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Home >> Middle East Iran Yes, Iraq Had Unsettling al Qaida Connections
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 5/4/2008
The proposition that Iraq, prior to our intervention, never had a connection to al Qaida, or to any jihadist movement in a broader sense, has prematurely congealed into conventional wisdom. Nevertheless, this exemption of the Hussein family is fallacious and untrue. It would be appropriate if we can look at the history and information we have — the known knowns, let’s say — in an empirical and apolitical manner, separating this discussion from the debate as to whether or not any of this merited war. The beginning of a people’s war in Balochistan, Iran
Reza Hossein Borr - 5/3/2008
When the Islamic Republic of Iran hanged two Sunni Baluch leaders in the morning of 9 April 08, the Baluch people knew that a new era has began in the relationship between the Shia fundamentalist regime of Iran and the rising Sunni Baluch people. As the Baluch culture requires, the Baluch people offered plenty of advice to the regime to stop its atrocities in Baluchistan and if they did not, then, they would face severe consequences. As usual, the Iranian regime underestimated the inner strength of the Baluch people and continued the execution and hanging of Baluch people. Now a widespread... War with Iran: Closer than Ever II
Dan Rabkin - 5/1/2008
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the Iranian Opposition’s parliament-in-exile, is one anti-regime organization worthy of Western support. War with Iran: Closer than Ever
Dan Rabkin - 4/30/2008
America’s Mayor and former U.S. presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani previously said that “the use of military force against Iran would be very dangerous. It would be very provocative. The only thing worse would be Iran being a nuclear power.” Giuliani is absolutely right, but why are we sitting by as these frightful alternatives become the only two feasible options? Google Must Be Held To Account on 'Arabian' Gulf
Amil Imani - 4/30/2008
It is one thing for Google Earth to depict the map of the world as is and another thing to manipulate it. It is one thing for any business to market its product and it is another thing to peddle something it does not own. And Yes, Iran Has Unsettling al Qaida Connections
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 4/25/2008
My last article explored what the 9/11 Commission had to say about Iraq’s links to al Qaida. The consensus of that commission was, in essence, that while it has not been proven that Saddam’s Iraq had any collaborative relationship with the terror group — that is to say, they never cooperated on a specific attack — there were, in fact, serious connections and high-level contacts between the two parties for years (offers of asylum to bin Laden, requests for basing privileges by bin Laden, etc.). Western Failure to Contain Iran
Dr. Sharam Taromsari - 4/20/2008
Since the 1979 revolution in Iran, international political systems have witnessed dramatic changes. The cold war was declared over after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Given the nature of these changes, terms such as critical engagement and constructive engagement became buzz words amongst foreign policy decision makers. A new world order was declared and in the UK, New Labour went as far as declaring "ethical foreign policy". The Iranian Job
Colonel Charbel Barakat - 4/16/2008
During the Shah time Iran was becoming one of the major players in the Middle East region, being an oil country with a liberal regime and an ally to the West at the borders of the Soviet Union, the Shah had the best army in the Gulf very well equipped and trained in the Western military academies. We still remember the celebration of Persepolis with the fortune the Shah spent to show the glory of the ancient Persia. The French President then, Mr. Ponpidou, refused to assist to this celebration, to which all the world leaders were invited, claming that it is not fair to spend so much money for such a celebration while the Iranian people is in need of it. Flirting with the Mullahs
Prof. Mohammad Parvin, Ph.D. and Hassan Daioleslam - 4/7/2008
Senator Dianne Feinstein is announced as the keynote speaker of an upcoming event in Capitol Hill on US-Iran relations.1 (April 6th) Trita Parsi, the president of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) will moderate the conference. Parsi was the political advisor and assistant to now the federal prisoner Bob Ney. Ney’s conviction was partly related to the bribes he received from two London based international felons working with the Iranian regime. The Iranian Cultural & Natural Heritage Year
Amil Imani - 3/31/2008
According to the World Encyclopedia, cultural genocide is a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage of a people or nation for political or military reasons. Since coming to power twenty-nine years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been in a constant battle with the Iranian people as well as her culture and heritage. Culturist Lessons from Iranian Textbooks
Prof. John Press - 3/30/2008
People’s little multicultural bubble has been popped and outrage and indignation have followed!! French researchers at Freedom House found out that women in Iranian textbooks are “not presented as independent individuals. Rather, they are a man’s wife, mother, sister, or daughter.” Worse yet, though minorities’ prophets are given some respect, the Iranian state is portrayed as Persian Islamic. The textbooks criticize the West and proclaim Israel and ally of the West and the enemy. The Middle East gets presented as sharing a common Islamic identity which is presented as the exclusive religion of social justice and the defender of the poor and oppressed both in Iran and abroad!! Islam & the Iranian Dilemma
Amil Imani - 3/30/2008
Since its inception fourteen hundred years ago, Islam has been at war with the people of this planet. Millions of people have been literally butchered with the sword of Islam. Iranian Nuclear Program Remains In Full Flow
Lt. Cdr. Esmaeil Abnar - 3/24/2008
The threat posed by Iran to Coalition troops in the region is considerable. Iran has for a number of years run a systematic campaign of targeting all Coalition troops based in Iraq, Afghanistan and the wider region. However, this campaign may well be considerably more deadly if the Iranian regime were to acquire a nuclear weapon, a scenario which is now becoming an ever growing prospect. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MP Lord Waddington - Iran Regime Change Is "Essential"
David Storobin, Esq. - 3/6/2008
Lord David Charles Waddington served in the UK Parliament from 1968 to 1974. He returned to Parliament in 1979. Lord Waddington was a junior minister under Margaret Thatcher, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Employment (1981–83), Minister of State at the Home Office (1983–87) and Chief Whip from 1987 until his elevation to Cabinet level, becoming Home Secretary in 1989. In 1990 he was created a life peer as Baron Waddington, of Read in the County of Lancashire. He served as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords until 1992. He later served as Governor of Bermuda. Lo... YouTube Banned and Censored in Iran
Ghazal Omid - 3/5/2008
Feb 26th, 2008, Reuters reported, “YouTube outage might have been caused by Pakistan.” The same night, news of YouTube being shut down was discussed on every major network, speculating whether the Pakistani government was responsible. YouTube executives didn’t call it censorship, explaining the shutdown was the result of a routing change creating a massive traffic jam and “many users around the world could not access the site for about two hours.” US Policy on Iran: Where is the Missing Link?
Ghazal Omid - 3/4/2008
A new set of sanctions against Iran has again been recommended to the UN Council. The IRI reacted with an unenforceable threat to the UN. The threat is impotent because Iran’s economy is not thriving but IRI uses media cleverly to portray Iran as otherwise. Article 44 of IRI Assembly allows the IRI to cleverly work around sanctions. The IRI relationship with Arab countries of the Persian Gulf suggests that, behind the scenes, there is “blinking” at the sanctions. Using Amnesty and Human Rights for change in Iran
Ghazal Omid - 2/28/2008
On February 22, Amnesty International had a panel discussion on Human Rights in Iran and how to move forward with that issue. The following paragraph is from Amnesty’s webpage: "This is a panel presentation followed by discussion on how activists can promote human rights in Iran in the context of the current situation. Panelists include: Trita Parsi of the National Iranian-American Council, activists Elahe Amani and Nazanin Boniadi, and former AI Board member Alireza Azizi.” Several days prior to this panel discussion, Iranians flooded Amnesty with faxes and e-mails in angry reaction to the de... Iranian Elections A Façade For Terror-Sponsoring Regime
Hossein Abedini - 2/26/2008
As the Iranian regime prepares itself for upcoming parliamentary elections on 14 March, I am reminded of a day in Turkey exactly 18 years before it, when the mullahs' brutal nature and their support for terrorism became a stark reality for me. On 14 March 1990, in mid-afternoon I was sitting next to the driver taking me to the Istanbul airport, when suddenly a car carrying four men blocked our path. Another car pinned us in from behind. Seconds later, two men, one from the front car and one from the car behind, raced out with automatic guns. As they approached, I opened the car door and rushed... Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Campaign of Terror Against the Opposition
Ghazal Omid - 2/20/2008
The Iranian regime celebrated its 29th anniversary in January 2008 for a two week period called Fajar or Victory. No doubt the revolution has been a victorious event for the IRI government but it is an entirely different story for the Iranian people. Hear the Cry of the People of Iran for Freedom
Baroness May Blood - Member of UK House of Lords - 2/19/2008
On January 31, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution expressing its "deep concern over the deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran." The EP strongly condemned the death sentences and executions in Iran, in particular those imposed and/or carried out on minors. Blacklisting Iranian Opposition Despite Court Order
Malcolm Fowler - 2/18/2008
