Iranian Track

Unpopular Budget

2008-12-30T11:20:00.003-05:00

With oil prices below $40, the Iranian economy is feeling the pain. Unemployment numbers remain high in addition to the inflation rate which is likely to climb should President Ahmadinejad successfully pass his proposed budget reforms.

Many government parliamentarians are voicing their concerns and opposition to Ahmadinejad's plan to increase subsidies, claiming the state cannot afford such policies without pushing inflation higher.

Critics of the president are also accusing Ahmadinejad of squandering Iran's massive cash infusion when oil prices reached upwards of $140 a barrel. Instead of investing in infrastructure and building up their cash reserves, the president spent majority of the cash windfall on subsidies.

Should oil prices remain as low as they currently stand, watch out for increased unrest among the public and Iranian street.

Transcript of Ahmadinejad's 2008 UN speech

2008-09-24T11:00:00.006-05:00

Thanks to one of our readers, the full text of the speech is reprinted below:

Mr. President,
Excellencies,

I am grateful to the Almighty for granting me another opportunity to be present in this world Assembly.

In the last three years, I have talked to you about great hopes in the bright future of human society, and some solutions for achieving sustainable peace and expanding love, compassion, and cooperation. I have also talked about unjust systems governing the world; pressures exerted by some powers seeking to trample the rights of other nations, oppression imposed on the majority of the global community, especially on the people of Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Africa, Latin America, and Asia; about challenges we are faced with, such as efforts to shatter the sanctity of families, destroy cultures, humiliate lofty values, neglect commitments, expand the shadow of threats, as well as about the arms race and the unfairness and inability of the systems governing world affairs in reforming the status quo.

With the occurrence of various new developments, the debility of existing mechanisms has been revealed even more. However, at the same time, an encouraging trend, which has originated in the thoughts and beliefs of peoples, has blossomed and become stronger. Posed against the despairs caused by the new developments, this trend has ignited the ray of hope for a brilliant, desirable and beautiful future in the hearts of men.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,
Today I would like to talk to you about the main reasons behind the conditions ruling the world and the means to tackle them. Of course, you are already aware of what I am talking about, but I think it is necessary to remind ourselves.
It seems that the roots of problems lie in the way one views and perceives the world and humankind, as well as in the important issues of freedom, obeisance to God, and justice. The world, humankind, freedom and obeisance to God, and justice, have been of utmost importance to humans throughout history.

1. The World:
God Almighty purposefully created the world. This world is the bedrock for the evolution and growth of a creature called man, and the laws governing the world and all other creatures are at the service of man's quest for loftiness. The world should provide the needed opportunities for the fulfillment of the purpose behind man's creation. No phenomenon, creature, or indeed anything has been created in vain. Together they all pave the ground for the flourishing of mankind in a complex and purposeful system, and they are, each, one of the signs of God Almighty. All are His creations and He is the sole creator and ruler of the world. All existence including power, knowledge and wealth come from Him.

2. Humankind:
God created the world for humans and humans for Himself. He created humans from mud and in the soil, but He did not want them to remain in the soil and with animal instincts. He kindled the light of guidance in their souls and asked them to rise from the soil to the heavens and to Him with the help of wisdom, prophets and perfect men.

The world will ultimately disappear, but God has created man for eternity and has made them a manifestation of Himself. Creativity, mercifulness, kindness, knowledge, wisdom, zeal, concealment of sins, splendor, justice, bounteousness, generosity, greatness, love, glory, dignity, forgiveness, insight, kingship and all other goodness and beauty are attributes of God.

God has not created humans for aggression, bloodshed, rancor, selfishness and destruction. He made humans His vicegerents on earth and has asked them to, on the one hand, make earth prosper by using their God-given potentials and to prepare the ground for the growth of divine attributes in all humans, and to provide all with a life full of beauty, amity, freedom, justice and goodness; and on the other hand in pursuance of this path, to prepare for a prosperous, everlasting life endowed by God's mercy.

God has obligated humans to live divinely and socially, for it is only through social life and interactions with others that divine attributes may emerge.

3. Obeisance to God:
God Almighty has tied their perfection and true freedom of humans to their devotion and obedience to Himself. True freedom and obedience to God are in balance and in fact are two sides of the same coin.

Obeisance to God means confessing to monotheism and obeying His commands, and to be free from ungodly worship.

Obeisance to God means the acceptance of the absolute truth, the absolute light, and the absolute beauty.

Obeisance to God means abandoning selfishness and animal instincts, power-seeking and aggression, surrendering to righteousness, justice, love, and perfection.

And in this way, humans can achieve their true freedom and flourish, they can grow and manifest divine attributes, have affection for others, stand up for justice, and fear no power or threat, and defend the oppressed. In such an environment, one’s freedom will not impinge on any others’. Contention and conflict are characteristic of materialistic freedom and animal instinct. The essence of all divine religions and obeisance to God and true freedom is disassociating from oppressors and instead obeying and worshiping God, for:
- God is omniscient and knows all that is revealed or kept secret, and He is kind and merciful.
- All creatures are humble before Him and resign to His will.
- God is alive and is the Creator of the universe and all life.
- God loves His creatures and desires nothing but goodness, blessings, and perfection for them, and is against bullying, injustice, selfishness and domination.

4. Justice:
Justice is the foundation of the creation of humankind and the whole universe. Justice is tantamount to placing every phenomenon in its own place, and providing humans with opportunities to actualize all their divine capabilities. Without it, the order of the universe will collapse and the opportunity for perfection will fade away. Without justice, it would be impossible for human society to taste real peace, beauty, joy and happiness. Justice is the main pillar of social life and without it, social life cannot continue or grow.

Humans need to know God in order to realize a prosperous society in this world as well as to strive for a beautiful eternal life, and to this end they first have to know themselves and strive for loftiness in themselves and their societies. However:
- as long as the world is construed as closed, limited and aimless,
- as long as eternal life is considered imaginary and illusory and afterlife and the Judgment Day as well as reward and punishment are thought of as fictional and unreal,
- as long as morals and commitment to them are called backwardness, and immorality, lies, deceit and selfishness are considered desirable, and humans are limited to a materialistic life in this world,
- as long as attempts are made to replace obedience to God and following His prophets and true freedom with servitude to materialistic tendencies and animal instincts and servitude to oppressing human beings, and contention reaches its pinnacle,
- as long as the aggressors, because of their financial, political and propaganda powers, not only escape punishment but even claim righteousness,
- and as long wars are started and nations are enslaved in order to win votes in elections,
not only will the problems of the global community remain unsolved, but they will be increasingly exacerbated.

Friends and Colleagues,
Let’s look at the situation of the world today:
Iraq was attacked under the false pretext of uncovering weapons of mass destruction and overthrowing a dictator. The dictator is toppled and WMDs are not uncovered. A democratic government is established by the votes of the people but, after 6 years, the occupiers are still there. They insist on imposing colonial agreements on the people of Iraq by keeping them under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter. Millions of people have been killed or displaced, and the occupiers, without a sense of shame, are still seeking to solidify their position in the political geography of the region and to dominate oil resources.
They have no respect for the people of Iraq and disregard any dignity, rights or status for them. The UN is not capable enough to solve the problems and to remove aggression, occupation and imposition.

