The Iraq war's staggering cost ...

... for the enemy. Mohammed at Iraq the Model offers a glimpse of the quagmire the fascists are facing in Iraq:

-1st regiment/2nd commandoes brigade arrested 43 suspects in Al-Doura district while the 2nd regiment/1st brigade arrested 2 terrorists in Shu'la district.

-The interior ministry announced the beginning of operation lightning-1 in Babil province which is going to be a joint effort between the Army and the local police forces. The 1st wave of raids resulted in arresting 43 suspects and confiscating 10 vehicles used in terror attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces.

-A force from the Iraqi army backed by Polish troops raided terrorists hides in the areas of Jibla and Rashad in the same province and arrested 8 terrorists and confiscated their Ak-47's.
...
-In Tal-afar near Mosul, Iraqi and American troops killed 15 terrorists in clashes that took place yesterday.

...
Iraqi TV announced Khalid Sulaiman Darwis (aka Abu Al-Ghadia Al-Soori) was killed during a raid as part of Operation Spear in Anbar province.
The Syrian terrorist is one of the leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Read the rest at the link - it's worth scrolling down. As Mohammed says, The future is ours, there's no doubt about that and we shall win.

Iran Report

Message on Iran. The following is excerpted from an e-mail I received this morning:

be naameh Iran-zameen
( In the name of Iran )


Many Iranian families have suffered losses after 1979.

The Iranian opposition may discuss the dynamics of street protests, in order to create larger street protests with greater impact. The following message centers around three issues:
Increasing size of street protests has lead to previous regime-changes in different countries.
The dynamics of increasing the size of street protests can be examined objectively.
When pro-democracy street protests erupt in Tehran, they are usually immediately (within 1-2 hours) reported by exile satellite television stations.

Outline:
We cannot assume
Size of street protests
Summer time
Protest timing
A taste for adventure
Diminishing the risk to protesters
Road-blockades during protests
Map of Tehran
If you like the roadblock concept...

________________________

We cannot assume

Hopefully the mullahs will be out of power soon, however, one cannot assume that regime-change in Iran is imminent in the next few years. You are aware that many view opposition groups as somewhat weak. Although the mullahs are unpopular, the Islamic Republic may remain in power for many more years:
Oil is currently about $60 per barrel. Europeans have been buying Iranian oil below market values for many years (estimates of 35% below market value). With increasing oil demand, it is expected that Europeans will take further steps to secure their inexpensive oil suppliers, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I realize that there are many differences between today's Iran and other countries in the past, however, some comparisons may be made. The communist regime in Russia was generally viewed as unpopular by the masses. Communists ruled Russia for over 70 years. You are aware of other examples...
The Islamic Republic of Iran may exist for many more years, despite the rhetoric of exile opposition groups. Something about the opposition must change.
_______________________

Size of street protests

One measure of success (among others) used to gage the impact of the opposition (including exile media) is the size of street protests in Iran. Although there were many factors involved in the downfall of the late Shah, the increasing size of street protests lead to the eventual collapse of the Iranian regime in 1979. This trend (protests becoming larger during the revolution) implied a impending doom for those in power. This is a world-wide phenomenon.

Some say: If pro-democracy street protests do not become larger in Iran, the opposition has not made tangible progress.

Following the original Tir 18th, members of the regime's security forces acknowledged that if the pro-democracy protests would have become wide-spread, the situation may have become uncontrollable.

The recent protests in Tehran were smaller than Tir 18th protests some years ago. Again, if we simply use the size of street protests as a gage, things are not really progressing.

Dynamics of increasing the size of street protests may be examined objectively.

___________________________

Summer time

As you know, Iran becomes hot during the summer season. In countries with political unrest, there are more incidents when the weather is hot. Please keep in mind that Tir 18th is in the middle of summer.

The hot season provides unique opportunities...
___________________________

Protest Timing

Iranian satellite television is very effective in broad-casting breaking news stories, within 1-2 hours of their onset.

A few years ago, in anticipation of Tir 18th, protests erupted in Tehran and other major Iranian cities. In the days prior to Tir 18, the protests were larger than the original Tir 18 street protests. When these un-scheduled protests erupted, they were immediately (within 1-2 hours) picked-up by Los Angeles satellite TV stations. That year, on Tir 18th, nothing really happened since Martial Law was in full-effect.

A specific date may be chosen by the opposition, however, the actual Protest Combustion Day is likely to occur around the anticipated chosen date.

