USA, POL. ESTERA, IRAN NYT 06-02-16
LA RICE CHIEDE FINANZIAMENTI DI MILIONI DI DOLALRI PER FAVORIRE CAMBIAMENTI POLITICI IN IRAN
STEVEN R. WEISMAN
Richiesta della Rice al Senato stanziamenti per un totale di
$85mn. per promuovere una cambiamento di regime in Iran.
Un’aggiunta di €75mn. ai $10mn. già stanziati, contro i $3,5
dell’anno precedente.
–
$25 mn. andrebbero a organizzazioni iraniane dissidenti,
(gruppi associazioni per i diritti umani, associazioni sindacali e organizzazioni
politiche).
Finora i tentativi americani in questa direzione non hanno
avuto molto successo.
–
$50mn. per aumentare le trasmissioni radiotelevisive in
farsi, tramite Voice of America e Radio Farda; in previsione una joint venture
con le stazioni radio-televisive satellitari Farsi;
–
$5mn. per far studiare studenti iraniani in occidente;
–
$5mn. per siti internet.
Avviso degli esperti: attenzione a non appoggiare la diaspora iraniana tra
cui sono presenti i fautori di una restaurazione monarchica.
Nyt 06-02-16
Rice
Is Seeking Millions to Prod Changes in Iran
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 — The Bush administration, frustrated by
Iranian defiance over its nuclear program, proposed Wednesday to spend $85
million to promote political change inside Iran by subsidizing dissident
groups, unions, student fellowships and television and radio broadcasts.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
announcing a request for the money at a
Senate hearing, said the administration had worked out a way to circumvent
American laws barring financial relations with Iran to allow some money to go directly to groups promoting change inside the country.
"We are going to begin a new effort to support the aspirations of the
Iranian people," Ms. Rice said at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"We will use this money to develop
support networks for Iranian reformers, political dissidents and human rights
activists."
Senior State Department officials said they did not intend to publicize recipients
of the money in the future, for fear that they could be jailed or even
killed. "This is a very good idea, but all these efforts face the same
problem," said Michael McFaul, a political science professor at Stanford University. "In working with their
potential colleagues in Iran,
will they get them into trouble? Once they participate in a training program,
what happens to them back in their country?"
The scope of the administration’s effort
goes beyond the numbers. Until now, the United
States has been cautious about supporting dissident
groups, fearful that Iranians may view these efforts as an echo of past
American meddling in Iran’s
affairs. Though no one uses the words
"regime change" to describe the ultimate American goal, that term
has been used by conservatives in Congress who have in the last few years
pressed for aid to Iranian dissidents.
Ms.
Rice said the State Department was requesting $75 million to promote democracy in Iran, which she said would be added to $10 million already appropriated for
that purpose. The total is an
increase from only $3.5 million the previous year. Until recently, the administration
has been cautious about embracing the "regime change" approach, but
some conservatives at the Defense Department and Vice President Dick Cheney’s
office are known to be resigned to a nuclear-armed Iran
and to argue that the best way to address that problem is by opening Iran
to democracy and reform.
American officials, asking not to be
identified while discussing internal administration deliberations, said the
election last year of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose actions and
statements have alarmed the West, had strengthened the hands of those who want
to promote internal change in Iran. European countries involved in negotiating
with Iran
over the last year have also been uneasy until recently about doing anything to
provoke Iranian leaders. But now that talks over Iran’s
nuclear program are at an impasse, and Iran is proceeding with uranium
enrichment in defiance of the West, there is less concern about harming
relations.
Ms. Rice’s announcement is considered
certain to anger Iranian leaders, who
have long cited the American support for a coup in 1953 as an example of its
designs on Iran.
The
administration’s limited attempts to channel money to human rights groups,
labor unions and political organizations in Iran have not achieved much success
so far, and many experts fear that future efforts could aid the wrong people
or backfire on them if the financing becomes public.
The
administration will try to upgrade American broadcasts into Iran by Voice of America and Radio Farda, an
American-sponsored station that mostly plays music.
Ms. Rice’s announcement said the administration would try to form
partnerships with Farsi satellite television and radio stations in Los Angeles. But
Iranian experts caution that the private American stations have content that
may be viewed as unsuitable in Iran.
In addition, American officials say the administration needs to be careful
not to align itself with people in the Iranian diaspora who have political
agendas that are unpopular in Iran.
Among these are monarchists who support the family of the late shah of Iran.
The American aid announced by Ms. Rice
is to include $25 million to
support "political dissidents, labor union leaders and human rights
activists" and to work with nongovernmental organizations outside Iran
to build support inside the country. The administration plans $50 million to increase television
broadcasting to 24 hours a day all week in Farsi into Iran. Another $5 million is aimed at
bringing Iranian students and scholars to study in the West, and $5 million
more is earmarked for setting up Internet sites.
The New York