Bill Samii

Also by Bill Samii

• December 15, 2005

  President's Anti-Israel Statements Reflect Official Line

  Though many explanations have been offered for President Ahmadinejad's statements, he is not the first official to engage in Holocaust denial or to deny Israel's legitimacy.

• December 13, 2005

  Lebanese Want 'Truth,' But Not All Welcome UN Report

  The independent investigator in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri has submitted his final report, saying Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services coordinated the bombing that killed Hariri.

• December 12, 2005

  Lebanon: Government Reports Success In Drug Control

  Drugs seized in Lebanon (file photo) (Courtesy Photo) Lebanon was once a major source of opium and hashish -- it reportedly can be traced to the Ottoman era, and cultivation increased seriously during the civil war that began in 1975 and as government control in the northern Bekaa Valley deteriorated. But in 1990, Lebanese and Syrian military forces in the country began a concerted effort to eliminate narcotics production, apparently with some success.

• December 12, 2005

  Terrorism: Islamic Scholars Debate Suicide Bombing And Hostage Taking

  More than 50 people were killed in multiple suicide-bomb attacks in Amman, Jordan, on 9 November (AFP) In the current nomenclature, "martyrdom operations" is a euphemism for suicide bombings. In Iraq and Israel these incidents occasionally kill military personnel, but the majority of casualties tends to be civilians. In interviews with RFE/RL, two of Lebanon's leading Shi'ite clerics -- Seyyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah and Afif Nabulsi -- and prominent Lebanese scholar Amal Saad-Ghorayeb discussed martyrdom operations, as well as the holding of hostages.

• December 04, 2005

  Drug Abuse, Smuggling On The Rise

  Despite official statements to the contrary, law-enforcement statistics and UN data on Afghan narcotics production promise that Iran's problems are only going to worsen.

• December 01, 2005

  Preparing For The Next Big Vote

  It might seem early to think about the next election in Iran since the presidential poll took place just six months ago. Nonetheless, observers are already discussing the upcoming vote for the Assembly of Experts, currently set for October 2006.

• November 23, 2005

  Ushering In A New Elite

  Parliament's latest rebuff might have stung, but President Ahmadinejad should not be counted out. Virtually all other appointments he has made point to the rise of a new elite.

• November 09, 2005

  Seeking A Stable Government

  The Iranian legislature approved three new cabinet nominees today. Parliamentary voices signaled possible problems ahead of the vote, however.

• November 07, 2005

  A Rising Star In Party Politics

  Iran's "Isargaran" political organization has support in high places and is enjoying ever-more power on the political scene.

• November 01, 2005

  President Still In Charge Of Nuclear Program

  President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's forays into foreign policy since his inauguration have brought negative reactions from the international community.

• October 27, 2005

  Qods Day Brings Out Anti-Israeli Sentiments

  In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini declared that the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan would be marked as Qods Day. Since then, the day has been celebrated faithfully and is often characterized by strong criticism of Israel.

• October 19, 2005

  Iran/Iraq: Tehran Airs Its Grievances Against Saddam Hussein

  An undated photo showing Hussein visiting the front lines during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war On 18 October, the day before the trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on charges of crimes against humanity began in Baghdad, Jamal Karimirad, the spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Tehran will be submitting a separate indictment against him. Karimirad said on 18 October that the first part of his country's indictment has already been sent to the Iranian Foreign Ministry to be forwarded to Iraq and other relevant materials will be sent later, Iranian state radio reported.

• October 17, 2005

  Iran: Bombings In Southwest Blamed On Usual Suspect

  Two explosions in the city of Ahvaz in southwestern Iran on 15 October were responsible for the death of five people, Iranian state radio reported on 16 October. Less than two hours after the explosions occurred, Al-Alam, Iran's official Arabic-language satellite news network, was connecting them with Great Britain. "Ahvaz has previously witnessed such blasts. Investigations have proved that the British troops in Iraq were involved in these," Al-Alam commented.

• October 11, 2005

  Archive: New President's Diplomacy Sparks Controversy

  On the sidelines of a pro-nuclear-power rally in Tehran on 7 October, Iranian government spokesman Gholam Hussein Elham said all the country's officials agree with Tehran's conduct of nuclear negotiations and its general interaction with other countries, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. "With the exception of those who disagree with the Islamic system in principle," Elham added, "there is no disagreement among political parties or groups that conduct their activities within the law and believe in the principle of the Islamic system in Iran." However, the general lack of diplomatic finesse displayed by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his new administration has caught observers by surprise, and the Iranians' actions and comments on the nuclear issue have alienated foreign capitals that previously were positively disposed toward Tehran.

• October 08, 2005

  Iran: Stock Exchange Has Long-Term Difficulties

  Iranian commentators have recently referred to a "crisis" on the Tehran Stock Exchange. The slump is particularly evident because the market's key index (Tepix) rose by nearly 80 percent between March 2001 and April 2003, while the indices of exchanges in Frankfurt, London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo tumbled by 40-70 percent. The gains in Iranian securities had continued until recently, too, culminating in a tripling of the key Tehran index in the period from 2001 to May 2005.

• October 04, 2005

  Iran: Systemic Changes Could Weaken Elected Officials, Balance Government

  (RFE/RL) The formal decision-making apparatus in the Iranian government has undergone a significant change in the last few days. This change, which gives the unelected Expediency Council supervisory powers over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, has been met with criticism from members of parliament. This development reduces the power of elected officials, but it could also reflect an attempt to restore balance to a system heavily dominated by younger hard-liners.

• September 30, 2005

  Iran: Paramilitary Force Prepares For Urban Unrest

  Are Iranian authorities expecting civil unrest? The Basij Resistance Force, a paramilitary organization connected with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, appears to be undergoing something of a revival under the administration of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

• September 29, 2005

  Iran: Government Reverses Course In War On Drugs

  Police seize drugs in Afghanistan in May The Iranian approach to drug control is very relevant to the rest of the world, because Iran's neighbor, Afghanistan, is the world's leading producer of opium. Iran leads the international community in global opium seizure rates and it is second to Pakistan in opiate seizures, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Iran also leads the world in the prevalence of drug abuse (2.8 percent of the population aged 15 or older), according to the UNODC.

• September 26, 2005

  Iran: Government Reacts To IAEA Nuclear Resolution

  As the Iranian government tries to come to grips with what could be the most harshly worded international statement on its nuclear program to date, the country's legislature is preparing a bill that would suspend implementation of the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).

• September 21, 2005

  Iraq: Hard To Pin Blame For Most Recent Violence

  Insurgent leaders and Iranian leaders blame U.S. forces for the violence in Iraq (file photo) Holy Defense Week, Iran's annual commemoration of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, is scheduled to begin on 22 September. The first day will feature a military parade marking the armed forces' role in protecting the country from former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's aggression. As Iran marks the end of one conflict involving Iraq, it faces accusations of contributing to an ongoing one. The situation in Iraq is so convoluted at the moment that blaming just one party does little to clarify or resolve the situation.

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