„Der Henker nutzt oft einen Kran“

Im Verhältnis zu seiner Bevölkerungszahl steht der Iran weltweit an der Spitze jener Staaten, die Todesurteile verhängen und vollstrecken. So sieht es die Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Shirin Ebadi, die sich vor allem für das Leben minderjähriger Delinquenten einsetzt. In absoluten Zahlen liegt laut Amnesty International (AI) in dieser traurigen Bilanz nur China vor dem Iran.
Nach der brutalen Unterdrückung der Proteste gegen die Wahlergebnisse im Sommer verliert die Regierung von Mahmud Ahmadinedschad an Rückhalt. Sie reagiert darauf mit einer beispiellosen Welle von Unterdrückung und Einschüchterung, wie Ebadi, Oppositionsgruppen und Menschenrechtsorganisationen berichten. Dazu passt die jüngste Meldung der iranischen Staatsmedien: Wegen ihrer Teilnahme an Wahl-Protesten wurden in Teheran fünf Menschen zum Tode verurteilt. Weitere 81 Angeklagte erhielten Haftstrafen zwischen sechs Monaten und 15 Jahren. Die Verurteilten können in Berufung gehen, versichert Irans Justiz. Im Oktober waren drei Demonstranten zum Tode verurteilt worden.

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An Iranian Role in Yemen’s Rebellion

Via Stratfor.

Warum ist der iranische Aussenminister so schwer zu verstehen?

Moeglicherweise laege es nahe, nun langsam auszusprechen, dass der Iran den Anreicherungskompromiss abgelehnt hat. Immherhin hat der Aussenminister nun gesagt: „Iran will not send its 3.5-percent-enriched uranium out of the country,“ ISNA quoted Mottaki as saying on Wednesday. „That means we are considering to exchange the enriched uranium inside Iran,“ he went on to explain.

Das heisst doch nein, oder?

„The notion that Iran has not yet responded to the proposal [put forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)] is mere propaganda,“ The Iranian minister said, adding that the country had already responded to the agency. „In fact, they want our response to be whatever they dictate to us!“ he said.  (Press TV)

Also sie haben nein gesagt. Oder was sonst?

Es duerfte sich amuesant gestalten, wie man diese doch recht deutlichen Worte des iranischen Aussenministers herumbiegen und uminterpretieren wird, damit man bloss keine Konsequenzen ziehen muss.

Aus dem Nachrichtenblock fuer autistische Politikinteressierte

 Jaja, diese AtomIranUranGeschichte, die seit unzaehligen Jahren laueft. The never ending story. Sagen wir doch gleich, es erscheint ziemlich egal,  echt egal, oder voellig egal,  ob, wann und ueberhaupt der Iran jemals auf den Anreicherungskompromiss antwortet.

Der russische Aussenm inister formuliert es so schoen: „I would say that it is premature to say that these efforts have not been crowned with success.“

Was ist das bitteschoen ueberhaupt noch fuer eine Aussenpolitik seitens der EU, Amerikas? Nur so eine entsetzte Frage?

Jedenfalls egal, was Teheran sagt, die Russen machen mit. Bis es wohl Bum macht.

 

 

 

Überrascht ob dieser Dreistigkeit? Aber nein doch!

„Unfassbar“ könnte man angesichts des unten stehenden Artikels sagen.

Aber uns überrascht nichts mehr. Und dieser Artikel schon überhaupt nicht.

Besten Dank an MEMRI für die sehr sorgfältige Zitierung am Ende des Textes!

Iran’s Answer to the West: ‘Iran Won’t Wait Forever’; ‘We’ve Already Begun Production [of 20%-Enriched Uranium]‘

By: A. Savyon and Y. Mansharof *

Introduction

On November 9, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama told Reuters in an interview that an unsettled political situation in Iran may be complicating efforts to seal a nuclear fuel deal between Tehran and major world powers. [1] This implies that a deal was reached with Iran during the nuclear talks in Vienna, but that Iran is having a hard time ratifying that deal due to criticism of it at home.

This depiction of the October 18-19, 2009 Vienna talks, and the explanation that the unstable political situation in Iran is making it difficult for the Iranian regime to announce that it agrees to the deal, are misleading. Iranian public statements since the end of the talks to date attest that:

Das Schwert der Diktatur

In Sommer eine Wochenschlagzeile der ZEIT:

FREIHEIT!

Freiheit, Moment, das hiess doch gleich… aehhhhh…. bloss keine Konsequenzen… genau…. bloss keine Konsequenzen… Herr Westerwelle?

