tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:53:49 +0000Revolutionary GuardsPakistanWorld War IIIShiraz bombingMahmoud AhmadinejadIran-Iraq WarIslamic RevolutionPeople’s Resistance Movement of IranAli LarijaniHizballah (Lebanese)strategyJondallahSalafismJihadi Movement of the Sunna People of IranBaluchistanRahpuyansermonsAnsar-e HezbollahBaha'i faithIRGCMojahedin-e khalqLebanonmartyrsStatus of Forces AgreementTehran BureauMohsen RezaiMahdiMohammad Baqer QalibafAyatollah Mohammad Yazdi2009 presidential electionMostafa ChamranPezhak (Pjak)Mashhad2009 election protestsSistan-Baluchistannuclear talksSupreme Islamic Council of IraqclergyAl QaedaBasijHasan NasrallahGeorgia2009 election disputeMKOTalibanterrorismzaminAyatollah Alam ol-HodapropagandaImad MughniyaIranQodsQomvisual cultureRafsanjaniRussiaBarack ObamaIraqUS relationshttp://www.zamin1.com/noreply@blogger.com (.)Blogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-2710339663241687552Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:25:00 +00002010-02-24T04:33:51.149+06:00People’s Resistance Movement of IranterrorismJondallah Iranian state news sites are exploding today with the news that Jondallah leader, Abdol-Malek Rigi, has been arrested in Iran. Some of the reports, however, are conflicting. IRNA claimed that Rigi was flying over Iran en route from Pakistan to an unspecified Arab country when his plane was forced to land in Iran by state authorities. Iran's English language Press TV describes a similar scenario;http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/6-OZQvoH5UA/abdol-malek-rigi-detained-in-iran.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2010/02/abdol-malek-rigi-detained-in-iran.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-6506410179769805614Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:33:00 +00002010-01-27T22:33:42.705+06:002009 election disputeRafsanjaniAyatollah Mohammad Yazdiclergy Hardline cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, the head of the Society of Qom Seminary Teachers, took aim at Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani for the latter's ambiguous political position. Yazdi criticized Rafsanjani for a multitude of offenses, including his implicit support for the protest movement, his lack of support for the current president, and for his inherent disagreements with the Supreme http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/lgjNeWr5k-0/senior-cleric-threatens-to-marginalize.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2010/01/senior-cleric-threatens-to-marginalize.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-2311982371962183467Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:01:00 +00002010-01-27T22:34:07.377+06:00sermonsAyatollah Alam ol-Hodaclergy Esfandyar Rahim-Mashai was taken to task for hist recent criticism of the Prophet Noah's "managerial skills." Apparently, last week Rahim-Mashai--a senior advisor and father-in-law to Mahmud Ahmadinejad--criticized the biblical prophet's ability to get things done, and suggested, that had he done his job more effectively the world would not have needed the help of additional prophets (such as http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/BVJI_NJxro8/prophet-noah-had-sub-par-managerial.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2010/01/prophet-noah-had-sub-par-managerial.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-8124475277722568730Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:21:00 +00002010-01-23T09:11:59.019+06:00People’s Resistance Movement of IranterrorismJondallah According to the chief prosecutor of Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province, Abdol-Hamid Rigi is to be executed. Abdol-Hamid, the brother of Jondollah's leader Abdol-Malek Rigi, was arrested by Pakistani security forces and later extradited to Iran in 2008. Although many Jondollah prisoners have been executed by the state since then, it appeared that Abdol-Hamid was being held as a bargaining chip.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/K2mSVOw0tQs/jondollah-leaders-brother-to-be.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2010/01/jondollah-leaders-brother-to-be.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-750777008969340681Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:31:00 +00002010-01-21T04:33:34.484+06:00Pezhak (Pjak)terrorismMashhadIRGC A group associated with the Kurdish separatist organization Pjak has claimed responsibility for the murder of Vali Haji Qulizadeh--a prosecutor in Iran's West Azerbayjan province. Qulizadeh, a former IRGC commander, was shot multiple times by assailants on a motorcycle in front of his home on the evening of 18 January. The People's Liberation Forces of East Kurdistan's statement, released in http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/HxrFffftJSk/iranian-provincial-official.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2010/01/iranian-provincial-official.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-996336521287418987Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:02:00 +00002010-01-21T06:30:45.596+06:00zamin So I've finally found the time (and regained the desire) to restart this site. I don't foresee output being any greater than a few posts per week, but if things in the region pick up, or I get into a groove, I may do more. For now, I'll be content with writing short pieces on topics that interest me. Things should look the same as before, but just as the region has changed in the last year, so http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/9WLCBheTN0Q/resurfacing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)1http://www.zamin1.com/2010/01/resurfacing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-98258873864009807Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:28:00 +00002009-07-08T09:39:08.598+06:00Revolutionary Guards2009 election protestsBasij2009 presidential electionIRGCAn interesting interview from today's Worldview (WBEZ Chicago).Check out the rest of the program too, as it features a thoughtful conversation with NYT's Roger Cohen on the question of journalism during the election and its aftermath.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/_cnF9i1aVr4/great-interview-on-history-of-irgc.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2009/07/great-interview-on-history-of-irgc.