Iranian Alert -- June 28, 2004 [EST]-- IRAN LIVE THREAD -- "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"

The US media almost entirely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, “this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year.” Most American’s are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. I began these daily threads June 10th 2003. On that date Iranians once again began taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Today in Iran, most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy.

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.

In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.

This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.

I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.

If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.

If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

ATOMIC AYATOLLAHS [Excerpt]

By PETER BROOKES
NYPost.com

June 28, 2004 -- IRAN ratcheted up international nuclear tensions late last week by announcing it would resume (as soon as tomorrow) building nuclear centrifuges — an essential element in nuclear-weapons development. The rest of the world keeps protesting — and Tehran keeps thumbing its nose right back.

Iran insists its "civilian" nuclear power program is for "peaceful" purposes only. That's laughable — but the consequences aren't.

If other countries don't take decisive action soon, the world will have the 9th nuclear weapons state — and its first nuclear-armed state that also sponsors terrorism — faster than you can say "atomic ayatollah."

Efforts to stop Tehran's atomic quest have been lackluster so far. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) latest rebuke, for example, didn't even stop the mullahs from making last week's in-your-face announcement. The European Union's "peace in our time" agreement with Iran last October on nuclear transparency and inspections has become a tragic joke.

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/brookes.htm

POWER HANDOVER 'TODAY'

The handover of power in Iraq is to be brought forward to today.

A formal announcement will be made later today, Tony Blair said.

The informal announcement was made by Iraq's foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari.

The handover of power to an interim Iraqi government was supposed to take place on June 30.

Mr Zebari said the deteriorating security situation in the country was one of the reasons why the date had been brought forward.

"We will challenge these elements in Iraq, the anti-democratic elements, by even bringing the handover of sovereignty before June 30 as a sign we are ready for it," he said.

He added: "We have made some very good progress in terms of the new security council (in Iraq) and the return of sovereignty to the Iraqi people to take away the level of occupation we have suffered a great deal from.

"There are many Iraqis who are standing up to the challenge. We are here to seek more help and assistance, training and equipment."

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1140761,00.html

The Iraqis and the Neocons
Arab democracy is a work in progress.

Michael Ledeen
National Review
June 28, 2004, 9:16 a.m.

In that wonderful way the old media have for admitting error, the Washington Post last week announced in breathless tones that many "anti-American" Iraqi leaders have been busily denouncing the "insurgents" for the constant attacks on Iraqis. The "anti-American" bit is misleading. It would be more accurate to say "anti-occupation," which would make it possible for the American public to appreciate one of the two great things about Iraqi liberation: namely, the Iraqis themselves (the other great thing is the American military).

The Iraqis have a fine understanding of their situation, as reflected in many polls and anecdotes. In big majorities, here is what they think:

Happy to have been liberated from the monster Saddam, thus grateful to the Coalition forces, especially the Americans;

Unhappy to be occupied, thus angry at the Coalition Provisional Authority, especially the haughty Ambassador Bremer, who rarely missed an opportunity to present himself as the savior of the country and bridled at the very idea that Iraqis — especially anti-Baathist Iraqis — should be entrusted with the management of the country;

Eager to have the occupiers leave, but also:

Eager to have Coalition forces remain to help protect Iraq against the onslaught of terrorists (can we stop calling them "insurgents" finally?), both from the ranks of the Baathists, and from abroad.

Good attitudes, don't you think? Rational, sensible, and mature. And along with their clear-eyed views, the Iraqis have shown a toughness and resiliency that few expected. The more common forecast was that the Iraqis were exhausted and broken after the long, harsh dictatorship, and that it would take quite some time, a generation anyway, before they would be capable of self-government.

In short, the Iraqis are providing exactly what the doctor ordered, and it's particularly gratifying because the Iraqis have been given an enormous, perhaps even historic burden. The Iraqi people are the test case of the conviction that people everywhere, even the much-despised Arab people, want to be free and are capable of governing themselves. If the Iraqis succeed, they will surely inspire a vast democratic revolution throughout the region. If they fail, the tyrannical terror masters in Damascus, Tehran, and Riyadh will live to kill yet again.

