Week in Review

DoctorZin provides a review of this past week's [12/04-12/10] major news events regarding Iran. (The reports are listed in chronological order, not by importance)

Ahmadinejad.

• Rooz Online reported on the failure of Ahmadinejad's plans for the creation of the Imam “Reza Charity” fund aimed at promoting and providing financial assistance to help youth intending to get married and find housing.
• Rooz Online interviewed Mohammad Basteh-Negar a member of what is knows as the national-religious movement which focuses on the oppression instead of the oppressor.
• Middle East Newsline reported that Ahmadinejad has ordered another purge of Iran's security agencies, military, police and other government departments.
• Breitbart.com reported that Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that if Germany and Austria feel responsible for massacring Jews during World War II, a state of Israel should be established on their soil.
• Iran Press News reported on the vision of the Islamic leadership.
• Eli Lake, New York Sun reported that with Ahmadinejad's ascendancy to the presidency of Iran, the country's opposition is beginning to show signs of unifying as the clerical regime wages a war against internal dissent.
• Paul Hughes, Reuters reported Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed doubt that the Holocaust occurred.
• Agence France-Presse reported that White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's most recent statements "further underscores our concerns about the regime in Iran. And it's all the more reason why it's so important that the regime not have the ability to develop nuclear weapons."
• Reuters reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today. "The comments by the Iranian president are totally unacceptable..." and that "We will do everything to make it clear that Israel's right to existence is in no way endangered."
• Reuters then reported that Koffi Annan expressed shock at the comments attributed to Ahmadinejad.
• JTA News reported that the U.N. Security Council unanimously condemned anti-Israel calls by Iran's president.
• NBC 15 reported that Saudis fumed Friday after Iran's hard-line president marred a summit dedicated to showing Islam's moderate face.
• Louis Charbonneau, Reuters reported that Germany summoned Iran's envoy over holocaust remarks.
  
• Reuters reported that Israel called Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "very dangerous."
• The Christian Science Monitor reported that Tehran and Iranian opposition websites in recent weeks are rife with rumors that the regime is about to replace ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• The Jerusalem Post:Iran's supreme ruler came out in support of his maligned president.
  

Ahmadinejad's Worldview.

• Arash Motamed, Rooz Online reported on the three hidden personalities directing events in Iran.
• Rachel Ehrenfeld and Paul E. Vallely, The Washington Times reviewed Shia Islamic prophecies and the present attempts to fulfill them by the Iranian government.
  

Iran's Nuclear Program.

• The Jerusalem Post reported thatIAEA chairman Muhammad ElBaradei confirmedthat Iran is only a few months away from creating an atomic bomb.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that the US is preparing for the possibility that it will have to deal with Iran's nuclear program without the assistance of the UN Security Council.
• Reuters reported that Iran's patience is wearing thin.
• Reuters reported that in its drive to build an international consensus against Iran developing nuclear weapons, the Bush administration has failed to develop an effective strategy.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran would begin construction on two nuclear reactors beginning in March.
• US News & World Report reported that the US and the EU3 are making progress on galvanizing international opposition to Tehran's moves.
• Reuters reported that French FM Douste-Blazy said: Iran "Unilaterally" rejects nuclear deal.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Monday urged Iran to cooperate with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog to end the crisis over its nuclear program.
• The Independent UK reported that the IAEA Chief urged the West and Iran to cool its Nuclear brinkmanship.
• Wall Street Journal reported that Mr. ElBaradei's spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said, an Iran that enriches uranium will be "a virtual nuclear weapons state."
• Iran Press News reported that one of the Iranian regime's experts said: "The spokesmen of the Islamic regime must block the cooperation of Russia with Europeans."
• ABC News reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has not exhausted all avenues to settle Iran's standoff with the West.
• MosNews reported that the United States said Russia’s plans to sell tactical missiles and other arms to Iran would not serve the U.S. or regional interests.
• Reuters reported that El Baradei said the international community is starting to lose patience with Iran.
• Reuters reported that the British government said on Wednesday that comments by Iran's top nuclear negotiator have undermined the possibility of further talks.
• Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor reported that Ali Larijani, Iran's top national security official, warned: "If Iran turns into a nuclear power, then no one dares to challenge it because they have to pay a heavy price."
• Stratfor reports on a growing consensus within the international community acknowledging that Iran will have access to nuclear technology.
• Tony Blankley, The Washington Times reminds us that Bush promised Iran would not be allowed to have the nuclear bomb, but it now appears he lacks the will or the means to stop them.
• The Washington Times in an editorial countered El Baradei's warning against any non-diplomatic means (i.e. military force) to end Iran's nuclear ambitions, saying it would be like opening "a Pandora's box." The WT said: Mr. ElBaradei is quite mistaken; the box is already open.
• The Associated Press reported that Robert Joseph, undersecretary for arms control and international security described the Iranian government as "very aggressive, very determined to develop nuclear weapons."
• The New York Times once again reported that Iran's top nuclear official said Saturday that his country will enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel.
• ABC News reported that the European Union and Iran are planning to go ahead with nuclear talks on December 21 despite very low expectations. The meeting is "to talk about talks."
  

Israel's Military Option.

• The World Tribune a new report published the by U.S. Army War College said geopolitical limitations render Israel's air force militarily incapable of halting Iran's nuclear weapons program.
• Yahoo News reported that Israeli Netanyahu hinted that he could consider a pre-emptive air strike against Iran's nuclear installations.
• Expatica reported that Israel would have to prepare "other solutions" in view of Iran's nuclear program.
  

Iranian Dissidents.

• National Review Online published a message from Iran's underground. A conversation with Amir Abbas Fakhravar, hunted by the regime.
• Iran Press News published a letter from imprisoned political activist, Arjang Davoodi, currently held in the medieval prison of Bandar Abbass.
• Iran Press News reported that the deputy of student affairs of regime's Ministry of Science said: "We have no student political prisoners!"
• Iran Press News reported that, under international pressure, several political prisoners were transferred to Evin prison.
• Iran Press News reported that political prisoners are going on a hunger strike in solidarity with the student freedom fighters and protesting activists.
• Amnesty International reported that more members of Iran's Arab minority, were reportedly arrested on 6 November, and are now believed to be held incommunicado.
• Rooz Online reported that it has been 92 days since Akbar Ganji was moved into a solidarity confinement cell. An interview with his wife.
• Iran Focus reported that students were arrested during protests in Iran capital.
• The Economist reported that Akbar Ganji, "Iran's most outstanding dissident, is in renewed danger" and that he refuses to give in.
• Rooz Online published an interview with Ali Afshari a former member of the ruling council of the Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat (DTV) student organization.
  

