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Sheehan Speaks in U.S. Senate on Iran Policy

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On March 25, 2015, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan – Associate Professor of Public and International Affairs – spoke at a bipartisan congressional briefing in the United States Senate on a panel featuring Senator Joseph Lieberman (former candidate for Vice President of the United States), Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Gary Peters, and distinguished military leaders and academics. Dr. Sheehan’s talk addressed matters related to the ongoing P5+1 nuclear discussions with Iran and the prospect of regime change from within.

Dr. Sheehan is the Director of the graduate programs in Negotiations and Conflict Management and Global Affairs and Human Security in the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore.

Several of his recently authored studies on U.S.-Iran policy can be accessed @:

SHEEHAN: What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran | Digest of Middle East Studies | Fall 2014 | Vol. 23, Issue 2

SHEEHAN: Balancing Ends, Ways, and Means: The Case for Reviving Support for “Regime Change from Within” in Iran | The Journal on Terrorism and Security Analysis | Syracuse University | Spring 2015 | 10th Edition

For additional research or media related updates or to learn more, follow Dr. Sheehan on Twitter @ProfSheehan or link to his research profiles.

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SHEEHAN: Balancing Ends, Ways, and Means: The Case for Reviving Support for ‘Regime Change from Within’ in Iran | The Journal on Terrorism and Security Analysis | Syracuse University | Spring 2015 | 10th Edition

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SHEEHAN: Balancing Ends, Ways, and Means: The Case for Reviving Support for “Regime Change from Within” in Iran | The Journal on Terrorism and Security Analysis | Syracuse University | Spring 2015 | 10th Edition

As a March 31 deadline looms and world powers scramble to negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program – and on the heels of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warnings to a joint session of Congress this week – Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has published his latest paper titled Balancing Ends, Ways, and Means: The Case for Reviving Support for ‘Regime Change from Within’ in Iran in The Journal on Terrorism and Security Analysis (Syracuse University). In the paper he argues that “the U.S. needs to abandon the idea that pressure on Iran in the form of support for “regime change from within” will only derail talks. As Kenneth Pollack has pointed out, Iran does not moderate when the pressure is off but when it is high.

Excerpt: The regime’s expanding use of proxies to destabilize its neighbors is another matter of urgent concern. Iran still provides small arms shipments and training to the Taliban in Afghanistan. In addition, and despite its pledge to support Iraq’s stabilization, it gives regular guidance and training to Shia militants in Iraq. It has also deployed several hundred military specialists, including senior Quds Force commanders to Syria and is believed to have spent billions of dollars to support the Assad regime as it continues its brutal crackdown on the Syrian people, a crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 civilians. Additionally, Iran has been sending weapons to secessionist movements to foment dissent and destabilize Yemen. These activities too are unlikely to stop in the presence of a nuclear deal, if one occurs. As Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, indicated as recently as November 2013, Iran is determined on “challenging the influence of America in the region and extending its own influence”and it does not appear to be inclined to change how it pursues its influence “one iota.” 

Further, to support these activities and defend against potential fallout, Iran has intensified a brutal crackdown on its own citizens. While the regime’s record on human rights has always been poor, its repression of ordinary Iranians reached new heights in the wake of the disputed elections of 2009. Protestors were arrested en masse, tortured, raped and killed in prison. Today, as many as 500 Iranian dissidents, including minority rights and women’s activists, are still behind bars. Leading opposition figures such as Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard have now been held under house arrest for three years without charges or trial, and “despite President Rouhani’s numerous promises to respect people’s rights following his June 2013 electoral victory,” serious rights abuses continue. One of the most alarming trends is the surge in executions. Iran is now ranked number one, above China, in executions per capita. According to Ahmed Shaheed, Iran’s UN special rapporteur for human rights, 176 people were put to death in January, February, and early March of 2014 alone. Several were executed in public and many sources believe the numbers are much higher. According to other reports, including the Human Rights Documentation Center, more than 500 people have been executed since Rouhani took office. These trends, coupled with the regime’s record of arbitrary detention and unfair trials, discrimination against minorities, mistreatment of political prisoners and restrictions on freedom of expression, led the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to deliver a sharp rebuke to Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, as recently as March 2014. The problem is that such abuses not only affect individuals and communities. In “a world of complex interdependencies and trans-border activities,” they also have “spillover effects.” In particular they can increase the flow of refugees with destabilizing effects in neighboring countries. In addition, as Tim Dunne points out they “diminish the constraining capacity of key norms” and in the process give a “green light” to other states to engage in similar repression in blatant violation of international standards of behavior.