So far, at least, they are exceeding expectations, and they are saying things that our own leaders seem afraid to say: namely, that the wave of terrorism in Iraq is in large part the work of foreigners. Unlike, say, the Department of State, Iraqi leaders — most definitely including some top Shiites — are quite outspoken about Iran's vigorous actions supporting the terror network inside Iraq. It's quite likely that the new Iraqi Government will bring some much-needed clarity to discussions of the terror war.

Of course there are things that don't inspire me. I'm worried about Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's ugly past, and I'm very worried about the return of so many Baathists to positions of considerable power — this last the result of Bremer's ill-judged turnaround on DeBaathification. I'm not impressed with Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, but I think we've made enough errors about the training of the new Iraqi security forces so that some of the most egregious ones will be avoided henceforth. Said Iraqi security forces seem to be fighting much better, especially in the recent victory over Moqtada al Sadr. Let's hope they perform as well in the upcoming battles in and around Fallujah.

But the bottom line is that it's getting increasingly difficult to maintain the old racist doctrine that Arabs can't govern themselves, and that our job is therefore to pick the best available tough guy to run the place. Those of us who argued from the beginning that there were plenty of Iraqis capable of governing the country, and therefore that our plan for liberation needed to be much more political, have every reason to think we were right.

And one more thing, never mentioned in the old media. Who was that Iraqi Shiite politician who spent days negotiating the agreement in Najaf that sent Moqtada out of the city and into abject defeat? It was Ahmad Chalabi, the State Department's and CIA's most despised Iraqi. And for those of you who still think that Chalabi might secretly be the Iranians' key agent inside Iraq, ask yourself how the mullahs felt when Moqtada tucked his long forked tail between his legs and limped off to lick his wounds. They hated it. And Chalabi was the key figure in the negotiations. Some agent he turned out to be!

So the conventional wisdom has failed once again. The Iraqis turn out to be much better than the pundits thought, there is a real hope for an Iraqi model for the rest of the region, and the idea of Arab democracy is not a fantasy but a work in progress.

Maybe somebody might give some credit to President Bush for intuitively understanding what the bureaucratic gurus rejected out of hand: that the surest way to defeat the terror masters is to support democratic revolution in the Middle East.

http://www.nationalreview.com/ledeen/ledeen200406280916.asp

Iran's gov't claims to be "out of the loop on nuclear policy"

AFP - World News (via yahoo)
Jun 28, 2004

TEHRAN - The official spokesman for Iran's reformist government admitted that the cabinet was effectively out of the loop on nuclear policy-making, a domain now in the hands of rising conservative forces.

In his first press conference for months, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh was pressed for more details on Iran's decision to resume the manufacture of centrifuges used for enriching uranium, a move that has drawn fresh criticism from the UN nuclear watchdog.

The official replied that top conservative cleric and national security official Hassan Rowhani as well as the foreign ministry had already addressed questions on Iran's ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Policy decisions on this matter are not in the hands of the government, so I have nothing to say," said the beleaguered cabinet secretary of embattled reformist President Mohammad Khatami.

He was also questioned why the cabinet had been so silent on a string of other sensitive topics since February's controversial parliamentary elections, which were easily won by religious hardliners after most reformist candidates were barred from even standing.

"I will stay silent," the spokesman said bluntly.

The February polls saw the conservatives cement their grip in the Islamic republic, and left Khatami and some of his cabinet isolated as some of the few reform-minded politicians still in public office.

During the electoral crisis, sources close to Ramazanzadeh even said he may resign, but he later denied this.

The official has since taken up an additional post as head of the Iranian Baseball, Cricket and Rugby Federation -- and betrayed the obvious fact that he no longer wanted to speak to reporters.

"The president ordered me to, so I have to," he said when asked why he had agreed to resume press briefings.

Khatami's second and final term in office ends in June 2005. Reformists have yet to put forward a potential replacement, in contrast to conservatives who have already fielded several names through the local press.

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_6838.shtml

Watchdog Inspects Suspected Iran Nuclear Site

June 28, 2004
Reuters
Ha'aretz

MOSCOW -- Inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog visited the Lavizan site in Tehran on Monday where Washington suspects Iran carried out secret atomic weapon activities, the agency's chief said.

