Iran’s Nuclear Coup

Das Editorial des Wall Street Journals:

What a fiasco. That’s the first word that comes to mind watching Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raise his arms yesterday with the leaders of Turkey and Brazil to celebrate a new atomic pact that instantly made irrelevant 16 months of President Obama’s „diplomacy.“ The deal is a political coup for Tehran and possibly delivers the coup de grace to the West’s half-hearted efforts to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

Full credit for this debacle goes to the Obama Administration and its hapless diplomatic strategy. Last October, nine months into its engagement with Tehran, the White House concocted a plan to transfer some of Iran’s uranium stock abroad for enrichment. If the West couldn’t stop Iran’s program, the thinking was that maybe this scheme would delay it. The Iranians played coy, then refused to accept the offer.

But Mr. Obama doesn’t take no for an answer from rogue regimes, and so he kept the offer on the table. As the U.S. finally seemed ready to go to the U.N. Security Council for more sanctions, the Iranians chose yesterday to accept the deal on their own limited terms while enlisting the Brazilians and Turks as enablers and political shields. „Diplomacy emerged victorious today,“ declared Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, turning Mr. Obama’s own most important foreign-policy principle against him. [Weiterlesen...]

Am Ende wird das ganze auf den Punkt gebracht:

The deal will, however, make it nearly impossible to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program short of military action. The U.N. is certainly a dead end. After 16 months of his extended hand and after downplaying support for Iran’s democratic opposition, Mr. Obama now faces an Iran much closer to a bomb and less diplomatically isolated than when President Bush left office.

Israel will have to seriously consider its military options. Such a confrontation is far more likely thanks to the diplomatic double-cross of Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazil’s Lula, and especially to a U.S. President whose diplomacy has succeeded mainly in persuading the world’s rogues that he lacks the determination to stop their destructive ambitions.

UN-Vetomächte einigen sich auf Iran-Sanktionen

AFP meldet:

Nach monatelangem Ringen um den richtigen Kurs im Atomstreit mit dem Iran haben die UN-Vetomächte ihre Reihen geschlossen und sich auf neue Sanktionen gegen das Land geeinigt. Russland und China, die weiteren Strafmaßnahmen bislang skeptisch gegenüberstanden, hätten einem „starken Entwurf“ über eine vierte UN-Sanktionsrunde zugestimmt, sagte US-Außenministerin Hillary Clinton in Washington.

A Sham Deal

Brazil and Turkey claim to have pulled off a triumph in persuading Iran to freeze the heart of its nuclear programme. But this is almost certainly a sham deal — and one that, dangerously, will undermine the drive to bring new sanctions against Tehran if it does not suspend work that could lead to nuclear weapons.

US and British officials said yesterday that they feared Iran would seize the opportunity to puncture hard-won support for new sanctions on the UN Security Council. China and Russia have only recently, with reluctance, agreed to talk about a fourth round of sanctions. Brazil and Turkey, both non-permanent members of the council, are keen to assert their influence on the world stage, and Brazil is particularly keen on developing extensive, peaceful, nuclear energy of its own.

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Ein Bild sagt mehr als alles Geschwätz

Rechts von Mahmoud der kalte Taktierer, links von ihm der Tölpel, den sie  glauben lassen, er mache  Weltpolitik. Vor Mahmoud der iranische Außenminister, der völlig perplex denkt, so blöd können die im Westen eigentlich doch gar nicht sein, wie die immer tun.

„Shirin Did Not Want to Go“

The tradition for prisoners facing the death sentence is that they are informed of their execution the night before so they can pronounce their will and say farewell to their family. Even though they did not do this with Shirin Alam-Hooli, she was suspicious when prisoner guards asked her to step out of her cell, which they immediately locked behind her after she was out. She was then dragged out of the ward.

Shirin did not want to go. She expected to be at least told where she was being taken to. Why were they not allowing her to even put on her prison scarf? Why were they taking her without the usual required trench coat and scarf?