Access a full PDF of the newly published article here.

For additional research or media related updates or to learn more, follow Dr. Sheehan on Twitter @ProfSheehan.

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Sheehan to Speak at Syracuse University National Security Studies Conference

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to speak at a conference – The Global Threat: Emerging Issues in National Security – hosted by the prestigious Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University on February 27-28, 2015.

Dr. Sheehan is also scheduled to speak next week at the 2015 Annual Conference of the International Studies Association (ISA) in New Orleans and the week after at the 2015 Middle East Dialogue (MED) conference hosted by the Policy Studies Organization in Washington, D.C.

For additional research or media related updates or to learn more, follow Dr. Sheehan on Twitter @ProfSheehan.

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SHEEHAN: What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran | Digest of Middle East Studies | Oct 14

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SHEEHAN: What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran | Digest of Middle East Studies | Fall 2014 | Vol. 23, Issue 2

Digest of Middle East Studies (DOMES); Copyright © Wiley / Policy Studies Organization; Fall 2014; Vol. 23, Issue 2; Pgs. 385-403

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is published in the fall 2014 issue of the Digest of Middle East Studies, a peer-reviewed journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Policy Studies Organization. Dr. Sheehan’s latest study — What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran — clarifies the contested concept of regime change from within via Tehran’s organized opposition and makes contributions to the concept’s formation to increase its policy relevance and classificatory significance.

Abstract: The use of the phrase “regime change from within” has surged in recent years in media, policy, and opposition discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. But what does “regime change from within” actually mean? Is it just a script to encourage the aspirations of a people, or can it be defined with more specificity? This article argues that to be of value as a concept and the basis for articulate policy, “regime change from within” needs to be better defined. To bring greater clarity to the term, the article tries to unpack the concept by disaggregating it into three analytically separable problem components: the “regime,” “change,” and “from within.” Drawing on the case of Iran, I argue that although most of the current debate around the concept is on the “from within” component, the definitional choices that need more discussion are the “regime” and “change” aspects of the phrase.

Excerpt | What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran | Digest of Middle East Studies | F.14 | Vol. 23, Issue 2 –

[The concept of] ‘regime change from within’ has been employed for an array of very disparate processes — as a holder for democracy promotion efforts from outside a country as well as indigenous efforts that exclude outside intervention, to highlight the need for radical change and more vaguely to call for continuous reform. But to be of value as a concept and the basis for articulate policy, a term needs to have some degree of specificity of meaning, some shared consensus. Otherwise, it just becomes a proverbial “you know it when you see it” concept that is difficult to distinguish from other types of political phenomena.

To address this gap and bring greater clarity to the concept, this article looks at some of the definitional choices that need to be addressed to come to a consensus on the meaning of “regime change from within.” Using the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I show how different decisions about what constitutes “regime change from within” could lead to very different conceptualizations in empirical cases…

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Sheehan to Speak at International Studies Association Conferences in 2014 & 2015

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to speak at several international meetings organized by the International Studies Association in 2014 and 2015. In addition to delivering papers, Dr. Sheehan has also been asked to serve as a chair and discussant for panels on a range of topics related to his research. Panel I / Panel II / Panel III

2015 International Studies Association 56th Annual Convention
Global IR & Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for Int’l Studies
New Orleans, Louisiana / #PDF
February 18th – 21st, 2015

