Iran News and Discussions

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 03 Jun 2010 17:04

Iran backed us on a case by case basis, based on tactical interest calculations. They know the game. So do we. No need to worry too much about "what will Iran think"? It is time for us (and them) to worry about "what should/would India think" if Iran chooses to treat us differently from - say Russia and China - when they take (have taken) the same measures that we did at the UN on Iran-nuclear issues.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 08 Jun 2010 09:07

Misreading Tehran
Leading Iranian-American writers revisit a year of dreams and discouragement.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... ing_tehran

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 08 Jun 2010 21:09

India, Iran discuss underwater gas line bypassing Pak

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 021888.cms

The prospect may not have sounded feasible initially, but India is now coming round to the idea of having an underwater gas pipeline with Iran which would allow it to bypass Pakistan.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Jun 2010 05:33

http://minx.cc/?post=302474
Yawn: UN Security Council Votes For More Sanctions Against Iran

UPDATE: Just How Weak These So Called "Sanctions" AreIt's the 4th round of sanctions, so I guess we're into 'deep concern' territory. Up next, 'deeply troubled'.The Obama administration succeeded in securing support for sanctions from the council's major powers, including China and Russia, by ensuring that the measure would not impair their ability to trade with Iran. But the four-year-long campaign faced new challenges from regional powerhouses Brazil and Turkey, which have used the Iran crisis to assert their role on the diplomatic stage.
The 10-page resolution would modestly reinforce a range of economic, high-technology and military sanctions against Iran and target the head of the of Iranian atomic energy agency, Javad Rahiqi, and 40 entities linked to the nation's military elite, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with a travel ban and an asset freeze. Iran has repeatedly rebuffed calls to halt its uranium-enrichment program; Iranian leaders say their efforts are entirely peaceful, but the United States and others say Iran is set on building a bomb. The resolution falls short of the "crippling sanctions" Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged to impose on Iran a year ago. But U.S. officials hailed Wednesday's vote as a show of international resolve in the face of Iran's continued defiance of Security Council resolutions demanding it suspend its uranium-enrichment program and fully cooperate

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 10 Jun 2010 08:36

The U.N.'s new sanctions on Iran? Not so tough

http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2 ... t_so_tough

Russia's vote was bought by exempting Russian firms from the restrictions. President Putin has announced the Bushehr reactor will come on line with Russia's continued assistance this summer. Russian Parliamentarian Mikhail Margelov, Head of the Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee even said the deal will permit deployment of S-300 missile systems to Iran, which the Untied States has worked for years to prevent. All this in addition to canceling NATO missile defense deployments and going silent on the strangulation of freedoms within Russia.

Turkey and Brazil voted against the resolution, Lebanon abstained. A treaty ally of the United States whose territory borders on Iran, and which President Obama visited to showcase his new approach to the so-called muslim world could not be persuaded by the Obama Administration to cast its vote with us.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 11 Jun 2010 08:19

Iran Defends Rights Record as Opposition Cancels Rally

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/world ... 1iran.html

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 11 Jun 2010 08:20

Beyond Iran Sanctions That Probably Won’t Work, Plans B, C, D ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/world ... ssess.html

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 11 Jun 2010 22:59

US expects India to implement Iran sanctions

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 035635.cms

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 12 Jun 2010 01:39

Remember When Iran Won?By MICHAEL SINGH
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/opini ... singh.html

The actors behind the repression of the Iranian opposition — chief among them General Jafari’s Revolutionary Guards — are also prime movers in Iran’s nuclear program and its support for terrorist groups. Some of these actors are rightly targeted in the latest U.N. resolution, which is a good first step toward supporting the Iranian people. But much more can be done, whether to provide concrete support to dissidents or simply elevate the rights of the Iranian people on the world stage. The majority of Iranians are not old enough to remember the events of 1979, and grew up instead amidst the depredations of the Iran-Iraq war and the stultifying repression of the authorities in Tehran. But they also remember a moment of jubilation, when Mehdi Mahdavikia sprinted down the field and scored a historic goal. With determined action, the international community can ensure that the hopes of another generation of Iranians do not go unfulfilled, and that their joyful memories do not come only on the soccer pitch.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 12 Jun 2010 01:43

