Iranian Alert -- DAY 28 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST

Live Thread Ping List | 7.7.2003 | DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

In less than 2 days (July 9th) the people of Iran are planning massive demonstrations events and strikes.

On this date, 4 years ago, the regime brutally attacked peaceful student demonstrators while in their dorms. The result was the loss of life and liberty of hundreds of students, many of which are still unaccounted for.

Once again, the regime has been threatening a major crackdown on the protesters. A major confrontation is just days away.

Iran is a country ready for a regime change. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a country. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary.

Please continue to post your news stories and comments to this thread.

Thanks for all the help.

DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

KNC Statement of Support for Kurdish Demonstrations in Iran

07-07-2003
Source: Kurdish Media
Last Sunday, June 22, 2003, Iranian security forces occupied the University of Kurdistan in Sena (Sanandaj).

Over the past several weeks, a popular uprising against the brutal clerics regime in Iran has swept through the country. The Kurds, along with other groups, are active participants in the uprisings which ostensibly started as student demonstrations, but quickly attracted people from all walks of life—all united in their opposition to the clerics in power.

The Kurdish people in Iran have opposed the current government from its inception. In a referendum held soon after the 1979 revolution, the people of Sena opposed the Islamic government. Protestors filled the streets carrying huge banners saying “Na” (no) to the creation of an Islamic regime.

For this they paid dearly. Just two months after the revolution, the Iranian army was mobilized against the Kurdish cities and countryside, and the army murdered thousands of Kurds during the armed conflict of the early years of the Islamic Republic. Additionally, zealous religious judges such as Khalkhali handed out scores of summary death sentences against the peaceful and innocent populace.

The resistance and protests that started in 1979 continue even today in Sena and other major Kurdish cities, including Kermashan (Kermanshah), Mahabad, Bana, and Saqqez. In March of this year, three young Kurdish men were executed by the regime. Today, many other Kurds, in prison and victims of torture, are at imminent risk of execution for their activities with the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI). The Kurdish demands are not excessive – they are simply struggling for basic human rights including cultural freedom and the right to self-determination

The Kurdish National Congress of North America (KNC) strongly condemns the tactics used against the demonstrators by Islamic fundamentalist groups and government forces, and supports the struggle to bring about a democratic government in Iran. We urge all KNC members and supporters of the Kurdish cause to express their solidarity with the people of Iran and to join in demonstrations inside and outside of Iran planned for July 8-9, the anniversary of a brutal crackdown on student demonstrators in 1999.

The Kurdish National Congress of North America

[xJones]

Iran is a country ready for a regime change. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a country. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary.

And thank you for the daily thread. It is wonderful to see the Iranian people standing up.

[CurlyBill]

What is the anticipated turnout for 9 Jul, and how widespread are the protests expected to be?

[AdmSmith]

Official: Close to 3 million people have addiction problems

Tehran, July 7, IRNA -- Director of Public Relations and International

Affairs Department of the Drug Control Headquarters Mohammad Hossein Khademi said here Monday that out of Iran's population of about 67 million, 'close to three million people have addiction problems'.

The UN as well as Iranian non-governmental organizations (NGO) also strive to put into effect programs to prevent the rest of the population from the menace of narcotics addiction. Describing the 'DCH special anti-drug campaign', he said this year's plans are different from previous ones due to its special emphasis on cultural dimensions of addiction which stresses the prevention side.

He added that the DCH anti-narcotics plans are based on UN's plans and aspires to incorporate President Khatami's views. Although waging campaign against cultivation, production and distribution of narcotics is a priority for the headquarters, 'its pivotal role is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in the country', Khademi said.

Presidential advisor and DCH secretary general, Ali Hashemi said here last Wednesday that the drug problem has degenerated into a global threat, 'whose impact is no less than that of nuclear and environmental hazards'.

Speaking to reporters, he added that the cash flow from drug trade runs close to dlrs 1,600 billion annually and that the total number of addicts worldwide is close to 400 million.

He referred to the 44 million youth under 30 in Iran and said, "They are facing danger of addiction and we need to strive to create employment opportunities for them and fill their idle time."

He also warned that if addiction in the country is not effectively dealt with, it could become a national security threat. He said one of the DCH's goals is to reduce the threat of addiction through prevention and treatment. He further highlighted the important role of non-governmental organization (NGO) in combating drugs trafficking.

Hashemi stated that DCH has inked anti-drug trafficking agreements with over 28 countries and participated in four seminars held in Paris, Tehran, Vienna and Kabul last year. Hashemi said Afghanistan still poses a serious danger to the region as its serves as a route for transit of drugs.

