A FREE IRAN: Solution to Warmongering & Terror, Internal Repression

Washington, DC – March, 09 2024

On Saturday March 09, 2024, Organization of Iranian American Communities organized a bipartisan summit, bringing together distinguished politicians and former military personnel to discuss new US policy towards Iran.

With continued bipartisan congressional calls in support of a non-nuclear, secular, republic of Iran, this summit also represented a crucial moment for Iranian-American community leaders from across the United States to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people and their persistent quest for Justice and Freedom.

Event’s keynote speaker was Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President Elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). In her speech delivered live via satellite from Paris, Mrs. Rajavi pointed to regime’s perilous standing in Iran and said, “The Iranian people have shown their desire to overthrow the regime during their uprisings. A desire that is embodied by an organized nationwide force… The regime is in a deadlock and on the verge of overthrow. It resorts to various tactics such as escalating suppression and executing political prisoners.” She added, “Khamenei’s goal in igniting the Middle East war last October, was to delay the regime’s overthrow by an uprising and organized Resistance. The war and the attacks carried out by IRGC proxies from the Red Sea to Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, have created extraordinary circumstances. This situation enables us to correctly assess the past and see the future solution. When it comes to the past, history has proven that appeasement leads to war. The change in behavior of Iran’s rulers is an illusion. The policy of providing incentives to the mullahs has only emboldened them, bringing the world closer to war.”

To end the impasse on Iran policy, Mrs. Rajavi said, “The correct and fundamental solution lies in the overthrow of the clerical regime by the Iranian people through their uprisings and organized Resistance. Ignoring the desires of the Iranian people, the explosive conditions in Iran, and the crucial role of organized resistance has been the missing link in the policy on Iran.”

She then pointed to ongoing protests across Iran and remarked, “The people’s uprisings and the September 2022 uprising, along with thousands of anti-repression acts and operations by Resistance Units in most Iranian provinces, as well as the recent nationwide boycott of the sham elections, show that the regime’s overthrow is within reach. This is the correct path to establishing democracy in Iran and promoting peace and tranquility in the region and the world.”

Former U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo addressed the event, which was held in the historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, DC. He said, “You know that the last time I was with you all was on October 6. Just 24 hours later, the Iranian regime conducted one of the most barbaric attacks in the last decades. In those very remarks, I warned that continued appeasement of the regime would embolden it and would further it and cause terrible consequences – for the people of Iran, the region, and the world. I could not have predicted precisely what happened that day, but we all now know all know what happened the next day, on October 7, and months since then.” Secretary Pompeo then pointed to Tehran’s central role in regional conflicts and noted, “Tehran’s great hope, indeed its prayer, is to portray what is happening in the region as a fight between Israel and the Palestinian people. This is a lie. We must meet it with the truth: That the head of the snake of global terror lies in Tehran.”

Mr. Pompeo highlighted regime’s many weaknesses which has compelled it to incite conflict in the region and said the regime, “is highly unstable, rejected by its own people, and doomed to be overthrown. But they want to tell you that these proxies are just bad actors. We must watch a determined nation and a potent organized Resistance continues to grow. It is now seasoned with decades of fighting this malign dictatorship and the theocracy. I am confident that this resistance will only increase.” He then added, “You know, we have watched, too, that the regime continues to target the resistance in Ashraf 3, a place I had the privilege to visit not too long ago, where I met in a place just simple people, dedicated people, noble women and men who have committed their entire lives to liberate their fellow countrymen. These remarkable, fun, smart, courageous individuals have, not surprisingly, become a target of the mullahs, who want very much to see the destruction of them and their institutions.

Indeed, many of the folks who I met with when I traveled there were survivors, or they were witnesses of the 1988 massacre, whose main target and the majority of its victims were members of the MEK…I pray that the United States will support the Albanian government in protecting the freedom of assembly and of expression for the people who are living there.”

He referenced the sham March 1st, 2024 elections in Iran and said, “You all watched it. This election for the Assembly of Experts once again denied the people of Iran the capacity to cast real votes in a meaningful way for the candidates that they preferred. So many decided not to participate as a result of that. The good news is that what we saw that day was the echo of what we saw during the 2022 uprising when protesters chanted all across Iran, “Down with the Oppressor, be it the Shah or the Supreme Leader”… I did not get an opportunity in the beginning to congratulate Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and her movement for leading the boycotts of these elections and having done so now for decades.”

The 70th U.S. Secretary of State spoke about the vitality and organization of the Iranian resistance and added, “I remember when I became the Secretary of State. It seems like a long time ago now. I remember when I became Secretary of State, I found it interesting that the mullahs constantly said that there is no alternative to their regime, yet they spent billions of dollars to defend against that very alternative. They spent all of their political capital, all their time, and all their resources, denying the alternative possibilities. They waged several rounds of major cyberattacks against Albania, asking that government to silence the main opposition. What is it they are afraid of, if there’s no alternative? You know this. Every single week, and largely as a matter of course, every single week, in every single city in Iran, the regime directs its Friday Prayer leaders to chant against a non-existent alternative! All this energy should encourage us, and it should remind us that the only alternative is the Resistance and the efforts to upend this evil regime.”

