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Senaste hiten!

Hip hop håller snabbt på att bli oerhört populär i Iran och den skiva som just nu säljer bäst på den svarta marknaden i Iran är en CD skiva från gruppen Dalu som förlöjligar det styrande prästerskapet i Iran. Gruppen sjunger om allt ifrån förtrycket till mullornas klädstil. Hip hop har självklart förbjudits av regimen, eftersom den anser hip hop är för "västerländskt".

Demonstrationer i Tehran

Ett hundratal modiga busschaufförer i Tehran demonstrerade igår mot regimen. Många av demonstranterna hade nyss frigivits från Evin fängelset efter att ha varit fängslade för sitt deltagande i tidigare protester mot regimen. Demonstranterna krävde att regimen erkänner deras fackliga rättigheter och återgav dem jobben.

Regimen håller konferens igen..

Den Iranska regimen meddelade idag att man kommer att ekonomiskt stödja den Hamas ledda palestinska myndigheten. Regimen meddelade också att man kommer att hålla en konferens den 14-16 april för att visa och uttrycka ”stöd för Palestinier rättigheter”. Regimen meddelade dock att denna konferens inte är samma som den ”förintelseförnekar” konferens som utrikesdepartementet har aviserat att hålla i Tehran under våren. Däremot kan frågan om ”förintelsen” ändå komma att behandlas under mötet 14-16 april.

Journalister hotas...

Det kommer nu rapporter inne ifrån Iran att regimen återigen har börjat kalla journalister till revolutionsdomstolarna. Detta görs för att skrämma och hota journalister som regimen anser har tagit sig för stora friheter. Den senaste kampanjen sker i samband med IAEA: s möte den 6/3 och regimen vill försäkra sig om att journalisterna inte skriver något som skulle kunna ”skada” regimen.

Hamas kommer aldrig att erkänna Israel..

Innan Hamas ledaren Khaled Mashaal lämnade Iran så hann han hålla ett tal inför Bassij styrkorna på Tehrans Universitet. Bakom Meshaal på podiet kunde man se bilder på Fidel Castro, Ahmadinejad, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, Hugo Chavex och Bolivias Evo Morales uppradade bredvid varandra.

Mashaal höll ett kort standard tal, där han pratade om att det palestinska motståndet skulle fortsätta och hyllade även den Iranska regimen. Mashaal höll också en frågestund, där han bland annat sa att ”den väpnade kampen är en förutsättning för frihet” och han fortsatte med att säga Hamas aldrig kommer att erkänna Israel. Men Mashaal öppnade för att ha relationer med länder som i sin tur har förbindelser med Israel. Mashaal berättade också att han inte var orolig för ekonomiskt bojkott eftersom han ansåg att Hamas har ”tillräckligt med resurser” och menade att det inte bara var stater och regeringar som hjälper Hamas ekonomiskt.

Iran ännu ett steg närmare Talibanstyre

Regimens utbildningsminister Mahmoud Farshidi lovade nyligen ultrakonservativa parlamentsledamöter att Ahmadinejads regering snart kommer att börja lämna över en del skolor till landets moskéer. Detta för att stärka islams roll inom utbildningsväsendet och över eleverna och utbildningen. Iran är alltså på väg att få renodlade koranskolor, där inget annat är koranen lärs ut. Farshidi är annars mest känd för att han vägrar ge intervjuer och har även förbjudit sina medarbetare från att prata med pressen.

Exclusive Interview: Ledeen: Push Democratic Revolt in Iran

Michael Ledeen, the Freedom Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, says pushing a democratic revolution within Iran is the wisest policy the United States can pursue to avert the threat posed by that country's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

In fact, Ledeen believes Iran has already developed a nuclear weapon, which, in his view, they will not test until it is deployable on an intermediate-range missile.

Ledeen, who holds a doctorate in history and philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, was a consultant to the National Security Council and the State and Defense Departments during the Reagan Administration. He is also the author of The War Against the Terror Masters (St. Martin's Press). He was interviewed by Human Events Editors Terence P. Jeffrey and Allan H. Ryskind.

Why do you think Iran wants nuclear weapons?

Because they want to dominate the world and without nuclear weapons they can’t dominate the world. There is a more specific and recent catalyst for this decision and that was the 1991 Gulf War where they analyzed what had happened to Saddam and they said, "Ah ha. You see, if Saddam had had nuclear weapons the American people wouldn’t have dared do that. We don't want the Americans to push us around so we need nuclear weapons." It's at that point that they elevated that program to a sort of crash status.

Do you think they actually have global hegemonic ambitions?

Well, of course I do. They say that. They say it explicitly. They say: We must prepare to rule the world. Those are their actual words.

Does Ayatollah Khamenei, the head of the Iranian Guardian Council, talk this way?

Yes, Khamenei talks this way. Ahmadinejad talks this way. Rafsanjani talks this way on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, he talks like Sen. [Joe] Biden [D.-Del.].

They want to establish a global Shiite regime?

Yes. I mean that's what they’re all about. It's a messianic religion, and they believe that they are the right ones. That the Sunnis are wrong, that they are right, and that at some point the 12th Imam will emerge from obscurity and lead them to victory.

You say the 1991 Gulf War accelerated their drive to develop nuclear weapons. Part of the time since then we had what at least in the West was reported to be a moderate Iranian President, namely Mohammed Khatami. Is this desire to have a global Shiite regime and to develop nuclear weapons one that's shared by both the moderates and the extremists in Iran?

Yes. Just think about it this way: There is a committee of what anyone would call hardliners in Iran, which purges the list of candidates for the presidency of any person who does not have the confidence of the regime. Khatami was, originally, in terms of people who wanted candidates, something like number 232. The 231 ahead of him were all thrown off the list.

How do we know he was 232?

Because it was reported in the Iranian press.

They had polls?

They have these surprising things. It's an odd sort of dictatorship. Every now and then things filter out that you wouldn't expect to filter out. For example, they conducted their own opinion poll two or three years ago. It was carried out by someone in the information ministry. So, imagine, you're an Iranian and you're walking down the street of, say, Isfahan, and some guy comes up to you with a clipboard and says: "Hi, I'm from your information ministry and I would like to ask you a few questions about how you feel about us." So you know it's a loyalty check. Under those circumstances, 73% of Iranians said they did not like the regime and wanted it changed. So the real number, a friend of mine said, must be 99%. If you get 73% with that method, it's obvious that the real number is higher. So, they know that their people hate them. There's never been any doubt about that.

If the U.S. war to evict Saddam from Kuwait provided an incentive for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon more quickly, why wouldn't the sentiment that a nuclear weapon would defend it against a foreign invasion be something shared by all Iranians, not just the religious right?

Well it may be. A lot of people assert that. But nobody knows that. There is no empirical evidence to support that. The empirical evidence is not clear cut. There are some people who have taken some polls that show most Iranians want it and there are others who have taken polls that show most Iranians don’t want it. I suppose it probably depends on how you ask the question.

If 73% of Iranians don't like the regime, how long can the regime keep all those people down? Even when Hitler was in power the majority supported him, at least for awhile.

That's very important. That is one of the reasons why I think our chances of winning by supporting democratic revolution in Iran are so good, and I like to say: Look, if we could bring down the Soviet Empire by sponsoring democratic revolution there with the active support of maybe 5% to 10% of the people, which is the most we ever had, I think if we could succeed there, how much easier it must be in Iran were we've got 70%, 80%, 90% of the people on our side. What they're waiting to see is active support from us, and they have not had that, or from anybody else. I sometimes joke and say Portugal could do this. Greece could do it. Anybody can do it. There's not a country in the whole Western world that's had the honesty and the integrity and the principled will to do this. And it's really appalling.

So you think the wisest strategy for averting the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is for the U.S. to promote a democratic revolution from within the country?


Yes. Absolutely. Thomas Friedman rightly calls Iran the one Red State in the Middle East. The Iranian people are very pro-American. They demonstrate every 9-11. They go through the streets with lighted candles mourning the death of Americans. They want to go to Disneyland. They want to be part of the Western world. They have a long history of self-government and democracy, unlike a lot of other Muslim countries in the Middle East, and I believe that when we get there we will find that Islam really is out of business in Iran for at least this generation. Ledeen: I get on my Ouija Board with Bill Casey, and I say, okay, how do we do it? Casey would say to Bush, look, we actually did it more or less openly. There’s very little of our support that was covert. It went through a lot of American public institutions and some private ones.

But the Soviet Union and its empire were different from Iran. We didn't really undermine the Soviet Union from within, it seems to me. What we did was build up our weapons, challenge them economically, send stuff to Afghanistan and Africa and elsewhere.

Yes, all of that was important. But we also broadcast Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. We supported all the various Helsinki Groups. We supported all kinds of dissidents by name. Every time an American went to the Soviet Union, we demanded the release of various political prisoners. An astonishing number of them came out. The AFL-CIO funneled support to democratic trade union movements, from Solidarity in Poland to similar movements in Czechoslovakia and even in the Soviet Union. That’s what we have to do in Iran.

But I want to get this analogy straight. In the Soviet Union itself, they didn’t have a coup.

No, they had an insurrection.

You’re saying at the very end, they had an insurrection—with Yeltsin?

Yes. If you ask Gorbachev what happened, I'm sure he will tell you by now that he was overthrown. And Yeltsin was able to do it because he had the support of the overwhelming majority of Soviet citizens because they wanted a free system.

The real comparison you're making is to something like Poland and Solidarity and Lech Walesa?

And the Philippines and Ukraine and Georgia and Yugoslavia. How did we get rid of Milosovic?

At the same time we were helping Solidarity undermine the Communists in Poland we were also helping the Mujahideen undermine the Communists in Afghanistan. The result in Poland was a Western-style democracy that helps us in Iraq and the result in Afghanistan was the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. Isn’t there an underlying cultural difference that will make it more difficult for us to do this sort of thing in an Islamic country in the Middle East than it was to do in a county in Europe?

Well, a lot of people believe Arabs aren’t ready for a democracy. I don't think anyone believes that Iranians are not ready for democracy. Iran already had a constitution in 1906 that would serve as a model for the whole region. It's really first class. But there are a lot of people who believe there's a democracy chromosome missing in Arab DNA or some such thing. I don’t believe that. I think they need some education. They need some information. I think there is a lot about the way free societies function that they don’t understand. But I also think there are a lot that understand it quite well. I think our chances are excellent. Look, it took a long time in Western Europe -- presumably over-equipped with democratic chromosomes -- to figure out the rules of democratic society.

