On Tuesday, there was a United States House of Representatives floor vote on H.Res 676, a resolution praising recent protests in Iran and condemning the Iran government.
The resolution includes language stating the House “stands with” the protestors who are termed “the people of Iran” suggesting in obvious contradiction to reality that all or most people in the country are taking part in the protests or even just supporting the protests; condemning the Iran government (called a “regime” to make clear it is viewed as illegitimate and worthy of overthrow as were “regimes” in Iraq and Libya) for “serious human rights abuses against the Iranian people, significant corruption, and destabilizing activities abroad;” encouraging the Trump administration to aid Iran government opponents through expediting the licensing of communications technology in Iran; urging the Trump administration to use “targeted sanctions” to counter Iran; and urging the Trump administration to “convene emergency sessions of the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council to condemn the ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian regime and establish a mechanism by which the Security Council can monitor such violations.”
In short, the resolution is another step in the process of fabricating justifications for the US attempting to overthrow a foreign nation that poses no threat to the American people. And included are justifications rooted in the “democracy promotion” and “humanitarian intervention” policies pursued by the Obama administration and since embraced in the Trump administration.
Anti-Iran legislation was a staple in Congress during Obama’s presidency as well. Two examples from 2013 that had overwhelming support are HR 850 that passed with just 20 “no” votes in the House and S.Res. 65 that the Senate unanimously approved. Ron Paul Institute Executive Director Daniel McAdams discussed those votes in articles here and here.
Only two House members voted against the resolution this week: Reps. Walter Jones (R-NC) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).
Jones and Massie are members of the Ron Paul Institute Advisory Board.
