WarSclerotic

Iran confirms 1 killed, dozens injured in protests.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian police on Tuesday confirmed that one person was killed during clashes between security forces and protesters a day before.

The official IRNA news agency quoted acting police commander Gen. Ahmad Reza Radan who said dozens of people, including nine members of the security forces, were also wounded in Monday’s protests. Radan said one of the injured was in a critical condition.

He also said several people were arrested, but did not specify how many.

Radan blamed the violence on the Iraq-based Iranian opposition group, MEK. He provided no proof to back up his claim.

Monday’s clashes between police and tens of thousands of protesters wracked central Tehran as opposition supporters tried to evoke the spirit of Egypt’s recent popular uprising.

The opposition called for the demonstration in solidarity with Egypt’s popular revolt that a few days earlier forced president Hosni Mubarak to resign after nearly 30 years in office. The rally was the first major show of strength for Iran’s cowed opposition in more than a year.

Police used tear gas against the protesters in central Tehran’s Enghelab, or Revolution, square and in Imam Hossein square, as well as in other nearby main streets. Demonstrators responded by setting garbage bins on fire to protect themselves from the stinging white clouds.

The pro-government Fars News Agency initially reported that a bystander was shot dead at the hands of protesters.

Eyewitnesses at the time reported at least three protesters injured by bullets were taken to a hospital in central Tehran while dozens of others were hospitalized because of severe wounds as a result of being beaten.

“An Iranian dies but doesn’t accept humiliation,” demonstrators chanted. “Death to the dictator,” they said, in a chant directed at hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Security forces on motorcycles could also be seen chasing protesters through the streets, according to eyewitnesses.

Fars, which is linked to the Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s most powerful military force called protesters “hypocrites, monarchists, ruffians and seditionists,” and ridiculed them for not chanting any slogans about Egypt as they had originally promised.

The agency added that an unspecified number of protesters were arrested and handed over to police and security officials.

Opposition website kaleme.com reported that similar rallies took place in the central city of Isfahan and Shiraz in the south. Security forces used force to disperse them as well.

Foreign media are banned from covering street protests in Iran.

Following the announcements by the opposition that they would attempt to hold a new rally in solidarity with the Egypt uprising, Iran’s security forces cut phone lines and blockaded the home of an opposition leader in attempts to stop him attending the planned rally.

Police and militiamen poured onto the streets of Tehran to challenge the marches, which officials worry could turn into demonstrations against Iran’s ruling system.

The security clampdown is reminiscent of the backlash that crushed a wave of massive protests after Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election in June 2009. But opposition supporters revived a tactic from the unrest, shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or God is Great, from rooftops and balconies into the early hours Monday in a sign of defiance toward Iran’s leadership.

The reformist website kaleme.com said police stationed several cars in front of the home of Mir Hossein Mousavi ahead of the demonstration called for Monday in central Tehran.

Mousavi and fellow opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi have been under house arrest since last week after they asked the government for permission to hold a rally on Feb. 14 in support of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

On Sunday, the opposition renewed its call to supporters to rally, and accused the government of hypocrisy by voicing support for the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings while refusing to allow Iranian political activists to stage a peaceful demonstration.

Across central Tehran, riot police, many on motorbikes, fanned out to prevent any demonstration, witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears of reprisals from authorities.

The uprising in Egypt opened a rare chance for the political gambit by Iran’s opposition.

Ahmadinejad claimed the Egyptians who toppled President Hosni Mubarak took inspiration from Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought down a Western-backed monarchy. Iran’s opposition movement used the comments to push the government into a corner and request permission to march in support of Egypt’s protesters.

Iranian officials quickly backpedaled and said no pro-Egypt rallies were allowed — bringing sharp criticism from the White House and others.

Karroubi and Mousavi have compared the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia with their own postelection protest movement. Mousavi said Iran’s demonstrations were the starting point but that all the uprisings aimed at ending the “oppression of the rulers.”

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who is on a visit to Iran, urged governments in the Middle East to listen to the demands of their people.

“When leaders and heads of countries do not pay attention to the demands of their nations, the people themselves take action to achieve their demands,” IRNA quoted Gul as saying Monday.

Iran blames Israel, US for supporting protests.

Hardline Iranian lawmakers called on Tuesday for the country’s opposition leaders to face trial and be put to death, a day after clashes between opposition protesters and security forces left one person dead and dozens injured.

Tens of thousands of people turned out for the opposition rally Monday in solidarity with Egypt‘s popular revolt that toppled President Hosni Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. The demonstration was the first major show of strength from Iran’s beleaguered opposition in more than a year.

