OTHER IMPORTANT TOPICS
"Resource Nationalism Trends In Azerbaijan, 2004-2009," Research by Vugar Gojayev, March 2010
February 16, 2010 - NHC Report: "Nakhchivan: Azerbaijan's Dark Island"
"Imitation Democracies," by Dmitri Furman, New Left Review, Nov/Dec. Issue, 2008
Politics of Energy: Comparing Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia - by Jos Boonstra, Edward Burke and Richard Young, FRIDE, September 2008
Azeri Minister of Interior Helped Georgian Government To Suppress Opposition In November 2007
Azerbaijan's 2005 Parliamentary Elections: A Failed Attempt At Transition - by Valerie J. Bunce and Sharon L. Wolchik
Christopher Walker Attacked Azeri Dictatorship At Helsinki Commission
Praise to Dictator
US Lobbying Firm Accused of Accepting Bribes from Azeri Government to Discredit Opposition
90 Years Anniversary of First Muslim Democracy - Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
PACE Should Appoint Rappoteurs For Political Prisoners to South Caucasian Countries
Last Words of Ganimat Zahid
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Iran Fears Velvet Revolution: Can Azeris Do It? |
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TEHERAN. February 4, 2009: PRESS TV, the Iranian-government-owned English-language web and television broadcasting company, recently published a report contending Iran's intelligence ministry had uncovered and publicly disclosed details regarding an alleged “’US-backed' spy ring which had plans to topple the Tehran government.”
According to the report:
“Following the arrest of four Iranian nationals on charges of plotting to overthrow the government with Washington's support, head of the counterespionage department in the Intelligence Ministry said Monday that the group intended to build social and political tension in the country.”
The official, whose name was not revealed, added "organizing anti-government public rallies and creating ethnic division in the country" were among the tactics to be employed by the network.” [The report may be read here.]
In our ongoing conversations with Dr. Walid Phares – director of the Future of Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies who now also serves as secretary general of the Trans Atlantic Legislative Group on Counter Terrorism -- we asked for his interpretation of any underlying message within the report.
We know what the report says. What are the Iranians not saying?
DR. WALID PHARES: First, the Iranian regime has always conducted arrests among its opposition. It has done so since coming to power in 1980. The regime has – for all intent and purposes – physically eliminated Iranian citizens – thousands of them – by labeling them as being "U.S.-backed" and/or "Zionist" elements inside the country.
If you look at the archives of the various international human rights organizations, or country reports in various foreign ministries; and of course, if you review the information collected from the many Iranian opposition groups, you’ll easily discover a continuous and systematic suppression of freedoms in Iran for the last 30 years. The arrest campaigns have covered nearly every sector of Iranian society: students, women, labor, artists, but also ethnic minorities such as Arabs, Kurds, Baluch, Azeri and others. Also, religious minorities such as Christians, Jews and Bahais have also been persecuted.
The news regarding arrests of Azeri ethnics in Iran is not unusual. We've been reading open sources reports about Bahais arrests in recent weeks, as well as arrests of Ahwaz Arabs over the past several months, and women over the last year. So, the reports by the Iranian regime about a "U.S. conspiracy" is neither strange nor exceptional.
W. THOMAS SMITH JR.: The Iranian press reported the unnamed intelligence official as saying “the group” had been successful in fomenting dissent among Azeri people in the Azerbaijan Province. Why the regime’s focus on this province?
PHARES: This is very telling in that anti-Khomeinist sentiment is spreading in the northwestern part of the country and among the single largest ethnic minority in Iran. Azeris are the second group after the Persians, and they form a contiguous group settling the entire northwestern part of Iran in what is known as southern Azarbaijian. It is historically a part of the Azeri nation and they speak a Turkic language. Traditionally the Iranian Azeris have been loyal to the Iranian nation, and many among them have served in Iran's military. But with the radicalization of the regime and the economic crisis now underway in Iran, many ethnic minorities are protesting bad socio-economic conditions in their areas. They mainly accuse the Mullahs in Tehran of concentrating wealth among their own elite in the center while letting the provinces decay. The Azeris aren't happy with the state of affairs in the so-called ‘Islamic republic.’ Hence we're witnessing the rise of local opposition movements in their areas. The regime responds with preemptive arrests, and of course labels any protest as a ‘pro-American’ conspiracy: Classical Khomeinist narrative.
