Tuesday
Aug162011
The Latest from Iran (16 August): An Election Revelation?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 7:55
See Also, Turkey PKK Special: Invasion of Kurdistan? Don't Count on It
The Latest from Iran (15 August): The World According to the Regime
1808 GMT: Foreign Affairs (Syrian Front) - Tucked away in a lengthy article on Iranian-Syria relations in Asia Times Online are these important paragraphs:
Talking to Iranian officials it appears that there is deep unease about the methods employed by the Syrian security forces which have allegedly killed up to 2,000 people since protests and violence erupted in March. In private, Iranian officials draw a comparison to how professionally Iranian security forces responded to widespread rioting and disorder in the wake of the disputed presidential elections of June 2009... Iranian intelligence sources deny that Iran has "exported" riot control or any other security-related expertise which could be used against the Syrian people. These sources refer to the profound differences in political culture and a lack of political will in Tehran to interfere directly in Syrian affairs. But Iranian intelligence sources admit that they have lent support to their Syrian counterparts in the field of psychological warfare and information management. Talking exclusively to Asia Times Online, Iranian intelligence sources claim that they have provided "material" and "decisive" support to their Syrian counterparts on ways to defeat the intelligence-gathering and propaganda operations of Western intelligence services. They claim that Western intelligence, in particular American, French, British and German services, are co-ordinating extensive intelligence-gathering and psychological warfare operations against Syria, from the Lebanese capital Beirut.
1738 GMT: Reformist Watch. Masoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President in the Khatami Administration, has said that reformists demand essential changes in political atmosphere of the country: "We are not ready to get to power at any price."
Ebtekar said that, while she wondered if a minority of a certain faction would rule Iran even after a majority had voted, she had no clear position on participation in elections. However, her comments pointed to a boycott; "Reformists are completely restricted and are insulted all the time. How could they run for elections under such conditions?"