MENA House: Turning the Clocks Back for Ramadan

It's that special time of year. The Muslim feast of Ramadan is nearing, bringing anticipation of TV soaps, an increase in food prices increase and...turning back the clocks?

The Muslim feast of Ramadan celebrates the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an was passed to the Prophet Mohammed. During this period, Muslims refrain from food and drink from dawn till dusk. The dates change  according to the solar calendar, with Ramadan moved back an average of ten days from the previous year.

UPDATED Egypt: Mubarak’s Not-So-Secret Cancer?
MENA House: The Media and “Solving Corruption” in Egypt

In 2009, the clocks in Egypt moved back at the beginning of Ramadan so people did not have to fast as long during the long summer daylight hours. This year will also see a re-setting of the clocks between 10 and 11 August. At the end of Ramadan on 9 September, Egypt will in fact bring the time forward again in accordance with standard summer time.

In 2011, Ramadan will begin during the first days of August, and in 2012, it will start in the final week of July. A tip to the world: If you would like to experience Winter/Daylight Saving Time in the Middle East-North Africa region during the summer, Egypt is simply the place to be.

And a Happy Ramadan to you all!

Iran Document: Isa Saharkhiz in Court "Should the Supreme Leader Be Dismissed?" (18 July)

Yesterday we noted, both in our updates and in a special analysis, journalist Isa Saharkhiz's prepared statement as he appeared in Revolutionary Court after 13 months in detention. Negar Irani has translated of the first part of the statement, which is posted on the Democratic Republic of Iran website. Note in particular the last three paragraphs, where Saharkhiz refers to the Supreme Leader:

As I am sure you are aware, I Isa Saharkhiz, was arrested a year and two weeks ago, on July 3rd, 2009, as evidenced in my case file #11257/88/TD, in the town of Panjdastgah located in the village of Tirkadeh, in the city of Nour. Ministry of Intelligence officials from the Province of Mazandaran (most likely the city of Sari), under orders given by their superiors including the Minister of Intelligence at the time, Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i and his direct responsible and superior Mahmoud Ahmadinejad --- whom as stipulated under the Constitution’s articles 133, 134, 136 and 137 is fully responsible for providing direction to and overseeing all members of the Cabinet --- proceeded without any provocation to beat me, leading to severe injuries including swelling and bruising on the sides of my torso and my wrists, an injury to the tendon in my left shoulder, fractures in my ribs and the dislocation of the bones from the cartilage in the lower part of my chest.

Iran Analysis: Voices Raised — Removing the Supreme Leader (Verde)

The head of the team from the Information Ministry at the time of my arrest even stated: “If someone attempts to be obstinate or stubborn with regards to your arrest, even if it’s your own child, I will make sure they are punished accordingly.” This statement itself was revealing of his preconditioned judgment of my character based on the views of his superiors (possibly the Minister himself).

The severe torture, beatings and blows I endured at the hands of at least six officers is a gross violation of our country’s laws and in particular a violation of our Constitution and Islam’s penal code.

Article 38 of our Constitution states: "All forms of torture for the purpose of extracting confessions or acquiring information are forbidden. Compulsion of individuals to testify, confess, or take an oath is not permissible; and any testimony, confession, or oath obtained under duress is devoid of value and credence. Violation of this article is liable to punishment in accordance with the law.”

This matter has also been emphasized in the Islamic Penal Code, Article 578, that states:” All officers and employees of the judiciary and non-judiciary branches of the government, if compelled to force a confession from a defendant through the use of physical harassment or any form of retaliation, in addition to monetary damages will be sentences to six months to three years imprisonment.”

You know better than I and the audience members here today that the Islamic Republic of Iran has made a commitment to international laws and regulations and in particular to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.” Article 11 of this same international declaration states: "Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law in a public trial during which he/she has had all the guarantees necessary for his/her defense.”

After enduring such physical violence and being beaten by the officers, I informed them of the fact that my ribs had been broken, but they merely mocked me, refusing to transfer me to a hospital or medical facility. Even though I could have suffered internal bleeding, I was taken on a 400-kilometre car ride to the capital Tehran and transferred directly to Evin prison.

