The Latest from Iran (8 April): Speeches, Visits, & Pictures

2155 GMT: Break in Service. Apologies for halt in updates today because of extended academic duties.

We'll be back early Friday morning to catch up with all the news and offer analysis.

1355 GMT: You Might Be Catty But Can You Debate Us? Gholam-Reza Mesbahi-Moghaddam, a member of Parliament's Economic Committee has challenged the President to debate him and Ahmad Tavakoli, another high-profile critic of the subsidy/spending plan.

Earlier this week Tavakoli had issued a similar statement, saying Ahmadinejad must follow the Parliament's will.

1345 GMT: Catty Comment of Day. OK, here's the gossip from Rah-e-Sabz:

So key Iranian figures are with the Supreme Leader trying to resolve the Parliament-Ahmadinejad feud over subsidy cuts and revenues. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani says to Ahmadinejad that Parliament is expecting the Government to follow the law. The President is having none of it, however: he says he will not follow what Parliament says and that they "better tell this to the person they congratulated on the evening of the Presidential election".
Whoa. I think that is a reference to the long-standing tale that Larijani told Mir Hossein Mousavi on the evening of 12 June that he had indeed triumphed in the polls.

And that may be why Ayatollah Khamenei then said that in important decisions "we should be united".

NEW Latest Iran Video: Ahmadinejad and the “Non-Crowd” at Orumiyeh
Latest Iran Video: Neda Replaces IRI Flag at Embassy in Netherlands
The Latest from Iran (7 April): Ahmadinejad’s Support?

1340 GMT: Mousavi Meets the Reformists. Mujahedin of Islamic Revolution party members have met with Mir Hossein Mousavi. The take-away line from the meeting --- we hope to have more later --- is Mousavi's declaration that they "must stand up to the ruling group and return to the Constitution" of the Islamic Republic.


1315 GMT: The International Sanctions Dance. President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev two-stepping today after signing the treaty for reduction of nuclear arms....

Obama predicted there would be "strong, tough” sanctions against Iran in coming weeks, which he has to say to keep the all-out sanctions folks in Washington at bay. Medvedev expressed an openness to the idea, since he doesn't want to be rude to the US, as bargains are being stuck on other fronts. Then, however, he drew line: “smart sanctions” rather than sweeping sanctions,  and protection of Russia’s national interests (i.e., no measures that significantly cut Russian trade).

No change in this dance step....

1030 GMT: Converting the Bad News. Press TV notes the development, which we reported yesterday, that Russia's LUKOil is stopping imports to Iran but races to this assurance:

Speaking on April 3, the head of Iran's Committee for Transportation and Fuel Management said Iran was capable of becoming self-sufficient in gasoline production during the current Iranian year (ending March 20, 2011).

"Iran's gasoline consumption stands at 62 million liters (16.38 million US gallons) per day, of which 45 million liters (11.89 million US gallons) are produced domestically," said Mohammad Rouyanian.

0830 GMT: We have posted a purported video of the audience at the Ahmadinejad speech in northwest Iran yesterday.

0700 GMT: Look Over There! The US is Doomed! Continuing his attempt to focus Iranian eyes on the international front, President Ahmadinejad declared Wednesday night, "The US is so bogged down in a quagmire in Iraq and Afghanistan that it is doomed to be defeated whether it stays or escapes."

0525 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. More than 3,500 people, including international journalists, writers, and activists have written to the Supreme Leader, asking him to release all journalists, writers, and bloggers currently imprisoned in Iran. The initiative was organised by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.

RAHANA reports that detained student activist Peyman Aref was taken to Modarres Hospital in Tehran after he suffered a heart attack. EA also has reliable information that reformist leader Abbas Mirza Aboutalebi has suffered a heart attack.

Student activist Behrooz Javid Tehrani is in the eighth day of a hunger strike.

University lecturer Rahmatollah Bastani, arrested on 28 March during the funeral of Ayatollah Montazeri’s wife in Qom, has been released on $50,000 bail. Journalist Borumand Rostami of Bistoon has been released on $20,000 bail

0520 GMT: Strange Bedfellows. Iranian state media eagerly embraces former Bush Administration official John Bolton, which may seem a bit unusual since Bolton has called for airstrikes against Tehran. The reason? Bolton bolsters the Iranian Government's line, "New Sanctions Won't Work". (Press TV doesn't mention that Bolton is putting out this message to justify military action.)

