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Sunday
Jul052009

Iran Text: Keyhan Editorial "Put Mousavi, Khatami on Trial"

The Latest From Iran (5 July): Treading Water

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MOUSAVI3The English translation of a Saturday editorial in the "conservative" newspaper Keyhan, written by managing editor Hoseyn Shari'atmadari, a close advisor of the Supreme Leader. From Juan Cole:

"A political party or a fifth column?"


On Wednesday afternoon 10/4/88 (1st July 2009) when the MSM system and text messages through the mobiles was once again restored after a short break, the above message was one of the messages that was sent on text message system in an extensive way among the citizens. Although the text of that message is laughable, yet it is exactly in keeping with Mirhoseyn Musavi's claim about fraud in the election, and his strange and inexplicable refusal to go through the legal channels to follow up his claim. Even stranger is the fact that in his latest statement Mr Musavi has repeatedly stressed the need to abide by law and resolving the problems through legal means. He goes so far as saying that 'even the corpse of the law must be respected!"

So many overt contradictions, double standards and contradictory approaches cannot be explained in any logical way or through any natural and rational justification. There can only be two possibilities behind such behaviour, without the possibility of a third option. The first possibility is that Mr Musavi and some of his supporters are suffering from a strange illness and have lost the benefit of reason and thinking. The second possibility is that Mr Musavi and some of those who are surrounding him are committing those crimes as a part of a "mission". This second possibility is so strong that it is almost impossible to reject it.

Not only are there many signs and indications in support of this proposition, but there are also many undeniable facts and documented evidence that point to a mission directed from abroad. In this connection, one may only ask which of their stances and way of behaviour has not been exactly in keeping with pre-formulated American prescriptions! Which of their demands has not been in keeping with the 30-year demands of American officials that have been repeated time and again? Nearly none!

It was not for nothing that America, Israel, the European Union, all counter-revolutionary organizations without exception, those involved in economic corruption, major industrialists, the plunderers and... (All ellipses as published) have risen in unison to support Musavi and his gang, and have used all their political and media capabilities in support of that group.

Here, we must point out that one should separate the accounts of those who have voted for him due to their political views and due to their lack of knowledge about the foreign mission entrusted to Musavi and the circles around him. The Iranian people always respect those people.

2- On the basis of available facts and documents, that corrupt movement has been implementing a foreign mission in order to encourage unlawful activities, kill innocent people, create a rebellion, plunder public property and weaken the power of the Islamic system. However, these days when they failed to perform their mission and were disgraced, instead of repenting and apologising to God and to the people for their mistake, they have started a new act in their conspiracy.

On Sunday, 7th Tir 88 (28th June) in a note headlined "those in charge of the circles", Keyhan had referred to this stage of the conspiracy. It pointed out: "Turning the recent failed conspiracy into 'embers burning under the ashes' and keeping it going as a 'festering wound that has not been pierced' in order to 'create a flame and do mischief in the future' is the next stage in the American (-led) velvet coup d'etat." In that note, we had pointed out that this stage of the above-mentioned conspiracy would be implemented due to a feeling of despair in the heart of the conspiracy about the continuation of the riots and the fact that their big lie about fraud in the election has been exposed. The aim of that stage of conspiracy would be to pave the way for the creation of an "opposition" party with the slogan of "the tenth government is illegitimate".

The latest act in the dictated American project started on Wednesday 10/4/00 (29th June), namely a day after the final and proven results of the election were released. That project started by releasing a statement in a few pages with - and we stress only with - Mirhoseyn Musavi's signature. In that statement, without referring to his numerous illegal activities, Musavi repeatedly stressed the need to abide by law, and pursuing one's demands by legal means. At the end of the statement, he came to the main reason for issuing that statement and spoke about the formation of a political party with the membership and participation of those around him!

An interesting point in that statement is that Musavi declares one of the goals of his anticipated party "to protect the violated rights and votes of the people in the last election, through the publication of the documents and facts about violations and frauds that took place in that election, and referring them to judicial authorities"! He does not explain why if he possesses certain documents and files about fraud in the election, despite the repeated demands of legal authorities, he has refrained from producing those documents! If, on the other hand, he does not accept any of the legal authorities, then first of all why is he talking about adherence to law? Secondly, why did he register his candidacy in the presidential election and why did he compete in the election through the same legal channels of this system? Thirdly, why does he now speak about turning to the same legal authorities? There are scores of other contradictions in his statement, but dealing with all of them is beyond the scope of this note.

