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PAAIA: Persian Atomic Association of Iranian-Americans? Adios PAAIA.
07-Sep-2012
PAAIA retained Babak Hoghooghi, esq.,* a Washington lawyer, to write a report on sanctions against Iran. The PAAIA report says:
“The purpose of this report is to provide an … analysis of current sanctions, … their overall impact on Iran, and the impact on the Iranian American community.”
The above sentence is in bold so you do not forget the alleged purpose.
Can you imagine? A Washington D.C. lawyer undertaking such a monumental task. I waited with baited breath for a serious analysis of the ‘impact of sanctions on Iran and Iranians in America.’ I suspected what he promised was not going be included the PAAIA report in any meaningful way.
I will summarize what was in the report.
The first portion of the report is filler material that discusses policies under Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, which is of little relevance to Iranians today. Why not write a high school book-report on the type of credit cards Cyrus the Great kept in his wallet? Totally pointless.
Then PAAIA weasels in references to Iran’s “sponsorship of terrorism” and “the Iranian government’s harsh crack-down on protesters.” Whether you like this subject matter or agree with such statements is not the point: Remember the monumental task outlined as the purpose of the report: (a) the impact of sanctions on Iran and (b) impact of sanctions on the Iranian community. We don’t need a nostalgic trip through the wonderland of the green movement. If that’s what you want, it exists elsewhere. But when you go to your physician for a prostate exam you don’t want to hear a lecture about how Mir Husssein Mousavi was robbed of the election or where to buy a “Neda” T-shirt.
By the 4th page, he finally says something relevant to the purpose he outlined: “Iran’s oil output has reached its lowest level in 20 years and the Iranian Rial has lost more than 50 percent of its value against the dollar within a matter of months.” He had to wait until page 4 to give the PAAIA report an attempted appearance of legitimacy. What he wrote is something a child could have copied from a single CNN article. Nevertheless, he finally wrote 1 sentence after 4 pages of gibberish that relates to the purpose he outlined.
By the time you get to page 9, all he has done is describe the sanctions – not analyze their impact on Iran or their impact on the Iranian community. And his descriptions of the sanctions are not a particularly impressive feat because all it really requires is copying from secondary sources or from a database available to lawyers (Lexis-Nexis). Trust me: Even you can copy statutes and executive orders from an online database.
He continues until page 18 in this same manner, and then turns to writing that sanctions have impeded Iran from obtaining “steel and carbon fiber” necessary for its nuclear program. Who knows if that is true? And who cares except the Israeli lobby? I don’t think Iranians joined PAAIA to get reports on “steel and carbon fiber” that can be used in a nuclear program. Why not just drop a footnote on how much butter to use on your bagel? It’s just not relevant to ordinary Iranians.
He then writes that there has been an “increase in both the cost of goods and inflation in Iran.” Wow! This guy is a genius. Someone recommend him for the Nobel prize in economics. His breathtaking analysis is about as nutritious as the stuff they put in hotdogs to avoid selling you real meat. He then claims that imports of goods are down by about 14% and relies on a single source from the World Policy Institute (WPI). However, he does not tell you that WPI is a New York based organization that covers far-reaching issues ranging from climate change to banking to counter-terrorism. The source is another of “those” do-it-all organizations with dubious data to be able to seriously analyze Iran’s economy. But because the source has a fancy name, it should be good enough for you.
He then says sanctions “significantly impacted Iran’s economy” because a number of companies, including banks, can’t do business with Iran. Like I said before, this guy deserves the Nobel prize in economics. Here is the best part: As his source, he cites to “United Against a Nuclear Iran” whose leaders are some of the people that brought you the Iraq war and what to me look like card-carrying Yeshiva members with anger management problems. Fortunately, that source doesn’t have the so-called spy “Reza Khalili” on their board, but they do have his pal James Woolsey, Meir Dagan (ex-Mossad) and one young Asian woman as an intern (don’t complain: someone has to get the bagels and look sexy in front of the main chieftains).
Our PAAIA genius further notes that sanctions have made it difficult for foreign banks to “transmit payments” to Iran. No kidding? Really? I thought sanctions were a good source of dietary fiber for better regularity. He claims exports account for half of Iran’s revenue, but provides no source.
