Thursday
Aug052010
UPDATED Iran Special: Grenade Attack on Ahmadinejad?
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 14:00
UPDATE 5 August: President Ahmadinejad has put out the official line for the Islamic Republic News Agency: "Yesterday, during the cabinet's trip to Hamadan Province, someone threw a firecracker in front of the government motorcade out of joy and excitement. This was not [a] newsworthy [incident], but the enemies spread reports that Ahmadinejad has been transferred to an undisclosed location after surviving an assassination attempt. This is while immediately afterwards I delivered a speech in Hamadan Stadium and in front of thousands of people.”
[Editor's Note: No one to my knowledge ever stated "Ahmadinejad has been transferred to an undisclosed location".]
A stranger declaration from Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi with the "good news" from the incident, "We discovered Israel's sedition in the region," as well as discovering 8,800 antiquities from smugglers.
UPDATE 2000 GMT: Summary of the Day. Islamic Republic News Agency, late to the story of the "greeting" of the President, made up for it with this explanation: "A young boy threw a firecracker at motorcade of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to celebrate his arrival in Hamadan causing embarrassment....Iranian youth during special ceremonies such as New Year festivals or football matches use firecrackers as sign of jubilation."
How can you top that coverage? Possibly by taking it to the international front. From Andy Borowitz:
(Hat tip to Robert Mackey at The Lede)
UPDATE 1655 GMT: Let's Try This Version. And here comes yet another narrative of What Really Happened....
Mehr News (also quoted in Aftab News) says a handmade bomb exploded in Hamedan's Pasteur Street, at a long distance from AN's car, as people were greeting him. No one was injured and there was only smoke from the device. Some suspects were arrested.
UPDATE 1640 GMT: Lara Setrakian of ABC News has just put out a round-up on the grenade/firecracker assassination/celebration incident. I spoke with her throughout the day to try and interpret developments, and she has kindly put out my initial thoughts, which are on the lines of "the significance here is not the physical attack, if that is what this was, but the political aftermath":
UPDATE 1630 GMT: Grenade or Firecracker? An EA correspondent joins the debate, responding to Mr Verde's assessment (1330 GMT) over what happened in Hamedan and what Iran's official media reported:
UPDATE 1330 GMT: Khabar Online, which was the first outlet inside Iran to report the explosion, is pulling back on its original claim of a "grenade". Khabar now defers to the statement of the President's office, given to Agence France Presse (see 1024 GMT), that the cause was a firecracker of welcome.
(Mr Verde adds this: The original Khabar item talked about the explosion of “nirenjak-e dasti”, which could mean two things: A) either a “hand grenade” or B) a form of homemade firecracker common in Iran, called "narenjak" --- which in English could mean grenade--- that is thrown against hard surfaces to make a lot of noise during festivals like Chaharshanbeh Souri.)
UPDATE 1140 GMT: An EA correspondent checks in: "Good old Mahmoud isn't having a good day. Youtube footage from today's speech in Hamadan shows him saying that 'England is an island from West Africa'."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDaYAuusXGc[/youtube]
UPDATE 1024 GMT: The regime line is now set. Iranian state outlet Al-Alam, like Fars, is saying that the explosion was actually a firecracker as part of celebrations over the President's arrival, and Ahmadinejad's staff are putting out that story to foreign media such as Agence France Presse.
The problem for this narrative is that the President's office initially told two outlets --- Al-Arabiya and Reuters --- that the incident was an "attack".
UPDATE 1015 GMT: Fars News has now recognised the incident, albeit as the explosion of a "homemade firecracker" as crowds welcomed Ahmaidinejad.
UPDATE 0925 GMT: Press TV has broken its silence: "An informed source in Iran's presidential office has rejected as false the reports of grenade attack on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad", denying the claims of "foreign news sources". (There is no reference to Khabar Online, which has carried the story in Iran. The reformist Parleman News is also running Khabar's account, as is the conservative Aftab News.)
Al Arabiya's initial report had claimed "the Iranian Presidency confirmed the attack".
UPDATE 0910 GMT: Al Arabiya television is calling the incident a "bomb" and an "assassination attempt", injuring a number of people. It claims "the Iranian presidency confirmed the attack".
