Daily News Digest:  Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Iran’s Factional Disputes Grow Increasingly Bitter (New York Times) - On Wednesday, aides to Iran’s president lashed out publicly at two former presidents, the nation’s most influential dissident cleric said government officials had taken a “deviant path” and a government-aligned Web site reported that the Tehran prosecutor had been fired.

Iran Prompts Debate Over Mideast Defense Umbrella (NPR) -Iran’s leaders say the country’s nuclear program exists only for the purpose of generating electricity. Western intelligence agencies say the Islamic republic aims to produce nuclear weapons and intimidate its neighbors. How close is Iran to getting the bomb? How might it be stopped? And what are the implications for the United States and the rest of the world if Iran succeeds? This week, NPR looks at Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons programs in a series.

Iran calls for death penalty on reformists in dock (TIMES UK) -  Iran has called for the death penalty on former government ministers who were today put on trial for allegedly orchestrating pro-democracy protests.  One of the first in the dock in today’s mass hearing was Saeed Hajjarian, a former deputy intelligence minister who is opposed to the hardine regime of President Ahmadinejad. Mr Hajjarian is accused of acting against Iran’s national security – a crime punishable by death.

Iranian prosecutor demands death penalty for reformer (The Independent) -
An Iranian prosecutor has called for the death penalty for a senior reformer put on trial yesterday for allegedly plotting pro-democracy protests. Saeed Hajjarian, a former minister, was accused of acting against national security, a crime punishable by death, in the fourth mass trial of moderates after Iran’s disputed election. The prosecutor called for “maximum punishment”.

Iran Judiciary Targets Opposition (WSJ) -In the hardliners boldest attempt to consolidate power and crush opposition, Iran’s judiciary on Tuesday targeted the government’s top opponents and called for the elimination of the two major reformist political parties.

Policy On Tehran Faces New Test (WSJ) - The expected release Thursday of a key United Nations report on Tehran’s nuclear program kicks off a month of international diplomacy that could severely test the Obama administration’s Iran policy, said U.S. and Western diplomats.

Senior Iranian cleric calls system a dictatorship & that country’s supreme leader has ‘trampled’ people’s rights (MSNBC) - Iran’s most senior dissident cleric on Wednesday criticized the ruling system under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a dictatorship in the name of Islam, the most serious attack on the country’s top official following the disputed presidential election.

On Reports of Secret Burials (Rooz Online) - The news of the secret burial of martyrs of recent protests has gained widespread coverage in the media in recent days.  Norooz website, the media arm for the Islamic Iran Participation Front [Jebheye Mosharekat Iran Eslami] has been under attack by government supporters for exposing the issue.

Iran Trial Targets Top Opposition Figures (WSJ) - Iran’s prosecutors on Tuesday targeted the government’s top opponents and called for the elimination of two reformist political parties, in the hard-liners’ boldest attempt during mass trials to crush opposition.

Iranian Protest Figures Could Face Execution (WASHINGTON POST) – The attorney prosecuting leading opposition figures in Iran asked a court Tuesday to give them “the maximum punishment,” offering the clearest indication to date that the government crackdown against the organizers of protests this summer could include executions.

Ahmadinejad’s New Headache: the Dismissed Minister (ROOZ ONLINE) - Mohseni Ejhei who until a month ago was the minister of interior of the ninth administration until the Ahmadinejad removed him from office because of their verbal exchanges over the president’s appointment of Esfandiar Rahim Mashai as the first vice-president.

Shocking Story of a Rape Victim (ROOZ ONLINE) – On Monday, members of Majlis’ special committee which is investigating the issue of the treatment of prisoners who were rounded up during the recent street incidents in Iran paid a visit to Mehdi Karoubi, the protesting presidential nominee in the June 12 elections, to pick up evidence and documents related to sexual abuses at Kahrizak detention center. At the same time, Karoubi published his first document in support of his claims of sexual abuse of Kahrizak.

