Middle East Public date: 24.08.2017 23:12:18

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21 Jun 2010

Iran regime change fantasy

Here is a commentary from Farid Zakaraia on the sitution in Iran, popularity of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei - He is commenting on John McCain's claims that more support from Obama would have toppled the regime
Here is a commentary from Farid Zakaraia on the sitution in Iran, popularity of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei - He is...
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ahmadinejad, green movement, khamaenei, usa
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4 Feb 2010

Ashura show trials

A 20-year old university student arrested for participating in anti-government street protests in Iran in December rejected charges of spreading moral corruption as the trial of 16 opposition supporters resumed on Wednesday. All of the accused were arrested after clashes between protesters and security forces on Ashura Day, the Shi'ite ritual mourning ceremony, on December 27
A 20-year old university student arrested for participating in anti-government street protests in Iran in December...
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opposition, show trials
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15 Feb 2010

Nation to Mark 31th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution

This is from the front page of IRNA on the 25th of Bahman 3 days after the 22 Bahman and the government crack down. "All through the 1960's and 1970's, Iranians were deeply discontent with the dictatorship of the Shah, but the flood of protest material fanned this discontent into a raging passion. People demanded more reforms, more human rights, more freedom, and more democracy. There was a distinct revolutionary movement. It was the religious movement headed by the ulama; this movement demanded the return to a society based on the Shari'ah and ulama administration."
This is from the front page of IRNA on the 25th of Bahman 3 days after the 22 Bahman and the government crack down. "All...
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22 bahman
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15 May 2010

Iran trying to provoke war between Israel and Syria

Netanyahu: Iran trying to provoke war between Israel and Syria Israel seeks peace and has no intention to attack its neighbors, despite false rumors, the prime minister says. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said that Iran is trying to provoke war between Israel and Syria, during a visit to a Northern Command training base.
Netanyahu: Iran trying to provoke war between Israel and Syria Israel seeks peace and has no intention to attack its...
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iran regional influence, israel
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15 May 2010

Outrage at Iranian TeacherÂ’s Execution

Education International is deeply troubled to hear reports that Iranian teacher trade unionist Farzad Kamangar was among five people who were summarily executed in secret on 9 May.
Education International is deeply troubled to hear reports that Iranian teacher trade unionist Farzad Kamangar was among...
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executions
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15 May 2010

Iran Executed Dissidents ‘Tortured to Confess’

(New York) Iranian authorities executed five prisoners, four of them ethnic Kurds, without warning their families, and have so far refused to release their bodies, Human Rights Watch said today. These executions follow convictions that appear to have relied on the use of torture.
(New York) Iranian authorities executed five prisoners, four of them ethnic Kurds, without warning their families, and...
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executions, kurds, religious minority
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15 May 2010

U.N. resolutions vs Iran not worth penny Ahmadinejad

(Reuters) - U.N. resolutions aimed at increasing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program "are not worth a penny" and Tehran will give no ground to pressure, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday.
(Reuters) - U.N. resolutions aimed at increasing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program "are not worth a penny"...
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ahmadinejad, sanctions
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15 May 2010

Relatives of Kurds Executed in Iran Are Denied the Remains

The authorities in Iran have refused to allow the families of five Kurdish activists hanged on Sunday to bury them, and have arrested the sister and mother of the only woman among the executed, one of the activists lawyers said Tuesday.
The authorities in Iran have refused to allow the families of five Kurdish activists hanged on Sunday to bury them, and...
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executions, kurds, minority rights, religious minority
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2 Nov 2010

Secret Report Predicts Collapse of Iranian Economy

Acording to a secret report that was sent to the supreme leader, and reached Les Echos, the Iranian economy may "deteriorate within a year" if the severe sanctions imposed by the west are not removed. A secret report, sent in September to the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, emphasizes the "significant risks of financial collapse within a year" due to the intemational sanctions intended to force the country to abandon its nuclear program.
Acording to a secret report that was sent to the supreme leader, and reached Les Echos, the Iranian economy may...
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economy, khamenei, sanctions
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19 Nov 2010

Get Involved: Calling to Iranian studenets abroad to commemorate 16 Azar, Iranian Student Day

With Students Day, December 7th (16 Azar) fast approaching, a group of Green students and student activists abroad are calling upon all Iranian students abroad to simultaneously organize gatherings in order to commemorate this important day across the globe.
With Students Day, December 7th (16 Azar) fast approaching, a group of Green students and student activists abroad are...
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16 azar, international support, protests, student movement
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1 Dec 2010

Lion’s Den Islamist Turkey vs. secular Iran

As the secular Turkey founded by Atat rk threatens to sink under a wave of Islamism, the Islamist Iranian state founded by Khomeini is apparently teetering on brink of secularism.
As the secular Turkey founded by Atat rk threatens to sink under a wave of Islamism, the Islamist Iranian state founded...
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iran, islam, turkey
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17 Nov 2010

Gates Iran strike wouldn’t stop nuclear program

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday suggested that sanctions against Iran may be creating internal rifts in the country's top leadership, Reuters reported. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, Gates revealed: "We even have some evidence that [Iranian supreme leader Ali] Khamenei, now, [is] beginning to wonder if [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad is lying to him about the impact of the sanctions on the economy. And whether he's getting the straight scoop in terms of how much trouble the economy really is in," according to the report.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday suggested that sanctions against Iran may be creating internal rifts in the...
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ahmadinejad, demise, nuclear issue, sanctions
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21 Feb 2010

