Petraeus' failed plan

Bogus Claim, al-Maliki Stall US Plan on Iran Arms

by Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON, May 14 - Early this month, the George W. Bush administration’s plan to create a new crescendo of accusations against Iran for allegedly smuggling arms to Shiite militias in Iraq encountered not just one but two setbacks.

he government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki refused to endorse U.S. charges of Iranian involvement in arms smuggling to the Mahdi Army, and a plan to show off a huge collection of Iranian arms captured in and around Karbala had to be called off after it was discovered that none of the arms were of Iranian origin.

The news media’s failure to report that the arms captured from Shiite militiamen in Karbala did not include a single Iranian weapon shielded the U.S. military from a much bigger blow to its anti-Iran strategy. ... read more

How successful will Bush be in this new round of pimpimg war in the Middle East?

The Asia Times commentary by Bhadrakumar illustrates: Not successful at all!
I provide an annotated summary; but the entire article is worth reading as it provides context for what the popular press and Washington/New York pundits willfully, or negligently ignore.

Last Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned Tehran that its support to what he termed Hezbollah's "coup" in Lebanon would affect Iran's relations with Arab and Islamic countries. This was reported by the mass media as a rift between Iran and Saudis and taken as a serious cause of upcoming tension--augmented by Bush's visit to the Middle East. In other words, the "cosmopolitan" Saudi Prince flipped his "sectarian" card of divide between Shiites and the rest.

However the Saudi prince's intention to unnerve Tehran failed as " Tehran coolly ignored the Saudi foreign minister's warning. To make things doubly clear, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said dismissively the Saudi prince spoke in "anger". Anger, we know, doesn't go well with good Muslims. Ahmadinejad then proceeded to make a startling revelation that Faisal was not following the "orders" of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud. "

On Wednesday, King Abdullah quickly dissociated himself from his foreign minister's dire warning to Iran and the Saudi ambassador in Tehran, Osama bin Ahmad al-Sonosi, called on the chairman of Iran's Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, to hand over a letter from the Saudi monarch containing an invitation to the Iranian cleric leader to visit Riyadh to attend the International Islamic Dialogue Conference. The Saudi ambassador reportedly said, "King Abdullah believes you [Rafsanjani] have a great stature in the Islamic world ... and he has assigned me the duty of inviting you to the conference."

This is an interesting revelation; as it has to be kept in mind that Hashemi-Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad are the opposing poles of the IRI: Ahmadinejad won the election against Hashemi; charging him with financial corruption--a charge many Iranians do not dismiss as Hashemi is the face of "capitalism" in Iran; and most probably in cahoots with neoconservatives. However, the power struggles in the IRI are very nuanced; and Hashemi, Ahmadinejad and the supreme leader seem to have a united front with regards to the Palestinian problem, Iraq, Nuclear Energy, Islamic republicanism and etc.

Rafsanjani accepted the invitation and stressed the need for understanding and comprehension amongst different Islamic factions.

The retraction of Saudi's is not surprising because "The entire Saudi political stratagem in Lebanon has backfired. The Saudi backing for the Foud al-Siniora government's moves to drag Hezbollah into a civil war stands badly exposed. A most awkward detail known to the "Arab street" is that Saudi intelligence and diplomacy was acting hand-in-glove with the United States in the dubious business of emasculating Hezbollah. The ultimate US-Saudi intention was to curtail Hezbollah's dominating stature on Lebanon's political and security landscape.
The crisis in Lebanon was proceeded by a barrage of propaganda in the Saudi-supported media aimed at discrediting Hezbollah in Arab opinion and to demolish its profile as Lebanon's resistance movement before disarming it.

However, "As it turns out, Hezbollah made the Siniora government and its Saudi backers look very foolish. As Israeli military intelligence chief Major General Amos Yadlin put it, Hezbollah proved last week that it is the strongest force in Lebanon - "stronger than the Lebanese army" - and could have seized power if it had wanted to. "Hezbollah did not intend to take control ... If it had wanted to, it could have done it," Yadlin told Ha'aretz newspaper. "

Ironically, "The Saudis have realized there aren't many takers in the Arab world for their anti-Iran, anti-Hezbollah ploys at present. Qatar, Yemen and Algeria have visibly dissociated from the Saudis. Syria continues to firmly align with Iran. Oman, which currently heads the Gulf Cooperation Council, is most disinterested in Saudi Arabia's anti-Iranian stratagems. The deputy to Oman's Sultan, Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Said, paid a successful visit to Iran on April 20. A visit by Oman's Sultan Qaboos to Iran is in the cards. Sensing its growing isolation, Riyadh mounted the latest Arab League mediation in Lebanon on Wednesday. The Arab League meeting itself was scarcely attended."

"The supreme leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohammed Mahdi Akef, said the Lebanese resistance is the only group that determines what is good for the country while facing the "Zionist-US plot that is penetrating deep into Lebanon". Akef stressed that in the Muslim mind, Hezbollah's image stands unshaken. Similar statements of solidarity have been made by other Sunni Islamic organizations in the Middle East, including in Jordan, despite the Jordanian regime's close alliance with Riyadh. Such solidarity of regional Muslim opinion favoring Hezbollah works to Iran's advantage. The Saudi king's invitation to Rafsanjani to visit Riyadh is a grudging acknowledgement of this political reality. Washington has been desperately keen to transfer the "Lebanon file" to the United Nations Security Council next week. US deputy National Security Advisor Elliott Abrams said in Washington on Tuesday, "We are going to be unrolling a few things in the course of the week, starting perhaps with the Security Council." But it is unlikely the Saudis will want a showdown with Iran over Lebanon at New York at this juncture."

"What is most extraordinary is that all this is playing out on the sidelines of Bush's own visit to the region. As things stand, the Middle East is seething with anger that the Bush administration has dumped the Israel-Palestine "peace process", despite all the hullabaloo at the Annapolis conference in the US last November. In addition, Bush's close identification with Israel profoundly alienates Arab opinion. The Bush administration's overall credibility is also very low, given the Iraq quagmire. Bush is being left in no doubt that the mood in the Middle East is firmly against any US adventurism against Iran. Curiously, Washington seems to anticipate the trust deficit in Riyadh and Cairo, the key Arab capitals that are on Bush's itinerary. "

" What it adds up to is that the Bush administration realizes that it is left with hardly any choice other than resorting to "Track II" diplomacy with Tehran. The Iranians are no more taking the lame-duck administration in Washington seriously. They know the Bush administration stands widely discredited in the Middle East. They know it is in any case necessary to deal with the new administration in Washington next year. They are shrewd enough to assess that any US exit strategy in Iraq that the incoming US administration formulates, will be critically dependent on Iran's cooperation.