Tehran Letter: The Fears Of An Iranian Bank Clerk (Radio Free Europe) – The taxi that takes me to work every morning was late. Trying to avoid the darting beams of morning sunlight, I snuggled under a sycamore tree. It reminded me of a European friend of mine who visited Iran in August 2000 and who insisted on walking in the sun and avoiding the shade.

Freed Academic Haleh Esfandiari: ‘Iranians Want Evolution, Not Revolution’ (Huffington Post) – Renowned journalist and academic Haleh Esfandiari used to fly from Washington, D.C., to Tehran every Christmas to visit her elderly mother. This pleasant routine changed dramatically in 2007 when Esfandiari was arrested and charged with plotting to overthrow the Iranian government, with a little help from the United States. The soft-spoken intellectual (and grandmother of two) spent months in Evin Prison, sleeping on the floor and enduring harrowing interrogations, until an international outcry hastened her release.

Iran’s Khatami says trial confessions “invalid” (Reuters) – Former President Mohammad Khatami said on Wednesday trial confessions by moderates accused of fomenting post-election unrest were made under “extraordinary conditions” and were invalid, the ILNA news agency reported.

Iraq Shia leader dies of cancer (BBC) - Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of one of the most powerful Shia Muslim parties in Iraq, has died, his aides say.  Hakim had been suffering from cancer and had been receiving treatment in hospital in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Iran cemetery ex-head denies “mass burial” rumor (Reuters) - A former head of Tehran’s largest cemetery said on Wednesday no mass burial had ever taken place there, after an MP said a committee was looking into rumors that protesters killed during demonstrations had been buried at the site.

Iranian dissident hero recants (AP) –Saeed Hajjarian was a diehard hero of Iran’s reform movement, campaigning to reduce the power of the Islamic clerics even after he was shot in the head in an assassination attempt that left him partially paralyzed.

If Rafsanjani, Khamenei, Moussavi and Karroubi are arrested (Iranian) – What is needed are tactics that don’t play into the hands of Khamenei’s security thugs–tactics dramatic enough to swing many members of the military and security forces to the public’s side when ordered to engage in unpalatable dirty work. Two likely public responses would probably fail miserably because the regime will be prepared to counter them.

Tech startup creates State Dept.-approved educational games for Middle East (ZDnet) – The U.S. State Department has contracted a small Virginia-based startup to create mobile phone games to help citizens of nations the U.S. has poor relations with — mostly in the Middle East — learn about America and its values.

Booming hookah biz links China, Iran, Egypt – and Texas (CNN) -    Social Smoke is growing gangbusters, and its success says a lot about the new international, cross-cultural landscape of American small business. It is run by Abrahim’s father, Sayyid Nadimi, 51, who emigrated from Iran before the 1979 revolution, and his U.S.-born sons.

Iran summons top Argentine diplomat after protest of nominee (CNN) – Iran summoned Argentina’s top diplomat in Tehran on Monday after the country complained about the nomination of a man who has been linked to a 1994 terrorist bombing in Buenos Aires, Iranian media have reported.

AEA to report Iran atom slowdown ahead of talks (Reuters) - U.N. inspectors are set to report that Iran has slowed the expansion of its disputed nuclear program and is cooperating more with them just as major powers prepare to discuss harsh sanctions against Tehran.

Camping With The Basij (Radio Free Europe) – A week has past since we attended the religious-cultural camp, “Verses of Civilization,” set up by the Basij students in Mashhad. We, a total of 30 instructors, had to take responsibility for about 400 elite Basiji girls.

US Says Iranian Charges Against American Citizen Unfounded (Voice of America) - The United States said Wednesday that subversion charges against an Iranian-American academic on trial in Tehran are without foundation and renewed a call for his release.

New Prison-Rape Allegations In Iran Bring Practice To Light (Radio Free Europe) – Allegations of prison authorities’ use of rape as a means of punishment or intimidation in the Islamic republic are nothing new.