He said more than 65,000 hectares of lands in Afghanistan were under poppy cultivation and the figure is expected to reach 85,000 hectares in 2003.

He expressed regret over Iran lying on the route for transit of drugs, calling for all-out campaign against use of illicit drugs.

He added that 152 tons of drugs, including 10 tons of morphine and 65 tons of hashish, were confiscated from drug traffickers in the same period.

NB/AH/AR End

http://www.irna.ir/en/tnews/030707190641.etn09.shtml

3 million addicts is about 4.5 % of the population and about 7 % of those under 30!

"They are facing danger of addiction and we need to strive to create employment opportunities for them and fill their idle time."

Why not give them freedom to create their own future, obviously the mosque is not the answer.

[AdmSmith]

What is the anticipated turnout for 9 Jul, and how widespread are the protests expected to be?

RFE/RL Iran Report Vol. 6, No. 28, 7 July 2003 do not expect more than last years:

COMMEMORATION OF 1999 UNREST COMES AT SENSITIVE TIME. The fourth anniversary of the day in July 1999 ("18 Tir" or 9 July) when Iranian security forces and vigilantes stormed the Tehran University campus will be marked this week. The authorities have rejected student groups' applications to hold a commemorative march, and they have closed the university campus to outside visitors. These measures indicate the authorities' concern over residual anger from the unrest of just a few weeks earlier and their awareness of the students' restiveness. Nevertheless, one should avoid the temptation to overstate the situation and its potential significance.

The unrest of June 2003 did not reach the level of that which occurred in July 1999. And the events of July 1999, November 2002, or June 2003 are not comparable in scale to those of June 1963 or September 1978, when millions of people filled the streets of Tehran and other cities.

The students' current activism attracts a lot of media attention, but there are only 1.2 million university students in Iran, out of a total population of some 66.6 million (CIA World Factbook estimate as of July 2002; according to the UN Population Division, the population in 2000 was 66.43 million; http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp). Nor are all students opposed to the regime. Some have withdrawn from political activism, some were not politically active to begin with, and others are members of the University Basij and are, in fact, supporters of the regime.

Those students who are politically active are not very united. The best-known student organization, the Office for Strengthening Unity, underwent a split in early-2002 because of a dispute regarding support for President Mohammad Khatami and the reformists. The majority wing, known as the "Neshast-i Allameh," wanted to withdraw from mainstream politics, whereas the minority wing, known as the "Neshast-i Shiraz," preferred to continue its support for the president (for more on this split, see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 14 October 2002).

Ahmad Alamshahi, who heads the minority wing's public relations office, said his group would not hold a gathering on 9 July, the Baztab website reported on 29 June. Reza Ameri-Nasab of the majority Allameh wing said that his group is determined to hold rallies on 9 July, the Baztab website reported on 24 June. Ameri-Nasab clarified this statement on 5 July, when he said that all 30 members of the Allameh wing's central council would stage a sit-in at the UN office in Tehran, Fars News Agency reported.

In another sign of disunity within the student movement, Allameh faction activist Said Razavi-Faqih wrote about the "new" Office for Fostering Democracy in a 1 July editorial in the "Yas-i No" daily from Tehran. He pointed out that when the Office for Strengthening Unity was created, its full name was the Office for Strengthening the Unity of the Seminary and University (Daftar-i Tahkim-i Vahdat-i Hozeh va Daneshgah). The situation is no longer about the pursuit of unity, Razavi-Faqih wrote, it is about democracy and governmental accountability. He wrote that the old organization is too centralized, too exclusive, and too dependent on the existing power structure, whereas the new one would be for all students and would have an "extranational and global approach." Yet Razavi-Faqih said that the Office for Fostering Democracy would continue to support the Office for Strengthening Unity.

Razavi-Faqih said in an interview that appeared in the 4 July issue of Milan's "Il Giornale" that there has been no response to his organization's request to commemorate the events of 9 July. Asked what they would do, he responded, "For the moment, we are waiting. I can only say that we are prepared to use all our energies."

Another student organization is Heshmatollah Tabarzadi's Democratic Front. A veteran activist, the 43-year-old Tabarzadi has been imprisoned many times. He announced that were would be massive crowds on the streets on 9 July, Germany's "Der Spiegel" reported on 23 June. Although the actual membership in his organization appears to be small, Tabarzadi's calls-to-arms are relayed throughout Iran by Los Angeles-based Persian-language satellite television stations.

