tagged w/ Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
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Just hours after Iranian President Ahmadinejad agreed to accept an IAEA deal to enrich uranium out of the country, they suddenly backed out. The plan had been to take Iran's nuclear stockpile and send it to Russia to be enriched. It's disappointing for those concerned about Iran's plans for its enriching uranium - though I don't think it's particularly surprising.
I was thinking about how long Iran has been playing this game, and it brought to mind this Supernews gem: Iran: Deal or No Deal?
That piece was produced in 2006. Over three years ago. It's kind of disheartening to see what looks like the same game playing out, but with a few different players. No more Bush or Condoleeza Rice, and Putin is now the Prime Minister of Russia, not the President. But it's hard not to watch this and see Iran doing the same things today. Is there another card up the Obama Administration's negotiating sleeve? Let's hope so.
From the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/world/middleeast/30nuke.htmlJust hours after Iranian President Ahmadinejad agreed to accept an IAEA deal to enrich... more
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obama and mahmoud singing a lovely duet together!
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t is time to clarify the debate over Iran and its nuclear program. It's easy to criticize the current course adopted by the United States and its allies, to huff and puff about Iranian mendacity, to point out that Russia and China won't agree to tougher measures against Tehran, and to detail the leaks in the sanctions already in place. But what, then, should the United States do? The critics are eager to denounce the administration from the sidelines for being weak but rarely detail what they would do to be "tough." Would they attack Iran today? If not, then what should we do? It is time to put up or shut up on Iran.
There are three basic options that the United States and its allies have regarding Iran's nuclear program. We can bomb Iran, engage it diplomatically, or contain and deter the threat it poses. Let me outline what each would entail and then explain why I favor containment and deterrenct is time to clarify the debate over Iran and its nuclear program. It's easy to... more
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Members of the United Nations nuclear agency have concluded that Iran has acquired sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable atom bomb.Members of the United Nations nuclear agency have concluded that Iran has acquired... more
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The British MI6 agents, who uncovered an underground uranium enrichment plant near the Iranian city of Qom, have discovered five more similar operations in the mountains northern Iran, increasing the number of Iran’s nuclear facilities to seven.
Photos and schematics of the plants have been hand-delivered to Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad. Mr. Dagan has conveyed them to the G20 leaders who were meeting in Pittsburgh . . . .The British MI6 agents, who uncovered an underground uranium enrichment plant near the... more
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Controversial Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat down for an interview with CNN’s Larry King on Friday, after dominating the day’s news with the discovery of a secret nuclear facility that the country had not declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and which President Obama called “a direct challenge to the basic foundation of the nonproliferation regime.”Controversial Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat down for an interview with... more
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New York may see a taste of Tehran this week as Iranians from around the world descend on the city to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This isn’t the first time Ahmadinejad has attracted protests in New York, but it will be the first opportunity for the world’s #iranelection protestors to confront him outside of the Islamic Republic.
The Wall St Journal has a story about Iranians preparing for a big showdown:
"The New York protests are expected to be the largest gathering of Iranians in exile since the early days of the Islamic Revolution. In 1977, nearly ten thousand people gathered in Washington to oppose Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s visit to the White House. That rally became a turning point in the revolution, showing that the Shah was on shaky ground at home."
Anybody out there in NY? Outside of how bad the traffic is with the General Assembly in town, any specific encounters with Iranian protests?New York may see a taste of Tehran this week as Iranians from around the world descend... more
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"Iranian armed forces will cut off the hands of any attackers before they pull the trigger," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said."Iranian armed forces will cut off the hands of any attackers before they pull the... more
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is heading to the UN General Assembly this week with a message of peace.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is heading to the UN General Assembly this week with a message of... more
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"The pretext (Holocaust) for the creation of the Zionist regime (Israel) is false ... It is a lie based on an unprovable and mythical claim," Ahmadinejad said."The pretext (Holocaust) for the creation of the Zionist regime (Israel) is false ...... more
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South American bad boy, Hugo Chávez has just completed a world tour love fest which included Libya, Iran, Algeria, Syria, Turkmenistan, Belarus and Russia.South American bad boy, Hugo Chávez has just completed a world tour love fest which... more
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07.08.09
Peace Junkie TV: IRAN
"So 4 More Years Of Ahmedinejad then...yikes.