In Palestine, 60 years of carnage and invasion is still ongoing at the hands of some criminal and occupying Zionists. They have forged a regime through collecting people from various parts of the world and bringing them to other people’s land by displacing, detaining, and killing the true owners of that land. With advance notice, they invade, assassinate, and maintain food and medicine blockades, while some hegemonic and bullying powers support them. The Security Council cannot do anything and sometimes, under pressure from a few bullying powers, even paves the way for supporting these Zionist murderers. It is natural that some UN resolutions that have addressed the plight of the Palestinian people have been relegated to the archives unnoticed.

In Afghanistan, production of narcotics has multiplied since the presence of NATO forces. Domestic conflicts continue. Terrorism is spreading. And innocent people are bombarded on a daily basis in streets, markets, schools and wedding ceremonies. The people of Afghanistan are the victims of the willingness of NATO member states to dominate the regions surrounding India, China, and South Asia. The Security Council cannot do anything about it because some of these NATO members also happen to be the major decision makers in the Security Council.

In Africa, efforts are made to reestablish the relationships of the colonial era. By starting civil wars in large countries including Sudan, disintegration of those countries is planned in order to serve the interests of some corrupt powers. In case there is a national resistance, the leaders of the resistance are put under pressure by legal mechanisms created by the very same powers.

In Latin America, people find their security, national interests and cultures to be seriously endangered by the menacing shadow of alien domineering governments, and even by the embassies of some empires.

The lives, properties and rights of the people of Georgia and Ossetia and Abkhazia are victims of the tendencies and provocations of NATO and certain western powers, and the underhanded actions of the Zionists.

The never-ending arms race and the proliferation and stockpiling of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and the threats to use them, and the establishment of missile defense systems, have made the situation unstable.

With regard to Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, despite the inalienable right of all nations including the Iranian nation, in producing nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes, and despite such facts as the transparency of all Iranian activities and our country’s full cooperation with the inspectors of the IAEA and the Agency’s repeated confirmation of the fact that Iran’s activities are peaceful, a few bullying powers have sought to put hurdles in the way of the peaceful nuclear activities of the Iranian nation by exerting political and economic pressures against Iran, and also through threatening and pressuring the IAEA. These are the same powers that produce new generations of lethal nuclear arms and possess stockpiles of nuclear weapons that no international organization is monitoring; and, the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were perpetrated by one of them.
Indeed, they are not against weapons, but they oppose other nations’ progress, and tend to monopolize technologies and to use those monopolies in order to impose their will on other nations. But it is very natural that the great Iranian people, with their trust in God, and with determination and steadfastness and with the support of its friends, will resist the bullying and has defended and will continue to defend its rights. The Iranian nation is for dialogue. But it has not accepted and will not accept illegal demands. The time has come for the IAEA to present a clear report to the international community on its monitoring of the disarmament of these nuclear powers and their nuclear activities, and for a disarmament committee to be established by independent states to monitor the disarmament of these nuclear powers.

The theories of development that are in line with the hegemonic system and not in accordance with the true needs of humankind and human societies, have turned into repetitive and bland tools for assimilation of economies, expanding hegemonic domination, destroying the environment and destroying the social solidarity of nations. There is no end in sight to this. Poverty, hunger and deprivation are hurting more than one billion of the world's population and have dashed their hopes for a decent life.

The dignity, integrity and rights of the American and European people are being played with by a small but deceitful number of people called Zionists. Although they are a minuscule minority, they have been dominating an important portion of the financial and monetary centers as well as the political decision-making centers of some European countries and the US in a deceitful, complex and furtive manner. It is deeply disastrous to witness that some presidential or premiere nominees in some big countries have to visit these people, take part in their gatherings, swear their allegiance and commitment to their interests in order to attain financial or media support.
This means that the great people of America and various nations of Europe need to obey the demands and wishes of a small number of acquisitive and invasive people. These nations are spending their dignity and resources on the crimes and occupations and the threats of the Zionist network against their will.

Friends and Colleagues,
All these are due to the manner in which the immoral and the powerful view the world, humankind, freedom, obeisance to God, and justice.
The thoughts and deeds of those who think they are superior to others and consider others as second-class and inferior; who intend to remain out of the divine circle, to be the absolute slaves of their materialistic and selfish desires, who intend to expand their aggressive and domineering natures, constitute the roots of today’s problems in human societies. They are the great hindrances to the actualization of material and spiritual prosperity and to security, peace and brotherhood among nations. I explicitly state that the Iranian people and the overwhelming majority of peoples and governments are against those deeds and perspectives of the world- domineering powers. Establishment of justice requires people who have achieved moderation and justice inside themselves, and have restrained their domineering attitudes and actualized their attributes of self-sacrifice and are at the service of humanity. The complete and full-scale manifestation of such characteristics can happen only under the rule of the righteous and perfect human being who is obedient to God and who is promised by the divine Prophets.

Dear Colleagues,
Of course with the grace of God Almighty a hopeful trend is flourishing in the heart and soul of human societies. The universal eagerness for justice, purity, and love for others, monotheism and the quest for perfection is clearly and increasingly on the rise. A universal resistance against the acquisitiveness, aggression and selfishness of the bullying powers is being formed. Today, the bullying powers' thoughts, practices and strategies are rejected by nations and governments, and all are seeking to establish new human relations based on justice with a view to attain prosperity, perfection, security, and sustainable welfare. This is the very auspicious phenomenon that all the traditions of creation and the ruling laws of the universe emphasize and support.

Today, the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse, and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters. The Islamic Republic of Iran, while fully respecting the resistance of the oppressed people of Palestine and expressing its all-out support for it, submits its humane solution based on a free referendum in Palestine for determining and establishing the type of state in the entire Palestinian lands to the distinguished Secretary General of the UN.

American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders. Today, the thought of hegemony quickly becomes a demerit.

And now a few words with the expansionist governments ruling global relations:
Be aware that living with obedience to God and carrying out His orders, compassion for people and striving for the fulfillment of justice is to your advantage too. I invite you to return to the path of God, the Prophets and to the path of the people of the world and to the truth and justice.
The only route to salvation is a divine straight path. Otherwise, God's hand of power will emerge from the sleeve of oppressed nations and will make your life difficult, and will put an end to your hegemony.
Let's love the people of the world and respect their rights. Rectify past behavior. This will benefit you and the human community. The Iranian people are prepared, along with other nations, to help you be rescued from your current situation and to establish peace and prosperity.

My Friends,
Fortuitously, opportunities are accessible. With the grace of God Almighty, the existing pillars of the oppressive system are crumbling. Great developments in favor of humankind as well as its true and real rights are on the way. A golden and brilliant future is awaiting mankind.
A global community filled with justice, friendship, brotherhood and welfare is at hand, as I have elaborated. A community which will tread the path of beauty and love under the rule of the righteous and perfect human being, the One promised by all divine prophets and the One who is the true lover of humanity. A community that will be devoid of any fear, despair and privation. Such a community will soon be ours. The community promised by the great divine Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ and Mohammad (PBUH) is about to materialize.
Let us, hand in hand, expand the thought of resistance against evil and the minority of those who are ill-wishers. Let's support goodness and the majority of people who are good and the embodiment of absolute good that is the Imam of Time, The Promised One who will come accompanied by Jesus Christ, and accordingly design and implement the just and humanistic mechanisms for regulating the constructive relationships between nations and governments.
Oh great Almighty, deliver the savior of nations and put an end to the sufferings of mankind and bring forth justice, beauty, and love.

