Mousavi FB:

Former president, Mohammad Khatami who was talking in an award ceremony said that the word peace is one of the most emotional and soothing words there are which unfortunately only a small trace of it has been seen throughout the real history. Khatami emphasized that instead of giving out theories and fantasies one should note that the first and most important need of humanity is peace which unfortunately at the moment we are too far from it. He added that this peace is needed both in national scenes and in international ones. He continued that those who think of the humanity should try to expand peace and control violence seekers both in the national and international scenes as human can only in peace understand the meaning of life.

Azam Taleghani (the daughter of late Grand Ayatollah Taleghani): We cannot be silent in front of those who insult to people’s intelligence. Azam Taleghani, the daughter of late Grand Ayatollah Taleghani one of the founders of the Islamic Revolution, who spoke briefly during the commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the birthday of her father, late Grand Ayatollah Taleghani, said: “There should always be dialog going on in the society so that at the end the best idea for the benefit of the society gets selected.” She added: “We should be vigilant that this [Green] movement doesn’t turn to radicalism and if someone wants to pursue us toward violence and radicalism, we should leave their tricks fruitless.”

177 Nuclear Scientists for Human Rights in Iran

Reuters: Iran bars Karoubi son from traveling to UK: website

Iranian authorities prevented a son of prominent opposition figure Mehdi Karoubi from leaving the country for London and confiscated his passport, Karoubi’s website reported on Saturday.  The Sahamnews website said the passport of Mohammad Taghi Karoubi, a university professor, was seized at Tehran’s international Imam Khomeini airport on Friday without explanation. RFE: Mohammad Taghi Karrubi becomes the third of the reformist cleric’s sons to have been targeted by authorities since his unsuccessful bid to unseat hard-line President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in the June election.  Another Karrubi son, Hossein, has had his passport seized by Iranian authorities, and officials have revoked the license of a weekly magazine where he serves as managing editor, “Irandokht.”  Still another son, Ali Karrubi, was detained during rallies in February and was beaten and threatened with rape while in custody, according to his mother.

RFE:  Science Minister Says Antiestablishment Professors Will Be Fired

Iran’s Science Minister Kamran Daneshjou has said that academics who are not on the same side as the Iranian establishment will be dismissed from universities. Danesjou added that Iran’s universities need professors who are practically bound to the principle of “velayat faghih” (the rule of the supreme jurist) and to Islam. He said universities have no right to hire professors who don’t believe in velayat faghih.

RSF:  Press freedom violations recounted in real time (from 1st January 2010)

Atlantic:  The Iran Debate, Ctd

BW:  China Open to Backing Tougher UN Sanctions on Iran, Envoy Says

FP:  Congress hot to trot on Iran sanctions

GVF:  Travel ban on Karroubi son

The passport of Mahdi Karroubi’s second son Mohammad Taghi was confiscated at Imam Khomeini airport as he was about to board a plane to London. According to Saham news the nature of his visit was “academic.”Mohammad Taghi Karroubi who is a university professor, was planning to visit the UK to republish his book “Just or Unjust War: International Law and Unilateral Use of Armed Force by States at the Turn of 20th Century” and to finalise another book on international law which was due to be published in the future.Authorities have not provided a reason for the travel ban.Hossein Karroubi, Karroubi’s oldest son had already been banned from leaving the country.

GVF:  ‘Regime will pay a heavy price if Valian is executed’

The Office for Fostering Unity (Daftare Tahkime Vahdat) has issued a strong warning to the authorities of the Islamic Republic regarding the death sentence of a twenty-year-old student who was also a member of the organisation.

AFP:  US urges Iran to free death-row protester

Opposition websites said Wednesday that an appeals court confirmed a death sentence on 20-year-old Mohammad Amin Valian for “waging war against God” by throwing stones at security forces during December protests.”We find this disproportionate punishment deplorable and urge his immediate release,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement.

ICHR Iran:  Pressure on Mohammad Valian’s Family for Denying News of his Execution Sentence

While over the past few days several sources have published news of Mohammad Valian’s death sentence as the first case of its kind upheld by an appeals court, Valian family refrain from confirming the news. One of his Mohammad Valian’s classmates told International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that his family is under immense pressure to withhold interviews with the media and human rights organizations.