IAEA Iran’s nukes ‘also for armyÂ’

Israel praised an International Atomic Energy Agency report released on Thursday that says Iran may be developing a nuclear warhead. The new IAEA report deals more sharply and clearly than its predecessors with the military aspects of Iran s nuclear program, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Friday
Israel praised an International Atomic Energy Agency report released on Thursday that says Iran may be developing a...
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iaea, nuclear issue
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5 Feb 2010

Iran Moscow gave missile reassurance

Russian news agencies cited Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi as saying, "Our Russian colleagues have assured us that they will meet their obligations." A Kremlin spokesman declined to comment.
Russian news agencies cited Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi as saying, "Our Russian colleagues have assured us that they...
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iran military, russia
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11 Aug 2010

Iran’s Uprising Continues — From Prison Cells

News about Iran's Uprising is scarcely found on mainstream media these days. There are stories about individual human rights abuses. There are stories about Ahmadinejad's outlandish remarks about how "the 12th Imam" will come so he can sit on his lap and suck on his thumb. There are stories of sanctions and Israel and Iraq and how Iran is just about to unleash Armageddon. But few stories chronicle the constant struggle for democracy and human rights in Iran. This, however, does not mean that the struggle is dead. It is a daily struggle that continues ever vigorously.
News about Iran's Uprising is scarcely found on mainstream media these days. There are stories about individual human...
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democracy, green movement, human rights, political prisoners
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23 Sep 2010

Hossein Derakhshan father of Iranian blogging sentenced to death

Due to the reports of the website Kamtarin about the trial of the famous Iranian blogger and Journalist Hossein Derakhshan, his case has once again become a much discussed issue. Salman, a writer with the website Kamtarin, conducted an interview with Ozra Kiarashpour, the mother of Hossein Derakhshan about her son s situation
Due to the reports of the website Kamtarin about the trial of the famous Iranian blogger and Journalist Hossein...
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executions, hossein derakhshan
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5 Oct 2010

Ominous signs in Iran under siege

Iran is increasingly under siege. From cyber-attacks on its nuclear infrastructure to biting economic and financial sanctions, to overt support for (armed) opposition groups, to a military build-up of neighbors, it appears that outside powers are making a concerted effort at regime change in the Islamic Republic.
Iran is increasingly under siege. From cyber-attacks on its nuclear infrastructure to biting economic and financial...
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iran lobby, regime change, war plans
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5 Feb 2010

Iran launches new phase in nuclear crisis

On the same day Iran launched a rocket named Simorgh (Phoenix) into space, Tehran pulled its diplomatic engagement with the West back from the brink, saying it was prepared to accept a nuclear "fuel-for-fuel" proposal and exchange three Americans held in Iran with Iranians imprisoned in the United States.
On the same day Iran launched a rocket named Simorgh (Phoenix) into space, Tehran pulled its diplomatic engagement with...
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iran lobby, nuclear issue
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25 Mar 2010

Tehran’s long and winding road

Here is how a pro-government analyst would try to present the affairs of the Iraninan government in the months ahead: "Greeting the Persian new year, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad looked confidently at the route ahead, promising that the nation "more powerful than ever will continue in the path of its high objectives". Looming sanctions and other efforts to isolate the economy over Tehran's nuclear program over the coming months make it highly challenging to stay on track."
Here is how a pro-government analyst would try to present the affairs of the Iraninan government in the months ahead:...
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iran foreign policy, iran lobby, sanctions
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9 Jun 2010

U.S. issues formal response to proposal by Brazil, Turkey on Iran nuclear fuel

Reporting from Beirut The United States told the U.N.'s atomic watchdog on Wednesday that a Brazilian and Turkish effort to resolve the standoff over Iran's nuclear program failed to address international concerns, as the Security Council prepared to slap the Islamic Republic with fresh sanctions. But Washington's formal response to the proposal in which Iran would ship some of its enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for fuel to power a Tehran medical research reactor also held out the possibility of a compromise. The U.S. backed a version of the exchange involving Russia and France last year as a way to break the diplomatic ice between Iran and the West over the nuclear program.
Reporting from Beirut The United States told the U.N.'s atomic watchdog on Wednesday that a Brazilian and Turkish effort...
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brazil, nuclear deal, turkey
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21 May 2010

Iraq frees 2 Iranian detainees

Reporting from Beirut and TehranTwo Iranians arrested by U.S. forces in neighboring Iraq were released Friday, a day after Iran allowed three young Americans detained in the Islamic Republic since last July to meet with their visiting mothers. Iraqi officials handed the detainees to Iran's embassy in Baghdad this morning, and they will leave for Iran as soon as possible, a report on the website of state-owned English-language Press TV said.
Reporting from Beirut and TehranTwo Iranians arrested by U.S. forces in neighboring Iraq were released Friday, a day...
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american hikers, prisoner swap, ransom
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1 Oct 2010

