Thu 11 Feb 2010
Iran roils the West again
Posted by UK / Martin under Balkers
[5] Comments
If you reached this Balkingpoints.com article by direct external link, stop by the front page for an incredible satellite view of the earth in rotation!
Rather ominous story to follow here from timesonline.co.uk
Yesterday’s events in Tehran display clearly the need for a tiered posture with the present Iranian state. Ahmadinejad spoke to a massive crowd on Azadi Square, the opponents of his election nowhere to be found. He exploits the reasonable expectations of UN members for inspection of the Iranian nuclear program to verify it’s peaceful usage, to incite us-verses-them nationalism. His message quite obviously is that Iran will not bow to outsiders on his watch.
He had a bit easier time of it whilst George Bush was around to saber rattle about attacking Iran, and never distinguished between peaceful nuclear power development and weapons development. Not so now with Obama nor Gordon Brown, whom by willingness to deal on that point, help isolate Ahmadinejad as the saber rattler he indeed resembled yesterday.
There always however in the last year, has been the undercard of diplomats negotiating as the leaders engaged in the visible row. Ahmadinejad popping off usually seems to precede news of agreement on some point. And then of course there’s the fact he is not legitimately elected by many accounts. What is not well known is how effectively, if at all, the West is engaging and backing what is quite clearly a massive groundswell for Iranian modernisation under a far more secular government
The Times
February 11, 2010
Iran crushes opposition protests with violence
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7023684.ece
Iran’s regime thwarted the opposition’s hopes of turning the 31st anniversary celebrations of the Islamic revolution into another massive protest today.
It out-manoeuvred the so-called Green movement by swamping the official proceedings with huge numbers of its own supporters, preventing the media from covering anything else and blanketing the rest of the capital with security forces who forcefully suppressed the opposition’s relatively muted demonstrations.
President Ahmadinejad also sought to grab the headlines and divert attention from the protests by announcing that Iran had produced its first stock of 20 per cent-enriched uranium. He declared that Iran was now a “nuclear state”.
Opposition websites claimed a young woman named Leila Zareii, was killed and many others were wounded or arrested. The opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammed Khatami – a former president – were attacked, as was Zahra Rahnavard, wife of the Green Movement’s other leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Even Zahra Eshraghi, granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 revolution, was briefly arrested. She and her brother, Hassan, are both opposition sympathisers and she is married to Mr Khatami’s brother.
“It’s pretty clear that Greens everywhere will feel demoralised… The overall feeling is one of disappointment,” one well-placed source in Tehran told The Times last night. “The opposition miscalculated,” said another.
The regime was determined to prevent the so-called Green Movement from hijacking the biggest day in Iran’s calendar and largely succeeded.
It filled Azadi Square with tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters for the main event – Mr Ahmadinejad’s speech which was broadcast live on state television. Opposition websites posted pictures of the fleets of buses that had brought in the huge crowd and said it was given free food and drinks.
Most foreign journalists are banned from Iran. Those that remain, and their Iranian counterparts, were bussed to and from Azadi Square and barred from reporting on anything else, meaning only the patchiest information emerged from the rest of the city.
Opposition websites said Revolutionary Guards and basiji militiamen were stationed everywhere and that they moved swiftly and violently to break up opposition demonstrations.
They claimed the security forces used live ammunition, knives, teargas and paintballs that would enable them to identify protesters later and that they were beating and arresting women as well as men. They were backed up by water canon, new Chinese anti-riot vehicles and helicopters. Some, wearing plain clothes, infiltrated the protesters. The mobile telephone, internet and text messaging systems were seriously disrupted.
Mr Karroubi’s son, Hussein, said his father had to get out of his car and walk towards Sadeghieh Square, where thousands of supporters had gathered, because the roads were blocked. He was joined by other protestors, but they found their way blocked by plainclothes security forces who attacked them with knives, batons and tear gas.
Mr Karroubi’s bodyguards had to bundle him into a passing car which managed to drive him away, but not before the security forces smashed its windscreen. One of the bodyguards was seriously injured. Mr Karroubi’s other son, Ali, was arrested.
Film clips taken with mobile telephones showed opposition supporters chanting “Death to the dictator” on streets and in subway trains and ripping down a poster of Ayatollah Khomeini. Unrest was also reported in Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashad and other Iranian cities, but it was impossible to verify the reports.
It was also impossible to calculate how many opposition supporters turned out as their demonstrations were scattered. However the numbers appeared to be significantly smaller than on December 27, the holy day of Ashura, even though the Green movement’s three leaders had, unusually, urged their supporters to protest.
One protester insisted the opposition had come out in significant numbers, but “the problem was that we were not able to gather in one place because (the security forces) were very violent”.
Another said: “It means they won and we lost. They defeated us. They were able to gather so many people. But this doesn’t mean we have been defeated for good. It’s a defeat for now, today. We need time to regroup.”
Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, deputy chief of staff of the armed forces, was quoted as saying: “The massive turnout of the nation shocked the central command of the arrogant front, including the US, England and the Zionist regime.”
Copyright 2010 Times Newspapers Ltd.
Nice job on this Balk Martin. Many nations will acquire nuclear technology in this century, and a viable checkpoint for proliferation is not going to be stopping it cold. And there are clear sovereignty incursions, to nations that need the electrical power to upgrade living standards.