Ach so, es geht bloss um ein paar Iraner:

Press TV:  judiciary has issued verdicts for more than eighty people arrested during the post-election events in the country.
The verdicts include death sentences for five individuals convicted of carrying out terrorist activities, including bombings, across Iran, a statement from the legislative body said on Tuesday.
„Around 81 people have received prison sentences ranging from 6 months to 15 years with three of them getting suspended jail terms,“ it said, adding that three people have been cleared from all charges.
The verdicts can be appealed, the statement concluded.

Wie harmlos, das bisschen offiziell zugegebene Repression.

Das Morden geht weiter

Focus – Wegen „Mitgliedschaft in terroristischen Gruppen“ sind fünf weitere iranische Oppositionelle zum Tode verurteilt worden. Sie hatten gegen die Wiederwahl von Präsident Ahmadinedschad demonstriert. Damit erhöhte sich die Zahl der beschlossenen Hinrichtungen auf mindestens acht.

 

Fars freut sich auf Byte-Fresser

Iran Plans to Establish Cyber Police

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Police Chief Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam says the force plants to set up a ‘cyber police’ division to counter ‘internet crimes’.

Ahmadi-Moqaddam said the unit would be tasked with monitoring organized cyber crimes on the internet.

Ach wie neu!

IAEA: Concerns over Iran nuke facilities

(CNN) — Iran’s disclosure of a previously-secret nuclear facility near Qom raises questions about the existence of other such facilities, and its delay in acknowledging the facility „does not contribute to the building of confidence“ in Tehran, the United Nations nuclear watchdog group said in a report published Monday.

In addition, „there remain a number of outstanding issues which give rise to concerns, and which need to be clarified to exclude the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme,“ said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, published on the Institute for Science and International Security Web site. A source with direct knowledge of the report confirmed its authenticity to CNN.

Einmischung ungleich Einmischung?

Kommt immer darauf an, wie man es sich zurechtlegt. Wer kann die Sprechblase entziffern?

Iran Manipulates the Houthis While Calling Not to Interfere in Yemen’s Affairs

Karikatur: Muhammad Saba’ana

Quelle (via MEMRI): Al-Ghad (Jordanien), 14. November 2009

MEMRI-Kurzmeldungen

Erpressung
Iranian Official: If Russia Does Not Supply Us with S-300 Missiles, We’ll Manufacture Them Ourselves

Und…
New Iranian Air-to-Air Missile

Ägypische Innenpolitik im Iran
Iranian Daily: Extending Hand To Egypt Not To Be Tolerated

Freundschaften pflegen
Ahmadinejad To Visit Latin America Next Week

Saudische Innenpolitik im Iran
Iranian Daily: Saudi Arabia Using Phosphorus Bombs Against Shi’ites

Alltag im Iran
Spokesman of Iranian Student Movement Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison

Exclusive Interview with Neda´s boyfriend

Caspian Makan: ‘I cannot believe it yet. I still think I will see Neda again’

Neda Agha Soltan, killed on camera by a sniper’s bullet, became the symbol of opposition to Iranian President Ahmadinejad this summer. Her boyfriend, Caspian Makan, who has just fled the country, talks to Arash Sahami and Angus Macqueen about their romance, his imprisonment after her death and his terrifying escape…

Guardian – Caspian Makan has been run over by the blind, careering juggernaut of history. Just five months ago his girlfriend was killed on the streets of Tehran, one of some 80 deaths reliably reported during the tumultuous demonstrations that followed the disputed presidential elections. Most victims’ relatives and friends have grieved in private – but Neda Agha Soltan, Caspian’s girlfriend, died live on phone camera, an almost unbearable 90-second sequence that turned her into an icon. Uploaded on to the internet, within hours her face became the face of protest.

But symbols destroy lives. In the days and weeks that followed, Caspian has lost not only the woman he was planning to marry, but also his country, his family, his friends and his career. Anyone and everyone who had anything to do with Neda’s death are now toxic to the Iranian government. Members of her family have been bullied, threatened and even detained. The doctor who is caught on camera trying to save her life is now exiled in Britain. The music teacher who was with her when she died has been rolled out on Iranian television, patently required to deny what he saw: that Neda was shot by a member of the religious militia. […]

Read more here …

Where Has Gone My Laugh?

Nachdenkliches von Shayla

The other day when I was angry somebody told me: „As long as you can laugh you are still a human being! „How right he was“, I thought. Yes, isn´t that exactly what I used to tell people?