Meanwhile, the axis involving Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah remains intact. Tehran knows it can afford to sit tight for the remaining period of the Bush administration. Of course, it should not do anything rash in the meantime that might provide an alibi to Washington to lash out. Most important, the Iranian regime knows its policy enjoys strong popular support within the country. "

" The most critical calculation behind Tehran's policy at the present juncture would be that US-Saudi ties have come under unprecedented stress, which in turn, incrementally, weakens Riyadh's leadership role and overall standing in the region. In an insightful dispatch from Riyadh, Karen Elliott House, the Pulitzer Prize-winning diplomatic correspondent and a former publisher of the Wall Street Journal, wrote in the newspaper on Wednesday that the US and Saudi Arabia are finding it "problematic" to steer their relationship, which is already "fraying" at its edges. The core ingredients of the traditional mutually beneficial relationship - a US security blanket in lieu of cheap Saudi oil - are lacking even as the "neighborhood around Saudi Arabia has become much more threatening". "

" Riyadh is in two minds. The urbane Westernized Saudi foreign minister's uncharacteristic threat to ostracize Shi'ite Iran in the Islamic world on account of its regional policy in Lebanon harks to the past. The Saudi king's native wisdom in inviting an Iranian cleric leader to visit Riyadh at the present critical juncture beckons to the future. The House of Saud is apparently being pulled in different directions. "

To totally obliterate us ...

Hamid Dabashi's essay examines Hillary Clinton's "urge" to totally Obliterate Iran:

In the wake of the key Pennsylvania presidential primary for the Democratic nomination on Tuesday 22 April 2008, and in response to a question by a reporter about what she meant by saying earlier that she will launch a "massive attack" against Iran in the hypothetical case of Iran attacking Israel, Senator Hillary Clinton said, "I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran. And I want them to understand that. Because it does mean that they have to look very carefully at their society. Because whatever stage of development they might be in their nuclear weapons program in the next ten years during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them. That's a terrible thing to say, but those people who run Iran need to understand that."

Soon after she made this remark, the good people of Pennsylvania (following the example of practically all other large states, from New York and New Jersey to Texas and California) went ahead and handed Senator Clinton a solid victory over her rival, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

A rudimentary rule of the English language, as the good Senator from New York surely knows, is that one should never split one's infinitives -- it's against the rules, betrays bad grammar, and it could very well confuse people as to what exactly are the rules of the game in this blasted campaign for the soul of the next generation of Americans, if not simply to put a new face to American imperialism.

"To totally obliterate them (Iranians)" breaks this crucial rule of the English language, splits the infinitive of "to obliterate" into half, and inserts the powerful incentive of "totally"-- not just partially, as in, perhaps, to blow into smithereens just thirty or forty million Iranians, but seventy million plus human beings.

Read the rest ...

This time in the North

This time, the environmental art festival ventures into the lush green of the Caspian region.

Lovely "installations"!

What is the Bush Administration after, really?

I am looking from the corner of my eye at the new saber rattlings against Iran, and I am totally baffled what the objective of the recent undiplomatic Western behavior is.

Here are some interesting views:

Us Misses Iran Opportunity
Dr Kaveh Esfandiari argues that in the light of Iran's recent contribution to de-escalating the tension between the Iraqi government and the shiite militia; the US has the best opportunity to resume direct talks with Iran. Instead, Bush is travelling to Egypt and Jordan to offer them candy and seek their alliance against Iran; thus raising the oil prices; locking Us out of nuclear negotiations; and most importantly diverting the world's attention from Israel's activities in the west bank.

IRAN: Can P5+1 Offer Break the Nuclear Stalemate?
Dr. Trita Parsi (the author of the award winning Treacherous Alliance: The secret dealings of Israel, Iran and the US) explains why the so called diplomacy of the "secret incentive package" offered by the P5+1 group is doomed to fail: First, because it is happening amidst an escalation of rhetoric between Washington and Tehran over allegations of Iranian meddling in Iraq, although Americans have officially retracted from these accusations. Second, because Iran has learned a lesson from previous negotiations that the security council does not keep their end of the bargain; and show little appreciation for inches given away by Iran. Parsi refers to the statements of several diplomats and politicians who regard this new pretense of diplomacy rather pessimistically, and blame Washington's behavior for the nuclear deadlock with Iran.

Iraq: The elusive Iranian Weapons
the LA Times correspondent Tina Susman in Baghdad: "A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was cancelled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin. When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all." These allegations, together with Iran protesting to US's killing innocent civilians in Basra, has further deadlocked the chance of negotiations over Iraq security.

Something tells me that not only should the Bush administration be taken to the Hague for crimes against humanity; but they should also be tried in the US for treason!

Environmental Art Fest: Peace in the Persian Gulf

For more pictures: Please visit Riverart.

Prevent the Iranian Genocide!

Is America poised to murder again?

Action Call

Take action
against Hillary Clinton's
promise to Obliterate Iran

Clinton = Cheney

Read Gareth Porter's new analysis

Cheney aggressively solicited political support from Turkish leaders for a U.S. strike against Iranian nuclear facilities during his visit to Turkey last month, according to a source familiar with Cheney’s meeting in Ankara.

Cheney was “very aggressive” in asking Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, as well as Turkey’s chief of general staff Gen. Yasar Bukyukanit to get “on board” with such an attack, according to the source, who has access to reports from the Cheney visit.

Cheney indicated that Turkey had been added to the trip at the last minute, suggesting that the decision to visit Ankara was linked to the Fallon resignation.

Hillary Clinton promises to "obliterate" Iran

This woman is doing ANYTHING possible to get votes!
And at the end of the day, people who are voting for her are either senile, or battered women with serious phallic envy disorder who seek empowerment in obnoxious talk-tough attitude of this utterly stupid woman: Hillary Clinton!

This is her new cat out of the bag:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton warned Tehran on Tuesday that if she were president, the United States could "totally obliterate" Iran in retaliation for a nuclear strike against Israel.

