Wednesday
Apr212010
The Latest from Iran (21 April): Waiting for News
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 11:06 
1455 GMT: Death Penalty for Kahrizak Abusers? Farda News claims, "Based on what Farda has heard, the court trying the defendants in the Kahrizak case is ready to issue its verdicts and apparently death sentences have been issued for three of them."1445 GMT: Today's Not Very Surprising "No War" News. The Associated Press tries to find a story:
The U.S. has ruled out a military strike against Iran's nuclear program any time soon, hoping instead negotiations and United Nations sanctions will prevent the Middle East nation from developing nuclear weapons, a top U.S. defense department official said Wednesday.
"Military force is an option of last resort," Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said during a press briefing in Singapore. "It's off the table in the near term."
Given that this has been the Obama Administration's line for more than a year, going back to early 2009 when officials told the visiting head of Israel Defense Forces, General Gabi Ashkenazi, that the US would not back a strike on Iranian facilities, this is a non-dramatic restatement of the status quo.
1220 GMT: Iran Media Highlight. We have posted a separate entry on how a most important story moved from EA to the British Broadcasting Corporation: "How Iran News is Made: Adultery, Earthquakes, and the BBC".
1120 GMT: Missing the Nuclear Story. Press TV's ritual feel-good piece on Iran's nuclear programme this morning: "As a member of the UN Security Council, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu defends Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. 'There was no deviation in Iran's peaceful nuclear program,' Davutoglu stressed in a meeting with Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani in Tehran on Tuesday."
OK so Davutoglu has now had two days of high-level meetings. He has seen Larijani, who is considered close to the Supreme Leader when it comes to Iran's negotiating position on the nuclear issue. And this is all that Iranian state media can offer on what appears to be a major push to restart Iran's discussions, including talks with the US, on a deal over uranium enrichment.
NEW How Iran News is Made: Adultery, Earthquakes, and the BBC
The Latest from Iran (20 April): Intrigues and a Bombing
1115 GMT: Money Makes the Government Go Round. Writing for Tehran Bureau, Reihaneh Mazaheri offers a detailed examination of Government spending to back up the claim, "Since 2006, a large portion of the national cultural budget has been diverted to religious foundations and especially the Basij (militia) groups."
1100 GMT: A Bit of Intrigue. Arshama3's Blog (in German) delves into the story of arms smuggling to Iran.
0900 GMT: A slow start to the morning. Reuters converts the latest chest-thumping from Iranian state media into news, "Iran to hold war games in Gulf, Hormuz strait".
Given the regular appearance of these pronouncements, this is about as significant as the Sun rising in the East. Still, it's good to meet again Brigadier General Hossein Salami, who says, "Maintaining security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as the world's key economic and energy routes, is the main goal of the war games. This war game is not a threat for any friendly countries."
A far more notable wait for developments continues outside Evin Prison, where families of politcal detainees have issue an open letter expressing their concern about illegal imprisonment and violation of civil rights and demanding an end to the situation.
And while we're waiting, there is time to go through the latest list of detainees, posted by RAHANA.
Reader Comments (18)
US and Iran: The best of enemies?
This is an episode of Aljazeera's weekly programme 'Empire'. The topic is whether diplomacy has been exhausted, if there is a future for sanctions, and perhaps the biggest question, can the US live with a nuclear Iran? After the intro at about the 6'30"mark, host Marwan Bishara has a very intereting interview with Dr Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US national security advisor from 1977-81.
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/empire/2010/03/201033113196514403.html
Other guests in the second half include Thomas Pickering, US under-secretary of state from 1997-2000 and Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff, US State Department.
Overthrow of Regime Has Changed to Overthrow of Leader
A faction of Iran’s ruling group which supports Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has embarked on a new round of verbal assault on the leaders and members of the Green Movement, raising new charges against them. In separate remarks clerics Ahmad Janati, Mohammad Yazdi, Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, and Mohammad Javad Larijani have asserted that the goal of post-election protests in the country was to “limit the leader” and “overthrow the leader.” Larijani went even further and said that the establishment had to be ready to confront and crush a new wave of protests so as not to be “caught off guard.”
More: http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2010/april/20//overthrow-of-regime-has-changed-to-overthrow-of-leader.html
Iranian clergy urged to probe "torture" in Evin Prison
A group of Iranian political prisoners called on Iranian Shiite leaders to investigate and condemn the “physical, sexual and psychological torture” the detainee have endured during their detention.