Some years back I started to dig in something with the name of Iran. The more I digged the more horrorfying things I found out. But yet I led my life as if it was the only that I had. In summer 2009 something happened that made it more and more difficult for me to find back my laugh. Yes, I smile. And yes, I laugh. And sometimes I even crack up as I did when I was a kid.

Iran sets up Internet monitoring unit

JPost – Iranian police have set up a special unit to monitor Web sites and fight Internet crimes, in a possible attack on the opposition, which relies on that medium to broadcast its message, local newspapers reported Saturday.

Police Colonel Mehrdad Omidi, who heads the Internet crime unit, said the unit will fight „insults and the spreading of lies,“ terms widely used by the judiciary to describe opposition activities.

„Given the spread of Internet use, police must confront crimes taking place in the Web atmosphere,“ he said. „A special committee has been set up to monitor the Internet and deal with crimes … such as fraud … insults and the spreading of lies.“ […]

Read more here …

Joachim Steinhöfel: Dr. Westerwelle und die Bombe …

Der neue Bundesaußenminister macht sich für den Abzug amerikanischer Atomwaffen aus der Bundesrepublik stark. Grundlage für seinen Vorstoß ist die „Prager Rede“ von US-Präsident Obama, in der dieser eine „atomwaffenfreie Welt“ forderte.

Obamas Rede zur nuklearen Gefahr wurde schon im April vom französischen Staatspräsidenten Sarzkozy  im Kern richtig eingeschätzt: „Nichts als Rhetorik…heiße Luft. Das war keine Rede über die amerikanische Sicherheitspolitik, sondern ein Exportmodell zur Imageverbesserung“. Die meisten Vorschläge seien ohnehin schon von der Bush-Administration gemacht worden.

In der Tat sind die amerkanischen Atomwaffen wohl die mit ungefährlichsten auf diesem Planeten, von ihnen geht keinerlei Gefahr aus.

„Is Saudi Arabia ready to play hardball with Iran?“

Johna Hannah beschreibt für Foreign Policy, wie Saudi-Arabien die Islamische Republik Iran durch ein Drücken des Ölpreises unter Druck setzen könnte:

With daily exports in the range of 2.5 million barrels per day, Iran stands to lose about $900 million annually from every one dollar drop in the price of oil. With excess capacity of 4 million barrels per day, the Saudis are clearly in position to go much farther than they have to date in squeezing Iran if they so choose. An aggressive Saudi effort to depress oil prices well below the current $75 target could prove extremely harmful to Iran’s already reeling economy and tumultuous political situation. Almost certainly, such an effort could inflict as much pain on the Iranian regime as many of the sanctions currently being discussed by the United States and its international partners — and, given Russian and Chinese reluctance to get tough with Iran, would almost certainly be quicker and easier to implement.

Doch warum sollte gerade Saudi-Arabien dem Westen dabei helfen, den selbst in den Dreck gesetzten Karren aus selbigem zu ziehen? Die Antwort lautet – wie so oft – Eigeninteresse:

There’s no doubt that Saudi King Abdullah views Iran — and the near-term prospect of its acquiring nuclear weapons — as nothing short of an existential threat to the House of Saud and its preeminent position in the Islamic world. There’s at least some chance that he may be prepared to consider doing things now that in the past would have been unthinkable in order to prevent his worst nightmare from coming to pass — especially if he’s provided sufficient support, encouragement and guarantees from the United States and our major European allies.

In this regard, the current crisis in Yemen, in which Saudi forces have been drawn into combat on their southern border against Iranian-backed Shiite rebels, has only upped the ante. As with almost everything Iran does, Abdullah no doubt perceives the Islamic Republic’s involvement in Yemen as the latest maneuver in a grand strategy whose ultimate target is the Kingdom itself and control of the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina.

Gleichwohl diese Option gewisse Risiken birgt, rät Hannah der US-Regierung, mit Riad über entsprechende Maßnahmen zu verhandeln:

The big question is how far the Saudis are willing to go in drawing on their oil power to really do something about it — something, that is, that actually stands a chance of either 1) compelling the Iranian regime to fundamentally re-calculate its nuclear ambitions, or 2) speeding the regime’s unraveling at the hands of its already seething population. Of course, encouraging the Saudis to use oil as a political weapon is not without its downside risks; after all, the United States was on the receiving end of just such a Saudi gambit during the oil embargo that followed the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. But given the enormity of the stakes now at play vis a vis Iran — both for the Kingdom and for the United States — it’s clearly an option that at least deserves serious consideration. One hopes that it’s already the subject of intense consultations between Washington and Riyadh, preferably at the highest levels. Should the United States conclude that the potential benefits outweigh the risks, it will need to muster every instrument at its disposal to steel the Saudi king to take unprecedented measures to face down Iran’s unprecedented challenge.

