A Nobel for Sistani by Thomas Friedman

Petition regarding the same issue. The interesting point is that the petition is originated by a Christian group of Iraqis who live in the states.

Anti-Bush Church

President Clinton Tells Some Useful Truths

Clinton:

...but it's a sad story that really began in the 1950s when the United States deposed Mr. Mossadegh, who was an elected parliamentary democrat, and brought the Shah back in—[comments in background—Rose says "CIA"] and then he was overturned by the Ayatollah Khomeini, driving us into the arms of one Saddam Hussein.

Most of the terrible things Saddam Hussein did in the 1980s he did with the full, knowing support of the United States government, because he was in Iran, and Iran was what it was because we got rid of the parliamentary democracy back in the '50s; at least, that is my belief...

I know it is not popular for an American ever to say anything like this, but I think it's true [applause], and I apologized when President Khatami was elected. I publicly acknowledged that the United States had actively overthrown Mossadegh and I apologized for it, and I hope that we could have some rapprochement with Iran...

It [Iran] is the only country in the world with two governments, and the only country in the world that has now had six elections since the first election of President Khatami.

[It is] the only one with elections, including the United States, including Israel, including you name it, where the liberals, or the progressives, have won two-thirds to 70 percent of the vote in six elections: two for President; two for the parliament [Wrong! The second one was won by the conservatives due to massive disqualification of reformist candidates], the Majlis; two for the mayoralities[Wrong again the second was won by the conservatives due to disappointment of people from the reformists, in fact people decided to not participate in the second election for city councils.].

In every single election, the guys I identify with got two-thirds to 70% of the vote. There is no other country in the world I can say that about, certainly not my own.[He shouldn't say that, because that would be in the reformists cost! Hard-liners will accuse reformists of being backed by the US and that is not good at all!].

Apart from wrong statements that he made, what he wanted to say about the Iranian society seems right to me.

A Mixed Story

No War On Iran

Fact or Fiction?!

what you need to know about credit cards!

I might not blog that often for a while. Have a look at this for now.

Have a look at THE COMING WARS by SEYMOUR M. HERSH