[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14197]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAN

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I don't want to overly belabor the 
point but there is a very important thing happening on the other side 
of the world, in Iran, at this very time. My office has been receiving, 
now, numerous reports of a growing protest in Iran taking place right 
now. This is within the past couple of hours. It is dawn in Tehran, as 
I speak. It is estimated that this past evening between 5,000 to 8,000 
students are joining protests against the Government's crackdown on 
student democracy dissidents.
  Recently, five student leaders were arrested in advance of the July 9 
anniversary of the original mass student protest in 1999. Even though 
it is now almost dawn in Tehran, the protest has continued.
  I understand during the night there was a dissipation of the protest. 
A number of the student protesters--this was outside Tehran 
University--who were protesting dissipated. Rather than going back to 
their dorm rooms, they have gone and dispersed to other places because, 
after the 1999 protest, a number of the Iranian military guard went to 
the dormitories and arrested en masse a number of students and they 
were roundly punished.
  We have also received reports that Iranian Government forces are 
beating up on the protesters, firing warning shots at them. I do not 
have that verified but we have received these reports.
  I call this to the attention of Members of this body because there 
has been a lot of discussion going on at the present time of U.S. 
policy towards Iran. I think it is clear the United States should 
clearly stand with those who stand for democracy.
  We don't know if the student protest is going to go ahead and mature 
further or not, or if it is going to further brutally be put down.
  This is in a buildup to a July 9 protest that had been planned for a 
number of months, to recognize the July 9, 1999, student protest that 
was brutally put down by the regime. This has been building. In 
anticipation of that, the regime in Tehran--and this is a dictatorial 
regime that has never been elected, the rulers have never been selected 
by the people in Iran--arrested these student leaders in advance of 
July 9 in an effort to put it down before it gets started.
  This is deplorable. This is not democracy. The United States should 
stand with those who stand for democracy. We should have a clear 
official policy that our position toward Iran is to support those who 
support democracy and we support democracy in Iran. We stand for that 
with the Iranian people.
  There has been a growing, burgeoning movement in Iran of young people 
who do not want anything to do with this dictatorial regime. They have 
lived, now, some 25 years, over 25 years under this militant, 
dictatorial regime that supposedly has put Islamic law in place and 
they are tired of it and they want no more of it. They want no more of 
it and they are willing to put forward their lives in this gallant 
effort, this brave push for democracy. That is their desire.
  I call on the Iranian Government to stop beating and harassing their 
own people. The students are shouting: Khatami, Khatami, go away.
  These are the same students who gave President Khatami his start 7 
years ago. He was elected as a reformer, which he has not produced on. 
Instead, he has continued with the same totalitarian way.
  I believe he was one of seven candidates at the time selected by the 
ruling mullahs to be able to run in front of the people, and the people 
selected the most reformist, most hope minded. He has not produced. But 
they didn't get a free selection. Nor does Khatami--I want to identify 
this as well--have free control. The ruling mullahs continue to control 
the military secret police, foreign policy, and the treasury.
  They control, not President Khatami. So it is a system where 
unelected, unselected dictators brutalize a country, an elected 
reformer is not allowed to reform, and he isn't even selected by the 
people. He has to go through a selection process by the ruling mullahs, 
so only appropriate candidates can run for office. And the students are 
tired of it. They are fed up with it, they are protesting, and they are 
being brutalized in the process.
  We should support the student movement for the July 9 nationwide 
protest in Iran. We should state that it is U.S. policy to stand for 
true democracy in Iran.
  This is a great nation of great people. It is going to make a 
wonderful open democracy when it is liberated and opened up. These 
students are trying to pave the way for that to occur.
  This is how history is made. It is made one brave act at a time. The 
world is watching how the regime treats the students, the protesters, 
and it will hold this regime accountable.
  In Iran they have a saying that they yell frequently: ``Free Iran.'' 
As these protesters are yelling ``Free Iran,'' that should be our call 
as well: Free Iran.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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