National Iranian American Community on presidential candidates.

[eridani]

Sanders Offers a Prudent Approach on Iran

https://www.niacaction.org/sanders-offers-a-prudent-approach-on-iran/

“We commend Senator Sanders’ for speaking out in strong support of the nuclear deal with Iran and highlighting the value in pursuing further diplomatic openings between the U.S. and Iran. Of all the candidates who spoke on these issues yesterday, the approach outlined by Sanders tracked most closely with the direction of President Obama’s Iran policy and offered the most prudent vision of what is achievable if we continue down the path of diplomacy.
“We agree that the best way for the U.S. to resolve the challenges posed by Iran is through diplomatic engagement, and the best way to resolve the challenges throughout the Middle East is by working to bridge the divides between the region’s key stakeholders.

Sanders was correct in not merely signaling out Iran’s bad actions in the region, which he did, but also calling out our allies in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf for their own complicity. Scapegoating Iran and leaving our allies off the hook will only prolong the conflict in Syria and undermine any effort to defeat ISIS, all while fueling the rivalries in the region that are at the heart of many of its conflicts. To truly resolve these challenges, all key stakeholders must be invited to be a part of a solution and held accountable when they are part of the problem.

“We also commend Senator Sanders for identifying engagement with Iran as the best way to see the country move in a more moderate direction. Threats, confrontation, and isolation are the currency of Iran’s hardliners and if we only offer these approaches we play into their hands. The best way to stand with those in Iran who want better relations and to see Iran move in a more positive direction is to actually open the door to such opportunities. Sanders is correct in recognizing this dynamic and for endorsing the type of engagement necessary to resolve our serious concerns with Iran and continue building a relationship.”

Clinton Should Double Down on Iran Diplomacy, Not Containment

http://www.niacaction.org/clinton-should-double-down-on-iran-diplomacy-not-containment/

We commend Secretary Clinton for reaffirming her support for the landmark nuclear deal with Iran should she win the presidency. Secretary Clinton played a critical role in supporting the deal during the Congressional review this past summer and she will likely be the only candidate at AIPAC praising the deal. The Iranian-American community deeply appreciates her principled position in favor of the deal. However, saying that “Iran’s fingerprints are on every conflict in the Middle East” without acknowledging the culpability of some of our closest allies — a culpability that President Obama openly admits — socializes our allies into thinking their bad behavior delivers results and they can get away with anything.
At a time when President Obama is seeking to make his historic Iran policy change as irreversible as possible, we are concerned by Secretary Clinton downplaying the possibility of a larger diplomatic opening. Rather than following President Obama’s lead in acknowledging the challenges while emphasizing the need for diplomacy across the board, Secretary Clinton needlessly reduces the requisite political space to make a peaceful diplomatic opening with Iran come to fruition should the opportunity present itself during her potential presidency. It is indeed ironic that while President Obama is in Cuba reaping the fruits of engagement, many of the Presidential hopefuls are at AIPAC redoubling on the containment policy that neither produced a breakthrough with Cuba nor Iran.

We commend Secretary Clinton’s call for standing with the Iranian people. But doing so requires further dialogue between the two peoples and two governments, not less. It requires taking steps to make clear that lifting the U.S. trade embargo is possible if Iran is willing to reciprocate with steps of equal value. These are the steps that will allow the American and Iranian people to build bridges. IRGC provocations such as missile tests are a trap to keep us on the path of confrontation and ensure Americans and Iranians can never stand together. Secretary Clinton should take a page from President Obama’s playbook and craft her responses accordingly. Any deviation from Obama’s prudent and wise rhetoric and diplomacy will risk the significant progress achieved in the past few years.

Trump and GOP Candidates’ Iran Policy Would Be Disastrous

http://www.niacaction.org/trump-aipac/

“We condemn Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich for their pledges to undo the diplomatic efforts of President Obama and put the U.S. back on the path to war with Iran. Trump and his colleagues’ rhetoric may have won standing ovations from AIPAC, the organization that spent millions to try to kill the Iran deal, but it will not win them White House. The American people do not want another military adventure in the Middle East.

“Ted Cruz’s particularly reckless promise to begin shooting down Iranian missile tests deserves special condemnation. Of all the candidates, he is the most open about his plans for escalation that would all but certainly set off a quick descent into all out war. There are smart ways to deal with Iranian hardliners’ provocations,starting a war is not one of them.

“Unfortunately, all three remaining GOP candidates risk seriously damaging U.S. interests. Cruz says he will ‘tear the deal to shreds’, Kasich calls for ‘suspending’ the nuclear agreement, and Trump says he would effectively break the accord by renegotiating its terms. These actions would free Iran from its nuclear constraints, punish the American allies we worked with to broker the accord, and isolate the United States in dealing with the results.

“The nuclear accord has made the United States much safer. Because President Obama chose diplomacy over war, Iran’s nuclear program has been set back dramatically and is under the most intensive and intrusive inspections regime the world has yet to see. Bluster didn’t achieve this feat nor did war nor sanctions. It was accomplished because President Obama had the courage to talk directly to his adversaries in Iran – to use the strength of American diplomacy – to advance U.S. interests.

Wish President Obama A Happy Norooz!

http://www.niacaction.org/happynorooz/

Sign our Norooz card to President Obama to wish him a happy Persian New Year – and thank him for his leadership and bold diplomacy between the United States and Iran, which was done in the name of peace!

[Surya Gayatri]

1. K & R. Thanks for posting.