Khordaad 88, February 2
Mir Hossein Mousavi ’s Interview with Kaleme
Kaleme reports that in this interview which took place close to February 11th [22 of Bahman], the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Mousavi stated that the main reason for the collapse of the dictatorial and unpopular regime of the Shah was its illegitimacy [in the eyes of citizens]. He emphasized that the resistance of Iranians is a cherished legacy of the Islamic revolution. As is their intolerance for dishonesty, fraud and corruption. The complete interview is provided…
————
CNN, February 2
Moussavi: Shah’s ‘tyranny’ continues in Iran
Mir Hossein Moussavi, the Iranian opposition leader and symbol of anti-government fervor, lashed out against Iran’s Islamic Republic Tuesday, saying remnants of the “tyranny” and “dictatorship” that prevailed under the toppled Shah of Iran’s regime persist today.
“In the early years of the Islamic Revolution, most people were convinced that the structure of the revolution would destroy the past political situation of tyranny and dictatorship, and I was one of them who believed that,” said Moussavi, a former prime minister.
But now, he said, that’s not true anymore.
“The current political situation in Iran indicates the presence of the remaining roots of tyranny and dictatorship of the Shah,” whose regime was overthrown in 1979 and replaced by an Islamic republic led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
“I don’t believe that the revolution achieved its goals,” said Moussavi, speaking out forcefully as the tensions over Iranian politics continue.
————
Guardian (UK), February 2
Mousavi attack on ‘dictatorship in name of religion’ seen as Iran protests call
Mousavi, who says he should have been declared winner of last June’s presidential election, said today that modern Iran showed the “attitude of a historic tyrant regime everywhere” – a powerful challenge to the hardline leadership.
His remarks, which came as officials warned that nine more opposition activists had been sentenced to death, were given extra force by the approaching 11 February anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic, a key date in the Iranian calendar.
“Dictatorship in the name of religion is the worst kind,” Mousavi said on his website Kalemeh.org. “The most evident manifestation of a continued tyrannical attitude is the abuse of parliament and judiciary. Filling the prisons and brutally killing protesters show that the roots of … dictatorship remain from the monarchist era. I don’t believe the revolution achieved its goals.”
————
The Economist, February 2
Defiant talk: Iran’s opposition refuses to give up
Mr Mousavi has timed his comments to encourage a new round of anti-government protests that are expected next week. His defiance is courageous in the face of months of intense repression by the government and a particularly intense recent crackdown on opposition members. Late in January two men were executed after being accused of trying to topple the government. The two had been detained in the unrest following the disputed elections. Another nine people have been sentenced to death for taking part in pro-opposition demonstrations.
————
The Lede, The New York Times Times News Blog, February 2
Puzzling over a Red, White and Blue Iran
Recent images of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, standing before backdrops prepared for official ceremonies — in which the colors of Iran’s flag appear to have been changed from red, white and green to red, white and blue — have observers asking: Are Iranian graphic designers trying to tell us something? And if so, what, exactly?
————
BBC News, February 3
Iran president Ahmadinejad accepts nuclear deal terms
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told state TV that Iran would have “no problem” if most of its stock was held for several months before being returned as fuel rods.
Correspondents say such a decision would be a major shift in Tehran’s position.
The US said that if this was a new offer, it was “prepared to listen”.
————
Reuters, February 2
Biden: Iran leaders sow seeds of own destruction
“The people of Iran are thinking about, the very people marching, they’re thinking about regime change,” Biden told MSNBC when asked whether it was time for “regime change” in Iran since President Barack Obama’s effort to engage the Islamic republic had failed to make progress.
Signaling Washington was sticking to its dual track of diplomacy and sanctions, Biden insisted: “It’s time (for the United States) to reach out, demonstrate that we’re not the problem, the hand that gets rejected, and be able to have the whole world stay with us … against the Iranian government.”
————
Street Journalist, February 3
Iran, With Opposition Protests Continuing, Executes More Prisoners
Every Thursday since last April, Davoud Rahmanipour traveled to the notorious Evin prison in northern Tehran for a weekly visit with his son, Arash, 19, who was being held there while his lawyer appealed his death sentence.
The elder Mr. Rahmanipour was unsettled last Thursday to hear from prison authorities that his son had been transferred to a different prison. His misgivings gave way to shock and grief that afternoon when he heard, on state-run television, that his son had been hanged that day at dawn.
“We are in a devastating psychological and physical situation,” Mr. Rahmanipour said Monday in a tearful voice during a telephone interview.
————
Associated Press on ABC News, San Francisco, February 22
Iran president suggests exchange for jailed US hikers
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested in a television interview Tuesday that Iran would release three jailed U.S. hikers in exchange for Iranians currently serving time in American prisons.
Ahmadinejad said that talks were under way about possibly exchanging the hikers for Iranians in the United Sates.
“We are having a kind of talks to have an exchange if it is possible,” he said, explaining that there were several Iranians jailed for years without charges in U.S. prisons.
It was not immediately clear which Iranian prisoners he was referring to and he did not name any specific cases.
“We have said, bring them (the Iranians) and we’ll bring these people (the American hikers) and we are hopeful that all prisoners will be released,” he said in the interview broadcast on state TV.
————
Payvand News, February 2
Hassan Khomeini Snubs Ahmadinejad
On Monday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his cabinet visited the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini to renew their allegiance to the ideals of the Founder of the Islamic Republic. They were hosted by Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Imam Khomeini, grandson of Imam Khomeini. Hassan Khomeini is the representative of his family and caretaker of the mausoleum. However, as soon as Ahmadinejad took the podium, Khomeini’s grandson left the ceremony and went to his quarters.
CNN, February 2, 2010
Video: Iran Executions