Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 6.22.2005:

Don't Pin Hopes For Reform on Rafsanjani, Britain Warns

Anton La Guardia, The Telegraph UK:

Britain adopted a more confrontational policy towards Iran yesterday when officials assailed the credibility of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the likely winner of Friday's presidential election run-off. ...

Many in the Foreign Office believe that the Iranian regime is "dying" and are pushing for the Government to "align" itself more with calls for change. Options being discussed include increasing the number of hours broadcast by the BBC Persian service, and supporting the creation of a Persian-language satellite TV station. READ MORE

This is a major development, if accurate. I predicted this last February. The Bush strategy on Iran appears in play. The next weeks in Iran could prove very hot.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Iran Focus reported a court in Iran has sentenced a journalist to 91 days in prison for having insulted both the President and Rafsanjani.
• Iran Focus reported that in Iran's South Khorrasan province 298,000 ballots were counted in the first round of the presidential elections despite the fact that there were only 270,000 eligible voters, a defeated candidate claims.
• Iran Focus a young prisoner in Iran has sewn his mouth in protest.
• Iran Focus reported that Iran security forces detain two pro-democracy protesters at Evin Prison.
• Iranian blogger, Hoder last week Hoder was desperately fighting to keep Rafsanjani from becoming President, this week Rafsanjani is his man.
• Committee to Protect Bloggers is asking for help their goal of getting 1,000 signatures each on the petitions for Mojtaba and Omid.
• Iranian blogger Babak Seradjeh says, I was discouraged even more by the aim and target of some of my friends... to persuade us to vote for Hashemi Rafsanjani.
• Blog Iran has an easy homework assignment for all of you fellow bloggers and activists who have an interest to lend in support of human freedom.
• The LA Times reported that Iran's Interior Ministry is saying, We have exact information about the people and institutions who have been acting in directing and shaping votes the day before the election.
• Yahoo News reported that Iran's reformists claim votes are being bought.
• Reuters a nationwide pre-election poll showed 41.9 percent support for Ahmadinejad, 41.5 percent for Rafsanjani.
• Iran Focus reported a different pre-election poll Ahmadinejad 48%, Rafsanjani 36%.
• Opennetinitiative.net reporting Internet Filtering in Iran documents the degree and extent to which the Iranian government controls the information environment in which its citizens live. US technology used.
  
• Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the British government is reportedly in a dilemma over whether to grant asylum to the only terrorist to survive the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London.
• The Globe & Mail asked, Is democracy breaking out in Iran?
• Iranian blogger Lilit reported that a 27-year old Basiji who declared that he voted 11 times, with 8 fake Identity cards, because the supreme Leader wanted him to do so.
• SMCCDI reported that a Militia Colonel was killed, yesterday, in the Capital's rebellious suburb of Eslamshahr.
• Scripps Howard News Service reported Iran's ruling clerics were busily trying to fix the outcome of this Friday's runoff.
• The Washington Post reported that Iranian security officials on Tuesday confiscated more than half a million wallet-size cards and posters endorsing Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for president. The posters and cards contained the words "repression," "terrorizing," "freedom" and "democracy."
• Slate Magazine reported on Iran bloggers and mentioned our blog.
• And finally, a graphic: Lord of the Wrongs.