Ad-hoc Committee Against Ahmadinejad

2008 Rally Against Ahmadinejad

2008-09-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

Rally on Tuesday September 23, 2008

Iranians Will Rally in NY Against Ahmadinejad, for Democratic Change In Iran

2008-09-21T22:14:00.003-04:00

AD-HOC COMMITTEE AGAINST AHMADINEJAD
SEPTEMBER 21, 2008

WHAT: On Tuesday, September 23, pro-democracy Iranians and fellow New Yorkers will rally against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad outside the UN Headquarters in support of democratic change in Iran. Ahmadinejad, president of the religious dictatorship ruling Iran, is due to speak at the UN General Assembly on the same day. Exhibits depicting the dismal situation of Iran under Ahmadinejad will be displayed at the rally.

Ahmadinejad hopes to again exploit the UNGA tribune to promote the radical and hate-mongering policies of his tyrannical regime cloaked in religion. The Iranians will rally outside the UNGA to denounce Ahmadinejad's record and advocate a very different Iran: a democratic, secular, peaceful, and nuclear-free Iran.

WHY: Ahmadinejad's trip coincides with an appalling rise in public executions in Iran - victimizing juveniles in particular. In late July, in one day alone, 29 people were executed. His government continues to arrest and kill dissidents in prisons and crush anti-government protests. It is also conspiring to massacre nearly 3,500 Iranian dissident refugees at Camp Ashraf in Iraq. Ahmadinejad, isolated and despised by the majority of Iranians at home, is pushing Iran and the region toward war and crisis by fomenting terrorism in Iraq and developing nuclear weapons.

WHO: The rally is organized by the Ad-hoc Committee Against Ahmadinejad and a nationwide network of Iranian-Americans. It will feature a number of human rights and political figures. US Congressional support for the cause will also be presented.

BACKGROUND ON AHMADINEJAD: In the early 1980s, Ahmadinejad served as an interrogator and executioner in the notorious Evin Prison, where he earned the nickname "The Terminator" for killing off political prisoners. He was a senior commander of the terrorist outfit, the Qods Force, in the late 1980s, when he masterminded the assassination of Iranian dissidents abroad. In 2005, the legal findings of the U.S. Department of State determined Ahmadinejad was in fact a terrorist.

Under Ahmadinejad, the ayatollahs' regime has moved with greater speed along the path of Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism, human rights abuse, and nuclear weapons.

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Bar Ahmadinejad

2008-09-14T01:27:00.000-04:00

The Washington Times
by John Barrasso
Sunday, 14 September 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should deny the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, entry to the United States. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am asking Miss Rice to ban Mr. Ahmadinejad, a major sponsor of fundamentalist Islam and an enemy of the United States, from entering our country.

The United Nations General Assembly will open its 63rd session in New York this month. The president of Iran is scheduled to take his seat at the U.N. table and address the chamber.

For Mr. Ahmadinejad to enter the United States, the administration is required to waive section 212(a)3(b) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The act stipulates that individuals with terrorist ties not be granted visas to enter the United States. The Iranian president fits squarely into this category. Mr. Ahmadinejad's visit to the U.S. will be permitted under an agreement that allows world leaders access to the United Nations Headquarters.

The facts are undeniable. Mr. Ahmadinejad is a stated enemy of the United States and other democratic nations that value liberty and freedom. Iran's leaders continue to pursue development and acquisition of nuclear weapon capabilities. They continue to support terrorist organizations around the world and facilitate the training of insurgents in Iraq. Iran has called for destruction of the democratic state of Israel. These actions illustrate Iran's overly hostile intentions. As a result of these and other outrages, the United States has not had diplomatic relations with Iran for nearly 30 years.

There is a precedent. The Reagan administration denied Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat a visa to participate at the U.N. General Assembly in 1988 based on his connections to terrorism. The State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2007 designates Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. This designation is due largely to the Iranian military's support of terrorist organizations. Mr. Ahmadinejad's refusal to prohibit Iran's military from supporting terrorists makes him a willing accomplice.

Iran claims its nuclear programs are intended for civilian use. Iran's unwillingness to comply with international safeguards and inspections results in a loss of credibility in regard to nuclear technology. Mr. Ahmadinejad's bellicose threats toward the United States and Israel graphically demonstrate that Iran's nuclear program is not intended for civilian use.

The United Nations has imposed limited and largely meaningless sanctions against this totalitarian regime. The world body has attempted to rein in Iran for its support of terrorism. Yet it intends to provide the Iranian leader with a pulpit to espouse his brand of Islamic fundamentalism.

Mr. Ahmadinejad knows he needn't compromise his views in order to address the United Nations. The extremist leader will continue to thumb his nose at the global community and shrug off concerns regarding his nuclear intentions. He knows he can threaten the security of the United States and still receive his U.N. invitation to New York - an invitation that will allow him to spread his message of hate on the world stage.

It is unfortunate that the United Nations allows Iran to participate in the General Assembly while Iran's leaders are openly working in support of global terrorism. The U.N. can be a place for negotiation and an avenue for giving all nations a voice. However, it should not serve to legitimize state supporters of terrorism and their violent methods.

The men and women of the U.S. military are fighting against the extremist terrorist organizations that President Ahmadinejad protects and supports. The United States should not grant Iran's president a visa to enter our country. I call on Secretary Rice to stand firm and deny the hatemongering Iranian president the international legitimacy he so craves.

John Barrasso is a Republican member of the United States Senate from Wyoming and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

JOIN RALLY AGAINST AHMADINEJAD IN NY on SEP 25, 2007

2008-09-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

Congressman Inaugurates Committee Against Ahmadinejad

2008-08-21T21:40:00.000-04:00

Click Here for the text version

Iran watching U.S. troops, says in missile range

2007-09-24T10:35:00.000-04:00

Reuters

Sep 24, 2007

TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.S. troop movements are being monitored by Iran using satellites and other technology and would be in range of Iranian missiles if an attack was launched, a top Iranian military official said.

