EyeWitness Iran

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EyeWitness Iran

• Catherine Thomasson, MD
• Physicians for Social Responsibility
• June 21, 2007

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Goals

• Iran has an old, rich and complex society
• Understand the Nuclear Crisis
• Solutions to nuclear impasse

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Persepolis500 BC
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Persian Empire
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Zoroastrianism

• Monotheistic religion
• Pre-dates Islam
• Source of many Iranian customs.

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Sassanid King triumphing over the Roman Emperor
Valerian 500AD
Simon
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Persia Conquered

• Islamic Arab forces overran in 7th century
• Overrun by Mongols 1200 AD
• Conquered by Ottoman Empire

Tomb of poet Hafez 1300 (Simon)
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Third Empire-Safavid 1502-1736

• Pictures of Esfahan
• Bridges, Mosques

• Esfahan capitol
• World Heritage site

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Iran Media

• 80 access to internet
• State run TV

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People

• Persian ............51
• Azeri Turks 24
• Gilaki Mazandarani 8
• Kurd ........7
• Arab ........3
• Lur ...........2
• Baloch ....2 
• Turkmen ..2
• Other .......1

Turkmen Yurt-styled tea house in Jamshidieh Park
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Children/Population

• 60 pop. is lt 30yr old
• Free contraception

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Health System

• Health care is a constitutional right
• Public health workers in rural areas
• 99 pharmaceuticals produced in country
• Decreased infant mortality threefold

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Religions

• Shia Islam 95
• Sunni Islam 3
• Christianity-primarily Armenian
• Judaism
• Zoroastrianism

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Architecture students drawing the Armenian Church
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Shia Islam

• 7-8 major factions in Iran
• Believers in the writings of descendants of
  Muhammad (Imams)
• Tradition of challenging tyranny

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Women

• 63 University
• 35 physicians
• Now allowed to divorce
• 15 in Parliament

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Qajar Dynasty 1796-1926

• Controlled by Britain Russia
• Central government bankrupt, corrupt
• Constitutional Revolution 1906

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• General Ironside of Britain effectively
  engineered Reza Shahs coup-1925

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Anglo-Persian Oil Company

• 10 revenue to Iran
• Company refused to train Iranians in skilled jobs
• Terrible working and living conditions

Iranian soldier guards Abadan
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Mohammed Mossadegh

• Became Prime Minister 1951 and nationalized the
  oil industry

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US/Iran relationship

• Truman supported Mossadegh
• Eisenhower-authorized first CIA orchestrated
  overthrow of a democratically elected leader
• Shah Mohamed Pahlavi reinstated

Kermit Roosevelt CIA
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U.S. and the Shah
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Iranian Revolution-1979

• Many forces worked together
• Theocracy voted in

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Iran-Iraq War1980-1988

• Iraq invaded southern oil rich area
• Consolidated Khomeinis power

Simon
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Meeting with Iranian veterans
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War Crimes

• Europe and US sold chemical weapons
• No action taken against Iraq by US or UN
• 100,000 affected

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Chemical Weapons Victim
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Theocracy

• Clerics study 20y before degree
• Study western philosophy, languages, law,
  history, etc.
• Women clerical studies

Simon
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Candlelight Vigil for US Loss on 9/11
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Why would Iranians want nuclear power?
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Switch to Nuclear Energy?

• Iran makes more money selling oil than using it.
• Need for electricity in the future
• Prestige and respect in the world
• Perceived protection if seeking nuclear weapons

Bushehr Nuclear Plant. US gov photo
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Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968 (NPT)

• Non-NWS promise no nuclear weapons in exchange
  for obtaining nuclear power. 
• NWS agree to reduce then negotiate a global ban
  on nuclear weapons.
• Israel, India and Pakistan have never signed.
• North Korea recently withdrew.

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Iran and NPT

• Invited in inspectors in 1985
• Opposition group revealed uranium enrichment
  facilities 2002
• Implemented Additional Protocol 11/03
• 2004 Complied with stopping conversion

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Iran NPT

• Allowed to enrich uranium
• 2004 Complied with stopping conversion
• 2006 Demand permanent suspensionin violation of
  Paris agreement-Iran refused

Signing ceremony Ambassador Salehi ElBaradei.
IAEA
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Problems uncovered by IAEA

• Experiments in Plutonium separation 1988
• Purchase of centrifuges on black market
• Purchase of plans for weapons
• Refusal of several site inspections
• Destruction of 2 sites with soil removal

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www.nti.org
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Are Iranians building nuclear weapons?
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Concerns About Iran

• Threats to Israel
• Holocaust denial conference
• Repressive government
• Monetary and logistic support for Hezbollah
  Hamas

Reuters
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Iranian Security Concerns

• US sanctions
• US invasion of Iraq
• Israel Pakistan nuclear weapons
• US refuses to offer guarantee of non-invasion
• Forgiveness of other states with Nuclear weapons
  Pakistan, India 2006

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What should be done about Irans nuclear program?
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U.S. Negotiations?

• US refused to reply to Irans overture in 2003
• EU3 (Fr, GA, BR) negotiated since 2003.
• Never addressed Irans security concerns of
  potential invasion or regime-change.

Simon
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June 1, 2006 Incentive Package

• Current offering or incentive package blocked by
  insistence of pre-conditions on negotiations,
  i.e. suspension of nuclear enrichment.

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El Baradei Need for Sanctions?

• Sanctions are a bad idea. We are not facing
  an imminent threat. We need to lower the
  pitchNobody has the right to punish Iran for
  enrichment
• 
  Reuters 3/30/07

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THE IRAN PLANSWould President Bush go to war
to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?by SEYMOUR
M. HERSH

• New Yorker 4/17/06

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US Provocations

• 2 air carrier groups in the Persian Gulf
• Allies armed with anti-missile systems
• Mine-sweeping boats
• Arresting Iranians in Iraq
• Claims of Iran support of Iraqi insurgents the
  Taliban

infowars
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Multiple analyses on Military options James
Carafano, Heritage Foundation, Sen. Chuck Hagel,
R-NE Military experts

• THERE ARE NO GOOD MILITARY OPTIONS!

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Irans Response if Attacked

• Want nuclear weapons
• Attack at Straits of Hormuz
• Foment further civil war in Iraq
• IAEA lose all ability to verify nuclear plans as
  happened in Iraq after Israeli bombing at Osiruk.

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Military Action and Sanctions Strengthen
Hardliners
Meeting with American Studies Class at University
of Tehran
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Nuclear Power

• Risks
• Terrorism
• Waste
• Weapons

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Reasons for Diplomacy
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Reasons for Diplomacy
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Reasons for Diplomacy
Wolak
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