With the recent events across the Muslim world, a serious task force on the Iranian threat couldn’t be more needed. The Iran Strategy Task Force, a new collaboration between Freedom House and the Progressive Policy Institute, says it will push the Obama administration to “rethink its Middle East strategy” and look “beyond sanctions.”
When some Iranian lobbying groups –NIAC, for example – say that the administration needs to look “beyond sanctions,” they are really arguing for the U.S. to drop them entirely. In comparison, the ISTF is supportive of sanctions, and maintains that more may even be necessary. But the group will also look for other ways to pressure the Iranian regime for reform.
The ISTF’s first step will be to meet with experts in academia, government, intelligence and the Iran democracy movement, in order to come up with a report of policy recommendations that it can present to lawmakers. “The point is, we’re going to help people make sense of this puzzle,” said Freedom House’s Andrew Apostolou, who is co-chairing the ISTF along with PPI’s Josh Block.
Other members of the task force include Ken Pollack of the Brookings Institution, Steve Beckerman of AIPAC, Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Michael Adler of the Woodrow Wilson Center.
With NIAC’s focus shifting to human rights issues recently, it’s important to have a group in Washington that will push for reforms while also supporting crucial sanctions.
When some Iranian lobbying groups –NIAC, for example – say that the administration needs to look “beyond sanctions,” they are really arguing for the U.S. to drop them entirely. In comparison, the ISTF is supportive of sanctions, and maintains that more may even be necessary. But the group will also look for other ways to pressure the Iranian regime for reform.
The ISTF’s first step will be to meet with experts in academia, government, intelligence and the Iran democracy movement, in order to come up with a report of policy recommendations that it can present to lawmakers. “The point is, we’re going to help people make sense of this puzzle,” said Freedom House’s Andrew Apostolou, who is co-chairing the ISTF along with PPI’s Josh Block.
Other members of the task force include Ken Pollack of the Brookings Institution, Steve Beckerman of AIPAC, Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Michael Adler of the Woodrow Wilson Center.
With NIAC’s focus shifting to human rights issues recently, it’s important to have a group in Washington that will push for reforms while also supporting crucial sanctions.
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