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Thursday
Aug052010

UPDATED Iran Special: Grenade Attack on Ahmadinejad?

UPDATE 5 August: President Ahmadinejad has put out the official line for the Islamic Republic News Agency: "Yesterday, during the cabinet's trip to Hamadan Province, someone threw a firecracker in front of the government motorcade out of joy and excitement. This was not [a] newsworthy [incident], but the enemies spread reports that Ahmadinejad has been transferred to an undisclosed location after surviving an assassination attempt. This is while immediately afterwards I delivered a speech in Hamadan Stadium and in front of thousands of people.”

[Editor's Note: No one to my knowledge ever stated "Ahmadinejad has been transferred to an undisclosed location".]

A stranger declaration from Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi with the "good news" from the incident, "We discovered Israel's sedition in the region," as well as discovering 8,800 antiquities from smugglers.

UPDATE 2000 GMT: Summary of the Day. Islamic Republic News Agency, late to the story of the "greeting" of the President, made up for it with this explanation: "A young boy threw a firecracker at motorcade of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to celebrate his arrival in Hamadan causing embarrassment....Iranian youth during special ceremonies such as New Year festivals or football matches use firecrackers as sign of jubilation."

How can you top that coverage? Possibly by taking it to the international front. From Andy Borowitz:



(Hat tip to Robert Mackey at The Lede)

UPDATE 1655 GMT: Let's Try This Version. And here comes yet another narrative of What Really Happened....

Mehr News (also quoted in Aftab News) says a handmade bomb exploded in Hamedan's Pasteur Street, at a long distance from AN's car, as people were greeting him. No one was injured and there was only smoke from the device. Some suspects were arrested.

UPDATE 1640 GMT: Lara Setrakian of ABC News has just put out a round-up on the grenade/firecracker assassination/celebration incident. I spoke with her throughout the day to try and interpret developments, and she has kindly put out my initial thoughts, which are on the lines of "the significance here is not the physical attack, if that is what this was, but the political aftermath":
Khabar [Online, which broke the story in Iran and is connected with Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani] has been increasingly critical of the government over the past few months. They're more likely to put the incident out than state media.

An attack certainly could be connected to the post-election tension. It could have important political significance given the divisions within the ruling establishment. And in the public eye it makes Ahmedinejad look weak.

UPDATE 1630 GMT: Grenade or Firecracker? An EA correspondent joins the debate, responding to Mr Verde's assessment (1330 GMT) over what happened in Hamedan and what Iran's official media reported:
I think that "narenjak" is best translated, as Associated Press and others did, as grenade. There has been a concerted effort to remove the term from all news items [in Iranian media], Fars being forced to change it from "narenjak" to "tarraqeh", which is the common term for firecracker. So while Verde is correct in stating that narenjak can also mean firecracker, the actual meaning from this morning has been grenade, which is why the state media are so keen on getting rid of it everywhere.

UPDATE 1330 GMT: Khabar Online, which was the first outlet inside Iran to report the explosion, is pulling back on its original claim of a "grenade". Khabar now defers to the statement of the President's office, given to Agence France Presse (see 1024 GMT), that the cause was a firecracker of welcome.

(Mr Verde adds this: The original Khabar item talked about the explosion of “nirenjak-e dasti”, which could mean two things: A) either a “hand grenade” or B) a form of homemade firecracker common in Iran, called "narenjak" --- which in English could mean grenade--- that is thrown against hard surfaces to make a lot of noise during festivals like Chaharshanbeh Souri.)

UPDATE 1140 GMT: An EA correspondent checks in: "Good old Mahmoud isn't having a good day. Youtube footage from today's speech in Hamadan shows him saying that 'England is an island from West Africa'."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDaYAuusXGc[/youtube]

UPDATE 1024 GMT: The regime line is now set. Iranian state outlet Al-Alam, like Fars, is saying that the explosion was actually a firecracker as part of celebrations over the President's arrival, and Ahmadinejad's staff are putting out that story to foreign media such as Agence France Presse.

The problem for this narrative is that the President's office initially told two outlets --- Al-Arabiya and Reuters --- that the incident was an "attack".

 

UPDATE 1015 GMT: Fars News has now recognised the incident, albeit as the explosion of a "homemade firecracker" as crowds welcomed Ahmaidinejad.

UPDATE 0925 GMT: Press TV has broken its silence: "An informed source in Iran's presidential office has rejected as false the reports of grenade attack on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad", denying the claims of "foreign news sources". (There is no reference to Khabar Online, which has carried the story in Iran. The reformist Parleman News is also running Khabar's account, as is the conservative Aftab News.)

Al Arabiya's initial report had claimed "the Iranian Presidency confirmed the attack".

UPDATE 0910 GMT: Al Arabiya television is calling the incident a "bomb" and an "assassination attempt", injuring a number of people. It claims "the Iranian presidency confirmed the attack".

According to Al Arabiya, the explosion hit a car carrying journalists and presidential staff before Ahmadinejad addressed a crowd (which makes Iran state media reports on the speech, with no mention of the attack, even more curious), and the assailant was arrested on the spot.

 

Ahmadinejad appeared on live Iranian television at a sports stadium. He made no mention of any attack.

----

Khabar Online is reporting that a grenade exploded near Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade as the President visited Hamedan in western Iran, 250 miles southwest of Tehran. The explosion occurred between the airport and the site of the President's speech, although it is unclear if the incident occurred before or after the appearance

There are no reports of casualties.

