White House officials held a day-long meeting yesterday with the National Iranian American Council, a group that advocates for policies supported by the Iranian regime, including opposition to sanctions and acceptance of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Officials in attendance included Valerie Jarrett and Treasury Department Secretary for Financial Institutions Cyrus Amir-Mokri, according to a posting on NIAC’s website:
In a demonstration of the Obama administration’s eagerness to build and sustain relations with the Iranian-American community, top officials yesterday hosted the first ever Iranian-American Community Leader’s Roundtable at the White House.
The day-long roundtable was attended by National Iranian American Council staff, as well as individual community leaders and representatives of national organizations, including Iranian Alliances Across Borders and Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans. …
The officials on hand were eager to listen to the interests and concerns of the Iranian-American community and to determine ways to better serve and inform the Iranian-American community about important policies and programs. All of the officials made clear that there would be a sustained effort to engage with Iranian Americans going forward. “This is not good-bye,” many of the officials repeated, “this is hello.”
The fact that this meeting took place the day after five Israeli tourists were killed in what is believed to be an Iranian suicide attack in Bulgaria is a slap in the face to the pro-Israel community.
On Wednesday, NIAC’s leader Trita Parsi suggested that Israel intentionally provoked the suicide bombing so it would have justification to attack Iran’s nuclear program:
U.S. officials have privately expressed concern that one of the purposes of Israeli attacks in Iran has been to generate an Iranian response that could serve as a casus belli for Israel. That way, Israel could target Iran’s nuclear facilities without paying the heavy political cost of starting a preventive war.
It was partly for this reason that the U.S. immediately and forcefully condemned the latest assassination of an Iranian scientist and denied any U.S. involvement. Simultaneously, other major powers pressed Iran not to retaliate, arguing that Israel would use any retaliation to expand the war.
The next day, Parsi’s organization went to the White House and met with high-ranking officials who were reportedly “eager to listen” to their “interests and concerns.” NIAC’s interests and concerns include advocating for pro-regime policies, opposing serious efforts to halt Iran’s enrichment program, and — apparently — blaming Israel for inciting Iranian terrorist attacks. The administration appeared to have distanced itself from NIAC in 2009, after the Washington Times reported that the group was setting up meetings between Iran’s UN ambassador and members of Congress — a potential violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act. If the White House is now back to courting NIAC that raises serious concerns.
Zionism = racism n nAG is living proof.
Oh, you not only hate Jews you are afraid of women.
There is only one word to describe such logic: asinine. nDo not forget that Iran was (is) providing IEDs and IED parts that have killed and maimed a lot of US servicemen in Iraq. Do not forget that the entire world is starting to see Iran as a problem.
What an insane post! The only ethnic foreign affairs lobby allowed is the Zionist one? I didn't read that in the First Amendment.
Iran is our avowed enemy. Are you seriously trying to compare an ally, Israel, with Iran? It's a different matter if there's a pro-Germany group, or even a pro-Russian or pro-Saudi group. But iran has threatneed the US and calls it Iran's enemy.
Dear Daized, Iran is not our avowed enemy, the theocratic dictators of Iran are our enemy. Your enemies do not hold up signs asking for your help and support such as thousands of Iranians did in June 2009. The IRI (Islamic Republic of Iran) leaders are the enemy and a couple or three hundred thousand Revolutionary Guard Forces. Ms. Goodman said nothing about hating Iranians. What she did was question why Iranian agents were meeting in the White House with members of the US State Department when the US Congress passed a law forbidding such meetings without the approval of Congress. __Who authorized this meeting? Did Congress authorize it?
Even if it was authorized, it is not only a slap in the face to Israelites or Jews, it is a slap in the face to the majority of Iranian American who dispise NIAC and Trita Parsi and consider him an agent of the Islamic dictators in Iran. It is also a slap in the face to Americans and all of our armed forces. It is a slap in the face of human rights for the tortured and imprisoned innocents in Iran. Simply put, it would sicken anyone to see a group that silently advocates hatred and violence and refuses to acknowledge that Hammas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations that have been attacking not only Israel but US citizens too. Trita Parsi is not an Iranian-American. He hates America and everything it stands for. He admitted under oath that he evades US Taxes. He has lied to Congress and the Senate. He has mis-used Federal Grant funds. He uses his Freedom of Speech to attack others but sues those who expose his and NIAC's violations of United States Laws. So, Iranians are not our enemy, the Iranian regime is and Trita Parsi is the dictators of Iran's lobby boy in the US.
That is what this article is about and Ms. Goodman has every right in the world to question this meeting of a terrorist supporter in OUR White House, not Iran's. I question this meeting and I can produce another 2000 people this week that will also question it.
now Gramps: I know you start salivating when you get a chance to bash Jews, but I think you're on the wrong thread. in fact I'm not even sure what you're talking about. this has nothing to do with Zionism OR lobbies. does anti-Semitism make you stupid, or do the two just naturally go together? or is it a chicken/egg sort of thing? n nlet's leave Israel out of it entirely shalle we? let's just talk about the Iranian attempt on the life of the Saudi ambassador IN OUR COUNTRY, which Obama declared was "unacceptable." our American should not be chatting up anyone connected to that murderous regime. n nnext time, before you comment, make sure you have something pertinent to say, 'k?
