Something OWicked This Way Comes

clipped from atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com The sign reads: PLEASE RESTRAIN YOURSELF FROM KILLING US. THANK YOU. THE PEOPLE OF IRAN Photo hat tip Banafsheh Congressional Research Service report--May 19, 2009-- Obama has hung the Iranian democracy protesters out to dry in the 2010 budget. Wicked. Page 44: As shown, $67 million has been appropriated for Iran democracy promotion ($19.6 million through DRL and $48.6 million through the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs/USAID). Of that, as of October 2008, $42.7 million has been obligated, and $20.8 million disbursed. Additional funds, discussed in the chart below, have been appropriated for cultural exchanges, public diplomacy, and broadcasting to Iran. However, the Obama Administration did not request funding for democracy promotion in Iran in its FY2010 budget request, an indication that the new Administration views this effort as inconsistent with its belief in dialogue with Iran.