ILR:  Union Leaders Under Attack

Reports from Tehran indicate that union leaders from the bus drivers union are currently being targeted. The group Human Rights and Democracy Activists has reported on the court sessions for two of the Syndicate unionists on charges related to last year’s Mayday gathering. In addition, the syndicate has issued a statement on threats on Osanloo’s life in Karaj prison. On March 2, Homayoun Jaberi, a 33 years old member of the bus drivers labor syndicate, was called into the revolutionary court on charges stemming from his participation in the 2009 Mayday rally. He was charged with “plots against the security of the system” which he and his lawyer, Khorshidi, rejected.  Judge Mohammadi, speaking with a threatening tone, expressed remorse for not having given Mansour Osanloo a heavier sentence.

AFP:  New Iran rocket launch site shows N. Korea links: Jane’s

Iran is building a new rocket launch site a short distance from an existing complex and seems to be working with North Korea, information group IHS Jane’s said Friday.Construction visible from satellite imagery of the new site, near the city of Semnan east of Tehran, suggests that Iran has been collaborating with Pyongyang, said the London-based defence intelligence group.Iran unveiled the Simorgh (Phoenix) space-launch vehicle (SLV) on February 3 but has not publicly revealed the location of the rocket’s launch complex, it reported.

ILR:  Workers’ Protest in Isfahan

HRANA:  Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi Denied Issuing a Fatwa for Execution of Protesters

United4Iran:  What are the refugees’ expectations in Turkey? Eyewitness report

Gozaar: Women, the Victims of the Iranian Revolution

FP:  The Long Death of the Powell Doctrine

So what is the new Mullen Doctrine? For the chairman, the issue of whether the United States will employ military force has long been settled. The issue now is how the United States should apply its national power. Mullen summed up his views this way:

We must not look upon the use of military forces only as a last resort, but as potentially the best, first option when combined with other instruments of national and international power.

We must not try to use force only in an overwhelming capacity, but in the proper capacity, and in a precise and principled manner. And we must not shrink from the tug of war — no pun intended — that inevitably plays out between policymaking and strategy execution. Such interplay is healthy for the republic and essential for ultimate success.

The Mullen Doctrine accepts that every day for the foreseeable future, U.S. military forces will shoot at, or will be shot at, by somebody somewhere in the world. Given this seemingly permanent state of war, Mullen says that politicians, soldiers, and the public will need to engage in an open-ended discussion that will constantly adjust how the country employs its military forces.Mullen assumes that the public now accepts that low-level warfare is an enduring fact of life. If he is wrong about this, the Powell Doctrine could rise from the grave.

CFR:  Admiral Mullen’s Speech on Military Strategy, March 2010

AFP:  US sees ‘critical role’ for Japan on Iran

“Japan plays a very critical role on this question,” said Steinberg. “It’s a leader and a very strong voice in supporting a non-proliferation regime with a very strong commitment to dealing with the challenge of nuclear weapons.”

The Nation:  Obama, Iran and Iraq

CS Monitor:  Ahmed Chalabi emerges as key player in Iraq election after falling-out with US

RFE:  Shamsolvaezeen Spent Entire Time in Solitary Confinement

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TB:  Iranian DNA or Fear of Déjà vu?

1 Million Signatures Campaign Activist, Mahboobeh Karami Arrested

TB:  The 50/50 Club: Author Saïd Sayrafiezadeh

CS Monitor:  Italy arrests Iran weapons smugglers as nuclear pressure builds

WP:  U.S., allies attack Iran for decision to make higher grade of enriched uranium

On the 8^th anniversary of the tragic Sept. 11 attacks, we would like to remind our American readers that many Iranians, at risk to their own lives, held candlelight vigils to mourn the loss of innocent life in the U.S. back in 2001.  You can read Time magazine’s coverage here.  It is morally reprehensible and strategically counterproductive for the U.S. administration to disregard the Iranian people’s democratic hopes in favor of a realpolitik , quid pro quo engagement of this regime.

