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RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 9, No. 34, 13 September 2006
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL's Newsline Team
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HEADLINES:
* U.S. PRESIDENT ISSUES WARNING ABOUT IRANIAN INTENTIONS
* AHMADINEJAD ADDRESSES BUSH AT RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE
* KHATAMI CRITICIZES U.S. DURING CHICAGO VISIT
* IRAN UNCOMPROMISING ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM
* IRAQI OFFICIAL MEETS IRANIAN LEADERS IN TEHRAN
* NEW EQUIPMENT TESTED DURING WAR GAMES
* LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION INTERESTS IRAN
* CONTRADICTORY PERSPECTIVES ON BACKING FOR NASRALLAH
* CAUSE OF POLITICAL PRISONER'S DEATH DISPUTED
* SATELLITE DISH CONFISCATION SPREADS
* FREEDOM HOUSE DESCRIBES IRAN AS 'NOT FREE'
* IRAN'S DRUG PROBLEM GOES BEYOND AFGHAN DELUGE
******************************************* *****************
U.S. PRESIDENT ISSUES WARNING ABOUT IRANIAN INTENTIONS. The White
House released the U.S. "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism"
on September 5, and a few hours later, President George W. Bush,
speaking at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, discussed
Iran's alleged role in terrorism, according to Radio Farda and
the presidential website.
Bush said, "the Iranian regime has clear aims" that he
described as driving the United States out of the region, destroying
Israel, and dominating the Middle East. Those goals have led Iran to
fund and arm Hizballah, Bush said. He also accused "the Iranian
regime and its terrorist proxies" of a willingness to kill Americans,
alleged efforts to do so in connection with Lebanese Hizballah and
with Saudi Hizballah, and what his administration believes is
Tehran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.
"The international community has made a reasonable proposal
to Iran's leaders, and given them the opportunity to set their
nation on a better course," he said in a reference to an offer made
to Tehran in June but seemingly rejected in August. Bush warned
Iran's leaders against isolating the country and harming its
economy through their actions.
Bush said in his September 5 speech that both Shi'ite
extremists -- which he described as having "taken control of a major
power, the nation of Iran," in 1979 -- and Sunni extremists "seek to
impose a dark vision of violent Islamic radicalism across the Middle
East," the White House website reported.
Bush referred to a "global struggle" and cited his
administration's "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism."
That document refers to Iran several times. It says Iran "continue[s]
to harbor terrorists at home and sponsor terrorist activity abroad."
The strategy states that U.S. sanctions against Iran are meant to end
its state sponsorship of terrorists. The document alleges roles by
the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and the Ministry of Intelligence
and Security in the planning of and support for operations by Hamas,
Hizballah, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Tehran's
failure to "account for and bring to justice senior [Al-Qaeda]
members it detained in 2003."
The document adds, "Most troubling is the potential
WMD-terrorism nexus that emanates from Tehran."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said on
September 6 that Bush's comments about Iran in the previous
day's speech were "repetitive and baseless," the Islamic Republic
News Agency (IRNA) reported. Such claims are meant to counter
Iran's reasonable and determined effort to protect its rights,
Assefi said. The U.S. presence in Iraq contributes to terrorism
there, Assefi claimed, adding, "There is now the general belief that
the terrorist moves in Iraq take place under U.S. direction and
support."
Assefi also hinted at U.S. responsibility for the September
11, 2001, attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, saying, "On
the threshold of the anniversary of the September 11 explosion of the
twin towers and five years after the event, which is still ambiguous,
the U.S. officials intend to justify their failure and blunder."
Assefi urged Bush to accept his Iranian counterpart's
invitation to engage in a televised debate (see "RFE/RL Iran Report,"
September 4, 2006). (Bill Samii)
AHMADINEJAD ADDRESSES BUSH AT RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE. Iranian President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad gave the opening speech at the second
International Conference on Mahdaviyat Doctrine in Tehran on
September 6, IRNA and Fars News Agency reported. The purpose of the
conference is to "promote the culture and thoughts of the last imam
of the age and last descendant of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH [peace
be upon him]) infallible household -- Imam Mahdi [may God hasten his
reappearance]."