On the day of a crucial vote in her nomination battle against fellow Democrat Barack Obama, the New York senator said she wanted to make clear to Tehran what she was prepared to do as president in hopes that this warning would deter any Iranian nuclear attack against the Jewish state.

"I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran (if it attacks Israel)," Clinton said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them," she said.

"That's a terrible thing to say but those people who run Iran need to understand that because that perhaps will deter them from doing something that would be reckless, foolish and tragic," Clinton said.

Her comments appeared harder than a week ago, when during a presidential debate she promised "massive retaliation" against any Iranian attack on Israel.

Obama rejected Clinton's rhetoric as saber rattling on a day when Pennsyhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giflvania Democrats voted in a party primary contest that could help decide which Democrat will face Republican John McCain for the White House in the November general election.

"One of the things that we've seen over the last several years is a bunch of talk using words like 'obliterate,"' Obama, an Illinois senator, said in a separate ABC interview. "It doesn't actually produce good results. And so I'm not interested in saber rattling."

WAIT A MINUTE MRS DUMB-ASS CLINTON:

Those who have been threatening IRAN with military action in recent months have been Israelis; not the other way around!

Jerusalem Post: "Military Action Against Iran Ready"

AFP: Israel may have to take military action against Iran, Bolton says

Israel Toda: "Israel receive the blessing of EU and US to attack Iran"

London Time: "Leaked, Israel plans nuclear strike against Iran"

London Telegraph: Israel seeks all clear to attack Iran

ICH: Petraeus signals attack against Iran

NOW SHUT UP!

These men sicken me

but as long as my country is threatened, sanctioned and isolated, I will be standing with them.

Juliette Binoche en Iran

I went to Tehran twice and experienced very contradictory emotions. The first time I was amazed by how Iranian women were cultured and this appeared every time I had the opportunity to discuss with them. THEY KNOW EVERYTHING, are familiar with all kinds of music and have seen all kinds of films from all over the world. I love Persian Poets and was truly enchanted by so much culture and insight. Also I found strong similarities between Iranians and Italians: They love life, are enthusiastic, love food, speak loud and love to laugh. Also despite the fact that women are veiled, I was impressed by their degree of freedom. I wore the veil by respect for the country and naturally took it like a game for which I had to learn the rules.

Freedome of Information Act: British soldiers who were arrested last year had trespassed.

Payvand.Com

UK sailors seized by Iran were not in Iraqi waters, documents confirm

London, Apr 17, IRNA -- Fifteen British sailors and marines captured by Iran last year were not in Iraq's maritime territory as the UK government claimed, official documents released under the Freedom of Information Act confirm.

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act detail for the first time the blunders last spring that led to what an all-party committee of MPs came to describe as a “national embarrassment”.

The captured 14 men and one woman were paraded on Iranian TV for a fortnight before being freed a year ago by a smiling President Ahmadinejad, who gave them new suits and bags of presents.

Newly released Ministry of Defence documents state that:

— The arrests took place in waters that are not internationally agreed as Iraqi;

— The coalition unilaterally designated a dividing line between Iraqi and Iranian waters in the Gulf without telling Iran where it was;

— The Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ coastal protection vessels were crossing this invisible line at a rate of three times a week; It was the British who apparently raised their weapons first before the Iranian gunboats came alongside;

— The cornered British, surrounded by heavily armed Iranians, made a hopeless last-minute radio plea for a helicopter to come back and provide air cover.

Iran always claimed that it had arrested the Britons for violating its territorial integrity.

Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, repeatedly told the Commons that the personnel were seized in Iraqi waters.

The MoD, in a televised briefing by Vice-Admiral Charles Style, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, produced a map showing a line in the sea called “Iraq/Iran Territorial Water Boundary”. A location was given for the capture of the Britons inside what the chart said were “Iraq territorial waters”. But the newly released top-level internal briefing accepts that no such border exists.

The report, addressed to Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, blames the incident on the absence of an agreed boundary and a failure to coordinate between Iraq, Iran and the coalition.

Under the heading “Why the incident occurred”, the report examines the history of a border that has been disputed since a treaty between the Persian and Ottoman empires in 1639.

Professor Robert Springborg, of the School of Oriental and African Studies, said yesterday that it was negligent to fail to clarify with the Iranians where the notional boundary was.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, The Times made requests about the events. The MoD released two documents, although parts are censored. One is the report to Sir Jock dated April 13, 2007, a week after the Britons returned home unharmed. It was compiled after they had been debriefed. The other is the communications log between the mother ship HMS Cornwall and the two seaboats used by the boarding party.

What they said

“There is no doubt that HMS Cornwall was operating in Iraqi waters and that the incident itself took place in Iraqi waters . . . In the early days the Iranians provided us with a set of coordinates, and asserted that was where the event took place, but when we told them the coordinates were in Iraqi waters they changed that set and found one in their own waters. I do not think that even they sustain the position that the incident took place anywhere other than in Iraqi waters”

Des Browne, Defence Secretary, House of Commons, June 16, 2007

“Since the outset of the Iraq-Iran War there has been no formal ratified TTW [territorial waters] agreement in force between Iraq and Iran . . . In the absence of any formal agreement, the coalition tactical demarcation (the Op Line) is used as a notional TTW boundary. It is a US NAVCENT [US Naval Forces Central Command] construct based on an extension of the Algiers accord demarcation line beyond the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab [waterway] into the NAG [northern Arabian Gulf]. While it may be assumed that the Iranians must be aware of some form of operational boundary, the exact coordinates to the Op Line have not been published to Iran.”

MoD report to the Chief of the Defence Staff under the heading: ‘Why the incident occurred’, dated April 13, 2007, released to The Times.

A Communist Princess

Source: Payvand.com

These are the interesting excerpts of an obituary written by Mariam Firouz's sister in law. (I chop out the large self-congratulatory segments about the Qajar's Farmafarma's; as my objective of this post is to keep in mind how far back the "feminism" in Iran goes.)

A month ago this day, on March 12th, a Persian Pasionaria, referred to also as 'Red Princess', died in Tehran at age 94, testifying to the tenacity of the foremost female Communist and feminist activist of Iran. Born a princess, Mariam Firuz never wavered in the pursuit of her aim to bring modernity and the emancipation of women to Iran. Yet, apart from a sympathetic obituary with some factual flaws, by Baroness Afshar in the Guardian (March 31st) and a few articles on Persian websites, the saga and the death of this remarkable woman has gone largely unreported.
[...]

