Kurzmeldungen

JP – Iranian police arrest water pistol ‚rebels‘
Water fights break out across Iran in what conservatives call Western attempt to conduct „soft war“ to corrupt youth through TV, pop music.

YNET – Khamenei warns of security risk for Iran elections
Leader invokes popular revolts in Arab world which he dubbed an „Islamic awakening“ and said Iranians should put unity ahead of any grievances

EUROPEANDEMOCRACY – The West’s time is over (German)
Ahmadinejad’s speeches clealy show that Islamist Anti-Semitism is part of Anti-Americanism and of hate against Western democracies in general. Indeed, the Iranian President has predicted the West’s downfall.

MEF – Misreading the Mullahs – Curbing Tehran’s Nuclear Ambitions
For decades now, Western governments have been seeking to contain Iranian nuclear ambitions through a standard stick-and-carrot policy combining incentives for reforms with financial sanctions for retrenchments. This approach has failed primarily because it lacks appreciation of Iranian history and Islamic values as well as the extent of the regime’s religious convictions and its attendant goals. Yet as Tehran experiences a slow but significant weakening of its governing blocs with many young Iranians free of the virulent anti-U.S. sentiments that fed the Islamic Revolution,[1] positive gains can be made if the Western capitals properly understand and act upon the Iranian reality.

JP – ‚Iran cuts funding for Hamas due to Syria unrest‘
Funding cuts come after Islamist group fails to show public support for Assad during Syrian uprising, diplomats say.

JP – Ahmadinejad vows ‚decisive response‘ to Israeli attack
„If someone throws a smaller stone, you should respond with a bigger stone“ Iranian president says as Russians try to restart nuclear talks.  
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged the possibility of an Israeli or US strike on his country as real in an interview with Russia Today on Sunday, but said that the Islamic Republic would offer „a decisive response“ to such an attack.

HA’ARETZ – Ahmadinejad: Iran will respond ‚decisively‘ to U.S., Israel attacks
Iranian president tells Russia Today news network that although Iran would retaliate harshly in the event of attack, there is no reason to launch a strike against the Islamic republic.

MEF – Tightening the Economic Noose – Curbing Tehran’s Nuclear Ambitions
Are sanctions capable of derailing Tehran’s nuclear drive? Some skeptics reject such measures altogether, preferring to deal with Tehran by either accommodation or containment.[1] Others point to the spotty historical record of sanctions in altering state behavior in arguing that they will similarly fall short of forcing the ayatollahs to rethink their long-standing nuclear ambitions.[2] For example, sanctions were found to be successful in only a third of the 105 instances in which they were applied between World War I and the end of the Cold War.[3] As the past year has shown, however, Tehran may well turn out to be the exception to the rule—but only if the Obama administration (and Western governments more generally) make swift and skillful use of the economic and strategic means at their disposal 

SPIEGEL – Irans Atomprogramm: Israels mörderische Sabotage-Strategie
Ein Nuklearforscher nach dem anderen fällt in Iran einer Mordserie zum Opfer. Will der Mossad so den Bau einer iranischen Atombombe sabotieren? Israel dementiert das nicht. Noch rigoroser wollen israelische Generäle vorgehen: Sie fordern immer vehementer einen Luftangriff. mehr…

OE24 – Iran sieht Israel hinter Anschlägen 
Der iranische Generalstabschef Hassan Ferozabadi hat Israel beschuldigt, hinter den Anschlägen in Norwegen zu stehen. Die „Zionisten“ erzeugten rechtsradikale Stimmungen und förderten Terrorismus, erklärte der Generalmajor nach Angaben der englischsprachigen staatlichen iranischen „Press TV“ am Samstag. Sie spielten mit den Menschen, um einen „christlichen Zionismus“ zu schaffen. Die Welt müsse wachsam sein, so der General.