I want to thank Jane Harman for reversing course in retracting at least one of her incendiary remarks at the recent American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, where she suggested Iran should splinter itself, rather than stand as one powerful country of 70-million people, half of whom are of Persian descent, a quarter Azerbaijani, and the rest a mix of Arabs, Armenians, and others.
In recent days Jane Harman scrambled to reel in irresponsible remarks in which she called for separating "the many different, diverse, and disagreeing populations inside Iran". Such remarks analagous to calling for the break-up of the United States:
"The Persian population in Iran is not a majority, it is a plurality. There are many different, diverse, and disagreeing populations inside Iran and an obvious strategy, which I believe is a very good strategy, is to separate those populations."
— Representative Jane Harman
May 3, 2009
Thankfully, Harman sort of apologized by saying that she "regrets any concern [that statement] might have caused", and asserts, "I was not and am not calling for the creation of ethnic tensions or separation in Iran – nothing would be less productive."
Good for Jane.
I'm pleased to see that she responded promptly to the National Iranian American Council's (NIAC) call for a retraction.
Now all peace loving people should call on Jane Harman to put down that saber, unclench her fist, and retract her bellicose statement about war with Iran being on the table. Let us remember that almost half of Iran's population is under the age of 18 -- and that's a new generation
This clip (recorded on May 3, 2009) begins with Jane Harman responding to a question about how to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon:
"Let me say that it’s been 20 years or so that Congress has tried sanctions . We haven’t done as well as I would hope. But in the 90s John Kyle and I coordinated an effort in the Senate and the House to block the Russians from helping Iran’s missile industry. Would that we had succeeded. Congress has ramped up sanctions on a bipartisan basis"
"Now there are new bills introduced by Evan Bayh in the Senate and Howard Berman in the House to block the import of refined petroleum products. This is where Iran is particularly vulnerable, especially now that oil is low and I think our goal must be to have a limited window for one more diplomatic effort in my view. But to do it from a point of strength. And our point of strength is to ramp up U.S. economic sanctions and work with the world community – those who will cooperate. But especially try to get China which uses Iran as a gas tank to cooperate because it’s in China’s interest to ramp up worldwide sanctions at the same time."
— Jane Harman
May 3, 2009
Just a little over a minute into the clip the tough talk escalates to a threat of possible war with Iran:
"If this window closes, and we have tried everything else, I favor leaving the military option on the table as a last resort."
— Jane Harman
May 3, 2009
Is it any wonder that the National Iranian American Council on May 19th responded with the following emailed action alert:
"Through conquest and turmoil, the Iranian nation has survived and thrived for thousands of years, with peoples of all backgrounds and ethnicities forming a common identity. Now that President Obama has emphasized diplomacy and reduced the chances of war between the United States and Iran, Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA) has a new idea: rip apart the Iranian nation by dividing its peoples along ethnic lines.
We only need to look to Iraq or Darfur to see what ethnic warfare looks like. Rep. Harman’s comments cannot go unchallenged. Sign onto NIAC’s letter today and demand Rep. Harman retract her divisive and dangerous remarks."
Dear Congresswoman Harman,
We are deeply troubled by your call for "separating" the people of Iran along ethnic lines. From Iraq to Rwanda, Yugoslavia to Darfur, the world has seen what happens when neighbors are turned against one another based on ethnic or sectarian divisions. Your suggestion that the United States deliberately exploit these ethnic divisions and the evils they sow is unconscionable.
As 140,000 American servicemen and women fight and die in Iraq to prevent a civil war from splitting that country apart along sectarian and ethnic lines, it is shocking that you would advocate a policy that would put U.S. troops in greater danger and destabilize the entire region, from Pakistan to the Levant, by exacerbating ethnic tensions.
Congresswoman Harman, we respectfully call on you to retract your statement supporting the balkanization of Iran.
According to the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) "discussions were held May 20th between NIAC and Harman’s office". Yesterday NIAC issued a press release announcing Harman's retraction.
My opponent didn't retract all of her remarks. She didn't take the military option off the table. Wouldn't an equitable way forward include embracing legally binding commitments to dismantle all nuclear arsenals - throughout the world? Isn't it more likely that Iran would not feel compelled to develop nuclear weapons if it didn't (no matter how mistakenly) believe that the weapons were needed for national security?
Isn't there a glaring double standard at play here?
U.N. nuclear talks hit a roadblock Friday as Cuba, Iran and other developing nations demanded that the five original nuclear powers accept legally binding commitments to dismantle their nuclear arsenals and provide assurances they will not use such weapons against states that do not possess atomic weapons.
Developing Nations Seek Assurances on Nuclear Arms
— Colum Lynch
WaPo
May 16, 2009
Its' up to us to say NO to a war on Iran, one that could portend the next World War and a conflict the CIA and top military brass want to avoid. It's up to us to push for all nations to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Nuclear war is not an option.
Tell President Obama and Washington lawmakers that you disagree with my 2010 congressional opponent, Jane Harman's (CA, 36th CD) verbal attacks on Iran. Tell President Obama you support his pledge to work for nuclear disarmament - and that reversing former President Bush's 1st strike policy would be a good place to start.
Please join my campaign.
Visit winograd4congress
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