Yes it is true, not exactly as any one source has been reporting, but the two top leaders of the Green Movement, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, were kidnapped on Thursday night — when the streets of Tehran were full of armed men. It was a typical Mafia-style snatch. The two men — already under house arrest — were beaten and bloodied, and then were led out of their homes in blindfolds and handcuffs, stuffed in the trunks of the cars of their captors from the Revolutionary Guards and, along with their wives, taken to a location in Tehran, then, on Friday, to another in Parchin, and finally to a third location, a heavily protected private residence.
So far only a few voices, most notably that of Ayatollah Dastgheib (sorry for the link in Persian, but I can’t find a translation online yet), have been raised to denounce the action and call for the release of the hostages. Needless to say, no Western leader has done anything yet, and nobody should expect any tough talk from Western capitals. After all, Mousavi and Karroubi were never contacted by any Western leader after the electoral hoax of June, 2009, although at least some of those Westerners sent intermediaries to negotiate with representatives of the Iranian regime.
Terror works, you see.
I do not know if we will see Mousavi or Karroubi alive. For the moment, I imagine they are being interrogated and tortured in an effort to extract “confessions” of their obedience to foreigners. Indeed, the very evening of the kidnapping, Intelligence Minister Moslehi — whose name is on a list of Iranians under EU consideration for being sanctioned for their role in grave human rights violations — gave a late evening interview on national television in which he spoke extensively of the “foreign hand” behind Iranian protests, and the next day he was quoted in a national news service as identifying yours truly as the inspiration behind at least some of the dissidents (again, it’s in Farsi, but in compensation there’s a flattering picture of me). He claimed that an Iranian arrested as a CIA agent was somehow inspired by my writings to work against the regime.
Actually it’s the other way around. It’s the courage of the Iranian opposition, and the hope that one day this evil regime will be removed, that inspires these blogs. And to judge by Moslehi’s rant, it’s doomed, because he has real trouble with information. For all the attention and vitriol these fanatic buffoons direct at me, their Intel Minister does not even know where I work. He and his vaunted network can’t manage to find out that I have been at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies for two and a half years, which is pretty amazing when you consider that they have obviously been reading Pajamas Media.
The Iranian regime has long suffered from some sort of paranoia. The cure to their illness is regime change.
And Michael, you’re a true friend of the Iranian people.
I don’t even want to think about what the kidnappers are going to do to the wives.
Susan,
That’s why an example needs to be made of Khanenei and Ahmadinijad. They need to be given the Mousolini treatment, and those who do it need to take their time.
Bernard Lewis on the explosion of outrage in the Muslim world
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2011/02/bernard-lewis-on-explosion-of-outrage.html
f47 – THANKS FOR THIS LINK!!!! EVERYONE SHOULD READ this amazingly clear characterization of the complexities of the muslim/jewish, arab/israeli situation. For a Westerner knee-deep in the crap journalism of the MSM, this was an oasis. Thanks again! (See link at end to original article in JPOST)
Mr. Lewis is a gem as is Mr. Leeden but the former peppers his commentaries with ‘I think’ and ‘I believe’. It’s a conjunction reflex common in politicians that subconsciously dims the throw of the commentary. Historians have no excuse but to be distinct in their opinion.
“To say that they’re secular would show an astonishing ignorance of the English lexicon. I don’t think [the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt] is in any sense benign. I think it is a very dangerous, radical Islamic movement. If they obtain power, the consequences would be disastrous for Egypt” – Mr Lewis
Mr. Leeden cuts the buffalo sharp. He would say “The MB is not in any sense benign. It’s a dangerous radical Islamic movement….”
I apologize Mr. Ledeen for mis-spelling your name.
Thanks for the heads up post to that link.It confirms what ive suspected for the last 20 years.The Far Left and Islamists trying to convince the world that Israel is the root of all evil, while at the same time ignoring evil within their own ranks.
Iran is playing a duplicity game with its own people.If Iranians are smart they wont hoist any leader up under the regime in Iran is gone,dead, and buried.Unfortunately it will have to come by force it seems.
while at the same time ignoring evil within their own ranks.
No, no, you’ve missed the point badly!
They are not ignoring evil within their own ranks.
They & their ranks ARE the evil.
Look, in no credible way, shape or form will Obama react to these kidnappings.In fact, if he does get around to talking about the issue we will hear platitudes and nothing more.
