1/ Today is the 1000th day after the murderous shooting of flight #PS752 by the IRGC.
A 🧵to remember the #IranLobby's reaction. I hope you'll distribute to media that continues to book these people/or ppl from orgs at which these people work.
2/ Let's start with Negar Mortazavi, who is regularly on television and newspapers commenting on Iran. This was her immediate take. (h/t @hafezeh_tarikhi)
The IRI's has issued an unprecedented" & "very responsible" statement that shows "good governance" and "transparency".
3/ Here is Dr. Narges Bajoghli, prof at Johns Hopkins & always in the press (quoted in the NYT today!)
Suggests Trump admin was responsible.
Something fishy was indeed happening. But in the early hours after the attack, she didn't entertain the possibility of IRI invovlement.
4/ Former NIAC employee suggesting this was about Boeing's stock price.
5/ Mr. Mohammad Ali Shabani (last check, SOAS PhD student) and @amwajmedia editor. Has published in the Guardian and elsewhere. "It's clear" it couldn't have been a missle.
Msg then endorsed by Mr. Adnan Tabatabi, also a SOAS grad and part of @theELN think tank.
6/ Author (formerly?) of BBC Persian Mr. Masoud Behnoud writes about those who said the IRI could be responsible:
"I'm left surprised how these 'political activists' and 'Iran lovers' and 'freedom lovers' have identified the reason for the incident and those responsible."
7/ Mr. Sina Toossi, then of NIAC. White House claims that IRI was responsible are "psychological warfare arimed at stirring discontent & unrest in Iran" which should be taken with a "huge grain of salt".
8/ Mr. Bijan Ahmadi, formerly of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) and now ED of the Instiute for Peace & Diplomacy, used the occasion to point out the effect of sanctions.
9/ Mr. Reza Marashi, formerly of NIAC, endorses Zarif's message and blames not the IRI, but the "lack of diplomatic engagement" between the US and the Iranian regime.
10/ Ms. Saman Tabasinejad on the Iranian Canadian Congress board (she is still there) claims that this is the "cost of war" and that we should focus on "no war with Iran." No mention of the IRGC or potential regime responsibility.
11/ Mr. Pouyan Tabasinejad, brother of the above mentioned Saman, on the Iranian Canadian Congress board at the time of the attack.
Focused on sanctions, blaming Ukrainian Airlines for taking off, blaming Trump and Iran's *civil* aviation authorites (not IRGC)
12/ I put this thread out partly for accountability, but partly so that the media & policymakers know who these people are and what positions they've advanced. There's a reason the West has gotten Iran so wrong for so long. They've been listening to people like this. /End
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