The Latest from Iran (31 December): Is That All There Is?

1805 GMT: We're taking a break to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and families.

To all EA readers, we wish you the very best with hopes for a peaceful and prosperous 2010.....

1800 GMT: Reports continue of clashes across Tehran, but with little information that can be verified.

1610 GMT: Setareh Sabety reports the following from an eyewitness source in Iran:

I went a tour around the city, antiriot police are standing in most of main streets....Lebaas shakhsihaa [plainclothes forces] are on their bikes almost everywhere. Many shops from Vali-e Asr Square to Famemi are closed. No slogans or green presence to see.

1540 GMT: Protests, Force, and Mourning. Peyke Iran offers the following summary of developments:

People in shrouds came out to protest at Sadat Abad in Tehran. Government authorities and security forces took control of Enghelab Square by closing the underground stop and dispersing demonstrators. Thousands of people paid respects at the grave of Mir Hossein Mousavi's nephew Seyed Ali, who was quickly buried yesterday.

1508 GMT: Conflicting Reports on Clashes. An EA source, passing on information from a witness in Iran, said 7 Tir Square --- where clashes had been reported --- is currently quiet.

NEW Latest Iran Video: Protests Against and for the Regime (31 December)
NEW Iran: The Rafsanjani Interview on France 24 (28 December)
NEW Iran: The Regime’s Misfired “Big Shot” at Legitimacy
NEW Iran: How Significant Was the Regime’s Rally?
Latest Iran Video: University Protests (30 December)
Iran: The Uncertainties of Oppression and Protest

1500 GMT: Setting Up the Clampdown. Well, no doubts about where Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani now stands --- he's alongside those in the Government preparing to bring the hammer down on the opposition. In a speech in Khorasan-Razavi Province, he addressed "rioters":

Who do you think you are that you violate the rights of the people? The public have the right to ask the judiciary to punish you. The people and clerical community should rest assured that by showing up [to condemn the Ashura protests], they have compelled the relevant authorities to take action against the elements of Fitna.

1450 GMT: Unconfirmed claims of clashes throughout Tehran. Rah-e-Sabz reports that security forces have used tear gas on crowds in 7 Tir Square and that conflict continues, with numerous arrests, in Vali-e Asr.

1400 GMT: We've posted first footage from today's demonstration at Azad University in Mashhad, a day after violent clashes between students and security forces.

1315 GMT: The World's Worst Disinformation Campaign. First glance at the Islamic Republic of News Agency shows that the Ministry of Intelligence issues a warning (again) that protesters will be dealt with and that Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani is extolling yesterday's rally as a reminder of the great days of the Islamic Revoluton.

Second glance discovers IRNA exposing its own propaganda stunt on Wednesday. Apparently the rumour of the flights of opposition leaders spread "passivity and confusion" in their supporters. Which, given that IRNA started the rumour, might be translated as we attempted to spread "passivity and confusion" amongst the supporters.

Guys, small tip: it's no longer "disinformation" when you're busted for the "dis-" in the information.

1300 GMT: More from Mashhad. Rah-e-Sabz reports that students, including some injured in yesterday's clashes at the university, are still missing.

1215 GMT: Students at Mashhad University have effectively closed the campus today in protest at attacks on demonstrators yesterdays.

1200 GMT: A Military Presence? Rah-e-Sabz is now reporting that military units are stationed at major intersections in Tehran.

1105 GMT: New Videos. We've posted Hashemi Rafsanjani's Monday night interview with France 24 and today's rather small rally for the regime in Karaj.

1005 GMT: The Police Recording on Ashura. A lot of buzz this morning around a purported police communications recording, posted on YouTube, during Sunday's events. The general tone of the conversation, summarised in English by an Iranian activist, is of concern and confusion.

1000 GMT: Nervousness. As chatter spreads of a possible opposition rally in Tehran at 3 p.m. local time (1130 GMT), Rah-e-Sabz (Jaras) claims, “Hundreds of military forces and tens of armored vehicles … are moving toward Tehran. Some of the vehicles are used for suppressing street riots."

We have to add that the report is unconfirmed.

0955 GMT: Speaking of Students.... Student leader Bahareh Hedayat is another post-Ashura detainee. Her speech on 5 December to a Dutch conference, "International Solidarity with the Iranian Student Movement", can be viewed on YouTube.

0940 GMT: Blacklisting the "Star" Students. Farnaz Fassihi offers an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal, "Regime Wages a Quiet War on 'Star Students' of Iran". Fassihi explains:

In most places, being a star means ranking top of the class, but in Iran it means your name appears on a list of students considered a threat by the intelligence ministry. It also means a partial or complete ban from education.

The term comes from the fact that some students have learned of their status by seeing stars printed next to their names on test results....

The phenomenon started in the summer of 2006, the first academic year in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's first term in office. Some grad-school applicants noticed stars beside their names on the report cards issued by the government-run college-placement agency.

Students with one star could return to school after signing a consent to give up political activism, according to Iranian human-rights and activist groups. Two-star students faced semester suspensions and interrogation sessions, and three-star students were banned from education for life....

