, Canada
Dr. N. Assemani, Canada
Sharzad Irani, Iran
Safoura Irani, Iran
Mitra Vaezi, Canada
Tawanaa White
Jahan Khastar
Amir Katouli, Sokout-e-Jangal, Rancher, Iran
Nazli Amoon, Banker, USA
Abdolreza Heidari
Lida Ashjaee, Iranian Refugee
Kazem Jamee, Iranian Refugee
Amin Nikzad, Activist, PhD Candidate, Canada
Hushang Firuzi
Fereshteh Firuzi
Soyaya Risco
Joseph Gilardi
Amy Wilson
Soraya Mansour
Saam Goshtasb
Nader Royal
Mali Stewart
Yasamin Gaeini
Behrooz Vahdat
Shohreh Parsinejad
Shokouh Ershadi
Amir-Ebrahimi Gh. Political Activist
Pejman Azaran, Ordinary Iranian
Arman Nouri, Political Activist, USA
LiLi Soroudi, ordinary Iranian
Nahid, ordinary Iranian
Soraya M. Dayani
Said D. Jabbari
Mina Kay, Iranian-American, USA
Prof. Masoud Behkhoo, Ph.D.
Amin Movahedi
Mojtaba Heidari Khan
Gita Sabet
Sateeh Lasjkarloo
Azar Baghaee, Germany
Rahmat Baghaee, Germany
Mahin Hoshmand, Denmark
Parasto Oveissi-Makeup Artist, Turkey
Ramin Bastami, Translator, Turkey
Victoria Azad
Bahar Nasim
Gita Sabet
Mina
Mehdi Rassadi
Bruce Davidson
Ario Arian, Canada
Betina Karami
Mohammad Reza Ahmadi, Iran
Aria Barzan, Iran
Nabiollah Azarban
cc: The Honorable:
Howard Berman
Chuck Schumer
Joe Manchin
Dean Heller
John Tester
Roy Blunt
Jon Kyle
Part Roberts
John Brasso
Marco Rubio
Scott Brown
Dan Coats
John Cornyn
David Vitter
Tim Johnson
Robert Menendez
Harry Reid
Mitch McConnell
Robert Casey
Sherrod Brown
Frank Lautenberg
Ben Cardin
Bill Nelson
