Iran: Les événements en temps réel
leJDD.fr: Alors que les partisans de Mahmoud Ahmadinejad célèbrent en Iran le succès de leur champion, des milliers de manifestants appellent à l'annulation du scrutin de samedi dernier. Le Conseil des gardiens vient d'annoncer qu'elle excluait d'annuler l'élection présidentielle, comme l'a demandé Mirhossein Moussavi, le candidat modéré. La communauté internationale, inquiète, reste prudente.

18h55: Pour Sarkozy, une réaction "proportionnelle" à la fraude
Dans un communiqué diffusé mardi, le Quai d'Orsay affirme la "profonde préoccupation" de Nicolas Sarkozy et François Fillon face à la répression des Iraniens descendus dans la rue pour contester le résultat de l'élection présidentielle de vendredi dernier. Plus, le président de la République a déclaré mardi que la fraude électorale lors du dernier scrutin en Iran était "proportionnelle à la violence de la réaction". Il a jugé "choquantes" et "insupportables" les images de répression des manifestations de partisans du principal candidat de l'opposition, Mirhossein Moussavi.

18h36: Obama pour la libre-expression
Interrogé mardi sur la contestation de la réélection d'Ahmadinejad, Barack Obama a déclaré aux journalistes que la voix du peuple iranien devait "être entendue, pas étouffée", a fait savoir Reuters. Le président des Etats-Unis a toutefois ajouté ne pas vouloir donner l'impression de se "mêler" des affaires intérieures iraniennes, compte tenu de l'état tumultueux des relations entre les des deux pays. >>> Par la Rédaction, leJDD.fr | Mardi 16 Juin 2009

From Iran to the World
Watch Guardian video: Shocking pictures are emerging from inside Iran as people caught up in the violence post images on social networking sites. Warning: disturbing content >>> Source: YouTube & Twitter | Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Is Iran’s Mullocracy on Its Last Legs?
TIMES ONLINE: As protesters marched through the thoroughfares of Tehran, much of the city went on an unofficial strike today. Shops opened their shutters only halfway, in defiance of the vote.

Four days after Mr Ahmadinejad claimed re-election, the powerful Guardian Council offered a partial recount of disputed ballot boxes in response to complaints of massive electoral fraud.

The move by the clerics on the country's highest legislative body appeared to be the first concession to the opposition after hundreds of thousands joined anti-government protests in recent days.

But many saw it as a ploy by the mullahs to buy time before their formal endorsement of Mr Ahmadinejad's victory. Mr Mousavi had asked the council of clerics to annul the election and re-run it, but they rejected that demand as impossible.

At least seven civilians were killed when members of the Basiji militia, a force of young Islamic hardliners, started shooting when their post came under attack during yesterday's mass rally.

State radio said that the building came under attack at the end of what it called an "illegal" demonstration.

"Some thugs in an organised and coordinated action attacked and vandalised a number of public and government buildings," it reported. "A military post was attacked with the intention of looting its weapons. Unfortunately, seven of our citizens were killed and a number of them injured."

The death toll may actually have been higher. A nurse at western Tehran’s Rasoul Akram hospital said that 28 people with "bullet wounds" had been brought in last night, of whom eight had died.

Mr Ahmadinejad showed his contempt for the protests by visiting the Russian city of Yekaterinburg for a regional summit, where his re-election was effectively endorsed not just by his hosts but other nations attending, including China, India and Pakistan. Iranians Suspicious of Recount Offer as Tehran Goes on Unofficial Strike >>> Philippe Naughton, and Tony Halpin in Yekaterinburg | Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Iran: The Brutal Side of Theocracy
Photo: The Boston Globe

Iran Protest Cancelled as Leaked Election Results Show Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Came Third
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's reformist presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has called off a major rally to protest last Friday's election results, amid claims police had been cleared to open fire on protesters.


Supporters had been due to turn out en masse in Tehran on Monday afternoon, despite government warnings to stay off the streets.

But this morning, a statement on Mr Mousavi's campaign website announced that the demonstration had been postponed – although it said Mr Mousavi would go to the site to ensure any supporters who showed up remained calm.

Mr Mousavi's wife and co-campaigner, Zahra Ranavard, was reported as warning that riot squads would be equipped with live ammunition, raising the prospect of serious bloodshed.

Iran's Interior Ministry said Mr Mousavi would be responsible for any consequences if he went ahead with the protest.

Mr Mousavi's cancellation of the protest came as sporadic disturbances continued around the Iranian capital, and reports circulated of leaked interior ministry statistics showing him as the clear victor in last Friday's polls.

The statistics, circulated on Iranian blogs and websites, claimed Mr Mousavi had won 19.1 million votes while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won only 5.7 million.

The two other candidates, reformist Mehdi Karoubi and hardliner Mohsen Rezai, won 13.4 million and 3.7 million respectively. The authenticity of the leaked figures could not be confirmed. >>> By Colin Freeman | Monday, June 15, 2009

The Other Side of Iran’s Mullocracy – Gay in Iran: A Secret World

In Iran, an Iron Cleric, Now Blinking
THE NEW YORK TIMES: For two decades, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has remained a shadowy presence at the pinnacle of power in Iran, sparing in his public appearances and comments. Through his control of the military, the judiciary and all public broadcasts, the supreme leader controlled the levers he needed to maintain an iron if discreet grip on the Islamic republic.

But in a rare break from a long history of cautious moves, he rushed to bless President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for winning the election, calling on Iranians to line up behind the incumbent even before the standard three days required to certify the results had passed.

Then angry crowds swelled in cities around Iran, and he backpedaled, announcing Monday that the 12-member Council of Guardians, which vets elections and new laws, would investigate the vote.

“After congratulating the nation for having a sacred victory, to say now that there is a possibility that it was rigged is a big step backward for him,” said Abbas Milani, the director of Stanford University’s Iranian studies program.

Few suggest yet that Ayatollah Khamenei’s hold on power is at risk. But, analysts say, he has opened a serious fissure in the face of Islamic rule and one that may prove impossible to patch over, particularly given the fierce dispute over the election that has erupted amid the elite veterans of the 1979 revolution. Even his strong links to the powerful Revolutionary Guards — long his insurance policy — may not be decisive as the confrontation in Iran unfolds.

“Khamenei would always come and say, ‘Shut up; what I say goes,’ ” said Azar Nafisi, the author of two memoirs about Iran, including “Reading Lolita in Tehran.” “Everyone would say, ‘O.K., it is the word of the leader.’ Now the myth that there is a leader up there whose power is unquestionable is broken.”

Those sensing that important change may be afoot are quick to caution that Ayatollah Khamenei, as a student of the revolution that swept the shah from power, could still resort to overwhelming force to crush the demonstrations.

In calling for the Guardian Council to investigate the vote, he has bought himself a 10-day grace period for the anger to subside, experts note. The outcome is not likely to be a surprise. Ayatollah Ahmed Jannati, the council’s chairman, is one of Ayatollah Khamenei’s few staunch allies among powerful clerics. In addition, Ayatollah Khamenei appoints half the members, while the other half are nominated by the head of the judiciary, another appointee of the supreme leader.