It is NOT a coincidence that the world is going up in flames under Obama’s watch.While terrorists and world despots have always been on the scene creating mayhem, it has not been the case, at least since WW 2, that so many dictators have become even more aggressive than they are now.
To wit, they understand this visceral truth-that Washington will at most wag its fingers at their misdeeds, send out warships to the area, but absolutely stop short of saving those who need saving under the reign of Obama.
Hence, Obama’s silence during the 2009 Iranian uprising is directly related to these kidnappings,currently bearing fruit for the Hitlerite regime.IF the US didn’t dare stop their putsch into the Suez(whereas under Mubarak’s rule they were NOT allowed, hence, his removal was even more pressing for Obama & his ‘Brothers’)why would anyone think that these kidnappings would raise any alarm bells?
For the first time, it looks like the end is near for Khameini and friends. Not ‘near’ as in days or weeks, but as in the tipping point may have come in these arrests. Ledeen, you are certainly a brave and influential figure.
Actually I suspect the opposite is true. The regime’s terror apparatus is solid and still aggressive. The opposition just lost their leadership. They have no armed, disciplined organization capable of confronting and overpowering the bad guys.
There is also another factor I heard on TV from a Stratfor commentator to wit, the regime still has 50% support once you get out of the cities. I have problems believing that but their support is coming from somewhere.
stratfor has a very weak track record on Iran, and they haven’t helped themselves with that false statement about 50% support in the countryside. that is one of the many myths about Iran.
I don’t know enough to comment on Stratfor’s opinion, but I think Michael is a better source. Don’t get me wrong, Virginia Bob, the regime will fight and kill. What I am trying to say is that it has revealed a level of desperation that says it knows it can’t hold on, that it knows it’s going away. I don’t ‘know’ this, it’s just my feeling from the flow of events.
http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1262647
Follow the link above and see the cultural activity that is at odds with Islam. They have tried to ban it after burning our books statues and any form of art. Expression outside the words of Koran was banned. But this black wash did nothing. Our culture is so peaceful and strong that Islam is ignored.
Our problem is misrepresentation in the media of what the real opposition is. Nowruz is the opposition to Islam.
The mullahs are so fundamentally evil that they must be removed by force. It is beyond pathetic that our President couldn’t find it in his soul to support the Greens when the election was stolen 21 months ago. He believed, against all evidence, that his magnetic personality was going to woo the tyrants of the theocracy and alter their bloody behavior because he was a different American president. How is that fantasy working out?
The oppressed voted, won, and were tortured.
There is only one way now, rifles and explosives. I don’t believe the Iranian military would engage an armed revolt.I bet elements of the Rev Guards would sit it out, which leaves the Basji who will fight to the death.
That’s why they need the ability to kill the mullahs. It is the only way.
The country needs a general strike. Bring all economic activity to a halt, but has none violence ever worked against Muslim fanatics?
ruebacca, pls remember that non violence had never worked against communist fanatics before the fall of the soviet empire. then it imploded all of a sudden.
But Mr. Ledeen, we weren’t in a race against the clock with the communists. Do we have time to wait for a peaceful implosion in this instance?
Mousavi and Karroubi may not have been the best of leaders, but they are a damned sight better than the regime, that’s for sure.
I can’t find the latest stats for youth unemployment in Iran, but it wasn’t good last time I checked. And since the country is majority youth and the lower bracket of middle age, this means the most potentially productive part of the economic system has been idled. For decades.
How close is the refinery system to going belly-up in Iran? When did they last do any investing in it? Because they haven’t done the latter, nor marginal expansion for production, the regime must now import refined fuels and natural gas: they can’t even meet their OPEC export quotas and have been hangers-on for that cartel for over a decade, and possibly two. The other producers have had to meet Iranian shortfalls for the cartel to operate.
As Mr. Ledeen has been saying: ‘Faster, please!’
The Iranian people can save themselves if they can get out from under this totalitarian regime. Problems of the regime and its myopic, anti-real world atttitude is not shared by the people who have one of the oldest, deepest and richest cultural heritages on this planet. I fear for the immediate future of Iran, but not its long-term prospects if its people stay true to who they have been for thousands of years. It is a culture of resiliency that knows how to maintain itself during hard and oppressive times… it is not so easy to wipe out a culture.