At an open session of parliament Tuesday, pro-government legislators demanded opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mahdi Karroubi and former reformist President Mohammad Khatami face be held responsible for the protests.

“The main aim of Americans was to simulate the recent events in the Middle East in Iran to divert attentions from those countries,” Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani told state radio, according to a Reuters report.

“We have information…that America, Britain and Israel guided the opposition leaders who called for the rally,” deputy police chief Ahmadreza Radan said, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Pumping their fists in the air, the lawmakers chanted “death to Mousavi, Karroubi and Khatami.”

“We believe the people have lost their patience and demand capital punishment” for the opposition leaders, 221 lawmakers said in a statement.

Hardliners have long sought to put senior opposition figures on trial, but the calls for the death penalty signaled an escalation in their demands.

Iran has already tried scores of opposition figures and activists on charges of fomenting the mass protests following the country’s disputed 2009 presidential elections that saw Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win a second term. More than 80 of people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to 15 years.

The opposition says scores were killed in the massive crackdown on those protests, while the government says only around 30 people died.

Following Monday’s opposition demonstrations, the first since December 2009, authorities vowed to move quickly to stifle the opposition before its gains momentum.

“The judiciary will quickly and resolutely deal with major elements and those who violated public order and peace,” the spokesman for Iran’s judiciary and state prosecutor, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, told the official IRNA news agency.

The US has voiced support for the demonstrators. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday the protesters “deserve to have the same rights that they saw being played out in Egypt and are part of their own birthright.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, on Tuesday rejected Clinton’s remarks, and accused the US of “meddling” in Iranian affairs.

Also Tuesday, Iranian officials confirmed that one person was killed in the protests.

IRNA quoted the security chief for Iran’s Culture Ministry, Gholam Ali Zarei, as saying Sane Jaleh, a 26-year-old student at Tehran’s University of Art, was killed. He said Jaleh was a government supporter.

Acting police commander Gen. Ahmad Reza Radan told IRNA that one person injured in the clashes remains in critical condition. He also confirmed that several people were arrested, but did not specify how many.

Radan claimed that members of the armed opposition group MEK, or Mujahedeen Khalq, opened fire at police and protesters, IRNA said. He did not provide any evidence to back up his claim.

Jpost.com staff contributed to this report

Bahrain protesters take control of main square.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Thousands of protesters in Bahrain were filling a main square in the Gulf nation’s capital Tuesday, as Egypt-inspired demonstrations gripped the country for a second day.

Security forces appeared to hold back as the crowds poured into Pearl Square in Manama. The dramatic move came just hours after a second protester died in clashes with police in the strategic island kingdom, which is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Oppositions groups are calling for greater political freedoms and an end to the ruling Sunni monarchy’s grip on key decisions and government posts. The nation’s majority Shi’ites have long complained of discrimination.

Earlier Tuesday, security forces in Bahrain fired tear gas and bird shot on mourners gathered for a funeral procession for a man killed in the first Egypt-inspired protests to reach the Gulf, sharply raising the chances for further unrest.

Officials at Bahrain’s Salmaniya Medical Complex — the meeting point for thousands of mourners — said a 31-year-old man died from injuries from bird shot fired during the melee in the hospital’s parking lot. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to journalists.

The latest death raises the possibility of more rallies and challenges to the ruling Sunni monarchy in Bahrain — a strategic Western ally and home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.

After the clash, riot police eventually withdrew and allowed the funeral cortege for 21-year-old Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima to proceed from the hospital, the main state-run medical facility in Bahrain’s capital Manama.

Mushaima was killed Monday during clashes with security forces trying to halt marches to demand greater freedoms and political rights. At least 25 people were injured in the barrage of rubber bullets, bird shot and tear gas, family members said.

A statement from Bahrain’s interior minister, Lt.-Gen. Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, expressed “sincere condolences and deep sympathy” to Mushaima’s family. He stressed that the death will be investigated and charges would be filed if authorities determined excessive force was used against the protesters.

But that’s unlikely to appease the protesters, whose “day of rage” coincided with major anti-government demonstrations in Iran and Yemen.

In the past week, Bahrain’s rulers have attempted to undermine calls for reform by promising nearly $2,700 for each family and pledging to loosen state controls on the media.

A main Shi’ite opposition group, Al Wefaq, denounced the “bullying tactics and barbaric policies pursued by the security forces” against peaceful marchers staging the first major rallies in the Gulf since uprisings toppled long-ruling regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.

