How Washington Can Really Help the Greens in Tehran
foreignpolicy.com / ALIREZA NADER, TRITA PARSI
10-Feb-2010 (4 comments)

Ever since last June's disputed presidential election, Iran has been in the throes of change, with the nascent "green movement" protesting against an ever-more-authoritarian state. For months, Washington has asked itself: Should the United States actively push for regime change? Torn between the fear of ending up on the wrong side of history by being too cautious and the fear of ending up undermining the pro-democracy movement by being too aggressive, Barack Obama's administration is playing a difficult balancing act.

History shows that intervention is easier said than done. Past U.S. attempts to sway Iranian internal affairs -- such as the CIA-fomented 1953 coup d'état against a democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh -- have proven costly for U.S. interests. Most notably, Washington's support for the shah fueled the 1979 Islamic Revolution, inspiring anti-Western movements in Pakistan, Egypt, and beyond.

To make matters worse, due to its absence from the scene during the last 30 years, the United States is not sufficiently equipped to understand and shape what appears to be a titanic struggle between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his opponents.

But between the extremes of doing nothing and doing everything, there is a middle ground: providing the Iranian pro-democracy movement with breathing space, rather than engaging in risky and imprecise exercises that would directly involve America as an actor on the Iranian scen... >>>

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MM

very well written - do not forget about bank accounts of IRI (G)

by MM on

Freezing of billions of dollars in assets and bank accounts of IRI and the sepaah agents outside of Iran will not only hurt their terrorist-type activities outside, but it will also help recover the monies that these Islamists have stolen.

Lets start by the head thieves, e.g., reports in Iran Proud
//forum.iranproud.com/afshay-hsab-hay-banky-sran-jmhory-aslamy-t320972.html
and also
//www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-375960
ireport in CNN.


xalephbet

Great article!!

by xalephbet on

Thank you NIAC.


Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Best thing for USA

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

The single best thing Obama can do is to go on national TV and say:

  • The United States considers territorial integrity of Iran inviolable. No matter how the events in Iran go the US will not recognize any separatist movements.

That will give Iranians the chance to sort things out without worry.


Bavafa

Yes, I read it already and found it very well put

by Bavafa on

It makes perfect sense if one is on the side of Iran and Iranians.

Mehrdad