The next day, her ward mates spoke about the last words they heard her say: “I am in your hands so why are you not letting me at least say goodbye to my family? Let me say my final farewell to my friends. Why all this when there is no way for me to escape. For God’s sake let me hear my mother’s voice for the last time . . .

Read the full text

Iranischer Atomdeal: Erste Bedenken

Bedenken? Fast schon peinlich, auf solche Verlautbarungen noch reagieren zu müssen. Fragt sich nur noch, wie widersprüchlich die weitere Entwicklung ablaufen wird. Wenn man dazu noch bedenkt, welche Rolle Erdogan bei der Zustimmung zur iranischen Atomwaffenproduktion gespielt hat, ergibt sich ein ziemlich einfaches Puzzle – oder nicht? (bd)

Iran deal to ship uranium abroad meets skepticism

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran agreed Monday to a key big power demand, saying it was ready to ship much of its low-enriched uranium abroad — but immediately rolled out a new obstacle to compromise on its nuclear program by insisting it would continue enriching to higher levels.

Tehran’s decision to agree to export a large amount of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey after refusing to let it leave the country for more than half a year appeared to be an attempt to stave off a new set of looming U.N. sanctions — a doubtful endeavor, judging by initial reactions from Western nations spearheading attempts to deal with Iran’s nuclear defiance.

Ablenkungsmanöver in Teheran

Es war ein Verhandlungsmarathon, an dessen Ende Iran der Urananreicherung im Ausland zugestimmt hat. Ist es der lange erhoffte Durchbruch im Atomstreit? Mitnichten.

Saba Farzan in der ZEIT über den neuesten Schachzug des iranischen Regimes.

Keine anderen Löwen

The Arab Gulf states are feeling compelled to adopt an appeasement policy toward Tehran while with increasing dread they helplessly follow the nuclear crisis, epitomized by Iranian determination and aggression in the face of American weakness. The official Iranian news agency has warned them: „There is no lion in the region save for the one that crouches on the shore opposite the Emirate states. He guards his den which is the Persian Gulf. Those who believe that another lion exists in the vicinity (meaning the U.S.) – well, his claws and fangs have already been broken in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine.“

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Mullahs rule the Greater Iran

Was einen erwartet, wenn die Hardliner im Iran so weitermachen wie bisher, davon bekommt man in diesen Statements eine Ahnung.

Soviel übrigends auch zu dem dämlichen Argument man solle sich nicht in die inneren Angelegenheiten anderer Länder einmischen. Das gilt nämlich nur für die inneren Angelegenheiten des Iran. für den wiederum es eigentlich nur innere Angelegenheiten gib, da seine Leader  ja die Welt als zukünftiges Reich Gottes unter iranischer Führung betrachten:

A radical cleric called Saturday for the creation of a „Greater Iran“ that would rule over the entire Middle East and Central Asia, in an event that he said would herald the coming of Islam’s expected messiah.

Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi said the creation of what he calls an Islamic United States is a central aim of the political party he leads called Hezbollah, or Party of God, and that he hoped to make it a reality if they win the next presidential election.

Kharrazi’s comments reveal the thinking of a growing number of hard-liners in Iran, many of whom have become more radical during the postelection political crisis and the international standoff over the country’s nuclear program.

Another Humiliation for the Obama Administration

Während deutsche Medien nicht müde werden, Irans mit Hilfe Brasiliens und der Türkei gegangenen jüngsten Schritt in Richtung nuklearer Bewaffnung als „Kompromiss“ zu feiern, erinnert Barry Rubin mit Recht daran, dass das Ganze nur eine erneute Demütigung für die Obama-Regierung und ihre Außenpolitik darstellt:

Lula has tried to save Iran from sanctions by putting together a phony diplomatic deal on Tehran’s terms. And guess who his partner is in trying to sabotage sanctions and help Tehran? Why that „moderate Muslim“ regime in Turkey for which the Obama Administration has had so much praise!

