Free Republic

Top News Story Iranians Feel America's Presence in the Region Helps Their Chances at Freedom Rob Sobhani, Belga Press Agency:Public Opinion Survey in IranTo view the Executive Summary - First Survey - in PDF, click here. A recent public opinion survey of Iranians, conducted by The Tarrance Group, surprisingly found that a vast majority (74%) of Iranians feel America’s presence in the Middle East will increase the probability of democracy in their own country. The survey, which was the first of its kind, found, two-thirds of Iranians believe that regime change in Iraq has been a positivefor both neighboring...

World Cup Qualifier match in Iran stirs celebration and unrest. Earlier yesterday, Reuters reported that security was tight at Tehran's Azadi stadium before the start of the World Cup soccer qualifier. A symbolic victory was seen when 100 Iranian women forced themselves into the stadium. See photos. Security forces broke one woman's leg in the process. Then Iran won its game with Bahrain, the score 1-0. This assured them a position in the World Cup playoffs. Iran exploded into celebration. Radio Sedaye Iran reported the streets around the country were filled with people celebrating the victory. See photos. Then...

SMCCDI Website back online! I just heard from Aryo Pirouznia, director of the Student Movement Coordinating Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI) he told me that their website is back online. Just as mysteriously as it went down, the web host decided to put it back up. We will post more on this later. We want to thank everyone that responded to our call form help. I believe, collectively our efforts made the difference. A Daily Briefing of Major News Stories on Iran: Iran va Jahan reports that most observers seem to be missing a veritable seismic popular movement...

BREAKING NEWS! Massive Unrest in Iran following soccer victory - PLEASE SPREAD THE NEWS DoctorZin’s SPECIAL REPORT!Iran won an important soccer victory that assures they will play for the World Cup. This has led to massive celebrations and unrest throughout Iran.The pro-democracy forces in Iran make good use of such celebrations as it is difficult for security forces to manage the massive crowds.The inability of the security forces to deal effectively with the anti-regime demonstrations only encourages other Iranians to join them.This is likely to strengthen pro-democracy forces for the battles of the coming weeks.The mainstream media is again...

The Iranian Government is setting up voting booths in the US The Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran has launched a U.S. based website (in Persian) to encourage Iranians to vote, June 17th, here in the U.S. The site includes a pdf file with a listing of the cities and states they will be hosting voting centers. The site also includes an 800#: 800-899-4023 where people can be told the exact locations of the voting centers. A few days ago, before being shutdown, SMCCDI posted the following:A group of Iranian secularist activists have protested against the illegal...

Top News Story The Student Movement Website has been Shutdown! AGAIN! Aryo Pirouznia, director of the Student Movement Coordinating Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI) just told me that their new website host has shut down their site citing complaints over spam emails. This is unbelievable since he said they have never sent him any complaints about their emails. It looks like we need to find him a reliable web host. Time is running out!! The elections are coming in just 11 days. We need this resource up! It appears someone does not want this site up. Contact me...

Top News Story Free Inquiry March 15, 2005. Tehran. Somewhere, a Qur'an is burning. It is Tchahr Shanbe Souri, the traditional Persian fire festival, and in major cities throughout the country Iranians are turning the celebration-denounced as pagan by the ruling clerics-into a protest. There are reports of revelers chanting "Down with the Islamic Republic" and casting Islamist literature and even scripture into bonfires.1 Government militia respond brutally, and violent clashes with demonstrators continue into the night. The episode is not isolated but appears to be part of a trend in which large numbers of Iranians are taking to...

Top News Story Iran: toward a Fourth Republic? Featuring Mohsen SazegaraJune 2, 2005 On May 25, 2005, Mohsen Sazegara addressed the Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Dr. Sazegara, one of the founders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, held a number of posts in the Iranian government during the 1980s. In 1989, disillusioned, he left the government, after which he completed his studies in History at the University of London and published several reformist newspapers subsequently closed by regime hardliners. Since 2001 he has been a leader in the campaign for a referendum on replacing the Iranian constitution. He...

Top News Story Iran's victory over N. Korea leads to mass celebration and unrest SMCCDI (Information Service):Iran's victory of 1-0 over N. Korea's soccer team has resulted in a mass celebration, expression of joy and unrest despite all official injunctions and massive security presence. Clashes happened at the end of the game at Azadi ('Freedom') Stadium as militiamen intended to stop happy fans from expressing joy. Orders were given that fans should avoid being joyful as it's the anniversary of the death of the regime's founder. Other reports are stating about sporadic clashes in several areas of the Capital...

Top News Story IranFocus Tehran, Jun. 01 - A nationwide survey conducted by an Iranian opposition group showed widespread voter apathy in Iran's upcoming June 17 presidential elections. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) said in a press release that a survey of 1,730 adults eligible to vote showed that 92 percent of voters intend to boycott the elections. The survey was based on interviews conducted between May 27 and May 30, 2005. While the PMOI as an opposition group has clear interests in promoting a boycott of the polls, independent observers also believe that this year’s presidential...

