Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran
Encyclopedia
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) is a group of academics, students and professionals of Iranian and non-Iranian backgrounds formed to oppose sanctions on Iran
by the United States
.
by Professor Abbas Edalat
, and describes itself as independent of all political groups and governments, in particular the Iranian government, and adheres to no particular religion or ideology. Core values include respect for human rights
and a democratic state
, in particular freedom of expression, freedom of press, an independent judiciary, equal rights for women
, ethnic and religious minorities in Iran."
On November 6, 2006, the United Kingdom branch of CASMII joined with Action Iran and Iran Solidarity, forming a new organisation in the UK called Campaign Iran, which remains part of CASMI international.
CASMII has been criticised by Hands Off the People of Iran
as being supportive of the Iranian reform movement and opposed to the interests of "workers, progressives and democrats".
Members of the CASMII Board include academics such as Professor Udo Steinbach, who was the head of the Near East Department of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs
from 1971 to 1974 and director of the Deutschen Orient-Instituts (which merged into the German Institute of Global and Area Studies) from 1976 to 2006, and Kaveh L. Afrasiabi, a political scientist
and author of Iran
ian origin. The human rights
and social justice
advocacy group
Global Exchange
recommends CASMII members Foaad Khosmood and Alex Patico as public speakers on anti-war
topics related to Iran.
In the US, CASMII is governed by a board of directors. CASMII has an international board of editors as well as an advisory board.
Among other members of its advisory board is Dr. Behrad Nakhai, a prominent Iranian nuclear engineer who worked as a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
and is currently conducting Nuclear Safety Analysis.
, holding public meetings, lobbying members of parliaments, international campaigning and cooperation with all groups sharing similar aims. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty described CASMII as "a strong opponent to sanctions" against Iran.
of CASMII UK made a presentation regarding Iran's energy needs and its nuclear energy program at a conference at the European Parliament
organised by the European Greens–European Free Alliance
.
demonstration outside of the headquarters of the BBC
, claiming that the BBC presented biased reporting regarding Iran by not reporting alleged violations by nuclear weapons states of Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
.
On March 18, 2006, Action Iran members including Roudabeh Shafie participated in a major anti-war demonstration in London.
On June 10, 2006, Elaheh Rostami Povey represented Action Iran at the Stop the War Coalition
's "Fifth Annual Stop The War Conference" .
On September 6, 2006, an Action Iran spokesperson took part in a rally in Manchester
promoting a rally called "Time To Go" advocating the resignation of British prime minister Tony Blair
and later in the month, Action Iran together with CASMII organised a public rally with Hans von Sponeck
, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq
after Denis Halliday
resigned from that post,
in protest against the US government's relations with Iraq
and Iran.
, CASMII issued a statement titled "A Terrible Day for International Diplomacy" dated December 24, 2006. In the statement CASMII expresses grave concern over the UN resolution. It characterizes the unanimous verdict as having been engineered by the US stating "As the Observer reported last Sunday, the US is giving up to 270% more foreign aid to Security Council members as incentive for them to support US positions." The statement further argues that the resolution could be abused and taken as a justification for war, just like the 2002 resolution -also unanimously passed- was used as an eventual justification for the US/UK invasion of Iraq. The statement also "notes" that "there may actually be no way for Iran to comply with the UN demands," saying "Just as the repeated American demands for more and more intrusive inspections, for opening up of Saddam’s palaces and interviewing Iraqi scientists did not satisfy America’s suspicions; neither will Iran’s 'compliance' with these demands be ever sufficient to 'prove' the non-existence of a WMD program."
in February 2007, CASMII co-sponsored a full page advertisement in a Washington, D.C.
journal, the Congressional Quarterly
, opposing an attack against Iran.
In October 2007, CASMII together with the National Iranian American Council
and some other organisations sent a letter to the political leaders of the United States
, the United Kingdom
and Iran
opposing military actions and appealing to the governments "to set aside all pre-conditions and resume direct and open negotiations on all issues of dispute, ..."
, Noam Chomsky
, Michael Lerner (rabbi) and Howard Zinn
) associated with the generally left
perspective media group Z Communications
.
In early May 2007, the BBC
apologised to CASMII for having used the words "abucted" and "hostages" in relation to the 2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
. CASMII member Abbas Edalat was not satisfied with the apology, stating "We do not accept that because a story is at an 'early stage' misleading reports are therefore acceptable. The BBC has a code of practice and is very aware of the power of language. Using the word 'abducted' instead of 'captured' and the word 'hostages' instead of 'detainees' is a clear example of linguistic manipulation of the facts and there are no excuses for it."
In May 2007, the UK
based media analysis group Media Lens credited CASMII for an analysis claiming that a Daily Telegraph reporter was the source of several stories that served as part of the claimed justifications
for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
and subsequent conflict. Media Lens also pointed to an article by a writer for The Guardian
discussing alleged plans by Iran to fight against United States soldiers in Iraq. Media Lens claimed that the article was mostly based on anonymous official sources from the United States government. CASMII in turn complained to The Guardian about the article. CASMII member Abbas Edalat stated, "The Guardian has reported, without any challenge or any critical analysis, highly incriminating but unfounded and unsubstantiated statements by an unnamed US official in such a way that they appear to the reader as facts."