SMITH: Why would the Iranian press quote ‘Intelligence officials’ and not the justice ministry?
PHARES: Because most likely when the opposition is widening, the regime unleashes its strongest arm, the intelligence services. If anything this is an indicator that the Azeri movement, and all other movements are getting stronger with time.
SMITH: The report states:
“Tehran's Islamic Revolution Court sentenced the four suspects without announcing the length of their sentence.
“‘They have confessed to trying to distance the people of Iran from the government and introduce the United States as their sole savior,’ the court said in a statement.
“Two of the detainees are internationally renowned doctors Arash and Kamyar Alaei, who specialize in HIV/AIDS.
“In the Monday press conference, the top Iranian counterespionage official said that the US intelligence agencies had resorted to ‘soft overthrow projects’ over the past decade, as there is no international statute law against such measures.”
What are we to deduce from such arrests?
PHARES: It means the middle class in Iranian Azarbaijian is fed up with the Mullah regime. When the Khomeinists begin striking out at citizens – doctors as in this case, or professors and bloggers as in other cases – we’re talking about a serious development. When educated people are accused of political ‘incitement’ against the regime – which translates to political opposition – it means that many more activists are mobilizing civil society, and that of course is a red line to the regime.
SMITH: The report also mentions the U.S. having spent $32 million on “soft overthrow projects,” a means by which the U.S. could “infiltrate elite and expert circles” and therein gain access to information regarding national “infrastructure, microbiological achievements, and defensive capacity.” They also named names of Americans. Why?
PHARES: It is an act of desperation. It shows the regime is angry and wants to send a message to the U.S. government, which by the way is preparing to open dialogue with Tehran. By naming names and agencies, the Iranian Pasdaran [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and intelligence services are sending a message to the Obama administration telling them that if they want to open dialogue, they will have to shut all these ‘democracy operations.’ What is ironic is that the Bush administration was criticized for doing so little to help the Iranian democracy movement. If indeed the Iranian regime is complaining about $32 million spent allegedly by the U.S. on democracy activities, this is peanuts compared to the billions of dollars spent on the war on terror and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on the war of ideas. This amount is ridiculous: Yet the Iranian regime wants Washington not to spend a penny on any program that would help democracy groups in Iran. This pressure is aimed at preempting the Obama administration.
SMITH: The report said “Iranian intelligence operatives had been able to infiltrate the network and ‘launch an intelligence war with the CIA by leaking false information.’” It also said the UK and Israel were involved.
PHARES: Typical of the regime to try to frame all three governments of the U.S., UK, and Israel in one giant conspiracy. For by linking alleged Israeli activities to alleged U.S. and British activities against the regime, they would create a ‘radioactive’ environment in the region. Again, Tehran is trying to build a big bargaining chip for the day of dialogue. Thus the Iranian negotiators hope to be in a position of strength: Hold the high ground and lead with other subjects before the discussion of the most relevant ones, i.e. the nuclear issues.
SMITH: The report mentions the claim by Mohammad-Javad Zarif, the former Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, that “the White House is taking essential measures to orchestrate a ‘Velvet Revolution’ in Iran.”
PHARES: It is a reminder of the last decade of the Soviet Union when Soviet citizens invited to the West were eager to learn about open and free societies. They were often punished by Moscow for concocting revolutions against the Communist regime. The Iranian establishment lives in the paranoia of a similar situation. They spy on their own citizens when they travel and accuse them of being recruited by the West. When the Khomeinists start talking about a so-called ‘American support’ of a so-called ‘Velvet Revolution’ inside Iran, it means they are indeed afraid that seeds have already been sown for such a revolution. In fact, what worries the regime are not these scientific conferences but the narrative on many Iranian web sites talking about ‘democratic revolution.’ Ali Khamenei's Pasdaran can feel the sentiment inside Iran's civil society. Thus they want to suppress these sentiments by connecting them to an alleged American and Western
activity.