“It is simply a faux investigation to quell the protests,” said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. >>> By Neil Farquhar | Monday, June 15, 2009

Protestbewegung gewinnt Kraft: Moussavis Anhänger mobilisieren in Teheran
NZZ Online: Auf der Strasse in Teheran formiert sich eine Oppositionsbewegung, welche das Regime ernst nehmen muss. Die Einschüchterung durch Rollkommandos scheint wenig wirkungsvoll.

Am Montag hat sich nach zwei Tagen kleinerer Proteste erstmals der Eindruck ergeben, dass sich in Iran auf der Strasse eine Oppositionsbewegung formiert, welche das Regime ernst nehmen muss. Die Anhänger des unterlegenen Präsidentschaftsanwärters Moussavi marschierten am Montagnachmittag zwischen dem Engelab-Platz und dem Azadi-Platz quer durch Teheran. Schätzungen der Teilnehmerzahl gingen von mehreren Hunderttausend bis zu über einer Million, jedenfalls eine kritische Grösse. >>> Von Victor Kocher, Limassol | Dienstag, 16. Juni 2009

DIE PRESSE: Revolutionäre, die die Revolte fürchten

Irans Führer steht vor einem Dilemma: Macht er den Reformern keine Zugeständnisse, riskiert er den Aufruhr. Tut er es, riskiert er Wandel.

Die Kinder der Revolution rebellieren: Trotz eindringlicher Verbote der Behörden gingen in Teheran auch am Montag wieder zehntausende Anhänger des Oppositionsführers Mir Hussein Moussavi auf die Straße (die Proteste sind mittlerweile ein globales Phänomen: Heute, um 17Uhr, demonstrieren die Austro-Iraner auf dem Heldenplatz). In Teheran versammelten sich die Demonstranten wieder auf dem Enghel?b-Platz. [sic] Ein symbolträchtiger Ort: Enghel?b [sic] heißt auf Persisch Revolution. >>> Thomas Seifert | Dienstag, 16. Juni 2009

Seven Die as Iran Gripped by Greatest Protest Since Islamic Revolution
THE TELEGRAPH: Seven people have died in clashes in Tehran after an "unauthorised gathering" following a mass rally over alleged election fraud, Iran's state radio reported.

The report said the seven died in shooting that erupted after several people in the west of the capital "tried to attack a military location" on Monday evening.

More than 100,000 opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had earlier marched through Tehran protesting at alleged vote rigging in last week's elections.The outpouring on to the streets was the greatest display of popular feeling since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

The state radio report was the first official confirmation of the shooting in Tehran's Azadi Square. Witnesses saw at least one person shot dead and several others seriously wounded after shooting from a compound for volunteer militia linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard.

To cries of "death to the dictator", Iranians had protested against President Ahmadinejad's proclaimed re-election.

The rally, larger than anything seen in the capital since the demonstrations that toppled Shah Reza Pahlavi 30 years ago, openly defied the authorities. The interior ministry had banned the rally and warned protesters that live ammunition could be used against them.

US President Barack Obama said the world was "inspired" by the Iranian demonstrators and that he was "deeply troubled" by post-election violence.

"The democratic process, free speech, the ability of people to peacefully dissent - all those are universal values and need to be respected," he said. >>> By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor | Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Robert Fisk: Iran's Day of Destiny
THE INDEPENDENT: Fisk witnesses the courage of one million protesters who ignored threats, guns and bloodshed to demand freedom in Iran

Photo: The Independent
It was Iran's day of destiny and day of courage. A million of its people marched from Engelob Square to Azadi Square – from the Square of Revolution to the Square of Freedom – beneath the eyes of Tehran's brutal riot police. The crowds were singing and shouting and laughing and abusing their "President" as "dust".

Mirhossein Mousavi was among them, riding atop a car amid the exhaust smoke and heat, unsmiling, stunned, unaware that so epic a demonstration could blossom amid the hopelessness of Iran's post-election bloodshed. He may have officially lost last Friday's election, but yesterday was his electoral victory parade through the streets of his capital. It ended, inevitably, in gunfire and blood.

Not since the 1979 Iranian Revolution have massed protesters gathered in such numbers, or with such overwhelming popularity, through the boulevards of this torrid, despairing city. They jostled and pushed and crowded through narrow lanes to reach the main highway and then found riot police in steel helmets and batons lined on each side. The people ignored them all. And the cops, horribly outnumbered by these tens of thousands, smiled sheepishly and – to our astonishment – nodded their heads towards the men and women demanding freedom. Who would have believed the government had banned this march? >>> Robert Fisk | Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Shots Fired as Thousands Take to the Streets of Iran to Protest Election Results
THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has joined hundreds of thousands of supporters at a mass rally in Tehran to protest against alleged vote rigging.

Con Coughlin on Iran election results
Despite official orders banning the demonstration from going ahead, Mr Mousavi addressed his followers as they chanted "give us back our votes".

Standing on a car roof and speaking to the surging crowds through a loud hailer, he declared: "The vote of the people is more important than Mousavi or any other person."

In contrast to a previous rally on Saturday, the security forces made no attempt to break up the gathering, although there were occasional clashes with bystanders suspected to be supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

As night fell, there were reports of gunmen firing on protesters, killing at least one person and wounding several others in Tehran's Azadi Square. The shooting is thought to have come from a compound for volunteer militia linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

But most police stood watching with their helmets and shields at their sides, while protesters – wearing the green wristbands, scarves and hats that have symbolised the Mousavi campaign – urged them to join in the demonstration.

"Law enforcers, support us, support us!" they shouted. "You are green like us!" Others urged Mohammad Khatami, the former president who pioneered the reformist movement and who backed Mr Mousavi's candidacy, to also attend the rally. Mr Khatami had earlier criticised the authorities for denying permission for the demonstration, and said that the election had dented public trust in the regime. >>> By Colin Freeman | Monday, June 15, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Hardliners Open Fire as Tension Grips Tehran

Tehran was a tinderbox last night after government paramilitaries started shooting during a huge public protest against last Friday's disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Members of the Basij, a force of young Islamic hardliners, killed one demonstrator and wounded several more when their building was attacked, after tens of thousands of demonstrators held a rally against election fraud in defiance of a government ban.

In another incident, a witness told The Times how she watched from her car as riot police on six motorbikes opened fire on youths walking under a bridge after the rally.

“The riot police started shooting them with big guns,” she said. “It wasn’t like the films where there is just a small hole — the shooting was blowing off hands, limbs. It was terrrible, terrible.”

Gunfire was heard in at least three other districts of the Iranian capital. The Ministry of the Interior was rumoured to have authorised the use of live ammunition as the regime struggled to maintain control. Supporters of the defeated candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, fought running battles with the police and Basiji, who have flooded into Tehran. >>> Martin Fletcher | Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Iran on the Verge of Counter-revolution?
It was an incredible sight. A huge crowd, hundreds of thousands of people maybe even millions of people there in defiance of open threats from the government that they should not assemble.

The security forces were staying well away - we were even able to film and usually the secret police come in straight away and stop you. But the crowds were so enormous they were stepping back. As we drove out we saw rows of riot police stationed on the highway.

If they have opened fire, that is going to really ratchet up this, it could be frankly a huge political mistake for those running this country. [Source: BBC – Jon Leyne: ”A Huge Political Mistake”] Monday, June 15, 2009

We Fight On. We Fight to Win!
THE TELEGRAPH: YouTube, Facebook and other websites have brought down a virtual wall between Iran and the West, writes Leyla Ferani.