I wonder how long before Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are either: A) Hanged after being given a very quick but “fair” trial; B) Shot while trying to escape; or C) Both, by coincidence of course, hang themselves with their bedsheet in their cells? Yep, these mullahs sure do know how to put down a rebellion. But I’m telling you this: Obama is not commenting on any of what is going on in Iran because he wants to leave Iraq this year. The mullahs probably told Hillary Clinton that if the United States causes any problems in Iran, they will send Revolutionary Guard units in Iraq to sabotage the country. They will also call on all Shia mullahs to rebel against the central government there, especially the Sunnis. In short, you will have a civil war in Iraq thanks to Iranian intervention. Since Obama wants to leave, AND NOW, so that he can spend all of that saved military money on his precious social-welfare programs, he keeps his mouth shut. So, unless there are massive covert operations going on in Iran that we don’t know about, it’s up to the Iranian people to get rid of the mullahs. If not, the Iran will expand its influence in all of these countries that are now having revolutions (especially in Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood) and the Middle East will descend into a new Dark Age of theocratic opression. Boy, does that sound depressing or what?
The writing is on Facebook’s ‘wall’; that regime is over.
The only hope they have is to shut down the internet entirely and cable TV and any long distance phone service.
Then, the Iranian gov’t can spread the story that the rest of the world has been put under a cornfield and they will all live a “good life”, free from any indiscriminate or whimsical terror in their lives.
Anthony, the president of Iran.
Remember, Obama’s limp justification for remaining silent about the Green revolution and the regime’s bloody crackdown was his assertion that “If we say anything, the mullahs will label the rebels as US-backed.” As we see in this episode, and as any idiot could have foeseen, the thugarchs are going to blame us no matter what we do.
Dr. Ledeen, why isn’t the opposition being more proactive in trying to organize more strikes? Specifically against industries that are critical to the regime’s coffers? Calling for protests is great and the demonstrators have exhibited bravery, integrity and comittment but in the end they get tear gassed, brutally beaten, shot at with live ammunition and some get captured and those poor souls languish in prison and are subjected to all sorts of torment. FREE IRAN! FREE IRAN! FREE IRAN! Down with the Bassej bastards and the Revolutionary PIMPS!
easy for you to say, hoss, much more difficult if you are a worker with family and no money. for many years i have been calling for a strike fund. Khomeini had one (and distributed bags of rice to workers). Solidarity had one, thanks to western trade unions including the AFL-CIO, but there does not seem to have been a satisfactory response. The Greens are well aware of the power of strikes, and as i mentioned, workers are now on strike at the Abadan refinery (and elsewhere around the country). i expect to see more of this. but again, Iran would be much easier if the West actually helped. which it does not.
No dictator can, by definition, sleep well at night. Even those with tyrannical ambitions right here in America are on the lam as the people finally wake up and notice the sham that has been made of the republic at their expense.
The great concern must be the fact that Nature abhors a vacuum and, as we will see soon enough in Egypt, vermin in the form of those like the Muslim Brotherhood wait patiently in the wings to step in and take ownership of the carcass that will become the Middle East. Vermin that even now is being given a pass to stand in Washington, D.C. next month to denounce the “evil” West.
little lenin has formed a committee to explore whether he can get away with the same thing.
Not to worry, Obama’s on the case. He and his fat, hapless Secretary of State, with foreign policy guru Joe Biden, are working on a statement. Should be out in a few days, expect big words like “unacceptable, “concerned’, we support”. etc. The MSM will think this is grand, Obama will be hailed and supported, littlelefties will say and do nothing. Union gangsters will continue to riot and assault on American soil. This, folks, is Progressivism.
I don’t agree that the Green’s leaders were kidnapped out of any desperation, or panic by the Persian regime. At least not yet. I suspect this is just wishful thinking on your part. They are just doing some ‘preventative maintenance’.
While the government of Iran has a potentially very serious problem on it’s hands, it is still in control, and has all the firepower it needs to maintain power,,maybe.
while i cheer for those kids, Mousavi himself is a monster and an enemy of freedom
See
http://www.newsmax.com/KenTimmerman/iran-elections-hezbollah/2009/06/03/id/348746
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAjTIZ0vvaY
http://blogs.cqrollcall.com/spytalk/2009/06/mousavi-celebrated-in-iranian.html
he will have to look elsewhere for sympathy. He has to much American blood on his hands for this American to shed a tear over him being devoured by the beast he himself created
Idk anything about karroubi though
Perhaps if someone more ‘Reaganesk’ were are the helm of this country they’d actually do something. Blocking any and all refined fuels could trigger riots in short order. If there is anything Iranians don’t like it is gas shortages – and this is the Achilles Heel of this Thugocracy. How long do you think it would take for the Revolutionary Guard to be recalled from Iraq and other places where they’ve been sent to foment disorder to regain/maintain order in the homeland once all hell broke loose like in Libya?