[Dr. Phares, who has provided similar analysis to U.S. government – and who regularly conducts Congressional and State Department as well as European Parliament and UN Security Council briefings – has been providing exclusive analysis to us for nearly five years.]
[The Iranian Press TV report also states: “Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh revealed in July that U.S. Congressional leaders had secretly agreed to President George W. Bush's $400-million funding request for a major escalation in covert operations inside Iran.” Our sources coordinating with the Iranian opposition groups, have informed us that members of those opposition groups “are wondering why Hersh is leaking such information, which is in turn used by the regime against them.”] (International Analyst Network).
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Azerbaijan in International Media
"Amazing Azerbaijan," by Dom Joly, Mailonline, July 25, 2010
"Russia's Empty Empire," The Economist, July 24, 2010
"Propaganda On Demand," by Corey Pein, Santa Fe Reporter, July 14, 2010
"Azerbaijan's Donkey Bloggers Are Just the Beginning," by Luke Alnutt, RFE/RL, July 8, 2010
"US Slams Azerbaijan Over Jailed Journalist," World News Australia, July 8, 2010
"Hillary Clinton Mends Fences In Central Europe and Caucasus," Washington Post, July 7, 2010
"Jailed Azerbaijani Editor Convicted On New Charges." Washington Post, July 6, 2010
"U.S. Tries to Calm Georgia's Fears," by Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, July 6, 2010
"Clinton Presses Azerbaijan for Nagorno Karabakh," RFE/RL, July 5, 2010
"Clinton Visits Authoritarian Ruler in Azerbaijan," Dallas News, July 5, 2010
"Clinton Reassured Azerbaijan," Boston Globe, July 5, 2010
"Clinton Walks Tightrope On Democracy In Azerbaijan," by Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, July 5, 2010
"How to Prevent Another War In South Caucasus," by Ronald Asmus, Washington Post, July 3, 2010
"Clinton On E. Europe, Caucasus Tour," by Heather Maher, RFE/RL, July 1, 2010
"How to Deal With Azerbaijan?" articles of Amanda Paul and Gorkhmaz Asgarov, GMF "On Wider Europe," June 2010
"Why is Azerbaijan Still a Member of Council of Europe?" by Afua Hirsch, The Guardian, June 29, 2010
"Heydargate Emails Revealed," by Corey Pein, Santa Fe Reporter, June 24, 2010
"Taking Dictation," by Corey Pein, Santa Fe Reporter, June 23, 2010
"Medvedev Convenes Third Meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani Presidents," RFE/RL, June 18, 2010
"Huffington Post Allows Lobbyist to Take Dictator Out For Spin on its Site," by Ken Silverstein, Harper's Magazine, June 15, 2010
"Azerbaijan Adopts Military Doctrine," RFE/RL, June 9, 2010
"Azerbaijan Belongs On Obama's List of Violators of Press Freedom," by Elmar Chakhtakhtinski, June 8, 2010
"Turkey, Azerbaijan Agree On Gas Shipments," by Selcan Hacaoglu, WP, June 7, 2010
"Gates Brings Reassurances to Azerbaijan Leader," by Craig Whitlog, Washington Post, June 7, 2010
"Gates Courts Put-Out Azerbaijan," by Anne Gearan, June 6, 2010
"Germany Wins 2010 Eurovision Song Contest," Washington Post, May 29, 2010
"Obama Administration Gets Tough on Business Corrption Oversees," by Mark Brzezinski, WP, May 28, 2010
"Avoiding Olympic Mess," by Kurt Volker, Washington Post, May 25, 2010
"The Act of Extreme Desperation," by Jonathan Heawood, The Independent, May 24, 2010
"Nagorno-Karabakh's Fragile Stalemate," by Anna Matveeva, The Guardian, May 17, 2010
"U.S. Abandoning Russia's Neighbors," by David Kramer, Washington Post, May 15, 2010
"Tony Adams, a Mysterious Tycoon and Their Grand Plan for Azerbaijan," by Shaun Walker, The Independent, May 12, 2010
"Norwegian Filmmaker Leaves Azerbaijan With Less Than He Came In With," Grant Podelco, RFE/RL, May 7, 2010
"Will Obama Support Democracy In Kyrgyzstan?" by Kathleen Collins, Christian Science Monitor, May 3, 2010
"Europe Must Defend Free Expression," by Thorbjorn Jagland, Guardian, May 3, 2010
"Police In Azerbaijan Detain Dozens Marking Massacre," Washington Post, April 30, 2010
"Hillary Clinton Urged to Ban Russian Officials," by Tony Halpin, The Times, April 27, 2010
"Excluding Azerbaijan Can't Bring Stability to the South Caucasus," by Novruz Mammadov, RFE/RL, April 21, 2010
"Azebaijan Puts Off Joint Military Drills With US," Washington Post, April 20, 2010
"At Nuclear Summit, Obama Snubs An Ally," by Jackson Diehl, Washington Post, April 13, 2010
"Response of Azeri Ambassador to U.S. to Ali Karimli's Op-Ed," Washington Post, April 5, 2010
"Blast Derails Russian Freight Train," Washington Post, April 4, 2010
"Will the U.S. Stand Up for Democracy in Azerbaijan?" by Ali Karimli, Washington Post, April 2, 2010
"Azerbaijani Media Campaigner Wins Prize In London," RFE/RL, March 26, 2010
Read more...