By page 21 – yes, page 21 ! – he actually writes something about the impact of sanctions on Iranians (that he summarized from a CNN article):
“[M]any Iranians have had to cut back on what they purchase and eat. Many Iranians live on monthly government subsidies of $40 - $50 that are no longer sufficient to meet their food and shelter needs. The cost of medical and dental care, medications and basic procedures and service have similarly soared, leaving many an Iranian resident reluctant to obtain much needed medical care.”
Out of PAAIA’s 30-page-long report, only 1 page has a section called “IMPACT OF SANCTIONS ON IRANIAN AMERICANS.” Didn’t the author of this report tell us that his purpose was to analyze the impact of sanctions on Iranians? Then why devote only a bare 3% of the article to it? And that 1 page is also mostly filler material. To me it smells like someone wants to build a case for sanctions and war, while not coming across as a traitor, so he can hurry up and eat some kabab in Tehran after the attack. It will not happen. Let that be a lesson to PAAIA: Iranians will call a spade a spade where the evidence, whether direct or anecdotal, presents itself. But what do you expect from an organization that has board members with biographies that state:
“Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Mr. Ebrahimi’s entire assets were confiscated by the new Government in Iran and he moved permanently to the United States.”
Only God knows what he did. To give you some background about my own life, my family has owned the same property in Iran for generations; the land was purchased during the Qajar era, then we added to it and purchased the neighboring property during the Pahlavi era, and IRI has not done anything to us. Here is what is even more dramatic: Our next door neighbor was the Shah. If we can keep our property through three Iranian dynasties, and PAAIA board members can’t, perhaps they should look closely at their own behavior. The PAAIA board member above is also an executive with the World Affairs Council, yet another non-profit “think tank,” with members that include James Woolsey (the CIA director that fabricates information about Iran), and executives from Aramco Services Company (ASC) a wholly-owned affiliate of Saudi Arabian Oil, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and other such companies. What has the Iranian-American community done to win the constant admiration of these devils? And why is James Woolsey a member of every think tank north of the equator? The guy barely even thinks before he speaks.
PAAIA’s report further speaks of, “Iran's capabilities to potentially produce a nuclear weapon,” without giving facts. This is Israeli lobby material. Is that why people join PAAIA? To hear about nuclear weapons from a D.C. construction lawyer?
The PAAIA report also speaks of “alleged acts of discrimination or profiling” against Iranians. And though numerous concrete examples exist including court cases that terminated in the favor of Iranians that were discriminated against he uses the word “alleged.” Obviously, the lawyer knows some of the real history and could have pointed it out. A lawyer that cannot publicly and fairly defend their own ethnic group from discrimination is lower than trash, in my opinion.
The report is more about the impact of sanctions on an assumed nuclear weapons program and not on the impact of sanctions on ordinary Iranians. The report states:
“The broader impact of sanctions can be seen in a host of other areas ranging from the challenges in developing nuclear weapons ….”
The report also speaks of attempts to “persuade Iran to abandon its drive for nuclear weapons capability.”
Seriously, who signed up to PAAIA for this right-wing zio-fascist garbage?
Please don’t misunderstand: groups like PDMI and NIAC is just as bad. Right now Trita Parsi is looking for an Iranian that was denied the right to buy an electric shaver so he can make another Youtube video so he can pretend to fight discrimination, while consistently failing to speak out about serious acts of discrimination against Iranians that in earnest started in 1979. Nevertheless, let’s keep the focus on PAAIA before we turn to the other groups on another date.
PAAIA previously stated:
"We also deliberate before making organizational decisions while ensuring that, unlike some other organizations, one voice does not drown all others."
Fair enough. If you are affiliated with PAAIA, you are accountable for the crap that is generously being called a report. If you are a PAAIA member and disagree with the contents of the sanctions report as I have described them, register for an account here and stand and be counted in opposition to it and clearly explain the passages I have quoted. Otherwise I am guessing that the closest you will get to a Persian-speaking country is if you buy a condo in Afghanistan – most Iranians do not like weasels or traitors, despite what you read on many (unnamed) Internet sites.
