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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
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Jan 2011 11:52

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World: World diplomats don’t learn: Iran knows your silly fuel-swap games

  • then In 2009, world powers were trying to get Iran to export its supply of low-grade uranium to be turned into higher-grade fuel. Iran pretended they were into it but eventually rebuffed the offer.
  • now With a little less creativity than last time, world leaders are trying to do something similar with Iran’s now-much-larger supply (it’s like three times larger now). Iran, of course, continues to play coy. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jan 2011 12:14

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World: Wikileaks, Stuxnet collide to create awesome article about Iran

  • Iran doesn’t have the bomb yet. But they’ve been trying really hard to get it, according to the latest round of data released from Wikileaks. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, which reportedly has all 250,000 diplomatic cables, has been releasing them slowly but surely, and the latest one is kinda sorta a big deal. The cables portray it as kind of last-gasp attempt for Iran to jump-start its diplomatic prowess. “A race exists between the bomb and financial collapse,” one French nuclear expert explained in the cable. Some quick numbers:
  • 350 Iranian companies and groups were reportedly involved in the pursuit of nuclear technology
  • 30+ countries that have contacts Iran is trying to use to make this bomb thingy happen
  • no Iran doesn’t have much in the way of its own uranium, making their job tougher source
  • » Oh, and remember Stuxnet? That computer worm seemingly designed to damage Iran’s nuclear program was reportedly a American-Israeli joint, according to this here article by The New York Times. It was reportedly so effective at causing a malware ruckus that it set Iran’s nuclear program back by several years. Favorite line: “The computer program also secretly recorded what normal operations at the nuclear plant looked like, then played those readings back to plant operators, like a pre-recorded security tape in a bank heist, so that it would appear that everything was operating normally while the centrifuges were actually tearing themselves apart.” Class.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jan 2011 21:21

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World: Iranian plane crash: Blame ancient fleet for latest accident

  • Iran’s had trouble with planes recently. Part of this is due to an ancient fleet and little way to get new supplies for the aircraft. So, as a result we have scenes like this one, where 72 people die (and 33 are hurt) in a plane crash. On a ground covered with snow. In the dark. This isn’t even the worst aviation disaster Iran has had in the last decade. Sigh. Can we offer a word of advice, Iran? Perhaps, instead of putting so much energy into building a nuclear facility, maybe you should build some new planes. It might help save some lives. (We retract this for the reasons explained here. See? We’re not made of stone.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2011 10:50

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World: VOA’s “Daily Show”-styled “Parazit” strikes chord with Iranians

  • See this clip right here? It’s from a “Daily Show”-styled program for the Iranian market called “Parazit.” The show, created by Voice of America and tough to come by unless you have an illegal satellite, nevertheless has a huge fan base – over 200,000 Facebook followers and thousands more YouTube visitors. And, considering the country, the tone of the show isn’t nearly as lighthearted as “The Daily Show.” “We have to walk a fine line,” said Saman Arbabi, one of the show’s DC-based hosts. “We come from that generation of kids who got up in Iran and protested the government. We share their politics, so we echo their voice.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t get a kick out of making fun of Ahmadinejad. “His bloopers are fantastic,” he said. The show is so popular that Iran has had to create an anti-“Parazit” show which reportedly isn’t as funny. Awesome. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Dec 2010 11:02

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World: Unceremonious firing of the day: Iran’s foreign minister gets ditched

  • So let’s say you’re going to get fired today. There are many ways your bosses could do it, from pink slips to boardroom hatchet jobs. But none of them might be as bad as what happened to Manouchehr Mottaki today. See, Mottaki, Iran’s foreign minister, was in FREAKING SENEGAL doing his job when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad decided to drop the axe. And while Ahmadinejad has wanted to do this for a while, he hasn’t been able to thanks to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. Yo, Mahmoud: At least bring him home first before you do the deed. You ain’t no George Clooney, and this ain’t no “Up In The Air.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Dec 2010 22:09

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World: Iranian woman spared awful death; Iran’s justice system still appalling

  • awfulBack in 2006, Iranian woman Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was sentenced to death by stoning for (alleged) adultery.
  • great According to a German human rights group, Ashtiani has been released, and is at home. Great news for human rights!
  • still…She was still forced to endure 99 lashes back when the charges were brought. Good grief. source
  • » Yeah, the worst outcome was avoided, but still. The fact that this even came close to happening is horrific and inexcusable. If the campaign to free this woman hadn’t succeeded, she would have been buried up to her neck in sand and pelted with stones big enough to eventually kill her, but small enough not to kill her in a mere one or two strikes (seriously, that’s what the law states). The evidence? None, aside from a forced confession and “the knowledge of the judge.” This, you know, shouldn’t happen. Anywhere.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Dec 2010 10:08

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World: Iran claims to have its own yellowcake (not from a grocery store)

  • But here’s the real question: Do they have chocolate
    frosting?     Iran revealed today, ahead of a major nuclear conference in Geneva, that they’ve started producing their own yellowcake uranium, a key step in creating their own nuclear fuel. (Or, if you read into that, nuclear weapons.) The head of Iran’s atomic energy organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, claimed that the uranium was mined from Southern Iran. Also, he had this to offer up: “Again Iran has shown the ill-wishers and international criminals that we are standing up to pressures and resistance is the first lesson of our revolution and we would like to assure you that we will make you regret your devilish moves.” Uh, thanks? (This pic comes from Stuart Spivack, who we’re guessing doesn’t have any uranium) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Dec 2010 22:18

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Politics: Hillary Clinton, Iranian foreign minister not feeling the love

  • I said ‘Hello, minister.’ He just turned away.
  • Secretary of State Hillary Clinton • On the icy reception she received from Iran’s foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, at a nuclear conference in Bahrain. He wouldn’t even look at her. Icy! Mottaki denies that he was rude to her and claims that he was trying to say hello to King Abdullah of Jordan. Next time they run into one another, they should give each other a big hug to emphasize the lack of hard feelings. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Nov 2010 12:54

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World: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Girls should marry before they’re 18

  • 15 the age girls can get married in Iran (upgraded from nine in 2004)
  • 16-18 the age Ahmadinejad thinks that girls should get married
  • 19-21 the age Ahmadinejad thinks guys should get married source
  • » Why so young? Well, strangely, hardline Iranian leaders think that waiting to get married helps to encourage the “spread of immorality among youth.” Conversely (and strangely), they’re also worried about high rates of divorce, which logic dictates might be caused by people who get married too early. Ahmadinejad says that there’s no reason that women should wait until they’re 24 to get married. We have a pretty good one, actually – so you won’t get divorced before you’re 24.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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