The Unrest Inside of Iran.

• Iran Focus reported that Iranian students from Tehran’s University of Science and Technology plan to hold a demonstration against a ban on a demonstration.
• YNet reported that Iran warned Israel: if it makes a 'mistake' we’ll respond harshly.
• Iran Press News published a statement from the Student freedom fighters regarding December 7th demonstrations in Tehran University.
• Iran Press News reported that Iranian Kurdish students will join in the student demonstrations at Tehran University, Wednesday. A statement.
• Iran Focus reported that radical Islamists are furious at the recent student protests in Iran's capital.
• Iran Press News reported that while Tehran University was closed on Wednesday, December 7th due to "air pollution," however the student's demonstrations in front of the university gates took place, as planned.
• Iran Press News reported on the extreme measures the regime has recently employed to stop further demonstrations in Tehran.
• Iran Press News reported on two of the female university student freedom fighters arrested during the Tehran University demonstrations.
• Iran Press News reported that protesting women blocked the Tehran-Boumehen road.
• Adnkronos International reported on the new unrest In Iranian Kurdistan.
• Iran Press News reported that Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) have begun a new reign of terror on student activists. They are being kidnapped and blindfolded and then the students are then driven to unknown locations undergo brutal interrogations that go on for hours and days.
  
• Iran Press News reported that workers from IRAN BERK protested in front of the Office of General Industries and Mines are protesting 8 months worth of non-receipt of their wages.
• SMCCDI reported that hundreds of students marked the "International Human Rights Day" by making gatherings in several Iranian universities. Yes, SMCCDI is back.
  

Human Rights/Freedom of the press inside of Iran.

• Iran Press News reported that the Islamic regime shuts down 9 Internet cafes in the Tehran suburb of Karadj.
  

Iran's troublemaking.

• Iran Focus reported that an effort by Iraqi officials to stop the release of an official report into the torture of more than 170 Iraqi prisoners in a secret detention centre in Baghdad by Iranian interrogators. A must read.
  

The Economy.

• The New York Times reported that young Iranians are following their dreams in Dubai.
• Parisa Hafezi, Reuters reported that acting Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh was nominated for the position by Ahmadinejad.
• Iran Press News reported that a new gold mine was discovered in Iran.
  

Iran's Military.

• Iran Press News reported on extensive changes in the Revolutionary Guards.
• Iran Focus reported that the Supreme Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) declared on Tuesday that the United States would suffer a greater defeat in Iraq than it did in its war in Vietnam.
• Rooz Online reported that IRGC commanders demanded a greater role in the government. Ahmadinejad promised them more positions in the future.
• The Billings Gazette reported that Iran's armed forces began their biggest ever military maneuvers Friday in the Persian Gulf involving submarines, warships, missiles, jet fighters and helicopter gunships.
  

Iran and the International community.

• Neil King Jr., The Wall Street Journal reported that the current debate on Syria exposes political fault lines in Iraq.
• Orly Halpern, The Jerusalem Post reported on a fascinating encounter of the Iranians and Israelis at the recent UN Internet Summit. The Israelis were pleasantly surprised.
  

Can You Believe This?

• News24 reported that Iran is claiming it has extradited all foreign members of the al-Qaeda network.
• Rooz Online reported on AIDS in Iran saying that the country is on the verge of an AIDS epidemic.
• Iran Press News reported that the deputy of student affairs of regime's Ministry of Science said: "We have no student political prisoners!"
  

Inside Iran.

• YNet News examined what we know about the Iranians and what don't we know.
• Beirbart reported that, in an unprecedented government effort, residents of the smog-choked Iranian capital were told not to go to work or school for two days.
• Rooz Online reported on the new push for greater Islamicizing education in Iran, seen as a step towards Security-based Education.
• Iranian.com published an interesting series of interviews with Iranian students, both the hardline and secularists.
  

Inside Iran, the Air Crash in Tehran.

• Reuters reported that Iran grieved on Wednesday for at least 116 people killed when a military plane hit a Tehran apartment block and burst into flames.
• Iran Press News reported that angry Iranians clashed with regimes security forces following south Tehran plane crash. Photos. The Financial Times also reported.
• Iran Press News reported that the passengers of south Tehran plane crash had prepared last will and testaments and the pilot had earlier refused to fly the plane.
• BBC News reported that newspapers in Iran are both angry and cynical about the plane crash.
• The Telegraph UK reported on yesterday's air crash and an Iranian General who claimed: "The plane did not have any technical failure before departure."
• Robert Tait, The Guardian reported that Iranian officials were facing an angry backlash yesterday following the air disaster that claimed at least 116 lives.
• Parisa Hafezi, Reuters reported that thousands of mourners flooded central Tehran on Thursday for a funeral ceremony.
• Winston, The Spirit of Man responded to the Iranian regime's claim that this week's a air crash in Tehran was due to US sanctions.
  

US Policy on Iran.

• VOA News reported that U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns says the government of Iran is pursuing radical policies that are leading that country into further international isolation.
• The Associated Press reported that Robert Joseph, undersecretary for arms control and international security described the Iranian government as "very aggressive, very determined to develop nuclear weapons."
  

US/Iran Talks on Iraq?

• Reuters reported that Iran said on it had no interest in talking to the United States concerning events in Iraq or about its nuclear program.
• The Financial Times reported on the mixed messages that Tehran is sending regarding talks with the US on Iraq.
  

Must Read reports.

