No war on Iran
By
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--More than 120 people spilled into the halls of a packed forum against U.S. war plans against Iran held at Beneficent Church on August 6.
The forum, sponsored by the Rhode Island Mobilization Committee to Stop War and Occupation, featured Dr. Jo-Anne Hart of Brown University and Dr. Kaveh Afrasiabi of the Paris Institute for Strategic Studies. The speakers provided insight into the people, culture and history of Iran, as well as the grave risk of military conflict with the U.S.
Dr. Hart observed that appreciating the current developments in Iran requires an understanding of the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, including the U.S.-engineered coup against a popularly elected government in 1953. She showed that Iranian perspectives were shaped by concern about U.S. encirclement and ongoing interference in Iran's internal affairs.
Dr. Afrasiabi pointed out that the U.S. has chosen, until recently, not to formally participate in diplomatic talks. Instead, Washington escalated tensions by disseminating misinformation about Iran's nuclear program, contrary to evidence from international inspectors.
The audience left with a clearer understanding of the threat of a confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, and the devastating consequences of such a clash.
