Europe's Role

What Europe can do to secure a deal with Iran

Balatarin
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Europe's Role
by Matthew Levitt
01-Mar-2010
 

Against the backdrop of the Iranian government's continuing crackdown on its critics, Western powers are preparing for a fourth round of multilateral sanctions and other measures in the hopes of persuading Tehran to alter course on its controversial uranium enrichment policy. But even with Russia now apparently on board, will more sanctions work? And is there a specifically European role to be played in such a strategy?

There is convincing new evidence that the Islamic Republic has continued pursuing a secret nuclear weapons programme in defiance of the IAEA and UN Security Council resolutions. Last September, the United States and some European allies exposed a new secret enrichment facility near Qom which, according to a recent IAEA report, suggested Iran may have additional secret sites. Iran acknowledged building "contingency centres" like the Qom facility in response to "the augmentation of the threats of military attacks against Iran." In December, The Times of London reported that Tehran had been working on a triggering device for a nuclear bomb. Iran responded by test firing the Sajjil-2, the latest version of its 1,200 mile range missile that brings south eastern Europe within range.

Targeted financial measures have, of course, so far not stopped Iran from pursuing its nuclear programme. But sanctions were never intended to do so. As a former U.S. Treasury official who was involved in crafting the campaign of targeted financial measures aimed at Iran, I know that sanctions are no silver bullet. On their own they can only do so much, but coupled with such other tools as robust diplomacy and a credible military presence in the region, financial measures can create diplomatic leverage that should also focus on Russia, China, the Gulf States and America's European and Asian allies.

Sanctions can help to accomplish three goals; to disrupt Iran's illicit activities; to deter third parties from either knowingly or unintentionally facilitating Iran's illicit activities; and to make Iran re-consider these activities. This last involves convincing the revolutionary and unelected leadership that the nuclear programme is a threat to regime survival, not a guarantee of that.

But negotiation and diplomacy alone will not convince Iran to abandon its nuclear programme. The EU could therefore become a critically important player. In the first place, the EU can continue to actively seek international consensus on multilateral sanctions through the UN to be implemented in 2010 now the unofficial 2009 deadline for diplomatic progress with Iran has expired. As important as the entities to be listed will be the unanimity of the decision to impose sanctions, so it is vital that the EU should engage in robust diplomatic discussions with China and Russia to develop consensus over sanctions with teeth. These should focus on entities engaged in illicit conduct in support of Iran's proliferation programme, in particular those, such as Bank Mellat and Bank Melli, already designated by the U.S. These would follow up on the warnings in UN Security Council Resolution 1803 calling on member states to exercise vigilance over the activities of financial institutions in their territories with all banks domiciled in Iran (Bank Melli and Bank Saderat were singled out specifically), and their branches and subsidiaries abroad.

Together with the US, the EU could press the international community to follow up on the U.S. and EU designations of the Khatam al-Anbya construction company, which is one of the most significant of the entities owned or operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) so far targeted. With the increased militarisation of the Iranian regime, and the abuses of the IRGC-affiliated Basij militia, now is the time to target IRGC affiliates. Many of the IRGC entities involved in the regime's nuclear and missile programmes and that give their support to international terrorism are also involved in the violent suppression of political protests at home. This makes the IRGC a possible target of Iranian public resentment and increases the likelihood that the Iranian public will blame the regime rather than the West for tightened sanctions.

The EU could both add to its own list and press for inclusion on the UN list Iran's national maritime carrier, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which the U.S. accused back in September 2008 of being involved in illicit commerce. The State Department noted at that time that the IRISL had already been identified by the UN Security Council as being engaged in "proliferation shipments." The IRISL has also been implicated in shipping arms to terrorist groups, as in the January 2008 seizure of the Monchegorsk, an IRISL-chartered ship bound for Syria with components for mortars together with powder, propellant, and shell casings for 125mm and 130mm guns. Dutch customs automatically label merchandise shipped by IRISL or Iran Air at the highest risk category and inspect the cargo, and the UK government has banned British companies from doing business with the Iranian shipping line.

But multilateral action is difficult to achieve and can often lead to lowest common denominator decisionmaking. In parallel to demands for robust action at the United Nations, the EU and U.S. should pursue financial sanctions focused on IRGC-affiliates and all other individuals and institutions involved in Iran's illicit activities.