• Iran Focus reported that an effort by Iraqi officials to stop the release of an official report into the torture of more than 170 Iraqi prisoners in a secret detention centre in Baghdad by Iranian interrogators. A must read.
• Eli Lake, New York Sun reported that with Ahmadinejad's ascendancy to the presidency of Iran, the country's opposition is beginning to show signs of unifying as the clerical regime wages a war against internal dissent.
• Mehr News reported that Iran seeks Islamic endorsement of its strategic role in the Islamic world.
• Radio Free Europe reported that as Iraq's Kurdistan region has achieved a degree of self-rule Iranian Kurds are watching closely.
  

The Experts.

• Amir Taheri, The Jerusalem Post provides amazing insight why the international media has failed to stand with Iranian dissident Akbar Ganji. A must read.
• Amir Taheri, Gulf News warns the west that the campaign to ridicule Ahamdinejad's religious beliefs inside Iran is deceptive. Ahmadinejad is reflecting Khomeinist ideology that even Rafsanjani and Khatami must believe, if they support the regime. A must read.
• Amir Taheri, Asharq Alawat reviewed several "popular" alternatives to the Bush doctrine.
• Patrick Devenny, The Middle East Quarterly published a report: Hezbollah's Strategic Threat to Israel.

Photos, cartoons and videos.

• Iran Focuspublished a Special Photo Report: Military plane crashes in Iran capital.
• The Media Line published a video report on Iran's secret nuclear plans.
• Rooz Online published another cartoon.
• Panahjoo.com published a special report on Ahamdinejad's dedication to the mystical devotion to "the hidden Imam." It includes the much reported interview of Ahmadinejad regarding his spiritual experience while speaking in NY to the UN General Assembly.
• BBC News published a photo report: Iran air crash funerals.
• Iranian.com published a simple diagram: How Iranian politics works.
• Cox & Forkum published a cartoon about the Weblog Awards: Vote Often.
  

And finally, The Quote of the Week.

Paul Hughes, Reuters reported that Ahmadinejad a news conference he gave in the Saudia Arabian city of Mecca said:

"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail,...

If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe -- like in Germany, Austria or other countries -- to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we will support it."

Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 12.11.2005:

Iranian Ayatollah Supports His President

The Jerusalem Post:

Iran's supreme ruler came out in support of his maligned president on Saturday, who created an international storm by demanding Israel be moved to Europe and casting doubt on whether the Holocaust happened. "The unusual sensitivity of Zionists and their American supporters toward Iran's stance over the Zionist state reveals their increased weakness and fear about the level of attention given by Islamic nations to the Palestinian issue," state-run Iranian radio quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.

"Despite the Zionist's campaign, the struggle against the occupiers has become an old and thick tree in the Islamic world such that the arrogant powers could not sever its roots," he added. READ MORE

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

• SMCCDI reported that hundreds of students marked the "International Human Rights Day" by making gatherings in several Iranian universities. Yes, SMCCDI is back.
• Winston, The Spirit of Man responded to the Iranian regime's claim that this week's a air crash in Tehran was due to US sanctions.
• Iranian.com published an interesting series of interviews with Iranian students, both the hardline and secularists.
• The New York Times once again reported that Iran's top nuclear official said Saturday that his country will enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel.
• ABC News reported that the European Union and Iran are planning to go ahead with nuclear talks on December 21 despite very low expectations. The meeting is "to talk about talks."
• Rachel Ehrenfeld and Paul E. Vallely, The Washington Times reviewed Shia Islamic prophecies and the present attempts to fulfill them by the Iranian government.
• Amir Taheri, Asharq Alawat reviewed several "popular" alternatives to the Bush doctrine.
• Rooz Online published an interview with Ali Afshari a former member of the ruling council of the Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat (DTV) student organization.
• And finally, Cox & Forkum published a cartoon about the Weblog Awards: Vote Often!

Students mark the "International Human Rights Day"

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Hundreds of students marked the "International Human Rights Day" by making gatherings in several Iranian universities, especially, in the Capital.

The demonstrators staged protest actions under the heavy surveillance, made by the elements of the Harassat (Administrative Intelligence) and the brutal Bassiji students which have been placed in Iranian universities for a better control of dissidents.

Slogans for the respect of Human Rights, Freedom of Tought, Democracy, and condemning the Theocracy and repression were shouted by students despite the official injunctions made by the universities' managements. Many students placed stickers on their mouths with written slogans.

Security forces were in number in front of the universities in order to contain the demonstrations inside the campuses.

Pictures and films were taken from demonstrators for their later formal identification.

SMCCDI is back online.

Iran's C-130 Crash & The Sanctions

Winston, The Spirit of Man:

It is very sad to see another airplane crash and it is indeed surprising to see that the passengers aboard the IRIAF C-130H were just reporters and photographers who were going to cover the Iranian Army exercises in south of the country.

The simple thing that can be written about the above incident is that the Mullahcracy of Tehran has had no respect for the human life since it seized power in Islamic Revolution of 1979!

But I'd like to add a little bit more to this!

Every time a tragedy like this happens in Iran, the regime claims that it is due to US Sanctions imposed on the nation since 1979 (However they never mention the main reason behind such sanctions) but I'd like to ask them some very simple questions:

How is it possible that you (mullahs) can buy all sorts of banned stuff for your own nuclear programs (Read WMD programs) through heavily supervised black markets of Asia and Europe but you can not buy simple spare parts for your aging fleet of airplanes?

Is it not because of your disregard for the Iranian people's lives?

I am just shocked to learn more about the depth of stupidity of the clerical regime!

This regime should go away before more people die in other tragedies! Although I would not be surprised to hear about Chernobyl like incidents from now on!

Young, mature and bold

Iranian.com:

When I went to the University of Tehran this past summer, initially, I had trouble getting into the campus. One guard stopped me at the gate and refused entrance and the next guard gave me permission to enter contingent on certain restrictions. Once inside, I found two students from the Polytechnic Institute who took me on a tour of the University. Later I asked them for an interview and although they were reluctant at first, they eventually acquiesced. They had not participated in the events of 18 Tir (Jul y8, 1999) when students took to the streets and were met with extreme viciousness by IRI security guards. READ MORE

The next day, their dormitories were ransacked and many young people were injured and later arrested. Neither of the students I spoke with had been old enough to attend the university at that time but like others they had heard of what took place. They were open about the daily problems they had to deal with, and told me about issues that are pertinent to all youth, all over the world. They told me that they hoped to graduate in their field and find a decent job. They wanted to live a normal life making decisions that would benefit them. They said they wanted to date girls as well as have platonic relationships with members of the opposite sex; something they thought was not permissible.

