To Meddle or Not to Meddle in Iran

Here is my Op-Ed in Today's El Diario La Prensa. Read the full article in Spanish here El Diario La Prensa.
Otherwise, the translation is below:

All eyes are on Iran. A bloody crackdown by the government came in response to demonstrations against a questionable outcome of the recent Presidential elections. Protestors are being beaten and jailed. One young woman, Neda, was shot in cold blood. She is now a symbol of the Iranian struggle for liberty.

President Barack Obama strongly condemned the violence. He said, "The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments.” This statement, however, is not enough for some U.S. legislators. Senator John McCain and Representative Eric Cantor are calling for Obama to "stand up for human rights and freedom.”

They are not alone when asking for stronger rhetoric. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution echoing those words. "This resolution is not about American interests," said Representative Howard Berman. "It is about American values," indicating that Congress is trapped in an ideological bubble where they think they can dictate to the rest of the world. Frankly, Iranians are skeptical about ‘American values,” especially when they often seem to include greater sanctions and war against Iran.

Obama has indicated that he is implementing a more pragmatic approach of engagement and not an idealistic foreign policy. American interests are actually his primary concern. In Iran’s case, this focuses on extinguishing weapons of mass destruction, diminishing support for terrorism, and halting interference in Iraq.
The post election results were a catalyst to a predictable backlash against a repressive and controlling regime. The people themselves are demanding freedom and democracy. They are taking the risks. The last thing they need is U.S. meddling.

Iran’s major complaint with America is that it continually intervenes. In 1953, the U.S. deposed democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. Iranians have never forgotten this nor have they forgotten their frozen assets and continued economic sanctions imposed by the U.S.
It is heart wrenching to watch the gruesome depiction of events. Nevertheless, Obama is on track. He must stand firm and not bow to Congressional pressure. Even if he wanted to intervene, what would, should or could the U.S. do?

If Congress wants to promote ‘values’ they should be more vocal on Darfur, Peru, or Gaza, places where people cannot help themselves. This fight belongs to Iranians. Treading lightly yet purposefully outweighs vociferous rhetoric. Any change in Iran will only be legitimate if it comes form, not Americans, but Iranians themselves.

Patricia DeGennaro is Assistant Professor of Global Affairs at New York University where she teaches courses on US Foreign Policy, International Security and Terrorism. Here regions of expertise include the Middle East and South Asia.