The Latest from Iran (12 April): Signals from Mousavi & Rafsanjani?

2120 GMT: Dramatic Gesture of the Day. It looks like it was not enough for the Iranian President to call foreign leaders "retarded" over the nuclear issue. The Islamic Republic News Agency is reporting that Ahmadinejad has claimed the high ground on "terrorism".

Writing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the UN to condemn the support of foreign forces in Afghanistan for the Jundullah insurgency's activities in Iran.

"We expect your Excellency....to condemn NATO's support for terrorism in the (Middle East) region and those who have supported this criminal [Jundullah leader Abdolmalek Rigi, captured by Iranian authorities]."

NEW Iran: Mousavi to Students “Spring is Unstoppable”
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The Latest from Iran (11 April): Checking In

As for alleged terrorism upon other countries, Ahmadinejad called for an investigation into the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States which he said were "used as a pretext for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq".


2115 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Human rights activists reports that 17 detainees in Orumiyeh prison are on hunger strike.

1420 GMT: Ahmadinejad "Nuclear Weapons & Retarded People" Shocker. In what of course is not at all a diversionary statement (see 0950 GMT), the Iranian President used a domestic tourism industry event to pronounce on the Obama-led nuclear summit thousands of miles away:

World summits being organized these days are intended to humiliate human beings...These foolish people who are in charge are like stupid, retarded people who brandish their swords whenever they face shortcomings, without realizing that the time for this type of thing is over.

1240 GMT: The Clerical Challenge. An interesting interview in Tehran Bureau with Professor Said Arjomand on relations between the state and senior clergy: "Let me answer your question as to whether this challenge to the legitimacy of velāyat-e faqih and its official interpretation is new and serious."

1205 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Concerns are growing over the physical condition of journalist Mehdi Mahmoudian, who helped exposed the Kahrizak Prison abuses. Mahmoudian suffers from lung diseases and prison officials have allegedly not treated him.

Mohsen Safaei Farahani, a senior member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, has been sentenced to five years in prison following appeal.

Safaei Farahani, a former head of the Iranian Football Federation, was arrested on 20 June and charged with “acting against national security”, carrying out propaganda against the system, insulting state officials, and creating public anxiety. He was temporarily released earlier this year on a bail of more than $700,000.

The six-year sentence of Ali Tajernia, another IIPF member, has been reduced to a year in prison following appeal. He was convicted of assembly and collusion to endanger public security and of propaganda against the Islamic Republic.

Student activist Mahdiyeh Golrou has been sentenced to 28 months in prison.

1145 GMT: Economy Watch. Peyke Iran claims that
Zagros Terminal workers and bus drivers in Ahwaz have not been paid for several months.

1140 GMT: The Corruption Case. Looks like Iran's head of judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, is walking a political tightrope. He has insisted that the judiciary "has no fear" in pursuing big cases, i.e., the Fatemi Avenue insurance fraud and alleged involvement of First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, but he has also insisted that those who make public claims for political reasons will be prosecuted.

1130 GMT: Did We Mention Signals? The Green Movement is picking up not only on Rafsanjani's meeting with leading reformist Behzad Nabavi (see 0950 GMT) but also on a Sunday statement in which the former President that it would be best if people again had confidence in the elections.

Rafsanjani again was careful to emphasise his "excellent understanding with the Supreme Leader" --- the battle is with the Ahmadinjead Government --- and said he would again lead Tehran's Friday Prayers when he felt the need for it. Rafsanjani has not made a Friday prayer address since 17 July.

Meanwhile, signals from another political quarter: we have a summary of Mir Hossein Mousavi's meeting with student activists: "Spring is Unstoppable".

1025 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Tahereh Saeedi, the wife of detained film director Jafar Panahi, has told Rooz Online that she has met with Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi but received no answers about Panahi's condition. (See separate entry for Saeedi's recent letter expressing her concern about the harsh treatment of Panahi and the effect on his health.)

Saeedi added that "making a film without a permit and wearing a green scarf at the Montreal World Film Festival" are among the charges against her husband.

1015 GMT: Economy Watch. And this little item might also deserve a think, in light of the connections between economic approach and power in the regime:

Iran has transferred shares in six petrochemical plants and power stations to a social welfare investment organisation of the Islamic Republic's armed forces, state-owned Press TV said on its website.

"The transfer was reported to have been in lieu of the government debt to the Armed Forces Pension Fund," Press TV, an English-language satellite station, said on Friday evening.

The stakes, transferred following a cabinet decision, ranged from 23 percent to 100 percent, it said. The companies included Bushehr Petrochemical Company, Marun Petrochemicals and Pars Petrochemicals.

