The Latest from Iran (11 April): Checking In

Pictured: Reformist leader Feizollah Arab Sorkhi (pictured) has returned to Evin Prison after his temporary release for Iranian New Year.

1700 GMT: Abuse Watch. A Street Journalist posts Bahareh Maghami's account of her rape in prison.

Iran: A List of 107 Killed in Post-Election Violence
Iran: The Green Movement in Transition (Rafat)
The Latest from Iran (10 April): Look Over There!

1630 GMT: The Inflation Game --- Pick a Number. The Iranian Government's attempt to ease economic worries by declaring a halving of inflation to 10.8% is coming under more pressure. Amidst evidence of Parliament's scepticism (see morning update), the International Monetary Fund has announced that Iran's 2009-2010 inflation rate was 30%.


1620 GMT: Selling State Industries. The great redistribution of state firms continues: reports claim 45% of the Damavand power plant has been given to the controversial "charitable trust" Bonyade Shahid.

1415 GMT: Corruption. MP Elyas Naderan, who is leading the allegations of corruption against First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, is not letting up despite Government pressure on him. He has declared in an interview that Rahimi's deeds are graver than those of Ali Kordan, the Minister of Interior forced to resign over false claims of a doctorate from Oxford University, and of businessman Shahram Jazayeri.

1145 GMT: Press Resurrection. The "moderate" daily newspaper Shargh has reappeared after a three-year ban.

1110 GMT: More Money Questions. Iran Green Voice, drawing from Iranian Labor News Agency, is claiming that Iran's audit commission is enquiring about 631 possible errors in the 2007-2008 budget, with millions of dollars of oil money missing from the Treasury.

Khabar Online and DayPress raises further questions about "aberrations" in the 2008-2009 budget and oil revenues.

1050 GMT: The Post-Election Dead. We have posted, from Muhammad Sahimi of Tehran Bureau, a list of 107 people killed in post-election violence.
1045 GMT: Nuke-Nuke-Nuke. I think this pattern is pretty well set: the US Nuclear Posture Review will be the script for most Iranian political threatre this week. The Supreme Leader has now taken over the lead role, telling senior members of the military:

[Obama] has implicitly threatened Iranians with nuclear weapons. These comments are very strange and the world should not ignore them because in the 21st century... the head of a state is threatening a nuclear attack. The US president's statements are disgraceful. Such comments harm US and they mean that the US government is wicked and unreliable.

1005 GMT: Nuclear Postures. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has strongly criticised Washington's position on Iran's nuclear programe. Attacking the Nuclear Posture Review, released this week by the Obama Administration, Larijani told the Majlis:

The US has announced it will not use nuclear weapons except in extraordinary situations. It has also pledged not to use atomic bombs against NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] members, apart from Iran and North Korea. And they call this a "new" nuclear arms strategy. Just take a look at how many contradictory issues are embedded in this policy. The term "extraordinary situation" can always be used to justify a US nuclear attack.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We will officially present our complaints to the United Nations about these kinds of threats," with a declaration signed by 255 of 290 members of the Majlis.

1000 GMT: Clerical Intervention. Rah-e-Sabz carries a statement from Ayatollah Dastgheib, who says that the ruling authorities slander and arrest even as they pretend to be pious. Thus, Dastgheib argues, the principle of velayat-e-faqih (ultimate clerical authority) is violated.

0935 GMT: The Subsidy Battle. The dispute between Parliament and President on economic plans continues to dominate political news.

An interesting twist as the Government has asked the Majlis not to publish inflation data. Given that the Central Bank of Iran declared earlier this month that the inflation rate had halved to 10.8%, why would the Government be so shy? Could it be that the official rate is not telling the entire story?

High-profile critic Government Elyas Naderan, who is also the central figure claiming corruption by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, has debated another Vice President, Mohammad Reza Mirtajoddini, at Imam Sadegh University.

 MP Mohammad Hossein Farhangi has said that the Government should not ask for amendments in the legislation approved by the Parliament.

0845 GMT: Shutting Down Politics. Parleman News claims that reformist visitors to Mir Hossein Moussavi have been threatened that they could be banned in the next elections.

0840 GMT: Closing the Press. Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi announced that the appeal to lift the ban on the reformist publication Etemaad has been declined.

