Iranian Alert -- DAY 25 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST

SMCCDI: Fresh protests rock downtown Tehran at less than 5 days from July 9th

SMCCDI (Information Service)
July 4, 2003

Fresh clashes rocked earlier, this evening, the Azadi, Enghelab and the University's neighborhood of Tehran where groups of young Freedom fighters came into the streets in the darkness of night in order to shout slogans against the regime and to write new slogans on walls.

Hundreds of residents joined them, especially, in Enghelab and cars used of their horns and head lights to show their support.

At least two freedom fighters were injured and several other were arrested.

The situation in the Academis is very tense as students are doing Hunger Strikes or refusing to participate in final exams.

The Iranian cities are like occupied zones due to massive security presence intending to undermine the commmemoration of July 9th.

http://www.iran-daneshjoo.org/cgi-bin/smccdinews/viewnews.cgi?category=5&id=1057345112

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail me”

POWELL’S SOFT DECLARATION WELCOMED BY IRANIAN HARD LINERS

TEHRAN, 4 July. (IPS) Secretary of State Colin Powell’s backing away from intervention in Iranian politics on Wednesday has baffled Iranian reformists, fearing his conciliatory statement might encourage ruling conservatives increasing pressures against them, Iranian analysts said.

Powell told the Washington radio station WMAL: "The best thing we can do right now is not get in the middle of this family fight too deeply", referring to the ongoing confrontations between the "classical" reformists and the hard liners led respectively by President Mohammad Khatami and Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic.

His statement contrasted sharply with President George W. Bush’s open support for Iranian students-led protest movement of the last two weeks calling for more freedom and denouncing both Ayatollah Khameneh'i and Hojjatoleslam Khatami, criticised for his continuous "slide" towards hard liners.

President Bush says Iran is part of an "axis of evil" and administration officials have said Washington reserves the right to use military force against Iran's nuclear programs.

Powell’s remark also echoed a controversial comment by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who told "The Los Angeles Times" that Iran was different "because it was a democracy".

"Ruling hard liners welcomed Powell’s interview, interpreting it at meaning the danger of a possible American military intervention in Iran was over", one Iranian analyst told Iran Press Service on condition of anonymity.

Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Kamal Kharrazi reacted positively to the Thursday's remarks of US Secretary of State Colin Powell regarding Iran, saying that there could be seen signs of accepting reality in Mr. Powell's statements.

"Of course, the stances adopted by the Americans are not stable and its reason is that they do not have precise knowledge about the Iranian society and are easily influenced by this or that", the Minister said, quoted by the official news agency IRNA.

He said an example of this American behaviour could be witnessed in their hasty support for the recent unrest in Iran, "something they have now realised how unimportant it was", Mr. Kharrazi said, referring to the recent Iranian students-popular demonstrations against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian authorities have tagged the students as "trouble-makers and thugs" acting on orders from Washington and the US-based Iranian mass medias.

"In order to have a fair assessment of US approach towards events in Iran, one has to see whether such attitude would be lasting or not and whether it would lead to any change of approach towards Iran", he stressed.

The internet site "Baaztaab" (Reflexion), close to Mr. Mohsen Reza’i, the Secretary of the influential Assembly for Discerning the Interests of the State (ADIS, or the Expediency Council), said Powell’s statement reflected America’s "backing away from its previous tough policy on the Islamic Republic".

A close aid to Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the ADIS’s powerful Chairman and the regime’s number two man, Mr. Reza’i met recently in Athena with some American scholars, discussing with them the future of Iran-US relations, cut in 1979 after Iranian revolutionary students stormed the American embassy in Tehran, taking as hostages 55 American diplomats and staff.

"That the reformists refrained from any observation on Powell’s statement show their bewilderedness", the analyst said, observing that the reformist internet site "Emrooz" had reported the interview without any comment.

"The reformists are afraid that the conciliatory remarks by Mr. Powell would serve the conservatives in increasing their crackdown on the freedom seekers Iranians, including students and dissidents", he added.

In his radio interview, Mr. Powell also reminded listeners that the Iranian people in free elections elected Mr. Khatami. "Remember that the president of Iran is freely elected. President Khatami was elected by his people, not in an American kind of election but an election that essentially tapped into the desires of the people", he added, suggesting that the Iranian rulers might make concessions to the protest movement.

"I think it's best for us to see if this movement that is under way with people marching and expressing their views is enough to put pressure on the political part of the Iranian government, President Khatami, and then the religious part under (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khameneh’i to see whether this causes them to realise that they are going down a loser trail", Powell told the radio station. ENDS US IRAN 4703

http://www.iran-press-service.com/

I just read this letter to Secretary Powell and thought you might like to read it and perhaps send you own letter to him and president Bush...

To the Attention of Secretary of State, Colin Powell

Dear Secretary Powell.

A few days ago you held an interview on radio which was beamed to the whole world. Your words regarding Iran have been quoted by the international media; they have generated great concern to Iranians inside and outside of Iran, while being appealing to/ and welcomed with joy and pride by the regime - the infamous Islamic Republic of Iran.

You stated that Iran's elections for President Khatami were democratic and that the United States has to stay away from the "family fight" between Iran's reformists and conservatives.

