Iranian Alert -- July 21, 2004 [EST]-- IRAN LIVE THREAD -- "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"

The US media still largley 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.

IRAN US RELATIONS CONTINUE DOWNWARD TREND

By Safa Haeri
Posted Tuesday, July 20, 2004

PARIS, 20 July (IPS) The Islamic Republic of Iran rejected as “utterly baseless” new American allegations that it was harboring al-Qa’eda leaders and could have been linked to the 11 September 2001 attacks carried by this organization against World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

“The claims are fictitious and most ridicule, as they came from a country that had issued entry visa, residence permit to the attackers who had undergone pilot training in the United States", Hamid Reza Asefi, the official news agency “IRNA” quoted senior spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Tuesday 20 July.

"Any claim regarding Iran's direct or indirect relationship with the September 11 terrorist incidents is merely fabricated and fictitious. When it comes to al-Qa’eda, we act in line with our interests and our national security", he explained.

US President George W. Bush on Monday said Washington was probing the possibility that Tehran had offered assistance to some of the terrorists who conducted the 11 September attacks against the United States.

“The United States is investigating possible ties between Iran and al-Qa’eda, and wants to know if the Iranian government played a role in the attacks”, President Bush said, adding, "We will look to see if the Iranians were involved".

However, he made it clear that there was no definite proof yet that this had occurred, and he didn't mention any possible consequences for Iran.

According to the 9/11 Commission, some of the 19 hijackers of the airliners that went crushing against World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon are believed to have passed through Iran, and details of their journey are expected to be released by the in the Commission’s final report.

For its part, the US Central Intelligence Agency says at least eight of the hijackers who carried out the attacks passed through Iran but stresses that it has no proof that Tehran backed the operations or had links to al-Qa’eda.

While rejecting all links with the al-Qa’eda, Tehran has admitted the arrest of up to 450 operatives of the terrorist organisation that had fled Afghanistan immediately after the massive military intervention of American forces in that central Asian nation ruled by the orthodox Taleban and controlled virtually by Mr. Osama Ben Laden, al-Qa’eda’’s leader, alleged to also have masterminded the 11 September operations that killed more than 3.500 people.

The Shi’ia Iran was at odd with the staunchly anti-Shi’ate Taleban who had killed nine Iranian diplomats and a journalist when they stormed the northern city of Mazar Sharif on August 1998.

According to Iranian officials, some al-Qa’eda members who had “slipped” to Iran from Pakistan were arrested and those the nationalities had been established were handed to their original countries, including Saudi Arabia.

However, the Islamic Republic is also suspected by the American intelligence to shelter some senior al-Qa’eda leaders, including Sa’d Ben Laden, Osama’s elder son and Saif al Adl, the Organisation’s intelligence boss.

The US Department of State repeated long-standing accusations against the Iranian ruling ayatollahs, including their support for terrorism and helping terrorist organisations, opposing the peace between Israel and Arabs, pursuing nuclear arms and a disastrous human rights record.

“Washington would be willing to open a dialogue with Iran, but if and when it is best for our interests, it is up to the President to determine that", Richard Boucher, the State Department’s Spokesman told reporters

But Asefi said Iran was “not interested” in resuming ties with a country that uses “the stick and carrot policy”. "Iran it will only accept relations with other countries based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and national interests", he reiterated.

He also ridiculed Washington’s criticism of the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic saying that the pictures of American soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison “are still in the minds of the international community"”.

Washington cut off all relations and imposed trade sanctions against the Islamic Republic after Iranian revolutionary students attacked the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and took 55 American diplomats and staff hostage for 444 days.

Iran and the United States are also at odd over Iranian controversial atomic projects, with Washington claiming the programs are for building a nuclear arsenal to attack Israel in the one side and Tehran claiming that the atomic plants it has under construction – with the help of Moscow – are for civilian uses, mostly producing much needed electricity.

“More than Iraq, Iran is becoming the topic issue in the campaign of American candidates to the presidency”, observed Mr. Amir Taheri a veteran Iranian journalist.

According to the “Baztab” internet site that belongs to Mr. Mohsen Reza’I, the Secretary of the Expedience Council and the former Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the report compiled by the9/11 Commission “might serve as a pretext for preparing a military action against the Islamic Republic”.

ENDS US IRAN QA’EDA 20704

http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2004/july/us_iran_qaeda_20704.shtml

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