In a recent posting on Huffington Post, Trita Parsi throws around the “neocon” label and makes some ad hominem attacks, always a sure sign that someone wants to shoot the messenger rather than argue the merits of the message. So, let me repeat my questions:
Having lobbied to cut off funding for civil society and Radio Farda and VOA Persian service (the breakdown of the funding is here, Trita; you described it inaccurately in your post), will you release NIAC’s continuing funding requests to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)? It’s a simple question: Did NIAC tell NED one thing and Congress another?
Also, for the sake of accuracy: It’s all well and good to name reformists to support your case, but many other dissidents and civil society activists who oppose the concept of theocracy disagree. So too does the wife of the imprisoned leader of the Islamic Republic’s first independent trade union. You should be the first to realize that Iranians aren’t monolithic which is why, in my opinion, NIAC’s partisan strategy will backfire on the group’s claims to represent broad Iranian American concerns. Relying on the support of “The World Can’t Wait, Throw Out the Bush Regime” group and “The Green Party of Utah” damages NIAC’s credibility.