The Latest from Iran (4 March): A Death Penalty Mystery

2200 GMT: The Dilemma. Paused when I read this statement from Trita Parsi: "Here is the central dilemma of Iranian policy: Iran's greens need time, but Washington does not seem to think it can afford to wait."

2150 GMT: Political Prisoner News. Reports that journalist Payman Aref has been released for ten days on a $100,000 bail.

2140 GMT: Today's Super Spy Case. Here is one to watch: Italian authorities have rounded up five Iranians and two Italians (according to Associated Press, the BBC says two Iranians and five Italians), with two more Iranians being sought, on charges of sending arms to Iran in violation of the international embargo. Amongst those detained is the Rome correspondent of Iranian state television, Hamid Masouminejad.

NEW Death, Confusion, and Clerics in Iran: The Case of Mohammad Amin Valian
NEW Iran Film Special: Watching Shrek in Tehran
Iran: Today’s Rafsanjani Watch — Clarity or Confusion?
Iran Interview: The State of Tehran’s Nuclear Programme (Cirincione)
The Latest from Iran (3 March): Love and Hate

2045 GMT: Waging Soft War for the Regime. From Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

A controversial reporter with the ultraconservative Kayhan daily has been praised as Iran's first soft-war hero.


Payam Fazlinejad, who was attacked last month by unknown assailants, was described as Iran's first soft-war "janbaz" (someone who sacrifices his or her life) during a conference titled "The Celebration of Eight Months of Cyberwar" held in Tehran earlier this week....

Following the attack on Fazlinejad, the head of the semi-official Fars news agency said that Fazlinejad's writing had shed light on the true nature of the "sedition" movement and that as a writer he's been fighting in the soft-war sphere against those opposed to the Iranian establishment. He suggested that Fazlinejad's attackers are those who have been damaged by his writings.

At the ceremony, Fazlinejad, who appeared with his head bandaged, blasted the Green Movement, which he said has a "Freemason" nature and added that former President Mohammad Khatami is also a Freemason....

Following last year's disputed presidential vote, Fazlinejad has often referred ironically to the opposition press and dissidents as "nato-cultural," in an allusion to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

1800 GMT: Undermining Khamenei (While Backing Him). Abbas Salimi-Naeem, a right-wing politician and Head of the Office for Research and Documenting Iranian Contemporary History, has declared, "Hashemi Rafsanjani has problems with the election engineering that has been drawn up by the Supreme Leader."

On the surface, that is another attack on Rafsanjani and defense of Khamenei. But it is yet another public statement that raises the allegation, denied by the Supreme Leader and his inner circle, that he was involved with rigging of the election.

1410 GMT: Today's Clerics --- What Matters, What Doesn't. The Supreme Leader has used a meeting with Iran's top officials on the occasion of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday to put out some ritual phrases: "the endless oppression by the criminal Zionist regime against the innocent people of Palestine...the fake Zionist regime [is] a dangerous tumor...continuous efforts of the US, Britain, and other enemies of Islam to cause discord among the Islamic Ummah".

Meanwhile, we have a special analysis by Mr Verde of significant clerical moves, which may pose a problem for Ayatollah Khamenei beyond the Zionist tumour and enemies of Islam, over the reported death sentence on post-election protester Mohammad Amin Valian.

1240 GMT: So There. Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, has warned, "Iran's proposal for a simultaneous exchange on Iranian soil of our low enriched uranium for fuel enriched to 20 percent is still on the table but it will not stay there forever."

1150 GMT: Sanctions Watch. Amidst the current surge in activity for economic measures against Tehran, Nobel Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has spoken out: "We oppose military attack on Iran or economic sanctions because that's to the detriment of the people."
1120 GMT: Economy Watch. Time magazine notes the significance of the economic issue for the Ahmadinejad Government:

Labor unrest and economic anxiety may not be among the headlines coming out of Iran since the controversial presidential election of June 2009, but they could turn out to be critical factors in the fate of the Islamic Republic. Indeed, the regime is so sensitive about the country's well-being that it has been obfuscating economic statistics — or simply not reporting them.

