Iranian painter Hannibal Alkhas died in California Tuesday at the age of 80. PeaceWithIran co-founder and singer Ed Hale commented “Alkhas’s work is brilliant in its use of color, imagery juxtaposition and symbolism. He was a real genius. The word striking comes to mind. Like most Iranian artists in various mediums he is largely unknown to Westerners. Which is unfortunate. Art should transcend regardless of where the artist is from.”

See the link below to see a whole slide-show of his paintings. Yes Let me see this awesome slide-show!

He was born in 1930 in Kermanshah, Iran, and he spent childhood and teenage years in Kermanshah, Ahvaz and Tehran. Hannibal’s work is deeply inspired by the ancient bas-reliefs and stone sculptures of Ancient Assyria, Babylon and Daric-Persia. He has developed and mastered a unique style of painting that seeks to vitalize the historic processes within the passing moment. His achievements include a number of one-man shows, group art exhibitions, and traveling exhibitions in Southern Iran and Israel. Aside from being displayed in his own gallery, a number of his paintings are featured in the Fine Arts Museum and Gallery of Modern Art in Tehran and the Helena d’ Museum in Tel Aviv.

Iran Lashes Out at West Over Protests

(Nazila Fathi | New York Times | 29 December 2009) – Iran continued to arrest opposition members on Tuesday in what seemed to be an effort to curb further protests after Sunday’s defiant demonstrations against the government, according to opposition Web sites. Read the rest of this entry »

Iran Expanding Effort to Stifle the Opposition

(Robert F. Worth | New York Times | 24 November 2009) — After last summer’s disputed presidential election, Iran’s government relied largely on brute force — beatings, arrests and show trials — to stifle the country’s embattled opposition movement. Read the rest of this entry »

Draft IAEA Resolution To Press Iran On Enrichment

(Reuters | 24 November 2009) - Six world powers have drafted a resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog urging Iran to clarify the purpose of its previously secret uranium enrichment site and confirm it has no more hidden atomic work, diplomats said. Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Moves to Seize Properties Tied to Iran

(Benjamin Weiser | New York Times | 12 November 2009) - Federal prosecutors in Manhattan began legal action on Thursday to seize properties in Queens and across the country where several mosques are located in a broad move against a nonprofit organization that was accused of illegally providing money and other services to Iran. Read the rest of this entry »

Beneath the hype: Is Iran close to nukes?

(The Real News Network | 7 October 2007) - In this five-part series, retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern and Iraq whistle-blower Greg Thielmann discuss respectively the role of faith-based intelligence in disinformation (Part 1) and under what conditions Iran would restart its suspended weapons program (Part 2).  In the question and answer session, McGovern and Thielman discuss the implication of US silence on Israel’s nuclear weapons (Part 3); the disconnect between the intelligence community, government and the public (Part 4); and the potential causes of armed conflict in Iran (Part 5).

Part 1:  Disinformation and Faith-based Intelligence

(Ray McGovern | The Real News Network | 7 October 2009) - Retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern speaks on disinformation, Iran, and “faith-based intelligence” Read the rest of this entry »

Tehran Plans to Execute 3 Protesters of Election

(Michael Slackman | New York Times | 10 October 2009) — Iranian officials have sentenced to death three protesters who participated in demonstrations following the nation’s disputed presidential election in June, according to ISNA, Iran’s semiofficial news agency. Read the rest of this entry »

Iran, America, Israel: the nuclear gamble

Letter from Tehran: Iran’s new hardliners

Who Is in Control of the Islamic Republic?

Iran’s disputed election marked the rise of a new power elite. Now, with more protests looming and a nuclear program facing international pressure, can the Revolutionary Guard and its allies sustain their tightening grip on the Islamic Republic?

(Jerry Guo | Foreign Policy | 30 September 2009) - The headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are in a European-style palace, replete with Greek columns and a grand staircase, in the eastern suburbs of Tehran. From here, the IRGC orchestrated the crackdown that followed Iran’s disputed presidential vote in June, beating protestors on the street and torturing those behind bars. More ominously, the IGRC and other extreme hard-liners have sidelined fellow conservatives in the Iranian government, carving out their own power base in a regime that is becoming increasingly insular, reactionary, and violent. Read the rest of this entry »

U.S., Iran: So much to talk about

Upcoming discussions with Iran should address its nuclear program and its awful human rights record.

(LA Times | Editorial | 19 September 2009) – The Obama administration has agreed to direct talks with the government of Iran, along with the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, at a meeting scheduled for Oct. 1. Now the question is: What will they talk about? Read the rest of this entry »