[R-G] New Sanctions a “Sword of Damocles” over Iran; Senate Adopts Measure to Counter Censorship in Iran

[Suzanne de Kuyper]

This is the move that the Iranian president said would be considered an act
of war, which, under international law and custom (changing as fast as the
US wage new ones) it surely is.  Russia will disagree with itThe next
country to be decimated is fully in the muzzles of the follow-the leader
world.  Russia will disagree, maybe China and then the two billion Arabs and
Muslims, but Russia is ringed about almost completely, China is tiptoeing
around getting off the dollar without looking like it must, the two billion
are fractured.  suzannedk at gmail

On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 10:25 PM, Yoshie Furuhashi <
critical.montages at gmail.com> wrote:

> On one hand, the West wants to isolate Iran economically, which
> distances the Iranians from the West politically and culturally as
> well; on the other hand, the West wants to gain an ability to
> broadcast its propaganda into Iran.  It's a little schizophrenic.  It
> might be simpler if the West went ahead and ended economic sanctions
> on Iran.  Then, a sizable number of Iranians, of their own free will,
> would probably import more of the junk that the West wants to dump on
> Iran, as has been shown by the popularity of many kinds of the Western
> junk in such former official enemies of the West as China and Viet
> Nam.
> Yoshie
>
> <
> http://www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1471&Itemid=2
> >
> New Sanctions a “Sword of Damocles” over Iran
> Written by Ali Delforoush
> Friday, 24 July 2009
> ImageWashington DC - “I view the [Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions
> Act] as a sword of Damocles over the Iranians,” said House Foreign
> Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman. “This is a clear hint of
> what will happen if they do not engage seriously and move rapidly to
> suspend their uranium enrichment program.”
>
> Berman said there is “no doubt” the American people stand with the
> Iranian people, but he said the U.S. will rally international support
> for imposing “crippling sanctions” if President Obama’s diplomatic
> strategy has not shown signs of success by the fall.
>
> While most of the world has been captivated by events unfolding in
> Iran, Wednesday's Foreign Affairs Committee hearing concentrated on
> Iran's nuclear program and the use of sanctions against Iran. The
> committee hearing included a panel of six witnesses: Patrick Clawson
> of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Suzanne Maloney from
> the Brookings Institution, Abbas Milani of Stanford University, Karim
> Sadjadpour from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
> Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute, and Orde Kittrie
> from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
>
> Kittrie, Rubin, and Clawson indicated their support for imposing new
> sanctions against companies that export refined petroleum to Iran,
> while Maloney and Sadjadpour indicated that it is too early to decide
> on this matter and that Congress should wait until "the dust has
> settled [in Iran]." Milani said he would support "crippling sanctions"
> but not "half-baked" ones that would just offer the Iranian government
> excuses for Iran's economic troubles.
>
> Maloney noted that "the opposition in Iran has not expressed their
> desire for bilateral and unilateral sanctions that would cripple the
> government." However, Sadjadpour stated, "the people in Iran now see
> the value in sanctions and support their implementation." Abbas Milani
> seconded this point.
>
> Some of the Representatives expressed their concern that sanctions
> would not be enough to deter Iran. "I feel it already may be too
> late," said Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY). Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) compared
> Iran to Nazi Germany in advocating for harsh new sanctions. Burton
> added that if sanctions do not work, "they need to know what's coming
> next." Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) told the panel he believes "we can
> do more than just sanctions," advocating covert support for Iranian
> opposition forces "so that they will have the material well-being...to
> take on that government themselves.
>
> Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) emphasized that he will support Israel if it
> bombs Iran because it "feels like it has to defend itself." Kittrie
> argued it would be better for the United States to carry out any
> military action because "we have the right capacity." Meanwhile, Rubin
> who prior to the Iranian presidential elections expressed his hope for
> an Ahmadinejad victory, stated that "the United States should not
> sacrifice its allies," indicating support for military action if US
> allies in the region feel threatened by Iran.
>
> The majority of the Committee agreed that, unless Iran suspends its
> nuclear program by the end of September, the Congress will likely move
> to impose additional broad sanctions against the Iranian economy.
>
> <
> http://www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1473&Itemid=2
> >
> Senate Adopts Measure to Counter Censorship in Iran
> Written by Ali Delforoush
> Friday, 24 July 2009
>
> Washington DC - Last night, the Senate voted unanimously to adopt
> legislation that aims to aid the ability of the Iranian people to
> access news and information by overcoming the electronic censorship
> and monitoring efforts of the Iranian government.
>
> The Victims of Iranian Censorship (VOICE) Act was introduced by
> Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT), Ted Kaufman
> (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Robert Casey (D-PA) as an amendment
> to the National Defense Authorization Act.
>
> “The world has been astonished and inspired by the courage of millions
> of Iranians pressing their regime for nothing more than their
> inalienable rights,” said Senator John McCain.  “The Iranian
> government has taken numerous steps to stop these citizens from
> communicating with each other and with the outside world.  As this
> cruel regime works to close off Iranian society, the VOICE Act, by
> providing assistance for broadcasting and new internet and
> communications technologies, will help to open it up.”
>
> The VOICE Act provides $30 million in additional funding to the
> Broadcasting Board of Governors to expand Farsi language broadcasting
> into Iran and to develop technology to bypass the Iranian government’s
> efforts to block radio, satellite, and Internet access.
>
> The Act also declares that the US Congress “respects the sovereignty,
> proud history, and rich culture of the Iranian people,” and
> establishes the policy of the United States “to support the Iranian
> people as they seek, receive, and impart information and promote ideas
> in writing, in print, or through any media without interference.”
>
> Other facets of the act include $20 million for a new “Iranian
> Electronic Education, Exchange, and Media Fund,” which will support
> the development of technologies that will aid the ability of the
> Iranian people to gain access to and share information.
>
> The VOICE Act also requires the President to list all non-Iranian
> companies that have assisted the government of Iran’s efforts to
> monitor and censor internet usage. In addition, it authorizes $5
> million dollars to be spent collecting and disseminating information
> about the status of human rights in Iran.
>
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