Mariam had been educated at the Jeanne d'Arc missionary school in Tehran, where the nuns were more concerned with substituting Christian keys for Moslem ones to the gates of Heaven – hardly an answer to the urgency of the political and social problems to which this precociously aware student was to devote most of her life. [...]

Her first bold step was to establish a literary salon, attended by some of the most talented Iranian minds of the time – poets, litterateurs, erudite scholars -, at least two of whom were infatuated with her combination of beauty, personality and high intellect. (One of these was Rahi Mo'ayyeri, [...] whose inimitable poetry charmed generations. [the other one was] a dashing young architect, Nureddin Kianuri, who had studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris [... who] was the grandson of the most reactionary cleric in the early 20th century, Sheikh Fazlollah Nuri, the only high cleric who was executed publicly in 1909 for having fomented agitation against the newly established constitutional regime. [...] Kianuri [was] a Communist, as were quite a few intellectuals of his generation, he was a Stalinist and a founding member of the Tudeh, the Communist Party of Iran.

To a passionate and compassionate woman such as Mariam, the Tudeh's radical ideas, with its feminist content, had an irresistible appeal that would lead her inexorably towards activism. [...] Soon after she met Kianuri she founded the Women's chapter of the Tudeh Party in the 1940s and launched a publication to educate women on their rights and on the benefits of embracing a radical ideology that took these seriously enough. At the time, no other political or social movement would have provided such an outlet for her irrepressible energy nor such scope for her urge to emancipate women and relieve the misery of the dispossessed. [...]

There followed a few years of freedom to promote the Tudeh's ideals and militancy that attracted more and more devotees, but in 1951, political history took a new turn when Mariam's first cousin, Dr. Mossadegh, became Prime Minister in a truly democratically functioning Iran. Mossadegh's decision to launch the nationalization of oil won over the enthusiasm of a nation which had been moving in that direction for some time. The Tudeh, for its part, was hoping to turn the situation to its own advantage, but was losing ground as the nation rallied behind Mossadegh. Ultimately, though, the Tudeh must take a share of the blame for the failure of Iranian democracy, if only by giving the British the excuse of a much exaggerated Communist threat. A Godsend intended to scare away an initially sympathetic USA from backing Mossadegh. The much-told tale of how the Shah was brought back by a CIA-engineered coup to abrogate the democratic society he left behind, requires a post-scriptum in the present context.

Right after the Shah was reinstated with the blessings of a consortium of global oil giants, there was a wave of arrests, focusing particularly on the Tudeh, [...] but Mariam managed to slip through the grip of her pursuers and roamed for three years under the cover of night and a black chador. [...]

The Tudeh was well organized and had infiltrated a number of institutions, including the military at every level. Before Mariam could exhaust the range of hideouts, Kianuri and his fellow prison inmates broke loose and escaped to Iraq (where the Communist Party was on the rise), thanks to the complicity of sympathetic officers within the army. In 1956, Mariam was able to join her husband en route to Moscow. Thus began almost a quarter of a century of life in exile, away from home and the family she loved, - first in Moscow, then Leipzig and finally East Berlin where the couple enjoyed the relative luxury of a three-room apartment, a car and even a tiny garden out of town (which Mariam named "Punak" in memory of their family estate outside Tehran). They were allowed to receive visits from abroad as well as parcels. [...]

In 1979, when the monarchy was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution, [...] the ideological rift between the Communists and the Islamists was too deep to be bridged [...] When the inevitable break-up occurred, the members of the Tudeh found themselves once again in jail. Kianuri, broken by torture, eventually admitted on public television to having spied for the Soviet Union, but Mariam consistently refused to recant or admit to any treasonable acts. Her physical suffering was publicized at the time by such organizations as Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission of the UN and PEN International, but the pain of witnessing the regression of women must have been her toughest ordeal. Nonetheless, she retained a strong morale, even after her husband, liberated from jail with visible signs of physical torture, died under house arrest.

[...] her heroic courage and steadfastness are sure to light the way for women struggling to acquire their legitimate rights. Her career as a role model may well lie ahead, beyond death and the grave.

Cheney on the warpath again!

According to Washington Post:

Vice President Cheney went on right-wing talk radio yesterday with a dramatic new argument for preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons, casting the Iranian leadership as apocalyptic zealots who yearn for a nuclear conflagration.

Person of the day (deconstructing the concept of apocalypse in the new century): Sut Jhally.

Le Monde: Infertile in Iran

The commitment to family planning is a religious and political edict in Iran and part of a progressive initiative that has extended urbanisation, influenced healthcare and mortality rates, and educated the public on the cost of overpopulation to families and the planet. Islam does not forbid the use of contraception and no direct references to it not being permitted are found in the Qur’an. So a space has been made for the use of birth control in Muslim life.

Like birth control, infertility and its treatment comes under the auspices of Jurist rule in Iran, represented by the absolute guardianship of the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein Khamenei. Currently – and this may surprise people in the West – Iran has the most progressive stance toward infertility treatment and the use of the assisted reproductive technologies (ART) of any Muslim country. Read more ...

Whom is Israel Buying Oil From? Tehran!

If you've ever wondered about the definition of hypocrisy you'll find the answer right here.

By: Richard Silverstein

Last month the Swiss foreign minister visited Iran and, together with President Ahmadinejad, attended the signing of a multi-billion euro contract for Iran to supply Switzerland with large amounts of natural gas over the next 25 years.

The US State Department immediately condemned the deal and said it would be investigating whether it breached the Iran Sanctions Act. Israel complained too, describing the Swiss minister's visit to Tehran as an "act unfriendly to Israel". Various Jewish groups also joined in the protests, including the World Jewish Congress.

This righteous indignation was entirely predictable but more than a little odd nevertheless. On March 30, the Swiss newspaper Sonntag retaliated with the revelation that Israel, supposedly observing an ironclad boycott of all things Iranian, has been buying Iranian oil for years.

The story is in German but Israeli journalist Shraga Elam has provided me with a translation which I'll quote from here.

