The U.S. Department of State can put effective education pressure on enemy countries. Leaders of the countries demonstrating aggressive rhetoric against the United States and our EU partners continue sending their children to study at the American and European educational institutions. Changing approach regarding students coming to the US and EU countries might change the hostile foreign policies of some states as well.
Following the heightened relations with Iran caused by radical pro-Iranian groups’ attack on the US Embassy in Iraq, further education opportunities provided for the Iranian leaders in the United States discredits our policy in the sphere.
Earlier the Department of State proceeded from the fact that by educating children of high-ranking officials from enemy countries or authoritarian countries one can create environment for formation of a new political elite in these states with views reflecting the values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.
However, the analysis shows the absolute majority of Western educational institutions’ graduates from countries with authoritarian regime do not belong to the members of the current political elite. They come back home where they make business in the foreign economic activity or start business in the West by using the contacts they have got during the study period. Children of ordinary citizens generally cannot afford to study abroad, and they do not have the opportunity to hold leadership positions in the native country.
Thus, the strategy to democratize authoritarian states by providing educational services to their leaders’ children failed. For example, Muammar Gaddafi’s son Hannibal studied in Copenhagen, Saif Al-Islam studied in Austria, and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un got his degree in Bern, Switzerland. However, this fact did not contribute to the establishment of a democratic regime either in the DPRK or Libya.
Another example. Uhuru Kenyatta, the recently elected Kenyan president under indictment by the International Criminal Court for allegedly organizing post-election violence in 2007 also studied in the US.
Yahya Jammeh, the Gambian president who seized power in a 1994 military coup, graduated from an American military academy, as did Ben Ali, the Tunisian strongman deposed in the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. And, famously, the leader of Egypt’s July 3, 2013 military coup and the public face of an administration that carried out massive killings to subdue protesters was a member of the U.S. War College Class of 2006. Current U.S.-tutored leaders like Egyptian Sisi have been accused of war crimes and accepting millions in bribes for construction contracts.
State Department protocol for reviewing student visa applications is drawn from the Immigration and Nationality Act, which contains language prohibiting drug traffickers, prostitutes, terrorists and assassins from receiving visas, as well as communists and members of totalitarian parties. Totalitarian party members may be admitted at the discretion of the Attorney General if they are related to immigrants already granted entry, or if it is in the “public interest.”
The act describes a totalitarian party as an “organization which advocates the establishment in the United States of a totalitarian dictatorship or totalitarianism.” Such a definition does not include persons like Togolese dictator Gnassingbé, nor the Russian or Iranian top officials, monarchs of Bhutan and Tonga, nor their children. With no existing restrictions on education-related entry into the United States for members of absolutist, hereditary family autocracies not planning to overthrow the American government, totalitarian rulers can continue to send their children to study in American colleges indefinitely.
Dictators and their children are becoming better educated and more skilled by studying in Western countries, particularly the United Kingdom and United States.
According Dr. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, a New York University political scientist, the world is moving towards hereditary dictatorship and parents like to see their children get a good education. The tradeoff is between a greater skill set learned abroad versus having immediate control over the money at home needed to buy loyalty.
In addition, study at technical universities can cause technology leakage. Some countries such as Iran, North Korea and Russia, use the education opportunities for intelligence penetration. For example, Maria Butina, a Russian intelligence agent, studied in the United States and later on she performed illegal lobbyism tasks up to her arrest.
U.S. intelligence officials say China is using students studying in the U.S. to steal secrets and spy on other Chinese people.
It’s part of a persistent, aggressive Chinese effort to undermine American industries, steal American secrets and eventually diminish American influence in the world so that Beijing can advance its own agenda.
Chinese university students in the United States are increasing being pressured to act as pawns in the ever-expanding espionage war that Beijing is running against Washington and its allies. The allegation, made by a key U.S. lawmaker Mark Warner, comes as security and defense officials are expressing growing concern over Chinese efforts to exploit Western research and technology.
The analysis shows that, for example, a significant number of Iranian leaders’ children study in the American educational institutions. At the same time, their parents adhere to hate rhetoric regarding the United States, the West and democracy, and make decisions resulted in US citizens’ death. For instance, Mahdi Zarif, the son of Iranian Foreign Minister “Mohammad Javad Zarif“, studied at New York University with American citizenship. He spent over a decade in the U.S., completing his education and eventually working for an aerospace company (!) And a telecom company before returning to Iran in 2013.
Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, studies in Ohio at the University Hospitals of Cleveland. At the same time, Ali Larijani himself described the United States as a “threat to the entire world.”
Maryam Fereydoun, the daughter of Hossein Fereydoun, the younger brother of Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani attends Columbia University. Her husband, the son of Iran’s new ambassador to Switzerland, is meanwhile busy pursuing a doctoral degree at Oxford University. She is Management Consultant at Deutsche Bank and lives in London.
Seyed Ahmad Araghchi, a nephew of Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi earned their degrees at the taxpayer-funded City University of New York.
Thus, children of leaders of authoritarian states hostile to the United States study not only on a commercial basis, but also at the expense of American taxpayers who thereby contribute to the welfare of the bloody regimes.
In addition to Iran, children of the leaders of the Russian Federation also get education in the United States and Western Europe.
For example, Alexei Vorontsov, the Communist, a deputy of the St.Petersburg Public Chamber. His daughter studied in Germany. Later she moved to Italy where she studies at the University of Milan.
Alexander Yakunin, former president of Russian Railways. His oldest son graduated from the London Business School, co-founder of Tristar Investment Holdings, founder and director of the British investment company ‘Venture Investments & Yield Management’ (VIYM).
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the LDPR and the most radical politician in Russia. His son Igor Lebedev is a Vice-Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia. Lebedev’s children (grandchildren of Zhirinovsky) study at an American school in Switzerland. In 2018, being on the air of the Russian television channel, he called for a nuclear attack against the West.
Elena Rakhova, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg, the ruling party member. Her daughter went to New York.
Svetlana Nesterova, a permanent member of the Commission on Industry, Economics and Property. Her daughter lives in London.
Alexander Remezkov, deputy of the Russian parliament. He has three children, they all live abroad. His daughter goes for gymnastics in Vienna. At the competition held in Ljubljana she represented the Austrian national team. His son Nikolay attends a private school Malvern College in England. The eldest son, Stepan, graduated from Hofstra Private University in Hempstead, NY, and the Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania. Later on he continued his studies at a private university in New York.
Boris Gryzlov, his daughter lives in Tallinn and has Estonian citizenship.
Andrei Fursenko, Aide to the President of Russia. His son studies in the USA where he got a bachelor’s degree in 2001. In 2005 he graduated from Stanford University. He received a law practice license in the states of California, Illinois and New York.
Elena Mizulina, Member of the Supreme Chamber of the Russian Parliament. Her son studied at the University of Bern and Oxford, married a Spanish citizen Patricia Gonzales and after all settled in Belgium. He lives with his wife and two children in Brussels and works as a partner of the law firm Meyer Brown.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of Russia, candidate for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. His daughter Elizabeth lives in Paris.
Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. His daughter was born in New York and graduated from Columbia University.
Vitaly Churkin, former Russian ambassador to the UN (dead in 2017). His daughter lives in New York and engages in anti-American propaganda for the Kremlin.
Sergey Zheleznyak, vice speaker of the Russian parliament. His daughter Ekaterina a graduate of the elite American School in Switzerland (Tasis), where annual fees for boarders are €61,714 studies at an elite school in Switzerland. Her sister Anastasia studies in London. The youngest daughter Lisa lives in London too.
Zheleznyak studied for a degree in international relations at Queen Mary University of London and then worked as an intern for MacDougall’s Fine Arts Auctions, which specialises in Russian art.
Sergei Andenko, Vice-Chaiman of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg. His daughter studies and lives in Germany.
Pavel Astakhov, Children’s Rights Commissioner. His eldest son, Anton, studied in Oxford and at the New York School of Economics.
Thus, we have a paradox situation: children of leaders of the countries considering the United States and its allies as their enemies, and supporting aggressive operations against the United States and NATO countries, enjoy the benefits these very countries provide. This situation seems unacceptable, since not all children of US citizens, Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy and Germany can afford to study in elite educational institutions. Moreover, the rhetoric and policies pursued by their parents сause damage to our interests, and sometimes the death of our citizens. Thus, by permitting them to study and live on our territory we encourage their hostile policy. Obviously, this requires of the Hill to react. It is likely that the conditions for granting the right to study should be just the friendly policy of the leaders of the country from where students come, as well as democracy and respect for human rights and freedoms. In this case ‘democracy in exchange for the education of children from authoritarian states’ formula will work effectively.