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
CASMII was founded on December 1, 2005 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by Professor Abbas Edalat
Abbas Edalat
Abbas Edalat is a professor of computer science and mathematics at Imperial College of London and a political activist. He is also the founder of CASMII, a campaign against sanctions and military intervention in Iran....
, and describes itself as independent of all political groups and governments, in particular the Iranian government, and adheres to no particular religion or ideology. Core values include respect for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and a democratic state
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, in particular freedom of expression, freedom of press, an independent judiciary, equal rights for women
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, ethnic and religious minorities in Iran."
On November 6, 2006, the United Kingdom branch of CASMII joined with Action Iran and Iran Solidarity, forming a new organisation in the UK called Campaign Iran, which remains part of CASMI international.
CASMII has been criticised by Hands Off the People of Iran
Hands Off the People of Iran
Hands Off the People of Iran is a leftist anti-war group led mostly by exiled Iranian and British socialists, based in the United Kingdom. It is opposed to Western military intervention in Iran, which it considers imperialist. It also criticises the government of Iran, while advocating radical...
as being supportive of the Iranian reform movement and opposed to the interests of "workers, progressives and democrats".
Members of the CASMII Board include academics such as Professor Udo Steinbach, who was the head of the Near East Department of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs
German Institute for International and Security Affairs
The Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin is a leading German think tank and the founding institution behind the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.- History, Organization and Functions of the SWP :...
from 1971 to 1974 and director of the Deutschen Orient-Instituts (which merged into the German Institute of Global and Area Studies) from 1976 to 2006, and Kaveh L. Afrasiabi, a political scientist
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and author of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian origin. The human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
Global Exchange
Global Exchange
Global Exchange is an advocacy group and non-governmental organization , based in San Francisco, California, United States. The group's mission is to promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice around the world.-History:...
recommends CASMII members Foaad Khosmood and Alex Patico as public speakers on anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
topics related to Iran.
In the US, CASMII is governed by a board of directors. CASMII has an international board of editors as well as an advisory board.
Among other members of its advisory board is Dr. Behrad Nakhai, a prominent Iranian nuclear engineer who worked as a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
and is currently conducting Nuclear Safety Analysis.
Actions
The group's campaign methods include participation in mediaNews media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, holding public meetings, lobbying members of parliaments, international campaigning and cooperation with all groups sharing similar aims. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty described CASMII as "a strong opponent to sanctions" against Iran.
Public talks
In November 2006, the group participated in a multi-state "Tour for a Just Foreign Policy" which was a series of speaking engagements as well as photographic displays throughout the Northeastern USA. On 4 July 2007, Prof. Pirouz MojtahedzadehPirouz Mojtahedzadeh
Prof. Pirouz Mojtahedzadeh is a renowned Iranian political scientist and historian.Mojtahedzadeh is currently a professor of geopolitics at Tarbiat Modarres University. He is also the chairman of the London-based Urosevic Research Foundation. He is a member of Campaign Against Sanctions and...
of CASMII UK made a presentation regarding Iran's energy needs and its nuclear energy program at a conference at the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
organised by the European Greens–European Free Alliance
European Greens–European Free Alliance
The Greens European Free Alliance is one of the parliamentary groups in the European Parliament....
.
Action Iran
On February 6, 2006, Roudabeh Shafie representing Action Iran participated in a Campaign for Nuclear DisarmamentCampaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
demonstration outside of the headquarters of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, claiming that the BBC presented biased reporting regarding Iran by not reporting alleged violations by nuclear weapons states of Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to...
.
On March 18, 2006, Action Iran members including Roudabeh Shafie participated in a major anti-war demonstration in London.
On June 10, 2006, Elaheh Rostami Povey represented Action Iran at the Stop the War Coalition
Stop the War Coalition
The Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
's "Fifth Annual Stop The War Conference" .
On September 6, 2006, an Action Iran spokesperson took part in a rally in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
promoting a rally called "Time To Go" advocating the resignation of British prime minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and later in the month, Action Iran together with CASMII organised a public rally with Hans von Sponeck
Hans von Sponeck
Hans Christof Graf von Sponeck was born 1939 in Bremen, Germany, the son of Hans Graf von Sponeck. He served as a UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq. In 1957 he was one of the first conscientious objectors in the Federal Republic of Germany...
, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
after Denis Halliday
Denis Halliday
Denis J. Halliday was the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq from September 1, 1997, until 1998. He is Irish and holds an M.A. in Economics, Geography and Public Administration from Trinity College, Dublin....
resigned from that post,
Street actions
In February 2007, CASMII carried banners and signs opposing war with Iran, as part of a demonstration of 100,000 people in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in protest against the US government's relations with Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Iran.
