Posted on 06/25/2005 11:24:05 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
Iran’s ruling clerics fear street protests
Iran Focus:A day after the surprise election of the ultra-conservative mayor of Tehran as the new President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the country'’s security forces were placed on heightened state of alert throughout Saturday to prevent any street demonstrations.
The move reflected fears in the ruling clerical circles that a dissatisfied young population could react with fury to what many see as a 'coup'” by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the hard-line institutions under his control to consolidate their power.
The furious reaction of the loser, former President Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to the election results has added to the highly charged political climate in Tehran.
In a statement released today, Rafsanjani accused state institutions of "using all available means in an organised way and illegally interfering in the elections”".
"If God'’s wrath takes revenge, it will not be directed at the Iranian people and the Islamic revolution, but against the real criminals, who will be punished"”, the former President said in an oblique reference to the powerful clerics around Khamenei.
Khamenei last night banned all street demonstrationsfollowing the results of the presidential elections amid concerns that opponents of the regime would take the opportunity to turn street gatherings into anti-government protests.
"“Dragging people on to the streets . . . under any pretext is against the interests of the country"”, Khamenei declared in a statement read on the state-run radio and television.
"Khamenei has taken a big gamble"”, said Shahin Soltani, an Iran affairs analyst based in the Hague. "He has circled the wagons to be in a better position to face the growing crisis over Iran. But he has alienated not only Hashemi Rafsanjani, but many senior clerics who don'’t want to see all the power concentrated in the hands of the ultra-conservatives. This massive alienation leaves him in a vulnerable position, despite the success of his strategy to put his man in the presidential office”."
Other analysts see a rising potential for spontaneous demonstrations by young people, women and other sections of the disaffected population.
"It's too early to speak of a velvet or orange revolution in Iran"”, Masoud Zabeti, an Iran Focus analyst based in London, said in telephone interview. "But the basic ingredients "widespread discontent, power struggle at the top of the regime, and a demoralized security force "– are all there. Khamenei has every right to be very fearful of street protests that could easily get out of hand"”.
In recent days there have been many demonstrations in Tehran and other major cities calling for a boycott of the elections, a referendum, and an end to clerical rule. None has been on a scale to pose a serious threat to clerical authority, but the security forces have taken no chances and used violence to disperse the protesters.
"“The Islamic Republic is going through the most perilous phase of its existence since the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989", Zabeti said. "In such a situation, even limited demonstrations could be dangerous"”.DoctorZin:
July 9th is the anniversary of a bloody crackdown of student. I am told there are large demonstrations scheduled for that date.
And finally, today's photos and a cartoon.
- Yahoo News reported that Iran's new president spoke of making Iran a "modern, advanced, powerful and Islamic" model for the world.
- Yahoo News reported Western countries sharply criticized the vote in Iran saying they showed "serious deficiencies.
- Yahoo News reported that exiled Iranian opposition leaders hailed hardliner Mahmood Ahmadinejad's victory saying it would bring Tehran's Islamic regime a step closer to collapse.
- Reza Pahlavi in an interview said, human rights and democracy ... [are the Iranian] system’s Achilles' heel.
- Yahoo! News reported that the US State Department said, With the conclusion of the election in Iran, we have seen nothing that dissuades us from our view that Iran is out of step with the rest of the region.
- BBC Monitoring Service reported that Rafsanjani said, I do not intend to take my complaint about the elections to those arbitrators who have proved that they do not want, or can not, do anything.
- Khaleej Times reported that Britain pressed Iran on Saturday to take quick steps to address mounting concerns over its suspect nuclear program.
- CNN reported that an official with Iran's Interior Ministry has accused Iran's Guardian Council of election fraud and that he was briefly placed under arrest.
- United Press International reported that the election victory Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sets the stage for a tense new confrontation between Iran and the West.
- MSNBC reports that Al-Qaida has found a safe haven in Iran. An under-reported story.
- Global Politician asked, What is Iran's looking for in building nuclear weapons?
- Robert Mayer of PublisPundit posted a few thoughts on the (s)election results.
- Iran Focus provided a profile of Iran's new President, Ahmadinejad.
- Iran Press News reported that China will never permit the Islamic Republic of Iran to gain access to nuclear weapons.
- The Scotsman warns the election outcome may affect the course of Iran's nuclear talks.