Friends;
Let’s have a proper share in the establishment of that illuminated and promised divine age.

Breaking News: From Ahmadinejad's speech minutes ago

2008-09-23T15:31:00.006-05:00

In one of the most audacious and public displays of Antisemitism, President Ahmadinejad of Iran spent many minutes blurting hateful speech directed at Jews worldwide in his address to the U.N. General Assembly today. In what appeared to be direct references from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the president made countless Antisemitic remarks calling Jews deceitful and money hungry people who lurk in the background trying to control their interests within the geo-political sphere. The list of disgusting ancient anti-Jewish claims went on--I will post a transcript of the speech as soon as I get a hold of one. Unfortunatley, these remarks some would say were expected, but what was most disheartneing was the round of applause Ahmadinejad received from the atendees. The Assembly by uproariously clapping and cheering, has given this hateful speech not only a platform but worse--its approval. To top it off the UN Secretary then congratulated Ahmadinejad and hugged him embracingly.

Repressive Regime

2008-09-18T17:20:00.003-05:00

Disenfranchised and oppressed, the 32,522,598 women living in Iran have been fighting an uphill battle against one of the their greatest foes since the Ayatollah Khomeini took power in 1979. In a recent New York Post article, Amir Taheri, highlights the "under-covered" struggle for the Iranian women's independence movement.

IN one of his last sermons before his death, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini warned of "three threats" to his vision of Islam: the US, the Jews and women.

Two decades later, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks he has the United States and the Jews in hand - and is moving on the third "enemy."

Women were the first to demonstrate against Khomeini's regime with a mass rally in Tehran on March 8, 1979 - less than a month after the mullahs had seized power. Over the next decade, the authorities imprisoned hundreds of thousands of women for varying lengths of time, and executed thousands.

But women continued to fight a regime that deemed them subhuman. Their resistance prevented the mullahs from abrogating pre-revolutionary laws limiting gender discrimination. Thus, women succeeded in keeping their right to vote and win public office.

They also retained a veto, granted by the shah, on their husbands' Islamic right to take up to four permanent wives and countless temporary concubines.

Last June, Ahmadinejad sought to remove that veto, launching a campaign with quotations from the Prophet and the 12 Imams of Shiite Islam to prove that men who took many wives would have a fast track to paradise.

To make polygamy practically impossible, a law predating the revolution required men seeking added wives to prove that they're financially capable of running more than one household. Since few can meet that condition, the number of Iranian men with more than one wife had fallen to a few hundred before the mullahs seized power.

And most of those polygamists were mullahs or wealthy bazaar merchants associated with them.

Last month, Ahmadinejad presented a draft bill designed to "re-Islamicize" the status of women. He claimed that the shah had used laws inspired by "Zionist-Crusaders" to deal with women's issues.

His new law would restore men's Islamic right to divorce their wives without even informing them. Men would also be absolved from paying alimony.

In exchange, they'd be required to pay a mahrieh (a severance payment, whose amount is set in the marriage contract) to a wife they wish to divorce. But the draft law also plans a hefty government tax on the mahrieh. So a divorced woman left with no alimony and no resources except her mahrieh could end up losing most of that to the government. "This text is designed to return women to the dark ages," says Sousan Tahmaspi, a spokesperson for the campaign against the law.

To prevent the law's passage, women have been holding meetings nationwide, and launched a campaign to collect a million signatures in support of gender equality.

This week, their campaign seemed to have produced some results: The speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Iran's ersatz parliament, opted to delay formal debate on the measure.

"The text has not been withdrawn," a spokesman for Ahmadinejad said Monday. "It will be debated when we have a calmer atmosphere." To get that "calm," the regime has launched a crackdown against women's-rights groups. This week, four leading campaigners (Pari Ardalan, Nahid Keshavarz, Maryam Hussein Khah and Zhaleh Javaheri) got sentenced to six months in prison in what their lawyers call "kangaroo courts." A fifth campaigner, Zeinab Bayazidi got a four-year sentence.

And at least five women's-rights advocates have gone missing. One, Solmaz Igdar, was abducted on her way home in Tehran, her family says.

The Khomeinist propaganda machine seeks to portray the women's movement as part of a plot by "Zionists and Crusaders" to undermine Islam. In recent days, government media have published claims linking Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has spoken in support of the women's movement, to the Bahai faith, a religion banned by the regime. This is a deadly threat: To abandon Islam for another faith carries a death sentence.

"Free people everywhere should speak out in support of Iranian women," says Tehran feminist Haydeh Karimi. "The proposed law is the thin end of a wedge. Ahmadinejad wants women out of universities and public life. He thinks he can curb mass unemployment by forcing women out of work, giving their jobs to men."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09062008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/ahmadinejads_new_enemy__women_127724.htm

Who Killed Mughniyah?

2008-03-02T13:17:00.004-05:00

Immediately following the assassination of Imad Mughniyah, many in the Middle East quickly blamed Israel for the killing. However, what the media did not report was the plethora of accusations within the Muslim world, blaming Iran, for killing one of its own.

Mughniyah aka the Hajj, was one of the world's most wanted terrorists. With America and Israel's saber rattling against Iran's nuclear program, many in the Sunni world believe Iran committed murder in order to protect their state secrets from entering into the hands of the West.

Mughniyah, who was living in Syria at the time of his death, was one of a handful of top Hizbullah members who could connect the dots between Iranian and Syrian leaders and the operational maneuvers carried out by Hizbullah. Despite previous accusations against some Arab governments for killing the Hajj, the Iranians would stand to lose the most, should the Hajj fall into the hands of captors.

This information was provided by Sunni Jihadist websites who put the blame squarely on Iran, and warn of future Iranian escalations in order to destabilize the region by upsetting the balance of current Sunni-Shia relations.

Vacation

2007-12-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,
While I take some time off, please catch up on all the stories you missed by clicking on the many archived stories. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays

Nuclear Here We Come

2007-11-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

Speaking to the press earlier today, Ahmadinejad said,

"Industrial enrichment started at the beginning of the year when I was in Natanz and it has continued since then...Iran's nuclear activities are at an industrial scale, carried out under the inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency"

We currently know Iran possesses over 3,000 operational centrifuges and is not slowing down amidst pressure from the West.

Government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham, tried to dispel the nuclear Armageddon fears by saying, " We are moving on a path which leads to industrial (enrichment) technology and we want to use this technology for our nuclear power plants in a peaceful way and within the regulations."

Whether or not Iran uses their nuclear technology for evil, the fact that they will one day acquire the ability to launch a weapon of mass destruction, ables the regime to have unfettered influence in the region, which poses a direct challenge to America's security and interests.

