Comments on: US Help Hurts Iranian Dissidents http://www.liberalwalrus.com/2006/03/14/us-help-hurts-iranian-dissidents/ Large Liberal Commentary Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:30:29 +0000 hourly 1 By: walrus http://www.liberalwalrus.com/2006/03/14/us-help-hurts-iranian-dissidents/comment-page-1/#comment-63 walrus Wed, 15 Mar 2006 15:06:34 +0000 http://www.liberalwalrus.com/2006/03/14/us-help-hurts-iranian-dissidents/#comment-63 I agree with you that the timeline seems questionable. I was not convinced of the specific links the article claimed existed. I did find it interesting to examine how difficult it has become for the US to act in that region, because of the rampant hatred and suspicion of anything we do. This factor makes the President's approach, of threats and intimidation, ineffective and dangerous. None of which is to imply that there's anything good about the Iranian government--there isn't, at least that I have heard about. We should absolutely be working to improve the conditions in that country. The question is how, and I think the article I wrote about shows that the current approach is not working. I agree with you that the timeline seems questionable. I was not convinced of the specific links the article claimed existed. I did find it interesting to examine how difficult it has become for the US to act in that region, because of the rampant hatred and suspicion of anything we do. This factor makes the President’s approach, of threats and intimidation, ineffective and dangerous.

None of which is to imply that there’s anything good about the Iranian government–there isn’t, at least that I have heard about. We should absolutely be working to improve the conditions in that country. The question is how, and I think the article I wrote about shows that the current approach is not working.

]]> By: Maryland Conservatarian http://www.liberalwalrus.com/2006/03/14/us-help-hurts-iranian-dissidents/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Maryland Conservatarian Wed, 15 Mar 2006 04:49:20 +0000 http://www.liberalwalrus.com/2006/03/14/us-help-hurts-iranian-dissidents/#comment-60 I took on this same article over at my spot and Michael Ladeen over at NRO also has a pretty good take on it. The time sequence they discuss in the article by which they try to tie to the interrogations and jailing to the newly announced initiatives don't really hold up when you check the dates. Secretary Rice announced the $75 million request on Feb. 15 and the interregations and jailings started on the 12th. Also you cite Soltani, the lawyer who just was released after 7 months of jail after charges of being an American spy and his opinion that this latest initiative will have a "negative effect" - yeah, because you wouldn't want to sour the positive atmosphere he was working under before. I took on this same article over at my spot and Michael Ladeen over at NRO also has a pretty good take on it.

The time sequence they discuss in the article by which they try to tie to the interrogations and jailing to the newly announced initiatives don’t really hold up when you check the dates. Secretary Rice announced the $75 million request on Feb. 15 and the interregations and jailings started on the 12th.

Also you cite Soltani, the lawyer who just was released after 7 months of jail after charges of being an American spy and his opinion that this latest initiative will have a “negative effect” – yeah, because you wouldn’t want to sour the positive atmosphere he was working under before.

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