I will give Iranians a tip on how to organize yourselves: If you care about problems facing Iranian-Americans, first and foremost focus on the misbehavior of the Israeli lobby because they are driving it. Any organization that cannot steadfastly stand-up to, and directly condemn, the Israeli lobby for its behavior towards Iranians does not deserve the time of day.
Adios PAAIA.
* Note: The lawyer that wrote the report works in construction law and handles compliance with U.S. sanctions on Iran. In other words, he stands to make money as a result of sanctions, and he likely could have told you more about how sanctions affect ordinary Iranian-Americans or written a report detailing the hardships caused to ordinary Iranians because of the convoluted nature of the sanctions regime in place. It was a pretty low-life move on both parts, if you want my personal opinion.
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PAAIA sent by email to you - IMPORTANT OPEN LETTER
by MaryamJoon on Mon Sep 10, 2012 04:54 PM PDTsee LINK 12 see LINK 15
Incorrect again...
by aghareza1234 on Mon Sep 10, 2012 09:27 AM PDT@Kabriat - I'm as much an employee of PAAIA as you are.
For your information, I'm an engineering student with obviously too much time on my hand and tired of seeing Iranian Americans waste their time and energy tearing each other apart when there is so much more to be done.
Incorrect again...
by aghareza1234 on Mon Sep 10, 2012 09:26 AM PDT@Kabriat - I'm as much an employee of PAAIA as you are.
For your information, I'm an engineering student with obviously too much time on my hand and tired of seeing Iranian Americans waste their time and energy tearing each other apart when there is so much more to be done.
One more thing
by Kabriat on Sat Sep 08, 2012 06:35 AM PDTWhoever is writing PAAIA's responses, this message is to you. What is
disconcerting about your organization is how defensive is has become. A
lot of people seem critical about your report and for good reason.
Sometimes its better to admit you made mistakes instead of launching
into personal attacks. Whatever your intentions were, your report was
badly written. Should we be suprised? No. Your organization itself
has stated that it is not involved in foreign policy issues vis-a-vis
Iran, so it shouldn't be suprising that when you attempt to address
foreign policy that you do it badly and fail to recognize the important
nuances in these issues.
But I will also say this. Your organization is deceptive. We know that
some of your leaders at a recent meeting at the White House and in
private sessions with Congressmen have asked for regime change. For an
organization that claims to not be involved in foreign policy and says
it intends to be objective that is wrong. Either fire those individuals from your Board of Directors, or be honest and transparent to the community.
Kabriat about PAAIA
by MaryamJoon on Sat Sep 08, 2012 04:03 AM PDT1. Yes it's clear PAAIA is being evasive and dishonest.
2. If my criticism of PAAIA was unfounded, yet PAAIA can't defend against it, or address quotations from their own report showing an emphasis in reporting on the impact of sanctions on Iran's nuclear program (instead of ordinary Iranians), or explain their reliance on blatantly zionist sources like "United Against a Nuclear Iran," how can PAAIA defend the Iranian community anywhere against anyone else?
I WILL SAY IT LOUDLY AND WITHOUT SHAME TO IRANIANS:
If you want a group that protects your rights and interests, you will have to form organizations that EXCLUDE: Iranian-EXILES (who can't go back to Iran) and INCLUDE Iranian-IMMIGRANTS; you will have to exclude members of mischievous factions, whether political, militaristic, or religious, that are interested in serving non-Iranian interests, and that means excluding members or supporters of the Jewish Lobby, Members of the Bahai Leadership, the MEK, Employees of the US government, and anyone whose loyalty to Iranian issues has been compromised by corrupting outside allegiances.
Just because someone is "Iranian" does not mean that they are representative of the vast MAJORITY of interests and issues near and dear to the MAJORITY of the Iranian community. PAAIA, NIAC, PDMI, PMOI, and many other groups reward the mischief of unrepresentative factions while sidelining the interests of the majority of Iranians. This is the problem - it's not that one fox is in the henhouse, there are many foxes in the henhouse and these groups are too politically correct, incompetent, or biased to look some of their members and organizers in the eye and say, "we can't have you in this group, we are trying first and foremost to advocate issues that apply to the majority of Iranians, and not to fringe groups that the majority disagrees with or has rebuked. Get out!"