Turkey Moves Closer To Tehran

2007-10-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

In another telling twist to the unpredictable events of the Middle East, America's long trusted allies are moving closer towards the influence of Iran. Perhaps the meeting on Sunday between the Turkish Foreign Minister and President Ahmadinejad, was a response to the recent push in the U.S. Congress to name the World War One massacre against the Armenians as genocide. Both the Turkish Foreign Minister and the Iranian President, vowed to cooperate and fight against the PKK Kurdish terrorists, operating inside Iraq. The Turkish delegation visiting Tehran also met with many high ranking officials in the Revolutionary regime. The discussions conducted on Sunday have the potential to leave America powerless in the face of maintaining an Iraq free of Iranian influence. Should Turkey enter Iraq in conjunction with Iranian forces, the hope of achieving a stable Iraq without Iranian Shiite forces could prove unattainable.

Iran & Russia

2007-10-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

Following a cold and unsuccessful diplomatic mission to Russia by the United States, Iran has scored a major victory by hosting the Caspian Sea summit. Iran will be in the spotlight again due to Putin's announcement that he will attend, despite threats of an assassination attempt on his life. Participants at the summit will discuss how to divide the rich resources found in the sea-bed. This new development poses another roadblock for preventing Iran's growing influence in the region. With Iran and Russia forming new bonds and sharing resources, any future push to implement U.N. sanctions against the nuclear dedicated nation, seem rather futile in the face of Russian support.

Israel The Outsider

2007-08-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network Television, President Ahmadinejad said Iran is willing to speak with any country except for Israel.
The president during a televised news conference was quoted as saying,

"I've said this before: We're a nation that favors dialogue. We favor rationality. Throughout history, the Iranian nation has never violated any nation's right. In the history of the Iranian nation, there is no record of attacking others, transgression against the rights of others. It's the same now. Now, too, in conditions of equality, we will discuss different subjects with everyone - except the Palestine-occupying regime. But in conditions of equality. There is no ban on the principle of dialogue."

Norway Stepping Up

2007-07-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr condemned the recent stoning in Iran of a man convicted of adultery (in Iran). The foreign minister did not mince words when he said,
"I am outraged that the stoning has been carried out and condemn in the strongest possible terms this death sentence."
Norway's surprising denouncement could be a portentous event, foreshadowing what effect outside countries have on Iran. The victim's partner was also convicted of adultery and is waiting in jail to see if her stoning sentence will be administered by authorities. The delay in carrying out the woman's death sentence can be seen as a direct result of strong international pressure against stoning. Even though a 2002 judicial directive called for suspending the brutal practice of stoning, many conservative elements within Iran have chosen to ignore it.

Getting Rid of Dollars

2007-06-27T20:11:00.000-05:00

Iranian central bank officials have announced plans to deplete their cash reserve of dollars. The new monetary plan would seek to convert the Iranian foreign currency reserves from Dollars into Euros. Many economic experts have warned the regime to avoid such radical moves, (to get rid of Dollars, due to the high exchange rate of Euros), which they claim could hamper Iranian trade from expanding. These economic changes portray the depth of Iranian commitment to resist all influences of American society from entering. In addition, Iranian officials have been busy pressuring other OPEC members to follow suit by eliminating Dollar reserves, but their plan has by and large fallen onto deaf ears.

Whose To Blame?

2007-06-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought it was time for Islamic leaders to stand up and demand an end to the violence ripping apart the Middle East, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamene'i, came out today and blamed the recent bloodshed and destruction in the region on the Zionists and Occupiers.

Instead of calling for restraint and demanding Muslims to put down their weapons in order to decrease the internal strife within Iraq, Khamenei said,

"The criminal hands of conspirators have once again stabbed the body of the Islamic ummah (population) with a poisonous dagger and have committed an atrocious crime... there is no doubt that the spying services of the occupiers and Zionists are the main organizers of this evil plot."

The Ayatollah went on to blame the current conflicts of Muslim on Muslim violence squarely on the aforementioned conspirators.

"All Muslims across the world must be aware more than ever of the enemy's policy of divide and rule and its efforts to create trouble. Today, the enemies are making trouble in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and wherever they can by provoking the Muslims under various religious and ethnic pretexts forcing them to confront and kill each other. The Muslims should not help them achieve this shameless and dangerous goal."

There is a clear consensus among Middle Eastern scholars today regarding the causes of the ongoing violence. Both Lebanon and the Palestinian areas are in a power struggle to claim political superiority among their people, and not because of conspirators. The violence will not stop as long as their leaders remain in a state of denial. The world is waiting for Islamic leaders to stand up and demand those who are using weapons for political advancement to lay down their arms, instead of blaming conspirators which will only create more bloodshed and death.

Israelis in Tehran?

2007-06-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

The "Israel Today" publication reported on June 6, that the Iranian Ministry of Tourism was looking to attract Israeli travelers. This article caught the attention of many incredulous spectators around the world including those of the aforementioned Iranian Ministry of Tourism. The Iranian news source E`temad, responded to the tourism allegations as "a lie and an example of the propaganda used by the Israeli media against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Immigration Reform

2007-06-03T09:42:00.000-05:00

Iranians have made up their mind when it comes to dealing with illegal immigrants. They simply kick them out. Sistan, the third largest province in Iran located in the southeast region bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been very busy dealing with its foreign visitors. According to the IRNA news agency, a total of 165 villages in the Sistan province have been cleared of all its illegal immigrants. One governor from the region remarked that over 45,000 foreigners from the region have returned to their countries of origin since the program began in April. According to government authorities, the Iranian program to return illegal foreign nationals offers the illegals who agree to leave on their own accord, an option of a no-charge transportation service for all their belongings across the border.

Ahmadinejad`s Fiery Speech

2007-05-31T13:06:00.000-05:00

This past week on Iranian state run television, President Ahmadinejad addressed the people of Najafabad. In his speech he sent out ominous warnings to both the USA and Israel, in addition to those corrupting the Muslim faith. As mentioned in previous blogs, Ahmadinejad`s usage of messianic\religious rhetoric combined with fear tactics obfuscates all attempts for the creation of a more pluralistic environment where negotiations and the easing of tensions are necessary to prevent a future conflict.

Posted below is Ahmadinejad`s speech: (Taken from World News Connection, Document #200705301477.1_ca2001e33bd43ea1)

In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful. (Passage omitted: Greetings and praise for the devout people of Najafabad) The population of Najafabad, the town of Najafabad, is more than 280,000 strong. I am told that out of this number, 61,000 are official members of the Basij (voluntary militia). I should like to declare to the world that everyone in Najafabad is a Basiji and that this is the biggest Basij base of the Iranian nation. (Loud cheers and whistles). (Passage omitted: Salutations and religious issues, stressing God's mercy and favors)

To see the speech in its entirety click on the speeches link on the left hand side.

