President's Message
Dear John,
In 2002, the drumbeats of war started and countless talking heads in Washington, DC claimed that, if we invaded Iraq, it would bring democracy and stability to the Middle East. The Bush Administration amplified claims by Iraqi exiles eager to return to power that the Iraqi people would welcome us as liberators and, freed of Saddam, would be able to swiftly establish a democratic beacon of stability that would send positive reverberations across the region.
They were dead wrong. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed along with thousands of U.S. soldiers; radical terrorist groups emerged from the rubble as the country became engulfed in a brutal civil war; and Iran’s theocratic government gained unparalleled influence. The propaganda and magical thinking that the U.S. and partners could impose society-wide crippling sanctions to impoverish and isolate an entire population for years, and then suddenly manifest democracy at the barrel of a gun, was thoroughly discredited.
Yet today, some are eager to dismiss those lessons and repeat the same failed exercise – with the panacea to solving all the region’s problems no longer being the removal of Saddam, but the removal of Iran’s ruling government. They’ve crafted a narrative to pin the blame for all past and current regional instability on Iran, suggesting that we can once again wave a magic wand to rid Iran of its repressive government and peace will grow across the Middle East. This is more magical thinking that is bound to lead to another disastrous war of choice that victimizes ordinary people and sets off more instability and bloodshood.
Read the full post " Supporting the Iranian People Means Opposing War [[link removed]] " and learn more about how we are standing up to the push for war and how you can get involved below.
Thanks,
- Jamal Abdi
Building Political Power
VP Harris Selects Governor Tim Walz as Running Mate [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in her campaign for President. Walz, the Democratic Governor of Minnesota since 2019 and a former Congressman representing Minnesota’s 1st District from 2006-2018, is a moderate from a rural district who has adopted popular progressive policies as Governor of Minnesota. If Harris wins her campaign for President, Walz will become the next Vice President of the United States.
In supporting the Obama administration’s diplomacy toward Iran, and opposing the Trump administration’s Muslim ban and decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), Walz’s common sense approach has shone through over the years.
As a Member of Congress during the negotiation of the JCPOA who served on the Armed Services Committee, Walz was supportive of the nuclear negotiations and signed many of the key efforts supporting the Obama administration. Walz signed the Dent-Price letter [[link removed]] in 2013 urging the Obama administration to pursue diplomacy with the newly-elected Rouhani government and the Schakowsky-Doggett-Price letter [[link removed]] endorsing the framework for the 2015 nuclear deal.
In supporting the 2015 nuclear deal, then-Congressman Walz stated [[link removed]] “This deal gives us the best chance we have had in years to halt the Iranian nuclear program. It dismantles the progress they have made and opens up the country to strict inspections. Should Iran violate the terms of the agreement, we reserve the right to reimpose the kind of strict economic sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table in the first place. And, as always, we retain our right to defend ourselves from Iranian aggression.”
He called out detractors of the agreement, stating [[link removed]] , “I don’t know of a better deal. The ideal situation is Iran says we’re totally sorry, you guys are right, here’s all our stuff, we’ll never say anything bad about you again and we love the Cowboys. I think that’s what people think. They’re not going to do that.”
Walz also took a firm position against Donald Trump’s Muslim ban in 2017, stating [[link removed]] “it fundamentally contradicts our nation’s values. By unilaterally shutting America’s door on those fleeing war and persecution in hope of a better life in the United States, we break the promise of our fundamental principle: that our nation is enriched by those who come from different lands, who bring their talents, their hopes and their hunger for freedom. This type of blanket discrimination is shameful and morally reprehensible. It’s not who we are as Americans, and it’s not who we are as Minnesotans. In the last day, I have been heartened by so many Americans who have raised their voices to speak out. I join them and will continue our work to live our values and protect our nation.”
Walz also cosponsored legislation to repeal the Muslim ban, including the Statue of Liberty Values Act [[link removed]] .
>> Read the full article here [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] The possibility of a Kamala Harris-led Presidential ticket has generated cautious excitement for voters who felt badly burned by Joe Biden and his handling of the war in Gaza. Critically, Harris called for a ceasefire more forcefully than Biden and has consistently demonstrated more empathy for Palestinians in her public remarks. Outside of Harris’ approach toward Israel and Palestine, the Vice President has often struck a progressive tone, including by being one of the first to pledge to return to the Iran nuclear deal [[link removed]] and being among the most forceful opponents of Trump’s Muslim ban.
Of course, talk is talk, and there hasn’t been a major break between Harris and Biden despite the calamitous nature of the war in Gaza and the connected decline in the Biden-Harris campaign’s political fortunes. Administration officials have emphasized – as is to be expected – that Harris is on the same page as the rest of the administration. So, there is ample reason for voters to believe that Harris is no different and will just represent more of the same, and continue to fuel what many believe is a genocidal campaign.
This is why a shift in approach is needed now. Harris should capitalize on her role in the administration and as frontrunner for the Democratic nomination to demand that the war end now, and note publicly that she would be willing to utilize all policy levers – including by withholding all offensive military assistance to Israel until its leadership agrees to a ceasefire and allows a massive surge of aid into Gaza. President Biden and his advisors should welcome this shift, which would begin to allow for a true use of American leverage to secure the ceasefire that the administration has long claimed it is aiming for.
