DOCSLIB.ORG

Iran March 2009

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Iran March 2009 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN, FROM 2 FEBRUARY 2009 TO 16 MARCH 2009 REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 2 FEBRUARY 2009 TO 16 MARCH 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 1.01 Maps .............................................................................................. 1.03 Iran............................................................................................. 1.03 Tehran ....................................................................................... 1.04 2. ECONOMY ............................................................................................ 2.01 Sanctions ...................................................................................... 2.13 3. HISTORY ............................................................................................... 3.01 Calendar ........................................................................................ 3.02 Pre 1979......................................................................................... 3.03 1979 to 1999 .................................................................................. 3.05 2000 to date................................................................................... 3.16 Student unrest .............................................................................. 3.25 Parliamentary elections – February 2004................................... 3.41 Presidential elections – June 2005 ............................................. 3.47 Elections – 2006 ........................................................................... 3.54 Elections – 2008 ........................................................................... 3.56 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ....................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ...................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................ 6.01 Political parties............................................................................. 6.05 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 7.01 8. CRIME ................................................................................................... 8.01 Arazel va obash ............................................................................ 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES................................................................................. 9.01 Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and Vezarat-e Ettela’at va Aminat-e Keshvar (VEVAK) aka Ettela’at .......... 9.09 Basij............................................................................................... 9.12 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or Pasdaran...................... 9.18 Ansar-e Hezbollah ........................................................................ 9.19 Ashura Brigades........................................................................... 9.20 Torture........................................................................................... 9.22 10. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................... 10.01 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.06 Independence ............................................................................... 11.09 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 February 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 16 March 2009. 17 MARCH 2009 IRAN Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.18 Penal code................................................................................. 11.29 Knowledge of the judge ............................................................. 11.33 Court documentation ................................................................... 11.39 Amputation ................................................................................... 11.42 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS............................................................................ 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY.................................................................................. 14.01 Stoning .......................................................................................... 14.12 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION........................................................................ 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 15.01 16. OPPOSITION GROUPS AND POLITICAL ACTIVISTS................................... 16.01 Political dissent ............................................................................ 16.01 Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MEK / MKO) or People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) ................................. 16.05 Rastakhiz Party and Monarchists ............................................... 16.19 Savak ............................................................................................. 16.22 Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) aka PDKI................... 16.23 Komala .......................................................................................... 16.31 Partiya Jiyana Azada Kurdistan (PJAK) or Kurdistan Free Life Party ....................................................................................... 16.37 17. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 17.01 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 17.24 Internet and satellite .................................................................... 17.28 18. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Legal framework........................................................................... 19.14 Sunni Muslims .............................................................................. 19.16 Christians...................................................................................... 19.20 Apostasy / conversions.............................................................. 19.26 Apostasy bill............................................................................... 19.37 Jews............................................................................................... 19.41 Zoroastrians.................................................................................. 19.47 Sabeans (Mandeans or Madaeans)............................................. 19.54 Baha’is........................................................................................... 19.56 Ahl-e Haq (Yaresan) ..................................................................... 19.88 Sufis............................................................................................... 19.90 20. ETHNIC GROUPS .................................................................................. 20.01 Kurds ............................................................................................. 20.07 Arabs ............................................................................................. 20.20 Baluchis ........................................................................................ 20.40 Azeris............................................................................................. 20.52 Qashqais ....................................................................................... 20.61 21. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS....................... 21.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 21.01 Legislative position and penalties.............................................. 21.05 Evidence and repenting ............................................................. 21.08 Enforcement of the laws and executions................................... 21.11 Social Protection Division .......................................................... 21.35 Government attitudes .................................................................. 21.42 Societal attitudes.......................................................................... 21.46 Transgender and transsexuals ................................................... 21.50 22. DISABILITY .......................................................................................... 22.01 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 1 February 2009. Further brief iii information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 16 March 2009. IRAN 17 MARCH 2009 23. WOMEN............................................................................................... 23.01
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cholland Masters Thesis Final Draft
    Copyright By Christopher Paul Holland 2010 The Thesis committee for Christopher Paul Holland Certifies that this is the approved version of the following thesis: Rethinking Qawwali: Perspectives of Sufism, Music, and Devotion in North India APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE: Supervisor: __________________________________ Syed Akbar Hyder ___________________________________ Gail Minault Rethinking Qawwali: Perspectives of Sufism, Music, and Devotion in North India by Christopher Paul Holland B.A. Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts The University of Texas at Austin May 2010 Rethinking Qawwali: Perspectives of Sufism, Music, and Devotion in North India by Christopher Paul Holland, M.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2010 SUPERVISOR: Syed Akbar Hyder Scholarship has tended to focus exclusively on connections of Qawwali, a north Indian devotional practice and musical genre, to religious practice. A focus on the religious degree of the occasion inadequately represents the participant’s active experience and has hindered the discussion of Qawwali in modern practice. Through the examples of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music and an insightful BBC radio article on gender inequality this thesis explores the fluid musical exchanges of information with other styles of Qawwali performances, and the unchanging nature of an oral tradition that maintains sociopolitical hierarchies and gender relations in Sufi shrine culture. Perceptions of history within shrine culture blend together with social and theological developments, long-standing interactions with society outside of the shrine environment, and an exclusion of the female body in rituals.
