Views expressed by guest speakers do not necessarily express the views of BAIAD
Bay Area Panel Discusses US-Iran Relations under the Bush Administration
Report by:
Hamid Karimi
Sunnyvale,
CA - August 29, 2004 -- BAIAD (Bay Area
Iranian-American Democrats) held their second
open discussion forum titled “Is Iran
America’s New Whipping Boy?” Dr.
Ali Ferdowsi, chair of the History and Political
Science Department at Notre Dame de Namur University,
and Dr. Dariush Zahedi, lecturer at the University
of California, Berkeley, discussed America’s
intense focus on Iran and the possible impact
of US foreign policy on Iranians living in America
and in Iran.
Professor Ferdowsi
focused his attention on stark differences in
Bush administration’s new aggressive posture
post September 11, 2001 compared to its predecessors. He
reminded the audience that not since WWII, America
has invaded two sovereign countries in a span
of two years. Dr. Ferdowsi stated that
without bringing Iran into America’s fold,
the adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq will
result in geopolitical defeats for the world’s
lone superpower. Moreover, he argued that the
goal of neo-conservatives and various NGO think
tanks, as articulated in the “Project
for New American Century” has been to
eliminate all real and potential challenges
to the US political and military hegemony in
the world. “Security will not be pursued
through balance of power, instead, it will be
imposed since US wants to be trusted as the
only preeminent power in the world,” he
said in reference to this doctrine.
Mr. Ferdowsi furthermore
explained that any state that does not fit the
model of American empire will be branded as
a rouge nation and thus a target of regime change
or placed on probation; neo-conservatives unabashedly
believe that deterrence, sovereignty and balance
of power work together and therefore, the use
of force has to be both preemptive and preventive.
According to Dr. Ferdowsi, Iran is the most
important party in controlling the flow of oil
and therefore it will remain the center of gravity
in America’s foreign policy. He concluded
by saying that the result of Iran and Israel’s
competition over regional hegemony will determine
the future political landscape in the Middle-East.
Professor Zahedi
reviewed the history of Iran-America relations
since the US-sponsored invasion of Iran by Iraq
in 1980. He stated that despite some overtures,
Clinton played an important role in Iran’s
isolation in the West. Neo-conservatives,
according to him, have two primary objectives
which are to retain America’s absolute
hegemony in the world and to make the Middle
East safe for Israel. The latter goal is mostly
concealed and only reveals itself under the
banner of expanding democracy and fighting Islamic
theocracy in the region.
Mr. Zahedi contended
that America’s main concern before 9/11
was China and its current strategy is to control
China’s sources of energy by focusing
on controlling the Middle Eastern oil and gas
resources. Finally he predicted that regardless
of the outcome of November election, Pro-Israel
lobby will make certain Iran remains on the
agenda. He does not think that the October
surprise will constitute a military attack on
Iran; rather it is likely that Pakistan may
produce a gift to Bush administration.
Mehrdad Moayedzadeh,
BAIAD’s president was the last speaker
at this event. By referencing numerous news
articles, he underlined how the anti-Iran rhetoric
has been stepped up in American media within
the past 2 months. Moayedzadeh argued that such
a sudden focus by the Bush Administration on
Iran is not so much about any imminent danger
from that country than it is about distracting
Americans’ attention from the more pressing
issues of his presidency, such as healthcare
and the economy. In the end, he shared his dream
of a day when Iranian-Americans will have a
strong political voice, engage actively in issues
of importance to their communities and assume
senior leadership roles in American politics.
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Views expressed by guest speakers do not necessarily express the views of BAIAD |
