richards1052's blog

Israeli Activists Urge Air Force Pilots to Refuse Orders to Attack Iran

richards1052 — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:09:49 +0000

Former Mossad Chief Warns Israeli Attack on Iran Will Lead to 'Regional War'

richards1052 — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:16:37 +0000

Ilana Dayan has the first interview former Mossad director Meir Dagan has ever given to Israeli TV. For many Israelis, it must be a bit like hearing Marcel Marceau speak the first word of his career, as Dagan has a reputation for being exceedingly laconic and unwilling to speak publicly or to the press.

Makan to Star in New Anti-Iran Film, Iranium

richards1052 — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:11:32 +0000

[cross-posted to Tikun Olam]

Elsewhere at Iranian.com, Elias Sajjaid writes a pointed critique of infighting in the Green Movement and activities by erstwhile Green supporters destined to discredit it. One incident he focusses on is the recent "Green" audience with Israeli president Shimon Peres, featuring Caspian Makan, and facilitated by Israeli-Iranian Meir Javedanfar.

NY Times Correspondent Prepares Readers for Israeli Attack on Iran

richards1052 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:19:07 +0000

Cross posted at Tikun Olam:

Ethan Bronner has published yet another softball story about Israeli policy towards its enemies, in this case Iran. The story is a curious jumble of bellicosity and caution supposedly meant to mirror the current state of affairs among western allies in relation to Iran and its nuclear policy.

If you ever wanted to judge Bronner's over-coziness with his Israeli government and intelligence sources, note the grounds that he accepts for anonymizing them here:

N.Y. Times Out-Hawks Iran Hawks

richards1052 — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:00:24 +0000

Cross-posted to Tikun Olam:

The amount of sheer bogus thinking emanating from august forums like the editorial page of the N.Y. Times about Iran sanctions is quite unbelievable. Today, they published an "I've-Had-Enough" editorial endorsing sanctions. And the thinking evidenced in the piece is simply bankrupt:

"Time’s Up

Nobel Laureate, Wiesel, Publishes NY Times Ad Calling for Sanctions

richards1052 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:37:13 +0000

Cross posted to Tikun Olam:

Elie Wiesel's much ballyhooed full page N.Y. Times ad came out today. It offers strong support for the Iranian reform movement and denounces the clerical regime. The only purely political stance it advocates is sanctions. There is no mention of force. As close as the statement gets is:

Grand Ayatollah Montazeri Dies, Senate Considering Hotlining Iran Sanctions Bill

richards1052 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:02:05 +0000

There are times in history when events, like a river diverge from their expected course and disaster follows. At those times, one says "if only," and wonders what might have been. This is the case with the death today of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, Iran's leading dissident cleric who had once been Ayatollah Khomeini's designated successor.

Iran Attack Could Set Reform Movement Back 50 Years

richards1052 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:13:46 +0000

Sahimi Keynotes Seattle Conference on Iran, U.S., Israel Relations

richards1052 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:42:46 +0000

Prof Muhammad Sahimi, one of America's most prominent Iran analysts, will keynote a Seattle conference, Iran-Israel-U.S.: Solving the Nuclear Impasse. Below is the new flyer for the event. Sahimi is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Southern California. He maintains an extensive network of political activists in Iran with whom he is in close contact. He blogs at Huffington Post and is a correspondent for

Washington Times, Neo-Con Right: Get Parsi

richards1052 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:46:19 +0000

Berman Iran Sanctions Bill Approved by House, Senate Committees

richards1052 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:23:09 +0000

[cross-posted at Tikun Olam]

Israeli Government Campaign Against Iran

richards1052 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:30:02 +0000

John McCain, Jeffrey Goldberg Join Ranks of Iran Realists

richards1052 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:31:33 +0000

Cross posted at Tikun Olam

The ranks of the Iran realists are swelling every day and recruits come from the unlikeliest of places. Recently, Matt Duss noted that John McCain, the Iran uber-hawk during the presidential campaign, has resigned himself to an Iranian bomb. Newsweek interviewed McCain: