[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 115 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DEMOCRACY IN IRAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 14, 2008

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of democracy in 
Iran and stability in Iraq. We in the United States Congress must work 
together for a stable and democratic Iraq. Today, there is undisputable 
evidence that Iran is the main contributor to the violence in Iraq 
which causes American and Iraqi casualties.
  On July 4, Iran fired yet another GRAD missile at Ashraf City, the 
residence compound of the Iranian resistance--the People's Mujahadeen 
Organization of Iran. Iran's mercenaries in Iraq have also been busy 
calling for arrest, trial, and expulsion of these ``protected persons'' 
living in Ashraf. Our soldiers are protecting Ashraf in accordance with 
the Fourth Geneva Convention. Iranian action has therefore endangered 
them as well.
  I have said many times that the mullahs in Tehran do not hold all the 
cards. The Iranian regime's aggressive policies are rooted in the 
weakness of their regime. The unrelenting assault on the civil and 
human rights of the Iranian people is a direct response to the 
illegitimacy of the extremist theocratic government. A military attack 
on Iran would be a tragic mistake. Yet, it is an error almost as grave 
to think that continued appeasement of the Iranian regime is the only 
alternative to war.
  Reasonably, Western democracies, with the support of the peace 
activist community, should use all peaceful means possible to isolate 
the Iranian regime and to avoid war. However, the desire for a peaceful 
resolution of this crisis has led into policy choices which provide 
Iran with the legitimacy it craves and a strengthened diplomatic hand.
  The most notable remnant of the West's unsuccessful attempt at 
``engagement'' with Iran is the designation of the People's Mujahedeen 
Organization of Iran, also known as the MEK, as a foreign terrorist 
organization. The MEK provided significant intelligence that helped 
blow the whistle on Iran's clandestine nuclear weapon and missile 
development programs.
  The MEK has already been removed from the United Kingdom list of 
terrorist organizations. Late last month, the British parliament 
approved the order put before it by that country's home secretary and 
removed the MEK from the UK blacklist. In light of the recent 
developments, the United States must seriously consider the court's 
findings as well as the present political environment and also remove 
the limitations it has placed on the MEK.
  We must stop appeasing Iran and shift our support to the Iranian 
people. They are our best allies against Iran's aggression. Iranian 
people have an unwavering longing for freedom and democracy. We must 
work together to acknowledge their resounding rejection of extremism 
and move to support their efforts for democracy in Iran.

                          ____________________