The following is a selection of entries from daily reports over the last week, on issues including Turkey, Iran, and economics.
From the MEMRI Blog www.memriblog.org/
Egyptian MP: Don't Let War Criminal Bush Enter Egypt
Egyptian MP and editor of the opposition weekly Al-Usbu' Mustafa Bakri has called on Egypt's parliament and prime minister to prevent U.S. President Bush from entering Egypt.
In a request to the parliamentary speaker, Bakri stated that Bush was a war criminal responsible for the deaths of over a million Iraqi civilians, for attacking a sister Arab state and toppling its regime, and for supporting Israel and its military in its war against the citizens of Palestine and Lebanon.
Bakri added that Bush was interfering in Egypt's domestic affairs, and was encouraging elements supporting American military intervention in Egypt.
Source: Al-Gumhouriyya, Egypt, January 10, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4501.htm
Hizbullah Leader Nasrallah: Lebanese Opposition Must Act Against Lebanon's Economic Situation; Bush's Visit – A Black Day
In a meeting with the Union of Muslim Scholars, Hizbullah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah warned of attempts to spark civil war in Lebanon and of the desire of elements hostile to Lebanon and the Palestinians to foment anarchy in the Palestinian refugee camps.
Participants in the meeting reported that Nasrallah stated that the economic situation of Lebanon's citizens was "inconceivable" and that the opposition must act on the matter.
In a speech in the Dhahiya region in southern Beirut, Nasrallah said that the day of Bush's visit to occupied Palestine was a black day in the history of the region and of the Arab and Islamic nation.
On Arab leaders who receive Bush, Nasrallah commented, "The feet of the Pharaoh of our time step on our sacred and occupied land in order to take pride in the [Israeli] occupiers – and then the Arab leaders receive him hospitably and with honor..."
Nasrallah said that Bush is seeking to convince the Arabs that Iran is their enemy and that he means to protect them from it – even though Iran has never attacked the Arabs and has always helped them, out of brotherhood and friendship.
He also said that Bush was not protecting the Arabs from the ones who actually murder them daily – Israel – and that the Arab peoples can tell the difference between a friend and an enemy.
In a communiqué, Hizbullah condemned Bush's visit and called on the Arab governments to be wary of the danger in the U.S. policy for the future of the Arab and Islamic world, and to resist the dictates of the new American imperialism.
Source: Al-Akhbar, Lebanon, January 9, 2008; ghaliboun.net, January 9, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4500.htm
SANA: Kucinich Calls for Full U.S.-Syria Diplomatic Relations
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported today that U.S. Senator (sic) and 2008 presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has called for the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Syria.
Kucinich told Al-Jazeera TV in an interview that aired January 8 that his visit to Syria was part of an effort to realize his vision of a just peace.
According to SANA, Kucinich stressed his support for American engagement with the Arab countries and for America to become a nation among the nations but not one above the others.
He also emphasized that the U.S. should "open a new window" diplomatically with Iran.
(For an earlier interview with Kucinich on MEMRI TV, see "U.S. Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich: The U.S. Must Pay Reparations to the People of Iraq," which aired September 3, 2007 on Syrian TV.)
Source: SANA, Syria, January 9, 2007
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4499.htm
Education Director To Girls: Get Married If You Don’t Have The Means To Go To High School
Twenty-eight girls living in the dormitory of an elementary boarding school in a village of the eastern Turkish city of Elazig who walk 4 km each way every day to go to high school in the nearest town, wrote to the regional education director to request bus service. When the students received no response to their written application, they requested a meeting with the director. During the face-to-face meeting with the director, the girls explained how difficult it was for them to walk this distance every day and how they were going hungry too.
Education Director Yasef Kaya reportedly told the girls, "You are not obligated to attend high school. You can study if you have the means; otherwise go and get married."
Source: Milliyet, Turkey, January 9, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/4489.htm
Fath Al-Islam Commander Threatens Lebanese Military: "Oh Protectors of the Jews… This Battle Was [Only] the Beginning"
On January 8, 2008, the Islamist forum http://ek-ls.org (hosted by NOC4Hosts Inc., in Florida, USA) posted an audio recording claimed to be by Lebanese terrorist group Fath Al-Islam commander Shaker Al-'Absi.
