Liberating Iran

Joshua S. Block’s “EU appeasement of Iran” (Observations, January 19) calls for more effective sanctions to impact European companies and help bring about the end of Iran’s fascist regime. Unfortunately, past experience has shown that sanctions alone are not enough.

The way to dislodge Iran’s ruling clique is via elections that include a wide array of candidates reflecting the diverse sentiments of Iran’s population, and not just the narrow slate approved by the Revolutionary Council. Of course, the mullahs would never approve of such a profanation of their divine mandate – they know that after almost four decades of religious repression, the population is fed up and many secular politicians would likely be swept into office, effectively ending the current reign of domestic and international terror.

Iran has a working electoral infrastructure; all that is needed is the will to use it fairly. That’s where the US can help by making a non-negotiable demand that Iran open up the field of candidates, and then back up this demand with force. There is no need to invade with troops; cruise missiles aimed at Iran’s military infrastructure will work just fine. We should have no qualms about using gunboat diplomacy against the criminals in Tehran.

Democratization has an excellent chance to work. The Iranian people are relatively educated, progressive and pro-West. Studies by the ADL have shown that Iran has the lowest rate of antisemitism among Muslim countries.

We in the US should not let our frustration with failures in Iraq and Afghanistan blind us to the current opportunity to liberate a great country from its reactionary yoke. DAVID KATCOFF Charleston, South Carolina