U.S. hikers’ trial in Iran set for November

The two Americans still jailed in Iran on charges of espionage and trespassing won't be tried for at least five more weeks, their lawyer told The Times on Thursday.  Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal are due to appear before Judge Abolqasem Salavati on Nov. 6, the attorney said. The judge has handled many high-profile trials, especially since the political unrest that followed the 2009 presidential election, and has been dubbed the "hanging judge" by opposition and human rights activists. Most recently he sentenced Iranian Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan to 19 1/2 years in prison.
The two Americans still jailed in Iran on charges of espionage and trespassing won't be tried for at least five more...
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american hikers
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23 Sep 2010

Iran is far from united behind Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

In Tehran these days, the outspoken hard-line politician is under withering attack from all political directions. His detractors in recent weeks have included assorted fundamentalist clergymen who have accused him of interfering in religious affairs, a judiciary that humiliated him by delaying the release of American hiker Sarah Shourd, the editor of a right-wing newspaper handpicked by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the moderate head of the powerful Assembly of Experts, and a member of parliament who condemned him for praising the pre-Islamic Persian king Cyrus, who is an icon of secular nationalists.
In Tehran these days, the outspoken hard-line politician is under withering attack from all political directions. His...
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ahmadinejad, demise
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18 Jul 2010

Tax collectors, bazaar merchants reach compromise to end standoff

A standoff between Iranian merchants and tax collectors ended Saturday as the two sides reached a compromise in a weeks-long on-and-off strike that had cast a spotlight on the economic troubles of a nation now facing tightened sanctions. For weeks, Tehran's normally bustling Grand Bazaar had been eerily quiet and palpably tense as security forces stalked its dim galleries, the stalls of gold, jewelry, shoes and clothing that were shuttered under the pretense of painting their storefronts.
A standoff between Iranian merchants and tax collectors ended Saturday as the two sides reached a compromise in a...
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bazar, economy, strike
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1 Apr 2010

Two Iranian teens, two reactions to their father’s jailing

'Daddy, don't you confess!" she implored over the phone, the outburst of an impulsive teen. The jailers listening in quickly ended the conversation. But 15-year-old Scheherazade's rash words ultimately meant more to her imprisoned father than she could imagine.
'Daddy, don't you confess!" she implored over the phone, the outburst of an impulsive teen. The jailers listening in...
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crackdown, journalist, opposition
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9 Jan 2010

Iran opposition leader Karroubi survives shooting, son says

Reporting from Beirut - The son of Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi on Friday accused hard-line pro-government militiamen and Revolutionary Guard members of trying to assassinate his father a night earlier. Hossein Karroubi alleged that commanders of the Revolutionary Guard gathered a raucous crowd of local Basiji militiamen in the city Qazvin, 90 miles from Tehran, and fired two shots at the car in which the elder Karroubi was riding, shattering the vehicle's windows.
Reporting from Beirut - The son of Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi on Friday accused hard-line pro-government...
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assasination, karroubi
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20 Sep 2010

In false report of captured American soldiers, a warning to Ahmadinejad

It has been heard that about seven American forces accompanied by two Iranians who wanted to enter the Iranian territories from the Kuhak border in Saravan region [Sistan-Baluchestan province] have been identified and arrested by the vigilant border guards," the report on the news website Javan Online said. "It is said that two Iranians who accompanied the American forces could escape
It has been heard that about seven American forces accompanied by two Iranians who wanted to enter the Iranian...
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ahmadinejad, dissent, political tensions, usa
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8 Dec 2010

Despite crackdown, students stage anti-government protests nationwide

Defying a severe crackdown against the opposition and widespread political repression, Iranian students on Tuesday staged small anti-government protests throughout the country on the anniversary of Students Day. Amateur video footage taken during illegal protests on campuses throughout the country showed students chanting slogans from last year's huge demonstrations against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose widely disputed reelection last year spurred months of unrest.
Defying a severe crackdown against the opposition and widespread political repression, Iranian students on Tuesday...
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16 azar, protests
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14 Dec 2010

Now even newborns can join the pro-government Basiji militia

Forget the Boy Scouts. As of Monday, newborns and children up to the age of 7 can sign up for the paramilitary Basiji organization, according to the Mehr news agency (Persian link). Parents are invited to register their bouncing little baby boys and girls at the Basiji office in Tehran, where they can receive their membership cards.
Forget the Boy Scouts. As of Monday, newborns and children up to the age of 7 can sign up for the paramilitary Basiji...
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basij, iran military
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13 Dec 2010

Hezbollah strays from Iranian line on WikiLeaks, praises its disclosures

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah appears to have acknowledged the credibility of WikiLeaks, breaking with the official stance of the group's patron, Iran, that the leaked diplomatic cables are part of some American and Israeli-backed conspiracy. By supporting WikiLeaks, Nasrallah now finds himself in the same camp as an unlikely figure: Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who said in comments published Saturday that the documents expose Iran's "vulnerability."
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah appears to have acknowledged the credibility of WikiLeaks, breaking with the...
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hezbollah, mousavi, nasrallah, wikileaks
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11 Dec 2010

IRAN Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia squeezed between Tehran and Washington

Armenia finds itself in an unfriendly neighborhood and engaged in a highly militarized 20-year territorial dispute with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. It has long pulled off a diplomatic coup, maintaining simultaneous close relations with Iran, Russia and the United States, all three of which it relies on for protection, investment and trade.
Armenia finds itself in an unfriendly neighborhood and engaged in a highly militarized 20-year territorial dispute with...
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armenia, azerbaijan, iran, us
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11 Dec 2010

