In "Rise of the Iran Lobby", a white-paper which she published earlier this year through the Center for Security Policy, Ms. Lopez illustrated how a network which includes well-known American diplomats, congressional representatives, figures from academia and the think tank world - with ties to the clerical regime in Tehran - would be co-opting America's foreign policy in the Middle East, and specifically towards the dangerous Islamic Republic of Iran.
It is imperative to recognize the role being played by what amount to their (CAIR, NIAC) interlocking (or at least overlapping) boards of directors, donations from the same foundations and growing access to some key members of Congress and top levels of US policymaking circles. Of special concern is the growing penetration of the Obama Administration by a number of individuals with such associations.Today, the former counter-Communist CIA agent's predictions are manifesting visibly. The State Department's chief Iran chair, Dennis Ross, has been replaced by a close supporter of the mullah regime, John Limbert. Ed Lasky at American Thinker wonders who is directing these changes:
To be sure, efforts at influencing U.S. decision-making are common among a host of legitimate interest roups, including many foreign countries. But in this context, where the guiding force behind such influence operations emanate from the senior-most levels of a regime like Iran’s – which holds the top spot on the State Department list of state-sponsors of terror, makes no secret of its hatred and enmity for the United States and its ally, Israel, and acts in myriad ways to support those who have assassinated, held hostage, kidnapped, killed and tortured American civilians and military personnel over a 30-year period – such operations must be viewed with serious concern.
Specifically, the de facto alliance between CAIR, one of the Muslim Brotherhood affiliates named by the U.S. Department of Justice as an unindicted co- conspirator in the 2007 and 2008 Holy Land Foundation trials, and groups such as NIAC and its predecessor, the American-Iranian Council (AIC), which long have functioned openly as apologists for the Iranian regime, must arouse deep concern that U.S. national security policy is being successfully targeted by Jihadist entities hostile to American interests.
The controversy regarding the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) - whether it violated US law by not registering as a lobbying group, whether it's views are too closely aligned with those of Tehran, whether it is too close to George Soros, and the problematic views of its founder and head, Trita Parsi - has raged over the last week or so.
One of the most startling developments was produced by a discovery motion that took place as a result of a defamation suit the NIAC filed against one if its critics.
This was a plan to maneuver Dennis Ross out of the Iran chair at the State Department because the NIAC thought he would not as supportive of outreach towards Iran as the NIAC. The NIAC got its wish and then some. Not only was Ross pushed out and into the netherworld of the National Security Council (where he has not been heard of since) but he was replaced by John Limbert, who serves on the Advisory Council of the NIAC itself.
Who did the dirty deed of dumping Dennis? ...
All these positions echo those of the National Iranian American Council and certainly comport with the wishes of the Tehran regime. Former Congressman Lee Hamilton's speeches regarding Iran were so highly thought of by the NIAC that the group posted reports of them on its website. The NIAC approved of the Iraq Study Group (the Baker-Hamilton product) report that advocated engagement and working with Iran, and downplayed the value of sanctions.Ms. Clare Lopez' "Rise of the Iran Lobby" is proving to be prophetic - and therefore deserves a fair reading - and heeding.
(Hamilton also wrote a positive blurb for a book that glowing depicted the Iranian-supported Hezbollah terror group ).
