House Foreign Affairs Chair: Freedom For Iranians Starts With Hearts And Minds

An opportunity to send pro-democratic radio broadcasts into Iran will help change the country’s leadership and empower millions in the country, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said during a weekend stop in Arkansas.

Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the powerful House panel, was in Little Rock over the weekend at the behest of Cong. French Hill, R-Little Rock. Royce sat down for an interview with Talk Business and Politics’ Roby Brock about the ongoing issues with Iran.

The House voted 245-186 Thursday on a resolution saying President Obama did not comply with part of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

On Friday, the House voted 269-162 against approving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and 247-186 to prevent Obama from lifting sanctions against Iran. The Senate also voted in opposition to the President’s plan, but neither chamber procured enough votes to override a potential veto.

LIVING UP TO THE AGREEMENT
Royce said there is a strong question as to whether or not Iran will live up to the agreement that appears on track despite last week’s votes. He said most lawmakers are concerned about the possibility of Iran transferring 80,000 to 90,000 rockets and precision-guided missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The transfer would put Lebanon and Israel in imminent danger, Royce said.

Iran has also been on the move in recent months by toppling the government in Yemen, Royce contends, as well as building a low-level insurgency with the Hutus.

He also said he was worried about the lifting of sanctions on Iran. By lifting the sanctions, Royce said nearly $100 billion would be placed back into the hands of the Iranian military to fund terrorism in the region. This, in turn, will undermine U.S. efforts and destabilize the country’s leverage in the Middle East.

“The sanctions were putting pressure on Iran, pressure on the government,” Royce said. “It was also creating among the population discontent with their government.”

While he will be watching the nuclear agreement’s progression, Royce said he did not feel that legal action to try to halt the U.S.-Iran deal would move quickly enough to have an impact. He said it could take more than a decade for legal machinations to conclude and, by then, the international landscape will be vastly different.

RADIO FREE IRAN
When asked what could make a difference more immediately, Royce said younger, more open-minded Iranians who seek modernity must be convinced to ally with the U.S. and western nations.

Royce said radio pro-democratic broadcasts, which would be similar to Radio Free Europe during the Cold War, should be used as a diplomatic tool.

“We’ve got to get active in broadcasting messages like we did in Eastern Europe. … I was on an exchange program in the 1980s and I saw how effective it was in East Germany,” Royce said.

As an exchange student, Royce said he saw firsthand how younger Germans listened to the broadcasts and were swayed in the court of public opinion to more pro-democratic views.

A similar opportunity is there in Iran, Royce said, noting that discussions over freedom will put pressure on the Iranian regime and create discord in the oppressive country.

Royce also pointed out a recent survey from Gallup showed that two-thirds of the people in Iran do not want a theocracy, but want a western style democracy.

“We know what worked,” Royce said. “Ultimately, we need both approaches,” he added, referring to sanctions and broadcasting messages into Iran.