1/ The #EuropeIranBusinessForum is kicking off just as Iran's regime announced its brazen killing of journalist #RouhollahZam. So it's a good time to consider
the widespread role of IRI money and IRI family members in Western think tanks, NGOs & media.
1/ The #EuropeIranBusinessForum is kicking off just as Iran's regime announced its brazen killing of journalist #RouhollahZam. So it's a good time to considerthe widespread role of IRI money and IRI family members in Western think tanks, NGOs & media.
1/ The #EuropeIranBusinessForum is kicking off just as Iran's regime announced its brazen killing of journalist #RouhollahZam. So it's a good time to considerthe widespread role of IRI money and IRI family members in Western think tanks, NGOs & media.
2/ Just one example:
Amir Handjani reportedly made a fortune in business in the MidEast as, among other things, president of PG International Commodity Trading, which, according to public records, conducts sanctions-exempt trade with Iran on behalf of @Cargill.
3/ He's wealthy enough to own, among other assets I'm sure, a $10.5m condo in Manhattan.
https://www.realtyhop.com/property-records/new-york-ny/search?q=Amirali+Handjani
4/ His other significant source of money seems to be oil trading. He is Director of RAK Petroleum.
RAK stands for Ras al-Khaima, the UAE Emirate widely used by Iranian business people to evade sanctions and stash money.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-central-bank-iran-sanctions-evasion-fincen-report
4/ His other significant source of money seems to be oil trading. He is Director of RAK Petroleum. RAK stands for Ras al-Khaima, the UAE Emirate widely used by Iranian business people to evade sanctions and stash money. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-central-bank-iran-sanctions-evasion-fincen-report
4/ His other significant source of money seems to be oil trading. He is Director of RAK Petroleum. RAK stands for Ras al-Khaima, the UAE Emirate widely used by Iranian business people to evade sanctions and stash money. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-central-bank-iran-sanctions-evasion-fincen-report
5/ Handjani has spoken to business conferences promoting business in Iran.
6/ So, you can guess where this story is gonna go:
Here is Handjani writing op-eds with NIAC staff on why there should be more business with Iran.
7/ And here he is making a $10K donation to NIAC.
8/ NIAC’s @tparsi regularly amplified Handjani’s advocacy against pressuring Iran, never disclosing the thousands of dollars that were donated and the inherent conflict of interest. Much of Handjani’s “analysis” has proven demonstrably false
8/ NIAC’s @tparsi regularly amplified Handjani’s advocacy against pressuring Iran, never disclosing the thousands of dollars that were donated and the inherent conflict of interest. Much of Handjani’s “analysis” has proven demonstrably false
8/ NIAC’s @tparsi regularly amplified Handjani’s advocacy against pressuring Iran, never disclosing the thousands of dollars that were donated and the inherent conflict of interest. Much of Handjani’s “analysis” has proven demonstrably false
8/ NIAC’s @tparsi regularly amplified Handjani’s advocacy against pressuring Iran, never disclosing the thousands of dollars that were donated and the inherent conflict of interest. Much of Handjani’s “analysis” has proven demonstrably false
9/ Handjani has also been a major donor to the @AtlanticCouncil to fund “The Future of Iran Initiative” projected headed by @barbaraslavin1. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/support-the-council/honor-roll-of-contributors-2019/
Honor roll of contributors - Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council is grateful for the generous support it receives from private foundations; US and non-US government agencies, companies, and individuals. These supporters enable the Council to...

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/support-the-council/honor-roll-of-contributors-2019/
10/ Public records seem to show that he has contributed at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to this @barbaraslavin1 initiative (along with the aforementioned donations to NIAC)
10/ Public records seem to show that he has contributed at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to this @barbaraslavin1 initiative (along with the aforementioned donations to NIAC)
10/ Public records seem to show that he has contributed at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to this @barbaraslavin1 initiative (along with the aforementioned donations to NIAC)
10/ Public records seem to show that he has contributed at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to this @barbaraslavin1 initiative (along with the aforementioned donations to NIAC)
11/ In what may have been a quid pro quo, Handjani was made a Senior Fellow at @AtlanticCouncil , where he published articles advocating cooperation w/ the IRGC, & (without disclosing his conflict) opposing sanctions that would hurt his business interests. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-deal-commentary/commentary-a-year-after-nuclear-deal-sanctions-still-hurt-iran-idUSKCN0ZS2MJ
Commentary: A year after nuclear deal, sanctions still hurt Iran

It has been one year since Iran, the United States and five other world powers reached a landmark deal designed to limit Tehran’s nuclear program. In exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, the...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-deal-commentary/commentary-a-year-after-nuclear-deal-sanctions-still-hurt-iran-idUSKCN0ZS2MJ
12/ Aside: my favourite piece of his writing is when he compared Qassem Soleimani to the Dos Equis “most interesting man in the world."
(Original catchphrase: "I don't always slaughter Syrian children, but when I do, I prefer using chemical weapons.")
13/ With Handjani’s money, Slavin also regularly wrote against any kind of pressure/sanctions in Iran, regularly amplified Handjani’s advocacy, and never disclosed the conflict of interest.

https://twitter.com/search?lang=en&q=sanctions%20iran%20(from%3Abarbaraslavin1)&src=typed_query
14/ [Aside: Barbara Slavin seen here in her happy place]
14/ [Aside: Barbara Slavin seen here in her happy place]
14/ [Aside: Barbara Slavin seen here in her happy place]
15/ The are now active lawsuits alleging that Handjani was inolved in a hacking/disinformation/blackmail campaign against critics of the Iranian regime. The Atlantic Council seems to have cut Handjani loose. https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iranian-american-businessman-coordinated-with-uae-monarch-to-target-iran-critics-lawsuit-alleges/
Iranian-American Businessman Coordinated With UAE Wealth Fund to Target Iran Critics, Lawsuit...

An Iranian-American businessman tied to a network of pro-Tehran advocates coordinated with a Middle Eastern monarch to target prominent Americans.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iranian-american-businessman-coordinated-with-uae-monarch-to-target-iran-critics-lawsuit-alleges/
16/ Naturally, Handjani went to the Koch-funded place that's now home to Trita Parsi and every other apologist for dictatorship: the @QuincyInst https://twitter.com/QuincyInst/status/1299061095718584322?s=20
17/ That's right: the place whose employee (Koch-funded) @EliClifton writes "takedowns" about meager freelance money an activist like Masih Alinejad has received from USG welcomes a guy with shady financial ties. I'm waiting for Clifton's exposé of his colleagues.
18/ The reason this information is in a tweet thread, and not in the print media, is that numerous reporters at major media outlets refuse to write about it despite knowing the facts (some are actively in cahoots with the #IranLobby; some are afraid of it.)
19/ Yet she same folks who regularly scrutinize the funding of other think tanks, such as @mehdirhasan , host Parsi and Slavin on their programs without any questions asked. https://twitter.com/XiyueWang9/status/1333875450481942530?s=20
20/ This is just one example. There are many others (like the biz analyst whose pro-engagement work is to benefit his Western tobacco clients. More on him soon, hopefully)
The #IranLobby is a network of financial/think tank/media interests. And it needs to be exposed.
/End
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