Reply #50: 12. Only 12. Bayh is up to his neck in Iran. That's a meaningles crumb

[Tinoire]

He's been one of the biggest drum beaters for a war against Iraq and now Iran.

Sorry to be so harsh but this really is a crumb. Bahy is so far down the shit list because of a TON of previous votes that it's going to take him more than this one 'safe' one to bring him up.

But with the other 12? Carry one Walt! A dozen bouquets of roses, one each.


CDI Praises Passage of Senate Resolution on Iran:

And Bipartisan Action to Condemn Rigged Elections


The Coalition for Democracy in Iran
Press Release - March 8, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 8, 2004 Washington, D.C. --

The Coalition for Democracy in Iran (CDI) praised the passage of a Sense of the Senate resolution (S. Res. 304) condemning the recent sham elections in Iran and calling for the United States to advocate democracy in Iran. The resolution, which was offered by Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE), Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD) and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), was approved unanimously.

The resolution tracked an earlier Senate version, S. Res. 302, authored by Senator Brownback and co-sponsored by Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Saxby Chambliss (D-GA), Michael DeWine (R-OH), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The resolution states that it is the policy of the U.S. that –

1. The United States should not support the elections in Iran;

2. The Unites States should provide support to Iran and the Iranian people; and

3. The United States should advocate a democratic government in Iran that will restore freedom to the people of Iran, abandon terrorism, protect human rights, and live in peace and security with the international community.

The CDI applauds this forthright resolution, which condemns the fraudulent elections and calls upon the U.S. to support the establishment of a democratic government in Iran. The CDI also notes the strong bipartisan support it received, and welcomes the co- sponsorship of the Ranking Democratic Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Democratic Leader.

108th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 304

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should not support the February 20, 2004, elections in Iran and that the United States should advocate a democratic government in Iran that will restore freedom to the Iranian people and will abandon terrorism.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 12, 2004
Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. BIDEN, and Mr. DASCHLE) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should not support the February 20, 2004, elections in Iran and that the United States should advocate a democratic government in Iran that will restore freedom to the Iranian people and will abandon terrorism.

Whereas there is a long history of mutual affection, appreciation, and respect between the people of the United States and the people of Iran, including the incalculable efforts by the United States in providing humanitarian, financial, and technological assistance to help the people of Iran;

Whereas the people of Iran have shown support for decency and freedom, and solidarity with the United States, including the demonstration of such support through candlelight vigils attended by the youth of Iran in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks upon the United States;

Whereas the Council of Guardians is a 12-member unelected body that has arbitrarily disqualified thousands of candidates, including sitting Members of the Parliament of Iran and members of the reformist movement;

Whereas the elections scheduled to be held on February 20, 2004, in Iran are fatally flawed; ((gee, all this care about Persian elections and so little about ours!))

Whereas the brave efforts of the people of Iran to promote greater democracy and respect for human rights are being thwarted by the actions of the Council of Guardians;

Whereas the blatant interference of the Council of Guardians in the electoral process ensures that the elections scheduled for February 20, 2004, will be neither free nor fair; and

Whereas the circumstances in Iran clearly call into serious question whether pro-democratic reform within the regime of Iran is possible: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--

(1) the United States should not support the elections in Iran scheduled to take place on February 20, 2004, as such elections stifle the growth of the democratic forces in Iran and do not serve the national security interest of the United States;

(2) the support provided by the United States to Iran should be provided to the people of Iran; and

(3) the policy of the United States should be to advocate a democratic government in Iran that will restore freedom to the people of Iran, will abandon terrorism, will protect human rights, and will live in peace and security with the international community.


http://www.c-d-i.org/pr/2004-03-8.shtml

See how many CDI-loving PNACers you can spot who were very pleased with Evan Bayh and the other neoliberals!

Individuals Expressing Support for The CDI


Hon. Frank Gaffney

Hon. Jack Kemp

Dr. Michael Ledeen

Mr. Bruce McColm

Dr. Joshua Muravchik

Ms. Danielle Pletka

Dr. Rob Sobhani

Prof. Raymond Tanter

Hon. James Woolsey

http://www.c-d-i.org/supporters.shtml

===
(snip)

Not having its own intelligence-gathering infrastructure, Feith’s office relied on fabricated information supplied by Ahmed Chalabi, an Iraqi expatriate who led the Iraqi National Congress (INC). In 1998, Chalabi’s group was funded by the Iraq Liberation Act, a congressional initiative that was backed by neoconservative institutions such as AIPAC, CSP, Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

(snip)

In early 2002, Leeden, along with Morris Amitay, a former AIPAC executive director as well as a CSP adviser, founded the Coalition for Democracy in Iran (CDI) to build congressional and administration support for Iran regime change. AIPAC and CDI helped ensure passage of recent House and Senate resolutions that condemn Iran, call for tighter sanctions and express support for Iranian dissidents.

The CDI includes members of key neoconservative policy institutes and think tanks, including Raymond Tanter of the Washington Institute for Near East Affairs (WINEA) – an off-shoot of AIPAC – and Frank Gaffney, president of CSP. In the ’90s, Feith served as the board chairman of CSP, whose slogan is "peace through strength," and where Woolsey currently serves as co-chairman of the advisory committee. Other neoconservative organizations are represented in the coalition by more than one member include AEI and Freedom House.

Rob Sobhani, an Iranian-American, who like Ledeen and other neoconservatives is a friend of the Shah’s son Reza Pahlavi, is also a CDI member. CDI expresses the common neoconservative position that constructive engagement with the Iranian government – even with the democratic reformists – is merely appeasement. Instead, the United States should proceed immediately to a regime change strategy working closely with the "Iranian people." Representatives of the Iranian people that could be the front men for a regime change strategy, according to the neoconservatives, include, the Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi (who has also cultivated close ties with the Likud Party in Israel), the Iraq-based guerrilla group Mujahadin-E Khalq (MEK), and expatriate arms dealer Ghorbanifar.


(snip)

Meyrav Wurmser said: "Our fight against Iraq was only a battle in a long war. It would be ill-conceived to think we can deal with Iraq alone. We must move on, and faster."


http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=2320