FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> CONTACT: Eric Sutton
> Tuesday, March 26, 2002
> (302) 651-0260
>
> (302) 438-1725
>
> Senator Biden Attended Pro-Iran Fundraiser Two Weeks After
> White House Blasted Iran for Aiding Al-Qaeda Terrorists
> Biden Raised An Estimated $24,000 In Campaign Funds from Top Iranian
> Lobbyist
>
> WILMINGTON-Delaware Republican Chairman Everett Moore today criticized
> Senator Biden for holding a February 19th campaign fundraiser at the
> California home of Dr. Sadegh Namazi-khah, a strong supporter of the
> Tehran regime and leading Pro-Iran lobbyist. Moore called on Biden to
> return the estimated $24,000 raised for the senator's campaign coffers.
>
> "I can't believe that Senator Biden would have a fundraiser at the home of
> a Pro-Tehran lobbyist two weeks after the White House made it abundantly
> clear that Iran was aiding the Al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan." stated
> Delaware GOP Chairman Everett Moore. "Frankly, I am appalled that Senator
> Biden would have the audacity as the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman to
> take money from a lobbyist supporting a country that brutalizes women,
> ignores human rights, and endorses terrorism."
>
> Moore went on to state that he was both disappointed and outraged by the
> whole situation.
>
> "Senator Biden should return the campaign money and apologize to the
> American people for taking it in the first place, especially apologize to
> the many Iranian Americans living in this country who reject the Tehran
> regime."
>
> Two weeks before the Biden fundraiser, Bush officials accused Iran of
> supplying arms, money and training to an Afghan militia commander in
> western Afghanistan in order to fuel opposition to the U.S.-supported
> interim government in Kabul led by Hamid Karzai.
>
> On February 3rd, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld accused Iran of
> helping Taliban and al Qaeda fighters flee a U.S. military assault on
> Afghanistan. "We have any number of reports that Iran has been permissive
> and allowed transit through their country of al Qaeda," he said on ABC's
> "This Week."
>
> On February 1st, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice condemned Iran
> for their support of global terrorism and determination of obtaining
> weapons of mass destruction. "Iran's direct support of regional and global
> terrorism, and its aggressive efforts to acquire weapons of mass
> destruction, belie any good intentions it displayed in the days after the
> world's worst terrorist attacks in history," national security adviser
> Condoleezza Rice said.
> ________________________________________________
> 1 Washington Times, Iran Aids Terrorists Flight, February 4, 2002
> 2 Washington Post, Alan Sipress Bush's Speech Shuts Door on Tenuous
> Opening to Iran, February 4, 2002; Page A10
> 3 Ibid
>
>
> Page 2 Senator Biden Held Pro-Iran Fundraiser Two Weeks After White House
> Blasted Iran for Aiding Al-Qaeda Terrorists
>
> "Before Senator Biden goes endorsing the Iran government and taking money
> from their supporters here, he should tell them to hand over the
> terrorists who have killed countless Americans and stop aiding al Qaeda
> forces." said Moore.
>
> According to Insight magazine, several participants who paid to attend the
> event stated that Biden arrived at 8 p.m., stayed until 11p.m. and
> delivered a sweeping condemnation of President George W. Bush's "Axis of
> Evil" formula.
>
> "No wonder Senator Biden strongly opposed the President's remark that Iran
> was part of the 'Axis of Evil'," stated Chairman Moore. "Clearly, the
> pro-Iran lobbyist was attempting to buy Senator Biden's influence as
> chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee by contributing to his
> re-election campaign. With Biden's relentless support of Iran, it can be
> viewed as money well spent through the eyes of the Pro-Iran lobbyist."
>
> Last week Biden invited members of the Iranian parliament, which is
> dominated by Tehran supporters, for "a historic meeting" in Washington or
> anywhere else to discuss outstanding issues hampering U.S.-Iranian
> relations.
>
> According to Insight Magazine, Biden knew in advance about Dr. Namazi-khah
> and his Pro-Tehran background. On the eve of the fund-raiser, a Biden
> staffer told a prominent Iranian-American activist that the senator's
> staff "had all the facts necessary to make a decision," and he was
> planning to attend the fund-raiser despite the protests.
>
> "When we learned that Sen. Biden was planning to hold a fund-raiser at the
> California home of Dr. Sadegh Namazi-khah, we immediately contacted his
> office to express our dismay," a prominent Iranian-American activist tells
> Insight. Why dismay? "Dr. Namazi-khah is well-known in the Los Angeles
> area for his support of the ruling clerical regime in Tehran and is one of
> the regime's leading unofficial lobbyists in America. We thought that Sen.
> Biden might not know his background.
>
> Just last Wednesday, Dr. Zalmay Khaliazad, a top Bush foreign policy
> advisor and the President's Special Envoy to Afghanistan, told the same
> pro-Tehran lobbying group that the Iranian government is sheltering Al
> Qaeda terrorists and continues to support other international terrorist
> groups, despite explicit U.S. requests to stop.
>
> "The policies of the current regime both at home and abroad are
> responsible for the poor state of the country's economy and the hostile
> relations with the United States," Mr. Khalilzad said
>
> ###
> ________________________________________________________
> 4 Insight Magazine, Kenneth Timmerman, Biden Buddies Up To Pro-Iran
> Lobby, March 4, 2002
> 5 Washington Post, Afshin Valinejad, Iran's Leader Rejects U.S. Talks,
> March 19, 2002
> 6 Insight Magazine, Kenneth Timmerman, Biden Buddies Up To Pro-Iran
> Lobby, March 4, 2002
> 7 Insight Magazine, Kenneth Timmerman, The Truth About Iran, March 15,
> 2002
>
>
> Supporting Document:
> Biden Buddies Up to Pro-Iran Lobbyist
> http://www.insightmag.com/main.cfm/include/detail/storyid/195020.html
>