At Evin prison, when the initial medical examination was completed by the physician on duty, my injuries were registered as swelling and bruises to the left and right sections of my torso and wrists, including severe injuries to my rib cage. As a result of the medical examination and upon consulting with prison officials, the doctor ordered that I be transferred immediately to Ghamare Banihashem hospital that very night (located on the north side of the Northern highway, before Seyedkhandan bridge). At the same time, a number of agents were sent to the hospital and the 3rd floor was vacated in the event of my possible admittance.

Honorable audience members and members of the media,

My arrest under the circumstances described above and the offenses I was charged with, namely participating in demonstrations and encouraging people to demonstrate, took place even though I had never committed such crimes. The charges issued against me were either a form of conspiracy designed to build a case against me, or designed to specifically deal with the events that followed the Presidential elections that took place on June 12th, 2009. Otherwise it would have not been necessary to issue such charges under the pretext that the acts committed were against the national security of the nation, when the offense committed was in fact a simple crime to inform, an act that in itself is against Articles 37 and 39 of our Constitution.

Article 37 of our Constitution is related to the presumption of innocence and states: “Innocence is to be presumed, and no one is to be held guilty of a charge unless his or her guilt has been established by a competent court.”

The fact that as part of the indictment presented to the court, the first charge was dismissed and replaced with two additional charges (insulting state leaders and propaganda against the regime) speaks to the authenticity of my claims. The question we are faced with therefore is why a defendant charged with being a member of the press, with court documents and evidence that demonstrate --- assuming even that the charges are proven --- that he has been accused of being a journalist, putting pen to paper and writing publications, is also referred to as a defendant colluding against the national security of the nation. Based on the charges issued by the Ministry of Justice, how do you justify keeping me in jail for 380 days in section 209 and 350 at Evin prison and the Rajai Shar prison and Fardis prison reserved for hardcore criminals? In addition, not only did they refuse to release me from jail on bail while I awaited my court date but also deprived me of the minimum rights that should be afforded to any prisoners of conscience, including depriving me of the right to a temporary leave of absence from prison.

Honorable Head of the Court and Jury Members,

As I explained earlier, as a well-known journalist, even though I had committed no crime, I was physically tortured, beaten and transferred to Evin’s ward 209. As a result of my dire physical condition, I was subsequently taken to a hospital at 10:30 pm on July 3rd, 2009. Upon taking two X-rays from different angles and being examined by three doctors (this included the physician who was on duty at the prison that night and two additional specialists called to report to duty on an emergency basis), I was unfortunately still not admitted to the hospital, but my claim that I had fractured my rib cage and bones in my chest were nevertheless confirmed explicitly. The medical examination, howeve,r concluded that the puncturing of my lungs and left kidney by a bone and potential internal bleeding were negative.

At 1:30am on Saturday July 4th, 2009, I was taken back to solitary confinement cell #31 at Evin’s ward 209. At the time I had been prescribed a variety of pain killers (pills, capsules, ointments, and suppositories) in order to alleviate my pain. From the very beginning I emphasized that I should be examined by the Judiciary’s forensic doctor, so that the necessary legal procedures could be initiated. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Intelligence officials and those in charge of my case file did not provide me with this opportunity and even refused to follow the processes that would have afforded me the necessary medical treatment. Said differently, those in charge of my case file went out of their way to inflict pain upon me and their behaviour resulted in the fact that I experience constant pain from my injuries and fractures day and night. As you can see today, the fractures are visible on my skin and at night when I sleep I feel as though a needle is spiked through my body, a pain and suffering that I will have to endure for the rest of my life.

The question we face today is why when my friends and I, as citizens of this country, complain to the authorities, in particular to the Head of the Judiciary, the former head of the Intelligence Ministry, and the Attorney General, years go by and our complaints are not addressed by the courts, but when the order for the arrest of the likes of me is issued, my arrest and imprisonment takes place in the span of one day, and at one of the most remote locations in our country. Moreover, despite the fact that approximately one year had passed since the case was filed and the last interrogations took place and despite the fact that eight months had passed since the last investigations by the prosecutor, the court did not hear this case, in order to at least afford me, the defendant whose crimes had not been proven, a few months less imprisonment than the minimum amount defined under the law.

