Civil Unrest, Riots, Protests in Iran

[Balta1701]

The coincedence of the graph jumping after '89 is certainly noticeable.

You could also note that China's policy of opening up economically began in 1988 after Deng Xiaoping's last quasi-election, and a serious push in 1992 as the leadership changed. That's a classic "correlation does not imply causation" deal.

[bmags]

February 11th is going to be a very big day. Andrew Sullivan probably does the best job at aggregating links.

 

Many brave people are going to die in the face of oppression.

[BigSqwert]

Iran's Nuclear Operation Revealed To Be Cover For Greatest Roller Coaster Ever

 

 

TEHRAN, IRAN—Nearly 30 years of tense relations between the U.S. and Iran came to a dramatic end this March when Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad revealed that his country's suspected nuclear program was in fact a covert operation to build "Ali Baba and the 40 Loops"—the largest, most thrilling roller coaster in the Middle East.

 

In a globally televised address before the United Nations, Ahmadinejad unveiled the 500-foot-tall steel coaster, which he called a "very real threat" to anyone not interested in having a blast. The Iranian leader then challenged all thrill-seekers—young and old, Christian, Muslim, or Jew—to ride the mighty coaster, which can reportedly reach speeds of 165 mph by using a newly developed electromagnetic propulsion system previously seen only in blurry satellite images.

 

 

"I regret having kept you in the dark for this long, but doesn't the surprise make it so much better?" a smiling Ahmadinejad said while gesturing to the massive coaster's interlocking quadruple vertical corkscrews. "And to think, you were all afraid we would use this technology for evil. Well, the only thing the world should fear now is Ali Baba's heart-stopping 400-foot drop!"

 

Members of a special U.N. envoy were immediately granted access to the new ride, and spent the next six hours conducting more than 30 separate critical examinations of the roller coaster. By late evening, however, inspectors said their findings were still inconclusive and determined that the fact-finding mission would require further test rides, corn dogs for everyone, and photographic documentation of their efforts.

 

Despite years of economic sanctions and the constant threat of military action, Iran reportedly continued working on the clandestine project by stockpiling metal tubes for the tracks, enriching uranium to provide glow-in-the dark lighting for the subterranean portion of the ride, and purchasing hundreds of gallons of neon green paint from Pakistan.

 

"We have moved wisely and decisively to establish Iran as a regional power in the amusement park field," said Ahmadinejad, adding defiantly that the nation would not succumb to Western standards for height requirements. "Wheeeee!"

 

In response to rumors that the new Iranian amusement park will include a ride dedicated to bridging the foreign relations gap with Israel, Ahmedinejad flatly denied the existence of the so-called "Holocoaster."

 

via

[Balta1701]

Awesome ride.

[southsider2k5]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...hp_mostpop_read

 

Iran's parliament revealed it planned to impeach President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but refrained under orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, exposing a deepening division within the regime.

 

Lawmakers also launched a new petition to bring a debate on the president's impeachment, conservative newspapers reported Monday.

 

The reports of challenges to Mr. Ahmadinejad were intended as retorts to a powerful body of clerics that urged Mr. Khamenei to curb the parliament's authority and give greater clout to the president.

 

In a report released Sunday and discussed in parliament Monday, four prominent lawmakers laid out the most extensive public criticism of Mr. Ahmadinejad to date.

 

Farnaz Fassihi talks about the move by Iran's parliament, later blocked by the nation's supreme leader, to impeach President Ahmadinejad.

 

They accused him and his government of 14 counts of violating the law, often by acting without the approval of the legislature. Charges include illegally importing gasoline and oil, failing to provide budgetary transparency and withdrawing millions of dollars from Iran's foreign reserve fund without getting parliament's approval.

 

"The president and his cabinet must be held accountable in front of the parliament," the report stated. "A lack of transparency and the accumulation of legal violations by the government is harming the regime."

 

The moves against Mr. Ahmadinejad come as the regime faces domestic pressure over his plans to gradually eliminate subsidies for fuel, food and utilities from an economy strained by a string of international sanctions over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

 

Authorities have tightened security and arrested members of the opposition to prevent riots and uprisings in response to the subsidy cuts, which economists say will drive up inflation.

