Iranian Alert -- DAY 48 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST

The Iranian Student Movement Up To The Minute Reports ^ | 7.27.2003 | DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movment in Iran from being reported.

From jamming satellite broadcasts, to prohibiting news reporters from covering any demonstrations to shutting down all cell phones and even hiring foreign security to control the population, the regime is doing everything in its power to keep the popular movement from expressing its demand for an end of the regime.

These efforts by the regime, while successful in the short term, do not resolve the fundamental reasons why this regime is crumbling from within.

Iran is a country ready for a regime change. 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.

Please continue to join us here, post your news stories and comments to this thread.

Thanks for all the help.

DoctorZin

[nuconvert]

THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT ARE LIARS"

Now there's an observation!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Bush Doctrine Unfolds :

To find all articles tagged or indexed using Bush Doctrine Unfold , click below:
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[DoctorZIn]

This just in, from a friend in Iran...

"I got a news from a Foreign Radio, it is reliable, about those who killed the Canadian Photojournalist, Ms. Kazemi.

The person's name responsible for the killing of the canadian reporter, is Mohammad Bakhshi. Bakhshi is the chief of the security section of the Evin Prison, his nickname is Haj Bakhshi.

The reason for death was not just Skull Fracture,she was suffered from kidney loss and her broken rib.

The source also said that: It was Mr. Mortazavi who kicked Ms. Kazemi in the head after she refused to say she was a spy.

I will give you more soon."

[DoctorZIn]

Can the Mullahs Get Away with Murder?

July 27, 2003
Baltimore Sun
Opinion

THE MURDER of a Canadian photojournalist while in Iranian police custody this month is shocking enough, but the brazen and ugly performance of the Iranian government since then has been almost more disturbing.

Zahra Kazemi (who also held Iranian citizenship) was arrested in June while taking pictures outside a prison in Tehran. She died July 10, following 77 hours of interrogation.

The Iranian prosecutor's office first said she had been killed by a stroke, then planted suggestions that she had hit her head against the cell wall intentionally as a way of embarrassing the police.

The prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, is an agent of the hard-line theocrats who hold the upper hand in a bitter struggle with reformers. He apparently tried to have Ms. Kazemi buried without notice, but at that point the Cabinet, under the control of reform-minded President Mohammad Khatami, intervened.

A Cabinet report determined that Ms. Kazemi had in fact either been beaten or had her head smashed against a hard object. Investigation of the case was taken away from Mr. Mortazavi and given to an independent judge; this was a small triumph for the reformers, but on Wednesday, the authorities buried the 54-year-old woman in her native village, over the protests of her son and the Canadian government.

There can be only one conclusion: that there's something more to hide, and the Iranians know it.

Canada acted at first as though it didn't really want to make a fuss over the incident, but news of the outrageous burial hardened some opinions. The Canadian ambassador to Tehran has now been recalled, Canada is considering economic sanctions that might stop the sale of Canadian wheat to Iran, and Ottawa is rounding up support among European allies. There is still a chance to exhume Ms. Kazemi's body for a proper and thorough autopsy.

Canada's intention is to pressure the regime in Iran without harming the reformers' cause. That's a laudable though difficult goal. The scandal of Ms. Kazemi's death could be used to effect against the ayatollahs and their minions, but the wrong kind of pressure from abroad could be counterproductive.

Nonetheless, Canada is justified in following through on the case - obligated, in fact, to do so.

What happened to Ms. Kazemi is unforgivable. Her death and its shabby aftermath shine a particularly harsh light on Iran, and on those in power there who think they can get away with murder.

http://www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/bal-ed.iran27jul27,0,7824103.story?coll=bal-opinion-headlines

[DoctorZIn]

Failure of the EU's Constructive Dialogue with the Islamic Regime

July 26, 2003
Radio Farda
Ahmad Ra'fat

The EU's policy of constructive dialogue failed to bring any reform to Iran, Italian daily Il Foglio writes today.

The newspaper, published by the wife of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi added that any attempt to bring peace and stability to the region would fail, so long as Ayatollahs are in power.

The credit line former Italian information minister Lamberto Dini opened for Iran with the constructive dialogue, closed after the Supreme Leader's statement about the medium-range Shahab 3 missiles, Il Foglio writes, adding that Italy-Iran trade and industrial cooperation program set up by former prime minister Romano Prodi has been archived forever.

...............................................................................

Editor's note - Following story, on Supreme Leader's statement about the medium-range Shahab 3 missiles, is by Iran Press Services :

A Frightened Iran Censored Leader's Threats Against Israel

By Safa Haeri

PARIS-TEL AVIV 22 July (IPS) Urged urgently by some 300 Iranian political activists, lawmakers, scholars and intellectuals, a controversial passage of a speech delivered to the Iranian Armed Forces by Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i in which he said Israel could be a target of Iranian new missiles had been deleted from all Iranian media, internet sites and news agencies, including the official IRNA and the independent ISNA, run by the students.