Noch mehr über die Alavi Stiftung…

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Files Civil Action Seeking Forfeiture of Alavi Foundation’s Interest in Fifth Avenue Office Tower Controlled by Iran

Federal Bureau of Investigation, by PREET BHARARA — The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the filing of an amended civil Complaint seeking forfeiture of the Alavi Foundation’s interest in a 36-story office tower located at 650 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan (the „Building“). The Building is owned by 650 Fifth Avenue Company, a partnership between the Alavi Foundation and Assa Corporation. The original Complaint, which was filed in December 2008 and amended today, sought forfeiture of Assa Corporation’s interest in the Building.

The amended Complaint alleges that the Alavi Foundation has been providing numerous services to the Iranian Government and transferring funds from 650 Fifth Avenue Company to Bank Melli, a bank wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Iran.

What’s known about Iran-linked Alavi Foundation?

First set up by the Shah of Iran in the 1970s, the Alavi Foundation’s alleged links to Iran have been under the scrutiny of federal investigators for years.

Monitor, by Michael B. Farrell – The New York-based Alavi Foundation is a high-profile organization that claims to be a non profit devoted to promoting Islam and the Persian language, and has even reportedly made donations to former President Bill Clinton’s foundation. But it has been under FBI suspicion for years over alleged ties with Iran.

On Thursday, those suspicions were laid out in a civil claim filed by federal prosecutors in New York seeking forfeiture of Alavi’s interests in a Manhattan skyscraper and other properties that it owns in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and California. At least four mosques are located on these properties.

Zum Mord an Ehsan Fattahian

Über die  Hinrichtung des kurdischen Regimegegners Ehsan Fattahian haben wir hier berichtet. Den passenden Kommentar zum beredten Schweigen der Linken angesichts dieses Verbrechens findet man hier.

Fattahian war Mitglied der sozialistisch-sozialdemokratischen Widerstandsgruppe Komala. Umso befremdlicher, dass es vor allem im deutschsprachigen Raum kaum Proteste gegen den Politmord gab bzw gibt. Einzelne Blogbetreiber und wenige Menschenrechts-NGOs haben sich gerührt, die Mehrheit der Linken aber blieb stumm, von den Regierungen und etablierten Parteien ganz zu schweigen.

Offener Brief von Stop the Bomb an Iran-Aktuell

Im folgenden dokumentieren wie einen offenen Brief von Stop the Bomb an die Leute von Iran-Aktuell.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

Wir freuen uns, dass Sie am 16. November gegen den Auftritt des iranischen Botschafters Sheikh Attar auf der „Deutsch-Iranischen Lehrerkonferenz“ an der Königin-Luise-Stiftung in Berlin demonstrieren wollen, wie sie auf http://www.iran-aktuell.de/ bekunden.

Weniger erfreulich finden wir allerdings das folgende von Ihnen verbreitete Statement:

„Andere Organisationen, wie StoptheBomb haben auch zu einer Protestaktion aufgerufen. Allerdings lehnen wir eine gemeinsame Aktion ab, weil diese Organisation eine merkwürdige Art der Solidarität mit den Iraner zeigt, in dem sie nur israelische Fahnen zeigt….was das dann mit Solidarität mit den friedlichen Demonstranten im Iran zu tun hat, erschließt sich uns nicht.“

„Western Liberal Elites Have Made an Iranian Bomb a Reality“

Leon de Winter zeigt schonungslos, wie und warum die Diplomatie im Umgang mit der Islamischen Republik Iran versagt hat:

The Europeans could have confronted the mullahs, but after two devastating world wars they have lost the ability to actively defend their interests. They cannot absorb the prospect of the ultimate sacrifice of their sons. And since the Vietnam War, America’s room to operate is regulated by the liberal media, which is deeply influenced by European cultural relativism and secular pacifism. As a result, players who are aware of these characteristics of modern Western societies (i.e., Vladimir Putin, the Arab dictators, and the mullahs in Tehran) calculate their steps in sync with the limitations of Western modi operandi.