The Mahdi is the Shi'a's 12th imam and went into
occultation some 1,200 years ago; his reappearance is supposed to
restore justice before the end of the world. Ahmadinejad's
affinity for these beliefs has been noted by some observers (see
"RFE/RL Iran Report," December 19, 2005, and July 18, 2006).
A sign of Ahmadinejad's beliefs was his statement in the
speech: "Today is the day when we invite humanity to the only true
path and course because there is no other path." He also referred to
his earlier invitation to President Bush to debate him, saying,
"we're ready to assess the problems of the world in a
face-to-face debate and to think of solutions for them and to allow
humanity to choose; of course, it must be uncensored." (Bill Samii)
KHATAMI CRITICIZES U.S. DURING CHICAGO VISIT. Former Iranian
President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami told CNN during a September 3
visit to Chicago that international terrorism is the result of U.S.
foreign policy, and he warned that those policies will contribute to
regional "extremism." Khatami is in Iran for a two-week visit; the
last U.S. president to visit Iran was Jimmy Carter some 30 years ago.
Khatami had a message for President Bush: "I would tell him that the
United States, with all of its might and resources, can, side by side
with the good people of the Middle East, bring about a new experience
and the creation of democracy and the advancement of democracy, even
though the way to democracy may have been slow originating in the
Mideast." He called for an end to threatening language, and said
Iranians fear the United States will attack their country. (Bill
Samii)
UN CHIEF CALLS FOR IRANIAN COOPERATION. UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan during a September 7 press conference in Madrid urged the
Islamic Republic to be more cooperative with efforts to determine the
status of its nuclear program, RFE/RL reported. "I think we should
insist that Iran reassures the international community that its
intention is [peaceful], it has no hidden agenda as it says," he
said. "But, if that is the case, it has the responsibility to take
steps to reassure all of us that their intentions are peaceful and
remove that cloud of uncertainty and doubt that surrounds their
[nuclear] program." Annan made similar points during a September 6
press conference in Ankara, RFE/RL reported. "I have urged Iran to do
whatever it can to reassure the international community that indeed
its intentions are peaceful and find ways and means through complete
openness to the inspectors of the [International Atomic Energy
Agency] to remove the cloud of doubt that surrounds its intentions."
(Bill Samii)
IRAN UNCOMPROMISING ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM. UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan visited Iran on September 2 and 3, Radio Farda and other news
agencies reported. After meeting with President Ahmadinejad on
September 3, Annan said at a press conference with Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Mottaki that he was told Iran will not stop its
uranium-enrichment program but is willing to enter negotiations
regarding the nuclear program.
Mottaki described Security Council Resolution 1696 of late
July, which calls on Iran to halt its enrichment and reprocessing
activities, as politically motivated and the result of pressure from
the United States and Britain.
Annan also noted that Ahmadinejad restated Iran's backing
for Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the recent
Israel-Hizballah conflict. Tehran has not agreed to back the
disarmament of Hizballah, Annan's aides said, according to "The
New York Times." The aides described Ahmadinejad as "confident,
brash, and uncompromising" and eager to show that the United States
and Britain are "fading powers paying a price for meddling in the
Middle East."
Part of the continuing efforts to persuade Iran to suspend
its uranium-enrichment and -reprocessing activities in exchange for
various incentives and in order to avoid international sanctions
would be a meeting between Iranian Supreme National Security Council
Secretary Ali Larijani and EU High Representative for Common Foreign
and Security Policy Javier Solana. Tehran responded to an
international proposal addressing these issues with a lengthy
counterproposal, and the meeting would be an opportunity to discuss
what anonymous diplomats told AFP on September 5 is an "at best,
unclear" Iranian text.
Anonymous diplomats said on September 5 that the meeting
probably would take place on September 6 in Vienna, AFP reported.