Everyone will know that on a specific previously chosen date by the opposition, martial law will be in effect and the situation can be controlled by the authorities. People will not risk getting arrested.

We also know that martial law cannot be enforced during the entire summer season. Security forces in Iran know and have acknowledged this fact.

It does make sense to pick a protest day in advance, however, any protests and sparks should be fully supported, which may occur at any time. When the wheels are set into motion, given the adequate (summer) climate, things will hopefully happen and opposition groups should not get too picky about an exact dates.
Imagine what would have happened if another wave of protests was accompanied by simultaneous road-blockades. Most of the city may be affected. The protests would certainly become larger.
Iranian satellite TV has some short-comings, however, the stations are very effective in broad-casting breaking stories almost instantaneously. Within 1-2 hours, the population in Iran will be informed of any protests.

The opposition should be ready to fully utilize the potential of upcoming protests, that may erupt on any day. ...

Roadblocks during protests

City-wide road closures will bring the (otherwise ordinary) pro-democracy protests to a new level.

By using simple tactics, segments of the population in Iran will feel more energized and empowered during upcoming protests. Cultivating simple ideas, before any protests, can help to create an atmosphere of empowerment within segments of the Iranian population, when a protest happens.

Iran to dominate Schoreder/Bush talks. Via Free Iran:

June 26, 2005
Deutsche Presse
Monsters and Critics.com

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/northamerica/article_1022653.php/Iran_to_dominate_Schroeder_Bush_talks_

Berlin/Washington -- Hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's surprise win in the Iranian presidential election and the situation in Iraq have been pushed to the top of the agenda of Monday's talks in Washington between Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and U.S. President George W. Bush.

German officials said Sunday Ahmadinejad's victory had raised concerns in both Washington and Berlin about Teheran's nuclear programme, which has been the subject of long-running talks between the European Union (E.U.) and Iran.

The E.U. so-called big three - France, Germany and Britain - have been holding talks with Teheran in a bid to force Iran to wind back its nuclear programme. Washington has not ruled out military action if the negotiations fail.

Berlin's bid for a seat on a reformed United Nations' Security Council as well the build-up to September elections in Afghanistan and high oil prices are also expected to be raised during Schroeder's three-hour talks in Washington. ...

Debka on Ahmadinejad. Latest report from Debka on new Iranian head fascist:

virtual nobody on Iran’s national scene, Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 49, was picked by Iran’s radical Islamic leaders and swung ahead of the presidential race to deal “the heaviest psychological blow to Iran’s enemies.” Those words were uttered by the new president in his first post-election statement Saturday, June 25. They attested to the fact that Iran had chosen him as its tool for getting back at the Bush administration for seeking to bring regime change and democracy to the Middle East and Iran in particular.
Everyone but the radical wire-pullers in Tehran was surprised by the victory of a candidate whom most of the Iranian electorate had never heard of. He beat the familiar former president Hashemi Rafsanjani by a resounding 62%: 35%. But nothing had been left to chance. Ahmadinejad was thrust into the presidency by careful engineering, organization and the deployment of every single cog the powerful machine of the heavily centralized government could muster. The Revolutionary Guards in which the candidate once served as an officer was brought into play. With the help too of massive vote-rigging, the ruling clique could cynically claim to have achieved regime change through the ballot box - only it turned out to be more Islamic, more militant, and more Iranian than before. ...

Freedom activists respond to "psychological blow". AFP via Yahoo News reports:

Exiled Iranian opposition leaders hailed hardliner Mahmood Ahmadinejad's victory in Iran's presidential election, saying it would bring Tehran's Islamic regime a step closer to collapse.

While the election of the conservative Islamist might bring tough times for Iranians in the short term, they said, it will ultimately fuel internal opposition, put external pressure on the government and expose cracks within the regime.

Several Iranians in California, home to the most of the 400,000 to 600,000 US-based Persians, said they were shocked but thrilled at the victory of the Tehran mayor, even though his social and political values and beliefs are diametrically opposed to their own.

"We are really excited, this is a very good thing for the opposition to the Islamic republic," said Roozbeh Farhanipour, an activist of the secular Marzepor Gohar political group and a former Iranian student leader who fled to the United States in 2000. ...

It's All About Meme

Loosely based on a meme found at Suburban Lesbian:

THREE WAYS I AM STEREOTYPICALLY A LESBIAN
1. Is it a date or just coffee? I'm always getting confused.
2. First serious relationship ACTUALLY led to the use of a U-Haul.
3. Ex-girlfriends = friends for life.