Read More
>> Statement on President Joe Biden Stepping Down [[link removed]]
>> Statement on the Shooting that Targeted Donald Trump [[link removed]]
Peace & Diplomacy
[[link removed]] We could be on the brink of a major regional war entangling the U.S., Israel and Iran. We can’t let that happen.
After another brazen Israeli assassination on Iranian soil last week, Israel, the U.S. and other nations are bracing for a major Iranian-led retaliation as soon as today.
President Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that the U.S. will once again defend Israel, but then expects Netanyahu not to escalate and accept a ceasefire. In a sign of frustration over how Netanyahu has played Biden as he continues to avoid pursuing a ceasefire and instead sets the stage for regional war, Biden apparently told Bibi to "stop bullsh**ing me."
Unfortunately, Netanyahu and those who have wanted war with Iran for decades are closer to that nightmare than ever – and Congressional hawks have even introduced legislation to ratchet up tensions, including a resolution to authorize the U.S. to go to war with Iran.
NIAC is mobilizing now to press for an end to the escalation and to protect against calls for even more bloodshed.
Take action now to help prevent war with Iran:
Contact your representatives in Congress today to urge them to stand up against war with Iran.
Message Congress to Demand no war with Iran [[link removed]]
Call Congressional offices using our call script:
call congress to demand no war with iran [[link removed]]
Want to join a Congressional lobby meeting? You can sign up here [[link removed]] .
Read More
>> Responding to Strikes Killing Civilians Playing Soccer in Golan Heights [[link removed]]
>> NIAC Statement on Assassination of Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh [[link removed]]
>> Pezeshkian Victory Presents Opportunities to Lift Pressures on Ordinary Iranians [[link removed]]
Protecting Civil Rights
[link removed] [[link removed]] NIAC and dozens of pro-peace organizations called [[link removed]] on the Biden administration to stop turning a blind eye to bots and disinformation campaigns funded by Israel's government that have been exposed for smearing activists and manipulating our public debate.
You can read our groundbreaking letter here [[link removed]] , which was covered in The Intercept [[link removed]] .
We know the corrosive effect of these online disinformation campaigns -- our community has been victim to massive amounts of online disinformation and coordinated inauthentic activity aimed at silencing and dividing us.
Yet while the U.S. government has taken action against such influence operations conducted by countries like Russia and Iran, it has done nothing to respond to revelations in major news outlets that Israel had been caught funding operations targeting the American public, civil society, and lawmakers.
These are attacks on our democratic process, and we demand our government protect Americans no matter who is behind these attacks. Please stay tuned for updates on this campaign as we move forward.
Read More
>> John Kirby Claims that Iran is Funding Gaza Protests [[link removed]]
>> On Benjamin Netanyahu’s Latest Congressional Address [[link removed]]
Human Rights Tracker
Rising Executions in Iran Raise New Alarms [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Just under a month since labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi was sentenced to death, the recent execution of Kamran Sheikheh and the issuance of a death sentence for Kurdish civil activist and political prisoner Pakhshan Azizi have intensified concerns among human rights activists.
Kamran Sheikheh, a Sunni Kurd prisoner convicted in a controversial case involving membership in a Salafi group and the murder of an Imam in Mahabad, was executed on July 25 in Urmia Central Prison. Reports indicate that his body has yet to be handed over to his family. Sheikheh was the last defendant in a case where six others had already been executed.
>> Read the full article on our website [[link removed]]
Read More
>> Visit our catalog of human rights trackers [[link removed]]
>> 📥 Subscribe to receive the Human Rights Tracker in your inbox [[link removed]]
Iran Unfiltered
[link removed] [[link removed]] Week of July 29, 2024 [[link removed]] | Iran Unfiltered is a digest tracking Iranian politics & society by the National Iranian American Council
>> 📥 Subscribe to receive Iran Unfiltered in your inbox weekly [[link removed]]
Community & Culture
Hey New Yorkers – RSVP for our NIAC New York Picnic for Peace [[link removed]] on August 17th at noon in Central Park! This event will be co-hosted by Peace Action NYS & Action Corps. [link removed] [[link removed]]
NIAC hosted a very special conversation on Zoom with Iranian-American writer Abdi Nazemian, author of Only This Beautiful Moment which is a multi-generational story that will take you from 2019 Los Angeles to 1978 Tehran to 1939 Hollywood and back again. A complex coming-of-a-story of these three boys who are inextricably linked, not only by family but in ways yet revealed. Missed our book talk in July with Abdi? You can watch the recording here [[link removed]] . [link removed] [[link removed]]
NIAC’s local chapters host happy hours, dinners and meetings to build local political power and community. Get involved with your local NIAC chapter or with allied groups in your area !! >> Click here to sign up for a chapter near you! [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
Stay Engaged
Follow NIAC on TikTok [[link removed]] , Twitter [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , and Facebook [[link removed]] for the latest updates.
Support Our Work
Your continued support is crucial. Donate today to help us make a difference. [[link removed]]
Thank you for standing with us as we navigate these challenging times and strive for peace, justice, and human rights.
unsubscribe: [link removed]