NIAC Applauds Lifting of Communications Sanctions for Iranians
NIAC applauds the Obama Administration’s anticipated decision to lift sanctions on consumer communication tools for the Iranian people tomorrow. This long sought action will help ensure sanctions do not block important consumer communication hardware, software, and services for ordinary Iranians.
E Pluribus Unum
It’s no challenge trying to find an American flag and seal in the U.S. State Department. Almost every place you look, you can find our nation’s beautiful seal decorated with these powerful words, “E Pluribus Unum” meaning Out of Many One. But the reason I went to the State Department was not just to admire […]
Congress moves forward with ‘crippling sanctions’ (and misses opportunity to support Iranians)
On Monday, the latest version of Congress’s sanctions bill was unveiled just in time to be passed and sent to the president’s desk by July 4. But while lawmakers have attempted to reconcile the pain that these new sanctions will impose on ordinary Iranians with Congress’s claims of support for the people of Iran, this bill remains a blunt instrument that perpetuates the sanctions-only framework that has dominated the United States’ Iran policy for decades.
NIAC Deeply Concerned by Congressional Sanctions Agreement
While the Agreement contains some positive measures called for by NIAC to punish Iranian human rights abusers and ease restrictions preventing Iranians from accessing the Internet, these measures do not negate the fact that the bill imposes further suffering upon the people of Iran at their greatest moment of need and perpetuates a failed US sanctions policy that has hindered the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people.
NIAC Applauds Senate and Administration’s Calls for Human Rights in Iran, Now Urges Action
The National Iranian American Council applauds efforts in the US Senate and at the UN Human Rights Council to highlight and condemn Iran’s shameful human rights record in observance of the one-year anniversary of Iran’s disputed election.
The Hill: Changing Course on Iran Sanctions
The debate over U.S.-Iran policy should not be boiled down to a question of how much more damage we can do. Rather, smart power dictates that the U.S. use every tool available, including those that have been taken off the table, such as lifting certain sanctions.
The Stand With the Iranian People Challenge
NIAC is issuing a challenge to the entire Iranian-American community: don’t let the Iranian people be forgotten. Tell your elected representatives in Washington that they can’t ignore the Iranian people any longer. Stand up for their rights, and Stand With the Iranian People!
NIAC Applauds Administration’s Correction of Harmful Internet Sanctions
The National Iranian American Council applauds today’s Treasury Department decision to reverse harmful policies barring U.S. Internet communication software from being available to Iranians.
Clinton to Speak on Internet Freedom in Repressive Regimes
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will deliver a speech tomorrow on global Internet freedom, in which she is expected to discuss the vital role the Internet has played for the Iranian opposition movement. According to the State Department, the speech will lay out the Administration’s strategy for “protecting freedom in the networked age of the 21st Century.”
NIAC Deplores Senate Vote to Sanction Iranian People
The National Iranian American Council deplores today’s Senate passage of S.2799, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2009.
House Subcommittee Hears Reservations on Sanctions Ahead of Vote
Washington, DC – When asked about an alternative to the latest Iran sanctions bill, Robin Wright of the US Institute of Peace said today “I think the opposition in Iran would be stunned and pleased that Congress would be enlightened enough to” pursue a different path, such as the one offered yesterday by the Iranian […]
NIAC Lauds Introduction of Bills Helping the Iranian People
The National Iranian American Council welcomes today’s introduction of H.R. 4303, the Stand with the Iranian People Act, in the House of Representatives, and applauds the bill’s sponsors Representatives Keith Ellison (D-MN) and William Delahunt (D-MA). Both the “Stand with the Iranian People Act” and the “Iranian Digital Empowerment Act” Introduced Today.