THREE WAYS I AM STEREOTYPICALLY A GAYBOY
1. I love smoothies.
2. Favorite expression: "Faaabulous!"
3. You should see my wardrobe.


THREE WAYS I AM STEREOTYPICALLY A STRAIGHT CHICK
1. Zero aptitude for sports. I was born without a sports gene.
2. 5 bars of scented soap + 3 scented candles + 4 bottles of shampoo (herbal varieties preferred) + assorted hair conditioner, skin conditioner, and hand lotion = current inventory.
3. A secret passion for Lisa Frank stuff.


THREE WAYS I AM STEREOTYPICALLY A STRAIGHT DUDE
1. Rock and roll, dude. The louder the better.
2. I'm really, really good at using maps.
3. Never dated men. My sexuality is not "fluid".

Oh and for the record:

THREE (or more) CELEBRITY CRUSHES
Amy Ray, Condi Rice, Melissa Etheridge, Jamie Lee Curtis

Fouladvand Update

Latest news from Free Iran.

Azadeh reports:

So he was back on air today (via telephone). They broke his rib, cut both of his hands, kicked him in the face, and also injured his fourhead. They stormed his house at 3 A. M. and never even announced that they were the police. Poor guy thought they were the regime's agents coming to finish him off.

Rasker remarks:

Email Prime Minister Tony Blair at:

http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page4345.asp

Congratulate him at how wonderful it is that his troops savage an old man who has lived so many years under the threat of assassination by the mullahs, and who might never have fired a shot in anger. How those real terrorists and tyrants must be laughing to see the agents of a free country do their work for them!

Azadeh adds:

I seriously believe that they wanted to stage it so that he would think it was really terrorists coming to kill him so that they would try to shoot at the police and the police would have an excuse to finish him off. I mean he has a gun. He has said so many times. If I know it, then so the British police. Why wouldn't they reveal that they were the police?

Why, indeed.

I've e-mailed Blair at the link provided above, and I encourage you to do the same. UK citizens especially, please protest this.

Fouladvand Update

From Azadeh, via comments:

Mr. Fouladvand was back on air today (via telephone only because they took away all his stuff). The MI5 secret police beat the crap out of him. He probably has a broken rib, big gash across his forehead, cuts on both of his hand, and serious bruises on his back. He was kicked in the face! I mean for God's sake, the guy is at least 60 years old (or he looks like it). They even shot him with tranquilizer guns! They know where he lives so did they really need 40 armed police officers to break down the front door and beat the daylights out of the poor guy at 3 o'clock in the morning? They never even told him that they were police or answered any of his question. Even after they handcuffed him and tied him to a chair, he thought they were the regime's agents coming to finish him off! It was only afterwards that they realized they were the police. They held him for 48 hours and finally let him go with no charge. They took his computer and cell phones and other belongings. It's symbolic that they arrested him on election day. Perhaps the regime called the British police with an "anonymous tip"?

I wouldn't be surprised.

Let's blogroll!

Since I'm going on power-saver mode after this post (really! I promise), I'm going to delegate some of the blogrolling this time around and turn you over to Crystal Clear's roundup. Crystal is a conservative Unitarian (yes, really) and she's got a great collection of posts on Terri, the ACLU, Ground Zero, and other topics.

A winning strategy for Democrats at Conserva-Puppies.

Roger Simon remembers slain pro-democracy activist Andrew Goodman.

Imshin (Not a Fish) has a new home. She's beginning to think that a woman without a man is like, well ...

Finally, don't forget to visit Armies of Liberation and Michael J. Totten. Just because.

And that's all for now folks. See you later.

Matters of Life and Death

Terri Schiavo. I cannot think of any single issue, ever, where my views have changed so profoundly and dramatically in such a short period of time. When I first mentioned the Save Terri campaign here, it was mostly as a freindly gesture to Sherri Reese, whose blog I've enjoyed greatly. Until I came across Sherri's post, I barely knew - or cared - who Terri Schiavo was. If I thought about it at all, I pigeonholed it as "some right-wing cause".

The more I learned, though, the more I realized that this case was NOT, as I had assumed, the case of someone living in excruciating pain; nor someone who had left explicit, written instructions that were being ignored by meddlesome right-to-life absolutists. I began to understand that this was a case too important to let my own prejudices and stereotypes about social conservatives cloud my judgment. Like the liberation of Iraq, it was a case onto which the Left had, for the most part, projected its own ideas - and had gotten it all wrong.