Another promising area where the EU could take the lead would be to actively support the efforts of multilateral bodies like the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which has issued a series of increasingly blunt warnings about doing business with Iran. The FATF is a 34-member organisation seeking global standards against money laundering and terrorism financing. The FATF has repeatedly warned about Iran and has instructed member countries to develop "counter-measures" to deal with its illicit financial activities.

There is an EU role, too, in the area of informal sanctions. This would amount to little more than leveraging market forces. EU governments' engagement with the private sector by drawing attention to the risks of doing business with Iranian entities engaged in illicit conduct would have a significant impact. Already denied access to U.S. dollar accounts, an EU ban on Iranian banks doing business in euros would have serious consequences for Iran, especially coming hard on the heels of the latest U.S. government fine of a European bank, a record $536m penalty imposed on Credit Suisse for engaging in the illicit facilitation of Iranian banking transactions.

This sort of outreach should be expanded beyond the banking sector to insurance, shipping, and other industries. Even in today's economy, and to a certain extent because of it, the private sector is very sensitive to reputational risk and is acutely aware of its due diligence and fiduciary obligations to its shareholders. As one European diplomat put it, "what the EU needs to look at is measures that restrict the Iranian banking sector from accessing the European financial sector, transferring money out and holding back accounts." This would have a severe impact on Iran, but would first have to overcome countries' competing trade interests.

Iran is desperate for Western technology, and Europe is a key market. The EU could play a critical role in denying Iran access to key technologies like the know-how to liquefy natural gas, and in developing a more systematic approach to dealing with Tehran's efforts to transfer technology and arms to radical allies in the Middle East. The EU could expand its current policy banning the sale or transfer to Iran of "all arms and related material, as well as the provision of related assistance, investment and services" to include a ban on the purchase or transfer from Iran of the same. The EU and US could also encourage countries to require ports and/or authorities to collect detailed, accurate, and complete data regarding all cargo being shipped to or through their countries (especially from risk-prone jurisdictions like Iran), to conduct rigorous risk assessments, and to proceed with actual inspections as necessary.

Given the rapid progress Iran is making on its nuclear programme, it may be time to consider more drastic and less targeted measures. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken about the possibility of inflicting "crippling sanctions" on Iran. One promising avenue is Iran's reliance on foreign-refined petroleum. Insufficient refining capacity means Iran re-imports 25-40% of its needs from refineries abroad. Targeting this could be a powerful tool, with the precedent being dramatic failure of the regime's gas ration card programme in June 2007. The cards were loaded with a six month ration, but many Iranians reportedly used up their entire ration within weeks. Actions like targeting Iran's access to refined petroleum are more likely than confrontation to eventually convince the regime that the bomb is more of a liability than an asset.

AUTHOR
Matthew Levitt is a senior fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

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BehroozAzarin

These days we have seen

by BehroozAzarin on Sat Mar 06, 2010 07:39 AM PST

These days we have seen more attacks on China and Japan and Brazil seems to be the next target for the United states. It is clear that United States sees any success by other countries a threat to her world domination; want it to be militarily, economically or else.  U.S. thinks forcing other countries down will result in them rising up.  Perhaps one of the United state's intentions is to use the blame game in one hand and the world savier on the other hand to wipeout trillions of Dollars of debts to China and other nations. 


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Jaleho

David Sanger is NYT new Judith Miller!

by Jaleho on Tue Mar 02, 2010 02:22 PM PST

Javadagha thanks for the great article that you suggested:

"Please read the following two articles

//original.antiwar.com/peter-casey/2010/02/28...
Read the IAEA Reports on Iran
by Peter Casey, March 01, 2010 "

 

 David Sangaer and William Broad have been acting like the old hag Judith Miller who constantly promoted the war with Iraq. These Zionist lackeys of the Salzberger family think they can just exchange "Iran" with "Iraq" and redo the entire lies without much new imagination in their lie factory! People like this Levitt also got too arrogant when few Israelis managed to betray America for the sake of Israel so violently, so they think they can do it everytime! They are so shameless that they didn't even bother to create a NEW office in Pentagon for the Iran lie factory, they just renamed the same Office of Special Plans from Iraq affairs to that of Iran!!

But, NYTimes is really discredited with its repeated and shameless lies that took the country to a war. I doubt efforts of Mr Sanger would give 1/10 of the results of that of Judith Miller, as hard as he has been trying for few years now!!