PAAIA's failure to respond well
by Kabriat on Sat Sep 08, 2012 06:08 AM PDTPAAIA's response here treats us as if we're stupid. It doesn't actually address Moayedian's response. It dresses it up sensationalist and then attacks him personally by suggesting he did it to increase readership and then practically lectures him on how to be a good leader. Shame on you PAAIA.
In terms of the actual substance, the remarks made by PAAIA are badly written, defensive anddo not address the core of Moayedian's issues. Sometimes they don't even make sense.
For example, the suggestion that Iran is going after a weapons capability is sprinkled throughout the report. The report even says "many experts still doubt that severe and sustained economic pressure will be sufficient to persuade Iran to abandon its drive for nuclear weapons capability." Read that sentence and think PAAIA, think.
Even if you were intending to say something else (namely thatsome experts believe that Iran may be aiming for a nuclear weapons capability and that sanctions will be insufficient to stop them) thats not the way that sentence was written. It talks about Iran's drive for nuclear weapons capability as a factual certainty, not the opinion of some individuals. In fact, your report doesn't even do what any objective report would do - it doesn't note that other experts and intelligence reports DON'T think Iran is seeking a weapons capability or that sanctions/diplomacy may be sufficient. It only highlights one analysis (out of a range of possibile conclusions) which in turn supports proponents of sanctions and war. PAAIA's response to this criticism is confusing. It writes that the report is about international concerns over Iran's "nuclear program" and not "nuclear weapons" but then then PAAIA says it is a fact that the IAEA has expressed "serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program." Indeed, based on how PAAIA is now defensively pointing out evidence that Iran may have a nuclear weapons program, one can only conclude that Moayedian's criticism was absolutely and 100% correct.
And to all of you who preach unity and community. No offense, but when an organization publishes a report like this that can be used to kill innocent Iranians or subject them to additional suffering, I'm not going to unite with you. We should all stand up against such attempts or in the least note that we do not support the organization which claims to represent the Iranian-American community.
@aghareza1234
by Kabriat on Sat Sep 08, 2012 01:19 AM PDTYou work for PAAIA, it's not suprising why your comments are always in support of them and this god-aweful report. So I think its fair to say that people should view your comments with a grain of salt.
PAAIA is not responding b/c it has no excuse ...
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 06:20 PM PDTIf my criticism is unfounded, and they can't defend against it, how can they defend the Iranian community anywhere?
Iranians don't need another hokey group that can only give 10 min chats on VOA.
It's a serious question: Why is this group writing reports on the effect of sanctions on Iran's nuclear program while totally marginalizing the effect of sanctions on ordinary Iranians?
Why are they citing to a notorious Zionist group that wants war with Iran, and calling it a scholarly work?
That's their expertise on the effect of sanctions on regular Iranians?
Oh please: People weren't born yesterday.
Who is maryamjoon?? Who
by vildemose on Fri Sep 07, 2012 06:17 PM PDTWho is maryamjoon?? Who does he/she really work for? Where does she/he resides?
All Oppression Creates a State of War--Simone De Beauvoir
Aroom...aroom...
by aghareza1234 on Fri Sep 07, 2012 06:05 PM PDT@Hafezforbeginners - Damet garm...moreedeteem! Thank you for standing up for decency and peace....of course, it falls on deaf ears, but you tried.
@MaryamJoon - javabeh ablahan khamoosheest!!! I think that is why PAAIA is not responding to you!
Why is PAAIA writing reports focussed on Nuclear issues?
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 03:32 PM PDT"You don't like PAAIA - fine, that is 100% your right. But please think of a way to spend your energy on something you actually do like." Hafez4B
How on earth do you know what I, or anyone else, does with their time?! And in case you haven't noticed both you and I are doing the same thing right now: writing comments on Iranian.com. Maybe you should blog about how you waste your own time on IC if you hold those kinds of opinions.
How many more sorry rationales do we have to hear to divert attention from the fact that PAAIA is writing nuclear reports detailing how much steel and carbon fiber sanctions prevented Iran's atomic program from obtaining? What in God's name does that have to with representing regular Iranian-Americans?