3- Although in his recent contradictory statement Musavi has implemented another part of his mission that had been dictated to him from abroad - as had been anticipated - nevertheless, there is another aim behind the publication of that statement. That aim is to escape from definite punishment for the murder of innocent individuals, inciting riots and rebellions, hiring some thugs and ruffians to attack the lives, property and honour of the people, clear collaboration with foreigners, performing the role of the fifth column inside the country, and scores of other undeniable crimes. Those are frightful crimes and overt acts of treason for which the main culprits, including Musavi and (Mohammad) Khatami, must be tried in an open court in front of the eyes of the oppressed people who demand that the blood of their loved ones should be avenged.

4- Establishing a political party requires adhering to some defined laws, which include the political health of the founding members and organisers of that party. Consequently, the party that in his recent statement Mr Musavi has spoken of cannot be legal, because its main (founding) members, namely individuals such as Mirhoseyn Musavi and Mohammad Khatami, are accused of having committed many crimes that were referred to in the previous paragraph. Therefore, as law-breaking is the known and overt characteristic of Musavi and the circle of people around him, it is not unlikely that they would form their party without receiving a legal permit for it. In that case, the true name of that organization should be a "fifth column". It would be another version of the "fire burning under the ashes of sedition", and there is no other option to deal with it except, in the words of His Holiness Imam Ali (peace be upon him), to "crush the sedition before it materialises".

5- Finally, without any doubt, the tenth presidential election was a divine blessing. In the course of that election, the bond between Islamism and the republicanism of the system was demonstrated in an amazing way as the result of 40 million votes and 85 per cent participation of the voters in the election. Also, in the course of that election the true face of those who for so many years had made claims (to being faithful to the revolution) but had hid their faces behind a mask of deception and corruption, has now been made clear to all the people.

These purges (palayesh, also means cleansing) in the upper circles will no doubt be accompanied with growth in the body (of the public). The unlawful behaviour and the rebellious nature of those who claimed to be reformists had remained hidden from some people who had been deceived by their reformist and law-abiding slogans, but now those doubts have been dispelled....
Sunday
Jul052009

Video and Transcript: President Obama’s "Independence Day" Address

President Barack Obama’s 4th of July speech was not just a matter of celebration but also a subtly-prepared message to confront domestic and overseas challenges:
Meeting these extraordinary challenges will require an extraordinary effort on the part of every American. And that is an effort we cannot defer any longer.

We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it. And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more. We need to summon the same spirit that inhabited Independence Hall two hundred and thirty-three years ago today.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPcTv7EZWzo[/youtube]

Once more, it is the notion of “American Exceptionalism” that is in the spotlight. For Obama, it was Americans who gained their independence from a powerful empire and brought democracy and freedom to the world. The very same spirit is to be expected from the descendants of freedom fighters.

It is black and white: on the one hand there are “good” Americans and on the other hand there are “bad” guys in Afghanistan and Iraq and even in America, where some want to put obstacles in front of new reforms. These people do not have that spirit of their forefathers....

OBAMA:

Hello and Happy Fourth of July, everybody. This weekend is a time to get together with family and friends, kick back, and enjoy a little time off. And I hope that’s exactly what all of you do. But I also want to take a moment today to reflect on what I believe is the meaning of this distinctly American holiday.

Today, we are called to remember not only the day our country was born – we are also called to remember the indomitable spirit of the first American citizens who made that day possible.

We are called to remember how unlikely it was that our American experiment would succeed at all; that a small band of patriots would declare independence from a powerful empire; and that they would form, in the new world, what the old world had never known – a government of, by, and for the people.

That unyielding spirit is what defines us as Americans. It is what led generations of pioneers to blaze a westward trail.

It is what led my grandparents’ generation to persevere in the face of a Depression and triumph in the face of tyranny.

It is what led generations of American workers to build an industrial economy unrivalled around the world.

It is what has always led us, as a people, not to wilt or cower at a difficult moment, but to face down any trial and rise to any challenge, understanding that each of us has a hand in writing America’s destiny.

That is the spirit we are called to show once more. We are facing an array of challenges on a scale unseen in our time. We are waging two wars. We are battling a deep recession. And our economy – and our nation itself – are endangered by festering problems we have kicked down the road for far too long: spiraling health care costs; inadequate schools; and a dependence on foreign oil.

Meeting these extraordinary challenges will require an extraordinary effort on the part of every American. And that is an effort we cannot defer any longer.