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Abarmard

n

by Abarmard on Tue Mar 02, 2010 07:30 AM PST

deleted


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Landan-Neshin

The Falling Empire?

by Landan-Neshin on Tue Mar 02, 2010 05:56 AM PST

Notwithstanding the significance of the source of such a typical example of 'American intellectual thinking', still, the article has two telling stories:

1- The United States of America, the mightiest economic and military power the world has ever seen, (or had seen!!) now with dedts of over three trilion dolars( that's 3 + 12 noughts) to the Communist People's Republic of China finds itself hopeless to affect world affairs without begging others to believe her, along with Israel, of course, that Iran, if not confronted soon enough,is going to be a danger to the world security.

The American political and intellectual horizon is so fundamentally narrow and flawed that even after eight years of the neo-cons' repeated nonsenses, nobody in Washington seems to have realised- or looked at the world map yet, that if Iran were to go for nuclear weapons, Russia and China would be the first nuclear states to get worried and do something about it. 

Alternatively, if Russia and China happen to be relaxed about a nuclear Iran, then there is nothing that the US can do about it, unless, of course, declaring war on the three of them which, knowing how the American mind ticks in the cowboys' fashion, no one would be surprised if they did just that totally on their own!

2- The above author, seems to be worried that soon the Europeans, who happen to be very annoyed with the Obama administration's lacklustre approach toward them, would soon wake up to the fact that by having followed the US anti-Iran line for nothing, they have lost billions in business to China, Russia, India, Brazil etc. so, before its too late, they should remedy their foolish servile policy of blindly following the US.  

Americans have always pride themselves in having business acumen running in their blood. If that's so,then, it is astonishing to see them still believing that you can bring a country with seven international land borders and access to two international sea lanes to its knees, and, of course, a country that happens to possess two of the most vital and sought after commodities in the world now and for decades to come, Washington,that itself created the global economy and free trade, should by now have realised that buyers would, by hook or crook, not only get their hands on those commdities but also pay handsomely for it, whatever the White House or the Congress might say. 

Finally, with the dire state of the US economy and the massive foreign debts it faces, the CIA and some partisan US institutions should be spending their limited cash more wisely in helping those think-tanks that live in the 21 century and not still languishing in the mental frame of General Marshal's.            


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Fouzul Bashi

Jamshid - supporter of "smart sanctions"

by Fouzul Bashi on Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:15 PM PST

 

comes to his masters' rescue :) 

"On the other hand, the IRI, and its rape and execution of our innocent youth, is constantly enabled by likes of Fozoul Bashi and Sargord."

On the one hand we have the author of this article whose professional job it is to peddle lies and to drive for war, and people like "Akbar" who have no clue even of the subject of the discussion (!), on the other we have fake 'patriots' like you who don't miss an opportunity to attack, label and divide those who are defending Iranians' rights, not just against domestic criminals but also against external mass murderers.

If you have a grain of decency, find a single evidence of me supporting and "enabling"  "the IRI, and its rape and execution of our innocent youth".  

You are doing the same job as the author of this article but by hiding under 'patiotic' colours.


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yahoo_yabo

Sargord Pirouz, obama relax.......

by yahoo_yabo on Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:02 PM PST

while the US & Israel are thinking about waging war, the iranian youth were getting prepared....

 


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Arthimis

Abarmard

by Arthimis on Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:12 PM PST

Those are 5 fantastic points and will be a major key in Freeing Iran and Iranians as there are no other viable options to FREE IRAN from the CRIMINAL Satanic Republic at this time unfortunately...

But I hardly doubt, this would ever happen!!!Unfortunately again...

Israeli's bosses in the West and East and even Israel itself, they would not be able to continue raping Iran and continue having TRILLIONS of dollars in Economical benefit from their business deals behind the scene from their servant, the good old I.R.!!! Islamic Republic single handedly is the best and most profitable business partner and provider of endless wealth for them and itself by raping Iran and Iranians on all levels and on a daily bases...

Awareness and Consciousness...

 

 


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Javadagha

Thank you good Iranians not falling for this idiot . . .

by Javadagha on Mon Mar 01, 2010 09:15 PM PST

Thank you good Iranians not falling for this idiot's crap.