According to Al Arabiya, the explosion hit a car carrying journalists and presidential staff before Ahmadinejad addressed a crowd (which makes Iran state media reports on the speech, with no mention of the attack, even more curious), and the assailant was arrested on the spot.
Ahmadinejad appeared on live Iranian television at a sports stadium. He made no mention of any attack.
----
Khabar Online is reporting that a grenade exploded near Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade as the President visited Hamedan in western Iran, 250 miles southwest of Tehran. The explosion occurred between the airport and the site of the President's speech, although it is unclear if the incident occurred before or after the appearance
There are no reports of casualties.
Press TV has referred to Ahmadinejad's speech but has not mentioned the explosion. IRNA is summarising the presentation --- "Iran will not fall prey to the poison of hypocrites" --- but also has no reference to an attack.
[Editor's Note: No one to my knowledge ever stated "Ahmadinejad has been transferred to an undisclosed location".]
A stranger declaration from Minister of Intelligence Heydar Moslehi with the "good news" from the incident, "We discovered Israel's sedition in the region," as well as discovering 8,800 antiquities from smugglers.
UPDATE 2000 GMT: Summary of the Day. Islamic Republic News Agency, late to the story of the "greeting" of the President, made up for it with this explanation: "A young boy threw a firecracker at motorcade of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to celebrate his arrival in Hamadan causing embarrassment....Iranian youth during special ceremonies such as New Year festivals or football matches use firecrackers as sign of jubilation."
How can you top that coverage? Possibly by taking it to the international front. From Andy Borowitz:
(Hat tip to Robert Mackey at The Lede)
UPDATE 1655 GMT: Let's Try This Version. And here comes yet another narrative of What Really Happened....
Mehr News (also quoted in Aftab News) says a handmade bomb exploded in Hamedan's Pasteur Street, at a long distance from AN's car, as people were greeting him. No one was injured and there was only smoke from the device. Some suspects were arrested.
UPDATE 1640 GMT: Lara Setrakian of ABC News has just put out a round-up on the grenade/firecracker assassination/celebration incident. I spoke with her throughout the day to try and interpret developments, and she has kindly put out my initial thoughts, which are on the lines of "the significance here is not the physical attack, if that is what this was, but the political aftermath":
Khabar [Online, which broke the story in Iran and is connected with Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani] has been increasingly critical of the government over the past few months. They're more likely to put the incident out than state media.
An attack certainly could be connected to the post-election tension. It could have important political significance given the divisions within the ruling establishment. And in the public eye it makes Ahmedinejad look weak.
UPDATE 1630 GMT: Grenade or Firecracker? An EA correspondent joins the debate, responding to Mr Verde's assessment (1330 GMT) over what happened in Hamedan and what Iran's official media reported:
I think that "narenjak" is best translated, as Associated Press and others did, as grenade. There has been a concerted effort to remove the term from all news items [in Iranian media], Fars being forced to change it from "narenjak" to "tarraqeh", which is the common term for firecracker. So while Verde is correct in stating that narenjak can also mean firecracker, the actual meaning from this morning has been grenade, which is why the state media are so keen on getting rid of it everywhere.
UPDATE 1330 GMT: Khabar Online, which was the first outlet inside Iran to report the explosion, is pulling back on its original claim of a "grenade". Khabar now defers to the statement of the President's office, given to Agence France Presse (see 1024 GMT), that the cause was a firecracker of welcome.
(Mr Verde adds this: The original Khabar item talked about the explosion of “nirenjak-e dasti”, which could mean two things: A) either a “hand grenade” or B) a form of homemade firecracker common in Iran, called "narenjak" --- which in English could mean grenade--- that is thrown against hard surfaces to make a lot of noise during festivals like Chaharshanbeh Souri.)
UPDATE 1140 GMT: An EA correspondent checks in: "Good old Mahmoud isn't having a good day. Youtube footage from today's speech in Hamadan shows him saying that 'England is an island from West Africa'."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDaYAuusXGc[/youtube]
UPDATE 1024 GMT: The regime line is now set. Iranian state outlet Al-Alam, like Fars, is saying that the explosion was actually a firecracker as part of celebrations over the President's arrival, and Ahmadinejad's staff are putting out that story to foreign media such as Agence France Presse.