  • International Studies Association’s 56th Annual Convention, Global IR and Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for International Studies. “What is “Regime Change from Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran.” At Panel on “Vying for regional supremacy in the Middle East: Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey,” New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2015.
  • Chair, International Studies Association’s 56th Annual Convention, Global IR and Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for International Studies. At Panel on “Networks, violence and non-state actors,” New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2015.
  • Discussant, International Studies Association’s 56th Annual Convention, Global IR and Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for International Studies. At Panel on “Effective Counterterrorism Strategies: Causes, Connections, and Innovations,” New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2015.

2014 International Studies Association Northeast Annual Conference
Concept & Conceptualization in International Relations
Baltimore, Maryland / #PDF
November 7th – 8th, 2014

  • International Studies Association (Northeast Regional Meeting), At Panel on Conflict and Healing. “Untangling the Concept of Regime Change from Within,” Baltimore, MD, November 7-8, 2014.
  • Chair/ Discussant, International Studies Association (Northeast Regional Meeting), At Panel on Terrorism, September 15, 2014, Baltimore, MD, November 7-8, 2014.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

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SHEEHAN: Iran is the Real Middle East Threat | The Hill | Commentary

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Press Release -- International Affairs Professor: U.S. Must Keep an Eye on Iran

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SHEEHAN: Iran is the Real Middle East Threat | The Hill | Commentary

While presenting at the World Congress of Middle East Studies in Turkey on August 19, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan published an article in the congressional newspaper The Hill on Iraq, Iran, ISIS and the growing unrest on the Iraqi street. In the article, he questioned whether White House officials have a plan to counter the larger threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“…U.S. policy on Iran must ensure significant consequence for continued Iranian interference in Iraq. The failure to act against Assad by enforcing the red line in Syria or push back on Putin’s adventures in Ukraine diminished U.S. credibility and squandered valuable influence. But Congress can correct these missteps by insisting that the White House lean in on Iran by giving the ayatollahs a new problem to keep them busy.

Since Tehran fears internal threats more than external ones, U.S. legislators should embrace a policy of regime change from within via Iran’s organized opposition.

Obama’s declaration that there is no military solution to Iraq’s troubles and that a legitimate Iraqi government must be established is an accurate diagnosis insofar as it goes. But the intoxication resulting from a combination of U.S. impotence, Iranian interference, and Iraqi frustration will only lead to continued regional instability.

Solving the Iraq puzzle requires that U.S. officials double down on the real threat in the Middle East and increase the prospect of collapse in Tehran.” #PDF

You can learn more about Dr. Sheehan’s recent media appearances in a University of Baltimore press release.

Please also stay tuned for forthcoming publications in fall 2014 on topics related to regime change in Iran and suicide terrorism.

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Sheehan Interviewed on Iranian Nuclear Crisis

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan was recently interviewed by the University of Baltimore Magazine on the Iranian nuclear situation and a monograph authored with Ambassador Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr. titled The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) – Shackled by a Twisted History. Several thousand copies of the monograph were provided to members of Congress, White House officials, and the Intelligence Community.

You can read Dr. Sheehan’s Foreword here.

The monograph received endorsements from senior former US officials, including:

  • General George W. Casey, Jr.
  • Lieutenant General Dell L. Dailey
  • General James L. Jones
  • Judge Michael B. Mukasey
  • Dr. Mitchell B. Reiss
  • Governor Bill Richardson

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Sheehan Presenting at 2014 World Congress of Middle Eastern Studies

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2014 World Congress of Middle East Studies / Strategies for Change in the Middle East: Clarifying the Contested Concept of Regime Change from Within / Panel on Democracy and Reform in Iran from a Historical Perspective / August 18-22, 2014 / Middle East Technical University (METU)

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to Ankara, Turkey to present at the 2014 World Congress of Middle East Studies (WOCMES) between August 18-22, 2014. The symposium will be held at Middle East Technical University (METU), one of Turkey’s leading universities. Dr. Sheehan is scheduled to present a paper titled Strategies for Change in the Middle East: Clarifying the Contested Concept of Regime Change from Within.

