The Latest from Iran (22 March): The Economic Clash
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 21:00 
2100 GMT: Connection of Day --- Baghi's Detention and the "Killing" of Khomeini's Son. Fatemeh Kamali, the wife of the detained journalist Emadeddin Baghi, in an interview with Iranian Students News Agency, said: "The main charge held against him is that he believed that the death of Seyed Ahmad Khomeini was suspicious." (Ahmad Khomeini, the son of Imam Khomeini, died in 1995,allegedly from a heart attack. There have always been rumours of foul play,however; Khomeini had criticised the regime a month before his demise.)
Kamali produced a letter from Seyed Hassan Khomeini, Ahmad’s son, to Baghi which mentions that a Mr. Niazi, the head of judiciary for Iran's armed force, has confirmed the existence of some evidence of the murder of Ahmad Khomeini.
2045 GMT: Yes, This Parliament v. President Thing is Real. Mehr News Agency's English-language site puts out a summary, but the news is clear: Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani (see 1450 GMT) and his Parliamentary allies are not going to give way on President Ahmadinejad's demand for a reconsideration of their decision on his subsidy reform and spending plans.
NEW Iran Analysis: Politics and Subsidy Reform (Harris)
NEW Iran: View from Tehran “Changes within the System are Impossible”
Latest Iran Election Video: Nowruz and the Green Movement
Iran Snap Analysis: A Rights-First Approach in Washington?
Iran Video and Summary: Karroubi’s New Year Message
The Latest from Iran (21 March): Happy New Year, Mr Ahmadinejad
2030 GMT: Back from a long academic break to post the full video and transcript of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Included are remarks on Iran's threat to the Middle East and its nuclear programme.
1450 GMT: Larijani Stands Firm. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has pointedly rejected President Ahmadinejad's call for a national referendum on the proposed subsidies reductions and spending. Larijani said that Ahmadinejad had been authorised to spend $20 billion extra from the savings from the reductions, and he would not get any more. The Parliament's decision was not up for revision.
1440 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. A reliable EA source confirms that Hasan Lahouti, the grandson of Hashemi Rafsanjani and son of Faezeh Hashemi, was arrested by Iranian authorities at Imam Khomeini airport this morning. While the story broke in Fars, which has been known to post disinformation, it is also being carried in Tabnak and Alef.
Lahouti, who is studying at a British university, was returning to Iran for the Nowruz holidays when he was detained. There has been no comment from Rafsanjani or Faezeh Hashemi.
A few weeks ago, Lahouti was interviewed by BBC Persian, and he criticised the Government's harassment of his mother and grandfather. There is also speculation that Lahouti may have been arrested to put pressure on Mehdi Hashemi, Rafsanjani's son, to return to Iran. Mehdi Hashemi, who was named by Government prosecutors in the Tehran trials as culpable for election manipulation and misuse of funds, remains in Britain --- he has not been to Iran since last summer.
1430 GMT: Economy Watch. We've just posted a new analysis by Kevan Harris of "Politics and Subsidy Reform".
1250 GMT: Communications Battles. Fulfilling an initiative that we noted last week, European Union foreign ministers have declared, "The European Union expresses its grave concern over measures taken by the Iranian authorities to prevent its citizens from freely communicating and receiving information through TV, radio satellite broadcasting and the Internet. The EU is determined to pursue these issues and to act with a view to put an end to this unacceptable situation."
What that action might be was left undefined.
1140 GMT: Holding the Line. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's office is briefing the press that she will tell the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that the US "is taking time to produce these sanctions [against Iran]... but we will not compromise our commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring these weapons".
The surprise here is not Clinton's insistence on "sanctions that will bite" as "the United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons". She has to say this, given the tightrope the US is walking in trying to get the Israeli Government to make a commitment to talks over Palestine.
The surprise is that she is not offering the prospects of tougher sanctions in the near-future: is that because of difficulties in getting international acceptance or because the Obama Administration does not think sanctions --- at least the sweeping version proposed in the US Congress --- are an optimal way of dealing with Tehran?
1120 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. Fars News is claiming that Iranian authorities have detained the grandson of Hashemi Rafsanjani. Hasan Lahouti was allegedly arrested in Tehran airport upon arrival from London late Sunday.
0750 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Student Mehdi Kalari has been released from Evin Prison, reportedly after a protest by 2000 candidates at Sharif University last week against the detention of three classmates.
0720 GMT: In Case You're Still Wondering. Continued coverage in media of Ayatollah Khamenei's blasting of the US in his Nowruz speech in Mashhad. Press TV gives the state line: "Sometimes the US government appears as a wolf or a fox and looks violent and arrogant, and sometimes they look different."