Vienna's "Der Standard" daily issued a similar report on
September 5, but EU spokeswoman Christina Gallach would not confirm
the possibility, according to the paper.
The Iranian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency,
Ali Asqar Soltanieh, said on September 6 that talks between Iran and
the EU regarding the nuclear issue have been postponed, AP reported.
Soltanieh said, "Both sides are arranging for a couple of days
later." Soltanieh ascribed the delay to "a procedural matter."
In Tehran, Foreign Minister Mottaki said on September 6 that
Iran-EU talks are welcome, Mehr News Agency reported. He said the two
sides are determining a convenient date.
Larijani said on September 7 in Madrid that Tehran is
determined to "hold serious and constructive talks" with the
so-called 5+1 group on a range of issues, IRNA reported. This refers
to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China,
France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), plus
Germany, which in June offered Iran a package of incentives in
exchange for its suspending uranium-enrichment and -reprocessing
activities and cooperating more fully with nuclear.
Larijani met with Italian Premier Romano Prodi on September
8.
Larijani expressed optimism about an upcoming meeting with
Javier Solana. Solana said on September 7 that the meeting would take
place on September 9, AP reported. He did not disclose the location.
A document drawn up by France, Germany, and Britain and sent
to dozens of other countries reveals doubts about Tehran's
intentions, AP reported on September 6. The 5+1 group met in Berlin
on September 6 to discuss the Iranian problem, and the document
warned, "The Iranian goal obviously is to split the international
community." It adds that Iran wants to "draw us into a process of
talks about talks, on Iranian terms, while making no commitments of
its own while continuing with its enrichment program."
Larijani and Solana met in Vienna on September 9. (Bill
Samii)
LEGISLATURE MOVES TO BLOCK NUCLEAR INSPECTIONS. The legislature's
National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has approved the
general outlines of a bill that would suspend international
inspectors' access to Iranian nuclear sites, IRNA reported on
September 5. Shahrud's Kazem Jalali, the committee's
rapporteur, explained, "The single article bill urges the government
to call off all [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspections of
the Iranian nuclear sites and facilities as soon as UN Security
Council embarks on imposing restrictions on Iran," Fars News Agency
reported. (Bill Samii)
IRAQI OFFICIAL MEETS IRANIAN LEADERS IN TEHRAN. President Ahmadinejad
told visiting Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih on September 6
that insecurity in Iraq is harmful to Iran, the Mehr News Agency
reported. He said the "occupation forces" encourage this insecurity
as a justification for their continued presence.
Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Ali Akbar
Hashemi-Rafsanjani told Salih that the development of a free,
independent, and Islamic Iraq will benefit the entire region, IRNA
reported. Hashemi-Rafsanjani added, "Meanwhile, the chaos in Iraq and
interference of foreign troops in the country's internal affairs
are the main cause of the insecurity in all regional states." He
called for the withdrawal of occupation troops.
Salih said at a press conference with Foreign Minister
Mottaki on September 5 that the two neighbors are keen on
strengthening relations, the Mehr News Agency reported. They already
enjoy cordial ties, he added. Salih also noted the need for a
regional "compromise" between Baghdad, Tehran, and Washington.
Mottaki also denied that Iran is interfering in Iraqi affairs. (Bill
Samii)
NEW EQUIPMENT TESTED DURING WAR GAMES. The Zarbat-i Zolfaqar war
games, which began on August 19, are continuing, with the firing of a
modified Hawk missile from a U.S.-manufactured F-14 aircraft on
September 4, state television reported. During this third stage of
the exercises, antiaircraft artillery, missiles, surface-to-air
weapons, and electronic countermeasures were tested. A deputy
commander of the army, identified as Brigadier General Amin, said the
navigation systems of enemy missiles were disrupted using equipment
developed by the Iranian air force and Defense Ministry.