Iran’s Khamenei says protests were planned before vote (Reuters) - Iran’s supreme leader said on Wednesday opposition protests that erupted after the country’s June presidential vote were planned in advance, but he said he did not believe its leaders were agents of foreigners.

For Israel, A Nuclear Iran Poses Existential Threat (NPR) - Iran’s leaders say the country’s nuclear program exists only for the purpose of generating electricity. Western intelligence agencies say the Islamic republic aims to produce nuclear weapons and intimidate its neighbors. How close is Iran to getting the bomb? How might it be stopped? And what are the implications for the United States and the rest of the world if Iran succeeds? This week, NPR looks at Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons programs in a series.

France’s Sarkozy raises Iran sanction threat (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened on Wednesday to press for tougher sanctions on Iran and repeated his call for broad international action to curb financial market abuses.

IRAN: Popular analyst seen smiling at his ’show trial’ (Los Angeles Times) – Inside the courtroom, he wore eyeglasses and a prison uniform as well as an ironic smirk that let all know he was doing OK.

Source: Iran News Digest

Iran Prompts Debate Over Mideast Defense Umbrella

Secretary of State Clinton implicitly acknowledged the possibility that the U.S. may not be able to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.  She also suggested a potential response: the extension of the U.S. defense umbrella to friends and allies in the Middle East.

(Mike Shuster | NPR – Morning Edition | 26 August 2009) – Iran’s leaders say the country’s nuclear program exists only for the purpose of generating electricity. Western intelligence agencies say the Islamic republic aims to produce nuclear weapons and intimidate its neighbors. How close is Iran to getting the bomb? How might it be stopped? And what are the implications for the United States and the rest of the world if Iran succeeds? This week, NPR looks at Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons programs in a series. (Listen to the story | Read the transcript) Read the rest of this entry »

Daily News Digest:  Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Reformists Accused of Murder and Espionage (ROOZ ONLINE) - Although prior to the June 12 presidential election, Iranian military officers denied any participation in political affairs, many of them, especially those serving in the Islamic Revolution Passdaran Guards Corps (IRGC), have begun providing political analyses on a daily basis since the election. Some have gone further and clarified their role in suppressing certain political events, which they regard to be part of their central duties.

Political Turmoil In Iran Complicates U.S. Diplomacy (NPR) -Iran’s leaders say the country’s nuclear program exists only for the purpose of generating electricity. Western intelligence agencies say the Islamic republic aims to produce nuclear weapons and intimidate its neighbors. How close is Iran to getting the bomb? How might it be stopped? And what are the implications for the United States and the rest of the world if Iran succeeds? This week, NPR looks at Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons programs in a series.

Ahmadinejad Calls Outgoing Minister A Peach (RADIO FREE EUROPE) – Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has compared his outgoing health minister, Kamran Lankarani, to a peach you want to eat, a description usually used for a good-looking woman.

Iran announces largest oil find for five years (Arabian Business) – Iran’s oil minister Gholamhossein Nozari said over 8.8 billion barrels of crude oil has been discovered in four new layers at the Sousangerd oilfield, the largest in five years, the IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

Iran to put more anti-Ahmadinejad protesters on trial (AFP) -Iran will put on trial on Tuesday seven more protesters arrested in the aftermath of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed election victory, the ISNA news agency reported.

Iranian man to be stoned to death despite moratorium (TELEGRAPH) – Naghi Ahmadi was sentenced to death by stoning in June last year in the northern city of Sari, after he visited a married woman’s home in the night while her husband was away working in another city, the Sarmayeh newspaper reported.

US takes on Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran’s nuclear programme in one massive gamble (GUARDIAN UK) – The Obama administration’s approach to two of the world’s most intractable and dangerous problems, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran’s nuclear programme, is to link them together in the search for a solution to both.

Iranian opposition face coup charge (AL JAZEERA) – High-ranking former government officials and leading reformers have gone on trial in Iran, charged with trying to launch a coup.