Ahmadinejad aide provokes clergy with fresh set of provocative remarks

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's closest aide and confidante is back it again. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the president's chief of staff, is stirring up trouble by challenging the clergy's attitudes toward art and music in unusually harsh and abrasive terms. Some do not feel and understand music, so they declare it haram," or sinful under Islam, the Persian-language Atynews reported him as saying this week.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's closest aide and confidante is back it again. Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the president's...
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clergy, crackdown, islam, mashaie
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22 Sep 2010

Masked plain clothes men attack on Gonabadi Sufi

Mr. Ali Marvi who is a Sufi of the Gonabadi Ni matullahi order, inhibited in Bidokht, was assaulted by some masked plain clothes men. According to Majzooban site reporter, on Tuesday 30th shahrivar (21 September) at 11:00 pm, when he was on the way to his home, Mr. Marvi was attacked by 4 masked plain clothes men, equipped by cold weapons and sprays.
Mr. Ali Marvi who is a Sufi of the Gonabadi Ni matullahi order, inhibited in Bidokht, was assaulted by some masked plain...
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crackdown, religious minority, sufis
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17 Sep 2010

Needed An Off-Ramp for Iran Policy

This morning, at a small meeting with various Washington-based analysts and European diplomats, I was asked to speculate on the future of Iran policy. While it's of course impossible to predict, I don't expect to see military action by the U.S. or by Israel. Nor do I expect to see any serious progress towards a political bargain, either a narrow one about the Iranian nuclear program nor an expansive one about Iran's place in the Middle East. Nor do I expect Iran to test a nuclear weapon
This morning, at a small meeting with various Washington-based analysts and European diplomats, I was asked to speculate...
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iran policy, usa
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19 Nov 2010

Faster, Please! -The Blind Who Will Not See The President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Iranian Death Spiral

I sometimes wonder where some of our smartest people get their ideas. Take Defense Secretary Bob Gates, for example. Discussing the possibility of military action against Iranian nuclear weapons facilities, he said: And if it s a military solution, as far as I m concerned, it will bring together a divided nation, it will make them absolutely committed to attaining nuclear weapons and they will just go deeper and more covert.
I sometimes wonder where some of our smartest people get their ideas. Take Defense Secretary Bob Gates, for example....
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green movement, military option, usa
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25 Nov 2010

Minorities under Mullahs’ Regime

The Islamic Republic of Iran places the Shiite sect of Islam at the heart of the state apparatus. The Islamisation of all life, based on Khomeini s own interpretation of Islam, is the central policy of the Islamic ruling elite. Religious minorities, which include the Sunnite sect of Islam, Christian, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Baha'is, compromised about 10 [...]
The Islamic Republic of Iran places the Shiite sect of Islam at the heart of the state apparatus. The Islamisation of...
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bahai, islam, religious minority
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16 Dec 2010

Iran the Cash Cow of India

Last month the United Nations General Assembly approved a draft resolution, condemning Iran s severe human rights violations. The resolution was piloted by Canada, 88 countries voted in favor and 44 against it. The formal adoption of this resolution should take place sometime, December 2010, and its passing will mark the UN s 7th consecutive year of criticizing the Islamic Regimes failures to abide by Universal Human Rights standards.
Last month the United Nations General Assembly approved a draft resolution, condemning Iran s severe human rights...
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human rights, india
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9 Dec 2010

Giving legitimacy to an illegitimate government

In the political arena it is crucial for a state to obtain what is referred to as Political Power. The attainment of this type of power can wield societal influence and is in actuality the ability to influence the behavior of others with or without resistance. The concentration and maintenance of political power in the hands of one man over a period of time defines the political system of President Ahmadinejad s regime since the disputed 2009 elections.
In the political arena it is crucial for a state to obtain what is referred to as Political Power. The attainment of...
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ahmadinejad, nuclear issue
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15 Feb 2010

Round-up of June 20-August 1 Protests in Iran from YouTube

With the complete media blackout in Iran, the people in Tehran were able to use services such as YouTube and facebook to post videos and photographs from the scene. Here s a roundup of the videos from Tehran today.
With the complete media blackout in Iran, the people in Tehran were able to use services such as YouTube and facebook to...
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22 bahman
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25 Oct 2010

Report says Iran grabbed 3 U.S. hikers in Iraq

The three American hikers arrested by Iran last year were on the Iraqi side of the border, according to US military documents released on Friday by WikiLeaks, reported the New York Times. The internal US document highlights military grids where the group was detained, which the Times said were on the Iraqi side of the border. Two of the three - Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer - have been held in a Tehran jail for more than a year, and their female companion Sarah Shourd was released last month. All three, along with US authorities, have insisted they were not in Iranian territory.
The three American hikers arrested by Iran last year were on the Iraqi side of the border, according to US military...
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american hikers, wikileaks
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2 Dec 2010

Obama’s Policy – All Tactics, No Strategy

In many ways, in the twenty-two months since Barack Obama took office not much has changed in U.S.-Iran relations. With upcoming talks in early December, it is unlikely that changes in the status quo will occur in the interim. At this point, neither the location nor the agenda for talks have been set. There is also little goodwill on both sides. Nonetheless, there is a perceptible shift in the diplomatic winds between the two countries that may signal an end to this enduring saga, even if it may be slow in coming. Ironically, the change has much to do with the Obama Administration s decision to play the last card short of military action, namely, sanctions that bite , as well as its declared refusal to settle for containment. As Defense Secretary Gates stated, I don t think we are ever prepared to talk about containing a nuclear Iran. Our view is that a nuclear Iran is unacceptable.
In many ways, in the twenty-two months since Barack Obama took office not much has changed in U.S.-Iran relations. With...
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obama, usa
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13 Sep 2010