Since the announcement of the controversial President of Iran's surprise re-election, supporters of rival candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi have taken to the street amidst suspicions of voter fraud.
In response the hardline elements within the government have conscripted security forces to stamp out the protests.
The main misgivings stem from how Ahmadinejad seemed, on the basis of the results at least, to have won in areas that were mostly pro-oppostion. Places like Tehran where he somehow managed to win by over 50%. He is deeply disliked in the big cities and has never won big there. So add this with him beating his opposition in their own provinces?
Goes without saying that to even the casual observer, things look a bit dodge.
Juan Cole gives a breakdown on his blog on the key points of contention. But although these points don't necessarily mean that Ahmadinejad stole the election, you decide for yourself.
http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html
http://mashable.com/2009/06/20/iran-youtube/
Peace."07.08.09
Peace Junkie TV: IRAN
"So 4 More Years Of Ahmedinejad then...yikes.... more
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By MUHAMMAD SAHIMI in Los Angeles | 24 July 2009
[TEHRAN BUREAU] comment Iran’s rigged presidential election of June 12, 2009, has given rise to a very odd phenomenon. Some supposedly leftists and progressives in America have adopted the view that the Iranian election was not rigged. They believe that the Iranian reformists have not been honest about the election (they say the reformists knew they would lose). They allege that the demonstrations in Iran against the rigged election are mostly the work of Western intelligence agencies stirring up trouble. In taking such a position, these so-called leftists and progressives have firmly sided with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As someone on the left side of the political spectrum, who believes in a progressive and enlightened interpretation of Islamic and Shia teachings, the author feels deeply embarrassed by such proclamations from so-called leftists, some of whom do not know the first thing about Iran and Iranians, yet speak about developments there with such absolute certainty. There are those who believe that with Ahmadinejad, Iranians have gotten exactly what they deserve. And there are others still who subscribe to odd and far-fetched conspiracy theories. They see a plot hatched by Western intelligence agencies (and now even the reformists), behind everything that happens. While such intrigues do exist in some cases, the present situation in Iran does not appear to be one of them. At the very least, there is no concrete evidence for it.
Let us also get another fact straight: the massive demonstrations that broke out in Tehran and other Iranian cities after the results of the rigged election were announced did not represent a pro-West reform movement, but a genuinely Iranian one. They did not, and still do not, represent a so-called colored revolution, akin to what happened in the Ukraine or Georgia, even though the movement has adopted the color green as its symbol.
In fact, what is happening in Iran is not even a revolution, but a democratic movement. Since long before the 1979 Revolution, green has been one of the three colors in Iran’s flag. Also, as Mir Hossein Mousavi, the main reformist candidate, has pointed out, green has a deep association with Islam and its teachings. So the color green and shouts of Allah-o Akbar (God is Great) are tactics are reminiscent of the 1979 Revolution — certainly not a pro-West revolution.
Let us then look at up some of the reasons invoked by some “leftist-progressives” to argue that Ahmadinejad actually won the election without any significant and game-changing fraud:
Ahmadinejad won because he represents the proud tradition of Iranians’ deeply-rooted nationalism, standing up for the country’s political independence from Western powers.
Ahmadinejad is an Islamic fundamentalist. The fundamentalists do not even believe in nationalism, but only in an Islamic nation, composed of all the present Islamic countries.
Moreover, a true nationalist does not sacrifice his country’s national interests for the sake of others. By his senseless barrage of belligerent rhetoric against Israel, and denying the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad offered the United States and other powers the perfect excuse to convince the world of the (non-existent) dangers posed by Iran’s nuclear program. This has enabled these powers to send Iran’s nuclear dossier to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), through a totally illegal process, and to force the UNSC to impose sanctions against Iran. Anyone with even the slightest familiarity with how the UNSC works knows that once the case of a certain country, which the West perceives as a danger, goes before the UNSC, it will never leave the UNSC unless it satisfies the conditions that the Western powers want to impose on that country. Ahmadinejad has put Iran in such a situation.