In remarks published by Iranian newspapers on Monday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also said he did not expect any U.S. attack because America was too bogged down in Iraq.

Washington has refused to rule out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to end its atomic work, which the West says is aimed at making bombs despite Tehran's denials.

Speculation about a U.S. attack has been spurred on by comments by French officials who have said an extra diplomatic push was needed to avoid the possibility of a war with Iran.

"Iran has now a strong intelligence system and missiles. We are closely watching the foreigners' moves in neighboring countries by highly advanced satellite technology and advanced radars. If they enter our airspace or our territorial waters, they will get a fair response," Rahim Safavi said. Read More

As Ahmadinejad heads for NYC, protesters head for Columbia

2007-09-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

Associated Press

September 23, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) _ Critics of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prepared for protests as the hardline leader headed Sunday for New York, where his planned speeches at a high-profile university and the United Nations have aroused a storm of opposition.

Some elected officials and civic leaders planned to demonstrate Sunday outside Columbia University, where Ahmadinejad was scheduled to speak Monday.

Protests were to follow Monday near Columbia and the U.N., where the Iranian president was to address the General Assembly on Tuesday. Some political leaders and religious groups have said Columbia should not give Ahmadinejad a platform.

Among them are the head of the City Council, Christine Quinn, who has said "the idea of Ahmadinejad as an honored guest anywhere in our city is offensive to all New Yorkers." ... Read More

Iranian president set for chilly reception in New York

2007-09-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

Agence France Presse
September 23, 2007

NEW YORK (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to arrive in New York on Sunday amid a storm of controversy and facing angry protests over his appearances at the United Nations and a top university.

The outspoken Iranian leader, who has openly called for the destruction of Israel and questioned the existence of the Holocaust, is due to speak at Columbia University on Monday, a day before addressing the UN General Assembly.

The visit has sparked bitter controversy in the United States, where the Iranian leader is considered an ally of Islamic militants and Iraqi insurgents blamed for the deaths of thousands of US troops deployed there...

Protesters were expected to rally outside Columbia's main gates on Sunday against the visit, while Iranian opposition exiles were to demonstrate outside the United Nations on Tuesday as Ahmadinejad addresses the world body... Read More

Ahmadinejad In New York

2007-09-20T12:18:00.000-04:00

New York Sun

Editorial
September 20, 2007

If the bizarre request of President Ahmadinejad to lay a wreath at ground zero has been put to rest once and for all, New Yorkers can thank three persons — the police commissioner, Raymond Kelly; Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Daniel Gillerman, and Matt Drudge. That, at least, is how we reconstruct the events that yesterday stunned and briefly outraged thousands of New Yorkers, a number of candidates on the hustings, and even the White House, as it looked for a while that consideration might be given to the idea that the Iranian anti-Semite and terror master, due in town for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, might be allowed downtown to visit the scene of Al Qaeda's crime...

The person who could prevent this entire farce from taking place is the district attorney of Queens County, Richard Brown. When Mr. Ahmadinejad flies into John F. Kennedy International Airport, he'll be in Queens. That is the borough of Specialist Jonathan Rivadeneira of the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, who was killed on Friday in Iraq by an improvised explosive device of the sort that American officials say are supplied and crafted by Iran. Rivadeneira's death left his mother, Martha Clark of Jackson Heights, Queens, childless. Let Mr. Brown seek a warrant for Mr. Ahmadinejad's arrest and give him a true civics lesson in an American dock. Let's just say we have no doubt that, were a warrant issued, Mr. Kelly and New York's Finest would be delighted to enforce it. Read More...

NYPD bars Iran's Ahmadinejad from Ground Zero

2007-09-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Newsday
BY ROCCO PARASCANDOLA
September 20, 2007

A firestorm erupted yesterday over a request from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero so he could lay a wreath where nearly 3,000 people died in the Sept. 11 terror attack.

The request, made by the Iran leader's representative earlier this month, was rejected by the New York City Police Department because the site is closed while construction continues on the Freedom Tower.

But a misstatement by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who said the request was still being considered, made its way to the Web sites of several newspapers, spread quickly and sparked a torrent of criticism from presidential candidates.

"Ahmadinejad's shockingly audacious request should be met with a vehement no," Republican candidate Mitt Romney said. "It's inconceivable that any consideration would be given to the idea of entertaining the leader of a state sponsor of terror at Ground Zero."

Rudy Giuliani jumped into the fray, calling Ahmadinejad's request "outrageous" and describing him as "a man who has made threats against America and Israel; is harboring bin Laden's son and other al-Qaida leaders; is shipping arms to Iraqi insurgents; and is pursuing the development of nuclear weapons."

Another presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, said it is "unacceptable" for Ahmadinejad "to visit the site of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history." Read More...

NYC to Iran's Ahmadinejad: No WTC Visit

2007-09-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

Iran Leader Denied on WTC Wreath Request
The Associated Press
By PAT MILTON

September 20, 2007

NEW YORK - A request by Iran's president to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site next week has been turned down by police and blasted by U.S. diplomats as an attempt to turn ground zero into a "photo op."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is to arrive Sunday to address the U.N.'s General Assembly, asked the city and the U.S. Secret Service earlier this month for permission to visit the site of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The request to enter the fenced-in site was rejected because of ongoing construction there and due to security concerns, police spokesman Paul Browne said Wednesday.

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said a visit to ground zero "is a matter for the city of New York, but it seems more than odd that the president of a country that is a state sponsor of terror would visit ground zero." Read More...

