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Iran, 8/1/09
Overview:
Join Active Minds for an in-depth look at the country of Iran. We will cover Iranian history as well as the recent turmoil over Iran’s presidential election. We will discuss the relationship between Iran’s religious and political leadership and the thorny issue of Iran's nuclear program. We will also discuss how the rest of the world is responding to the various challenges presented by Iran.
Key Lecture Points:
• The violent aftermath of the June 12, 2009 elections in Iran revealed a growing split between the hard-line and reformist leaders of Iran. Although President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner and sworn in for a second 4 year term in August 2009, the trials of those who protested the results are drawing the attention of the Iranian people and the world as a whole.
• In 2002, Iran announced to the world that it had discovered uranium reserves. That same year a Paris-based Iranian resistance group notified international authorities that Iran had been constructing two nuclear facilities without notifying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• In spring 2006, Iran resumed enrichment of uranium, leading the EU-3 (France, UK, Germany) to agree with the US on the matter of UN sanctions. The UN Security Council has since issued four resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran for its failure to cease enrichment.
• Iran maintains that it is not developing a nuclear weapon and that its uranium enrichment program is for civilian purposes only. Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated, "I have not received any information that there is a concrete active nuclear weapons program going on right now." Skeptics, however, argue that the IAEA has never had full access to what was, until 2002, a secret program.
• Since early 2007, the nuclear issue has been rolled together with another issue that is also causing tension between the US and Iran. Iran, the US argues, is supporting radical militant Shi’a groups in Iraq that are destabilizing US and Iraqi efforts to create a lasting peace in the region. Some see these two issues as justification for further action against Iran (military or diplomatic).
• Iran and US relations have been strained since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 when diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed. The US is concerned with Iran’s continued development of its nuclear program despite UN sanctions and also with Iran’s support for the radical militant Shi’a groups in Iraq that has led to sectarian violence and the destabilization of Iraq. The Bush administration labeled Iran one of the Axis of Evil countries, adding to the antagonism between the countries. Former President Bush supported sanctions against Iran and did not work towards opening a dialog with Iran. As one of his first acts after his inauguration, President Obama made an overture to Iran. The Obama administration sees Iran as both the source of and a possible solution to most of America’s problems in the Middle East—from militants in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza to Tehran’s nuclear-weapons program.
Exploration Questions:
• Given that the west has involved itself in Iranian affairs in the past, what tack can the US take diplomatically to improve dialog and relations with Iran today?
• What opportunities does the unrest since the June 12 election offer to the US in its desire to improve relations with Iran?
• In what ways has the Iraq war complicated efforts to confront Iran over its nuclear program?
Reflective Questions:
• Have you ever traveled to Iran? If so, describe what the country was like at that point and how it appears different today.
• What do you think it would mean to your daily way of life to live in a theocracy?
More to Explore:
• IAEA coverage of Iran: www.iaea.org
• BBC News coverage: http://news.bbc
• CIA World Factbook on Iran: www.cia.gov
Books For Further Reading:
• Jafarzadeh, Alireza. The Iran Threat: President Ahmadinejad and the Coming Nuclear Threat. Palgrave MacMillan, 2007. 284 pages. With access to dissident groups inside Iran, the author traces President Ahmadinejad’s from his radical roots to his impact on Iran’ s weapons program. He reveals new details on Iran’ s involvement in Iraq and its broader goals for the future of the Middle East. Click here to order.
• Ritter, Scott. Target Iran: The Truth about the White House’s Plans for Regime Change. Nation Books, 2006. 228 pages. This book offers Ritter's "national intelligence assessment" of the Iranian imbroglio. He examines the Bush administration's regime-change policy and the potential of Iran to threaten U.S. national security interests. The author also considers how the country is seen by other interested parties. Click here to order.
• Majd, Hooman. The Ayotallah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. Doubleday Books. 2008. 272 pages. Majd is an Iranian-American journalist. He provides an insider’s knowledge of Iran’s culture, history and politics. Click here to order.
• Moaveni, Azadeh. Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran. Public Affairs. 2005. 260 pages. An Iranian-American journalist returns to Tehran and describes the life of her Iranian counterparts who grew up in Iran since the Revolution. Click here to order.
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