If wishing made it so…

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stepped up his rhetoric since the onset of the current financial crisis, predicting “an end to capitalism” and declaring that “the bullying powers are on the verge of collapse.”

Though Iran is not without its own economic troubles, its financial sector has been largely unaffected by the crisis gripping the West. This fact has led to a greater-than-usual amount of smugness from the Iranian firebrand, who honestly seems to believe the Western economic and political systems are on the verge of destruction.

To me, these outlandish declarations from Tehran are a symptom of a much larger problem, which is not only confined to Iran, but which some in Washington suffer from as well…

Clearly Not a Carpet-Bazaar…

Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, unleashed a stinging rebuke in the Huffington Post yesterday to Thomas Friedman’s New York Times op-ed, calling the columnist’s conclusions “offensively colonialist and racist generalizations.”

The piece by Friedman was an explanation as to why he believes the next US president will have more leverage in dealing with Iran. Essentially, he said that the falling price of oil gives the US badly needed leverage over Iran. He drew largely on comments made by Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, characterizing negotiations with Iran as similar to bargain shopping in the bazaar. He quoted Sadjadpour saying, “there is never a price tag on any carpet. The dealer is not looking for a fixed price, but the highest price he can get — and the ‘Iran price’ is constantly fluctuating depending on the price of oil.”

Video: “Secret War on Iran”

(h/t Iranian.com): From Current TV, an in-depth look at some of the militant groups operating against the Iranian government, with an eye toward whether any of these groups receive American assistance.  Very interesting.

US expanding cross-border attacks; next up Iran?

After cross-border air and ground incursions into Pakistan earlier this year, which were reportedly authorised by an executive order signed in July, U.S. Special Forces/CIA raided a village compound 5 miles into Syrian territory late last week.  Ostensibly, they were in the search of high-value terrorists, but the daring cross-border operation killed several civilians including women and children, and it is still unclear if any al-Qai’da members are among the dead.

The assault might be an escalation of an announced strategy to widen the scope of operations in the region in search of “high-value al-Qai’da operatives previously beyond” the reach of U.S. forces. Similar to “pre-emptive strikes,” these cross-border operations undermine central concepts in international law, especially state sovereignty.

And this is particularly relevant to the Iranian-American community. Why? In the context of escalated ‘covert operations’ inside Iran (carried out by the CIA, in collaboration with radical Iranian militants), and Congress’ designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a ‘terrorist entity’, there’s a chance the Bush administration might see an opportunity to challenge Iranian sovereignty, too.

Let’s just hope that President Bush doesn’t try to salvage his legacy by initiating a third war in eight years; after all, the ‘third time’s a charm’.

Just when things were looking up…

Iran has announced the opening of a new naval base just east of the Persian Gulf, strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil chokepoint.  The Iranian naval chief, Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, has said that this move was intended to “enable Iran to block the entry of an enemy into the Gulf.” Iran is now and has historically threatened to close the strait in the event of an attack by foreign powers.

These new developments come after biting remarks by an official in the Europe/US department in the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Wahid Karimi. He said that due to the increasing threats of an attack on Tehran by either the US or Israel, Iran should attack London as a preemptive measure. “The most appropriate means of deterrence that Iran has, in addition to a retaliatory operation in the [Gulf] region, is to take action against London,” said Karimi.

Something wicked this way comes…

Last week the Washington Post ran an OpEd by two former Senators, Chuck Robb (D-VA) and Dan Coats (R-ID).  In it, they endorsed sustained aggressive action in future U.S. dealings with Iran, saying that Iran must be prevented, using any means necessary, from not only obtaining nuclear weapons, but even “the ability to quickly assemble a nuclear weapon.”

They were part of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s national security task force on Iran which also includes current Obama advisor to Middle Eastern Affairs, Dennis Ross.  It’s well known that Ross is positioning himself for a seat in an eventual Obama administration–possibly special envoy to Iran.  So then why is he stating in an Israeli newspaper that “Today Iran is a nuclear power – it doesn’t have nuclear weapons yet, but in 2001 it was not yet able to convert uranium or uranium gas, it didn’t have a single centrifuge. Now it’s stockpiling highly enriched uranium.”?