Nevertheless he said, “The people of Iran won’t be fooled by the mullahs. You know this. No matter what the regime says, no matter what it tells them, no matter how much pain it inflicts. The Iranian people know because they are brave, they are decent, and they are noble, especially the young people. They remain focused on a singular goal: Bringing down the ruling theocracy, and building a country that fulfills the promise of Iran, a nation that has historically prized freedom and a people who still do, and a nation that abhors tyranny and a people that still do. And it wants to live in peaceful coexistence with its neighbors. This is what I pray for, this is what we all must continue to work for. When you translate that into a set of principles, you get precisely what Mrs. Rajavi has put in her Ten-Point Plan for the Future of Iran. The ten points matter, and they are gaining tremendous esteem. But we should also focus on the principle, which is the central feature, which is for a free, prosperous Iran.”

He concluded by applauding the efforts of Resistance Units inside Iran and said, “These freedom fighters inside Iran will ultimately deliver an outcome, much like the freedom fighters did for the people of the United States 250 years ago. And they will find themselves leaders which the whole world will look at 250 years after their hard work, their risk-taking, and their efforts to deliver Iran as a better nation. I am confident that this will happen. I do not know the day. But I know the day will arrive. This is the page that must be turned. This is the page that will be turned by hard work by the people and Resistance inside of Iran and is a page that will be turned by the people like you who came out on this Saturday afternoon to support that very effort, will deliver a free Iran.”

Event’s next speaker was Ret. General Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. In his remarks, General Clark spoke not only about the problems emanating from the regime in Tehran, but also of the solution and noted, “I say this to my friends in the West. We can no longer afford to temporize, dawdle, appease, and hope in dealing with this regime that something is going to change. It won’t. But it’s Iran’s own citizens, and especially the women of Iran, who pose the greatest threat to the Ayatollahs. They know it. And you are the key to peace and stability in this region. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and the MEK, have proven over the years that they have staying power, determination, courage, will, and the power to eventually overthrow this regime.”

He added, “Iran’s regime has made a mockery of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, even as it claimed legitimacy for itself as a government. Since 2017, the regime has had to face a virtual powder keg of resistance. And even in the face of harsh, repressive measures against demonstrators, over 30,000 people arrested, many executed. Since 2022, the resistance has not only continued, it has deepened, led by this National Council of Resistance of Iran… And yet, still more youth and women have joined. That shows courage, strength, determination, and a future. They join because they want a future of freedom. They want democracy. They want to live in a state that’s peaceful and integrated and respected in the world community, not headed by a bunch of outlaw mullahs. They chose and they are choosing their future for this great country of Iran. Since August of 2023, the regime has intensified its efforts against Resistance leaders living abroad.”

General Clark said the regime in Tehran, “murders its own citizens, its women and young people, has been delegitimized by its own people. The people of Iran are saying no more. But now what? Now what? Does there have to be a bloody uprising, a war for people to find their justice and freedom or for the region to find peace? I think there’s another way, though none of us can guarantee that it’s going to be easy or safe or even quick. And that way is this organization, the NCRI, led by Mrs. Rajavi. This organization has leadership. It has structure. It has commitment. It has a positive democratic program for change. The Ten-Point Plan would bring democracy and human rights to Iran and peace and stability to the region. We have here the future government of Iran. Look, I spent most of my adult life as a soldier, and I’m here to tell you that we can’t do it for you. U.S. boots on the ground, that’s not going to solve the problem. The only way the problem could be solved is by you…We’ve got to openly support the rights of the Iranian people to resist, to choose their own government as enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Protest and resistance are not illegal. It’s mandatory in this circumstance.”

And he added, “like Secretary Pompeo, I went to Camp Ashraf a few years ago. We’ve got to ensure the complete protection of the Iranian political refugees at Camp Ashraf 3 in Albania, and we’ve got to assure them that the rights stipulated in international and European conventions on human rights are respected and honored.”
In his remarks, General James Jones (Ret.), the former US National Security Advisor under President Barak Obama and was the NATO Commander, said, “The Iranian regime still persists as a central hub of terrorism in our world. This is not a mere assertion. It’s an indisputable truth woven into the fabric of the regime’s actions, which sows chaos, instability and anguish throughout the Middle East and too much of the world. Seated in Tehran, this regime embodies the head of the snake, as has been mentioned before, of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism around the world. It’s a venomous force. All snakes have venom. It’s a venomous force that imperils peace, prosperity and freedom and justice. It’s for this reason that the Iranian people and their organized resistance are determined to crush the head of this snake once and for all.”