In a telephone interview with Reuters, Mohamed ElBaradei said: "We went there today and we took environmental samples. Tomorrow we will also visit places in the country to look at relevant equipment.

"The fact that we got prompt response and access is, I think, something positive."

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that two satellite photos from August 2003 and March 2004 showed Iran had removed all the buildings and much of the topsoil at Lavizan, which is located near a military installation.

The United States, which has branded Iran part of a global "axis of evil" of states seeking illegal weapons, said this suggested that Iran was conducting activities there linked to what it says is a secret atom bomb program.

Iran denies that Lavizan was a nuclear site and insists it has no weapons program.

ElBaradei, in Moscow for talks with Russian officials, declined to give details on the inspectors' initial impression of the site and said it would take some time for the results of the samples to come back from the laboratories.

The U.N. watchdog takes environmental samples to test for traces of nuclear materials that might indicate signs of undeclared activities.

The IAEA found traces of enriched uranium at various sites in Iran last year and has yet to determine their origin.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=444783&contrassID=1&subContrassID=8&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

I know this isn't about Iran, but it's a great day for Iraq!
One day, hopefully very soon, freedom will come to the Iranians, it will be a great day for Iran.

THAT WHICH HAS BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE ["Hail our true friends, the Great People of the USA"]

The MESOPOTAMIAN

Monday, June 28, 2004

ÝÇãÇ ÇáÒÈÏ ÝíÐåÈ ÌÝÇÁ æÇãÇ ãÇíäÝÚ ÇáäÇÓ ÝíãßË Ýí ÇáÇÑÖ

This is a famous Arabic verse of divine Wisdom; the eloquence and resonance of the sentence cannot be translated but the meaning is as follows:

“As for the scum, it will go (disappear) in vain (uselessly); and as for that which has benefit for people, it will stay in the earth.”

One man of the people is asked by an MBC (An Arab network) reporter what he thinks about the new government. He answers very simply in that spontaneous genuine manner of simple folk: “aren’t these men better than the riffraff who used to govern us?” Truer words have never been said.

This day, this modest ceremony, no elaborate celebrations, no fanfare; yet surely this is a “Mother of Days” for Iraq, and history will remember this day.

Likewise, I am not going to say anything grandiose today, rather in the same style of today’s ceremonies. All I can say is that almost everybody here has hope, great hope. Personally I am confident of the future because “That which has benefit for people will stay in the earth”.

Hail our true friends, the Great People of the United States of America; The Freedom giving Republic, the nation of Liberators. Never has the world known such a nation, willing to spill the blood of her children and spend the treasure of her land even for the sake of the freedom and well being of erstwhile enemies. The tree of friendship is going to grow and grow and bear fruit as sure as day follows night. And the people deep down at the bottom of their hearts, they appreciate. Make no mistake about that. The people have voted today, the pulse of the street is clear, without any hesitation I would give 90% of all Iraqis are hopeful and supportive of the new government, and this is a tacit indirect yes to the U.S. which has been the prime mover of all these events. This is what the foolish fail to understand. Why is this a different situation from that for example of a Vietnam? The answer is very simple: Because, the U.S. has achieved something very popular around here; which is the removal of the Saddam regime. Those who are really against the U.S. from amongst the Iraqis have been and remain a small minority; all other forms of resentment are simply disappointment and disgruntlement resulting from the discomfiture of the present situation and will simply disappear with progress and gradual improvement.

As for the enemy, he will not reap but failure and the bitter taste of defeat.

Glory and honor to the U.S. and Allied men and women whose blood is irrigating the tree of freedom in this land; and their sacrifices, suffering, and toil is laying the foundation for a future renaissance of the Mesopotamian People. Hail soldiers of freedom and enlightenment. Do not be dismayed by the trouble and turbulence of the present, for the future generations will remember and appreciate.

And last but not least; Hail, Great El Bush, a leader not only of the U.S. but a true hero of mankind. And Hail Mr. Blair and the other Leaders of the Free World.

God Bless the New Republic of Iraq; God Bless America.

Wa Al Salaam Alaykum Wa rahamutu Allahi Wa Barakatuh

(Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and his blessings)

http://messopotamian.blogspot.com/

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