Jane Harman urges ethnic division in Iran

by Philip Weiss on May 19, 2009 · 24 comments

I missed this, and I was sitting right there, at AIPAC, two weeks back. But the National Iranian American Council didn't. Congresswoman Jane Harman was talking sanctions and military action against Iran, when she said:

"The Persian population in Iran is not a majority, it is a plurality. There are many different, diverse, and disagreeing populations inside Iran and an obvious strategy, which I believe is a good strategy, is to separate those populations."


My comment: They're trying that in the West Bank, and how's it working? NIAC comments:

Through conquest and turmoil, the Iranian nation has survived and thrived for thousands of years, with peoples of all backgrounds and ethnicities forming a common identity. Now that President Obama has emphasized diplomacy and reduced the chances of war between the United States and Iran, Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA) has a new idea: rip apart the Iranian nation by dividing its peoples along ethnic lines.
We only need to look to Iraq or Darfur to see what ethnic warfare looks like. Rep. Harman's comments cannot go unchallenged.

NIAC is demanding a retraction. (Thanks to Ali Gharib, on whom nothing is lost.)

Related posts:

  1. Jane Harman urges ethnic division in Iran
  2. Jane Harman retracts comments advocating the ethnic division of Iran
  3. Veteran congresswoman Jane Harman believes that wacky Israel lobby theory
  4. Veteran congresswoman Jane Harman believes that wacky Israel lobby theory
  5. Maybe Iran isn’t following Iraq script? (Harman’s revisions)

{ 24 comments }

1 LeaNder May 20, 2009 at 12:54 am

Yes, that is the core stuff that absolutely puzzling: Is that Israel's and pro-Israel hawks vision? A re-tribalized new world. How horrible. What about the country she lives in? ************************************************************************************************************************** But I have a problem. And maybe someone can tell me what it is about. I'll cut and past it here for test reasons again: Why do html tags sometimes work and sometimes not? That is why do they sometimes disappear and are replaced by empty–"" target="_blank"– links in the process of sending? Interestingly if you add the links and let the software convert them to clickable links, it add something too, after a while so they don't work anymore either. What is this. Has somebody else experienced it.

2 Test May 20, 2009 at 12:56 am

Headlines: 17 may 2009 – Not a Good Day for Bibi U.S.-Russian Team Deems Missile Shield in Europe Ineffective Last paragraph:

"The much more urgent problem is to seek a resolution" of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the report says. "That is a project on which the United States and Russia need to cooperate more closely."

Interesting. Somehow I wonder, was Lieberman aware of this project, and who suggested first Europe could be endangered by Iranian nukes? Lieberman: U.S. will accept any Israeli policy decision

"Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," Lieberman told the Russian daily Moskovskiy Komosolets.

Lieberman granted his first major interview to Alexander Rosensaft, the Israel correspondent of one of the oldest Russian dailies, not to an Israeli newspaper. The role of Israel is to "bring the U.S. and Russia closer," he declared.

Compare the headline with this:

During the interview, Lieberman said Iran is not Israel's biggest strategic threat; rather, Afghanistan and Pakistan are. This comes after years of Lieberman warning about the growing Iranian threat. Now, he has dropped Tehran to number two, with Iraq coming third.

3 Test 2 May 20, 2009 at 1:00 am

Headlines: 17 may 2009 – Not a Good Day for Bibi http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080097.html U.S.-Russian Team Deems Missile Shield in Europe Ineffective http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080097.html Last paragraph:

"The much more urgent problem is to seek a resolution" of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the report says. "That is a project on which the United States and Russia need to cooperate more closely."

Interesting. Somehow I wonder, was Lieberman aware of this project, and who suggested first Europe could be endangered by Iranian nukes? Lieberman: U.S. will accept any Israeli policy decision http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080097.html

"Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," Lieberman told the Russian daily Moskovskiy Komosolets.

Lieberman granted his first major interview to Alexander Rosensaft, the Israel correspondent of one of the oldest Russian dailies, not to an Israeli newspaper. The role of Israel is to "bring the U.S. and Russia closer," he declared.

Compare the headline with this:

During the interview, Lieberman said Iran is not Israel's biggest strategic threat; rather, Afghanistan and Pakistan are. This comes after years of Lieberman warning about the growing Iranian threat. Now, he has dropped Tehran to number two, with Iraq coming third.

4 tommy May 20, 2009 at 1:46 am

The representative from CA must not win reelection.