For a different perspective, see the video we have just posted of chanting during Khamenei's speech.
0700 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. It is reported that Mohammad Davari, the imprisoned editor-in-chief of Mehdi Karroubi’s website Saham News, has gone on hunger strike.
Davari was arrested at Karroubi’s office on 8 September. Recently he was moved to solitary confinement, allegedly after complaining about harsh prison conditions during a visit by a Deputy Minister of Intelligence. He went on hunger strike a week ago.
0500 GMT: We begin the morning with a special from inside Iran. The friend of a top EA source has written from the Iranian capital to report on the latest political situation: resistance is alive, the Supreme Leader's "honour is broken", and sanctions are necessary.
Elsewhere, we are watching the ongoing Parliament-President battle over the budget, subsidy reform, and revenues. After three leading members of Parliament --- Tavakkoli, Naderan and Mesbahi Moghaddam --- declared Ahmadinejad's suggestion of a referendum is a defiance of the Majlis' authority and the Constitution. Mohammad-Nabi Habibi, the head of the Motalefeh Party, insisted that Ahmadinejad should obey the Majlis and there was no need for a referendum, while another observer noted that if the President wanted a public vote on the budget, there should also be one on his Government.
Economist Fereydoun Khavand, who is based in Paris, assesses that there is an unprecedented turmoil in economic policies, with the fight over the subsidies and possible 50-60% inflation.
Ahmad Khomeini, Alef, Ali Larijani, Ali Tavakkoli, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Emadeddin Baghi, European Union, Fatemeh Kamali, Fereydoun Khavand, Gholam-Reza Mesbahi-Moghaddam, Hasan Lahouti, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Hillary Clinton, Iran, Iran Elections 2009, Iranian Students News Agency, Israel, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mehdi Kalari, Mehdi Karroubi, Mehr News, Mohammad Davari, Mohammad Nabi Habibi, Motalefeh Party, Naderan, Palestine, Saham News, Seyed Hassan Khomeini, Sharif University, Tabnak in Middle East & Iran
Reader Comments (15)
Rafsanjani grandson arrested | http://bit.ly/d4dUhm
This year's Norouz strangely united fundamentalist Iranian Shi'a and Afghan Sunnis in rejecting century-old national traditions. And it thus naturally united Iranians and Afghans -- regardless of their Islamic beliefs -- in defying those efforts.
Fundamentalist Calls To Ignore Norouz Go Unheard In Iran, Afghanistan
http://www.rferl.org/content/Fundamentalist_Calls_To_Ignore_Norouz_Go_Unheard_In_Iran_Afghanistan/1989760.html
The Sunday Times articles I linked to yesterday (http://enduringamerica.com/2010/03/21/the-latest-from-iran-21-march-happy-new-year-mr-ahmadinejad/comment-page-1/#comment-33092) have been making the rounds today on numerous media outlets. Whether true or not, claims by Afghan officers that Iran was secretly helping the Taliban already have the Indian government worried.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Afghans-say-Iran-arming-Taliban-India-in-a-fix/articleshow/5709994.cms
Is there anything to the Sunday Times' stories?
Catherine,
For the moment, I am watching the Sunday Times stories but treating with caution. The newspaper has been a channel far too often (take your pick of who would be channelling through it) for "information" which has been distorted re Iran.
S.
On a totally unrelated note, Thomas Erdbrink has written a nice piece on Iranian computer game developers:
"..the Iranian engineering students, programmers and fantasy animators who created "Garshasp, the Monster Slayer" have not only impressed foreign companies with their product. They have also proved that young Iranians can carve out opportunities for themselves against a backdrop of international sanctions, domestic deterrents and anti-government demonstrations. .... The action-adventure game is set in ancient Persia ... in a world taken over by mythological monsters called "deevs." All characters are drawn from Iranian myths and legends. Players must fight their way through three "worlds," or levels, by killing opponents and solving puzzles. "
Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/20/AR2010032002730.html?wprss=rss_world/mideast
(I smell a big fartwa coming!)
Russia Watch : Russian journalist, writer and radio host Yulia Latynina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Latynina) had the following to say on her radio programme on 20 March: “There is nothing Vladimir [Putin] would like more than for Israel to strike Iran because then the price of oil would go up” and Russia, which is dependent on the profits from petroleum exports, would be a major beneficiary.
She offered this as an explanation for what Putin says that “Russia will help Iran launch the Bushehr Atomic Energy Station,” a statement that appeared “strange” to some given US efforts to enlist Russia’s help.