Presentation Abstract: The term “regime change from within” has become increasingly popular in opposition and policy discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has also begun entering the academic literature. But what does it mean? Despite its increasing use “regime change from within” is rarely defined and scant scholarly attention to date has been paid to defining it. This is problematic since, as an “umbrella concept,” the term can be stretched to include a wide variety of discrepant processes. In fact, “regime change from within” has been used as a holder for democracy promotion efforts within a country that start both inside and outside a country, as well as indigenous efforts that exclude outside support, to highlight the need for radical change, and more vaguely to call for “continuous” change or reform. This paper argues that coherent strategic policy demands better articulation of the meaning of the term. As a first step, the paper traces the evolution of use of the term “regime change from within,” tries to unpack its components, and develops a preliminary framework that partitions the concept into ends (vision) and means (strategy) to assess its utility for policy.

Stay tuned for two forthcoming articles by Dr. Sheehan:

SHEEHAN: What is “Regime Change from Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran | Digest of Middle East Studies | Fall 2014

SHEEHAN: Balancing Ends, Ways, and Means: The Case for Reviving Support for “Regime Change from Within” in Iran | Under Review

More on Dr. Sheehan’s research can be found at the below links.

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Sheehan Published in New Book on Middle East

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, brussels, CIA, clinton, college of public affairs, conflict resolution, congress, council on foreign relations, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, data, debate, delisting, democracy, digest of middle east studies, diplomacy, dissident, DOMES, european union, evidence-based, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, framing, freedom, global, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, middle east dialogue, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, policy studies organization, politics, protest, rajavi, regime change, research, rhetoric, sanctions, scholarly, security studies, sheehan, social science, state department, teaching, tehran, terror tagging, terrorism, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, university of baltimore, unrest, war, weapons, westphalia press, zarif on June 19, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

New Directions in the Middle East Book Cover#Media / #News / #Scholarship / #Inquiries

New Directions in the Middle East / Edited by Mohammed M. Aman and Mary Jo Aman / Westphalia Press / ISBN/EAN13: 194147201X; 9781941472019 / 16 Jun 2014

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is published in a new book titled New Directions in the Middle East. The book presents articles based on papers delivered at the annual Middle East Dialogue held in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Digest of Middle East Studies (DOMES) and the Policy Studies Organization (PSO), and at the Conference of the Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA) held in Ifrane, Morocco. The authors suggest much needed and even radical reforms amidst a series of conflicts that include the standoff between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the role and impact of social media as empowered by technology, and citizens’ demands for political, economic, and social change. Those interested in crisis management and conflict resolution will find this a must read. The contributors represent an unusually wide variety of political and religious views and include a number who enjoy considerable standing in the Middle East.

“This exceptional work, composed of two volumes, ‘Middle East: Conflicts & Reforms’ and ‘New Directions in the Middle East’ is a magnum opus. In this book, edited by Mohammed M. Aman and Mary Jo Aman, the reader is introduced to a comprehensive and integrated erudite work addressed by a number of distinguished scholars from different disciplines dealing with the Middle East and North Africa, a most sensitive region of the world. The book identifies significant academic and public policy approaches as well as socio-economic, cultural, and political paradigms that bind together such timely topics as democracy, Islam, Islamism, sectarianism, secularism, globalism, modernity, Arab Spring, social justice, social media, leadership, women’s rights, and peace. The book offers a unique and compelling assessment of the future of the Middle East. Objectively written and eloquently presented, this book will enhance the scholarship of the Middle East and assist in the understanding the ability of political systems, government or state and non-government or civil society, in handling and managing current challenges facing the region.”

el-Sayed el-Aswad, Ph.D.
Prof. of Anthropology and Chair of Department of Sociology
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
United Arab Emirates University