"Israel imports Iranian oil on a large scale even though contacts with Iran and purchasing of its products are officially boycotted by Israel. Israel gets around the boycott by having the oil delivered via Europe. A reliable Israeli energy newsletter, EnergiaNews, reported this last week [March 18] ...

"EnergiaNews got the information about the Iran trade from sources with ties to the management of Israeli Oil Refineries Ltd ... According to EnergiaNews the Iranian oil is liked in Israel because its quality is better than other crude oils.

"The report by EnergiaNews editor Moshe Shalev states that the Iranian oil reaches various European ports, mainly in Rotterdam. It is bought by Israelis and the necessary European bill of lading and insurance papers are supplied. Then it is transported to Haifa in Israel. The importer is the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co (EAPC), which keeps its oil sources secret."

EAPC was established in 1968 as a joint Israeli-Iranian company to transport oil from Iran to Europe. After the fall of the Shah, Iran ceased to play an active role in its affairs and there are ongoing legal disputes between the two partners.

The Swiss report continued:

"It is not clear if the Iranian exporters know about Israeli purchases of their oil. At the other end, the Israeli buyers and governmental offices are well aware of where the high-grade oil comes from, although it is a blatant defiance of the boycott. The EnergiaNews article even made it through Israeli censorship, which asked only for some changes in the text. The fact that the report cleared the censors increases the credibility of the information. In the past, such reports were forbidden.

"When questioned by Sonntag, an energy expert of one of the leading Israeli papers confirmed the EnergiaNews report: Israel has been importing Iranian oil for many years. The expert stressed, however, that the purchases were made on the free market and not directly from Iran."

Sonntag quoted a spokesman for Oil Refineries Ltd as denying that his company imports and processes Iranian oil. However, Sonntag pointed to a report in Haaretz newspaper last October which said that an Israeli energy company called Paz would be refining Iranian oil and supplying it to the Palestinian Authority from the start of this year.

This begs the question: if Iran is, as Bibi Netanyahu argues, an existential threat to Israel, why does the government allow such trade? Would Israel have the US attack Iran's nuclear programme and provoke a potential region-wide conflict while it cannot seem to wean itself from high quality Iranian crude? You'd think if Israelis are cowering in fear from an Iranian bomb and the arch antisemite Ahmadinejad, they wouldn't want to trade with such an enemy.

When is a boycott not a boycott? When it's in your naked economic interest to circumvent it, apparently. But one should ask: if Israel doesn't honour its self-declared boycott of Iran, why should the rest of the world honour its boycott of Hamas and Gaza? If Israel doesn't honour its own boycott, then why should members of Congress vote with AIPAC when it proposes a measure that even Israel honours only in the breach?

It's interesting to note from a discussion (in Hebrew) on the Kedma website that Israel does not formally define Iran as an "enemy nation" and therefore in a strictly legal sense such trade is permissible. Ironically, Iran too has a boycott against Israel in place and is violating its own measures in that regard. Furthermore, the same commenter notes that Israel last week dismissed attempts to engage Syria in a diplomatic process as a failure because Syria refuses to renounce its ties with Iran. Do I hear the word "hypocrisy"?

Al-Zawahiri disambiguates McCain: Al-Quaeda is Iran's Enemy

Al-Quaeda's #2, Mr Zawahiri has a news for McCain:

Al-Quaeda is Iran's sworn enemy!

In an internet interview, Zawahiri says it would be "in the interest" of Al-Qaeda to see Iran "sap[ped]" by a fight with the United States. Moreover, he seems to promise that the extremist collective will "battle" whoever wins that U.S.-Iran struggle.

The dispute between America and Iran is a real dispute based on the struggle over areas of influence, and the possibility of America striking Iran is a real possibility. As for what might happen in the region, I can only say that major changes will occur in the region, and the situation will be in the interest of the Mujahideen if the war saps both of them. If, however, one of them emerges victorious, its influence will intensify and fierce battles will begin between it and the Mujahideen, except that the Jihadi awakening currently under way and the degeneration state of affairs of the invaders in Afghanistan and Iraq will make it impossible for Iran or America to become the sole decision-maker in the region. (emphasis mine; translation courtesy of IntelCenter)

Read Wired for more.
Also reas CSM's take on Al-Quaeda's new target.

(Have I mentioned before that Al-Quaeda is Cheney's child? Don't you see an interesting coincidence in Cheney's ME visit and this new Al-Quaeda blabber?)

Wondering what makes me think Al-Quaeda is a neo-con entity?
Turn the clock back a few years:

The CIA met Bin Laden while undergoing treatment at an American Hospital in July 2001 in Dubai

Axis of Adventure: Nigel Richardson in Iran

There are countries in the world that we know only through the prejudice of others; countries that we are encouraged to avoid. In a new series, Telegraph.UK writers will be visiting three of them. First Nigel Richardson learns the truth about Iran.

The flight landed at Tehran early in the morning. Those first few hours were fluidly dream-like, setting the tone for the rest of the trip. I slid through immigration with a stamp for my passport and a smile for me, then Mr Sassan - my fixer, minder and joker on this 10-day journey through Iran - scooped me up and tore me around his sprawling, honking, snow-bound capital. read the rest ...

Iranian-American Artist:Sarah Rahbar

Visit an outstanding collection of photo-installations in http://www.myspace.com/sararahbar

Beyond Petroleum

We all agree that American military and people are over stretched, and are not too gung ho at the present moment to start a new war. (Give them another 30 years to recover, and then you shall have soldiers who "defended (defeated, rather) America in Iraq", will be running for president, and will be busy invading Canada's oil sands, or--since will have gone green by then--massive water reserves!)


So, how have they be settling the score with the big bad naughty disobedient Iran? By imposing unilateral sanctions and pointing their paper-tiger paws at those who have dared to do business with Iran.

Almost immediately after US sanctioned British, Armenian firms for breaking US-imposed sanctions , a Swiss company ignored US and made a multibillion-dollar deal with Iran! A few days after, India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp, announced that in a month Hinduja Group may sign a deal with Iran to develop natural gas field. A couple of weeks earlier than US's new rounds of economic huffings and puffings, Iran and Indonesia signed a deal to jointly set up an Indonesia oil refinery. Another exploration deal was signed with Vietnam at around the same time.

These deals coincided with Iran's announcement that it will hold The Thirteenth International Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries and Products Exhibition 16-21 April, 2008. The timing of the Oil & Gas West Asia 2008 conference, that will be held in Oman between April 21-23, makes convenient for those who pretend to respect Iran's sanctions, to follow up on the dealings made in the Iranian conference!