"In return, SATA (Armed Forces Social Welfare Investment Organization) is obliged to complete and commission the Bushehr petrochemical project within four years," Press TV said.

0950 GMT: A later start today because of the time difference while I'm in the US. Many thanks to EA readers for getting the day out to a start with their discussion on yesterday's LiveBlog.

Another case today, on the 10-month anniversary of the June election, of keeping eyes open for developments inside Iran. Most of the non-Iranian press are now comprehensively distracted by the nuclear issue. Even Nazila Fathi, one of the best reporters for a US paper on Iranian topics, is swept up by the postures of Washington and Tehran on the nuclear issue. Following the Sunday statements of the Supreme Leader and Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, she leads with the Foreign Ministry's spin:

A large majority of Iranian lawmakers, angered over the Obama administration’s new nuclear weapons policy that conspicuously makes Iran and North Korea possible targets, urged their government on Sunday to formally complain to the United Nations in a petition that called the United States a warmonger and threat to world peace.

Unsurprisingly, the nuclear fuss is playing into the hands of those who would prefer attention anywhere except the internal situation in Iran: Race for Iran, the website supporting the legitimacy of the Ahmadinejad Government, is already proclaiming, "Iran Reacts to Becoming a US Nuclear Target".

So where else might one look for news? Well, of course, there's the far-from-minor skirmish over corruption, with First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi the target of charges by key MPs. There's the ongoing battle over the subsidy and spending plans. There is the matter of hundreds of political prisoners. And there is this:

Mohammad Hashemi [the brother of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani] confirmed reports about a meeting between senior reformist Behzad Nabavi and Hashemi Rafsanjani in the holiday resort of Kish Island.

No further information on the discussion, as many were distracted by Hashemi's denial that Rafsanjani had met the head of Iran's judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, to discuss whether Rafsanjani's son, Mehdi Hashemi, must return from London, possibily to face charges.

Consider, however, that Rafsanjani's discussion with Nabavi, who is still out on bail after the imposition of a long prison sentence, follows the former President's meeting last week with leading reformist MPs. And spare a moment, from all the nuclear chaff, to consider, "What is the signal?"

Comments

[Arshama]

@ 1420 GMT: Ahmadinejad “Nuclear Weapons & Retarded People” Shocker

Obviously our retarded putsch president is constantly regressing to his original stage of Homo Neanderthalensis...

More interesting news:

Iranian businessman in the northern Swedish town Umea under suspicion for violation of UN sanctions, allegedly transferred five billion Swedish kronor (approximately 691 million USD) over the past few years from Iran to various companies around the world. http://planet-iran.com/index.php/news/14197

IRIB in jail: according to ISNA within two months all main prisons should be equipped with the national TV and a Quran network: http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=15427

Colour TV in your cell? Who says that the IRI is not modern? I wonder however, if they will be allowed to show the popular series "Prison Break".

[rezvan]

For Obama to boldly and openly declare the US's intent to use nukes against states considered as 'outliers' from the US perspective should be a cause for the Iranian diaspora to launch protests and campaigns outside every US congress man's office & the White House. IRI is being penalised for an unproven intent to develop a nuke and despite declarations by all sections of its leadership denying this yet Obama as the President of the US openly declares his intent to use a nuke against Iran if in the opinion of the US (no mention of the UNSC or the IAEA) it has an INTENT to make a nuke. AN is right people who make such statements are dimwits and DANGEROUS for world security as they have their hands on not one but thousands of nukes of which only a few would be needed to decimate the whole Iranian population and devastate the whole country. Is this man who promised change? Has the US electorate been deceived and have they jumped from the frying pan into the fire and ended up with Bush mark 2!!

[Bahman]

rezvan, you either have not read what Obama said or you are a paid IRI agent here to make sure that we also hear the regime's propaganda.

IRI has repeatedly lied about its nuclear activities. Add to that their clear ease in murdering their own citizens, it's no wonder the rest of the world distrusts them and their intentions.

We, Iranian people, will get rid of this regime on our own just like we got rid of shah.

Now go back and finish your report for your handlers.

[LA]

Rezvan,

The only thing that Persians, like myself, living in diaspora will be protesting is the end of the IRI as we know it and the creation of a democratic Iran. I will not rest till I see it for myself.

[Megan]

Rezvan,

You sound just like your master, the one and only Ahmagheinejad. How much does he pay you?

[Rev. Magdalen]

I find it ironic that Ahmadinejad is constantly complaining of unfairness at the way Iran is treated by the West, when within Iran he has made it his business to ensure that unfairness is the rule of the day for Iranian citizens! We have no actual proof that Ahmadinejad even knows what "fairness" is, he certainly doesn't display any of it domestically.

