Posted on 09/25/2004 10:59:22 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
The US media still largely 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.” As a result, 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. In fact they were one of the first countries to have spontaneous candlelight vigils after the 911 tragedy (see photo).
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.
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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.
DoctorZin
| September 26, 2004 -- LAST month, as the Iraqi govern ment debated whom to send to the United Nations' General As sembly, many spoke against high- profile participation. "We cannot forget that the United Nations let our people down, first by remaining silent on Saddam Hussein's crimes and, then, by helping him get rich through the Oil-for-Food racket," says interim Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zibari. "Nor could we overlook that the U.N. played tricks to prevent the U.S.-led Coalition from coming to our rescue." Yet in the end Dr. Iyad al-Allawi, the interim prime minister, led Iraq's delegation to New York. The argument that clinched the deal was simple: It is important that the outside world hear the Iraqi side of a story that has aroused so much passion across the globe. Allawi, whose government has the task of organizing elections next year, may or may not win enough votes to remain at the center of Iraqi politics beyond 2006. But he has already secured a place in history as the first Iraqi prime minister to address the General Assembly. Iraq became a state in 1921 and a founding member of the United Nations in 1945. Under the monarchy, overthrown in a military coup in 1958, Iraq was too preoccupied with internal threats to seek international exposure. Between 1958 and 1968, the military dictators were so scared of being overthrown in their absence that they hardly left the country. By July 1968, Iraq had fallen under Ba'athist rule, with Saddam Hussein (then known as al-Takriti) playing "strongman" in the shadows. One of the Ba'athists' first measures was to reduce the U.N. presence in Iraq. By 1969, much of Iraq, especially areas where ethnic Kurds lived, had become no-go zones for international organizations. The regime was preparing the form of genocide which, 30 years later, became known as "ethnic cleansing." Throughout the '70s the regime provoked border wars with its neighbors, ignoring U.N. offers of mediation. In 1980, Saddam (by then both president and prime minister) ordered the invasion of Iran, starting a war that lasted eight years and claimed a million lives. Ten years later, it was Kuwait's turn. WHAT is remarkable is the U.N.'s al most deferential attitude toward Saddam throughout those years. A majority of U.N. members, being despotic states, felt kinship with Saddam's terrorist regime. The dictator used oil money to bribe and buy politicians and media people in the "developing world" and some Western democracies. Last week, the same group of despotic regimes gave Allawi a cool reception at the U.N. The apparatchiki of despotism cannot help being uncomfortable with Allawi. The man does not wear the theatrical military uniforms of Third World "anti-imperialist" revolutionaries. Clean-shaven, he sports neither a mustache (a symbol of Arab machismo), or a bush-beard so dear to Islamists. He has not come to power in a coup d'etat, and does not peddle any messianic message. Allawi bears his title of "interim" with pride — in contrast to those "presidents for life" who fill the U.N. assembly hall every autumn. As an opponent of dictatorship for almost 30 years, this British-trained neurologist has paid a heavy price in personal suffering, including years of imprisonment and exile and the murder of his wife by Saddam's henchmen. Yet Allawi's biggest "crime" is that he is sincerely grateful for the help that America and its allies gave the Iraqi people to liberate themselves from the most vicious regime in recent Arab history. "What happened in Iraq was a liberation in which the people of Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition were on the same side," Allawi says. "It was an experience that has united the two peoples forever." Addressing a joint session of Congress, Allawi expressed his nation's "deepest gratitude" for the sacrifice that so many American families had made to liberate Iraq. He also made it clear that the struggle in Iraq today is not about the future of his country only but "about the worldwide war between those who want to live in peace and freedom, and terrorists." "Terrorists strike indiscriminately at soldiers, at civilians, as they did so tragically on 9/11 in America, and as they did in Spain and Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, in my country and many others," Allawi said. "So in Iraq we confront both, insurgency and the global war on terror with their destructive forces sometimes overlapping." That kind of talk does not go down well with the Hate-America international. America-haters would rather speak of an "invasion," plotted by "Jewish neocons" and carried out by an "Imperialist" power in search of "oil and security for Israel." THE Hate-America international does not want to admit that Iraq is one of the battlefields of the global war on terrorism, and that the Islamofascists who seize hostages and chop heads do not do so because they have "legitimate grievances" but because they seek to destroy modern civilized life and the freedoms and opportunities that it offers. The least that democracies can do is to help Iraq defeat the Islamofascists by holding free elections as soon as possible. The sad thing is that Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, decided to dismiss Allawi as at best irrelevant, and at worst a Bush "puppet." Hopes that Kerry might meet Allawi and commit himself to supporting Iraq's democratization were dashed when the senator spoke of "the wrong war in the wrong place and the wrong time." Worse still, Kerry has deemed it necessary to attack Allawi and his plans for leading Iraq toward free elections. What Kerry's speechwriters forgot, however, was that in the film in which Frank Sinatra sings "the wrong time, the wrong place and the wrong girl," he ends up with the "wrong girl" at "the wrong time" and in the "wrong place." If elected, Kerry, too, will end up with Iraq, like it or not. Then he would come face to face with the choices available there. All politics is about choice. And now that the American people have seen and heard Allawi in New York and Washington, they can make up their minds. ... |
VIENNA -- The diplomatic showdown over Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions could escalate into a confrontation that changes the political dynamic of the Middle East and further destabilizes the region, Western diplomats, officials, and analysts say.