Stalinist Show Trials: Part Four (TEHRAN BUREAU) -The fourth installment of the Stalinesque show trials of the leaders of the reformist movement was held today in Tehran. In this part of the big show, some of the most important reformist leaders were featured, including Dr. Mohsen Mirdamadi, secretary-general of Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), the most important reformist group in Iran.

Iran Puts More Senior Reformers On Trial (RADIO FREE EUROPE) – Iran has put several leading reformers in the dock, official media reported, in its fourth mass trial of people accused of fomenting unrest after June’s disputed presidential election.

Intelligence Report: Iran Financing Al-Qaeda in Iraq (Memri) - A report submitted to Iraq’s senior leadership by the Iraqi Intelligence Service indicates the existence of three terrorist organizations or groups which carry the name of Al-Qaeda – two of which are financed by Iran.

Iran’s Most Wanted (Slate) - President Obama has said that he wants “the Islamic Republic of Iran” to be welcomed back into the “community of nations.” Unfortunately, it is precisely the fact that it is an Islamic republic that excludes it from such consideration. A pointed reminder of this was provided last week, when the country’s dictator, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, freshly blooded from his recent military coup, nominated his choice of defense minister. This turns out to be Ahmad Vahidi, who if confirmed will be the only holder of the defense portfolio in the world to be simultaneously wanted by Interpol.

Iran Prosecutes Top Reform Figures in Mass Trial (VOA) - Iranian judiciary officials have put several top reformers on trial, including a man considered to be a key leader of the pro-democracy movement.

Iranian Prosecutors Seek to Shut 2 Reform Parties (New York Times) - Iran’s prosecutors moved Tuesday to shut down the nation’s two largest reform parties during a mass trial of former officials, journalists and academics all arrested and charged with conspiring to orchestrate a so-called velvet revolution in Iran.

Iran MPs snub Ahmadinejad Ramadan feast: report (AFP) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited parliament’s 290 MPs to an Iftar feast to break the Ramadan fast… but almost nobody came, a reformist newspaper reported on Tuesday.  “On Sunday evening, only 20 out of the 290 lawmakers attended the party hosted by the president,” the Etemad newspaper said.

TIMELINE: Iran’s nuclear program (REUTERS) – Iran has not expanded the number of centrifuges enriching uranium at its Natanz nuclear site since the end of May after increasing capacity steadily over the previous three years, diplomats said.

Atomic Agency Is Pressed on Iran Records (NY TIMES) – The Obama administration and its European allies are pressing the International Atomic Energy Agency to make public evidence that they believe points toward an Iranian drive to gain the ability to build a nuclear weapon, part of a broad effort to build a case for far more punishing sanctions against the country.

Iran nuclear expansion stalled (BBC) – Iran has not expanded the number of centrifuges enriching uranium at its nuclear facilities since the end of May, diplomats have told the BBC.  But they said there had been an increase in the number of centrifuges installed and that they could be brought online within weeks.

Iran slows down uranium enrichment (FINANCIAL TIMES) - Iran has not expanded the number of centrifuges enriching uranium at its Natanz nuclear site since the end of May after increasing capacity steadily over the previous three years, diplomats said.

Barack Obama on brink of deal for Middle East peace talks (GUARDIAN UK) – Barack Obama is close to brokering an Israeli-Palestinian deal that will allow him to announce a resumption of the long-stalled Middle East peace talks before the end of next month, according to US, Israeli, Palestinian and European officials.

The Bloody Red Summer of 1988 (TEHRAN BUREAU) – The 1980s, particularly the period between 1980 and 1988, are the darkest and bloodiest in the history of contemporary Iran. In 1980, the country was still in the grip of the chaos of the 1979 Revolution. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had been toppled, but the provisional government of Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan did not last long either. They resigned on November 5, 1979, the day after Islamic leftist students overran the United States embassy in Tehran.