Then become French missy, but don't pretend to know about Iran
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 03:20 PM PDT"98% of their time is spent on bad-mouthing, sometimes eloquently, and 2% actually on creating something." - Hafez4B
Iranians work harder than people in the West - the salt of the earth people certainly do. Have you ever seen an Iranian construction worker? If there is no truck, they carry bricks on their backs.
And the educated-segment of society - e.g. doctors and engineers - are well-known for their long work hours. How many Iranians on this site have family members that are doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, or entrepreneurs ? I bet a lot. I don't see a lot of homeless Iranians on the street. Not in the West and not in Iran (except Afghan refugees who through no fault of their own were dealt a horrible hand from war and savagery).
Now if you meant, some people sit around reading poems and looking cute; that I would agree with.
But I wouldn't put down 98% of Iranians. You can fix it though. Just become French.
Admin, thank you for fixing the paragraph breaks
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 03:04 PM PDT.
Hafez for Beginners
by Frashogar on Sat Sep 08, 2012 01:11 AM PDTI don't speak for MaryamJoon, and I agree in principle with what you say, but don't you think the real problem with our culture isn't actually our culture but rather groups of belligerent exiles with no real ties to the culture who think they speak for it, kind of like the people who regularly attack you?
The 98% CLUB
by Hafez for Beginners on Fri Sep 07, 2012 01:04 PM PDTSurely, it would be more constructive to spend one's energy on setting up one's own organization - rather than the hours of research on how best to tear PAAIA down.
My observation of Iranians is that 98% of their time is spent on bad-mouthing, sometimes eloquently, and 2% actually on creating something.
You don't like PAAIA - fine, that is 100% your right. But please think of a way to spend your energy on something you actually do like. It doesn't exist? Well, I encourage you to create it. Until then, do think about this malaise of our culture - that consumes by my estimation 98% of our community. To rip into anything, anyone, who actually does something - all the while not even putting two stones together (do ta sang rooyeh ham gozashtan) ourselves.
If instead we spent 98% of our energy building whatever we believe in - and allow for difference of opinion - rather than spend that same 98% energy on bad mouthing this and that and the other group - we might end up with a strong community.
It's like someone riding a bicylce, and trying really hard, but no matter what they do - the bike goes backwards. My rule of thumb is - only those who are doing something constructive, have the gravitas to moan and groan about others.
PAAIA used a construction lawyer for pro-Israel nuke report
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:35 PM PDT"Mr. Hoghooghi has had extensive domestic and international experience with Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contracts and his practice encompasses all aspects of Construction Law."
Maryamjoon
by Dr. Mohandes on Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:26 PM PDTCalm down you zionist killer lioness.
Who taught you how to write like that: his name comes from you not me???LOL. Deed y lern dat eeen eeengeeeleeesh essskoooll een neeejeria?
And it is Constitution law azizakam not construction law.
PAAIA ... you can't even answer a few question ... pathetic
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:21 PM PDT"his expertise and time were instrumental in the development of this report."
THOSE ARE YOUR WORDS PAAIA.
Oh ... in the "development" of the report? Shameful PAAIA
by MaryamJoon on Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:13 PM PDT1. How do you "develop" a report?
2. His "expertise" is what? Construction law?
3. Did you answer about the quotes relating to nuclear weapons? No.
4. Did you identify who wrote the report after making this notation regarding "development" of the report vs. writing it? No, and your attempted clarification is noted, as is your recklessness for sticking his name on there if you did not want people citing to a public report on a public issue. His name comes from you, not me.
5. Did your organization condem any of these things below? No.
(Needs No Title; But let's call it "Israel Loves Everybody")
(What Every Iranian Needs to Know About Israel & What the Media Won't Tell You)
(Delirium the Movie: "Iranian Satanism," the Israeli Lobby, Democracy, & Defamation).
Can you give a straight and direct answer? I doubt it. But I will give you the chance.
Dear Sir or Madame, Mr.
by PAAIA on Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:03 PM PDTDear Sir or Madame,
Mr. Hoghooghi did not write the 2012 Sanctions Report. As the Acknowledgement notes "his expertise and time were instrumental in the development of this report". That is a far cry from writing the report.
PAAIA