Now is the time to lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity. Now is the time to revamp our education system, demand more from teachers, parents, and students alike, and build schools that prepare every child in America to outcompete any worker in the world.

Now is the time to reform an unsustainable health care system that is imposing crushing costs on families, businesses, large and small, and state and federal budgets. We need to protect what works, fix what’s broken, and bring down costs for all Americans. No more talk. No more delay. Health care reform must happen this year.

And now is the time to meet our energy challenge – one of the greatest challenges we have ever confronted as a people or as a planet. For the sake of our economy and our children, we must build on the historic bill passed by the House of Representatives, and make clean energy the profitable kind of energy so that we can end our dependence on foreign oil and reclaim America’s future.

These are some of the challenges that our generation has been called to meet. And yet, there are those who would have us try what has already failed; who would defend the status quo. They argue that our health care system is fine the way it is and that a clean energy economy can wait. They say we are trying to do too much, that we are moving too quickly, and that we all ought to just take a deep breath and scale back our goals.

These naysayers have short memories. They forget that we, as a people, did not get here by standing pat in a time of change. We did not get here by doing what was easy. That is not how a cluster of 13 colonies became the United States of America.

We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it. And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more. We need to summon the same spirit that inhabited Independence Hall two hundred and thirty-three years ago today.

That is how this generation of Americans will make its mark on history. That is how we will make the most of this extraordinary moment. And that is how we will write the next chapter in the great American story. Thank you, and Happy Fourth of July.
Sunday
Jul052009

Video: "An Iranian Atomic Bomb Can Wipe Israel off the Map in a Matter of Seconds"

Iran: Did Joe Biden Just “Green Light” an Israeli Air Strike?

On Thursday, speaking to Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic magazine, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, claimed that an Iranian atomic bomb can “wipe Israel off the map in a matter of seconds.”



Oren did address the key immediate issue in US-Israeli relations: “The Israeli and American sides are working earnestly, ardently to try to find a compromise over the question of the degree to which construction can continue in settlements to accord what we call the normal life. And I am confident that we will find a solution for this.”

However, Oren just as quickly tried to shift attention to Iran, rather than Palestine, as the question that needed resolution: “I never said settlements are not an issue… but they're not the issue.” While the Netanyahu Government continues to hold out against any local concession, it will look for action against Tehran's "existential threat": "Everyone is waiting to see what will come out of this, but while we're waiting, while we're watching, the [nuclear] clock is ticking.”

To learn more about “the Iranian threat", one can read Oren’s own words from May 2009:
The principal sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran is inextricably linked to the terrorist threat. But when the Islamic Republic achieves nuclear weapons-capability—as early as this year, according to Israeli intelligence estimates—the threat will amplify manifold.

A nuclear-armed Iran creates not one but several existential threats. The most manifest emanates from Iran’s routinely declared desire to “wipe Israel off the map,” and from the fact that cold war calculi of nuclear deterrence through mutually assured destruction may not apply to Islamist radicals eager for martyrdom. Some Israeli experts predict that the Iranian leadership would be willing to sacrifice 50 percent of their countrymen in order to eradicate Israel.

Beyond the perils of an Iranian first-strike attack against Israel, the possibility exists that Iran will transfer its nuclear capabilities to terrorist groups, which will then unleash them on Israel via the country’s porous ports and border crossings.

A nuclear Iran will also deny Israel the ability to respond to terrorist attacks: in response to an Israeli retaliation against Hezbollah, for example, Iran would go on nuclear alert, causing widespread panic in Israel and the collapse of its economy. Finally, and most menacing, many Middle Eastern states have declared their intention to develop nuclear capabilities of their own once Iran acquires the bomb.

Israel will swiftly find itself in a profoundly unstable nuclear neighborhood prone to violent revolutions and miscalculations leading to war. As former Labor Party minister Efraim Sneh says, under such circumstances, all Israelis who can leave the country will.
Saturday
Jul042009

The Latest from Iran (4 July): Breaking the Reformists? Not So Fast....

The Latest From Iran (5 July): Treading Water

NEW Iran: 12 More Martyrs
Video: U2’s Concert Song for Iran
LATEST Video: “Keeping the Peace” (30 June-2 July)
The Latest from Iran (3 July): The Long Haul?

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IRAN GREEN

2110 GMT: According to his son, pro-reform journalist Isa Saharkhiz has been seized and taken to an undisclosed location.

2015 GMT:Reports that women's rights activist Zeynab Peyghambarzadeh was arrested today in the "Mothers of Martyrs" rally in Laleh Park.

