Letters

(Copyright (c) 2007. The Jerusalem Report)

Dubai Workshop

Your article, "The Tehran Tunnel" (Cover, Feb. 19) contained false claims about our organization, the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, and a workshop in Dubai that we were asked to organize in April 2005. The article speculated that this workshop was done in conjunction with the CIA or some other agency of the U.S. government. In fact, our Center has never had any contact with the CIA and has not collaborated with any agency of the U.S. government on any workshop.

The Dubai workshop was organized in response to the interest of Iranians in learning about nonviolent action. It furnished information about the concepts, history and past cases in which nonviolent civic movements prevailed over various forms of dictatorship and oppression, and all participants showed enthusiasm and appreciation for the content.

Also contrary to the article's claims, the workshop organizers disclosed the name of our center and used their own names and not aliases. Participants were not "taught how to compose revolutionary slogans" or "how to encrypt information," and no participant was offered help in leaving Iran.

Readers can reach their own conclusions about our center by examining our website, at http://www.nonviolent-conflict.org. Our purposes, activities and finances are fully a matter of public record.

Jack DuVall
President, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict Washington, D.C.