On Wednesday, January 23, 2008 the Council of Europe voted on a resolution in relation to the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) terror blacklists. This resolution was based on a report by Dick Marty, a Swiss investigator working for the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Council of Europe. The report and the resolution in turn were a damning indictment of the way in which individuals and groups are blacklisted within the EU and UN. Iran's Majlis Elections Neither Free Nor Fair
Mark Williams - UK Member of Parliament - 2/7/2008
It is with optimism that I usually regard elections. Win or lose, they are an opportunity for the voice of the people to be heard, but an exception to this will be the Iranian “elections” this March. Elections in Iran are neither free nor fair. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s rise to the Presidency in 2005 serves as a striking example. Even by the regime’s own pre-poll records, Ahmadinejad was not even close to first place. So how does a previously-unheard-of Revolutionary Guards commander with no proven success in politics and no pre-poll showing get more than 50 percent of the votes in an election widely boycotted by the vast majority of the Iranian population? Simple. He doesn’t. Do Iranians Have the Courage to Say No to Islam
Amil Imani - 2/4/2008
Nearly 1400 years ago, a group of nomads from across the scorching Arabian Desert conquered Persia (Iran), the greatest empire known to the history of mankind. With that, they injected their Islamic virus into the veins of their victim: the Iranian people. In Remembrance of Cyrus the Great
Amil Imani - 1/29/2008
It happened here, on January 26, 2008 at the UCLA Freud PlayHouse, in Los Angeles, California. It brought the world's most renowned scholars and top performing artists to a remembrance of the life of Cyrus the Great, the founding father of Persia and the mighty Persian Empire— perhaps the most exemplary, magnificent and just king the world has ever known. Iranian Revolutionary Guards Perpetuate Terror Within and Without
Majid Sadeghpour, Ph.D. - 1/21/2008
"Cold blooded murders", a friend of mine cried out recently as she recalled gruesome memories from Iran while reflecting on the newly levied sanctions against Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Encouraged and emboldened, her voice was filled with anger, determination, and a newfound hope that echoed the braveness of dissident university students in Iran of today. All a reminder that the Presidential executive orders 13382 and 13224 carry a subtle but dual benefit affecting not only Iranian regime's activities abroad, but also its enemies within. Our Deadly Tango with Iran
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 1/18/2008
In the convoluted world of Middle East politics and diplomacy, the American relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) remains one of the most difficult to fathom. However, of late, the dense fog that emanates from the Persian Gulf and also swirls so frequently along the shores of the Potomac that the area is known locally as “Foggy Bottom”—that veil of fog has lifted, and for once a relatively clear view is possible for those willing to look. Islamic Iran’s policies on the ground, particularly in Iraq, are directly related to our own forcefulness or timidity towards the mullah regim... US Policies On Iran and Iranian People
Ghazal Omid - 1/18/2008
President Bush has been active the first month of 2008 reviving his efforts to boost his Middle East peace initiative. Part of that campaign is his trip to the Persian Gulf region. The Iranian and Gulf media has written more about President’s Bush’s photo-ops and the Kuwait Foreign Minister’s sudden visit to Iran while President Bush is in that country than about the core of the trip itself. Iran's Nuclear and Syria's Iraq Adventures
Prof. Barry Rubin - 12/22/2007
The two main areas where the alliance of radical forces in the Middle East confront Western interests and pose a danger of major instability are Iran's drive for nuclear weapons and Syria's efforts to destabilize Iraq. This article considers these two issues. First, it examines what effect Iran's obtaining nuclear weapons would have on Middle East politics, with an emphasis on scenarios that would occur even if Iran never actually uses them. Second, it asks why it is that the interests of Iran's ally, Syria, compel it to destabilize Iraq. Iran’s 2003 Grand Bargain Offer: Secrets, Lies, and Manipulation
Hassan Daioleslam - 12/19/2007
In the past year, Iran has emerged as the main concern for United States foreign policy. In the aftermath of Iraq war, the United States is blamed for not pursuing diplomatic means in dealing with Iran. Much is said and written about the lost opportunity of dialogue and settling differences with Iran in 2003. The Bomb, Iran's Mullahs and Doomsday
Amil Imani - 12/18/2007
It is the holiday season and we all have received this most welcome present: the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate about Iran’s nuclear problem. Since 2003 the mullahs running Iran have, on their own and through their own goodwill, have ceased all activities aimed at acquiring the bomb, so says the report. Why Iran’s Mullahs Must Have the Bomb?
Amil Imani - 12/15/2007
Why Iran’s Mullahs must have the bomb? Because their very survival depends on it; because they know how vastly unpopular they are at home; and because they have absolutely no legitimacy to exist, and the bomb would give them a greater freedom to obliterate the freedom-loving Iranian people with impunity and export their brand of Islam outside Iran’s boundary with carte blanche. War With Iran For Knowledge
Imran Khan - 12/9/2007
Two significant things happened in October 2007. One was the visit of Russia's President Vladimir Putin to Iran in mid October, as he was the first Kremlin leader to visit Iran since Josef Stalin in 1943. He exchanged warm words with Iranians and said that there is no evidence to suggest Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb and "peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed". He also warned against the use of force against Iran "Not only should we reject the use of force, but also the mention of force as a possibility." Exclusive Interview: MP Binley - Isolate Iran Like Apartheid South Africa
David Storobin, Esq. - 11/22/2007
Brian Binley has been a Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom for Northampton South since 2005. He has taken an active role in the UK House of Commons on issue of Iran and its opposition groups. David Storobin interviewed him for the Global Politician. An Increasing Possibility
Jonathan Spyer - 11/16/2007
The possible emergence of a nuclear-armed, Islamist Iran committed to the destruction of the Jewish state is the key security issue currently occupying the attention of Israel's political and security elite. It is one of the few issues upon which there is near (but not total) consensus. Israel has watched the growing power of radical elements within the Iranian ruling elite in the last half-decade with concern. These elements, of which President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is the most prominent representative, openly reject Israel's right to exist. Ahmedinejad's comments advocating Israel's destructio... Nuclear Iran: The Strategic Fallout
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/16/2007
The Iranian nuclear issue is too important and dangerous to be miscomprehended. So here are some life-and-death factors to keep in mind about it: The Islamic Republic’s War with the Dead
Amil Imani - 11/15/2007
"The hatred of the extremist mullahs for the Baha'is is such that they, like the Taliban of Afghanistan who destroyed the towering Buddhist sculptures at Bamiyan, intend not only to eradicate the religion, but even to erase all traces of its existence in the country of its birth," says the statement, which took the form of a paid advertisement in the New York Times. Such has been the plight of one of the greatest segments of the Iranian population. Blacklisting Iran's Revolutionary Guard: War On Terror Has Finally Begun
Shahab Sariri - 11/13/2007
It was a real shocker to the clerical regime in Iran when the Bush administration blacklisted the Iranian regime's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and accused its elite Quds Force of supporting terrorism. The silence of the high ranking clerics in Tehran for several days was the proof of that. It was not until the passing of five days that Ali Khamenei appeared in public to alleviate the anxiety of the clerical establishment's shrinking ideological base. Will Iran celebrate the 100th anniversary of its oil discovery with $100 petroleum?
Shirzad Azad - 11/10/2007
Oil prices have surpassed a record US$97 a barrel. Given the growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East involving an imminent war between the Turks and the Kurds over the future of oil-rich Kirkuk and the prospect of an independent Kurdish state, and the current standoff about Iran's nuclear program, petroleum prices may cross over $100 a barrel in coming months. Happy Cyrus Day
Amil Imani - 11/5/2007
October 29th has been designated as the international day of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, who declared the first charter of human rights in the world, also known as the Cyrus Cylinder. Return from Paradise in the Left Lane
Hassan Daioleslam - 10/8/2007
In 2006, the Iran’s nuclear dossier was referred to the UN Security Council inaugurating a new era of confrontation between the clerical rulers and the international community. To counter the diplomatic pressure on Tehran, a new advocacy and PR group namely “Campaign Against Sanction and Military Intervention In Iran” (CASMII) was created. French Plan To Impose Fresh Sanctions On Iran Finds Strong Support in London, But Less Enthusiasm In Germany and Italy
Angelique van Engelen - 10/5/2007
A French plan to impose fresh sanctions against Iran very soon has found strong support by the UK, whilst Germany and Italy are more hesitant. A British Foreign Office spokesman told AFP that the UK 'wholeheartedly' backs the initiative. Germany and Italy are reportedly not so keen to act outside the United Nations. A letter written by the French foreign minister, urged other European countries that it is necessary that new measures are taken straight away. "Time is working against us, since each day Iran moves closer to mastering the technology of enrichment, which means a de facto military nuclear capacity," Kouchner wrote. He proposed "a combination of dialogue and firmness". President Ahmadinejad's Vision