The letter, which was published in Jaras website, addresses prominent clerics, Ayatollahs Sanei, Bayat Zanjani, Dastgheib, Sobhani, Mousavi Ardebili, Makarem Shirazi, Safi Golpayegani and Shabiri Zanjani to inform them that “almost all the prisoners in section 350 of Evin Prison have repeatedly heard the fact from their interrogators, Ministry of Intelligence staff and the Revolutionary Guards that the judiciary is by no means independent.”
More: http://www.zamaaneh.com/enzam/2010/04/iranian-clergy-urged-to-p.html
Threats Against Maziar Bahari Extend Repression to Diaspora
Listen to his complete 8 minute interview with The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran: http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/04/maziar-bahari-threats/
Blackouts Threaten Iran
Power industry troubled by huge government debts.
Iranians have been warned they face power blackouts this summer if the government does not pay billions of dollars it owes to electricity generators and contractors. http://www.mianeh.net/en/articles/?aid=300
A moving letter from the imprisoned Mohammad Nourizad to SL:
http://www.rahesabz.net/story/14099/
RE post 6, A moving letter from the imprisoned Mohammad Nourizad to SL
And now in English: http://www.sidewalklyrics.com/?p=6302
22 April, from guardian.co.uk...
Iran's military begins large-scale war games
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/22/iran-military-war-games
Now what are they doing?
Playing.
RE 1445 GMT: Today’s Not Very Surprising “No War” News.
Followed swiftly by yesterday's even less surprising denial: Option of striking Iran never off the table: Pentagon
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100422/ts_nm/us_iran_usa_options_2
Still waiting for news? Here's some:
There are Warnings About a Labor Crisis
During the past week, and only 10 days before May 1 International Workers Day, labor news sources report the laying off of at least 2,500 industrial and leather workers in Ilam and Mashad. Counting other laid-off workers in industrial and large cities such as Abadan, Ahwaz, Khorramshahr and Shiraz, during the last two weeks, more than 4,000 workers have lost their jobs just in the recent past.
In fact this unemployment trend has picked up unprecedented pace in the recent year. The crisis in Iran’s industrial sector has reached such a level that, in an interview yesterday, the head of Iran’s House of Labor predicted the closure of hundreds of large and medium industrial firms per year and the subsequent laying off of 200,000 workers every year after that.
More: http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2010/april/21//there-are-warnings-about-a-labor-crisis.html
Scott,
Okay I think its about time to alter the name of the Website. It should be more appropriately labeld "Catherine's Enduring America!!!" :) I know your counting your lucky stars she digs up so much good material for you to post!!!!
Thx
Bill
Bill,
Let's not forget that Arshama found that interview you so urgently need to clobber Eric Brill with :-)
".. an unnamed high-ranking intelligence officer, published by Panjereh weekly (Zakani), in which he admits that the first row of post-election arrests was planned ahead as a preventive measure to fight ’soft war’. "
http://enduringamerica.com/2010/04/21/iran-the-latest-post-election-death-sentences/comment-page-1/#comment-40877
Catherine,
I did notice that. However as Eric pointed out it has no source material linking it to a specific person. This then sort of becomes investigative journalism like Seymour Hersh whom almost never supplies sources. Eric wants facts and I can't blame him. The only issue I have with sources in this instance is the reality how can one honestly expect to name a source knowing that person would wind up dead? Its frustrating because it is so difficult to prove your case under these circumstances.
Thx
Bill
Hi Bill,
I was actually also trying to make the point that Arshama's contributions to EA are invaluable - but yes, you are right, at this stage it's still an "unnamed high-ranking intelligence officer". Let's hope more concrete information about these allegations come to light soon. Reading Seymour Hersh's pieces is as fascinating as it is frustrating for the reasons you mention.
Catherine,
Should have been more clear and stated I do very much value Arshama contributions. I read most of his links even the ones in German or Persian via google translate. My only point is that Eric is technically correct which you got. However I hope one day Eric realizes why these people always choose to remain anonymous that being they could lose their lives if exposed. Sadly, unlike the US the system in Iran is not setup to protect the citizen but instead the regime--a point many seem to gloss over.
Thx
Bill
Catherine, Bill,
Thank you for your compliments, which go back to senders :-)
Catherine's contributions to EA are invaluable to me as well. I suggest however to be fair towards all other contributors, even those who oppose us. Most of them are precious to me as they bring in their opinions and ideas, contributing to our lively discussion. Different voices and different opinions from all around the globe - that's what I like at EA.
Many thanks to Scott and the whole EA team for this excellent forum :-)
Arshama
Many thanks to Scott and the whole EA team for this excellent forum ....
which, when the new site is launched, will have a well-functioning EDIT FUNCTION for the comments !!!! Yeah! I can hardly wait!
Oh, and yes, I totally agree with Arshama's thoughts about this forum :-)