0510 GMT: A Very Different Picture and Signal. The image is of Mehdi Karroubi visiting the reformist leader Feizollah Arab Sorkhi, still on temporary release from his detention. Karroubi also saw the mother of Sohrab Arabi, killed 15 June by Iranian security forces.





0500 GMT: Thursday begins with a look at contrasting images and signals. As we noted last night, President Ahmadinejad has tried to turn a visit to Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran into a show of support for his Government, but the pictures are conflicting, to say the least. Fars News uses close-up shots at the stadium and images of crowds rushing Ahmadinejad's car en route to claim a large, enthusiastic turnout. Other pictures circulating on the Internet are not so positive:



An EA correspondent offers an explanation:

The Fars photos do not disprove the set on the Internet. Look at the stadium pictures, all close-ups of the front of the crowd. I have been to Ahmadinejad events --- the people you see are right at the front. There is nothing between them and the President

The crowd mobbing the car, apparently en route to the stadium could be edited. It counts for nothing. All the people behind could be easily photo shopped.

Comments

[Catherine]

RE 0520 GMT: Strange Bedfellows.

Speaking of bedfellows, check out how close Brasilia and Tehran have become. The reason why Brazil continues to oppose UN sanctions against Iran? United Nations sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme could make the Islamic Republic more radical and *cause its population to revolt*, Brazil's foreign minister said on Tuesday. (emphasis mine)

'A regime like Iran's, with sanctions, will tend to radicalise, dig in its heels, joining opposition and government in a position of intransigence,' Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told Brazil's Senate foreign relations committee. 'The result of growing sanctions is that the country will become more isolated. Sanctions always hit the poorest people ... that will cause the population to revolt,' Mr Amorim said.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_511466.html

[Catherine]

RE 0500 GMT: low turnout at AN's Urumieh Stadium speech.

Real reason: http://tinyurl.com/yb7ynue

[Catherine]

Massively under-reported earthshaking ocurence at the Takhti stadium in Urumieh:

Fars proclaims Ahmadinejad national 'rainmaker'
Fars | April 7, 2010
Fars News Agency claimed that during his visit to Orumieh, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was successful in his attempt to bring about rainfall.

After the president reached the end of his speech, he asked Orumieh citizens gathered in the Takhti stadium to pray for rain and he prayed to God with them for rain.

According to Fars, immediately after Ahmadinejad lowered his hands, which were raised in prayer, and ended his speech, rain drops began to fall on Orumieh. Gradually, the report said, the rain fell harder.
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8901181603

[Arshama]

Catherine,

Finally you have understood what matters!
Jesus could awake the dead, Moses had his rod, and our prophet makes rain, astaghforellah ;-)
Now only one question remains: what are the wonders of the SL?

Arshama

[Catherine]

Arshama,
I hope His halo didn't get rusted.

[ange paris]

"Sanctions always hit the poorest people … that will cause the population to revolt,’ Mr Amorim said."
Catherine post 1
I think he haven't still understood that it's the target !

[ange paris]

Oops ! (Correction ) :-)
“Sanctions always hit the poorest people … that will cause the population to revolt,’ Mr Amorim said.”
Catherine post 1
I think he hasn’t still understood that it’s the target !

[Arshama]

Catherine,

"I hope His halo didn’t get rusted."

No way! It's golden!
By the way, it was not me who invented His prophethood, but His vice M.R. Rahimi already proclaimed it in 2006: http://www.roozonline.com/persian/news/newsitem/article////107/-6447fea759.html

Unfortunately Rahimi has been accused of being the head of an “economic corruption network” known as the “Fatemi ring”. http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2010/apr/07/1631
In August 2009 he was already summoned to the criminal court 1057 in Tehran, being accused for "acquisition of illegal property" and "illegal appropriation of governemental properties", which he never attended: http://fararu.ir/vdcg379x.ak9yx4prra.html

Fortunately His long arm saved him from such unbelievable insinuations. Another proof for His inexhaustible miracles!

Arshama

[Bill]

Notice how the audience is seperated by gender! Wonder how long until Iran requires all woman stay at home like many hardlinders exclaim. In any event quite comicaly the victor with 63% of the vote can only draw at best a couple thousand to a rally. If he was so "popular" one would think the grounds would be full.

[Catherine]

Arshama,
He is a far superior miracle-worker to that Palestinian amateur of fish and loaves fame because He can multiply the private captains of state-owned industry, the economic growth figures and even the potato crop! Whereas the Palestinian hack limited himself to party tricks with water and wine at weddings, He has transformed His Iran into the "world's most powerful country in the international arena."