Will Iran’s Economic Partners Block Sanctions? (MSNBC) - With a September deadline from the White House on Iran’s nuclear program only weeks away, it remains unclear whether the United States can impose sanctions against the Islamic state in the face of possible opposition from Iran’s economic allies.

Iran May Fail To Tap Oil Find As Sanctions Tighten-Analysts (WSJ) - Iran may struggle to put its latest oil field discovery into production because of a lack of technology and tougher commercial sanctions, analysts said Tuesday.

Iranian Reformist Leader’s Son Talks About Court Appearance (RADIO FREE EUROPE) – The son of reformist cleric and former parliament speaker Mehdi Karrubi says that he was summoned to court on August 25 on security charges and for giving interviews to Persian-language media based outside Iran. Hossein Karrubi was interviewed by RFE/RL’s Radio Farda broadcaster Roya Karimi.

Iran MPs to probe ‘mass burials’ (BBC) - A member of a parliamentary committee reportedly says it is investigating claims of a mass burial of protesters after Iran’s disputed June election.

Iran’s Sajjil missile ‘threatens Europe’ (UPI) – Uzi Rubin, former head of Israel’s ballistic missile defense program, says Iran has made a “technological and strategic breakthrough” with its Sajjil-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which will be able to hit a swathe of European states in three to four years.

Karrubi publishes prison detainee’s rape account (CNN) – They have dismissed him, attempted to silence him and threatened him with arrest.  But Iran’s Islamic hardliners so far have failed to stifle opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi’s claims that post-election detainees have been abused — some even raped — behind bars.

Iran Resumes Mass Trial of Opposition Figures (NY TIMES) - One of Iran’s most prominent pro-reform figures admitted fomenting unrest and asked for the country’s forgiveness Tuesday, the latest confession in the mass trial of opposition activists detained in the postelection crackdown.

Behind the Carnage in Baghdad  (WASHINGTON POST) – As security deteriorates in Baghdad, there’s a new cause for worry: The head of the U.S.-trained Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) has quit in a long-running quarrel with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki — depriving that country of a key leader in the fight against sectarian terrorism.

Iran’s Televised ‘Confessions’ Spark a Wave of Parodies (MEDIA LINE) – The confession begins with a raspy, earnest and weary voice: “Ladies and Gentlemen… I am confessing about my desire to overthrow the Islamic Republic. I caused a velvet revolution by using tools such as Twitter, Facebook, BBC, New York Times, CNN. I am very guilty. Please forgive me. I truly apologize to the people of Iran.”

Quds Force: Iran’s Islamic Pit Bulls (SF EXAMINER) - The “Quds Force,” an organization that has been mentioned a seemingly infinite number of times by the media, subject matter experts, military officers, and politicians. In fact, it is difficult to discuss insurgency activities in Iraq and Afghanistan without the term, “Quds Force,” coming up. So, what is it, who are its members, and what is its purpose? These are very good questions, indeed.

Top Sunni rebel on Iran death row says US ordered attacks (AFP) - A top Sunni rebel who is awaiting execution in Iran said on Tuesday that his militant group received orders from the United States to launch terror attacks in the Islamic republic.

Tech startup creates State Dept.-approved educational games for Middle East (ZDnet) – The U.S. State Department has contracted a small Virginia-based startup to create mobile phone games to help citizens of nations the U.S. has poor relations with — mostly in the Middle East — learn about America and its values.

Iranians Fume, Do Drugs, Have Sex Changes: Interview (Bloomberg) – “I don’t think there’s anybody, Iranian or otherwise, expert or otherwise, who wasn’t really taken aback by this election,” says Hooman Majd.

Source: Iran News Digest

Could Deterrence Counter A Nuclear Iran?

(Mike Shuster| NPR – Morning Edition | 25 August 2009) - Iran’s leaders say the country’s nuclear program exists only for the purpose of generating electricity. Western intelligence agencies say the Islamic republic aims to produce nuclear weapons and intimidate its neighbors. How close is Iran to getting the bomb? How might it be stopped? And what are the implications for the United States and the rest of the world if Iran succeeds? This week, NPR looks at Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons programs in a series. For a full transcript, click here. Read the rest of this entry »

Top Iran reform figures on trial

The trial has begun in Iran of a number of senior opposition figures following June’s disputed presidential election.

