“Those who are ignoring people’s votes and are willing to change them, are strangers to the Revolution and the Islamic Republic”.

And of course he wouldn’t be his father’s son if he didn’t proclaim his concern and devotion to the Zionist state: “We have a window of opportunity”, he said, adding that for people in Israel this was a “matter of life and death”.

Come on Greenies make Master Obama and the little Prince honorary Greenies.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hcokOejhxDVVwYQLsZVJSEEwyPxg

Shah’s son backs civil disobedience in Iran
(AFP) – 18 hours ago

LONDON — Iran’s former crown prince backed a campaign of “civil disobedience and non-violence” Saturday to oust the government in Tehran and urged Western support, but warned against any armed intervention.

“The end of the apartheid regime in South Africa, of military juntas in South America, of the former Soviet Union — all of it came at the hands of the people of those nations themselves,” Reza Pahlavi told the Daily Telegraph.

“None of this could have happened without foreign support, but that is not the same as an occupying army that comes in and changes a regime — I don’t see how that can ever be legitimate.”

The son of the late shah added: “Change must come to Iran by civil disobedience and non-violence, I stress that. We can’t have change at any cost… what happens must be the will of the people.”

Pahlavi left Iran a year before his father, shah Mohammad Reza, was ousted in the 1979 Islamic revolution, and has lived in the United States since 1984.

As more protests were held this week on the streets of Tehran, he told the Telegraph that “the ingredients for change have reached almost boiling point, despite the attempts of the regime to crack down”.

And he argued that internal pressure was the only kind that would work on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over Iran’s nuclear programme, which Western powers fear is aimed at creating nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies.

“The threat from their own people is the only leverage that will matter, on the nuclear issue especially, much more so than endless rounds of failing diplomacy,” Pahlavi said.

However, he said the international community must show their support for the protesters challenging Ahmadinejad’s regime.

“If they are holding up signs in English on the streets of Tehran it is not to practice their language skills, it is obviously meant for the outside world,” he said.

If this support is not forthcoming, “we may as well run up the white flag on the nuclear threat. We have a window of opportunity”, he said, adding that for people in Israel this was a “matter of life and death”.

He said that if UN sanctions could not be agreed, multilateral penalties should be imposed, adding: “We need smart sanctions to weaken the regime and its apparatus” without harming the people of Iran.

Is it just my imagination or have others noticed that statements coming out of Iran just lately, have been a little more concerned with obtaining further enriched uranium from outside the country – rather than the usual defiance that enrichment will continue inside Iran.

Is it just a different slant on things – or HAS the Iranian enrichment technology hit a technical hitch or some other difficulty. I have read mention of some kind of contamination in what they have produced.

Barry

That old film is awesome but I hope someone gives a full translation. It’s like, well a pearl out of history.

Samuel I luv ya, you’re the only person here who is the mirror of what outsiders can relate to, as so much is hidden from non speaking farsi. I’m sure you’re quite a nice guy really, you’re just doing your job so that it keeps the debate going, and you are right on many points (I duck from handballs from some members), as, from what I can understand with google translations, many folks over there are saying what you say.. greens are too weak and slow, they are saying like they want to storm Evin prison, they are getting really angry… hey, maybe you should be getting your exit visa…

As for the nuclear thing, it’s getting better than FBI or Miami TV series.. we wait for the next episode :-)

Excellent question and often one I have worried about. I do believe people like Khtamai and Rasfanjani are using the reform movement for their own agendas. I am not convinced Mossavi is and definitely not Karroubi. I personally believe the movement is creating the Iranian version of “gorbachev” out of Moussavi and especially Karroubi. I also believe the movement is starting to detach itself from its leaders primarily because they are being denied access to them by the government. In essence this has forced the reform movement to decentralize which I think is a wise move. Its a wise move because it does not leave a clear target for the regime. Going forward Moussavi and Karroubi will be more like spokesman or the “face” of the movement with the real decisions being made by others. Not neccesarily their choice but one based out neccesity because of the restrictions placed on them. Its a little difficult to lead when restricted to ones house and even when you make it out your guranteed to be attacked by regime forces.

It will be real interesing to see how it plays out.

Thx
bill

“Khatami is not in phase with the protesters; he is trying to bring the people back within the “framework of islam blah blah blah…”

Excellent point. Khatami is a liar and a fraud.

I think the priority for EA’s correspondents at this point is to set out developments and try to establish the aims and strategy of the leaders whom you mention. In my opinion, EA readers are doing a very effective job in analysing and debating that strategy, for example, in the current debate over the movement’s approach after 13 Aban.

S.

As to the uranium deal, Ayandeh and BBC report on a secret meeting between Rahim Mashaie and American envoyee Houshang Amir-Ahmadi at a villa in Gilan:
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=8979
If AN really is trying to double-cross his beloved SL, he will certainly fail. By the way, Alaeddin Boroujerdi visited Germany in March and met with Wolfgang Schaeuble, now minister of finance, and other German officials: http://www.iranbotschaft.de/ger/borujerdi.htm