    [Show full text]
  • Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis
    prelims.046 17/12/2004 4:58 PM Page i MAKERS of the MUSLIM WORLD Fazlallah Astarabadi and The Hurufis “Shahzad Bashir is to be commended for producing a remarkably accessible work on a complex subject; his explanations are models of lucidity and brevity.” PROFESSOR DEVIN DEWEESE, INDIANA UNIVERSITY prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page ii SELECTION OF TITLES IN THE MAKERS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD SERIES Series editor: Patricia Crone, Institute for Advanced Study,Princeton ‘Abd al-Malik, Chase F.Robinson Abd al-Rahman III, Maribel Fierro Abu Nuwas, Philip Kennedy Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Christopher Melchert Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi, Usha Sanyal Al-Ma’mun, Michael Cooperson Al-Mutanabbi, Margaret Larkin Amir Khusraw, Sunil Sharma El Hajj Beshir Agha, Jane Hathaway Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis, Shazad Bashir Ibn ‘Arabi,William C. Chittick Ibn Fudi,Ahmad Dallal Ikhwan al-Safa, Godefroid de Callatay Shaykh Mufid,Tamima Bayhom-Daou For current information and details of other books in the series, please visit www.oneworld-publications.com/ subjects/makers-of-muslim-world.htm prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page iii MAKERS of the MUSLIM WORLD Fazlallah Astarabadi and The Hurufis SHAHZAD BASHIR prelims.046 14/12/2004 1:37 PM Page iv FAZLALLAH ASTARABADI AND THE HURUFIS Oneworld Publications (Sales and editorial) 185 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7AR England www.oneworld-publications.com © Shahzad Bashir 2005 All rights reserved Copyright under Berne Convention A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library ISBN 1–85168–385–2 Typeset by Jayvee,
    [Show full text]
  • Corruption and Mismanagement Index April 2020
    Corruption and Mismanagement Index April 2020 1 Table of Contents Ahmadinejad's Administration ...................................................................................................................... 3 Rouhani’s Administration .............................................................................................................................. 4 The Judiciary .................................................................................................................................................. 5 The IRGC: A Corrupt Conglomerate .............................................................................................................. 6 Setad Ejraiye Farmane Hazrate Emam (SETAD) ............................................................................................ 6 2 Corruption and Mismanagement Index While many Iranians are languishing under a mismanaged and floundering economy, the Iranian regime has attempted to shift the blame for its citizens’ distress to sanctions implemented by the United States. The reality, however, is that the Iranian economy has long been plagued by the regime’s endemic corruption, economic mismanagement, and reckless foreign policy. Iran ranks 146 out of 180 countries listed on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for 2019. Ahmadinejad's Administration Corruption and mismanagement in Iran significantly worsened during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite the fact that he came to power on a populist, anti-corruption platform. In Ahmadinejad’s
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2019