They thought Iran deserved to be independent from foreign powers and have a peaceful nuclear energy program. They thought the government needed to pay attention to the economic needs of its people. When I asked who they had voted for in this last Presidential election, both said that they had voted for Ahmadi Nejad because of his message. They would not vote for Rafsanajani as his name was directly linked to corruption and his family has become notoriously rich and influential in Iran.

Both came from traditional Moslem families of Southern Tehran, yet both insisted that the university atmosphere had increased their awareness of political issues; they believed there is room for Islam and democracy to live side by side. Thus, they were adamant in their hopes for Iran to have good relations with the West, particularly the US, but only on a mutually respectful basis.

One of them said, that it doesn't matter what kind of government we have as long as that government provides for the well being of the society, economically and politically. He said in the remote areas of Iran, people don't have any idea what secular means. Instead, what matters to them is that they have bread on their plate, they have employment, and their children have proper health and education.

These two were students with Islamic tendencies, brought up in traditional families. But I also had the opportunity to conduct an interview with a student who is considered secular. From his replies one could very well conclude that Majid is smart, mature and political. For security reasons, his true identity will be concealed; needless to say, he goes to one of Iran's largest city universities and at his young age is the editor of a journal.

Although things seem bleak at the moment for Iran's large university population, the hope remains with these bright young people. As part of this ongoing struggle for the future of Iran, Majid, like many of his generation does not want any more bloodshed or violence to reach the desired goal. Here is my interview with Majid N.

How old are you and what do you study?

I am 22 years old; I am a senior at the university - double majoring in physics and English literature.

How is life today different at your university than six years ago?

In essence it has not changed much. There is an eagerness on the part of the students that goes back to events prior to 18 Tir and the bloody confrontations at Kouyeh Daneshgah. Mainly, it was the beginning of people's general resentment towards violence perpetuated by the right wing extremists, Khoshounat Talabanone. One of the major achievements of the movement was to publicly denounce violence and show strong adversity towards the violent elements. Immediately afterwards, a law was passed which no longer allows security guards to enter any of the campuses.

This new law has greatly reduced some of the tension between the two parties. But in return, it has paved the way for the semi-military militia to be present in the campus, like University Bassij. This militia is empowered to use force against the students if necessary. For example, last year, they assaulted the head of Tehran university's school of science and Technology department in his office for giving permission for a speech that apparently did not sit well with the administration. He was so badly injured that he had to be hospitalized. After this incident, he and the minister both resigned.

One way to control the students is the presence of university herasat which enforces oppressive measures within the campus.

These are guards or members of herasat who are in place at the gates and are usually connected to the Ministry of Intelligence. They have formed disciplinary Committees and create dossiers for student activists which could eventually lead to their expulsion or suspend them for one or more semesters. Remember, in such cases, when both the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic and the special revolutionary courts are involved, students are not protected by university officials in any way.

You are a student at one of the major universities of Iran, what is the current political and social atmosphere there?

The present mood prevailing in our university is somewhat negative towards any type of ideological tendency. Most students don't have the patience to talk about the current political system. Because of the failure of religious ideology and mistrust in most Organizations whose basis of work has been religious orientated and their failure to achieve what they hoped for, there is total alienation towards anything Ideological. Even the Islamic factions, in order to recruit new members, give them special bonuses such as dismissal from military service, long term loans, or employment in government entities. An atmosphere of antipathy towards ideology and alienation from politics best describes the present atmosphere within the universities of Iran.

What do students hope for the future?

I am not sure what most students want or if they are after the same thing but from their slogans and their organizational structure I can say they despise the current mafia currents, and look down on party or factional business. As you are aware, we don't really have any type of functional parties in Iran. In other words, they are in a way tired of political engagement. What I can say for sure is that most students in Iran, like the rest of the world, want a future of hope, stability, peaceful atmosphere, work, employment, good relationships, and marriage. Because none of the above exists, the young people are quite unhappy and want to change the current status quo.

What is the opinion of the students regarding recent comments made by Ahmadi Nejad?

Even some of the conservative student leaders with Islamic tendencies who worked on Ahmadi Nejad’s campaign are scared of what would happen if a semi-military, right wing government takes over. These students are not necessarily happy with their decision or vote. This is even true about the professors who are considered right wing. Immediately after being elected as President, some of the positions were handed over to the most right wing and extreme elements that have no knowledge of their job, whose only credential is that they belong to the Sepah Pasdaran (revolutionary guards). It is natural that with this kind of move, no one will support him. There were so many contradictions and differences among the Bassijis that there was not a single proclamation in his support. People are frightened of what could happen in the near future.

How would you like to see changes in Iran? Do you foresee any changes through peaceful means?

No one likes to see bloodshed and no one wants to pay the price anymore for political or social change. We see Ganji in front of our eyes. With all the international pressure and being in the spotlight, his situation has deteriorated.

His wife has publicly said that they have beaten him so badly that his elbow is broken. These are the kind of people we face. Thus, who is going to confront these extremists who only know and use violence? Can we be able to deal with them by democratic means? In February of last year, they installed machines so that they could control the movement of the girl students in and out by having them finger printed. Collectively, objected to this terrible insult. Some 150 girls had a 4-5 hour sit in. It was even made public in the media and the most watched TV channel of the IR made a big ruckus. The result was that the head of the section resigned and they took their instruments away. In September, officials refused to let some of the same students enroll and they did not allow 20 of them to live in the dormitories.

Our protest was really not effective if you think about it. With the current extremism taking place all over the country, no one wants to pay the price for political activity because it could potentially be very high. Most people, especially students, would like to adhere to peaceful ways to change things around. The very existence of the leaders of the IR is based upon their hold on power and they will try to remain in power at any expense. There was a time when Mr. Hajjarian used the term of pressure from below and bargain from above. in the absence of real sectarian and political organization, most of the pressure on the government was put on the shoulders of the students. But many of the students lack the necessary political and organizational knowledge and skill to take on this kind of struggle. Consequently, they paid a heavy price without getting anywhere.