Iranian supporters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi attend a protest. Photo: The Telegraph
Earlier this year I spent a month living in Tehran. I’m a 21 year-old British-Iranian from London, and it was my first time back to the Islamic Republic since my twelfth birthday. By day, I dutifully donned a shawl and an overcoat, in public playing the part – like all Iranian girls my age – of the respectful and obedient woman.

But at night, and in private, the shawls were off. The same girls – with their brothers and cousins – joined me in underground raves, fuelled by smuggled alcohol and copious amounts of cannabis. Among the city’s youth, the elections hardly entered conversation. When I asked Mazyiar, a twenty-six year-old, if he would vote, he shrugged, saying, “All the candidates are approved by the Ayatollah, what’s the point?”

In the space of two months, all that has changed. “Where is my vote?”, thousands of young Iranians are chanting in the streets and posting on their supposedly banned Facebook profiles. One look at my own feed tells me how cheated the young people of Iran feel, now that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been re-elected for another four years. “Shout out on the street: ‘Death to the dictator’”, one status tells me, adding cautiously , “but remember not to protest in groups, you must stay dispersed.” Another one says simply, “Supporters of Mousavi protest from Vali-Aser square to Tajrish wearing green cloth”.

All the young Iranians who told me they wouldn’t vote surged behind Mir-Hossein Mousavi; maybe they saw him as the lesser of two evils, the only candidate able to oust the hardliner. One thing is certain: for young middle class Iranians the strained veneer of the Islamist regime is crumbling. They are sick of leading double lives, and having a President they consider to be a global embarrassment.

“I have a good life, I party harder than you guys do”, a twenty-four year old student told me at a party in downtown Tehran, just managing to lift his voice above the music (the lyrics ‘I wanna make love’ blared out). He went on, with typical Persian hyperbole: “I feel a heaviness in my heart, because I know that I’m not living the way I want to.” Judging by the events of the last few days, this heaviness has turned to anger, as young Iranians battled with riot police in the streets, setting fire to cars and fleeing the stun grenades.

If it ever happens, young Iranians believe they will be the ones to dismantle Iran’s Islamist regime. There is some irony in this – after all, a generation ago it was the students who began the 1979 revolution. That year, on November 4, a fresh-faced Ahmadinejad was among those who stormed the US embassy, beginning the Iran hostage crisis.

Those events confirmed fears that the newly formed Islamic republic was to be a pariah to the West. Yet it was only around 500 students who volunteered to be the vessel for the 1979 change. Now in Islamic garb, they are running the country. But is their time running out?

The recent protests have a new dimension: they were organised – and publicised – online. Iranians intent on change are using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other blogging sites as a loudspeaker to amplify their anger towards the regime. Iran can no longer suppress its youth >>> Leyla Ferani | Monday, June 15, 2009

Khamenei ordnet Überprüfung der Wahl an: Moussavi-Lager sagt Kundgebungen vorläufig ab
NZZ Online: Der geistliche Führer von Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hat laut einem Bericht des staatlichen Fernsehens eine Überprüfung der Präsidentenwahl angeordnet. Der Vorwurf des Wahlbetrugs solle untersucht werden, hiess es am Montag.

Das Ergebnis der umstrittenen Präsidentenwahl in Iran soll amtlich überprüft werden. Nach heftigen Protesten und Vorwürfen das Wahlbetrugs ordnete das geistliche Staatsoberhaupt Ayatollah Ali Khamenei am Montag eine Untersuchung an, wie das staatliche Fernsehen berichtete. Zuvor hatte der offiziell unterlegene Reformkandidat Mir-Hossein Moussavi eine Annullierung der Wahl gefordert. Die EU und die Bundesregierung zeigten sich sehr besorgt über die Eskalation. >>> ap/sda | Montag, 15. Juni 2009

Tens of Thousands Defy Ban to March in Tehran in Support of Mousavi
TIMES ONLINE: Tens of thousands of Iranians defied a ban to protest against last week’s hotly-disputed presidential election result as the authorities struggled to contain anger amongst the reformist opposition.

Chanting crowds, some wearing green campaign colours, greeted Mir Hossein Mousavi, the defeated candidate in Friday's poll, as he slowly moved through the streets on the back of a four-wheel drive car.

Scufflles broke out as supporters of Mr Ahmadinejad, riding motorbikes and armed with sticks, attacked the demonstrators along the route.

"The vote of the people is more important than Mousavi or any other person!" said Mr Mousavi, standing on the car roof in Revolution Square and speaking through a loudhailer.

The crowds of young and old who packed several kilometres of his route, shouted back: "Mousavi we support you! We will die but retrieve our votes!" >>> Jenny Booth | Monday, June 15, 2009

Watch BBC video: Thousands of Mir Hossein Mousavi supporters protest in Tehran >>>

REUTERS: Tens of Thousands in Iran Protest

Palestinians Reject Benjamin Netanyahu Speech
THE TELEGRAPH: Palestinian leaders have rejected Benjamin Netanyahu's terms for a two-state solution, claiming the Israeli prime minister's speech on Sunday "sabotaged" the peace process.

They said that Mr Netanyahu had set impossible conditions for a Palestinian state and called on the international community to confront the Israeli premier, who endorsed the conditional creation of a Palestinian state for the first time, but refused to end Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, where the Palestinians hope to build a future state.

Mr Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said: "Netanyahu's remarks have sabotaged all initiatives, paralysed all efforts being made and challenges the Palestinian, Arab and American positions."

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said the speech "closed the door to permanent status negotiations".

He added: "We ask the world not to be fooled by his use of the term Palestinian state because he qualified it.

"He declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, said refugees would not be negotiated and that settlements would remain."

Yasser Abed Rabbo, an adviser to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, said: "The international community should confront this policy, through which Netanyahu wants to kill off any chance for peace.

"They must isolate and confront this policy which Mr Netanyahu is adopting and exert pressure on him so that he adheres to international legitimacy and the road map," he added, referring to a US and European-supported 2003 peace plan.

The Palestinians are irate over Mr Netanyahu's condition that they recognise Israel's legitimate right to exist as a Jewish state, ensuring Palestinian refugees and their descendents who have lived outside of Israel's borders since 1948 are not allowed to return.

Mr Netanyahu also said such a state must be demilitarised and promised that all of Jerusalem would remain as Israel's capital despite the Palestinian desire to make the eastern part of the city, a traditionally Arab area, their future capital one day. >>> By Dina Kraft in Tel Aviv | Monday, June 15, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Benjamin Netanyahu Speech on Palestinian State an Important Step Forward, Says Barack Obama

Benjamin Netanyahu's speech endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state was "an important step forward," the White House said on Sunday.

President Barack Obama "welcomes the important step forward in Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech," Robert Gibbs, the president's spokesman, said in a statement.

In the speech, the Israeli prime minister endorsed for the first time the creation of a Palestinian state, provided it was demilitarised, after weeks of pressure from Washington.

The speech, which was billed as a response to Mr Obama's address to the Muslim world ten days ago, ruled out a complete halt to settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, which Mr Obama also has insisted on.