    Annual Report 2019 st st January 1 2019-December 31 2019 www.irqr.ca 001-416-985-7456 [email protected] | 2 CONTENTS About Our Work 3 IRQR’s Mission 3 IRQR’s Vision 3 Message From Executive Director 4 Some 4 Million Refugees 4 Partners and Public Institutions 4 Strategic Directions 5 IRQR’s Priority Activities 6 Financial Report 8 Statement of Operation 2019 8 Detailed Income Statement 2019 9 IRQR Donors 12 Our Leadership 12 Contact, Like and Follow 12 | 3 About Our Work International Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR) is a Canadian charitable organization that assists persecuted lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) seeking asylum, to find refuge and have a new chance of life (live free and equal in dignity and rights). IRQR provides education, guidance, and support to individuals making asylum claims, outside of their county of origin, during their resettlement process. IRQR’s Mission Our mission is to relieve poverty for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) refugees living in Turkey by providing the basic necessities of life; and to relieve poverty by sponsoring, providing financial and resettlement assistance to LGBT refugees in Turkey who have fled because of persecution for their sexual orientation or gender identification and, as victims of human rights abuses; and to undertake activities ancillary and incidental to the attainment of the above charitable purpose. IRQR’s Vision Our vision is to provide education, guidance, and support to Middle Eastern LGBT individuals making asylum claims during their resettlement process. | 4 Message From Executive Director Some 4 Million Refugees I want to take this opportunity and thank all the supporters and allies of the IRQR.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran: the Meeting Point of Corruption and Human Rights Violations
    IRAN: THE MEETING POINT OF CORRUPTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SUBMISSION TO THE WORKING GROUP ON BUSINESS & HUMAN RIGHTS: CONNECTING THE BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENDAS February 2020 1 ▼ Justice for Iran (JFI) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organ- isation established in 2010 in London, UK. JFI’s mission is to address and eradicate the practice of impunity that empowers officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran to perpetrate widespread human rights viola- tions inside and outside of Iran, and to hold them accountable for their actions. To achieve its mission, JFI researches, documents, reports, and litigates individual cases. It further raises public awareness and participates in human rights advocacy through the UN and the EU. JFI has a specialised business and human rights programme that aims to increase corporate accountability and respect for human rights among businesses and financial actors engaging in export of goods or services, investments and development projects in and from Iran. Website: justiceforiran.org Twitter: @Justice4Iran /@Justice4IranEn Address: 25-27 Bickerton Road, N19 5JT London, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)2072819940 VIOLATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IRAN: THE MEETING POINT OF CORRUPTION Email: [email protected] 2 ▼ CONTENTS ABOUT THIS SUBMISSION 3 1. PROBLEMATIC OWNERSHIPS AND CORRUPT PRACTICES 4 2. BUSINESSES CONTROLLED BY THE SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN 5 3. UNDUE INFLUENCE AND CORRUPTION IN PUBLIC ENTITIES 6 4. CORRUPT BANKING SYSTEM 7 OF SYRIA DESTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION 5. FRONT (PRIVATE!) COMPANIES AND LONG CHAINS 7 6. LACK OF INDEPENDENT WATCHDOGS AND TRIBUNALS 8 7. LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND PROTECTION FOR JOURNALISTS 9 AND WHISTLEBLOWERS IRAN: THE MEETING POINT OF CORRUPTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IRAN: THE MEETING POINT OF CORRUPTION a.
