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Khayyam
Afghanistan
Prepare for the worst
But work for reconciliation
By Siamak Namazi
I just got back from Iran this Saturday. The Iranian press has been
very active in crying out against war. For example, well before the fate
of the Iranian diplomats was known, and even before the massing of 70,000
Revolutionary Guards on the Afghan border, a well-known Iranian political
scientist, Sadeq Zibakalam, cried foul in an excellent article published
in Tous. Zibakalam's piece was only one of the many written against mounting
tensions and critical of Iran's policy on Afghanistan. Perhaps we can help
by adding to the anti-war chorus. Judging from talking to people on the
streets and in shared taxis in Tehran, the mood among the population is
quite against war... GO TO FEATURE
Anyway
An observer in Tehran writes to the Gulf2000 academic alias:
It really looks that they are going to make war against Taliban. Just
looking at the face of the anchorman of the 9 o'clock evening news, I feel
that they have made a decision. They are drumming up against what they
picture as inhumane and unforgivable actions by Taleban, which includes
not only the killings of the Iranian nationals but, more importantly, those
actions taken against the anti-Taleban forces and the residents in the
fighting areas. The Leader (Khamenei)'s statement today and several other
statements including that of Great Ayatollah Nuri Hamadani in Qom seem
to indicate that they have decided that the Taleban must be punished.
As a political scientist, I cannot help but think that this cannot be
"rational." Given the current oil price and already large government
deficits, waging a war at this time will be really a bad idea economically.
But come to think of that, this is after all a regime by the so-called
"revolutionaries." Their priority may be different. After all,
in June 1982, they didn't have to carry the war into Iraq, but they did.
Was "retribution" a big factor for inducing that decision? Or
am I fooled by the rhetoric? Is the current situation different from that
of June 1982? I just hope that I was wrongheaded about all this feeling
that a war is imminent.
History
Revolution: 1979-1999
More Letters
* Lessons from Hitler's Germany
Rostam Farhadieh writes: There is little
doubt that a war in the region would not be to the benifit of any nation
particularly Iran. However it is important to put some of the movements
into historical perspective. British Prime Minister Chamberlin chose diplomatic
routes in dealing with Hitler's Germany. He believed sacrificing another
nation's sovereignty in order to protect the peace was the most appropriate
option. ... FULL
TEXT
* Don't be so emotional
(No name) writes: Stop being so damn emotional
and extreme on every issue ["We
don't need this"]. There are real geopolitical reasons why the
Iranian government is acting this way toward Afghanistan (and believe it
or not, the diplomats are the tip of the iceberg). Let's try to be more
rational in our next attempt at a political statement...
FULL
TEXT
* Khalili's reply: I do not condone injustices
Laleh Khalili writes: Dear Ms. Aghamiri,
Thank you infinitely for your
kind words. I just wanted to clarify a small point. I do not condone
the injustices committed by the Taleban in Afghanistan. But I also believe
that in that war (as in many others) there are no "good" or "just"
sides. Rapes, murders, massacres, mutilations, and barbarism are committed
by all. ... FULL
TEXT
* "Adam barfi" ("The Snow Man) in Berkeley
San Francisco Cine Club and Iranian Film Society present: "Adam
barfi" ("The Snow Man). Monday Sept 28, fine art cinema, 2145
Shattuck Aave, In Berkeley, California. Show times:5:00, 7:00 and 9:00
pm.
* Music: Persian
& Indian music in Portland
* Demonstration: In
front of the U.N.
* Conference: Challenges
for Iranians Abroad, Indianapolis"
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More
news
Khamenei orders military alert
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader Tuesday
put the military on the alert for orders in a further escalation of the
crisis with the Afghan Taleban. ``All officials..., including the armed
forces, must be ready for the speedy, timely and decisive implementation
of whatever decisions the senior political and security authorities deem
necessary and right for the country,'' the official news agency IRNA quoted
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying... FULL TEXT
Taleban say will hit Iran if attacked
ISLAMABAD, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The Taleban
said on Tuesday it would hit Iranian cities if Iran's military, which was
ordered on alert, attacked Afghanistan. ``Iran must know that if the soil
of Afghanistan is attacked, we will target Iranian cities and the entire
responsibility will rest with Iranian authorities,'' Taleban spokesman Wakil
Ahmed told the independent Afghan Islamic Press (AIP)... FULL TEXT
Bodies of diplomats returned
 TEHRAN, Sept 15, (BBC) - Jim Muir audio/video report on
the return of the bodies of seven slain Iranian diplomats and reaction in
Tehran to latest developments... REALVIDEO HERE
Refugees Report Deaths by Taliban
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Taliban fighters engaged
in a ``killing frenzy'' after capturing the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif,
according to refugees' accounts, U.N. officials said Tuesday. U.N. spokesman
Fred Eckhard said the eyewitness accounts corroborated reports about mass
killings following the Taliban's seizure of the city Aug. 8 ... FULL TEXT
Ancient tablets get new life
TEHRAN, (Hamshahri) - Some 70,000 ancient Persian
tablets which were locked in a wharehouse at the national museum for years,
will now be translated and indexed by an Iranian expert on Ilamite history...
FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
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Sehaty Exchange (U.S.) 602-595-0777
Quote Unquote
Hitler=Taliban?
British Prime Minister Chamberlin chose diplomatic routes in dealing
with Hitler's Germany.
Rostam Farhadieh
Letter
to The Iranian
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