1100 GMT: The Detained Director. Peyke Iran reports the release of almost all those detained in the Monday night raid by Iranian security force on the home of prominent film director Jafar Panahi. However, Panahi, his production manager, and documentary maker Mohammad Rasoulof are still imprisoned.

0900 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Payvand has a useful round-up of recent developments. These include the detention of Hessam Firouzi, human rights activist and physician to several political prisoners, and his neighbour after raids on Firouzi's home. The security forces also went through the home of Firouzi's nephew, who has been missing since January.

As we noted yesterday, Mohboubeh Karami, member of the One Million Signature Campaign, has been charged with "disturbance and participation in gatherings." This is her fifth detention.

Human rights activist and blogger Behzad Mehrani was taken into custody and at least two more activists were arrested in Isfahan.

0645 GMT: The chatter this morning continues to be over the possible death sentence handed down on 20-year-old university student Mohammad Amin Valian, detained after the Ashura demonstrations of 27 December.

Iranian authorities have still offered no confirmation (or denial). However, the office of Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi, who was accused of handing down the fatwa that led to Valian's sentence, has issued a denial. An anonymous visitor to Makarem-Shirazi's website wrote, "Many news organizations are reporting that an unjust execution sentence handed down to a student from Damghan is based on a decree by Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi. Please clarify whether this is true."

The reply from the website operators: "We have definitely not issued any fatwa [decrees] with regard to such people and this is the mischief of some sites. God willing, you’ll act according to Islamic criteria and not rush to judgement. May God’s kindness encompass everyone. Also we know that some youth have acted violently under the effects of certain emotions. These people have to be guided and if they have no links to corrupt groups they should be pardoned."

Meanwhile, a much different, if tangled, story plays out on the international front. The US is trying to set up a push for a UN Security Council resolution for tougher sanctions, with a flood of stories yesterday about a firm line from Europe and assurances that China was coming around to the American position.

However, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, meeting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her Latin American tour, has offered a firm rebuff in their news conference:

We think with our own mind. We want a world without nuclear arms, certainly without proliferation. It is not about simply bending to an opinion that may not be true. We can't simply be taken along. We have to think with our own head.

Brazil holds one of the 10 rotating, non-veto seats on the Council.

Comments

[Catherine]

RE: "The US is trying to set up a push for a UN Security Council resolution for tougher sanctions, ..."

In Washington, politicians and Iran experts have been pounding the table for what they claim to be the mother of all sanctions on Iran—a gasoline embargo. While in Tehran, Ahmadinejad and his supporters dare President Obama to go ahead and impose a gasoline embargo on Iran. They claim Iran has adequate gasoline storage and enhanced gasoline production capacity to withstand an embargo. Is there substance to Iranian claims? Would a gasoline embargo bring the Tehran regime to its knees?
http://www.insideiran.org/news/tehran-thumbs-its-nose-at-gasoline-sanctions/

[Catherine]

Economy Watch: Clever-new-term-with-"mullah"-in-it-alert!

Iran's 'mullahnomics' is failing
The Japan Times Online
By KENAN MORTAN, 3 March 2010

Nugget:
According to the vice president of the Iranian-Turkish Business Council, "it is extremely complicated to do business in Iran." A former Turkish diplomat in Iran described the business climate in stark terms: "it is as if Iranians prefer a lose/lose outcome to a win/win one in their dealings with foreign partners."

What lessons can be drawn from the failure of Turkish businesses in Iran? Some blame appalling infrastructure and high road taxes. Others suggest that Iran's almost nonexistent banking system is the culprit. Still others blame the "invisible hand of America," which is supposed to fear that Iran and Turkey could become too powerful.

But the real source of Iran's dysfunctional economy is the country's peculiar political and economic power-sharing. According to the International Monetary Fund, the Iranian economy is almost totally controlled by political actors.