Many good comments are posted.  Western countries are lying as they did with Iraq.

Please read the following two articles

//original.antiwar.com/peter-casey/2010/02/28...
Read the IAEA Reports on Iran
by Peter Casey, March 01, 2010 
 
  
Gary Sick has posted comments on the article written by David Sanger in the NY Times. I recommend those who have not read it to do so.

//garysick.tumblr.com/


February 27, 2010
Another Puzzle After Iran Moves Nuclear Fuel - NYTimes.com ing two articles. 


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obama

Please don't waste your precious time answering this war monger!

by obama on Mon Mar 01, 2010 08:57 PM PST

He knows everything he says is only popeganda and there is no truth in it. He is just writing to convince the typical ignorant public who are gullible! Let him bark all he wants! May he go to hell with the rest of the neocons and israel!


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Bavafa

Can some one translate this for Mr. Matthew Levitt

by Bavafa on Mon Mar 01, 2010 08:21 PM PST

Khar kodeti o jado abaadet

Mehrdad


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BehroozAzarin

Matthew Love it

by BehroozAzarin on Mon Mar 01, 2010 08:21 PM PST

You wrote, "There is convincing new evidence that the Islamic Republic has continued pursuing a secret nuclear weapons programme in defiance of the IAEA and UN Security Council resolutions."

False. There is no such an evidence.

 

You wrote,  Last September, the United States and some European allies exposed a new secret enrichment facility near Qom.

False. Iran announced the existence of this site.  

 

You wrote,  According to a recent IAEA report, suggested Iran may have additional secret sites.

False again.  That is no secret.  Iran has announced that they are building 26 more nuclear energy facilities.

 

You wrote,    "This makes the IRGC a possible target of Iranian public resentment and increases the likelihood that the Iranian public will blame the regime rather than the West for tightened sanctions."

By tighter sanctions, you mean the affects of tighter sanctions on the public, "public starvation and death";  Just as I was discussing the blame game by the west with veiled in another blog.  First they blame other, then they kill and of course they are to be forgiven.  Let us replace the word sanction with the more accurate words "public starvation and deaths".  So now what the pro sanction Iranians think of sanctions?

 

You wrote,   " The IRISL has also been implicated in shipping arms to terrorist groups.

False. Iran has never supplied any arms to U.S. Israel, England or any other western country. Here is the proof.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=akm3nYN8aG8

 

You wrote,    "Iran is desperate for Western technology, and Europe is a key market. The EU could play a critical role in denying Iran access to key technologies like the know-how to liquefy natural gas, and ......"

Such technologies have been denied to Iran by west for 30 years and Iranians have learned to advance despite that

 

Then you wrote,    "Given the rapid progress Iran is making on its nuclear programme,"

First you write technology denied and then you admit rapid progress by Iran. That shows that Iran doesn't need west to advance just as I wrote.

 

You wrote,   It may be time to consider more drastic and less targeted measures. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has spoken about the possibility of inflicting "crippling sanctions" on Iran. One promising avenue is Iran's reliance on foreign-refined petroleum. Insufficient refining capacity means Iran re-imports 25-40% of its needs from refineries abroad. Targeting this could be a powerful tool, with the precedent being dramatic failure of the regime's gas ration card programme in June 2007. The cards were loaded with a six month ration, but many Iranians reportedly used up their entire ration within weeks. Actions like targeting Iran's access to refined petroleum are more likely than confrontation to eventually convince the regime that the bomb is more of a liability than an asset.

As the content of above statement shows, the target is the public not the government.

 

My conclusion of this propaganda blog for gaining Iranian support for sanction is;  Yet another load of Bull Shit.

You want to know the source of the problems? Watch this!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNQSV3BBtZ4

 

 


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yahoo_yabo

all of iran's problems r from supporting palestinians

by yahoo_yabo on Mon Mar 01, 2010 08:00 PM PST

pakistan has nukes and no one objects

saudi arabia has worse human rights

it all boils down to iranian leaders' support for palestinians.  and what do they get in return:  neither Ismael Haniya nor Khaled Meshaal would pray behind a Shiite imam whereas Ahmadinejad prayed behind a SUnni imam in Damascus.

