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Is the State Department Dragging Its Feet on Democracy Promotion in Iran?

9:31 AM, Oct 24, 2005 • By DANIEL MCKIVERGAN
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USA Today reports that

six months after announcing a plan to give $3 million to promote democracy in Iran, the State Department has yet to spend the money….

Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said the delay is bureaucratic. "There are no outside political considerations affecting these decisions," he said.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who put the $3 million in the budget, expressed frustration with the delay. "This money should be made available immediately for those seeking to express their opposition to the hard-line Islamic government and to promote internationally recognized human rights," he said.