Prevent Iran war by demanding Congressional approval

The following is from the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives has deleted the war authority provision from the Iraq war spending bill that would have required the President to gain Congress' approval before taking any military action against Iran. With this move, the Congress has essentially opted to even have less oversight on a possible war with Iran than it does with the Iraq war. I thought the purpose was to limit the President's war power authority, not to expand it!!!

Please review and take action. Thanks. -IAo

Mar 14, 2007
Washington DC- The House of Representatives urgently needs to hear from you about stopping additional funding for the war in Iraq to be used for any military operation against Iran. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) last night opted to back away from her pledge to have President Bush gain Congress' approval first before authorizing any military activities on Iran. Contact your Representatives today and let them know how this policy is unacceptable and that it increases the impending threat of war between the US and Iran.

Click on the link below to write a letter to your lawmaker in Congress to demand prior approval to a military conflict in Iran:

http://capwiz.com/niacouncil/issues/alert/?alertid=9501066&type=CO

Tehran-Damascus-Caracas flight

First scheduled Iran Air flight to Caracas via Damascus left Tehran last Friday.

Come fly the friendly sky!!!

Here's t he link to IRNA's news story:
http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-18/0703027255185129.htm

At least 50 women rights activists were arrested yesterday in front of the Revolutionary Court building in Tehran

For a brief report and pictures of the detained activists click on both links below:

Part 1
http://www.kosoof.com/archive/355.php

Part 2
http://www.khosoof.com/archive/356.php

8000-10,000 Iranian teachers demonstrated in front of the Parliament (Majlis) on 03/03/2007

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbUn2EGWfqo
معلمان آزاده شعار می دادند: زندگی انسانی، حق مسلم ماست / مدعی عدالت، خجالت خجالت

Pictures:
http://www.khosoof.com/archive/354.php

Article (in Persian):
http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/021516.htm

Is this further confirmation of Iranian presence in Iraq's chaos or simply yet another justification for attacking Iran?

http://www.iranmania.com/news/articleview/default.asp?NewsCode=50052&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

Women-only island planned in Lake Urmia

The Iranian government is apparently thinking about building a resort on Arezou Island in Lake Urmia (Urumiyeh), a salt lake in northwestern Iran.

A paradise for all lesbians, I guess!

Here's is the link to the story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070222/od_nm/iran_women_island_dc_1

Realistic BBC documentary about Tehran

Here is a link to a great documentary film about life in Tehran, that I believe portrays a realistic image of the city's diverse lifestyles. It's 90 minutes, but well worth the time.

Let me know what you'll think.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4679426685869498072&hl=en-GB

Persepolis featured in 58th Sapporo Snow Festival

The following is from the Festival's Webpage:

The Achaemenid Dynasty, also known as Persian Empire was blessed with prosperity. A world heritage site, Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The splendor of the Palace of King Darius I in Persepolis still magnificently stands before the visitors. The Golden rhyton, a very fine example of a drinking vessel in the gorgeous Achaemenid period accompanies the palace. It is displayed here made of ice on the center stage. This large ice sculpture enhanced by illumination and music invites you into the wondrous world of ancient Persia. The 2007 festival was held February 6-12.

Here's the link to Cultural Heritage News Agency of Iran (in Persian) covering the event:

http://www.chn.ir/news/?section=2&id=37260

Opinion: Uncertainty continues

I have been sucked into the news during the past a few weeks and have not updated the blog. I'm suspecting from now on we'll have more opinion pieces. I encourage you to participate in the debate. I have no clue what's going to happen.

But here's what I know: The U.S. is clearly making a case for justification of military action against Iran much like it did with Iraq. If the Americans don't see the spinning, then they just don't.

*First, American forces attack a diplomatic office (not an official Consulate) in Erbil and arrest Iranian IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) members. The Iranian government has officially confirmed the detainees as IRGC members and the Iraqi government protests the arrests saying that the Iranians were in Erbil at the invitation of the Iraqi government. By the way, Erbil is not some Shiite stronghold in Iraq. Rather, it's the capital of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

*Next, in what American forces and media call a sophisticated and coordinated operation, seven American soldiers are lured passed a check point, surrounded and shot to death. Somehow, the soldiers' deaths are linked to the Iranians retaliating for the Erbil incident without any proof.

*All of the sudden an insurgent group that is initially reported to be Sunni tries to take over Najaf and allegedly kill Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Al-Sistani. Later the group is identified as some Shiite cult similar to Hojjatis in Iran (Surprise, surprise. Ahmadinejad is allegedly linked to Hojjatis as well!!!)

*In the meantime American choppers are crashing left and right, allegedly taken down by projectile objects that can penetrate armor.

*Finally, they come up with yet another catchy term EFP (like IED) and nameless Pentagon officials in Iraq show the press some pictures and documents claiming the explosives have entered Iraq from Iran, having been made in Iran and authorized to be used in Iraq against the American forces by the highest levels of Iranian government. One top American general dismisses the claim and the direct link with the Iranians killing American forces shortly after the circus with the nameless Pentagon officials. The White House insists that the Pentagon and the General's comments are not inconsistent with each other.

And the American public is eating it up once again. All this without any concrete evidence! Their claims are even more ridiculous than the ones they made against Iraq!!! Stay tuned for more...