Alleging that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium (HEU) is a pretty big deal.  Mohammed Elbaradai, and the IAEA have both declared that no HEU exists in Iran or within it’s nuclear program.  In the world of nuclear inspections, there are few greater certainties than this.  For me, this raises some questions about Ross’ qualifications for a high-level position regarding Iran.  Does he really believe he knows more about the existence of uranium in Iran than the IAEA inspectors? What is the drive behind making such a claim? One has to wonder what Senator Obama thinks of all this…

Updated: Iranian American student imprisoned in Tehran

A graduate student from California State University-Northridge has been imprisoned in Iran for more than a week, with calls for her release going unheeded by Iranian authorities, according to rights groups and media reports.

More information here, here, and here.

Personal blog calling for Esha’s release: http://for-esha.blogspot.com/

update: See NIAC’s article, Iranian-American student arrested in Iran, groups call for release.

Iranian-American Artists Urge You to Vote November 4!

Remember: Election Day is November 4!

Click here to find your polling location.

‘Body of Lies’ Star Endures Government Pressure for Fame: First Iranian-Hollywood Crossover

Golshifteh Farahani, who stars in Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, has seen her fame and popularity in Iran skyrocket since becoming the first Iranian actress to successfully cross over to Hollywood.

“Come see Golshifteh and Mr. DiCaprio!” vendors yell on the streets of Tehran. “Buy and watch with Farsi subtitles! Hollywood quality film! Come before they’re sold out.”

But, as NIAC reported in August, fame has not always been kind to Miss Farahani.  The Iranian government earlier prohibited her from traveling to the US as punishment for her role in the film, which depicts her violating Iranian dress codes for women. And according to Farahani, the conservative rulers of Iran have given her some trouble as a result of her newfound popularity:

Iran Fails to Gain Seat on UN Security Council

This morning, the UN General Assembly voted to appoint the next five non-permanent members of the Security Council, replacing five states whose terms are set to expire at the end of the year.  Iran had hoped to gain a seat on the influential body, most likely as a way of opposing further multilateral sanctions against its nuclear program from the inside.  However, Japan also sought a seat at the table, and proved to be tough competition.

Just moments ago, Japan easily won a vote of all 192 General Assembly members with 158 votes.  Iran only gained the support of 32 nations.

Along with Japan, next year’s Security Council will include new members Uganda, Mexico, Turkey and Austria.

US Military’s Cultural Intelligence on Iran

The Center for Public Integrity, on its blog “Paper Trail,” reports on what the US military gives to Marines so they can be familiar with Iranian culture in the event of a military conflict:

PaperTrail has obtained an exclusive copy of the military’s field guide for cultural intelligence for possible military operations in Iran, which is designed to help the U.S. military understand foreign cultures. Though nowhere near as enjoyable as the U.S. Army’s 1943 Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq During World War II, … it describes in detail what our soldiers are learning about Iran – and it’s everything from paranoia within the military to preferred pants widths.

The existence of fault lines among Iran’s military organizations and its ethnic groups is a major theme in the Marine Corps’s CD-ROM, Cultural Intelligence for Military Operations: Iran.

The guide also paints a picture of endemic paranoia within Iran’s armed forces. “Relationships between superiors and subordinates are characterized by deference and gratitude but also by cynicism and manipulation. Iranians expect their social inferiors are scheming somehow to oust or overthrow them, even though they profess allegiance and obedience,” according to a section called Cultural Influences on Military Effectiveness. …

Read the entire entry here, and access the full manual here.

(h/t: Laura at War and Piece)

After Postponing Announcement, Bush to Open Interests Section After Election

According to David Ignatius of the Washington Post, the Bush administration is planning to announce the opening of a US diplomatic interests section in Iran following the November 4 election.

Plans for the announcement had been postponed in August out of fears that it would unduly influence the Presidential election. The issue of foreign policy on Iran has proven to be one of the most divisive of the entire election; Senator McCain and Obama disagree strongly on whether to engage in direct diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.

An interests section in Iran would house the first American diplomats since the hostage crisis in 1980, and would greatly facilitate Iranians’ requests for visas to the U.S.