Iran's Ahmadinejad denied Trade Center visit

2007-09-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

Reuters
September 19, 2007
By Christine Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been denied a request to visit the World Trade Center site of the September 11 attacks, New York police said on Wednesday. Ahmadinejad, who regularly accuses the United States of arrogance in his speeches, had asked to visit the site while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this month.

"The site is closed to visitors because of construction there," police spokesman Paul Browne said in a statement. "Requests for the Iranian president to visit the immediate area would also be opposed by the NYPD on security grounds." Police said they were unsure why Ahmadinejad wanted to visit.

The mere notion of Ahmadinejad visiting drew fire from White House hopefuls on both sides of the political divide. Washington has long accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism.

"It is unacceptable for Iranian President Ahmadinejad, who refuses to renounce and end his own country's support of terrorism, to visit the site of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history," Democratic U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

Former Republican New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also opposed any such visit. "This is a man who has made threats against America and Israel, is harboring Bin Laden's son and other al Qaeda leaders, is shipping arms to Iraqi insurgents and is pursuing the development of nuclear weapons," he said. "Assisting Ahmadinejad in touring Ground Zero -- hallowed ground for all Americans -- is outrageous."

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, agreed with the police decision and accused Iran of supporting violent groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. "We do not support that the tragedy that happened on a site where so many people lost their lives be used as a photo op," Khalilzad told reporters. Read More...

Iran threatens missile attacks on US targets

2007-09-18T10:39:00.000-04:00

The Daily Telegraph
Tue. 18 Sep 2007

Iran threatened to fire long-range missiles at American targets in the Middle East yesterday as the war of words between Teheran and the West continued to escalate.

A senior commander of the Revolutionary Guard, the largest component of the Islamic republic's armed forces, chose this moment to outline the capability of his country's ballistic missiles. The Shahab-3 rocket has a range of 1,250 miles, allowing it to strike an array of Western targets across the Middle East.

"Today the Americans are around our country but this does not mean that they are encircling us. They are encircled themselves and are within our range," said Gen Mohammed Hassan Koussechi.

"If the United States is saying that they have identified 2,000 targets in Iran, then what is certain is that it is the Americans who are all around Iran and are equally our targets," he told the official IRNA news agency. Gen Koussechi added: "We have reached capacities that allow us to hit the enemy at a range of 2,000 kilometres."

A wide array of possible targets faces Iran across the Gulf. Dubai, filled with Western companies, tourists and expatriates, is only 105 miles away. Iran's armed forces already occupy Abu Musa, an island claimed by the United Arab Emirates, 40 miles from Dubai.

Other potential targets include the oilfields in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province, the headquarters of America's Central Command in Qatar and the main harbour of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus is also in range. Read More...

Ban Iran's President from UN: Romney

2007-09-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

Agence France Presse

September 17, 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Monday called for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be banned from the UN General Assembly next week and indicted for genocide.

The former Massachusetts governor called on United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to revoke Ahmadinejad's invitation to the assembly and warned that absent strong action, Washington should reconsider support for the world body.

"I call on the United Nations to revoke any invitation to President Ahmadinejad to address the General Assembly," Romney wrote in a letter to Ban.

"If President Ahmadinejad sets foot in the United States, he should be handed an indictment under the Genocide Convention," Romney wrote.

"The United States and the world must take a strong stand against the terrorist Iranian regime and the time for action is now." Read More...

U.N. official: Iran should stop executing children

2007-09-18T10:24:00.000-04:00

Associated Press
Mon. 17 Sep 2007

GENEVA (AP) — Iran should immediately halt the execution of children, the U.N.'s top human rights official said Monday.

Louise Arbour, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said she met with Iranian officials during a visit to Tehran earlier this month and urged them to impose a moratorium on the execution of minors.

"Even if the legislation in the books appears to permit the imposition of the death penalty on minors ... it would be imperative that they not be executed," she told journalists in Geneva.

Iran is one of the few countries in the world that executes minors, in violation of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

On Sunday Iranian media reported that a 16 year old was among two teenagers sentenced to death for raping and killing two young boys earlier this year. Read More...

Iran's Ahmadinejad to Receive Visa for U.N. Visit

2007-09-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post
September 16, 2007

Despite brewing tensions between the United States and Iran, the United States will grant a visa to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to take part in the opening of the U.N. General Assembly next week, according to the State Department.

Iran has submitted visa applications for more than 130 officials in the delegation.

The State Department had to seek a special waiver for Ahmadinejad from the Department of Homeland Security because of unresolved allegations that he was involved in the 1979-81 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, in which 52 hostages were held for 444 days.

Some former hostages say he was among the captors, although other former hostages as well as a probe by U.S. intelligence concluded that he was not the man pictured with some of the captives during the takeover.

Iran hangs three in south-west

2007-09-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Fri. 14 Sep 2007

Tehran, Iran, Sep. 14 – Iranian authorities hanged three individuals in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan, south-west Iran, state media reported earlier this week.

The unnamed individuals were hanged after the State Supreme Court upheld their sentences earlier this week, said Mousa Piriai, the prosecutor in the provincial capital Ahwaz. He comments were reported by the official news agency IRNA on Thursday.

The three people were accused of involvement in deadly bombings in the restive province more than a year ago. Khuzestan, which borders Iraq, has a large Arab population. Read More...

Iran rocket used in attack on key U.S. base in Iraq

2007-09-13T14:03:00.000-04:00

Reuters

Sep 13, 2007

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Thursday an Iranian-made rocket was believed to have been used in an attack that killed one person on the headquarters of the American military in Iraq this week.

Military spokesman Major-General Kevin Bergner said it appeared followers of the anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were responsible for the attack on Tuesday.