Amil Imani - 10/3/2007
Being the observing Shia that he is, President Ahmadinejad, Mahmood (let’s call him PAM, for short) has adopted for himself a Marjae Taghleed (Spiritual Guide, Point of Emulation), as recommended by Shia doctrine. The Spiritual Guide, chosen from the ranks of the clergy, supposedly personifies a living example of piety to be consulted in all matters, revered and emulated. In Search of Ahmadinejad
Prof. Barry Rubin - 10/2/2007
A massive controversy has erupted in the United States, and across the world, around Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York, where he spoke at the United Nations and Columbia University. Who is this man and what does he want? Is he a new Hitler or a leader with understandable grievances who should be engaged in dialogue? Apart from the passion provoked and naïveté too often shown toward this leader, how can we accurately assess him? Who is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
Amil Imani - 9/26/2007
To understand Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's mindset and behavior require close scrutiny of the elaborate and intricate theology of Hujetieh Shiism, perhaps the most fundamentalist of the numerous Shiite sects. In the 1950s, a group of Islamic clergy led by Sheikh Mahmoud Halabi (a close associate of Ayatollah Khomeini) formed a society called the Anjoman-e Khayryyehye Hujjatiyyah-ye Mahdaviat (Charitable Society of the Mahdi), based in Mashhad, Iran. The Hujjatyyah membership was mostly composed by the bazaar-i businessmen and fanatical mullahs. Among many things, they were against ... The IAEA-Iran Partnership
Ephraim Asculai - 9/21/2007
On August 27, 2007, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published an Information Circular (INCIRC 711) that included the text of the “Understandings of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA on the Modalities of Resolution of the Outstanding Issues.” Towards the end of that document, the following text can be found: "The Agency's delegation is of the view that the agreement on the above issues shall further promote the efficiency of the implementation of safeguards in Iran and its ability to conclude the exclusive peaceful nature [sic] of Iran's nuclear activities." Resolution of ... The Iran Conundrum
Amil Imani - 9/20/2007
Underneath all conquests and expansions, underneath all the frivolous wars over religious differences, underneath all the oppression and tyranny, underneath all the motives of greed for wealth, underneath all the wars over injustices, lies one single drive: to dominate. The passion to dominate, control and rule over one's fellow humans is an ancient impulse. It goes back to prehistoric times when certain individuals had the desire to force their will upon those around them. The Real Impact Of Sanctions Against Iran: Interview with Chris Cook
Angelique van Engelen - 9/17/2007
The next few days, the world will be holding its breath as the US is drumming up support for highly controversial sanctions against Iran. The implications of such a move could be potentially disastrous and it’s likely we’ll see a showdown of who holds what kind of power and where on the planet. In a bizzare twist of fate, a UK consortium that is involved in developing the Iran Oil Bourse (IOB), might stand to benefit from sanctions. Iranian Nuclear Issue Is Heating Up
Angelique van Engelen - 9/16/2007
Iran’s recently struck agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) might be too late, but judging from IAEA officials’ comments, what Iran brought to the table is certainly not classifiable as too little. IAEA top officials say that Iran has offered it access to information that goes even beyond requirements of the additional protocol that Iran failed to fulfill earlier on. How Iranian Leftists Protect Islamic Regime
Kambiz Basetvat - 9/16/2007
Iranian commentators in US media, with the impressive professorship credentials from prestigious universities or other institutions, are engaged in providing considerable misinformation to the American public concerning the course of action that US should take for overthrowing the Islamic regime in Iran. After twenty seven years dealing with Islamic regime, the US government and the united stats people have no doubt in hostility they are facing from Hezb Allah regime. The political ambitions of Islamo-Fascist head quartered in Iran, although, concentrated in the Middle East for the time being,... Pilgrimage to Tehran
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/12/2007
The big picture can be found in the little details. Here’s a great example. Iran recently held a summit meeting bringing together Palestinian leaders. Hamas was there, of course, and Islamic Jihad, too. No surprise that. But there was someone else participating in the gathering: Farouq Qaddumi. Iran: The Rise Of The Revolutionary Guard and State-Sponsorship of Terror
Nasser Rashidi - 9/11/2007
A few years ago, the world was awakened to the dangers of the mullahs' nuclear program by an opposition group. Since then, faced with more recent regional events, international consciousness has come to better appreciate the extent of Iran's involvement in terrorist activities abroad, its nuclear ambitions, and its interference in Iraq, Lebanon and Israel-Palestine. It was this same group (The National Council of Resistance of Iran, NCRI) which first unmasked the so-called "moderation" agenda of the mullahs, that had culminated in the election of the current "moderate" president, Mr. Khatami... Iran: Targeting the Heart of Terrorism
David Johnson - 9/11/2007
On the surface, the terror bombings in London and the ascension of fundamentalist radicals to high ranking positions in Iran may appear unrelated. However, they both should serve as a stern wake-up call. Zucker’s List: Enemies of the Rajavi Cult Terrorists
Prof. Paul Sheldon Foote - 9/4/2007
Professor Rabbi Daniel Zucker, a promoter of the Iranian Communist MEK (MKO, PMOI, NCRI, Rajavi Cult, or Pol Pot of Iran) terrorists, has made a new list of the enemies of this evil cult. It is a high honor to be placed on a list of enemies of these communist terrorists who have murdered American military officers, Rockwell International employees, and large numbers of Iranians and Iraqis. Supporters of the MEK have committed terrorist acts in many countries, including in America in 1992. In September 2002, the White House published a background paper listing the MEK as a Saddam Hussein-suppor... Disinformation Campaign in Overdrive: Iran’s VEVAK in High-Gear
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 9/3/2007
In two prior articles,[i] we looked at the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS = Farsi: VEVAK=Vezarat-e Ettela'at va Amniat-e Keshvar). The following essay is a third installment in what looks to be a growing research project. Reference to the earlier papers is suggested for those new to the subject. Domestic Genocide in Iran
Amil Imani - 8/30/2007
The world’s most notorious state exponent of anti-Semitism, the Islamic Republic of Iran, is on a path to uproot, not only all that are perceived as civilized, but to annihilate the greatest threat to its existence, the Iranian people. The mullahs and their mercenaries are wasting precious human life in order to maintain themselves in power through terrorizing the population. IRGC: Iran's Old Dogs
David Johnson - 8/30/2007
You can’t teach old dogs new tricks; so the saying goes. This tired cliché’ seems to fit the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) very well. The organization, scorned by majority of Iranians as the “rabid dogs of ayatollahs”, has been unwilling to be domesticated, no matter how delicious the incentive. The IRGC’s top commander, Rahim Safavi, has repeatedly threatened the United States, Israel , Arab and Muslim states, and international shipping lanes with violence. Increased, tangible interference in Iraq ’s affairs has been repeatedly and consistently attributed to the IRGC by the United S... Important Statistics About Iranians
Amil Imani - 8/24/2007
It is a matter of pure coincidence that the survey conducted by the Center For the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights (CFPD) on Iranian public opinion came out at almost exactly the same time as that of Terror Free Tomorrow’s (TFT) survey on the same subject. Behind the Curtain!
Ghazal Omid - 8/24/2007
This week, on August 21, 2007 Mr. Lee H. Hamilton achieved the goal of diplomacy for which he worked so hard for nearly four months, the release of Ms. Haleh Esfandari from an Iranian prison. As an Iranian and human rights activist, I am both relieved and saddened. Trite as it may be, sometimes the end does not justify the means. On one hand, I am delighted to see an innocent woman, an Iranian American scholar from Woodrow Wilson Center, freed without further delay. I was asked to help her and would have gladly done so had I been needed. On the other hand, the price Mr. Hamilton bargained ... Iran: A Third Option
Shahab Sariri - 8/22/2007
Iranian cities have been the scene of widespread protests and clashes between a restive population and the Iranian regime’s State Security Forces (SSF). Students from Tehran’s Amir Kabir otherwise known as Polytechnic University, where Ahmadinejad’s pictures were burned earlier this year, have been staging sit-ins demanding the release of political prisoners. Across the country, other universities have followed suit and clashes with SSF have been widely reported. Over the past few months, teachers, laborers, and feminists have also staged their own protests, strikes, and sit-ins. The peopl... U.S. Iran Talks: A wakeup call
David Johnson - 8/16/2007
Talks between the U.S. and Iran on Iraqi security came at a crucial time for all parties involved. Right now, Baghdad is a bull’s-eye in a decisive competition for influence in the Near East . In our increasingly globalizing world, the stakes are higher than ever. While the United States is using talks to clarify necessary steps toward sustainable peace in Iraq , Iran is using talks as a means to acquire official legitimacy to sustain violence. To that end, Iran is training, arming and funding sectarian militias. Iranian backed militias not only isolate Iraqi communities from their neighbors, ... Iranian President Makes Moves To Capitalize On Iranian Oil Wealth
Angelique van Engelen - 8/14/2007
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is reshuffling the oil ministry. He says this way, he hopes to deliver on his promise to redistribute wealth. He’s also sacked the Industry Minister. And next on the agenda is the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Voice of Mullahs in Washington Silences Voice of America
