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Tag Archives: Incompetence

Iran: Jailhouse For Journalists

March 13, 2010 – 7:23 pm

Journalists have become a prime target in an Iranian government crackdown on the opposition following last June’s disputed presidential election, with 52 of them currently held — making Iran the top jailer of journalists in the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The wave of arrests, which has only accelerated recently, has sent a chill through journalists in Iran at a time when the opposition is struggling to maintain its challenge against the government in the face of a heavy crackdown on pro-reform figures.

By Pejman Yousefzadeh | Posted in Chequer-Board | Also tagged 9/11, Ali Khamenei, Democracy, Demonstrations, Dictatorship, Dishonesty, Flynt Leverett, Foreign Affairs, foreign policy, Freedom Of The Press, Hillary Mann Leverett, Hossein Ali Montazeri, inflation, Iran, Journalism, Kahrizak, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Moharram, Neda, Ramin Pourandarjani, Stolen Elections, Totalitarianism | Comments

The Leveretts. Again.

March 7, 2010 – 10:31 pm

In the event that you have not yet read Michael Crowley’s profile of the Leveretts, you owe it to yourself to do so. Note the following passage:

. . . In our meeting, I pressed [the Leveretts] to say just how they feel about [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]. Geopolitics aside, did they consider him a despicable human being? “I think he’s actually a quite intelligent man,” Flynt replied. “I think he also has really extraordinary political skills.” “[T]he idea that he’s stupid or doesn’t understand retail politics is also pretty divorced from reality,” Hillary added. But that wasn’t the question.

Revealing that they don’t answer the question, isn’t it?

By Pejman Yousefzadeh | Posted in Chequer-Board | Also tagged 9/11, Ali Khamenei, Democracy, Demonstrations, Dictatorship, Dishonesty, Flynt Leverett, Foreign Affairs, foreign policy, Hillary Mann Leverett, Hossein Ali Montazeri, inflation, Iran, Kahrizak, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Moharram, Neda, Ramin Pourandarjani, Stolen Elections, Totalitarianism | Comments

Comme d’Habitude

March 2, 2010 – 11:38 am

I guess that no one will be surprised to read this:

Iranian security forces have detained film director Jafar Panahi, winner of many international awards, an opposition website said on Tuesday.

Panahi was held at his home together with his wife Mahnaz Mohammadi, daughter and 15 guests on Monday evening, opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi’s website Kaleme said.

Panahi’s home was searched and some of his belongings seized, it added.

The director supported Mousavi in last year’s disputed presidential election, which plunged the Islamic Republic into months of political turmoil.

By Pejman Yousefzadeh | Posted in Chequer-Board | Also tagged Ali Khamenei, Barack Obama, Democracy, Demonstrations, Dictatorship, Dishonesty, economy, Foreign Affairs, foreign policy, Hossein Ali Montazeri, inflation, Iran, Kahrizak, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mir Hossein Mousavi, Moharram, Neda, Obama Administration, Ramin Pourandarjani, Stolen Elections, Totalitarianism | Comments

Why Does Anyone Trust The Leveretts?

February 15, 2010 – 8:00 pm

I have written in the past about Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett, the husband and wife team that passes itself off as being your go-to source concerning all things relating to Iranian politics, and Iran’s place in the world.