NIAC Statement on Assad Regime Collapse
Washington, DC – NIAC Policy Director Ryan Costello issued the following statement regarding reports that Bashar Al Assad has fled Syria and the Assad family’s reign has collapsed: “Assad’s government was a brutal dictatorship that engaged in heinous acts of repression and torture. We hope his fall can bring Syrians a government that respects their […]
U.S. and Iran Must Halt Escalation Before It Is Too Late
NIAC President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement regarding reports that the U.S. conducted new strikes targeting militia forces in eastern Syria on Sunday, killing at least eight.
Memo: H.R. 31, Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019
We are concerned that the sanctions mandated by H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, can be utilized by this administration to redouble its efforts to unravel the JCPOA by targeting Iranian parties far removed from Syria.
NIAC Statement on Syria Strikes
National Iranian American Council Research Director Reza Marashi released the following statement on the strikes on Syria.
73 Prominent International Relations Scholars Say Iran Deal Will Help Stabilize Middle East
73 prominent International Relations and Middle East scholars have issued a letter in support of the Iran deal, arguing that it is a “strong and positive step toward stabilizing the Middle East,” and that a potential Congressional rejection of the agreement would further destabilize the region and “reignite Washington and Tehran’s gravitation towards a military confrontation.”
The House Gets Bad Advice
When it comes to crafting law, Congress seeks input from outside experts to help inform and guide their decisionmaking. The type of experts the body seeks out can say a lot about why Congress does what it does. Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee invited some particularly revealing “expert witnesses” that say a lot […]
Clinton and Baker on Iran, Israeli strikes, and diplomacy
In an interview with Charlie Rose at the State Department last Wednesday, June 20, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Former Secretary of State James Baker discussed the role of diplomacy in resolving US- Iranian tensions [watch the interview here, read the transcript here]. Baker said the U.S. must pursue all non-military means to prevent an […]
Iran News Roundup: June 14, 2012
US-Russia Strain over Iran’s Role in Syria Russia and Iran, strong allies of Syria, allege the US has sent weapons and troops into Syria to assist opposition forces (NYT 6/13). The claims were denied and countered by US accusations that Russia supplies Syrian opposition groups with helicopter gunships, an allegation denied by the Russian government […]
Iran hedges its bets on Syria
How shocking it was this week to see statements by leading Iranian officials offering advice and criticism on Syria’s handling of its protests. One must grimace at the utter hypocrisy of Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi talking about the Syrian people’s “legitimate demands”, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying “a military solution is never […]
US expanding cross-border attacks; next up Iran?
After cross-border air and ground incursions into Pakistan earlier this year, which were reportedly authorised by an executive order signed in July, U.S. Special Forces/CIA raided a village compound 5 miles into Syrian territory late last week. Ostensibly, they were in the search of high-value terrorists, but the daring cross-border operation killed several civilians including […]