General Jones then added, “While the ruling mullahs may project an illusion of strength through terrorism and violence, nothing can hide their profound vulnerability at home. Their fervent support for terror proxies across the region is not a testament to their strength, but an act of desperation. An attempt to cling to power in the face of mounting opposition, coming up from the streets of Iran in increasing numbers every year. The March 1st parliamentary elections, boycotted by the Iranian people, really served as a resounding resignation and repudiation of the regime’s legitimacy. The overwhelming majority of Iran’s population opted for abstention, a poignant sign of their yearnings for democratic regime and change. And despite all the fraud, according to the regime’s statistics, less than 8%, and I will say 7% in deference to my friend General Clark, less than 7% of the voters in the capital participated. This was effectively a referendum and a vote by the Iranian people in favor of ending the rule of the clerics in Tehran.”

He noted also that, “While the regime is getting weaker, the organized opposition led by Resistance Units and NCRI and others, which are teams of democracy activists operating across the country, is gaining strength and appeal among the population…The Iranian people and the Resistance Units have the right to resist the oppressive regime and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and it is the moral obligation of the international community to stand in support of this effort.”

It is certainly true that Maryam Rajavi has championed a Ten-Point Plan, General Clark remarked, but he said, “it bears repeating a Ten-Point Plan for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic in Iran. This Jeffersonian document, and I use that intentionally because it’s correct, it’s a Jeffersonian document that delineates a vision free from the shackles of extremism, terrorism, and tyranny where power is vested in the hands of the Iranian people through free and fair elections. How can any American leader on either side of the aisle disagree with that? How can anyone disagree with that? It is incredible that we still struggle in educating our own national leaders with what exactly Mrs. Rajavi’s goal is all about. We must do better than that, and I pledge that General Clark and I and Ambassador Joseph and Secretary Pompeo and all of the ones that are privileged to appear before you once in a while, we will work on that and we will change those opinions. So, we will change those opinions in the halls of the Congress of the United States, in the executive branch of our government, and most importantly in our media. That is something we can do and that will propel and dispel all of the misconceptions that exist and have not been put to bed yet, but they will be.”

Event’s next speaker was Ambassador Robert Joseph, a former U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. In his remarks, Ambassador Joseph outlined two reasons why the regime in Iran has maintained its hold on power. First, he said, “the regime is willing to use whatever means necessary to hold on to power. Its oppression, its pervasive corruption know no bounds…In fact, the Iranian people, the first and foremost victims of this regime, have become the greatest threat to the regime.” He added, “A second reason for the regime’s survival is the failure of the international community to stand up to Iran’s terrorism, to its regional aggression, and to its crimes against humanity. Russia and China, through their purchase of weapons used to kill Ukrainians and the purchase of Iranian oil, both have become strategic partners with the mullahs without regard to funding terrorism or domestic repression.”

Most of all, Ambassador Joseph noted, “the foundation of appeasement is the failure of leadership and the resulting bad choices concerning national security interests and a willingness to betray the moral imperative of defending human rights. This is not a blame-America-first statement. This is a responsibility shared by almost every Western democracy. How else can one explain the failed policies over 20 years intended to constrain Iran’s nuclear program through negotiations and the acceptance, the acceptance of Raisi as a legitimate head of state when he personally participated in the mass murder of thousands, a man with blood on his hands?

How else can one explain the decision to relax sanctions with the sale of Iranian oil and an act that since 2021 has netted the regime over $90 billion that was spent not for the betterment of the Iranian people, but to support Hamas and other proxies, to build more drones and missiles, and to recruit and pay assassins to kill opponents of the regime in Spain, here in the United States, and in other countries?”

He continued by adding that the goal of a policy which pressures the regime, “should not be to encourage Iran to negotiate on its nuclear program, a seductive but feckless pursuit. Rather, the goal must be to isolate and destabilize the regime while supporting the democratic opposition in overthrowing the religious dictatorship from within by the Iranian people. Our policy should also be to support the Resistance, those brave men and women who continue to make the ultimate sacrifice for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Iran. This support can come in many forms, from helping to ensure the protection and rights of the political refugees in Albania, to public and policy statements that recognize the right of the Iranian people to self-defense in their rejection of a tyrannical government.”

He concluded by saying, “As others have stated, these and other goals are best conveyed in the Ten-Point Plan of Mrs. Rajavi in the NCRI, a plan endorsed by hundreds of leaders around the world with bipartisan support in our own Congress. Today the choice is clear between a dark, dystopian existence and a positive democratic vision for the future of the Iranian people. It’s time to choose. It’s time to act. As Mrs. Rajavi has said, we must crush the head of the snake.”

Speakers of the summit included a number of accomplished Iranian American women, who spoke about their personal experiences, that of their families, and the fighting heritage of women in Iran.