So on one level we would have the President using the bully pulpit, and diplomacy, to pressure the Iranians at every turn -- to draw attention to their human rights abuses and so forth.

Yes.

And an another level we should aid Iranian dissidents? What about the $85 million that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked Congress for last week to support reformers in Iran? Is that a step in the right direction? Is that enough?

It's a small step, years late, but it's certainly a very good step. I hope all that money doesn't end up inside the State Department. It seems that $50 million is going to VOA, which hasn't been particularly vigorous in promoting democracy in Iran, obviously, because the American government -- for which VOA speaks after all -- has been so feckless. It would be better to support a wide range of broadcasters, and to concentrate on radio rather than T.V. I'm told that VOA and "Farda" (which is the Persian language equivalent of the old Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) is going to do less radio and more T.V., which I think is a mistake. Anyone can get radio, most anywhere they are, but you need a dish for satellite T.V., and lots of Iranians don’t have access to that sort of technology.

And on another level we ought to be funneling cash to groups inside Iran that are resisting the regime we’re speaking up against?

Yes, we should be doing it. But we’re not doing it. Rice said in her testimony that we were helping to train Iranian trade union leaders. That would be great, that’s exactly the sort of thing we should do.

Can we do it?

Of course we can do it.

If they are a terrorist regime and they are acting the way Adolph Hitler did, and we know the Guardian Council vetoes any kind of reform, how easy will it be for us to do it, especially when we have Shi’ites in Iraq, Moqtada Sadr, saying he’ll come to the aid of Iran if they’re under any pressure.

Oh dear. Oh dear. Moqtada and his five guys, right? He didn’t do as well as most expected in the Iraqi elections, and most Iraqi Shi’ites hate Iran. Look, I understand all that. But the world -- even in the Middle Eastern tyrannies -- is much more open than people imagine. You can transfer money to anybody anywhere in the world now through this underground money-changer, money-transfer system that operates all over the Islamic world. You can move money. There’s nothing to prevent that from happening. I am in contact and friends of mine are in contact with plenty of dissident Iranians ranging from Ayatollahs to students. Communication is possible. It is sometimes tricky. It is sometimes difficult. It is sometimes interrupted. But it works.

The NSA may be intercepting your e-mails, Michael.

[Laughter.] Well, I'm sure they intercept all my e-mails and I hope they enjoy them.

Dear Ayatollah—

That's fine with me. Although, I don't send him e-mails.

How patient should we be in allowing this kind of strategy to unfold?

It's unpredictable, so it wouldn't be something to put a timeline on. I thought it would take longer in the Soviet Union. I was surprised it happened as quickly as it did in the Soviet Union. I think most of the time we are surprised when democratic revolutions break out.

massavrättning planeras?

Regimen planerar att i scensätta massavrättningar av politiska fångar. Det går just nu rykten bland politiska fångar i fängelset Gowhardasht att regimen planerar att iscensätta massavrättningar för att sedan rubricera avrättningarna som självmord. Därför har fångarna krävt att organisationer som arbetar för mänskliga rättigheter granskar uppgifterna.

Samvetsfångarna Valiollah Fayz-Mahdavi and Asad Shaqaqi har också lyckats smuggla ut ett brev där de berättade om hoten. De skriver:

"Within the last 24 hours we have been told that we will kill ourselves either with knives or with cleaning liquid!... We would like it to be known that we would never take our own lives; if anything happens to us, fellow informed Iranians, please be aware that it should be the warden of Gowhardasht, Hadj Kazem and the director of the bureau of prisons who should be directly indicted."

Regimen uppmuntrar till hat..

Efter att Ahmadinejad pekat ut USA och Israel som skyldiga till bombningen av moskén i staden Samarra har resten av fundamentalisterna hakat på. Revolutionsgardet högste befälhavare och en av Ahmadinejads närmaste medarbetare, General Yahya Rahim Safavi sa igår i en kommentar att ”muslimer runt om i världen kommer att hämnas”.

Safavis kommentarer kom i samband med en begravning av en högtuppsatt revolutionsgardist som dog i en flygkrasch, och den kraschen anklagade revolutionsgardisterna USA och Israel för att ligga bakom. Safavi sa bland annat:

“Those who masterminded this catastrophe should know that they will soon receive a heavy slap on the face from God and the believers in the Imams”, the Revolutionary Guards commander added.

Safavi uppmuntrade även Iranier att visa sitt “hat mot sionister, britter och amerikaner” under den utlysta sorgperioden.

Hur blir det med Ganji?

Egentligen ska journalisten Akbar Ganji släppas fri om ungefär en månad. Men nu börjar allt fler misstänka att regimen inte har några planer på att släppa ut Ganji levande. Han har hållits isolerad nu i mer än 170 dagar, hans familj har inte heller fått träffa eller hört något om hans tillstånd på två veckor. Ganji’s fru säger också att regimen också dragit ner på han mat och medicin ransoner.

Namnlistan Esbati inte tipsade om

SKRIV PÅ!!!

Dear Friends,

In order to prevent yet another horror, committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran please sign this petition; with this, we hope to prevent the execution of political prisoner Saeed Masouri.

Please help us distribute this petition. The Masouri family report that their son is on the verge of being executed; the regimes authorities and the prison warden accused him of coordinating the political prisoners in his ward to go on strike.
http://www.petitiononline.com/saeed/petition.html

Vart ska fokus ligga? Antiamerikanism eller mänskligarättigheter, välj själv!

För någon dag sen tipsade bloggaren och vänsterpartisten Ali Esbati om en namnlista på nätet. Det Esbati inte nämnde var att namnlistan är initierad av bland annat Ramsey Clark och Ladan Afrasiabi. Ramsey Clark är bland annat känd för sitt stöd till diktatorerna och massmördarna Slobodan Milosovic och Saddam Hussein. Ladan Afrasiabi som av många iranier anklagas för att samarbeta med regimen. Bland annat har en organisation ledd av Ladan Afrasiabi arrangerat en ”teknologi konferens” i samarbete med regimen i Tehran för några år sen. Det spekuleras just nu bland en del Iranska bloggare (som också är negativa till en amerikansk intervention i Iran) om det inte är regimen som ligger bakom namnlistan.

Därför har en rad Iranska bloggare nu startat en annan namnlista med mer fokus på demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter i Iran än antiamerikanism. Så känner ni för att skriva under något, så skriv på den här.

"The undersigned are individually or as a group unequivocally and unconditionally are in favor of regime change in Iran by peaceful means. We believe this could effectively be done through support of the Iranian Opposition Groups within Iran and outside along with world wide economic sanctions, targeting government hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We support and respect the aspiration of the people of Iran for freedom and democracy."

Regimen ger sig på företagen i Iran..

Den Iranska ekonomin är i spillror och det enda som håller den yttersta katastrofen borta är oljeintäkterna. Men nu ger sig regimen på både privata och statliga bolag som finns i landet. Tidningen Kayhan som ägs av übermullan och Irans ”andlige ledare” Khamenei påstod häromdagen att 50 % av de företag som finns i landet styrs av individer som inte är ”hängivna revolutionens idéer”. Tidningen anklagade de framgångsrika företagen i landet för att vara ”involverade med utländska element” och menade att det var ett brott i det nuvarande politiska atmosfären.

Men Khamenei och tidningen Kayhan är inte ensamma, för någon dag sen gick säkerhetstjänsten ut i nyhetsbyrån Mehr News och berättade att regimen har kartlagt ”suspekta relationer” mellan vissa affärsmän med vissa utländska ambassader i Iran.

Tidigare har Ahmadinejad bland annat sparkat cheferna för de sex statliga bankerna i landet och ersatt dem med personer från revolutionsgardet. Ahmadinejad har sen han tillträdde sin presidentpost skapat oro i den Iranska ekonomin, först ville han förbjuda aktiehandel eftersom det var en sorts ”hasardspel och emot islam”. Därefter menade Ahmadinejad att det bästa sättet för att stoppa fallet på aktiemarknaden var att avrätta börsmäklare i landet.

Ahmadinejad anklagar Israel och USA för moské bombningar..

Irans president Ahmadinejad anklagade idag USA och Israel för att ligga bakom onsdagens bombning av den heliga shiitiska moskén i Samarra. Ahmadinejad sa att attacken planerades och utfördes av en grupp ”besegrade sionister”. Igår gjorde übermullan och Irans “andlige ledare” Khamenei ett försök att lugna ner stämningen, genom att mana de shiitiska grupperna till lugn. Medan Ahmadinejad alltså valde en annan inriktning.

Han fortsatte i sitt tal med att säga att ”fiender till Islam” skall akta sig för att ”den islamiska nationen kommer att bemöta dem mer seriöst och med större bestämdhet nu än någonsin tidigare”.

Khomeinis många barnbarn..

Hamas delegationen som just nu är Iran träffade igår Khomeinis barnbarn, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini. Hassan Khomeini menade att Hamas valseger visade att det palestinska folket vet att ”motstånd” är det enda sättet att konfrontera den ”sionistiska regimens aggression”. Hamas delegationen som leds av Khaled Mashal hyllade i sin tur Khomeini och hans roll i att ”återuppväcka den islamiska rörelsen”. Hamas ledaren menade också att Hamas och dess medlemmar är ”barnbarn till imam Khomeini”.

Antisemiten Rami skriver på Tehran Times

Antisemiten Ahmed Rami skriver idag i tidningen Tehran Times att publiceringen av Mohammed karikatyrerna var en ”beräknad kränkning” från judiska krafter för att hetsa fram våldsamheter och konflikt mellan muslimer och kristna. Rami skriver också att de ”anti islamiska” karikatyrerna har visat sig vara ett framgångsrik strategi för den sionistiska neo-konservativa lobbyn och deras planer för ett krig mellan den kristna väst och den muslimska världen.

Atikeln går att läsa här.