Regional Power

2007-05-22T08:24:00.000-05:00

Iran would someday like to see itself as the leading regional power in the Middle East. In accordance with those aspirations of gaining greater influence, Iran has embarked on a path to create a unity pact among Islamic states. Since Iran is not a member of the Arab League, it wishes to create a new organization which would increase its pertinence as the defender of Islamic values.
Currently Iran is a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which appears very similar to the prescribed intentions of Iran's new idea for a unity pact. This leads one to believe that such moves currently underway are mere rhetorical performances in order to gain publicity in the Islamic world.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi'`s recent remarks grant the observer a better understanding of where these ideas to create a greater Islamic unity are coming from:

"to thwart adversary plots sowing discord among Muslim nations.
Arrogant powers, US in particular, intended to change culture of the Islamic states in order to achieve their objectives in the region."
He added that signing a unity pact by the Muslim nations could foil the enemies plots to this end and lead to more solidarity among Muslims.

Today as we observe the Muslim world embroiled amidst a consistent atmosphere of sectarian violence and infighting, such calls for unity by Iran demonstrate their ambitions to gain a greater roll among Islamic states and boost itself as the leading contender to fight the West. These developments unfortunately make the possibility of Iranian nuclear capabilities more dangerous for the entire world, since the successful completion of nuclear fuel would solidify Iran's leading role in the region by default, and would make such unity pacts irrelevant.

Freedom Of Speech?

2007-05-07T20:25:00.000-05:00

Quoting past words of President Ahmadinejad:

"Our nation is against injustice in the world of today, wherever it may be...Our nation is against tyranny and aggression, regardless of what government or person commits them. Therefore, neither does our nation bully anyone, nor does it allow anyone to bully it."

How does Ahmadinejad feel about bullying his own people through tyranny?

Today, Moqdad Khalilpur, the chief editor of the student publication "Atiyeh" at Amir Kabir University in Iran was arrested.

As Khalilpur was leaving his dorm room earlier this morning, he was approached by unknown persons who arrested him and imprisoned him to the confines of the Evin prison.

The arrest was a result from articles published by the student newspaper which questioned some traditional beliefs regarding the prophet Mohammad and the revered Shiite leader Ali.

An influential & radical Islamic association affiliated with the University pressured many government officials and the media in order to raise awareness of the so called "blasphemous actions" taken by the student newspaper.

In addition, certain Islamic scholars called for all those involved with the paper, "to be punished in the harshest possible way in order to warn future perpetrators and to cleanse the atmosphere of the university and students from these evil germs."

Various religious and ultra-conservative factions within the university have also accused the newspaper and its editor of being traitorous agents used by America in order to infiltrate Iran and disrupt its unity.

Iran`s arrest and prosecution of student journalists attest to the country`s fear of dissent. As the Iranian economy continues to spiral out of control, and as the Iranian administration faces greater isolation from the outside world, the fate of Moqdad Khalilpur and other civil society advocates like him will most probably worsen with time. The first stop on the road to a free society belongs with freedom of the press. Should Iran continue its policy of media censorship, our dreams of witnessing a free Iran may just have to wait a little longer.

Iranians Protesting Al-Jazeera

2007-05-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

You thought that Muslim riots protesting infidel rhetoric were only against Danish newspapers?

Recently Iranian Shiites have been taking to the streets protesting the Qatari based satellite network Al-Jazeera. The contraversy erupted following an Al-Jazeera talk show last week in which the presenter, Egyptian Ahmed Mansour, questioned Iraqi religious leader al-Sistani's leadership credentials and whether he authored his own edicts.

The Iranian parliament speaker has banned all Al-Jazeera reporters from entering inside the parliament building until Al-Jazeera offers an official apology regarding their statements towards al-Sistani.

The protesters denouncing Al-Jazeera were chanting violent threats which included, "Today, we burn down Al-Jazeera,"

These incidents in addition to the continuous Sunni insurgency within Iraq are reminders to the outside world of the growing divide plaguing the Muslim world from within.

Moderate Iranians & Hamas-What do they have in common?

2007-04-30T11:34:00.000-05:00

In order to understand the Iranian political climate and overall prejudicial convictions against Israel better, I would like to showcase a recent article published by E`temad. E`temad is one of the most popular papers today in Iran. Its popularity is a direct consequence of its critical view of the conservative Ahmadinejad government. The paper`s political affiliation is with the E`temad party aka "National Trust Party", which represents the reformist agenda, and whose political aims are to replace Ahmadinejad with their own candidate in the upcoming election. What is interesting to note here is the fact that a reformist anti-Ahmadinejad paper and political party is calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. The end of the article which promotes this act of genocide is highlighted for the readers aid.

I am pasting the article in its entirety:

Israel & Us
By, Ruhollah Owhadi ( member of the reformist party E`temad

The issue of Palestine and the occupation of this land by the racist Zionists has always been a salient problem for the Middle East and the Islamic world, such that the destiny of the region has been tied to Palestine. It has been the source of numerous changes and crises, the effects of which have not left the Iranian government and nation untouched. In confronting this illegitimate and occupying regime the following can be said:
1 - From a religious point of view: The first aspect when dealing with the Palestine issue is an Islamic aspect. Qods or Beit ul Moqaddas (Jerusalem) is a holy site for the Muslims. It is the site of the Isra and Mi'raj of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Sakreh mosque with its golden dome, which is the symbol of Qods, and is the spot from where the honourable prophet of Islam ascended to heaven and descended to earth again. It was the first qibla of Muslims which was in the vicinity of the Al Aqsa Mosque and in the noble sanctuary. The land of Qods is a sacred land which belongs equally to all Muslims, it is an inalienable Islamic endowment and no government or nation has the right to negotiate or compromise over the future of Qods. It is a holy site for Christians and enjoys a special deference because of the church of ?Mahd' or ?Qiyamah' which is connected to the Christian belief in the holy road of suffering which in turn is based on the belief of the crucifixion of Jesus (upon whom be peace) by Jews. In addition to this, there are many other historical convents and churches in this city which makes the importance of Beit ul Moqaddas two-fold for Christians. Unfortunately, on the basis of an unfounded historical claim that the Prophet Sulayman (upon whom be peace) built the building of ?Heykal' or ?House of God' over the Beit ul Moqaddas mount and this building is buried under the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Sakreh dome, the Zionists have many times carried out excavations and in some cases have tried to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque. Making Qods Jewish has always been on the agenda of the Zionist regime.
2) From a national aspect: Iran has always been and continues to be a powerful country in the Middle East. Based on its geopolitical and geo-strategic interests and in line with the 20-Year Outlook Plan, it intends to become the number one country in southwest Asia. It is clear that such a goal creates a contradiction with Israel. This is because Israel was created to become the most influential country in the Middle East and use its military and economic superiority in the region to secure the interests of its powerful world allies. Based on this, I believe that regardless of which regime or government rules Iran, innate and strategic hostility will exist between Iran and Israel. Consequently, confrontation between Iran and Israel is not merely ideological, it can also be analyzed from other angles such as strategic interests.
3) From a humane aspect: The Palestinian nation deserves praise for a number of reasons. For one it has been struggling with homelessness, violence and apartheid for more than half a century now, yet it hasn't abandoned its resistance or fortitude. Out of a population of nine million, around four million Palestinians are living outside Palestine, mostly in camps under very difficult circumstances. There are around 1,200,000 Palestinians living in Israel in the so-called green line, which is the name given to the regions occupied in 1948, and most of them have preserved their Arab and Palestinian identity. Even though they face much discrimination, attempts by the Zionists, who are suspicious of these Palestinians and believe they should be gradually expelled from Palestine because they are a time bomb in Israeli society, have been fruitless. The best evidence of this is the martyrdom of dozens of Palestinians in the recent Intifadah at Al-Qods.
The Palestinians in the lands occupied in 1967 (the western banks of the Jordan River, the Gaza Strip and eastern Al-Qods) are living in the region under the occupation and control of the Israeli army. Although in accordance with the Oslo Accords a small section of these regions were handed over to the Palestinian self-rule government, the erection of a dividing wall and the military presence of the occupiers in the region, especially in Ramallah, Al-Khalil, Al-Qods, Jenin, Nablus and Bethlehem, has created a huge prison for the Palestinians. Further problems have been created by military, political and economic pressures and the obstacles set up to restrict passage between cities and villages.
It's noteworthy that in addition to the above-mentioned approaches, the Palestinian issue can also be analyzed from legal, historical and international aspects. However, what is clear is that over the past 50 years, the racist Zionist regime has, through its terrorist acts and death squads, destroyed a civilized and cultured nation in Palestine and replaced it with an illegitimate, implanted regime, one which secures the interest of the colonialist powers and continuously creates military crises and occupation for the Middle East and Islamic World.
Based on this, whilst paying tribute to the resistance and endurance of the oppressed Palestinian nation in securing their rights, we support the formation of a Palestinian government in the whole of the occupied lands with Qods as its capital. We believe the pursuit of the ideals of Qods, which as the dear Imam (Khomeyni) said is the most important issue of the Islamic world, is our national and religious duty.

