Deutschland at its best

Members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) expressed outrage at Germany on Thursday when they discovered they were visiting the Bundestag at the same time as an official Iranian delegation.

The committee members, including Chairman MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), were surprised to find that while they were visiting the German parliament’s Defense Committee, representatives of the Majilis, Iran’s parliament, were speaking before the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

„It cannot be that while Germany calls for tough sanctions against the Iranian regime, official representatives of Germany undermine this policy by meeting with Majilis members,“ the MKs said in a statement. „They are sending the message that sanctions against Iran are passed with a wink.“

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Iran says US exploits Syria uprising to save Israel

The United States and its allies are exploiting popular protests in Syria to try to break an alliance between Damascus and Tehran against Israel, a senior Iranian official said on Wednesday.
Iran is watching the unrest in neighboring Syria with alarm and rejects western allegations it is helping its closest ally in the Middle East to crush a three-month popular uprising against President Bashar Assad’s rule. (…)

Tehran sees Syria’s unrest as a „Zionist plot“ against its close ally Damascus. The Islamic state is accused of equipping Syria to block the internet, drawing on its own extensive experience of crushing anti-government protests that followed the country’s disputed 2009 presidential vote.

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The Coming Turkish-Iranian Competition In Iraq

The two rising powers in the Middle East—Turkey and Iran—are neighbors to Iraq, its leading trading partners, and rapidly becoming the most influential external actors inside the country as the U.S. troop withdrawal proceeds.
Although there is concern in Washington about bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Iran, their differing visions for the broader Middle East region are particularly evident in Iraq, where a renewal of the historical Ottoman-Persian rivalry in Mesopotamia is likely as the dominant American presence fades.
Turkey aims for a robust Iraqi political process in which no single group dominates, sees a strong Iraq as contributing to both its own security and regional stability, and is actively investing in efforts to expand Iraqi oil and gas production to help meet its own energy needs and fulfill its goal of becoming the energy conduit from the Middle East to Europe.
Iran prefers a passive neighbor with an explicitly sectarian political architecture that ensures friendly Shiite-led governments; sees a strong Iraq as an inherent obstacle to its own broader influence in the region and, in the nightmare scenario, once again possibly a direct conventional military threat; and looks askance at increased Iraqi hydrocarbon production as possible competition for its own oil exports.

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Terrorist Islamic Republic of Iran should cease bombing Kurdish villages

Terrorist Islamic Republic of Iran has been shelling South Kurdistan {Iraq} for the last ten years, killing thousands of defenseless Kurdish civilians without any respect to international covenants. Due to the nonintervention of neither Washington, nor Baghdad, Tehran has been further emboldened to continue its cross-border aggressions.

Iranian consul has confirmed attacks on Kurdistan borders. Under the false disguise of hunting members of dissident groups, Iran is taking advantage of the opportunity to test fire some of its latest weaponries. Deafening explosions, abnormal smoke odors, and suspicious activities have been reported by eye-witnesses in near-by villages.

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Nachrichten aus dem inneren Betrieb III

Unglaublich… aber wahr. Denn der iranische Propagandasender Press TV meldet es: Ahmedinejad… hat wieder eine große Rede gehalten? Nein! DER PRÄSIDENT WILL SCHWEIGEN. Unglaublich, aber wahr:

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he will not respond to accusations leveled against his cabinet, stressing that the government will continue to cooperate with the Parliament (Majlis).

Und zu seinen verhafteten Beratern will er auch nichts sagen. Wenn es an seine Minister geht, dann ist die rote Linie alllerdings überschritten, droht er dann doch ein bißchen.

The Iranian president said “such moves and pressure will definitely harm the country,” expressing hope that such behaviors would stop.

“Henceforth, we will continue to maintain our silence but where we see that a great harm will come to the country, I am obliged to tell the people everything… but I hope that things will not come to that.”

Was haben sie nur mit Mahmoud gemacht? Haben sie ihn wirklich so klein gekriegt? Wird er wirklich schweigen können? Bitte Mahmoud: Tell the people everything.

Türkei erwägt Militärschlag gegen Syrien

Die Lage an der syrisch-türkischen Grenze droht außer Kontrolle zu geraten: Türkische Diplomaten haben mehrere europäische Regierungen informiert, dass sie eine militärische Akion gegen Syrien ausführen könnten. 

Wie die kuwaitische Zeitung As-Seyassah berichtet, haben türkische Diplomaten Deutschland, Großbritannien, Frankreich, Italien und die Nato informiert, dass sie eine militärische Offensive gegen Syrien in Aleppo, Homs, Hama und Latakia starten könnten. Die Zeitung beruft sich auf einen ungenannten britischen Diplomaten, wie die Website nowlebanon.com berichtet. 

