Iran Revolution Anniversary Reflections

Via Reuters
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Tehran would not negotiate about its disputed nuclear program under pressure, but would talk to its adversaries if they stopped "pointing the gun". In a speech to mark the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, he struck a more conciliatory tone than Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who on February 7 rebuffed a U.S. call for direct negotiations between the two countries. Ahmadinejad does not have the authority to authorize talks over the nuclear program, which lies with Khamenei. Iran has already agreed to a new round of talks with world powers, but not direct U.S. talks, in Kazakhstan on February 26. 

"You cannot point a gun at the Iranian nation and then expect them to have negotiations with you," Ahmadinejad told a crowd gathered in the capital Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square. His speech was carried live on state television. "Talks should not be used as a lever to impose one's opinions ... If you stop pointing the gun at the Iranian nation, I will negotiate (with you) myself," he added. The United States and some of its allies suspect Iran may be trying to develop atomic weapons capability under the cover of a civilian nuclear energy program, a charge Iran has denied. Many experts believe any nuclear deal needs a U.S.-Iranian thaw and direct talks addressing myriad sources of mutual mistrust and hostility lingering since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
 

ENEMIES "WILL NOT SUCCEED"
Tehran wants sanctions lifted that have slashed oil exports and helped cut the value of the Iranian rial, raising inflation and weakening purchasing power for ordinary Iranians. People held banners saying "Down With U.S.A." at state-organized demonstrations in Tehran and other cities to mark the anniversary of the ousting of a Western- friendly monarchy in favor of clerical leadership under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Ahmadinejad did not address specifics of the planned talks in Kazakhstan. He said Iran would counter sanctions by boosting non-oil exports and weaning itself off crude oil revenues. "Enemies are trying their utmost to put pressure on the Iranian nation to stop its progress but they will not succeed," he said. Khamenei on Thursday rejected a U.S. offer of direct talks, saying talks and pressure were incompatible. He was believed to have been replying to remarks by Vice President Joe Biden, who said on February 2 the United States was ready for direct talks if Iran was serious about negotiations.

SHOW OF UNITY 

The national celebrations are taking place a week after Ahmadinejad and his political rival, parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, traded public accusations of corruption, an outbreak of infighting that is expected to grow more vicious as the country approaches presidential elections slated for June. The parliament is dominated by a faction loyal to Khamenei and hostile to Ahmadinejad, who cannot stand for reelection. Khamenei, Iran's unelected leader, has struggled to suppress rows among officials which have broken out into the open despite warning that such public spats were a betrayal of the country. 

The last presidential election in 2009 set off mass protests at Ahmadinejad's victory, which opponents called fraudulent. Ahmadinejad is believed to have since lost Khamenei's backing. In January, Khamenei's representative to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ali Saeedi, said it was part of the role of the Guards to "engineer" the elections. Ahmadinejad, who is believed to want to maintain influence after stepping down, possibly by backing an ally as a candidate, appeared to warn against such efforts on Sunday. "Some people say they want to engineer and manage the election,Ahmadinejad said. "The great Iranian nation knows which path to take ... some must not speak or act in such a way so as to play into the hands of Iran's deceitful enemies."

Why Iran should get the bomb: A review of Waltz's perspective

Monday, 27 November, 2012: The acclaimed neo-realist theorist Kenneth Waltz is of the view that Iran should go nuclear. He believes that a nuclear Iran will bring nuclear stability in the Middle East region. There have been historical enmity and callous relationship between Iran and the US and her ally Israel. The tensions have been recently been exacerbated by Iran’s nuclear ambition. The West has responded to these attempts by slapping Tehran with numerous sanctions and trade embargos on her goods.

The implications of Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been written and widely argued on how dangerous such a move will be. Most US, European and Israel commentators and policymakers warn that a nuclear-armed Iran would be the worst possible outcome of the standoff on uranium enrichment in Iran. A number of avenues have been postulated on how to deal with the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program. As noted earlier, sanctions have been used to punish Iran but they have relentlessly pursued the desire for nuclear technology.  Analysts have seen this measure as futile since Iran is determined to pursue her security agenda by possessing nuclear technology, just like the other world super powers. By the look of things, Iran is not willing to drop its nuclear ambition. 

The implications of such a move can also be interpreted with a positive touch. Israel’s regional nuclear monopoly, which has endured for close to five decades now, has long fueled instability in the region. Regional balance of power in the Middle East can be stabilized with a nuclear Iran. Kenneth Waltz has argued that the fear of a reprisal attack on Israel by Iran is grossly exaggerated. This has completely distorted the positives of such a move by Iran. There have been misjudged arguments that the Ayatollahs and whole Iranian system is irrational and will hit Israel after acquiring a bomb. On the contrary, Iran as a state wants to compete with other developed nations around the world. History has shown us that when countries acquire nuclear arsenal, they feel increasingly vulnerable and become acutely aware of the dangers posed therewith. 