In the address, pronounced Sunday during ceremonies marking the transfer of the newly tested Shahab-3 ballistic missile to the Revolutionary Guards Air Force, Mr. Khameneh'i said Iran could target Israel, in defence of the Palestinian cause.

The Shahab-3 has a range of over 1.300 kilometres and can reach Israel as well as American forces stationed in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but also parts of southern Europe and Russia.

"The office of the leader instructed Judge Sa.id Mortazavi to order all Iranian media, without any exception, to delete that part of the speech, since it has already caused an international outrage against Iran", one journalist told Iran Press Service

"Today, the Iranian nation and armed forces ... is prepared to stand up to the enemy with a firm resolve anywhere. Today, we can target Israel, defending Palestinian cause and also Lebanon", Khameneh.i said, quoted by the State-run, conservatives-controlled radio and television.

A senior Israeli intelligence official, quoted Tuesday by Israeli newspaper "Ha.aretz", has warned that Iran's upgrading of its Shihab-3 long-range missile is aimed, first and foremost, at giving Tehran the ability to strike at Israel.

The official said that the chances of Iran firing a missile at Israel were low for now, but that Tehran's announcement that the ground-to-ground missile was operational should set off warning bells.

"A new element has been added to the Iranian's ability to threaten Israel. We shouldn't ignore, either, the statement attributed to Ali Khamenei, that the missile is part of the answer to the Palestinian problem," the senior intelligence official added.

"Reacting to the menace, Israel.s Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told the ruling Likud Knesset (Israel.s parliament) faction that Israel is prepared to counter the threat from Iranian Shahab-3 missiles.

The Iranian-origin Mr. Mofaz assured the Israeli public that the Arrow missile can effectively defend against the Shahab-3, adding that he was in contact with American and other international officials who are helping Israel deal with the Iranian threat.

"We're taking all steps necessary to counter the threat as much as possible", Mofaz told reporters. "Israel has the necessary means to respond defensively, as well as deterrent capability. The Shihab-3 and other projects reveal that Iran is eager to achieve non-conventional and even nuclear capability, but Israel is prepared".

Israel.s Foreign Affairs minister Silvan Shalom, meeting 25 counterparts from the European Union Monday in Brussels, had also taken the issue, calling on them to join the United States and Israel in putting more pressures over the Islamic Republic to abandon its programmes for developing nuclear-based arms that he said is primarily targeting the Jewish State.

Tehran denies the charges, insisting that the project has a purely civilian nature, aimed at generating electricity.

The European Union issued its strongest warning so far to Iran about its nuclear programmes and human rights on Monday and said it would review ties with Tehran in September in the light of its behavior.

EU foreign ministers expressed "increasing concern" about Iran's nuclear program and reaffirmed that closer economic relations depended on Iran making progress in four areas of concern -- human rights, fighting terrorism, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and its attitude to the Middle East peace process.

"The Council decided to review future steps of the cooperation between EU and Iran in September in view of further developments particularly with regard to the second report of IAEA Director General (Mohamed) ElBaradei, the IAEA evaluations and the possible conclusions of the Board of Governors of this Agency", they said in a statement.

They also branded the violent death of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, killed during interrogations, a crime and said Iran had an obligation under international law to prosecute those responsible.

The 15-nation EU is negotiating a trade and cooperation agreement with the Islamic Republic but has clearly linked conclusion of the accord to progress on its political demands.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Iran had to make a strategic choice to sign up to more intrusive, no-notice inspections of its nuclear program, cooperate in the fight against terrorism and improve its human rights record.

"Iran has to know clearly what we expect of it, and what it can expect from us if it meets our expectations", Villepin told a news conference.

Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt. General Moshe Ya.alon told senior officials during his visit to Washington last week that Iran is currently attempting to fill the vacuum left by Saddam Hoseyn.s regime by supporting terror organizations and Palestinian suicide bombers.

President George W. Bush accuses Syria and Iran of backing terrorists who undermine peace process U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday accused Syria and Iran of supporting "terrorists" who undermine Middle East peace efforts and said countries continuing the practice would be held accountable.

"Today Syria and Iran continue to harbor and assist terrorists. This behavior is completely unacceptable and states that support terror will be held accountable", Bush said at a news conference at his Texas ranch with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, one of his European supporter of war in Iraq.

Bush has branded Iran - along with North Korea and the Iraq of ousted President Saddam Hussein - as a member of an "axis of evil" that threatens to spread terrorism. Washington charges Iran is not doing enough against members of the militant Al-Qaida network.

"Ha.aretz" reported this month that the missile's recent testing was its most successful of seven or eight launches during the past five years.

The last time Iran declared a test of the missile was in May 2002 when Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani said the country conducted a test to "enhance the power and accuracy of (the) Shahab-3 missile."

The missile technology is allegedly based on North Korea's No Dong surface-to-surface missile, but Iran says it is entirely locally made. "Shahab" means shooting star in Farsi.