Honorable Head of the Court,

Does Article 34 of our Constitution not state that: “It is the indisputable right of every citizen to seek justice by recourse to competent courts. All citizens have right of access to such courts, and no one can be barred from courts to which he has a legal right of recourse”?

Why is it then that as a result of the injuries inflicted upon me by Mr. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, and based on the evidence presented by the forensic doctor, when I approached the officials at the Judiciary (regarding the incident in which [a security agent] threw a heavy object at me and bit my ear) and even though 5 years have passed since I filed my complaint, evidence was presented and the case file was completed, the case never went to court and the accused [Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i] was never arrested? But when [Eje'i] files a complaint against me, I am tortured and beaten so shamelessly and arrested and imprisoned for an unlimited period as a prisoner of conscience? Is this not the sign of preferential treatment in Iran’s Judiciary System? Is this what we refer to as respect for the law, justice, and the Islamic Judiciary System?

Distinguished Members of the Jury and Head of the Court,

On page 17 of my case file and regulatory proceedings dated July 3rd, 2009 (the date of my arrest) by the Nour Prosecutor’s Office, the Judiciary has charged me with the following:

Based on court order for your arrest by the Intelligence Ministry, and the Revolutionary Court’s 3rd Security Branch, you have been accused of “Participating in demonstrations with the intent to create chaos, the intent to harm the regime and the security of the nation”. How do you respond?

Response: “I do not accept this charge. I did not participate in any gathering or demonstration and do not intend to do so in the future. Even in cases where there was a possibility of conflict between the people and the President, due to the official authority I was given by Mr. Karroubi’s headquarters, and acting as a non official spokesperson for Mr. Mousavi’s campaign, I gave an interview with Al-Alam (the IRIB’s Arabic TV & Radio Network) in which I announced that the previously announced gathering on Vali Asr Square for June 31st had been canceled, requesting that people do not gather in order that clashes be avoided.”

Page 115 to 120 of my case file are dedicated to the interrogations that took place on July 8th and July 10th, 2009 (approximately one week after my arrest) and include the following question I was posed during interrogation: “With regards to the charge of encouraging people to participate in demonstrations, please provide any information you deem necessary to shed light to this matter.”

My response to this question was as follows:

As I indicated to the Judge presiding over the court in Nour, I Isa Saharkhiz, did not participate in any of the people’s peaceful demonstrations. In addition, with my reformist position, I have always sought to encourage people to move towards democracy, the expansion of Human Rights rather than revolting and creating chaos. With regards to the recent events that started on June 12th, 2009 and the protests that followed by a nation that was pursuing the full realization of their lost rights, all my efforts focused on encouraging gatherings that were based on slogans of Allah O Akbar (God is great), silent gatherings carrying Green symbols, and presenting flowers to armed individuals behaving in an inhumane manner, so that God willing we could put an end to this type of behavior.

Question: “Isn’t referring to the election results as a coup, inviting people to demonstrate and creating chaos?”

Answer:

Coup d’état is a legal and political term. It is based on certain assumptions and can have both desirable and undesirable consequences. The fact that I referred to the election results as a coup, like many other prominent people in our nations (such as Seyed Mohammad Khatami) does not change the nature of the elections. The Islamic Republic’s Constitution that came about as a result of a revolution that I too had the honor to participate in, contains a number of principles including the people’s right to gather and demonstrate. Article 27 of our Constitution referring to freedom of assembly states: “Public gatherings and marches may be freely held, provided arms are not carried and that they are not detrimental to the fundamental principles of Islam.” Naturally, protesting and creating chaos are two different things. In reality, chaos is created by those who stand in the way of, or create circumstances under which the basic rights of a nation and its citizens have been trampled upon, depriving them of legal gatherings and protests. If anything, it is these individuals who should be charged and taken to court.

Honorable Head of the Court, Members of the Jury and all those present,

Taking into consideration the evidence presented above and in my statement of defense isn’t my illegal incarceration in various prisons against Article 32 of our Constitution?