Iran Unveils Missile Silos as It Begins War Games

Iranian state television on Monday broadcast images of silos deep underground, saying they held medium- and long-range missiles ready to hit distant targets. The report showed footage of an underground launching pad for the Shahab-3 missile, which has a range of about 1,250 miles.
    Col. Asghar Qelichkhani said the missiles were permanently in the vertical position and „ready to hit the predetermined targets.“ Last year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London reported „emerging evidence“ of Iranian silos that could fire missiles at Iraq, Israel, Turkey and countries throughout the Persian Gulf. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards‘ Aerospace Force, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said with these installations „we are certain that we can confront unequal enemies and defend the Islamic Republic of Iran.“

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Schiessen Sie nur auf Unbewaffnete

Ein Deserteur der syrischen Armee berichtet, was er in De’ra gesehen hat und welche Befehle ihnen gegeben wurden.

“As soon as we got there, the officers told us not to shoot at the men carrying guns. They said they [the gunmen] were with us. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It had all been lies.”

In the month they were stationed there, neither Wasid nor any of his colleagues saw any demonstrators with weapons in Deraa or the nearby town of Izraa.

And instead of confronting armed insurgents, the unit was given orders to shoot protesters.

“I could not believe what I was hearing – to leave alone the people carrying guns. It shocked me,” he said. “We are soldiers and soldiers do not shoot at civilians.”

Und waehrend ueberall in Syrien auf Unbewffnete geschossen, misshandelt und gefoltert wird, begeben sich die Vertreter des “Westens” ganz gemuetlich zum Plausch beim Praesidenten und erklaeren:

Meeting U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich and the accompanying delegation in the morning and holding another meeting with British Conservative Party MP Brooks Newmark, President al-Assad reviewed the recent events taking place in Syria and the advanced steps achieved in the comprehensive reform program.

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Zwei Veranstaltung zum arabischen Frühling und dem Iran

Einladung nach Marburg:

28.06.11 Der arabische Frühling und der Kalte Krieg am Golf
ein Vortrag von Oliver M. Piecha

08.07.11 Ein arabischer Frühling?
Über die Aufstände in Nordafrika und dem Nahen Osten
ein Vortrag von Thomas von der Osten-Sacken

Veranstaltungshinweis lesen

Nach dem Abzug

Obama macht’s moeglich:

Iran is moving to cement ties with the leaders of three key American allies – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq – highlighting Tehran’s efforts to take a greater role in the region as the U.S. military pulls out troops. The Afghan and Pakistani presidents, visiting Tehran, discussed with Iranian President Ahmadinejad „many issues…that might come up after the NATO military force goes out of Afghanistan,“ Iranian Foreign Minister Salehi said Sunday.

Gosse Konferenzen der Weltgeschichte I

Die USA würden die Wahrheit vertuschen, sagte Ahmadinedschad zur Eröffnung einer internationalen Konferenz gegen Terrorismus in Teheran am Samstag. Die Amerikaner nutzten beide Ereignisse als Vorwand, um Druck auf die muslimische Welt auszuüben und riesige wirtschaftliche Vorteile aus der Verbreitung von Panik zu ziehen.

Man müsse die wahre Dimension der Judenvernichtung im Zweiten Weltkrieg und der Anschläge von New York und Washington darstellen, sagte der iranische Präsident. «Doch die USA erlauben das nicht. Wenn man den Terrorismus wirksam bekämpfen wolle, müsse man seine Wurzeln freilegen.» Die USA würden die Lage nur verschlimmern. «Es gibt Terrornetze mit Tausenden Mitgliedern und Sympathisanten und es liegt in der Pflicht der islamischen Länder, diese Gruppen ohne ausländische Einmischung zu bekämpfen.»

An der zweitägigen Gipfelkonferenz in Teheran nehmen Vertreter von rund 80 Staaten und internationalen Organisationen teil. Die Präsidenten Afghanistans, Pakistans, des Iraks und Tadschikistans riefen wie Ahmadinedschad alle islamischen Staaten auf, gemeinsam den Terrorismus zu bekämpfen.

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EU targets Iran for supporting Syrian protest crackdown

EU sanctions imposed upon close relatives and business associates of President Bashar al-Assad over the repression in Syria have also targeted commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Syria has denied that Iran has been helping to crush unrest, despite claims by western governments and Syrian opposition groups, so the measures against regime figures in Tehran and Damascus, announced in Brussels on Friday, sent a strong message to both countries.