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4478.htm
Saudi Mothers Allowed To Attend Sons' School Honors Ceremony
In an unprecedented step, the Administration of Boys' Culture and Education in the Taaf region of Saudi Arabia allowed mothers of outstanding pupils to attend a January 7 ceremony honoring their sons.
Because of the ban on men and women mixing, the women were assigned to a separate hall, where they watched over closed circuit television.
In the Saudi street, many rejected the initiative, while supporters stated that it was an appropriate way to honor the mothers who work hard for their children's success.
Source: Al-Watan, Saudi Arabia, January 9, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4476.htm
Egypt's Ministry of Religious Endowments To Oversee Mosques
Egyptian Minister of Religious Endowments Dr. Muhammad Hamdi Zaqazouq has announced that during 2008 all mosques in Egypt will be placed under the oversight of his ministry.
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt criticized the move, saying that a dictatorial political trend aimed at politicizing religion was behind it.
Source: Al-Hayat, London, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4444.htm
Committee of Jordanian Detainees Sues Syria In U.N.
The head of the Committee of Jordanian Detainees in Syrian Prisons Abd Al-Karim Al-Sarida said that the committee had decided to submit a lawsuit against Syria to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, and also to erect a protest tent in front of the Syrian Embassy in Amman with the demand to free Jordanian prisoners from Syrian jails.
Source: syria-news.com, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4431.htm
Saudi Human Rights Association Acts To Protect Detained Blogger
The Association for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia has asked the Saudi Interior Ministry to permit the family of blogger Fuad Al-Farhan, who has been detained since December 10, to visit him (see Arrested Saudi Reformist Blogger Being Held Without Bond, At Unknown Location).
Director of the association's monitoring committee Saleh Al-Khathlan said that if Farhan's detention is connected to the content of his blog, it is against Saudi publication regulations, which are meant to ensure freedom of expression.
Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al-Turki said that Farhan was arrested so that an investigation could be carried out against him regarding suspicions not connected to security matters.
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4425.htm
Palestinian Opposition Conference Planned For Damascus Late This Month
Palestinian sources are reporting that the Palestinian opposition factions will hold a conference in Damascus January 23-25.
Hamas political bureau member Muhammad Nazal said that the conference will discuss issues such as the refugees, Jerusalem, borders, and the Palestinian state. He noted that Fatah had also been invited to attend the conference.
Nazal clarified that there was no conflict between this conference and one that had been planned to take place in Iran, which is still expected be held.
Source: Al-Hayat, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, January 5, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4423.htm
From the MEMRI Turkey Blog www.thememriblog.org/turkey
Islamist Columnist: Jesus Came To Turn His People To Islam
Yahya Coskun of the Islamist Turkish daily Milli Gazete wrote in his column that the Prophet Jesus wanted to turn the Jews away from their distorted book and invited them to the real book of Islam, and continued, "Naturally, the Kabbalist Zionists did not like this. Jesus came to world as a prophet of Islam to correct people, but he was first ignored, then mocked, then threatened and finally his book was also distorted. And those who did that were the same Kabbalist, Talmudist, racist imperialists that had given so much trouble to Prophet Moses and are still stirring trouble in the entire world.
"Kabbala is the book of black magic related to satanic forces that the Jews believed and followed long before Prophet Moses was given his holy mission. Masonism is also affected by the Kabbalist teaching."
Source: Milli Gazete, Turkey, January 1, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/4492.htm
Gul-Bush Meeting Shows Warming In Turkish-American Alliance
After a breakfast meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, followed by a meeting with Vice-President Dick Chaney, Turkish President Abdullah Gul met with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House. Following their meeting the two leaders told reporters that the U.S. Turkish alliance is an old and important one that will be further advanced through cooperation on regional and global issues to serve world peace and prosperity.
Both men reiterated their commitment to fight terrorism and the PKK, their common enemy. President Bush also said that throughout his presidency he has supported Turkey’s EU membership because Turkey is both a Muslim and democratic country that can set an example and act as a bridge.
The two leaders discussed Iraq, energy matters and the Middle East peace plan.
