Time Magazine Blames Bush for Iran Arrests

[onedomino]

Time has got it completely backwards. The US by sponsoring democrats in Iran is accused of being responsible for repressive behavior in Iran. In fact, it is the lack of democrats in Iran that leads to repressive behavior. Following Time Magazine's logic, we should just sit by an do nothing. Then the Mullahs can have even less opposition. Good job Time: smearing America's effort to promote democracy in Iran. And before some lefty complains about America interfering in the internal affairs of another country, please write to the Iranian Government and ask them to stop providing weapons for terrorism in Iraq and Lebanon.

Did the U.S. Incite Iran's Crackdown?
Tuesday, Jun. 05, 2007
By SCOTT MACLEOD/CAIRO

Complete article: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1629590,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Iran has accused Haleh Esfandiari, a 67-year-old Iranian-American scholar detained in Tehran for the past two weeks, of being linked to a drive funded by Washington aimed at "overthrowing" the country's Islamic rulers.

Tehran's jailing of Haleh Esfandiari, a 67-year old grandmother who holds dual Iranian-American citizenship, as well as the interrogation of others with similar papers, is evidence that Washington's latest attempt to foist change on Iran is backfiring — as Iranian democracy advocates had warned. The Bush Administration had trumpeted its $61.1 million democracy program, including Farsi-language broadcasts into Iran, education and cultural exchanges and $20 million worth of support for "civil society, human rights, democratic reform and related outreach" as an important effort. However, sources tell TIME that several key Iranian reformers had repeatedly warned U.S. officials through back channels that the pro-democracy program was bound to expose them as vulnerable targets for a government crackdown whether they took Washington's funds or not.

Talking to Iran — or Talking War?

The U.S. and Iran meet on Monday for the first time since the Iraq war. But the background noise is growing more bellicose

Iranian civil rights activists contacted by TIME say that the cases against the Iranian-Americans have fostered the most repressive atmosphere inside Iran in years, making democracy advocates terrified to work or even speak on the telephone. Many are deeply reluctant to leave or re-enter the country, fearing that they will meet the same fate as Esfandiari, who was initially detained while heading to the airport after an eight-day visit to Iran to see her 93-year-old mother. She and at least two other Iranian-Americans were charged with espionage. Esfandiari is the director of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mideast Program in Washington. The Wilson Center has strongly denied that she or the center has received any of the Bush Administration's funds.

Who really wrote this article? The Ron Paul for President Committee?