[Catherine]

Sorry - I forgot to include the link:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/eo20100303a3.html

[Mohammad Valian: Ein mysteriös]

[...] März 2010 von Julia Veröffentlicht auf Enduring America am 4. März 2010 Quelle (Englisch): http://enduringamerica.com/2010/03/04/the-latest-from-iran-4-march-a-death-penalty-mystery/ Deutsche Übersetzung: Julia, bei Weiterveröffentlichung bitte Link [...]

[Catherine]

RE 06:45 GMT - alleged death sentence of Mohammad Amin Valian,

Now there's another mullah in the mix.

Senior cleric lobbying to save 20-year-old from execution
http://en.irangreenvoice.com/article/2010/mar/03/1371

[Catherine]

Economy Watch: Are Iran's Leaders Hiding a Severe Economic Downturn?
Time Magazine
3 March 2010
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1969390,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

[ange paris]

Catherine post 5
I have heard it from amou Sazegara and it's a good news; I was wondering since yesterday if Shiite islam would exist in the future with all they have done for 8 months and all the muslims would find our religion disgusting ! in the name of God doing this kind of atrocities with it's own people !! in french we have an expression : "il a le bon dos" meaning poor God , has all this heavy load, on his back !
An other expression in persian : " ba in kessafate medeh sir ham mikhorad" meaning " with his dirty estomac, he what's more eats garlic ; with all their savagery, they want to become human rights member in UN .
Instead of behavoring kindly to attrack people, and doing a positif advertising so that they adopt our religion, they keep them away !
You don't keep a good job "Messieurs les Mollahs" !!!!!! VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

[ange paris]

Finally, some of the religious have heard people voices and reacted to this savagery ( hanging a 20 years old boy); fortunately there are sensible persons in the establishement to avoid escalation of atrocities but their job is not finished and have to continue until people's wishes be satisfied, if not the turmoil will become bigger and bigger !

[Don Cox]

"I was wondering since yesterday if Shiite islam would exist in the future with all they have done for 8 months "

Perhaps it might be better if Iranians returned to their original religion, before the Arab invasion.

[Barry]

Perhaps they might all become thinking adult human beings - and discard religion completely, as the anachronism it is.

Perhaps pigs might even fly!

Barry

[Megan]

Re: 1800 GMT: attack on Rafsanjani by Abbas Salimi-Naeem.

Hassan Sharaitmadari, son of Ayatollah Shariatmadari, in an interview on March 1, 2010, spoke about Salimi attack and said neither regime supporters nor people in the Pro-Democracy Movement trust Rafsanjani any longer. I posted a summary of Shariatmadari‘s comments at 13:00 on March 4, 2010, http://enduringamerica.com/2010/03/03/iran-todays-rafsanjani-watch-clarity-or-confusion/

[ange paris]

Why not ! the great Ahoura Mazda .

[Publicola]

Re: things religious

Why not "live and let live",
as was a tried and tested ancient custom in Iran ?

The Persian Empire [under the Achaemenids] represented THE WORLD'S FIRST SUPERPOWER THAT WAS BASED ON A MODEL OF TOLERANCE AND RESPECT FOR OTHER CULTURES AND RELIGIONS.«
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_history

»The rule of the ACHAEMENIDS [lasting from c. 560 to 330 BC] over the subjected nations and peoples was altogether RATHER LIBERAL, and the diverse peoples and ethnicities of the Achaemenid Empire enjoyed a considerable autonomy, in particular the ancient civilized nations of the Babylonians and Assyrians, Elamites, Jews and Egyptians. There was NO centralized standardized administration, which would have aimed at a CULTURAL EGALITARIANISM and STANDARDIZATION. The different nations and peoples were allowed to maintain and keep to their own institutions, customs, RELIGION and language, in brief: they were allowed to maintain, keep to and preserve their individuality, as long as the general administration of the empire was in Persian hands. Evidence of this practiced POLICY OF TOLERANCE is for instance the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile and the reconstruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem - in both cases by authority and permission of Cyrus II. Not least of all the fact that highly different ethnicities and highly different religions were living together in urban centres of the Empire like Susa or Persepolis […] led to MUTUAL TOLERANCE […].«
• Ruediger Schmitt, “The Persian Empire: The first world power” in: Brockhaus [encyclopaedia] multimedia premium 2010 [DVD] - © wissenmedia GmbH, 2010
[translation and emphases by the commentator}