ContinuedBy MUHAMMAD SAHIMI in Los Angeles | 24 July 2009
[TEHRAN BUREAU] comment Iran’s... more
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Iranian’s supreme leader/adviser declared incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President of Iran, winning 63% of the votes. Protesters took it to the streets, claiming the election results were rigged and there’s no way the majority voted for Ahmadinejad.
During the protests, chaos erupted. Several protesters were beaten, others to death.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Iranian Americans say they’re outraged. They say they’re now mobilizing, protesting, collecting signatures, and urging the US government to help. They vow to not stop until the Iranian people are free.Iranian’s supreme leader/adviser declared incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President... more
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wants to engage President Obama in "negotiations" before international media, a semi-official Iranian news outlet reported on Saturday.
Speaking at a meeting of medical school deans, Ahmadinejad said Iran "will soon pursue a new round of diplomatic activity" amid a new position of strength for the Iranian government, the Iranian Student News Agency quotes him as saying.
"I will go to the United Nations and will invite Obama to negotiations," Ahmadinejad said, adding that such talks would be "in front of the international media, not a sit-down behind closed doors in order to talk about matters."
The Obama administration has sought dialogue with Iran but also criticized the government for its handling of unrest after disputed presidential elections.
Last week, Obama said Iran's government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States, but in the opinion of its own people.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wants to engage President Obama in... more
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lvp
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added this
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4 months ago
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Tutti siamo maestri e consiglieri, ma come dovrebbe comportarsi veramente Obama sulla questione iraniana? Tesi tratta da un articolo di Paul Kennedy pubblicato su Internazionale del 3 luglio:
"Gli Stati Uniti dovrebbero smettere di decidere per conto terzi su ogni situazione di crisi che si presenta in giro per il mondo lasciando l'iniziativa a quesi paesi che rischiano più dell'America per il bizzarro comportamento di alcuni stati canaglia".
Buona lettura.Tutti siamo maestri e consiglieri, ma come dovrebbe comportarsi veramente Obama sulla... more
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In order to plan for what comes next for Iran and the Middle East, check out these 50 lectures that will help you understand the country’s religious history, social culture, political traditions, and more.In order to plan for what comes next for Iran and the Middle East, check out these 50... more
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Mark Sanford isn't the only person relishing the King of Pop's demise—national-security experts are warning that his death could distract from Iran's increasing crackdown on democracy.
The jokes popped up almost immediately that Mark Sanford was the luckiest guy on earth after word broke that Michael Jackson had suffered a heart attack. But the notion that Jackson's death, which preempted virtually all other news coverage on the cable networks last night, is sucking up media attention from other matters carries a dark edge to it as well. National-security experts are warning that without sustained attention on Iran, its repressive tactics could grow more deadly in the coming days.
The Jackson story, paired with Farrah Fawcett's death and Sanford's own scandal, “without a doubt” poses a danger in Iran, according to Michael Rubin, an American Enterprise Institute scholar and former Bush administration official.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Rubin said the issue was already a hot topic among his colleagues in the Middle East.
“To put it this way, the gods are not in favor of hope and change,” Rubin said.
“Unfortunately in Iran people are going to prison, but when a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, the pressure goes away.”
Rubin cited Sudan as an example of where international pressure, encouraged by heavy media coverage, helped force the government to significantly reduce violence.
“It's a sad commentary that celebrity still trumps national security in news coverage, but that’s the world we live in,” he said.
[article continued at link]Mark Sanford isn't the only person relishing the King of Pop's... more
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Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says on his official Web site that his access to people is being restricted and that he is being pressured to withdraw his election challenge.Iran's opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says on his official Web site that his... more
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