0830 GMT: What Next for Greens? Amidst signs of the reconsideration of the opposition strategy and tactics, Ali Mazrouee asks, "What is the nature of the Green Movement?"

0815 GMT: Economy Watch. Iranian Labor News Agency reports that workers of the Hamid China factory, due for closure, are rallying today to protest that they have not been paid wages and benefits for almost two years.

750 GMT: Thanks to Arshama for passing on yesterday's updates as I was in transit --- Saturday's LiveBlog has now been updated. Now to today.....

It may be a different day, but it's still the old, reliable diversions. Minister of Defense Ahmad Vahidi, now a daily source for cheap quotes on how Iran will face down and vanquish any Western aggression, has declared that Tehran has begun mass-producing a new medium-range anti-aircraft missile. Mersad "can destroy modern planes in low and medium altitudes".

Far more interesting spin comes on the Qom front.  Reformist cleric and journalist Mohammad Javad Akbarin, claims several top clerics refused to meet President Ahmadinejad. Akbarin asserted that only one top cleric agreed to meet Ahmadinejad, and he "spent most of the meeting criticizing Ahmadinejad".

A formal photographs at the time of the visit showed Ahmadinejad with several clerics, although, as EA's Mr Verde analysed, there was no confirmation of a Presidential meeting with a Grand Ayatollah, only with three senior clerics who are his fervent supporters.

Comments

[Catherine]

RE "A formal photographs at the time of the visit showed Ahmadinejad with several clerics, although, as EA’s Mr Verde analysed (link to RFE/RL article), there was no confirmation of a Presidential meeting with a Grand Ayatollah, only with three senior clerics who are his fervent supporters."

Wow! When I posted a link to that same RFE/RL article yesterday morning
(http://enduringamerica.com/2010/04/10/the-latest-from-iran-10-april-look-over-there/comment-page-1/#comment-38520) I had no idea the author was EA's very own MR VERDE! Cool. That explains the high quality of his analyses and writing. And that helps answer Artemiss' question about why EA readers come here.

[Catherine]

Mr Allawi Goes to Tehran

Iran Wants Sunnis in Iraqi Politics
By ROD NORDLAND, April 10, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/world/middleeast/11iraq.html

Iran backs unity government in Iraq with Sunnis
Sat Apr 10, 2010
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iran urged leaders in neighboring Iraq on Saturday to form a national unity government that included Sunni Muslims.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100410/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics_iran_1

[Catherine]

Sunday Trivia: How much do Iranian women spend on cosmetics?

This article is actually from last Thursday, but the AFP picked it up today:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122789&sectionid=3510212

The AFP adds: Iran produces cosmetics, but imports a significant portion of its consumption.

Hmmmmm ......... maybe the P5+1 sanctions drafters should consider this? :-)

[Scott Lucas]

Dear All,

Jet-lagged apologies both for getting the date wrong on the LiveBlog this morning and for posting a confusing link in the first update over the Ahmadinejad-Qom dispute. While EA's Mr Verde wrote an excellent analysis last month of the conflict, the RFE/RL is not written by him but by another reporter.

S.

[Catherine]

Oh. Sorry for jumping to conclusions. On the other hand, Mr Verde is an excellent contributor and I'm happy to have had this 'chance' opportunity to say so. :-)

[Kiterunner]

r u for or against imposing sanctions against Iran?

i invite u to come to my blog. i've published a new post about it there.
i'm completely against it.

[Kiterunner]

I hope all the innocent prisoners all over the world will be freed by the use of wisdom n peacefully, hopefully, if God wants it will happen.

[cyrus]

I highly recommend you guys to get a copy of "A Time To Betray" by Reza Khalili if really want to know what we Iranians been going through since the 1979 revolution

While Islam is a religion that allows its clerics to justify anything from suicide bombing to rape, beheading, torture and terrorsim, most of the ones in charhe of the government don't really believe in Islam and just using the mask to continue their evil lives under the justification of Islam.

The beginning of the revoluution many of the religious Iranians who ideologically beleived in Islam, but mostly uneducated joined the government while many thugs who took advantage and by following the religious codes also took government positions. All educated and intellectuals fled the country giving them the opportunity to take posetion of everything the country had be serving the mullahs.

