The purpose of the hearing is look at the status on Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities, European negotiations and the UN Security Council, and the feasibility of further negotiations, democracy promotion, sanctions, and/or military options.
Iran does not need a nuclear weapon in order to be a threat. The regime has been funding terrorist groups and killing citizens of the U.S. and its allies for 27 years.
Iran poses a grave threat to the world but an even graver threat to Iranians who are beaten, imprisoned, and killed by the regime in order to keep the mullahs in power.
Hassan Rowhani, the Iranian regime’s representative at the failed E.U.-3 (Germany, France and Britain) negotiations, admitted that Teheran played along with the negotiations for a time. This permitted the regime to successfully dupe the West while continuing to develop nuclear weapon technology.
The policy options that the U.S. can consider for dealing with Iran in the likely failure of U.S. led negotiations are (1) military action, (2) sanctions, and (3) democracy promotion.
Military action against Iran is risky. U.S. intelligence inside Iran is severely limited, so there is no indication that the U.S. could successfully carry out effective, surgical strikes. The risk is heightened further by the likely rise in pro-regime nationalism should the U.S. attack Iran.
It is unlikely the Security Council will enact effective sanctions that deter Iran from their proliferation of nuclear weapon technology. The Council has a history of inaction when it comes to dealing with dangerous regimes—for example, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Burma. No example has been provided that illustrate sanctions successfully deterring a dangerous regime.
The role of Congress for dealing with Iran is limited, but the most effective ways Congress can participate is through democracy promotion. Only a representative and free government in Iran will permanently reduce the threat posed by the Iranian regime.
U.S. sponsored radio and television broadcasts into Iran fail suffer from serious systematic dysfunctions. As a result, this significant portion of democracy promotion funding results in the undermining of U.S. objectives for this program.
Impact on Taxpayers:
The American people are threatened by a hostile state sponsor of terror funding terrorist organizations all over the world—including supporting the terrorists currently killing citizens of the U.S. and its allies.
The American people must suffer the economic hardship of increased gas prices as the energy market reacts to the instability Iran promotes in the Middle East.
These Findings Demand a Response:
Congress must conduct better oversight on the Broadcasting Board of Governors management of Radio Farda and Voice of America broadcasts into Iran. The U.S. should be broadcasting interviews with successful revolutionaries from other countries, conversations with experts on non-violent protests, and details of what works and what doesn’t work in democracy promotion.
The United States should better fund the pro-democracy groups inside of Iran with the tools (laptops, printers, cell-phones, etc.) to become more effective at promoting freedom and democracy.