Tehran Bureau Ahmadinejad-Khamenei Rift Deepens

In an article last year, I described the leaders of Iran's election coup of June 2009, their backgrounds, and their goals. As discussed there, the coup leaders were some of the top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and their aim is the expulsion of the clerics from the political power structure. In an article this past June, I described the rift between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters and Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Subsequent developments have confirmed the accuracy of my analysis and indicate a deepening rift between the two leaders.
In an article last year, I described the leaders of Iran's election coup of June 2009, their backgrounds, and their...
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ahmadinejad, khamenei
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7 Dec 2010

Little hope for release of Cdn. resident facing Iranian death sentence expert

Any Canadian attempts to secure the release of a Richmond Hill, Ont., website developer facing the death penalty in Iran for allegedly designing 'adult' websites are unlikely to be successful, says an expert in Middle East politics. Saeed Malekpour, a 35-year-old Iranian-born Canadian resident, was sentenced to death Saturday by an Iranian judge after being charged with so-called 'Internet offences,' including 'taking action against national security by designing and moderating adult content websites,' as well as 'agitation against the regime' and 'insulting the sanctity of Islam.'
Any Canadian attempts to secure the release of a Richmond Hill, Ont., website developer facing the death penalty in Iran...
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executions, political prisoners
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9 Jun 2010

Babak Dehghanpisheh

Babak Dehghanpisheh was named Baghdad Bureau Chief in December 2006. He has been covering Iraq regularly for the past five years. During that time, Dehghanpisheh reported on events ranging from Saddam Hussein's capture to the rise of Shiite clerics and Iraq's first elections. He was embedded with one of the first Marine units that invaded Falluja in late 2004 and was also one of the few journalists who got inside Abu Ghraib prison shortly after the scandal broke. Dehghanpisheh was a 2003 finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists for his Iraq coverage.
Babak Dehghanpisheh was named Baghdad Bureau Chief in December 2006. He has been covering Iraq regularly for the past...
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journalist
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9 Jun 2010

Khamenei’s Unity Pretense With Khomeini’s Family

Why would a crowd at Khomeini s memorial boo his grandson off the stage? In the past year, the supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and many other hardliners in the Iranian government have frequently cited the defense of Khomeini s legacy as a justification for cracking down on opposition protestors. In so doing, they ignore the fact that almost all of Khomeini s descendants, including Hassan, support the Green Movement. This struggle between the hardliners and Khomeini s family is one of Iran s ironies that is rarely discussed openly.
Why would a crowd at Khomeini s memorial boo his grandson off the stage? In the past year, the supporters of President...
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ahmadinejad, crackdown, khamenei, khomeini
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28 Jul 2010

National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Resolution Green-Lighting Israeli Strikes on Iran Introduced by House Republicans

Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light an Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The resolution, H.Res. 1553, provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress supports Israel's use of "all means necessary" against Iran "including the use of military force". US military leaders have warned that strikes could be catastrophic to US national security interests and could engulf the Middle East in a "calamitous" regional war.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light an Israeli bombing campaign...
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israel, usa, war mongering
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7 Dec 2010

In Iran, Divorce Soars, Stirring Fears of Society in Crisis

The numbers are still modest compared with the United States, which typically records about a million divorces a year in a population about four times as large. But for Iran, with a conservative Islamic culture that strongly discourages divorce, the trend is striking, and shows few signs of slowing. In the last Iranian calendar year, ending in March, divorces were up 16 percent from the year before, compared with a 1 percent increase in marriages.
The numbers are still modest compared with the United States, which typically records about a million divorces a year in...
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divorce, social unrest
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30 Nov 2010

Needle Exchange in Iran

This is a story about a courageous policy in an unexpected place. In this place homeless shelters have vending machines selling clean syringes for injecting drugs. Drug users are not prosecuted as long as they are in treatment programs. Drug addicts are given clean needles and methadone maintenance therapy - available on a widespread basis even in prison. These tactics have worked to reduce crime, lower H.I.V. rates among drug users and keep AIDS from spreading out into the general population. The place is not Amsterdam. It is Tehran.
This is a story about a courageous policy in an unexpected place. In this place homeless shelters have vending machines...
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drug use, governance, health
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30 Nov 2010

Needle Exchange in Iran

This is a story about a courageous policy in an unexpected place. In this place homeless shelters have vending machines selling clean syringes for injecting drugs. Drug users are not prosecuted as long as they are in treatment programs. Drug addicts are given clean needles and methadone maintenance therapy - available on a widespread basis even in prison. These tactics have worked to reduce crime, lower H.I.V. rates among drug users and keep AIDS from spreading out into the general population. The place is not Amsterdam. It is Tehran.
This is a story about a courageous policy in an unexpected place. In this place homeless shelters have vending machines...
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drug use, governance, health
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29 Nov 2010