The product of Islamic Republic was a post revolution generation of Iranians splitted into 2 totally opposite classes groups:
1- the ones who were either braunwashed or pretended to be religious believers in the system. All thugs, drug dealers, rapists, thieves and sick minded individuals saw the opportunity to fit themselves in the system by joining the Basij and get away with any crime by doing that because the mullahs needed them to protect their interests. Soon they upgraded their positions from the Basij to revolutionary guard positions. The lowest people in any modern society became the 1st class citizens of the Islamic Iran.
2- the rest of the majority of Iranian people from the more educated and more civlized families and the ones whom wouldn't sell their souls for money and position turned against the system and since the system was an Islamic system, they also turned against Islam. While the government considers this class as the 2nd class citizens, they are proud of not having their hands dirty in the Islamic dictatorship and the only resistance to the tyranny under the most brutal and oppressive dictatorship of our time was nothing but doing the opposite of religion. This class doesn't follow the Islamic traditions unless there is a political advatage that could be used against the system. They do the exact opposite of regime's laws and moral codes by means of resistance. Since the IR is against anything un-Islamic and western, they do the exact opposite in the way they dress, their hai styles, music and movies they watch, drink alchole, etc trying to live an un-Islamic life as possible under an Islamic system!

The result is a society that is completely splitted into 2 pieces of one minority loyal to the IR, the fully armed untouchables backed by billions of dollars in state revenue who can do whatever they want to the 2nd group, the majority of population that is against the establishment and its supporters, but has no way to defend themselves.

Just imagine if one day all the thugs, theives & terrorists in Maerica's prisons are not only set free, but also allowed to jail all the former politicians and educated indivduals & rule the country. You can't even imagine what is the feeling of living in such country, specially when the economy is destroyed by the ruling thugs. You'd pay any price it takes in order to fee yourself.

The first class citizens in Iran also have prides that no one can touch them and proud of any act against humanity. they proudly talk about how they gang raped a man or women because they see this a moral & physical revenge from another class that hates them. As the Nazi germans treated the Jews with no mercy, to these people treating un-Islamic people like animals is morally not only accepted, but also awarded.to them all the rest are Kafir and Monafegh and for years they've been tought about how Mohammed and imam Hussein used to line up tens of Kafirs and chop off their heads one after another or how prophet himself used to slave tens of little girls after killing their parents in wars and make them his wives. They don't see nothing morally or religiously wrong with doing any of that to the prisoners.

Kiterunnner,
I am for sanctions against Iran, but not these soft and useless sanctions in practice now. The only effective sanction would be the sanctions that pressure the IR finamcially, oil sanctions or even shippment blockade to and from Iran. $$ is the only thing that keeps the IR in power, cut the source of revenue & IR will be gone overnight.

[cyrus]

re

[Kiterunner]

cyrus,

zehi khiale batel!
first, there will never be such sanctions
2nd,if there will be it ruins the economy more. r'nt u going to live in Iran?
look! we ordinary people suffer from sanctions not the rich in country who i'm sure u know!
even this regime does not deserve that unfriendly communication.
3rd, Iran is rich enough to survive even such sanctions.

u can follow this on my blog.

[danial]

@cyrus
"Kiterunnner,
I am for sanctions against Iran, but not these soft and useless sanctions in practice now. The only effective sanction would be the sanctions that pressure the IR financially, oil sanctions or even shippment blockade to and from Iran."

I agree, lets have million of people go cold and hungry, aggravate their living conditions even more (choose a faith of your liking while their at it) so that hopefully people stand up to the government and pave way for you and your like.

"The result is a society that is completely splitted into 2 pieces".
The Majority of the people, whom you shouldn't be speaking for, wouldn't want a another radical regime in power.

".to them all the rest are Kafir and Monafegh and for years they’ve been tought about how Mohammed and imam Hussein used to line up tens of Kafirs and chop off their heads..."

Tell me, Cyrus...
Isn't this something Hitler would say to fellow Germans to create anti-jewish sentiment?

If you are unhappy with the govt., then speak of the govt. why do you have to give history lessons (very innacurate by the way)?