More than 1,000 graduate students have been blocked from higher education since the practice began in 2006, according to statements by Mostafa Moin, a former education minister, in official media in September.

Star treatment is reserved for graduate students, although undergrads also face suspension for political activity, according to student-rights activists. Several hundred undergrads have been suspended for as many as four semesters, according to student activists and human-rights groups in Iran. Under Iran's higher-education law, students are dismissed from school if they miss four terms.

0845 GMT: The Regime Cuts Off Its Defender? An interesting moment in a discussion on Al Jazeera English's "Inside Story" on the significance of the Ashura protests.

Kian Mokhtari, a journalist in Tehran, was joining the US-based analysts Gary Sick and Trita Parsi (each of whom made solid points about the political situation). In his first contribution, Mokhtari began, "The Government did not come down harshly on the demonstrators at all." He assured, "Because it is Ashura, no firearms were issued" to security forces.

But then he added, "Iran Government is investigating the issue as we speak." Click. Mokhtari was gone, never to be heard from again in the 24-minute programme.

0800 GMT: We begin this morning with two analyses of the regime's effort on Wednesday to quell opposition by establishing its political and religious superiority. Josh Shahryar offers a reading of the big rally in Tehran. We connect that event to last night's rumour of the "flight" of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi to northern Iran to ask if the regime was able to secure its legitimacy yesterday. (Answer: No.)

That impression is reinforced by the overnight switch-back of State media, dismissing the Islamic Republic News Agency report of "two opposition leaders" scurrying out of Tehran. "Informed sources" (from which part of the Government?), speaking to Fars News, "denied earlier reports that Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi have fled Tehran amid security concerns".

Comments

[Samuel]

Ali,

Unfortunately a lot of MKO/green supporters are like cult members. They'll deny the millions of supporters on the street, they'll assert that the govt's support does not exceed 10 percent of the population and they'll argue to the end that the MKO/greens constitue 80%plus of the population. They are not people who walk on this earth with both eyes open.

[Barry]

Gloumdalclitch

"Revolution : a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system. (Oxford dictionary)"

That is the normally accepted understanding of the meaning of the word "revolution".

But I am certain that Samuel's understanding of the meaning goes a bit further - and follows the direction given by the current Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It would be more like this:

"Revolution : a gradual continuing insidious overthrow of ALL governments and ALL social orders in favor of a new system, based upon the conversion of ALL people to ISLAM (preferably the Shiite version of such). -- (Iranian Regime dictionary)"

It is written!

Barry

[Thomas]

Where is My Vote, Afshin, and Friends,

Happy New Year and thank you for the intelligent conversation during these times.

Do you think Samuel-Div is truly a Basij Brother or just a Baby Trotsky? He was correct one time this year when he said one should not demonize their enemy. So in honor:

God Bless my enemy that they may know truth to understand the wisdom of the heart.

[Megan]

Khamenei and all his men are heading to hell soon. Mark my words.

[Roe Lassie]

Happy New Year Scott, Mike and all who keep Enduring America at the cutting edge of what is happening in Iran.

Praying that in the new decade we will early see a free Iran.

[Glumdalclitch]

Thank you Barry
I didn't know that Iran's constitution had a trotskist flavour...
But i think iit's just on paper. Khamenei & co call themselves "The Establishment" and it says it all. A revolutionary establishement ? Nice oxymoron...
Happy new year to you

[Islam]

Happy New Year. God usher in a democratic Iran this year.

[Barry]

Islam

It would be better if the people of Iran ushered it in. Enough damage has already been done right around the world in the name of "God".

Barry

[artemiss]

For those who think Larijani is the man for the job ,,
Do you know that he once said Iranians before Islam were a bunch of barberians and it was because of Islam that they became civilized !!
Just imagine ?? this is the opposite of what actually happened ,, he doesnt recall that a 1000 years before the arrival of Islam we had females who ruled the regions of the empire such as Armitra and Poorandokht who ruled Sistan ,,
and of course myself who was the head of the navy of the Archemedians at the age of 37 !!! But I met Larijani once, he seems to be thinking of much more ,,
Happy new year to all you people ,, happy 2010 ,,

[AZ]

@ Ali and Samuel,

So you guys support a regime that frightens you so much, that you're actually living in a different country. While same time you're claiming that the regime has a lot more support than we think.

Wouldn't you consider that to be a little hypocritical, and - dare I say - stupid?

[Pic]

@Artemiss,

Ali Larijan had his chance but blew it when he failed to criticize the election results. He has better looks than AN but that's misleading. He's just as power hungry and backward. God protect us from him and his gang.

[Bozzbo]

AZ, the worst Iranians in the world are the ones in the West that enjoy all the freedom they are given, yet support a regime that tortures, represses and kills to keep power. They are worse than any Basiji or Hezbollahi.

[Bozzbo]

Ali,

I'm sorry buddy. There wasn't millions. There was 50 thousand at best. And this is after all the 3-day preparation, bussing in, making people get off work, closing schools and handing out food.

http://www.dailyniteowl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Enghelab.jpg

[Barry]

How to disable new Iranian riot control vehicles

http://scuddys.blogspot.com/2010/01/disabling-iranian-police-riot-control.html

Barry