Regimen avslutar förhandlingar med EU-3

Regimens utrikesminister Manouchehr Mottaki meddelande igår att regimen från och med nu bara kommer att förhandla med enskilda länder och att förhandlingar det s.k. EU-3 är över. EU-3 består av Storbritannien, Frankrike och Tyskland som har förhandlat med regimen angående dess atomprogram. Regimen har haft svårt att vinna poäng mot en samlad Europa och vill nu istället själva förhandla med enskilda länder.

I intervjun ska Mottaki också att han var optimistisk över möjligheten att nå fram till en kompromiss innan säkerhetsrådet IAEA: s nästa möte 6/3. Mottaki uppgav också att regimen just nu håller på att förhandla fram ett kompromissförslag med Ryssland. Förslaget innebär att regimen ska få anrika uran på Ryskmark.

Demonstrationer i Iran på internationella kvinnodagen..

The Women of Iran are asking for the international media to join them for the commemoration of: The International Women's Day in Tehran - to fight for our freedom from under the rule of the misogynist Mullahs.

Date: March 8th, 2006Time: 16:30 p.m.Place: Laleh Park, Tehran

Terroristerna göds av regimen...

Hezbollah håller konferens i Iran..

Terrorgruppen Hezbollahs talesman i Iran Mojtaba Beegdelee meddelade igår att terrorgruppen snart kommer att börja ge ut en dagstidning samt att organisationen planerar att hålla en stor konferens i Tehran under våren. Under konferensen kommer terrorgruppen bland annat att diskutera ”teorier rörande förintelsen”. Beegdelee avslöjade också att gruppen planerar att starta en egen satellit kanal som ska vara opolitisk och endast ägna sig åt shiitisk kultur.

Nästa terrogrupp!

Representanter från terrogruppen Hamas befinner sig just nu i Iran för att överlägga med regimen. Igår träffade delegationen übermullan och Irans ”andlige ledare” Khamenei, som bland annat sa att Hamas val seger var en ”söt överraskning” och uppmanade den muslimska världen att ekonomiskt, stödja den palestinska myndigheten.

Idag var det dags för delegationen att möta presidenten Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad sa bland annat att Hamas valseger visade att det palestinska folket tagit avstånd från ”Oslo avtalet, färdplan för fred och alla andra tidigare planer för mellanöstern”. Hamas ledaren, Khaled Mashal, lovade Ahmadinejad att Hamas inte kommer att förhandla med Israe, däremot så kommer terrorgruppen att fortsätta ”motståndet”.

Ung Vänster: regimen och Ahmadinejads nya polare i Sverige..

I förrgår gick Ung Vänsters ordförande Ida Gabrielsson ut med ett pressmeddelande där hon anklagade västvärlden och USA för att komma med ”påhittade och grundlösa anklagelser” mot den Iranska regimens atomprogram. Ida Gabrielsson påstod också: ”hittills har IAEA: s inspektörer inte hittat några bevis för de framförda anklagelserna och Iran har fortsatt att öppet deklarera all verksamhet i landets anläggningar”. Hon fortsätter: ”Därför är det i nuläget viktigt att som motvikt till USA: s militära godtycke, försvara Irans rätt till utvecklandet av civil kärnkraft”. Pressmeddelandet avslutas med ”Det är uppenbart att det i dagsläget största hotet mot fred, frihet och demokrati i Mellanöstern är USA”.

Det här är egentligen för dumt för att bemötas, men när ordförande för det ungdomsförbund som påstår sig vara Sverige näst största politiska ungdomsförbund försvarar en förtryckande diktatur är det inte roligt längre. Så här nedan kan Ung Vänster hitta fakta till kommande pressmeddelanden.

Första påståendet: ”hittills har IAEA: s inspektörer inte hittat några bevis för de framförda anklagelserna och Iran har fortsatt att öppet deklarera all verksamhet i landets anläggningar”

I en rapport 2003 skrev IAEA att regimen i Iran under 18 ljugit för omvärlden om sitt kärnvapen program. Rapporten kom när regimen, februari 2003, till slut tvingades erkänna att man hade dolt ett mer avancerat och omfattande urananrikningsprogram för omvärlden. IAEA anklagade regimen för bland annat: försvåra IAEA: s arbete, att vägra samarbeta och att informationen från regimen varit minimal och motsägande. IAEA listade också upp nio punkter där regimen inte levt upp till NPT (icke-spridningsavtalet). IAEA ifrågasatte också regimens vilja att bygga och producera energi med hjälp av en lätt vatten reaktor (som använder sig av lågt anrikat uran), samtidigt som regimen i hemlighet producerat plutonium. Regimen menade då att plutoniumet användes till forskning.

År 2004 kom IAEA ut med ytterligare rapporter som ifrågasatte regimens atomprogram och som visade på motsättningar mellan det IAEA hade funnit och regimens förklarningar. En av rapporterna visade bland annat att regimen använt sig av mer avancerad utrustning och materiell än man först hade medgivit. Bland annat P-2 centrifuger, P-2 centrifuger kan användas till att anrika uran till bomber dubbelt så snabbt som en centrifug av typ P-1. Regimen menade återigen att centrifugen bara användes till forskning. Men IAEA visade också på att regimen försökt att köpa magneter till att tillverka ytterligare P-2 centrifuger, magneter behövs för att anrika uranet. Regimen hade via mellanhänder försökt att köpa ytterligare 4 000 magneter till P-2 centrifuger. 4 000 magneter skulle räcka till uppemot 2 000 centrifuger, alltså långt mer än vad som behövs till enkel forskning. IAEA menade att regimen försöker massproducera höganrikat uran, som de egentligen inte behöver för de lätt vatten reaktorer som regimen bygger för civil energi.

Det andra påståendet: ”….”Därför är det i nuläget viktigt att som motvikt till USA: s militära godtycke, försvara Irans rätt till utvecklandet av civil kärnkraft”

Det här måste regimen bara älska, Ung Vänster har nog att se framemot en blombukett från den Iranska ambassaden. Ung Vänster vill alltså skapa en motvikt till den internationella press som regimen är satt under och försvara regimens atomprogram. Med tanke på att ”civil kärnkraft” knappast är regimen enda mål med sitt atomprogram så vill Ung Vänster alltså bana vägen för mullorna att skaffa sig kärnvapen. Man kanske borde påminna Ung Vänster att det hittills har varit Tyskland, Storbritannien och Frankrike som skött förhandlingarna med regimen och att det som är nytt är att dessa länder valt att sätta regimen under press. USA: s position har ju varit ganska klar och uppenbar under lång tid. Men när regimens egna vänner (däribland Kina och Ryssland) också deltar och sätter press på regimen för att dem misstror Ahmadinejad ambitioner väljer Ung Vänster alltså att ställa sig regimens sida och dessutom agera som regimens megafoner.

Det tredjepåståendet: ”Det är uppenbart att det i dagsläget största hotet mot fred, frihet och demokrati i Mellanöstern är USA”

Antingen så vägrar Ida Gabrielsson och Ung Vänster att läsa och se på nyheter eller så har man kanske samma inställning som Ahmadinejad och Co i 1) Hur mellanöstern ska se ut och 2) vad som menas med fred, frihet och demokrati.

Ingen kan ju ha missat Ahmadinejads uttryckta vilja att ”utplåna Israel” eller missat regimens stöd till diverse terrorgrupper som vill döda judar, ”otrogna” och förinta Israel. Senast igår kunde vi berätta om regimens senaste kampanj för att rekrytera själmordsbombare för att tillexempel ta livet av författaren Salman Rushdie.

Menar Ung Vänster att regimen i Iran är bättre på frihet och demokrati än vad USA är? Jag slår vad om att det just nu finns tusentals dissidenter och oppositionella i Irans fängelser som inte håller med Ida Gabrielsson. Lägg där till miljoner Iranska kvinnor som säkerligen skulle ifrågasätta Ida Gabrielssons syn på frihet och demokrati.

Till slut:

Helt allvarligt så trodde jag att Andreas Malm var ett undantag i den svenska vänstern. Men tyvärr verkar det inte vara så. Det finns en risk att den svenska vänstern börjar se på regimen i Iran som man gör med Kuba och gjorde med Sovjet. Så länge regimen motsätter sig USA så kan man blunda för allt annat, även sunt förnuft. Andreas Malm menade att det vore bra om Iran skaffar kärnvapen för att det skulle skapa en maktbalans, det är bättre om båda parter har kärnvapen än om bara en part har det. Det är nog precis vad Ida Gabrielsson tycker, man vill återigen se en uttalad USA fientlig regim med kärnvapen, oavsett kostnaden.

Regimen gör sig redo för kärnvapen innehav....

I augusti 2005 försökte regimen vinna lite sympatipoäng då übermullan och Iran ”andlige ledare” Khamenei uttalade en fatwa mot tillverkningen och användning av kärnvapen. Det här skulle visa omvärlden att Irans atomprogram är fredligt. Men det var då det.

I veckan uttalade en av regimen mer inflytelserika mullor, Mohsen Gharavian, en fatwa som godkänner användandet av kärnvapen mot fiender. Gharavian sa att användandet av kärnvapen mot landets fiender har stöd i Sharia lagen. Mohsen Gharavian är en nära allierad till ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi som i sin tur är president Ahmadinejads ideologiske mentor och den mulla som står Ahmadinejad närmast. Dessutom så var det Mesbah-Yazdi som gav Khamenei den religiösa titel han behövde för att bli ”andlig ledare”.

Cecilia Wikström (fp): ”EU bör stödja fri media i Iran”

Riksdagsledamot Cecilia Wikström (fp) kräver att EU ger ekonomiskt bistånd till oberoende radio- och tevekanaler som sänder i Iran.

- Det finns redan idag radiostationer som sänder regimkritiska nyheter i Iran från andra länder och via Internet. USA har lovat att utöka stödet till dessa. Nu är det dags att EU visar solidaritet med de iranska demokrativännerna runt om i världen som via radio och Internet värnar yttrandefriheten och sprider oberoende information till människorna i Iran.

Det säger Cecilia Wikström (fp), som idag ställer en skriftlig fråga till utrikesministern om stöd till oberoende radio- och tevestationer som sänder i Iran.

- EU behöver en gemensam strategi för att öka trycket på iranska regimen i fråga om kränkningar av de mänskliga rättigheterna, utvecklingen av kärnvapen och sponsring av terrororganisationer. Alltför många iranska medborgare har fallit offer för mullornas säkerhetspolis för att ha öppet uttryckt sina åsikter. Det är viktigt att omvärldens tryck mot regimen kombineras med stöd till demokratikrafterna, avslutar Wikström (fp).