The White House statement reiterated Mr Obama's commitment to a two-state solution, with a Jewish state of Israel and an independent Palestine "in the historic homeland of both peoples." >>> | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Tehran Is Running Scared of the Uncontrollable Forces of Freedom
TIMES ONLINE: The surge of revolt threatened to become a tidal wave. So the Islamic republic responded with ‘a coup against the coup[’]

Iran seldom admits the international media. It makes an exception at election times because it wants the world to see the Islamic republic's glorious democracy in action. Thus some 400 foreign journalists and television crews were given ten-day visas to cover Friday's presidential election, and for a week we really did see a vibrant and impressive democratic process.

Admittedly the four candidates were handpicked by the regime, but they ranged from the liberal to ultra-conservative, offered starkly contrasting visions for the future and engaged in remarkably outspoken TV debates. The people responded. Armies of supporters took over the streets, festooned every square with posters and banners and, on election day itself, flocked to the polling stations in numbers that shamed most Western democracies.

The charade ended abruptly on Friday night. Scarcely had polling ended than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cronies in the Interior Ministry and Elections Commission declared him the winner. They gave him not a razor-thin victory, which might just have been credible - the President did have legions of diehard supporters among the pious and rural poor. They gave him nearly two thirds of the vote, a figure that defied belief and raised two unmistakable fingers to the Iranian people and the world. They claimed that the main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, lost heavily even in his own village. The number of votes allegedly cast for Mr Ahmadinejad, 24.5 million, was probably chosen so that he could claim to have more support than any president in the republic's 30-year history. The previous high was just over 20 million, cast for the reformist Mohammad Khatami in 1997.

The crackdown began instantly. Mobile phone and text messaging systems were taken down so the opposition could not organise. Opposition websites and international news services were blocked. Baton-wielding security forces flooded on to the streets. Overnight the festive atmosphere turned to fear, exuberance to terror, as the regime showed how evil it is.

All weekend protests were ruthlessly suppressed. Demonstrators were beaten. Foreign journalists, including a reporter and photographer from The Times, were detained. Leading reformists were arrested. Iran's “Prague Spring”, its “Velvet Revolution”, was crushed with Soviet-style ruthlessness by a regime practised in silencing dissent. Mr Ahmadinejad, the self-styled man of the people and champion of the oppressed, unleashed the full force of the state machinery on his own population. Meanwhile, congratulations poured in from... well, Syria and Venezuela.

Why the volte-face? Why did the regime open the door a crack, only to slam it shut so violently? Almost certainly because it was appalled by what it saw on the other side. >>> Martin Fletcher | Monday, June 15, 2009

Benjamin Netanyahu Supports Creation of Demilitarised Palestinian State
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would support the creation of a Palestinian state, but only if it was barred from having an army.

In a landmark move, he endorsed a separate state for the first time but said it must have no military, no control of its air space and no way of smuggling in weapons.

The speech, given in response to US President Barack Obama's address to the Muslim in Cairo world last month, also called on the Palestinians to recognise the right of Israel to exist.

"If we receive this guarantee for demilitarisation and the security arrangements required by Israel, and if the Palestinians recognise Israel as the nation of the Jewish people, we will be prepared for a true peace agreement (and) to reach a solution of a demilitarised Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state," he said.

"Each will have its flag, each will have its anthem. The Palestinian territory will be without arms, will not control airspace, will not be able to have arms enter."

Until now Mr Netanyahu, who leads the Right-wing Likud party, had refused to accept anything more than a vague notion of Palestinian autonomy.

But Mr Obama has made it clear he views a two-state solution as the only solution to the conflict and Mr Netanyahu has been balancing pressure from Washington with placating a ruling coalition dependent on hardliners.

Mr Netanyahu, refused to give in to another key American demand to freeze all construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, where Palestinians hope to build a future state. >>> By Dina Kraft in Tel Aviv | Sunday, June 14, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH:
Benjamin Netanyahu: Full Speech on Palestinian State >>> | Sunday, June 14, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Netanyahu Defies Obama with Harsh Conditions for Palestinian 'Entity'

Binyamin Netanyahu refused to halt Israeli settlement-building in his speech. Photo: Times Online
Binyamin Netanyahu threw down the gauntlet to the US tonight, grudgingly agreeing to a limited Palestinian state that would be demilitarised and not in control of its airspace or borders.

The hawkish Prime Minister insisted that Israel would never give up a united Jerusalem as its capital, and said that established Jewish settlements in the West Bank would continue to expand — despite explicit objections from Washington.

In a keynote speech that referred to a Palestinian “entity” far more frequently than an actual state, Mr Netanyahu tried to advance elements of his economic peace plan — whereby the Palestinians would receive investment in return for limited sovereignty — while still conceding to US insistence on the creation of an independent Palestinian country.

The right-wing Israeli leader said the moderate Palestinian leadership in the West Bank must agree to recognise Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, as well as fight the Islamic hardliners Hamas, who now control Gaza, in return for the resumption of peace talks.

“The key condition is that the Palestinians recognise in a clear and public manner that Israel is the state of the Jewish people,” he told dignitaries in an auditorium at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv.

“If we have the guarantees on demilitarisation, and if the Palestinians recognise Israel as a state of the Jewish people, then we arrive at a solution based on a demilitarised Palestinian state alongside Israel,” Mr Netanyahu said.

“Each will have its flag, each will have its anthem. The Palestinian territory will be without arms, will not control airspace, will not be able to have arms enter.” >>> James Hider in Jerusalem | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 'Takes Back Tehran' with Hardliners, as Police Resort to Beatings
THE SUNDAY TIMES: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brought tens of thousands of supporters into the heart of Tehran tonight in a bid to take back the capital after a weekend of vicious running battles between state security forces and large crowds of Iranians who insist that Mr Ahmadinejad stole last Friday’s presidential election.

Chanting ’Allah o’Akbar” (God is great) and “Ahmadi we love you”, the army of zealous hardliners poured into the central square in a massive show of strength designed to intimidate the furious supporters of Mr Ahmadinejad’s relatively moderate opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi.

They came from far beyond Tehran. “The protestors are lying. There was no cheating,” declared Farang Kamalwand, 39, a chador-clad woman who had travelled 700 kilometres by bus from Lorestan. “We came to prove to people outside this country that we love and support our president,” said Karamollah Rahimi, a builder who had journeyed nine hours from Lordegan.

Mr Mousavi, 67, a former prime minister, has been in hiding since Friday night, but has issued a stream of internet statements urging his supporters to continue their nationwide protests against an election he called a “charade”: some results were announced before the ballot boxes had even been opened. Tonight, he appealed to the Guardian Council, a powerful body of senior clerics, to declare the election void.

Zahra Rahnavard, Mr Mousavi’s wife, accused Mr Ahmadinejad of “dictatorship”, saying: “The Iranian people voted to change Ahmadinejad, but this vote became a vote to solidify Ahmadinejad.” Mousavi aides accused the regime of mounting a “coup d’etat”.

Britain, the United States and other western governments expressed serious concern. Several leading reformists have been arrested including, briefly, the brother of Mohammed Khatami, the former president.