Ray Takeyh's Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs

Here is the link on www.iranian.com to Ray Takeyh's prepared testimony before the Foreign Affairs Committee, hearings on "Understanding the Iran Crisis", January 31, 2007:
http://www.iranian.com/Opinion/2007/February/Understanding110/index.html

Ray Takeyh is the Senior Fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Below is a link to his CFR bio:
http://www.cfr.org/bios/9599/ray_takeyh.html

He is an expert on Iran.

Congressional Progressive Caucus hearing warns of US-Iran war

Click the link for feature story:
http://www.niacouncil.org/pressreleases/press523.asp

The three imprisoned women journalists were just released

I just found that they were released on bail. I guess that's good news, although you always have to question a government that arbitrarily arrests and releases its citizens.

I first reported on this yesterday. (see the post below)

Just posted on www.kosoof.com: Three women's rights activists arrested in Tehran

http://www.kosoof.com/archive/348.php#comments

Event Announcment: Society for Democracy in Iran's February 2007 program

Society for Democracy in Iran (Southern California) Presents:

Iran-US Relations & Their Effects on Iran’s Internal Affairs
Annual Conference at University of California, Irvine (UCI)
Local Dignitaries in Attendance
(Presentations will be in Persian)

Iran-US Relations & Their Effects on Iran’s National Interest
Hooshang Amirahmadi
Professor at Rutgers University & Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies – Expert in International Relations

Iran-US Relations & Their Effects on Ethnic Conflicts in Iran
Mohamad Arasi
Author, Expert on Ethnic Relations in Iran –Chicago

Iran-US Relations, Freedom of Speech & Civil Society
Masoud Behnood
Journalist & writer – London, UK

Iran-US Relations & the Structure of Political Power in Iran
Farrokh Negahdar
Political Activist & Strategist – London, UK

Iran-US Relation & The issue of Energy
Mohamad Sahimi
Professor at University of Southern California (USC), Chemical & Petroleum Engineering

Date: Saturday, February 3, 2007 Time: 3:00PM-7:00PM
Place: Crystal Cove Auditorium at Student Center – University of California, Irvine
Direction: From I-405 or I-5: Exit Culver Blvd. – Right on Campus Dr. – Left on W.Peltason –Left on Periera

Iran's former Presidents concerned about the looming crisis, express their views

As the U.S. and Iran move closer to a possible confrontation over the nuclear issue, two of Iran's former presidents express their concerns and views.

Iran's 4th President and former Speaker of the Parliament Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is reportedly trying to persuade the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei (boy he has a long title!) to give into some Western demands in order to avoid a showdown with the United States and save the Islamic Republic. Although conservative, Rafsanjani has consistently demonstrated his pragmatism ever since his days at the Parliament over twenty years ago. He is believed to be the most influential member of the establishment as well as one of the wealthiest (if not the wealthiest) Iranians living inside the country. Here is a link to the related Guardian's article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1998047,00.html

Also during the World Economic Forum meeting, Ahmadinejad's predecessor President Khatami today called for calm heads to reduce building tensions between the United States and his country over its nuclear program. You may read more about it below: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/wl_nm/davos_iran_dc_3

It appears that the Iranian leaders are beginning to feel the heat mainly fueled by President Ahmadinejad's rhetoric. I don't personally remember the last time that the Islamic Republic was facing such a grave threat to its existence from outside of Iran. Maybe during the Iran-Iraq war?!

What do you think?

IRANian AMERICAn observer will be away January 17-24

Until then...

Peace rally in Washington DC - January 27, 2007

Please forward to friends and family. These are critical times!

Here are the links to fliers:

English-
http://s3.amazonaws.com/unitedforpeace.org/downloads/jan27_half_page_local_contact.pdf

Persian-
http://s3.amazonaws.com/unitedforpeace.org/downloads/UFPJ_Persian.pdf

ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress to stop war with Iran!!!

http://capwiz.com/niacouncil/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9239856&type=CO

SATIRE: Committee to raise $5 million for a monument to George W. Bush

A friend forwarded it to me. Enjoy.

Dear Friends and Relatives:

I have the distinguished honor of being on the committee to raise $5,000,000 for a monument to George W. Bush.

We originally wanted to put him on Mt. Rushmore until we discovered there was not enough room for two more faces. We then decided to erect a statue of George in the Washington, DC, Hall Of Fame. We were in a quandary as to where the statue should be placed. It was not proper to place it beside the statue of George Washington, who never told a lie, or beside Richard Nixon, who never told the truth, since George could never tell the difference. We finally decided to place it beside Christopher Columbus, the greatest Republican of them all. He left not knowing where he was going, and when he got there, didn't know where he was. He returned not knowing where he had been, decimated the well-being of the majority of the population while he was there, and did it all on someone else's money.

Thank you,

George W. Bush Monument Committee

P.S. We have raised $1.35 so far!!

Rafsanjani on the rise in Iran's political scene again

This man's hunger for political power is out of this world!!!

http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?page=article&id=2845

Surprise! Surprise! Israel denies plan to attack Iran nuclear facility

Come on!!! Has Israel ever confirmed anything?! Do you expect them to announce an attack in advance?!

Now that they're denying it, I can rest assured. LOL

They may be just bluffing anyway. What do you all think?

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aibeJDINhhzM&refer=europe

2007: Decisive year for the Israeli-Neocon Attack Iran Plan

Please read this. You may not agree with the author totally, but there is some truth to what he has written here. To those who think Democrats are less likely to go for an attack, please read as well.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=4311