Let us assume for one moment that the authorities at the Ministry of Intelligence and the interrogators at the Revolutionary Court’s 3rd Security Branch in Tehran were wrong in assuming that there was a conspiracy theory and their accusations that I participated in demonstrations and encouraged people to participate as well were false. After hearing my defense and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, when it became clear to them that the charges were invalid and as such they were dropped, should they not have closed my file and released me from prison and removed any punishment in order to not violate the laws as defined in the Constitution? Was my incarceration for more than a year not in violation of Article 32 of our Constitution? They claimed that I had committed a crime against the national security of our nation, in order to make sure that I would be deprived of any leave of absence from prison. As a result, I was unable to even attend to the construction of my mother’s charitable organization, in honor of my martyred brother Saeed Saharkhiz, depriving dozens of orphaned infants of free services. We will never know how many lives would have been saved had we have been able to provide access to this charity and its free services.

The same Article of the Constitution (Article 32) emphasizes: “…. a preliminary trial should be completed as swiftly as possible”. Assuming that the initial charges had not been dropped, does keeping someone incarcerated for 380 days translate into a “swift completion of a preliminary trial” and adhering to the law in the Islamic Republic’s Judiciary system? Who is responsible for the violation of this Article? Which person, what post and which entities should be punished based on the principles of this Article? Is the branch that is under the direct leadership of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, whose head is directly appointed by the Supreme Leader in violation of the law? Or has the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic failed to meet his obligations effectively under paragraph 2 of Article 110 of the Constitution, in other words: “Supervision over the proper execution of the general policies of the system.”?

In that case is he [the Supreme Leader] not subject to the 111th Article in the Constitution that insists: “Whenever the Leader becomes incapable of fulfilling his constitutional duties, or loses one of the qualifications mentioned in Articles 5 and 109, or it becomes known that he did not possess some of the qualifications initially, he will be dismissed…”?

No matter what, the question of who has been in violation of the 32nd Article of our Constitution and the specific punishment of such violation must be addressed.

The Latest from Iran (19 July): Criticisms and the Leader

1845 GMT: Academic Corner. A follow-up to our stories that 30 Tehran University professors were being "retired", ostensibly because they had completed their period of service....

Professor Rouhollah Alami said he suddenly received news about his dismissal from Tehran University officials. He had been at the university for 22 years but had 14 years left to retirement.

1735 GMT: Pressing the Government. Reformist MP Darius Ghanbari has noted, "Apparently some ministers have 'special immunity'," since the Minister of Interior, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, did not reply to his question from April and did not appear even once in the Majlis.

1725 GMT: After the Bombings. Iran has closed the Taftan post on the Pakistan border, about 55 miles southeast of Zahedan, the site of last Thursday's double suicide bombing. Reports indicated this has caused significant supply problems for inhabitants.

NEW Iran’s Made-Up Stories: Fars News Busted by “Zionist” Journalist Ghazi
NEW Iran Analysis: Voices Raised — Removing the Supreme Leader (Verde)
Iran’s New Guidance: Good, Good Lovin’ (But Only at Night)
Change for Iran: Why Twitter Has Made a Difference
The Latest from Iran (18 July): Bazaar Resolutions?

1640 GMT: Reformist Rift? MP Ahmadreza Dastgheib of the Imam Khomeini Line has blamed reformists, especially non-academics, for not spreading their ideas throughout society. Dastgheib said that "we" should have explained our theories to all sectors of society but that this is obviously impossible today.

The MP added that a "big mistake" was that former President Mohammad Khatami, given his recognition in Iran, did not run for the presidency in 200.

1625 GMT: Pictures of the Day (2). Mehr News, which is far from an anti-Government site, posts a series of photographs illustrating the effect of power outages on Iranian industry:



1620 GMT: Picture of the Day. Filmmakers Mohammad Nourizad and Jafar Panahi are reunited. Both were released this spring on bail, Nourizad after six months in detention, Panahi after three.

