CASMII Statements

The current U.S. standoff against Iran, like the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, was instigated by the neoconservatives of the Bush Administration based on their doctrine of “maintaining U.S. pre-eminence, thwarting rival powers and shaping the global security system according to U.S. interests”. In the case of Saddam’s regime, its fictitious Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and its alleged links to Al-Qaida were used in the U.S. propaganda war to first impose U.N. sanctions and eventually invade Iraq. We now have a déjà vu situation in which the U.S. and its allies, prodded by Israel, demonize Iran as a threat to world security and accuse it of having a program to develop nuclear weapons. As with Iraq, the real aim is a regime change in Iran to set up a U.S. puppet government in this oil- and gas-rich country in the key strategic Persian Gulf region. This has also happened before in the 1953 U.S.-British coup in Iran. The same forces in U.S., U.K., Israel and allies today distort the truth and engage in deceit, coercion and aggression to achieve their goals. We will briefly examine some of the key facts in the standoff. ››read more

AfrasiabiThe Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran joins hundreds of other peace activists, in expressing concern for the safety and well being of Dr. Kaveh L. Afrasiabi. We deplore any act of violence and injustice against him, particularly since according to his account, these acts carried out by the police were abusive and extra-legal. Dr. Afrasiabi is a political scientist, a distinguished Iran scholar and an advisory board member to CASMII. His long record of resisting war and sanctions, as well as his promotion of international peace and dialogue is exemplary. We wish him a quick and complete recovery so that this episode is not allowed to distract him from his excellent work in defending Iran against sanctions and threats against Iran. ››read more

Washington supported mediation by Brazil and Turkey when it did not expect them to succeed and turned its back when they accomplished exactly what the Obama administration said it sought from Iran. ››read more

Joint Statement by
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran
Tehran Peace Museum
Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support (Tehran)

The antiwar movement everywhere should be extremely alarmed about the Obama Administration’s declaration in April that Washington can target Iran with nuclear weapons. Although vague “all options are on the table” warnings were also issued under George W. Bush, now the threat of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on Iran is enshrined in the revised Nuclear Posture Review of the United States.
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Around the world, anti-war activists are preparing for major protests this spring to oppose the continuing U.S.-led occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a storm of developments is dramatically increasing tensions between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In response, the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) is issuing this appeal to the anti-war movements in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries to raise the demands of “No war, no sanctions, no internal interference in Iran!” ››read more

Melissa FlemingFollowing the release of IAEA's latest report on Iran last week, a number of scaremongering anti-Iran headlines appeared in the Western media. The LA times chose its headline as "Iran has enough fuel for a nuclear bomb". The New York Times went for "Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon" and FOX news reported: "Iran Produces Enough Uranium to Build Nuclear Weapon". In the UK, the Daily Telegraph's article titled "Iran has enough uranium 'to build a nuclear bomb'" and the Daily Mail in the UK announced: "Iran 'has the fuel to build nuclear bomb'". The anti-Iran articles also gave the impression that Iran had deliberately underreported the production of low enriched uranium at Natanz.

In response to questions by Dr. Kaveh Afrasiabi, the IAEA spokesperson, Melissa Fleming, has issued a statement clarifiying the IAEA's position regarding the misleading articles in the US and European press concerning Iran's production of low-enriched uranium. ››read more

Über fünfeinhalb Jahre nach der völkerrechtswidrigen Invasion des Iraks durch die Vereinigten Staaten und Großbritannien, mitsamt ihrer tragischen Folgen für das irakische Volk, sind die Verfechter des Friedens weltweit sehr beunruhigt über den derzeitigen iranisch-amerikanischen Konflikt und insbesondere über die Art und Weise, wie die aktuelle Situation derjenigen im Vorfeld des Irak-Kriegs ähnelt. Die „Falken“ in den USA fordern bereits unverblümt ein militärisches Eingreifen. Dieselbe Israel-Lobby, die sich schon vehement für einen Militärschlag gegen den Irak eingesetzt hat, macht sich heute für einen Angriff gegen den Iran stark. Dieselben Entstellungen, die auch die westliche Öffentlichkeit zugunsten einer Invasion des Iraks beeinflusst hatten, werden nun verwendet, um den Weg eines erneuten völkerrechtswidrigen „Präventivkrieges“, dieses Mal gegen den Iran, zu ebnen. Die durch massiven Druck der USA erwirkten Resolutionen des UN-Sicherheitsrats sollen, wie zuvor im Falle des Iraks, einem Angriff auf Iran den Anschein der Legitimität verleihen. ››read more