»During the Seleucid Dynasty throughout Alexander's former empire [312 BCE – 63 BCE], Greek became the common tongue of diplomacy and literature. Overland trade brought about some fascinating CULTURAL EXCHANGES. Buddhism came in from India, while Zoroastrianism travelled west to influence Judaism.«
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_history

»During Arsacid times [247 BC - 224 AD], Iranians also played a role in the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism from Central Asia to China. An Shih Kao, a Parthian nobleman and Buddhist missionary, went to the Chinese capital Luoyang in 148 where he established temples and became the first man to translate Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.«
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsacid_Empire

[Greeny]

Re. 2140 GMT: Today’s Super Spy Case

It is actually two Iranians and five Italians:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8546870.stm

BTW Rah-e Sabz says that Iranian TV has said that its reporter was actually a “freelance” reporter who was arrested after covering an anti-racist demonstration in Rome:
http://www.rahesabz.net/story/11485/

Expect a “spontaneous” demonstration by “martyrs’ families”, “students” and other “decent” and “good” people who “never to go such demonstrations” in front of the Italian Embassy in Tehran soon. I wonder if this time, they’ll actually manage to finish what they started and rip the street name off completely:
http://gdb.rferl.org/5BE542BC-448F-40DE-B45D-D542751F76E2_mw800_mh600.jpg

[Barry]

@Publicola

"Why not “live and let live”"

That would be perfect - unfortunately though there are MANY religious people who cannot do this , and think that their way is the only way. This is not just a recent thing - it has happened for thousands of years. As you quite rightly point out though, this is not always the case and tolerance has existed as well.

I merely wish to continue to point out an alternative to Religion. It is human maturity, coupled with reason.

Barry

[Publicola]

@ Barry,

"merely wish to continue to point out an alternative to Religion. It is human maturity, coupled with reason"

Who could disagree with you ?

D'accord !

Postscriptum:
[I sometimes wonder which cause(s)/reason(s)/what the often intolerant streak of most modern religions and their respective claim to the absolute spiritual truth can be attributed to;
the ancient Romans, Greeks and the Achaemenids apparently didn't really care
what/which God/Goddess (or if) someone believed in.
Why this kind of historical retrograde development from those times down to ours?]

[Megan]

Hi Greeny,

I do not understand why we should expect Green people to demonstrate in front of Italian embassy in Tehran. Italian people and Italian government have been great supporters of Green Movement. Italy is calling for tougher measures against IR. Italian police seem to have caught the weapon smugglers. Why would Iranians want to protest in front of Italian embassy? Am I missing something?

[Greeny]

Megan,

Re. “I do not understand why we should expect Green people to demonstrate in front of Italian embassy in Tehran... Am I missing something?”

It looks like it. I think you are talking about the final paragraph of by post #14. I suggest you read it again and look again at the photo(the link) from the previous regime organized “spontaneous” demonstration by “martyrs’ families”, “students” and other “decent” and “good” people who “never to go such demonstrations” in front of the Italian Embassy in Tehran.

A hint: take note of the quotation marks.

I was not suggesting that the Greens or real people should or would demonstrate in front of the Italian Embassy in Tehran. I was suggesting (tongue in cheek) that regime operatives would be bussed there and the regime would claim it was a “spontaneous” demonstration by “martyrs’ families”, “students” and other “decent” and “good” people who “never to go such demonstrations”.

[parvati_roma]

Re the arrests in Italy, this is what the Italian press is reporting:
http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2010/03/03/news/traffico_armi-2486671/

(My trans.)
MILAN - Nine persons althogether, including both Italian and foreign nationals, have been arrested and charged with criminal association with the aim of illegal exportation of weapons and weaponry systems to Iran, in violation of the international embargo currently in force. According to what has been reported by the Milan Province Revenue Police HQ, the persons arrested under precautionary detention orders include two Iranian secret agents.