    [Show full text]
  • Mystical Thoughts of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti and Chishtiyya Sufi Order
    T.C SELÇUK ÜNİVERSİTESİ MEVLÂNA ARAŞTIRMALARI ENSTİTÜSÜ MEVLÂNA VE MEVLEVİLİK ARAŞTIRMALARI ANABİLİM DALI MEVLÂNA VE MEVLEVİLİK ARAŞTIRMALARI BİLİM DALI MYSTICAL THOUGHTS OF KHWAJA MUINUDDIN CHISHTI AND CHISHTIYYA SUFI ORDER (MUİNİDDİN ÇİŞTİ- TASAVVUFİ GÖRÜŞLERİ VE ÇİŞTİYYE TARİKATI) Mahir NİRATHİNMEL PUTHİYAPURAYİL KOORANTAKATH YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ Danışman Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Hakan KUYUMCU Konya – 2018 II III IV PREFACE The Persian term ‘Khwaja’ carries the meaning of ‘master’. In Indian sub continent, the general usage of the word ‘khwaja’ stands for Khwaja Muinuddin Hasan al Chishti. Similarly we can see the word ‘Moulana’ (in Arabic language the word moula also carries the meaning of ‘master’) represents jalauddin Rumi. The magic of being collective noun, a particular noun in their life is not accidental. Vice versa, it was the result of admiration of the people. When we know the importance of the message that they conveyed to the humanity, we can certainly say that they deserve to be called so. As far as concerning Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti he had heavy responsibilities in Indian subcontinent as the people had degenerated in religious, social, political and cultural facets. By spreading the everlasting messages of love, consideration, charity and broadmindedness he redirected the flow of the history of Indian subcontinent. The records show that by the attraction to his charming personality, about 90 million people had embraced Islam. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti was the contribution of Chishtiyya Sufi order, a well known and far rooted mystical way in the world established by Abu Ishaq al Shami in Herat, Afghanistan in 930 CE. From the beginning of its formation, it is standing for the spreading of the universal message of Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Go West Get a Sizzling Tan in
    THE VOICE OF CHICAGO’S GAY, LESBIAN, BI AND TRANS COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 May 14, 2008 • vol 23 no 35 www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com Center on Halsted: A year of highs and lows BY ANDREW DAVIS controversy throughout its first year, including WCT: How would you describe this past year Michelle charges that the organization lacks diversity and [for the Center]—mostly highs in a year of Seldom has a transition been greeted with as has turned a blind eye regarding issues affecting highs and lows? Obama at much fanfare (at least in the LGBT press) as minority youth. Windy City Times recently talked MV: It’s think it’s been mostly highs. Think- when the Center on Halsted opened its doors with the Center’s executive director, Modesto ing back, I’m so proud of the diversity of Luncheon page 6 last spring. Since then, the Center has done “Tico” Valle, as he explained the organization’s people who have come here and the growth of everything from host forums to house various triumphs and challenges. our programs, across the board. That involves organizations—while raising funds that seem Windy City Times: You’re coming upon one our seniors, youth and our computer technol- to dwarf what most groups procure. (April’s Hu- year as executive director… ogy center, which amazes me every single day. man First Gala, for example, raised $1.1 million.) Modesto “Tico” Valle: …And it’s passed by so However, the Center has also had to deal with fast. Turn to page 4 Go West Get a sizzling tan in ..
    [Show full text]
  • Part Two: Administrative Organization, Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss
    Part Two Administrative Organization, Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account of Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran As at the end of 1390 (March 19, 2012) EXECUTIVE BOARD Mahmoud Bahmani (as of 02.07.1387) Governor Seyyed Hamid Pour Mohammadi (as of 18.07.1388) Deputy Governor Seyyed Mahmoud Ahmadi (as of 09.10.1388) Secretary General Seyyed Kamal Seyyed Ali (as of 21.04.1390 Vice-Governor for Foreign until 28.08.1390) Exchange Affairs Minoo Kianirad (as of 28.08.1390) Vice-Governor for Foreign Exchange Affairs Hossein Ghazavi (as of 29.07.1388 Vice-Governor for Economic Affairs until 23.08.1390) Bahman Mesgarha (as of 09.10.1388) Vice-Governor for Administrative and Training Affairs Hossein Habibi (as of 19.03.1388) Vice-Governor for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ebrahim Darvishi (as of 10.09.1390 Vice-Governor for Banking Supervision Affairs Hamid Borhani (until 21.04.1390) Vice-Governor for Foreign Exchange Affairs Seyyed Kamal Seyyed Ali (until 21.04.1390) Vice-Governor for International Affairs 138 MONEY AND CREDIT COUNCIL Mahmoud Bahmani (as of 02.07.1387) Governor of the Central Bank Seyyed Shamseddin Hosseini (as of 23.04.1388) Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ebrahim Azizi (as of 07.07.1388) President Deputy for Strategic Planning and Control Abdolreza Sheikholeslami (as of 12.05.1390) Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare Mehdi Ghazanfari (as of 12.05.1390) Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Sadeq Khalilian (as of 11.08.1390) Minister of Jihad-e Agriculture Kurosh Parvizian (as of 08.05.1390)
    [Show full text]
  • Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2008