Palestinians in West Bank prefer Saddam over Khomeini and their Mahmoud Abbas wants to work with the Israelis

Palestinians in Gaza consider Shiites to be Ahle Bidaat and heretics

now go figure... all this Iran does to win Arab street.  the same street that came to Saddam aid when US attacked Iraq.

the same street that watches Egyptian made serials called Fawazeer Ramadhan and fantasizes about the actresses while during the day jumps up and down in the street yelling " bil rooh bil dam, nafdeek ya Nasrallah"

Just as the US and Japan have made technological advances using a rational way of thinking, it was the same thinking that got them to develop the proper foreign policy.

And Iran's foreign policy comes from the same thinking that to this day can't manufacture a car's engine.  It's all connected.


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Arthimis

It all comes down to one thing, $$$$$ and in trillions ....

by Arthimis on Mon Mar 01, 2010 07:50 PM PST

We have been and are still wasting our precious times arguing and debating here on iranian.com and/or similar websites over pre-planned deals and major conspiricies against Iran and True Iranians behind the scenes and for over unfortunate and criminal 31 years now on all levels!

Islamic Republic was established 31 years ago in Iran by misguiding a very naive and uneducated nation in Iran through an invasion and and eventual occupation by so called fanatic Islamists to unfortunate present time!

There are many aspects that would benefit Islamists occupiers and their foreign partners in the West and the East ...

To start just on the economical level, The absolute undenieable fact is that Islamic Republic by being in absolute power in Iran, has been perhaps the biggest and most profitable business partner for all its Business economical partners globally and on all Business and Financial levels (including Western powers they supposedly hate and chant death to....!!! These are just pre-designed slogans that doesn't even worth peanuts in the big picture... Wake up Nation!!!!

For example, Israel even sold weapons in millions and perhaps trillions of dollars to Iran during 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war to Iran. (Their cargo planes landed in Iran were spotted by eye-witnesses and later exposed globally...)Funny part is that all the Islamic/Arab countries and nations are waiting for Iran to take Palastine back and Free the Palestinians!!!! LOL! Good luck with that my poor and dumber Arab Lebanese/Palestineians over there and their paid agents on line... Hell will freeze over before Iran will do this dirty job for you... Seriously, Good Luck dreaming that....

In my humble opinion, (although I can not prove all of these claims with with any classified/written documents) Islamic Republic is selling Iran (and what it belongs to her ) piece by piece to all the vulchers in the East and The West, NOBODY gives a damn about Iran and Iranians... once in a while they come out in the news and critisize Islamic republic for this and that , but In fact, they would do their outmost effort to play all these B/S games behind the scenes to drain and suck Iran and Iranians wealth to the last drop through mega trillions business deals they have had with the Islamic Republic! Who better than these crazy psycho-path criminals? Please tell me, WHO????


Think about it for a second! If Iran is a Free Democracy tomorrow, The bastard Russia, China, All the European Business partners  of Islamic Republic, even The United States, Israel and middleman Turkey are going to lose GODZILLIONS amount of Dollars/Euros in benefit from Iran that is being raped on a daily bases by them!!! All these countries and nations will lose Trillions of more dollars in this horrible global economy!!!! They have no choice, but to strengthen and support their business servent, The good old Islamic Republic that is in direct and indirect business partnership with them... I.R. is assured of staying in power by all these major Economical powers in the world....


We Iranians think we are too smart!!! I got news for you! We are NOT!!! Until we Iranians get up one day and actually  put our LIVES ON THE LINE and until the day we are actually willing to die for Iran by fighting, This very sad status Que will remain and Iran and Iranians will lose to the point of complete depletion and eventual all out destruction... I am afraid we might even lose the name IRAN to Islamic Republic Of Shiaestan at some point!!!

All these political scams and shows (WORLD NEWS...) were and are still designed to mock, fool, insult and wrong Iran and us Iranians even further !!!

Wake Up Iranians, all these criminal entities are working hand to hand financially and economically!!! The rest is an absolute criminal show on behalf of dumb Iranians who are losing everything in their lives... Their Self espect, Freedom, Wealth, Lives and even their Country slowly slowly to the complete demise on all levels...

Wake Up and Fight or Shut Up and continue live as a gutless & passive coward  !


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obama

Why are these neocon zionists can write here, but many good

by obama on Mon Mar 01, 2010 07:12 PM PST

iranian intellectuals articles are not published?

