Radio Farda reporter says US statements undermine cause in Iran

A reporter for Radio Farda, the US-funded Farsi infotainment station aimed at Iran, says that the Bush Administration's open statements about democracy in that country are counterproductive and undermine democratic forces.

The reporter, Parnaz Azima (pictured), was one of four Iranian-Americans imprisoned recently in Iran, and is the only one to have been freed. "The open announcements about funding democracy in Iran have angered the [Iranian] government, and now they have one goal - to crush those activities and to put pressure on the Iranian activists, especially those who are inside Iran," Azima tells WTOP radio in a report carried by AP.

After years of lacking an Iran policy, the administration came out strong to push for $66 million to $75 million for democratization programs in Iran. Democratic activists in Iran urged officials not to be so public, saying the statements would give the regime the pretext to clamp down - which is exactly what has happened.

The headline on the AP report appears to be the product of a careless copy editor. Today's Washington Post carries a headline that is flat-out wrong: "Iran Detainee Urges US to End Democracy Effort." In fact, Azima said she was urging the US not to be so public about its work in Iran.