On February 11, 2010, the Islamic Republic of Iran celebrated 31 years of the establishment of an Islamic theocracy. Since the 1979 revolution, freedom and liberty have been destroyed and poverty rates have skyrocketed. The United States can no longer afford to be idle and simply denounce Iran as "a military dictatorship." We must boldly act to nurture and grow the opposition in Iran. A regime change in that nation is the only way to avert a nuclear disaster in the region—one that is specifically directed against Israel.
The June presidential and parliamentary elections were marked with serious voting irregularities that provided victory to incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over reform challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Mr. Mousavi's followers took to the streets to protest the election outcome but were viciously attacked by elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Force (IRGF) and the Basij paramilitaries, street thugs that are supported by the (IRGF).
Over the last eight months, opposition protests have continued but at great costs. Many followers of Mr. Mousavi have been imprisoned, tortured and even killed. Family members of Mr. Mousavi have been threatened and killed for simply voicing different opinions than those of the tyrannical regime which rules Iran with an iron fist.
The current Obama administration has been timid in its condemnation of human rights in Iran. In 1979, America followed the same course as a loyal ally, the Shah, was deposed by this virulent, radical movement. American and Western policy makers should emulate former President Ronald Reagan, who in 1981, openly supported the Solidarity movement in Poland and warned the Soviet Union that America firmly supported Solidarity in its quest for freedom and liberty against Soviet communist domination.
The bold support for Solidarity by Reagan, along with Pope John Paul II and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, helped to ensure the defeat of one of the most murderous and barbarous forms of government in human history. By contrast, America and her allies have been weak in their response in Iran, while patriotic Iranians are being slaughtered in the streets. The Obama administration needs to fund the opposition and publicly confront the regime.
Furthermore, Washington needs to impose crippling economic sanctions that starve the regime of much-needed hard currency. We must also demand that Russia and China support these tough new sanctions or face political and economic consequences. For too long, both Republican and Democratic administrations have been afraid to antagonize Russia and China. But time is running out; the irresponsible Iranian regime is forcing the free world into a deadly game of nuclear cat and mouse.
America needs to demonstrate its commitment to the region with strong, tangible actions that reassure our allies. America and her allies, especially the Gulf States, need to bolster their defenses in the region, particularly naval forces. The critical Strait of Hormuz needs a permanent American naval presence in order to deter the growing Iranian military threat. During the Cold War, America made specific security guarantees to friends of freedom around the world; we must do so again by ensuring the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian aggression.
The United States and the West must now demand enforcement of strong counter weapons and nuclear proliferation regimes in order to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear technology and conventional weapons. The recent seizure of a North Korean transport aircraft laden with weapons destined for Iran graphically illustrates the proliferation threat. Rogue regimes such as North Korea, Syria and Venezuela need to be held accountable for their military collaboration and adventurism with Iran. We must send a message that nations that support Iran and its clients such as Hezbollah and Hamas will pay a heavy price.
The battered and beleaguered opposition in Iran looks to America for assistance and inspiration for their noble cause, but so far we have failed to stand boldly and bravely for freedom. America and her allies have a narrow window of opportunity to act in order to support a growing and robust democratic opposition before a desperate, unstable and despotic regime resorts to full-scale military force, killing more and more innocent citizens in order to preserve a dying dictatorship.
-Anthony Rainone is currently in Haiti assisting with the relief efforts. He is an analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense.
