Omid Memarian writes an acute column in The Daily Beast based on direct interview with prominent Iranian reform figures who denounce the Mossad black ops program against Iran. I’m going to quote a long passage since I believe it conveys the full power of the author’s and his sources’ arguments better. Their views echo my own precisely. Though it’s great to know they’re in accord with those of native Iranian supporters of democratic change:
“I don’t believe a program on such a large scale as Iran’s nuclear program is eliminated or slowed down as a result of the elimination of some individuals,” Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the former Tehran mayor and a close ally of reformist leader Mehdi Karroubi, told The Daily Beast. “It does have a psychological effect, but it will not have an impact in the nuclear program itself. Its psychological effect is not favorable, either, as people hate the perpetrators.”
“However way you look at terror, people hate it, no matter where in the world it happens, especially if an innocent young individual suffers this fate. This is what people oppose vehemently,” Karbaschi added.
A journalist in Tehran told The Daily Beast under the condition of anonymity that he was shocked when he heard news of the assassination. “When I talk to people, they feel insulted that a foreign state would come and murder an Iranian citizen to cheers and nods from others,” he said. “These assassinations are a great gift to the Iranian government and military, who can now push their agendas forward with them. The Iranian government could not be helped any better; it can now present its nuclear program as legitimate and to cry foul.”
Mohsen Sazegara, an influential opposition figure based in Washington who has advocated civil disobedience against the Iranian government, said that although American, British, and Israeli authorities deny any involvement in these operations, Tehran considers sabotage and the assassinations acts of Western intelligence services and Israel’s Mossad. He said such incidents are very telling about Iran…
But pro-democracy forces in Iran…say the assassinations are likely to backfire against the West—enhancing the military state by legitimizing the nuclear program in the eyes of the Iranian people. It doesn’t seem to matter to them if the Mojahedin-e Khalgh Organization, an opposition group (known as the MKO) which is on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations, is responsible, or the Israelis, or anyone else.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who served as vice president under President Mohammad Khatami and was imprisoned for several months after the 2009 elections, told The Daily Beast that people consider such acts outside the realm of capabilities of opposition groups like the MKO.
“This type of operation looks more like it was done by Israelis,” said Abtahi, adding, “Iranian people would consider such an action as an insult, and to be honest, it would create more legitimacy for the military powers inside Iran.”
“In Iran, there is solidarity about national assets and reactions to such actions are very negative,” he added. “Even if the nuclear program’s increasing costs had started to damage its legitimacy, this would increase its legitimacy. It would generate an even higher demand inside the country to pursue the program.”
I have been traveling & catching up & do not know if the following will add anything to the discussion re: Iran/nukes.
In the 11 Jan 12 blog Bezz said, according to a source, there had been no (records?) of smuggling of enriched uranium. Without parsing the meaning of “enriched”, I assume the comment referred enriched to over 20% with respect to the U-235 isotope. According to my records (cites available) between 1994 and 2000 there were at least five interceptions of U-235 in gram to kilogram quantities in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Georgia (the Caucasus Georgia). The Czech interceptions involved three operations, apparently of the same stolen material, which was said assayed at 87.5 and 87.7% U-235. Other interceptions were of 30% and 76% U-235.
Since 1974 there have been many incidents of uranium smuggling, from unrefined ore, yellowcake, 2.2%-4.6% enriched U-235 (reactor fuel), and higher, but below weapon grade, enrichment; some in tonnes and of apparently long standing operations.
But there have been some cracks in the “unbreakable bond” between the United States and Israel.
Max Blumenthal has really great reporting on Netanyahu’s connections in the US, and in turn his efforts to undermine Obama: link to english.al-akhbar.com
And the case of the Mossad Agents posing as the CIA couldn’t have come at a better time.
One can hope.
Netanyahu reaches into the US to “undermine” Obama and Mossad reaches into Iran to “undermine” any alleged nuclear program. The long arm of Israel encourages traditional anti-Semitic perceptions of an international Jewish conspiracy, Jewish “control” of events, etc. More damage to Judaism and Jews at the hands of the Israeli government.
I don’t think it really backfired for Israel, if Israel did in fact do it. As the messages from Iran’s leaders become more belligerent, the Israeli case for war is strengthened as well. So who are you saying that it backfired on?