5 seham May 20, 2009 at 2:40 am

I wonder what that kind of entitlement feels like… to have just been caught having a scandalous conversation about two people that were alleged spies but who weren't in the clear when you promised to work on their behalf instead of the interests of your own constituents in CA… and then the next day to show up at some conference and call for sectarian bloodshed and war. Sometimes I just think the idea of the "lobby" wielding so much power is ludicrous, it's not as though the U.S. had a pristine record previous to 48. But then when I see the unbridled shame and contempt that some of these people have to show up at the conference of the very group that is known to dabble in espionage whenever the opportunity arises and prostrate themselves so shamelessly, well… it kinda leaves me speechless.

6 anon May 20, 2009 at 4:37 am

The Jews find it quite OK when Jane says: "There are many different, diverse, and disagreeing populations inside Iran and an obvious strategy, which I believe is a good strategy, is to separate those populations." So I say: "an obvious strategy, which I believe is a good strategy, is to keep revealing the extent of Jewish control of America, the medieval attitudes of Jews towards outsiders, and the lack of morals of people like Jane." Maybe the 97% will wake up one day and decide that Jane and her people are fundamentally different, extremely polarizing, self-righteous, obnoxious, and eternally self-interested (not to mention fat and/or ugly).

7 JoachimMartillo May 20, 2009 at 6:26 am

Sorry LeaNder, I guess I was not clear enough in how to get this right without the sort of automated software that I use. 1. Enter your comment. 2. Do select all. 3. Do copy. 4. post you comment. 5. edit your comment. 6. do select all on your comment. 7. past your comment. 8. do save your comment. —— All the links should then be okay.

8 JoachimMartillo May 20, 2009 at 6:33 am

"Divide and conquer" one might say. Zionists have written about its use at least as far back as the 20s. Oded Yinon wrote one of the more recent systematic papers on the subject: Guest Article: The War of the Languages. I think we should think about it in business terms: market penetration and market domination via market segmentation because Zionists have often tried to create new separate identities where none existed before. Mamdani argues in Saviors and Survivors that the British worked hard to create distinct identities to control the Sudan and that the country still suffers as a consequence.

9 David_F May 20, 2009 at 6:45 am

This is sickening. The Romans, before their decadence, had remarkably wise and appropriate punishments for corrupt officials like Harman. (I'm partial to the one involving a burlap sack, a monkey, a rooster, a serpent, and large body of water.)

10 David_F May 20, 2009 at 7:00 am

It is darkly amusing that she takes an open-borders stance on third world immigration while also perceiving "diversity" as a good way to tear a country apart!

11 LeaNder22 May 20, 2009 at 11:24 am

actually I listened to it before. And admittedly it did escape me too. I guess I was more concerned with the larger lines of thought, her self-presentation, audience response and a whole lot of other things. Obviously Iranians pay heightened attention on everything concerning them or their country. Jane will now get one of these letters from a German, the country her parents fled. Will that convince her that what she said is after all the best for the Iranians? …

12 LeaNder22 May 20, 2009 at 11:48 am

What automated software are you using? I am a curious nitwit. I am a bit puzzled. 1/enter, 4/post, 5/edit, 8/save, is obvious. I am aware that the edit option substitutes the preview option. I did in fact quite a bit of "select all"/copy/delete the whole comment, paste it in a new comment box and try it again. In diverse ways. Every time I post the comment the links disappear and are automatically substituted by blanks (something like: " target="_blank"). I then added the correct links again, the moment I save the newly added links, they are gone again, substituted again by blanks. I do not have to 2. /select all 3. /copy to post a mail. I do not understand what you mean. I can also easily edit and without step 6/select all and 7/paste to be able to save edits. The only problem really are links and html tags. The same happens over at Pat Lang's, Sic Semper Tyrannis. Sometimes the tags are accepted and all is fine in the preview box, the next time you use preview they are ignored or the links swallowed. ALL tags no matter if links, italics, bold or blockquote. But I just discovered something else, the Google-analytics-script kept me from giving Cyrus a thump down. I guess, I'll figure this out. I hope it doesn't take that long as last time. If I would knew were to start checking. Maybe Java scripts, then Firefox add-ons. Last time it was something enormously simple. But it took ages to realize. But something has changed here? The subscription box below. Thanks for answering anyway.

13 LeaNder22 May 20, 2009 at 12:20 pm

Let me try a link. I hadn't noticed the Google analytics script before. I allowed all scripts on Phil's page. I thought Google ignores Phil, then what are they doing here? OK let's see, I can delete it again to my hearts delight. <a href=a href="" target="_blank">17 may 2009 – Not a Good Day for Bibi aha here we go again: automatic substitution of link with: a href="" target="_blank" This link is gone: http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyranni...