Now Lula has just visited Tehran in person and proposed that Brazil should provide Iran with equipment and parts to modernize its oil production while Iran assists Brazil in deep-water drilling efforts in the Atlantic Ocean. Lula also said he would urge Brazilian companies to invest in Iranian refineries. There can be no doubt that Brazil will oppose sanctions in the UN.

Seems Lula is a „great admirer“ of the Islamist regime.

So once again—as with Venezuela, Iran, Syria, and a lot of other countries, Obama’s efforts to suck up to radical regimes has backfired in making them more confident about defying U.S. policies and interests. At the same time, his backing, praise, and at times money has had no effect on making them more friendly to Washington.

Have you noticed that all of America’s enemies–treated so nicely by the Obama Administration–have thrown pies in its face, while none of America’s real friends–even when treated shabbily–do so? As I’ve previously suggested, George W. Bush’s „you’re with us or against us“ had serious flaws, but Obama’s „if you’re against us we’re with you“ is worse.

Entwicklungshilfe aus Brasilien

Reuters – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visits Iran this weekend to help mediate in a standoff over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, as Brazil seeks more diplomatic clout on the world stage. „We have equipment, the engineering and the parts for the oil sector that can help in their modernization,“ Haroldo Lima told Reuters after meeting oil sector representatives in Iran.

Querfront: Pressemitteilung vom 12. Mai

From: Querfront-Info@yahoogroups.de
Pressemitteilung – 12. Mai 2010/Nr. 9

Iran – Schwanengesang der Mullahs?
Diskussion zur aktuellen Situation im Iran
Der Iran kommt nicht zur Ruhe: Außenpolitisch fällt die Regierung in Teheran durch fortgesetzte Vernichtungsdrohungen gegen Israel und die Entwicklung von Atomwaffen auf. Innenpolitisch gibt es massive Proteste, die mit brutaler Gewalt unterdrückt werden. Zu diesem aktuellen Thema bieten die Aktion 3.Welt Saar, das Protestantische Forum Saar-Pfalz und der Eine Welt Laden Homburg einen Diskussionsabend an:

„Iran – Schwanengesang der Mullahs“;

Kommen verschärfte US-Sanktionen?

Aus der Foreign Policy:

The U.S. Congress is very close to sending President Barack Obama a bill designed to sanction Iran’s energy industry — and potentially stop Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his coterie from getting a nuclear bomb. The Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act is taking its final steps toward congressional reconciliation. If passed, the new law will hammer Iran’s lucrative energy sector, making it even harder for cash-strapped Tehran to finance its illicit nuclear program.

The act as it stands is an important step. But there’s one more thing Congress should do to make sure the law’s provisions actually work: hand over responsibility for enforcing sanctions to the Treasury Department instead of Foggy Bottom. This is not an issue of inside-the-Beltway turf wars — it’s about effectiveness. Over the past three decades, the Treasury Department has shown that it’s far more capable and willing to enforce sanctions than the State Department is — and the sanctions in the new law are just too important to risk implementing halfway.

Iran: Risk of execution for 20 political prisoners in regime’s Jails

Twenty political prisoners face imminent execution, 17 of whom are of Kurdish descent. Other political prisoners also are at risk of similar sentences.

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Stop killing political prisoners in Iran!

Mahdieh Golroo, an imprisoned member of the Right to Education Council has written a letter in memory of her cellmate executed political prisoner Shirin Alam Hooli.

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Machtkämpfe und Hinrichtungen

Ähnlich wie in den 80er Jahren versucht das khomeinistische Regime mit Hinrichtungen und Verhaftungen seine Macht gegen jede zivilgesellschaftliche Regung durchzusetzen. Hinter den Kulissen spielt sich ein Machtkampf zwischen den Rivalen ab, die bisher gemeinsam über 30 Jahre die totalitäre khomeinistische Diktatur stabilisiert haben.