Bomb Kills Iranian Nuclear Scientist

Unidentified assailants riding motorcycles launched bomb attacks early on Monday against two Iranian nuclear physicists here, killing one of them and prompting accusations in the state-run media that the United States and Israel were behind the episode.
Unidentified assailants riding motorcycles launched bomb attacks early on Monday against two Iranian nuclear physicists...
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assasinations, nuclear scientist
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29 Nov 2010

Iran Stirs Distress in Mideast

In late May 2009, Israel s defense minister, Ehud Barak, used a visit from a Congressional delegation to send a pointed message to the new American president. In a secret cable sent back to Washington, the American ambassador to Israel, James B. Cunningham, reported that Mr. Barak had argued that the world had 6 to 18 months in which stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons might still be viable. After that, Mr. Barak said, any military solution would result in unacceptable collateral damage.
In late May 2009, Israel s defense minister, Ehud Barak, used a visit from a Congressional delegation to send a pointed...
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israel, war mongering, wikileaks
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23 Oct 2010

Iran Said to Give Top Karzai Aide Cash by Bagful

One evening last August, as President Hamid Karzai wrapped up an official visit to Iran, his personal plane sat on the airport tarmac, waiting for a late-running passenger: Iran s ambassador to Afghanistan. The ambassador, Feda Hussein Maliki, finally appeared, taking a seat next to Umar Daudzai, Mr. Karzai s chief of staff and his most trusted confidant. According to an Afghan official on the plane, Mr. Maliki handed Mr. Daudzai a large plastic bag bulging with packets of euro bills. A second Afghan official confirmed that Mr. Daudzai carried home a large bag of cash.
One evening last August, as President Hamid Karzai wrapped up an official visit to Iran, his personal plane sat on the...
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afghanistan, foriegn policy
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20 Oct 2010

Date Set for Hiker Trial in Iran

Two American hikers held in Iranian custody for nearly 15 months as well as a companion released in September who is now back in the United States will be tried on spying accusations Nov. 6, a lawyer for the three confirmed Wednesday.
Two American hikers held in Iranian custody for nearly 15 months as well as a companion released in September who is now...
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american hikers
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25 Sep 2010

Iran’s Leader Expresses Hope for More Nuclear Talks

Iran s president dismissed a fusillade of criticism on Friday over his inflammatory speech at the United Nations a day earlier, in which he asserted that most people believed the United States orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks
Iran s president dismissed a fusillade of criticism on Friday over his inflammatory speech at the United Nations a day...
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9-11, ahmadinejad, un speech
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21 Aug 2010

Iran Opens Its First Nuclear Power Plant

TEHRAN Thirty-six years after construction began under the shah, Iran finally opened its first nuclear power plant at a ceremony on Saturday. Attended by senior officials from Iran and Russia, which helped build the station through years of concern by the United States and other Western nations that Iran was using its civilian program to mask a plan to build a bomb, the ceremony marked the beginning of the transfer of low-enriched uranium fuel rods from a storage site into the plant.
TEHRAN Thirty-six years after construction began under the shah, Iran finally opened its first nuclear power plant at a...
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nuclear issue, russia, usa
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18 Aug 2010

Why Not to Bomb Iran

Has the Atlantic magazine become a propaganda tool a de facto party to the neoconservative and Israeli campaign to initiate a global war with Iran ? That question was being discussed last week on The Atlantic s own Web site, among other places, after the magazine unveiled a cover story saying that Israel is likely to bomb Iran within a year.
Has the Atlantic magazine become a propaganda tool a de facto party to the neoconservative and Israeli campaign to...
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israel, us neocons, war mongering
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8 Aug 2010

Iran Expatriates Get Chilly Reception

TEHRAN - Over the past year, conservatives here have often fulminated against the role played by Iranian exiles, who helped organize protests against the disputed 2009 presidential election across the globe. But last week, the Iranian government paid for several hundred "highly placed" Iranians living abroad to come back for a three-day, all-expenses-paid trip. They were invited as part of a high-profile effort to repair Iran s pariah image, win over some of the expatriates and, not least, draw some much-needed foreign capital to Iran s troubled economy. The guests were treated to a musical performance, a fawning speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - complete with oddly inappropriate wisecracks - and a trip to the tourist destination of their choice. The event did not exactly go as planned.
TEHRAN - Over the past year, conservatives here have often fulminated against the role played by Iranian exiles,...
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ahmadinejad, economy
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13 Jul 2010

Pakistan Says Iran Scientist in U.S. Fled to Its Embassy

In the latest twist in a murky tale, Pakistan said Tuesday that an Iranian nuclear scientist who Tehran maintains was kidnapped by the Central Intelligence Agency had taken refuge in a section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington that deals with Iranian interests.
In the latest twist in a murky tale, Pakistan said Tuesday that an Iranian nuclear scientist who Tehran maintains was...
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cia, kidnapping, nuclear issue, usa
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19 Jun 2010

Turkey’s Gain Is Iran’s Loss

SINCE Israel s deadly raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara last month, it s been assumed that Iran would be the major beneficiary of the wave of global anti-Israeli sentiment. But things seem to be playing out much differently: Iran paradoxically stands to lose much influence as Turkey assumes a surprising new role as the modern, democratic and internationally respected nation willing to take on Israel and oppose America.
SINCE Israel s deadly raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara last month, it s been assumed that Iran would be the major...
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gaza, israel, turkey
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17 Jun 2010