Economic Woes & Hopes For Change

2007-04-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

This past week, numerous members of parliament objected to the administration`s refusal to adopt a concrete position in regards to combating inflation.

The problem has arrived in Iran, where the current rate of oil consumption coupled with heavily subsidized prices, is forcing Iran to import oil.

Today the cost to purchase oil within Iran is around 40 cents per liter. This heavy subsidy is forcing the Iranian nation not only to lose revenue from its most prized natural resource, but is also contributing to their lack of economic growth. When a country spends close to eighty percent of its annual revenues on subsidies, it places itself in a very vulnerable position should oil prices fall.

Many Iranian politicians including the speaker of parliament, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, have warned Ahmadinejad to raise oil prices and cut subsidies in order to prevent an economic disaster.

Such calls made against the administration are a good sign. Critics of Ahmadinejad are reported as saying that the administration`s unwillingness to cut subsidies are a political scheme in which Ahmadinejad is using in order to gain more votes in the upcoming election.

As Tom Friedman pointed out, the downfall of the Soviet Union was not Ronald Reagen`s tough demands, but rather a period of high oil prices followed by a steep drop in oil prices. This event caused the Soviet Union to become a more open and free society, through its policies of Perestroika and Glasnost in an attempt to appease internal dissent. The link between petro-dollars and free societies is an inverse relationship. The more wealthy states become as a result of their oil revenues, ultimately lead to the contribution of fewer liberties and freedoms for their people.

Should Ahmadinejad fail to restructure his country`s economy, and abandon his reliance on government subsidies to win over support, we might have the opportunity to witness a regime change without the use of foreign force.

Ahmadinejad's Threatning Remarks

2007-04-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

Posted below are remarks make by Ahmadinejad in a speech to the people of Gavbandi:

"I wish to send a message to these oppressive powers on behalf of you, and the entire Iranian nation, asking them to get back to the path put before them by the prophets, that is the path of divine guidance, justice, friendship, and being faithful to the covenants they have vowed with their nations."...
"Beware! If you do not get back to this path; if you do not end your oppressive methods; if you do not keep on looting the other nations and try to keep on imposing your illegitimate hegemony over other nations, you will face the destiny of the past tyrants in history, that is none but death, and downfall for yourselves, and wretched lives for your nations." Further addressing the oppressive powers, Ahmadinejad said, "Today you selfishly and arrogantly insist on halting the path of nations' progress, including Iran, resorting to telling lies to the world public opinion and even cheating your own nations."
He added, "Our nation tells you that you are repeating your old mistakes. You have so far kept trying for 28 years to halt the path of our nation's progress, all in vain. You can see today that our nation's youth, believing in their might and relying on their strong will, have mastered all modern sciences and technologies, and presented them humbly to the noble Iranian nation."

It appears that Ahmadinejad is pursuing a policy of disengagment from the Western states. The same policy which he criticizes the Bush administration for adopting, is exactly the path Ahmadinejad is going down. Such threats made against America, regarding its impending destruction will never lead to communication or diplomatic negotiations. The question we must ask ourselves, is whether the Iranian people can see through Ahmadinejad`s hypocrisy, when he discusses issues of liberty, freedom and peace. The most important policy and course of action we must pursue, is to create a stable and peaceful Middle East. This can only come about when we are able to implement free societies. As Natan Sharansky discusses throughout his book (Case for Democracy- a must read), A true free society is when one can stand in the middle of the town square and speak anything he wishes, without the fear of being attacked. How do we go about implementing free societies? That is the trillion dollar question!

Ahmadinejad Hypocrisy-Part 2

2007-04-18T07:11:00.000-05:00

Celebrating this year`s annual Islamic Republic Military Day, President Ahmadinejad addressed large crowds of Iranians to mark the national holiday. In classical Ahmadinejad fashion, the president initially attempts to have himself perceived as a righteous humanitarian.
The president said:

"the Iranian nation is the flag-bearer of monotheism, justice and human dignity in the world. Our nation is against injustice in the world of today, wherever it may be. It doesn't make a difference if it is in Asia, Africa, Europe or America. Our nation is against tyranny and aggression, regardless of what government or person commits them. Therefore, neither does our nation bully anyone, nor does it allow anyone to bully it."

However, the true intentions of Ahmadinejad protrude to the forefront further on in the speech whereby he states:

"Our dear nation wants peace, stability and security to be established everywhere in the world. Our people want fair and friendly ties with all governments and nations, except for the fake Zionist regime."

Perhaps even more freightning then his anti-semetic rant is his belief that the Iranian military is, "an army that belongs to Imam Mahdi (the 12th Shiite Imam-aka the Islamic Messiah)."

This mixture of virulent hate accompanied with religious indoctrination combine to create a concrete set of motives, which should be raising red flags within Israel and the rest of the free world.

Ahmadinejad Hypocrisy

2007-04-16T14:41:00.000-05:00

In a speech today in the southern Iranian province of Fars, President Ahmadinejad as expected admonished many of the policies being conducted by Western powers. The president choosing to ignore his country`s own human rights and economic records said this of the Western countries,

"Wherever there is poverty, discrimination, hostility, malevolence, war, and violation of human rights, the footprint of the satanic powers is evident,"

However, the most interesting part of the speech related to Ahmadinejad`s characterization of the recently freed British sailors.

The president said,

"the big powers recruit ignorant youth for military services and send them to other states just for pillage and colonialist ambitions.
You saw the British servicemen. They were some young people who had not the slightest information on global affairs. They had no information even on their own case and did not know for whom they serve and work. They recruit the youth just for a loaf of bread and dispatch them to other lands just for the sake of plundering, domination and expansion of the zone of their influence."