Bakgrund: Condoleeza Rice meddelade förra veckan att USA avser att satsa 75 miljoner dollar på demokratiutveckling i Iran. Pengarna ska gå till radio- och tevekanaler, att nå iranier via Internet, och till att stödja oppositionsgrupper.

Regimen rekryterar terrorister för att mörda Salman Rushdie..

Revolutionsgardet, en militärorganisation som leds av Irans “andlige ledare” ayatollah Khamenei och som fick Ahmadinejad vald till president, har börjat rekrytera självmordsbombare i kampen mot den “globala kränkningen” av islam. Rekryteringen började på årsdagen av Khomeinis fatwa mot Salman Rushdie. De rekryterade självmordsbombarna får välja mellan att utföra tre uppdrag, att genomföra attacker mot de ”otrogna” i Irak, mot Israel eller mot Salman Rushdie.

Hamas ledare besöker Iran..

Hamas ledaren Khaled Meshaal reser snart till Iran för att hålla samtal med Irans utrikesminister och Irans ”andlige ledare”, übermullan Ayatollah AliKhamenei, under besöket ska Hamas också uttrycka sittstöd för den Iranska regimens atomprogram. Regimen i Iran tillhör ett av terrorgruppen Hamas närmaste allierade och är också dess främsta sponsor, både ideologiskt och ekonomiskt. Det är ganska uppenbart varför Hamas är så entusiastiska över möjligheten att regimen i Iran skaffar kärnvapen..

The Weeklystandard: Iran Amok

"IRAN CONTINUES TO HOST senior al Qaeda leaders who are wanted for murdering Americans and other victims in the 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings. We have called repeatedly for these terrorists to be handed over to states that will prosecute them and bring them to justice. We believe that some al Qaeda members and those from like-minded extremist groups continue to use Iran as a safe haven and as a hub to facilitate their operations."

So said a high State Department official in a speech in Washington on November 30. The assertions by Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns were nothing new. Though often overlooked, they have been the position of the U.S. government for some time. As discussion of Iran's nuclear program and its hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intensifies, Iranian aid to al Qaeda should not be allowed to drop off the radar screen.

A careful review of what is known about this matter--even a review confined to public sources--shows that Iran has long maintained ties to al Qaeda and has assisted the group in refining its terrorist capabilities. During the years of Taliban rule, Tehran allowed al Qaeda members, including some future 9/11 hijackers, to transit its territory en route to and from Afghanistan. Nor has this support waned since the Taliban's fall. To this day, much of the surviving al Qaeda leadership is based in Iran, enjoying the protection of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Tehran has been supporting terrorist groups ever since the mullahs came to power in
1979. According to the State Department's annual report Patterns of Global Terrorism, the Shiite regime has aided outfits as ideologically and religiously diverse as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, GIA, GSPC, and Hizb-e-Islami--all of them Sunni Muslim--along with the Marxist groups Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK)--that last, despite Iran's concern over any move towards autonomy on the part of its own Kurdish minority. Clearly, the mullahs do not consider ideological or religious purity a prerequisite for cooperation

It is not surprising, then, to find the 9/11 Commission Report tracing Iranian involvement with al Qaeda as far back as the early 1990s. "In late 1991 or early 1992," the report says,
discussions in Sudan between al Qaeda and Iranian operatives led to an informal agreement to cooperate in providing support--even if only training--for actions carried out against Israel and the United States. Not long afterward, senior al Qaeda operatives and trainers traveled to Iran to receive training in explosives.

Contrary to much academic opinion, the commission noted that "Sunni-Shia divisions did not necessarily pose an insurmountable barrier to cooperation in terrorist operations."

More training took place in Lebanon. Says the 9/11 report, "In the fall of 1993, another such [al Qaeda] delegation went to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon," a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah, "for further training in explosives as well as in intelligence and security. Bin Laden reportedly showed particular interest in learning how to use truck bombs such as the one that had killed 241 U.S. Marines in Lebanon in 1983," the heaviest U.S. loss in a single engagement since the Vietnam war. According to Rohan Gunaratna's Inside Al Qaeda, among the al Qaeda members who traveled to Lebanon was Saif al-Adel, a senior leader who would later emerge as a key figure in Iran's relationship with Osama bin Laden's group.

Contacts between "Iranian security officials and senior al Qaeda figures [persisted] after bin Laden's return to Afghanistan" in 1996, according to the 9/11 report. In particular, there is "strong" evidence of Iranian involvement in the Khobar Towers bombing of June 1996, in which 19 Americans died, as well as "signs that al Qaeda played some role, as yet unknown," in that attack. Two years later, the Clinton administration's formal indictment of bin Laden charged that he was allied with both Iran and its terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. After the USS Cole bombing in 2000, the 9/11 report says, Iran made a "concerted effort" to "strengthen relations with al Qaeda."

More ominously, the 9/11 Commission describes as "strong" the evidence, provided by al Qaeda operatives in U.S. custody, that "Iran facilitated the transit of al Qaeda members into and out of Afghanistan before 9/11, and that some of these were future 9/11 hijackers. There is also circumstantial evidence that senior Hezbollah operatives were closely tracking the travel of some of these future muscle hijackers into Iran in November 2000." While finding no evidence that Iran or Hezbollah was aware of the planning for the 9/11 attack, the commission concluded that "this topic requires further investigation by the U.S. government."

Whether the government ever followed up is doubtful, given U.S. officials' frequent assurances that Iran was not involved in the 9/11 attacks--a claim not found in the 9/11 report. Yet in July 2004, the New York Times did report that "the United States was actively investigating ties
between the Iranian government and al Qaeda, including intelligence unearthed by the independent 9/11 Commission showing that Iran may have offered safe passage to terrorists who were later involved in the attacks." The Times quoted President Bush as saying, "We will
continue to look and see if the Iranians were involved."

If a serious investigation of these events was indeed launched following the publication of the commission's final report on July 22, 2004, it would seem to be in the public interest to disclose what, if anything, the inquiry turned up. What do we know about these events now that we didn't know in 2004?

Since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, al Qaeda's relationship with Iran appears to have grown stronger. As the Washington Post reported in September 2003, "After the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the locus of al Qaeda's degraded leadership moved to Iran. The Iranian security services, which answer to the country's powerful Islamic clerics, protected the leadership." The Post identified these leaders as al Qaeda military chief Saif al-Adel, chief ideologue Mahfouz Ould Walid, finance chief Abu Mohammed al-Masri, al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri's deputy Abu Khayr, propaganda chief Suleiman Abu Ghaith, and Osama bin Laden's son and heir apparent, Saad.

The al Qaeda leadership appears to have operated more or less with impunity inside Iran until May 2003, thanks to its close ties to the elite Qods Force unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Citing a European intelligence official, the Post noted that after the fall of the Taliban, Zawahiri (whose relationship with Qods Force goes back at least a decade), negotiated safe harbor in Iran for much of the surviving al Qaeda leadership. Numerous media reports listed then-future Iraqi insurgent leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi among them. As a European intelligence analyst explained to the Washington Post in October 2003, Qods Force is "a state within a state, and that is why they are able to offer protection to al Qaeda. The force's senior leaders have long-standing ties to al Qaeda and, since the fall of Afghanistan, have provided some al Qaeda leaders with travel documents and safe haven." It was from Iran that al Qaeda military chief Saif al-Adel ordered the May 2003 Riyadh bombings in Saudi Arabia that killed 34, including 8 Americans.

Since late 2003, the exact status of the al Qaeda leaders in Iran has been murky at best. The Iranian government claims that any al Qaeda members on its territory are in custody. But what kind of custody? MSNBC's Investigative Unit noted in June 2005,

According to reports in the Arab media, [the al Qaeda leaders] were rounded up and taken to two locations guarded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards: one in villas in the Namak Abrud region, near the town of Chalous on the Caspian coast, 60 miles north of Tehran, and the other in
Lavizan, a region northwest of the capital that also houses a large military complex.

The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat further reported in July 2004: "More than 384 members of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations are present in Iran, including 18 senior leaders of Osama bin Laden's network." The paper attributed the information to a source close to the Iranian presidency. When Tom Brokaw asked CIA director Porter Goss about the al Qaeda leaders active in Iran, Goss answered, "I think your understanding is that there is a group of leadership of al Qaeda under some type of detention--I don't know exactly what type, necessarily--in Iran is probably accurate."

Most of the reporting on the al Qaeda leaders in Iran has assumed that the individuals in question are being constrained in their activities and that the regime could be persuaded to hand them over in return for certain concessions--such as the release of the leadership of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a Marxist anti-Iranian terrorist group that was extensively supported by Saddam Hussein and many of whose members were captured by U.S. forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

But it is not so clear that Iran has a vested interest in constraining the activities of al Qaeda. In August 2004, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat quoted an Iranian official who had attended an Iranian military seminar where Qods Force commander Brigadier General Suleimani stated that Zarqawi and 20 senior members of the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam were allowed to enter Iran whenever they wanted through border crossings between Halabja and Ilam in Iraq. When asked why Iran would support Zarqawi given his anti-Shiite activities, Suleimani replied that Zarqawi's actions in Iraq "serve the supreme interests of Iran" by preventing the creation of a pro-U.S. government.

Examples of al Qaeda's continued activity inside Iran abound. In February 2004, noted Spanish terrorism judge Baltasar Garzon told El Periodico that al Qaeda's "board of managers" were active inside Iran but were more involved in coordinating operations than in issuing orders. In July 2004, Agence France-Presse quoted a French counterterrorism official as saying that al Qaeda leaders had "controlled freedom of movement" inside Iran, while the Los Angeles Times of August 1, 2004, quoted a top French law enforcement official as saying, "The Iranians play a double game. . . . They have arrested important Al Qaeda people, but they have permitted other important Al Qaeda people to operate."

