Every year, February 11-or 22 Bahman in the Persian calendar-is celebrated with great fervor in Iran, because this is the day when the 1979 revolution succeeded in toppling the dictatorship of Western-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The annual holiday is a deeply significant and symbolic date for the regime as it provides them with the […]
The video depicting the death of Neda Agha-Soltan during the June 2009 protests in Iran has won the George Polk Award for Journalism. This video is the first anonymous video to win the award.
Vice President Joe Biden is on his way to the region, making stops for meetings with Israeli and the Palestinian Authority officials. The administration has focused on shuttle diplomacy to resume peace talks and pressure Israel to halt settlement activity. Special Envoy George Mitchell has been at the epicenter of this strategy, but Secretary of […]
Presidential campaign is underway in Sudan. The president Omar al-Bashir has allowed presidential election in what observers believe is an attempt to garner support and legitimacy in the face of the International Criminal Court indictment for his role in the Darfur conflict. Coming to power after a coup in 1989, Al-Bashir is promising new measures […]
This Valentine’s Day will mark the fifth anniversary of Rafik Hariri’s death. The former Prime Minister and 22 others were killed in an explosion near the Beirut seaside on February 14, 2005. Hariri is often described as a strangely popular, larger-than-life figure in Lebanon. Making his fortune in business, Hariri’s popularity extended across sectarian lines. […]
Roger Cohen’s latest op-ed in the New York Times condemns the Obama administration and Israel for failing to achieve progress in the peace process. Even though President Barack Obama has attempted to establish a new paradigm for working with Israel and its neighbors, the administration has stumbled into the same old habits, according to Cohen. […]
The Daily Nite Owl, a live blog from Iran has confirmed violent clashes between police and opposition protestors. 6:40 PM (Tehran Time) I will stop liveblogging now. There are still reports of small protests in Tehran and other cities, but people are largely returning home. Here’s a brief summary of the day’s events in Iran: […]
The Iran Blog has posted some bullet points about the celebrations and protests in Iran today please see here In addition, Ahmadinejad has declared a Iran a nuclear state, stating that Iranian scientists have enriched the first batches of uranium to 20% purity and that Iran has the capacity to enrich to 80% purity. As […]
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton released a statement today on the Middle East peace process after meeting with Quartet Envoy Tony Blair. Clinton reiterates the long-held U.S. position and outlines Blair’s goals, which lack shock value. The statement reads: “I spoke today with Quartet Representative Blair to discuss developments in the Middle East. This Administration has, […]
The Latest on the 31st Anniversary of the Iranian Revolution (February 11, 2010) : There are reports of martial law in Tehran to stem the growing anti-government demonstrations Anti-government protesters tear posters of Ayatollah Khamenei and Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Republic Widespread clashes in different parts of Tehran between pro-democracy demonstrators and security […]
According to the opposition website National Council of Resistance of Iran, the government is taking some pretty stark measures to control the planned protests to take place on February 11, 2010, in honor of the anniversary of the takeover by the Islamic Revolution Regime. The government has asked students to spy on classmates and report […]
At the beginning of the year, FPA blogs each announced a “Person of the Year,” with abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit obtaining the title from the Israel Blog. Ha’artez took it one step further and held a “Person of the Decade” contest. For that “honor,” the Israel blog selected former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for […]
Most observers are weary of new calls for peace talks. And that is due to a very good reason. Past peace talks led nowhere. And most of us are equally skeptical of any prospect of development, peace, freedom and equality for all in Arab World. The people of the Middle East have been ruled by […]
As I mentioned in my previous post, Iran has made a significant announcement regarding its nuclear program. Iran’s ambassador delivered a letter to the IAEA announcing Iran’s plans to begin enriching Iran’s stockpile of uranium to 20%. This is significant because once Iran can enrich Uranium to 20%, the required 90% enrichment threshold for weapon- […]
The Iran issue is coming to a head. On the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian Supreme Leader announced his country would deliver a “punch” to the world that would stun world powers. It is a matter of time before knowing what exactly he is referring to, and this message comes hours following an […]