Surprisingly, the Iranians have not claimed that this all affair (Saudi Ambassador) had been concocted by the Jews. A Jew could have masqueraded for an Iranian!!!!
what unfounded justification; listen and learn then: n nfirst, what Iranian-American community has to do with Islamic regime of Tehran? I would really appreciate if you could answer that please. These are American citizens, unless you would like to argue that because they are Iranian, then they are associated with the Islamic republic. In that case, if you argue as such you are none but a bigoted racist, which you probably are but too afraid to admit it. n nSecond, no federal institution has yet proven that Iranian government, as much as I hate it, was actually behind the Saudi plot, unless you wish to argue that a mere accusation is adequate to prove one's guilt. In that case, if you argue as such, you are none but a bigoted uneducated biased individual with (again) racist mindset, which you probably are but too afraid to admit it. n nNext time, before you comment, make sure you have something pertinent to say, potassium?
anti-Semitism is that chicken and egg all wrapped up in a turd omelette. pathetic isn't it?
Insane? Yeah, chaver, you said the magic word. The point of this blog is that the particular lobby in question hates Jews so much and has such a loathing for the Jewish state of Israel that when Iranian agents, who this particular lobby supports as a de facto arm of the Iranian foreign ministry, when Iranian agents murder Jewish kids, the response is to …. blame Israel. The only response to the tragic and certainly undesired murder of our children is to claim that.. Israel is to blame! Because the Jews of Israel wish to have their children murdered so that they can have a pretext to attack Iran. n nEven though, obviously, to the sane that is, to the non-psychotic, the Jews of Israel or Argentina are shocked and when their children are butchered by the Iranians and other anti-Semitic terrorists. You really do have to be nuts to accept the argument that every time an anti-Semite kills a Jew this only proves that the Jews want their babies dead. As in, the Jews really planned the Holocaust so they could have an excuse to colonize Palestine.
Valerie "Barack's Brain" Jarrett wining and dining the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world? yawn. just another day at the Obama White House. n nreally, does this surprise anyone? kids, in case you missed the last three years: OBAMA DOES NOT LIKE ISRAEL. Obama does not care about what happens to Israel. Obama could not give a rat's patootie if he seems "insensitive" to the interests of either Israelis or American Jews. n nObama is quite interested, however, in foreign dictators, and he is most interested in Muslim fundamentalist foreign dictators. his enchantment with Li'l Mahmoud and the mullahs has been obvious since 2009, when he let the "green revolution" die in the streets of Teheran. n nthis guy and his whole rotten crew have got to go.
What does "Iran apologists" even mean? Sorry, this article is content-free, a mess of innuendo, cliches, and vague stock phrases. n nFor instance: you accuse NIAC of "advocating for pro-regime policies" but don't deign to mention any specific pro-regime policies they endorse. Unless you think not wanting Iran to be destroyed—and countless Iranian civilians slaughtered—is somehow "pro-regime." n nCan you really not distinguish between people who oppose war with Iran and supporters of the the regime? Do you somehow not know that most Iranian-Americans families live in America BECAUSE they dislike the repressive government? n nOr all Persians evil beings, inescapably tainted by a regime that most of them oppose?
NIAC is an Iranian regime Lobby and those who deny it are either insane or collaborators of this messianic regime. Down with Islamic regime of Iran. Free Iran.
The WH is playing the democrat Jews against Israel in order to keep the Jews divided.
I'm an ambassador at NIAC, as well as being Jewish and of Iranian ancestry. Not only is Goodman's article utter nonsense, exhibiting a superficial understanding of the issues and a cartoonish comprehension of NIAC, it is reactionary and borders on racist. Given my intimate involvement with that organization, that there are so many commenters parroting her agenda or willing to paint NIAC as some sort of pro-Iran, anti-Jewish group is mind boggling…and deeply troubling.
why do we have to listen to all this garbage about the Israel Lobby or pro-Israel lobby? Isn't there an oil lobby that's pro-Arab? Doesn't Saudi Arabia lobby the US Govt? Even Michael Moore made a film about Saudi influence in Washington. How about the PLO? Doesn't the PLO or PA have an office in Washington that lobbies the USG? How about all of the Arab money that goes to major American universities to indoctrinate the students to be pro-Arab and hate Jews? n nAlana is writing about the pro-Iranian ayatollahs lobby. It seems that some folks think it's OK for supporters of a regime –in Iran– spreading pro-Nazi propaganda and working on a nuke bomb for various nefarious purposes, including mass murder of Jews. Why are reps of that pro-ayatollah lobby welcome in the White House??
This issue is interesting in light of the issue that Michelle Bachmann is raising about the Moslem Brotherhood who apparently were given a NSC briefing which is truly frightening. Throw this in and we have some truly scary things happening….
TRITA PARSI days are numbered … DEATH TO YOUR BOSS AYATOILET KHAMENEI , soon You shall See Beenamous madarbeharoum!!!
As an Iranian-American, I thank Commentary for publishing this article. This article simply states the truth about NIAC in that it is nothing more than a front lobbyist group that takes all the positions that benefits the Islamic regime inside of Iran instead of the Iranian people The vast majority of Iranian-Americans DESPISE NIAC and Trita Parsi (who is not even an American). His stooge and henchman now published an article on Huffpost trying to equate a reasonable and rational spot on attack on NIAC as somehow being "racist" against the Iranian community. Shame on Trita Parsi, Jamal Abdi, and NIAC. They are nothing but a bunch of individuals who try to do everything in their power to stand in the way of freedom and democracy for the Iranian people in rather standing up for the brutal terrorist regime which has destroyed our once great homeland. I once again applaud Commentary for this very important article and commentary.
And I thank you for what you wrote. I have known Iranians (as in people born there and now living here) for more than 30 years and all of them would agree with the above. Maybe not publicly because they fear murder or other reprisal — even in America — but privately they tell me things that I do understand. The vast majority of Iranians don't like the current government and wish it would simply go away… n
Thank you my friend.
And one other thing — Iran openly uses the term "Little Satan" (Israel) and "Big Satan" (USA) — that is not something that you can really say is being misinterpreted. n nIsrael is not the only country they wish to destroy, only the one they wish to destroy *first* and they are quite clear about that….