Pro Democracy Movement of Iran (PDMI)

//pdmi.org/2011/11/letter-to-senator-mark-kirk-in-support-of-his-amendment-to-iran-sanctions/

November 28, 2011

The Honorable Senator Mark Kirk

Senate Appropriations Committee

524 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC, 20510

Dear Senator Kirk,

We would like to sincerely thank you for your support of Iranians and Iranian-Americans. The Iranian-American community, Iranians and friends of Iran strongly support your amendment to the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, to impose crippling sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran. It is the primary bankroller of the IRI’s global terror network, its nuclear program and other illicit activities. We appreciate that the amendment provides the President with a waiver authority for humanitarian exception for the Iranian-American community allowing us to send food, medicine and medical supplies to the Iranian people. We are ready and willing to provide you with further information which may assist you in our struggle for democracy in Iran.

Even if the sanctions might hurt ordinary Iranians, as claimed by regime’s propagandists, a temporary hurt of this nature is a price that people are willing to pay to get rid of this scourge of the IRI. These Mullahs are determined to get their bloody hands on the atomic bomb and further strengthen their position in promoting violence and mayhem in the Middle East and beyond. In the process, we, the Iranian people, will end up being victimized. President Obama must step up the pressure on the IRI. Once the IRI falls, the lynchpin of Islamic extremism will be destroyed. America, Israel, and the rest of the world will be hugely safer without the end-of-the-worlder zealots being in command with nuclear weapons at their disposal.

We are extremely disappointed however, with the six-month exemption for oil transactions purportedly designed to ease the burden on U.S. allies, under the pretext of sending “calming signals to oil markets.” We are afraid that might be too late. It needs to go into effect immediately. We do not subscribe to the notion that bringing down Iran’s economy would disrupt world oil markets and raise the price of energy. Especially in light of the facts that many Persian Gulf states have either tacitly or openly expressed their willingness to increase their oil production to alleviate any subsequent crises.

Senator Kirk, after the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluding that Iran is engaged in activities “highly relevant to a nuclear weapons program,” without immediate and serious action, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have a nuclear weapons capability in the near future. According to the report, regime activities include: efforts to procure nuclear-related equipment and materials; an undeclared nuclear material production line; work on an indigenous design for a nuclear weapon and testing of components; and efforts to integrate a new payload into the re-entry vehicle of the Shahab-3 missile – a payload that the IAEA assesses would only be used to accommodate a nuclear warhead.

The Islamic Republic, as the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism, would transfer its nuclear weapons to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. It is almost certain that an Iranian bomb will set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East – from Saudi Arabia to Egypt. We must act now or face the consequences of a nuclear Iran.

Senator Kirk, we believe that there is a much simpler and less risky solution to current threat by the Islamic Republic: Influenced and misguided by lobbyists and regime apologists, Western governments have been all too busy appeasing the criminal government and have not utilized the most potent tool, the Iranian people, against the brutal dictatorship. Masses of Iranians are irreparably alienated from the corrupt oppressive Islamic rule. The rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is crumbling. The previously solid edifice is showing many cracks that keep growing.

The Islamic Republic in Iran cannot be reformed and regime change is the only viable option. After 33 years of arbitrary arrests, flogging, stoning, religious persecutions, torture, rape, hangings, persistent double-digit inflation and unemployment rates, the Iranian people are extremely disenchanted with their occupier government. Left unchecked, the regime will usher in an Islamic Caliphate destined for world domination and wiping Israel off the map.

It is time for Western governments to support the pro-democratic, secular and freedom-loving Iranian people who are already fighting this brutal regime. They have sacrificed many lives and suffered many casualties. There are reports of mass-disillusionment by regime’s closest allies. Recent Mohesn Rezaie sons’ assassination is a good case in point. The regime is weak and ruptured. Our struggle and fight against the regime will continue. It is time for the US government to take sides and stop the double-standard that has crippled its foreign policy towards Iran that is manipulated by IRI lobbyists, apologists and Iranian-American businessmen who conduct lucrative business with a terrorist regime in violation of Iranian sanctions and on the back of innocent and ordinary Iranians.

Sincerely,

Arash Irandoost, Ph.D.

Founder-Pro democracy Movement of Iran

www.pdmi.org

The Undersigned:

Dr. Arash Irandoost, Founder, Pro-Democracy Movement of Iran (PDMI)

Hassan Dai, Political Analyst, Reporter, and Iran Expert

Reza Kahlili, Former CIA Operative in Iran, Author of A Time To Betray

Hon. David Kilgour, Member of Parliament, Edmonton-Beaumont, Canada

Frank Salvato, Executive Director, BasicProject.org

Firouzeh Ghaffarpour, Television host and Political analyst

Sheri Alvandian, Publisher and human rights activist

Waltom Martin III, Director, the Iran Information Project, USA

Dr. Gill Gillespie, Director – Iran Refugee Action Network

Amil Imani, Author:The Persian Gulf and Obama Meets Ahmadinejad, Journalist and Poet, //amilimani.com/

