Friday
Oct282011
Iran Caption Competition: Little Girl Gets an Ahmadinejad Hug
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 9:29President Ahmadinejad, on a tour of eastern Iran this week, finds a girl to hug. Over to you, dear Reader, for the appropriate caption....
Entries in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (808)
Thursday
Oct272011
The Latest from Iran (27 October): Is US Government "Supporting the People"?
1723 GMT: Well, as at least one reader predicted, MP Larijani dismissed Hillary Clinton's recent statements, arguing that the democrats were trying to distract the world from their own financial and economic problems, and that these statements were just another sign that Zionists were trying to overcome American isolationism.
1700 GMT: A carefully planned trip by an EU delegation to Tehran has been cancelled because the delegates were not granted Iranian visas. The reason why the visas did not arrive was not immediately clear:
Europe's parliamentary delegation was preparing to speak with parliamentarians, government officials and representatives of civil society in Iran, on issues including Iran's nuclear program, human rights, energy, environment, national security and the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Wednesday
Oct262011
The Latest from Iran (26 October): It's All About US Crimes....
2250 GMT: Reality or Illusion Watch. Prominent Iranian academic Sadegh Zibakalam, speaking at the Tehran Media Exhibit, said the "Islamic Awakening" --- declared by the Supreme Leader to be inspiring movements across North Africa and the Middle East --- is an illusion of the Islamic Republic. Zibakalam said the real significance of events is that Arab people are fed up with dictatorship.
1810 GMT: The Plot. In a speech in South Khorasan Province in eastern Iran, President Ahmadinejad has said the "Iranian nation is very kind and just and does not need to terrorist acts".
Responding to US accusations that Tehran planned the assassination of the Saudi Ambassador to Washington, Ahmadinejad asserted, "Every time the Iranian nation moves toward the peaks of progress, its enemies grab it with their teeth showing." He turned the charge of assassination against others, claiming they had killed Iranian scientists.
Tuesday
Oct252011
The Latest from Iran (25 October): No Gratitude for CNN
See also Iran Video Interview: Ahmadinejad Puts Out His Standard Lines to CNN's Zakaria
The Latest from Iran (24 October): How To Instantly Become an Iranian Citizen
1845 GMT: All-Is-Well Alert. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper NZZ, Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has said that everyone in Iran has access to the Internet, and there are daily papers from all political camps.
1835 GMT: No Gratitude for CNN. Back to where we began this morning, with Iran State TV's attack on CNN and Fareed Zakaria....
It appears the cause for the assault was not Zakaria's interview of the President but an accompanying piece he did about life in Tehran. Zakaria was positive about many aspects of life in a Tehran of "order" and "cleanliness" (somehow missing Tehran's extraordinary levels of air pollution and minimising the significance of its crowded roads), but State TV claimed he had spoken of a "dark and gloomy" city. Specifically, he "tried to prove U.S. claims that Iran is under pressure because of the sanctions. In order to do so he resorted to lies".
Indeed, Zakaria, while ignoring issues such as unemployment and inflation, did hone in on sanctions. He said Iranians blamed the regime in part for the situation and indicated that the Western measures had strengthened the grip of the Revolutionary Guards on the economy:
Monday
Oct242011
The Latest from Iran (24 October): How To Instantly Become an Iranian Citizen
See also Iran Video Interview: Ahmadinejad Puts Out His Standard Lines to CNN's Zakaria
The Latest from Iran (23 October): Qaddafi Visits the Supreme Leader
1835 GMT: No-Irony-at-All Elections Watch. A leading member of the Islamic Constancy Front, Morteza Agha Tehrani, has urged authorities to safeguard the coming elections and ensure that “votes are not stolen and there is no cheating".
The Constancy Front was established earlier this year by supporters of President Ahmadinejad and his allies. It has been at odds with other conservative factions who have sought a unified front for next March's Parliamentary vote.
In a meeting on Saturday in Qom, Agha Tehrani said: “If you truly want competent people to be elected to office, do not steal or buy votes and do not cheat.”
1605 GMT: CyberCrime. Minister of Communications and Technology Reza Taghipour has declared that the use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and proxies is a “crime": “Now VPNs have been cut off in the country because their use is a legal violation.”
With a VPN, Internet users can get access to internet providers outside Iran by using ISPs within the country. Iranians have been using the VPNs and proxies to circumvent strict censorship by the Islamic Republic of foreign and domestic websites.
Monday
Oct242011
Iran Video Interview: Ahmadinejad Puts Out His Standard Lines to CNN's Zakaria
I found CNN's highly-promoted interview with President Ahmadinejad is of little consequence, apart from some ripples around the President's remarks on Syria calling for reform and condemning killings by all sides.
And there is the cringe-worthy moment when Zakaria reduces the human rights issues in Iran to a request to see opposition figure and 2009 Presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, held under strict house arrest since February. Ahmadinejad flatly repeats the line he has often used, "In Iran we do not have political prisoners. The Government has never arrested and imprisoned these people." Zakaria repeats his request, to be given the irrelevant response, "The judiciary is never under the influence of the Government", and regarding the house arrest, "These are your claims." Stymied, Zakaria drops the topic, (See Comments for further discussion of the possible significance of this exchange.)
Viewers are invited to put forth what they found of interest on the standard run of topics --- the nuclear programme, Iran's standing in the Middle East --- complemented by the hot issues of Libya and the alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the US.
Saturday
Oct222011
The Latest from Iran (22 October): Getting Scared, Getting Spun
1844 GMT: On the Air. The opposition broadcaster Rasa TV says it will end transmissions on 15 November unless it gets enough donations to cover costs.
1840 GMT: Economy Watch. Ayande News jabs at the official statistics on employment. While the Government centre claims 500,000, Ayande says the true figure is 2 to 4 million.
Thursday
Oct202011
Iran Video: Anything to See Here? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Interview with Al Jazeera English
On Tuesday we noted President Ahmadinejad's interview in Tehran with Tony Harris of Al Jazeera English --- covering the new topic of the alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the US, as well as the ritual issues of Tehran's nuclear programme and the situation in Syria --- and concluded that there was very little of significance.
Well, now you can judge for yourself:
Tuesday
Oct182011
The Latest from Iran (18 October): The Same Old Mahmoud
1955 GMT: Movie Watch. Doesn't look like the Supreme Leader will be going to the premiere of Footloose --- he told a crowd in Kermanshah, "Hollywood is in the service of human degradation."
1858 GMT: Currency Watch. Despite the Central Bank's promises to strengthen the value of the Iranian currency, the rial is still 1250 to $1 on the free market, as opposed to an official rate of 1056:1.
Tuesday
Oct182011
Iran for Beginners: So What is This $2.8 Billion Bank Fraud?
Former Bank Melli Head Mahmoud Reza KhavariThe Islamic Republic will pay a price whatever course the government takes. If the Iranian judiciary actually exposes the full details of high-level corruption, the government stands to lose further legitimacy even among loyal cadres. Yet if the state does nothing, strife among political factions could deepen, undermining attempts to implement policy changes that could address the country's many social and economic ills.