1500 GMT: Challenging the Supreme Leader. Fereshteh Ghazi offers an analysis of journalist Isa Saharkhiz's statement in court --- covered in our opening update (0555 GMT) and a separate analysis --- refusing to offer a defence and challenging the authority of Ayatollah Khamenei.

1455 GMT: Watching Larijani. OK, here's what Larijani said publicly today in Geneva after his meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon: "We need a new plan [on Tehran's nuclear programme] in which Iran's rights are completely supported....The problems of Iraq and of Afghanistan after occupation, which have caused an increase in the production of illicit drugs and led to the spread of terrorism, are the result of wrongful US policies and actions. “

Yeah, yeah. But what did Larijani say in private?

1450 GMT: We've posted a feature in which Fereshteh Ghazi exposes the made-up news of Fars and gets called a "Zionist" for her efforts.

1340 GMT: Sanctions Front. The Wall Street Journal, citing "Western officials", targets the European-Iranian Trade Bank AG (EIH) for helping Iran to get around international sanctions.

The officials allege that EIH has been "conducting euro-denominated transactions on behalf of Iran's Bank Sepah", involving business with Iran's Defense Industries Organization, the Aerospace Industries Organization and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

The newspaper also carries an interview with India's petroleum secretary, who says "the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Iran could complicate the activities of Indian state-controlled companies that are looking to invest in Iran's oil and gas sector".

Elsewhere, a memorandum, signed by Turkish Public Works & Housing Minister Mustafa Demir and Iranian Minister of Housing & Development Ali Nikzad in Tehran, envisages cooperation in the construction sector. The memorandum commits to exchange of information and experience, cooperation in public housing projects, research and training of experts, production of construction materials, and use of products of latest technology.

1335 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of Hashemi Rafsanjani, has given a lengthy interview about her views on the political and legal situation. Amidst that discussion, she reiterated that her father would not return to lead Tehran Friday Prayers until there was political reconciliation. (Rafsanjani's last Friday Prayer was 17 July 2009.)

In another passage of the interview, Hashemi rebutted charges that she was accumulating private wealth: "I am a normal woman. My husband provides for me and I have no income."

1215 GMT: Where's Mahmoud? In a speech broadcast on state TV, President Ahmadinejad told industrialists in northern Iran, "[The US] adopts a resolution to force a dialogue, but this cowboy logic has no place in Iran."

Ahmadinejad continued with the defiance, "They say we have intelligence that Iranians will most likely build one atomic bomb. Well, this is a lie, but let's say it is true. How many atomic bombs do you have? The Americans themselves say 5,000 plus....Is someone who has 5,000 fourth and fifth generation atomic bombs, with very advanced launchers, afraid of one bomb? They are not afraid of one, not of a hundred, not of a thousand (bombs). They are afraid of the collective awakening of the Iranian soul."

Yet --- and forgive me if I am reading too much into Mahmoud's rhetoric --- there may have been a glimpse that Ahmadinejad would like to get back to last autumn's discussions: "We are for negotiations, but to do so you have to sit down like a good boy."

1050 GMT: Claim of Day. An Iranian cleric explains, "We have made swimming pools and Jacuzzis in Evin for prisoners."

0950 GMT: Iran's Networks. Dr. Gholamreza Kashi, speaking in a conference about social networks and identity at Iran's Strategic Center, has said that the "first (older) generation" are not represented in media and the "second generation" has no possibilities to make its views known.

0945 GMT: Power Outage. Ebrahim Jamili of the Iran Chamber of Commerce has demanded that the Ministry of Energy pay for the heavy losses of private companies due to power shortages. He noted that Iran's claims to be the leading power in the region do not fit with "putting production in chains".

0940 GMT: Parliament v. President (cont.). More counter-attacks against the Government and media seen as its supporters....

Tehran Emrooz claims that insults against Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani, in demonstrations in front of the Majlis, were instigated by editors of Hemmat magazine. Tehran Emrooz adds that some of those editors were arrested recently after attacking Hashemi Rafsanjani, senior clerics, and Seyed Hassan Khomeini.

Azam Taleghani, former MP and head of the Society of Islamic Revolution Women of Iran, has said that some hardliners have finally realised they cannot continue without co-operation with reformists.