There are many ways in which the US and the rest of the world can help trigger the needed changes. The fact is Europe will never intercede – and neither will Obama.
Feckless wonder – thats what he is!
I stand to be corrected, but it looks to me like Obama’s vaunted “diplomaceh” is limited to having a Community Organizing Meeting in a nice safe area or country where he can then loot that same area and have a lot of oso exclusive elitist parties which are continually necessary to prove what’s most important to the “progressive” elite, that the elite are really the elite.
Projecting physical power beyond promoting common thuggery within his own “community” is not any part of Obama’s effete diplomaceh. It goes without saying that his words to the world are equally feckless, and there’s a lot of “without saying” that indicates the same thing. Btw, does anyone know what Planet he came from?
All this is caused by the sympathy of this administration for any and every enemy of America.
They feel it and they act accordingly.
Last I heard from the Iranian people was to state strongly that they definitely did not want any western ‘help’. They want to handle this on their own. Good for them. Persians seem better equiped in becoming mature.
Most muslims countries, (and most are at unrest and upheaval)immediately, in a nano second Demand the west ‘do something’. Then if they get something, the bemoaning starts about the ‘interferance’ of the west. You can’t win.
I have noticed that for all their moans and complaints about the west, they do make a lightening fast, bee-line to take refugee status. Are there not enough muslim countries to give them refugee status?
Personally I think in the end the Persians will get a change of government. But any change in the world of Islam mostly seems just like the last one. And so it goes on and on.
The article in which you are mentioned is from a site called Pars Daily News, which seems to be in opposition to the IR. Here is a translation of the article:
“In a television interview, Heydar Moslehi, minister of information for the Islamic Republic claimed that one of the detainees was a CIA agent. According to Moslehi the detainee had provided the “enemy” with valuable information and had been under surveillance for a while until he was captured by the security forces of the regime on February 14th.
According to the Associated Press, Moslehi in his television interview spoke of the relationship between one of the detainees and the CIA and that he had been in contact with this organization up until his arrest.
According to the same report Moslehi did not supply any details about the captured person except for giving his arrest date. This is a typical method employed by the Islamic Republic in which detainees are usually associated with foreign intelligence services specifically those of the United States, Israel and Great Britain.
On another point, on his website, Michael Ledeen, the senior neo-conservative analyst at the AEI writes about Moslehi’s interview and mass arrests taking place in Iran. He asks what are all these thugs doing in the streets? Those who are heard the most are condemned the most. Most Iranians do not believe such television interviews conducted by the government, according to Ledeen. He asks if the regime is afraid of an uprising and will they viciously put down the people.
Ledeen also asks if Obama and Clinton will do anything to support the Iranian opposition. If not, he wonders if other Western leaders will.
Ledeen’s writings, rather than being analytic or descriptive, are more in the form of an interrogative raising questions that demands us to think. Ledeen last year broke the news that Ayatollah Khamenei was ill, which was dismissed by the Iranian media such as Tabnak.”
tks radish, much appreciated.
Its interesting that when we invaded Iraq, it was explained as “democracy”, and to set off a wave of overthrowing governments throughout the Middle east.
Well, now its happening and the same people that defended the Iraqi invasion are frightened and like children blaming everyone but themselves.
Blaming anyone in the oval office is ridiculous, this is PNAC – Israeli strategic blunder, the great game being played by amateurs. In 25 years people will look back on this time as the beginning of the end for the United States as a world leader, and the great economic power it once was.
The problem is Saudi Arabia. The Petro-Dollar system which provides liquidity and the economic foundation of US Dollar, is controlled by Saudi Arabia, specifically the House of Saud. When the House of Saud Goes down, the US dollar will follow.
alex
You are talking about the Middle East and the Arabs who do have different understanding of the word “democracy.” I do remember that half a year ago democracy was a dirty word among Middle Eastern Arabs. Arab street, that is. As far as I know – among many – it still is.
Michael Ledeen is talking about Iran and the Persians.
AS for the “beginning of the end for the United States as a world leader, and the great economic power” you may wish so. It even may be so but it is not only US that have its interest in Saudi Arabia, the Chinese also have. And Chinese need oil much more then US does. And they will do everything to get the oil because otherwise their country will implode. So the future is still open-ended and your wishes re: fall of US may not be realized.