Omid Biniaz - 8/2/2007
National Iranian American Council (NIAC) on their web site has announced that it has "taken legal action against proponents of US-Iran war who have waged a defamation campaign against NIAC". Of course as is usually the case with NIAC, the truth is between lines. By legal action, NIAC is referring to a letter written by their own lawyer to Voice of America-TV (VOA). This tactic, commonly known as "cease and desist letter" is typically not the first step in a legal action but an alternative to taking a legal action, aimed to intimidate. NIAC in the same statement has also braged abo... Timmerman’s Tendentious Tirade Against Iranian Opposition
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 7/26/2007
Dr. Kenneth R. Timmerman has an excellent understanding of the nefarious nature of the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In that regard he enjoys a well deserved fine reputation. It is therefore a shame that he spoils his good name by engaging in wholesale lies and slander towards the best organized, oldest, and most popular and most effective of all Iranian resistance organizations,1 the Mojahedin-e Khalq, a group that has existed for 42 years, beginning as an anti-monarchist (anti-Shah), pro-democracy student group in 1965 and after the fall of the Shah in 1979 became the leading anti-fundamentalist (anti-Khomeini), pro-democracy movement in Iran. Influence Of Iran On Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/25/2007
As American diplomats hold their first high-level meeting with Iranian counterparts for many years, U.S. policymakers need to be reminded of a very simple but incredibly important point. Namely: What do all the current threats facing the Middle East - the Hamas takeover in the Gaza Strip, Hizballah’s bid for power in Lebanon, political turmoil in Iraq, and imminent nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical dictatorship--all have in common? Answer: Iran. Ayatollahs’ Lobby In Washington Offering Human Rights As A Negotiating Item
Hassan Daioleslam - 7/21/2007
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and its president Trita Parsi plan to organize a panel in the US House of Representatives on July 26th, 2007, titled “Human Rights in Iran and US Foreign Policy Options” [1]. According to the published agenda, representatives from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch will participate. The sponsors of the program (NIAC and Trita Parsi) are key players in the lobby enterprise of Tehran’s ayatollahs in the United States. The Iranian regime’s violations of human rights have reached unprecedented levels. Its barbaric suppression of women, workers... Regime Change In Iran: Interview With Mahtub Hojatti
Ryan Mauro - 7/18/2007
Mahtub Hojjati writes under the by-line of Mattie Fein. She is the founder and president of the Institute for Persian Studies in Washington, D.C. which aims to replace the current regime of Iran with a democracy. Global Politician's Associate Editor Ryan Mauro interviewed Mr. Hojjati. Five Point Roadmap to War with Iran, An Instructional Manual
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 7/5/2007
Engage Tehran. I have a piece of advice for those wishing to start a ferocious and bloody war with Iran that would claim the lives of millions of Iranian people and thousands of American soldiers, would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and would enflame turmoil in the region for decades: engage Tehran. Here is a step by step instructional guideline for engagement to proceed. Europe and Iraq: Test Case For The Common Foreign And Security Policy
Jonathan Spyer - 7/5/2007
Since its beginnings in 1990, the Iraq crisis has exposed the dilemmas and paradoxes at the heart of European attempts to build a common foreign and security policy. It has also illustrated the varying aspects of U.S.-Europe relations. This article looks into the stances adopted by the main European countries and the debates within EU institutions regarding events in Iraq and the extent and nature of their engagement with that country in the post-Saddam era. Core members of Iran's council of Economic Governance
Iqbal Latif - 7/4/2007
Adam Smith is quoted to have said that 'Civil government is in reality instituted for the defence of the rich against the poor.' This maxim is particularly apt when the President of an oil rich $600 billion economy talks shop with his neighbourhood butcher. "We have hardworking shopkeepers in our neighbourhood from whom I get important economic information because they are living among the people." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he keeps his finger on Iran's economic pulse by talking to his butcher. Ahmadinejad, the son of a conscientious blacksmith, has also referred to his local shopkeepers wh... Iran To Hang Political Prisoner On July 4
Ghazal Omid - 7/3/2007
Khaled Hardani, a political prisoner since 2000, was last able to call from prison on June 12, 2007. His death sentence was reaffirmed May 31, 2007. He is to be hanged July 4, 2007, according to UN officer Mr. Gram. Khaled has been separated from the prison population since June 17; quarantined in an undisclosed location in Raji Shahr prison. According to UN officer Grams and other political prisoners this is usually an indication that a prisoner will be hanged and also is mandated as mental torture by the UN. He was last seen in medical clinic on June 20 when he told witnesses he was four d... Iran: Regime Change, Not Reform
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 6/29/2007
Negar Azimi, who once proclaimed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "the people's choice", showcases equal lunacy and bluster in a recent New York Times article, entitled "Hard Realities of Soft Power." Azimi sheds light on the daily work of David Denehy, the senior advisor to the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, who oversees U.S. funds for democracy promotion in Iran. The "democracy fund," as it is called, totals $75 million - more than the $1.5 to $11 million that was previously granted. Knighthood For Rushdie: The Need For Social Change
Saberi Roy - 6/28/2007
Salman Rushdie’s contribution to literature has been recognized once again with the British honor of Knighthood. The recognition is not just of literary contribution but also of a bold spirit and freedom of speech. In the literary world, Salman Rushdie is quite a phenomenon because it was the publication of the Satanic Verses that exposed Islamic fundamentalism way back in 1989 but let’s not forget, Satanic verses apart, he is the author of 13 very good books and he shouldn’t be branded only as the author of Satanic Verses and one who wrote against the Prophet. Why Isn’t Iran Like the Poland of Solidarity?
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 6/26/2007
Norman Podhoretz, Editor-at-Large of Commentary Magazine, published an essay in the June 2007 issue of Commentary Magazine and republished it in the Wall Street Journal on May 30, 2007 (“The Case for Bombing Iran”), in which he declared his fervent prayer that President George W. Bush would choose to bomb Iran in order to remove the threat of nuclear war instigated by Iran against Israel and the West. Citing the history of the recent rise of worldwide militant Islamization as well as the prelude to World War II and the Holocaust, Podhoretz gave a cogent argument for militarily deterring Iran’s... Flawed Presumptions of the Proponents of Engagement with Mullahs
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 6/24/2007
The argument for negotiating with Tehran’s mullahs rests upon several flawed presumptions: Barren Negotiations With Iran Come As No Surprise
Hedayat Mostowfi - 6/16/2007
The much anticipated negotiations between the United States and Iran started underway on Monday, May 28, 2007. Once more the negotiations were announced as a “breakthrough”. But realistically, what can be anticipated from these negotiations? Communication with the Iranian mullahs has never been a problem. Both countries have communicated during the Iran-Contra crisis, during the tenure of the Clinton administration and before the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The problem has been the behavior of the Iranian mullahs. So, the fact that Monday’s negotiations bore no actual result should not come as a surprise. US-Iran talks: Curb Your Enthusiasm
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 5/31/2007
On Monday, US and Iranian ambassadors in Iraq met to discuss Iraq's security, an event that has roused a sense of euphoria among proponents of engagement with Tehran's mullahs. Celebration should proceed with caution. The American envoy called the closed-door meeting "business-like," meaning we told them what we want and they told us what they want. We can extrapolate what each sides' demands were from what we have seen in published reports in Iran and elsewhere, but more importantly from what is going on in Iraq. Appeasing the Ayatollahs and the Perils of Ignoring History
Dr. Majid Sadeghpour - 5/15/2007
It was June 8, 2000; the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) was the venue. “Iran is still the most egregious state-sponsor of terrorism, despite the election of a reformist president. Elements of the Iranian Government use terrorism as a policy tool, assassinating Iranian dissidents at home and abroad and giving money, weapons and training to terrorists fighting against peace in the Middle East.”, said Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, III Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorism. Stop Ahmadinejad Before It's Too Late
Tashbih Sayyed - 5/11/2007
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not only wants to wipe the state of Israel off the world map but also sincerely believes that it can be done. And the first stage in his long term strategy is the project of creating doubt about the single most human tragedy that the world had to endure – the Holocaust. The Spring of Discontent In Iran
Ali Safavi - 5/9/2007
Spring in Iran was marked by the outbreak of protests nationwide by virtually every sector of Iranian society, beginning with demonstrations and strikes by tens of thousands of workers in March. By April and May, the level of discontent had escalated dramatically as tens of thousands of workers kept their pledge to turn out en masse. Solution for Iran: Subversion or Military Strike?