There is relative silence now in the university scene, which is all so profound and meaningful. And of course the government knows this too well. I am not sure, in my opinion, there is no other way but force to eliminate them (IR) from the political landscape and this becomes more and more clear everyday. Now, the question remains, How and by what means can this take place?

How do you think the outside world should look at Iran?

Iran is quite different from Iraq and Afghanistan, not only in terms of geopolitics, diplomatic and military position, but also in terms of the population of youth in each of these countries. Here, there are no more chants of Death to America or death to so-and-so not only because most people oppose the regime but also because they are tired of this ongoing enemy-making or the constant revolution being waged. our people, after living long years under this regime have not seen the light of day, no happiness, no comfort, no joy, and no justice, all of which they think they deserve. I am not speaking of freedom in the liberal sense. They are looking within themselves to see what went wrong? In my opinion, that is why Ahmadi Nejad was brought, someone who seems to be from planet Mars! It seems as if he has come from a different Iran, an Iran that we are not familiar with. Where have we gone wrong, they ask? Now, if you look at the programs in the IR channels, images of war and violence in Iraq and Afghanistan are shown on TV. This is not just to scare people of internal and external violence. People really despise and hate violence and they want peace. In the last 150 years, we have never invaded another country except for the tiny country of Oman. Other countries should pay attention to this very fact. Historically, we are not used to war and bloodshed like both neighboring countries and therefore it would be totally unacceptable to wage any kind of war.

When I was at Tehran U. and interviewed two students there, they were mainly concerned about their future, employment, social interactions, relations between men and women, is that case here at your university?

Yes of course these are issues that concern the students. It used to be a joke before that you could not make long term plans in Iran, not more than one day! But now it seems it is a reality. Look, in the last month, we have changed over 46 managers at the university! The only one that hasn't been replaced is the Abdarchi (the guy who takes care of the toilets). Now look at this in the broader picture. In this political climate, with all the financial burdens, most students who graduate don't have a future; no employment is in the works for them. Many just continue with their education because they cannot find a job if they graduate. Jobs that exist in the government are awarded through filtering or nepotism. This is a major issue which is of great concern to the students. They have become cynical, some have turned to drugs, and others are frustrated about tomorrow's prospect.

Are Iranian groups living in the US or Europe taken seriously in Iran?

No not at all and here is a reason for this. The only real contact between people inside and outside of Iran is these Iranian satellite TV broadcasts, which are representative of many Iranians living abroad: most of the channels are dance and music. And the serious programs, are represented by such individuals or groups like Fouladvand, Hakha, Souresrafil, Mojahedin, etc. and Aryamehris. It looks as if there is nobody else. People say if these are the regime's opponents, God have mercy on us! Additionally, Iranian people are extremely wary of foreign hands in their affairs. People will say "well America will come again and put a puppet in power." People are extremely sensitive to this issue, a regime change via a foreign power. That famous insult, Sageh Velgard (Running dog) of Sadegh Hedayat comes to mind and still exists in our psyche. What is obvious is the lack of a real and consolidated opposition front. It is a major problem. Additionally, to be able to identify with a leader who is charismatic is still important for our people. Iranians don't know many of the so-called opposition figures living abroad. Because of a long history of conspiracy theory which is also part of our psyche, they are ambivalent to these elements, where they come from and who supports them. In my opinion, no one in Iran takes them seriously.

If you had one wish, what would that be?

There is a poem that I am reminded of, that says in essence, ”I have tolerated so much pain and suffering that I cannot even cry or shed any more tears." This question, what I wish for, is like those tears - it is not effective anymore. Nevertheless, I still hope and wish that one day Iran can see liberty and democracy and soon.

Iran Reveals Plans to Produce Nuclear Fuel

The New York Times:

Iran's top nuclear official said Saturday that his country will enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel despite the U.S.-led international campaign to persuade it to abandon such ambitions. Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Organization of Iran, gave no date for when the processes would start but stressed they would do so at some stage.

''For me, there is no doubt that the process of producing nuclear fuel in Iran will be accomplished,'' Aghazadeh told a news conference. ''There is no doubt that we have to carry out uranium enrichment.'' READ MORE

Iran has been under intense pressure to curb its nuclear program, which the United States claims is part of an effort to produce weapons. Iran says its program is aimed at generating electricity.

While Iran froze its enrichment program a year ago as a goodwill gesture, it restarted uranium conversion -- a step toward enrichment -- in August. Enrichment can produce fuel for either nuclear reactors or atomic bombs.

Aghazadeh, who is also an Iranian vice president, said Iran would refrain from either process during upcoming Iranian talks with European negotiators.

No date has been set for the talks between Iran and the EU3 -- France, Germany and Britain -- which broke off in August. They had been set to resume in early December but did not. The parties maintain they are committed to resuming negotiations.

Aghazadeh further said Iran plans to construct a 460 megawatt nuclear power plant based on domestic technology in Dar Khovin, in Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran.

Iran wants to produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity through the construction of nuclear power plants with foreign help, he added.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran that its nuclear program could be referred to the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions on the country.

Iran has also said it will not consider a European proposal that its uranium enrichment be moved to Russia to ensure it cannot be secretly used for weapons.

EU, Iran Set for December 21 Talks

ABC News:

The European Union and Iran are planning to go ahead with nuclear talks on December 21 despite very low expectations for guarantees that Tehran will abandon sensitive nuclear activities, according to Western diplomats. Diplomats said the two sides would be meeting alone, and not with Russian experts as originally planned.

The meeting will probably be held in Vienna, although this could change.

"December 21 is confirmed. It will probably be in Vienna but the venue is not totally locked up," said a Western diplomat, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

This information was confirmed by a second diplomat, who asked only to be identified as a European envoy.

The Western diplomat said: "Expectations are very low. The EU-3 (EU negotiators Britain, France and Germany) expects Iran to press for agreement on a pilot centrifuge plant. The EU-3 will make clear that that is unacceptable and that time is about to run out on the Iranians."

Centrifuges are used to enrich uranium into what can be fuel for nuclear power reactors or the raw material for nuclear devices.