Azerbaijan in International Reports
March 2010 - Resource Nationalism Trends In Azerbaijan - PETROSAM Program of Reasearch Council of Norway
March 11, 2010 - U.S. State Department's 2009 Report on Azerbaijan
February 24, 2010 - Global Integrity Report on Corruption in Azerbaijan
February 16, 2010 - NHC Report: "Nakhchivan: Azerbaijan's Dark Island"
December 17, 2009 - EU Parliament's Resolution on Freedom of Media In Azerbaijan
October 7, 2009 - International Crisis Group - "Nagorno Karabakh: Getting to Breakthrough"
July 16, 2009 - U.S. Helsinki Commission Hearings On Iran and Its OSCE Neighbors (transcript)
June 23, 2009 - PACE Report on Amendments to NGO Law In Azerbaijan
March 19, 2009 - Statement of Norwegian Helsinki Committee on Referendum in Azerbaijan
March 19, 2009 - PACE Report on Constitutional Referendum in Azerbaijan
March 16, 2009 - Opinion of Venice Commission of CE on Constitutional Changes In Azerbaijan
February 25, 2009 - US State Department's Human Rights Report on Azerbaijan
February 10, 2009 - CPJ Report on Attacks on the Press in Azerbaijan
January 21, 2009 - Joint Statement Norwegian Helsinki Committee and Norwegian Human Rights House Foundation On Persecution of Leyla Yunus
January 21, 2009 - Human Rights Watch to Azeri Government: "Halt Libel Case Against Rights Defender"
Read More...
Linked Info
"More Troubles In Baku, Local Press Reports On "Magic Tree"," by Karl Rahder, FPB, June 20, 2010
"Azerbaijan Grapples With New Media Freedom," by Karl Rahder, ISN, June 7, 2010
"A Journalism (r)evolution in Azerbaijan," by Mark Briggs, Lost Remote, May 24, 2010
"IMF: The Party Is Over For Azerbaijan," by Shahin Abbasov, Eurasianet. org, May 24, 2010
"Alienating Azerbaijan?" by Karl Rahder, International Relations and Security Network, Apr. 27, 2010
"Colors and Flowers... and Soviet Spoils," by Ben Tanosborn, April 27, 2010
"The U.S. and the Persecution of Azerbaijan's Bloggers," by Joshua Kucera, trueslant.comm Nov. 11, 2009
"Story of a Father and Son," Frontline Club, Sep 28, 2009
"Hooligans?," RSF about arrested youth activists in Azerbaijan, July 11, 2009
"I Rule Here and Blind Democrats in Europe," by Ilgar Mammadov, REAL, June 27, 2009
Azerbaijan Marks Anniversary Of Its First Republic - Frontline Club, May 29, 2009
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely - by Farid Guliyev, ResetDoc.org, April 16, 2009
So Much For Azerbaijani Democracy - by Michael J. Totten, Commentary Magazine, Oct. 21, 2008
Azerbaijan: Election Day Proves A Snooze - by Mina Muradova, Eurasia Insight, Oct. 15, 2008
Finding Elmar's Killers. Azerbaijan Special Report - by Nina Ognianova, CPJ, Sep. 16, 2008
Azerbaijani Opposition Mulls Presidential Election Boycott - by Liz Fuller
Naxcivan: More Tales From Azerbaijan's North Korea
It's National Press Day in Azerbaijan, But There's Little Cause For Celebration
Read more...