Joel C Pousson - 5/8/2007
The terror-sponsoring government of Iran is rushing to develop a nuclear weapon (http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,430649,00.html). There is no doubt that the Mullahs in Teheran will be ready and willing to use it, preferably on a Western target, to assert their supremacy in the Islamic world. The Key To Defeating The Mullahs In Iran
Hedayat Mostowfi - 5/3/2007
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Tehran mullah regime’s president, on Monday, April 16, 2007, vowed that the world powers would not be able to stop Iran's nuclear drive and that the Islamic Republic would defend its atomic program "to the end". Iranian made bombs, used by terrorists trained in Iran, explode daily in Iraq and kill innocent people. Yet there are still a few overly optimistic individuals that think if the Iranian mullahs and American officials sit around one table at the Iraq security summit beginning on Thursday, May 3rd in Sharm el-Sheikh, Iran will cease its nuclear weapons program and abandon terrorism after 30 years! The chances of such are less than nil. Lying For Iran
David Johnson - 4/27/2007
When 15 British Sailors and Marines were taken hostage by the Iranian Government last month, few could have anticipated the rewards Iran would receive for its crime. What could have been and should have been a major international incident has been brushed under a Persian carpet in Tehran. The Clever Mullahs and Their Crows
Dymphna - 4/26/2007
The National Council of Resistance in Iran announced that schools are closed across Iran: "[t]eachers went on strike in various cites throughout the country, according to the information received from the resistance sources in Iran. In the capital ninety percent of high school and seventy percent of primary school teachers went on strike. Ninety percent of teachers in the north eastern city of Mashhad and fifty percent in the northern city of Sari did not show up for classes today. Since last night, the State Security Forces (SSF) attempting to break the teachers’ strike attacked their resi... Iran’s Modern Fundamentalism: The Fallacy of Cultural Relativism
Prof. Kazem Kazerounian - 4/25/2007
Cultural relativism is a school of thought that suggests that Islamic fundamentalists’ beliefs and activities should be interpreted in relation to their own culture. Cultural relativists advocate respect and tolerance for Iran’s Islamic fundamentalism. This article examines Iran’s modern brand of Islamic fundamentalism (an oxymoron phrase), and argues against cultural relativism, which overlooks a dangerous pillar of Islamic fundamentalism, namely expansionism. Iranian Dissidents in Prison Are Forced To Resort To A Hunger Strike
Ghazal Omid - 4/20/2007
In United States prisons, the Constitutional proscription against "cruel and unusual punishment" is not just a theoretical ideal, it is a belief enacted in daily practice. The United Kingdom is justifiably horrified at the treatment the sons and daughter of their nation experienced at the hands of their Iranian captors; however, the conditions Iranian citizens face in prisons there are far worse. In Iran, the very policies regarding housing of political prisoners are themselves a form of repression that Iran in no way seeks to hide from the civilized world. Press Freedom Curtailed In Iran
Amit Pyakurel - 4/20/2007
When there are two speculative gestures running throughout the world observers--one about the risk of Iran developing nuclear weapons and other being the possibility of the U.S. military attack against Iran--we seemed to have lacked adequate attention towards the actual concern of the livelihood of the Iran's ordinary citizens who are reported to have been living in a significant oppression from their authority, including restrictions imposed on the freedom of expression, and many instances of suppression of other basic democratic norms. Growing Fear of Nuclear Iran
Amit Pyakurel - 4/15/2007
Nuclear disaster is unimaginable, but threats could still be tackled peacefully. As there has been one step forward in terms of alleviating tension upon the North Korea's nuclear program, following the recent talks that concluded with some initial positive signs, there hasn't been any satisfying outcome regarding the Iran's nuclear program that is believed to be gaining momentum, "in a dangerous manner," perceivably towards the process of building the nuclear weapons as believed by the opposers. Regime Change In Iran Is On Its Way
Ghazal Omid - 4/14/2007
Regime change in Iran is on its way, from within. However, an outside attack on Iran will give the Mullahs exactly what they want. Iran has, rightfully, been identified as the main target in the US Global War on Terror. The regime has fostered the brutal insurgency in Iraq, nurtured terror groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and committed many other violations of international law. The recent kidnapping/release of the British Marines may make an attack seem a tantalizing quick fix. Paying The Price For Appeasement of Iran
Ali Safavi - 4/3/2007
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards' capture-at-gunpoint of 15 British sailors in the waters off the Iraqi coast last week was a brazen act in every respect. But, it was only the latest in the long chain of the Iranian regime's outlaw behavior over the past two decades. Using Oil and Sanctions to Avert War with Iran
David J. Jonsson - 2/20/2007
As we drove to work today we observed the beautiful homes and cars, we watched our stock portfolios increase and we also read the disturbing headlines in the newspapers. This brings us to this year's dilemma. The dilemma is the contrast between the world's favorable economics, expanding democracy and free markets and troublesome politics-a new world order which is unknown and certainly a much less prosperous and friendly place. That we face a dilemma is clear enough. But the resolution is not. A range of possible outcomes, from the perverse and catastrophic to the unconformable and even benign... Military strike on Iran
Iqbal Latif - 2/7/2007
According to Ahmed Al-Jarallah the Ahmed Jarallah, editor-in-chief of Kuwait's Al Siyaasa, (a regional paper well known for its inside connections with the Saudi Royal family and US) Washington will launch a military strike on Iran before April 2007, say sources. The attack will be launched from the sea and Patriot missiles will guard all oil-producing countries in the region, they add. Recent statements emanating from the United States indicate the Bush administration's new strategy for Iraq doesn't include any proposal to make a compromise or negotiate with Syria or Iran . A reliable source ... America is pointing the guns to the Iranian regime but is Europe ready?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 2/7/2007
If a single word can summarize America’s view of Iran, it is “anarchic.” And the last thing on the minds of American congressional leaders, however, is the damage Iran could do to the world with its nuclear warheads if it not barred from making it now. The Women’s Revolution in Iran: Interview with Ramesh Sepehrrad
Ryan Mauro - 1/25/2007
Ramesh Sepehrrad is political scientist and president/founder of the oldest Iranian women’s Organization in Washington DC: The National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran (est. 1990). Sepehrrad comes from a family of political prisoners with first hand knowledge of the Iranian peoples’ suffering, particularly women, at the hands of the clerical regime. In addition to public speaking, she has been published in The Brown Journal of World Affairs, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The United Press International – Outside View, Global Politician, American Chronicle, Women eNews, Fem... Upping the Ante Against the Mullahs
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 1/25/2007
What a Jacksonian representative Mr. Bush has proved to be. Old Hickory, convinced that the laws of politics did not apply to him, was in no way, shape, or form a conventional politico. And here today, with bipartisan support for the Iraq Study Group’s capitulationism, a sweeping change to a Democratic polity, juvenile disdain for Iraqis coming from the mouth of media playboy darling Sen. Obama, and unrelenting domestic rebellion of his policy, George Bush has revived President Jackson’s contrarian form of obscure but domineering statesmanship. It could not have come at a more appropriate time. Ahmdinejad: To Be Checkmated By Iranian People
Ghazal Omid - 1/23/2007
Ahmdinejad is about to be checkmated by the Iranian people. The End for Ahmdinejad and his regime could be closer than we think. Think year 2008. Japan and Iran sanctions
Shirzad Azad - 1/2/2007
After a nearly four-month standoff, the United Nations Security Council reached a consensus last week adopting a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran for its continuing pursuit of uranium enrichment. Whatever The Findings at Iran's Holocaust Conference, It Works Politically For Ahmadinejad
Dr. Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D. - 1/2/2007
In the same week that the Iraq Study Group released its own report to determine how history had unraveled internecine horror in Iraq, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad kicked off his own "fact finding" mission, a two-day conference called "Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision," with the stated intent of determining, once and for all, the nature and extent, if any at all, of one of the most monstrous crimes of the twentieth century. Over sixty "researchers and intellectuals" from some thirty countries were expected to attend the hate fest. Stoning of women marks Ahmadinejad’s first year in the office
Jila Kazerounian - 11/18/2006
Misogyny is the pillar of the ideology Ahmadinejad defends and represents. Beyond inhumane punishments such as stoning, limitations on the lives of women are enforced by the constitution. Violence against women is seen in various courts and legal bodies that prohibit women from attaining private and public rights. Private rights such as clothing, divorce, custody, inheritance, abortion and mobility are a matter of legal battles for women in Iran. Public and political rights such as presidency, leadership, judgeship and various educational fields are at the core of women’s war on fundamentalism. Iran's Foreign Agents of Disinformation: More About VEVAK
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 11/17/2006
In September I presented a report (Iran's VEVAK: Disinformation, Inc., GP, September 17, 2006; see also http://www.iranterror.com/content/view/229/46/ ) about Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), or VEVAK as it is known in Farsi. For those who did not see that article, I suggest that a look at its first section will be helpful in order to understand VEVAK's methodologies and operating procedures. The essay obviously hit a sensitive nerve in Iran as a variety of regime web sites and one of its agents issued belligerent replies. I would like now to continue to discuss a variety o... Iran Befriends Iraq: Overthrow of Saddam Reconciles Enemies
Dilip Hiro - 9/19/2006
Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in Iraq relied on mass murder, torture and chemical warfare against its own citizens. He was also the last of several Iraqi rulers who elevated the Sunni minority at the expense of the Shiite majority. During the years of repression, the Shiite sect in Iraq sought refuge in the mosque, much like their spiritual brethren in Iran, who became more devout during the reign of the authoritarian shah. So when the US invaded Iraq, deposing Saddam in 2003, it was inevitable that Shiites would play a larger role in the new government. But as author Dilip Hiro notes, this ne... Iranian activists demand the arrest of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Homa Arjomand - 9/18/2006
Homa Arjomand, Coordinator of the International Campaign Against Sharia Court in Canada is calling a press conference where she and other Iranian activists will demand the arrest of President Ahmadinejad for crimes against humanity. Iran’s VEVAK: Disinformation, Inc.
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 9/17/2006
For the past twenty-seven years, we in the West, especially in the United States, have been on the receiving end of a very, very sophisticated campaign of disinformation dished out by the Islamic Republic of Iran▓s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), or in Farsi √ Vezarat-e Ettela▒at va Amniat-e Keshvar (VEVAK). VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow▓s Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni ... Ahmadinejad 'Mahdaviat' Demands 'Global Chaos Creation'
Iqbal Latif - 8/31/2006
It is argued that "Presidential obsession" with 'mahdaviat' leads Mr. Ahmadinejad to "a conviction that leaves little room for compromise. He thinks that the Mahdi will come in near future as his knight in shining armour? The only missing link that in Presidents opinion delays Mahdi's arrival is that world is still far too peaceful, the degree of clash and disasters that will set the chain of celestial events of 'mahdaviat' have to gather speed. The recent mess in Lebanon by his proxies was a component of that uncompromising ideological fixation. The altercation with America and Israel and wis... Iran’s Lebanon Card
George Perkovich - 8/28/2006
The growing success of Islamic extremists throughout the Middle East has emboldened Iran. The country flouts demands from the international community and ignores UN Security Council resolutions. As problems mount in the Middle East, Iran can negotiate on several fronts – for example, the country could promise not to interfere in Lebanon or Afghanistan, if it can proceed with nuclear enrichment. Conventional wisdom says threat of force would convince most countries to abide by international standards – but that does not seem to operate in the Middle East. Iran’s defiance of the international co... Ahmadinejad climb-down, the tactical admission of defeat and surrender!
Iqbal Latif - 8/27/2006
"Israel to be wiped off the map."
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on October 26, 2005 "Iran no threat to Israel."
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on August 26, 2005 The damaging repercussions of the disastrous and botched 'Hezbollites adventures' are emerging. The climb down has already begun. The world waited anxiously on 22nd August for the cataclysmic events which the distinguished Professor Lewis was extremely worried about. However, what came out on August 26th was a pleasant surprise for the world and a discreditable climb-down from President Ahmadinejad. At lea... Is War With Israel The Next Step For Iran?
