Doc's Talk: Iran Early Bird

Monday, March 30, 2009

Iran Early Bird

March 30, 2009
Diplomatic Affairs

1. Iran – Saudi Arabia – Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Hosseini, met (March 28) with the chairman of the Saudi Majlis, Al-Shura, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim al-Asheikh. Hosseini called for forming a special committee.

2. Resolving problems in Afghanistan through regional partnership – Speaking in Moscow (March 29), Mehdi Akhundzadeh, foreign minister for Asia-Pacific affairs and Iran’s envoy to the International Afghanistan Conference, which is being sponsored by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said: "Resolving ongoing problems in Afghanistan will be possible by means of a regional partnership, and the Islamic Republic of Iran supports this stance." Akhundzadeh commented that the United States had linked the Afghan issue to its own internal problems and looked at Afghanistan from a U.S. angle. This policy and strategy, he added, had never been successful and had instead only increased problems in Afghanistan and the region.

3. Jalili meets Indian prime minister and his Indian counterpart – Iranian Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili met (March 28) with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss matters of regional security. Jalili also held talks in New Delhi with his Indian counterpart, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, on North-South corridor issues. Jalili was in India on an official visit following an invitation from Narayanan.

4. Iran's Majlis speaker in Iraq – Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Iraqi National Security Advisor Muwafaq al-Rubai underlined (March 29) the need to promote Tehran-Baghdad security cooperation and boost control along the common borders. Larijani arrived in Iraq last week on an unofficial and pilgrimage visit that began with a visit to the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf Ashraf. During his visit, Larijani conferred with top Iraqi religious figures, including Ayatollah Ali Husseini Sistani, as well as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talibani and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council.

5. Foreign minister in Gambia - Heading a political-economic delegation to Gambia, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met and conferred with Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, Vice-President Isatou Njie-Saidy and his Gambian counterpart, Omar Alieu Touray. Mottaki urged further expansion of bilateral cooperation in the areas of energy, health and agriculture. Mottaki is currently on a tour of several African and Latin American states. He has already visited Mali, Mauritania, Brazil and Venezuela. Mottaki left Gambia for Tehran on March 29.

6. Chavez due in Iran- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit Iran this weekend and will meet for talks with a number of senior Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Domestic Affairs

7. Urgent and revolutionary measures needed - Ahmadinejad reflecting (March 29) on the message of the supreme leader, who termed the new year as the Year of Reforming the Model of Consumption. "We should begin with high priority issues. However, the bill for targeting subsidies is a long and fundamental step … In my view, bread, water and energy should be put on the agenda. I do not expect you to draw up routine programs. It is of no use to draw up a plan for pressurized irrigation that may take 30 years to implement. I ask you to take urgent and revolutionary measures. All bodies are responsible in this regard. Each body should draw up a plan for its own. All ministers should allocate time for this purpose …We should implement it [the budget bill] correctly, so that the pace of the country's progress will not decrease and the people will not be disadvantaged.

(Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran Radio)

8. Sharp criticism of Khatami's withdrawal - Reformist journalists have criticized Khatami’s decision to withdraw from the presidential election, terming the move a "new year present of confusion and disappointment for the Reformists.” Hamid Mo'azzeni told Fars in an interview: “By changing his mind, Khatami created the worst situation for the Reformists and ended the era of reforms of the Khatami kind for good ... He made the best decision for the opponents of reforms ... Khatami proved that he is not the man for the job and just when there was a need for his presence, he resigned .. His withdrawal … is a superficial disguise for his lack of morals. In fact, Khatami has been ethical for the sake of Mir Hoseyn Musavi and the opponents of reforms but this move has been an unethical one as far as Reformists and his supporters are concerned. In fact, Khatami has resigned from reforms, not the presidential elections.”

[For the full version, please contact Terrogence.]

9. Preparing for the 10th presidential election- Mansur Haqiqatpur, the governor-general of the Ardabil Province, appointed (March 29) Firuz Ahmadi, the political and security deputy governor-general, as head of the provincial electoral headquarters and Abbas Dastbaz, director of the governor-general's office for political and electoral affairs, as deputy head of the headquarters. The two also remain in their previous positions. They will organize, monitor and conduct the country's 10th presidential election (in the province). Haqiqatpur urged them to use all equipment and capabilities of the governor-general's office to properly implement the election law, and safeguard and respect people's votes and pave the way for ensuring a high turnout in the forthcoming election.

(Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran Radio)

10. Iranian regime fears popular uprising - Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij paramilitary forces were deployed to restore order in various cities as popular uprisings spread. Previously, the State Security Force (SSF) was in charge of security in the cities. Brig. Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moqadam, head of the SSF, commented on the role of the IRGC and the Basij forces in domestic security, saying: "IRGC and Basij forces play an important role in organizing popular forces. Thus, it was decided to strengthen the two in order to allow them to control cultural, social and popular security. In turn, this should lead to lasting security." (Official news agency IRNA, March 27)

Brig. Gen. Ahmad Reza Radan, deputy commander of the SSF, had spoken earlier about "placing Basij force in charge of neighborhood security."

On February 9, Maj. Gen. Mohammad-Ali Jafari, commander of the IRGC, referred to the popular uprisings in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and said, “The events in those years were challenging. We should not allow such problems to occur in the future … As Imam [Khomeini] said, we are not afraid of foreign threats but our fear comes from inside.” (State-run news agency ISNA, February 9)

11. National football team head coach sacked- The head coach of Iran's national football team, Ali Daei, was sacked on Sunday due to the weak results of the team in the 2010 World Cup second qualifying round. An informed source said that Daei was fired following the Iranian team's 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia in Tehran on Saturday evening.

Security - Military Affairs

12. Iran rejects aiding North Korean rocket launch- Iran's embassy in Tokyo issued a statement rejecting a report in the Japanese daily, Sankei Shimbun, which quoted unnamed sources as saying that a 15-member Iranian delegation had gone to North Korea in early March to advise Pyongyang on missile-related matters. The embassy statement describes the Japanese report as “politically-motivated" and rejects any missile or military cooperation between Iran and North Korea.

13 New effective defense equipment promised - Major-Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the IRGC said (March 29) that Iran would witness a dazzling achievement in the field of defensive equipment, noting that the IRGC would be inaugurating new and various kinds of effective and preventive defense equipment in the current year. "We will give good news to our honorable compatriots in 1388 [2009-2010] regarding the measures taken by the IRGC and Basij, particularly by the IRGC, on various kinds of effective and preventive defense equipment. I regret that I cannot give more details now; I can only say that something will be announced.”
(Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network)

Human Rights

14. Executions by stoning and hanging in Iran - Amnesty International: "DEATH SENTENCES AND EXECUTIONS IN 2008"

“Continuing the trend from previous years, China - 1718, Iran – 346 and Saudi Arabia - 102 were the states with the highest rate of executions in 2008.

“Amnesty International remained concerned about the use of the death penalty in Iran. Some of the cruel and inhumane methods used to execute at least 346 people in 2008 included stoning and hanging …. Amnesty International was also concerned about proposals by the authorities in Iran to further widen the already wide scope of the use of the death penalty…. Authorities in Iran executed eight juvenile offenders in 2008 in flagrant violation of international law. Iran was the only country in the world in which juvenile offenders were known to have been executed in 2008.”

15. Juvenile to be executed - Stop Child Executions has informed the United Nations about the case of Abumoslem Sohrabi, who is facing execution in Iran. Sohrabi faces imminent execution for a murder committed when he was 17 years old. His execution order has been approved by the Supreme Court and passed to the Office for the Implementation of Sentences, the body responsible for ensuring that all sentences - including executions - are carried out.

16. Women’s rights activists arrested – Iranian authorities arrested (March 26) 12 women’s rights activists on Sohrevardi Street in Tehran. They were arrested on their way to the homes of some political prisoners as part of Iranian New Year. The women activists had plans to visit the mourning mother of Dr. Zahra Bani Yaqoub, who died mysteriously while in the custody of the State Security Force. The arrested women were transferred to the notorious Evin prison. According to the families, the detainees included Khadijeh Moqadam, Farkhondeh Ehtesabian, Delaram Ali, Leila Nazari, Mahboubeh Karami, Shahla Forouzanfar, Soraya Yousefi and Bahareh Bahrevan. A number of men who were also arrested included Ali Abdi, Amir Rashidi, Mohammad Shourab and Arash Nasiri Eqbali.

17. Political activist murdered - Ali Badozadeh, a political activist, was murdered in Mahabad, according to Iranian opposition sources in Iran. He was arrested on February 20 by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and was transferred to a secret torture chamber. Badozadeh's mutilated body, covered with snow, was found on March 25 on the outskirts of the city. His brother, Jahangear, is also serving time for political charges in the central prison of the northwestern city of Orumieh.

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

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