[Mb-civic] FW: Helsinki Commission To Focus on Iran

[Golsorkhi]

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From: Samii Shahla <shahla at thesamiis.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 18:04:59 -0500
Subject: Helsinki Commission To Focus on Iran

February 1, 2005

Helsinki Commission To Focus on Iran

BY ELI LAKE - Staff Reporter of the Sun

WASHINGTON ­ The new chairman of the Helsinki Commission says he plans
to use the Cold War institution to highlight Iranian human rights
issues with Europe.

The plan by Senator Brownback, a Republican from Kansas, is in keeping
with the president's commitment to spread freedom throughout the world,
a theme that is likely to be reiterated in his State of the Union
speech tomorrow.

In an interview last week, Senator Brownback said he planned to
publicize the plight of Iranian dissidents in hearings before the
Helsinki Commission, the American body created in 1976 to engage the
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe on their treatment of political
prisoners and human rights. American envoys would often read the names
of political prisoners aloud at commission-related meetings, at first
to embarrass their Soviet counterparts. Later this technique proved
effective, when in the twilight of the Cold War many political
prisoners were released.

"We are going to bring up human rights issues and what is taking place
in Iran aggressively," he said. Mr. Brownback was one of the few
advocates for Iranian democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, a panel he left this year. In the past he has sponsored
legislation that commits American funding to help opposition on the
ground in Iran. He said he is looking into having an American-sponsored
conference for the Iranian opposition, which recently has rallied
around a proposal to push the mullahs to allow for a constitutional
referendum.

"We will not avoid other issues. Russia is pushing away from democracy.
Belarus is still a problem. But Iran is a special case. I am hopeful
the OSCE will be a good forum to raise Iranian abuses of human rights,"
he said.

The Helsinki Commission exists to coordinate American policy involving
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE. Since
the fall of the Soviet Union, the commission has held hearings on
issues like anti-Semitism in Europe and emerging democracies. The OSCE
is also one of the primary bodies that monitor elections in emerging
democracies.

But because of its charter, which focuses on Europe, the commission and
the OSCE have not touched the question of Iranian democracy in the
past. The Helsinki mechanism was effective in the Cold War against the
Soviets because the Soviets in 1975 signed an agreement to monitor
human rights in their gulags, said a former of chairman of the American
delegation to the Helsinki talks between 1980 and 1985, Max Kampelman.

"I don't think it's a bad idea. You need to raise these issues when you
can," Mr. Kampelman told the Sun. "But you may not get support from the
organization. [Mr. Brownback] can say 'We need to spread into other
areas and balance the evil of Iran,' and go on to talk about how awful
Iran is. No one can stop them from talking. But the other countries
will not act against Iran."

Mr. Brownback said he was aware that there is some hesitation among
members of the OSCE to wade into Iranian issues. "There will be some
people who bring this up," he said. "But why would anyone be fearful of
this? Europe has taken an interest in stepping up pressure on Iran."
Mr. Brownback said one reason he thought the OSCE was the right forum
for raising the Iran issue was because of the numerous Iranian
dissidents who live in Europe already.

"We hope this could be a way for getting Europe to bring up Iran human
rights issues at a high level," he said.

While the European Union has launched a human rights discussion with
the Iranians, almost all of the diplomatic activity between the major
European powers and the Islamic republic in the last two years has
focused on its nuclear program.

"The OSCE has good credibility in Europe, where it is seen as a
credible institution," Mr. Brownback said. "If we can use this
mechanism on the lead sponsor of terrorism today, that's important.
Europe has taken an interest in Iran," he said.

In addition to taking on Iran at the OSCE, Mr. Brownback said he was
interested in closing a loophole in the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act that
allows American subsidiaries headquartered in foreign countries to
trade with Iran. Halliburton, which is under a federal investigation
for such practices, announced last week that they intended to wind down
their Iranian businesses.

"The loophole for subsidiaries needs to be engaged," Mr. Brownback
said. "The intent was for U.S. companies not to do business with Iran
and Libya. Now Libya has changed their nature and view. But if people
are finding loopholes to get out of this, then we need to plug them."

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http://www.nysun.com/article/8546

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