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Sheehan Invited to Paris to Participate in 2014 Conference for Democratic Change in Iran

Posted in advisory board, analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, bipartisan, brussels, CIA, clinton, college of public affairs, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, european union, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, politics, preemptive, protest, qum, rajavi, regime change, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, syria, tehran, terrorism, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zarif on June 19, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to Paris as a guest of the Organizing Committee for the Convention of Democracy in Iran to serve as an Academic Observer at the largest gathering of the democratic Iranian opposition in exile on June 27, 2014. The event will feature remarks by leaders from more than fifty countries, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. policymakers, and distinguished academics from around the world. Democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the deteriorating situation in neighboring Iraq will be discussed.

Sheehan’s early work involved quantitative analyses of terrorism incident data and examined the impact of preemptive force on terrorist activity. Since this time, he has published on topics related to evidence-based counterterrorism policy, terrorism courses, terror tagging, counterinsurgency, suicide terrorism, and regime change from within. His latest work has involved both peer-reviewed scholarship and policy-oriented writing on the Islamic Republic of Iran, frequently cited as the most significant state-sponsor of contemporary terrorism, and their democratic political opposition.

On June 7, 2014, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan  was invited to sign a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama along with 37 distinguished former U.S. officials, senior military leaders, and prominent academics. The letter condemns the ongoing mistreatment of Iranian dissidents detained at Camp Liberty in Iraq, outlines the gross injustices faced by the residents, and calls on Mr. Obama to do more to ensure the prompt and safe resettlement of the Iranian exiles before any additional lives are lost.

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Sheehan Invited to Present at 2014 Political Studies Association Annual Conference

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, CIA, clinton, college of public affairs, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, deterrence, digest of middle east studies, diplomacy, dissident, DOMES, european union, evidence-based, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, framing, freedom, geneva, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, international studies association, iran, iraq, ISA, israel, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, middle east dialogue, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, peace, PMOI, policy, policy studies organization, political studies association, politics, preemptive, presidential election, protest, rajavi, regime change, research, sanctions, scholarly, security studies, sheehan, social media, social science, state department, strike, tehran, terrorism, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, united kingdom, university of baltimore, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zarif on April 5, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

The 64th Political Studies Association Annual Conference / Rebels & Radicals / April 14 – 16, 2014 / The Midland Hotel, Manchester, United Kingdom

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to present at the 64th Political Studies Association Annual Conference in Manchester, England between April 14-16, 2014. Dr. Sheehan will be discussing his research on the efforts of an Iranian opposition movement to challenge their terror label and shift the public discourse on the Iranian regime in the U.S. and the E.U. The panel – Social Media and Politics of Protest – will feature scholars from around the world. Related research undertaken by Dr. Sheehan has been presented at recent international conferences including the International Studies Association (Toronto) and the Middle East Dialogue/ Policy Studies Organization (Washington, DC). #AY 13-14 Updates

The Political Studies Association exists to enhance the study of politics. Founded in 1950, PSA is the leading Association in the field in the United Kingdom, with an international membership including academics in political science & current affairs, theorists & practitioners, policymakers & researchers.

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SHEEHAN: The Ivory Tower and the Iranian Regime | Townhall.com | Commentary

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, CIA, clinton, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, data, delisting, democracy, digest of middle east studies, diplomacy, dissident, DOMES, education, evidence-based, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, geneva, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, iran, iraq, israel, ivory tower, kerry, kristoff, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, nyt, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, politics, preemptive, protest, rajavi, regime change, research, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, tehran, terrorism, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zarif on March 4, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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SHEEHAN: The Ivory Tower and the Iranian Regime | Townhall.com | Commentary

In response to Nicholas Kristof’s recent column in The New York Times, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan weighs in at Townhall.com on why scholars should examine policy issues and inform the public discourse.