As the regime used overwhelming physical force, electronic jamming and censorship to suppress protests raging barely a mile from his presidential office, Mr Amadinejad gave a surreal, Orwellian press conference at which he called his victory an “epic achievement” that made Iran’s brand of religious democracy, with its emphasis on ethics, a model for the world. >>> Martin Fletcher in Tehran | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Dutch Divided Over Geert Wilders as Radical MP Eyes Premiership
THE TELEGRAPH: Until last week, the Bernard family had the normal concerns of any middle-class Dutch family – putting their teenage children through university, living a greener life, and paying the mortgage.

Geert Wilders began to see a rise in his popularity after an Amsterdam appeals court decided to try him for anti-Muslim comments in January. Photo: The Telegraph
But that has all changed since the European election – and the triumph by Geert Wilders, the right-wing populist and outspoken critic of Islam who in February was banned from entering Britain as a threat to "community harmony".

To many abroad Mr Wilders, a Dutch MP, appears an old-fashioned racist whose views put him on a par with other far-Right politicians elsewhere in Europe.

Yet in its first ever test of national electoral support among the normally tolerant Dutch, his anti-immigration Party for Freedom which he founded in 2006 won 17 per cent of the votes – making it the second biggest party. That has shaken the country to its core – opening up the real possibility that, through the Dutch coalition system, Mr Wilders could win power at the next general election.

Now, like many others in the Netherlands, the Bernards are desperately worried. "This has the feeling of what happened to Germany in the 1930s," said Alfred Bernard, 52, a lawyer. "Wilders blames foreigners for everything. People are disoriented because of the economic crisis. Everywhere there is dissatisfaction with mainstream politicians.

"After this I really believe that Wilders could become prime minister in the 2011 parliamentary elections, or at least set the political agenda."

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Wilders, 45, was frank about that ambition. Asked about the prospect of taking power in two years' time, he said: "That is our biggest job. We had an enormous success last week and our biggest task is to keep up momentum. I am very confident that we will have an excellent result.

"If my party becomes the biggest party, I would be honoured to be prime minister."

Sitting in his office in the Dutch parliament building in The Hague, protected from the threat of assassination by 10 armed secret service bodyguards, he summed up his antipathy to the religion of many immigrants to the Netherlands.

"Islam wants to dominate our society," he said in fluent and only slightly accented English. "It's in opposition to freedom.

"If people are offended, that's not my aim. I don't talk about Muslims but about Islam. Everything I say is against the fascist Islamic ideology."

To the charge that to many his views appeared to be racist, he responded: "If that was true, we would never have been the second biggest party in the European elections."

Why, then, did Moroccans and Turks living in the Netherlands so fear him? "As long as they don't commit crimes, it's a baseless fear," he said. "If you adhere to our laws, if you act according to our values, you are free to stay. We will help you to integrate.

"But if you cross the red line, if you start committing crimes, if you want to do jihad or impose sharia, we want you to be sent out of the Netherlands and we will get rid of your permits to stay."

An admirer of Churchill and Lady Thatcher, he is charismatic as well as combative. Holland's conventional politicians – mostly dull men in suits – have no idea how to counter his politically incorrect taunts, which outrage the parliamentary chamber but delight his supporters. >>> By Nick Meo in Rotterdam | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Read my essay:

Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom >>> Friday, April 20, 2007

LIVE LEAK: Fitna the Movie

Crowds Join Ahmadinejad Victory Rally
Mr Ahmadinejad told crowds the election was free and healthy.
BBC: Tens of thousands of people have joined a rally in central Tehran to celebrate the re-election of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The president's closest opponent in the election, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has lodged an official appeal against the result amid continuing angry protests.

Security forces have arrested up to 100 members of reformist groups, accusing them of orchestrating the violence.

Mr Ahmadinejad denied any vote-fixing, saying the result was "very accurate".

At an earlier news conference, the president accused foreign media of refusing to accept the result because they did not like it.

"Forty million people have taken part in this process. How can they question it?" he said.

US doubt

Asked about Iran's nuclear programme and Tehran's relations with foreign powers, he said the nuclear debate "belongs to the past", and that Iran had "embraced" the idea of an international effort to eliminate nuclear weapons.

Global reaction to the election has been muted, but US Vice-President Joe Biden told broadcaster NBC there was "an awful lot of doubt" about the result.

Mr Ahmadinejad's closest rival in the election campaign, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, announced on Sunday he had lodged an official appeal appeal against the result to Iran's Guardian Council.

"I urge you Iranian nation to continue your nationwide protests in a peaceful and legal way," he said in a statement.

Mr Mousavi has called several times for his supporters to avoid violence, but angry protesters have been setting light to vehicles and throwing stones in Tehran.

Reuters reported that police charged a 2,000-strong group of students who were protesting at the University of Tehran. >>> | Sunday, June 14, 2009

BBC: Debris on the Streets of Tehran



BBC: Iran Arrests after Street Clashes

Reza Pahlavi Speaks Out on Ahmadnejad (October 2007)

Mir Hossein Mousavi Music Video for Iran Election June 2009

The Pahlavi Crown: التاج الپهلوی
Photo of ‘The Pahlavi Crown’ courtesy of the Iran Chamber Society
IRAN CHAMBER SOCIETY: This crown was used by Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, in his coronation on 25 April 1926. His son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, also used the crown in his coronation on 26 Oct. 1967.

The crown was designed and built by a group of Iranian jewellers, under the supervision of Haj Serajeddin, the famous jeweller who had been in the employ of the Amir of Bokhara and had later emigrated from the Soviet Union to Iran. The stones were selected from loose stones in the treasury.

The crown made of red velvet, gold, and silver. It has a total height of 29.8 cm. and has a width of 19.8 cm. It weighs 2,080 grams. The are 3,380 diamonds employed on the crown, totalling 1,144 cts. The largest is a brilliant-cut yellow diamond of 60 cts. which is located in the center of the front jewel sunburst. There are also 369 perfectly-matching natural pearls in three rows on the crown. Of the 5 emeralds, totalling 200 cts., the largest is approximately 100 cts. The largest sapphire is 20 cts.

The design of the crown incorporates a motif of the Sassanid dynasty, which ruled over the Persian Empire from the 3rd through the 7th centuries AD. [Source: Iran Chamber Society]

The Facebook Revolt of Iran's Youth Isn't Over Yet
THE SUNDAY TIMES: For a few days it seemed Iran’s long-repressed youth were on the brink of freedom; then came the brutal reality

Photo: The Sunday Times
A young woman in a thigh-length tunic tightly bound with green ribbon danced down the middle of Tehran’s main boulevard last week. She was nominally campaigning by tossing leaflets into cars backed up for miles, but mostly she just gyrated joyously to pop music blasting into the summer night.

Six young men riding two-up on motorcycles trailed green streamers, hooted and took photos of one another on their mobile phones, then roared off the wrong way through the cars.

Thousands of other young Iranians wove through the traffic jam they had created, blowing whistles, waving green balloons, throwing campaign handouts into the air like confetti. Tehran had never seen anything like last week’s “green wave”.

Sara Siadatnejad was up until 7am loading her photos and video of the demonstrations onto Facebook.

“We were singing, dancing in the streets, boys and girls together. We had never done this before. No one wanted to go home,” she said later, sitting in an outdoor cafe and picking at chocolate cake with green-painted fingernails.

“It seems people were half dead before and suddenly everyone felt alive.”

Half dead because they were brought up in a society patrolled by religious police with the power to beat them for holding hands in the street. Alive because it was the first election in which women played a potent role, demanding an end to the inequalities they endured.

