Pro-Iran-Deal Actors and US foreign policy 2011-2015

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Visiting professor, American Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran

Abstract

During the Iran agreement from 2011 to 2015 a pro-Iran deal campaign has started in the U.S. Critical questions for Iranian are: who were these people? Who funded them? From whom do they get their information? This study tried to answer these questions by following the pro-Iran deal actors from 2011 to 2015 in the United States. Therefore, a couple of actors were found who were in favor of the Iran deal. The work then followed the money and information transformation data of these pro-Iran deal actors. The article got into a socio-diagram of the interrelation of pro-deal funders and actors with the help of NVIVO 12 software. It also followed the role of the Obama administration in this network. The social network theory of power by Castells (2007) was used that indicates the importance of the social network in gaining discourse power to program-specific networks according to the interests and values of the programmers. So, with the help of theory, the article concluded that the Obama administration programmed a significant network to have the influence and the power to seal the deal in the U.S.; besides, the network tried to influence Obama policy toward Iran. The articles also categorized the supporters of the deal into eight groups: institutions in the prevention of nuclear weapons, the Iranian community, political advocacy groups, religious groups, think tank associations, Jewish institutions, those related to the Obama administration, and free funders.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Article Title [Persian]

حامیان توافق هسته‎ای ایران و سیاست خارجی ایران(2011-2015)

Author [Persian]

  • عاطفه طغیانی
استاد مهمان گروه مطالعات آمریکا، دانشکده مطالعات جهان، دانشگاه تهران
Abstract [Persian]

این مطالعه محتوای تولید شده در رسانه های امریکایی که طرفدار معامله با ایران بود اند را از سال 2011 تا 2015 در ایالات متحده دنبال کرده و نویسندگان و حامیان مالی آنها را ردیابی می کند. این تحلیل مشخص می کند که کدام بازیگران غیردولتی طرفدار توافق ایران بوده اند. در ادامه مسیر پول و اطلاعات طرفداران معامله با ایران را نیز دنبال کرده و در انتها یک نمودار از روابط سرمایه‌گذاران و بازیگران حامی معامله با ایران با کمک نرم افزار NVIVO 12 ترسیم شده است. این مقاله همچنین نقش دولت اوباما را در این شبکه دنبال کرده است. از نظریه شبکه اجتماعی قدرت کاستلو استفاده شده است که نشان دهنده اهمیت شبکه در کسب قدرت برای پیشبرد برنامه ها و ارزش های تشکیل دهنده های آن است. این مقاله به این نتیجه می‌رسد که دولت اوباما نقش مهمی در شکل گیری شبکه فروش معامله ایران داشته است. علاوه بر این، این شبکه همچنین سعی کرد بر سیاست اوباما در قبال ایران تأثیر بگذارد. این مقاله همچنین حامیان توافق را به هفت گروه طبقه‌بندی کرده است: نهادهای پیشگیری از سلاح‌های هسته‌ای، جامعه ایرانیان امریکا، گروه‌های سیاسی، گروه‌های مذهبی، اتاق فکرها، نهادهای یهودی و رسانه‌های گروهی. این مقاله همچنین به این نتیجه می‌رسد که مهم‌ترین سرمایه‌گذار شبکه حامی معامله با ایران، صندوق پلافشرز بوده است.

Keywords [Persian]