Just looking at his name is enough for me not to bother reading the article. This zionist control of media and everything in between is amazing! Sorry bud, you won't have our ears! Go look for some naive people who don't know about the zionist games!

BTW while you are at it, leave Iran alone! It is not any of your damn business what we do. Did we ever tell you not to build so many bombs in israel? Did we ever tell ou you shouldn't have bombed teh US warship in the 1967 war? If you do that to the US how much more to any other country! Why do you think it is your business what we do? ALL SANCTIONS ARE WORK OF THE ZIONISTS USING THEIR CLOUT! EUROPE AND REAL AMERICAN DON"T CARE! YOU HAVE KEPT THE WORLD HOSTAGE TO YOUR AGENDA! 


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Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Re: Read the "Zionist" Plan for Iran

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Mon Mar 01, 2010 04:14 PM PST

 

Abarmard Jan,

I do not dispute these fact. I do wonder why do they publicize their plans? Won't it be better to have their plans secret. I mean this at the minimum allows the IRI leadership to prepare. Maybe it is a sort of psychological warfare.

I do not like hurting Iranian people or the economy. I absolutely oppose making trouble with the minorities. But a new government may be just what Iran needs. However my idea of a new government may not be the same as theirs. I want a nationalistic independent secular pro Iran government. Others may want more of a US puppet. That is why exiles need to be prepared. For months I have been saying this is coming. We should be ready to deal.

When or if it happens the exiles should be united and push for a moderate and pro Iranian government. The worst thing would be to allow radicals to take over. We should also push for values such as human rights. No repetition of massive retributions and executions. I have a number of ideas including a moratorium on executions. If we are prepared and help manage it right. Things will get better. If not then idiots will take over and repeat the previous mistakes.


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Jaleho

Desperate Mr Levitt regurgitates

by Jaleho on Mon Mar 01, 2010 03:56 PM PST

his DELUSIONS expressed in front of the US Senate right after Iranian election, in order to sell his Israeli line of Iran-sanction to Americans:

www.iranwatch.org/government/sbhuac-levitt-iransanctions-073009.pdf

"According to the NIE, Iran's decision to halt its nuclear weapons program in 2003 was "in response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure resulting from exposure of Iran's previously undeclared nuclear work." The key judgments conclude that the intelligence community's "assessment that the [nuclear weapons] program probably was halted primarily in response to international pressure suggests Iran may be more vulnerable to influence on the issue that we judged previously."

 

ummmm, sorry to bust your delusions mister....but, what happened was that the Iranian people removed the " wuss" who accepted a compromise on Iran's nuclear right, and elected a completely unknown Ahmadinejad who won mainly on his promise of a change to Khatami's policy of compromise on Iranian nuclear program!  Mr. Levitt conveniently forgets that backlash of a "detail" which should have washed out all his delusions.

But hey, he still testifies the following as the supposed success of his "threats":

"

There are signs of success, and with continuing signs of domestic discontent in Iran, targeted financial measures can increase the political pressure on the regime. Indeed, long before the June 12 elections, the US-led campaign had played a role in causing domestic political problems for Iranian hard-liners as well. In September 2007, former president Ahkbar Hasehemi Rafsanjani, a moderate opposed to the regime’s confrontational approach, was elected as the speaker of the Experts Assembly—the body which chooses and has the power to remove Iran’s Supreme Leader. Several days earlier, the Supreme Leader dismissed Yahya Rahim Safavi, the IRGC’s commander since 1997, who was blacklisted by the UN in March 2007. Safavi’s replacement, Muhammad Ali Jafari, confirmed that Safavi was removed primarily "due to the US threats." Finally, Motjtaba Hashemi Samarah, one of Ahmadinejad’s close allies, was removed from his position as the deputy interior minister .."

 

 Should we remind Mr Levitt to read Mr Leverett's article entitled "Ahmadinejad WON, get over it!" for a second time? Forget about "Safavi went, Jafari came....". Concentrate on what is important to you namely, " Ahmadinejad came, and Ahmadinejad came AGAIN" and Iran's nuclear program will proceed at an even faster rate much to your chagrin, and all  your efforts and threats, notwithstanding!

Some of these advisors to Israel are more delusional than Fred!


