Causes of problems in Iran

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

What are the factors and influences that are seen as behind difficulties in contemporary Iran? Let us see what various voices have identified as underlying problems that arise.

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

From TEHRAN JOURNAL/PBS, by email, 7 October 2009 [passages in quotes are from the TJ text]

Publication source: Asr Iran | Oct. 3, 2009

Two Iranian authors deny plagiarism charge. "Earlier, Nature, a weekly journal, published an article on its website revealing that a paper published by Daneshjou for Springer journal's Engineering with Computers was practically copied word-for-word from a 2002 article by three South Koreans." Shahroudi, the student co-author, took responsibility for the article, and listed the differences between his and the Korean articles.

Sahroudi was however able to explain the cause of the difficulty: "Shahroudi claimed that a Zionist conspiracy was in motion to defame Iranian officials. He said Nature writer Declan Butler, who brought the plagiarized article to light, was a known Zionist element and was using this scenario to slander Iranian officials."

[Anne Gilbert]

I'm aware that there are people in Israel who want to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran, but I think a "Zionist conspiracy to defame Iranian officials" is a bit much, even for Iranians. Just my "outside" view, though.
Anne G

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

from "My Uncle's Wife"

"The concise history of Maragheh that I got from my uncle's wife upon arrival was that it had been the capital of Iran and home to a famous observatory 800 years ago, and that there had been lots of artifacts from 2000 years ago discovered there but the Jew People had stolen them and taken them to Israel."

Tehran Journal http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/my-unc...

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

"Another Aviation Scapegoat"

In response to a string of disastrous plane crashes, "Mohammad Ali Ilkhani, head of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization (IR-CAO), was let go after only two and half months in the job. ... It seems in replacing him, the Iranian government is trying to offer yet another scapegoat to the Iranian public so it can deny its own responsibility and avoid admitting the grievous effects of U.S.-imposed sanctions on Iranian aviation."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/anothe...

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

Reprinted with permission

By Barry Rubin

"Zamani is the first Iranian sentenced to death by the regime for demonstrating against the Islamist government’s stealing of the June 12 election. ... Zamani was charged with waging war against God, insulting what is holy, propaganda activity against the Islamic regime, actions against national security and illegally exiting Iran.

"Zamani’s testimony is going to be used against a lot of those currently held prisoner because, probably after being tortured himself, he made wild claims in court about his being an agent of the shah who had been groomed by U.S and Israeli intelligence to sow confusion."

http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com/

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

"IRGC strategist: US, UK, KSA funding Jundollah"

Tabnak | Oct. 18, 2009

"Former IRGC commander Hossein Alaei accused the United States, Saudi Arabia and Britain of providing "substantial" financial support to Jundullah, a Balouch Sunni terrorist group that operates in southwestern Iran near the Pakistani border."

For the full item, see
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/select...

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

"Iranian official blames deadly bombing on 'U.S. actions'"

CNN | Oct. 18, 2009

"A man carrying explosives blew himself up as participants headed to a conference between Shiite and Sunni groups in southeastern Iran on Sunday, killing at least 29 people. Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani calls the suicide bombing "the result of the U.S. actions."

The blast in Sarbaz in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan wounded 28 others, the semiofficial Fars news agency said."

For full item, see
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/select...

[Philip Carl SALZMAN]

"Who supports Jundallah?"

by MUHAMMAD SAHIMI in Los Angeles
22 Oct 2009

Argues that the Iranian Baluch are Sunni fanatics, and, yes, Jundallah is supported by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia (what, not Israel?) Oh yes, the Jundallah are just like al Qaeda.

So the Supreme Ruler and Ahmadi-nejad are right! All would be fine in Iran--the best of all possible worlds--except for the external plots!

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/jundal...