Source: Hurriyet, Turkey, January 8, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/4465.htm
Iran Builds Wall To Secure Against PKK
The mainstream Turkish daily Sabah reported that Iran has begun building a four-kilometer wall along its border with Iraq, against the PKK. The wall starts at the Hadji Umran border crossing and is similar to the wall built by Israel against the Palestinian areas. Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq are objecting to the wall being built by Iran.
Source: Sabah, Turkey, January 7, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/4453.htm
Turkish Hizbullah Would Begin Killing If Not For The Arrests
The number of people with links to Hizbullah arrested in series of operations has reached 83. Turkish security teams of counter-terrorism raided 40 homes and workplaces in Van yesterday, arrested 37 members of the organization, and seized many documents.
It was said that the organization that had lost power following the death of its leader Huseyin Velioglu in 2000 regrouped and became active recently. Its members were involved in cigarette smuggling, extortions of money from citizens with death threats. Security authorities said that had they delayed the operations, killings by the organization would begin.
Source: Vatan, Turkey, January 7, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/4452.htm
Islamist Daily Vakit: "Mossad Reports, Turkish Security Makes Arrests"
The radical Islamist Turkish daily Vakit is blaming the Mossad for recent raids in Turkey on Turkish Al-Qaeda and Hizbullah cells.
Vakit writes that Turkish security forces recently began conducting frequent operations based on information provided by the Mossad, arresting mostly "innocent" people on suspicion of belonging to Al-Qaeda.
Source: Vakit, Turkey, January 4, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4416.htm
Al-Qaeda Cell Raided, Members Arrested In Turkey
The Turkish police have detained five people – among them a high school English teacher – with suspected links to the Al-Qaeda network in the central Anatolian province of Aksaray. The arrests followed the detention a few days earlier in Ankara, Istanbul and Adana of 19 people for belonging to the radical organization. The police also seized weapons, ammunition, fake IDs and organizational documents in their homes. Sabah reported that pictures seized by the police indicated that the suspects had received military training at the Hasan Mountain near Aksaray.
The court ordered five of the suspects held for possible trial. Milliyet reported that the suspects that belonged to a "sleeper cell" for several years were rounded up following intelligence that they had been preparing for an unspecified attack.
A Turkish cell of Al-Qaeda was held responsible for suicide bomb attacks against two synagogues, the British Consulate and HSBC bank in Istanbul, killing more than 60 people in November 2003. In February 2007, seven men were jailed for life over the November 2003 attacks, among them a Syrian national who masterminded and provided the financing for the attacks.
Some radical Muslims regard Turkey's friendship with Israel, the United States and Britain – as well as its efforts to join the European Union – as tantamount to treason, while the role of Islam in secular Turkey is being hotly debated.
Source: Sabah, Milliyet, Anatolian News Agency, Turkey, December 31, 2007
http://www.thememriblog.org/turkey/blog_personal/en/4412.htm
From the MEMRI Economic Blog www.MEMRIeconomicblog.org
Iraq's Destiny Lies in Basra
The destiny of Iraq lies in the city of Basra, Iraq’s second largest city which sits on 80% of Iraq’s proven oil reserves. The remaining 20% of oil reserves are in Kirkuk, in the northern part of Iraq.
Basra has been the center of conflict between a number of Sh'ite parties, which have often been engaged in violent clashes for control over the city administration and--more lucratively-- the control over the smuggling of oil, which brings enormous amount of money to these political parties to finance their militias and armed groups.
[Iraq must also deal with the issue of Kirkuk which the Kurds consider as part of their region. The draft oil law, which purports to regulate the distribution of oil revenues among the 18 provinces of Iraq, has been languishing in parliament for a lack of agreement on some of its key features. Also languishing is the law requiring a referendum to determine the future of Kirkuk.]
Source: Al-Sharq, Qatar, January 8, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4491.htm
Corruption Major Threat in Iraq
Iraq’s deputy prime minister Barham Saleh said the international community "carries a major share of the responsibility for the spread of the financial corruption phenomenon" in Iraq. He said the scandals involving the Oil for Food Program, the waste of public funds by the United Nations [which administered the program and whose previous director is a fugitive in Cyprus], and the reports by the US Congress about the granting of contracts in Iraq to US and other companies [following the invasion of Iraq] are indications of "the serious damage that has deepened the problems of governing the country."