After reading Blogs for Terri, liberal "save Terri" sites like Liberals for Terri and Kesher Talk, and the pro-death side's feeble justifications for its position, I realized that I needed to re-think a lot of my assumptions about life, death, and culture. My previous Terri roundup is here.

Abortion. I have always been, and remain, a fence-sitter on the abortion debate. I have never formed a strong opinion on the subject one way or the other; although I will say that I have come to view the pro-life side with greater respect in recent years. I found this pro-life post from Sherri, which focuses on women's empowerment and responsibility, especially persuasive. There's also a gay pro-life organization called PLAGAL.

I'm not ready to sign on with either side in the debate right now, but I do want to mention one thing about the abortion debate. I can't imagine how the experience of having an abortion - however compelling the circumstances may be - can be anything but traumatic for the woman. And I wonder if pro-choice groups have sometimes downplayed this factor in the interests of making abortion seem more palatable.

Death penalty. I'm against the death penalty in all but extremely rare cases (e.g. Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden). I do not subscribe to the slogan that "capital punishment is murder" because I think it's a stupid moral equivalency. There is, after all, a difference between what the state is empowered to do and what citizens are allowed or forbidden to do. (The state has a duty to impose unpleasant consequences upon people who commit crimes, in order to make crime less attractive. "Death penalty = murder" makes as much sense as saying "prison=kidnapping" or "fines=theft".) But a death wrongly imposed cannot be revoked or commuted; and I do not see what an execution accomplishes that a life sentence - a REAL life sentence - does not. I think a death penalty puts too much power in the hands of the state.

"Matters of Life and Death" is a new feature and I hope to explore these issues and others in greater depth, in future installments. For now, I need to take a break. Stay tuned.

Update

Morning Report has been given its orders and will be on extended leave. I'm going to be focusing my energy on a few other things, mostly in my personal life, so I will be generally cutting back on posting at Dreams Into Lightning for a while.

Among other projects, I will be working on getting some writing published. I'm working on some new original fiction, also looking into possible markets for an opinion/analysis piece.

Topical posting here at Dreams Into Lightning will continue under the categories I introduced earlier (e.g. Africa Report, Lavender Alert, etc.) but I'm not going do it by days of the week anymore; I need more flexibility. Probably what posting I do do will occur mostly on Sundays. Also I'm going to try to keep my posts shorter. So I will post as time, energy, and external events permit.

President Bush Apologizes to Iranian Government

News sources have reported that Iranian government officials have criticized President Bush's remarks about the Iranian election, and have demanded that the President apologize to the Iranian government.

President Bush offers his apology.

Four Iranians Arrested in UK

Four Iranian men not yet named were arrested in London Friday, according to The Guardian (via Free Iran).

Four terrorist [sic] suspects arrested by armed police in dawn swoops in north London yesterday are believed to be linked to a dissident group plotting against the Iranian government, according to police and anti-terrorist officials.
The men, aged 31, 37, 58 and 63, were being questioned last night at the high security police station at Paddington Green.

A Scotland Yard source said they were believed to have links to terrorist [sic] activity in the Middle East. The men were said to be Iranians or part of a group opposed to Tehran.

They were not linked to any al-Qaida network nor planning terrorist attacks in the UK, anti-terrorist officials said.

Officers from the Metropolitan police's S013 anti-terrorist branch seized two of the men in a car in Barnet, in the early hours of yesterday. They were supported by armed officers in case the men had guns.

The police did not recover any firearms, although the road was closed for some time while forensic examinations were carried out. The operation was led by the police, with the support of MI5.

Two other men were arrested at residential addresses, and officers were searching three properties, two in Barnet and one in Finchley.

A source said they did not expect to discover any bomb-making equipment, but hoped to find computers and documents revealing the men's plans. A number of items were seized.

The men are being held under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, on suspicion of preparing, instigating or commissioning acts of terrorism. The operation, which took place a stone's throw from Barnet police station, closed off a half-mile stretch of the high street for more than an hour, witnesses said.

This comes shortly after the reported arrest of UK-based anti-regime broadcaster Dr. Froud Fouladvand. I do not know whether he was one of the suspects referred to in the Guardian article.

Readers are reminded that while the US and UK governments are allies in the Iraqi theatre, Britain and America may be pursuing different goals in Iran. While Washington has expressed support for Iranian dissidents, the British government is perceived by dissidents as being friendly with the IRI regime. It will be interesting to see whether this arrest affects trans-Atlantic relations.

