Iranian Opposition Warns Against Stricter Sanctions

Thomas Erdbrink
The Washington Post
October 1, 2009

[efoods]As the United States and its allies consider further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fear that such punishment could have unintended consequences, strengthening the government’s hand against domestic dissent and triggering an even harsher crackdown on political foes.

On the eve of talks Thursday in Geneva between representatives of Iran and six world powers, Iranian opposition leaders, politicians and analysts warned that new financial or other penalties would hurt ordinary Iranians rather than change the government’s behavior.

Opposition leaders have denounced what they view as Ahmadinejad’s antagonistic foreign policy, but they are in no position to criticize the previously undisclosed construction near Qom of a second uranium-enrichment plant — the latest bone of contention between Iran and the West — for fear of being targeted as traitors to a national cause: the pursuit of nuclear energy and technological advancement.

Although there is general agreement that the opposition is in a tight spot, some analysts argue that tougher sanctions could fuel public discontent over existing economic difficulties, thwarting the government’s hopes of unifying people against foreign threats.

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