2000 GMT: Now This is Interesting. According to Iran Labor News Agency, Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, in a meeting with the families of detainees, has said post-election events had caused "bitterness" while denying there was a power struggle in the Islamic state: "I don't think that (anybody with a) vigilant conscience is satisfied with the current situation."

Rafsanjani's manoeuvre should be seen as an attempt to get as much political leverage as possible while distancing himself from any call for massive change: "I hope with good management and wisdom the issues would be settled in the next days and the situation could improve ... We should think about protecting the system's long-term interests."

So Iran's ultimate politician is not going to make any challenge to the Supreme Leader. But here is the unknown from the interview: what does he propose as the fate of President Ahmadinejad?

1805 GMT: We're waiting to get details from a reported national TV broadcast by the Iranian President after the evening news. Meanwhile, here's a bit of political humour from Mr Ahmadinejad:
Addressing Iranian heads of medical universities on Saturday, President Ahmadinejad offered to debate President Obama at the United Nations headquarters in New York before the eyes of all nations of the world.

Given that the legitimacy of the 12 June election has yet to be accepted by a significant portion of the Iranian population, let alone the international community, we can only presume that Mr Ahmadinejad made the offer with a very wide smile on his face.

1650 GMT: Etemade Melli has published a lengthy account of Mehdi Karroubi's meetings with the families of detainees, including former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi.

1630 GMT: Another intervention in the clerical debate. The Assembly of Instructors and Researchers at the seminary in Qom have issued a statement calling the Government illegitimate.

1330 GMT: Lawyer Saleh Nikbakht says that Iranian authorities are going to try detained reformist leaders and Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari on charges on endangering national security. Those facing trial include former Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi, former Deputy Minister of Economics Mohsen Safaei Farahani, former Presidential spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, and former Minister of Industry Behzad Nabavi.

1300 GMT: Irony Alert. Iran's Press TV English spends several minutes on the "illegal detention" of former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and other activists in Israel and, with apparent innocence, never mentions the possibility of "illegal detentions" closer to home.

Later in the broadcast, Press TV spends an excruciating five minutes, propped up by British journalist Yvonne Ridley, on its full and fair coverage of the post-election conflict and the contrasting intrigue and manipulation of the BBC.

1245 GMT: We're waiting for any news on the "protest in the parks" by mothers of the detained and killed and by other members of the opposition campaign.

Meanwhile, Fintan Dunne has picked up on Robert Dreyfuss's challenging article in The Nation, "Iran's Green Wave". Dreyfuss, who was in Iran in the run-up to the election, is dramatic in his analysis, "A victory by the opposition--as unlikely as it appears in the wake of the regime's crackdown--might let in a lot of fresh air....It's that scenario that Khamenei, Ahmadinejad and their IRGC and Basij allies are determined to resist at all costs. And they're prepared to unleash Tiananmen Square levels of violence to make sure it doesn't happen."

Indeed, I think is over-dramatic, both in the portrayal of the aims of the challenge to the election process and its aftermath and in the easy invocation of "Tiananmen Square". As an observation by an empassioned observer who had first-hand experience of the excitement up to the 12 June crisis, however, it's well worth a read.

1030 GMT: As always, Josh Shahryar's "Green Brief" summary on Anonymous Iran is worth a read. Most of the developments have also been reported here, but this information is new to us and of possible significance:
The main University of Sistan o Baluchistan has been shut-down by the government, according to unconfirmed reports. Furthermore, students from the university were dragged out of their dorms and sent home....The Association of Iranian University Graduates has released a statement claiming that, “the government was out to suppress opposition by any means possible escalating from the rigged elections.” Dozens of Iranian university professors have a signed a letter expressing deep anger for the attacks made by security forces on Iranian universities and students.

0945 GMT: More on yesterday's story that former President Hashemi Rafsanjani had declined to lead Friday prayers in Tehran. Media close to Rafsanjani report today that this indicates Rafsanjani is "resigning" from his clerical and political roles.

0910 GMT: More on the Manoeuvring Amongst the Clerics. Friday prayers in Qom, the religious centre of Iran, offer an important clue to a "middle ground" solution. Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini, who is also a leading member of the Assembly of Experts, said "errors had occurred" during the election and called on all four Presidential candidates to "come together and give help and cooperation".