The project of the Shiite bomb has spread over so many sites that only a devastating attack by American forces could make an end of it, with terrible collateral damage. The Israelis can only execute some tactical destruction, in the hope that it will delay the project.

The Europeans were never serious in stopping the mullahs. They only have “soft power” in their arsenal, because the liberal European ideology has no chapter about European exceptionalism, European idealism, European ability to bleed, sweat, and suffer for its own sacred values and traditions. The Europeans, concerned about oil imports, commercial interests in Iran, and the loss of influence in Tehran to Moscow and Beijing, fear Israeli action more than an Iranian bomb. President Obama, who would have been an excellent editorial writer for the Guardian, is even more European than the Europeans.

Well, they got what they were looking for.

Die Schlussfolgerung ist eindeutig:

It has never made sense to talk to the mullahs. It is their core business to confuse and mislead, create chaos, kill opponents, torture students, organize terrorism, and weaken Western resolve. They do what they do because they are defined by it. If they were to stop what they are doing, they would give up their identity and the soul of the Shiite revolution. The mullahs are close to fulfilling the central dream of Imam Khomeini’s revolution: a weapon that can destroy Israel and undermine Western nations.

It’s too late. The mullahs won. Only the desperate and heroic people in the streets of Iran can turn the tide.

 

Spionierte Siemens-Mann für Ahmadinedschad?

Die Welt, von Elisalex Henckel — Erst wurde der frühere Wiener Verfassungsschützer Sicherheitschef des Siemens-Konzerns. Dann soll Gert-René Polli ein streng geheimes Dossier des Bundesnachrichtendienstes (BND) an iranische Behörden weitergegeben haben. Die Wiener Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt wegen Geheimnisverrats.

Als oberster Verfassungsschützer Österreichs hat Gert-René Polli schon vor fast zwei Jahren abgedankt, aber die Welt der Geheimdienste hat er offenbar nie richtig hinter sich gelassen. Seine Vergangenheit dürfte nicht nur dazu geführt haben, dass er 2008 Sicherheitschef des Siemens-Konzerns in München wurde – sondern auch, dass er diesen Posten ein knappes Jahr später wieder los war. Die Frage ist bloß: Sind ihm zu gute Beziehung zum Iran zum Verhängnis geworden oder, wie er selbst jetzt behauptet, zu schlechte zur CIA?  […]

Mehr lesen Sie hier …

„Tod für niemanden!“

Am 4. November, dem 30. Jahrestag der Besetzung der US-Botschaft in Teheran, standen alle wie befohlen an ihrem Platz, die »Massen« verbrannten Flaggen und schrien abwechselnd den Tod Amerikas und Israels herbei – nur hat niemand mehr hingesehen. Denn auch an diesem Tag gehörten die Bilder in den Medien den anderen. Und die anderen sind meist jung, selten bärtig und auffallend oft weiblich. Die anderen riefen an diesem Tag wieder ihre eigenen Parolen: »Tod dem Diktator!«, »Tod für Russland!« – als höhnische Travestie des staatlich verordneten Antiamerikanismus –, aber als jüngste sympathische Neuerung auch: »Tod für niemanden!«

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Finance & Stock Market News

LSE, by Matthew Goldstein — […] The questions about controls at HSBC comes as the bank appears to be a victim in a separate dubious scheme. Federal prosecutors in New York say that HSBC is one of three giant banks defrauded by financier Hassan Nemazee in an apparent $293 million Ponzi scheme.

Nemazee, a major donor to Democratic political candidates like President Obama, has been indicted on charges that he defrauded HSBC, Citigroup and Bank of America into providing his company with hundreds of millions of dollars in bank loans.

Prosecutors contend that in August, Nemazee drew down $75 million from a $100 million line of credit he had gotten from HSBC to pay off a loan his company had gotten from Citigroup. […]

Read more here …

US moves to seize 4 Iran-linked sites

JPost – In what could be one of the biggest counterterrorism seizures in US history, federal prosecutors sought to take over four US mosques and a New York City skyscraper owned by a Muslim organization suspected of being controlled by the Iranian government.

Prosecutors on Thursday filed a civil complaint in federal court against the Alavi Foundation, seeking the forfeiture of more than $500 million in assets.

The assets include bank accounts; Islamic centers consisting of schools and mosques in New York, Maryland, California and Houston; more than 100 acres (40 hectares) in Virginia; and a 36-story Manhattan office tower. Confiscating the properties would be a sharp blow against Iran, which the US government has accused of bankrolling terrorism and trying to build a nuclear bomb.

Read more here …