Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by Ali Alfoneh, Ahmad Majidyar and Michael Rubin.  To subscribe to this daily newsletter, e-mail [email protected].

 (E) = Article in English

Supreme Leader urges against voting for those “who by bowing their heads to the foreigners do away with our honor”; Alef poll shows Ahmadinejad's lead over rivals; Guardian Council says 120 candidates disqualified due to criminal records; Fatemeh Rajabi blasts reformists; Ayatollah Yazdi endorses Ahmadinejad; Mousavi’s campaign gains momentum; Karrubi’s convoy comes under attack; Karrubi criticizes Ahmadinejad’s engagement with U.S.; IRNA hails Ahmadinejad’s “triumphs” in “backyard of the United States”

Presidential Election: General

• Supreme Leader Khamenei, speaking in Bijar at the seventh day of his visit to Kordestan, urges to vote for "someone who continues the path of the Imam [Khomeini], his values and principles and who considers resistance towards the bullying powers of the world a value." 
  • Khamenei also urges the people not to vote for those "who by bowing their heads to the foreigners do away with our honor. " 
  • Khamenei also praises the government for serving all Iranians. 
• Alef News Agency's poll of 15,000 voters shows 54.5 percent support Ahmadinejad, 22 percent support for Mir-Hossein Mousavi, 3.2 percent support for Mehdi Karrubi and 2 percent support for Mohsen Rezai. 
• A poll published by Entekhab News claims Mir-Hossein Mousavi comes first with 27.8 percent, Mohsen Rezai with 25.5 percent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with 23.9 percent and Mehdi Karrubi with 22.8 percent of the vote. 
• Guardian Council Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodayi says there are 476 presidential aspirants, 120 of whom have various criminal records, 50 of whom have been disqualified before and 50 who have an educational degree from elementary school to diploma.
  • Guardian Council Spokesman Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei says the council does not engage in "expedient decision making" when it comes to evaluation of presidential aspirants.
  • Kadkhodaei stresses that campaign activities prior to the Council's announcement of qualified candidates is illegal, unless it is general propagation of election participation with no reference to a certain candidate.
  • Kadkhodaei also says there is no restriction with regard to women applying for the presidency. 
  • Former parliamentarian Akbar A'lami's campaign headquarters say "there are some signs of Mr. A'lami being disqualified by the Guardian Council."
• ·Agah-Sazi News reports systematic leaks from secret meetings of the presidential candidates' headquarters to the press and accuses "rogue elements in a certain security organization of a certain institution."

                                       o  Agah-Sazi stresses that "it is most possible that the President is ignorant and unhappy with such rogue actions, but lack of institutionalization of tapping in the country will create an atmosphere of fear..."

• Former National Bank Director General Tahmasb Mazaheri questions authenticity of the Ahmadinejad campaign's claim that its decision to dissolve the Plan and Budget Organization was derived from the will of former President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and explains that Rajai only closed down the organization for ten days after which it was reopened because of lack of alternative economic macro planning institutions in Iran. 
• Ham-Mihan speculates about possible cabinets depending on the victor in elections. 
• Ayatollah Nouri Hamadani says not participating in elections is "a great sin." 

Presidential Elections: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  

• Fatemeh Rajabi wife of Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham attacks the "mafia of power and wealth which has found huge wealth for its own tribe and kin... A thousand faces are both apparent and invisible and they don't like that the President speaks to the people in the language of the people because they themselves deceive the people by speaking in tongues... Has the candidate who has been silent for the past 20 years been among the people? How come he didn't sense danger during the fifty percent inflation under Hashemi [Rafsanjani] and how come he didn't sense danger during annihilation of the faith of the people during the Khatami government…?

                                      o   Did [Tehran Mayor] Qalibaf not say 'I am a Hezbollahi Reza Khan [founder of the Pahlavi dynasty]?

                                      o   Did [Mohsen] Rezai not say that the country was blossoming during Reza Khan and Hashemi [Rafsanjani]…?"

• Hojjat al-Eslam Hamid Rasaei, head of the Ahmadinejad campaign speaker's committee, attacks Mousavi's continuous accusations against Ahmadinejad, referring to the Ahmadinejad campaign's distribution of free potatoes during the Iranian president's provincial visits.

                                 o   Rasaei adds "if someone wanted to attract votes, one would have distributed rice and not potatoes."

                                 o   Rasaei also attacks Mehdi Karrubi's promise of distributing cash among the people, adds the Ahmadinejad plan of wealth distribution is not an election promise, but a plan discussed and planned with experts."

                                 o   Fatemeh Rajabi, attacking Ahmadinejad's clerical critics and rivals, says "not everyone wearing the garb of religion is a cleric... By looking at which line they choose to join one finds out who belongs to the vanguard of God and who to Satan." 

• Ayatollah Yazdi declares support for Ahmadinejad from the Scholars and Professors at the Theological Seminary of Qom for Ahmadinejad.  o   Andisheh Now on the other hand claims there has been widespread resistance to the endorsement. 
• Ahmadinejad speaks with 300 student representatives in the mosque next to the President's Office: “In this government, we feel management of the Imam [of the Era], but most certainly it has been likewise during previous governments as well... They have created an assembly called the Imam of the Era May God Hasten His Emergence so that no one else speaks of him, and they have created an atmosphere in which many don't speak of him... In New York, there was a lady journalist who in an interview asked me, you who claim all religions and sects are free, how come the Bahais are not free? Answering her question I said: Could you please mention the name of their Prophet…? A party which has been created to serve divine duties is good, but a party which is established to achieve power is not god. There are those who say now that you have accepted democracy you must also recognize its instruments such as parties and political party formations. We ask this, if we are in favor of nuclear energy, must we also recognize nuclear weapons…? During the past 60 years the Zionists have become used to have twelve meters long tongues and ears with the size of a pea. Now the time has come to cut their tongues and enlarge their ears...There are those who tell us you have increased the threats and the costs. We ask this, you see that the United States is fleeing from our borders and does not even dare to threaten us. Do you call this increased cost?" 
• Ahmadinejad appoints Ahmad Yazdanpour his campaign headquarters chief in Torbat-e Heydariyeh. 
• Parliamentarian Valiollah Shojae-Pourian criticizes Ahmadinejad's provincial visits and accuses him of abusing his official position to engage in campaign activities.  ·  

Presidential Elections: Mir-Hossein Mousavi  

• Mostafa Kavakebian is appointed Mousavi's campaign headquarters chief in Khorasan Razavi province.
• Fazlollah Salavati is appointed Mousavi's campaign headquarters chief in Isfahan. 
• Mousavi speaks at a rally in Ghiam-Dasht in Tehran province. 
• Mousavi speaks in Damavand, stresses the importance of creating employment, criticizes the government's inability to fight inflation, promises to reestablish the Budget and Planning Organization and to fight corruption, and respect civil rights. 
• Mousavi travels to Zanjan on Tuesday. 
• Khatami travels to Khouzestan province to campaign for Mousavi. 
• Spontaneous Student Headquarters for Support to Ahmadinejad condemn what they claim to be "discourteous statements with regard to the clergy" during Mousavi's speech at the Tehran branch of the Azad University. The student headquarters particularly condemns the Mousavi campaign's use of the color green which is the symbol of the household of the prophet Muhammad. 
• Mousavi releases his Bill of Human and Civil Rights. 
• Iranian film maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf declares his support for Mousavi. 

Presidential Elections: Mohsen Rezai  

• Former Economy and Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Ja'fari speaking in Mashhad says Mohsen Rezai's slogan is "economic salvation."  

Presidential Elections: Mehdi Karrubi  

• Karrubi cancels campaign trips for the rest of the week. 
• Two motorcyclists attack Mehdi Karrubi's convoy, smash the windshields of the automobile transporting Karrubi. 
• Speaking at the Najafabad branch of the Azad University, Karrubi attacks Mousavi's supporters. 

                                o   At Najafabad branch, Karrubi criticizes preferential official treatment of the Ahmadinejad campaign: “On the one side there are candidates pursuing change with each their own campaign headquarters and Ahmadinejad on the other side claims he has no headquarters. But the entire state machinery has become Ahmadinejad's headquarters." o   Karrubi urges the students to participate in elections and vote in order to "create a greater myth."

                               o   The students answered Karrubi's call by shouting: "We do not want a government of potatoes" [a reference to the Ahmadinejad's distribution of free potatoes in order to attract voters], and "long live the reforms."

                               o   Karrubi's speech at the university was disrupted by a fight between members of the Basij and the university students. 

                               o   Karrubi also answers questions with regard to Israel and the United States: "By discussing the Holocaust issue Ahmadinejad, has done the greatest service to the Israelis and he has mobilized the entire world for the cause of Israel. Who are we supporting? Have we reached a point where we must support Hitler? What we say is that the land and rights of the Palestinians have been confiscated and that in that land, Muslims and Palestinians must live together with Christians and the Jews...

                                                  §  We regard to the United States we have said that we can engage in negotiations with the U.S. government on the basis of wisdom and expediency but the responsibility of general affairs of the country is in the hands of the Supreme Leader..."

                                                  §  At this point members of the Student Basij chanted the slogan "Death to America" but Karrubi responded swiftly: "Was it not your government which on two occasions wrote letters to two U.S. Presidents, first Bush and then to Obama? The unanswered letters are the greats insult against Iran..." 

• Karrubi's economic advisor Mohammad-Ali Najafi explains the general economic plans of Karrubi.
• Karrubi's administrative advisor Ali Nowzarpour explains Karrubi's plans to strengthen the municipalities. 
• Zangeneh tribe elders meet Karrubi, pledge allegiance and support for the "Sheikh of Reforms." 
• Karrubi has fired Mohammad-Zare' Foumani, head of the youth headquarters of his campaign because of Foumani's harsh attack against Mousavi. 

Politics

• Khamenei demands rapid development in Kordestan.   

Diplomacy

• Ebtekar publishes more rumors about Vali Nasr, who allegedly has been to Iran to discuss an opening between the Islamic Republic and the United States. 

Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency praises the Ahmadiejad government's "triumphs" in "backyard of the United States." These include:

• Strengthening of relations with friendly countries of the region like Venezuela through expansion of political relations, high level trips and the like.
• Establishment of a negotiations rounds every six months to one year at deputy foreign minister level.
• Attempt at improving Iran/Argentina relations.
• Establishment of embassies in Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador."
• Establishment of trade offices in...San Paolo, in Panama.
• Establishment of an Iran/Latin America Chamber of Commerce...
• Investigation of activating a shipping office in San Paolo.
• Establishment of direct flights (both passenger and cargo) with countries in the region.
• Establishment of commercial companies with a number of countries in the region.
• Establishment of a joint bank with Venezuela...
• Membership in the Southern Bank.
• Establishment of a joint company to engage in oil projects.
• Establishment of an oil transportation company.
• Establishment of a joint petrochemical company.
• Realization of projects with regard to establishment of multilateral commercial companies.
• Membership in ALBA.
• Establishment of chairs in Persian language and Iranian studies at universities of the region and strengthening of existing chairs.
• Arranging seminars discussing politics, culture and economy at regional universities.
• Establishment of a branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency office in Rio...
• Arranging cultural and art festivals.
• Establishment of Iran/Latin American countries friendship associations.
• Expediting cultural attaches to a number of countries in Latin America.
• Establishing a House of Iran in Venezuela.
• Expansion of connections with regional newspapers."
• Establishment of diplomatic relations with Bolivia.
• Opening of embassies in Santiago, Bogota and Managua.
• Expediting special envoys to Bolivia and Ecuador...
• Opening of Nicaragua's embassy in Tehran.
• The President's visits to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador and Cuba.
• Visit of the Speaker of the Parliament to Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela.
• Other cabinet minister visits to Latin American countries; e.g.:

                          a.        Foreign Minister's visit to Cuba and Venezuela.

                          b.       Commerce Minister's visit to Cuba and Venezuela.

                          c.        Agricultural Minister's visit to Venezuela and Cuba.

                          d.       Mines Minister's visit to Venezuela

                          e.        Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Director General's visit to Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua

                          f.        Deputy minister's visit to various countries of the region

                          g.       Parliamentary visits from Latin America to Iran

                          h.       President of Venezuela's three visits to Iran

                           i.         Parliamentary groups from Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba to Tehran to participate at the Conference Supporting the Inalienable Rights of the People of Palestine

                           j.         Defense cooperation with Venezuela

                          k.       Educational seminars for diplomats from Bolivia and Venezuela

                           l.         Arrangement of the first course in Persian language at university level in Venezuela.

• Parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Committee chairman Boroujerdi says Iranian authorities are negotiating with Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak.   

Military and Security

• The IRGC reports seizure of weapons near the Iran/Iraq border.
• Armed Forces Command Council Chief Hassan Firouzabadi commemorates establishment of the Construction Jihad which he calls the prerequisite of the world revolution of the Imam of the Era.    Religion, Culture and Society
• Kayhan accuses religious innovator Abdol-Karim Soroush of financing his books with economic aid from U.S. Army.
  • Soroush denies any responsibility for closure of universities and cleansing of them of "Westernized" academics and, in a harsh letter, attacks Iranian author Mahmoud Dowlatabadi. 
• Ayatollah Behjat dies. 
• Iranian parliament security so far unable to capture four feral cats who have established residency in the building.  
• The Islamic Republic builds modern prisons. 

  Economy

• Comparative analysis of Khatami and Ahmadinejad withdrawals from the foreign exchange reserve. 
• Tejarat Bank privatized. 
• Iran Khodro car manufacturer Manteghi discusses the economics of the company. 

  Media

• Newspaper Yas-e Now begins publication after a five year ban, generally supports Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

                                 o   Shut down after one day on order of Tehran Judge Said Mortazavi. 

                                 o   One day after the renewed closure of Yas-e Now, Government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham says the greatest mission of the public relation departments in governmental institutions is to fight against censorship.

                                o   Yas-e Now editor writes in an open letter to Ahmadinejad that the president shut down the newspaper in order to restrict the opposition's access to the public.

                                o   Ali Mazroui, head of the Journalist Association of Iran, says Yas-e Now has been banned because the government is afraid of "Mir-Hossein Mousavi's voice reaching out to the people."

• Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Director General Zarghami says Iranian television will no longer broadcast pictures from Ahmadinejad's provincial trips.
• Agah-Sazi releases a list of Fars News Agency's campaign of falsehood in support of the Ahmadinejad government. 

 Photos of the Day

• Mir-Hossein Mousavi in Ghiamdasht, Tehran province.
• Ahmadinejad supporters disrupt press conference of Soheila Jelodarzadeh member of the Women's Committee of the Expediency Council raising banners asking: "Mr. Mir-Hossein Mousavi: Reformist or Principalist?" and "During the War, Why Resignation?"
• Military museum at Saadabad Palace in Northern Tehran. 
• Rasht welcomes Mousavi.