The Tehran Peace Museum and the Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support (SCWVS) are planning a candlelight vigil at 19:00 local time (10:30 EST) on September 21 to commemorate the UN-designated International Day of Peace. The organized event is a historic first in Iran, where tensions with the United States are causing serious anxiety. Please see the forwarded attachments for event details. ››read more

The XV Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran on 27-30 July 2008 issued a statement in support of Iran's nuclear programme, which has just been circulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ››read more

The Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) is pleased to announce the establishment of a high-caliber Academic Advisory Board. Against the background of the immense discrepancy between the current Iran policy tending to escalation on the one hand and the unexhausted peacekeeping measures for conflict resolution on the other, the advisory board feels compelled to further public and political discussion for the latter. ››read more

The US and Israeli leaders have systematically violated Article 2 of the UN Charter in the past few years threatening Iran with military attacks over its disputed nuclear programme. CASMII calls on the Government of Iran to respond positively to the compelling case made by Professor Francis Boyle to sue these countries in the International Court of Justice in The Hague so as to avert an Israel/US war and further sanctions on Iran. ››read more

On July 25, the Associated Press published a report by journalist George Jahn titled "Iran ends cooperation with UN nuclear arms probe". [1] The story claimed to be based on comments by Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation in a press conference after meeting with the Director General of the IAEA, Mohamed Elbaradei. Several news agencies immediately republished the AP's report without questioning its authenticity and credibility. Yet a simple analysis of the contents of this item reveals repeated distortions of facts. ››read more

On Monday July 14th Israel’s senior defence official, General Amos Gilad during an interview with BBC Radio four’s Today programme said that Israel is preparing itself to take military action against Iran and that it would do so if diplomacy fails. The statement came only a day after the Sunday Times revealed that “President George W Bush backs Israeli plan for strike on Iran”. ››read more

On Thursday July 3, the National Peace Council in Iran convened its first meeting. Tens of prominent individuals engaged in various spheres of political, social and cultural work held the inaugural meeting of the founding committee of the National Peace Council. The meeting expressed strong opposition to war and sanctions, calling for an end to the situation of “neither war, no peace”, so detrimental to the economy as well as the democratic and civil society movement in Iran. ››read more

In an interview with NPR on his latest New Yorker Article, titled ‘Preparing the battlefield', the renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals more striking details of his findings on the aim of the $400 million budgeted US covert operations inside Iran. He provides valuable information on US military preparations to strike the country, on the total expansion of the Bush Administration's executive power, about the US recognition of Iran's overall positive role in Iraq and on the US support for the anti-Iran terrorist organisations Jondollah, PJAK and MEK. ››read more

In a moving statement, a group of academics from Iranian universities have expressed their strong opposition to the intensifying economic sanctions against Iran and the harmful suspense of “neither war, nor peace”, demanding unequivocal and long-lasting peace. ››read more

Rostam PourzalPhil WilaytoResponding to a call by a new network named the National Assembly to End the Iraq War and Occupation, some 300 anti-war leaders from a broad array of U.S.-based organizations gathered in Cleveland, Ohio, June 28 and 29. The main goal of the conference was to mobilize the antiwar movement for a mass protest next spring with the demand of immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq. But the conference also adopted a resolution Preventing an attack on Iran, after campaigners raised the issue. ››read more

The Imperial College Students Union passed a unanimous motion in March opposing military attack on Iran. Titled "Supporting Iranian Students Policy", the motion was proposed by an Iranian PhD student at Imperial College London. ››read more

In a moment of candour, Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary has admitted albeit implicitly that the Bush administration's diplomacy towards Iran has long been a sham: "If there is going to be a discussion, then they need something, too. We can't go to a discussion and be completely the demander, with them not feeling that they need anything from us," he stated in his address to a group of retired American diplomats on May 14. ››read more

In a sharp reversal of its longstanding accusations against Iran arming militants in Iraq , the US military has made an unprecedented albeit quiet confession: the weapons they had recently found in Iraq were not made in Iran at all. ››read more