I have absolutely no right to tell you what you can or cannot say, but do you really want divide?

[danial]

@Kiterunner...

"even this regime does not deserve that unfriendly communication.
3rd, Iran is rich enough to survive even such sanctions."

Does it have to?

[danial]

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.
link:
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/iran-general-/iran-gives-stakes-in-petchem-power-units-to-army-fund-20088.html

I know this regime is very anti-capitalism but could they be going communist?

at some in this video, Akbar Ganji says wealth will be available to a few people (not that it isn't now).
https://www.weekingreen.org/view_video?id=125

[danial]

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.
http://www.iranfocus.com/en/iran-general-/iran-gives-stakes-in-petchem-power-units-to-army-fund-20088.html

I know this gov't is anti-capitalism but are they going communist like China?

Akbar Ganji interviewed by Hamid Dabashi, from weekingreen.org
https://www.weekingreen.org/view_video?id=125

[Jack]

David Brooks made an excellent contribution to the topic on Meet The Press this morning. He basically says we have been focusing on the weapons issue to our detriment and that we should be focusing on the nature of the regime. It is frail, he added, and we should be doing everything we can to undermine it. He finishes by saying "The day that women Neda was shot, that was the day the regime lost its legitimacy."

I haven't been too thrilled by either Mr Brooks coverage specifically, or by that of the NYT in general on the Iran issue. Having said that, he could not have put it better today.

[kamran]

@kiterunner..

I am for sanction of IR the way Cyrus is talking about and I think it will help greens. I also think another thing that could help greens is the oil price, if it falls further down then it will be even better than sanction.

[Megan]

Kiterunner,

We have many people coming to EA claiming they are Green when they are not. Green has become the symbol of democratic movement in Iran. Green means freeing the country from Islamic Republic that is repressive and has brought nothing but misery and death to Iran.

Freeing Iran and Iranians from Islamic Republic can be achieved through several means one of which is crippling IR economically until it folds. I would like to see massive economic and diplomatic sanctions.

I would like to see countries shutting down their embassies in Iran as well as shutting down Iranian embassies in their countries and expelling all Iranian diplomats from their countries. I would like to see all investments by foreign investors in IR ceased and all contracts cancelled. I would not even wait for a contract to end. Let IR go and sue for breach and see how far that would take them. I’d like to see all bank accounts belonging to any member of Islamic Republic, from high rank to low rank, be frozen or liquidated and proceeds be put in the name of Iranian people. I’d like to see shipment of raw materials for factories that are owned and operated by IRG stopped. Any shipment of finished goods to Iran whose importers are IRG, or any regime sell-outs (mozdour) be stopped. I’d like to see embargo of refined petroleum products to Iran (Iran imports 40 % of its daily use of refined petro). I really would like to see every member of Islamic Republic be barred from entering any country in the world and that there is an arrest warrant for all members of IR, IRG at all border entries and all ports of entry. I’d like to see all and every means be used to cripple these thieves, murderers and rapists calling themselves Nezam or regime or whatever the heck they call themselves. That is what I would like to see because I truly do not want to see any innocent Iranian die any more. I do not want to see Iranians living in fear or be psychologically scarred for life any more. I do not want to see smart people fleeing Iran.

I am sick and tired of reading on this site and many other news organizations about people killed, raped, or having heart attack in Islamic republic prisons and read comments that there should not be any sanctions, there should not be any military strike, and there should not be any intervention by foreign governments. If we are not to do anything why do Iranians in Iran want us to be a witness to the atrocities of Islamic Republic by reading their blogs or watch video clips of murder and rape. Why?

If you are against economic sanctions or against military action to get rid of this illegitimate regime, you are either a misguided or unreasonable young person who thinks you can become a democratic society through osmosis or you can be free by praying in mosque (and cooking asheh nazrei), or you are not really interested in democracy meaning you are not Green. Or are you like Ahmadi waiting for Imam Mehdi to return with his brand of freedom? So which one is it? Why do you want people to go to your blog? You said you were in Iran. How come you are able to blog? Regime has arrested and detained several bloggers. How come you feel you are not at risk?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiterunner, I am beginning to question if you are truly for democracy in Iran. If you are, then stop day-dreaming my friend. Freedom is not Free (majanei) and it never will be.

