Mick Hartley

Zahra Kazemi

The official story from Iran was that she died after a fall: now the truth is emerging (via Metafilter):

Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was savagely beaten, tortured and raped while in Iranian custody in 2003, according to an emergency-room doctor who examined her before she died.

The doctor has recently received political asylum in Canada.

Shahram Azam, formerly a physician on the staff of the Iranian Ministry of Defence, says he examined Ms. Kazemi, a 54-year-old Iranian-born dual citizen, at Tehran's Baghiattulah hospital early on the morning of June 27, 2003 -- four days after she was arrested while photographing a demonstration outside Tehran's Evin prison.

His account of Ms. Kazemi's condition in the days before her death, the first by a medical eye witness, confirms that she was tortured -- far more brutally than even critics of Iran's hard-line theocratic regime had believed.

Iraqi Kurdistan

From MEMRI, some useful background to the Kurdish position in the currently deadlocked attempts to form a new Iraqi government, looking in particular at the symbolic importance of the city of Kirkuk - forcibly arabized under Saddam - and at relations with neighbouring countries:

Turkey has repeatedly announced that it is committed to the protection of the large Turkmen minority in Kirkuk and has threatened to intervene militarily if Kirkuk should be annexed to Kurdistan or if Kurdistan should declare independence. Turkish concerns about an independent Kurdistan have been echoed by Iran and Syria. All three countries have Kurdish minorities with varying degrees of separatist aspirations. Recently, however, Turkey has shown a new flexibility in dealing with the Kirkuk issue.

A delegation representing both the Turkish foreign ministry and the military high command and headed by Ambassador Othman Kurtuk visited Sulaymaniya in northern Iraq for talks with Jalal Talabani, who was seen at the time as the emerging consensus candidate for the post of president of Iraq. Talabani urged Turkey to refrain from turning its concern about the future of Kirkuk into threats to intervene in Iraq and reminded the Turkish delegation that the Turkmen are Iraqi, not Turkish citizens. On its part, the Turkish delegation agreed with its Kurdish interlocutors about the need to establish a secular regime in Iraq supported by the Kurds and by other important politicians such as Ayad Allawi and the Sunni political leader Adnan al-Pachachi. The two parties have also agreed to try to smooth over their differences.

There are at least three reasons for Turkey to behave with restraint with regard to Iraqi Kurdistan. First, Turkey will have to weigh the consequences of any military action in northern Iraq against the damage this would do to its hopes of obtaining membership in the European Union. Second, at a time of severe pressure on oil supply, oil from Kirkuk could provide Turkey with a reliable source of supply. Third, the Kurds with their well-armed and battle-hardened Peshmerga could provide problems even for the large Turkish military. In the words of the 19th century German General Helmut von Moltke: "It is impossible to triumph over the Kurds when they are united."

As for Syria, it is in no position, at least for now, to undertake any adventure outside its borders. Iran for its part will probably choose to influence the policies of a Shi'ite government in Iraq through subversion and other non-military means. In short, the threats of foreign military action against an independent Kurdistan in the end may prove to be hollow.

Dithering about Darfur

They can't agree on what to do about Darfur - no. 237 in a continuing series:

The United Nations missed another opportunity to deal with the continuing slaughter in the Darfur region of western Sudan yesterday when it again delayed a vote on whether to prosecute those accused of being responsible in the International Criminal Court.

For the second time in a week the UN Security Council postponed a vote on a French proposal to try suspected war criminals who are accused of orchestrating the Darfur genocide in The Hague.

The vote, which was originally scheduled to take place last week, was postponed in part to alleviate any potential embarrassment the United States might face if it vetoed the resolution. Washington is opposed to the International Criminal Court (ICC), fearing that it could be used to target US soldiers and their commanders for political reasons.

Accordingly, the US is against the use of the ICC to try those held responsible for the Darfur genocide, as it would increase the court’s global stature and legitimacy.

Instead, the US has proposed establishing a Sudanese war crimes court in Tanzania, similar to the Rwandan war crimes tribunal held in Tanzania after the genocide in that country. However, the US proposal has garnered little support on a Security Council containing 11 countries which have ratified the ICC.

Opposing the French resolution would be embarrassing for the US, since Washington led the way in declaring that the slaughter of African tribes by government-backed Arab militia in Darfur was genocide.

Diplomats in New York suggested that yesterday’s proposed vote had been postponed because the Security Council would not have been able to pass the resolution unanimously and the French wanted more time to forge a compromise proposal that could have a chance of succeeding. A third attempt to hold the vote is expected to be made today.

Although the passage of the French resolution would not, in itself, halt the violence in Darfur, it would provide a signal that the rest of the world was at least determined to hold to account those responsible for the killing.

Israeli Football

Fabien Barthez, late of this parish, declared last week that he wouldn't be playing against Israel:

France's national soccer team top goalie slammed Israel on Thursday, saying he refused to travel with his teammates to a planned match with Israel’s national team next week because of the Israeli army's actions against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

“When I see all the suffering in the world, I don’t understand why they would want to play in Israel,” Fabien Barthez told a news conference in Paris.

