Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Iran, courtesy of D.J. Persia of Project: FREE-IRAN!
A NUCLEAR WEEKEND (A European Vacation In Tehran)
* The last few days have culminated in what looks to be a big win for allies. Yes that's right, from the looks of latest reports such as these, it appears that the alliance of Britian, France, Germany, The Islamic Regime in Iran, and the State Department may all be getting what they had hoped to achieve (but will they really?) in their latest discussions with the unelected regime. A regime that imprisons, tortures, rapes and murders in an effort to maintain order and hold on to power.
Other Topics Today Include: A temporary halt to uranium enrichment; Reporters Without Borders ranks Iran 160 out of 166; history of British abuse of Iranian citizens; Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) personnel for parliamentary office; Iran may withdraw from OPEC.
IRAN'S QUEST FOR (NUCLEAR) FIRE
* SpaceWar.com provides a chronology of events leading to the most recent developments, and the folks over at Rantburg.com seem to have a similar take on the latest events.
* Minutes before publishing this report, we received a news brief that quotes a Senior Iranian Official as saying on Tuesday that Iran was not prepared to totally abandon its disputed uranium enrichment programme which Washington says could be used to make atomic bombs: "We believe that stopping enriching uranium is totally unacceptable and we think nobody agrees with (doing) that in Iran," Supreme National Security Council chief Hassan Rohani was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. He added that, "When we consider something as our obvious right we will not yield."
* Haaretz News Service reports: The Islamic Republic will only temporarily halt it's depleted uranium program. Supreme National Security Council chief Hassan Rohani was quoted saying "One of the agreed points was that Iran voluntarily will temporarily suspend enrichment to show its goodwill and to create new trust between Iran and other countries." That's just great, Iran agrees to temporarily halt uranium enrichment, a few spot inspections, and in return France, Germany and Britain agree that Iran "could expect easier access to modern technology and supplies in a range of areas."
* So lets see, in about a year or so once the regime has completed it's uranium enrichment program, and has implemented a range of new sophisticated technology compliments of France, Germany and Britain, we can expect them to act peacefully towards the free nations of the world and begin granting freedoms to Iranian citizens?
* If you are under the impression that British abuse of the Iranian people is only a 20 year phenomenon, it would do some good to read the abstract of this book: The Great Famine and Genocide in Persia, 1917-1919.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Ohh that's right, I forgot to mention, a regime that is one of the top sponsors of terrorism throughout the world! I guess freedom, human rights, and justice are issues of little relevance to those who have have forged fantastically lucrative ties with Tehran over the past two decades.
* EDITORIAL: At first glance, reports such as the ones that you will inevitably find plastered to newspapers and blurbs scrolling across your television set may seem to paint a picture of hopefulness and positive movement in regards to the regime's concessions and compliance, when in reality they are nothing more than a facade comprised of empty rhetoric and blind men. We can achieve true hopefulness and positive movement by understanding that until the end of time, "reality" will never cater to empty rhetoric and illusion, but rather will directly serve the hearts, minds and will of mankind. If the Iranian people are screaming, crying and in many cases dying for freedom, then as free people of planet Earth we have a DUTY to answer their cries (JK: DJ Persia clarifies this in the comments section). Our message to the Iranian people should not be that we would like to continue to rape and milk your country by dealing with the regime, but rather it must be, "We Are Coming!"
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
* The 2nd World Press Freedom Ranking has just been released by Reporters Without Borders. Iran ranked 160 out of the 166 countries that were ranked. I guess that's the type of score you get when you repress, imprison and murder journalists. Does anyone remember Zahra Kazemi? The world media seems to have forgotten her.
* Radio Free Europe is reporting that Conservative figures in the government and the leading conservative political factions are advocating the candidacy of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) personnel for parliamentary office. Do the Iranian people really need an even more conservative unelected government?
* Meanwhile, Iran says that it may withdraw from OPEC.
* Finally, we'll end on an offbeat note. Geitner Simmons has a fun story from Washington D.C., involving the Iranian Embassy just after the 1979 revolution.
A duty to answer their cries for freedom? Afraid I must disagree. Not only is acceptance of that formula unsupportable as a global policy, it's also counterproductive to the countries one wishes to see free. The Iranian people alone have that duty, and will have it still after their freedom is won. If we take that from them now, we must also take it from them then.
That said, it is also true that the threat Iran poses to the rest of the world would be reduced significantly if the Iranian people were indeed free. As such, this is an example of our moral interest in freedom and our geopolitical interest in security being in lock-step together. Can we win security without freedom for Iranians? Not if the mullahcracy is allowed to survive.
Looked at this way, the real danger is the mullahs themselves. Some regimes are so constituted that they cannot survive without hatred and war, and Iran's regime has clearly shown itself to be one of these. If your point is reformulated as a duty NOT to assist the mullahs' regime in its repression and undemocratic hold on power, in order to improve both Iranian prospects for liberty and our own long term security... then you would indeed have a point, and a strong one at that.
Joe,
Guess you could call that a "mental typo".. What was meant by "duty" was that we have a duty to answer their cries by not supporting the regime in any way whatsoever. I am adamantly against any military action..
Thanks for pointing it out..
Best--
We can begin our defense by making the crime's of the Islamic Regime known to the world & openly condemning such crimes against humanity on a consistent basis rather than a twice a year refresher. We need to make it clear to those nations who wish to maintain positive business ties with the regime, that there is no future in such a practice, and that the future of our world will be one marked by freedom and an absence of such fanatical dictators. Only when the Mullahs have lost their support from the outside world will they fall."
I sure hope the Iranian people can do it on their own, but in case they can't, they're going to have to endure the construction AND TESTING of a nuclear device by the Islamofascist regime. That still gives them time to revolt before Israel comes in and revolts for them! BOOM!
Not a pretty site, and definitely not one that the Iranian people should have to go through.. If you can imagine the pain and setbacks that Iranian people have had throughout history, it just sucks (not to say that many other groups have not also experienced painful pasts).. The mullahs need to be stopped one way or another.. Lets hope and work for the best!