In addition to concerns that Tehran has already acquired sufficient know-how to go nuclear in a few years, there are also growing worries about a potential military confrontation with Israel, and that Iran could try to destabilize neighboring Iraq.
Iran said yesterday that it had successfully tested what it called a ''strategic missile" and delivered it to its armed forces. Earlier last week, Tehran defiantly announced it had begun converting uranium into gas, a key step in developing nuclear weapons, just the latest in a series of incidents that appear to be putting Tehran on a collision course with Washington and key European allies.
Those announcements were made just days after the International Atomic Energy Agency called on Iran to cease all activities related to uranium enrichment, and made it increasingly likely that Tehran could be hauled before the UN Security Council for violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA will meet in November to decide the matter.
''The clock is ticking down" on Iran, a senior Western diplomat in Vienna said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, has been investigating Iran's nuclear program for nearly two years and has turned up a lot of suspicious activity, including a proven ability to enrich uranium and an emerging infrastructure that could produce large quantities of bomb-grade material. It has not, however, found a ''smoking gun" proving a weapons program.
Regardless of whether Iran intends to build nuclear weapons, there is a growing sense of urgency among the United States and major European allies that if unchecked Tehran's ability and desire to enrich uranium has put it in a position to go nuclear, should it choose to do so, in the near future. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and for civilian purposes.
The specter of a nuclear-armed Iran, which could threaten Israel, set off a dangerous arms race, and further destabilize the Middle East, is something the United States and its allies are furiously seeking to prevent.
But as the issue appears to race toward a confrontation, there are also growing fears that should the Security Council eventually impose sanctions, an increasingly isolated Iran may pull out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as North Korea did last year, and pursue a weapons program unfettered. Officials have voiced concerns that Iran might attempt to further subvert the situation in neighboring Iraq by influencing Shi'ite Muslims there, or that Israel may try to take out Tehran's nuclear facilities in a military strike -- with unpredictable consequences.
''But this has become so much bigger than the IAEA," the official added, on condition of anonymity. ''It goes to the whole geopolitics of the Middle East and to the chronic insecurity of the region."
Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East assert that the international community follows a double standard in the region, allowing Israel to maintain an undeclared atomic arsenal while cracking down on states like Iran that are only suspected of harboring nuclear ambitions. Analysts estimate that Israel has 100 to 200 atomic weapons, although the country neither admits nor denies it has such arms.
Proponents of Israel's weapons program say it needs a nuclear monopoly in the region, where many countries deny its right to exist.
Israel has made it clear that it will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and has strongly hinted that it may use military strikes to eliminate nuclear sites there should diplomacy fail. Israel plans to buy about 5,000 US-made smart bombs, including 500 one-ton bunker-busters that can penetrate 6-foot-thick concrete walls, according to recent press reports.
Just days after word of Israel's impending arms purchase, Iran's Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani announced his country's successful missile test and said Tehran was ''ready to confront all regional and extraregional threats," the Associated Press reported, citing a report on Iran's state-run radio station. It is unclear whether the new missile is an updated version of Iran's Shahab-3 rocket.
Moreover, CIA and US military intelligence have simulated a US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Newsweek reported, citing defense sources, but were unhappy with the war game's outcome because they could not prevent the conflict from escalating.
Analysts warn it would be difficult to hit Iran's nuclear sites with absolute confidence, since they are in hardened facilities and the locations of all of them are not known.
''You could have failed to decisively set back the program but at the same time prompt Iran to take a number of steps in retaliation, including to destabilize the situation in Iraq," Robert Einhorn, who served as the Clinton administration's assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation, told reporters in Vienna in a conference call.
Iran has also said it would consider pulling out of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should the Security Council impose sanctions. Such a move would turn the country into an international pariah.