Britain denounced Iran’s support for its Arab ally as „absolutely unacceptable“ and „blatant hypocrisy“.

General Muhammad Ali Jafari, the Revolutionary Guard commander, and General Qasem Soleimani, who leads its elite al-Quds force, both now face EU asset freezes and travel bans. They are already subject to US sanctions.

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In Sicherheit bringen

 “Le Figaro”: Hisbollah verschiebt Waffen, die sie in Syrien gelagert hat, nach Libanon aus Angst syrische Regierung könnte stürzen. Westliche Geheimdienste: Zahlreiche Transporter an der syrischen Grenze entlang der Bekaa Ebene gesichtet.

Quelle

Systematische Vergewaltigungen

Saeed Kamali Dehghan berichtet fuer den Guardian ueber Dokumente, die den Verdacht weiter erhaerten, dass  in iranischen Gefaengnissen  systemstische Vergewaltigungen von Oppositionellen stattfinden:

Prison guards in Iran are giving condoms to criminals and encouraging them to systematically rape young opposition activists locked up with them, according to accounts from inside the country’s jail system.

A series of dramatic letters written by prisoners and families of imprisoned activists allege that authorities are intentionally facilitating mass rape and using it as a form of punishment.

Mehdi Mahmoudian, an outspoken member of Iran’s Participation Front, a reformist political party, was among those prisoners who have succeeded in smuggling out letters revealing the extent of rape inside some of the most notorious prisons.

Mahmoudian was arrested in the aftermath of Iran’s 2009 disputed presidential election for speaking to the press about the regime’s suppression of the movement and is currently in Rajaeeshahr prison in Karaj, a city 12 miles (20km) to the west of the capital, Tehran.

„In various cells inside the prison, rape has become a common act and acceptable,“ he writes in the letter.

Die UN Generalversammlung mit einem neuen Vize

Claudia Rosett in Pajamas Media:

As the UN prepares for Durban III this September in NY, Iran– yes, you read that right, Iran –  has just been elected as a vice president of the next UN General Assembly, the 66th session, which will run from Sept. 2011-Sept. 2012.

Iran Power Struggle Makes Nuclear Issue All the More Important

Jonathan S. Tobin im Commentary Magazine:

 

The news that the two leading figures in Iran’s leadership are engaged in a bitter feud may give comfort to some who think as long as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are battling each other, the rest of the world is safe. But the conflict in Tehran is yet another reason why the Islamist regime must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons no matter which of the two emerge victorious from the struggle.

The falling out between the ayatollah and the man who was long considered to be his political front man seems to stem as much from a reaction to Ahmadinejad’s flamboyant style and open messianism as the personal struggle for power. Ahmadinejad’s religious extremism is such that it may scare even the ruthless and tyrannical mullahs who have always been the real brokers in Iran since its Islamic revolution. While the supreme leader has a post that is thought to be permanent, presidents have come and gone. But, as the stolen 2009 election that led to riots in Tehran showed, Ahmadinejad has no intention of going anywhere.

Were the Holocaust-denying Ahmadinejad to be forced out, that might be seen as a victory for moderation. But the only real difference on the big issues between him and Khamenei appears to be a function of public relations. The ayatollah is no moderate on either nukes or terrorism.

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All signs say Iran is racing toward a nuclear bomb

Iran’s leadership is undaunted by the sanctions imposed on the country, or by the damage the Stuxnet computer worm caused to the program that operates the centrifuges at the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.

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„Iran actively helping Syria squash demonstrations“

A senior Israeli source says Iran is involved in the suppressing of the anti-regime demonstrations in Syria. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Al-Quds force, commanded by Gen. Qassem Suleimani, are operating throughout the country, the source says.

The source told Haaretz there is clear information on Iran’s involvement in the crushing of the protests, as well as the participation of Hezbollah. Their role is not limited to shootings; Iran has also supplied equipment to the Syrian army, including sniper rifles and communications systems for disrupting the Internet in the country, the source said.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces impeachment threat

Ministers in Iran moved a step closer towards impeaching the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, after a series of clashes with supporters of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Impeachment proceedings were launched against foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi for appointing a man close to Ahmadinejad’s chief-of-staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, as his deputy.

Supporters of Khamenei, including the overwhelming majority of parliament, say Ahmadinejad is under the spell of Mashaei, who is accused of attempting to undermine clerical power and increase his own political influence.