The problem for this narrative is that the President's office initially told two outlets --- Al-Arabiya and Reuters --- that the incident was an "attack".
UPDATE 1015 GMT: Fars News has now recognised the incident, albeit as the explosion of a "homemade firecracker" as crowds welcomed Ahmaidinejad.
UPDATE 0925 GMT: Press TV has broken its silence: "An informed source in Iran's presidential office has rejected as false the reports of grenade attack on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad", denying the claims of "foreign news sources". (There is no reference to Khabar Online, which has carried the story in Iran. The reformist Parleman News is also running Khabar's account, as is the conservative Aftab News.)
Al Arabiya's initial report had claimed "the Iranian Presidency confirmed the attack".
UPDATE 0910 GMT: Al Arabiya television is calling the incident a "bomb" and an "assassination attempt", injuring a number of people. It claims "the Iranian presidency confirmed the attack".
According to Al Arabiya, the explosion hit a car carrying journalists and presidential staff before Ahmadinejad addressed a crowd (which makes Iran state media reports on the speech, with no mention of the attack, even more curious), and the assailant was arrested on the spot.
Ahmadinejad appeared on live Iranian television at a sports stadium. He made no mention of any attack.
----
Khabar Online is reporting that a grenade exploded near Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade as the President visited Hamedan in western Iran, 250 miles southwest of Tehran. The explosion occurred between the airport and the site of the President's speech, although it is unclear if the incident occurred before or after the appearance
There are no reports of casualties.
Press TV has referred to Ahmadinejad's speech but has not mentioned the explosion. IRNA is summarising the presentation --- "Iran will not fall prey to the poison of hypocrites" --- but also has no reference to an attack.
Reader Comments (57)
They do create fire AND the glass does crack when it lands. So technically, yes...
I suggest you send your illuminating comment to the author of the line "The explosion caused a lot of smoke", The AP, quoted by WitteKr way above in the second comment:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_attack_2;_ylt=AlcoxB.F2lJFbxwmfYHb37z5SpZ4" rel="nofollow">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_re_mi...
"Now i'm sure he's going to come out and call himself a prophet for "predicting" this so-called assassination attempt."
Yup. And then he'll add that it was the Mehdi who held out His Hidden Hand between His humble servant and the firecracker, oops, I mean lethal grenade, and that's what saved his life.
A firecracker or a grenade, that is the question...
Arshama,
My guess is firecracker because during his speech at the Iranian expats convention in Tehran last Saturday, Ahmadinejad spoke of a plan by “stupid Zionists” to assassinate him: “stupid Zionists hired people to assassinate me". I mean you've gotta be really stupid to try and assassinate someone with a firecracker, homemade or otherwise. :-).
dchoubak
"call himself a prophet for "predicting" this so-called assassination attempt. "
Well said ! I think he will !
Catherine,
I bow in respect to your shrewd intellect! Obviously AN's enemies are too stupid to know the difference ;-)
Thank you also for the reference to Naj's fine comments on Mohammad Nouri.
Arshama
Neo-Resistance blogger Naj comes to this conclusion (and I agree...)
Whether this was an assassination or not, at this point, is less important than the obvious ahmadinejadist-media confusion on the matter! Initially, they had to decide between two narratives:
1. The "beloved" president came close to an assassination attempt.
2. The "mighty intelligence office" failed to stop an assassination attempt.
It seems they have chosen the third alternative: "there was no attempt"; "there was no arrest"; "there was no injury" ... as reported initially! I won't be surprised if the orders for this version of the story came from the Khamenei office. Khamenei cannot afford to appear weak; nor can he afford giving Ahmadinejad the martyr/hero status he was hoping for by predicting his own assassination by "zionists infiltrators".
http://iranfacts.blogspot.com/2010/08/assassination-of-mahmoud-ahmadinejad.html" rel="nofollow">http://iranfacts.blogspot.com/2010/08/assassina...
[...] Lucas has been keeping track of the evolving account of the incident coming out of Iran today on his blog, Enduring America. On ABC’s Web site, [...]
Observation/Tweet from Oxford Girl: As I say it's what people believe that may make the difference, and everyone I've heard from in Iran believe the assassin story...
Re. UPDATE 1140 GMT: An EA correspondent checks in: “Good old Mahmoud isn’t having a good day. Youtube footage from today’s speech in Hamadan shows him saying that ‘England is an island from West Africa’.”