Which is many nations. The only hope is to hold in check nuclear weapons proliferation, with voluntary inspections and carrot/stick economic measures. And the willingness of present-day nuclear powers to reduce their arsenals. Which the promise of, was part of Obama winning that Nobel Peace Prize. We shall see.
Western media is in it for the sensational hype of it all, clearly. Ahmadinejad has a future on CNN after he is deposed… ;^)
The general problem in the Middle East is not Iran. But it is a question of survival for many small
countries that are living in fear of the mighty Israel, that is there to expand and eventually take over
the whole Middle East and its oil resources.
Of course Israel is a very powerful country with modern technological weapons, that with a batter of
an eye can destroy and take over the whole area. Under the false pretenses of regaining their promised land.
Let us take into consideration that Israel has many nuclear warheads in its arsenal, which have been
supplied by western countries, and I do believe that this has been, and can be a threat to the whole middle east.
Infact since the state of Israel was illegally established in 1948. It has destabilized the status quo of the whole
middle east There have been nothing but killings, genocide, border disputes, reprisals, human rights abuses, constant
bickering, mass corruption. Mind you, I have nothing against Israel, but in my opinion, the state of Israel was erected
on stolen land. And I believe this problem will never be resolved until, this stolen land will be returned to its
rightful owners.
Maybe Iran, has started its nuclear program as a precaution to defend itself against a possible attack
from Israel. Or it could be that it really has the intention to use its atomic energy for peaceful use. This
we will never know. What their real intentions are.
But in all fairnes this whole problem can be resolved through the UN, by abolishing all nuclear arsenals
and create a fearless atmosphere, across severe controls by the UN. And permit nuclear energy to be
used for producing electricity only.
And at the sametime a real concrete solution must be enacted for resolving the exsistence of the state of Israel.
Either the state will be abolished through legal manuvers by the UN. Or create a neutral demiliterized state. under
the control of the UN. Or establishing a state where freedom will exist. Freedom of religion, freedom for all those
who want to break away from their age old culture and start a new life under a democratic system. Something like
being another US state. Where there would be justice and freedom for all, And I believe that many who are dissatisfied
with their way of life in their countries would surely populate it. It would be a place to escape for many dissidents who
are fighting a needles battle to try and change the old age mentality of their countries that they live in.
By having this spearhead head of a freedom existing state in the middle east, eventually the old age mentality of other states being
repressive would lose its hold on its people. I believe that freedom of choice, human rights, free elections, separation between
religion and state. Would be a very powerful lethal arm against dictators, human rights abusers, repressive laws which deny
the basic human rights, as well as fanatical religious indoctrination that control people’s mind to promote evil towards their fellow
man who do not believe in their way of worship.
Well.these are my free opinions, some may be realistic, and some may be part of my fantasy. But it is important that we are still
free to express them. And I wish that all would have this same privilege.
Sammy From Sicily
And I see that Iran is now convicting political prisoners of being “enemies of God”. That’s nuclear. I don’t know if you all believe in a global consciousness …I do. We know that studies have been done that show when people pray for the sick, the sick tend to do better. In fact, it’s not even prayer. It’s awareness. Please think of those who are imprisoned tonight, those awaiting execution, those who are oppressed. Stand with them. Don’t forget them.
Excellent remarks Sammy & Rebecca, both IMO.
I also see the elephant in the room as the Israel as presently governed. There is no denying the imbalance in weaponry, nor the aggressive anti-peace posture of the Netanyahu administration. There are many liberal/progressives both within Israel and the United States, who oppose this posture and want to get on with a legitimate land-for-peace process.
Israel’s Labor Party can and does win power at times, yet the electorate remains sharply divided, with a very intense and vocal ultra-right wing component. This keeps moderates and independents off balance, and hesitant to enter the tent of the Progressives whom would effect peace and progress. And in reflection Labor leaders are passified and timid, afraid of the wrath of that vocal minority of voters. This exact dynamic is also the case in present-day America.
That said, each nation remains responsible for it’s own human right record, including the United States of course. And part of human rights is indeed free speech, political expression and democratic self-determination. While
I always view Western media reports with an expectation of sensationalist slant, I have little doubt that a fundamentalist religious regime would arrest and jail dissenters. More properly said, the Iran Guardian Council and Supreme Leader Khamenei. For that is the ruling political core, to which Ahmadinejad is the vocal figurehead.
Not unlike the Bush Jr. years in America… ;^)
Thanks to each respondent. Marika; I have never known what to make of power of prayer findings. Do you think it could pertain to the ill within earshot, the comatose perhaps?
And for Sammy; this demilitarised state idea in the Middle East is a fantastic goal, which should have been incorporated in the U.N. charter when Brits conceded the territory in 1947. Here below is the Wikipedia page on that process;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Partition_Plan_for_Palestine
As you can see it was supposed to create autonomous Jewish and Arab states, with economic cooperation. But they failed to keep the weapons out, obviously. And imposed solutions even whilst well-intentioned, remain imposed, and therefore vulnerable to breakdown. Such a demilitarised approach may have engendered a totally different future for both this territory and the Middle East. A haven for dissidents and disenfranchised from all over the region or the world perhaps. (The successful emergence of the United States, happened on just such grounds)
Perhaps it still may once a legitimate peace and settlement process is restarted. It must be done with the assist of the U.N. and not it’s heavy hand this time. But the U.N. Security Council nations, might guarantee the protection and preservation of the co-existing states against outside aggressors if ever materialised, in exchange for the agreement of both sides to stand down their military and para-military operations. That should I believe, have happened originally.