The meeting is "to talk about talks," the European diplomat said, to see at a senior level if formal, possibly ministerial-level talks on winning guarantees that Iran will not make nuclear weapons can resume. READ MORE

EU-Iran talks collapsed in August when Tehran ended its suspension of uranium conversion, the first step towards making enriched uranium.

The climate for talks is now particularly bad since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad set off an international furor with remarks this week questioning the Holocaust and suggesting that the "tumour" of the state of Israel be relocated to Europe.

The UN Security Council on Friday condemned "the remarks about Israel and the denial of the Holocaust attributed to Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," in a statement from the British presidency of the council.

Iranian Intentions

Rachel Ehrenfeld and Paul E. Vallely, The Washington Times:

One wonders what will it take for the international community to understand that Iran seriously intends to use its nuclear power to attack the "infidels."

Iran's latest move to ban international inspectors is just one more step that the new Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmedinijad, has taken to herald the return of the 12th Imam al-Mahdi, who is believed to have been born 800 years ago and went missing in 941 and whom the Shi'ites and Mr. Ahmedinijad believe will return before judgment day "to lead an era of Islamic justice." According to the prophecies in the Muslim Hadith, (the traditions and sayings of the prophet Mohammed), the 12th Imam al-Mahdi will be resurrected only after "one-third of the world population will die by being killed and one-third will die as a result of epidemics." Indeed, last year's tsunami and this year's devastating hurricanes and earthquakes are being used as propaganda by the radical Shi'ite clerics, claiming that the recent calamities are part of these prophecies.

On Nov. 16, Mr. Ahmedinijad stated: "Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi." In all his public statements in Iran and abroad, Mr. Ahmedinijad's messages are on target: Iran under his leadership must rise as a global power to lead the world in the footsteps of the prophets. He clearly follows up with actions -- moving on to develop nuclear weapons.

Yet, despite the evidence, neither the international community, nor the United States seem to comprehend Mr. Ahmedinijad's serious commitment to advance the arrival of the 12th Imam. Indeed, by continuing discussions with Iran, they are playing along, giving it the time and latitude needed to achieve nuclear proliferation. READ MORE

Mr. Ahmedinijad's agenda has wide public appeal in Iran, as demonstrated by his landslide victory in the June election. This contradicts what many in the West and the United States want to believe.

Consequently, Mr. Ahmedinijad's agenda, which is strongly supported by Iran's clerics, precludes the possibility that Iran will stop developing its nuclear weapons and therefore that there can be a peaceful resolution for this problem.

Iran claims that it deserves to be a nuclear power like the United States and Russia. However, unlike the United States and Russia, which developed nuclear arsenals as mechanisms of deterrence, Iran by all indications is developing a nuclear arsenal as a mechanism to set off a chain reaction of death resulting in the destruction of a third of the world's population in order to facilitate the arrival of the Mahdi.

Not surprisingly, Iran has just passed a new law to ban foreign inspections of its nuclear facilities, and at the same time announced its plan to build 20 more nuclear plants.

According to the Hadith, the Mahdi's arrival will be preceded by three major stages.

First, territorial conquests marked by death, destruction and conversion to Islam. In the case of Iran, it presents a real possibility of religious war with worldwide ramifications. The second stage constitutes the subversion and taxation, or economic domination, of the newly controlled territories, which according to Shi'ite interpretation would be under its domination.

The significance of these prophecies of the Hadith and the Koran lies not in the truth or falsehood of the predictions. Rather, the significance of these prophecies is that the Muslim faith imposes its belief that Islamic prophecy is reality-based. The radical Shi'ites led by Mr. Ahmedinijad consider themselves the advance guard in the mission to bring back the 12th Imam. If left undisturbed, this 1,400-year-old religious dogma carries a lethal payload.

It would not be the first time that radical Muslims try to destroy civilizations. They were successful in the past, and those successes feed their current aspirations. To strengthen Mr. Ahmedinijad's message and to indicate that he is chosen by God to bring about the Imam's return, he and his entourage claim that a halo of light appeared around his head when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly in September.

We hear constantly about Iranians who long for democracy. If only the United States would help them, so we are told, they would overthrow this suppressive regime. How then can they explain Mr. Ahmedinijad's victory with 62 percent of Iran's vote. [DoctorZin note: they should have read some of the dozens of analysis's of the elections found here such as this and this.]

The logical explanation is that the elections were rigged. Be that as it may, Mr. Ahmedinijad is the president of Iran and he sets the agenda. We are all his captive audience, but we don't have to be.

What we have to be is better informed. In order to win the war against radical Islam, it is important to understand who the enemy is, how they think and what their intentions are. There is mounting evidence that the Revolutionary Guard is following up on Iran's constitutional mandate to export terrorism and expand Iran's influence around the world.

It is vital to the national security of the United States and its interests to do all it takes to stop Iran's nuclear development and its support of international terrorism now.

Rachel Ehrenfeld is director of the American Center for Democracy, author of "Funding Evil; How terrorism is Financed — and How to Stop It" and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger. Retired Maj. Gen. Paul E Vallely is a senior military analyst for Fox News Channel and co-author of "Endgame — Blueprint for Victory in War on Terror."

An interesting article by people I respect, but their startling conclusion that the current President of Iran was legitimately elected and represents the views and opinions of the majority of Iranians is so misinformed that it calls into question the reliability of their premise.

Iranian Ayatollah Supports His President

The Jerusalem Post:

Iran's supreme ruler came out in support of his maligned president on Saturday, who created an international storm by demanding Israel be moved to Europe and casting doubt on whether the Holocaust happened. "The unusual sensitivity of Zionists and their American supporters toward Iran's stance over the Zionist state reveals their increased weakness and fear about the level of attention given by Islamic nations to the Palestinian issue," state-run Iranian radio quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.

"Despite the Zionist's campaign, the struggle against the occupiers has become an old and thick tree in the Islamic world such that the arrogant powers could not sever its roots," he added. READ MORE

Khamenei did not refer specifically to Ahmadinejad's remarks made Thursday in Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of a Saudi Arabian summit of more than 50 Islamic nations, convened to show a Muslim front against terrorism.