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Interview mit einem Spion

Hier ein unbedingt lesenswertes Interview mit Reza Kahlili, dem Autor des Buches „A Time to Betray“, der ueber das Innenleben des Iran berichtet, die Politik des Westens kritisiert und weiss wovon er spricht: schliesslich war er jahrelang ein Spion innerhalb der Republikanischen Garden.

Besonders aufschlussreich ist dieser Absatz:

Another item was a pact, an unwritten pact, between Germany, France, England, and Iran that allowed the Guards and the intelligence unit of the Iranian government to assassinate their opposition members in these other countries as long as they did not harm their citizens or create an unsafe environment. From there on, the Guards assassinated hundreds of opposition leaders in the streets of Paris, London, and different cities across Germany—including General Gholam Oveissi, the former commander of the shah’s army, and his brother, in Paris; Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou, a Kurdish political leader, in Austria; and Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders, Sadegh Sharafkandi, Fattah Abdoli, and Homayoun Ardalan, in Berlin. The most notable figure they assassinated was the last prime minister under the shah, Shahpour Bakhtiar. He’d escaped the country after the revolution and stayed active in Paris promoting opposition to the mullahs. The Guards finally caught up with him, stabbed him thirteen times in the neck, and cut his throat.

Nachrichten aus dem inneren Betrieb II

Ach, es knackt und knirscht im Gebälk des iranischen Establishments….

Ein frischer Glanzpunkt, führwahr, aus dem hohen politischen Leben der „Islamischen Republik Iran“ –  ehrlich überbracht von einem Staatspropagandasender. Eigentlich genügt ja, um über die „Islamische Republik Iran“ Bescheid zu wissen, die Kenntnis des Umstandes, daß sich die Repräsentanten dieser „Republik“ sowieso alle gegenseitig hassen.

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry has opposed the appointment of Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh as the country’s new deputy foreign minister.

In a letter sent to Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry voiced displeasure over the move and called on Salehi to swiftly dismiss Malekzadeh, who has a criminal record, Fars News Agency reported.

During a meeting between members of Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission and the Iranian foreign minister on Sunday, Salehi was informed of the reason for the opposition of lawmakers to Malekzadeh appointment of and their plan for his impeachment.

“Apparently Salehi was not aware of this individual’s criminal record and his infringements,” Iranian lawmaker Zohreh Elahian said.

“In this meeting Salehi said the presence of a person with criminal records in the diplomatic apparatus is not in the interest of the country… therefore he will dismiss Malekzadeh if his infringements of the law are proven,” she added.

„The Goals, Networks, and Methods of the Green Movement“

No regime is sustainable without the support of a significant portion of the population. We must create awareness amongst a large segment of our society. We must establish social networks designed to foster the exchange of ideas and open discussions. This phenomenon has occurred in many other countries as well. Firstly, we must mobilize public opinion. Secondly, we must specify the people’s demands and lastly force the opposing group [ruling government] to suffer setbacks.

Our strategy should be to weaken their position and reduce their resources particularly their armed forces. We are witnessing the delegitimization of this government. We must look into new methods of resistance such as sit-ins and strikes. The inefficiencies of the ruling government are gradually emerging and today we are witnessing the confessions by some within the government regarding these inefficiencies.

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Der Satan ist immer da wo man ihn nie vermutet

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi: Cellular Phones Expose the Public to Satanic Temptation

In a speech to a group of women, Iranian Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi warned against the easy access to things that corrupt the soul, such as television and cellular phones.

He said that they expose the public, especially children, to satanic temptation.

Quelle: [MEMRI] Rasa News (Iran)

The Sunnites „Angst“

…wenn’s nicht nur um Israel, sondern auch um den eigenen Allerwertesten gehen könne.

Iran, ‚Nuclear Dossier‘ in Hand, Flees ‚International Cooperation‘

Source: [MEMRI] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), June 16, 2011.

I don’t like Fridays

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami macht wieder einmal auf „Freiheit“ für Bahrain.

In Iran Friday Sermon, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami Says Occupiers Will Leave Bahrain In Humiliation; U.S., Britain Main Human Rights Violators

Tehran interim Friday prayer Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said in his sermon that Saudi occupiers will leave Bahrain in humiliation and with a dark record.

He said, „One should not have the least doubt that al-Khalifa’s (Bahraini ruler’s) will vanish. The rulers who pile up pressure on the public mercilessly will not definitely remain.“

He continued, „Rest assured that dictators will go away, as the dictator king (of Iran) and Saddam (of Iraq) fled from Iran and Iraq. The Saudi occupiers are busy committing crimes in Bahrain mercilessly – the crimes that do not go with any legal regulation,“ he added.