Ghazal Omid - 8/22/2006
What's next for Iran? Will it be war with Israel? My answer is 'yes' and here is why… A Charge to Keep: Three Pillars of Countering Iran
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 8/21/2006
“I think we’re going to be obliged to fight a regional war, whether we like it or not. As soon as we land in Iraq, we’re going to face the whole terrorist network… It may turn out to be a war to remake the world.” So said Michael Ledeen on the eve of the Iraqi war. Ledeen, a government insider-outsider connected to past administrations, is often described as the stereotypical “neocon” that has been calling for “total war” all along. He is often miss-quoted, wrongly villianized, and highly caricaturized as a warmongering recluse. But one thing Ledeen’s detractors cannot concoct is the fact that he never contended the fight against Middle Eastern fascism would be a cakewalk. Interview: UK MP Brian Binley - Iran's Nukes Won't Be Bombed; We Must Support NCRI Opposition
David Storobin, Esq. - 8/14/2006
MP Brian Binley is the UK Conservative Party Member of House of Commons for Northampton South. He was elected to the parliament in 2005 after defeating incumbent Labour MP Tony Clarke. He recently visited Washington, D.C. where he met with David Storobin to discuss Iran's nuclear program and the opposition to the Mullah's regime, as well as the Israel-Hizballah war. This is part 1 of the interview. Who's Responsible For Death of Political Prisoners In Iran?
Ghazal Omid - 8/10/2006
Who is responsible for the continuing death of political prisoners and who is behind the failure of every attempt to uproot the brutal Iranian regime? It has been 27 long years since the current Iranian regime came to power and no one knows better than the Iranian political prisoners and Iranian women what it is like to live under the third member of the “axis of evil.” I speak for those who were tortured in the regime’s prisons, women who were stoned to death, children whose tears turned to salt on their innocent faces, mothers who lost their sons and took the dream of having them in their we... Why Iran Hasn't Been Liberated Yet
Ghazal Omid - 8/7/2006
Hundreds of thousands of political prisoners and thousands of losses of life; why then has Iran not been liberated? Why the new blood of a recent political prisoner killed in Evin did not water the tree of freedom in Iran! In recent days, Akbar Mohamadi, 37, a former university student died in Evin prison, due to bodily injuries, after a nine day hunger strike. He has become a controversial subject among expatriate Iranian opposition. Iranians and non-Iranians alike mourn his death but, while his departure should have been the beacon of light all Iranians are waiting for, his heroic death was ... Setting the Record Straight About the Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 8/7/2006
Jay Solomon's article in the Wall Street Journal ("Iranian Exile Group Aims to Build Bridges; Some in Congress See a Role For an Organization Listed as a Terrorist Group", May 22, 2006, A6) did much to shed light on the principal Iranian resistance organization. In that regard, it served a valuable purpose as most Americans have no idea who and what the Mojahedin-e Khalq is, and for what it stands. However, there are some important errors and oversights in his essay that need correction and clarification. The Scourge of Fundamentalism, or When God Whispers Only in My Ear
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 7/31/2006
Religious fundamentalism, whether it be Muslim, Jewish, or Christian, results in the same unfortunate phenomenon: a closed mind and a view of life that ascribes the truth only to the self and those that accept that same truth. In effect, the fundamentalist says: "God has whispered in my ear and in my ear alone." Sadly the recipients of such "unique" revelations frequently believe that nothing should be allowed to interfere with what they perceive as their divinely commanded duty to spread the word, and that such a crusade or jihad justifies the use of force against any that would dare oppose it. Iran, Lebanon, Russia, and India—It is about Power and Oil
David J. Jonsson - 7/27/2006
For Muslims, three cities of the Christian faith have particular significance: Jerusalem, Constantinople and Rome. The fall of Constantinople is described in detail in my earlier book, The Clash of Ideologies--The Making of the Christian and Islamic Worlds. Iran with its relations and support of Hamas and Hezbollah now has access to the Mediterranean and is the neighbor of Jerusalem. Italy was the first country from which Iran withdrew is funds. In my new book, Islamic Economics and the Final Jihad – The Muslim Brotherhood to the Leftist/Marxist – Islamist Alliance, I discuss how this Alliance... French court overrules restrictions on Iran opposition leader
Iran Focus - 6/18/2006
Three years after a spectacular raid by more than 1,300 anti-terrorism officers on the offices of the Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the Paris Court of Appeals overturned all restrictions on the movement and its leader Maryam Rajavi. How Good Is American Intelligence on Iran’s Bomb?
Graham Allison - 6/16/2006
For the first time since Iran walked away from negotiations with France, Germany and Great Britain in August 2005, there are rays of optimism in the crisis over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Before breaking out the champagne to celebrate a diplomatic solution, it may be appropriate to pause for reflection on a troubling unknown: the potential scope of Iran’s secret bomb program. Twice shy after overrating Iraqi WMD, the American intelligence community may be seriously underestimating Iran’s progress toward a nuclear bomb. The Price Of Freedom: Human Rights Abuse in Iran Intesifies
Jila Kazerounian - 5/23/2006
While the world is occupied with Iran’s nuclear program and how to solve the dilemma, the clerical government intensifies its internal suppression. A new wave of arrests and executions has begun since Ahmadinejad came to office. The hard-line president, himself a former member of the notorious Revolutionary Guard, is a fundamentalist Muslim who believes in “paving the path” for the appearance of Shiite “hidden Imam”. His goal is to expand fundamentalist Islamic empire ruled by Islamic religious law (Sharia). Defying the United Nations, he continues Iran’s nuclear program, regularly threatens to “wipe Israel off the map” and questions the veracity of the Holocaust. Terrorists carrying Iranian made weapons arrested in Jordan
NCRI - 5/22/2006
Jordan's state run Television showed footage of three men from a group of twenty terrorists arrested in Amman carrying Iranian made weapons. Isolate Iran's Belligerent Regime
Jubin Afshar - 5/21/2006
In the past few weeks a chorus of influential voices in foreign policy circles in the United States and Europe has expressed concern over the perceived "march to war" by the Bush Administration, prompting emphatic appeals for direct dialogue between the US and the world's "most active state sponsor of terrorism." The call for dialogue with Tehran has come from Sandy Berger, former President Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, former President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, Patrick J. Buchanan, a leading conservative columnist, George Perkovich, a vice-pres... Open Letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 5/20/2006
Mr. President, for once I find myself in complete agreement with you, which is a great surprise, given our different backgrounds and views on religion, politics, and life. But when I read your recent statement that Israel's Jews should return home, I found myself absolutely amazed that we are in such total agreement: Israel's Jews should return home. Absolutely; every last one of them should go home! Iranian crisis produces a standoff between major powers
Abid Mustafa - 5/20/2006
The recent announcement by the EU to offer Iran incentives in exchange for Tehran to surrender its right to enrich uranium is another blow for the Bush administration. The EU initiative comes at a time when rumbling amongst America's political establishment is reaching fever pitch over the Bush administration's refusal to engage Iran, especially after the publication of Ahmadinejad's letter. Furthermore, the Bush administration has not helped its cause by antagonising relations with Russia and failing to assuage Chinese concerns over America's ultimate aim- regime change in Iran. Is regime change possible in Iran?
Abolghasem Bayyenat - 4/23/2006
In a development closely reminiscent of the incidents leading to the catastrophic US-led war against Iraq, some American media have recently unleashed a wave of assaults and tough talks against Iran including calling for regime change in that country. These developments follow the recent approval of $75 million dollars by the US congress to fund anti-Iranian activities and initiatives as well as the US State Department's new approach towards Iran involving democracy-promoting initiatives and outreach programs. What makes these recent developments sound alarming is the fact that they come amid... Euro-MPs voice strong backing for Iran opposition
Iran Focus - 4/23/2006
London, U.K. – More than a dozen European lawmakers urged the European Union on Wednesday to cut all ties with Iran’s hard-line government and actively support the opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran. A statement by the European Parliament’s Friends of a Free Iran Inter-group, faxed to Iran Focus, said that a delegation of 13 Members of the European Parliament and the Belgian Senate made the call at a meeting with the council’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi at her residence in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris. Iran: What's Next?
