Do you remember how New York Times op-ed writer Roger Cohen insisted throughout 2009 that Iran is "not totalitarian"?
Do you recall the persistent demands of Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett for rapprochement with Iran, which found their way into two additional NYT op-eds?
On Wednesday morning, November 11, 2009, Ehsan Fattahian, a 26-year-old Kurdish activist, was executed by hanging in Iran. He had been originally charged with "working with armed opposition groups" and sentenced by an Iranian Revolutionary Court in 2008 to 10 years in prison. Ehsan and his family vehemently denied the charges, but when he appealed the verdict, he was sentenced to death on the charge of "moharebeh", i.e. enemy of God.
Appeals for clemency by the family and human rights advocates were ignored by Iran. Before his death, it was reported that Ehsan had been tortured, and he was not allowed to see his family prior to execution. Only after burial was his family informed of the location of his remains.
Twelve other Kurds remain on death row in Iran.
And then there is also the matter of Iran's brutal persecution of its Baha'is.
In a recent conversation with the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, Hillary Mann Leverett, who is all of 41-years-old, stated:
seven or eight years ago, relations with Iran were "in the category of 'nice to have' for U.S. foreign policy. Today, rapprochement with Iran is in the 'must-have' category: The United States cannot achieve any of its high-profile objectives in the Middle East without a more productive relationship with the Islamic Republic, as it is constituted rather than as some wish it to be."
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1127839.html
By the same logic, perhaps some 65 years ago the U.S. should have sought rapprochement with Nazi Germany. A "more productive relationship with the Islamic Republic as it is presently constituted"? Sorry, I don't buy it.
Here is about advocates of " rapprochement " with Iran
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1109/Documents_detail_Iran_engagement_campaign.html
The people work against Iran's opposition, are supporting Iran's official policy, work in cooperation with J-street, and they are paid by Soros.
Thanks, Marina.
ReplyDeleteFlynt Leverett is listed as one of CNAPI's experts "who endorse the goals of the Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran and provide the Campaign with invaluable analysis and advice."
In their website they describe Leverett as follows:
"Flynt Leverett is a leading authority on U.S. foreign policy, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, and global energy issues. From 1992 to 2003, he had a distinguished career in the U.S. government, serving as Senior Director for Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council, Middle East Expert on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff, and Senior Analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. He left the Bush administration and government service in the spring of 2003 because of disagreements about Middle East policy and the conduct of the war on terror more generally. Among Dr. Leverett's many publications is Dealing with Tehran: Assessing U.S. Diplomatic Options toward Iran (2006)."
http://www.newiranpolicy.org/452/9801.html