But how effective is the empire in wreaking havoc in Iran, and how serious will it be in imposing sanctions on Iran's oil industry?! America has run out of options. The only plausible scenario is accepting Iran, the way it is, and allowing the Iranians decide the future of their own democracy, economy, culture and religion.

In the meantime, Iran's laying eggs in other baskets.

Fitch Ratings, a global rating agency providing consultancy on investment credit opinions, issued an above passing average rating for Export Development Bank of Iran.

Recent EDBI's activities include:

Providing required finance to export 300 train wagons to Cuba
Supplied credits to export drugs and medical equipment
Pledged to finance water filtration plant in Sudan
Granted credit line to Ivory Coast
Supported the exports of the technical and engineering services in Afghanistan
Announced that the potential of financing tourism industries is bottomless!
Supported building cement factory in Venezuela

Building alliance with the "little" guys, in the grand scheme of history, is the right tide for Iran to be riding now.

Inauguration of a number of "first" conferences are evidence of Iran's serious drive to move beyond petroleum:

First International Conference of Tourism Investment Opportunities.
First Conference on Software Exports
First Conference of ECO mayors (Good urban governance)
First Conference on Organizing and Administering Employment Bureaus (global labour/skill exchange)

In fact, there are so many conferences happening in Iran that we had difficulty finding a 5-star hotel room for our visiting colleagues in November of last year! People who visit Iran leave satisfied, well taken care of, and well paid. Iranians are generous hosts; and even though one may doubt their long terms motives, one cannot help appreciating the pleasures of the fine offerings.

Culture is the other new Iranian export. Hollywood is America's second largest export industry (after weapons). Iran's global fame in "intellectual" cinema industry has turned into a burgeoning "popular movie" industry. Iran's cultural exports aim at the concerns, cultural dilemmas and traditions of the Muslim cinema-goers, who were otherwise visually alienated by both the Hollywood and Bollywood's cultural immodesty.

Iran is driving plans for a Persian-language satellite network to broadcast in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Iran, Russia sign deal for radio, TV cooperation

Moving pictures are not the only markets that Iran is exploring. It is reaching to her neighbors with its successful car products:

Iran to export cars to Azerbaijan
Iran due to export Samand cars to Turkey
Iran Khodro to ship Samand cars to Russia

Economic alliance with these neighbors is far more important to Iran's long term stability than satisfying the whim of America's chicken-hawks (TM:jolly Roger).

Read this excellent article as it highlights some of the fallacies of the West's assumptions about their divide and conquer scheme in the Middle East!

Iran is America's capitalist sister, don't believe those who think they hate each other! Unlike India, and Arab countries, Iran doesn't harbor any deep rooted, secret resentment of the ex-colonizers. The sooner this cacophony ends, the better for everyone! But again, little jealous brat Israel won't want that, would she? And the regional whores wouldn't be able to wedge inches by getting concessions from a squeezed Iran and a confused, greedy, needy America; they won't be able to milk both cows at the same time anymore, would they?!

Interesting decade ahead!

But I am not to worry. Were Iran to be defeated, Saddam's rapist co-adventure with his "then" western masters was the time to do so! As history witnessed, he has turned to dust! Who's next?!

Cheney fails to rally the Middle East in military action against Iran!

Our infamous Dicky has been trying hard to win support in the Middle East, and to gain ground for striking Iran via his peripheral puppets.

Just now, even Saudi's gave him the "No" card!

According to Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington DC:

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz urged Vice President Dick Cheney to give diplomacy more time before pushing for Iran’s referral to the United Nations Security Council over its nuclear program, the Arab News reported today. Egypt also urged Cheney to give negotiations with Iran more time.

Is it not historically urging to remind these Chicken Hawks [credit for this incredible term goes to Jolly Roger of Reconstitution] that regardless of all the subliminal rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two nations have not been really hostile in action against each other in the past 13 hundred years?!

What makes Americans to believe that they can stand two Islamic theocracies against each other, other than their utmost disillusionment and ignorance about the reality of the Middle East?

Saddam, the only Arab leader to engage two Islamic neighbors during his tenure, who was both erected AND toppled by Americans was a "secular" leader. Iraq, when launched military attack against Iran, was not an Islamic state; and it went to fight Iran's Islamism.

By contrast, Iran and Saudi Arabia are constitutionally ISLAMIC. Given the mess in Iraq, given America's unfair bias in supporting Israel's brutality in Gaza, the politicians of Islamic countries CANNOT and WILL NOT side with America, regardless of the size of the carrot or stick!

One needs to realize that the Sunni-Shiite infighting in Iraq is not about religion, rather about settling scores on a nationalist agenda. The infighting is not between Shiites and Sunnis, but between groups who happen to belong to a Shiite majority and a Sunni minority and who hold the other accountable for (national and not religious) betrayal and other's oppression.

Shiites and Sunnis are NOT enemies; as much as the MSM makes the delusional North Americans believe they are! (nothing amuses me more than listening to people--anti-warriors, of course--who think themselves knowledgeable about the reality of Sunni/Shiite animosity!)

That the Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Iran have not fallen into political instability by the Shiite-Sunni infightings is increasingly worrisome to Israel; the last thing they want is Iran and Arabs united! However, Israelis have not been able to outsmart Arabs and Iranians this time; and their provocative recent actions have not produced the kind of massive Arab reaction they wished/planned for. Israel's increasingly isolated, while Iran's been making concessions to its Arab neighbors.

The recent election results in Iran weakens America/Israel's position even further. It is not that the election was fair and that the conservatives won fair and square. It is that in spite of all the electoral irregularities, there is no massive revolution happening in Iran contesting the conservative status quo! People just have more important issues than toppling a government in Iran!

The hurried travels of McCain, Lieberman and Cheney to the Middle East reflects Neoconservatives and Zionists shared anxiety about loosing power in the Middle East and losing momentum against Iran! Iraq's oil will not remain in their hands for too long! And there is a limit to the indignity of the UAE's prostitution. With US economy failing, the regional whores will be looking to younger richer customers!

Neoconservative might hope to rally Arab nationalists (residuals of Nasserite and Saddamist school of thought) against Iran's "hegemonic" aspirations; but they will NOT succeed in holding Shiites and Sunnis against each other.