Iranian air force jets successfully fired laser-guided bombs
on September 6, the Fars News Agency reported. The test took place in
northwestern Iran during the fifth stage of the Zarbat-i Zolfaqar war
games. The domestically made Saqeh fighter jet also flew in these
exercises. Brigadier General Javad Mohammadian, the spokesman of the
war games, said the Saqeh provides close-air support and can carry
bombs, rockets, and missiles, Fars reported.
Major General Ataollah Salehi, speaking in Shabestar, East
Azerbaijan Province, explained that external threats are the reason
for the exercises, IRNA reported. Salehi is commander of the regular
army. (Bill Samii)
IRAN ANNOUNCES AEROSPACE DEVELOPMENTS. Rasul Peighambari, the
managing director of the Negin Pars Company, said on September 4 that
his firm has developed radar-deflecting and radar-absorbing paints,
Mehr News Agency reported. Seven tons of camouflage and 50 tons of
antiradar paint have been produced so far, he said, and Iran no
longer needs to import such products.
One day earlier, Mohammad Islami, the head of the defense
industry's training and education institute, said his
organization and the Shahid Beheshti University have successfully
collaborated in building a "nondestructive laser testing system for
testing thermal and mechanical effects on satellites in space, as
well as designing and building a plasma thruster," ILNA reported.
Islami explained, "Thrusters are little engines that are used for
controlling and correcting the movement of dynamic systems such as
satellites." (Bill Samii)
LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION INTERESTS IRAN. Parliament speaker Gholam-Ali
Haddad-Adel said during a September 4 phone conversation with his
Lebanese counterpart, Nabih Berri, that Iran is ready to lend a hand
in rebuilding Lebanon, IRNA reported. Haddad-Adel also said
Israel's blockade of Lebanon is a violation of UN Security
Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the one-month
conflict triggered by Hizballah's cross-border raid and
kidnapping of Israeli soldiers on July 12. Haddad-Adel added, "The
occupying regime of Qods [Israel] thrives on bloodshed, violations of
international rules and regulations, and the massacre of defenseless
women and children."
Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Ali Saidlu,
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mohammad Saidi-Kia, and a
delegation of other Iranian officials arrived in Beirut on August 29,
Hizballah's Al-Manar television and IRNA reported. During a press
conference later that day, Saidlu pledged Iran's assistance in
reconstructing Lebanon and said delegations from "a number of Iranian
municipalities that enjoy good financial status" -- such as Tehran,
Mashhad, and Isfahan -- could contribute, Al-Manar reported. (Bill
Samii)
CONTRADICTORY PERSPECTIVES ON BACKING FOR NASRALLAH. Israeli Interior
Minister Avi Dichter said in an interview published in Turin's
"La Stampa" on September 4 that Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah acted contrary to Iranian desires by attacking Israel
hastily, and Hizballah gained nothing worthwhile in the conflict.
Therefore, he continued, "Nasrallah is in trouble." Dichter pointed
at Iranian support for Hamas and Hizballah, as well as its alleged
pursuit of a nuclear weapon and intention to "use it in order to
destroy us and to beat the entire West." "Ahmadinejad truly is the
new Hitler," Dichter said, adding that Ahmadinejad wants to attack
Israel, but he recognizes "attacking Israel is no joke."
Grand Ayatollah Lotfullah Safi-Golpayegani has a different
perspective, "Kayhan" reported on September 3. "The Hizballah in
Lebanon and its secretary-general, Hojatoleslam val-Moslemin Seyyed
Hassan Nasrallah, are a source of pride for the Islamic world," he
said. Safi-Golpayegani criticized those who passed religious decrees
against Hizballah's actions during the conflict with Israel and
accused them of siding with Israel indirectly. (Bill Samii)
AHMADINEJAD ADVISES STUDENTS TO REJECT LIBERAL THINKING, RECTORS TO
AVOID POLITICS. President Ahmadinejad told students in Tehran on
September 5 -- National Youth Day -- that they must object to liberal
thinking in the universities, state radio reported. "Today's
young students, in universities, must shout at the president:
'Sir, why does this secular gentleman [lecturer] come and, if I
say something contrary to what he says, penalize me in my
marks?'" Ahmadinejad said. "In other words, young students must
shout against a liberal economy, against liberal thinking."