Jubin Afshar - 4/18/2006
The president of the Iranian regime called it "good news." The world, however, looked on with deep concern and condemned the latest provocation by Iran's theocracy in enriching uranium after 18 years of pursuing a covert nuclear program that many suspect is aimed at producing nuclear weapons capability. The Iranian regime seeks the nuclear capability to bolster its drive to dominate the Muslim world and threaten regional and world security from a position of power atop a new "Caliphate," (Islamic empire). This has been the dream of Khomeini's Islamic fundamentalists since their usurping of the... Lebanon, Hezbollah and the Upcoming US-Iran Confrontation
Dr. Joseph Hitti - 4/10/2006
CNN's Wolf Blitzer hosted Seymour Hersh of the New Yorker magazine to discuss Hersh's recent article where he quotes very highly reliable sources in the White House and the Pentagon as saying that the US is contemplating the option of a nuclear attack on Iran's nuclear facilities for two primary reasons: Russia's Special Relationship With Iran's Mullahs
Natalya Hmelik - 3/27/2006
Last November Russia signed $1bn contract for export of weapons to Iran. Under the contract Russia is to supply the Tehran regime with 29 surface-to-air missile systems Tor-M1 (SA-15 GAUNTLET) and a consignment of military boats, and to upgrade Iran's Soviet-made bombers and fighter jets, in 2006. The deal was declared to be another triumph of Russian defense firms and the Rosoboronexport arms dealer as it is worth of about one fifth of arms export revenues for 2005. Transparency Essential for Iran Nuclear Program
Amit Pyakurel - 3/2/2006
There was a sudden upsurge on the lingering doubt over the Iran's nuclear ambition being solely for a peaceful purpose, since the IAEA's finding of Iran's documentation illustrating the way to modify highly enriched uranium into a nuclear weapon. The finding has incited the Western accusation on the Islamic Republic's interest upon nuclear weapons rather than it to "generate fuel." 20 Terrorist training camps in Iran Uncovered
Farhad Razi - 3/1/2006
A list of 20 terrorist camps and centers run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has recently been obtained from a former IRGC officer. The names and details of the training centers were provided by a defector from the IRGC, who has recently left Iran and now lives in hiding in a neighbouring country. We agreed to keep his identity secret for obvious security reasons. The former IRGC officer said the camps and the training centers were under the control of the IRGC’s elite Qods Force, the extra-territorial arm of the Revolutionary Guards. When Suggesting Policy on Iran, Review Your Sources Carefully
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 2/28/2006
Dr. Kenneth R. Timmerman of the Foundation for a Democratic Iran has been an implacable foe of the mullah regime in Teheran. He has proven to be an excellent source on the Iranian buildup of its military forces, especially as regards its missile program and its nuclear arms program. He has been in the forefront of those who have looked over the horizon, and he has been one of only a handful of western scholars to warn of the threats coming out of Teheran. No careful student of Persian Gulf politics and military history can afford to ignore his work. His research on both Saddam Hussein's Iraq ... Hitting the Mark on the Wrong Iranian Target Doesn't Help the Cause
Professor Daniel M. Zucker - 2/22/2006
Michael Rubin's recent attacks on the Mojahedeen-e Khalq must have the mullahs of Iran laughing hysterically. Here is a vocal opponent of their corrupt regime doing their job of slandering the principal opposition group for them. It should thus come as no surprise that the Teheran regime's electronic and print media have been giving prominent coverage to the Farsi translations of Mr. Rubin's articles. At the very least, the mullahs and their VEVAK agents must be patting themselves on the back for once again succeeding in dividing (and thus conquering) their opponents. Iran: A Third Option
Jubin Afshar - 2/20/2006
Iran figures to be the most urgent foreign policy crisis on the agenda for the international community in 2006. With the rise of an overtly belligerent foreign policy under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian regime has quickly made a carefully calculated move to project its virulent Islamic fundamentalist ideology to Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and beyond. If successful, this would have perilous repercussions for regional as well as global peace and security. Multi Track Strategy to the Tehran-problem
Ramesh Sepehrrad - 2/13/2006
In the past several months pundits and analysts have attempted to provide roadmaps for change in Iran. While some ideas are settling in the minds of Americans, the results are real. More than half of Americans are now prepared to face some kind of confrontation with Iran; to curb its nuclear weapons drive and end its support for international terrorism. Remarkably, beyond popular reason, some analysts still advocate fostering behavioral change through engaging fundamentalist clerics with an "all carrots, no stick" approach. More coherent pundits favor of non-military-style change, by funding I... True Monsters of Iran: Terrorist Theocrats, Not the Mujahedeen-e Khalq
Clare M. Lopez - 1/31/2006
The broadside that Michael Rubin unleashed against the Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK), in his January 13, 2006 article, "Monsters of the Left: The Mujahedin al-Khalq," vilified the one organization that actually has the wherewithal to challenge the terrorist theocrats in Tehran and missed the mark on a number of points. By recycling a combination of old, disproved allegations along with Tehran regime disinformation, Rubin falls neatly into the clerics' scheme for self-preservation. The Prospects of a Nuclear-Armed Iran
Abolghasem Bayyenat - 1/3/2006
Although Iranian and EU officials have recently agreed to resume talks on Iran's nuclear activities, there is little optimism that such talks would lead to any breakthrough in the existing deadlock over Iran's nuclear program. As senior Iranian diplomats and nuclear negotiators have remarked, Iran is well determined to develop its own nuclear fuel cycle domestically despite Western countries' threats to refer its nuclear case to the UN Security Council for possible economic sanctions and/or other coercive measures. Ahmadinejad, Warrior of Controversial Statements, and His Relationship with the Western Media
Ghazal Omid - 12/27/2005
As the world watches, Iran attracts media attention not only for its nuclear power progress but also for the shocking statements by Mr. Ahmadinejad, its newly elected president. His utterances are more like bad jokes by a standup comic than what is expected from an elected official of a cultured country such as Iran. As an intellectual Iranian Muslim woman, I feel deeply shamed by his outrageous comments about Israel, particularly “the holocaust never happened” comment. But, this doesn’t mean I am shocked by his behavior. Tehran’s Nuclear Clock is Ticking Faster
Hamid Namvar - 12/8/2005
In an under-reported interview, the head of International Atomic energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, told the British daily Independent that if Iran acts on its threat to reopen its Uranium enrichment underground facility at Natanz, then Tehran could be only "a few months" away from a nuclear weapon after the plant begins its operation. Say what? Only “a few months”? EXCLUSIVE: Iranian Nuclear Engineers Secretly Reveal - Nukes in 3-5 Years
Ghazal Omid - 11/27/2005
When will Iran become a Nuclear Power? What can we do to stop it? This is the important question burning in everyone’s mind in North America and around the globe. We all know too well that if Iran becomes a nuclear power it will be a huge threat to all of us in the human family. We need to be vigilant but must avoid accepting rumor as fact. And, we must not allow a bunch of fiction writers to lead us into a war with Iran. Iranian Mullahs Move To Consolidate Power
Nasser Rashidi - 11/15/2005
Iran is on the verge of being referred to the United Nations Security Council for its now well-documented violations of the international nuclear proliferation treaties. Simultaneously, the Canadian government has again sponsored a draft U.N. resolution citing specific cases of human rights violations by the fundamentalist regime of Iran. For the past 25 years, the international community has condemned this brutal regime over 51 times as documented by the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights, European Union and other international organizations. Additionally, British Government recently reve... Black Box Features In The Iranian Nuclear Arena - Manifest On A Laptop
Angelique van Engelen - 11/14/2005
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board meets on November 24 to decide whether to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions and the international community is fraught with tension in the run up to the meeting. Iran and the US appear to be equally matched participants in the media circus surrounding the Iranian nuclear situation. There's not a lot of certainty about the claims and counter claims that are being made presently, but nevertheless it's slowly becoming possible to get a clear idea of what's going to dominate in the near future. Iranian Leader's Israel Comments Stun World
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/5/2005
In the short run, Iran's hardliners are hoping for a national coalition by playing the "Israel card" since Iran's bureaucracy has a record of bullying Western countries into cold-shouldering Israel, but such attitudes visibly show how hard it will be for Iran to build cross-border alliances in the long run. How can we stop Iranian hardliners and their connection to the terrorists?
Ghazal Omid - 11/5/2005
The Islamic government of Iran, which came to power nearly three decades ago, has been a safe harbor and incubator for terrorism. Although the Iranian government is Shiah and many of the Islamic hardliners and terrorists are Sunni, they readily set historical and religious differences aside to focus on a common goal; spreading hatred and working toward the destruction of the United States and Israel, which they declare to be “EVIL” powers. Nuclear Iran: Race Against Time
Ryan Mauro - 10/31/2005
"If one day, the world of Islam comes to possess the weapons currently in Israel's possession-on that day this method of global arrogance would come to an end. This is because the use of a nuclear bomb in Israel will leave nothing on the ground, whereas it will only damage the world of Islam."
-Former Iranian President Rafsanjani on December 14, 2001. US Is Trying To Isolate Iran
Abid Mustafa - 10/15/2005
Over the past few weeks, the Bush administration has worked tirelessly to garner international support in its efforts to isolate Iran. A chief pillar of this strategy is to assemble a coalition of countries sympathetic towards Iran with a huge difference-they must support America's view on Iran's nuclear program and Tehran's support of terror networks. Is time running out for Iran?