Morning Report: June 19, 2005

Latest Iran news. The IRI regime's recent "elections" drew calls for a boycott from Iranian freedom activists. Despite some MSM claims of "higher than expected voter turnout", eyewitness accounts from Iranians - and photographs of the polling places - tell a different story. There were also reports of violence against demonstraters in Los Angeles, Ottawa, and other cities. Commenter Rasker provides video of one confrontation in Houston. Opposition candidate Mustafa Moin has challenged the legitimacy of the polls, claiming that "a powerful will entered the arena bent on the victory of a particular candidate and the elimination of the other candidates" and declaring that "a warning bell has sounded" for Iran's rulers. Numerous anti-regime groups have designated the days following the election as the beginning of an organized campaign to depose the regime; however, no new information on this is currently available. (Free Iran, Rasker)

Belmont Club on Iraq developments. Wretchard examines the increased intensity of combat in Iraq, exemplified by operations Spear and Dagger. 'In the near term, the operational tempo (billed as "violence", "instability" or "mayhem" in the media) will almost certainly increase for the following reasons. First, Iraqi forces are now coming online and they are not the "fresh meat" the Daily Kos claims. Though they may have shortcomings, Iraqi troops are far from totally ineffective and actually represent a net increase in coalition combat power against the enemy. Second, the cumulative results of two years of intelligence infrastructure building coming into fruition in the larger size of caches being found and in the number of "tips" which precede many of the recent captures and rescues. Third, the insurgent strategy of attempting to ignite a civil war as described in the last post, will generate its own backblast.' See also Friday's post on Mosul. (Belmont Club)

Command Post on energy issues. 'This week, debate in the Senate began in earnest on the federal energy bill - and the debate in the US, around the world, and on the internet shows no signs of abating. In a widely cited poll, Yale University researchers found that an overwhelming majority of Americans are worried about dependence on foreign oil (92%) and want government to develop new energy technologies to address it (93%). Apparently, they haven’t been reading their Kunstler, or else they’d know that there are no solutions other than the long-overdue destruction of our sinfully consumptive civilization - or maybe they’ve been reading their Engineer-Poet instead, and know better than to buy into sci-fi catastrophilia. ...' Winds of Change takes a look at real-world options on bio, electricity, fossils, nuclear, solar, wind, and energy policy. (Winds of Change)

Amy Ray rocks!

As many readers know by now, I am a fanatic for the Indigo Girls. The Indigo Girls, for those who don't know, are the lesbian folk/rock duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. (Emily and Amy are not a couple, by the way, and have never been romantically involved with one another.) The two women contribute equally to the songwriting. Emily, the folk half, usually writes upbeat, relationship-based songs; she is also responsible for "The Girl with the Weight of the World in Her Hands", a beautiful song about Christ which chokes me up every time I hear it (and I'm Jewish).

Amy, the rock and roll side, wrote the classic, eerie "Chickenman". the haunting "Cedar Tree" (a tearjerker, but listen close for a few bars from "Ode to Joy" in the guitar solo), the epic "Touch Me Fall", and a very twisted take on the folk staple "This Train". (The last two tracks can be found on "Swamp Ophelia", which is probably my single favorite rock album of all time.)

But I'm writing this post to call your attention to a recent series of Amy Ray interviews - and with Amy as the interviewer, not the interviewee. Somehow, in between touring both with the Indigo Girls AND solo, Amy has found the time and energy to interview a number of women connected with the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, particularly focusing on the festival's controversial policy that limits attendance to "women-born-women only", i.e. excluding transsexual and transgender women.

The relationship between women - particularly lesbians - and transgender/transsexual people has been complex and sometimes difficult. Straight readers may not always appreciate the history and politics behind the clunky "LGBT" acronym that's fashionable nowadays. Even if you are not lesbian, gay, or differently gendered, the debate between trans people and the MWMF offers some valuable insights into the workings of identity politics - and into the issues faced by lesbian, straight, and trans women today. Amy Ray has made an enormous contribution with these interviews.

I've posted earlier about gender and sexuality in the women's movement. I've also written about the relationship of women and power to liberalism and contemporary politics. I'll post later with more comments on the Amy Ray interviews after I've had a chance to read them as carefully as they deserve.

I will also be linking these interviews on my sidebar. Thank you, Amy Ray, for playing an important role in this ongoing conversation.