Democratization of Iran should be the only real option on the table in US - Iran talks

We know that the Obama administration has sent out all the right signals since the president took office in January of 2009. Heck, his sincerity was so overwhelming in his celebratory message to the Iranian people on Norouz (the Persian New Year) that it felt like Iran and the United States have been pals forever. It was a good gesture to winning the hearts and minds of Iranians but then came the strings attached.

The US administration then connected the soft campaign to what was labeled as “transactional diplomacy” which is code for “let’s get down to business”. Fine, the United States wants to befriend Iran and do business. However, anyone who has taken international business 101 will tell you that to engage in a productive, profitable and friendly bilateral trade relations requires prerequisites the most important of which for Iran means having a stable democratic political system.

Now some would argue that America already does business with nondemocratic countries in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, but make no mistake, Iran is no Saudi Arabia and even the Saudi’s would tell you today that they are not happy with the nature of their relationship with the US so that’s not the kind of relationship we are talking about establishing between the two countries, at least I hope not.

So, now that US – Iran talks are to get underway, the Obama administration needs to focus its efforts on pushing for a relationship with Iran based on common principles and common values and the only way to achieve this objective in my view is to push for the democratization of Iran.

How the United States should proceed for meeting this objective:

Rather than putting the focus on Iran’s nuclear development and its enrichment program I would argue that the US negotiation team work its way up to that point by addressing the following key points.

a) Calling the government in Tehran on the election fraud. This way the coup regime sitting on the opposite side of the negotiation table will know that the United States is not in this discussion to appease the coup regime and that it does not recognize this government as the legitimate representative of the people of Iran in its present form.

This sets the tone that despite the election results America is serious about engaging with Iran and the Iranian people who want better ties with America and if the coup regime cannot deliver on bridging this relationship, the people of Iran (the green movement) are willing to do so (the chants of down with Russia, down with China and down with the dictator as opposed to death to America which the regime was calling for post June 12th 2009 is a clear indication of the present mood in Iran).

b) Show strength of conviction. The coup government in Tehran believes that the United States has been weakened as a result of the global economic meltdown and its lackluster performances in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have used this propaganda so much for domestic consumption that they actually have come to believe that America is no match for Iran. Therefore, the United States must demonstrate that its political, economic and military will can out last Iran’s mischief if the coup government decides to cause trouble in the region as a means to divert global attention. This again brings the focus back onto Iran and will not allow the coup government of Ahmadinejad to present an alternative new world order model which it seems to do under an Islamic system and life form (this new world order was presented by Ahmadinejad in brief during his speech at the UN general assembly).

c) THIS IS KEY - Demand democratization. Make it clear that as a first step to economic cooperation Iran must a) adhere to human rights laws which means putting into place political and social freedoms as defined by the oxford political dictionary and NOT the regimes interpretation of democracy and social justice, b) democratize its political system to a secular multiparty system as a guarantee for political stability in the country if the United States is going to invest in a long term diplomatic and business relationship with Iran, and c) move towards liberalizing the economy (the break-up of state monopolies). The message should be that America does business best with countries that share the same values and principles as her, and I can tell you from personal experience that Iran and America have a lot in common. And finally,

d) Display sincerity in a win-win strategy. Make it clear that if Iran implements a democratic system America is ready to talk about lifting existing sanctions, helping Iran with economic modernization plans and the development and enhancement of its nuclear plants for peaceful purposes. The Ahmadinejad coup regime MUST understand it has a credibility problem that is in dire both domestically and internationally and until it cleans up its act “transactional diplomacy” will not mean a thing. America must also make one other important point clear and that is the United States is ready to walk away from the negotiation table and take this discussion directly to the Iranian people which would then bear the following consequences to the Ahmadinejad coup government:

a. The denouncement of the Ahmadinejad coup government as the legitimate representatives of the Iranian people
b. The creation of a blockade on Iran’s core industry by placing sanctions on its oil exports and petroleum imports.
c. The blockade all financial assets of the coup regime in foreign banks.
d. Travel restrictions on the coup regimes top 100 people, And
e. Offering moral support to the forces within Iran that are ready to bring about political stability in the country and promote better relations with the free world.

In my view the worst thing America can do now that dialogue with Iran is about to commence is to break off talks and replace it with UN backed sanction without teeth or alternatively allow an Israeli air attack on Iran. Going to war with a people that have great admiration for America and the American people is a tragedy in US Middle East foreign policy and if that does happen the United States will have handed Iran over to the Russians and the Chinese in a platter and diminished its influence in the region forever.

Shar Shahabi
Middle East Political Strategist

Ahmadinejad denounces the existence of Israel

Once again Ahmadinejad out does himself by saying that the state of Israel should never have become. “It is a false state that should never have come to existence in the Middle East and if the west likes it so much they should have established it in Europe since they created the disaster”. Someone take this guy out back and gag him. I can’t believe he has been invited to the UN to speak.