In 1991, the historical rivals of India and Pakistan signed a treaty agreeing not to target each other nuclear facilities. The two, by virtue of such an agreement respect each other and brought about balance of power in the region. It’s for this reason that Waltz argues that a nuclear Iran will bring about more stability in the Middle East region. A nuclear Iran will bring stability and possibly mend relations with Israel. Who knows?            

9/11: My thoughts to 1M Iraqi war victims

Iran President Mahamood Ahmadinejad asks critical questions on 9/11. When Americans commemorate the ‘9/11’ attacks, there are over one million Iraq war victims who suffered the brunt of American neocon invasion. My thoughts are to the war victims in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“The materialistic view of Zionists has destroyed the sacredness of media and today media no longer regulate the relations among humans, but have turned into a means of domination and gaining power,”-Ahmadinejad

“Why have the media that provoked public sentiments and emotions during the September 11 incident, remained silent regarding more than one million victims that have been killed in the aftermath of the attack?”-Ahmadinejad asks.

Who is Fooling Who? Netanyahu has lost his wits over Iran: Mofaz

Via Press TV

The three integral men

The leader of the Israeli opposition party Kadima has blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his war rhetoric against Iran, saying the hawkish premier has “lost his wits”.

“He seems to have lost his wits, and rather than making thought-out, responsible decisions, he is creating the sense of an impending war,” Shaul Mofaz said Sunday, following his last week’s meeting with Netanyahu where they discussed Iran.

Netanyahu seemed “confused, stressed out and unfocused” over the issue of Iran, Mofaz added.

“The prime minister has lost the faith of the security chiefs, United States President [Barack] Obama, and [Israeli] President Shimon Peres,” said Mofaz. “This is a bankrupt leadership.”

He added that there is a direct relation between Tel Aviv’s bellicose rhetoric against Iran and the economic woes in Israel.

“You cannot put the country into the frenzy of war,” he said. “There is a direct correlation between the talk of war, the economic situation, and people’s despair.”

Recently, thousands of Israelis have held demonstrations in Tel Aviv, protesting against social inequality and the government’s austerity measures.

Israeli demonstrators, furious and concerned about a potential Israeli attack on Iran, have also been protesting against the warmongering policies of the Israeli regime in the recent months.

Mofaz also supported the remarks made earlier Sunday morning by former Israeli Supreme Court justice Eliyahu Winograd, who described the talk by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak about an aggression on Iran as “extremely irresponsible.”

According to Mofaz, Winograd “joins a long list of people” who have expressed strong opposition to a possible Israeli strike against the Islamic Republic.

“Winograd’s primary arguments against an early strike have also been voiced by every head of the defense establishment, the president of the United States, and an ongoing stream of highly placed administration visitors” to Israel, Mofaz said.

The US, Israel and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program with Tel Aviv repeatedly threatening Tehran with a military strike.

Iran refutes the allegations and maintains that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has every right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Iranian officials have also promised a crushing response to any military strike against the country.

Western Intervention will not produce Reforms-Ahmadinejad

Via PressTV

 

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes that Western intervention are driven by self-interests and not on humanitarian needs. 

“I do not know of any power among the major Western powers that has intervened in a country for the sake of humanity; whatever they do is for self interest,” President Ahmadinejad said Thursday evening in an address to participants of the Tehran International Consultative Summit on Syria. 

Noting that ‘the colonialist powers’ nowadays attempt to impose their will on nations under the pretext of making reforms, the president argued that such a trend will eventually lead to war and added that reforms can never be implemented by inciting conflicts and hostilities. 

The Iranian president later referred to the invasion of Afghanistan by US-led NATO forces and said, “The first documents they carried away [from the country] were maps of Afghan mines... They acted similarly in Iraq and although they collaborated with [former Iraqi dictator] Saddam [Hussein] in all of his crimes, they staged a war against him to dominate and rule over Iraq.”

“Of course, the Iraqi government and nation did not accept this, but the [invasion] process inflicted huge damages on Iraq that would require 20 years to overcome,” he added. 

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/10/255474/intervention-can-never-bring-reforms/ 

Iran wins gold, silver of +105kg weightlifting at Olympics

Via PressTV

 

Iran's super heavyweight Behdad Salimi has won the gold medal and his compatriot Sajjad Anoushiravani pocketed the silver in the +105-kilogram category of the weightlifting competition of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

 

The 22-year-old athlete lifted a total of 455 kilograms to win the gold medal in the event, which was held at London's Excel arena on Tuesday. Anoushirvani hoisted 449 kilograms to win the silver medal in the category.  Russia's European champion Ruslan Albegov won the bronze with a total of 448 kilograms.  Salimi, who lifted 208 kilograms in snatch and 247 kilograms in clean and jerk, secured the gold medal with his first clean and jerk lift of 247 kilograms.  

The strongman attempted a clean and jerk world record of 264 kilograms, trying to beat the 263 kilograms mark set by Iran’s Hossein Rezazadeh, the twice Olympic and four-time world champion, at the Sydney Games in 2000.