He's now changed his mind:

Fabien Barthez plucked up his courage and arrived here together with the rest of the French squad ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier with Israel. Barthez, who threatened not to make the trip to Israel due to fears for his personal security, landed at Ben Gurion Airport before being whisked to the team s Tel Aviv hotel.

In a bid to avoid the local media, the French squad was taken through a side door. Though photographers managed to catch a glimpse of the former European and world champions, journalists were left guessing as to the meaning of a four-finger signal by some of the French players.

Via Israellycool, who suggests, "Now how about leaving the French players guessing the meaning of an outstretched arm and raised middle finger?"

Iranian Football

They're not having it easy on their way to the World Cup finals. Last week it was home in Tehran, now it's away to North Korea in Pyongyang (via NK Zone):

Iran have beaten North Korea 2-0 in Pyongyang in a match that ended in violent scenes to take the outright lead in their World Cup qualifying group.

The match officials were unable to leave the pitch for 20 minutes after the game on Wednesday as furious North Korea fans hurled bottles, rocks and chairs in frustration.

North Korean soldiers and police were forced to step in to restore order at Kim Il-sung Stadium after defender Nam Song-chol was sent off for shoving Syrian referee Mohamed Kousa.

The violence spilled over outside the stadium where thousands of angry North Korea supporters prevented Iran's players from boarding the team bus.

Riot police finally pushed back the crowd far enough for Iran's squad to depart two hours after the end of the game.

"The atmosphere on the pitch and outside the pitch was not a sports atmosphere," said Iran's Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic.

"It is very disappointing when you feel your life is not safe. My players tried to get to the bus after the game but it was not possible -- it was a very dangerous situation."

The Revolutionary Cause

From the Scotsman:

Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, has branded supporters of the main opposition party "traitors" and accused its leader of having "white blood", raising fears of fresh political violence during tomorrow’s parliamentary elections.

Addressing thousands of Zimbabweans at a rally in the central town of Chivhu, Mr Mugabe, 81, condemned black people who voted for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the state-owned Herald newspaper reported yesterday.

"If, as a black person you vote for MDC, know that you are a sell-out," Mr Mugabe said. "You are a traitor to the revolutionary cause."

At the rally, Mr Mugabe taunted Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader. "What sort of a man are you? Do you have white blood in you?" the president asked, alleging Mr Tsvangirai had called for sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Now there's an insult with some mileage behind it from the past hundred years: "a traitor to the revolutionary cause".

Meanwhile, the Times has details of the latest addition to Mugabe's property portfolio:

The dark blue tiles atop the pagoda-style roof were shipped in from Shanghai. The walls of the three-storey house with four acres of floorspace are lined with Italian marble. Arab craftsman decorated the ceilings of the 25-odd bedrooms.

I think we've seen this movie before.

Update: for a particularly bleak look at the situation in Zimbabwe, with AIDS, malaria, and malnutrition spiralling out of control, see Roger Bate at Tech Central Station on "Africa's Pol Pot":

Zimbabwe's rapidly escalating and politically-induced humanitarian disaster, which has manifested itself in chronic shortages of food, medicine, fuel, electricity and hard cash, has driven over three million Zimbabweans into South Africa, Botswana and other neighboring states. In a chilling echo of what the Khmer Rouge did in Cambodia in the 1970s, Didymus Mutasa, Secretary of President Mugabe's Zanu-PF government, said: "We would be better off with only six million people". Prior to the crisis, Zimbabwe's population estimate was 12 million; today 60 to 70 percent of the country's productive population is now living elsewhere. Since the World Food Programme (WFP) was thrown out of the country in December, what food remains is allocated along political lines, leaving over 5 million malnourished: Secretary Mutasa may get his wish.

Sudan Arrests

From the Scotsman:

Sudan has for the first time arrested military and security officials accused of raping and killing civilians and burning villages in Darfur, the country’s justice minister said yesterday, responding to the demands of the international community to bring to account those accused of committing atrocities in the region.

Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin said a government committee had arrested 15 members of the police, military and security forces in Darfur for human rights abuses and they would immediately be sent to court.

"They are military people ... from army, military and security," Mr Yassin said, adding all the accused were from these "disciplinary forces".

"[They are accused of] different crimes. It includes rape, killing, burning and other things - different kinds of atrocities," he said.

With France pressing for a Security Council resolution calling for those committing mass murder and ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region of Sudan to be tried by the International Criminal Court (with the no doubt unintended consequence of placing the US in an awkward position) the timing of these arrests is significant:

If past examples of Khartoum’s "justice" are anything to go by, these men - guilty or not - will be tried and executed very quickly, thus evading UN involvement.

For two years now, the Arab Janjaweed militia has been murdering African farmers in Darfur, with the connivance of the Sudanese government, which wishes to put down a separatist rebellion in the province. At least 70,000 people have been murdered. For more than a year, the UN has been calling on the Khartoum regime to disown the Janjaweed, but to no avail.