14 Colin_Murray May 20, 2009 at 1:08 pm

There Jane Harman goes again, putting the interests of Israel, a foreign nation not the fifty-first state, above those of the nation of which she is a citizen, and of which she serves as a legislator. It is in America's interest to strengthen the stability of civil society and state institutions to hinder and rollback the rise of extremism. This is core neocon treason of exactly the same kind that Wolfowitz et al betrayed us with in Iraq: the state institutions of any nation the Israel rightwing wants neutralized must either be co-opted (Plan A: Chalabi) or destroyed (Plan B: de-Baathification with associated dissolution of central governance). Colonial Zionists know there is no Iranian Chalabi waiting in the wings, so they would rather destroy the Iranian government. Is is a coincidence such insane talk from Jane Harman spews forth while Netanyahu is making the hard-sell on Capitol Hill? How is the chaos of an Iranian civil war in the interest of the United States? Readers, consider the ramifications for security across the Middle East and the world. The consideration of the price of oil alone and the potential reverberating damage to the world economy in a time of weakness, including an inevitable rise of poverty-induced extremism, should make it obvious it is not in America's or the world's interest. Realistically, there is little that Netanyahu, Harman, and other wackos can do that has not already been tried.

There may be an increase in minority unrest, but there will be no ethnic civil war in Iran. This is just wishful thinking from desperate fools. The story here is the continuing effort to drag America into a shooting war with Iran. Harman's silly talk should be seen in that context. Readers should note that extremist Zionists in America and Israel are the only people clamoring for war with Iran.

15 Edithann May 20, 2009 at 1:58 pm

Isn't Harman parroting the old Zionist/Jabotinsky line of destabilization of the Middle East? What she's saying is nothing new to Zionists … so why the surprise? The only thing that should be of concern to us is that she's not working for the US and America..She's a shill for Israel and Jews.. Haven't we had enough of it, her and them? . TATA

16 Todd May 20, 2009 at 2:46 pm

I recently heard Meersheimer (my unerstanding is that he isn't Jewish) on NPR talking about anti-Semitism, and the false belief that Jews have outsized influence that is harmful to non-Jews. Combined with such statements as Harman made, it furthers my belief that W&M are just establishment shills-how harmed can their reputations be within the establishment if they are constantly on NPR? The mask never was really on for organized Jewry, was it? All that's left for Harman to do is to admit that organized Jewry uses similar ethnic strategies for political and economic gain in the United States.

17 DICKERSON3870 May 20, 2009 at 2:57 pm

RE: "Jane Harman urges ethnic division in Iran" MY COMMENT – Elect Marcy Winograd to Congress in 2010 – Send Jane Harman home… LINK – http://www.winograd4congress.com/

18 David_F May 20, 2009 at 4:47 pm

That's not fair, Todd. Meersheimer isn't a paleocon (if he were, he'd never be on NPR). He has a different role to play and has to choose his battles differently.

19 Colin_Murray May 20, 2009 at 5:50 pm

I agree with David. Dr.'s Meersheimer and Walt are now public figures, and have to carefully choose their words and pick their battles.

20 Strahl May 20, 2009 at 6:32 pm

Kevin MacDonald's arguments are making more sense now. Jane Harman and other Zionists urge ethnic division and conflict while maintaining that Nazi Israel maintain it's Jewish majority.

21 JoachimMartillo May 20, 2009 at 9:02 pm

I wrote an emacs front end to the web browser. I write the comment in emacs, which does all the html stuff with a few command strokes and then give it a command to post the comment, read it back and fix hyperlinks, etc. IntenseDebate seems to have a bug with regard to hyperlinks in its software. Phil has a more customized blog than I do, and somehow integrating his blog with IntenseDebate has exacerbated the problem. If Horowitz hadn't banned me, I might have been inspired to send Phil mods, but Horowitz and I seem to have a different view of accepted discourse with regard to Jews and finance or economics.

22 Todd May 21, 2009 at 2:10 am

Points taken, David and Colin. I listened to Mearsheimer talk about anti-Semitism yesterday on NPR, and he pretty much tossed aside as anti-Semitism the notion that organized Jewry has a major influence in the media and politics. The neocons can't be blamed for everything! I also never understood the claims that W&M took great risks with their careers, since they seem to benefit from their work.

23 Tuyzentfloot May 21, 2009 at 8:59 pm

'Parroting' is a good choice of words I think. She followed up with a theme of empowering the people against their leaders which suggested she was stringing cliches together without thinking. I commented on that when the subject of that panel came up( http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/05/hig...

24 chris July 19, 2009 at 8:04 pm

this site is wonderful

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