Counter Chants ... ma ahle koofeh neesteeem pool begeereem be eesteem

Secular Slogans for seperation of religion and state in Iran

Thousands took to the streets in protest across Iran

TEHRAN, Iran – Hard-liners attacked senior pro-reform leaders in the streets as tens of thousands marched in competing mass demonstrations by the opposition and government supporters. Opposition protesters, chanting "death to the dictator," hurled stones and bricks in clashes with security forces firing tear gas.

The opposition held its first major street protests since mid-July, bringing out thousands in demonstrations in several parts of the capital. In some cases only several blocks away, tens of thousands marched in government-sponsored rallies marking an annual anti-Israel commemoration.

The commemoration, known as Quds Day, is a major political occasion for the government — a day for it to show its anti-Israeli credentials and its support for the Palestinians. Quds is the Arabic word for Jerusalem. During a speech for the rallies, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad railed against Israel and the West, questioning whether the Holocaust occurred and calling it a pretext for occupying Arab land.

But the opposition was determined to turn the day into a show of its survival and continued strength despite a fierce three-month-old crackdown against it since the disputed June 12 presidential election.

Top opposition leaders joined the protests, in direct defiance of commands by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who barred anti-government demonstrations on Quds Day. That could provoke an escalation in the crackdown: hard-line clerics have been demanding the past week that any leader backing the protests should be arrested.

Tens of thousands joined the government-organized marches, starting in various parts of the capital and proceeding to Tehran University. Police and security forces, along with pro-government Basij militiamen, fanned out along main squares and avenues and in many cases tried to keep nearby opposition protesters away from the Quds Day rallies to prevent clashes, witnesses said.

Opposition supporters poured onto main boulevards and squares, wearing green T-shirts and wristbands and waving green banners and balloons — the color of the reform movement. They waved their fingers in the air in V-for-victory signs along with pictures of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, chanting "death to the dictator."

Others chanted, "Not Gaza, not Lebanon — our life is for Iran" — a slogan directly challenging the government's support for anti-Israeli Palestinian militants in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla. Some shouted for Ahmadinejad's government to resign. Some women marched with their children in tow.

But at one of the several opposition rallies around the city, a group of hard-liners pushed through the crowd and attacked former President Mohamad Khatami, a cleric who is one of the most prominent pro-reform figures, according to a reformist Web site. The report cited witnesses as saying the opposition activists rescued Khatami and quickly repelled the assailants.

Hard-liners tried to attack the main opposition leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, when he joined another march elsewhere in the city, a witness said. Supporters rushed Mousavi into his car when the hard-liners approached, and the vehicle sped away as his supporters pushed the hard-liners back, the witness said. He and other witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government retaliation.

Another pro-reform leader, Mahdi Karroubi, who also ran in the presidential election, also joined protests elsewhere in the city.

In one of the main Tehran squares, Haft-e Tir, security forces weilding batons and firing tear gas tried to break up one of the opposition marched, and were met with protesters throwing stones and bricks, witnesses said. Several policemen were seen being taken away with light injuries. At least 10 protesters were seized by plainclothes security agents in marches around the city, witnesses said.

The pro-government Quds Day rallies were held in cities around the country, and the opposition staged competing rallies in the southern and central cities of Shiraz and Isfahan, witnesses said. In Shiraz, police rushed the protesters with batons, scuffling with them, witnesses said.

The opposition claims that Ahmadinejad won the June election by fraud and that Mousavi is the rightful victor. Hundreds of thousands marched in support of Mousavi in the weeks after the vote, until police, Basij and the elite Revolutionary Guard crushed the protests, arresting hundreds. The opposition says 72 people were killed in the crackdown, thought the government puts the number at 36. The last significant protest was on July 17.

In sheer numbers, the opposition turnout was far smaller than the mass pro-government Quds Day marches — not surprising given the state's freedom to organize the gathering.

Customarily on Quds Day, Iranians gather for pro-Palestinian rallies in various parts of the city, marching through the streets and later converging for the prayer ceremony. The ceremony was established in 1979 by the leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Just hundreds of yards (meters) away from opposition protesters on the main Keshavarz Boulevard, thousands of Ahmadinejad supporters marched carrying huge photographs of the president and Supreme Leader Khamenei. Some in the government-sponsored rally chanted: "Death to those who oppose the supreme leader!"

At the climax of the occasion, Ahmadinejad addressed worshippers before Friday prayers at the Tehran University campus, reiterating his anti-Holocaust rhetoric that has drawn international condemnation since 2005. He questioned whether the "Holocaust was a real event" and saying Israel was created on "a lie and mythical claims."

NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer

More protests from the streets of Tehran on "Iran Day" - Sept. 18th 2009

Images from Iran Day rally - Friday 18th of September 2009

The Iranian people once again

show thier dislike of a regime and those in it who have stolen their votes, killed their people, and have tortured their brothers and sisters.

Chants of Death to China... on the streets of Tehran Friday Sept. 18th 2009

Chants of Death to Russia ... on the streets of Tehran Friday Sept. 18th 2009

Message from Tehran on "Iran Day" Friday Sept. 18th 2009

The main starting / meeting point for the demonstration participants was in Haft e tir square where both Green and Governments supporters began to gather.

The two groups used separate streets to arrive at the university, but what was very apparent was that the greens greatly outnumbered the government turnout.
The “Green” crowd was large and people were amazed not only at the turn out in terms of numbers but also in terms of young and old, men and women, adults and children and women in the various spectrum of Islamic dress, from the mini-scarf to industrial chador. All were green today.

The crowd was also cheered on by construction workers waving green banners from upper floors as well as the subliminal signs of approval from many of the police as well as people in their cars honking their horns and waving green flags and giving the "victory sign".

This turnout seemed to give a new force to many who just days before were just considering attending or of the opinion that the movement was finished. Everyone was shocked by not only the turnout in terms of numbers but how GREEN it was At one point in the middle of the street the Karoubbi arrived amidst cheers and jubilation. Participants distributed masks for identity protection as well as in gas of pepper or tear gas as well as tying green ribbons on everyone’s fingers, necks and foreheads. At one point passing a grandstand replete with clerics, from somewhere the old Iranian anthem began, Ey Iran – to which all began singing – followed by fervent chants of “Marg bar Dictator”.

Crossing a large traffic circle, the crowd had to pass through a large contingency of police and basij that were filming the crowd. At one point a demonstrator was seized and the crowd pulled him back. Finally at one point a truck filled with the “Slogan Leaders – those with the loudspeaker that call out to the crowd to cheer in unison” began to speed through the crowd in order to disperse marchers and ruin the mood, following this tear gas began to fill the air and people began to flee to escape the tear gas and also any possible police or basij reprisal that might follow.

Codoleezza Rice talking about the Middle East, Russia, China and Iran

http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/09/17/f_mpw_rice_iran.fortune

Controlled Media setting for Qods rally in Tehran

Newz Brief: According to received information, international reporters will be stationed in specific locations during the rally tomorrow in Tehran so that the regime's supporters are in the shot. In order to counter this effort citizen journalist are requested to send their videos and pictures to international news agencies ASAP so that the big lie about could be preempted.Read More

IAEA flip-flops on the Nuclear Issue of Iran

Newz Brief: IAEA changes vocals in saying Iran is after the A. bomb. What I make of this is that there is an all out offensive on the regime in Tehran to change its behavior. Let’s see if it will work. However, it will be a sad day if the world community stopped short of pushing for human rights for the Iranian people in favor of what the Whitehouse calls "transactional diplomacy" or what I call a quick buck.

The IRGCs warning to the Iranian people and the Green Movement

Newz Brief: In fear of widespread public participation in tomorrows demonstration, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a statement in a bid to prevent the Iranian people from participating in a nationwide protest by resorting to what... they have called a "crushing confrontation" with the enemies of the revolution. The statement comes after Ali Khamenei's speech to the nation on September 17th 2009.

Basij forces have been called to Tehran for Qods Day

Newz Brief: While international reporters have been allowed back into Iran to cover tomorrows rally the regime is doing everything it can to show calm. it is worth noting that the media’s presence can act in favor of the green movement as it will reduce the likelihood of state sponsored violence, ruthlessness and clashes. The basiji’s have been brought in and are on standby.

Roxana Saberi on VOA

Newz Brief: Watching Iranian American journalist Roxana Saberi on VOA. She spent 6 years in Iran and was a prisoner for 6 months accused of spying for the CIA in Iran. Her father is Iranian and mother Japanese but having spent this time in Iran she speaks eloquently (in farsi) on the situation in the country.

Her view is that the youth of Iran, which make up over 75% of the population today demand individual freedoms and civil liberties such as the right to political self-determine, the right to live free from fear and persecution and the right to have economic prosperity in today’s global economy.

The current system can not deliver these new values within a modern context of society.

Rally in Tehran for Qods Day

Newz Brief: Tomorrow Iranians rally to the streets on "Iran Day". The question the world wants to know is who will control the slogans and the mass. If Ahmadinejad has his way the rally will be about Qods and an international agenda. BUT if the green movement can focus the attention on the domestic turmoil then the signal to the world will be that Iran’s human rights issue cannot be taken off the table.