I feel that this is definitely something that should be up for discussion nowadays regarding Iran because as many people know we all have different opinions on how the IRI should be approached, so I think its appropriate that I share this piece with all of you, and get some opinions about it.

“We have been trying to negotiate [with the Iranians] for five, six years. We’ve tried everything. We have met every Iranian. We have tried to open every possible channel. We’ve had new ideas and the result is this: nothing.”

Thus did a senior Western diplomat recently describe to me his country’s efforts to reach a negotiated settlement with Tehran over its nuclear programs. In doing so, he also finally disposed of the myth, nearly a decade in the making, that Iran was ready to abandon those programs in exchange for a “grand bargain” with the West.

Let’s dispose of a few other myths—and hope it doesn’t take years for the lesson to stick:

(1) Military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities would accomplish nothing.

That’s the argument made by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who last year told a Senate Committee that “a military attack will only buy us time and send the program deeper and more covert.”

Maybe so, but what’s wrong with buying time? Israel’s 1981 attack on Iraq’s Osirak reactor also bought time while driving Saddam’s nuclear programs underground. But it ensured that it was a non-nuclear Iraq that invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia nine years later, a point recognized by then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney when he thanked the Israeli commander of the Osirak operation for making “our job much easier in Desert Storm.”

Full Article

“Sourena, my son, there was a day long ago when your picture was a witness to my constant pleading eyes. We were entrenched amidst dirt and fire, but we would go on everyday, we would go on for the safety and security of our land.

~Asghar Hasemi”

I post this in response to various groups here in the West such as NIAC, for example ,who have been using the “Hands off Iran” approach. What they don’t understand is that sanctions directed toward the government would not hurt the people of Iran. They are directed at business entities that are owned by groups such as the IRGC for e.g.

“As the Administration begins lobbying its international partners for punitive new measures against Iran, Makhmalbaf and other opposition figures have urged the U.S. to focus primarily on the Revolutionary Guards. The élite unit is a growing political and economic behemoth, and its leadership is critical in propping up the troubled regime. They are not supporting other measures under consideration, like curbs on gasoline imports Iran relies on for domestic consumption, because these would mainly hurt the Iranian public, opposition figures have told U.S. officials.

We need certain sanctions to hurt the regime, but not the people,” said Makhmalbaf, who urged Washington to quickly impose a series of sanctions on the Guards since incremental steps allow them time to develop alternatives. The award-winning filmmaker, who now lives in Europe, said he was sent to Washington by the opposition; his talk at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace was attended by senior officials from the National Security Council and the State Department.”

Read More

“The pretenders, and perhaps those in charge, who have no faith in the Revolution or the ways of the late Imam [founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini], or those who regret the Revolution, are doing their best to divert and metamorphose the Revolution, although they consider themselves revolutionaries”

A couple things in regards to whats going on so far. As many have foreseen, and stated in various blogs, the Election uprisings, and the ramifications that were bestowed upon those who participated seem to be causing a rift within the political structure of the IRI. Conservatives are using more harsh language toward the reformist front, and visa versa. So to most this is in fact good.

However, one thing that I notice is that it doesn’t seem like either side represents the actual interests of the Iranian people. Also, it doesn’t seem like either side want a “jorumiye Irani” as many protesters have been chanting in recent weeks.

Khatami’s speech, like Rafsanjani’s call to unity last week,seems like only a move to save his own behind. Here’s another excerpt from his speech:

“Today, we must press for the rightful demand of the Reformist movement – ‘Change’ – more than before…by which we mean a return to the basics of the Constitution and the ideals of the late Imam and the Revolution,”

What better way to not only stay in power, but also keep the Islamic Republic in existence. By speaking of ‘change’ and ‘reform’ what he seems to do is spark a false hope within the hearts of the naive that the Islamic system is ‘just fine’ by traditional standards, it is only those in power that need to be changed. However, one can simply say that all these problems were built off “the basics of the Constitution and the ideals of the late Imam and the Revolution”. Right?

I don’t want people to agree with me, but I would appreciate other opinions and thoughts in regards to this.

What a site. Everywhere I looked I saw shir-o-khorshid flags, pro-democracy/anti-theocracy banners, and heard chants of death to khamenei,mullahs,ahmadinejad etc etc. However, there were two groups of people in this demonstration. There were the pro-democracy,free Iran group who support regime change. Then there were the Mousavi supporters,who came from the university of Davis, who couldnt care less about regime change, but had the nerve to sing the traditional national anthem.

These people were preventing others from taking pictures, and even telling people who were carrying the true flag of Iran to pretty much fuck off. I was there with some relatives, and we could just tell their leader was a IR sympathizer. Especially when he was yelling at people carrying the shir-o-khorshid flags to leave and not take pictures.

America is a democracy, its a free country. We all know that. However, why are these people scared of having their pictures taken? Why are they afraid at all? Isn’t the point of a demonstration to show that you are not afraid?

Believe me a lot of people there were upset that these people have caused this much division within the Iranian community in Sacramento. I’ve also heard that the same situation happened in LA not to long ago. That fact that Iranians in the West are this dumb, and misinformed about things is sad.

They see millions of people fighting with guards and security in Iran, and they think that all this is just so Mousavi can become president in an already fucked up system. Yeah..right.