The arrests are only a charade designed to delay compliance as long as possible. Khartoum will only be made to end the mass murder in Darfur if the UN is willing to back words with action. The UN must impose sanctions on the regime and indict the real murderers - who are not a million miles from Khartoum itself.

Iraq-Jordan Tensions

An interesting article in MEMRI on Iraqi-Jordanian tension prompted by the "most lethal suicide" - the car bomb in the predominantly Shi'ite City of Hilla, sixty miles south of Baghdad, on February 28th, which exploded in front of a health office in a busy bazaar where new recruits to the police and armed forces were waiting to apply for health certificates. "The bomb killed 132 people and injured 120. A fireman, 'Ammar al-'Aani, who took part in the rescue operation, found the terrorist's hands chained to the steering wheel and a charred copy of the Koran in the car." The bomber was Raid Mansour al-Banna from the City of al-Salt in Jordan:

What riled the Iraqis the most was that al-Banna's family honored his act by holding a festive ceremony known as "the wedding of the martyr" [ 'irs al-shahid ] to symbolize his wedding in paradise with 72 virgins. At these events, the bereaved family receives guests who offer it condolences and congratulations for their son's martyrdom. A truck was seen on television bringing food to a special tent erected to receive the guests. In justifying the celebration, the family argued that the victims were Americans. In fact, there was no American casualty in this operation. [...]

Not satisfied with the festivities his family organized in honor of his terrorist brother, Naseer al-Banna published a letter on the internet praising Raid and wished him pleasant days in heaven alongside his grandfather Hassan al-Banna. He was puzzled as to why the Iraqis were calling his brother a terrorist.

In his letter, Naseer labeled the Shi'a as "American and Jewish agents." He claimed that the Shi'a religion was created by Jews and the Shi'a killed Prophet Mohammad's grandson, al-Imam Hussein whom the Shi'a consider the greatest martyr in Islamic history.

The brother concluded his letter by stating his intention to join the Jihad against the Americans, the Jews, and the Shi'a. [...]

The terrorist act in Hilla by a Jordanian has only dramatized for most Iraqis what they perceive as a quarter century of unlimited Jordanian support for the regime of Saddam Hussein, including his war with Iran and his invasion of Kuwait. Saddam rewarded Jordan with the supply of Iraqi oil at sharply discounted prices and opened the Iraqi markets for unrestricted imports from Jordan. While Iraqis became increasingly impoverished under the United Nations sanctions regime, Jordan has witnessed times of expanding economic prosperity. The Iraqis have also resented King Abdallah's warning prior to the Iraqi elections of the imminent danger of "a Shi'ite Crescent" that would destabilize the Middle East.

Kofi and Kojo

Roger L.Simon has been hinting for a while that he has more on the UN Oil-for-Food scandal. So now, prior to the release of the preliminary findings of Paul Volcker's Independent Inquiry Committee, here's part one.

Iranian Riots

The website of the Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran report on the riots which followed the Iranian victory over Japan in the World Cup qualifiers (via Dhimmi Watch):

At least six demonstrators were killed in the Greater Tehran and several other in some of the riots which rocked cities, such as, Khoram-Abad, Esfahan, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Sari, Ardabil, Babol, Rasht, Mashad, Hamedan, Mahabad and Oroomiah (former Rezai-e) due to popular demonstrations which happened following Iran's win over Japan in the frame of the qualification games for the 2006 Soccer World cup. Tens of other have been severely injured and some are in critical conditions.

Brutal militiamen were seen using clubs, chains and knives against demonstrators with the firm intention to kill anyone standing against the regime. Several female protesters were seen beaten to death in Guisha and Fatemi as they took off their veils.

Islamic regime's propaganda tools, such as, the official so-called "Iran Students News Agency" (ISNA) have qualified some of these deaths as due to "having been trampled under the spectators' feet" or "Dying of heart attack due to excitement". Foreign news agencies, such as, Reuters, AP, Xinhua or AFP have ignored the existence of street riots while echoeing the official version due most likely of fear of seeing their correspondents expelled or due to their financement by major lobby groups interested in continuing business with the Islamic republic.

The Islamic regime's mouthpieces are omitting, of course, to mention why there were sudden un-controlled rushes to the stadium's exit doors when Iran's team came out victorious of the game; Nor they do mention why in case of such big victory, tens of buses, patrol cars and public materials were damaged or destroyed from the parking of "Azadi (Freedom') Stadium" to the center, southern, northern, western and eastern of the Capital which are located as over 40 KM from the game. In Khoram-Abad alone, some of the deaths have been attributed to traffic accidents by avoiding to mention the brutal repression and chase and runs which took place in this rebellious city. Total silence is kept about the two bodies sent to Esfahan's coronary administration following brutal clashes in Darvaze Shiraz.

Arrested female demonstrators are to be lashed for their "un-Islamic behavior" before getting released. Such decision has been announced to some of the families who have searched for their missing members arrested following yesterday's Soccer riots.