But the United States, Israel, Europe, United Nations and even Iranian ally Russia condemned Ahmadinejad for casting doubt on whether the Nazi Holocaust took place and suggesting Europe give land for a Jewish state if it felt guilty about it.

Khamenei has ultimate say on all issues in Iran and backed similar controversial remarks made in October by Ahmadinejad, who said Israel should be "wiped off the map."

In a newspaper interview published earlier Saturday Nobel peace laureate and UN nuclear watchdog agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei appeared to warn Israel not to bomb Iranian atomic facilities.

"You cannot use force to prevent a country from obtaining nuclear weapons. By bombing them half to death, you can only delay the plans,"
ElBaradei was quoted as saying by the respected Oslo newspaper Aftenposten. "But they will come back, and they will demand revenge."

The report said ElBaradei did not mention Israel but it was clear he was referring to the Jewish state's increasingly open discussion over whether to protect itself by bombing Iranian facilities it suspects are being used in a possible secret nuclear weapons program.

Also Saturday, Iran's top nuclear official that his country will enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel in Iran despite US-led international efforts to curb such efforts.

"For me, there is no doubt that the process of producing nuclear fuel in Iran will be accomplished," Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Organization of Iran, said during a press conference. "There is no doubt that we have to carry out uranium enrichment."

Aghazadeh, who is also an Iranian vice president, said Iran gave no date for when the processes would start, but stressed they would do so at some stage.

In an apparent goodwill gesture, Aghazadeh said, "Iran would not inject uranium gas into centrifuges and won't carry out enrichment" during upcoming Iranian talks with European negotiators.

The Future of US Foreign Policy: A debate rages in Washington

Amir Taheri, Asharq Alawat:

Is the Bush Doctrine dead? Has the United States, chastised in Afghanistan and Iraq, decided to move beyond neo-conservatism? Where should one look for a new doctrine to guide US foreign policy?

These and similar questions are all the rage in the US foreign policy circles, especially in the scores of think-tanks that, together, provide the backbone of a veritable industry based on intellectual speculation. And as if often the case many academics, scholars and policy wonks are adjusting or readjusting their positions so that they can swim with the tide of opinion that seems to be moving away from key aspects of foreign policy under President Bush.

Many academics who had joined the war bandwagon with as much zeal as any one else have now switched to the anti-war side and, in some cases, even issued book lengths mea-culpae. As for politicians, with the mid-term elections approaching fast, their eyes are on opinion polls rather than on what is actually happening around the world. American foreign policy has always been shaped by domestic politics, something which the 9/11 attacks failed to change.

Let us set aside the neoconservative bit of the debate for the time being because I have not been able to define the term to my own satisfaction.

The rest of the debate evolves around a couple of assumptions often made without testing them against reality.

The first assumption is that the US has failed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The second is that the US can change foreign policy the same way we lesser mortals might change our shirts.

Both assumptions are false. READ MORE

To show that the US has failed in Afghanistan and Iraq one must first provide a yardstick against which success or failure is measured.

In what way has the US failed in those two countries?

The US intervened in both Afghanistan and Iraq with the aim of changing the regimes in Kabul and Baghdad, which was achieved with remarkable speed. The machinery of terror and war built and maintained by the Taliban and the Ba'ath has been shattered. And whatever happens in Afghanistan and Iraq one thing is certain: Mullah Muhammad Omar and Saddam Hussein will not return to power.

In both Afghanistan and Iraq the remnants of the terrorist regimes, now joined by their ideological kindred from elsewhere, are still waging a vicious war, mostly against civilians. But neither country is a safe haven for terrorists plotting attacks against other nations, including the US.

To be sure, critics might say that the aim of the intervention was to transform Afghanistan and Iraq into modern democracies. While this is true any judgment as to the success or failure of the democratisation project must take into account the element of time. No, Afghanistan and Iraq are not Swiss-like democracies at this precise moment in time. Both may suffer years, if not decades, of violence and terror. The terrorists in Egypt fought for a quarter of a century. Turkey took almost 20 years to defeat its terrorists. In Algeria the terrorists fought for 12 years before they were crushed. Colombia has been fighting terrorists for 40 years and the Philippines for 30. Right now 22 nations across the globe suffer from the plague of terrorism as an almost daily fact of life.

The real question is not whether or not Afghanistan and Iraq have already become model democracies. The real question is whether or not they would have had any chance of even forming such a dream under Mullah Omar and Saddam. Anyone familiar with Afghanistan and Iraq would know the answers.

If the sole yardstick for determining a nation's success of failure were to be its ability to contain and then eliminate terrorism, many nations other than Afghanistan and Iraq would also have to be put on the list of failures.

Regime change in Kabul and Baghdad has altered the six decades' old balance of power in the Middle East.

FOREIGN POLICY-02

Telling the future should be left to soothsayers but one thing is certain: the region's democratic forces now have their first opportunity in almost a century to make a real impact.

The last time these forces were in a position to set the agenda was in the first decade of the last century which witnessed the victory of constitutional movements in Iran and the Ottoman Empire. Now, these democratic forces may fail because of their mistakes or may be defeated by Islamist and secular despotic opponents. But they also have a chance to win. And that, seen from the United States which should be supportive of democratic forces everywhere, is certainly a success.

Now let us examine the second assumption in the current debate- that the US can change its foreign policy at will and instantly.

There are those who preach a return to the bankrupt hotchpotch that Henry Kissinger sold to the Americans under the label of Realpolitik for almost a decade. But would Osama bin Laden or Abu-Mussab al-Zarqawi agree to play the role of Brezhnev in a new version of the Kissingerian detente? Would the remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda and Ba'ath learn the Treaty of Westphalia by heart and play their role in a new version of balance of power scripted by good old Henry?

Richard Haass, a more intelligent student of international affairs than Kissinger, offers a new "doctrine" presumably to replace the Bush Doctrine. But all that Haass ends up with a long recent article is an admission that the US will not be safe for as long as there are despotic regimes likely to breed and then sustain terrorism.

Also looking for a new "doctrine" is Francis Fukuyama who had started by announcing the end of history and thus the superfluity of any foreign policy doctrine. More than a decade later he offers a new book- "America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power and the Neoconservative Legacy"- in which he returns deep into the history of the last century to find an alternative to the Bush Doctrine. He labels this "Wilsonian realism", after President Woodrow Wilson who first brought hopes of democracy to the Middle East in the aftermath of the First World War.