The students' leaders are disunited in their attitude towards outside assistance, furthermore. Tabarzadi told "Der Spiegel," "we have not received any help from the United States, and we do not want it in future either." Tabarzadi added, "we regard the Americans, and also the U.S. government, as friends." "And support and recognition from friends is a source of pleasure," he said in what appears to be a hopeful manner.

Razavi-Faqih seemed even less open to outside help. Asked about President George W. Bush's supportive words and the possibility of help from the U.S., Razavi-Faqih told "Il Giornale," "I am interested in receiving support only from my people. Bush does not give a damn about us. His only interest is in expanding the power of the United States. This is why we do not accept and are not interested in the U.S.'s support." When the interviewer reminded Razavi-Faqih about the difficulty of acting without support, the activist said, "we cannot accept any foreign aid because we shall be accused of being the U.S.'s fifth column. And furthermore, in my opinion, the U.S. is seeking a pretext for intervening forcefully, as it did in Iraq."

The absence of cohesiveness among the students is just one factor limiting the scope of the unrest. Another is the regime's formal and informal repressive apparatus. Some 4,000 people were arrested in June and about half that number remained in jail as of 27 June. The possibility exists that some will be executed, and it is only a matter of time before the televised confessions that are a hallmark of Iranian justice begin.

The vigilantes from the Ansar-i Hizbullah, who act with impunity, can be let loose at any time to support the security forces. Indeed, the head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps's public relations office, Masud Jazayeri, said on 30 June, "Spontaneous gatherings of people are being organized to counter provocations staged by rioters," the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported. And if the vigilantes go too far the regime can deny having a formal relationship with them.

The government also employs something akin to the "bread and circuses" of ancient Rome to control dissent. Commodities such as cooking oil, meat, rice, and bread are available at subsidized prices, and gasoline prices are among the cheapest in the world. The country's unemployment rate is estimated to be over 20 percent, and hiring quotas for veterans' families and a privileged few serve to exacerbate the situation. Competitions serve as a distraction, with prizes for top students, awards for the best wives of disabled veterans, and Koran recital competitions, to name a few. Iran's national passion for soccer is no secret, but more esoteric sports, such as archery and karate, are regularly shown on television and reported on by newspapers.

Unrest and disturbances are very likely in Iran on 9 July. Nevertheless, the factors discussed here suggest that these events will not be as revolutionary as some would like and others would fear. What is of greater significance is that 44.3 million Iranians -- roughly two-thirds of the population -- are under the age of 30. This group did not participate in such formative experiences as life under the pro-U.S. monarchy, the activism of the 1978-1979 revolution, or the battles of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. As this segment of the population comes of age, it is likely to bring about significant and lasting -- but probably not revolutionary -- changes in the political system. (Bill Samii)

[AdmSmith]

I missed the comment:

"Spontaneous gatherings of people are being organized to counter provocations staged by rioters," the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported.

[firewalk]

bttt

[DoctorZIn]

SMCCDI: "Clarify Your Position, Secretary Powell"

Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran (SMCCDI)
________________

July 7, 2003

The Honorable Colin Powell
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520

Fax: 202-261-8577

Sir,

The coming week is the most important in the last 25 years, for the Iranian people and perhaps the world. The next few days will determine our future. It will determine whether Iran will join the world community. Whether it will join in the fight against international terrorism or continue to be it’s biggest supporter.

As you must be aware, July 9th is destined to be the confrontation between the regime and the lovers of freedom. The level of support by the people of Iran will determine its outcome.

The recent statements of support by your president in our quest for freedom were of great encouragement to us. His statements were clear and unmistakable.

In contrast, your words have caused more damage than anything the regime could do or say. We expected the regime to doing everything possible to discourage the people from any protest on this date. What we did not expect is for you, our moral ally in this struggle, to agree with the regime in its analysis of the conflict.

At this most critical moment in Iran’s history, your statements have caused widespread confusion, shock, despair and anger within Iran.

You are an intelligent man with great accomplishments in this administration. That is why it is so difficult for the people of Iran to understand your greatly flawed understanding of our struggle against the tyranny of the present regime. Your statements are not consistent with the facts, as they exist in Iran today.

In your statement this weekend, it is reported that, that you said the United States should stay out this Iranian "family fight" and that it is your hope that "the United States had learned its lesson not to interfere in Iran's affairs." It sounded like a press statement from the regime, not the US Secretary of state. This is not a family fight. The regime does not reflect the will of the people of Iran. It is not an Iranian regime but a radical Islamic regime. This regime hates Iran, our love for our culture, our history. It has taken hostage our entire country. They are not part of our family.