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 04110.html

Hence, nearly a year and a half of peace overtures, negotiation, concessions, two New Year's messages to the Iranian people, a bit of groveling about U.S. involvement in the 1953 coup and a disgraceful silence when the regime's very stability was threatened by peaceful demonstrators. Iran's response? Defiance, contempt and an acceleration of its nuclear program. And the world's response? Did it rally behind us? The Russians and Chinese bargained furiously and successfully to hollow out the sanctions resolution. Turkey is openly choosing sides with the region's "strong horse" -- Iran and its clients (Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas) -- as it watches the United States flailingly try to placate Syria and appease Iran while it pressures Israel, neglects Lebanon and draws down its power in the region.
To say nothing of Brazil. Et tu, Lula?
This comes after 16 months of assiduously courting these powers with one conciliatory gesture after another: "resetting" relations with Russia, kowtowing to China, lavishing a two-day visit on Turkey highlighted by a speech to the Turkish parliament in Ankara, and elevating Brazil by supplanting the G-8 with the G-20. All this has been read as American weakness, evidence that Obama can be rolled

The myth of Iran's 'isolation'
By Charles Krauthammer

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 12 Jun 2010 10:46

My obligatory post about the Iran sanctions

http://drezner.foreignpolicy.com/posts/ ... _sanctions

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 13 Jun 2010 01:01

why this deliberately leaked news now ?

is it real or just an attempt to create friction between saudi arabia and iran ?

supposing this attack takes place, is the purpose to provoke a hostile response from iran and then demand world wide sanctions against them ? would India agree to such a thing ?

-------

MSNBC: Saudis clear Israel to bomb Iran?

LONDON - Saudi Arabia will allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran's nuclear facilities, the London Times reported on Saturday.

Quoting unnamed U.S. defense sources, the newspaper said Riyadh conducted tests to be sure its own jets would not be scrambled and missile defenses not be activated so Israeli bombers could pass by without problems.

The path would shorten Israel's bomb run, The Times said.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 13 Jun 2010 08:03

Clashes and Protests Reported in Iran

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/world ... 3iran.html

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 13 Jun 2010 08:15

Under MMS, India is a rather feeble power. Sitting on some seat does not confer any power to a nation that cannot stand up for its own interest.

The talk about following UN rules is nutty. US certainly did not follow any rules when it invaded Iraq for its oil. The least they could have done is exempt all Indian financial companies from doing business with Iran even if the nuclear ones are sanctioned.

---

'India can't support Iran against UN sanctions'

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 042328.cms

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Jun 2010 10:35

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 13 Jun 2010 12:30

NEW DELHI: India may not have any option but to implement the latest set of restrictions approved by the UNSC against Iran despite New Delhi’s constant assertions that it will not support any sanctions on that country which impact the common people.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 042328.cms

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Jun 2010 21:43

Iran Demands Russia Supply S-300 SAMs

ajit_tr · Post by **ajit_tr** » 15 Jun 2010 20:14

Iran's Ambitions Spark Fears in the Muslim World

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=12841320

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 17 Jun 2010 06:11

Iran Boldly Attacks Kurdish Villages Across Iraqi Border

Like I said, Kurds are related to Baloch - if Kurdistan gets off the ground, then Balochistan would have a better chance as well.

Carl_T · Post by **Carl_T** » 17 Jun 2010 08:11

Any link for that? Balochs are an Iranic people like the Tajiks and I don't see why they would be related to Kurds... I believe Kurds are closer to Armenians and perhaps descendants of Hittites.

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 17 Jun 2010 08:31

^Sanjay is right. Kurdish and Balochi languages are closely related as well.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 18 Jun 2010 07:29

U.S. and Europe Press Tighter Sanctions on Iran

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/world ... tions.html

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 18 Jun 2010 09:59

Sanjay M wrote:Iran Boldly Attacks Kurdish Villages Across Iraqi Border

Like I said, Kurds are related to Baloch - if Kurdistan gets off the ground, then Balochistan would have a better chance as well.

Turkish troops also regularly cross border and attack Kurds on their own border with Iraq...look like Kurds are free for anyone to attack...wonder why Unkil is not fishing in this pond..

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 19 Jun 2010 08:30

What Iran Learned from Saddam

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2 ... rom_saddam

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 19 Jun 2010 16:01

Iranian clerics lash out on veiling

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 19 Jun 2010 16:07

From the point of view of the pot, kettle certainly appears less black...so the mulla's are saying 'cover up'...

