Iran’s ‘Stolen’ Election: a Hardline Demagogue’s Victory Over a ‘Reformer’? Not So Fast
June 20, 2009
By Phil Wilayto, AlterNet, June 14, 2009
The real clash between Mousavi and Ahmadinejad is based on who their supporters are and, crucially, different approaches to the economy.
As this is being written, official announcements in Iran today of a landslide victory by incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are being met with cries of “fraud” by supporters of his principal challenger, former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
The New York Times is reporting that “at least one person had been shot dead in clashes with the police in Vanak Square in Tehran. Smoke from burning vehicles and tires hung over the city late Saturday.”
It seems clear which side has started the violence. From Sunday”s Times:
“’Death to the coup d’état!’ chanted a surging crowd of several thousand protesters, many of whom wore Mr. Moussavi’s [sic] signature bright green campaign colors, as they marched in central Tehran on Saturday afternoon. ‘Death to the dictator!’ Farther down the street, clusters of young men hurled rocks at a phalanx of riot police officers, and the police used their batons to beat back protesters. There were reports of demonstrations in other major Iranian cities as well. … As night settled in, the streets in northern Tehran that recently had been the scene of pre-election euphoria were lit by the flames of trash fires and blocked by tipped trash bins and at least one charred bus. Young men ran through the streets throwing paving stones at shop windows, and the police pursued them.” Read the rest of this entry »
U.S. Instigated Iran’s Nuclear Policy In the ’70s
April 3, 2009
By William O. Beeman, February 14, 2006, by the Providence Journal (Rhode Island)
The White House staff members who are trying to prevent Iran from developing its own nuclear-energy capacity, and who refuse to take military action against Iran “off the table,” have conveniently forgotten that the United States was the midwife to the Iranian nuclear program 30 years ago.
Every aspect of Iran’s current nuclear development was approved and encouraged by Washington in the 1970s. President Gerald Ford offered Iran a full nuclear cycle in 1976. Moreover, the only Iranian reactor currently about to become operative — the reactor in Bushire (also known as Bushehr) — was started before the Iranian revolution with U.S. approval, and cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium. Read the rest of this entry »
“So what if this has nothing to do with terrorists but, number one, Cold War mentality in action, a Vietnam-style surge expanding the war, then to Cambodia and now to Pakistan?”
A commentary by Pepe Escobar about the U.S. mission in Afghanistan
From TheRealNews.com.
Juan Cole interviewed on Democracy Now
March 17, 2009
“Engaging the Muslim World”–Middle East Analyst Juan Cole on US Policy in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel and Beyond
Originally aired: Tuesday, March 17
Iran not producing weapon-grade uranium: IAEA
February 22, 2009
Saturday, Feb 21, 2009
Atul Aneja
DUBAI: Iran has not converted the low-grade uranium that it has produced into weapon-grade uranium, inspectors belonging to the International Atomic Energy Agency have said.
The Austrian Press Agency quoted an IAEA expert as saying that the uranium substances that Iran has produced at its Natanz enrichment facility have been carefully recorded and remote cameras have been installed to supervise part of the stockpile.
“If the Iranians intend to transport these uranium substances to a secret location for further processing, agency’s inspectors will find out,” he said.
The expert added that “so far, Iran has carried out good cooperation with us in relevant verifications”.
Read the rest of this entry
