Bill Samii

April 13, 2005

Iranian Youth Movement Has Untapped Potential

<a href="/specials/youth/">"The Power of Youth"</a> is an ongoing RFE/RL project that will look at how youth movements are born, mature, and make the transition to the postrevolutionary setting or endure under repression.

April 11, 2005

Iran: Observers Fear Militarization Of Politics

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (file photo) The possibility that an individual connected with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) could be elected as Iran's next president is causing some consternation in Iranian political circles. National police chief Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a former IRGC commander, announced in Tehran on 11 April that he will run in the 17 June elections.

April 06, 2005

Analysis: Corruption Becomes An Issue In Iran's Presidential Campaign

Widespread Iranian concern about financial and professional corruption is reflected by the fact that most prospective candidates for the upcoming presidential election have addressed this issue. Tehran parliamentary representative Ahmad Tavakoli has said the unity of Iran is threatened by corruption, nepotism, and favoritism, "Siyasat-i Ruz" reported on 4 April, and that the next president's greatest duty is to address these issues.

March 31, 2005

Iran: Ethnic Politics Out Of Bounds

Iranian President Khatami (file photo) Iran's population of some 69 million people is ethnically and religiously diverse. But successive Iranian governments, whether theocratic or monarchic, have stressed the Persian nature of the state and tried to eliminate minority interests by emphasizing linguistic, religious, and cultural unity. It is noteworthy, therefore, that candidates campaigning before the 17 June presidential election are pandering to minority groups.

March 29, 2005

Analysis: Kyrgyz Developments Worry Iran, But Unlikely To Have Lasting Impact

President Akaev was in Iran in 2003 (file photo) The Iranian Foreign Ministry reacted cautiously when asked about the recent ouster of Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev, who fled from Bishkek following the storming of government offices by protesters. Spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said Iran is monitoring developments and added, "We hope conditions in Kyrgyzstan will return to normal as soon as possible," IRNA reported on 26 March.

March 18, 2005

Analysis: Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline Imperiled

U.S. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice commented on the pipleline during her visit in India (file photo) As the owner of the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves, Iran is keen to exploit this resource as a source of revenue. It is therefore pursuing gas export deals with a number of countries.

March 01, 2005

Analysis: Abundance Of Candidates In Iranian Presidential Race

President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami With only four months before Iran's next presidential election, it still is not clear who will compete in the race. Five men have said they want to be the main conservative candidate and one of them has said he would even run as an independent; two men have announced their interest in being the reformist candidate; and a couple of others have expressed an interest in competing but seem to have no significant support. A few more names are mentioned as possible candidates, but these individuals have not made a commitment yet. This plethora of candidates and the accompanying indecision has led to speculation that there will be no clear victor on election day on 17 June, and there will be a second round to determine the next president.

February 23, 2005

Analysis: Quake Highlights Iran's Difficulties In Handling Civil-Affairs Emergencies

The southeast village of Dahouyeh was completely destroyed by the 22 February earthquake Officials announced on 23 February that the death toll from a 6.4 magnitude earthquake one day earlier in southeastern Iran's Kerman Province had exceeded 790, and the same day Reuters reported that angry locals attacked the visiting Interior Minister's convoy as they complained about an inadequate governmental response.

February 21, 2005

Analysis: Iranian Proliferation Central To Bush-Putin Summit

(file photo) The proliferation danger posed by Iran is likely to be a major topic of discussion when President George W. Bush meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bratislava later this week.

February 15, 2005

Analysis: Some Fear Reversal Of Reforms At Iranian Intelligence Ministry

President Khatami (in file photo) recently praised the intelligence and security forces Iran's Intelligence and Security Ministry earned a reputation for persecuting and killing dissidents in Iran and abroad and for economic corruption in the first 15 years of its existence (1984-99). An apparent purge of the ministry in 1999, after some officials were linked with the serial killings of dissidents, apparently helped to rehabilitate its reputation.

February 14, 2005

Analysis: Weighty Iranian Official Shows Off Media Maneuvers

In the past month, Expediency Council Chairman and former President Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani has granted a number of interviews to Iranian media and another to a U.S. newspaper. As he is one of the most powerful and influential individuals in Iran, his remarks on topics such as Iran-U.S. relations and the nuclear issue are always important.

February 11, 2005

Analysis: Despite Short-Term Reversals, Iranian Women's Status Likely To Improve

Iran's female student population is growing rapidly A United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR) rapporteur recently concluded a visit to Iran, and at her final news conference she spoke out against the shortcomings of that country's legal system in terms of gender issues.

February 04, 2005

Tehran Reacts To Bush State Of The Union Address

"To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder," U.S. President George W. Bush said in his 3 February State of the Union address. After discussing Syrian interference in Lebanon and cooperation with terrorists, he turned to Iran.

January 28, 2005

Analysis: Iran Turnout Key To Expat Vote

As expatriate voting for Iraq's national elections began in 14 countries on 28 January, focus shifted to the turnout in Iran, which has the largest Iraqi diaspora.

January 18, 2005

Analysis: Iranian Counternarcotics Agencies In Bureaucratic Struggle

Brigadier General Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who heads Iran's national police force, told reporters on 15 January that the authorities have seized more than 200 tons of drugs in the last nine months, the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

January 17, 2005

Analysis: Price Controls Get Mixed Reception In Iran

"Young physicians in our country live below the poverty line," Dr. Iraj Khosronia, head of the General Practitioners Society, said in a 15 January interview, "Resalat" reported the next day. He said they earn less than 1.5 million rials (about $190) per month. After completing medical school, the young physicians do their compulsory military service, Khosronia said, but then some of them leave the medical profession to work in other, more lucrative fields.

January 13, 2005

Analysis: A Look At Iran's Sponsorship Of Terror Groups

The Iranian Constitution states that in order to attain its objectives the country's foreign policy must be based on "Islamic criteria, fraternal commitment to all Muslims, and unsparing support to the freedom fighters of the world" (Article 3). Furthermore, "[Iran] supports the rightful struggle of the oppressed people against their oppressors anywhere in the world" (Article 154). These requirements, as well as a desire to export the revolution, are a primary factor behind Iran's support for what the United States identifies as terrorist organizations. Iran's more recent reliance on asymmetric warfare in its military doctrine, furthermore, underscores that such support will continue.

January 07, 2005

Analysis: Goods Smuggling Highlights Economic Problems In Iran

The chief of Iran's national police force, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said on 2 January that the problem of smuggling is mounting in the country, according to Radio Farda.

January 05, 2005

Analysis: Repression Of Iranian Internet Sector Continues

Some Iranian online journalists who were arrested in the autumn were released after writing letters of contrition that were published in newspapers. The respite has been short-lived, however, especially for journalists who later described the mistreatment they underwent. Two of them -- Hanif Mazrui and Fereshteh Qazi -- received Press Court summonses on 23 December, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported the next day. The two face accusations of, among other things, disturbing public opinion.

January 03, 2005

Analysis: Iran's Conservatives Play Down Their Differences

The divisions within Iran's political right wing are amply demonstrated by the fact that five individuals are vying to be the conservatives' candidate in the 2005 presidential election. Reformist observers are emphasizing these differences, whereas conservative commentators are downplaying them. Similar differences appeared before the 2001 presidential election and died out soon thereafter. Now, the differences could be more meaningful.