Cheers, towarishch Alex.
Very interesting, in that I would think that Khameini and Ahmadinezhad would be happy to see Mubarak gone, Gaddafi on the way out (however his call for a revival of the Fatimid Dynasty as written about in Walid Shoebat’s book “God’s war on Terror”, could be viewed differently) and so forth.
I guess good news from afar does not mean all is well nearby.
How could an American President keep silent when such brutality is shown towards “a peoples voice”. Obama is a child in a mans world. He should back the green movement in Iran BUT we all know this Muslim loving SOB won’t say a word.
America must dethrone this idiot before the west is removed.I can picture him now ,smiling,on the phone to his Mullah,talking of how he screwed America.Bastar
Would that the “main stream media” pay attention to what Michael Ledeen reports!
You mentioned in the article, “and the next day he was quoted in a national news service as identifying yours truly as the inspiration behind at least some of the dissidents”. I know Persian, and in this article that you mentioned: http://parsdailynews.com/79667.htm the writer quotes you about your reaction to Moslehi’s TV program, but no quotation as to “inspiration behind at least some of the dissidents”. Sorry to burst your bubble, but in the interest of truth I had to mention it. You should check more carefully with a Farsi speaking fellow next time.
Moslehi does mention two Americans in the five part TV program here: http://vivaparsi.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_24.html
Gene Sharpe and Robert Helvey.
Also, I have not seen any report but one which has been discredited about Mousavi or Karoubi being beaten or injured. As always, you probably have ‘well-informed’ sources, but definitely not this time.
i had it translated and double checked, as usual. i’m not going to talk about sources, which can always be wrong, but i don’t think i’m wrong about the violence of the assault on M & K.
hi mr. ledeen! I just clicked on Mr. dastgheib’s site. here is a rough translation of what he is saying:
1- people are innocent until proven guilty
2-confessions must be taken in accordance with the law
3-not everyone is allowed to issue an arrest warrent
4-the lies that are broracst on TV have no merits
5-in the name of security to protect the ruling class is against Islam
6-no one should put fear in the people including the highest of authority
7-this one is too hard to translate and it is mainly a religoius order which I do not understand
8-hitting people because they are protesting peacefully is a crime
9-security is everyones right and noone is allowed to atke it away
10-the religous organizations must be indepent
11-the intervwntion of security forces, military etc.. in mosgues and unversities is illegal
12- the ruling class has swore to the constituiton and must obey it
even the suprem learders actions should be minotred
13-wasting peoples money is illegal and eveyone has the right to know where the money is being spent
this is a rrough translation. I just talked to my sister earlier this morning and she said all hell is breaking loose.
Since we’ve learned the Regime follows Mr Ledeen. It is a good time to make them aware of the enemy they face. We may not get the support from others we deserve, and we may not win quickly but we will win.
We are in their neighborhoods,
We are in their schools,
We are in their police departments,
We are in their businesses,
We are in their military,
We are in the highest levels of their government.
And it is only a matter of time.
We are FREEDOM!
Do save me the trouble in finding the secret instructions you are providing to the Iranian opposition in your blogs, Dr. Ledeen. (sarc)
I nominate Stuxnet for App of the Year.
God help the brave Persian resistance.
If you see the crying indinant man,be careful! He may be is indignant at you!
Well Michael,the enemy,the regime,and the not support in the mass media on the Persian people concerned,by clean coverage on the facts in Iran,its like a jungle of mirrows.
This jungle is not a game.But the mirrows are.
Optimist,the Persian people will be free.And the dictators and rulers knows it and run in panic.The future is terra incognita
Pero vale vivirla en Persia y su futuro.
Free Mousavi and Karroubi.
great work miriam. thanks for your help.
I’m an Iranian, the problem in Iran is ISLAM and its envolvement in politics
the problem is not the people/regime. Teaching of Islam is not true and not from God, God can change people over night…we need to tell them the truth and set Iranian free of these wrong teachings…somebody gotta do it…
I think the world betrayed Iranians by letting Imam khomeini into Iran in a sunney day on airplane from Paris in 1978,
God bless Iran
Its pretty shocking really. It makes me sad as an American, I remember when that Egyptian protester held up a sign that say “America you hypocrites” for us not helping. It made me realize that on one hand we talk about freedom and democracy in the middle east, and on the other, with give money to people like Mubarak and the Pakistani isi.. it is hypocritical. We should be on one side of the fence or the other, and I would prefer it be on the side of liberty and freedom for everyone.