But while Iran would stand to lose a lot in terms of trade and investment if it withdrew from the treaty, such a defiant move could boost Tehran's prestige in the region. ''If Iran dropped out of the NPT, you would have at least 30 countries, mostly in the Middle East, cheering them on," the senior Western official in Vienna said. ...
WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush said "all options are on the table" in terms of blocking Iran from developing nuclear weapons but reiterated his first choice is to find a diplomatic solution to the issue.
In regards to that, Bush urged the international community to put more pressure of Tehran not to become a nuclear power.
Bush made the comments on Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor in an interview. The full interview will be broadcast each in segments on Monday through Wednesday.
Asked whether he would consider using military force to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, Bush said, "let me try to solve it diplomatically first. All options are on the table, of course, in any situation. But diplomacy is the first option."
Bush said the U.S. would not allow Iran to become a nuclear power.
"No, we've made it clear, our position is that they won't have a nuclear weapon," Bush said.
Bush urged the international community to put more pressure on Iran to block it from building nuclear weapons. Iran has centrifuges that can enrich uranium. Tehran says it only intends to enrich uranium in order to supply a domestic power industry, but highly enriched uranium can be used as the fuel for nuclear weapons.
Also on Sunday, Iran warned the International Atomic Energy Agency shouldn't take the step of reporting Tehran to the U.N. Security Council for its violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Doing so would be a first step toward sharply increasing the diplomatic pressure on Iran.
"We don't welcome that our (nuclear) dossier be referred to the U.N. Security Council. But if it happens, the international community and Europe, not Iran, will suffer," said Hamid Reza Asefi, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry.
Right now Azadi is playing some funky techno music mixed with photos of past demonstrations. lol!
Can you post more information for us about Dr. Yazdi? I know you have been following these developments for us.
I will do my best to report what's going on for the next hour. So far i have no idea, he's not saying anything related right now.
Doc,
There are mixed reports on different Persian Satellite tv channels. Some are saying there were tens of thousands others are saying hundreds of thousands and the reason for the demonstration is mixed. Everyone is in agreement that they were anti-Regime, but the reports of the reason varies.
Some of the Satellite TV stations are calling Yazdi fake, but most are supporting him as a patriot. Azadi TV seems to back him the most.
I am hearing the people are not going home. It is 2:00AM and people are dancing in the streets and parks. I have also heard other unconfirmed reports that claim the real numbers are 600,000 to a million in the streets.
I have heard some conflicting reports on the actual numbers and I will report better estimates when they become available...
BTW, Dr. Yazdi has been announcing his return to Iran this Friday by chartered aircraft. They have been saying that he will be joined by 30-40 other chartered airplanes filled with Iranian expatriates joining him.
For weeks people have been saying that he is either crazy or one of the braves men alive. Ir appears the people are willing to support his effort. Now almost all the Southern California based Iranian broadcasters have decided to support him.
Also, you can see videos, some in English (such as his speech before the National Press Club) as well as his "Declaration of Principles."
Here is a link to his broadcasts:
http://www.rang-a-rang.com/
Today was an IRGC anniversary I think. Don't know if that had anything to do with it.
The main stream media cannot ignore it completely but they can under report the figure of the turn out.
The media in Iran can only exist there as long as they don't cause the regime any problems, much as it was in Iraq. For instance, the main stream media in Iran are not allowed to film or go anywhere they want. They are restricted to that which the regime permits them.
It is possible that the numbers estimated by the "pro regime change" are inflated as well. I am told that people compared the size of the crowd to others that had been reported in the hundreds of thousands. Whatever is the truth, it appears that there is a large number of people excited about the anticipated return of Dr. Yazdi.
It is worth noting that the regime was unable to stop this. This is the first successful demonstration in quite some time due to the large numbers of law enforcement and military that they have repeatedly been brought into the streets. As in the past, many of these "law enforcement" forces have been foreign because the regime does not trust it's own law enforcement people. So the fact that the demonstration took place at all is a sign of success.
It is likely that most don't support Dr. Yazdi as much as they want an end to the regime and are willing to use this as an opportunity for change. We will know the truth in a few days.
Dr. Yazdi has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow, Monday September 27th at the National Press Club, Washington DC.
He will be speaking at 2PM EST.
http://npc.press.org/index.cfm?thestartevent=12
I am sure they will post a streaming video copy of the conference at:
http://ahura.info/pressroom/press.html
I apologize for not posting my thread yet.
I am having problems with the images from my website that I use here. I hope it will be resolved soon.
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