"The attack used a 240 mm rocket, which is a weapon that these groups have received from Iranian sources in the past and recently used in other attacks against coalition forces," Bergner said at a news conference.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with U.S. officials stepping up accusations that Iran is supplying weapons to Iraqi Shi'ite militias to kill U.S. soldiers, a charge Iran denies. U.S. commanders say that apart from rockets and mortars, sophisticated roadside bombs made from Iranian components have killed scores of U.S. troops... Read More

West puts Iran in dock at U.N. rights forum

2007-09-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

Reuters
September 13, 2007

GENEVA (Reuters) - Western countries on Thursday voiced concern at the rising number of executions in Iran as well as the "treatment of women as second class citizens" there.

Envoys from Canada and Portugal, the latter speaking on behalf of the European Union, criticized the Islamic Republic at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Canada's John Von Kaufmann said Iran's "deteriorating human rights situation" contravened its obligations under both international and domestic laws.

"Canada is concerned by the treatment of women as second class citizens under Iranian law and the suppression of peaceful demonstration in support of women's rights," he added.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said she had urged Iranian officials in talks in Tehran last week to ensure the right to peaceful public expression, and had raised the subject of the execution of juveniles.

The number of executions in the country, many in public, has risen since July with the launch of a summer crackdown on what Iran calls "immoral behavior." ... Read More

Iran hangs seven in public

2007-09-12T02:09:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Wed. 12 Sep 2007

Tehran, Iran Sep. 12 – Iranian authorities hanged seven individuals in public on Wednesday in the south-eastern town of Mahan, state media reported.

The seven men were identified as Ali Orang, Davoud Talebi, Majid Barzekar, Majid Man’ami, Mohammad Bameri, Amr Bameri, and Mehdi Pour-Sheikh-Ali

“These seven individuals were hanged for trouble-making and armed drug trafficking”, the head of Mahan’s Revolutionary Court, Ali Salari, told the government-owned news agency Fars.

On Friday, the chief of state security forces in Mahan was killed by “trouble-makers”, the report added.

Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug smuggling.

Iran chops off hands of four men

2007-09-12T02:07:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Wed. 12 Sep 2007

Tehran, Iran, Sep. 12 – The hands of four men were chopped off as punishment for robbery in north-west Iran, state media reported on Wednesday.

The prosecutor’s office in the city of Mashad identified the four men only by their initials E. K., H. F., M. D., and Q. R., according to the state-run news agency ISNA.

The sentence was carried out on Tuesday, the report added.

The men had been charged with repeated robbery. Each had one hand amputated.

Petraeus says Iran involvement in attacks 'clear'

2007-09-12T01:18:00.000-04:00

Agence France Presse
Wed. 12 Sep 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The top US commander in Iraq said Wednesday there was hard evidence of Iranian involvement in attacks on US soldiers but demurred on whether US forces should respond with operations inside Iran.

General David Petraeus said the evidence included captured hard drives that contained digitized items taken from the wallet of a US soldier killed in an assault in January in Karbala along with four other US soldiers.

"The evidence is very, very clear," Petraeus told a news conference here. "We captured it when we captured Qais Khazali, the Lebanese Hezbollah deputy commander and others. And it's in black and white."

Khazali is alleged to be an Iraqi member of the Iranian backed cell that stormed a security station in Karbala January 20, killing a visiting US soldier and kidnapping four others, who were later found dead... Read More

Two hanged in Iran cities

2007-09-11T02:15:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Tue. 11 Sep 2007

Tehran, Iran, Sep. 11 – Two men were hanged in central and north-eastern Iran on Tuesday, state media reported.

One of the men, identified as Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh, 49, was hanged in public in the holy city of Qom, central Iran, the government-owned news agency Fars said.

The second man, identified only as Javad Z., was hanged in a prison in the city of Mashad, a separate report said.

Iran hangs 17 in one day

2007-09-05T11:41:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Wed. 05 Sep 2007

Tehran, Iran, Sep. 05 – Iranian authorities hanged 17 men on Wednesday, the latest in a spate of group executions.

State media said that the 17 were hanged in the north-eastern province of Khorassan Razavi.

“Following legal procedures, 17 individuals were hanged for drug smuggling in Khorassan Razavi province this morning”, state television reported.

Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug smuggling.

U.S. arrests operatives smuggling Iranian EFPs into Iraq

2007-09-03T10:44:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Mon. 03 Sep 2007

London, Sep. 03 – U.S.-led forces arrested seven suspected weapons facilitators during a pre-dawn raid on Sunday in the town of Qasarin, north of Baghdad.

“Coalition forces conducted the raid to capture seven suspected weapons distributors that may be connected to various Special Groups operating in and around Baghdad. Those detained are suspected of being responsible for distributing deadly explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) and other weapons flowing from Iran into Iraq”, the Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) said in a statement.

“Coalition forces believe information provided by these detainees may lead to more detentions of persons affiliated with weapons smuggling networks”, it said.

“Several structures searched during the raid revealed numerous weapons and associated ammunition, rocket propelled grenade components, and electronic devices suspected to be EFP components. Various documents and photographs were also found and confiscated for further analysis”, it added.

Ahmadinejad’s Master: Iran Will Outsmart West on Nuclear Issue

2007-09-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

Agence France Presse
September 03, 2007

TEHRAN -- Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged on Monday that Iran would never yield to Western pressure over its nuclear programme, and it would outsmart "drunken and arrogant" Western opponents in the standoff.

The renewed expression of defiance from Iran's undisputed number one came after US President George W. Bush said last week that allowing Tehran's nuclear drive to continue unabated could spark a "nuclear holocaust."