Barham Saleh called for complete exposure of the manner in which public finances were managed in the past, the repatriation of the vast amounts of money accumulated by corrupt officials and bringing these officials to justice.
He said corruption threatens Iraq at the core and that corruption and terrorism feed on each other.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, January 4, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4448.htm
Boroujerdi Calls Out Iran and China Economy Cooperation
Iran's chief of the national security commission in Iran's parliament and China's ambassador to Tehran have discussed expanding ties between the two countries.
Alaedin Boroujerdi, who also heads a parliamentary group for Iran-China friendship, pointed to China's positive image in the view of the Iranian public view. He added that Iran's parliament is ready for close inter-parliamentary relations on different levels, and said the economic and trade cooperation as mounting.
Chinese Ambassador to Tehran Xie Xiaoyan said Iran’s and China’s ties to one another originate from the two nations and governments' determination, and voiced his country's willingness to expand trade.
Source: ISNA (Iranian Students News Agency), January 9, 2008
http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=654
Iraq Seeks Fair Share of Water from Euphrates and Tigris
A high-level tripartite meeting of the three riparian countries – Turkey, Syria and Iraq – will take place in Damascus January 10-11 to discuss a fair distribution of the water of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
[Iraq has been complaining for a long time that the two other riparian countries have been constructing so many dams upstream that the water reaching Iraq has diminished both in quantity and quality (too many pollutants). Water shortage in Iraq could have a dire consequence for its agriculture. Indeed, Iraq has already become one of the largest importers of wheat in the world.]
Source: Al-Sabah Al-Jadid, Iraq, January 8, 2008
http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=642
ALESCO: 100 Million Arabs Illiterate
Educationally Disadvantaged Females Suffer Most
The Tunisia-based Arab League’s Education, Culture, Science and Communication [(ALECSO), the Arab equivalent of UNESCO] warned of the danger of the high number of illiterate people in the Arab world, nearly 100 million.
"The statistical data on the realities of illiteracy in the Arab countries indicate that the number of illiterates in the age groups above 15 years is approximately 99.5 million", ALESCO said in a statement, adding that "the rate of illiteracy in the region reached 29.7%."
About 75 million of the total Arab illiterate population is between the ages 15 and 45, and the rates are higher among women, where nearly 46.5% of them suffer from illiteracy. ALECSO confirmed that the large number of illiterates in the Arab countries "reflects a profound structural gap that influences the development of the Arab community and results in an extremely dangerous political, social and economical outcome." The statement added that in spite of the many efforts that have been made, the illiteracy portfolio did not rise to the level of importance that it deserves in the Arab region, whose population numbers 335 million.
Since its founding in 1970, ALESCO had developed a future vision to combat illiteracy, including the "First Strategy for the Eradication of Illiteracy in the Arab Countries" in 1976, and the "Arab Fund for Combating Illiteracy and Adult Education" in 1980. ALECSO’s budget is nearly $19 million.
According to Al-Jazeera TV, Egypt has 17,000,000 illiterate people, and only 0.6% of people in the region are computer literate. The reason behind the high illiteracy rate was cited as the fact that, unlike in other developed countries, parents and guardians are not penalized in the Arab world for not sending their children to school.
Source: Al-Zaman, Iraq, January 7, 2008; Al-Jazeera TV, January 8, 2008
http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=641
Al-Suwaidi Confident of Dollar's Strength
UAE Central Bank Governor Sultan Bin Nasser Al-Suwaidi on Monday expressed confidence in the US currency's strength despite the dollar's continued decline against top world currencies.
The U.S. dollar remains a major currency as it is used in 60 to 70% of international trade, Al-Suwaidi told reporters.
There has been speculation for months in the market that the UAE would revalue the dirham, which is getting weaker because of its peg to the dollar. But Al-Suwaidi has been saying that there is no intention of changing the existing exchange policy.
He reiterated yesterday that the UAE would maintain the dollar peg.