This view is supported by the German magazine Cicero, which in October 2005 quoted a high-ranking intelligence officer as saying of the Iran-based al Qaeda leaders, "This is not prison or house arrest. . . . They are free to do as they please." Cicero had earlier that year reported on al Qaeda-in-Iraq leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi, quoting extensively from German Federal Office of Criminal Investigation documents that collated data from German, American, French, and Israeli intelligence sources. These documents, some of which were classified, listed Zarqawi's activities, passports, phone numbers, benefactors, and the mosques used or controlled by his followers in Germany. In addition to confirming much of the evidence presented by Colin Powell to the United Nations Security Council on the activities of Zarqawi's network in Europe, the documents state point-blank that Iran "provided al Zarqawi with logistical support on the part of the state."

In sum, the publicly available evidence suggests that Undersecretary Burns was well within his rights to speak as he did last November of Iranian support for al Qaeda. The problem has received too little attention, considering the need to prevent the al Qaeda leadership from reconstituting itself if another major attack is to be prevented.

Dan Darling is a counterterrorism consultant for the Manhattan Institute's Center for Policing Terrorism.

Haaretz: Irans unhappy Ayatollahs

On Saturday February 5, the administration of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, despite its own predictions, found itself being referred to the Security Council by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog. On the surface the government is confident, and to show it, it is carrying out its threats of ending snap inspections by the IAEA.

However below the surface, all is not well.

Major opposition is already being reported from the pragmatist camp in Iran, who despite their belief that Iran has a right to obtain nuclear energy for civilian use, feel that the Ahmadinejad camp is not being flexible enough in its dealings with the European Union. This camp, headed by Ayatollahs Rafsanjani and Karrubi, has also expressed major concern regarding Iran's economic capability to effectively withstand economic sanctions.

Iran's economic wellbeing aside, Rafsanjani most notably stands to lose millions of dollars worth of business if the West imposes economic sanctions on Iran, as Rafsanjani-owned companies are heavily involved in international trade. It is also reported that Rafsanjani has numerous international investments, stretching from Thailand to Canada.

Another common denom inator in the united opposition of the two Ayatollahs, Rafsanjani and Karrubi, against Ahmadinejad stems from a personal grudge which they hold against him. Both Karrubi and Rafsanjani participated in the presidential race of 2005, and lost to Ahmadinejad, due to what they openly called "foul play" and "cheating." Their calls for investigation and recount of votes fell on deaf ears.

Rafsanjani, the more powerful and canny of the two, has already started to settle old scores with Ahmadinejad. He is a powerful opponent, who has a reputation for striking his enemies from behind the scenes in surprise attacks. This reputation over the years has earned him his popular nickname, "The Shark."

It is widely believed that Rafsanjani was behind the galvanisation of opposition in the Iranian Parliament, which culminated in the rejection of Ahmadinejad's first three nominated candidates for the position of oil minister. Rafsanjani's second instalment of blows against Ahmadinejad is on the way. It has been widely reported that Ahmadinejad's budget which has been submitted to the parliament for review, stands to be rejected by parliamentarians, due to pressure from private sector lobbyists, many of whom are close Rafsanjani allies.

Another chain of events, started by Rafsanjani on January 19, 2006 against Ahmadinejad should be of interest to the West. During a government visit to the city of Mashad, Rafsanjani suddenly cut his trip short and returned to Tehran for a meeting with Iran's supreme leader and old revolutionary comrade Ayatollah Khamenei. It is a known fact that Khamenei has tried to reduce Ahmadinejad's influence by giving Rafsanjani other senior political positions such as the presidency of the Expediency Council.

Having a direct line to the supreme leader has meanwhile enabled Rafsanjani to lobby for more moderation in the nuclear negotiations with the West. It is a saying in Iranian political circles that "if you want to bring real political change in Iran, either convince the army, or the clergy, or preferably both."

Accordingly, on January 29, Rafsanjani went on a trip to the heart of Iran's religious establishment in the city of Qom, where he met 11 of Iran's 14 grand ayatollahs. This is a clear sign that Rafsanjani is looking for consensus for a major policy change. The change in question is apparently a six-point package of compromises to be offered to the West. This package according to a report in Iran's Keyhan newspaper includes concessions, such as accepting the so-called "Russia Plan," which would provide for uranium enrichment in Russia rather than Iran.

Over its 26-year history, Iran's government has managed to survive a U.S. embargo and the world's longest war against Iraq, by being pragmatic at crucial junctures. Despite the current bleak outlook, as recent events in Iran have shown, there is still a chance that pragmatists in Iran may score another victory.

Meir Javedanfar, an Israeli of Iranian descent, is a Middle East analyst at the Middle East Economic and Political Analysis Company.

NRO: A Mullah’s-Eye View of the World

Sometime in late November or early December, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gathered his top advisers for an overall strategic review. The atmosphere was highly charged, because Khamenei’s doctors have diagnosed a serious cancer, and do not expect the Supreme Leader to live much more than a year. A succession struggle is already under way, with the apparently unsinkable Hashemi Rafsanjani in the thick of it, even though Khamenei, and his increasingly powerful son Mushtaba, is opposed to the perennial candidate-for-whatever.

Despite this disquieting news, the overall tone of the conversation was upbeat, because the Iranians believe they see many positive developments, above all, the declaration that "it has been promised that by 8 April, we will be in a position to show the entire world that 'we are members of the club.'"

This presumably refers to nuclear weapons. Against this cheery background, the assessment of the Iranian leaders continued: The weakness of the Bush administration is notable. Recent public opinion polls show the country seriously divided, and the top Iranian experts on North America have concluded that the president is paralyzed, unable to make any tough decision (and hence unable to order an attack against Iran);

2006 is an election year, and even some Republicans are distancing themselves from Bush, weakening the White House even further;
I
Israel is facing the darkest moment in its history (remember that this conversation took place before Sharon’s stroke). Likud is divided, Netanyahu is openly against Sharon, and the Labor party has lost its old guard. No strong government is possible (and hence Israel is similarly unable to order an attack against Iran). Therefore this is a moment for Iran to take maximum advantage;

Iranian power and prestige is at an all-time high among the Palestinian terrorist groups, from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah, to secular, even Communist groups. Terrorists who in the past had rejected Iranian approaches now travel to Tehran for support;

The Syrians have given Iran final say over the activities of Sunni terrorist groups in their country;

Iran now exercises effective control over groups ranging from Hezbollah, Ansar al-Islam, al Qaeda, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Jaish-e-Mahdi, and Jaish-e-Huti (Yemen) to the Joint Shi’ite Army of Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and part of Saudi Arabia, as well as Islamic movements in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia;

In the four and a half months since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has become president, he has brought the extremist group led by Mezbah Yazdi under control, and, notably, he has forced Syria to resist all pressure from the United States;

The Europeans are no longer necessary for the Iranian strategy, and can now be "thrown out of our game." They are in no position to do any damage because they are too busy fighting with one another;

Khamenei called for two urgent missions. The first was to do everything possible to drive up oil prices by an additional 30 percent by the first week in April. The second was to intensify the propaganda war against the West in the same period. He stressed that it was important to compel the United States to face at least three crises by the April 8.

In short, the Iranians at the highest levels of the regime believe they have good reason for behaving quite feisty, and if you look at the events that have taken place since then, you will see that the mullahs are acting consistently with the analysis presented to (and in part by) Khamenei. The propaganda war — lately and dramatically in the form of the cartoon crusades — has indeed been intensified. The Europeans have been systematically dissed, and more: their embassies in Tehran have been stoned, Iranian diplomats have insulted them with regularity, and the regime slapped a trade embargo on all goods coming from the infidel Europeans. When the French announced that the Iranian nuclear program was undoubtedly designed to produce weapons, Tehran demanded an apology. Above all, there is no longer any pretense of cooperation with the Big Three negotiators on the nuclear program.

This suggests that the mullahs do indeed believe they have acquired nuclear weapons, and there is no longer any need to play stalling games with the Germans, French, and Brits. Nor is there any reason to feign humanity in the treatment of their own people. The repression of any and all groups which might conceivably organize an anti-mullah revolution looks to reach the historic levels of the immediate post-revolutionary period, when hanging judges routinely ordered the execution of thousands of citizens for often-fabricated crimes. Of late, the regime has beaten, tortured, and incarcerated thousands of Tehran bus drivers, Bahais, Sufis, and Ahwaz Arabs, and they have even threatened the families of political prisoners, saying that the whole lot of dissidents will be killed if the U.N. votes for sanctions.

This brutal and open use of the mailed fist bespeaks utter contempt for the West; Khamenei & Co. do not think we will respond, do not fear Western action, and believe this is a historic movement for the advance of their vision of clerical fascism. But it also bespeaks a chilling recognition of their nemesis: the Iranian people. President Ahmadinejad recently canceled most foreign travel by regime officials, for example, which is not the sign of a confident mullahcracy; quite the contrary, in their heart of hearts, they know that they are walking a fragile tightrope, and their incessant preventive actions against normal Iranians look very much like Mickey Mouse in , racing frantically to stop an army of bucket-carrying brooms from drowning him.

Moreover, the runaway optimism (which in many clerical minds goes hand in hand with the conviction that the Shiite Messiah, the 12th Imam, is about to reappear, thereby ushering in the End of Days) is not as solidly grounded as the mullahs might wish. For starters, oil prices are headed south, not toward the 30-percent increase ordered by the supreme leader. And the analysis of the perceived “paralysis” of the United States is nothing more than a replay of the usual blunder committed by our enemies, who look at us and see fractious politics, widespread self-indulgence, and an unwillingness or inability to face up to real war.

In this, as in so many other ways, the mullahs of the Islamic Republic are emulating failed tyrants, from the German Kaiser and Führer to the Italian Duce, the Iraqi dictator, and the Soviet Communist first secretaries, all of whom learned, to their ruin, that free societies are quite capable of turning on a dime and defending their interests and values with unanticipated ferocity.

And indeed, after years of dithering, we now have the first encouraging signs that this administration is inclined to support revolution in Iran. Secretary of State Rice, after her laudable reform of the Foreign Service, has now asked Congress for an additional $75 million to advance the cause of freedom in Iran. This is good news indeed, especially since there were hints in her testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that we have already begun supporting Iranian trade unions, and even training some of their leaders. To be sure, the bulk of the money — $50 million — will go to the bureaucratic, and thus far utterly uninspiring, group running radio and TV Farda for the State Department, and the profoundly disappointing and feckless National Endowment for Democracy and the Democratic and Republic Institutes, but at least some money is promised for independent Farsi language broadcasters. Even with these shortcomings, we should celebrate Rice’s embrace of the cause of Iranian freedom so concretely.