  •  
capt_ayhab

relevant blog

by capt_ayhab on Mon Mar 01, 2010 03:20 PM PST


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jamshid

Ali9 Akbar

by jamshid on Mon Mar 01, 2010 03:11 PM PST

On the one hand we are being boxed in by foreign powers with threats of sanctions. On the other hand, those of us who live in Iran are under constant threat of imprisonment, execution and rape.

These foreign powers and their sanctions are enabled by the likes of the author of this article. On the other hand, the IRI, and its rape and execution of our innocent youth, is constantly enabled by likes of Fozoul Bashi and Sargord.

Their job is not much different than the job of this articles' author: Making lies, diverting attention, playing victim, and so on. Notice the similarities between the foreign warmongers and the domestic rape and execution mongers.

As you can see, this is a two front battle, which requires a unique and different approach.


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Abarmard

Read the "Zionist" Plan for Iran

by Abarmard on Mon Mar 01, 2010 03:05 PM PST

The followin is taken directly from Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs

(//jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=1...)

Here are five MAIN points they suggest to "continue" fighting Iranian regime:

 

1.  Create a very real military threat by concentrating naval forces in the Persian Gulf and voicing threats of war at the Iranian regime.

2. Widen international sanctions that will paralyze the Iranian economy in the same manner as Gaddafi’s Libya.

3. Encourage ethnic minorities in Iran to launch guerrilla warfare against the regime. The Baluchis in the southeast, Turkmen in the northeast, Azaris in the northwest, Kurds in the west, and Arabic-speaking tribes in the southwest are each discriminated against and each has a history of guerrilla actions.

4. Transfer funds to opposition bodies inside Iran to finance strikes, demonstrations, and other resistance activities.

5. Rally three million Iranian exiles to lobby leaders in the countries where they now reside to join the international effort to effect regime change in Iran.


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Ali9 Akbar

if you're interested in human rights...

by Ali9 Akbar on Mon Mar 01, 2010 02:28 PM PST

Lets talk about Iran VS the USA

in the USA you have freedom of religion... do you have the same in Iran???  no you don't   ask any member of the Bahai Religion

 

Muslims are not persecuted in the USA for being  Muslims...

but if you support terrorism  or commit a terrorist act you will be prosecuted by the USA court system for violating the law...

There are some members of the green movement that want to use violence to achieve political change to me that is wrong on many levels and I DO NOT SUPPORT VIOLENCE PERIOD....

Political change must be achieved through peaceful means  However if the Iranian government INSISTS on pursuing it's present course to control it's own people then desperate people might  use desperate means to achieve political change and that would be tragic on all levels.... 

Don't get me wrong I have no illusions on the political atmosphere within the USA but day to day living here is much better here than what it is in Iran.... And there are times I wish I could go to Iran just to experience the Culture of Iran but with the present political make up of Iran it makes that impossible.... 


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Fouzul Bashi

Akbar

by Fouzul Bashi on Mon Mar 01, 2010 02:01 PM PST

Before you blow your horn, learn to read and assess what your 'opponent' is saying.  Did I say every problem in Iran is to be blamed on the US????!!!  I addressed this idiot fascist's claims on his "EVIDENCE" of "IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAMME" and his calling for "HARSH SANCTIONS" that would hurt the population (and this IS what he is boldly arguing for), and I unravelled his lies.

There is no doubt that US has no genuine concern for human rights in Iran.  Just look at the record of the US's human rights in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Palestine amongst others, and don't forget Iraq and Afghanistan!!!  Having said that, this does not mean support for the regime in Iran and justifying its crimes against the Iranian people.  These are two separate matters.  If anything, the US's attitude strengthens the siege mentality in Iran and provide justification for the hardliners to further suppress any dissent.

You have not addressed any of the arguments I have made and have not been able to say anything of substance in support of the article either.  You keep on labeling me and talking of my love for the IRI!!!  because I defend Iran's rights and oppose sanctions that are intended to hurt innocent human beings???!   


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Ali9 Akbar

listen ACE I've had friends who had to leave IRAN

by Ali9 Akbar on Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:30 AM PST

because of the shenanigans of your beloved IRI... Her uncle was MURDERED because of his religious beliefs 

 If it was up to me we'd be in a peaceful world now and this conversation would be unnecessary however you want to blame the USA and the west for ALL OF IRAN's problems  you need to focus on Tehran and meditate how the world will solve this problem.. Sure the USA  did some things in the 1950's that created this problem but those politicians are DEAD and their cohorts are NOT IN POWER today so therefore your finger pointing and egregious obfuscations of the facts are falling onto deaf ears ....  Get over it and hopefully there might be a PEACEFUL RESOLUTION to the festering crisis within Iran....