Ahmadinejad further advised university heads to avoid politics. (Bill
Samii)
CAUSE OF POLITICAL PRISONER'S DEATH DISPUTED. Mujahedin Khalq
Organization (MEK) sympathizer Valiollah Feyz-Mahdavi died on
September 6 in Tehran's Shariati Hospital, Radio Farda reported,
citing Iranian websites. Feyz-Mahdavi was sentenced to death for
possession of explosives and confined at Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj,
and fellow detainees told Radio Farda that he fell ill on September
2, nine days after beginning a hunger strike. Prison officials denied
that he was on a hunger strike, saying instead that Feyz-Mahdavi
attempted suicide.
Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, one of Feyz-Mahdavi's lawyers, told
Radio Farda that other detainees told him his client got sick during
his hunger strike, was taken to the prison infirmary, and then taken
to the hospital. Subsequently, the attorney continued, news of his
being brain dead was released, and then of his death. It was not in
Feyz-Mahdavi's nature to kill himself, Dadkhah continued, and it
is difficult to commit suicide in prison. He asked "who are the
witnesses to the suicide attempt?" Dadkhah suggested that his client
died because he did not receive medical attention. (Bill Samii)
SATELLITE DISH CONFISCATION SPREADS. The social affairs and guidance
office of the Abadan police department announced on September 7 that
police in the southern city have confiscated more than 100 sets of
satellite receiving equipment, Fars News Agency reported. The
operation is continuing. Satellite receiving equipment is illegal in
Iran but is tolerated; police intermittently confiscate the
equipment, particularly when it is displayed too obviously. The most
recent round of dish seizures began in August. Brigadier General
Mehdi Mohammadifard, the deputy police chief for parliamentary
affairs explained on August 29 that police do not enter private
homes, "they merely deal with visible and explicit offenses," Mehr
News Agency. He said this is in connection with a 1994 law.
The Abadan legal effort applies to more than satellite
equipment, according to Fars, and the police department's social
affairs and guidance office said, "Recently a number of residents
have been carrying dogs in their cars." Locals were instructed not to
transport their dogs this way, and they were warned that drivers
would be stopped and turned over to the judiciary. Muslims consider
dogs to be unclean. (Bill Samii)
FREEDOM HOUSE DESCRIBES IRAN AS 'NOT FREE.' Freedom House
released its annual "Freedom in the World 2006" report on September
7, Radio Farda reported, and Iran was classified as "not free." Iran
received scores of six out of seven for both political rights and for
civil liberties -- seven is the least-free rating. 192 countries and
14 select territories were surveyed for the report.
Radio Farda goes on to report that in a recent issue of a
British magazine called "The New Statesman," Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei is cited in a series about "The world's top 10
dictators." The report, by the University of St Andrew's Ali
Ansari, notes Khamenei's authoritarianism, as well as
contributions to that process by the judiciary and the Guardians
Council in its electoral vetting. (Bill Samii)
TEHRAN ACTS TO MEET GASOLINE SHORTFALL. Abbas Kazemi, managing
director of the Tehran Refinery, announced on September 6 that his
facility currently produces 82 octane gasoline and it soon will
produce 90 octane gasoline, Mehr News Agency reported. He added that
this development will increase Tehran Refinery's output by
500,000 liters, although he did not provide a timeframe.
Two days earlier, government spokesman Gholam Hussein Elham
said Iran's policy is to import gasoline to meet shortfalls, IRNA
reported. The government also is considering ways to reduce gasoline
consumption, he said, including promoting mass-transit systems and
possibly the use of natural gas in vehicles. (Bill Samii)
IRAN'S DRUG PROBLEM GOES BEYOND AFGHAN DELUGE. The head of the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) called the past year's rise in
Afghan opium cultivation "very alarming" when he presented his report
to the Afghan government on September 2. Neighboring Iran is the
global leader in opium seizures, and the recent rise in opium
production is likely to be reflected in higher seizure rates.