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 20 Jun 2010 16:22

Iran sanctions could impact Pakistani companies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan should be wary of committing to an Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline because anticipated US sanctions on Iran could hit Pakistani companies, the US special representative to the region said on Sunday.

While sympathetic to Pakistan's energy needs, the US special representative to the region, Richard Holbrooke, told reporters that new legislation, which targets Iran's energy sector, is being drafted in the US Congress and that Pakistan should “wait and see”.

“Pakistan has an obvious, major energy problem and we are sympathetic to that, but in regards to a specific project, legislation is being prepared that may apply to the project,” he said, referring to the pipeline.

“We caution the Pakistanis not to over-commit themselves until we know the legislation.”

The $7.6 billion natural gas pipeline deal, signed in March, doesn't directly deal with refined petroleum products and was hailed in both Iran and Pakistan as highly beneficial.

The US has so far been muted in its criticism of the deal, balancing its need to support Pakistan, a vital but unstable ally in the global war against al-Qaeda, with its desire to isolate Iran.

But the legislation could be comprehensive enough to have major implications for Pakistani companies, Holbrooke said.

Whether Unkil would make concession to Pk on IP pipeline?

James B · Post by **James B** » 20 Jun 2010 16:41

Terrorist leader Abdolmalek Rigi hanged

Jundallah terrorist leader Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged at Evin prison in Tehran early Sunday at the presence of a number of families whose loved ones had been martyred by his notorious group.

Abdolmalek Rigi had been charged with 79 offences, including murder, terrorist activities, and other serious crimes.

The Iranian security forces detained Abdolmalek Rigi on February 23 on board a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Kyrgyzstan. The plane landed at Bandar Abbas Airport, where Rigi and his aide were arrested.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 20 Jun 2010 20:58

^^ They made him meet families of murdered people the day before he was hanged.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Jun 2010 22:00

shyamd wrote:^^ They made him meet families of murdered people the day before he was hanged.

Right!

And no shit about vote banks or pipeline politics!!

The pakis are totally silent.

No protests about human rights or international court of justice.

Rigi's execution comes less than a month after his brother Abdolhamid Rigi was hanged on May 24 on charges on terrorism.

Wow! Less than 30 days from cushy aircraft seat to hangman's noose!!

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 21 Jun 2010 00:28

We can learn a lot from this episode, of how the west was running its agents.

Link

In one of the worst cases, his group killed 22 citizens and abducted 7 more in Tasouki region on a road linking the southeastern city of Zahedan to another provincial town.

In 2007, Jundollah kidnapped 30 people in the southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province. They were freed during a Pakistani police operation after abductors took them to the country.

Jundollah claimed responsibility the same year for an attack on an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) bus in which 11 IRGC personnel were killed.

In its latest crime in October, the Pakistan-based terrorist Jundollah group, closely affiliated with the notorious al-Qaeda organization, claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in the Sistan and Balouchestan province which killed 42 people among them a group of senior military commanders, including Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Nourali Shoushtari.

After yearlong operations the Iranian intelligence and security forces could arrest Jundollah's number two, Abdulhamid Rigi last year.

Abdulhamid, the brother of the captured ringleader of Jundollah, was charged with militancy against the Islamic Republic and corruption due to his membership, support and effective endeavors in the militant terrorist group.

He was sentenced to death and executed in Zahedan's prison on May 24 after the relevant judicial authorities approved the (initial) court ruling.

Abdulhamid's arrest eventually led to the discovery of the whereabouts of his brother's hideout, and after a long chase, Jundollah's number one, Abdolmalek Rigi, was eventually arrested in February by Iranian intelligence operatives aboard a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan.

Read from here
In his first confessions, Rigi stated that he was due to meet senior American officials in Kyrgyzstan to discuss new terrorist attacks on Iranian territory.

"After Obama was elected, the Americans contacted us and they met me in Pakistan. They met us after (Iranian forces') clashes with my group around March 17 in Zahedan and he (the US operative) said that Americans had requested a meeting," he said.

"They (Americans) said they would cooperate with us and will give me military equipment, arms and machine guns," Rigi stated, adding, "They also promised to give us a base along the border with Afghanistan next to Iran."