Even, flaming nationalist ashes will not be an easy deed, because Iran has NOT BEEN AGGRESSIVE to any Arab country, nor to Jewish state, nor to Turkey, nor to Pakistan or Afghanistan!

The last fight Iran started (and lost, as they tried to take some of the territory lost in an earlier war) was against Russia, in the 18th century, a past long forgotten, a land never reclaimed, a land long forgotten too, and now turned into independent states!

Truth is, Iran is secure enough to not go to war to settle it's territorial disputes in the north, west and the Persian gulf region. The wealth in Iran is no longer only oil-based. In the heart of the Persian plateau, earth is generous with minerals. And the increasingly educated and industrialized youth of Iran are becoming increasingly inventive and entrepreneurial. Iran exports culture, flowers, food, and soon enough water and wind energy!

To consider Iran's economic weight, makes one realize the fear the "real hegemons" feel about Iran's ENTIRE independence from oil revenue. The urge to stop Iran's nuclear activities is not because of fear of its military strike against Israel. But about inability of the old powers in holding Iran by the traditional oil leash. An India or China in the heart of the Middle East? That will set a dangerous inspirational example, would it not?

Alienating Iran is no longer a viable political or economic reality! Iran's not been coercing its neighbors by military threats, she's been cooing them by economic and cultural consensus. To make an enemy of Iran serves no geopolitical purpose. Iraq's history has proven that; and I would be surprised if there are dumb enough politicians in the world (minus Bush, Sarkozy, McCain, Clinton and Bin Laden) who want to risk the foreseeable outcome of engaging Iran in any hostile way.

How deep has Cheney dug America's grave! I hope the American people will hold him accountable, not for the havoc he wreaked in Iraq, but for the demise he brought to America!

Happy Norooz!

Another spring!

Last year, I managed to set a colorful table.
This year, I could not!

I offer the following excuses:

1) Leni, my 4 years old gold fish died, of old age perhaps.
2) My car has been stuck in snow and it was freez-raining today and thus I could not even buy flowers.

My husband still set a haft-seen: seer (garlic), Sekeh (coins), Somagh (sumac), Seeb (Apple), Senjed (no clue what it is in English), Sabzeh (wheat sprouts) and Sonbol (hyacinth). I also have a mirror and sweets and roasted nuts on the table. I didn't have time to paint eggs; or to bake home made cookies.

Nevertheless, I made Ash-reshteh, and I cooked Sabzipolo and Mahi (herb-rice and fish), and I was with those I love most.

We did some spring cleaning, far from thorough, but a gesture counts!
I wore something new!
And, I wrote to my friends!
Our new year festivities are not commercial, so no need to buy gifts for anyone!

Equinox won't be before almost two hours; and I won't be able to stay up till then. So, I wish to welcome the spring with a nice poem from Alexandre Pushkin:

In alien lands I keep the body
Of ancient native rites and things:
I gladly free a little birdie
At celebration of the spring.

I'm now free for consolation,
And thankful to almighty Lord:
At least, to one of his creations
I've given freedom in this world!

P.S. I don't have a bird to liberate, but I have allowed a little squirrel to nest in our balcony; in spite of the damage she is doing and teh mess she is making!

On the Anniversary of American Invasionism (Iraq war blogswarm)

The Wasteland (T.S. Eliot)

I. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm' aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the archduke's,
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu.
Mein Irisch Kind,
Wo weilest du?
'You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;
'They called me the hyacinth girl.'
—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,
Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.
Od' und leer das Meer.

Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks,
The lady of situations.
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.
I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring.
Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone,
Tell her I bring the horoscope myself:
One must be so careful these days.

Unreal City,
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.
There I saw one I knew, and stopped him, crying 'Stetson!
'You who were with me in the ships at Mylae!
'That corpse you planted last year in your garden,
'Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?
'Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed?
'Oh keep the Dog far hence, that's friend to men,
'Or with his nails he'll dig it up again!
'You! hypocrite lecteur!—mon semblable,—mon frère!'

(painting: Peter Paul Ruben, Destruction of Sennacherib)

Welcoming the New year: Wednesday Fire Festival

I am so tangled in work that I almost forgot it's new year!!
But luckily, Massoumeh Price has something on the http://www.cultureofiran.com/, which I came across through Payvand.com's archives.
Et voila: Learn all about Wednesday's fire festival; when we give our fatigue to fire, and take up its heat and colour for the new year to come.

The ancient Iranians celebrated the last 10 days of the year in their annual obligation feast of all souls, Hamaspathmaedaya (Farvardigan or popularly Forodigan). They believed Foruhars, the guardian angles for humans and also the spirits of dead would come back for reunion. These spirits were entertained as honored guests in their old homes, and were bidden a formal ritual farewell at the dawn of the New Year. The ten-day festival also coincided with festivals celebrating the creation of fire and humans. In Sassanian period the festival was divided into two distinct pentads, known as the lesser and the greater Pentad, or Panji as it is called today. Gradually the belief developed that the 'Lesser Panji' belonged to the souls of children and those who died without sin, whereas 'Greater Panji' was truly for all souls.

Spring housecleaning was carried out and bon fires were set up on the rooftops to welcome the return of the departed souls. Small clay figurines in shape of humans and animals symbolizing all departed relatives and animals were also placed on the rooftops. Zoroastrians today still follow this tradition. Flames were burnt all night to ensure the returning spirits were protected from the forces of Ahriman. This was called Suri festival. There were gatherings in joyful assemblies, with prayers, feasts and communal consumption of ritually blessed food. Rich and poor met together and the occasion was a time of general goodwill when quarrels were made up and friendships renewed.

Iranians today still carry out the spring-cleaning and set up bon fires for only one night on the last Tuesday of the year. Young and old will leap over the fires with songs and gestures of merriment. This festival was not celebrated on this night and in this manner before Islam and might be a combination of different rituals to make them last. Wednesday in Islamic tradition represents a bad omen day with unpleasant consequences. This is contrary to Zoroastrian cosmology where all days were sacred and named after a major deity. By celebrating in this manner Iranians were able to preserve the ancient tradition. The festival is celebrated on Tuesday night to make sure all bad spirits are chased away and Wednesday will pass uneventfully. In rural areas and remote villages flames are still burnt all night on the rooftops and outside the homes, though people have no idea what this is all about.