"The Iranian nation has withstood and it will withstand intimidation. It will never bow to any intimidation in the nuclear issue and in other matters," state broadcasting quoted Khamenei as telling a group of elite students.

"Iran will defeat these drunken and arrogant powers using its artful and wise ways," he added.

Ahmadinejad Says 3,000 Centrifuges are Running

2007-09-02T10:28:00.000-04:00

September 02, 2007
Reuters

TEHRAN -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Iran had met a planned target of installing and running 3,000 atomic centrifuges used in enriching uranium, Iranian news agencies reported.

Iran had said it aimed to have that many centrifuges, which are set up in interlinked networks or "cascades" of 164 machines each, by the end of July. Diplomats in Vienna have said Iran appeared to have fewer than the target of 3,000 operating.

The diplomats have also said Iran's nuclear work appeared to have slowed down during the summer, possibly due to technical glitches or for fear of spurring world powers to pass a third U.N. sanctions resolution. Iran has denied any slowdown.

"We have more than 3,000 centrifuges working and every week a new set is installed," the president was quoted as saying.

Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to build atomic weapons and are particularly concerned about progress in the country's enrichment program because the process can be use to make fuel for power plants or, if desired, bomb material.

Western experts say 3,000 centrifuges operating non-stop and without glitches for long periods could make enough material for one bomb in about a year, if that was Iran's goal.

Iran hangs man in public

2007-09-02T10:18:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Sun. 02 Sep 2007

Tehran, Iran, Sep. 02 – Iranian authorities hanged a man in public south of the capital Tehran on Sunday, state media reported.

The man, identified as Amir-Hossein Rouhafza, was hanged from a crane in the early hours of the day in the town of Gharchak.

Rouhafza, 28, had been convicted of killing a judge called Javad Jafarpour in Gharchak.

The state-run news agency ISNA said that local officials were present at the site of the execution.

Committee Against Ahmadinejad

2007-08-29T12:29:00.000-04:00

PR Newwire/US Newswire
August 28, 2007

NEW YORK, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In Iran in last 365 days, there have been over 5000 rallies, strikes and demonstrations against the Iranian regime. According to Amnesty International, Iran continues to have one of the highest rates of executions in the world. The reported executions in 2007 have already exceeded 150. Presently, political opponents in Iran are charged with bogus criminal offenses and then executed in public. The United Nations has at least 52 times condemned the Iranian government.

House bills H. CON. RES. 21 & H. RES. 43 call on the United Nations Security Council to charge Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the United Nations Charter because of his calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.

For nearly 30 years, Iranian government has incited and then exploited public sentiments to spread negative propaganda against Christians, Jews, and Bahaies. A great example of such exploitation is Ahmadinejad's call for the destruction of Israel.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is leading a dangerous crusade against the Iranian people and the civilized world. Ahmadinejad's Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRG) organization is responsible for killing and torture of the Iranian people as well as training and equipping terrorist in Iraq.

Beginning in 2005, the Committee against Ahmadinejad (CAA) been led the effort in exposing Ahmadinejad's activities as well as organizing protests against his presence at the United Nations General Assembly. In the past 2 years, 30 members of the United States Congress, dozens of religious leaders, and numerous human rights advocates have supported CAA.

Once again, the United Nations General Assembly meeting is scheduled to begin in mid-September, 2007. Accordingly, CAA once more commences in order to mobilize the broad voices of discontent against Ahmadinejad, specially embracing the following goals:

1. Call the freedom and peace loving public citizens to voice solidarity with the families and victims of atrocities in both Iran and Iraq, as well as the victims of Iranian regime's terrorist acts in Buenos Aires, Khobar Tower and Lebanon Marine Barracks,

2. Call for U.N. member states to act by referring Iran's humans rights file to the U.N. Security Council for crime against humanity,

3. Urge the United Nations to appoint a special envoy to investigate Iran's human rights violations.

4. Call the US government to deny Ahmadinejad's presence in US.

Tehran prison has 600 on death row, Iranian dissidents say

2007-08-29T12:03:00.000-04:00

Bloomberg News

August 27, 2007
By Fabio Benedetti-Valentini

About 600 political prisoners are awaiting execution in a Tehran jail as Iran resorts increasingly to capital punishment, said the People's Mujahedeen, an exiled opposition group.

The Iranian government, faced with ``growing popular upheavals,'' is turning to ``mass executions as a last resort,'' Mujahedeen leader Maryam Rajavi said in an e-mailed statement.

More than 60 political prisoners have been executed since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected Iran's head of state two years ago and some 600 people are on death row in Gohardasht Prison, western Tehran, she said today.

“Thousands of workers, teachers, students and youths have been arrested and sent to detention centers where they have been subjected to indiscriminate torture,'' Rajavi said. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has executed a total of 120,000
political prisoners, she said.

The movement has its headquarters at Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris.

Ahmadinejad Denies Iran Has Slowed Atom Work

2007-08-28T12:25:00.000-04:00

Reuters
Aug 28, 2007

TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday denied reports that Iran had slowed down its atomic work, which the West fears is aimed at making nuclear bombs.

"These (reports) are not true," Ahmadinejad said in response to a question at a news conference.

Diplomats in Vienna have said Iran's atomic work seems to have slowed in pace this summer and Tehran appeared to have fewer than the 3,000 centrifuges, used in enriching uranium, it planned to have working by the end of July.

Ahmadinejad, voicing continued defiance in the face of Western demands that it suspend sensitive nuclear work, said Iran was now a nuclear country and was mastering the complete nuclear fuel cycle.

"I want to officially announce to you that from our viewpoint the issue of Iran's nuclear case has been closed, today Iran is a nuclear Iran, meaning that it has the complete cycle for fuel production," he said.

