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Commentary
by
U.S. Alliance for Democratic Iran
Tough
Sanctions Would Help Iran's Democracy Movement
As talks of imposing new international sanctions
on Iran’s regime continue in Washington, there
are critics who contend sanctions would have no
decisive impact on Tehran’s behavior and, even
worse, they would cause the anti-government
opposition to rally around the leadership.
These critics – many of whom ardent advocates of
diplomatic and economic engagement with Iran’s
rulers - also maintain that sanctions would hurt
the citizens more than the government and
consequently would shift people’s resentment
toward the west.
Ironically, for years the critics of Iran
sanctions had argued that: the regime is popular
and well-entrenched and sanctions would only
further provoke the already belligerent rulers.
Therefore there should be no sanctions. Since
beginning of the anti-regime uprisings last June
and with appearance of deep fissures within the
apex of the leadership in Tehran, some of these
critics have changed their mind. Still others
have remained opposed to sanctions. They have
done so by adjusting their justification
according to the post-election headlines from
Iran. They mind-bogglingly maintain that:
imposing sanctions would be tantamount to
throwing a life line to the weakened ayatollahs.
It seems that regardless of the political
balance of power in Iran, the sanction critics
always concoct a superficially plausible
storyline to debunk it. Should it come as a
surprise that many of these critics have ties
with certain financial interests seeking or
already having a foothold in Iran?
Notwithstanding the murky motives of some
critics, and from a political standpoint alone,
their fairytale-like rational flies in the face
of realities in Iran's streets and roof tops.
After three decades of mullahs' reign of terror
and plunder, and eight months of cold-blooded
murder, torture, whole scale arrest, and
gang-raping of male and female protesters, the
divide between people and the clerical regime is
far too wide and irreparable for the movement’s
U-turn. The courageous determination of people
to continue with their uprising in the face of
officially sanctioned savagery clearly
demonstrate they are done with this regime and
seek its fall.
Under this circumstance, crippling sanctions,
particularly those targeting the ayatollahs’
system of suppression and those aimed at
isolating it diplomatically and politically,
will be indeed welcomed by the democratic
opposition. There won’t be any rallying around
the regime. There would be only praise for
policy of siding with the Iranians.
As for the possible hardships caused by the
sanctions, one should keep in mind that already
the Iranian people are dealing with very sever
economic hardships thanks to the corrupt rule of
ayatollahs. Since 1979, they have used Iran's
national wealth to create a horrific security
and intelligence system used to suppress
Iranians, to sponsor terrorism in its
neighborhood and across the Middle east, and to
develop weapons of mass destruction and nuclear
bombs.
Under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency, these
policies and their subsequent financial impact
on the ordinary citizens have only intensified.
Therefore, it would be quite illogical to
contend that any perceived hardship resulting
from sanctions would qualitatively change the
existing political alignments in Iran to the
benefit of the regime. Besides, the historical
facts from the 1906 Constitutional Movement, the
1953 nationalization movement, and the 1979
anti-monarchic revolution clearly indicate that
Iranians have been willing to endure various
kinds of hardship when it was viewed as a
necessary price for securing their freedom and
independence.
Let’s make no mistake: Sanctions by themselves,
even the toughest ones, will not be enough to
dissuade Tehran from it rogue behavior and
nuclear weapons development. They would,
however, go a long way to economically and
politically undermine a murderous regime which
is now faced with its arch nemesis at home: a
national pro-democracy opposition movement which
seeks regime change. This is why an effective
economic, diplomatic, and political sanction
regime, far from being a life line for the
ayatollahs, is a strategic enabler for the
democratic movement. (USADI)
USADI
Commentary reflects the viewpoints of the US Alliance
for Democratic Iran in respect to issues and events
which directly or indirectly impact the US policy toward
Iran |