Today the occasion is accompanied by fire works from locally made firecrackers. There is no religious significance attached to it any more and is a purely secular festival for all Iranians. On the eve before the last Wednesday, bonfires are lit through out the streets and back alleys, or with the more prosperous, inside walled gardens. People leap over the flames while shouting; 'sorkhie tu az man, zardieh man az tu'. Your fiery red color is mine and my sickly yellow paleness is your. This is a purification rite and 'suri' itself means red and fiery.

The festivities start in the early evening. Children and fun seeking adults, wrap themselves in shrouds symbolically reenacting the visits by the departed spirits. They run through the streets banging on pots and pans with spoons (Gashog-Zani or spoon banging) to beat out the last unlucky Wednesday of the year. They will knock on doors while covered and in disguise and ask for treats. The practices are very similar to Halloween, which is a Celtic version of similar festivals celebrated throughout the area in ancient times.

It is believed that wishes will come true on this night, reminiscent of ancient traditions. Wishes are made and in order to make them come true, it is customary to prepare special foods and distribute them on this night. Noodle soup called 'Ash e Chahar Shanbeh Suri is prepared' and is consumed communally. Every one even strangers passing by will be served with nuts and dried fruits. This treat is called 'Ajeel e Chahar Shanbeh Suri' and is a mixture of seven dried nuts and fruits, pistachios, roasted chic peas, almond, hazelnuts, figs, apricots, and raisins. Local variations apply and the mixture is different according to the location and the group celebrating it.

People who have made wishes will stand at the corner of an intersection, or hide behind walls to listen to conversation by passerby's. If there is anything positive and optimistic in the conversation, the belief is that the wish will come true or there is good fortune to be expected. This is called Fal-Gush meaning 'listening for one's fortune'. The night will end with more fire works and feasts where family and friends meet and with the more modern Iranians music and dance will follow. Happy Chahar Shanbeh Suri, and may your wishes come true.

Iran's Martial Artist Girl goes to Beijing

Sara Khoshjamal trains her way to the Beijing Olympics (Lara Setrakian/ABC News)

Since making the Olympic qualifiers in Vietnam and beating the world's top-ranking woman in her weight class last month, Khoshjamal has become a national celebrity. Keeping with what's required in her conservative Muslim society, Khoshjamal competes wearing a headscarf. In a country with limited options for competitive female athletes, she represents irrepressible talent and ambition.

"Sara is becoming a role model for young girls in Iran," Kiarash Bahri of Iran's Tae Kwon do Federation told ABC News, standing near a larger-than-life poster bearing Khoshjamal's image.

Khoshjamal is the first Iranian woman to earn a spot at the Olympics.

In the past three years other women have competed from the Islamic Republic in Olympic pistol-shooting, but Bahri said they were wild card entries. None of the women finished in the top three, making Khoshjamal Iran's best hope for its first female medalist.

"I'm happy, but I am nervous. It is a very big duty. All of my country is watching me," she said.

"I would love to take a gold medal in Beijing. I know it is important for other girls in Iran, but it's important for me too. I practice very hard, and I hope we can do it. It will make the people of my country happy."

Tae kwon do is increasingly popular among women in Iran, with roughly 120,000 women practicing the martial art. It is one of few sports in which Iran's Islamic leadership allows women to compete on an international level.

They are barred from taking part in most Olympic sports, though they can compete internationally in rowing, riflery and chess.

Though intensely physical, tae kwon do is viewed as being compatible with conservative Muslim dictates.

(good people of earth, I am dyslexic! :) )

Camera Reversed: Kiarostami Makes Iranian Stars Cry!

Iranian's 8 Parliamentary Election

Polls closed a few minutes ago!
The right wingers are already claiming victory!


Roughly 39% of eligible voters participated in the election. (None of my family members did! I assume their candidates were not allowed on the ballot.)

Greetings!

Will be back soon!

Bush administration has fueled the human-rights abuses in Iran

By Trita Parsi (president of the National Iranian American Council in Washington, D.C.)

The Bush administration's apparent disregard for the expressed wishes of Iranian human-rights defenders has made a bad situation worse. When it comes to human rights in the Middle East, the Bush administration has claimed to walk the walk. But that walk clearly has a limp.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report that executions in Iran - including instances of stoning - have sharply increased under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In addition, using the Bush administration's Iran Democracy Fund as a pretext, Iranian authorities have clamped down on Iran's civil society with thousands of arrests. The $75 million Iran Democracy Fund, first appropriated in 2006, was reappropriated in December despite loud protests by human rights and democracy champions. Human rights workers argue that this "regime change slush fund" has facilitated the Ahmadinejad government's latest wave of abuses.

Washington has dismissed these protests, putting Iranian human-rights defenders in a double bind. While they recognize that the absence of diplomacy between Washington and Tehran - and the ensuing tensions - enable the Iranian government to intensify human-rights abuses, activists also fear that U.S.-Iran talks might result in a relationship that mirrors America's relationship with Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Iran under the shah. That is, one in which geopolitical objectives trump concerns about human rights and democracy.

There is a solution to this dilemma.

Washington must restore its own standing on human rights, and put the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran on the table in its discussions with Tehran.

A foreign policy contingent on human rights will create a balance between America's relationship with the people of Iran and its relationship with Iran's unpopular government.

The value of this relationship will yield great strategic objectives for the United States. Namely, any resulting improvements in the U.S. relationship with Iran will be sustainable, rather than tied to the survival of the current regime.

By tying improved relations to Iranian respect for human rights, Washington will develop a stake in Iran's future and ultimate stability, but not a stake in the survival of the Iranian theocracy.

Past foreign policy efforts in the Middle East - namely with America's Arab allies - have failed in this regard. While Arab governments support the American order, Arab streets blame the United States for prolonging the reigns of the dictators who rule them. Unsurprisingly, this creates a dangerous breeding ground for anti-American sentiments and terrorism.

Making Iran's human rights record [and not Iran's development toward nuclear technology] a condition of gradual improvement of U.S.-Iran relations would help reduce tensions between the two countries without alienating the Iranian people and undermining America's soft power in Iran.

The next president of the United States must recognize the necessity of reducing tensions with Tehran through diplomacy. Fortunately, this strategic goal can be achieved without getting stuck with the theocracy.