Taking a fresh look at regime change in Iran

Thu. 10/26/2006
Taking a fresh look at the internal regime change option in Iran.

• Iran Press Service reported that in less than 14 months, Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad, who took pride saying he is the “street sweeper” of the Iranian people has become the living symbol of one of the most famous Iranian proverbs taken from a poem of the great poet and teacher Sa’di; a sheep telling a man who had saved it from a wolf and who is about to slaughter the animal: “that at the end you became my wolf.”
• Max Boot, The Los Angeles Times argued that the only sanction that might really cripple the Iranian regime would be an embargo on its exports of crude oil and imports of refined petroleum. But while U.N. Security Council members may be willing to pass resolutions condemning Iran , but they're unlikely to pay more for oil in order to punish the mullahs. So there are at least two alternatives that should be seriously considered: "soft" and "hard" approaches to regime change.
• The Financial Times reported that John Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said imposing economic and political sanctions against Iran and North Korea will help democratic forces in those countries as Washington pursues its "ultimate objective" of regime change.

Ahmadinejad's administration struggles to control dissent and unrest in Iran.

• Inter Press Service reported that Iran 's notoriously harsh treatment of dissidents seems to have reached a point where Tehran 's popular police chief, Brig. Gen. Morteza Talai, has resigned in protest over the arrest of a well-known religious leader.
• Iran Press News reported that Revolutionary Guard Ahmad-Reza Rawdon, one of the Islamic regime’s agents of oppression and successor to commandant Talai in a speech called young Iranians “nothing more than thugs” and said that he is laying down the law.
• Iran Press News reported that the regime’s internal gangland-style conflicts has reached such a fever pitch that they have actually started widespread distribution of leaflets against each other, calling various members of parliament, as well as Rafsanjani, Khatami and members of their entourage racketeers, profiteers, corrupt and traitors.
• The Financial Times reported that Rafsanjani recently released a secret letter on the Iraq/Iran war to warn hardliners in the government not to underestimate the threats - of economic sanctions or military attack - that Iran faces in the nuclear dispute.
• Iran Press News reported that the representative of the Ghazveen workers in an interview with the regime-run news agency ILNA said that according to existing statistics 20,000 workers in that province are at a crisis point; 8000 of them are still employed in 20 industrial units that are in critical conditions.
• Iran Press News reported on the vague status of Dr. Keyvan Ansari’s arrest and detention and the gathering for the free tribune at that campus.
• Iran Press News reported that two other student activists who are among the now increasing number of those being prohibited from continuing higher education by the agents of the ministry of intelligence and security, have been arrested and transferred to an unknown location.
• Iran Press News reported on three political prisoners in Rejaishah prison [of the Tehran suburb of] Karadj were severely beaten and injured.
• Iran Press News reported on the prisoners charged with taking part in the 2005 civil action protests in the city of Ahvaz . A listing of prisoners and their status.
• AME Info reported that Iran has banned the Rouzegar newspaper after just one week of publication, according to Reuters. Many of its journalists previously worked for the pro-reform newspaper Sharq, before it was shut down. Iran 's press supervisory board suggested that Rouzegar was shut down because it was too similar to Sharq.
• Amir Taheri, The New York Post reported that Ahmadinejad is about to face the first serious challenge to his strategy of turning the Islamic Republic into the vanguard of a global opposition to the United States . To meet that challenge, Ahmadinejad may provoke a clash with America by heating things up in Afghanistan , Iraq and Lebanon before the end of the year.

Western nations increase regional pressure on the Islamic Republic.

• Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that with America , Britain , and France preparing new sanctions to ban missile and nuclear technology sales to Iran , America is quietly forging new security ties with the Islamic Republic's Gulf neighbors.
• Reuters reported that President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged Iran and Syria to support the governments of neighboring Iraq and Lebanon and warned against creating instability in those democracies.
• Gulf News reported that America's civilian and military leaders in Iraq linked Iran and Syria with Al Qaeda yesterday as forces trying to tear the country apart and prevent the United States from establishing a stable democracy.
• USA Today reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said recent events in Iran and North Korea support President Bush's 2002 claim that those nations were part of an "axis of evil."
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Prime Minister Tony Blair said it is crucial that Britain and its allies do whatever is necessary to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Ahmadinejad ridicules US Navy.

• Iran Press News reported that Ahmadinejad claimed: “The 2 battleships that the Americans recently sent to the Persian Gulf are decrepit and crumbling."

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• The Times Online argued Scotland ’s oldest university has decided to award an honorary doctorate of law to former President Khatami of Iran “in recognition of his efforts to encourage interfaith dialogue”. It will come to be seen as one of the most shameful days in the university’s history.
• The Washington Times reported that Iran and Syria are rapidly rearming Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon as an international peacekeeping force has failed to carry out a U.N. mandate to disarm the Shi'ite militia group, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz said.
• Xinhuanet reported that the launch of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran has been delayed due to technical reasons, the head of Russia 's Atomstroiexport company said.
• DNA India reported that prosecutors formally charged Iran and the Shiite militia Hezbollah on Wednesday in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish charities office in Argentina , which killed 85 people and injured 300.

There is much interesting and well written articles in this day's news-gathering. Take a few minutes to get informed. Thank you, Doctor Zin, and everyone have a nice day.