Iran threatens foes with new bomb

2007-08-27T23:37:00.000-04:00

The Times
August 27, 2007

TEHRAN - Iran has vowed to use a 2,000lb (900kg) “smart” bomb against its enemies and announced mass production of the new weapon, according to state television.

Tehran first announced on Thursday that it was developing the long-range guided bomb, for possible delivery by its ageing US-made F4 and F5 jets. Yesterday Mostafa Muhammad Najjar, the Defence Minister, said on state television: “We will use these [bombs] against our enemies when the time comes.”

He continued his threats as footage showed him unveiling a production line for the weapon in Tehran.

Islamic Republic of Fear

2007-08-27T12:51:00.000-04:00

The Economist
August 23, 2007

The head of Iran's judiciary is a confident man. Despite foreign attempts at slander, Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Shahrudi recently declared, his country has presented a fine image to the world of Islamic law at work.

If news were limited to such mercies as the recent release, on bail, of Haleh Esfandiari, a 67-year-old Iranian-American academic, after six months in jail on charges of espionage, or the amnesty granted to 4,000 other prisoners on the occasion of the birthday on August 20th of Imam Hussein, a revered Shia martyr, Mr Shahrudi's confidence might be justified. But these welcome developments come against a darkening backdrop, as the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intensifies a campaign to reimpose the moral fervour, and xenophobic zeal, of the 1979 Islamic revolution's early years.

The rest of the world may be more concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions. But for many Iranians, the issue that has begun to outweigh other troubles, such as poverty, unemployment and the danger of war with America, is human rights.

This is not surprising. Recent months have seen the largest crackdown on civil liberties since the 1980s. Purges of suspected liberals have decimated university faculties, and repeated closures have all but silenced the once-vociferous opposition press. Ms Esfandiari was the best-known of four Iranian-American scholars incarcerated earlier this year for alleged ties to American intelligence. Her colleagues remain in prison. But since the spring a wave of arrests has targeted everyone from women's-rights advocates to student leaders, trade unionists and critical journalists, packing the country's prisons so tight that police are commandeering other buildings as makeshift lock-ups... Read More

Iran vows to use 'smart' bomb on enemies

2007-08-26T12:37:00.000-04:00

Associated Press
Sun. 26 Aug 2007

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran vowed Sunday to use a new 2,000-pound "smart" bomb against its enemies and unveiled mass production of the new weapon, state television reported.

The government first announced development of the long-range guided bomb Thursday, saying it could be deployed by the country's aging U.S.-made F-4 and F-5 fighter jets.

"We will use these (bombs) against our enemies when the time comes," Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said on state television Sunday.

Iran often announces new weapons for its arsenal, but the United States maintains that while the Islamic Republic has made some strides, many of these statements are exaggerations.

The broadcast included a brief clip of a fighter jet apparently dropping one of the bombs, which destroyed a target on the ground... Read More

Iran increasing Iraq militant support: U.S. commander

2007-08-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

Reuters
26 Aug 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq accused Iran on Sunday of stepping up support for anti-American Shi'ite militants in Iraq as U.S. policymakers await a crucial assessment of the violence-torn country.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno said Iraqi Shi'ite groups have received more weapons, ammunition, funding and training from Iran in the past two months, while President George W. Bush's "surge" strategy to quell violence in Baghdad has taken effect.

"It's clear to me that over the past 30 to 60 days they have increased their support," Odierno said on CNN's "Late Edition."

"They do it from providing weapons, ammunition -- specifically mortars and explosively formed projectiles," he said in a video link from Iraq.

"They are providing monetary support to some groups and they are conducting training within Iran of Iraqi extremists to come back here and fight the United States," he added... Read More

Inhuman and Degrading Punishments in Iran

2007-08-24T11:21:00.000-04:00

Under Ahmadinejad, the Inhumane and Degrading

Public Punishment of Iranians Continue

Iran's Hangmen Work Overtime to Silence Opposition

2007-08-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

Daily Telegraph (United Kingdom)

August 24, 2007
By Con Coughlin

Stonings, hangings, floggings, purges. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might claim that United Nations sanctions can't hurt his country, but that is not how it feels for Iran's long-suffering population which now finds itself on the receiving end of one of the most brutal purges witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The most visible manifestation of the new oppression sweeping Iran has been the wave of public executions and floggings carried out in Teheran and provincial capitals over recent weeks in a blatant attempt by the regime to intimidate political opponents. The official government line is that the punishments are part of its "Plan to Enforce Moral Behaviour".

It's the same kind of argument that was used immediately after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took control to purge the country of its prosperous, secular middle class and secure his hold on power. Now Mr Ahmadinejad is adopting similar tactics in a desperate attempt to keep his embattled regime in power.

Although Iran has one of the world's highest execution rates, until recently most of the sentences were carried out within the confines of prisons such a Teheran's notorious Evin complex. But this month diplomats at the Japanese and Australian embassies in the capital were alarmed to find the bodies of two convicted criminals hanging from cranes stationed directly outside their office windows.

The location of the cranes, at a busy thoroughfare surrounded by office blocks, was chosen as much to remind the diplomatic community that Mr Ahmadinejad's hardline regime was still very much in charge as to send a message to ordinary citizens... Read More

Man hanged in public in southern Iran

2007-08-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

Thu. 23 Aug 2007
Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 23 – Iranian authorities hanged a man in public in the southern province of Fars, state media reported on Wednesday.

The man, identified as Qoliollah Q., was hanged in public on Wednesday in the provincial capital Shiraz, the official news agency IRNA said.

He was accused of murder.

Iran hangs two in volatile Iran city

2007-08-22T14:55:00.000-04:00

Iran Focus
Wed. 22 Aug 2007

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 22 – Authorities hanged two men on Tuesday in the south-eastern province of Sistan-va-Baluchistan, state media reported.