We are a big fan of Ms. Robin Wright.  She gave a speech Wednesday night at Davidson College.  Ms. Wright began her talk by asking, “Why should we care about Iran?” As it turns out, the reasons are many.  Iran has been “the nemesis of 5 American presidents,” from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, and “could be what decides (President Barack) Obama’s legacy, even more than Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Ms. Wright said.   President Obama has the unenviable task of using diplomacy to halt Iran’s nuclear program, while simultaneously refraining from lending political legitimacy to  President Ahmadinejad.

She swiftly dismissed the idea of going to war with Iran over its nuclear program. “You thought the Iraq war was difficult?  Try going to war with Iran.”  (A point echoed by French chief-of-staff Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin who believes a military operation would be too risky.  “It is very difficult to plan a military operation in Iran, because we are not sure in one shot to be able to solve a problem and if you fail in one shot, it is a catastrophe,” he said in English. “I don’t think at this stage a military option is still available.”)

Ms. Wright also believes shock waves from last summer’s political tumult in Iran have reverberated through the rest of the Muslim world, as Iran’s protesters “are applauded with envy” by those living in other authoritarian Islamic regimes.  She completely understands the implications of what’s taking place in Iran.  We only wish the administration would listen to her.

Today’s FT reports:  Hossein Karroubi, a son of Mr Karroubi, told the Financial Times the authorities closed the office to intimidate his father. “Mr Karroubi is not going to bow to pressure,” he added.  It also wrote that the Kayhan newspaper, mouthpiece of the radical fundamentalists and run under the authority of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, urged the judiciary on Wednesday to deal “decisively” with the main leaders of the post-election “riots”.  The newspaper published interviews with politicians who blamed the unrest on opposition leaders and called for their trial.  IND: This doesn’t bode well for the reformists.  Kayhan’s record of foreshadowing the conservatives’ crackdowns is unmatched.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Karroubi, Mr. Mousavi, their families and other reformists.

The U.S. will be much more successful in resolving Iran’s nuclear issue if it were to eliminate the use of force as an option because the more Israel or the U.S. emphasis the military option, the more the security forces in Iran will rally around the most hard-line elements in the regime. Ahmadinejad would love nothing more than to see an Israeli attack on Iran.  Such an act would be critical to the complete takeover of Iranian politics by the most radical elements of the Revolutionary Guards.

Conversely, if the military option were taken off the table and Iran’s military were to feel assured that there won’t be a foreign attack, it is far more likely that it would then turn its attention inward and possibly challenge the more hard-line elements in the Revolutionary Guards.  Iran’s military in terms of demographics and political attitude represents the general Iranian population much more closely than the more ideologically recruited, trained Revolutionary Guards. See More.

Maybe we are a bit cynical but we feel something smells funny here.  Here are some facts:

Aug 15 Reuters reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader appointed Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani as the new head of the country’s judiciary.  Larijani brothers are known as “pragmatic conservatives,” and have no love for Ahmadinejad.

Aug 22 Reuters reported that Influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has urged people to follow Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s guidelines, five weeks after he challenged the authority of Iran’s most powerful figure…The conciliatory statement appeared to be in contrast to a hard-hitting sermon Rafsanjani delivered on July 17, when he declared the Islamic Republic in crisis and demanded an end to arrests of moderates following the election.  Did the selection of Larijani as the head of judiciary have something to do with Rafsanjani’s statement? See More.

IND: Mr. Mohsen Kadivar, a dissident reformist cleric who spent 18 months in prison because of his interpretation of Islam, is currently a visiting professor at the University of Virginia.  In his interesting interview with Rooz Online (an outstanding website which we are a big fan of), Mr. Kadivar explained his interpretation of the Green Movement.  He also made a few comments which raised some red flags with us.  Here they are:

Kadivar:  A good deed can always be misused. Just as a secular government can turn to fascism or become democratic. When a fascistic interpretation of secularism is presented, can we condemn secularism? The same is true for an Islamic government. It could be interpreted in fascistic terms with dictatorial elements or democratic ones.

Rooz: Secular fascist regimes and secular democratic ones have real examples. Can you give an example of a democratic Islamic republic?

Kadivar:  Just because there is no record of it does not mean it cannot take place. IND in blue:  Do we have to go through another thirty years of trial and error to realize yet again that now the utopia of Mr. Kadivar’s Islamic state also doesn’t exist? See More.

IND:  Khamenei appears to have softened his tone on the opposition in recent days.  (See below)  The question is why?  Has he suddenly realized the error of his policies?  Surely not!  Then what is it?  No one knows but we suggest a simple reason – FEAR! Although we certainly don’t subscribe to the neocon point of view, Michael Ledeen makes an extremely important point here:

It is reminiscent of that moment, thirty years ago, when the shah admitted that his security forces had gone too far, and promised he would crack down on them.  This open confession of weakness inspired Khomeini’s followers, and marked a watershed in the history of the revolution.  From that moment on, the revolutionaries no longer feared the regime, and the shah’s people started to betray him and one another.  There is reason to believe Khamenei’s speech has the same significance.

AFP: Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed on Sunday that Iran will prosecute anyone who has committed “crimes” against people harmed in post-election unrest, state television reported…”If a bad deed or crime has been committed those behind it will be dealt with rightfully and legally,” the supreme leader said, “just as those who openly stand against the system are confronted.”…He also indicated on Wednesday that members of the security forces who took part in the post-election crackdown were not immune from prosecution…and [that] he was not convinced those who led the protests were backed by foreigners.

IND:  Putting aside Ahmadinejad’s brutal treatment of the protestors and focusing on Iran’s economy, it’s amazing how Ahmadinejad (and his allies) don’t learn from the disastrous consequences of economic populism from countries like Argentina.  Argentina at the turn of the Twentieth century was one of the richest countries in the world thanks to its agricultural products and rich natural resources.  However, by the late Twentieth century due to the well-intended but ultimately counter-productive economic populist policies of Juan & Evita Peron, Argentina became an economic basket case.   Ahmadinejad: Read about the Perons and see your economic legacy!

From AP: Ali Asghar Yousefnejad [A reformist MP] questioned how Ahmadinejad and his team would revive Iran’s economy, which suffers from high rates of inflation and unemployment, saying the president offered only “generalities and slogans.”  “What we need are practical solutions for growth and investment, housing problems, inflation and unemployment,” said Yousefnejad.  Both conservatives and reformists have criticized Ahmadinejad’s management of the economy, which was one of the key issues during the recent presidential election. Yousefnejad’s criticism served as a reminder of the challenges facing the president even if he is able to overcome the increasingly bitter conflict over his re-election and the violent crackdown against protesters that followed.

IND: Fissures within the conservative camp are growing.  It is interesting how Ahmadinejad keeps challenging Khamenei.

LA Times: …The president [Ahmadinejad] says post-election unrest was part of a foreign plot carried out by ’subversives.’ …”The most important task for the judiciary and security bodies is to deal seriously with the leaders and masterminds” of the unrest, he said. “All of those who organized and instigated [the riots] and followed the enemy line have to be seriously confronted. The masterminds of the riots should by no means enjoy any immunity.”  The crowd inside the Tehran University venue chanted, “Execution for the ringleaders!”

…His [Ahmadinejad’s] demand runs counter to supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who gave a conciliatory speech Wednesday… “The current government and the respected president, just like any other human being in the world, have some strong and weak points,” he [Khamenei] told students Wednesday night.

…It remains unclear why Ahmadinejad has chosen again to confront Khamenei. The president faces a huge challenge in the coming days over his Cabinet picks, which parliament has vowed to forcefully scrutinize.  Ahmadinejad today urged lawmakers “to let me decide about the efficiency” of the Cabinet picks.

IND: Is Khatami getting bolder at last?

NY Times:…In a harshly worded statement, Khatami lashed out at hard-liners, saying they were accused of ”treason” in the public’s eyes because of the fraudulent vote. He said the claims that the opposition protests were part of a foreign plot were a ”very big mistake” and aimed to ”justify violent, illegal and monopolistic behavior” by the government.

”The sacred Friday prayer podium has been given to those who … call for the punishment of prominent figures … while they are accused in the eyes of the public for committing treason themselves,” he said, referring to hard-line clerics who have denounced the opposition during Tehran’s main Friday prayers, one of the country’s most potent political platforms.

Khatami said killing protesters and abusing detainees in custody has revealed the true nature of the ruling system in dealing with peaceful protests. ”Is this the merciful Islamic image that defends morality and the people’s basic rights?” he said in a statement posted on the Web late Thursday…