Wahied Wahdat-Hagh analysiert hier die Hintergründe der jüngsten Hinrichtungswelle.

Terror gegen die Angehörigen

Die Leichen von Farzad Kamangar, Shirin Alam Hooli, Mehdi Islamian, Ali Heydarian und Farhad Vakili werden den trauernden Angehörigen nicht übergeben. Die Behörden haben ihnen verboten ihre Kinder, Geschwister und Ehepartner zu begraben. In zehn Tagen wollen Sicherheitskräfte die Begräbnisorte der fünf Oppositionellen bekanntgeben. Die Familien hatten nach den Hinrichtungen tagelang vor dem Evin-Gefängnis ausgeharrt und die Herausgabe der sterblichen Überreste gefordert. Mittlerweile sind alle Angehörigen unverrichteter Dinge  in ihre Heimatorte zurückgekehrt. Offenbar sind sie von den Sicherheitskräften massiv bedroht worden. Die Familie von Farzad Kamangar steht bereits seit Mittwoch unter Hausarrest.

Ein Fernsehinterview mit Khalil Bahramian, dem Anwalt von Farzad Kamangar und Shirin Alam Hooli, belegt unterdessen, wie willkürlich die Entscheidung über die Vollstreckung der Hinrichtung offenbar gefällt worden ist.

Mahdie Golroos gedenkt ihrer Zellengenossin Shirin Alam Hooli in diesem bewegenden Brief.

Generalstreik in Iranisch-Kurdistan

Bazaar in Sanandaj shut down

Despite all of the security measures in Kurdistan for today, reports indicate that the bazaar in Sanandaj is completely shut down and the students did not attend their classes. The streets of Sanandaj are full of special guards. The city seems to be shut down.

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City of Divandareh: complete shutdown of Divandareh

At 10:30 a.m. on May 13, 2010, the bazaar in the city of Divandareh was shut down. The city looks deserted. Only security forces can be seen roaming the streets on foot in order to prevent any filming.

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Bazaar shut down in Mahabad

City of Mahabad- In the province of Mahabad, military presence is high. The city’s bazaar has been closed and the people are on strike. The slogans ‘Death to the Regime’ and ‘Death to the Dictator’ have been written in various places (walls, etc) around the city.

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Siehe auch diesen Beitrag von Ali Schirasi.

„Foreign companies stepping away from Iran“

A growing number of oil companies, trading houses and other international companies have stopped doing business with Iran this year amid a U.S. drive to isolate Tehran and international efforts to impose tougher sanctions.

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Honestly Concerned: Meldungen und Artikel zum Iran

Honestly Concerned mit Auszügen aktueller Meldungen zum Thema Iran aus seinem täglichen Nahost-Newsletter.

Stand: 14. Mai 2010

http://www.honestlyconcerned.info/bin/articles.cgi?ID=IR79310&Category=ir&Subcategory=18

Iranian repressive regime continues its brutality against the people of Kurdistan

Once again the Iranian murderous regime has shown its bloody image to the world by executing five of our fellow Kurds from the Iranian occupied Kurdistan.

Ever since the Iranian theocrats tightened their grip on power, they have been ruling the multi-ethnic Iran with an iron fist. Iranian authorities have been using all resources available to them to besmirch Kurdish activists as “enemies of God.” By epitomizing those who disagree with their sectarian ideologies as enemies of Islam, the Iranian theocrats have created a creed justifies their right to murder and persecute those who don’t follow their lead. By using the epithet of “anti-God” against Kurdish activists and accusing them of “endangering national security” the Iranian repressive regime has been murdering innocent people by way of using the most inhumane methods including public “stoning/hanging” of innocent Iranians including women.