Read more on Paul Goble's blog: http://windowoneurasia.blogspot.com/
Russia Watch : Russian journalist, writer and radio host Yulia Latynina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Latynina) had the following to say on her radio programme on 20 March: “There is nothing Vladimir [Putin] would like more than for Israel to strike Iran because then the price of oil would go up” and Russia, which is dependent on the profits from petroleum exports, would be a major beneficiary.
She offered this as an explanation for what Putin says that “Russia will help Iran launch the Bushehr Atomic Energy Station,” a statement that appeared “strange” to some given US efforts to enlist Russia’s help.
Read more on Paul Goble's blog: http://windowoneurasia.blogspot.com/2010/03/window-on-eurasia-putin-wants-israeli.html
Who said this? The Leverrets of course since they are being paid by the IRI? Not at all, it was Professor Juan Cole hardly a friend of the IRI. I guess he must be getting checks from AN too. http://www.juancole.com/
Key quote:
"In Iran, under the hyper-capitalist Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, infant mortality was 122 per 1,000 in 1970. Today, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is 28.6 per 1,000, an incredible decrease. Some 94% of the population has access to health services, and around the same percentage have access to affordable medicine."
"Sunday, March 21, 2010
Can US catch up to Iran in Providing Health Care to Least Privileged?
Proponents of unregulated capitalism, or if you will, the 'free market,' maintain that it provides a better life for all than do other systems. This allegation is demonstrably untrue if the question is public health across the board. In Iran, under the hyper-capitalist Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlevi, infant mortality was 122 per 1,000 in 1970. Today, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, it is 28.6 per 1,000, an incredible decrease. Some 94% of the population has access to health services, and around the same percentage have access to affordable medicine. The state is authoritarian and controlling, but it cares about the welfare of even the poor among its citizens in a way that the US-backed, capitalist Pahlevis clearly did not. In the last year of George W. Bush's presidency, at a time when he had drastically limited Federal support for stem cell research, Iran committed $2.8 billion to such high-powered medical research.
It is to the point where Mississippi, which has among the worst health statistics in the US, and where 20% of the population lacks health insurance, is looking to Iran for a model of how techniques pioneered in a third-world society could improve health care for Americans living in third-world conditions."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6962844.ece
Come on Greenies move to the American Deep South. Go already!!!
From The Sunday Times December 20, 2009
Deep South calls in Iran to cure its health blues
In ground-breaking project, one of America’s poorest communities is turning to the Middle East to try to resolve its crisis
Catherine,
Thanks a lot for your news about the Iranian computer game “Garshasp, the Monster Slayer”!
The story goes likes this: http://garshasp.com/story
"Years after the confinement of Azhi Dahaka by Fereydun, the evil Deevs who were the commanders in the army of darkness led by Azhi Dahaka rose again in different parts of the ancient lands of Khunirath and rebelled against the humans who were celebrating the victory of the army of light. Each Deev formed a colony of its own and continued on bringing suffering to the human race."
Azhi Dahaka is the ancient spelling of Zahhak, the mythological tyrant with snakes on his shoulders, who had to be fed with the brain of two young men each day. This allusion appears to be quite clear. Now, guess who the Deevs are ;-)
Big fatwa immediately!
Arshama
Re. 2100 GMT: Connection of Day — Baghi’s Detention and the “Killing” of Khomeini’s Son.
If the news refers to this:
http://isna.ir/ISNA/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-16537
It is from the year 1379 (2000).
At that time some lawyers of chain murder victims’ families were jail too. The rumour was that the Intelligence Ministry had mistakenly given them files containing Saiid Emami’s confession that he had murdered Ahmad Khomeini too. His reason was that Ahmad Khomeini was against Khamenei.
The story was that after mistakenly giving them the wrong files containing the Emami confessions re. Khomeini Jr, the regime jailed the lawyers in order to ensure the details of the Ahmad Khomeini’s murder (and possibility Khamenei’s role in that) do not become public.
RE post 2 "it was Professor Juan Cole hardly a friend of the IRI."
You can be a friend of Iran without being a friend of the IRI. Mr Cole is a clear example of the former, whereas the Leveretts often seem to be examples of the latter.
When my husband and I first travelled throughout Iran in 2008, everyone asked us: "What do you think of Iran?" Having fallen in love with the country and people almost immediately, we truthfully answered: "We love Iran!" Everyone understood exactly what we meant - regardless of age, income, and politics - because invariably everyone followed up the first question with this one: "and what do you think of our government/our president?"
[...] Rafsanjani’s Family (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com): A few weeks ago, Lahouti was interviewed by BBC Persian, and he criticised the Government’s harassment of his mother and grandfather. [...]
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[...] Rafsanjani’s Family (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com): A few weeks ago, Lahouti was interviewed by BBC Persian, and he criticised the Government’s harassment of his mother and [...]