$75 Million to Promote Democracy in Iran (YEAH, THAT"LL WORK)

[dajoki]

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/politics/15cnd-rice.html?ex=1140670800&en=899893dda91eae2d&ei=5009&partner=MSN_NYTHOME

Rice to Ask for $75 Million to Promote Democracy in Iran

By JOHN O'NEIL
Published: February 15, 2006

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a Senate panel today that she plans to ask for $75 million to promote democracy in Iran, but she met with sharp questioning from Democrats about whether Bush administration policies were promoting the rise of anti-American governments around the world.

The secretary of state told a Senate panel today that she plans to ask for $75 million to promote democracy in Iran.
Ms. Rice told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the money for Iran, on top of $10 million already provided in the current budget, would be used to "support the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people," and to counter the influence of Tehran's new hard-line regime.

"No one wants to see a Middle East that is dominated by an Iranian hegemony, particularly one that has access to nuclear technology," Ms. Rice said, and she later called Iran "our biggest single strategic challenge" in the region.

She said in her prepared statement that the extra $75 million "would enable us to increase our support for democracy and improve our radio broadcasting, begin satellite television broadcast, increase the contacts between our peoples through expanded fellowships and scholarships for Iranian students, and to bolster our public democracy efforts."

[Botany]

1. Stay the hell out

if Iraq was a bad idea ...... Iran will be 100 times worse.

[FloridaPat]

2. I'm sure their oil will pay for the rest of the democracy fitting.

[buddysmellgood]

3. Don't underestimate the power of billboards.

[caledesi]

4. How about 75 million to promote democracy HERE! nt

[dajoki]

5. what a unique idea!! n/t