Leading MP and Government critic Ahmad Tavakoli is reportedly gathering votes against a Government order that all governmental advertisements are given to the daily newspaper Iran.

0935 GMT: The Zahedan Bombings. With the toll from last Thursday's double suicide bombing at 27 dead and 311 injured, Abbas Ali Noura, one of three MPs from the Zahedan area who have resigned, says that people of the area expect the dismissal of the Minister of Interior.

0924 GMT: Parliament v. President. MP Hassan Ghafourifard has accused the Government of violating the principles of the Constitution by not presenting its legal decisions on the budget, saying the Majlis will not approve the economic plan if these decisions are not presented. MP Shahabeddin Sadr adds that the claims of the President's office are untrue, and the Parliament has not received the decisions.

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani adds in a letter to Ahmadinejad that payments to managers of Free Trade zones are illegal.

0920 GMT: Shifting Politics. An intriguing story in Khabar Online, linked to Ali Larijani....

Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf has reportedly started his campaign for the next Presidential elections, due in 2013. The kick-off was in Zanjan and --- here's a twist --- it was staged by a committee of "reformist" hardliners.

Now is Khabar implicitly backing Qalibaf and this notion of "reformist hardliners" --- as an alternative to the not-so-reformist hardliner who is currently President --- or damning Qalibaf through such an association?

0915 GMT: The Nuclear Scientist/Non-Scientist Defection/Abduction Story. Rooz Online, from an "informed source", claims Shahram Amiri is being held in security quarantine after his return to Iran from the US.

0900 GMT: Not-at-All Hypocritical Headline of Day. Press TV: "Iran Slams Canada on Human Rights".

But it gets "better" in the body of the story, which is the continuation of an Iranian campaign against Ottawa over its handlings of protests at the G20 summit earlier this month:

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, "Canadian officials should provide a response to all questions and ambiguities regarding human rights violations in their country."

"Such instances of brutal and deadly approach by the Canadian police, the interference of security forces in the private lives of citizens and violations of rights of the native people have recurrently happened during this Canadian administration," Mehmanparast noted.

The Iranian spokesperson went on to criticize Canada for its illegal and brutal approach toward protestors during a recent summit in Toronto, arguing that "The issue of human rights is an international commitment and countries should not brush aside such matters by resorting to political justifications."...

"Repeated violations of citizenship rights and assaults against protesters are not an issue that one can keep silent on," he further stressed.

0750 GMT: We have now posted an analysis by Mr Verde, "Voices Raised --- Removing the Supreme Leader".

0625 GMT: Labour Watch. HRANA summarises regime pressure on unionists, from the retrial of Mansur Osanloo to other detentions and intimidations.

0555 GMT: We begin this morning with two pointed critiques of "legitimacy".

Journalist Isa Saharkhiz, detained 13 months ago, appeared in court yesterday. A copy of the full text of his statement has been brought out and published: it is a rousing denuncation of those who have crushed "democracy", "free elections", "human rights" and the "republic", and it pays special attention to one man. "Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has trampled the Constitution."

It is unknown whether Saharkhiz was able to read the statement in court, but we do have a picture as he left:



Prominent academic Sadegh Zibakalam cannot be quite so direct in his criticisms --- after all, he is a public figure who is not detained --- but his latest interview is still pretty sharp. He points to a "brain drain" and division of clergy in governmental and non-governmental roles. The power of legal forces like Parliament and the judiciary has been diminished, while the power of "irresponsible forces" on the rise.

And Zibakalam considers that the worst result of the post-election dispute has been an irreversible collapse of legitimacy, asking, "Is it possible to bring people back to vote?"

UPDATED The Perils of US Intelligence: A "Top-Secret World" Beyond Control (Priest/Arkin)

UPDATED 1500 GMT: Acting Director of National Intelligence David Gompert has put out an innocuous statement (at least it's not "anonymous", like the one fed to ABC's George Stephanopoulos --- see 1430 GMT) on the Washington Post story: "The reporting does not reflect the Intelligence Community we know....The fact is, the men and women of the Intelligence Community have improved our operations, thwarted attacks, and are achieving untold successes every day."