"Each currency fluctuates, and if its value fell at a certain time, that does not mean we should start thinking about de-linking," he said yesterday, according to an English translation of his comments made in Arabic. He also played down the link between rising domestic inflation and the existing exchange regime.
Source: Gulfnews.com, January 8, 2008
http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=626
Saudi Arabia: Academic Program in Nuclear Power
The engineering college at at King Saud University in Riyadh plans to launch a graduate program in nuclear power for peaceful purposes. The dean of the school, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Hamed underscored "big and rapid efforts" to get the program underway within two years. Teaching staff [faculty] is available but others will be recruited.
The school will accept initially 25 students with degree in electric or mechanical engineering
Source: Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 5, 2008
http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=611
Impact of U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Bank
Bank Saderat Iran
In an interview with the Financial Times, Hamid Borhani, the managing director of Bank Saderat [export bank], Iran’s second largest bank, said that 200 of the 600 banks that used to do business with his bank "have halted their transactions" following the September 2006 U.S.-imposed sanctions. He added that Middle Eastern banks have become Bank Saderat’s "top foreign partners, as sanctions shifted trade from west to east," In this shift, China has become Iran’s leading trade partner and the impact of sanctions is mitigated through the use of "the re-export hub of the United Arab Emirates."
Figures from the Bankers' Almanac would suggest that sanctions are working, but not fully. The number of Saderat’s correspondent banks (banks that agree to perform services for other banks in inaccessible markets) declined from 29 in August 2006 to eight, two of which are Saderat’s subsidiaries.
Borhani denied U.S. assertions that Saderat is engaged in channeling funding to terrorist organizations (it has three branches in Lebanon where Hizbullah is a major Iranian client).He said he has sent three letters to the U.S. Treasury asking it to reveal its documents on Saderat’s illicit operations. One of the three letters included 1,000 pages of documents. The Treasury is considering more sanctions on Saderat.
Source: The Financial Times, London, January 5, 2008
http://memrieconomicblog.org/bin/content.cgi?news=609
From MEMRI’s Islamist Websites Monitor Project
American Al-Qaeda Operative Adam Gadahn Calls on Mujahideen to Receive Bush in the Middle East with Bombs and Tears Up His U.S. Passport
MEMRI TV Clip 1649- " American Al-Qaeda Operative Adam Gadahn Calls on Mujahideen to Receive Bush in the Middle East with Bombs and Tears Up His US Passport"
Following are excerpts from a video clip of an address by American Al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn, which was posted on several Islamist websites, including the Al-Aekhlaas forum, on January 6, 2008.
To view this clip visit: http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1649
Jihadi Sources: President Bush Must Understand That The Region Is Not Safe For Him
On January 6, 2008, on the eve of U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to the Middle East, Islamist websites posted a document announcing a global media campaign called "The [Middle East] Region is Not Safe from January 6 through January 16, 2008."
The document calls on jihad supporters in general, and particularly on jihadist media centers, to set up a team operating around the clock during President Bush's visit that will post, on the Islamist websites www.alhesbah.net/v and www.ek-ls.org, the numbers of martyrs in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Palestine and will incite Muslims to rise up against President Bush.
The document expresses astonishment that Bush dares to visit the region when hosts of jihad fighters are everywhere, and that he dares to come close to the area of danger and to think that he will be protected.
The document concludes with a call to jihad fighters in Palestine, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt – where Bush is yet to visit – to carry out suicide operations and to place bombs during his visit.
It should be recalled that on November 15, 2007, http://www.alhesbah.net/v posted a message by a contributor calling himself Abu Osama Al-Hazin, titled "This Saturday, Bush Will Be in Riyadh; Lions of the Peninsula, [Get Ready] to Cut Off His Head" (see http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/3698.htm).
Source: http://www.ek-ls.org, January 6, 2008
http://memriiwmp.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=341
From the MEMRI Iran Blog www.thememriblog.org/iran
IRGC: U.S. Navy Video, Audio "Fabricated"; Iranian FM: Claims Of Iranian Speedboat Threats "Propaganda" Connected To Bush Middle East Visit
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said today that the U.S. video of the January 5 incident in the Strait of Hormuz involving Iranian patrol boats and U.S. warships was archive footage and that the audio was faked.