Iran's drug problem is not merely supply-driven, however, with
domestic opium cultivation making a return and the popularity of
synthetic drugs on the upswing.
The UNODC reported in 2005 that some 60 percent of the
opiates (opium, morphine, and heroin) produced in Afghanistan leave
that country via Iran. It makes sense that climbing production
figures more recently would be reflected in higher seizure rates.
While there are no cumulative data available yet for the year,
partial reports nationally and from the provinces support the UNODC
contention.
Officials See Problem
The chief of Iran's national police force, General Ismail
Ahmadi-Moqaddam, said at the end of August that the seizure of 145
tons of drugs nationwide in the first five months of the Iranian year
(which began on March 21) marks a 29 percent increase over the same
period last year, IRNA reported on August 29.
Reports from the provinces support the police chief's
assertion. The police chief in East Azerbaijan Province, Brigadier
Mohammad-Ali Nosrati, said earlier in August that seizures in his
area in March-July were up 488 percent, ILNA reported on July 31 and
IRNA on August 11. Heroin seizures topped the list, he said. Nosrati
added that the number of arrests for drug dealing had more than
doubled (a 132 percent increase).
Authorities reported increased drug seizures and many arrests
in the southwestern Ilam Province and the Western Azerbaijan
Province. In both provinces, authorities also reported significant
numbers of arrests for smuggling, dealing, and drug abuse --
including a jump of more than 50 percent in Ilam's abuse
statistic.
Growing Opium Cultivation
Tehran tends to look at domestic drug abuse as a
supply-driven issue that can be addressed mainly through interdiction
and law enforcement. But a resurgence of domestic opium cultivation
suggests that the problem is more complicated.
Ayatollah Mohieddin Haeri-Shirazi, a provincial
representative for Iran's supreme leader, warned in early July
that forests in southern Fars Province are being converted into
opium-poppy farms, "Kayhan" reported on July 2. He did not attempt to
explain the phenomenon.
But joblessness and other economic woes -- as well as
governmental failures -- were cited earlier this year to explain
resurgent opium cultivation in Kohkiluyeh va Boirahmad Province.
...And Other Drugs
Opiates originating in Afghanistan are not the only illicit
drugs that Iranians are using. Ecstasy (MDMA) was once smuggled into
Iran from Europe, but is now frequently produced locally. Other "club
drugs" -- such as GHB, Ketamine, LSD, methamphetamines (crank), and
Rohypnol -- also appear to be gaining in popularity.
Sniffer dogs in Semnan Province, east of Tehran, uncovered 24
kilograms of concentrated heroin -- known in Iran as "crystal" --
during two vehicle inspections in Shahrud in late August, the Baztab
website reported on August 24.
The head of the Justice Department and local public
prosecutor in the northeastern city of Nishabur, Hojatoleslam Abbas
Ali Fakhrara, said in late June that young people are increasingly
turning to ecstasy and crystal, "Khayyam Nameh" reported on July 13.
Counternarcotics experts speculate that the crystallized
heroin is smoked. It is highly addictive because it is also highly
concentrated -- 15 to 20 kilograms of opium are required for 1
kilogram of crystal, while the normal opium-to-heroin ratio tends to
be 10:1.
Emphasis On Interdiction
Tehran's emphasis on supply-interdiction versus
demand-reduction has undergone changes in recent years. Each approach
has its proponents. Initially, the government had a law-and-order
approach that considered any drug-related offense a serious crime.
Penalties for narcotics trafficking were heavy -- possession of more
than 30 grams of heroin or 5 kilograms of opium could result in the
death penalty. More than 10,000 narcotics traffickers and drug users
have been executed in recent decades in Iran, and hundreds more
currently face execution. Addicts were arrested and jailed.
