Iranian Alert -- February 29, 2004 -- IRAN LIVE THREAD --Americans for Regime Change in Iran

The Iranian Student Movement Up To The Minute Reports ^ | 2.29.2004 | DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

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.” But 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. Starting June 10th of this year, Iranians have begun taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy. Many even want the US to over throw their government.

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.

DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

Iran, Venezuela presidents meet

IRIB
2004/02/29

Caracas, Feb 29 - Iran and Venezuela held their third round of bilateral talks here Saturday and discussed various developments in the presidencies of President Mohammad Khatami and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez.

Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and Minister of Mines and Industries Es'haq Jahangiri as well as the Venezuelan Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Communication and Energy were among those present at the meeting.

Pointing to the closeness in stances of Iran and Venezuela on political and international issues, Khatami said: "Today similarity in views (on issues) is creating a better world and US unilateralism is being more and more rejected."

The President gave a brief outline of Iran's economic policies, including those applicable to industries, and offered his country's scientific and engineering services to Venezuela and its willingness to cooperate in the manufacture of agricultural machi nes and construction materials, including cement, in that country.

Chavez, for his part, lauded presence of the high-powered Iranian delegation which attended the Group of 15 summit, and expressed hope the meeting would turn out to be highly successful like the OPEC meeting held here and thereby advance the organization 's role as well as its goal of achieving stability in oil prices.

He also stressed the importance of making full use of the two countries' potentials and expertise in various areas, and urged enhancement of bilateral relations and friendly cooperation.

President Khatami, who addressed the closing ceremony of the G-15 yesterday, later met with a number of Iranians residing in this Latin American country.

http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=199471

[nuconvert]

"Libyan Combat Islamic Group"

Has the Iranian regime ever met a terrorist group it didn't like?

[nuconvert]

"and now the reformist administration has 10 billion dollars in his deposit box."

Maybe they could try spending some of that on their citizens?

[DoctorZIn]

This just in from a student inside of Iran...

"Please tell Mr. Sick that you are responsible for what is happening now in my country. You let the Mullahs to overthrow the late Shah of Iran and let the Iranian people suffer from the bloody mad Mullahs'.
We won't excuse you and your little master, Jimmy Carter, for what you did to our country in 1978-79.
We, kindly, ask you to stay quiet about our country, Iran.
Thanks "

[freedom44]

Shocked to see NY Times interviewing Farah Pahlavi.

Interesting.

[freedom44]

Proves my point about that Gary Sick, scumbag.

[freedom44]

Ridiculous Swiss commission on human rights in Iran
Feb 29, 2004, 21:07

The Swiss commission on human rights has inspected prisons in Iran and found prison conditions quite acceptable, reports the Iranian foreign ministry, but did they visit Mullahs'notorious Evin prison too?

Iran and Switzerland have held the first stage of talks on human rights observance in Iran for the past two months in line with a relative bilateral agreement, reads a foreign ministry statement. (Human rights violations are among the series of accusations Washington is continuing to bring against the incumbent government of Iran. The United States is also accusing Iran of torpedoing the Middle East settlement process and of attempts to deploy nuclear weapons).

A delegation of Swiss rights champions have met Iranian penitentiary officials and visited a range of prisons and labor camps in Tehran and Meshed, administrative center of the northeastern province of Horasan on the border with Afghanistan.

http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_1538.shtml

They did not visit Iran's largest political Prison, Evin.

[freedom44]

Iran's Khatami snubs Argentine president
Feb 29, 2004, 21:23
Reuters


Iran's President Mohammad Khatami has refused to meet his Argentine counterpart until Buenos Aires apologises for accusing Iran of involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre that killed 85 people.


An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told Reuters on Sunday President Nestor Kirchner had requested a meeting with Khatami during a two-day Group of 15 summit meeting of developing countries in Venezuela on Friday and Saturday.

"Khatami refused to receive the Argentinean president," the official said.

Argentine prosecutors have requested the extradition of eight Iranians in connection with the attack, including Iran's ambassador to Argentina at the time of the bombing, Hadi Soleimanpour.

Israel and the United States have said they suspect guerrillas backed by Iran were behind the bombing of the Argentine-Israel Mutual Association in Buenos Aires.

Iran denies any link with the attack and cut economic and cultural ties with Argentina in August last year after Britain arrested Soleimanpour at Buenos Aires' request. Britain later refused to extradite Soleimanpour saying Argentina had not produced enough evidence against him.

http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_1539.shtml

[freedom44]

Iranian-American Success Story: Shohreh Aghdashlu in Oscar Running
Pezhvak of Persia, Profile,
Staff, Feb 29, 2004

About four years ago, Shohreh Aghdashloo heard about the book "House of Sand and Fog" on Oprah Winfrey. She was fascinated by the novel about an Iranian immigrant family and told her husband that when a film was made of the book she wanted to play the role of the immigrant wife. As husbands do, he scoffed, saying there would be no film of the book.

He was wrong, and she got the part.