0900 GMT: Piling on the Pressure. In an editorial in the "conservative" newspaper Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, an advisor to the Supreme Leader, has accused Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mohammad Khatami of "horrible crimes and treason" and added, ""It has to be asked whether the actions of (Mousavi and his supporters) are in response to instructions by American authorities." Shariatmadari asserts that Mousavi is trying to "escape punishment for murdering innocent people, holding riots, cooperating with foreigners and acting as America's fifth column inside the country."

0845 GMT: Nothing to See Here. Go Away. Today's coverage on the Press TV website of the situation in Iran?
"Tokyo has taken a neutral stance towards the recent post-election unrest in Iran, undermining the mainstream portrayal of the events in Tehran" and....

“Western countries have now realized their stance on the Iranian elections was undoubtedly out of line,” head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.

Not a single word on the site about the internal political manoeuvres, either of the regime or the opposition campaign.
Saturday
Jul042009

Iran: 12 More Martyrs

The Latest from Iran (4 July): Breaking the Reformists? Not So Fast….

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IRAN GREENHuman rights activists have released details on 12 more people killed in post-election violence in Iran, bringing the total to 26. From Iran Rigged Election:

Human rights and democracy activists have collected the 12 more names of the martyrs of the post-election protests in Tehran.

The bodies are released to their families only if they accept and sign on a set of conditions, including:

- Having low-profile funerals attended only by close family.
- No chant or speech against the regime.
- The reason for death should not be mentioned in the funeral or on the tombstone.

The names are as follows:

1- Mohhammad Hossein Barzegar, male, 25, Highschool graduate, self-employed, shot in the head in Haft-Tir Sq, Tehran on Wed. June 17, 2009. Buried in Lot 302, Behesht-Zahra, on Sun Jun 21 after family's commitment to the conditions.
2- Seyyed Reza Tabatabaee, male, 30, Accountant, shot in the head on Azarbayjan St., on June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 259, Behesht-Zahra, on Jun 24 after family's commitment to the conditions.

3- Iman Hashemi, male, 25, self-employed, shot in the eye on Azaadi St., on Sat. June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 259, Behesht-Zahra, on Jun 24.

4- Parisa Koli(or Kali), female, 25, B.Sc. in Persian Literature, shot in the neck on Keshavarz Blvd., on Sun June 21, 2009. Buried in Lot 259, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue. Jun 23.

5- Mohsen Haddadi, male, 24, Software Designer, shot in the forehead on Nosrat St., on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 269, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue. Jun 23.

6- Mohammad Nikzadi, male, 25, Civil Engineer, shot in the chest in Vanaq Sq., on Tue June 16, 2009. Buried in Lot 257, Behesht-Zahra, on Sat Jun 20.

7- Ali Shahedi, male, 24, was arrested on Sun Jun 21, 2009 and transferred to Tehranpars police station. He died in the police station for unknown reasons (according to the official autopsy), but his family believe he died from baton strikes. Buried in Lot 257, Behesht-Zahra on Jun 24.

8- Vaahed Akbari, male, 34, self-employed, married with a 3-year old daughter, shot in the side on Vanak St., on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 261, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Jun 23.

9- Abolfazl Abdollahi, male, 21, Associate Degree in Electrical Eng., shot in the back of the head in front of Sharif University on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 248, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Jun 23.

10- Saalaar Tahmasbi, male, 27, Business Administration Student in Rasht, shot in the forehead on Jomhouri St. on Sat June 20, 2009. Buried in Lot 254, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Jun 22 (or Mon Jun 21?).

11- Fahimeh Salahshour, female, 25, Highschool graduate, died on Jun 15th in the hospital from internal bleeding resulting from baton hits to her head in Valiasr Sq. on Jun 14th, Buried in Lot 266, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Mon Jun 17.

12- Vahid Reza Tabatabaee, male, 29, B.A. in English Literature, shot in the head in Baharestaan Sq. on June 24, 2009. Buried in Lot 308, Behesht-Zahra, on Tue Mon Jun 27.

Before this, the name of another 14 martyrs was released, including:

1- Neda Agha Soltan (female)
2- Fetemeh Barati (female)
3,4- Fatemeh Rajabpour & her daughter (female)
5- Kasra Sharafi (male)
6- Movina Ehtermi (female)
7- Kambiz Shojaee (male)
8- Mohsen Imani (male)
9- Naser Amirnejad (male)
10- Iman Namazi (male)
11- Mostafa Ghonyan (or Ghanyan) (male)
12- Bahman Jenabi (male)
13- Ashkan Sohrabi (male)
14- Kaveh Alipour (male)