Rise of the ‘Iran Lobby’

CLARE M. LOPEZ

Clare M. Lopez is the Vice President of the Intelligence Summit and a professor at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies. Ms. Lopez received her B.A. in Communications and French from Notre Dame College of Ohio and a M.A. in International Relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She speaks and writes widely on Middle East issues.

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¹ “Iran Lobby in the U.S.: Becoming Active?” Aftab News, 7 December 2007.

² The foundation of this organization is reported variously to have occurred sometime between 2000 and 2006. According to Daioleslam, Hassan, “Iran’s Oil Mafia,” Front Page Magazine, 16 April 2007, it was formed in 2000. But elsewhere its foundation date is reported to be 2006. See “Supreme Council on Iranians Living Abroad holds first meeting,” Payvand Iran News, 14 March 2006. See also “Dr. Assefi: Nations are Interdependent to One Another”, 21 August 2004. Website at https://web-srv.mfa.gov.ir/output/English/documents/doc4565.htm (Accessed 25 February 2009.

³ “AIPAC, NIAC and IAPAC”, Fars News, 28 March 2007. Website at https://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8601280492  (Accessed 22 Dec 08.

⁴ Ibid

⁵ The statement was carried on the Sojourners Magazine website, at https://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&mode=printer_friendly&issue=Soj0608&article=060811 (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

⁶ Ibid

⁷ Teslik, Lee Hudson, ‘A Muslim for the Hill?’, Newsweek, September 11, 2006. Website at

https://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2006/09/a_muslim_for_th.php and (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

⁸ “GOP’s attack on Ellison focuses on U.S. Muslim”, Minneapolis Star and Tribune (September 17, 2006).

⁹ ‘Parvez Ahmed and Nihad Awad: Reject the Political Muslim-bashing smears’, Star Tribune, October 20, 2006. Website at https://www.pluralism.org/news/article.php?id=13936 (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹⁰ Isikoff, Michael and Mark Hosenball, ‘CAIR Play?’, Newsweek, December 29, 2006. Website at https://www.newsweek.com/id/44338/page/1 (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹¹ Anderson, Mitch, “Ellison: Hajj was transformative,” Star Tribune, December 18, 2008.

https://www.startribune.com/templates/Print_This_Story?sid=36417549 (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹² Muslim American Society (MAS), Discover the Network. https://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printgroupProfile.asp?grpid=6263 (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹³ “Ellison to Host Forum on Iran,” A Press Release, Payvand Iran News, May 23, 2008. https://www.payvand.com/news/08/may/1225.html (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹⁴ “Los Angeles Iranian Americans say talks, not war, will solve US-Iran tensions,” March 4, 2008.

https://www.niacouncil.org/index.php?Itemid=2&id=1054&option=com_content&task=view (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹⁵ Ibid, Payvand Iran News

¹⁶ Howell, Lydia, “Preventing the next war? Keith Ellison’s Iran Forum and the June 10 Call-in to Congress,” Engage Minnesota, June 6, 2008. https://engagemn.com/2008/06/06/preventing-the-next-war/ (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹⁷ “Congressman slams US’s Iran policies,” June 14, 2008.  https://www.campaigniran.org/casmii/index.php?q=node/5284 (Accessed 22 Dec 08.)

¹⁸ Ibid

¹⁹ American Iranian Council website https://www.american-iranian.org/about/index.php#mission (Accessed 25 Feb 09.)

²⁰ Schoenfeld, Gabriel, “Obama’s Intelligence Choice,” Wall Street Journal, 25 February 2009.