The first is Nejad Hamid Masoumi, aged 51, accredited as a journalist with the foreign press centre in Rome, where he was arrested by the Revenue Police. The other suspected Iranian 007 was arrested in Turin. His name is Ali Damirchiloo, aged 55. Another Iranian, Hamir Reza, and Bakhtiyari Homayoun, aged 47 anni, are still at large. The arrested include Alessandro Bon, aged 43, from Vittorio Veneto but resident in Monza, whom the investigators believe to have promoted (masterminded?) the organisation through the Varese-based company Antares. His de facto wife Danila Maffei, aged 40, was also arrested, together with Bon's partner Arnaldo La Scala, aged 45, and a lawyer from Turin, Raffaele Rossi Patriarca, who according to the investigation records had travelled to Iran to contact army officers for the weaponry sale deal. Guglielmo Savi, aged 56, proprietor of a telecommunications company called Sirio srl, has also been jailed.

The investigation originated with the stoppage and seizure in Romania of 200 gun-pointers (puntatori) of the type used by marksmen. The pointers stopped by Romanian customs originated from an Italian comapny. According to what has been learned of the investigations, all the goods exported were in any case manufacturer abroad and triangulated with Italy and other countries to hide their true destination, namely Iran. The association operated in many foreign geographic areas as well as in Italy. In the course of the investigations weapons were also found in London, in Romania and even in Switzerland.

---------

I've read elsewhere that the public prosecutor involved is Armando Spataro, the guy who prosecuted a gaggle of CIA operatives + a few US-luvin' Italian spooks in the "kidnapped Imam" case, has also prosecuted everything and everyone from red brigades to algerian wannabe-terrorists with TOTAL impartiality so I'd rule out political slant/opportunism.

[parvati_roma]

P.S. seems a lot of the evidence was from duly-warranted wire-taps and the Rossi Patriarca guy arrested is a very high-profile Italian business lawyer who'd (also) been involved in leasing helicopters for transport to oil platforms in Iran - legal - as well as in weaponry dealings - illegal - so IRI/IRIB can screech "political motivation" till they're blue in the face: not convincing.

[Megan]

Greeny,

Thank you. I thought I was off and missing something. What confused me was the Green head-band of protesters in the Photo and the word “Ya Hossein” on the head band. Anyhow thank you for your comments, I breathe easier now.

[Scott Lucas]

Parvati,

Thank you so much for the information.

S.

[ange paris]

Barry
Let me to tell you a story happened in my life; ( I 'm acting like Shéhérazade, the princess of 1001 nights):
Three years ago I had a big problem in my life, I was hopeless, very sad ; one day , in my dream during the night, I saw my gandma with a long black cape in the garden, having a white dove in hands; she looked at me (I was inside and behind the window) and threw the bird in the air; few months after (5-6 months) I resolved my problem; now, I have this problem with my country, and I am very sad for my people living in the hell and shattered by all the murders, rapes....I am even not able to imagine how we can behavor like this in a "religious" country, in the name of God; so two days ago, a bird was fallen in the chimney of my fireplace and couldn't free itself from; I wondered perhaps it's wounded; I asked my sweep to come, we freed the bird, it was a baby dove, not at all wounded; we put it in the garden and it took off .
This event looked like my dream, was it a sign of God saying to me "don't worry in few months this problem will be resolved as well" !
It's the difference between religion and spirituality; the latter (for me) wrap all the good values of the former, without hatred, war ,segregations..
I call this energy "God" and I believe in; I hope his message will come true :-)

[ange paris]

Barry
"Let me tell you" and not to tell you, sorry I was not concentrating !!

[Bill]

Who wants to make a bet that the attack on Payam Fazlinejad was staged??? My bet was that the Basiji paid him a vist--we all know who owns the motorcycles in Iran afterall!!