Reaction to UN Security Council Resolution 1737
In reaction to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 was unanimously passed by the United Nations Security Council on 23 December 2006.The resolution, sponsored by France, Germany and the United Kingdom, imposed sanctions against Iran for failing to stop its uranium enrichment program following...
, CASMII issued a statement titled "A Terrible Day for International Diplomacy" dated December 24, 2006. In the statement CASMII expresses grave concern over the UN resolution. It characterizes the unanimous verdict as having been engineered by the US stating "As the Observer reported last Sunday, the US is giving up to 270% more foreign aid to Security Council members as incentive for them to support US positions." The statement further argues that the resolution could be abused and taken as a justification for war, just like the 2002 resolution -also unanimously passed- was used as an eventual justification for the US/UK invasion of Iraq. The statement also "notes" that "there may actually be no way for Iran to comply with the UN demands," saying "Just as the repeated American demands for more and more intrusive inspections, for opening up of Saddam’s palaces and interviewing Iraqi scientists did not satisfy America’s suspicions; neither will Iran’s 'compliance' with these demands be ever sufficient to 'prove' the non-existence of a WMD program."
Letter actions and advertisements
In an action initiated by Physicians for Social ResponsibilityPhysicians for Social Responsibility
Physicians for Social Responsibility is the largest physician-led organization in the USA working to protect the public from the what they consider threats of nuclear proliferation, climate change, and environmental toxins...
in February 2007, CASMII co-sponsored a full page advertisement in a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
journal, the Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, opposing an attack against Iran.
In October 2007, CASMII together with the National Iranian American Council
National Iranian American Council
The National Iranian American Council is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization "dedicated to advancing the interests of the Iranian-American community." Trita Parsi is the organization's current president and founder.-Formation:...
and some other organisations sent a letter to the political leaders of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
opposing military actions and appealing to the governments "to set aside all pre-conditions and resume direct and open negotiations on all issues of dispute, ..."
Media analyses, debates
In mid-2006, CASMII debated anti-war strategies with a group of peace activists (including Michael AlbertMichael Albert
Michael Albert is an American activist, economist, speaker, and writer. He is co-editor of ZNet, and co-editor and co-founder of Z Magazine. He also co-founded South End Press and has written numerous books and articles...
, Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
, Michael Lerner (rabbi) and Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
) associated with the generally left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
perspective media group Z Communications
Z Communications
Z Communications is a radical left-wing media group founded in 1986 by Michael Albert and Lydia Sargent. It advocates participatory socialism as a replacement for capitalism. Its publications include Z Magazine, ZNet, Z Media, and Z Video.Z Communications is based outside Woods Hole, Massachusetts...
.
In early May 2007, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
apologised to CASMII for having used the words "abucted" and "hostages" in relation to the 2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
Iranian military personnel seized 15 Royal Navy personnel during 2007 and held them for 13 days. On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall, searching a merchant vessel were surrounded by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and subsequently detained off the...
. CASMII member Abbas Edalat was not satisfied with the apology, stating "We do not accept that because a story is at an 'early stage' misleading reports are therefore acceptable. The BBC has a code of practice and is very aware of the power of language. Using the word 'abducted' instead of 'captured' and the word 'hostages' instead of 'detainees' is a clear example of linguistic manipulation of the facts and there are no excuses for it."
In May 2007, the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based media analysis group Media Lens credited CASMII for an analysis claiming that a Daily Telegraph reporter was the source of several stories that served as part of the claimed justifications
Rationale for the Iraq War
The rationale for the Iraq War has been a contentious issue since the Bush administration began actively pressing for military intervention in Iraq in late 2001. The primary rationalization for the Iraq War was articulated by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress known as the Iraq Resolution.The...
for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and subsequent conflict. Media Lens also pointed to an article by a writer for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
discussing alleged plans by Iran to fight against United States soldiers in Iraq. Media Lens claimed that the article was mostly based on anonymous official sources from the United States government. CASMII in turn complained to The Guardian about the article. CASMII member Abbas Edalat stated, "The Guardian has reported, without any challenge or any critical analysis, highly incriminating but unfounded and unsubstantiated statements by an unnamed US official in such a way that they appear to the reader as facts."
See also
- Sanctions against IranSanctions against IranThis article outlines economic, trade, scientific and military sanctions against Iran, which have been imposed by the U.S. government, or under U.S. pressure by the international community through the United Nations Security Council...
- Anti-IranianismAnti-IranianismAnti-Iranian sentiment is feelings and expression of hostility, hatred, discrimination, or prejudice towards Iran and its culture, and towards persons based on their association with Iran and Iranian culture...
- The UN Security Council and the Iraq warThe UN Security Council and the Iraq warIn March 2003 the United States government announced that "diplomacy has failed" and that it would proceed with a "coalition of the willing" to rid Iraq under Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction the US insisted it possessed...
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 was a United Nations Security Council resolution that tightened the sanctions imposed on Iran in connection with the Iranian nuclear program...