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A chance to stand tall against Iran on human rights

Roxana Saberi ruft in der Washington Post dazu auf, angesichts der zahllreichen Menschenrechtsverletzungen im Iran endlich aktiv zu werden – amtierende US-Präsidenten sollten aufmerksam mitlesen:

Shortly after Iran announced that it had executed five Kurdish political activists on Sunday, I received an e-mail from a human rights campaigner in Tehran who knew one of them, asking me to spread the word about the hangings.

„We are truly helpless,“ she wrote, „and we feel lost.“ [...]

If the international community fails to condemn such atrocities, Iran’s regime will continue to trample on the basic rights of individuals, many of whom have been detained simply for peacefully standing up for universal human rights. It is common for Tehran’s prisoners — including journalists, bloggers, women’s rights campaigners, student activists and adherents of the minority Baha’i faith — to be held in prolonged solitary confinement without access to an attorney as they try to defend themselves against fabricated charges such as espionage and „propaganda against Islam“ or the regime. [...]

As the international community focuses on Iran’s nuclear program, it should also make human rights a first-tier issue. When the U.N. Human Rights Council meets in Geneva next month, Washington and the European Union should lead calls for a resolution setting up a mechanism to investigate human rights atrocities in Iran during the past year. A bigger push should be made to send a U.N. special envoy on human rights to Iran and to aid Iranians, including the many journalists forced to flee their country out of fear of persecution.

But perhaps even more important than government efforts is the outcry of ordinary people worldwide. When everyday citizens speak out against Iran’s human rights violations, Tehran has a tougher time asserting that their calls have been masterminded by foreign governments.

Time is of the essence: Several political prisoners are on death row, and a fresh crackdown on opposition supporters is likely as the first anniversary of Iran’s controversial presidential election approaches. Regular citizens can demonstrate support for the Iranian people by participating in any of the rallies expected in several cities around the world on June 12. They can also contribute to human rights groups or take part in Internet and letter-writing campaigns to Iranian officials. Such steps, if done continuously by large numbers of people, can make a difference, making clear to Iran that it cannot get away with torture and wrongful imprisonment or stop people from exercising universal human rights.

If these voices are loud enough, they will be heard by Iranians and maybe even by the detainees enduring injustices. Perhaps those prisoners will feel like I did when I learned of the efforts for my release: empowered. [Alles lesen]

Besuch in Künstlerwerkstatt

Zwei Artisten der Maschinenbautechnik  bekommen wohlwollend gestimmten Besuch:

„Es macht Ihnen doch nichts aus, wenn wir weiterarbeiten, während wir uns unterhalten?“

Quelle: Summers

Honestly Concerned: Meldungen und Artikel zum Iran

Honestly Concerned mit Auszügen aktueller Meldungen zum Thema Iran aus seinem täglichen Nahost-Newsletter.

Stand: 12. Mai 2010

http://www.honestlyconcerned.info/bin/articles.cgi?ID=IR79210&Category=ir&Subcategory=18

Belohnung für die Henker

Lady Ashton geht auf den Iran zu:

SZ - Im Atomstreit mit Iran hat sich die EU-Außenbeauftragte Catherine Ashton zu direkten Gesprächen mit Said Dschalili bereit erklärt, dem Chefunterhändler der Regierung in Teheran. Die Initiative dafür ging laut Diplomaten von der Türkei und Brasilien aus, die parallel zu den in New York laufenden Verhandlungen über neue UN-Sanktionen zu vermitteln versuchen, ohne bisher greifbare Ergebnisse erreicht zu haben.

Human Rights Watch übt unterdessen scharfe Kritik an den fünf Hinrichtungen vom Sonntag und schließt sich dabei der Einschätzung iranischer Menschenrechtsaktivisten an. Die „Geständnisse“ der angeblichen Terroristen sind unter Folter erpresst worden und der Ausgang ihrer Prozesse stand von Anfang an fest. Die Organisation schätzt, dass 17 weitere inhaftierte Kurdinnen und Kurden unmittelbar von Hinrichtung bedroht sind.