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-2794859626302910683Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:42:00 +00002009-06-23T20:15:46.247+06:00Revolutionary Guards2009 election protestsBasijIRGCThe IRGC posted a statement on its news organ today claiming that the Basij and other security forces are ready to engage protesters emphatically and directly. The Persian statement can be found both on the IRGC's website and on Tabnak.Also, see this article by Neil MacFarquhar of NYT.Neil also has a good article out on the IRGC's role in countering the protests.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/GvFd9BaQzjk/irgc-promise-revolutioary-response-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2009/06/irgc-promise-revolutioary-response-to.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-677219293400145301Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:02:00 +00002008-12-24T20:16:07.912+06:00Due to multiple life demands I'll be taking an indefinite break from this site. I've spread myself a little too thin and can no longer write for zamin with any regularity. Instead of having this site exist in its (very) occasional state, I figure I might as well let it take a nap for a while. I plan on returning to zamin in the future, but it won't be until this dissertation is complete (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/hE9VgjG-HAc/indefinite-hiatus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)1http://www.zamin1.com/2008/12/indefinite-hiatus.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-3229527585411713828Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:57:00 +00002008-12-12T23:51:29.196+06:00IraqBarack ObamaRafsanjaniIranIraq encourages US-Iran talksIraqi government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, called on President-elect Barack Obama's administration to enter into sustained talks with Iran. While there have been low-level talks between US and Iranian officials held in Iraq, they have only concerned Iraqi domestic security and have seemingly achieved little. These talks have been symbolically significant, however, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/38_SQuoQvEk/friday-wrap-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/12/friday-wrap-up.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-5671339358069687479Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:18:00 +00002008-12-03T22:23:30.092+06:00Well, at least that's what I hope. Until this dissertation is complete Zamin posts will continue to be spotty. However, I hope to publish at least once a week for the foreseeable future. Thanks to all for sticking around and supporting this site.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/8JY0aTzVhiA/hiatus-is-over.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)1http://www.zamin1.com/2008/12/hiatus-is-over.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-1653991404474447429Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:34:00 +00002008-12-03T22:17:59.787+06:00BasijRafsanjaniThe powerful Iranian politician, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, recently gave a talk to Basij students at Iran's Sharif University of Technology. Rafsanjani praised the Basij students and the Basij militia in general for their contribution to Iranian society and for their dedication to the values of the revolution. Rafsanjani further claimed the Basiji milita could play an important role in Iran's http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/Pq7wt8bn8hU/basij-to-rafsanjani-we-like-you-but.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/12/basij-to-rafsanjani-we-like-you-but.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-5873385379473672351Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:09:00 +00002008-11-14T10:38:15.074+06:00Tehran BureauA lot has been going on behind the scenes during Zamin's recent absence (which has been due to a number of factors all in some shape or form related to a week-long stomach flu). Most important is the launching of an online magazine devoted to Iran-related stories: Tehran Bureau. The talented writers and journalists involved with Tehran Bureau will cover Iran-related issues from every angle: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/Agr6Ww80Wi0/introducing-tehran-bureau.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)2http://www.zamin1.com/2008/11/introducing-tehran-bureau.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-8307904643392959337Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:09:00 +00002008-10-21T20:32:47.251+06:00Mahmoud Ahmadinejad2009 presidential electionResalat published an article last week that discussed the notion of by-passing Ahmadinejad in the 2009 election. The news site, which is aligned with conservative clergy in Qom, compared the idea of moving past Ahmadinejad with what some reformists attempted to do under Khatami.Resalat's article is addressing the current debate in hardline politics which is questioning the viability Ahmadinejad http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/hH-T956lpIY/hardliners-consider-by-passing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/10/hardliners-consider-by-passing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-5767799730226263223Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:56:00 +00002008-10-14T05:46:34.448+06:002009 presidential electionReformist politician Mehdi Karrubi has announced the he will run for president in 2009. His announcement comes after months of speculation on whether he would run or step aside to open the way for another bid by former president Mohammad Khatami. Khatami has still not made an official decision regarding his candidacy; however, he has always suggested that he would only run if he was a "unity" http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/2Oq-vv3CqXw/presidential-politics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/10/presidential-politics.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-6655914957682134864Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:37:00 +00002008-10-09T19:57:40.080+06:00IraqIranIRGCThe LA Times has published an interview with Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Iran's ambassador to Baghdad.Kazemi-Qomi speaks on several issues, including Iran's disapproval of the proposed US status of forces agreement, Iran's historical ties to Iraq, and Iran's current role in Iraqi reconstruction. What I found most interesting, however, was Kazemi-Qomi's comments on Iran's involvement in Iraqi security. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/kalpBWCF7i0/interview-with-irans-ambassador-to-iraq.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/10/interview-with-irans-ambassador-to-iraq.