[Jack]

Well it is a bit of a polemic, and I don't know about being so quick to question another's "green" credentials. However, I do think that the debate should be had over whether or not sanctions are desirable. It seems as if the predominant position within the green movement to date is that they would be counterproductive. Having said that, I have heard many put forward the proposition that the short term cost to the populace will be far less than the overall societal costs of allowing the regime to stay in place.

I know that Scott is dead set against them. I would advise him to get the best arguments from both sides withing the green camp and condense them into a story. It would make a terrific debate piece to set down both sides for a point by point comparison. Many must surely be agnostic on the issue like myself (I think sanctions make sense on balance, but I question my own wisdom in the matter since so many who are closer to the movement disagree with me) and would benefit from some illumination of the question.

[Jack]

To clarify my suggestion above, it is to debate sanctions from the perspective of the greens. the issue has been debated ad nauseam, but I am interested in the costs and benefits to the people of Iran, not to those of the western world which is the prism through which American media present the issue.

[kamran]

@Jack

I think you are suggesting about having a debate on sanction is an excellent idea and I am sure that I will learn a lot from it. So please go ahead with it.

[M. Ali]

Megan, since when did you trademark the Green Movement? "Green means freeing the country from Islamic Republic that is repressive and has brought nothing but misery and death to Iran. " Where does it say that?

And also, with Iranians like you, who needs enemies:

"I would like to see massive economic and diplomatic sanctions....I would like to see countries shutting down their embassies in Iran as well as shutting down Iranian embassies in their countries and expelling all Iranian diplomats from their countries. I would like to see all investments by foreign investors in IR ceased and all contracts cancelled. I would not even wait for a contract to end. Let IR go and sue for breach and see how far that would take them. I’d like to see all bank accounts belonging to any member of Islamic Republic, from high rank to low rank, be frozen or liquidated...I’d like to see shipment of raw materials for factories that are owned and operated by IRG stopped. Any shipment of finished goods to Iran whose importers are IRG, or any regime sell-outs (mozdour) be stopped. I’d like to see embargo of refined petroleum products to Iran (Iran imports 40 % of its daily use of refined petro). I really would like to see every member of Islamic Republic be barred from entering any country in the world and that there is an arrest warrant for all members of IR, IRG at all border entries and all ports of entry."

[Artanian]

Megan [deleted by moderator]. Despite what your warped mind believes the kind of sanctions you are calling for will not destroy the regime and will only hurt the ordinary people, similar to what was happening in Iraq pre-2003 invasion. It's funny you claim you don't want to see ordinary Iranians die and suffer by the Islamic regime; you seem to have no problems if the ones causing the suffering are foreigners.

Also you have to be an imbecile to advocate military invasion that will result in millions of death, while claiming you care about the Iranian people. Does your hypocrisy know no bounds?

In addition who do you think you are to decide who is 'part of the Green movement/for freedom and who is not? What are you the arbiter of truth?

[Megan]

Jack,

If you speak Farsi and you want to hear Iranian view points, there has been a great deal of debate on sanctions and its effectiveness by Iranian economists and political experts on VOA News Talk. There is not a single person who believes “do nothing” is an option. In general, I find those who favor a "do nothing" approach also favor status quo when it comes to the regime. The argument that sanction hurts ordinary people and would not make a dent in the income of producers, the IRG, is absolutely bogus. Even if hurts ordinary people that would be the needed catalysts to make people joining the movement. In Kyrgyzstan price of gasoline went up by four folds and people poured into the streets. That with some effective leadership by opposition leader delivered the goods.

We all must be vigilant and question each and every one so we do not repeat 1979. The person I questioned wanted people who went to Iran embassy compound in Netherlands and took down IR flag and raised an Iranian flag with Neda’s image to be arrested

[Megan]

Artanian,

Mike Dunn asked you to be civil but I think you cannot read. If you could read you would be able to see that nowhere in my post I talked about military invasion.

Just like Ahmadi instead of arguing a point you attack people and just like him it shows who you are not the person you are attacking.

[Megan]

M Ali,

We all know where you stand. You are still mocking yourself for exercising your rights and voting for Mousavi.