In a sense the US foreign policy, even in periods of isolationism has always had a certain Wilsonian accent in the sense that American policymakers were aware that democracies were unlikely to provoke wars and that any threat to the US came from despotic regimes.

But why does Fukuyama need the adjective "realistic" to make his neo-Wilsoniaism credible? The reason is that Wilson made a lot of promises which then failed to uphold. His idealism appealed to oppressed people everywhere. But his failure to back it with action brought death and desolation on a vast scale for numerous nations across the globe.

The only realistic version of Wilosonianism is the Bush Doctrine which, put starkly, is prepared to back words with deeds in the context of enlightened self-interest. The spread of democracy is good for American safety and security, not to mention trade and economic interests. And that, in turn, is also good for nations who wish to enter the mainstream of global life.

During much of the Cold War the US, both by choice and necessity, on occasions acted against character by supporting despots in the context of a global power struggle against the Soviet bloc. There is no longer any justification for that. Bush seems to have understood this. And that, whether Kissinger, Haass and Fukuyama like it or not, is the most realistic matrix for American foreign policy in the 21st century.

A must read.

Afshari: Duty of Student Movement is to Create an Opposition Movement

Rooz Online:

Until two months ago, Ali Afshari was a member of the ruling council of the Daftar-e Tahkim Vahdat (DTV) student organization. This is the largest student body in Iran with thousands of members and the most powerful student body that takes position on different issues. Afshari left Iran for higher education and now lives in Europe. Here are the excerpts of an interview Rooz had with him. READ MORE

Q – How will the new strategy of DTV of monitoring civil society impact the student movement?

A – This is not a new strategy and we had been doing this since 1997. We have tried to help resolve the issues facing Iran’s civil society. The issue is now more prominent because of the very special circumstances the country is going through. Today, civil society is under greater pressure than ever before from official circles. But there are also new opportunities today. We are not postponing political activism or new political actions.

Q – But there seems to be a movement away from taking radical positions that the organization used to take in the past.

A – This is a wrong interpretation and is not true. DTV is a student organization and a political movement in Iran. Because of the peculiar conditions in Iran, the burden of opposition activities falls on students and universities. Our job is to create political atmospheres for things to happen. DTV cannot forego this.

Q – If your goal is to create a new political atmosphere, what have you accomplished in this regard?

A – What we have done during the last three years is in its infancy. The results of our work will come later. I think the current situation is better suited for making structural changes in the country. The whole atmosphere is now polarized: on one hand you have the conservatists who wish to preserve the status quo, while on the other is the movement to democratize the structure.

Q – Observers have said that the new DTV strategy is reflective of the split inside the organization.

A – I do not see a contradiction if DTV continues its both strategies of radicalism and monitoring of civil society. Its radical actions will certainly emerge one day. They must so that they can be evaluated. Monitoring civil society is the moral responsibility of the student movement in Iran under the current conditions. DTV must activate its work in this regard, based on its influence. In this regard, it must establish a resistance movement in civil society and stand up to the assaults of the establishment, along with other civil society organizations.

Q – So you believe that the student movement should assist in the creation of this opposition?

A – Yes, it must help lay the foundations. There is a misconception on the DTV. The student movement is not the leader of the social movement. It was never after this role in the past as well. It strives to create the structural foundations for the creation of elite and their organization. Before the election of president Khatami (in Iranian circles referred to as 2nd Khordad movement) DTV played the role of his organization. That is because reformers in those days had no social basis. The other side had the Friday prayer organization, the mosques, Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps, etc. Khatami and his government only had the universities. So we provided them with our organization. We envision the same role in the future.

Q – But in those days, DTV seemed to be of one voice, not so today?

A – In the past too, DTV was not of one voice. In those days, the organization was not under the scrutiny of public opinion and civil society the way it is today. Specifically, the number of people who then had heard of DTV is in no way comparable to today’s figures. So their political position and status then was very different than its position today. Even during the presidential elections at that time there was a group inside the DTV leadership that supported Khatami while another group supported Reyshahri for president. Still another group favored Behzad Nabavi. Even Hadi Khamenei had a supportive faction. But when decision time came, we all agreed on one person. So DTV has always had different factions, each at some time dominating events and decisions. These days there is a faction in the organization that is very small but with the help from the power elite outside is making the claims that you hear outside, and even gets air time on national television, the judiciary does not reprimand it for its actions, etc. I think during the last few of its elections, it has been becoming more mature and so now it must now move from the position of power and politics into the sphere of civil society institutions and end its duality in its legitimacy. Only then shall we not see the type of differences that have existed. This is visible in the last elections when despite the hue and cries, the governing council of DTV managed to elect 10 members for the first time, completing its Central Committee.

Q- Have there been generation differences in the choice of the new strategy?

A – Today’s student generation is completely different from the previous ones. One key difference is that in the past we never accepted a personal life, values, position. A successful student, normatively, was the one who accepted the public posture of the organization, negating any personal life or view. In fact it was unacceptable for a student to have a personal position. Today, the organization respects the personal choice, life etc. . This is also true internationally among other student movements around the world. Student organizations in France and Germany today accept students who have a personal life that is different from revolutionary organizational goals. So students find it easier to engage in issues that have fewer costs for them. The second change relates to information revolution. We now have media outlets such as the Internet that have tremendously impacted students’ political lives. Political activism is no longer confined to the physical world. Another issue is culture. Cultural issues, such as the type of clothes that students wear are now more important than it was a generation ago. In the past a student’s political views determined everything, whereas today, cultural issues are as important. So DTV too must take these issues into account when dealing with its issues, supporters, etc.

Q - Do you think this new attitude of activism with less costs will hurt the student movement?

A – No. Because student’s attitudes have changed. A student movement is not a permanent movement. The fact that we have a student movement is a sign of our under-development. In developed societies there is no need for a student movement. Such a movement is necessary when civil society institutions are weak or non-existent. With a democratic structure over society, there is no need for a student movement. Unless new issues are involved. In any case, student movements and activism has its ups and downs, and is never the same.