We respectfully disagree with you. Both inside Iran and in the Iranian Diaspora the expectation has been that President Bush and the U.S. Administration would pursue their 'moral support' as promised by the President. Nobody has desired military invasion or assistance, but moral support was welcomed and is expected.

Your words are undermining both Iranians' struggle for freedom and democracy as well as the promise made by President Bush.

There cannot be true freedom and democracy within a theocratic Islamic state.The window-dressing of a smiling so-called 'reformist president' is only that - a ploy to keep the IRI in power and deceive the world with the so-called 'dialogue of civilizations' while Iran's regime continues backing terrorism abroad and terrorizing its citizens inside the country, which equals: they are extremely uncivilized themselves.

As the events have been unfolding inside Iran, as more and more unrest has been reported with the dire consequences of students disappearing, increase in detentions, brutal attacks on them, enforced " public confessions of guilt", and more unrest and discontent spreading inside the country, so has the people's will strengthened to stand up to them.

Reliable reports from inside Iran have two main themes. One is from the students and the public at large telling us they will fight on for their goal of freedom from oppression. Two, they are fed up with theocracy and disillusioned with the economic and social situation. They clamor for their human rights, democracy, jobs, social freedoms - all in all, a normal and civilized life with stability.

Many have found a spokesperson for their goal. There are a handful of political prisoners who have the means to reach the outside world, such as student activists and journalists. Others have Shahzadeh Reza Pahlavi on the outside, who speaks on their behalf to the International community, as well as continuing his dialogue with the students and freedom-fighters.

As we approach the date of 18 Tir (July 9th), as the regime in Iran is more fretful than ever to forestall, with threats and intimidation, and meanwhile more unrest and show of unity from the people against the regime, so do the people of Iran expect their cry for freedom to be morally supported by the world community.

We know that the students and the majority of the people of Iran have experienced unbelievable tragedy and oppression. Many of those who had been in favor of the regime have understood that it has been a disaster and failure in all aspects except for the benefit of a handful of mullahs and their cronies. They hear Shahzadeh Reza Pahlavi and have put their hope in the mission he has set out to accomplish: to help his compatriots gain freedom and democracy.

The United States would not help only Iranians but its own foreign policy, which is to rid the world of terrorism and those backing and funding terrorism word-wide. With a change brought about by Iranians themselves, the interference of the IRI in Afghanistan, Iraq and with the Palestinian-Israeli 'road map' would stop. The fear and danger of the IRI having a finger on an atomic bomb button would disappear.

Please do not undermine the struggle of the vast majority of Iranians. This is a slap in the face to all who are fighting for real democracy, regime change and to get rid of the brutal, sly and manipulative so-called 'democratic' theocratic fundamentalist bunch of hypocrites.

You are wrong, Sir, very wrong. Either innocently or misinformed you are hurting Iran, Iranians and the United States with the continued appeasement policy of the State Department towards the IRI.

Respectfully,

Shahla Samii
(NY Chapter for Iranian Unity and Solidarity)
---

As I said in my last post, we need to write Powell and Bush regarding the US stance on the Iranian protests.

Yesterday, Powell stated that we should stay out of this Iranian "family fight" and that it was his hope that "the United States had learned its lesson not to interfere in Iran's affairs." These statements have caused shock, despair and anger within the Iranian community, both inside Iran and the US.

Powell even went so far as to speak of Iran as a democracy. Remember this is a government where all candidates have to be approved by the hardliners in the government to even run for office. This is a government that has imprisoned thousands for daring to speak out and call for a secular democracy.

As a result, LA based Iranian broadcasters are asking their listeners to write the president and ask him and restate his support for the Iranian people and reform his state department. One broadcaster asked, "has Powell become Madeline Albright?" They can be heard saying over and over again, "shame on you Secretary Powell, shame on you."

This change in tone by the US administration has emboldened the hardliners in Iran, convincing them that they can now crack down on the coming July 9th demonstrations with impunity.

It is heartbreaking to hear Iranians risking their lives calling into these broadcasters. They fear that the US has somehow been seduced by the hardliners. They cry in disbelief on the air. What a shameful turn in US policy.

If you share this outrage please write:

secretary@state.gov
President@whitehouse.gov
Vice.president@whitehouse.gov

Do it now!

DoctorZin

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail me”

I sent the following e-mail was sent to Secretary Powell:

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I am writing to convey my concern about the United States' position on the political events in Iran. I have read that you have described this as a "family fight" and that it is your hope that "the United States had learned its lesson not to interfere in Iran's affairs."

It is NOT meddling to support the calls for freedom issued by the Iranian students and to offer encouragement and support for their courageous actions. It is disheartening to read the messages issued by the State Department; they bring to mind the betrayal of the Shia after the Gulf War.

I expect my government to issue an unequivocal statement in support of TRUE DEMOCRACY in Iran. This can only aid our efforts in Iraq.

Please take the long view of history. Supporting those who are risking their lives for real democracy in Iran now will produce the stability that has eluded the Middle East and will gain us the undying affection of Iranians for years to come.

But most of all, it's the right thing to do.

Sincerely,

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