On the other hand, there is no reason for joy at the news that assistant secretary Steve Rademacher seems to have gratuitously and foolishly promised that we will not use military power against Iran’s nuclear facilities. There is every reason to leave such stratagems in the haze of uncertainty, even if — as I have long argued — you believe it would not be a good idea, at least at this moment. Such declarations will reinforce the mullahs’ conviction that they have nothing to fear from us, and encourage them to race ahead with their murderous actions.

Even the world at large is beginning to bestir itself. Wednesday was a day of support for the Iranian bus drivers all across the civilized world. The AFL-CIO, driven by Teamsters’ President James Hoffa, in tandem with Senator Rick Santorum, has been leading the charge, now joined by unions in France, Britain, Spain, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Bermuda. The appeasers in the Italian trade unions, like their opportunistic bosses, sat it out. Still, it’s an impressive list.
It’s a small and long overdue step forward, to be sure, but great journeys sometimes begin slowly and uncertainly. The great thing is that, after years of empty rhetoric, stalled internal debates, and the paralysis so dear to Khamenei’s heart, we have finally gotten started. Will it succeed? Do the tens of millions of Iranians who rightly hate their rulers have the stomach, the imagination, and the discipline to organize the downfall of the regime?

Nobody knows, perhaps not even the revolutionaries themselves. But America has moved, and when America moves, even gingerly, there will be ripples throughout Iran and throughout the region. The key imperative is that, now that we are in, we must persist and prevail. So far, so good: in the State of the Union the president spoke eloquently of our respect for the Iranian people and our determination to help them if they show the will and the capacity to act effectively. That was exactly the right note. And the secretary of State was similarly and appropriately modest in her rhetoric, speaking of our desire to support freedom — not announcing a national crusade, and not threatening dramatic action. It is for the Iranians to liberate their country. If they are willing to fight for freedom, we should stand with them.
Now, finally, they know we will. And the cry of "faster, please" must quickly go out to them.

— Michael Ledeen, an NRO contributing editor, is most recently the author of The War Against the Terror Masters. He is resident scholar in the Freedom Chair at the American Enterprise Institute

Irans judar kritiserar Ahmadinejad.

Ordförande för Irans Judiska råd kritiserade nyligen president Ahmadinejads förnekelse av förintelsen. I ett brev till presidenten skriver Haroun Yashayaei att presidentens uttalanden har chockat omvärlden och skapat oro hos den judiska befolkningen i Iran, han frågar också hur Ahmadinejad kan rättfärdiga Hitlers brott. Yashayaei skriver också att förintelsen är ett historiskt faktum och inte en myt, han anklagade också Ahmadinejad för okunnighet. Detta är första gången en Judisk ledare i Iran har kritiserat Ahmadinejads antisemitiska uttalanden.

Det finns runt 30 000 judar i Iran, innan revolutionen fanns det över 80 000, de flesta flydde till Israel. Judendomen tillhör en av de få religioner som tillåts i Iran, men det så länge man stödjer regimens politik. Därför krävs det ett oerhört mod att ifrågasätta Ahmadinejad och regimen. Ahmadinejad har ännu inte reagerat på brevet!

Iran: New government fails to address human rights

Six months after Iran's new president came to power human rights violations remain widespread and the new government has failed to take any action to address the situation, Amnesty International revealed in a report published today.

"The Iranian government should take concrete steps to improve the human rights situation in the country," said Amnesty International. "The current standoff regarding the country's nuclear programme must not distract either the government or the international community from addressing the country's long-standing human rights problems.

"The report Iran: New Government Fails to Address Dire Human Rights Situation describes ongoing violations and expresses concern about what appears to be intensifying repression since the new government took office in August 2005. The report focuses on the long-standing repression of ethnic minorities and the limitations on the freedom of expression. It also addresses the death penalty and the frequent use of torture.

Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, the report establishes that since President Ahmadinejad's election, members of Iran's ethnic and religious minorities have been killed, detained or harassed solely in connection with their ethnicity or faith.

In one incident, several members of the Ahwazi Arab community were killed and scores injured by security forces using excessive force during ongoing violent unrest in Khuzestan Province. In a different incident, Iranian security forces were reported to have used live ammunition, tear gas and beatings with batons to suppress stone-throwing demonstrators in mid-September 2005. At least two people were reported killed and many injured.

Iranian legislation severely restricts freedom of expression and association and human rights activists often face reprisals for their work. Harassment, intimidation, attacks, detention, imprisonment and torture of activists and journalists have continued under the new government.

In October 2005, Press Courts were reintroduced to try alleged breaches of the Press Code, which contains vaguely-worded provisions that can be used to punish people for the peaceful expression of their opinions. Dozens of journalists and newspapers began to be examined with some journalists receiving suspended prison sentences.

"We urge the Iranian authorities to review law and practice to ensure that no one is imprisoned as a prisoner of conscience or discriminated against solely on account of their political opinions, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or language," said Amnesty International.

Amnesty International has continued to receive new reports of torture and ill-treatment of detainees which remain routine in many prisons and detention centres. Denial of medical treatment as a method to exerting pressure on political prisoners has also emerged as an increasingly common occurrence, as in the case of investigative reporter Akbar Ganji.

Akbar Ganji was arrested in April 2000 and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, which was reduced on appeal to six months, for "taking part in an offence against national security" and "propaganda against the Islamic system". In July 2001 he was again brought to trial on charges of "collecting confidential state documents to jeopardize state security" and "spreading propaganda", and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. Following a hunger strike in protest at being denied independent medical treatment outside prison, he was temporarily released for medical treatment in July 2005. He was returned to prison in September 2005 and placed in solitary confinement. A month later he told his wife that he had been beaten by security forces while in hospital prior to his return to prison.

"The Iranian authorities must conduct investigations into all allegations of torture or ill-treatment, and take effective measures to bring anyone implicated in human rights violations to justice," said Amnesty International. "Urgent and effective measures are also needed to ensure that the use of torture is eradicated once and for all.

"Amnesty International recorded 69 executions between July 2005 and the end of January 2006, including two of youths reportedly under 18 at the time of their execution. Death sentences continue to be imposed for vaguely worded charges such as "corruption on earth", for consensual private adult sexual relations and for other offences such as drinking alcohol, as well as for crimes such as rape, murder and drug-trafficking.

The organization is asking the authorities to demonstrate their respect for the inherent right to life by ordering a moratorium on executions, and by taking immediate steps to prevent further executions of minors or persons who were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes."

President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian govenrment need to take urgent, concrete measures to ensure that the fundamental human rights of all persons in Iran are protected irrespective of their gender, ethnicity and faith."
Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org/
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org/

Ahmadinejad rensar ut universiteten på "icke-islamiska element"

En professor i kommunikation på Allaameh Tabatabaie Universitet i Tehran är den första professorn som fått sparken sedan Ahmadinejads nationella plan för att rensa ut Universiteten från ”icke-islamiska element”. Regimen har siktat sig främst på professorer i ämnen som konst, humaniora, statsvetenskap och rättvetenskap. För en tid sedan sparkades också Dr. Mohammad Gorgani från samma universitet, han dömdes senare till 10 månaders fängelse och prygelstraff.

Iran: kärnvapen teknologi till salu!

ISKANEWS, en av regimens nyhetsbyråer rapporterade igår att regimen har gått med att hjälpa Venezuela för att hjälpa landet med dess atomprogram. Majlistalman Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel avslöjade nyheten under sitt besök i Venezuela men menade att länderna ännu inte diskuterat hur samarbetet ska se ut. Hugo Chavez och Venezuela har kommit att bli en av mullornas bästa vänner, Venezuela är idag ett av få länder som stödjer regimens kärnvapenambitioner och som röstade emot att den Iranska regimens atomprogram skulle hänvisas till säkerhetsrådet. Ganska uppenbart varför!

Korta nyheter

Regimen hotar: Blir det sanktioner, verkställs dödsdomar!

Regimen hotade för några dagar sen att verkställa dödsdomar mot ett landets samtliga politiska fångar om säkerhetsrådet inför sanktioner mot landet. Den senaste veckan har också statsåklagaren hotat med att avrätta och verkställa dödsdomar mot bland annat: Gholamhossein Kolbee, Khaled Hardani, Mansour Pour-Farhang, Shahram Pour-Farhang och Alireza Khayrabadi.

Kahmeneis tidning klagar på stridsmoralen

Tidningen Kayhan som ägs av Irans ”andlige ledare” och diktator Khamenei klagade i sin tisdags upplaga på den dåliga stridsmoralen i landets armé. Flygvapnets ”ideologiske och politiske direktör” citerades med att säga att regimens armé är i desperat behov av ett moralisk uppryckning. Tidningen uppmanade därför landets befolkning att visa sitt stöd till landets krigsmakt.

Regimen arresterar 1000 personer

Våldsamma protester utbröt igår i den heliga staden Qom när regimens säkerhetsstyrkor försökte stänga och riva ett ”kloster” tillhörande de muslimska suffiterna. Egentligen började allt i måndags när regimen berättade att man skulle riva ner det hus där den religiösa gruppen höll till. Gruppen är tillåten i Iran och har på senare tid blivit så populära att regimen började uppfatta gruppen som ett hot.

Så igår slog regimens säkerhetsstyrkor till och våldsamma protester utbröt, 200 personer skadades och 1 000 demonstranter greps. Hälften av de gripna demonstranterna släpptes senare, men fortfarande sitter ca: 500 personer i fängelse. Stadens guvernör, Abbas Mohtaj, menade att regimen slog till mot gruppen för man ansåg att de utgjorde ett hot mot staten. Han menade också att gruppen samarbetade med ”utländska makter” för att undergräva den Islamiska revolutionen.

Karikatyrtävlingen...

Den ultrakonservativa tidningen Hamshahri utropade för någon vecka sen en karikatyr tävling, där människor från runt om i världen skulle skicka in karikatyrer av förintelsen. Bakgrunden till den smaklösa tävlingen är att tidningen vill testa västvärldens gränser för yttrandefriheten med tanke på de karikatyrer som publicerades i Jyllandsposten på profeten Mohammed.

Igår så kom den första karikatyren, den kan ni hitta här.