  • توافق ایران
  • جامعه مدنی آمریکایی
  • اوباما
  • تحلیل شبکه ای
  • شبکه حامیان توافق ایران
Abdi, J. (2013b, November 15). Tide Turns Towards Diplomacy as Key Senators Oppose New Iran Sanctions, https://www.niacouncil.org/tide-turns-towards-diplomacy-as-key-senators-oppose-new-iran-sanctions/.
Abramovitch, S. (2015). “98 Prominent Hollywood Jews Back Iran Nuclear Deal in Open Letter (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ news/98-prominent-hollywood-jews-back-814855. Accessed on July 20 2019.
Arms Control Association. (2019, January 3). About the Arms Control Association. Arms Control Association. https://www.armscontrol. org/ about
Barabasi, A-L. & Albert, R. (1999). The emergence of scaling in random networks. Science, 286:509-512. Retrieved from: https://science.sciencemag.org/ content/ 286/5439/509.abstract
Beinart, P. (2015). “Why Don’t American Jewish Groups Represent American Jews on Iran,” Haaretz. Retrieved from: http://www. haaretz.com/ opinion/. premium-1.668571.
Bennis, P. (2012, February 18). “We’ve Seen the Threats Against Iran Before.” Al Jazeera. Retrieved from: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/ opinion/ 2012/02/201221510012473174.html Accessed on July 20 2019.
Biscobing, D. (2015). “Expert Says Iran Nuclear Deal T.V. Advertisement Is ‘Misleading. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct= j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiYq4axoazyAhUF_RQKHb_2B9oQFnoECAIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww. habilian. ir%2 Fen%2 F201709183357%2 Flobbyists %2F who-is-republicans- favorite-democrat.html&usg=AOvVaw0m5Q5JXF-ZH xCS p 7ON0zge.
Brodsky, M. (2017, December 6). The Clinton Emails and the Iran Lobby, Huffington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-hillary-clinton-email_b_8086766.
Castells, M. (2007). Communication, Power and Counter-Power in the Network Society; International Journal of Communication; https://www.google. com/ url? sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved= 2ahUKE wiFmPXVuLP1AhVFSfEDHVF-B04QFnoECBkQAQ&url=https%3A% 2F% 2Fijoc.org%2Findex.php%2Fijoc%2Farticle%2 F download %2 F 46%2 F35&usg=AOvVaw1bLDAP6wTTqRGV05kwlTK9.
Carnegie Endowment. (n.d.). Carnegie Endowment Events Podcast. Retrieved from: https:// podcasts. apple. com/ us/podcast/carnegie-endowment-events/ id749384925
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. (n.d.). About the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Retrieved from: https:// arms controlcenter.org/about/.
Clifton, E. (2015) “Who Are the Billionaires Attacking Obama’s Iran Diplomacy?” The Nation. Retrieved from: https://www.the- nation. com/ article/ who-are-billionaires-attacking- obamas-iran-diplomacy/ Accessed on 20 July 2018.
Cirincione, J. (2015b, July 9). Why It Matters That Colin Powell and Debbie. Retrieved from: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ menasource? view=category&id=114
Cirincione, J. (2016, May 21). Why the Right Wing Is Angry That We Blocked War with Iran. Huffington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost. com/entry/why-the-right-wing-is-ang_b_10086788.
Domhoff, G. W. (2002). Who rules America? power and politics. New York: McGraw- Hill.
Freeman, L. C. (2004). The development of social network analysis: a study in the sociology of science, Vancouver, B. C., 2004. Empirical Press, Vancouver, B. C. https:// www. researchgate. net/ profile/Linton-Freeman- 2/ publication/ 239228599_The_Development_ of_ Social_ Network_ Analysis/ links/ 54415c650cf2e6f0c0f616a8/ The-Development- of-Social-Network-Analysis.pdf.
Freeman, L. C. and C. M. Webster. (1994). Interpersonal proximity in social and cognitive space. Social Cognition. 12(2). 223-247. Retrieved from: https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.1994.12.3.223.
Fuchs, C. (2009). Some Reflections on Manuel Cas-tells Book "Communication Power"; Cognitive Communi-cation Cooperation, Vol. 7, No.1, https:// www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjU3Y2UubP1AhX2RfEDHbfpAQsQFnoECAIQAQ&url= http% 3A%2F%2Ffuchs.uti.at%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads %2F2009 %2 F08 %2Ffuchs_ castells. pdf&usg= AOvVaw3nbvrcDlGN5-quqr_bRP6K.
Institute for Policy Studies. (n.d.). “Support the Institute: How Does the Institute Get its Funding?” Retrieved from: http://www.ips-dc.org/support-the-institute/ (Accessed on 3/3/2019)
Jett, D. C. (2018). The Iran Nuclear Deal Bombs, Bureaucrats, and Billionaires. Pennsylvania, USA: Palgrave Macmillan.
Influence Watch, (n.d.). Rethink Media. Retrieved from: https://www. influence watch.org/non-profit/rethink-media/ Retrived in July 20 2019.
Joffe, A. H. (2013). “Bad Investment: The Philanthropy of George Soros and the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” NGO Monitor. Retrieved from: http://www. ngo-monitor.org/soros.pdf.
