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25 Jul 2011 23:33

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World: Iran to pull the plug on the Internet in two years’ time

  • 2 years until Iranians get their Internet revoked source
  • » Although only 11% of Iran’s citizens use the Internet, Iranian officials have nonetheless decided that within the next two years, all Internet access in the country will be restricted to a state-controlled intranet. Which is to say there will be no Internet access in Iran. (Note from editor: This story is a little old. So as not to be giving you completely outdated information, we’ll point out that officials plan to roll out tests of their “National Internet” starting next month.)

08 Feb 2011 14:43

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World: Iranian opposition figure Mousavi calls for solidarity march

  • Undoubtedly, the starting point of what we are witnessing in the streets of Tunis, Sana’a, Cairo, Alexandria and Suez should be seen in the Iranian protests.
  • Iranian “Green” leader Mir Hossein Mousavi • The opposition leader, whose unsuccessful run against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked anti-government protests within Iran, has called for demonstrations to be held in solidarity with revolutionary movements in other states. That this sort of call has gone out isn’t especially surprising in a geopolitical climate of profound uncertainty in the wake of Egypt’s civil uprising. With an increasingly modern, culturally westernized population block that is nearly 50% under the age of 30, the extent to which Iran is ripe for such an upheaval has been a weighty topic since the protests over 2009’s fraudulent election. Seeing other oppressors fall by the wayside can, one suspects, only help this possibility. source

23 Jan 2011 10:45

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World: Ahmadinejad pretends to be willing to work on nuclear thing

  • If the other party is determined and committed to law, justice and respect, there is hope that in the next sessions good results would be achieved.
  • Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Blaming the people on the other side of the table for failing to make a nuclear deal happen. Because, let’s face it, he has to give a little bit of rope for the rest of the world to pull on, or they’re going to slip and fall – and never believe Ahmadinejad’s dishonesty again. source

18 Sep 2010 12:03

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World: Iran hostages: Ahmadinejad wants the U.S. to scratch his back

  • From a moral viewpoint, there is an expectation that the US takes a step … There is an expectation in public opinion to release some of them.
  • Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad • Suggesting that he might let the other two hikers go if the U.S. lets go some of the Iranian hostages they’re holding. At last count, Iran said that 11 hostages were in U.S. custody. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a pretty good response to Ahmadinejad’s request, regarding the other two hikers still being held: “It would be a very significant humanitarian gesture for the Iranians to release them as well,” she said. Oh, come on! Nobody expects it to be that easy! source

03 Oct 2009 11:49

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World: Irony: Iran’s Jew-trashing Ahmadinejad may have been born Jewish

  • By making anti-Israeli statements he is trying to shed any suspicions about his Jewish connections. He feels vulnerable in a radical Shia society.
  • Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies spokesman Ali Nourizadeh • Describing newfound evidence that Ahmadinejad was born Jewish. In 2008, a photo was shot of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad holding up his identity card. It lists his birth name as Sabourjian, which is a Jewish name that means “cloth weaver.” Furthermore, the card suggests his family may have changed to Islam after giving birth. Is it possible he’s overcompensating? Who knows, but this is a pretty good story if it’s true. • source