Source: American Iranian Council (AIC)

On August 1, 2009, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi, AIC President, wrote to President Obama to bring to his attention the human tragedy that plane crashes have brought to the Iranian people and visitors who travel to Iran. In tune with Obama's "hope" and "change" slogans, he urged the President to help mitigate this calamity by lifting sanctions on the sale of American-made civilian planes and spare parts.  The letter, entitled "Iranian Lives and American Spare Parts: An Open Letter to President Obama," is reproduced below.  We then followed the idea with several "Shuttle Diplomacy" meetings (as part of an AIC 2009 Track-II Project).

Iranian civilian plane crashes have increased by five times since the 1980s, and since 2001, 15 major civilian planes have crashed. Seven of these planes were American Boeing jets and Lockheed C-130s, arguably the safest aircrafts available. Yet, they have frequently crashed due to "mechanical failures."

We are pleased that our call is being heard in Washington. Specifically, the Obama Administration has stated that if Iran were to request safety of flight waivers for repairs/overhaul of its civilian passenger aircraft not involved in military purposes, the United States would be very forthcoming, with the simple and obviously necessary proviso that the parts are replaced outside Iran so the old parts cannot be re-used in military aircraft.  The statement goes on to say that it is not about the U.S. refusing to grant the waivers; Iran has to ask for them first. At AIC, we believe that these so-called conditions should not create an obstacle.

Iran has in the past objected to such conditions. For example, Iran did not accept the conditional license that the US issued in 2006, to an American company for the repair and overhaul of a limited number of U.S. manufactured civil aero turbine engines on Airbus aircraft operated by Iran Air.  We believe and hope that this time Iran will put forth the request given its tragic aviation conditions. The 5+1 Group's Refreshed Incentives Package (June 2008) also includes provisions "enabling Iran to renew its civilian aviation fleet" and "assisting Iran to ensure that Iranian aircraft meet international safety standards."

Iranian civilian plane crashes have increased by five times since the 1980s, and since 2001, 15 major civilian planes have crashed. Seven of these planes were American Boeing jets and Lockheed C-130s, arguably the safest aircrafts available. Yet, they have frequently crashed due to "mechanical failures." Iranian civilian plane crashes have increased by five times since the 1980s, and since 2001, 15 major civilian planes have crashed. Seven of these planes were American Boeing jets and Lockheed C-130s, arguably the safest aircrafts available. Yet, they have frequently crashed due to "mechanical failures."

Iranian Lives and American Spare Parts: An Open Letter to President Obama

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President,

I write to bring to your attention a human tragedy that plane crashes have brought to the Iranian people and visitors who travel to Iran. In tune with your "hope" and "change" slogans, I also write to urge that you help mitigate this calamity by lifting sanctions on the sale of American-made civilian planes and spare parts to Iran.

As you consider this request, Mr. President, please remember that an increasing number of Iranian-Americans and Americans also travel to Iran and that they and their Iranian loved ones must also fly these extremely unsafe Iranian planes. Protecting the lives of these citizens is, Mr. President, among your most basic Constitutional duties.

Mr. President, your humanitarian gesture will be greatly appreciated by the Iranian people on both sides of the post-election struggle, particularly by those fighting for their citizenship rights on the streets of Iran. Please keep in mind that the fallen icons of that struggle, as well as those serving prison terms, could have been in one of those crashed planes!  (Read the full letter)
 

Sincerely,

Hooshang Amirahmadi, PhD
Professor, Rutgers University
President, American Iranian Council
hooshang@amirahmadi.com
www.amirahmadi.com

... Payvand News - 09/14/09 ... --

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