The two unnamed men were hanged in a prison in the provincial capital Zahedan.

They were accused of drug trafficking.

Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on bogus charges such as armed robbery and drug smuggling.

Sistan-va-Baluchistan Province is home to Baluchis, a predominantly Sunni Muslim ethnic minority.

Iran has witnessed escalating unrest since 2006 in areas populated by Baluchis, who complain of discriminatory and repressive policies by the theocratic regime.

Since 2006, Iranian authorities have stepped up executions in the restive province in what many Baluchis believe is a response to a spate of attacks by dissidents on government and security officials.

The Enemy Late Acknowledged

2007-08-20T18:21:00.000-04:00

National Review
By The Editors
August 20, 2007

Two reactions are appropriate to the Bush administration’s decision to place Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations. First, one should cheer. Second, one should ask how much longer it will take the president to resolve the contradiction at the heart of his Iran policy.

One should cheer because the Revolutionary Guard is among the world’s most effective forces for barbarity and chaos. Separate from Iran’s regular military, it espouses the revolution-exporting ideology of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Khamenei (the latter of whom possesses ultimate control of its actions). It has killed Americans gladly, as at the Khobar Towers. Its current specialty is killing American soldiers in Iraq, through Iraqi proxies, with armor-piercing bombs. These things alone do not make it a terrorist group in the precise sense of that term, but its arming and financing of Hezbollah certainly does. Likewise the massacres of civilians that its aid to Iraqi militants has made possible.

To designate the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist entity, then, is to acknowledge reality. Yet there is something decidedly unrealistic in the idea that the Revolutionary Guard can be separated from the Iranian government as a whole. (The distinctions got even more jesuitical when it emerged that the State Department might not designate the entire Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, but simply its Quds Force, composed of special covert units.) There is no getting around the fact that the Revolutionary Guard — including the Quds Force — expresses the will of Iran’s highest rulers. If what it does counts as terrorism, they count as terrorists.

Given their history of working mayhem in the Middle East and beyond (recall, for example, their handiwork in Argentina in 1994), this is an obvious enough fact, and the State Department designation will do little to make it more obvious. It will also do little to hurt Iran — the designation would freeze any assets the Revolutionary Guard had in the U.S., but, as you might imagine, it prefers to bank elsewhere.

What the designation does do is lay bare the contradiction in President Bush’s Iran policy. After September 11, in a moment of great strategic clarity, Bush said that the U.S. would not distinguish between terrorists and the governments that harbored them. Yet his administration has approached Iran — the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism — as though it were a legitimate government, capable of being persuaded to adopt positions agreeable to liberal democracies.

On Iran’s nuclear program, Bush has deferred first to Europe and then to Condoleezza Rice’s State Department in allowing years of negotiating, followed by a few more years of negotiating, followed by (wait for it) more negotiating.

Worse than do nothing, this strategy created an illusion that the world was seriously confronting Iran when just the opposite was true. The two Security Council resolutions against the Islamic Republic were so weak as to be meaningless, except in distracting attention from alternative courses of action (e.g., effective sanctions or military force). Iran’s leaders have grown more brazen at every turn — kidnappings of foreign soldiers and proxy wars are now par for the course — yet the Bush administration has remained unable to forge a credible policy.

What one should hope now is that the administration, in its waning days, is making a course correction. The squeamishness with which much of Europe opposes the designation suggests that it fears just this. For a variety of reasons — economic interest, anti-Americanism, and reflexive pacifism chief among them — it would prefer to avoid any bad blood with the Islamic Republic. Most of the U.S. State Department feels likewise. But the simple truth is that, unless Iran’s regime gives up both its terrorist ideology and its weapons, we will never be safe. The president has taken an important — albeit partial and overdue — step toward facing that unpleasant reality.

Iranian leader Ahmadinejad denounces Israel as 'flag of Satan'

2007-08-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

By Reuters
August 19, 2007

In a new verbal assault on Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced Israel yesterday as the "flag of Satan" and said it may be facing disintegration, official Iranian media reported.

Yesterday the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying of Israel in a speech: "When the philosophy of the establishment and the continuation of this regime is not just, it is not unlikely that it is on the path of decline and disintegration." Accusing Israel of "occupation and aggression," he added: "This regime is the flag of Satan".

It was not clear whether his choice of words was an indirect reference to Israel's close ally the United States, which Iran's clerical leaders have branded "the Great Satan."

Ahmadinejad, who triggered outrage in the West two years ago when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map," has often referred to its destruction but says Iran poses no threat. Two months ago, he said the Lebanese and the Palestinians had pressed a "countdown button" to bring an end to the State of Israel.

Iran often praises the Palestinians for what it says is their resistance to Israeli occupation. Tehran also described last year's Second Lebanon War between Hezbollah and Israel as a victory for the Iranian-backed group.

Ahmadinejad's comments in 2005 caused consternation in Israel and the West, which also fear Iran is trying to build an atomic arsenal under cover of a civilian nuclear power program, a charge Tehran denies.

Sacked Iran minister warns of energy 'catastrophe'

2007-08-19T18:06:00.000-04:00

Agence France Presse
August 19, 2007

Iran's sacked oil minister has issued a parting warning to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, predicting a looming "catastrophe" in the Iranian energy sector because of high consumption, media reported Sunday.

"If we do not find a solution to the energy problem in the next 15 years, the country will face a catastrophe," Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh was quoted as saying at his farewell ceremony late on Saturday by the ISNA student news agency.

"I am ready to prove that if the fuel situation continues along current trends we will face an energy crisis in the future," he said. "The current pattern of consumption is a disaster for the country."

