پندارنیک

Mehrdad Agha

I partly agree with you. Sanctions on the IRI's banking sector can and have already had an impact; however, they are not full-proof. That is definitely true. They can be made stronger if they are extended to the Central Bank of Iran, as the Senate has already endorsed (by 94 out of 100 Senators I believe). I am 100% in favor of sanctions on oil and natural gas. However, NIAC has opposed such broad sanctions saying that they will lead to war, hurt ordinary Iranians, are part of the neocon-AIPAC plot against Iran, etc. etc. The "good" sanctions, according to NIAC, were the sanctions against the 8 IRI individuals who will never travel to Europe or the U.S. anyway.

AMIR Agha, Now that we are turning to sanction

Only expressing my own opinion here, any sanction that still enables the regime to get its way thru a second or third hand is by definition worthless and its affect will be only felt by the poor who may already be at the breaking point. As far as I am concerned a meaningful sanction will aim first and foremost at the regime source of income, oil sector. Without a meaningful boycott of the Iranian oil sector any sanction is only a feel good exercise by the West with a few chip at hand for any bargaining in some other deals in their dance with IRI.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Mehrdad Agha

Here's a sample below of NIAC or NIAC "analysts" opposing meaningful sanctions against the IRI (I say MEANINGFUL sanctions, because "targeted" sanctions against certain IRI individuals are worthless since those individuals would never travel to countries where they could be arrested anyway and everyone knows it). At various times, President-not-for-Life Trita Parsi, Jamal Abdi, and Reza Marashi (among other NIAC head honchos) have opposed meaningful sanctions and promoted a Grand Bargain / rapprochement / "engagement" (depending on the phrase of the day for doing business with the IRI). The links were found on the NIAC website:

"The Iran sanctions fallacy" 

//english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/20118238150723914.html 

"Why sanctions against Iran won't work" 

//www.salon.com/news/iran/index.html?story=/p...

"NIAC Deeply Concerned by Congressional Sanctions Agreement"  

//www.niacouncil.org/site/News2pageNewsArticle&id=6594 

"New iran Sanctions Could Push Petrol Prices Even Higher" 

//www.niacouncil.org/site/News2pageNewsArticle&id=7398&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=1102 

"As Sanctions Ratchet Up, Iranian Americans Bear Increasing Burdens" 

//www.niacinsight.com/2011/06/13/as-sanctions-ratchet-up-iranian-americans-bear-increasing-burdens/ 

"Toxic sanctions" 

//www.niacinsight.com/2011/05/26/toxic-sanctions/ 

Please show me where NIAC HAS supported meaningful sanctions against the IRI, particularly on oil. Let's see the evidence. 

Amir Agha: You are arguing

Amir Agha: You are arguing from a position of contempt and not logic

This weakens any point you may have.

To suggest that NIAC leadership is the same as IRI and therefore irreplaceable, you are conceding much weakness if not defeat all together even in a politically free society as in US.

Likewise to suggest that NIAC is oppose to any sanctions against IRI is at best ignorant about their position and at worse lending hand to the propagandist whose intention has been made even clearer during the recent months by pushing for ME de-listing.

Is NIAC a perfect organization with the clearest record… hardly

Is there any other organization that attempts in giving Iranian-American a voice in US, hardly

Is there any other organization that has brought up and supported lack of human rights in Iran… hardly

Can you make a difference in NIAC approach? You will not know unless you try, but I argue yes YOU can.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Khamenei is not Leader-for-Life either

The IRI constitution does allow an option for removing the Leader, just as the NIAC charter allows for Parsi to be replaced. As far as the "demands" of the NIAC members for their President-not-for-Life, do these also include serving as a liaison between the IRI UN ambassador and members of Congress, attending the farewell party for said UN ambassador and constant direct and indirect advocacy against sanctioning the IRI and for a Grand Bargain/rapprochement/"engagement" with the Islamist terrorist regime?

Dear Ayatoilete1: As much as I respect your opinion....

I believe you are very much wrong here. A few points..

First, NIAC as a lobby group and like any other corporation in the US, it has to listen to its member's demand if it wants so be successful and they seem to have done just that.

- Calling it "president for life" is short sided at best. There is a charter in place that chooses the presidency and therefore this position is not for life, this is just the same as any other corporation in America and hardly any one will call those longer term presidents as a dictator.

- No one is going to give us a decent organization, it is our job in making one, if not possible then creating a competing one would be in order. So, to sit and expect some one give "us" an organization that will fit to all of us liking is just of a wishful thinking.  It ain't going to happen.

- NIAC has proven that can be adapt to its members priorities and wishes. When the drum of war was been beaten during Bushes reign… the members priority was to avoid/prevent a war with Iran. In recent years, the human rights has been expressed as a higher priority and they have taken such posture.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Bavafa - How can one change NIAC?

When it has a president for life ...i.e. a dictator ...Trita Parsi. If NIAC had changing governancem then your claim that it could change would make sense. Give us a decent organization -- we'll all join...and help out. The truth is, the NIAC is an outpost of the IRI ...and it does not serve the interests of Iranian-Americans.

I have no idea what Pendar is talking about...

As a rather proud supporter of NIAC, giving undue credit, hyped claims etc will only do a disservice not only to this organization but any others.

NIAC much like any other organization is far from being perfect or representative of ALL, but it has certainly done a great job and rather successful in its short time in existence to give Iranian-Americans a voice in Washington. If you feel it has not represent your values and priorities but you did not participate to influence it, then you have no one but yourself to blame, just as if you don't play lottery, you are not going to win.

I also believe a constant criticism that is meant to trashing the organization rather then improving it, is a disservice to yourself and Iranian-Americans unity as a general.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Is this supposed to be a comedy piece?

really...

:-))

No worries though.  Poetic scientists will be in shortly to cheer you on. 

"NIAC Invented the Internet!"

:)))))))))))

we-phone, not iphone............

NIAC Invented the Internet!

And the iPhone too!

پندارنیک

Good point and I agree. NIAC is doing a lot for Iranian abroad and we must appreciate it.

Who said Stalinists can't be funny?

This blog by the former Comrade/present "Pendar-e Neek"/future (Fill in the Blank username) shows that the Stalinist subspecies of West-residing IRI Groupies can enjoy a good joke as much as the next guy/gal. Happy Saturday and Cheers!

 LOL. Reform requires

 LOL.

Reform requires the consent of the corrupt

Garbage ....

This is so ridiculous its unbelievable. NIAC can not take credit for anything ...or rather Trita Parsi can not take credit for anything. They have no influence at all and everyone inside and outside the US administration knows who their masters are. No one listens to them. Decisions to invade or not are made based on strategic reviews and analysis conducted on pure consideration of the facts...not influence peddling from a tiny lobby group.