An IRGC navy commander told Press TV that in the matter of Washington's claims that IRGC speedboats had harassed three U.S. Navy warships, "the footage released by the U.S. navy are file pictures and the audio has been fabricated."
Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar dismissed as propaganda the U.S. Navy claim that the Iranian craft had threatened to blow up the U.S. warships, saying that the Iranian navy's monitoring of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz is a routine task.
Najjar also called depicting this normal procedure as a provocation a "project" by the White House to portray Iran as a frightening country, and connected it to President Bush's visit to the region.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini also played down the incident, saying it was an issue of mistaken identity and comparing it to "previous ones" that had been resolved "once the two sides recognized each other," Hosseini explained.
Iranian Foreign Ministry director of American affairs Ahmad Sobhani said that the Iranian speed boats had carried out a normal and legal act.
On Tuesday, Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel had described U.S. reports about the incident as "part of a psychological and propaganda campaign against the Islamic Republic" (see Iranian Parliamentary Speaker: Persian Gulf Incident "U.S. Propaganda Against Iran").
Sources: Mehr, Iran, January 8, 2008; ISNA, IRNA, Mehr, Iran, January 9, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4498.htm
Brother Of Woman Who Died Following Arrest For Islamic Dress Code Violations: I Will Never Accept Official Statement That She Committed Suicide
The brother of Zahra Bani Yaghoub, also mentioned in the media as Zahra Bani Ameri, an Iranian medical doctor who died on October 13, 2007 in a Hamdan prison after her arrest the previous day by Morals Police for Islamic dress code violations, told the reformist online daily Rooz in an interview that he "will never accept the official statement that [Zahra] committed suicide."
Rahim Bani Yaghoub said that he had spoken with his sister minutes before she died and she had been fine, that suicide was absolutely not compatible with her personality or with her mood at the time, and that she had been a top student, and had had a passion for serving people and "a wonderful spirit."
(See also "Woman Arrested For Dress Code Violation In Iran Dies In Prison")
Source: Rooz, Iran, January 8, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4497.htm
Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei: Iran's Situation "Sensitive"
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said January 6 in Yazd, Iran that the country has been in a sensitive situation since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, but that "this does not mean that the situation is critical and dangerous."
He said that one reason for the country's sensitive situation was that the revolution "freed the country from the historical disease of autocracy and submissiveness."
He cited as signs of the sensitive situation the 1980-1988 "imposed war against the Iranian nation" and "various conspiracies, such as a 10-year plan to undermine the Islamic establishment after Imam Khomeini’s departure."
He added, "Despite all the conspiracies, now, 28 years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the people’s feelings and attachment toward the Islamic system are very strong."
Source: Mehr, Iran, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4494.htm
Iranian Activists Demand Release Of Imprisoned Students; Guardian Council Sec'y: Europe, America Don't Have Democracy Like Iran
A group of Iranian human rights activists have issued a communiqué expressing fear for the fate of over 30 students detained in Evin prison since December 7 who have not received legal aid or medical attention.
They also demanded the release of three Amir Kabir University students who are still detained even though bail was posted, the release of two women's movement activists arrested in the Kurdistan region, and the release of Iranian Prisoners' Rights Association chairman 'Amad Al-Din Baqi (see also "Unrest At Universities Across Iran", "Over 2,000 Students Demonstrate In Iran", and others)
In a speech in Tabriz, Iranian Guardian Council chairman Ahmad Jannati said that "no country in Europe or America has the democracy and freedom that Iran has."
Sources: ISNA, Iran, January 8, 2008; Rooz, Iran, January 9, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4475.htm
Senior Iranian Officials Call For Increased Censorship
Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi has called on Iran's newspapers to use self-censorship and to support the government's activity.
On a visit to the offices of the official Iranian news agency IRNA, Iranian Assembly of Experts member Ahmad Khatami called to expand censorship in Iran, and asked media to refrain from criticizing the government and to keep "the secrets of the regime."
In an interview, presidential advisor on clerical affairs Hojatoleslam Naser Saqa-i Biria told the daily Resalat that in their reports on nuclear issues, some Iranian papers are joining forces with foreign elements opposed to the regime.