With respect, Mr Gompert, perhaps the point of the story is the community "you know" but the one that you should know about, given its size and apparent consequences?

UPDATED 1430 GMT: Spencer Ackerman has a sharp take on the Washington Post "package", including not only the Priest/Arkin article but the linked source material:

US “National Security”: Revealing the Sprawl of “Top-Secret America”…in 2007 (Shorrock)
US “National Security”: More on the Sprawling “Top Secret America” (Priest/Arkin)

Dana Priest and William Arkin of The Washington Post have now published their much-anticipated exposéof the "top-secret world" of US intelligence services, which extends far beyond official bodies such as the Central Intelligence Agency.

It includes a searchable database cataloging what an estimated 854,000 employees and legions of contractors are apparently up to. Users can now to see just how much money these government agencies are spending and where those top secret contractors are located. Check out this nine-page list of agencies and contractors involved in air and satellite observations, for instance. No wonder it scares the crap out of Official Washington: it’s bound to provoke all sorts of questions — both from taxpayers wondering where their money goes, and from U.S. adversaries looking to penetrate America’s spy complex.

But this piece is about much more than dollars. It’s about what used to be called the Garrison State — the impact on society of a Praetorian class of war-focused elites. Priest and Arkin call it "Top Secret America" and it’s so big, and grown so fast, that it’s replicated the problem of disconnection within the intelligence agencies that facilitated America’s vulnerability to a terrorist attack. With too many analysts and too many capabilities documenting too much, with too few filters in place to sort out the useful stuff or discover hidden connections, the information overload is its own information blackout. “We consequently can’t effectively assess whether it is making us more safe,” a retired Army three-star general who recently assessed the system tells the reporters."

Glenn Greenwald has also posted a lengthy consideration of the implications of the "unchecked Surveillance State":  "The Real U.S. Government -- the network of secret public and private organizations which comprise the National Security and Surveillance State -- expands and surveills and pilfers and destroys without much attention and with virtually no real oversight or accountability."

On the insipid side of the ledger, ABC News celebrity anchorman George Stephanopoulos channels the inevitable anonymous "Administration source" trying to trash the story: "The database...is 'troubling'...[because] it could become a road map for adversaries."

Beyond the relative merits of these responses, notice the twist here in the 21st-century media world. The chatter is not about the newspaper article, as it would have been in olden days, but about an on-line database. That in itself is testament not only to the changed dynamics brought by the Internet but by the "traditional" media's hope for survival and relevance: the Post has put in extensive effort to frame this story as an ongoing resource for scrutiny of the US Government.

---

POSTED 0730 GMT: Credit to Priest and Arkin for important journalism, based on research since 2008. However, much of this was known by close observers of US politics and foreign policy years before that, soon after --- and indeed before --- a US invasion of Iraq which was marked by faulty intelligence, wayward covert action, and a distortion of effective (and legal) policy at home and abroad. (Indeed, Arkin brought some of this to light, albeit in a blog tucked away on The Post's website.) Why did we not see such vital investigations on front pages then?

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

These are some of the findings of a two-year investigation by The Washington Post that discovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine.

The investigation's other findings include:

* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.

* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.

* In Washington and the surrounding area, 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001. Together they occupy the equivalent of almost three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings - about 17 million square feet of space.

* Many security and intelligence agencies do the same work, creating redundancy and waste. For example, 51 federal organizations and military commands, operating in 15 U.S. cities, track the flow of money to and from terrorist networks.

* Analysts who make sense of documents and conversations obtained by foreign and domestic spying share their judgment by publishing 50,000 intelligence reports each year - a volume so large that many are routinely ignored.

These are not academic issues; lack of focus, not lack of resources, was at the heart of the Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead, as well as the Christmas Day bomb attempt thwarted not by the thousands of analysts employed to find lone terrorists but by an alert airline passenger who saw smoke coming from his seatmate.

They are also issues that greatly concern some of the people in charge of the nation's security.