Hemingway, M. (2018, Feburary 15). More Evidence the Obama White House Deliberately Deceived on the Iran Deal. Weekly Standard. Retrieved from: https:// www.weeklystandard. com/ mark-hemingway/ more-evidence- the-obama-white-house-deliberately-deceived-on-the-iran-deal.
Heintz, Luers, Pickering, & Wisner, (2010, December 21). Toward a New Policy on Iran, Unclassified U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05773680 Date 8/31/2015,
Ho, C. (2015). “Anti-Iran Deal Groups Firing on All Cylinders in Massive Lobbying Push.” The Washington Post. Retrieved from: http://www. washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/ wp/ 2015/07/21/ anti- iran- deal-groups- firing-on-all-cyl- inders-in-massive-lobbying-push/
Klapper, B, (2016, May 21). A group that helped the White House sell the Iran deal gave NPR $100,000 to report on it. Business Insider. Retrieved from https:// www. businessinsider. com/group-that-helped-sell-iran-nuke-deal-also-funded-media-2016-5.
Leavitt, H. J. (1951). Some effects of certain communication patterns on group performance. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 46(1), 38–50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0057189.
Markay, K. (2014). Democracy Alliance Portfolio Snapshot. Retrieved from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/224397893/Spring-2014-Democracy-Alliance-Portfolio-Snapshot.
Meir, Sh. (2015, July 30). Israeli Nuclear/Security Experts on the Iran Deal.” (July 30, 2015). Massachusetts Peace Action. 2018. Retrieved from: http:// www.bing.com/cr?IG=DA8159A4723C456399EC46FC3C31E202&CID=230850A0EC946802096D5B1FED3B690D&rd=1&h=D6Ssdujg1EvVUUCJZhN5LWhktjPheln5hqrHyMcK4ms&v=1&r=http://masspeaceaction.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Israeli-Nuclear-Experts-APN-Jul30. pdf&p=DevEx,5068.1.
Moreno, J. L. & Jennings, H. H. (1938). Statistics of social configurations. Sociometry, 1(3/4) 342-374. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2785588
National Iranian American Council, (n.d.). About us. NIAC. Retrieved from: https://www.niacouncil.org/.
National Iranian American Council (NIAC). (2010, October 21). U.S. Department of State Hosts NIAC President Dr. Trita Parsi in Saudi Arabia, NIAC. Retrieved from https://www.niacouncil.org/u-s-department-of-state-hosts-niac-president-dr-trita-parsi-in-saudi-arabia/
National Iranian American Council (NIAC). (2011e, May 1). PARSA CF Awards Major Grants to Civic Engagement Organizations. Retrieved from: https:// www. niacouncil. org/ parsa-cf- awards- major- grants- to-civic-engagement- organizations/
National public Radio (NPR). (2015b, July 18). Under Deal, Iran Has Less Incentive to Hold Americans. NPR. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/ 2015/07/18/424024663/former-hostage-under-deal-iran-has-less-incentive-to-hold-americans
National Iranian American Council (NIAC). (2015c, April 14). Organizations Call for Key Changes to Corker-Menendez Bill. Retrieved from:https:// www. niacouncil. org/ organizations- call- for- key- changes- to- corker-menendez- bill
National Iranian American Council (NIAC). (2016, September 25) 2016 Leadership Conference Remarks by Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes. Retrieved from https://www.niacouncil.org/2016-leadership-conference- remarks-deputy-national-security-advisor-ben-rhodes/
Nichols, T. (2016, May 23). The Iran Deal Wasn’t about Nukes. The Federalist, Retrieved from: https://thefederalist.com/2016/05/23/the-iran-deal-wasnt-about-nukes-at-all/.
Otte, E., & Rousseau, R. (2002). “Social network analysis: a powerful strategy, also for the information sciences”. Journal of Information Science, 28(6). 441-454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/016555150202800601.
Parsi, T. (2011h, December 28). Without Renewed Diplomacy, War with Iran Lies around the Corner. NIAC. Retrieved from: https://www.niacouncil. org/ without-renewed-diplomacy-war-with-iran-lies-around-the-corner/
Ploughshares Fund, (n.d.). About us, Ploughshares Fund Official website. Retrieved from: https://www.wnd.com/2014/11/defense-secretary-directed-nuclear-free-activist-group/) Accessed on (6/11/2017).
Ploughshares Fund, (2011b, December 15). A War We Never Should Have Waged, Ploughshares Fund. Retrieved from: https://www.ploughshares.org/ issues-analysis/article/war-we-never-should-have-waged.
Ploughshares Fund, (2015). Ploughshares Fund Annual Report 2015, Ploughshares Fund. Retrieved from: https:// www. ploughshares. org/ content/ annual- report-2015 and https:// www.ploughshares.org/ sites/ default/ files/resources/Ploughshares-AR-2015-web-version.pdf
Ploughshares Fund. (2016). Ploughshares Fund Annual Report 2016. Ploughshares Fund. Retrieved from: http:// www. ploughshares. org/ sites/ default/ files/Ploughshares_ AR2016.pdf Accessed on (6/11/2017).
Rethink Media. (2019) “Our Partners & the Collaboratives We Serve.” Retrieved from: https://rethinkmedia.org/partners.