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-7368067057247459607Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:22:00 +00002008-10-07T09:24:14.881+06:00IraqIranIRNA reports in Persian that hardline cleric, Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, visited Iraq this week.Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi is one of the most influential clerical leaders in Iran and occupies a powerful position in the Qom seminary. While his visit has gained little coverage elsewhere, Iran is publicizing it as symbol of Iran's growing influence in Iraq.Though little information was released about his http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/_Ko_4ntO8QA/ayatollah-mesbah-yazdi-in-iraq-meets.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)2http://www.zamin1.com/2008/10/ayatollah-mesbah-yazdi-in-iraq-meets.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-8229180809981557101Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:45:00 +00002008-10-03T22:55:13.722+06:00strategyRevolutionary GuardsBasijIranian military leaders discussed a variety of topics in a recent Aftab-e Yazd article.Here are a few important bits:The longest interview is that of Habibollah Sayyari, the commander of the Iranian armed forces. Sayyari speaks of the navy’s central role in current defense strategies, mentions the various areas of operation (Caspian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Straight of Hormuz, Persian Gulf), and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/IFoFWBXzXgQ/military-leaders-on-irans-naval.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/10/military-leaders-on-irans-naval.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-3870879871178377768Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:07:00 +00002008-09-29T09:45:22.533+06:00Mahmoud AhmadinejadFarnaz Fassihi of the Wall Street Journal wrote an interesting article this weekend on her experience at an invitation-only dinner with the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in New York.The organizers of the dinner, presumably the Islamic Republic of Iran, invited dozens of Iranian-Americans from the New York and D.C. areas to attend. Fassihi describes the event, some of its participants, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/8LN1j3BnhxI/deconstructing-national-pride.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/09/deconstructing-national-pride.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-6841635857624140591Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:41:00 +00002008-09-26T02:50:13.313+06:00Due to an unforeseen deluge of distractions and due dates, Zamin took an unexpected hiatus from publishing this last week and a half. Sincere apologizes to our regular *readers* and to those just passing by. We'll be up and running again by Monday.Cheers,Zaminhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/BmowKdrzbqg/unexpected-hiatus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)3http://www.zamin1.com/2008/09/unexpected-hiatus.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-9034744859216510772Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:58:00 +00002008-09-15T09:02:44.951+06:00propagandavisual culturePayvand recently posted an article on the decline of Iran's graphic arts industry. The article mentions the traditional strength of this sector of Iranian art (and propaganda) and its current decline at the hands of apathy and Adobe Photoshop. (Yes, that's right, Adobe Photoshop is to graphic design what video *was* to the radio star. Anyone who is a graphic designer or knows a graphic designer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/C4sN4GXVpqY/poster-design-in-iran.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)1http://www.zamin1.com/2008/09/poster-design-in-iran.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-8588309586650799467Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:21:00 +00002008-09-12T20:17:16.494+06:00Hasan NasrallahHizballah (Lebanese)LebanonOSC translated a lengthy Iranian state television interview with Hasan Nasrallah from September 10. There are many subjects covered in the piece, many not new, but I'll include a few of the more interesting bits.This first excerpt I include because the interviewer asks Nasrallah if he knows anything about hand psychology. The question through me off a little, but it also reminded me of a post I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/a9dabVkxxw8/hasan-nasrallah-interview.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)1http://www.zamin1.com/2008/09/hasan-nasrallah-interview.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-7855274219900973046Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:06:00 +00002008-09-10T04:46:58.425+06:00Mojahedin-e khalqMKOIraqSupreme Islamic Council of Iraq<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/syN9M3hhWEc/normal-0-false-false-false.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/09/normal-0-false-false-false.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-7371225320673855417Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:02:00 +00002008-09-01T20:29:26.726+06:00Imad MughniyaterrorismHizballah (Lebanese)The LA Times came out with an interesting article over the weekend on the assassination of Imad Mughniya.Mughniya, who was widely considered Hizballah's chief strategist and director of extraterritorial operations (i.e. terrorism), was killed on 12 February when his SUV exploded in front of his safe-house in a Damascus neighborhood also home to many Syrian intelligence officials.Both Hizballah http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/5O6ZMn44LFs/death-of-imad-mughniya.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/08/death-of-imad-mughniya.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2483244501503912164.post-5850081952862288741Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:18:00 +00002008-08-31T20:02:24.771+06:00GeorgiaIranWorld War IIIRussiaThe Daily Telegraph reports that US intelligence officials are worried Russia may respond to the recent US-Poland missile agreement by arming Iran with an advanced missile defense system of its own.The S-300 anti-aircraft system can track 100 targets simultaneously and fire on aircraft 75 miles away. US and Israeli officials fear that such a system would be a "game changer" making any conceived http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Zamin/~3/DuVzP7ZbJUg/russia-responds-advanced-missle-system.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (.)0http://www.zamin1.com/2008/08/russia-responds-advanced-missle-system.html