The comments by Vaziri Hamaneh, who also revealed for the first time that he was sacked in a cabinet reshuffle last week, are a stark warning about the energy problems of a country rich in natural resources.

Iran is OPEC's number two crude oil producer and is also pinning major hopes on its gas reserves, estimated to be the second largest proven reserves in the world after Russia.

But frenzied consumption of petrol forces it to import millions of litres per day of refined oil to make up for a domestic shortfall. Wasteful heating methods also create gas shortages in winter.

The government introduced petrol rationing in June in a bid to ease the immense strain on the budget of importing petrol for Iran's 70 million people, but it is still forced to import huge quantities of petrol daily.

A further problem comes from under-investment in its oil fields, an issue compounded by US action to prevent banks lending to Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

The influential research centre of parliament also sounded a downbeat note on the future of Iran's gas industry, saying that exports would not be possible in the next 10 years given the scale of domestic consumption.

"It seems that for at least the next 10 years there will not be any extra gas for export. Iran is advised to remove gas export from the country's policy due to the limited production capacity," it said.

Turkey is currently the only recipient of Iranian gas exports, receiving several billion cubic metres annually.

But Iran is seeking to export large quantities of gas to Turkey and other countries in the Middle East, as well as to India and Pakistan through new pipelines.

Vaziri Hamaneh confirmed for the first time that he was sacked in the reshuffle, which also saw the departure of Industry Minister Alireza Tahmasebi and was seen as a bid by Ahmadinejad to step up his control over the economy.

"I did not resign, because I still have the ability to work. Anyone who has the ability to work will not resign," Vaziri Hamaneh said, according to the Mehr news agency.

"Sacking me from the ministry was the president's idea, and I obliged," he added.

Vaziri Hamaneh is a veteran oil ministry official who was Ahmadinejad's fourth choice for the post when he took power in 2005. Two candidates were rejected by parliament and another stepped back of his own accord.

He complained that in the "two years of Ahmadinejad's government, oil managers had been forced to pay for all mistakes made in the past.

"And I say here if these group's pressures are not stopped, the industry and the country will face crisis."

Tahmasebi also launched a stinging attack on Ahmadinejad's economic policies in his resignation letter, complaining of under-investment and damaging personnel changes.

2006-09-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

AHMADINEJAD
PROMOTES TERROR AND VIOLENCE AGAINST THE IRANIAN PEOPLE AND CITIZENS OF OTHER NATIONS

The Iranian regime leads the most active state-sponsor of terrorism (US State Department)
Responsible for more than 450 terrorist attacks around the world.
Responsible for killing of 120,000 political prisoners inside Iran
Situation of Human Rights in Iran under Ahmadinejad’s Term

- More than 200 hangings and death sentences, including those under age of 18
- 6 cases of stoning in Tehran alone, 64 percent of whom were between 25 to 29 years of age and 55% of those were without high school diplomas.
- Separation of all public place and establishing official gender apartheid in parks and streets.
- Increased crack down on religious minorities and groups such as the Darwishes (Sufies)
- On February 7, 2006 Hojjat Zamani, a political prisoner and member of Iran’s main opposition group, was executed by the regime to retaliate against referral to UN Security Council for its nuclear file.
- On July 31, 2006 Akbar Mohammadi, a political prisoner who was on hunger strike for his detention, was murdered in prison.
- On September 6, 2006, Valliollah Fayz Mahdavi, a political prisoner and member of Iran’s main opposition group, MEK (PMOI), who was hunger strike for his detention, was murdered in prison.
- On September 9, 2006 four prisoners were hanged over the past three days in Tehran and towns of Saravan and Bandar Abbass.

Committee Against Ahmadinejad

2004-08-23T20:17:00.000-04:00

Committee
Against
Ahmadinejad

August 20, 2007

Over the past 2 years, Iranian president Ahmadinejad has fully implemented Iran’s Islamic extremist agenda with increasing oppression within Iran and escalating terrorist activities abroad. Religious hatred, intolerance, and terrorism have for years been the trademarks of the Ayatollahs in Iran. Iran is not only the number one state sponsor of worldwide terrorism, but is the primary instigator of violence and instability in Iraq.

Ahmadinejad’s Revolutionary Guards (IRG) organization is responsible for killing and torture of the Iranian people. Similarly, his regime and the IRG are training and equipping terrorist in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Disregarding Islam’s peaceful teachings, the Iranian government has incited and then exploited public sentiments to spread negative propaganda against Christians, Jews, and Bahaies. This hatred has become manifest internationally via Ahmadinejad’s call for the destruction of other countries in the region. Over the past 30 years, the Iranian regime has executed 120000 members and sympathizers of the oppositions. The United Nations has repeatedly (at least 52 times) condemned the Iranian government for its atrocious human rights record, and for inhuman and degrading treatment of its citizens.

Within Iran, public and extrajudicial executions have increased significantly since Ahmadihenjad and his IRG rose to dominance. Often, political opponents are charged with bogus criminal offenses and then executed in public. Stoning to death and torture continue unabated. According to Amnesty International, Iran continues to have one of the highest rates of executions in the world. The reported executions in 2007 have already exceeded 150, suggesting that by the end of this year the total number of executions would exceed the 177 recorded by Amnesty International in 2006.

********************
I am joining my colleagues, religious leaders and human rights activist to oppose the ongoing human rights catastrophe in Iran as well Ahmadinejad led government’s role in the violence in Iraq. I understand the aims of the “Committee against Ahmadinejad” are:

1. Publicize human rights violation in Iran.
2. Protest executions, especially the public hanging of individuals.
3. Support democracy seeking students, teachers, women, and minorities (religious and ethnic).
4. Expose Iran's destructive role in Iraq.

Sincerely,

Ed Towns
Member of Congress