If your statement was designed to make clear that the United States was not prepared to back up our efforts militarily, we understand that. We have consistently and repeatedly declared that we do not need your military support. But we do need your encouragement. The people of Iran need to know that the United States supports the morally correctness of opposing this regime. Yours is one of the few nations to speak with moral clarity in our world today, which is why your statements are so discouraging to millions of Iranians.

You spoke of Iran as a democracy. But it is not a true democracy. As you must know the regime only permits people who support the regime to be placed on the ballot. Our true leaders are not in the regime or its parliament. They are either in prison or in hiding. We do not support the so-called reform movement. In our last election, we asked the people of Iran not to participate any longer in the illegitimate elections of this illegitimate regime. As a result, fewer than 12% of the public voted and this in a nation where voting is mandatory. The people of Iran no longer support either the so-called reformist or conservative elements of the regime. Please do not support them either.

This is not a conflict between the reformers and the hardliners, as you appear to assume. The protests in our country are lead by a third force that supports a true secular democratic republic. It is no longer a student movement alone; it is broad based with supporters every aspect of our society.

We are calling for a national referendum where the people of Iran can judge the legitimacy of this regime. We believe a separation of religion and state are necessary and therefore seek the establishment of a secular government. But, we will respect the will of the Iranian people whatever their choice may be. Only the Iranian people can determine their own future. We simply ask for your moral support.

The hours are ticking by before the July 9th demonstrations and strikes are to begin.

We need a clear statement of your support for our efforts.

We beseech you to clarify your position for the entire world to hear, before it is too late.

We are prepared to be the friends of the United States that you have longed for. Secretary Powell: give us a chance, give us your support, do it now, before it’s too late!


Respectfully,

On behalf of SMCCDI,

Aryo B. Pirouznia (for the Committee)


SMCCDI
5015 Addison Circle #244 Addison, TX 75001 (USA)
Phone: +1 (972) 504-6864; E.Mail: smccdi@daneshjoo.org
www.smccdi.org; www.daneshjoo.org; www.iranstudents.org

http://www.iran-daneshjoo.org/cgi-bin/smccdinews/viewnews.cgi?category=5&id=1057598723

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

DoctorZin Note: I will be publishing an American version of this letter shortly. We need to fax or email this to Secretary Powell and the media immediately.

This second post will appear shortly.

[nuconvert]

The DCH reports this story now? Why? To try and make people believe that the students protesting are all drug addicts? Seems like a self serving story for the regime to be reported at this time.

[piasa]

"Spontaneous gatherings of people are being organized to counter provocations staged by rioters," the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported.

ROTFL... that belongs right up there with former Clinton Surgeon General Jocelyn Elder's ideas for "safer bullets" to "save the chillun" and buckets that tip over or won't hold water to "keep the chillun from drowning."

[DoctorZIn]

What is the anticipated turnout for 9 Jul, and how widespread are the protests expected to be?

It is impossible to judge what will happen. The regime is reportedly preparing to make the nation deaf, dumb and blind for the coming days. They are expected to shut down all phone service, jam all satellite and radio signals.

I will report more soon.

[Khashayar]

Did any one forward this to Medias and organizations?
I will do it soon.
Lets support the movement inside Iran with whatever means we have.

[risk]

I'd like to create a shortened version of this letter to send to president@whitehouse.gov. I will work on that much later tonight after I am done working.

Note: I will stress the notion that this is a critical moment that should not be lost. I will also remind President Bush of the Kurds and the Shia peoples in Iraq, and how they suffered because of our inability to act over the past 12 years. This is a chance to do the right thing in real time.

However, I have warned you that you could be let down by America. Please don't hate us if this happens. Remember that you need to own your own revolution. Good people from around the world will come to your aid when they see you willing to shed your own blood for freedom.

[risk]

Lets support the movement inside Iran with whatever means we have.

There are dark days ahead for you. Many times Americans were tempted to lose faith in their revolution. Keep yourselves strong, even as you are dying. President Bush said just this year: "The history of the modern world offers a lesson for the skeptics: do not bet against the success of freedom."

Remember our Valley Forge winter, when all seemed to be lost. We even had to execute deserters from our own army.

---

In a studio recording of a speech initially delivered at a
Valley Forge commemorative ceremony, Speaker of the House
Champ Clark paid tribute to the suffering of the brave men
there:

Here in the winter of discontent, our fortunes sank to the
lowest point. But from this place, Washington went forth
conquering, and to conquer, and to become the foremost man
of all the world.