This approach filled prisons, but addiction rates continued
to rise as the average age of drug users fell. The strategy changed
during the latter years of Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami's
presidency (1997-2005), and an increasing amount of the drug-control
budget was shifted to demand-reduction efforts and to treating
addicts.
Authorities have also emphasized interrupting the flow of
drugs from Afghanistan. They claim millions of dollars were spent on
building static defenses along the 1,800-kilometer border with
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Such efforts are continuing. National
police chief Ahmadi-Moqaddam said in late July that "Iran intends to
close 400 kilometers of its eastern borders" by mid-December (the end
of Azar), Fars News Agency reported on July 27. Ahmadi-Moqaddam
touted authorities' use of "physical measures and...human
resources, [and] electronic and aerial devices."
Within a month, Ahmadi-Moqaddam said 100 kilometers of the
southeastern border in Sistan va Baluchistan had been sealed, state
radio reported on August 19. He added that work was "progressing
fast."
The creation in April in the same province of a base for
coordinating police, military, and other security agencies is part of
the effort. Rasul-i Akram base's deputy commander, General Qasem
Rezai, said in early August that some 100 bulldozers and other heavy
equipment are involved with sealing the eastern border, "Jomhuri-yi
Islami" reported on August 10. As he listed the number of patrols
initiated by the base, as well as the number of arrests and seizures,
the deputy commander claimed that while bandits are no longer safe,
locals have a greater sense of security.
A parliamentary representative from the southeastern city of
Zahedan, Hussein Ali Shahriari, has expressed doubts about the
effectiveness of the Rasul-i Akram base, "Kargozaran" reported on
August 15. Shahriari called it a "major strategic mistake" to believe
that a single base could salvage the security situation in the
regions. He blamed a lack of police officers, and said much more is
required to solve the problem. Shahriari cited poverty and
unemployment among the culprits, and said investors fear the risk in
the same areas. He lamented that "expecting the government to do
something to make the private sector active and create job
opportunities and wealth is apparently a vague dream that will never
be fulfilled."
Demand Reduction
Iran's state Welfare Organization's prevention and
addiction-treatment department claims that 8 percent of the
population is addicted to drugs, "Mardom-Salari" reported on June 22.
An official in the same department, Mehrdad Ehterami, noted that Iran
sees 90,000 new drug addicts every year, with more than 180,000
people treated for addiction in the state or private sector. He
listed 51 government facilities, 457 private outpatient centers, and
an additional 26 transition centers that exist to combat the problem.
The provincial prosecutor in Ardabil is a critic of existing
drug-control policies. Hojatoleslam Rabii argues that the activities
of the Drug Control Headquarters and the police are not coordinated,
according to "Hemayat" on July 30. He claims legislation is
contradictory, with "drug addiction...regarded as a crime" while
"addicts are portrayed as patients who must be cured." Rabii contends
that attempts to control drug trafficking must be more focused or
investment to cure addicts increased. Harsh sentences alone for drug
traffickers won't work, he says.
Clearly, the Iranian government recognizes the extent of the
drug problem it faces. Still, it does not appear to have decided on a
preferred approach. The head of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters,
Fada Hussein Maleki, insisted in early August that his organization
and the Expediency Council have formulated general counternarcotics
policies, and that they have been referred to Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his approval, "Hemayat" reported on August
2.