    Iran Page 1 of 25 Iran Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 11, 2008 The Islamic Republic of Iran*, with a population of approximately 70 million, is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shi'a Muslim clergy dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty-–albeit restricted--and the rule of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not directly elected but chosen by a directly-elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989. Khamenei dominated the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He directly controlled the armed forces and indirectly controlled the internal security forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions. The legislative branch is the popularly elected 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majles. An unelected 12-member Guardian Council reviewed all legislation passed by the Majles for adherence to Islamic and constitutional principles and also screened presidential and Majles candidates for eligibility. In 2005 hardline conservative Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad won the presidency in an election widely viewed by the international community as neither free nor fair. The civilian authorities did not maintain fully effective control of the security forces. The government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The government severely limited citizens' right to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections. There were reports of unjust executions after unfair trials. Security forces committed acts of politically motivated abductions; torture and severe officially-sanctioned punishments, including death by stoning; amputation; flogging; and excessive use of force against and imprisonment of demonstrators.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: the Rise of the Revolutionary Guards
    Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Rise of the Revolutionary Guards Ali Alfoneh Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Rise of the Revolutionary Guards Ali Alfoneh February 5, 2018 Issue Paper #1 2019 The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW), launched in 2015, is an independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to providing expert research and analysis of the social, economic, and political dimensions of the Gulf Arab states and how they impact domestic and foreign policy. AGSIW focuses on issues ranging from politics and security to economics, trade, and business; from social dynamics to civil society and culture. Through programs, publications, and scholarly exchanges the institute seeks to encourage thoughtful debate and inform the U.S. policy community regarding this critical geostrategic region. © 2019 Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. All rights reserved. AGSIW does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of AGSIW, its staff, or its board of directors. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from AGSIW. Please direct inquiries to: [email protected] This publication can be downloaded at no cost at www.agsiw.org. Cover Photo Credits: Khamenei.ir/Wikimedia Commons About the Author Ali Alfoneh is a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. He is the author of Iran Unveiled: How the Revolutionary Guards are Transforming Iran from Theocracy into Military Dictatorship, published by AEI Press in April 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Urgent Action
    UA: 125/11 Index: MDE 13/047/2011Iran Date: 06 May 2011 URGENT ACTION STUDENT ACTIVISTS HELD IN IRAN Two members of the Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS), an independent group of current and former students, have been arrested. Shiva Kamalipour Azad was arrested in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on 26 April 2011 and Mohammad Reza Fakhravar (known as Arash) was reportedly arrested at Tehran Airport on or around 29 April. They are at risk of torture or other ill treatment. Journalist Shiva Kamalipour Azad, aged 29, was initially arrested on 17 April 2011 by security officials at the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, as she was leaving to attend a conference about journalism in the Muslim world in the USA via Dubai. Her passport, camera, computer and phone were confiscated and she was taken to Evin Prison, Tehran, where she reportedly appeared before a Revolutionary Court. Shiva Kamalipour Azad was held in incommunicado detention, until her release on bail on 24 April 2011. She is believed to have been ill-treated during interrogation. She was arrested again at her grandfather’s residence, in the middle of the night two days later by six security officials believed to be from an intelligence body. She was blindfolded and taken back to Evin Prison where she is still held. Nineteen-year-old student activist Arash Fakhravar was reportedly arrested on arrival in Tehran after returning from France where he was an asylum-seeker. The circumstances of his departure from France are unclear. His current whereabouts are unknown, and he may have been subjected to enforced disappearance.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
    Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs September 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL32048 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses Summary President Obama has said his Administration shares the goals of the previous Administration to contain Iran’s strategic capabilities and regional influence. The Administration has not changed the previous Administration’s characterization of Iran as a “profound threat to U.S. national security interests,” a perception generated not only by Iran’s nuclear program but also by its military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. However, the Obama Administration has formulated approaches to achieve those goals that differ from those of its predecessor—in particular through expanded direct diplomatic engagement with Iran. Prior to Iran’s disputed June 12, 2009 presidential elections, this U.S. outreach was put into practice with messages to the Iranian people by President Obama, and through invitations to and contact with Iranian diplomats at multilateral meetings. Attempting to convince Iran that the Administration is not hostile to Iran, the Administration also downplayed Bush Administration policies to add international sanctions on Iran, to fund civil society activists there, and to openly discuss potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities. The Administration’s Iran policy did not change significantly because of the Iranian crackdown against protesters who alleged vast fraud in the June 12, 2009 presidential election, in which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.
    [Show full text]