What happens now that the all too brief “Tehran spring” has been abruptly curtailed by the election result? Thirty years after Iran’s Islamic revolution, are the conservative male forces that control the country immune to the demands for reform?

The beatings by riot police, closure of universities and clampdown on foreign news websites yesterday, after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed an overwhelming victory, were targeted at the Facebook generation.

Will these women give in? Under Islamic law as it is enforced in Iran, a woman’s word counts only half as much as a man’s in court; a woman can inherit only half as much as her brother; and while men can divorce easily, a woman who wants a divorce will typically spend three to 10 years in court and automatically lose custody of daughters over the age of seven and sons over two.

“Changes have to be made,” said a 34-year-old political activist who asked to remain anonymous. Her first target would be headscarves, which are mandatory in Iran. “The least of the freedoms we need is the ability to choose what to wear. For women this is really an issue. Whenever you go out, you have to be vigilant because the moral police may not think it is appropriate and they may even take you to jail. A woman’s integrity is judged by the colour of your dress – well, isn’t that stupid?” THE symbol of the demand for reform is not so much Mir Hossein Mousavi, the 67-year-old main opposition candidate, who complained of election fraud yesterday, as his wife. >>> The Sunday Times | Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Beginning of the End?
YNET NEWS: Young Iranians may topple Ayatollah regime in wake of elections fiasco

Upon the publication of the official results of the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, which showed incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the clear winner, regime rivals including the government of Israel can be satisfied.

Ahmadinejad’s victory, which most people believe was apparently achieved via a well-oiled machine of fraud, threats, the deployment of armed forces, closure of rival headquarters, and disconnected cellular phones, may mark the beginning of the end of the Ayatollah regime. This regime was established by the Ayatollah Khomeini 30 years ago, in 1979, after he led a revolution that toppled the Shah and the Pahlavi dynasty.

During the past 30 years, Islamic regime leaders made sure not to repeat the grave mistakes made by the previous regime. As they took advantage of the Shah’s mistakes in order to topple him, Islamic leaders knew precisely which errors to avoid. However, in the latest presidential elections they revived the well-known dictum that we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.

On several occasions during his rule, the Shah was accused of forging election results; large strata of society believed these charges and this laid the groundwork for the popular revolution against him in 1978-79.

Yet on Friday it was the Islamic regime which so blatantly forged the results of the Iranian presidential elections. >>> Soli Shahvar | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Al-Qaeda's American Member Talks of Jewish Roots
YNET NEWS: Adam Yahiye Gadahn, one of most known speakers of global terror organization, releases video in which he talks of his Zionist grandfather who tried to convince him to visit Israel

Al-Qaeda's American activist Adam Yahiye Gadahn released a new video on Saturday in which he denounces Israel and the United States and talks about his Jewish ancestry for the first time.

Gadahn, who is known as the American Azzam and is on the FBI's most wanted list, spoke about his Zionist grandfather, who used to encourage him to visit Israel.

"Let me here tell you something about myself and my biography, in which there is a benefit and a lesson…Your speaker has Jews in his ancestry, the last of whom was his grandfather," he said in the video. Gadahn grew up in California, converted to Islam in the 1990s, moved to Pakistan and joined the global terror organization.

Gadahn said his grandfather was a "Zionist" and "a zealous supporter of the usurper entity, and a prominent member of a number of Zionist hate organizations."

"He used to repeat to me what he claimed are the virtues of this entity and encouraged me to visit it, specifically the city of Tel Aviv, where relatives of ours live," said Gadahn, referring to Israel.

According to the terror operative, his grandfather gave him a book by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "A Place Among the Nations" in which the "rabid Zionist" sets out "feeble arguments and unmasked lies to justify the Jews' rape of Muslim Palestine." >>> Ynet | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Tehran Youth: I'll Never Vote in Iran Again
YNET NEWS: Frustrated and outraged by election results they believe were rigged, Tehran's young take to streets, spread messages and videos on internet and via mobile phones calling on world to intervene

Iran's youth responded with frustration and anger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad electoral win, which many believe was obtained by fraud. Some of them were able to voice their outrage through instant messages and video clips sent via mobile phones, or on blogs, forums, Facebook and YouTUbe before these websites were blocked by the authorities.

One of them, a young man from Tehran, told Ynet on Sunday: "I swear to God I'll never vote in Iran again. Mousavi received 25,000 million votes, but they changed the names (on the ballots)."

However he said that he was still hopeful in light of the great numbers of young Iranians who have taken to the streets in protest of the election results. Tens of thousands of people clashed with security forces in the capital of Tehran on Saturday, and at least two were reportedly killed in the violence. >>> Dudi Cohen | Sunday, June 14, 2009

YOUTUBE: Tehran – Vanak Square


YOUTUBE: Violence - Vanak Square


YOUTUBE: Clashes in Vali Asr Avenue

Die iranische Wahlfarce
DIE PRESSE: Der Triumph von Präsident Ahmadinejad riecht nach Betrug. Das wäre nicht nötig gewesen. Denn auch ein Sieg der Opposition hätte die wahren Machtverhältnisse in der „Mullahkratie“ kaum erschüttert.

Demokratie sieht im Iran so aus: Erst sorgt der Wächterrat dafür, dass zu einer Wahl nur Kandidaten antreten, die dem obersten Geistlichen, Ayatollah Khamenei, genehm sind und das islamistische System nicht infrage stellen. Dann dürfen die Bewerber Wahlkampf spielen; diesmal gab es sogar eine heftige Fernsehdiskussion zwischen den Präsidentschaftsanwärtern. Am Ende gewinnt aber immer der Richtige; da hilft das Establishment zur Not schon nach.

Es war ein ziemlich merkwürdiges Ergebnis, das der iranische Innenminister am Samstag dem etwas ungläubigen Publikum verkündete. 62,6 Prozent der Stimmen habe Amtsinhaber Mahmoud Ahmadinejad schon im ersten Wahlgang errungen, sein schärfster Konkurrent Mir-Hossein Moussavi lediglich 33,75 Prozent. Es ist daher nicht einmal eine Stichwahl nötig. Ahmadinejad wird schon seine Anhänger haben, vor allem auf dem Land. Aber gleich so viele? Der Sharia-Robin-Hood hat zwar in den vergangenen vier Jahren jede Menge Geld und Kartoffeln unters Volk gestreut. Als Erfolg ist seine bisherige Amtszeit jedoch nicht zu begreifen, zumindest nicht mit herkömmlichen Bewertungskriterien: Die Petrodollars des Ölbooms haben sich in Luft aufgelöst, die Inflation liegt sogar offiziell bei 15, die Arbeitslosigkeit bei schöngefärbten zehn Prozent.