(BBC | 25 August 2009) - The defendants, who include former ministers in the 1997-2005 Khatami government, are accused of conspiring with foreign powers to organise unrest. Read the rest of this entry »

Daily News Digest:  Monday, August 24, 2009

Think Again: Realism (Foreign Policy) - No. Pragmatists maybe, but not “realists.” Barack Obama’s election as U.S. president delighted many people, especially the self-described foreign-policy “realists” who accused his predecessor, George W. Bush, of denying reality in favor of dangerous idealism. Obama has praised the realpolitik of Bush’s father, George H.W. Bush. And a White House official recently told the Wall Street Journal, “[Obama] has really kind of clicked with that old-school, end-of-the-Cold-War wise-men generation.” The elder Bush’s national security advisor, Brent Scowcroft, called Obama’s election a rejection of the younger Bush “in favor of realism.”

Iran’s Cabinet Picks Widely Denounced (WSJ) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is facing criticism of his cabinet nominees both at home and abroad, as the political turmoil in the country deepens less than a month into his second term.

Iran And The Bomb: U.S. Keeps Options Open (NPR) – Iran’s leaders say the country’s nuclear program exists only for the purpose of generating electricity. Western intelligence agencies say the Islamic republic aims to produce nuclear weapons and intimidate its neighbors. How close is Iran to getting the bomb? How might it be stopped? And what are the implications for the United States and the rest of the world if Iran succeeds? This week, NPR looks at Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons programs in a series.

States of Play (FOREIGN POLICY) - But for national oil companies without ready access to capital, such as the National Iranian Oil Company, Mexico’s Pemex, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, tough economic times can be much harder.

Iranians Seek Out Abuses By U.S. (WASHINGTON POST) – Iranian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Sunday for a bill creating a $20 million fund intended in part to expose human rights violations by the United States, the ILNA news agency reported.

The Tehran File (WASHINGTON POST) – SEPTEMBER WILL be a crucial month for the Obama administration’s efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. President Obama has said that Iran must respond to his offer of direct talks or risk tougher economic sanctions.

Iran’s Karroubi Tries a More Confrontational Approach (TIME) – He may have finished last in Iran’s disputed presidential election, but in the weeks that followed, Mehdi Karroubi has often taken the lead in challenging the Iranian government.

Reformer in Iran Publishes Account of a Prison Rape (NY TIMES) – A young man arrested after the disputed presidential election in Iran says he was raped by his jailers, then questioned by officials who blamed him for the attack and embarrassed him, according to a statement on the party Web site of an Iranian reform leader, Mehdi Karroubi.

‘I Was Shocked To My Very Insides’ (RADIO FREE EUROPE) – Doctor Fazeli, one of the most famous surgeons in Iran, asked me to be his assistant yesterday morning. As his surgeries are always among the most complicated cardiac procedures, and I learn many new things each time, I was glad to accept the offer.

Iran Says Cooperating With IAEA; West Skeptical (RADIO FREE EUROPE) - Iran will continue to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog, the Foreign Ministry has said, appearing to confirm that Tehran has let inspectors access a reactor under construction after blocking visits for a year.

Iran military wants ’swift retribution’ (CNN) – Top Iranian military officials have called for even faster prosecutions and demanded “swift retribution” for post-election detainees, despite more than 100 Iranians going through mass trials this month, Iranian media reported.

‘I Was Shocked To My Very Insides’ (RADIO FREE EUROPE) – Doctor Fazeli, one of the most famous surgeons in Iran, asked me to be his assistant yesterday morning. As his surgeries are always among the most complicated cardiac procedures, and I learn many new things each time, I was glad to accept the offer.