Kort om karikatyren: Den röda halvmånen visar att personen är muslim, bokstaven ”P” som finns på personens tröja visar att han är Palestinier och numret ”7256” ska föreställa hans fångnummer (Israel antas hålla runt 8 000 palestinska fångar).

På sidan står det också att man är rädd för att USA snart kommer att lägga ner sidan på grund av dess innehåll men att karikatyrerna finns på en rad andra sidor. Det är ännu oklart vem som skickat in karikatyren, den Australiensiska tecknaren som man först misstänkte har förnekat och menar att han har blivit utsatt för bedrägeri.

Regimen förnyar dödsdomen mot Salman Rushdie.

Khomeini utropade 1989 en fatwa mot författaren Salman Rushdie och utlovade en belöning till den som avrättade Rushdie. Khomeini menade att Rushdie hade förlöjligat Islam i sin bok ”satansverserna” och därför förtjänade att dö. Men efter Khomeinis död så tonade regimen ner ”dödsdomen” mot Rushdie och en rad ayatollor tog avstånd från den.

Men igår (14/2) gick regimens officiella nyhetsbyrå ut med nyheten att dödsdomen mot Rushdie (och alla som har haft något med boken att göra) står kvar samt att fatwan är ”evig” och inte går att ändra. Organisationen Iran’s Martyrs Foundation har satt en belöning på närmare 3 miljoner dollar.

Goda nyheter!!!

USAs utrikesminister, Condoleezza Rice, berättade idag att Bush administrationen kommer att begära ytterligare 75 miljoner dollar för att främja demokrati i Iran. En stor del av pengarna kommer att satsas på dygnet runt sändningar av radio och tv till befolkningen i Iran. Stora satsningar görs också på att nå det Iranska folket via Internet. Det här är oerhört goda nyheter, nu är det bara att hoppas att pengarna går till rätt personer samt att EU och Sverige slår in på samma linje.

Reaching Out to the People of Iran

As the Secretary noted in her February 15 Senate testimony, we will work with our friends and allies on a range of measures to reach out to the Iranian people and support their calls for freedom. These will include:

Empowering Iranian Civil Society: The Administration will spend at least $10 million in FY06 funds to support the cause of freedom in Iran this year. These funds will be used to support political dissidents, labor union leaders and human rights activists. We will also work with NGOs to help build networks of support inside and outside Iran.

FY06 Supplemental Request: The Administration will request an additional $75 million in its FY06 supplemental request to support:

Broadcasting to the Iranian People: With $50 million we will significantly increase our television broadcasting ability, establishing a 24 hour/7 days a week broadcast in Farsi into Iran. We will also work to improve our radio transmission capability and tap into satellite technology for both radio and TV transmission into Iran.

Promoting Iranian Democracy: An additional $15 million will foster participation in the political process and support efforts to expand internet access as a tool for civic organization. Working with NGOs and through organizations such as the International Republican Institute, National
Democratic Institute and National Endowment for Democracy we will support civic education and work to help organize Iranian labor unions and political organizations.

Scholarships and Fellowships: We will also expand our outreach to young Iranians with $5 million for Iranian student education and international visitors programs designed to build bridges between the people of our two nations.

Enhancing Communication: We will support internet and other efforts to reach the Iranian public with $5 million in funding for public diplomacy. We will also support the development of independent Farsi television and radio.

Enabling Action: To enable U.S. and other NGOs to undertake these activities for the Iranian people, inside and outside Iran, the Departments of State and Treasury are working together to secure Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) licenses so that we can make grants to these organizations. New licensing procedures will allow us to move quickly and effectively to support democracy efforts in Iran. We will be announcing more details about the new licensing procedures by the end of this week.

This is just a beginning. As these initial efforts begin to bear fruit, we will build on them to create new opportunities to expand our support for the Iranian people.

FY06 = Fiscal Year 2006

Vem röstade på honom då?

Q: I have met several of your childhood friends and they say you were a nice and studious kid and played soccer in a special way. But none of them voted for you. Why?

Ahmadinejad: I don't know the background and I can't make a judgment. People are free to vote. We are all friends even those who haven't voted for me.

Gruvarbetare protesterar utanför Ahmadinejads kontor..

Två hundra av 620 gruvarbetare från staden Sangrood samlades under lördagen i Tehran för att protestera utanför Ahmadinejads kontor. Gruvarbetarna har inte fått någon som helst lön eller ersättning under snart ett helt år, 620 familjer har övergivits av staten och lever nu i extrem misär. Representanter för gruvarbetarna berättade att de hade protesterat till de lokala myndigheterna för att få ut sina löner men till ingen nytta. Till slut samlade de 620 gruvarbetarna alla sina pengar och skickade en delegation av 200 demonstranter till Tehran, där försökte de först få träffa Industriministern men blev ignorerade. Utanför Ahmadinejads kontor uttalade demonstranterna följande:

"Mr. President why doesn't your Minister have any regard for your orders to talk to protesting workers? We are exhausted...our new year, Norouz, is approaching* and a whole year without pay has us hanging our heads in shame in front of our hungry families; we are simply out of patience and ideas on how to feed ourselves...If they don't pay us, we won't leave the management a moments peace."

* Norouz är det persiska nyårsfirandet som äger rum 21/3.

Khameneis tidning uppmanar till självmordsattacker i Danmark.

Tidningen Kayhan som tillhör Khamenei (Irans ”andlige ledare” och diktator) uppmanade idag till terror och självmordattacker och i Danmark och andra Europeiska länder där Mohammed karikatyrerna publicerats. Förra några dagar sen uppmanade tidningen regeringen att kidnappa och avrätta IAEA inspektörer.

an international day of protest against the Government of Iran over its repression of the Tehran Bus Company Union

The International Transport Workers Federation labor movement around the world is calling for an international day of protest against the Government of Iran over its repression of the Tehran Bus Company Union. The date is :
Wednesday, February 15th, 2006 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.Iranian Interest Section2209 Wisconsin Avenuew N.W., Washington D.C.

Tehrans busschaufförer söker internationellt stöd

Tehrans busschaufförer försöker nu få den franska fackförbunden att visa solidaritet och hjälp för att befria de 1200 busschaufförer och strejksympatisörer som nu sitter fängslade i Tehran. Tidigare har busschaufförerna fått stöd från den amerikanska transportsfacket och amerikanska Utrikesdepartementet.

Meddelandet till de Franska fackförbunden följer här nedan:

"We the workers of the Tehran and suburbs bus drivers union have tried time and time again to create an independent union for ourselves and have met with endless oppression. Our workers and drivers who are on strike have constantly been attacked, savagely beaten and threatened and each time, after being hauled off by the security forces, they were released only to be forced to go back to work, only to return to humiliation and dehumanizing methods of work. The wives and children of our board of directors were forced out of their homes and were taken away for incarceration.

Many of the members of our board of directors, accompanied by more than a thousand workers and employees of the transportation unit were arrested and were taken to either Evin Prison or the Ministry of Intelligence and Security. Some of our workers were even fired and in order to return to work, they were forced to make written statements expressing remorse in their union activates and guild involvement. Those workers who were in fact released were prevented from returning to work and their families have been driven to privation in this cold winter.

Since all of our country’s media is under total censure and we ourselves are facing huge oppression and cruelty, we appeal to you to propel our cries, in any way possible, to your authorities, in order to assist us in calling for the release of our 1200 imprisoned and all others who have been detained for gathering, protesting and uniting for better living conditions, from their jobs and are under unspeakable pressure.”

Akbar Ganji nominerad till Martin Ennals priset.

Martin Ennals priset delas årligen till årets försvarare av de mänskliga rättigheterna och idag kom nomineringarna som visade att Akbar Ganji är en av de fyra som kan få priset. De andra tre är Arnold Tsunga (Zimbabwe), Golden Misabiko (Demokratiska republiken av Congo) och Jennifer Williams (Zimbabwe).

Priset har delats ut sedan 1993 och delas ut årligen till organisationer och personer som visat exceptionellt. Priset delas ut av: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First, International Federation for Human Rights, World organization against torture, International Commission of Jurists, German Diakonie, International Service of Human Rights, International Alert, HURIDOCS.

Priset delas ut den 23 maj.

USA Today: Intervju med Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to USA TODAY's Barbara Slavin in an hour-long interview Saturday that touched on U.S.-Iranian relations, the Holocaust and Iran's nuclear aspirations.

Ahmadinejad, 49, had just given a long, fiery speech to a large crowd in Tehran to commemorate the 27th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution. He smiled at the beginning of the interview when the reporter greeted him in the Persian language, but otherwise made little eye contact.
He seemed tired and spoke quietly.

The interview was conducted in a receiving room in an ornate building that once belonged to the family of the deposed shah, whose overthrow in 1979 helped provoke the rupture between Iran and the United States that persists to this day.

The son of a blacksmith, Ahmadinejad ran a populist campaign and scored an upset victory in a runoff election last July against Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of Iran's richest men.
He has promised to improve the lot of Iran's poor, but Iran's nuclear program and the president's controversial rhetoric — he has called the Holocaust a "fairy tale" and called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" — threaten to further isolate the nation of 70 million people and undermine the president's own political standing in Iran.

Q: You talk a lot about the things that divide our two countries. What about the things we have in common, for example in Iraq?

A: If countries act on the basis of a set of principles, there can be common ground in many areas.
Q: As in Iraq?

A: (He refuses to answer) If everyone is prepared to act on clear principles, there can be the possibility for common interests.

Q: You say you want Iran to progress but some of your comments have only further isolated the country. How can you progress if much of the world is opposed to Iran?

A: We are relying on the strength of our own people. The people of Iran have stood on their own feet throughout history and despite the bad intentions of their adversaries have been able to move forward.

Q: Don't you need Western investment to renovate your oil industry?

A: It is true but we are not going to compromise on our principles. There are many countries that are interested in working with us.

Q: Isn't it possible that you will face more economic sanctions?

A: It is true but these difficulties are the prelude to advancement. I believe those who want to impose limitations on us will lose more than us.

Q: Are you prepared for direct talks with the United States about the nuclear issue and other problems?

A: Iran is an Islamic country and as Muslims, the basis of our conduct is dialogue and rationality. Except for the occupiers of Jerusalem (Israel,) we are prepared to talk to all countries of the world. But the United States has its own conditions. It wants to talk to other countries from a position of overbearing strength and that cannot be a good basis for constructive dialogue.