U.S. intelligence officials have said Iran can probably fire several Shahab-3's in an emergency, but that it has not yet developed a completely reliable missile.

http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news_en.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=07&d=27&a=3

[DoctorZIn]

Parallel intelligence services alarmed by President

Sunday, July 27, 2003 - ©2003 IranMania.com

TEHERAN, July 26 (AFP) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has expressed alarm over the treatment of political activists by unofficial intelligence agencies, the country's main reformist party told state media Saturday.

Khatami issued a formal complaint to the office he set up after his election in 1997 to record violations of constitutional rights, said the reformist party Iran Participation Front (IIPF), lead by the president's brother Mohammad Reza Khatami.

The president's written complaint claims that around 60 political radicals have been arrested by unofficial intelligence agencies, kept in isolation and subjected to psychological abuse to extract forced confessions, official news agency IRNA reported.

The office called on the IIPF secretary general to submit evidence so that the allegations could be investigated, IRNA added without elaborating.

Iranian officials are starting to acknowledge the existence of unofficial intelligence agencies, supported by certain elements in the Islamic republic, which are becoming increasingly active and influential.

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=17227&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

[DoctorZIn]

EU Stance Toward Iran Regrettable

TEHRAN – Majlis representative Ala’odin Boroujerid on Sunday expressed regret over the EU stance toward Iran and said that European Union made a mistake taking such a position.

In a speech in Majlis Boroujerdi said Iran has been very cooperative and transparent in its dealings with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the agency’s inspectors have been regularly visiting Iranian nuclear facilities so there is no justification for EU to take this position.

He said it is Iran that has been denied nuclear technology by those possessing nuclear know-how.

Iran is a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and accordingly member countries in possession of nuclear technology should help Iran in this regard.

The member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said it’s natural that as long as other nations don’t abide by their commitments toward Iran in transferring technology, Tehran cannot sign the Additional Protocol to the NPT.

He said that if the purpose behind the Additional Protocol is an inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities this is something which is happening regularly but if they intend to inspect Iranian installations once a week as in Japan, the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot accept it since the Iranian Constitution doesn’t allow any foreign domination.

In its last session in Brussels last Monday the EU asked Iran to review its position on human rights, terrorism, the Middle East peace process and cooperating with the IAEA.

On terrorism Boroujerdi said it is really surprising that EU asks Iran to be clear in its dealing with the scourge of terrorism while many European states have sheltered and supported the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) during the last two decades.

It is really regrettable that EU asks Iran, the main victim of terrorism itself, to change its behavior toward terrorism, he noted.

On the issue of human rights he said Western countries violated human rights in many cases such as equipping the toppled Iraqi regime with biological weapons to use against Iran.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=7/28/03&Cat=2&Num=022

[DoctorZIn]

Majlis Foreign Policy Commission Condemns Detainment of Iranian Journalists in Iraq

TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – A Majlis deputy said on Sunday that the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission condemned the arrest of the IRIB journalists and called for a probe into the matter by the officials.

The commission expressed regret over the arrest of the journalists and said this action runs counter to international laws, Hamidreza Hajbabayee said.

Hajbabayeee said the commission will follow the matter and asks all those responsible to take the matter very seriously.

Two Iranian photojournalists, Said Abutaleb and Soheil Karimi, have been detained by the U.S.-led forces in Iraq and there is no information about their whereabouts.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission also asked a UN official to find about the fate of Iranian journalists.

In a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN chief special envoy to Iraq Sergio Viera de Mello the Islamic Human Rights Commission called for clarification of the journalists’ fate on the basis of the UN 1483 Resolution.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=7/28/03&Cat=2&Num=023

[Angelus Errare]

I wasn't sure if you had seen this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3074785.stm

The Kuwaiti Interior Minister says that Suleiman Abu Ghaith is in Iranian custody.

However, that same day:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/15/1058034988035.html

The same Suleiman Abu Ghaith is free enough to make audiotaped threats to Dubai radio. This goes straight at the heart of the whole "al-Qaeda in Iran are in custody" mantra. The ayatollahs don't let any of the student activists their minions cart away speak to the foreign media, so why are they according it to a most-wanted terrorist?

[DoctorZIn]

Interesting post. Keep up the good work.

[Dog Gone]

The ayatollahs don't let any of the student activists their minions cart away speak to the foreign media, so why are they according it to a most-wanted terrorist?

Excellent question which should be asked of them. I'm afraid we all know the answer.

[nuconvert]

"The credit line former Italian information minister Lamberto Dini opened for Iran with the constructive dialogue, closed after the Supreme Leader's statement about the medium-range Shahab 3 missiles,..."

Good for them.

[Angelus Errare]

#29 may be of some interest to you.

[DoctorZIn]

This Thread is now closed.

Join Us at the Iranian Alert -- DAY 49 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST

Live Thread Ping List | 7.28.2003 | DoctorZin

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[Coop]

The ayatollahs don't let any of the student activists their minions cart away speak to the foreign media, so why are they according it to a most-wanted terrorist?

Perhaps, as part of reforming their government, they're now allowing prisoners one phone call. :-p