Meanwhile, the reformist online daily Rooz stressed that this criticism of the papers comes at a time when over 10 journalists are sitting in Iranian prisons.
Source: Resalat, Iran, January 7, 2008; Rooz, Iran, January 8, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4455.htm
Reformists Under Attack In Iran
In its daily circular, the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) political bureau accused Saeed Hajrian, who is considered the theoretician of the reform movement in Iran, of planning an "orange revolution" against the regime.
The editor of the Iranian daily Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, who is close to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stated in an editorial that Iran's reformists are a fifth column serving the West.
At a conference of Basij activists, Ali Saeedi, Khamenei’s representative in the IRGC, said that the reformists are acting under Western protection and against the interests of the regime and of the Islamic revolution.
Source: Kayhan, Iran, January 5, 2008; Rooz, Iran, January 8, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4454.htm
Iran MPs Request Higher Defense Budget
Iran's parliament is asking Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to increase the defense budget in the upcoming Iranian new year.
Parliamentary National Security Council chief 'Alaa Al-Din Boroujerdi said that taking into account Iran's large population, the country has the lowest defense budget of all the countries in the region.
He added that one possible way to eliminate the U.S. threats in the region is to allocate a larger budget to the defense department.
Referring to the claims that Russia is selling anti-missile shields to Iran, he noted Iran's missile power is by itself a deterrent factor against every threat.
Source: ISNA, Iran, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4449.htm
Iranian Women's Rights Activist: Iranian Regime Permits Marriage Of Girls Age 10-13
Iranian women's rights activist Mahboubeh Hossein Zade has criticized the Iranian regime for permitting marriage for tens of thousands of underage girls, aged 10-13.
Source: Rooz, Iran, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4445.htm
Five Sentenced To Arm and Leg Amputations In Southeast Iran
Following a verdict by a court in the Sistan-Baluchistan province in southeast Iran, the five people accused of armed struggle against the regime and disturbing the public order had their right arms and left legs amputated.
Source: Rooz, Iran, January 7, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4439.htm
Policewomen Units To Handle Immorality At Beauty Salons
The Tehran Police commander has told the official Iranian news agency IRNA that under the new stage of the campaign to enforce public order, units of policewomen have been set up to handle "immorality in Tehran's beauty salons."
The commander added that these units are already on the job.
Source: IRNA, Rooz, Iran, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4438.htm
Iran Begins Mass Production Of Multi-Purpose Military Vehicle
Iran's Defense Ministry has begun mass production of the Safir ("Ambassador") tactical vehicle, which can carry a wide variety of missiles such as TOW launchers, 107mm rockets, and a rocket launcher.
The vehicle, which was developed by Defense Ministry experts, can also be used as a command car, ambulance, or communications vehicle.
Source: Sobh-e Sadeq, Iran, December 31, 2007
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4437.htm
Iranian Army Air Force Cmdr: We Are Producing Plane Undetectable By Radar
Iranian Army Air Force Commander Brig.-Gen. Ahmad Miqani has said that the Iranian army will soon manufacture a fourth and fifth generation of the Al-Sa'aqe fighter plane, and that these planes cannot be detected by radar.
He added that the third generation of the Al-Sa'aqe is expected to be put into service this year, and that "air force experts have succeeded in developing a radar system capable of tracking a number of fighter planes and all types of satellites."
Source: IRNA, Iran, January 5, 2008; Tehran Times, Iran, January 6, 2008
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/4421.htm
Larijani Meets With Amal, Hizbullah Reps In Damascus
Ali Larijani, the representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Iran's Supreme National Security Council, met today in Damascus with representatives of the Lebanese movements Amal and Hizbullah to discuss Lebanese issues.
The three sides discussed cooperation with the Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa within the framework of a recent statement from an extraordinary meeting of the Arab states in Cairo.
At the meeting, Hizbullah was represented by Haj Hossein Khalil, political affairs deputy to Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and Amal was represented by Ali Khalil, deputy to Amal leader Nabih Berri.
Larijani, who is on an informal visit to Syria, also met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to discuss ways of helping the Lebanese groups achieve a durable deal and pave the way for national reconciliation.
Source: IRNA, Iran, January 6, 2008