 

In opposition to the conservative lawmakers are Iran's ultraconservatives—led by Mr. Khamenei, who has final say in all state matters—who have increasingly backed the president when he carries out policy without parliamentary approval.

 

Mr. Ahmadinejad hails from this ultraconservative camp, which has largely supported populist economic policies and taken a defiant stance abroad, as opposed to mainstream conservatives' more pragmatic approach.

 

Conservative newspapers reported on Monday that lawmakers have started a motion to collect the 74 signatures needed to openly debate impeachment. Mousa Reza Servati, the head of the parliament's budgetary committee, was quoted as saying 40 lawmakers, including Mr. Servati, have signed the motion.

A President Accused | Lawmakers' allegations against Ahmadinejad

 

* Withdrawing $590 million from the Central Bank's foreign reserve fund without approval.

* Trading 76.5 million barrels of crude oil in exchange for gasoline imports in 2008 without approval.

* Illegally importing gasoline, oil and natural gas at a value of about $9 billion since 2007.

* Failing to provide transparency in budget spending and curbing parliamentary oversight.

* Failing to provide transparency about the source of money for the president's domestic travels and about the allocation of money in Iran's provinces.

* Failing to implement or notify ministries about 31 legislative items passed by the parliament in 2010.

 

Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly

 

The move to remove the president from office marks the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic that parliament has discussed impeachment of a president. Though the legislature is backed by the Iranian constitution, lawmakers can't drive Mr. Ahmadinejad from office without the supreme leader's agreement.

 

One issue on which both camps are broadly united is in supporting Iran's right to proceed with its nuclear program against the objections of the international community.

 

Mr. Ahmadinejad is likely to continue positioning himself on the international stage as the defiant voice of Iran's leadership as Tehran eyes a new round of nuclear talks, proposed for Dec. 5.

 

The conservative camp also closed ranks behind Mr. Ahmadinejad after the turbulent 2009 presidential election and its violent aftermath—setting aside differences to support the regime. But a considerable portion of highly influential members of the conservative bloc, such as speaker of the parliament Ali Larijani, appear to have begun to view Mr. Ahmadinejad as a liability.

 

U.S. officials on Monday said they're watching the political clashes in Tehran and believe they've fueled, in part, by sanctions imposed by Washington, the United Nations and the European Union since June. The Obama administration has hoped that these tensions could lead Tehran to return to negotiation aimed at containing its nuclear program, something, so far, it hasn't decided to do.

 

"There are clear rivalries within the Iranian government and multiple camps around Ahmadinejad, Larijani and others," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. "Those tensions have certainly been exacerbated as Iran feels more pressure from sanctions and political isolation."

 

Still, because rival political forces inside Iran, particularly those concentrated around Mr. Larijani, are also supportive of Iran's nuclear work, is unclear how much Iran's foreign policy would change if Mr. Ahmadinejad exits the scene, U.S. officials said.

 

On websites and blogs, the primary outlet for Iran's opposition, Iranians urged parliament not to give in to Mr. Khamenei's orders and, as one blogger wrote, "act independently for the good of the public."

 

On Saturday, the Guardian Council, the appointed body of ultraconservative clerics that oversees legislation and acts as a mediator between the government and the parliament, said a "mediating committee" that included council members recommended Mr. Khamenei curb the powers of the parliament.

 

The remarks infuriated lawmakers, who said they had made no such recommendation, leading to a heated open debate on the parliament floor on Monday.

 

Some of Mr. Ahmadinejad's alleged violations included withdrawing $590 million from the Central Bank's foreign reserve fund, trading 76.5 million barrels of crude oil in exchange for importing gasoline in 2008, and illegal imports of gasoline, oil and natural gas since 2007 at a value of about $9 billion.

 

Mr. Ahmadinejad has had an uneasy relationship with parliament since his election in 2006, but the differences escalated in his second term, when lawmakers refused to approve eight of his cabinet nominees.

 

Mr. Khamenei intervened, asking parliament members to compromise. In the end only three cabinet choices were refused. The parliament also fought Mr. Ahmadinejad for a year over his economic plan and the subsidy cuts. Mr. Ahmadinejad finally wrote a letter to Mr. Khamenei complaining that the parliament was acting as an obstacle for his administration.

—Jay Solomon contributed to this article.

 

Write to Farnaz Fassihi at [email protected]