And now, at age 51, Aghdashloo is one of the most talked about "new" actresses in Hollywood. She has received a New York Film Critics award for Best Supporting Actress and has been nominated in the same category for the Academy Awards, which will be presented February 29. Aghdashloo is in good company - other nominees include Renee Zellweger for "Cold Mountain," Patricia Clarkson for "Pieces of April," Holly hunter for "thirteen," and Marcia Gay Harden for "Mystic River."

"House of Sand and Fog" is not your typical American film that ends with everyone living happily ever after. "Saving Private Ryan" is light-hearted in comparison. Shohreh Aghdashloo has perhaps the oddest role in the history of American film, where foreign tongues are usually verboten. But about half of Aghdahloo's lines are delivered in Farsi. She is the voice of humanity trying to put the brakes on burgeoning conflict.

The immigrant family of the story could have been from any country. But the book makes them Iranian, and the film goes out of its way to emphasize their Iranian-ness. The wedding scene has Persian music. The family's furniture is typical of an Iranian home. And the use of Farsi brings it all together.

Aghdashloo made three films in Iran before the revolution, only one of which was released there. One of those still banned is "The Report," directed by Abbas Kiarostami.

In an interview with Variety, Aghdashloo described her decision to leave Iran. She was part of a drama workshop and went to the theatre each morning, ignoring the revolution around her. One morning she arrived at the theatre to find the doorway bricked up. "Right at that moment I decided to leave."

In Los Angeles, Ashdashloo appeared in television shows including "Columbo" and "Matlock." But she did not like the typical roles she was offered, which she has summarized as the wife or mother of Middle Eastern terrorists. She has spent 10 years hosting an opinion program on Persian language television in Southern California.

When Aghdashloo heard about “The House of Sand and Fog,” she knew she could identify with her character, Nadi, but she and Nadi are far from similar. While Nadi is adrift in American culture and deathly afraid of being deported to Iran even though her husband explains that she has American citizenship, Aghdashloo is far from adrift – she is reaching professional heights in her acting career.

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=b0da6007ac28ad1d7e84e9a39c705637

[freedom44]

Pahlavi French Magazine Point de Vue, November 2nd 1979.

[freedom44]

Iran (IRMO) hits out at hardliners over elections

Sunday, February 29, 2004 - ©2004 IranMania.com

TEHRAN, Feb 29 (AFP) -- One of Iran's main reformist parties ousted from parliament in controversial polls has lashed out at hardliners, saying victorious conservatives only enjoyed the support of a small percentage of the electorate.

"The conservatives have the popular support of between 10 to 15% of society," the Islamic Revolution Mujahedeen Organisation (IRMO), a leftist pro-reform group whose candidates were barred from contesting the February 20 polls.

In a statement carried by newspapers on Sunday, the group said victory by right-wingers not only drew a record low turnout for major elections, but also a record high number of blank votes. It did not give figures.

"This election was the most ambiguous and strange parliamentary election in the 25-year history of the Islamic republic," said the statement.

"Campaigning was centered on orders, fatwas (religious edicts) and threats," the party said, referring to regime campaigning for voters to take part and hike the politically-sensitive turnout rate.

The reformist-run Interior Ministry put turnout in the polls at 50.57%, although hardliners behind the mass disqualification of reformist candidates have challenged this figure, a record low for a major election since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The polls, won by a coalition of religious hardliners and conservatives, have dealt a devastating blow to a reform camp which swept to power in 2000 with a huge majority in the Majlis but saw its efforts to democratise the country blocked by more powerful hardliners.

The IRMO statement said reformists "have to stay in the field to comprehensively combat the totalitarians and safeguard the Islamic republic and the constitution".

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=23029&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

[freedom44]

"EU,US adopt policy of pressure towards Iran"

Sunday, February 29, 2004 - ©2004 IranMania.com

TEHRAN, Feb 28 (Mehr News Agency) –- Ali Bigdeli, a university professor and a political analyst, said the US and the European Union (EU) have adopted an identical policy of pressure toward the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He stated all remarks made by the U.S. and EU officials concerning Iran’s elections show their struggle to protect their own interests.

He believes Iran should wait for ElBaradei’s report to be issued on March 8 and to get prepared for the U.S. and EU reaction, saying this is not more than a political game.

He expressed hope the Iranian officials would be wise enough to consider the change in the international system, saying Iran should also change the basic structure of its foreign policy.

He pointed out the weak point of country’s political structure toward the international challenges, saying Iran does not present its foreign policy using its well-known politicians.

He stressed Iran should make every effort to adopt an absolutely logical policy in foreign relations.


http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=23027&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

[freedom44]

Joke of the day: •The next Majles will be open to talks with US Congressmen and will have good relations with parliamentarians across the world, top voter getter in Tehran, the Supreme Leader's in-law Gholamali Haddad Adel said in an interview with Tehran municipal government's daily organ Hamshahri. However, he added, the US must acknowledge the Iranian people's right to choose their form of government. (Amir Armin)

Man that was humorous!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I sometimes worry about your sense of humor, freedom! :)

[nuconvert]

LOL!

OKAY, Gholamali Haddad Adel. The U.S. is hereby acknowledging.
How about YOU?

[freedom44]

Tehran University--nose job and all. ;)

[freedom44]

An Iranian fan takes photo with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the world free-style wrestling championships in New York.

[DoctorZIn]

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