The west struggles with Iran’s game (FINANCIAL TIMES) - “Resistance” has won; the US’s “blade is losing its edge day by day”. So declared Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, after a meeting with Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, who turned up in Tehran last week to congratulate Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad on his “election”.

Iran MP: alleged jail rape victims may testify (REUTERS) – Four people who say they were sexually abused in jail after Iran’s disputed election may be ready to provide testimony to parliament, a lawmaker quoted pro-reform cleric Mehdi Karoubi as saying on Monday.

IRAN: Officials blame alleged rape victim for his own jailhouse attack (LA TIMES) – Iranian officials interviewed an alleged victim of jailhouse rape at the hands of security personnel. But instead of consoling him, they asked him embarrassing questions and blamed him for the violence.

Iran Protests Argentine Stance on Ahmadinejad’s Defense Nominee (BLOOMBERG) – Iran summoned the top Argentine diplomat in Tehran to protest Argentina’s allegation that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s nominee for defense minister was involved in a 1994 terrorist attack in Buenos Aires.

We Cannot Cheer this Government (ROOZ ONLINE) - What does one make of a government that nominates three women cabinet ministers, but whose legitimacy remains in question by the public?  Any answer to this question will not translate into legitimacy for the government. However, since the issue of women’s political participation is not limited to today or yesterday, we discussed this issue with three feminist activists: Shadi Sadr, Parvin Ardalan and Zohre Arzani. Here are their views.

Iran’s Historic Election and Implications on U.S. Policy (HUFFINGTON POST) – The international community should continue to express its condemnation over Iran’s ‘Show Trials’ and human rights violations. Russia’s concern over the use of force and the European Union’s sustained condemnations are important steps. Sweden’s Foreign Minister took it a step further by refusing to congratulate Ahmadinejad while condemning the country’s incessant assaults on civil rights. As the international community continues to express its concerns and condemnations, it should simultaneously withhold from expressing solidarity with specific elements in Iran, since overt international support generally causes more harm.

Iran religious minority MPs under pressure to travel to New York with Ahmadinejad (WASHINGTON TV) -Parleman News, a Persian-language news website affiliated to the Line of the Imam pro-reform, minority faction in Iran’s Majlis [parliament],  reports today that “the representatives of religious minorities in the eighth Majlis” have been placed under “extreme pressure” to accompany President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his trip to New York.

Iranian director to show film about protests at Venice festival (WASHINGTON TV) - Iranian film director Hana Makhmalbaf will preview her film about the protests that followed Iran’s disputed presidential election, at the Venice Film Festival, organizers said on Monday.

India plans 6,000 MW power project in Iran-report (REUTERS) - India is considering building a gas-based 6,000 megawatts (MW) power plant in Iran along with a 1,500 kilometres high voltage transmission link to carry power to India, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported on Monday.

Principlist MP grilled by journalist about jailhouse visit (Tehran Bureau) – Farhad Tajari, the spokesman for the Majlis Judicial Commission Farhad, was one of two lawmakers allowed to visit Mostafa Tajzadeh. This is an interview about the visit, which appeared in the daily newspaper, Etemad-e Melli.

Source: Iran News Digest

Fourth Show Trial of Reformist in Tehran with Prominent Reformist Hajjarian [Persian]

(Fars News | YouTube) – One of Iran’s most prominent pro-reform figures admitted fomenting unrest and asked for the country’s forgiveness Tuesday during the mass trial of activists detained in the post-election crackdown in a confession that the opposition said was coerced. The courtroom statement by Saeed Hajjarian — who is considered one of the reform movement’s top architects and who was shot in the head in a 2000 assassination attempt — was the latest dramatic confession in the month-old trial that the opposition has compared to Josef Stalin’s “show trials” of opponents in the Soviet Union.

The Daily News Digest:  Sunday, August 23, 2009

Iranian Lawmakers Begin Review of Cabinet Nominees (NY TIMES) - Iran’s Parliament began formally reviewing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s nominees for his cabinet on Sunday in a process that has highlighted deep divisions among Iran’s leaders and the president’s own diminished standing.