"At Valley Forge,"
speech by Speaker of the House Champ Clark,
circa 1918-1920.
American Leaders Speak, 1918-1920 

--From http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/sep26.html

[DoctorZIn]

Here is a link to the letter I am sending Secretary Powell that I promised.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/941493/posts

Please send it to him and the media, immediately.

Also, please attend the demonstrations of support being hosted around the country. Your presence will make a difference.

DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

Regarding your Radio Free Europe Report.

No one knows for sure the outcome of the next few days in Iran. But you might find it interesting that to huge numbers of Iranians both inside and outside of Iran, consider Radio Free Europe to have been coopted by the Islamic republic.

When I have read their reports they often sound more like news from the regime than news from the US administration.

We will find out soon, who bests knows the situation on the ground in Iran, but I doubt it is Radio Free Europe.

[Nix 2]

I confess I have often been shocked at the opposition to the White House position Powell so often exhibits, and I can not, for the life of me, understand why he still heads up the State Department nor why at least half of its employees are not in jail...including Powell who needs to keep his mouth shut or have it sown shut.
I can only imagine what cold chills his latest pronouncements must have given those who are looking to us for help.
I remember Tienemin Square when we silently watched tanks drive over the Statue of Liberty and all the students in their paths.
Lord, grant our president the will to never stand idly by when those whom we have encouraged believe in us enough to put their lives at risk for freedom.
We stand with you. Salute to a new dawn of freedom on July Ninth.
Below is Kharazi's response to Powell's words.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi:

Iranian FM says there are signs of acceptance of reality in Powell's words, warns against US positions' inconsistency.


TEHRAN - Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi on Friday welcomed what he called a shift in the US position toward last month's student-led demonstrations which swept Iranian cities, the state news agency IRNA reported.

"There are signs of an acceptance of the reality in the words of US Secretary of State Colin Powell," said Kharazi.

Powell said Wednesday that Washington should avoid a direct role in anti-regime protests in Iran, arguing US interests would be best served by stepping back and waiting.

"The best thing we can do right now is not get in the middle of this family fight too deeply," he said.

The demonstrations have evaporated after peaking in mid-June. Security forces made 4,000 arrests during the June 10-20 wave of protests, which were marked by unprecedented slogans against Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.

As the protests unfolded, Powell and other US officials were quick to offer moral support to the demonstrators.

At one point on June 17, Powell said the United States was "encouraging" but not "fomenting" the protests and then five days later said Washington had a duty to do so.

Iranian officials reacted angrily to the remarks, accusing the United States of meddling in its internal affairs.

Kharazi welcomed the change of tone but cautioned that "there is no consistency in the positions of the Americans, and that's because they do not have accurate information on Iranian society and are easily influenced.

"Today, they have realised that this unrest was unimportant," he said.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Worth repeating:

"Today, they have realised that this unrest was unimportant," he said.

Let July Ninth make a liar of him.

[DoctorZIn]

NITV (the most popular of the La Based Iranian broadcasters into Iran) reported to me that their "uplink" in the US was being jammed reportedly from within the US... a sign of things to come? Here is their report...

Iranian Rogue Carrier Blocks NITV Transmission
2003-07-07

Dear NITV Viewers,
As you are aware, our television broadcast has been, once again, terrorized by the evil signals of Islamic Republic regime.

According to ADTH, an American-based satellite transmission company that broadcast our signal, a rogue carrier has been targeting our transponder since early hours of Sunday July 6. Investigations are now on the way to detect the source of illegal transmissions.

Due to criticality of the situation in Iran which coincides with the anniversary of Student Uprising (18 Tir), we have decided not to wait for the result of investigations but to start transmiting on different frequencies and satellites for the next few days. For this reason we are in desperate need of your financial help. Please submit your donations as soon as possible by clicking here.

http://www.nitv.tv/main.htm

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

[DoctorZIn]

Thought you might like to know that I was interviewed last night on NITV just after this happened. I was on with the US representative of the Iranian Student Movement (SMCCDI). He spoke to the Iranian people about what we are doing here at the FreeRepublic. I must tell you that the Iranian people were extremely grateful to hear a non-Iranian American speak passionately about their cause. It was a privilege and honor to address the people of Iran at this critical moment in history. It was a humbling event.

By the way, I will be in their studios starting Tuesday afternoon through the night to bring you all the breaking news in Iran.

Thank you for all your support.

DoctorZin

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

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Excellent... and thank you so very much for all of your work on behalf of the students, and in keeping us all informed.