observations of Tehran life
“The hardline Council of Guardians will not approve those laws,” Zadah said. “Khatami will then either resign or call for a referendum – which is what Washington wants – since the majority of Iranians want a change in government – a secular one and not Islamic. If the US is in Iraq, you can expect rapid changes in Iran.”
I agree with the part about the GC, but not the bit about Khatami. I think the Economist Intelligence Unit has it right.
A reformist MP faced the threat of arrest yesterday after judicial authorities accused him of undermining Iran's national interests by informing UN human rights monitors about alleged abuses of political prisoners.
In the Iranian constitution there is no right to absolute freedom of expression. Tough luck for him!
Alireza Jabari wrote an article in a Canadian journal no-one's ever heard of, and now he gets 253 lashes... (in fact if you type "Charvand" into a search engine, all you get is info about this case!)
Ledeen pontificates about what Bush should do.
"...Our mission is not merely "regime change" in Baghdad, it is to win the war against the terror masters in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. " Ummm. He forgot Libya which he wrote about in March. ("...suggestions that the West take stern measures against the tyrannical terrorist sponsors in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Saudi Arabia.") Israel has so many enemies it's difficult for him to remember them all in his articles! And he didn't write about North Korea either. Or Sudan and Cuba in the "Patterns" report below.
"Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 2002."
Perhaps it's true, or perhaps for the last couple of years they've been taking the reports and just changing the year...
"In Iran what you have is a small group of clerics that are running that country in a way that is not democratic, that is repressive of the people, and I sense that there's stirrings in that country, that the young people, and the women, and the people who would prefer to be free and not have to follow such a rigid line, would like to see a change in that country. Now that's their problem. "
So, if you were worried that there was going to be a US invasion of Iran, relax, don't worry! And if you were worried that there wasn't going to be an invasion (?) it's your problem! Perhaps you could listen to Tabarzadi or someone (link from here from Iraniangirl).
There are funnier things on al-shia.com, but I found the above English site through the newsgroup soc.culture.iranian. Enjoy!
Mr. Weyrich has been named by Regardie's Magazine as "one of the 100 most powerful Washingtonians."
This world is in a baaaaaaaaad way! :-( Check the archives for a professor in Canada who doesn't know much better.
Vahid Tarokh goes to Harvard.
(Following links from SMCCDI:) Source of jamming satellites identified but majlis keeps it secret (this is the Middle East, after all!);Al-Alam becoming popular in Iraq; Israel claims Iran wants to undermine new Palestinian government.