Rockefeller Brothers, (n.d.). About Rockefeller Brothers, Retrieved from: https:// www.rbf.org/about.
Rondeau, (2015, October 2). House of Bribes: How the United States Led the Way to a Nuclear Iran, The Post Mail. Retrieved from: https:// www. thepostemail.com/2015/10/02/house-of-bribes-how-the-united-states-led-the-way-to-a-nuclear-iran/.
Rozen, L. (2015, March 5). America’s most prominent group advocating engagement with Iran was hit with Business Insider’s rough court decision. Retrieved from: https:// www. businessinsider. com/ americas- most-prominent- group-advocating-engagement-with-iran-was-hit-with-a-rough-court-decision-2015-3.
Samuels, D. (2016, May 5). The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign-Policy Guru. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https:// www. nytimes. com/2016/05/08/magazine/the-aspiring-novelist-who-became-obamas- foreign-policy-guru.html.
Scribd. (2014). “Spring Democracy Alliance Portfolio Snapshot.” http://www. scribd.com/ doc/ 224397893/ Spring- 2014- Democracy- Alliance-Portfolio- Snapshot Accessed on (6/11/2017).
Sharlamanov, K. & Demiri, B. (2018), Concept of Power in Castells Communication Theory; International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 9 (9).
Shear, M., (2010, October 20). Soros Donates 1 Million to Media Matters, New York Times, Retrieved from https:// thecaucus. blogs. nytimes. com/ 2010/10/20/ soros- donates- 1- million- to-media- matters/? mtrref= undefined& gwh= 2A45EB347C346353028F884B235AB8EA&gwt=pay.
Small, M. (1998, June 1). The Early Years, The Atlantic Council. Retrieved from: https://www.nato.int/acad/fellow/96-98/small.pdf.
Smerconish, M. (2015, March 9). “Hewlett Foundation seeks spirit of cooperation in Congress”. Arizona Daily Star.
Smith, L. (2015, September 1). Meet the Iran Lobby. Tablet Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/193235/meet-the-iran-lobby?utm_source=tabletmagazinelist&utm_campaign= 05aa 0f4004- Tuesday_ September_ 1_20159_1_2015& utm_ medium= email&utm_ term=0_c308bf8edb-05aa0f4004-207127641.
Staff, T. (2016, May 23). Where did Ploughshares get its money to sell the Iran deal? https:// www. timesofisrael. com/where-did-ploughshares-get-its-money- to-sell-the-Iran-deal/.
The Atlantic Council, (n.d. a). About the Council. Retrieved from: https:// www. atlanticcouncil.org/about, Accessed in 2019.
The Atlantic Council, (n.d. b). Retrieved from: https://112.international/ profiles/atlantic-council-840.html Accessed in 2019.
The International Crisis Group. (n.d.). Preventing War. Shaping Peace. https:// www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are.
The International Crisis Group. (2015, September 17). The Iran Nuclear Talks, Retrieved from: https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/iran/iran-nuclear-talks
The Iran Project, (n.d.). Letters Supporting Diplomacy. Retrieved from: http:// iranprojectfcsny.org/letters-to-us-leadership/ Accessed in 2019.
The Guardian, (2016, May 21). A Group that pushed for Iran nuclear deal gave NPR $100,000 to support reporting. Retrieved from: https://www. theguardian. com/ media/2016/may/21/ npr-funding-iran- nuclear-deal-ploughshares.
Toosi, N. (2015a, August 3). “Iran Deal Congress Donors Support Democrats.” Politico. Retrieved from: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/iran-deal-congress-donors-support-democrats-120938.
Toosi, N. (2015b, August 17). Calling in the God squad to save the Iran deal; Faith-based groups push a coordinated campaign in support of the nuclear agreement with Tehran. Retrieved from: https://www.politico.com/story/ 2015/08/iran-deal-faith-based-groups-coordinated-campaign-121454
Unclassified U.S. Department of States Cases (2015, August 31). Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05773678, Retrieved from: https:// foia. state. gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_August_Web/IPS-0114/ DOC_0C05773678/C05773678.pdf#page=1&zoom=auto, -15,799.
Vadum, M. (2017). Team Jihad: How Sharia-Supremacists Collaborate with Leftists to Destroy the United States. Center for Security Studies.
Vaez, A. (2015d, July 14). Understanding Iran’s nuclear program. Crisis Group. Retrieved from: https:// www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/ gulf- and- arabian- peninsula/ iran/understanding-iran-s-nuclear-program, Retrieved in 12/20/2018.
Vogel, K., P. (2014). “Inside the Vast Liberal Conspiracy.” Politico. Retrieved from: http:// www.politico.com/ story/2014/06/insidethe-vast-liberal-conspiracy- 108171.html.
Weisman, J., & Confessore, N. (2015). “Donors Descend on Schumer and Others in Debate on Iran.” The New York Times. Retrieved from: https:// www. nytimes.com/ 2015/08/13/ us/politics/ in-efforts-to-sway-iran- debate- big-money-donors-are-heard.html? _r=0.
York, B. (2004, May 28). David Brock is Buzzing Again. National Review. Retrieved from: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=8514709.