Alliance for Democracy in Iran

Alliance for Democracy in Iran is a Washington D.C.-based group, which lists the Hudson Institute as a partner, and is advocating sanctions against Iran.

The Alliance for Democracy in Iran, is "strategically located in the heart of the capital's think-tank quarter," admires the American Enterprise Institute, and enjoys support from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth's Jerome Corsi. [1] Their efforts to promote democracy are likely to be strongly influenced by the most prominent democracy promoting organization, the National Endowment for Democracy.

History

AFDDI lists its partner organisations as including:

• The Coalition for Democracy in Iran
• The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
• The Hudson Institute
• Iran of Tomorrow Movement (SOS Iran)
• Radio Sedaye Iran (KRSI)
• Voice of America -Views and News in Farsi

Personnel

Board of Directors

From http://www.allianceiran.org/alliance/board_of_directors.cfm:

• Mr. Bahman Batmanghelidj, Chairman
• Mr. Morteza Moussavi, Director
• Mr. Assadolah Morovati, Director
• Dr. A. Reza Ash, Director
• Ms. Banafsheh Pourzand, Spokesperson

Former directors:

• Dr. Kamal Azari, President

Advisory Board

From http://www.allianceiran.org/alliance/advisory_board.cfm:

• Dr. Amir Asslan Afshar
• Lt. Gen. Parviz Khosrovani
• Dr. Farhang Mehr
• Gen. Manouchehr Biglari
• Dr. Assadollah Nassr-Esfahani
• Gen. Khalil Sayadian
• Mr. Mehdi Ahmad
• Gen. Mohssen Eskandari
• Mr. Iradj Ghaffari
• Mr. Massoud Sepand
• Mr. Massoud Haroun-Mahdavi
• Mr. Amanollah Khan Riggi
• Dr. Iman Fooroutan
• Mr. Hamid Metrahi

Former Staff

• Alix Julia Boucher, public affairs director (left ADI February 10, 2005)
• Sharon Lipovsky, communications director (left ADI February 10, 2005)

ADI's connection with The Iran Freedom Foundation

Two internet domain names for the Alliance for Democracy in Iran were registered by an individual connected with another Iran-related lobby group, the Iran Freedom Foundation, according to the WHOIS database as of early February 2005:

• The address of the Alliance's main website, allianceiran.org, was registered by the IFF on October 14, 2004 [2].

• According to the Alliance's website, "In February, the Iran Accountability Project (www.IranAP.com), the Alliance’s information service, will also be launching into cyberspace. This site will be a valuable resource for news on Iran." [3] The domain name iranap.com was registered by Behrouz Bayat of the IFF on August 18, 2004 [4].

There is an apparently separate, much older lobby group with the same name: see Iran Freedom Foundation (Maryland).

Contact details

Alliance for Democracy in Iran
1000 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202.861.2222
Fax: 202.861.2299
Email: info AT allianceiran.org
Web: http://www.allianceiran.org/

Note that the website at http://www.afdii.org also claims to belong to the "Alliance for Democracy in Iran". However, as of February 10, 2005, it just displays "This site is under construction". It is not clear if this internet address is associated with the organization described in this article.

Related SourceWatch Resources

Organizations: Iran-Related

• Iran Democracy Foundation (IDF)
• Iran Freedom Foundation (IFF)
• Iran Freedom Foundation (Maryland)
• Iran Policy Committee (IPC)
• People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, also known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK/MKO/NCR)

Organizations: Other

• American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
• American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Committee on the Present Danger (CPD)
• Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
• Hudson Institute
• Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA)
• US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC)
• Voice of America
• Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP)

People

• Zbigniew Brzezinski
• Anthony H. Cordesman
• Jerome Corsi
• Douglas Feith
• Larry Franklin
• David Frum
• Reuel Marc Gerecht
• Manucher Ghorbanifar
• Henry Kissinger
• Michael Ledeen
• Richard N. Perle
• Harold Rhode
• Michael Rubin

Other

• Axis of evil
• China-Iran-Russia axis
• Freedom Walk, May 2005: Iran Freedom Walk
• Iran
• Iran/Contra scandal
• Iran-Contra II
• Iran's oil industry
• regime change
• war in Iran

External links

• Sharon Lipovsky, "Washington's Approach to Nuclear-Minded Iran", Letter to the Editor, Los Angeles Times, September 4, 2004.
• Sharon Lipovsky, "Sanctions for Iran", Letter to the Editor, The Miami Herald, September 22, 2004.
• Sharon Lipovsky, "Watch the youth! Iran brims with reform-minded young adults", Letter to the Editor, Grand Forks Herald, September 29, 2004.
• Alix Boucher, "No Iran `reformers'", Letter to the Editor, The Boston Herald, September 30, 2004.
• Sharon Lipovsky, "Sanctions are best U.S. weapon", Letter to the Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 30, 2004.
• Alix Julia Boucher, "Grim realities on Iran, North Korea", Letter to the Editor, The Washington Times, October 8, 2004.
• Sharon Lipovsky, "Use sanctions to halt Iran's nuclear plans", Letter to the Editor, The Baltimore Sun, November 6, 2004.
• Alix Julia Boucher, "Faulty Iran deal", Letter to the Editor, The Miami Herald, November 14, 2004.
• Alix Julia Boucher, "Only the threat of UN international sanctions will stop Iran pursuing its nuclear programme", Letter to the Editor, Financial Times (UK), November 15, 2004.
• Derk Kinnane Roelofsma, "Iranians need our support for regime change", Wall Street Journal, November 17, 2004.
• Alix Julia Boucher, Letter to the editor, Los Angeles Times, November 22, 2004
• Alix Julia Boucher, "Only thing to faze the mullahs', Letter to the Editor, The Jerusalem Post, November 24, 2004.
• Guy Dinmore, "US Congress targets Iran for regime change", Financial Times, January 17, 2005.
• Rupert Cornwell, "Why the hawks are circling over Iran", The Independent (UK), January 19, 2005.
• Guy Dinmore, "Neocons turn their attention to Iran", Financial Times, January 18, 2005.