Parliamentary Criticism Against Ahmadinejad

2007-04-15T01:16:00.000-05:00

After numerous warnings from economic experts concerned with rising inflation rates, some members of Iran`s parliament are finally speaking up.

In an article written by a member of parliament from Behbahan, Shoja'pourian said, the government needs to seriously review its policies which have been in place since president Ahmadinejad came into power. Shoja'pourian criticized the way the president is handling the economic situation and requested that the administration fix its "blame and drain policy", whereby Ahmadinejad deflects attention from his actions of draining Iranian savings and blames so called "hidden" forces for the multitude of crises.

April 5, 2007

2007-04-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

Iran is increasing its strategic importance within the region. On March 19th the Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline was inaugurated, adding to the pool of countries who must rely on the Persian giant for energy resources. The presidents of both countries were present at the ceremony honoring the opening of the 141 kilometer long pipeline, and welcomed further bilateral relations between their respective states.

March 11, 2007

2007-03-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

According to Iranian sources, cited by the Mehr News Agency, Iran has transfered the required funds to Russia for the anticipated creation of a new nuclear reactor. There had been rumors in the past, that due to Iranian financial troubles, Russia would delay the shipment of nuclear fuel for the establishment of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Since Russia has a direct interest with Iranian nuclear development, it will be interesting in the future to see just how bold the Russian negotiation team will conduct themselves during the next Security Council talks to decide how to enforce sanctions.

March 6, 2007

2007-03-06T23:09:00.000-05:00

President Ahmadinejad urged all Muslim governments to support the Palestinian government, despite its unpopularity among the Western nations. The President blamed many of the current internal Palestinian hardships on calculated plots conducted by the enemies of Islam. Ahmadinejad also described Israel`s current political situation as the worst in its history (one of the few times I actually agree with Ahmadinejad).

The President depicted the ongoing conflict through a religious frame when he said, "The divine victory, which will be the result of the resistance and faith of the oppressed Palestinian nation, will soon materialize, and by supporting their elected government, the Palestinian people will prepare the ground for the liberation of holy Qods and their release from the clutches of the Zionist regime."

To further Ahnmadinejad`s record of making anti-semitic and genocidal comments towards Israel and its Jews the President said, "from now on the Palestinian groups should prepare the ground for the expulsion of Zionist usurpers from the holy land of Palestine by maintaining unity and resistance and relying on God so that even one inch of the Palestinian land will not remain occupied."

Such blatant and aggressive language by a soon to be nuclear power, is asking for a confrontation. Perhaps the reason we here in the West have become complacent with such inflammatory remarks is due to our inability to gain media access to Ahmadinejad`s constant threats against Israel and America. Imagine what our public response would be, should Canada`s President rise up in parliament every week and call for the destruction and removal of the American presence in order to cleanse North America. However, even that comparison is not sufficient because Canada is run by a distinct political philosophy not a religious one, which makes Iran so dangerous and unpredictable. It is much more difficult to calculate and strategize international relations under a religious framework. If we continue to ignore the true intentions of Ahmadinejad, our only hope of mitigating his threat will come from himself and his terrible economic policies which are degrading his country. Its a slim possibility, but if the economic situation in Iran continues to deteriorate and the UN sanctions are successful, the Iranian people may be the worlds only hope in deposing a would be mass murderer from unleashing a nuclear arsenal, guaranteed to disrupt any possibilities of future progress for the Middle East.

February 26, 2007

2007-02-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

In response to previous claims by Ahmadinejad "to wipe Israel off of the map", A rabbi in Israel is currently planning a nationwide prayer vigil to include 10,000 children. The Rabbi`s nationwide campaign to enlist the 10,000 children for prayer is waiting for the upcoming holiday of Purim, which commemorates the decree by the Persian government to kill its entire Jewish population. Tradition has it that before the decree was carried out, Mordecai the Jewish leader of the time gathered 10,000 Jewish children to fast and pray with the hopes of eradicating the evil demands proclaimed by the Persians

February 22, 2007

2007-02-22T20:47:00.000-05:00

Signs of division within the Republic of Iran appear to be occurring, with yesterdays announcement by Supreme Leader Khamenei demanding liberal capitalistic economic reforms. In a meeting with various government officials, Khamenei urged the powers that be to strengthen and implement privatization policies. Khamenei also outlined the importance for the Justice Ministry to set up courts to defend ownership rights in order to encourage private investment. Such demands by the Supreme Leader can be interpreted as a sign of disapproval towards the methods and policies of President Ahmadinejad`s economic agenda. Just last October, Khamenei rebuked the government for its rising inflation rates. An Iranian analyst who wished to remain anonymous reported to the Tehran Fars News Agency that "These remarks (by Khamenei) made were clearly designed to hasten privatization and put the government under pressure to put it on track."

Iran recently has been facing heavy criticism both from international economic experts and domestic reformers. Iran`s current method of heavy subsidies, are contributing to its economic demise. Instead of funding projects to further development and infrastructure, Iran is wasting huge portions of its GDP to sustain artificial low prices and inefficient sectors of the economy.

February 16, 2007

2007-02-16T16:40:00.000-05:00

For the skeptics who believe that failure in Lebanon by Israeli forces would not embolden the terrorists, should pay close attention to what President Ahmadinejad had to say today to the outgoing Lebanese ambassador to Tehran.

"The spectacular resistance of your nation against military aggression of the Zionist regime a while ago was unique and totally unmatched."
Ahmadinejad added, "With its resistance, the Lebanese nation became the flag of resistance, piety, and pride for all nations, and we hope the present day problems with which your brave nation is entangled would be solved in favor of Lebanon's pride and national sovereignty.

The relationship between both countries is considered top priority according to Ahmadinejad who referred to Lebanon as, "limbs of the same body."

Ahmadinejad reiterated the importance of conducting "Broader relations between Tehran and Beirut to ensure annulment of the plots hatched by the enemies of the two nations."

Iran`s intentions of creating a presence inside Lebanon are clear. If Siniora`s government inside Lebanon falls to pro Syrian and Iranian factions, the results of such a political change would prove to have destabilizing ramifications not just for Lebanon, but for the entire Middle East.

February 14, 2007

2007-02-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

Hundreds of protesters, including many from the Zoroastrian community protested outside the President`s office today. The protesters were marching against the governments decision to fill a dam in the southern region of Iran. The protesters calls to stop the filling, stem from their claim that the filling will ruin many historical sites surrounding the dam. The tombs of Cyrus The Great, and many Achaemenid kings would be destroyed as a result from the filling, effectively destroying 3000 years of history.

February 13, 2007

2007-02-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

An influential conservative website called "Baztab" was shut down and banned today in Iran. The government deemed the website unconstitutional since it promoted disunity among the republic. The website has been critical up to now regarding the President`s economic policies, as well as questioning Ahmadinejad`s decision to hold a conference debating the reality of the Holocaust.

February 11, 2007

2007-02-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

Words of encouragement and congratulations were sent to President Ahmadinejad on the day which Iran celebrated its day of revolution which occurred 28 years ago. Officials from Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Syria, Azerbaijan and Japan all sent warm words to Iran on their festive day.