Maybe Hamedan “explosion” jolted the British Isles several thousand kilometres to the south.
Parleman News is delighted by the confusion in state media "Government supporters take back reports: it was a firecracker not a grenade, a sign of joy not terror" ;-) http://www.parlemannews.ir/?n=12802" rel="nofollow">http://www.parlemannews.ir/?n=12802
[...] Iran Special: Grenade Attack on Ahmadinejad? | Enduring America [...]
I agree with this newest analysis. Khabar online has often been a primary source in the battle between Larijani/Mottahari and Ahmadinejad.
Is this yellow journalism to embarrass AN?
http://www.dissectednews.com/2010/08/ahmadinejad-assassination-attempt.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.dissectednews.com/2010/08/ahmadineja...
“Khamenei cannot afford to appear weak; nor can he afford giving Ahmadinejad the martyr/hero status he was hoping for by predicting his own assassination by zionists (Zionists) infiltrators”
Martyr/hero? In whose eyes???? Which history book will call a dead Ahmadi a hero or martyr? I guess the statement makes sense if we consider Saddam Hossein, Slobodan Milosevic, Osama Bin Laden heroes of our time.
Khamenei would be mighty happy to wash his hands off of his midget monster. Khamenei would kill two birds with one stone by assignation of Ahmadi; he would get rid of the monkey on his back and would have more excuse to stir the pot with more hate toward Israel and U.S.
Firecrackers?? Oh, I get it now. Ahmadi wanted to show some balls defying Khamenei’s Fatwa forbidding Chahar Shanbeh Souri celebration. So he decides to ask his zombie supporters to celebrate Chahar Shanbeh Souri by cracking firecrackers in August instead of March! That makes perfect sense!
I believe the real story is the disarray and the inability of Islamic Republic to communicate a coherent message. It also showed how easy it is to get rid of any of the regime thugs.
If a firecrackers/ grenade/ narenjack/ narenjack- e-dasti causes so much commotion and confusion for this regime imagine what a real attack would do. This incident irrespective of its nature told us a great deal about this paper tiger regime.
Naj is sure! "24:00 Local time: And to conclude this: I have surveyed the Iranian bloggers, who are united in mocking Ahmadinejad and attributing this even to one of his half-assed publicity stunts in which he has attempted to prove, to his brainless followers who consider him the sign of the messiah, that his prediction of a zionist attempt on his life is validated!
I stay by my analysis: the higher-up has ordered him to close the act and let this pass..."
http://iranfacts.blogspot.com/2010/08/assassination-of-mahmoud-ahmadinejad.html" rel="nofollow">http://iranfacts.blogspot.com/2010/08/assassina...
Smoke.... http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/on-deadline/2010/08/03/Iranx-large.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/...
Scott,
Re: 11:40 GMT; the video clip of Ahmadi talking about England and India
It pains me to defend Ahmadinejad’s words but in this case he is not saying England is an island in West Africa. He says England is a small island west of Africa- meaning geographically located west of Africa.
For me Ahmadinejad is a good case study for malformation of human brain. Every time he opens his mouth he reveals the depth of his inaptitude. It shames me that he is an Iranian. In this case, however, we may be looking at bad translation with a hint of bad geography- north and not west.
Shame on us to have this AN as president; on the picture , there is smoke but people around are not even afraid, as if there was no noise after the explosion, nobody look behind to see what happens !
It was just a propaganda as usual, he wants to show that little by little, the soul of Imam 12 enter in his body; is it a competition with SL ?? they are sick both of them, and it's better , for the sake of the world please, to consult a doctor !
Scott,
That Andy Borowitz tweet is hysterical! And now thanks to you I have a new toy: http://twitter.com/BorowitzReport" rel="nofollow">http://twitter.com/BorowitzReport
Thanks for the Juan Cole, Catherine - I hadn't checked him yet today.
Ad, kudos to Scott for getting a nod from ABC!
Yes, regarding the BlackBerry restrictions and wiping out an independent press, Iran is a beacon to all autocratic nations and those aspiring to be! :-)
This story just keeps getting more weird, Scott. "Undisclosed location" ? ? ? Is Ahmadi trying to be Dick Cheney?