- Iranian Alaleh Ashtari writes, the international media is not interested in what the people have to say. Instead they have concentrated on the candidates and the "overwhelming" number of people at the polls.
- Iranian blogger, Hoder back from Iran fears if he returned to Iran they would introduce me to Saeed Mortazavi, the beloved Tehran's chief prosecute and the person responsible for the death of Zahra Kazemi.
- Iranian blogger, Mr. Bedhi said,
Bad days to come. I do not want to see myself as war blogger. But these guys will make it easier to happen if they insist in having this nasty nuclear technology the way they want
.- Iranian blogger, Farideh Nicknazar said the true winner is Khamenie himself.
- Michael Ledeen sees a power struggle within the tyrannical elite and said this blog's work is indispensable.
- IntelligenceSummit.org has just created a Web Ring with websites containing valuable information on Intelligence, Homeland Security & Counter-Terrorism.
- Photo essay: Election fever 24 hours before final round presidential vote. Thirty-nine photos of the campaign.
- Iran election: Special Photo Report. Photos of polling stations around Iran on election day.
- Not too many people for a city of 14 million inhabitants. Web cam photos of the streets of Tehran on election day.
- Election a la Iranian Mullahs A cartoon.
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A sad day indeed
Israel has been silent in recent months but we all know how they feel about the Iran's nuclear project.
If they were holding off on attacking Iran's nuclear facilities on account of the elections, it looks like all bets may be off now.
Don't worry-I'm sure that John Kerry, Al Gore, and Barbara Boxer will head over there first thing to demand a recount!
"This election was major set back for every Iranian who yearns to be free."
Bump that to the max!
Iran must have hired election officials from Seattle to oversee this vote.
Background on Ahmadinejad (from Dr's blog)-
""During the crackdown on universities in 1980, which Khomeini called the “Islamic Cultural Revolution”, Ahmadinejad and the OSU played a critical role in purging dissident lecturers and students many of whom were arrested and later executed. Universities remained closed for three years and Ahmadinejad joined the Revolutionary Guards.
In the early 1980s, Ahmadinejad worked in the “Internal Security” department of the IRGC and earned notoriety as a ruthless interrogator and torturer. According to the state-run website Baztab, allies of outgoing President Mohammad Khatami have revealed that Ahmadinejad worked for some time as an executioner in the notorious Evin Prison, where thousands of political prisoners were executed in the bloody purges of the 1980s.
In 1986, Ahmadinejad became a senior officer in the Special Brigade of the Revolutionary Guards and was stationed in Ramazan Garrison near Kermanshah in western Iran. Ramazan Garrison was the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards’ “extra-territorial operations”, a euphemism for terrorist attacks beyond Iran’s borders.
In Kermanshah, Ahmadinejad became involved in the clerical regime’s terrorist operations abroad and led many “extra-territorial operations of the IRGC”. With the formation of the elite Qods (Jerusalem) Force of the IRGC, Ahmadinejad became one of its senior commanders. He was the mastermind of a series of assassinations in the Middle East and Europe, including the assassination of Iranian Kurdish leader Abdorrahman Qassemlou, who was shot dead by senior officers of the Revolutionary Guards in a Vienna flat in July 1989. Ahmadinejad was a key planner of the attack, according to sources in the Revolutionary Guards."
In a statement released today, Rafsanjani accused state institutions of "using all available means in an organised way and illegally interfering in the elections”".
"If God'’s wrath takes revenge, it will not be directed at the Iranian people and the Islamic revolution, but against the real criminals, who will be punished"”, the former President said in an oblique reference to the powerful clerics around Khamenei.
Sounds to me like someone is being a sore loser.
In a statement released today, Rafsanjani accused state institutions of "using all available means in an organised way and illegally interfering in the elections”".
Snd who helped set up these institutions? Could it be someone who last name starts with R?
He is known as the killer of Dr. Sami (Interim governemnt minister of health) in the 1980s
PING!
Dear Admin
We're still waiting to receive the reason why you banned our Friend "Khashayar".
Would you please let us know?
To read today’s thread click here.
Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!
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After reading that guys bio I fear for the people of Iran. They are in for a pretty rough time.
WHAT?
When did that happen? DAMN! Yes, Admin, PLEASE DO TELL US, AND REINSTATE KHASHAYAR!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!
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