Bahrain’s protesters, however, claim they do not seek to overthrow the ruling monarchy but want greater political freedoms and sweeping changes in how the country is run. The demands include transferring more decision-making powers to the parliament and breaking the monarchy’s grip on senior government posts.

In Kuwait, opposition groups had called for an anti-government protest last week, but shifted the date to March 8 after the resignation of the country’s scandal-tainted interior minister.

Analysis: New IDF chief faces an axis of evil.

Shortly after receiving his new rank and as he made his way from the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to military headquarters in Tel Aviv, the new IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz received news of a Kassam rocket attack in the western Negev.

Later in the day, thousands of young Iranians took to the streets of Tehran to protest against the radical regime of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The protests could lead to the resurgence of the Green Movement, which popped its head above the ground and might eventually lead to a change in government in Iran. Not something immediate but possible.

RELATED:
Gantz becomes IDF chief of General staff amidst rocket fire
From Bergen-Belsen to the Kirya

One of his first tasks will be presenting IDF plans for bridging that gap to the cabinet. How many aircraft will it need to buy? How many more Merkava Mk 4 tanks will it require?

Seven years ago, the IDF dismantled three divisions. There is some thinking within the top IDF command that maybe those divisions should be reinstated.

For the time being, Israel is trying to stabilize its relationship with Egypt. There is some concern with the fact that Defense Minister Mohamed Tantawi is now the head of the country. Tantawi, who fought in three wars against Israel, is not particularly fond of the IDF or the Jewish state. This could affect military relations between the countries.

Under these circumstances, Gantz will not have even one day of grace. The positions he has filled until now – head of Northern Command, head of the Ground Forces Command, military attaché in Washington and deputy chief of staff – make him suitable for the post. Now, he will need to prove he really is the right man for the job.

These two incidents illustrate the opposite ends of the axis of evil that Israel faces in the Middle East. On the one hand is Iran, which is continuing to develop a nuclear weapon and could pose an existential threat to Israel. On the other end is Hamas, which is continuing to arm itself with larger missiles and rockets with extended ranges and accuracy.

They also demonstrate the challenges that Gantz will need to deal with over the next three years as he serves as the IDF’s 20th chief of General Staff. The possibility that Israel will need to confront Iran in the coming years is growing, as is the chance of a another war with Hezbollah and Hamas. Added to the mix is Egypt, whose future is uncertain as the army took control, postponing elections for at least half a year.

2011 is turning into a critical year for Israel and the IDF. The upheaval in the Middle East and the expected American withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan will present new challenges for Israel.

Within this strategic context, Gantz will need to also a draft a new multi-year plan which will set the IDF’s procurement plans for the coming five years. After the Harpaz Document affair, he will also need to quickly work to stabilize the IDF’s top ranks and ensure that senior officers do not jump ship after the shakeup that resulted in his appointment.

Egypt presents the greatest challenge. It is no secret that the IDF does not currently have enough units, planes and tanks to properly deal with a war that could involve Egypt, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran at the same time.

One of his first tasks will be presenting IDF plans for bridging that gap to the cabinet. How many aircraft will it need to buy? How many more Merkava Mk 4 tanks will it require?

Seven years ago, the IDF dismantled three divisions. There is some thinking within the top IDF command that maybe those divisions should be reinstated.

For the time being, Israel is trying to stabilize its relationship with Egypt. There is some concern with the fact that Defense Minister Mohamed Tantawi is now the head of the country. Tantawi, who fought in three wars against Israel, is not particularly fond of the IDF or the Jewish state. This could affect military relations between the countries.

Under these circumstances, Gantz will not have even one day of grace. The positions he has filled until now – head of Northern Command, head of the Ground Forces Command, military attaché in Washington and deputy chief of staff – make him suitable for the post. Now, he will need to prove he really is the right man for the job.

Israeli general claims Stuxnet attacks as one of his successes.

The latest results of a Symnatec study concentrating on the Stuxnet worm revealed that its developers knew what they were doing – once finished, it took only 12 hours to infect the first target.

The study also concluded that the Stuxnet attacks can be dated back to June 2009 – more than a year prior to it being first discovered by security experts – and that its intial targets were five separate organizations that have a presence in Iran and most of which have been attacked at various points through 2009 and 2010.

Last month, The New York Times ran a story about Stuxnet having been developed by the Americans and the Israelis as a part of a joint project, but it was based on the claims by confidential sources and there was only circumstantial evidence that would corroborate them.

But, it now seems that the information from these sources was correct. The Haaretz – Israel’s oldest daily newspaper – reports (via Google Translate) about the a surprising video that was played at a party organized for General Gabi Ashkenazi’s last day on the job.