The Jundollah's ringleader then revealed the US plot for supporting all the anti-Iran terrorist groups, saying, "One of the CIA officers said that it was too difficult for us to attack Iran militarily, but we plan to give aid and support to all anti-Iran groups that have the capability to wage war and create difficulty for Iran's (Islamic) system."

The arrested ringleader of the Jundollah terrorist group said in his recent confessions that the US and Israel had allocated a huge budget to provide the terrorist gang with the financial support needed for the assassination of a number of Iranian officials in Tehran.

Rigi said that while in Morocco, suspected Israeli or US agents had given him a list of people to assassinate in Tehran.

In a recent interview, Rigi said that before his arrest Jundollah had held a series of meetings in Casablanca with a group who had claimed to be NATO contacts.

"When we looked back at all the things that had happened, we felt that two things were unclear. First, if they are from NATO why did they not meet with us in Afghanistan where they have bases and where they can contact us in a much more easy and secure manner," said Rigi.

"The second issue was that the first time they informed us that NATO forces wanted to meet with us we thought they were going to speak about eastern parts of Iran, because NATO forces are stationed in Afghanistan," he added.

"But they insisted that we should transfer our operations from the eastern border region to the capital. We thought that this was very strange. When we thought about it, we came to the conclusion that they are either Americans acting under NATO cover or Israelis," he further explained.

According to Rigi, the Israeli or US agents said they would provide him with a list of names, addresses, and photos of people who they had to assassinate in Tehran as well as any other equipment and explosives they may need to carry out their operations.

He further pointed out that they had promised him very high sums for the overall project as well as specific amounts of payments for each assassination.

I think Rigi was right on its hunch that it was the US who were talking under NATO flag or the Israeli's. I do think that the US has a major CIA station at Casablanca so it is definitely possible that one or both were there. Does NATO have an intel corps?

Following is the transcript of Rigi’s confession broadcasted live on Press TV on February 25.

’After Obama was elected, the Americans contacted us and they met me in Pakistan. They met us after clashes with my group around March 17 in (the southeastern city of) Zahedan, and he (the US operative) said that Americans had requested a meeting.

I said we didn't have any time for a meeting and if we do help them they should promise to give us aid. They said they would cooperate with us and will give me military equipment, arms and machine guns. They also promised to give us a base along the border with Afghanistan next to Iran.

They asked to meet me and we said where should we meet you and he said in Dubai. We sent someone to Dubai and we told a person to ask a place for myself in Afghanistan from the area near the operations and they complied that they would sort out the problem for us and they will find Mr. Rigi a base and guarantee his own security in Afghanistan or in any of the countries adjacent to Iran so that he can carry on his operations.

They told me that in Kyrgyzstan they have a base called Manas near Bishkek, and that a high-ranking person was coming to meet me and that if such high-ranking people come to the United Arab Emirates, they may be observed by intelligence people but in a place like Bishkek this high-ranking American person could come and we could reach an agreement on making personal contacts. But after the last major operation we took part in, they said that they wanted to meet with us.

The Americans said Iran was going its own way and they said our problem at the present is Iran… not al-Qaeda and not the Taliban, but the main problem is Iran. We don't have a military plan against Iran. Attacking Iran is very difficult for us (the US). The CIA is very particular about you and is prepared to do anything for you because our government has reached the conclusion that there was nothing Americans could do about Iran and only I could take care of the operations for them.

One of the CIA officers said that it was too difficult for us to attack Iran militarily, but we plan to give aid and support to all anti-Iran groups that have the capability to wage war and create difficulty for the Iranian (Islamic) system. They reached the conclusion that your organization has the power to create difficulties for the Islamic Republic and they are prepared to give you training and/or any assistance that you would require, in terms of telecommunications security and procedures as well as other support, the Americans said they would be willing to provide it at an extensive level.’

‘CIA using Quetta, Kabul to destabilise Iran’
Interview with Iranian ambassador to TSP.

“We knew Rigi was moving freely [between] Pakistan and Kabul, but Pakistan, despite our constant requests, did not help us arrest him. Pakistan said that they don’t know anything about the Rigi group… in the presence of such a strong monitoring system, how can I believe that Pakistan was unaware about all these things?” he added

On the gas pipeline agreement with Pakistan, he felt that the project has enhanced Pakistan’s strategic importance, particularly in relation to India. “In addition to the added economic value of billions of dollars, the Iran gas pipeline agreement has boosted the strategic value of Pakistan in the region. If there is any third country recipient, they have to recognise that Pakistan is going to provide a peaceful passage,” he said.