Press TV has referred to Ahmadinejad's speech but has not mentioned the explosion. IRNA is summarising the presentation --- "Iran will not fall prey to the poison of hypocrites" --- but also has no reference to an attack.

Reader Comments (57)

Press TV now denies attack: Speaking to Press TV, an informed source in Iran's presidential office has rejected as false the reports of grenade attack on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Some foreign news sources published reports that a grenade exploded near the motorcade of President Ahmadinejad during his visit to the western city of Hamedan on Wednesday.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137410§ionid=351020101" rel="nofollow">http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137410&sec...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

But khabaronline confirmed the attack: "A handmade grenade exploded Wednesday near President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's convoy in western Iran, but the leader was not harmed, a conservative website reported. The website, khabaronline.ir, said the blast took place in Hamedan as Ahmadinejad was on his way to address a crowd. The president gave his speech as planned and it was broadcast live on state TV."
"The explosion caused a lot of smoke"...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_attack_2;_ylt=AlcoxB.F2lJFbxwmfYHb37z5SpZ4" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_re_mi...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

This will be interesting to see play out. Keep us updated.

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

An other game to attract attentions and pity of people inside and outside the country ! dangerous game , it could give some ideas to people !

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAnge-Paris

"The explosion caused a lot of smoke"...

:-) So does Ahmadinejad every time he opens his mouth.

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterCatherine

The reports also say that Ahmadinejad warned on Tuesday that "Zionists" were plotting to kill him.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/04/iran.attempted.attack/index.html?section=cnn_latest" rel="nofollow">http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/04/iran....

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

Parleman News and Aftab News confirm the attackhttp://www.parlemannews.ir/?n=12793 - http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdca6yn6w49nw01.k5k4.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.aftabnews.ir/vdca6yn6w49nw01.k5k4.html
I believe AN wanted to get rid off some journalists, also a nice pretext for more crackdowns. Very likely the assailant was paid by Saudi Arabia, uhum...
No more explanations ;-)

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterArshama

Neo-Resistance blogger Naj is following the news too - and analysing. Yes, Kurt, she also picked up on the likely culprit: "Two days ago, after a significant amount of finger pointing at this, that and the other; and telling the west that looloo (genie) has taken the mameh (boob); meaning that middle east's breast is not to feed the west's brats, he also predicted that the Zionists are plotting to assassinate him!"
http://iranfacts.blogspot.com/2010/08/assassination-of-mahmoud-ahmadinejad.html" rel="nofollow">http://iranfacts.blogspot.com/2010/08/assassina...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

Well, it was a coin toss between blaming Israel and the MEK, now wasn't it? ;-)

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

Sorry guys, it was just a firecracker! "AFP – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade was not attacked by a grenade on Wednesday, an official in his media office told AFP, explaining that an explosion was from a "firecracker."
"It was a firecracker, and a statement will be released soon," the source said."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100804/wl_afp/iranpoliticsunrestdenial_20100804095238" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100804/wl_afp/ira...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

"It was a firecracker, and a statement will be released soon," an official in the president's media office told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Iranian Al-Alam TV reported that the firecracker was set off to cheer the president.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10865085" rel="nofollow">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-108...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

Ronaghi Ali Reza, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Iraq, said the reports about the attack was significant.
"...especially after he [Ahmadineja] gave a speech a few days ago saying 'Israel has hired a few terrorists to assinate me'.
"He said 'even if you destroy me, there will be millions of others who will replace me'. So this all comes at a point when Ahmadinejad is trying to tell the world that he's been under constant threat by foreign powers. And now that this has happened, they want to prove that Ahmadinejad's security circle is not that firm."
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/08/2010849274672397.html" rel="nofollow">http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/20...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

Sorry, I swear I hadn't seen you post that WitteKr!

How many different stories will there be this time? :-)

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

[...] to Enduring America, shortly thereafter these reports were softened by the Iranian state-run press: UPDATE 0925 [...]

It would appear the firecracker story is the official line now.

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

Yeah, this will keep us (and others) busy... At least we can assume *something* happened that took *some* (maybe not all) by surprise. It's important now to see what the official reaction will be. And let's keep an eye on those websites that publish videos and photos (although it can take a while before something pops up...)

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterWitteKr

OK all my fellow news hounds - do Molotov cocktails qualify as "homemade fire crackers" ? ;-)

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterCatherine

I was gonna mention this in my first comment WitteKr :-)

In a case such as this, I was thinking, you can be certain the security would leave no cell phone unturned. I can only hope someone used some ingenuity to surreptitiously record and abscond with said recording. Yes, let's keep our eyes peeled and our fingers crossed!

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

I dunno Catherine, but AN's mouth counts as an incendiary device, methinks. :-)

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterKurt

Gernade bombing of ahmadinegad may be propaganda to stir up the west - no independent sources reported it yet

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered Commentertehranweekly

"you can be certain the security would leave no cell phone unturned"

And look for Iran to start gloating to its Gulf neighbours about the wisdom of not supporting Blackberry smart phones! :-)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/02/blackberry-ban-uae-gulf-states/print" rel="nofollow">http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/02/...

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterCatherine

The Ghyrtmndanh people in Hamedan city gave Mahmoud a great welcome

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterCoia

In related news, the sun is hot, and water is still wet.

No shit explosions cause smoke.

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterdchoubak

I'm all for the obvious (yet reoccurring) conspiracy theory when it comes to this one. Now i'm sure he's going to come out and call himself a prophet for "predicting" this so-called assassination attempt.

August 4, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterdchoubak

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