Videos
July 3, 2010 - Azeri Opposition's Protest Action In Baku
June 19, 2010 - Azadlig Bloc Held "Unauthorized" Rally In Baku
June 12, 2010 - Musavat's "Unauthorized" Rally in Baku
June 5, 2010 - Azadlig Bloc's "Unauthorized" Rally In Baku
June 3, 2010 - International Protest for Eynulla Fatullayev in London
May 15, 2010 - Azadlig Bloc's "Unauthorized" Rally In Baku
May 5, 2010 - Oil and Press Freedom In Azerbaijan
April 26, 2010 - Azadlig Bloc's Protest Action In Baku
April 14, 2010 - Musavat Pickets Baku Mayoral Administration
February 13, 2010 - Police Attacks Islamic Rally in Downtown Baku
January 22, 2010 - RSF Video on Picketing in front of Azeri Embassy In Paris (Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli)
More Videos...
Interviews
David Kramer: Situation In Azerbaijan Getting Worse - July 15, 2010
Michael Posner Speaks About Democracy Prospects In Azerbaijan - July 10, 2010
Euronews Interview With Ilham Aliyev: Are You a King? - February 6, 2010
Oil, Solidarity and Human Rights: Interview with Ana Bonde - Nov. 21, 2009
Thobjorn Jagland Speaks of Bloggers Case - Nov. 13, 2009
Glass is Half-Full: Interview With Azeri Ambassador to Czech Republic - Nov. 10, 2009
Price of Being an Oil Country. Interview With Alexandros Petersen - Sep 25, 2009
Interview With Latif Gandilov, the Azeri Ambassador In Kazakhstan - Sep 21, 2009
British MP Says Azeri Government Is Weak. Interview with British MP Mark Pritchard - Sep. 15, 2009
Interview With MHP Deputy Chairman On Armenian-Turkish Negotiations - September 7, 2009
Stephen J. Blank: Azerbaijan Not Preparing For War
RSF Representative Clothilde Le Coz Comments on the Arrest of Azeri Bloggers, July 21, 2009
David Kramer Speaks On Human Rights In Azerbaijan, July 20, 2009
Read more...
Photos
Azeri Opposition's Protest Action In Baku - July 3, 2010
Azadlig Bloc Held "Unauthorized" Rally In Baku - June 19, 2010
Musavat and Union for Democracy Held "Unauthorized" Rally In Baku - June 12, 2010
Azadlig Bloc's "Unauthorized" Rally In Baku - June 5, 2010
International Act of Protest for Eynulla Fatullayev In Front of Azeri Embassy - June 3, 2010
Azadlig Bloc's Rally In Novkhani - May 28, 2010
Protest of Azadlig Bloc in Baku - May 15, 2010
Protest of Azadlig bloc in Baku - April 26, 2010
Surprise Youth Protest Action in Baku - Nov. 22, 2009
U.S. Azeris Commemorate Oil Academy Shooting Victims - May 10, 2009
Student Protests In Baku - May 10, 2009
Mirza Sakit Released From Jail - April 9, 2009
Azeris Marked Khojali Massacre In Front of Armenian Embassy - February 25, 2009
AZAD Holds Protest Rally In New York Against Unlimited Presidency in Azebaijan - January 9, 2009
AZAD Holds Protest Rally in Washington DC Against Unlimited Presidency in Azerbaijan - Dec. 30, 2008
Protests Against Constitutional Changes in Azerbaijan - Dec. 24, 2008
Ganja Celebrates Ilham Aliyev's Birthday - Dec. 24, 2008
Jailed Azeri Journalists, Brothers Ganimat and Sakit Zahidov at Their Fathers Funeral
Sacrifice Holiday in Azerbaijan - December 8, 2008
Military Parade in Baku - June 26, 2008
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