"There has been so much growth since 9/11 that getting your arms around that - not just for the DNI [Director of National Intelligence], but for any individual, for the director of the CIA, for the secretary of defense - is a challenge," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in an interview with The Post last week.

In the Department of Defense, where more than two-thirds of the intelligence programs reside, only a handful of senior officials - called Super Users - have the ability to even know about all the department's activities. But as two of the Super Users indicated in interviews, there is simply no way they can keep up with the nation's most sensitive work.

"I'm not going to live long enough to be briefed on everything" was how one Super User put it. The other recounted that for his initial briefing, he was escorted into a tiny, dark room, seated at a small table and told he couldn't take notes. Program after program began flashing on a screen, he said, until he yelled ''Stop!" in frustration.

"I wasn't remembering any of it," he said.

Underscoring the seriousness of these issues are the conclusions of retired Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, who was asked last year to review the method for tracking the Defense Department's most sensitive programs. Vines, who once commanded 145,000 troops in Iraq and is familiar with complex problems, was stunned by what he discovered.

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Iran's Made-Up Stories: Fars News Busted by "Zionist" Journalist Ghazi

Fereshteh Ghazi, one of the top journalists covering the post-election crisis in Iran, exposes Fars News for making up stories highlighting the deaths of Basiji militiamen, based on supposed interviews with "families of several victims, quoting them as saying that Mehdi Karoubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi are responsible for their children’s deaths".

The piece culminates in Ghazi's attempt to interview Fars' Abbas Tavangar, who quickly declares that Ghazi is working "for America and the Zionist regime":

Following the publication of interviews [in Fars] with families of several victims who lost their lives during protests against the disputed June 12 election, and the families’ denial, we contacted Abbas Tavanfar, the news agency’s editor-in-chief to ask him about the interviews. While refusing to speak with us about the matter, he accused Iranian journalists who have been forced abroad of betraying their country and being agents of Zionism.

During the past year, the Islamic Republic has referred to protesters against the disputed June 12 election as “disturbers”. On the other hand, it claimed that several of the victims were members of the Basij.

Hossein Taeb, then-commander of the Basij, initially claimed that 7 Basij members were martyred. Other officials raised the number gradually. Aziz Jafari, the head of the Islamic Pasdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), claimed that 13 Basij members were martyred, while General Araghi, head of the IRGC’s Tehran division, placed the number at 12.

These claims have been made while officials have until now refused to identify any of the Basij members who have allegedly been killed. Instead, they have tried to force and threaten the families of victims to speak out against the green movement and its leaders.

In this regard, the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with security and military institutions, published interviews with families of several victims, quoting them as saying that Mehdi Karoubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi are responsible for their children’s death. All the families denies the interviews, warning that they would not allow anyone to take advantage of the blood of their loved ones.

The families of Meisam Ebadi and Sajjad Sabzalipour previously told Rooz in exclusive interviews that the Fars news agency had manipulated their words and published statements that they had never made.

The two families said that they plan to file legal complaints against the Fars news agency.

Despite the families’ denials, the Fars news agency’s editor-in-chief says that all the agency’s reports are accurate and that the agency has the evidence to back up its claims. But he does not provide any evidence about this controversy, and instead makes allegations against journalists and other media.

Abbas Tavangar refused to be interviewed by Rooz. But before ending our communication, we exchanged remarks that are useful for shedding light on the matter.

Rooz: Hello Mr. Tavangar, I am Fereshteh Ghazi from Rooz. How are you?

Abbas Tavangar: You don’t work for the benefit of the people. Our peopled don’t trust you and view your words as lies. I won’t speak with you.

Rooz: Mr. Tavangar, you haven’t allowed me to speak yet. You published interviews with families of several post-election martyrs that are still on your website despite their denials. I called to ask if you are trying to help the families or do something else. Why have your interviews been denied by the families?

Tavangar: Our people don’t trust you. They see you as liars and rumormongers. Our reports are true and backed by evidence. We can’t discuss anything with you, who sold your homeland and are agents of Zionism. Our people don’t trust you people who fled the country to work for America and the Zionist regime. Now you care about our people? America and Israel now care about our people?