[rezvan]

Forget about rest of the world, in a recent poll majority of US voters said they do not have faith in their politicians and everyone knows that the US & British went to war against Iraq based on a lie. Just a few days ago news was released that many of the Guantanamo Bay detainees were innocent people who were just picked by the US army & the CIA & this was known to Cheney & Rumsfeld but they still pretended that these were members of Al Qaeda. Liars there are plenty of those in Washington. How much are they paying you guys? IRI only pays enough to buy pistachio nuts and promises many fair maidens in the hereafter, I think 70 at the last count. If you guys have been promised plent of dosh and a Swiss villa then do let me know, could do a swap. What do you say Rev? Some pistachio nuts here & now in exchange for a tea party with the Queen. Sounds a fair deal !

[Megan]

Rezvan,

You must be really scared. I see you going from one thread to another and keep posting the same comments.

The fear in Khamenei’s voice is so obvious it is not funny. Ahmadi’s shrill has gotten so loud it adds to the noise pollution in Tehran. He is so scared he is running out of profanity and insults to use. I do not blame them because their house of card is crumbling down.

You do not need to lose any sleep over U.S. citizens view of their politicians. Americans have elections and they can weed out their politicians. Americans do not have a Supreme Loony to first select candidates who can run for office and then rig the election. Please do not worry about Americans instead help your bosses? They have completely misunderstood Obama’s statement regarding use of Nuke. I noticed you followed your bosses and pretended you did not understand English either. I know Ahmadi and Khamenei not only have zero understanding of English language they also have zero brain mass. Earn your pay and help them understand Obama’s statement.

[Bahman]

rezvan,

I'm focused on the Iranian government because they are the ones who killed my two best high school friends. They murdered the first one after kicking him so much that he died of internal bleeding. They made the second one "confess" on TV and then executed him. They were both 17 years old.

I have never defended US atrocities be it in Vietnam or in Iraq. But the difference is that in the US people actually elect their head of state and all other key leaders, so if there is a fault it lies with the voters and once informed they do better in the next elections.

Also in the US and other democracies across the world, one can openly criticize the government and not worry about being killed on the streets or raped in prison.

There are no perfect governments but the current regime has corrupted the revolution that we faught for so hard and turned it into another power-hungry dictatorship.

Set aside your emotions for one minute and actually look at what this regime is doing to our own citizens....Your soul will depend on it.

[Rev. Magdalen]

Rezvan, I don't do this for money, I do this because my cousin went to Iraq and was poisoned by spent uranium shell casings. My brother-in-law went to Afghanistan and still has not come back. My son will be eligible for army service soon. I do not want anyone else I love hurt in any war.

If you've been here from the beginning, you would know that from the start I have said that war was already planned and on the way when the Green Movement unexpectedly rose up. War was already coming, because the West does not believe Ahmadinejad when he says the nuclear tech he keeps secretly pursuing is for peaceful purposes. I don't believe him myself. If it's so peaceful where is the grid to carry the power? How many high tech radioisotope cancer hospitals are there in Iran? If this program is peaceful, why hide any of it? Or why not simply buy the fuel rods which are for sale? Even Rafsanjani has spoken wistfully about being armed with the same weapons as Israel, without any hint that such a thing would be against his religion.

The Green Movement was a surprise to everyone, and in my opinion it is the only thing that has a chance to stop this war, which was planned out long before Obama took office, and which is an inevitable consequence of Western nuclear policy given the activities of Ahmadinejad. He is doing things that are just not acceptable to the West, IMHO on purpose to start a war, or at least a cold war.

By doing these things, in addition to the brutal repression we've all witnessed, Ahmadinejad demonstrates that like most leaders in rentier states, he cares absolutely zero for the people he supposedly governs. He doesn't care what danger he is putting his people in. If everyone died tomorrow, his income would be the same because his government does not depend on taxpayer money to survive. It's very, very dangerous for the whole world for someone with that mentality to have the most powerful weapons on earth, and the West has already decided that is not going to happen, and only the Green Movement has one slim chance to divert this situation away from war.

[Barry]

@REV MAGDALEN

Thank you for that posting - It has given me something to take away and think about.

I also do not want to see war come to Iran - for the Iranians people's sake, but also for my sake. These wars affect all of us everywhere.

However, I am here because I think that this Iranian Islamic Regime is dangerous to the whole world - and has been so since 1979. And it needs to be stopped in it's tracks. There have been times when an inability (or probably more so, an unwillingness) of countries of the world to intervene and prevent a dangerous situation from proceeding and growing bigger has led to disaster for the whole world. I hope Samuel's "greenies" are able to do this - otherwise???

Barry