Abid Mustafa - 10/10/2005
On September 24, 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program. The 35-nation board of the IAEA in Vienna said that Iran has a ``long history of concealment and deception''. The Bush administration immediately seized on IAEA's decision and forecasted that it would eventually lead to Iran's isolation. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said," We have a patient long-term strategy. It's to isolate Iran on this question; it's to ratchet up the international pressure on Iran,' and assemble the kind of gl... Indian Decision To Vote In Favor Of Iran Referral To UN Security Council May Have Wide Implications
Angelique van Engelen - 9/26/2005
International nuclear politics is a game in which peer pressure is rife, hypocrisy the standard and friend and foe as interchangeble as the two. This was shown recently by the dramatic turnaround in the Indian stance on Iran's nuclear program from one that it pledged to support to one it voted against in an effort to create more chances for diplomacy. Has Washington's success at pressuring India to vote in favor of Iran's referral to the UN Security Council is seen as a major breakthrough and alters the international atomic landscape significantly. Iranian President Travels to New York amid Setbacks, Protests
Hamid Namvar - 9/12/2005
The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that as required by a 1947 agreement with the United Nations an entry visa had been granted to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's new president, to attend the nextweek's UN World Summit meeting in New York. It, however, did so only after denying another Iranian top official an entry visa. Energy Bringing Beijing and Tehran Closer Together
Frederick Stakelbeck, Jr. - 9/10/2005
Iran is in the midst of a geopolitical transformation that has the potential to inflame the world’s most volatile and unpredictable region. An integral part of this transformation is the nurturing of bilateral relations with countries sharing similar geopolitical interests and a strong resentment for perceived U.S. hegemony – China is such a country. Exiled Iranian Resistance Could Help Pressure Tehran
Angelique van Engelen - 9/10/2005
The terrorist status of the exiled Iranian resistance might be used to pressure Iran's regime over the next few months as the US, the UN and the EU step up efforts to get the country to comply with specific rules on its nuclear program. The proposition is simple: the Mujahiddeen stays on the terrorist list for at least another two years and in return for this goodwill, Iran is more forthcoming in its nuclear pledges. Iranians To Stick To Their Guns In Future Nuclear Negotiations
Angelique van Engelen - 8/23/2005
One of the major worries the international community has expressed about Iran's audacious continuation of its nuclear program has been just how the new regime might position itself in any negotiations or confrontations ahead. The role of the newly appointed chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has been subject to a lot of speculation. Some doubts were removed when Larijani earlier this week made his first move, which pretty much amounted to a continuation of the line of his predecessor Hassan Rowhani, when he insisted on Iran's rights to develop a full fuel cycle. Larijani has close ties wi... Iranian President Coming to America
Hamid Namvar - 8/18/2005
According to media reports indicate that the United States is considering an entry visa to Iran's new president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend a UN meeting in New York City in mid-September. This would send a very wrong signal at a very crucial juncture to the increasingly belligerent Iran. Administration must firmly deny Ahmadinejad entry to the United States. And by all indications, the American public opinion would certainly welcome such a move. Iran Versus Opinion Mania
Angelique van Engelen - 8/9/2005
The Iranians are busy getting the less exciting bits of their nuclear program back on track in the wake of failed negotiations with the EU Troika for reasons that appear to be, if anything, foolishly politically motivated. The Mullahs rejected a seemingly perfect EU proposal, the best they have had so far, including access to speedy World Trade Organization membership negotiations, generous EU trade incentives and some really sound technical assistance. They themselves also made a seemingly equally perfect offer to the EU during recent weeks, promising they will not go ahead with uranium enric... An Ambitious Iran
Manuela Paraipan - 8/9/2005
The growing sense of frustration and hopelessness among the people of the Middle East combined with the Bush administration's policy toward Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah has produced complex feelings regarding the role of the United States in the region at large. Moreover, with the Guardian Council of Mullahs and an ultra-conservative president in control of Iran, the resumption of economic and political relations with the United States is less favorable than some would have expected. Can We Trust Iran With Nuclear Weapons?
Manuela Paraipan - 6/25/2005
For months now, many are asking: What is Iran's looking for in building nuclear weapons? Are the Ayatollahs looking for a more respected position among the Middle East states, or the total annihilation of Israel? The Options For Regime Change In Iran
Angelique van Engelen - 6/21/2005
If recent speeches by US officials on Iran's plans to become a nuclear power can be seen as part of a build-up to a possible US-evoked regime change in Iran, the intelligence behind it is at once scant and abundant. Whatever the real official US policy toward Iran is aiming for exactly is hard to get clear, but it is noteworthy that off late, US officials have stepped up their campaign of Iran criticism. Iranian Elections: Roadmap To Continued Apathy
Angelique van Engelen - 6/17/2005
The June 17 Iranian elections somewhat resemble the rise to power of the promising Mohammed Khatami first time round in 1999. But despite the break from apathy seen over recent elections, the liveliness does not bode anywhere near the same promise that Khatami managed to swirl up six years ago. There’s been discouraging controversy and intrigue surrounding the running of the main reformist candidate Mostafa Moin and the last minute participation of Hashemi Rafsanjani also brought zest to the process. Rafsanjani is tipped to win however simply because most people believe he holds the most sway ... Regime Change in Iran: Interview with Gary Metz
Ryan Mauro - 6/3/2005
Gary Metz operates the Regime Change Iran web site (http://www.regimechangeiran.com), one of the top-notch blogs keeping readers up-to-date on developments inside Iran. Many Plan To Boycott June Elections In Iran
Angelique van Engelen - 5/23/2005
Rolling the names of Iran's current leaders over your tongue is a pleasurable exercise. But Khameini, Khatami, Rafsanjani don't only have names that fit the requirements of rhymes of various kinds at once, their politics have shown various amounts of relaxation per leader too. Yet it will be hard to break the mould shaped by the official Guardian Council that is orchestrating the upcoming June Presidential elections. Even if a moderate or a reformist becomes the new Iranian leader, he'll have to reckon with an assembly dominated by hardliners, a fact largely the result of pre selection by this Council, the country's supreme ruling authority. Iranian Elections
Angelique van Engelen - 5/20/2005
In order to get a perspective on the Iranian nuclear issue, one will have to view it from the angles of all immediate parties involved and build in some space to account for domestic elections to be prepared for the scenario that is likely to unfold in the near future. To be precise: the scenario that's starting with Iran's resumption of its nuclear program. US Congressmen Meet Leaders of Group Labeled "Terrorist" by State Department
Nick Hoover - 4/19/2005
Several members of Congress addressed a gathering today of hundreds of Iranian exiles who the government considers terrorists. Reps. Bob Filner, D-Calif., Tom Tancredo, R-Col., Ted Poe, R-Texas, Dennis Moore, R-Kan., and staffers for Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, and James Talent, R-Mo., spoke to MEK supporters at a convention hall just four blocks from the White House. MEK has been listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department since 1997, but some in Congress and close to the Administration want the group to be removed from the terrorist list. Rep. Tancredo called Maryam... Iran Accused of Illicit Nuclear Activity
Angelique van Engelen - 4/13/2005
Iran looks more and more set to become another Iraq. In the current circumstances it takes about three credible sources to say it is doing something suspicious and the international news headlines will be flushed with reports indicating Iran to appear in serious breach of the Non Proliferation Treaty it is a signatory to. The validity is unquestionable- there's very likely some activity going on in Iran's nuclear facilities which officially are temporarily closed- yet what exactly is almost equally obscure as the many similar situations from pre-war Iraq. Another Round of EU-Iran Talks Start April 10 - Will Iran Be Referred To The UN Security Council?
Angelique van Engelen - 4/11/2005
Iran's objection to ratifying the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol of the IAEA is said to be the main obstacle to dispelling fears that it is not building a nuclear weapon. Iranian and EU officials meet April 10 to try to resolve a stalemate in their negotiations over this issue. If they fail, the EU will likely support the US and refer the case to the UN Security Council. At the moment, Iran is unwilling to ratify the Additional Protocol because of agreement between the EU and the US on its interpretation; none of the two settle for anything less than that inspectors s... American Human Intelligence and Anti-Iranian Rebels
Capt. Vivian Gembara, Esq. - 4/11/2005
"Humint" --- this military shorthand for "human intelligence" has entered the vernacular. It is on the tongues of every politician, agency head and military leader. It is the one thing that those on the left and the right agree has impaired the U.S.'s ability to combat terrorism. Caught off guard by the September 11th attacks, we have seen the errors of our ways --- too much focus on technology and too little focus on spies and other human sources. While Washington has seized on the issue with the zeal of the newly converted, rhapsodizing about the need to cultivate humint, there still see... How To Handle Iran
Jaan Sepp - 4/7/2005
Iran may be among the most ripe anti-Western countries in the world to be turned around. It has been in internal turmoil for years already, as the rapidly growing youth is gaining strength and audacity, while effectively alienated from the theocracy's ide-ology by thorough frustration. According to many sources, Iran's large, relatively highly educated and potent population is far more pro-Western than the populations of many countries we tend to take as the West's allies, like Russia, India and certain Arab countries. Iran is an antithesis to Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia is a country wher... Iran: Conservative Victory is Likely in 2005 Presidential Elections
Stephan Rabimov - 2/27/2005
June 17, 2005 has been announced as the date for Iran's presidential election, which the conservatives seem likely to win. Although many candidates are planning to run for Iran's presidency, the majority will be from the conservative ranks, consolidating their power in an already "reformist-frail" government. A tight competition is likely between Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a conservative-leaning pragmatist and Ali Larijani, former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, who is preferred by the conservative alliance. U.S., Israel may attack Iran, Syria
David Storobin, Esq. - 1/19/2005
In an article for the New Yorker Magazine that was deemed as "riddled with errors" by the U.S. Department of Defense, Seymour Hersh alleged that the George W. Bush administration is planning a military strike against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. "This is a war against terrorism, and Iraq is just one campaign. The Bush Administration is looking at this as a huge war zone…Next, we're going to have the Iranian campaign. We've declared war and the bad guys, wherever they are, are the enemy. This is the last hurrah-we've got four years, and want to come out of this saying we won the war on terrorism," an official was quoted. ANALYSIS: Hersh's Report Largely Accurate
David Storobin, Esq. - 1/19/2005
In response to a report about a U.S. strike against Iran reported in the New Yorker, the Pentagon responded that it is "so riddled with errors of fundamental fact that the credibility of his entire piece is destroyed." Reading between the lines, the government response attacked "credibility" and challenged some facts, but did not assert the overall point of the story to be false. |