The video contained references to the successes he achieved during his stint as chief of staff, and enumerated among them was the Stuxnet worm attack on Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and and the nuclear reactor at Bushehr.

There is always the possibility that this was just a way of magnifying the General’s achievements, but it is also possible it is true. As we all know, Israel has never commented on the speculations about its involvement in the attacks.

IAEA head affirms Iran ‘steadily’ enriching uranium.

Iran is steadily producing enriched uranium despite the 2009 Stuxnet worm, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Yukia Amano told The Washington Post in an interview published on Monday.

The IAEA chief told the paper that the agency is concerned “over the possible use of nuclear materials for military purposes – in the past and perhaps now.”

She said that the Iranian regime has well over 3,000 kilograms of enriched uranium and continues to stockpile it contrary to UN Security Council resolutions to that effect.

Amano, however, admitted that the international nuclear regulatory agency doesn’t have much expertise in estimating when Iran might be capable of building a nuclear weapon. “What we are doing is [tracking] how much enriched uranium they have,” he said.

When pressed about her analysis of the Iranian leadership’s aspirations, Amano said he has the impression that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems very determined to build a nuclear program.

Discussing the reported Syrian nuclear reactor destroyed in an air raid in 2007, the IAEA chief said that Damascus has consistently denied the agency access to the site. “The problem with this facility was destroyed, cleaned up and a new building was built on that ground.”

On Egypt, Amano expressed confidence that there is little to worry about in the recently tremulous state. “I don’t have particular concern about the nuclear research facility in Egypt,” he said, adding that “Egypt is different than Syria  or Iran.”

Asked to discuss her predecessor in the international nuclear agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, Amano said he respects him but strongly emphasized that “there is a difference in style.” “I want to be as clear as possible and I am very firm,” he added, before declaring herself “the guardian of non-proliferation.”

US honors Hariri memory, backs tribunal – Israel News, Ynetnews.

President Obama says any attempt to interfere with probe into former Lebanese PM’s murder or fuel tensions within Lebanon ‘must not be tolerated’

AFP

US President Barack Obama on Sunday marked the upcoming sixth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese ex-Premier Rafik Hariri by reaffirming his support for a UN-backed probe into the slaying. 

For the past two years, a bitter political battle has revolved around the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), a controversial UN-backed court expected to implicate members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the Hariri murder.

Hariri and 22 other victims killed in a car bombing February 14, 2005. “Any attempt to interfere with the tribunal’s work or fuel tensions within Lebanon must not be tolerated,” Obama said in a statement, adding that the court will “find the truth behind that outrageous act of terrorism.” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on the next Lebanese government to honor its obligations to the tribunal. “Those who would try to block Lebanon’s cooperation should desist and show a measure of human decency,” she said in a statement. “Ultimately, without justice, there can be no peace and stability for Lebanon.”

Marking 5th anniversary of Hariri murder, last year (Photo: AFP)

Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain five-time premier, enjoyed Western political support but his government was toppled last month in a feud over the tribunal. Hezbollah and its allies on January 12 withdrew their ministers from the unity government, forcing its collapse, and tapped Sunni billionaire Najib Mikati to head the next government. The militant party had been pressing Hariri to disavow the tribunal, which it worries will implicate Hezbollah members.

“At this critical moment, we call on all friends of Lebanon to stand with the people of Lebanon, who must be free to determine their own destiny,” Obama said. “And those Lebanese who forge their future in a spirit of peace and reconciliation will continue to have a strong partner in the United States,” he added.

FT.com / Iran – Iran names bomb attack survivor as nuclear chief ‎.

Iranian opposition defies warning, calls for rally.

Photo by: AP

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
02/13/2011 12:44

Reformist website accuses gov’t of double-standards by supporting Egypt protesters while forbidding Iranians to stage a peaceful demonstration.

TEHERAN, Iran — The Iranian opposition is defying a government warning and calling on people to stage a rally in solidarity with Tunisian and Egyptian protesters, a reformist website said Sunday.

Kaleme.com published a statement by a council of opposition groups inviting people to attend a peaceful rally on Monday.

The opposition statement also accused the government of double-standards, by voicing support for Egyptian and Tunisian protesters while refusing to issue permission for Iranian political activists to stage a peaceful demonstration.

Last week, authorities rejected the opposition’s request to stage a February 14 rally and warned of repercussions if it does.

Teheran’s rulers crushed protests following the country’s disputed 2009 presidential election. The opposition has not managed to stage protests in more than a year.