Dementsprechend verdatterte Mienen löste nun das Wahlergebnis bei der Opposition aus, besonders angesichts der ausgelassen-jugendlichen Wendestimmung, die in den vergangenen Wochen in Teheran zu beobachten war. Sind die iranische Opposition und westliche Beobachter ihrem eigenen Wunschdenken auf den Leim gegangen? Oder inszenierten Ahmadinejad und seine Leute einen ungenierten Wahlbetrug monströsen Ausmaßes? Der Herausforderer Mir-Hossein Moussavi, bisher ein treuer Diener der Ayatollahs, wollte das Wahlresultat jedenfalls weder glauben noch anerkennen. Er sprach von einer gefährlichen Scharade. Als Ex-Premierminister sollte er wissen, dass die ganze scheindemokratische Kulissenschieberei, die seit der Islamischen Revolution 1979 praktiziert wird, eine einzige Scharade ist. >>> Christian Ultsch | Sonntag, 14. Juni 2009

Reza Pahlavi: Statement on the Latest Developments in Iran
Reza Pahlavi: (رضا پهلوی)
REZA PAHLAVI: Today the world is witnessing the demonstrated anger of millions of Iranians against a regime that denies their most basic rights, including the right to choose leaders who could improve their abysmal condition.

There is no exit from this condition, so long as one man appropriates onto himself the “power of god” and controls the judiciary, the media, the security forces and, through direct and indirect appointees dictates the only candidates claiming to represent an impoverished and disenfranchised people.

Today I stand united with my fellow Iranians and call for the end of the Islamic Republic, or any other prefix in front of the name of my beloved Iran that indicates theocracy or any other form of disregard for democratic and human rights.

I caution the world that offering any incentives or “carrots” to the theocracy under these circumstances is an affront to the people of Iran. This is not a time for short-sighted, self-defeating tactical games. This is the time for the free world to stand true to its principals and support the people of Iran’s quest for democracy and human rights. [Source: RezaPahlavi.org] Saturday, June 13, 2009

Election Clashes Erupt in Iran

Saturday Night Entertainment – Phil Collins: Another Day in Paradise

Saturday Night Entertainment – Joe Cocker: An Officer and a Gentleman

Saturday Night Entertainment – Celine Dion: My Heart Will Go On

YOU TUBE: Luciano Pavarotti & Celine Dion: I Hate You Then I Love You


YOU TUBE: Celine Dion: Because You Loved Me

Obama's White House Is Falling Down
SULTAN KNISH: In the sixth month of his presidency, Obama has turned an economic downturn into an economic disaster, taking over and trashing entire companies, and driving the nation deep into deficit spending expected to pass 10 trillion dollars.

Abroad, Obama seems to have no other mode except to continue on with his endless campaign, confusing speechmaking with diplomacy. It is natural enough that Obama, who built his entire campaign on high profile public speeches reported on by an adoring press, understands how to do nothing else but that.

While the press is still chewing over Obama's Cairo speech, this celebrity style coverage ignores the fact that Obama's endless world tour is not actually accomplishing anything. Instead his combination of ego driven photo op appearances and clueless treatment of foreign dignitaries have alienated many of America's traditional allies. Those who aren't being quietly angry at Obama, like Brown, Merkel or Netanyahu, instead think of him as as absurdly lightweight, as Sarkozy, King Abdullah or Putin do.

While his officials carry out their dirty economic deeds, Obama responds to any and every crisis as if it were a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musical, with a cry of, "Let's put on a show." Thus far Obama has put on "shows" across America, Europe and the Middle East. And what the adoring media coverage neglects to cover, is that Obama's shows have solved absolutely nothing. They have served only as high profile entertainment.

Neither alienating America's traditional allies, through a combination of arrogant bullying and ignorance, nor appeasing America's enemies, has yielded any actual results. Nor does it seem likely to. Islamic terrorism is not going anywhere, neither are the nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. While Obama keeps smiling, the global situation keeps growing more grim.

At home, if Obama was elected as depression era entertainment, the charm of his smiles and his constant appearances on magazine covers appear to be wearing thin on the American public. Despite the shrill attacks on Rush Limbaugh or the Republican Enemy of the Weak-- the Democratic party of 2009, is polling a lot like the Republican party of 2008. The Democrats have suddenly become the incumbents, and the only accomplishment they can point to is lavish deficit spending, often on behalf of the very same corporations and causes they once postured against.

The European Union Parliament's swing to the right cannot be credited to Obama, though doubtlessly some European voters seeing socialist economic crisis management on display in the world's richest country decided they wanted none of it, but it is part of a general turning against federalism. And Obama's entire program is dependent on heavily entrenching federalism at the expense of individual and state's rights. Yet that is precisely his achilles heel with independent voters who are polling against more taxes and expanded government. And no amount of speeches by Obama can wish away his 18 czars or the national debt he has foisted on generation after generation of the American people. That leaves Obama with a choice between socialism and the independent voter. And thus far he has chosen socialism. >>> | Sultan Knish

Sieg des Populismus über die Vernunft: Kommentar zum Ausgang der iranischen Präsidentschaftswahlen
Bild: Google Images
NZZ Online – Kommentar: Der heisse Wahlkampf der letzten zwei Wochen und der grosse Aufmarsch der Wähler an den Urnen hatten bei vielen Beobachtern den Eindruck erweckt, bei den iranischen Präsidentenwahlen würde der bisherige Amtsinhaber Mahmud Ahmadinejad abgewählt. Doch wie sich nun zeigt, war der Wunsch der Vater ihrer Prognosen, Ahmadinejads prominentester Gegner, der ehemalige Ministerpräsident Mir Hossein Moussavi, würde das Rennen machen.

Die Konkurrenten des Präsidenten hatten dessen Politik einer vernünftigen und berechtigten Kritik unterzogen, auf die Ahmadinejad reagierte, indem er die Register des Populismus zog. Er bezichtigte seine Gegner der Lüge und warf eminenten Persönlichkeiten des politischen und religiösen Establishments vor, bestechlich und geldgierig zu sein. Mit der Verteilung von Geld und Vergünstigungen in den Vorstädten und auf dem Land hatte Ahmadinejad in den vergangenen vier Jahren sein Versprechen einzulösen versucht, die reichlichen Öleinnahmen auf den Mittagstisch der Armen zu bringen. >>> Von Jürg Bischoff, Beirut | Samstag, 13. Juni 2009

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Ahmadinejad Re-election a Blow to U.S.-Arab Allies

DUBAI--Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announced election victory Saturday could deal a blow to Washington's Arab allies, who have been alarmed by Iran's regional ambitions and hoped his ouster might moderate them.

Officials in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and U.S.-allied Persian Gulf sheikdoms followed the elections in nearby Iran closely. Many have maintained cordial relations with Mr. Ahmadinejad. But tensions between Arab capitals and Tehran have escalated because of Iran's nuclear program and its sponsorship of proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Friday's election had offered some hope that, should Mr. Ahmadinejad lose, rapprochement with Iran on a number of issues--from territorial disputes to business and trade ties--might be easier.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's biggest challenger, former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, had criticized some of Mr. Ahmadinejad's foreign policy as adventurism on the campaign trail.

U.S. officials and those across the Arab world saw Mr. Mousavi, a sober, experienced statesman, as an attractive alternative to the erratic anti-American firebrand president.

"The continuation of Ahmadinejad certainly poses challenges for the U.S. and the Gulf states," said Hady Amr, director of the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. Still, he said, Gulf officials--however hopeful--have been braced for his election victory. >>> By Chip Cummins | Saturday, June 13, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran Elections Commentary: Dreams of Change Turn to Dust

In the mass election rallies of the last few weeks, countless young Iranians have dared to hope that real political change was possible. Those dreams have turned to dust with remarkable speed.