February 7, 2007

2007-02-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

In reference to current construction operations being conducted inside the Old City of Jerusalem, President Ahmadinejad went on a tirade against Israel. Ahmadinejad questioned Israel`s identity today during a cabinet meeting when he said:

"The United Nations should stop a group of people who lack identity and ethical values... and creating nuisance in the Middle East,"

The President went on to say, "The Zionist regime always does something to cause tension and escalate hostility."

Ahmadinejad made a plea to Muslims everywhere to unite against his imagined conspiracy theory of a plot to destroy the Muslim world;

"...enemies of the world of Islam and the region are now endeavoring to transfer crisis to the Middle-East and regional nations through such measures and plots as sowing seeds of discord among Muslims."

February 6, 2007

2007-02-06T15:13:00.000-05:00

America`s most recent Islamic ally, has been making strong inroads with Iran. Yesterday Pakistani President Musharraf, who has been heralded as one of America`s greatest allies in the region, visited Ahmadinejad in Tehran to discuss developments for a gas pipeline. During the meeting Ahmadinejad stressed the importance for both Islamic republics to strengthen their ties. In the President`s statements he called for greater relations when he said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran and Islamic Republic of Pakistan have great potentials as two major Islamic countries in the region, and two good neighbors for further expansion of economic, political and cultural ties."

In order to induce the aforementioned ties which Iran desires, Ahmadinejad said, "Tehran is ready for transferring its valuable technical experiences and scientific achievements in various fields to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."

Ahmadinejad took yesterdays meeting as an opportunity to mouth off his distaste for American influence. The Iranian President referring to the U.S. said, "The Presence and interference of alien forces in the region merely leads to aggravating tension and insecurity here." He continued to say, "While maintaining our alertness, we must strengthen the feeling of solidarity and unity among Muslim nations in order to defuse this plot of the oppressive powers."

The upcoming sanctions against Iran which are expected to be fulfilled in the near future are already proving to be futile. President Musharraf referring to the gas pipeline was quoted as saying, "Islamabad is even ready to sign a bilateral contract with Tehran in order to start the project faster."

Musharraf`s statements showcase the lack of support among some of the U.S. allies to uphold the U.N. sanctions. Even though the sanctions passed by the Security Council do not call for a complete embargo on trade, the continued public support of bi-lateral trade agreements by key international actors, ultimately limit the effectiveness of any sanction process.

Iran`s diplomatic efforts to loosen America`s alliances in the region could prove to be a major setback for future U.S. policy.

February 2, 2007

2007-02-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

I use the term Cold War again, for two reasons. First, the threat of nuclear war is now the topic in world politics. Second, we see the world being divided again into three segments. The original Cold War brought into the the academic jargon the terms of first, second and third world countries. The U.S. was seen as First World, the S.U. as Second World and all the independent states fell into the Third World category. The energies of both the U.S. and S.U. were spent to try and win the independent states and bring them into their respective camps. Once the U.S. was seen as the only dominant world player the divisions were changed, and the world no longer represented a bi-polar stage.

Fast-forward ahead to today, and we see a resemblance to the post World War Two order. Both America and Iran are fighting to gain allies based on their vision on how international affairs should be conducted. The area where the two powers are combating against each other are for the independent states.

Iran`s official state run news agency today reported that Ahmadinejad is working hard to establish greater relations with many of these independent states. Ahmadinejad is learning from North Korea`s failure to establish allies and support within the international community. Therefore Iran is now engaged in a policy to gain support and recognition in the international arena in order to counter the American pressure on the world to isolate Iran.

"Iran is a powerful nation with extensive ties and other nations will support us even if they are pressured," said Ahmadinejad. In addition he told his new ambassadors for Australia, Senegal, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Brunei "to strive for stronger relations with the countries of their mission." The president stressed Iran's enthusiasm for developing ties and cooperation with all the world states, especially independent countries.

Concentrating on the non-aligned countries Iran`s Foreign Minister stated, "We have tried to pay attention to those world regions, with which we did not have extensive ties. That's why we are making many efforts to balance our foreign relations, and these efforts have yielded excellent fruits."

The Foreign Minister continued to praise Ahmadinejad`s aggressive international relations agenda by describing the advances Iran has made when he said, "Many African countries have requested us to launch oil exploration operations in their countries, and in Venezuela, Caracas has signed a multi billion dollar contract with our companies for extraction of oil...Only during the last 40 days, we have signed many contracts with foreign countries in different economic grounds, including underground and power plant construction as well as in the oil and gas sector, which make a total of 33 billion dollars."

With these new economic en devours which Iran is conducting on foreign soil, the prospect of Iran becoming irrelevant is quickly eroding. With every new alliance whether political or economic, Iran is proving to be a sharper thorn than America has expected.

February 1, 2007

2007-02-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

Iran has been busy lately strengthening their alliances. In a period where the U.S. and U.K. have been pressuring the world community to sanction and isolate Iran, the Iranian's are counteracting. In what could be dubbed as the new Cold War, Iran has been working in overdrive to limit the United States goal to marginalize their nuclear ambitious country. Recently President Ahmadinejad went on a South American tour in an attempt to rally support. In addition to smaller countries like Belarus where Iran is making inroads, the Iranians are actively strengthening ties with more influential players such as Russia and India. As previously mentioned, Iran is trying to pursue a natural gas pact with Russia. However, another development dealing with natural resources is Iran`s plan to build an oil pipeline to India. If Iran successfully becomes the main supplier of oil and gas to billions of people in Europe and Asia, the geo-political and economic ramifications could prove too much for the U.S. in their desire to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear capable.

February 1, 2007

2007-02-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

Further developments pertaining to Iran`s nuclear arms race will most likely be announced this week. Today marks the beginning of the ten day festival in Iran commemorating the Islamic Revolution. Known as the "Decade of Fajr", Iranian's celebrate the day 28 years ago when the Shah was overthrown, and replaced by the late Imam Khomeini. Ahmadinejad in a statement yesterday was quoted as saying, "Iranian people, with faith in God, wisdom and resistance, will defend their inalienable rights... and celebrate the realization of their peaceful nuclear rights during Fajr."

January 30, 2007

2007-01-31T01:53:00.000-05:00

A relationship which should be watched closely, is the one between Iran and Russia. Earlier this week Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Russian Security Council chief Igor Ivanov. The meeting consisted of commitments from both sides to further their relationships and produce closer ties. What appears to be the most threatening and perhaps ominous statements during the meeting were proclaimed by Khamenei when he said, "Active cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia on regional issues within a defined framework can prevent the U.S. from becoming the sole power in the region." The meeting contained further threatening implications whereby Khamenei introduced an idea to Ivanov to create an OPEC like organization between Iran and Russia for the purpose of coordinating gas sales. Between Iran and Russia, both countries control close to half of the worlds gas reserves, if such a cooperation was established it could have an extremely detrimental effect on the rest of the world. Just recently Russia's gas industry made world news when they threatened to cut supplies to the Ukraininans, insisting more money. If Iran and Russia would buddy up, not only will Iran earn a much greater bargaining chip in international affairs, but the two countries could hold half of the world ransom for heat.