Answering a question on the silence regarding investigations into the attempt on the life of Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, Shakeri said that there would have to be “patience” on the issue, shooting back that a number of Iranians had died in Pakistan.

“One ambassador of Pakistan is hurt by a hooligan, whereas a number of our diplomats, students and engineers have lost their lives on Pakistani soil. One of our diplomats was abducted; [Iranian diplomats] Sadiq Ganji was killed in Lahore and [Muhammad Ali] Rahimi was killed in Multan. Iranian students who came here for training lost their lives; engineers who were building a bridge in Karachi, their reward was the bullets they received,” he recalled.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 21 Jun 2010 23:52

Look at the balls of the Iranians, look at their guts... Do they whine and pass on yet another dossier, number 786? No, they call a spade a spade. Look at the answer they gave regarding the attack on the Pakistani ambassador! What do the Indians do, while their diplomats get regularly pasted? Wait, does MMS even lose a moment of sleep? No way. All their energies are directed towards satisfying the Amerikhans. What if Washington gets upset, that is the MMS mantra!!! Compared to our weak compromised leadership, these guys are to be admired. Even a lowly ambassador has the guts to call the Pakis on their game!

I just wanted to say that to see what it felt like. Nice and cathartic. Like a castor oil dump. No wonder we have lots of it on multiple threads.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 22 Jun 2010 01:41

JEM it may feel nice to some, to me when I say the above I feel I am willing and deliberately eating a piece of burning coal.

But the above must be said, because it is true in many ways.

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 22 Jun 2010 02:54

We are forgetting the tremendous value of "appearing weak" as a strategy from the GOI. According to a certain school of opinion, it is the excessive or panic-stricken over-reaction from the commons that is more of a problem - all the arms of the forces, and all the wings of the GOI are doing rightly in pretending to be weak. Its strategy - silly!

Regarding Iran, if all the Iranian claims are true, then someone somewhere in the CIA/American covert ops circles have double-crossed. Or it was part of CIA plan anyway! Something is missing in this story from the Iranian side. Either they have forced a confession that serves their current agenda, or American field operatives or contacts in the ME have started to lean over to the Islamist side.

Now why is there no huge international wailing about the "fundamental human rights" of Rigi or his brother, or those all important things about proper judicial procedure? That silence is deafening.

One more thing about Iran - just as I had warned about Turkey turning rogue when the "flotilla" did not yet happen, same is likely with Iran soon. Do not think that the favourable stance of Iran towards India will be maintained for long.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 22 Jun 2010 08:41

Iran: You want targeted sanctions; we’ll give you targeted sanctions

http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/post ... _sanctions

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 22 Jun 2010 08:50

I recommend reading this A History of Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 22 Jun 2010 11:47

JE Menon wrote:Look at the balls of the Iranians, look at their guts... Look at the answer they gave regarding the attack on the Pakistani ambassador! What do the Indians do, while their diplomats get regularly pasted?

The last time the Indian ambassador got beaten up in Pakistan, a request was made to stop. When he was attacked again and his briefcase stolen, that was the last straw.

The next day, the Pakistani ambassador in India was 'mysteriously' beaten up, thrown down a flight of stairs and landed in hospital. The culprits were never found........

After that, the attacks on the Indian ambassador in Paksitan stopped.

Venkarl · Post by **Venkarl** » 22 Jun 2010 12:48

^^^

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 22 Jun 2010 17:49

aha, so it seems we are doing something every now and then after all...

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 22 Jun 2010 17:59

Neshant wrote:
JE Menon wrote:Look at the balls of the Iranians, look at their guts... Look at the answer they gave regarding the attack on the Pakistani ambassador! What do the Indians do, while their diplomats get regularly pasted?
The last time the Indian ambassador got beaten up in Pakistan, a request was made to stop. When he was attacked again and his briefcase stolen, that was the last straw.

The next day, the Pakistani ambassador in India was 'mysteriously' beaten up, thrown down a flight of stairs and landed in hospital. The culprits were never found........

After that, the attacks on the Indian ambassador in Paksitan stopped.

Can you please provide some reference? I am unable to find one. TIA