 

good day ... and good-bye   


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Fouzul Bashi

Akbar - don't laugh too much

by Fouzul Bashi on Mon Mar 01, 2010 08:33 AM PST

Don't laugh too much or you'll choke on your vomit ;)

Give one evidence where I have supported the notion of  "IRI's concern with the welfare of the Iranian people", .. or shut up ... Your style of misrepresentation is just like the author of this article, mercenary and shameless with no respect for either truth or concern for humanity.

The issue here is not support of the IRI, the issue is standing up to dimwitted lies (you obviously approve of) and murderous hostility towards the people of Iran.  Obviously you have nothing to say on the issue of full blown sanctions, that the article proposes, against the Iranian population.   


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Ali9 Akbar

oh gee.... now the mouthpieces of the IRI...

by Ali9 Akbar on Mon Mar 01, 2010 07:00 AM PST

are now suddenly concerned with the welfare of the Iranian people?????

 

HAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAH

 

thanks for the laugh Fouzul Bashi and Saragord....I needed that...

 

if the IRI was sooo concerned with the welfare of the Iranian people it would have been better money managers with the VAST OIL Wealth that Iran possesses instead of pursuing an Ill advised   nuclear weapons program targeted primarily at the Iranian Government's perceived enemies Israel and the United States...What's really pathetic is that hapless & Innocent Iranian citizens will be caught in the crossfire of any shooting war between them.... so please spare us your crocodile tears....


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Fouzul Bashi

Stupidity matched by vicious ruthlessness

by Fouzul Bashi on Mon Mar 01, 2010 06:17 AM PST

The frank warmongering against the Iranian citizenship by this Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, should act as a warning to those who have any illusions in the US concern for human rights in Iran.

What is this "convincing new evidence that the Islamic Republic has continued pursuing a secret nuclear weapons programme" "in defiance of the IAEA and the United Nations Security Council"???

..... that the IAEA and the UNSC are not aware of???!!! 

He continues "Last September, the United States and some European allies exposed a new secret enrichment facility near Qom", ignoring the fact that the facilities were LEGAL, and that they were DISCLOSED TO THE IAEA, months before the planned introduction of nuclear material, earlier than is required by the NPT regulations.  

However, ironically, in his attempt at incrimination, he explains Iran's justifiable position: "Iran acknowledged building "contingency centres" like the Qom facility in response to "the augmentation of the threats of military attacks against Iran.", which is a clear demonstration of the thuggish imperial attitude of "Don't you dare shielding yourself against my attacks"!!!

He also conveniently and customarily confuses enrichment facilities and nuclear programme, with nuclear weapons programme.  

He then informs us of a the evidence discovered by  "The Times of London"!!! which  "reported that Tehran had been working on a triggering device for a nuclear bomb", and how "Iran responded  by test firing the Sajjil-2, the latest version of its 1,200 mile range missile that brings south eastern Europe within range".  So Iran test fired in relation to Times of London's 'discovery' :)))) and again firing of Sajjil-2 is 'linked' to the fabricated "triggering device for a nuclear bomb".

But when this laughable stupidity is matched by vicious ruthlessness which is proposed against innocent Iranian citizens, there is cause for grave concern. This is the dominant mentality in the US foreign policy that is driving for war, not against the regime, but against an entire population.  


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Sargord Pirouz

Pro-Zionist advocacy against the people of Iran

by Sargord Pirouz on Mon Mar 01, 2010 03:17 AM PST

"Last September, the United States and some European allies exposed a new secret enrichment facility near Qom"

FACT: Iran disclosed this facility to the IAEA before the West announced its presence.

"In December, The Times of London reported that Tehran had been working on a triggering device for a nuclear bomb."

FACT: The document cited in this report was later declared to be a re-typed copy of a "withheld" sourced from Israel. It is considered by many intelligence experts to be fraudulent.

"Sanctions can help to to disrupt Iran's illicit activities"

FACT: Iran's nuclear enrichment activities are legal under the terms of the NPT.

FACT: The author Matthew Levitt is a pro-Zionist neocon advocating economic warfare against the good people of Iran.


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