An Iranian woman argues with members of a group protesting against the Presidential elections in Iran. Photo: The Telegraph
The announcement that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has won re-election with about 63 per cent of the vote sends an unmistakable message: the leaders of the Islamic Republic will not bow to the verdict of the ballot box.

The official result of this contest lacks any credibility. One consistent thread has run through every Iranian election, without a single exception, since the victory of Mohammed Khatami, a liberal cleric, in the presidential polls of 1997: high turnouts favour reformist candidates, low participation rates help the hardliners.

No-one disputes that turnout in this election was extremely high, with the authorities suggesting it may have exceeded 80 per cent. But the same officials are asking Iranians to believe that, for the first time in their electoral history, a massive voter response has delivered a convincing victory for a hardline candidate.

Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the former prime minister who was Mr Ahmadinejad's leading challenger, has already said that he cannot believe that all past experience of Iranian elections has suddenly been turned upside down.

Shortly after the results were announced, Mr Mousavi denounced the entire process. "I will not surrender to this dangerous charade," he said. "The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny."

In the past, the regime has manipulated elections by preventing reformers from standing – a method used to particular effect in the parliamentary polls of 2004, when thousands of candidates were disqualified en masse.

But allowing a contender to stand, only to announce an utterly incredible result, is without precedent in a presidential election.
The central question is how Mr Mousavi might respond. He has already signalled that he will not quietly accept the outcome, but he has only two options, both fraught with risk. >>> By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor | Saturday, June 13, 2009

iPride Brings Homosexuals Together in Time for Parade
Nitzan Horowitz – openly gay Knesset member. Photo: Google Images
THE JERUSALEM POST: Citing the "ongoing struggle" homosexuals face in areas outside of Tel Aviv, Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz, the second openly gay elected Knesset member, was one of several speakers who met with 50 people at the Gay Community Center in Tel Aviv on Thursday to discuss the role and envolvement of gay rights and activism in Israel as part of the five-day program iPride, culminating in Tel Aviv's Gay Pride Parade next Friday.

"The main problem is that most of the gay rights achievements have been won in courts, not through law… Court rulings can be reversed, which is why it's so important to establish gay rights in the legislation," explained Horowitz.

As Tel Aviv prepares to celebrate its centennial, the gay pride parade is included as part of the celebration. "I feel that there has been a change. We are part of mainstream [society]," said Jonathan Danilowitz, a former El-Al flight attendant.

He filed a complaint with the Labor District Court in 1989 to procure an equal right for his then partner of 10 years to receive free flight tickets.

"I felt an outrageous discrimination against me as a gay man," Danilowitz told The Jerusalem Post. "I wasn't going to put up with it and now feel a sense of pride."

The court ruled in his favor, marking an Israeli precedent granting gay rights. Equality under law and inheritance rights for gay couples also were approved during the same period.

After finding their voice and gaining new rights, the GLBT community had another sector of life to face - the army. But unlike other militarized countries, homosexual members of the army do not face discrimination from the Israel Defense Force, according to Major Yoni Schoenfeld.

"If in America the policy is 'Don't ask, don't tell," he said. "Then in Israel, it's 'You can tell, but we just don't care.'" >>> By Stephanie Rubenstein | Friday, June 12, 2009

YOUTUBE: iPride Tel Aviv 2009 Gay Pride Parade

Opinion: Mousavi Bad for Israel
YNET NEWS: A reformist win in Iranian elections will bring Tehran closer to bomb

Many people will breathe a sigh of relief should Mir-Hossein Mousavi be elected as Iran’s president. The question is whether a Mousavi victory and Ahmadinejad defeat will indeed serve Israel’s strategic interests, and the answer is probably ‘no.’

The election victory of reformist candidate Muhammad Khatami in 1997 and again in 2001 took Iran out of isolation, opened doors that were previously closed, and in fact extended the life of the Islamic regime.

In the face of Khatami’s smiles and promising slogans in respect to civil society, the rule of law, and intercultural dialogue, Israel’s warnings that we were dealing with more of the same appeared delusional. By winning the elections, and throughout his presidential term, Khatami managed to a large extent to neutralize the explosive domestic element and blur external criticism.

Only after the radical Ahmadinejad’s victory in 2005, and paritcuarly [sic] in wake of his venomous statements against the State of Israel and his prominent Holocaust denial, the Western world starting seeing Iran in the light Israeli leaders hoped for. This prompted Western states to gradually intensify the moves they were willing to adopt against Iran, including countries such as France and Germany, which until then refrained from adopting a harsh approach vis-à-vis the Islamic regime in Tehran. >>> Soli Shahvar | Friday, June 12, 2009

The writer heads the Ezri Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at University of Haifa.

HAARETZ: Analysis: U.S. to Face a Bolder, More Confident Ahmadinejad

According to reports emerging from Iran's election supervisory agencies, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad garnered at least twice the number of votes compared to that of his main rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Even when factoring in the number of forgeries, irregularities, disturbances, and threats against voters, this statistic is testament not only to the potency of the conservative camp but also the political acumen of Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad's landslide victory (barring any surprises in the counting of the remaining votes) is not expected to change Iran's policy vis-a-vis its nuclear program nor will it impact Tehran's developing ties with the United States.

On these two matters, final say is not in the hands of the president but rather the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Even Iran's support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria is determined by numerous figures, among which Ahmadinejad is just one among equals.

Nonetheless, the U.S. - which took great pains in not declaring its support for any of the candidates and even declared its intention to hold a dialogue with Iran prior to the elections - is now likely to face a more rigid, self-confident Iranian interlocutor, a leader who feels no need to rally public opinion to his side given the fact that he is legally unable to run for a third term as president in Iran. >>> By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent | Saturday, June 13, 2009

THE JERUSALEM POST: Hamas Hails Ahmadinejad's Victory, Urges World to Change Policy

Prominent Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum on Saturday said that the Iranian election results were proof of Teheran's success in protecting the Iranian people's interests and meeting all the challenges facing the nation, Israel Radio reported.

Barhoum said that in light of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection, the international community must change its policy towards Iran. [Source: JPost.com] JPost staff | Saturday, June 13, 2009

New Dark Age Obamonomics! US Cities May Have to Be Bulldozed in order to Survive
THE TELEGRAPH: Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic "shrink to survive" proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline.

The government looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature.

Local politicians believe the city must contract by as much as 40 per cent, concentrating the dwindling population and local services into a more viable area.

The radical experiment is the brainchild of Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County, which includes Flint.

Having outlined his strategy to Barack Obama during the election campaign, Mr Kildee has now been approached by the US government and a group of charities who want him to apply what he has learnt to the rest of the country.

Mr Kildee said he will concentrate on 50 cities, identified in a recent study by the Brookings Institution, an influential Washington think-tank, as potentially needing to shrink substantially to cope with their declining fortunes.

Most are former industrial cities in the "rust belt" of America's Mid-West and North East. They include Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Memphis.

In Detroit, shattered by the woes of the US car industry, there are already plans to split it into a collection of small urban centres separated from each other by countryside.

"The real question is not whether these cities shrink – we're all shrinking – but whether we let it happen in a destructive or sustainable way," said Mr Kildee. "Decline is a fact of life in Flint. Resisting it is like resisting gravity." >>> By Tom Leonard in Flint, Michigan | Friday, June 12, 2009