U.S. and Europe Press Tighter Sanctions on Iran

WASHINGTON - A day after the Obama administration imposed sanctions on more than a dozen Iranian companies and individuals with links to the country s nuclear and missile programs, the European Union followed suit on Thursday with what it called "inevitable" new measures against Tehran.
WASHINGTON - A day after the Obama administration imposed sanctions on more than a dozen Iranian companies and...
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europe, sanctions
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10 Jun 2010

Iran Warns of ‘Reduced’ Ties With U.N. Inspectors

PARIS One day after the Security Council approved new sanctions against them, the authorities in Tehran threatened on Thursday to revise their relationship with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, using familiar language that has in the past presaged moves to limit global oversight of Iran s nuclear program.
PARIS One day after the Security Council approved new sanctions against them, the authorities in Tehran threatened on...
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nuclear issue
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18 May 2010

Major Powers Have a Deal on Sanctions for Iran, U.S. Says

WASHINGTON The Obama administration announced Tuesday morning that it has struck a deal with other major powers, including Russia and China, to impose new sanctions on Iran, a sharp repudiation of the deal Tehran offered just a day before to ship its nuclear fuel out of the country.
WASHINGTON The Obama administration announced Tuesday morning that it has struck a deal with other major powers,...
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nuclear deal
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1 Nov 2010

Guard Led 3 Americans Across Iran Border, Released Hiker Says

The three American hikers accused of espionage by Iran stepped off an unmarked dirt road - inadvertently crossing from Iraq into the Islamic republic - only because a border guard of unknown nationality gestured for them to approach, the lone hiker to be released said Sunday.
The three American hikers accused of espionage by Iran stepped off an unmarked dirt road - inadvertently crossing...
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american hikers
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29 Oct 2010

Iran Says It’s Ready to Resume Nuclear Talks With the E.U.

In a two-paragraph letter to the bloc s foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, the Iranians said their senior negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was willing to hold discussions starting on Nov. 10. Ms. Ashton, who had written to Mr. Jalili this month, described Iran s offer to resume discussions as a very important development. If a date and place can be agreed on, they will be the first talks between Mr. Jalili and Ms. Ashton, who took over in December as the European Union s foreign policy chief. The talks will also include senior officials from the United States, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain.
In a two-paragraph letter to the bloc s foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, the Iranians said their senior...
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nuclear issue
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22 Oct 2010

Iraq War Logs Detail Iran’s Aid to Militias – Wikileaks Documents

On Dec. 22, 2006, American military officials in Baghdad issued a secret warning: The Shiite militia commander who had orchestrated the kidnapping of officials from Iraq s Ministry of Higher Education was now hatching plans to take American soldiers hostage.
On Dec. 22, 2006, American military officials in Baghdad issued a secret warning: The Shiite militia commander who had...
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iran regional influence, iraq, usa, wikileaks
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18 Oct 2010

Iran Sends Delegate to Meeting on Afghanistan

For the first time, Iran sent a representative on Monday to a meeting of an international group that convenes regularly to discuss developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a move welcomed by both American and international officials.
For the first time, Iran sent a representative on Monday to a meeting of an international group that convenes regularly...
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afghanistan, iran regional influence, pakistan
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23 Sep 2010

Ahmadinejad Calls 9 11 ‘A Big Fabrication’

Perhaps concerned that his repeated suggestions that the Holocaust might not have happened have become less shocking over time, Iran s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, upped the ante on Saturday, telling intelligence officials in Tehran that the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, was staged.
Perhaps concerned that his repeated suggestions that the Holocaust might not have happened have become less shocking...
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9-11, ahmadinejad
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23 Sep 2010

U.S. Walks Out as Iranian Leader Speaks

The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, issued a series of incendiary comments in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday afternoon, noting in particular that some people believe the United States orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks as part of a propaganda campaign to "reverse the declining American economy" and to "save the Zionist regime," meaning Israel.
The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, issued a series of incendiary comments in his address to the United Nations...
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9-11, ahmadinejad, israel, un speech
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19 Sep 2010

Ahmadinejad Wants Release of Iranians Held in U.S.

In an interview broadcast Sunday morning with Christiane Amanpour on ABC's "This Week," Mr. Ahmadinejad said that the Iranian government "took a humanitarian measure and released one of the three individuals who entered our borders," so "I believe it would not be misplaced to ask that the U.S. government should make a humanitarian gesture and release the Iranians who were illegally arrested and detained here in the United States."
In an interview broadcast Sunday morning with Christiane Amanpour on ABC's "This Week," Mr. Ahmadinejad said that the...
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ahmadinejad, american hikers
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12 Sep 2010

Iran Willing to Release American Hiker on Bail

A senior Iranian prosecutor said Sunday that authorities will release a jailed American woman on $500,000 bail because of health problems, another sudden about-face by Iran in a case that has added to tension with the United States. The news came during a weekend of start-and-stop announcements about the release of Sarah Shourd, who was detained with two friends, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, along the Iran-Iraq border on July 31, 2009, and accused of spying.
A senior Iranian prosecutor said Sunday that authorities will release a jailed American woman on $500,000 bail because...
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american hikers
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7 Sep 2010

Despite Recent Sanctions, Iran Holds Firm in Refusing Nuclear Inspectors Requests

