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June 14, 2011
IRGC On "The Day After"
(Photo by Hamed Saber, available at Flickr)
Iranian officials and state-run publications have often claimed that the Iranian regime does not seek nuclear weapons. This position contradicts the historical evidence and recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports citing concerns over nuclear weapons activities that, according to the head of the IAEA, “may have continued until recently.”[1]
A recent article published by an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) website, however, appears to drop the pretense about the nature of Iran's nuclear program, describing the hypothetical day after testing of a nuclear bomb. An official outlet of the IRGC’s cyber division, gerdab.ir, published the article, titled “The Day After Iran’s First Nuclear Test Is A Normal Day,” on May 4, 2011.[2] The following is a full translation of the article:[3]
The day after the Islamic Republic of Iran’s first nuclear test is a normal day for us Iranians, however, there will be a new sparkle in the eyes of many.
It is a good day. It is seven in the morning. The sun is not completely risen, but it is bright everywhere. Many countries are beginning the day in the Northern Hemisphere. Today is the first sunrise of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear test. A typical day, typical!
The day before, probably in the Central Deserts of Iran, where the Americans and some other Western countries once wanted to bury their nuclear waste, an underground explosion occurred. The strength of the explosion was not so great as to cause severe damage to the region nor so weak that Iranian scientists face any problems in running their tests.
Today is a normal day like any other. As there is throughout 90% of the year, there is news about Iran, and these are the headlines which can be seen on foreign news sites:
Reuters: Iran detonated its nuclear bomb
CNN: Iran detonated nuclear bomb
Al-Jazeera: The second Islamic nuclear bomb was tested
Al-Arabiya: The Shia nuclear bomb was tested
Yahoo! News: Nuclear explosion in Iran
Jerusalem Post: Mullahs obtained nuclear weapon
Washington Post: Nuclear explosion in Iran, Shock and despair in Tel Aviv
CNN: Iran detonated nuclear bomb
Al-Jazeera: The second Islamic nuclear bomb was tested
Al-Arabiya: The Shia nuclear bomb was tested
Yahoo! News: Nuclear explosion in Iran
Jerusalem Post: Mullahs obtained nuclear weapon
Washington Post: Nuclear explosion in Iran, Shock and despair in Tel Aviv
Meanwhile, the domestic media will offer many congratulations to the Hidden Imam and the Supreme Leader:
Keyhan: Iran's first nuclear bomb was tested
Jomhoori-e-eslami: Iran successfully carried out a nuclear test
Iran: By order of the president, Iran's 100% homemade nuclear bomb was tested
Ettela'at: Iran's much anticipated nuclear bomb exploded
Keyhan: Iran's first nuclear bomb was tested
Jomhoori-e-eslami: Iran successfully carried out a nuclear test
Iran: By order of the president, Iran's 100% homemade nuclear bomb was tested
Ettela'at: Iran's much anticipated nuclear bomb exploded
Of course, other Iranian newspapers and websites were also commentating, but we certainly cannot continue publishing them forever!
The controversial news will not knock life in Iran off balance. Civil servants will punch in at work on time as always, while some others will be late as always, non-subsidized bread bakers will still not produce high-quality bread, high speed internet subscriptions will either be renewed or not.. This controversy will not even make the price of the internet a little cheaper, or make TV or radio programs have less appeal.
The day after the Islamic Republic of Iran's first nuclear test will be an ordinary day for us Iranians but in the eyes of some of us there will be a new sparkle. A sparkle of national pride and strength.
‘And prepare against them all the force you can, and thereby threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy.’
[1] Yukiya Amano, “Introductory Statement to Board of Governors,” June 6, 2011, available http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2011/amsp2011n012.html.
[2] The Guardian’s Julian Borger first reported on the article on June 8, 2011. Update: Borger has since been in contact with the blogger who wrote the article that was subsequently linked and posted by the IRGC's Gerdab website. See the Global Security Blog at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/julian-borger-global-security-blog for background.
[3] Article translated by Grant Gibson. The original article appears at http://www.gerdab.ir/fa/news/5218/%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%86%D8%AE%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%A2%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D9%87%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%8C-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2-%25D.
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