As Washington looks for fresh ideas on Iran policy in the lead up to the next round of nuclear discussions in March, policymakers would be wise to examine some of the sharpest thinkers on Iran and adopt policy prescriptions informed by scholarly analyses.

The unfortunate decision to investigate banality may be the characteristic that distinguishes the contemporary ivory tower from the public forum.

But not every intellectual suffers from the affliction and some have ideas that could inform policy decisions.

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Sheehan Policy Recommendations Featured on Iranian Television

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, brussels, chemical weapons, CIA, clinton, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, european union, farsi, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, geneva, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international security studies, iran, iraq, israel, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, peace, PMOI, policy, preemptive, protest, qum, rajavi, regime change, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, syria, tehran, terrorism, the hill, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zakaria, zarif on February 25, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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The segment featuring Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan begins at 00.45

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

UPDATE: 2/25 – See Farsi Translation

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Sheehan to Present at 2014 Middle East Dialogue

Posted in analysis, assad, baghdad, CIA, clinton, college of public affairs, congress, counterterrorism, covert, delisting, democracy, deterrence, digest of middle east studies, diplomacy, dissident, DOMES, education, european union, evidence-based, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, global, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, middle east dialogue, military, NCRI, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, peace, PMOI, policy, policy studies organization, politics, preemptive, protest, rajavi, regime change, research, sanctions, scholarly, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, tehran, terrorism, think-tank, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, university of baltimore, unrest, war, weapons, white house on February 20, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to deliver a talk at the 2014 Middle East Dialogue hosted by the Policy Studies Organization on February 27. Dr. Sheehan’s talk titled Clarifying a Contested Concept: Regime Change from Within will trace the evolution of the concept of regime change from within and argue that meaningful policy demands more precise articulation of the term. The conference, held at the Whittemore House in Washington, D.C. will feature scholars and policy analysts that address the event’s 2014 theme of Strategies for Change in the Middle East. Dr. Sheehan’s remarks at the 2013 Middle East Dialogue resulted in the publication of an article in the peer-reviewed journal, Digest of Middle East Studies.

Clarifying a Contested Concept: Regime Change from Within

The term “regime change from within” has become increasingly popular in opposition and policy discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has also begun entering the academic literature. But what does it mean? Despite its increasing use “regime change from within” is rarely defined and scant scholarly attention to date has been paid to defining it. This is problematic since, as an “umbrella concept,” the term can be stretched to include a wide variety of discrepant processes. In fact, “regime change from within” has been used as a holder for democracy promotion efforts within a country that start both inside and outside a country, as well as indigenous efforts that exclude outside support, to highlight the need for radical change, and more vaguely to call for “continuous” change or reform. This paper argues that coherent strategic policy demands better articulation of the meaning of the term. As a first step, the paper traces the evolution of use of the term “regime change from within,” tries to unpack its components, and develops a preliminary framework that partitions the concept into ends (vision) and means (strategy) to assess its utility for policy.

PSO/MED / Speaker Bios / Invitation

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SHEEHAN: Face the Facts on Iran Agreement | The Hill | Commentary

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, bipartisan, chemical weapons, CIA, clinton, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, european union, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, Fox, freedom, geneva, gingrich, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, israel, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, murder, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, politics, preemptive, protest, qum, rajavi, regime change, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, syria, tehran, terrorism, the hill, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, war, warships, weapons, white house, zakaria, zarif on February 20, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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SHEEHAN: Face the Facts on Iran Agreement | The Hill | Commentary

As world powers gather in Vienna to discuss a comprehensive agreement to curtail Tehran’s nuclear program, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is published in the The Hill on what Congress can do to correct White House missteps on Iran policy.

As the White House rolls the dice on a permanent pact and embraces the failed strategy of appeasement, Congress should place a check on the administration’s unwillingness to face the facts.

A nuclear compromise with Tehran will surrender the peace, not secure it. #PDF

UPDATE: 2/25 – This article was translated into Farsi and reprinted for a global audience. The policy recommendations were also featured Iranian National Television. Details soon.

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