The Challenges Of A Nuclear Iran (NPR) – The turmoil that erupted following Iran’s disputed presidential election in June has put the Islamic republic squarely back into the headlines. But in some ways it has obscured a bigger, on-going concern for the U.S. and the international community: the question of whether Iran’s theocratic regime is on its way to becoming a nuclear-armed state.

Expect More Adventurism From Iran (WSJ) – Shortly after the rigged election and popular uprising in Iran, a seductive conventional wisdom emerged in Western policy-making circles: The Iranian regime, if it survived, would be significantly weakened by internal problems and would abandon its regional ambitions. Tehran’s influence in the Middle East will diminish as the hardline regime scrambles to ensure its own survival.

In Iran, report of secret burials brings call for inquiry (LA TIMES) -  An Iranian lawmaker vowed Saturday to examine allegations that dozens of unidentified people killed in the recent post-election unrest were secretly buried last month in the country’s largest cemetery.

Iran Increases Economic Independence (MEDIA LINE) – Iran in is taking several steps from shipbuilding refinery construction to increase its economic self sustainability to counter threat of sanctions.

Lawmaker backs Iranian defense chief nominee (AP) – The head of an influential committee in Iran’s parliament said he believes the nominee for defense minister will be approved despite accusations he was involved in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.

Yemeni Government Fingers Iran as Arms Supplier to Northern Houthi Rebels (HUFFINGTON POST) – The sixth Sa’ada war between central government forces and Houthi rebels in Yemen’s north is well underway and expected to drag given the latter’s rolls of fresh recruits from the region and their unconventional tactics aided by weapons from Iran, according to the country’s ruling party.

Did Mossad hijack Russian ship to stop Iran arms shipment? (JERUSALEM POST) – The mystery surrounding the hijacking of a Russian freighter in July has taken a new twist with reports claiming the pirates were acting in league with the Israeli Mossad secret service in order to halt a shipment of modern weapon systems hidden on board and destined for Iran.

IRAN: Ahmadinejad aide proposes Evin Prison diet plan (LA TIMES) - A close aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested that Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a reformist critic of the president, appeared so gaunt during his televised confession this month because he himself had decided to take off some weight.

Terror suspect ‘to get’ Iran job (BBC) - Iran’s nomination for defence minister is likely to be approved despite being linked to a bombing in Argentina, an influential politician has said.

The Region: Iran and Syria: So happy together (JERUSALEM POST) – One can learn a great deal by analyzing the visit of Syrian President Bashar Assad to Iran last week. Statements made by Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reveal a great deal about the allies’ strategy which seems to escape Western observers.

Ahmadinejad rivals rise within conservative camp (AP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doesn’t have to look to the street protests or angry Web sites to get a sense of challenges ahead for his disputed second term. There’s enough potential heat coming from right inside the country’s leadership.

Cabinet Nominees Criticized In Iran (WASHINGTON POST) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s decision to nominate three women as Iran’s first female cabinet members since the 1979 Islamic revolution faced stiff criticism Saturday from clerics and lawmakers, as well as from women’s rights activists.

Source:  Iran News Digest

Counter-Revolution and Revolt in Iran: An Interview with Iranian Political Scientist Hossein Bashiriyeh

(Danny Postel with Hossein Bashiriyeh | Logos | Vol. 8, Issue 2.) - Hossein Bashiriyeh is one of post-revolutionary Iran’s key political thinkers. Known as the father of political sociology in Iran, he has influenced, through his voluminous writings and his 24 years teaching political science at the University of Tehran (1983-2007), both the study and practice of politics in Iran. Read the rest of this entry »

Iran’s president unveils cabinet

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose disputed re-election triggered a political crisis in the country, has unveiled his list of cabinet ministers.

(BBC | 20 August 2009) - For the first time in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic it includes three women. Read the rest of this entry »