Jeff Blankort writes: Here’s an interesting post by an Iranian writer recommended to me by Nader Hashemi. The writer’s critique of the left’s position, those supporting Ahamdinejad, is important. Frankly, I could have predicted almost exactly how the pundits of…
A few tentative, uninformed comments re the Tehran electoral crisis: –Some of the theorizing about a fraudulent election seems as persuasive to me as, say, the theorizing that Syria knocked off former Lebanese P.M. Rafik Hariri in 2005– and occupies…
Ali Gharib responds to Mohammed of Vancouver’s post Tehran is burning, and who is fueling the fires?: There’s nothing wrong with publishing dissenting opinions. Much of the progressive blogosphere has erupted into green flames of support for Iranian presidential challenger…
We’ve gotten a ton of comment/exasperation at Mohammad of Vancouver’s post yesterday, blaming Rafsanjani for stirring the pot in Tehran. Mohammad has promised a defense/elaboration of his analysis. Meantime, here is Nader Hashemi, a professor of Middle East and Islamic…
Mohammad of Vancouver (a Canadian-Iranian) has relatives in the streets of Tehran, but he says that Ahmadinejad likely won the election, and the west, with its “warm ears” for Moussavi, is choosing to hear what it wants from the demonstrations….
Ali Gharib writes: The regime is NOT going to collapse. And that’s not the goal of any of those marching Tehran’s streets. This is not about ending the Islamic Revolution, it’s about getting back to it. For all his talk…
“I think that the democratic process — free speech, the ability of people to peacefully dissent — all those are universal values and need to be respected. And whenever I see violence perpetrated on people who are peacefully dissenting, and…
Jeff Blankfort writes: “Being a State Department or White House press spokesperson is no easy job; and this guy at State, Ian Kelly, says he’s worried about getting fired or transfered if he says too much re Dennis Ross. A…
David Nather has a smart/dumb piece about the Israel lobby at CQ politics. Nather picked up Harry Reid’s letter to Obama distancing himself from Obama’s policy of pressuring Israel. Reid says it’s the Palestinians’ responsibility to move the peace process…