Q: Is there some signal the United States can send that it wants talks on an equal basis?

A: They have to take a hard look at their own behaviour and ask themselves if they were in the place of other nations, what would they do. They choose to threaten us and make false allegations and they want to impose their lifestyle on others and this is not acceptable.

Q: You have made many promises to the Iranian people but how will you keep them? Are handouts sufficient to help the economy?

A: I am among the very rare few politicians that I do not usually give promises. I have promised that I will work and we have a good and very coherent program for the advancement of our nation. Iran is a large country with very good human and financial resources. There is no program for just giving handouts.

Q: Foreign diplomats tell me that the brain drain is increasing and Iranian applications for visas for the West are up 20-50%?

A: The information I have is the contrary. There always has been travel back and forth.

Q: I hear that $200 billion in Iranian funds has fled to Dubai in recent months?

A: Those who have given that figure don't know the magnitude of $200 billion. We have relations with neighbouring countries. There is investment back and forth. Dubai is a free trade area. It is natural that many Iranians go there to make investments. What is important is that the result of their work comes back to Iran. Last year, $8 billion was invested in the United Arab Emirates and $11 billion returned.

Q: Why do you say the things you do about Israel and the Holocaust when it only upsets people and further isolates Iran?

A: I don't know who is annoyed by revealing facts. But we know for sure that the people of Palestine are being killed every day with the Holocaust as a pretext and the people of the region have been deprived of peace and security. One day they (the Israelis) used to utter the slogan of the "Nile to the Euphrates." It means they have a larger plan to aggress other nations of the region.

Q: But Israel withdrew from Gaza last September?

A: They had no choice. They were forced to. Isn't the question of Palestine the most important issue in the region?

Q: A lot of Iranians would say no.

A: Apart from those Iranians you mention, the most important problem facing the region is Palestine. This regime (Israel) was founded on the basis of propaganda regarding the Holocaust.

Q: Why don't you go to Auschwitz and see the gas chambers for yourself?

A: My going there will not solve the problem. I cannot take a trip back 60 years but researchers can do that.

Q: Would you accept the testimony of Holocaust survivors in Iran?

A: We accept them but an impartial group should (also) go there and investigate.

Q: But it's established historical fact that all those people died, the same way it is established fact that the CIA overthrew Prime Minister Mossadegh in 1953?

A: If we assume that is true, then the Westerners would have to pay the cost. Why should the people of Palestine pay the cost? If we provide the right answer to this question, the important problem of the region will be solved. We want to find a fundamental solution to the problem. We believe if we can go to the root of the problem, security and peace will come to the region.

Q: I have met several of your childhood friends and they say you were a nice and studious kid and played soccer in a special way. But none of them voted for you. Why?

A: I don't know the background and I can't make a judgment. People are free to vote. We are all friends even those who haven't voted for me.

Q: Are you surprised you were elected president given your background?

A: No. This is Iran. Surprises happen. In this country, people decide and I am part of the people. Any young person if he works hard enough can reach pinnacles.

Q: Are you familiar with our Abraham Lincoln, who also came form a humble background?

A: Yes.

Q: Is there any foreign leader you identify with?

A: I am familiar with the history but I don't make personal statements regarding this.

Q: Do you have any message to Americans beyond the slogans you chant at demonstrations that say "Death to America?"

A: We do not have any problem with the people of the United States. If there was not the obstacle of the U.S. government, we were prepared to send assistance to the victims of Katrina. My government has decided to facilitate travel to the United States for Iranian nationals. I want a direct flight. We want peace and calm for all peoples of the world and human dignity for all people. For us, humanity is important. Nationality is not important. We believe that all humanity has the right to live in peace and dignity. Our criticism is targeted to a limited number in the ruling establishment.

American journalists come to Iran and they don't face any problems and they can meet all Iranian officials. It's not the same in the United States. They do not allow our journalists to go there and they put a lot of limitations on their activities.

Q: Would you allow American diplomats to come here to process visas so Iranians don't have to go to Dubai or Turkey?

A: The question of bilateral relations is dependent on a change of behaviour. This is not a question you should ask me; you should ask the U.S. government. You can solve this problem through the interests section of the host country. The problem between the U.S. and Iran will not be solved through such gestures.

Q: Would you speak with our ambassador in Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, who has authority to meet with Iranians?

A: When I said there is a possibility of negotiations, there are certain conditions that need to be realized. If these conditions are met, the form (of negotiations) is not important. The way they have treated our people here has left no ground for talks. They think no one can live without them and this is a wrong notion. We have proved we can live without them. As long as they take that overbearing position of strength and threats, nothing will happen.

Q: Is there anything the U.S. can say or do to change your mind?

A: They think they can solve everything with a bomb. The time for such things is long over. Today we have the rule of rationality and thought. For example, a president has asked a question about the Holocaust. So many questions and publicity that the president is a warmonger. I think the Americans still don't know what's happening in the world. They think in a world manufactured by themselves. They have given support to those who published the cartoons and this is not the right thing to do. This kind of defamation is an insult and will not contribute to the resolution of problems. The wave of disgust toward U.S. policies is increasing. They only recognize their own friends, not others. We have in this world 6 billion people. It's not an American club. The majority are not Americans and are not interested to be Americans.
Why should there be impositions on them? If there are clear principles, the world will be a better place.

Q: What did you think of New York when you were at the United Nations?

A: Unfortunately, I was very busy and I didn't find a time to have private conversation with people. Our comings and goings were limited. If I had an opportunity, I would meet the people.

Q: But didn't you form some impression from looking out the window of your car?

A: It's not the buildings that make the city, it's human relations. You have to see how people live with each other and how much they like and sympathize with each other. What is important is the soul of the city. Unfortunately, I was not able to contact that soul. I saw many tall buildings and cars but they are made of steel and concrete. They do not reflect the sentiments of the people and that only comes from direct encounters. But generally speaking, people are the same everywhere and New Yorkers are no exception. They like peace and justice and tranquility.

Den iranska bloggaren Hoder i Sverige

Den iranske bloggaren Hossein Derakhshan, aka Hoder besökte Sverige nyligen för att tala om bloggar i Iran.

Hosseins blog www.hoder.com skriver om saker av väsentlig karaktär, bland annat om relationen mellan israeler och iranier. Hans blog är välbesökt, främst av iranier i Iran. Viktigt att både israeler och iranier får veta att Iran och Israel inte alltid varit värsta fiender och att ett fritt och demokratiskt Iran inte bara kan ge fredsprocessen en ärlig chans, utan även bygga broar länderna emellan.

"Flera miljoner" förvandlades till 80 000

Enligt källor inne i Iran deltog endast ca: 80 000 personer i de regimarrangerade demonstrationerna i Tehran i lördags. Demonstrationerna skulle fira den Islamiska revolutionens 27: e födelsedag, visa den nationella enigheten och folkets stöd till regimen och landets atomprogram.

Regimen uppgav först på lördagen att ”flera miljoner” Iranier hade deltagit i demonstrationerna och samlats på Azadi torget för att lyssna på president Ahmadinejad. Lite senare ångrade sig regimen och skrev att det rörde sig om ”flera hundratusen” deltagare och åhörare. Nu kommer det alltså siffror på att deltagandet bara var 80 000, då ska man komma ihåg att Tehran har 12 miljoner invånare och att regimen (iaf försökt) tvinga skolelever, statligtanställda samt bussat människor från hela Iran till Tehran.

Regimen har inte heller rapporterat att demonstrationer hållits någon annanstans i Iran, bortsett från Yazd där 300 regimvänner formade en mänskligkedja.

Det låga deltagandet måste verkligen svida för regimen, det betyder att 70 miljoner Iranier helt enkelt valde att strunta i demonstrationerna och regimens tvång. Regimen har allt svårare att mobilisera folket, som ett exempel kan nämnas de regimarrangerade demonstrationerna under förra veckan mot bland annat den danska ambassaden som mest samlade 300 Bassijs, en paramilitärorganisation lojala till Khamenei.

Regimen fängslar bloggare

Två bloggare i Iran, Farid Modaressi och Hussein Abdollahpour, arresterades nyligen och har åtalats för att sprida ”propaganda mot den Islamiska republiken”. Dessutom så har bloggarna åtalats för att ha varit i kontakt med poeten Ahmad Shamlou (som avled för fem år sen) och ayatolla Montazeri. Montazeri var egentligen Khomeinis arvtagare men förlorade maktkampen mot Khamenei och har sedan dess hållits i husarrest i staden Qom. Under domstolsförhören ställde sig en modig Fardi Modaressi och berättade om den avskyvärda behandling han utsatts för i fängelset. Modaressi berättade om hur han torterats och tvingats till att skriva under falska erkännanden som sedan regimen spred i landets tidningar.

Under den senaste tiden har regimen intensifierat sin jakt på oppositionella bloggare i landet. Regimen har stängt och filtrerat bort populära sidor på Internet och ett antal bloggare har stängt ner sina sidor. Tidigare har bloggarna Mohtaba Samieenejad och Arash Sargichi dömts till hårda fängelsestraff för sitt bloggande.

Prisökningar..

President Ahmadinejad gick till val på löften om att förbättra den ekonomiska situationen för befolkningen genom att använda de ökade oljeinkomsterna på löneökningar för offentliganställda (staten är den största arbetsgivaren) och ekonomiska bidrag till landets fattigaste. Men efter sexmånader är det få Iranier som sett något från Ahmadinejads löften, tvärtom har den ekonomiska situationen i landet försämrats och priserna på dagligvaror har stigit rejält.

Hotet om sanktioner har gjort att befolkningen hamstrar och det har lett till att priserna på tillexempel dagligvaror har ökat dramatiskt. Det har gått så långt att handelsministern i veckan uppmanade landets befolkning att inhandla mer kyckling för att stoppa prisökningen av rött kött. Men trots hoten om fågelinfluensa som lett till en minskad konsumtion av kyckling har priset ändå stigit med 6 %. Samtidigt har priset på rött kött stigit med 40 % de senaste veckorna och priset på frukter, bönor, ris och socker har också stigit. Prishöjningen och fattigdomen har lett till att fler miljoner Iranier lider av undernäring.