Shabnam Asadollahi, Human rights activist, Canada

Cina Dabestani, Constitutionalist Party of Iran (CPI-DC)

Parvin Irandoost, Human rights advocate

Roxanne Ganji, Political and Human rights activist, USA

Mohammad T. Moslehi, Journalist and Political activist, USA

Ali Kimiai, Political and human rights activist, USA

Dokhi Abdi, Aryaee TV Host, Analyst and Political Activist

Parviz Haddadizadeh, Nahad Mardomi (TNI) Commissioner, www.thenewiran.com

Homayoun Naderifar, Executive Board Member Azarbaijan Movement for Democracy and Integrity of Iran

Soheila Nikpour, Director, Iranian Refugee Amnesty Network

Fred Alavi, Political activist, USA

Cyrus Shares, Iran Secular Democracy & Human Rights Advocate, New York

Siavash Afshar, Developer, Human Rights and Secular Democracy Advocate, USA

Gilda Karbassi, Broker Associate- Coldwell Banker, USA

Shahriar Fathi, Radio Padeshahi, Host and Political Activist

Dokhi Abdi, Aryaee TV Host, Analyst and Political Activist

Parviz Haddadizadeh, Nahad Mardomi (TNI) Commissioner, www.thenewiran.com

Poorang Soleimani, Medical Technology-Royal Institute, Sweden

Esfandiar Borzoo, Construction Consultant Management, Sweden

Setareh Arteshi, Democracy & Human Rights Activist, Iran

Farhmand M. Kalayeh, Presdient/CEO Nestologies, Inc.

Dr. Hassan Kianzad, Nahad Mardomi (TNI) Borad of Trustees, www.the newiran.com

Mahin Arjoamand, Nahad Mardom (TNI) Member, www.thenewiran.com

Arman Moseni, The Unicord Companies, www.unicordcorp.com

Mazda Aryaee, Human Rights Activist, Sweden

Aref Irandoost, Human Rights Activist, Sweden

Leila Irani, Hotel Management, Sweden

Cynthia Ayers, Vice President of EMPact America

Arian Vatankhah, Owner and manager, Aryaee Television, California

Hamid Hirad

Sateeh Lashkarloo

Athor Yadegarians

Janet Yadegarians

David Yadegarians

Alexander Bavand

William Zaya

Melvin Zaya

Don Scruggs

Ferdowsi, Wir Wollen Demokratie fur Iran

Mali Stewart

Ali Kashani

Mahnaz Gidanaian

Mina Shirdel, Former Iranian Refugee, USA

Pardis Irani, Iran

Reza Nikzad, Canada

Shayan Shadmehr, Iran

Dr. M. Assemani, Canada

Dr. N. Assemani, Canada

Sharzad Irani, Iran

Safoura Irani, Iran

Mitra Vaezi, Canada

Tawanaa White

Jahan Khastar

Amir Katouli, Sokout-e-Jangal, Rancher, Iran

Nazli Amoon, Banker, USA

Abdolreza Heidari

Lida Ashjaee, Iranian Refugee

Kazem Jamee, Iranian Refugee

Amin Nikzad, Activist, PhD Candidate, Canada

Hushang Firuzi

Fereshteh Firuzi

Soyaya Risco

Joseph Gilardi

Amy Wilson

Soraya Mansour

Saam Goshtasb

Nader Royal

Mali Stewart

Yasamin Gaeini

Behrooz Vahdat

Shohreh Parsinejad

Shokouh Ershadi

Amir-Ebrahimi Gh. Political Activist

Pejman Azaran, Ordinary Iranian

Arman Nouri, Political Activist, USA

LiLi Soroudi, ordinary Iranian

Nahid, ordinary Iranian

Soraya M. Dayani

Said D. Jabbari

Mina Kay, Iranian-American, USA

Prof. Masoud Behkhoo, Ph.D.

Amin Movahedi

Mojtaba Heidari Khan

Gita Sabet

Sateeh Lasjkarloo

Azar Baghaee, Germany

Rahmat Baghaee, Germany

Mahin Hoshmand, Denmark

Parasto Oveissi-Makeup Artist, Turkey

Ramin Bastami, Translator, Turkey

Victoria Azad

Bahar Nasim

Gita Sabet

Mina

Mehdi Rassadi

Bruce Davidson

Ario Arian, Canada

Betina Karami

Mohammad Reza Ahmadi, Iran

Aria Barzan, Iran

Nabiollah Azarban

cc:  The Honorable:

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Chuck Schumer

Joe Manchin

Dean Heller

John Tester

Roy Blunt

Jon Kyle

Part Roberts

John Brasso

Marco Rubio

Scott Brown

Dan Coats

John Cornyn

David Vitter

Tim Johnson

Robert Menendez

Harry Reid

Mitch McConnell

Robert Casey

Sherrod Brown

Frank Lautenberg

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