Top News Story Members push tougher line on Iran Geoff Earle, The Hill:Key members of Congress are girding to take a tougher line on Iran by tightening sanctions and taking a high-profile stance against the Iranian government. But despite President Bush's calls for democratic reform in the Middle East, the administration is urging Congress to hold off on legislation out of concern that it might disrupt sensitive negotiations about Iran's nuclear program. The momentum for legislative action in Congress has reached such an extent that the administration has begun voicing its concerns to powerful committee chairmen. Senate Foreign Relations...

Top News Story Rice, Allies Boost Anti-Weapons Program By BARRY SCHWEID The Associated Press WASHINGTON May 31, 2005 — The Bush administration claimed success on Tuesday for its program designed to intercept weapons technology, saying it helped end Libya's weapons program. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Proliferation Security Initiative, an operation conducted jointly with dozens of other countries, provided the "framework" for intercepting centrifuge components bound for Libya and led to Moammar Gadhafi's 2003 decision to dismantle the programs. The program has had 11 successful efforts, including the interception of missile and nuclear technology headed for Iran, Rice said...

Top News Story Join the "Blogosphere Supports Real Democracy in Iran" Campaign Why should the Blogosphere support Real Democracy in Iran? The next few weeks in Iran may prove critical to the efforts of the pro-democracy forces there. On June 17th, Iran has scheduled its Presidential elections and as the LA Times said recently:It was already one of the most important elections in the world this year. It now also promises to be one of the most watched. This time the world will see for itself that the elections in Iran are a fraud. The regime permits only those...

Top News Story Sunday Times via IranFocus IRAQ’S most wanted terrorist has fled the country for emergency surgery after an American airstrike left him with shrapnel lodged in his chest, according to a senior insurgent commander in close contact with his group. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has a $25m bounty on his head after being blamed for suicide bombings, assassinations and the beheadings of western hostages — including Ken Bigley, the Liverpool engineer — is now believed to be in Iran. He has suffered from bouts of high fever since being wounded by a missile that struck his convoy...

Top News Story Why Europe Is Wrong on Iran Amir Taheri   During his visit to Washington last week, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told his American interlocutors that the European Union’s initiative on Iran, of which his government is a part, was heading for an impasse. But when asked what the next move should be, all that Straw had to say was: Keep talking until after the Iranian presidential election.The Europeans said a similar thing last year when talks on Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions had hit another brick-wall. At that time the advice was to keep talking until...

Top News Story Rafsanjani with big lead in Iran presidential poll Reuters:Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, an experienced pragmatist portrayed by aides as capable of solving Iran's nuclear standoff with the West, held a big lead in a new opinion poll for June 17 presidential elections, newspapers said on Thursday. But Rafsanjani, 70, who is bidding to regain the post he held from 1989 to 1997, was still well short of the 50 percent support he needs to avoid facing a run-off vote, the poll showed. The survey comes a day after the European Union and Iran agreed to a two-month...

Top News Story Iran's Supreme Leader: Elect Anti-West President The Asssociated Press, Jerusalem Post:Iran's supreme leader called on the people to elect an anti-Western president in the upcoming June elections, accusing Washington of trying to influence the poll. "Look for a candidate with whom enemy is not satisfied. This is one of the criteria. Americans have begun their absurdities saying who should run and who should not run in the election," said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking to a group of students Thursday. "What is that to you, you ignorants," he said, seeming to direct his comments at...

Top News Story EU Promises Iran New Offer on Nuclear Dispute Reuters:The European Union will offer Iran a detailed proposal by the end of July on how to resolve their differences over Tehran's nuclear program, Iran's chief negotiator Hassan Rohani said on Wednesday. At the end of three hours of talks in Geneva, Rohani said that he was confident a final deal between the sides could be achieved in a reasonably short time. "We believe that we could reach a reasonable agreement within a reasonably short time," he said, adding Iranian negotiators would be reporting back to the Tehran...

Top News Story Rice Tells Mullahs That Democracy On the Way to Iran Eli Lake, NY Sun: Secretary of State Rice yesterday warned Iran's "unelected leaders" that the day will come when their people will demand the same rights and liberties recently sought by Iraqis and Lebanese. Speaking at the annual policy conference for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Ms. Rice said to thunderous applause, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Middle East is changing and even the unelected leaders in Tehran must recognize this fact. They must know that the energy of reform that is building all around them...

Top News Story Is Iran helping Venezuela going nuclear? Douglas Mackinnon, The Houston Chronicle: The most prominent development in U.S.-Venezuelan relations these days involves the case of Luis Posada Carriles and whether he should be extradited from the United States to Venezuela. There he would stand trial for a third time for his alleged involvement in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner. Meanwhile, a story with the potential to be much more important is being ignored: The growing power and global ambitions of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. To the minute number of people who understand the threat Chavez...