Three months after the United Nations Security Council enacted its harshest sanctions yet against Iran, global nuclear inspectors reported Monday that the country has dug in its heels, refusing to provide inspectors with information and access they need to determine whether the real purpose of Tehran s program is to produce weapons.
Three months after the United Nations Security Council enacted its harshest sanctions yet against Iran, global nuclear...
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nuclear inspections, nuclear issue, sanctions
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16 Jul 2010

Iran’s President Now Aims at Rivals Among Conservatives

TEHRAN - Having successfully suppressed the opposition uprising that followed last summer s disputed presidential election, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters are now renewing their efforts to marginalize another rival group Iran s traditional conservatives.
TEHRAN - Having successfully suppressed the opposition uprising that followed last summer s disputed presidential...
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ahmadinejad, opposition
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10 Jun 2010

U.N. Adopts New Sanctions on Iran

UNITED NATIONS The United Nations Security Council leveled its fourth round of sanctions against Iran s nuclear program on Wednesday, but the measures did little to overcome widespread doubts that they or even the additional steps pledged by American and European officials would accomplish the Council s longstanding goal: halting Iran s production of nuclear fuel.
UNITED NATIONS The United Nations Security Council leveled its fourth round of sanctions against Iran s nuclear program...
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nuclear issue, sanctions
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8 Jun 2010

Rival Videos Deepen Riddle of Missing Iranian Scientist

The mystery of an Iranian nuclear scientist who Iran says was kidnapped and tortured last year by American agents deepened on Tuesday, as Iran publicized what it called a videotaped statement from him that proved its claim. That videotape was contradicted by a second videotape posted on the Internet in which a man who identified himself as the same scientist says he is studying happily in the United States.
The mystery of an Iranian nuclear scientist who Iran says was kidnapped and tortured last year by American agents...
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kidnapping, nuclear issue
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8 Jun 2010

Trade by Iran Ships Is Veiled by Web of Shell Companies

On Jan. 24, 2009, a rusting freighter flying a Hong Kong flag dropped anchor in the South African port of Durban. The stop was not on the ship s customary route, and it stayed only an hour, just long enough to pick up its clandestine cargo: a Bladerunner 51 speedboat that could be armed with torpedoes and used as a fast-attack craft in the Persian Gulf.
On Jan. 24, 2009, a rusting freighter flying a Hong Kong flag dropped anchor in the South African port of Durban. The...
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sanctions, shell companies
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21 May 2010

Iran, the Nuclear Deal and the U.N. Security Council

Every time it looks as if the big powers have finally run out of patience with Iran s nuclear misdeeds, Tehran s leaders suddenly decide they re in the mood to compromise. And every time the big powers let up on the pressure, Tehran s compromises turn to smoke.
Every time it looks as if the big powers have finally run out of patience with Iran s nuclear misdeeds, Tehran s leaders...
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nuclear deal
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17 May 2010

Iran Offers to Ship Uranium as Talks on Sanctions Loom

CAIRO Iran announced an agreement on Monday to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey in a deal that could offer a short-term solution to its ongoing nuclear standoff with the West, or prove to be a tactic aimed at derailing efforts to bring new sanctions against Tehran.
CAIRO Iran announced an agreement on Monday to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey in a deal that could offer a...
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brazil, nuclear issue, turkey
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14 Apr 2010

Iran’s Parliament Cedes Powers

Taking the unusual step of limiting its own authority, Iran s parliament on Wednesday adopted a law that would curb its ability to review regulations issued by the most powerful, un-elected institutions of the state.
Taking the unusual step of limiting its own authority, Iran s parliament on Wednesday adopted a law that would curb its...
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crackdown, internal politics, power grab
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10 Apr 2010

Iran Urges Iraq to Use Sunnis in Government

BAGHDAD Iran, which has acted as a major power broker in Iraqi politics, called Saturday for Iraqi leaders to include Sunnis in the long-overdue new government, and said Shiites would have to form an alliance with them for that to happen.
BAGHDAD Iran, which has acted as a major power broker in Iraqi politics, called Saturday for Iraqi leaders to include...
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diplomacy, iraq, religious minority, sunnis
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10 Mar 2010

Iran and U.S. Trade Barbs in Kabul Visit

KABUL, Afghanistan The Iranian president visited Kabul on Wednesday and shot back at American allegations that Iran was providing support to Afghan insurgents, accusing the United States of playing its own double game.
KABUL, Afghanistan The Iranian president visited Kabul on Wednesday and shot back at American allegations that Iran was...
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afghanistan, ahmadinejad, usa
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8 Mar 2010

The Diminishing Difficulty of Enriching Uranium

In the Iranian desert, at a sprawling industrial site ringed by barbed wire and antiaircraft guns, a shift in the enrichment of uranium is producing global jitters because it could shorten Iran s path to the acquisition of nuclear weapons.
In the Iranian desert, at a sprawling industrial site ringed by barbed wire and antiaircraft guns, a shift in the...
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nuclear issue
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7 Mar 2010

U.S. Enriches Companies Defying Its Policy on Iran

The federal government has awarded more than $107 billion in contract payments, grants and other benefits over the past decade to foreign and multinational American companies while they were doing business in Iran, despite Washington s efforts to discourage investment there, records show.
The federal government has awarded more than $107 billion in contract payments, grants and other benefits over the past...
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sanctions, us corporations
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