Iranian officials no doubt hope that once that happens, they
might reverse the current trend of rising drug abuse. (Bill Samii)
****************************************** ***************
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The "RFE/RL Iran Report" is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
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RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 9, No. 34, 13 September 2006
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL's Newsline Team
******************************************** ****************
HEADLINES:
* U.S. PRESIDENT ISSUES WARNING ABOUT IRANIAN INTENTIONS
* AHMADINEJAD ADDRESSES BUSH AT RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE
* KHATAMI CRITICIZES U.S. DURING CHICAGO VISIT
* IRAN UNCOMPROMISING ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM
* IRAQI OFFICIAL MEETS IRANIAN LEADERS IN TEHRAN
* NEW EQUIPMENT TESTED DURING WAR GAMES
* LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION INTERESTS IRAN
* CONTRADICTORY PERSPECTIVES ON BACKING FOR NASRALLAH
* CAUSE OF POLITICAL PRISONER'S DEATH DISPUTED
* SATELLITE DISH CONFISCATION SPREADS
* FREEDOM HOUSE DESCRIBES IRAN AS 'NOT FREE'
* IRAN'S DRUG PROBLEM GOES BEYOND AFGHAN DELUGE
******************************************* *****************
U.S. PRESIDENT ISSUES WARNING ABOUT IRANIAN INTENTIONS. The White
House released the U.S. "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism"
on September 5, and a few hours later, President George W. Bush,
speaking at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, discussed
Iran's alleged role in terrorism, according to Radio Farda and
the presidential website.
Bush said, "the Iranian regime has clear aims" that he
described as driving the United States out of the region, destroying
Israel, and dominating the Middle East. Those goals have led Iran to
fund and arm Hizballah, Bush said. He also accused "the Iranian
regime and its terrorist proxies" of a willingness to kill Americans,
alleged efforts to do so in connection with Lebanese Hizballah and
with Saudi Hizballah, and what his administration believes is
Tehran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.
"The international community has made a reasonable proposal
to Iran's leaders, and given them the opportunity to set their
nation on a better course," he said in a reference to an offer made
to Tehran in June but seemingly rejected in August. Bush warned
Iran's leaders against isolating the country and harming its
economy through their actions.
Bush said in his September 5 speech that both Shi'ite
extremists -- which he described as having "taken control of a major
power, the nation of Iran," in 1979 -- and Sunni extremists "seek to
impose a dark vision of violent Islamic radicalism across the Middle
East," the White House website reported.
Bush referred to a "global struggle" and cited his
administration's "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism."
That document refers to Iran several times. It says Iran "continue[s]
to harbor terrorists at home and sponsor terrorist activity abroad."
The strategy states that U.S. sanctions against Iran are meant to end
its state sponsorship of terrorists. The document alleges roles by
the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and the Ministry of Intelligence
and Security in the planning of and support for operations by Hamas,
Hizballah, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Tehran's
failure to "account for and bring to justice senior [Al-Qaeda]
members it detained in 2003."
The document adds, "Most troubling is the potential
WMD-terrorism nexus that emanates from Tehran."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said on
September 6 that Bush's comments about Iran in the previous
day's speech were "repetitive and baseless," the Islamic Republic
News Agency (IRNA) reported. Such claims are meant to counter
Iran's reasonable and determined effort to protect its rights,
Assefi said. The U.S. presence in Iraq contributes to terrorism
there, Assefi claimed, adding, "There is now the general belief that
the terrorist moves in Iraq take place under U.S. direction and
support."
Assefi also hinted at U.S. responsibility for the September
11, 2001, attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, saying, "On
the threshold of the anniversary of the September 11 explosion of the
twin towers and five years after the event, which is still ambiguous,
the U.S. officials intend to justify their failure and blunder."
Assefi urged Bush to accept his Iranian counterpart's
invitation to engage in a televised debate (see "RFE/RL Iran Report,"
September 4, 2006). (Bill Samii)
AHMADINEJAD ADDRESSES BUSH AT RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE. Iranian President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad gave the opening speech at the second
International Conference on Mahdaviyat Doctrine in Tehran on
September 6, IRNA and Fars News Agency reported. The purpose of the
conference is to "promote the culture and thoughts of the last imam
of the age and last descendant of Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH [peace
be upon him]) infallible household -- Imam Mahdi [may God hasten his
reappearance]."
The Mahdi is the Shi'a's 12th imam and went into
occultation some 1,200 years ago; his reappearance is supposed to
restore justice before the end of the world. Ahmadinejad's
affinity for these beliefs has been noted by some observers (see
"RFE/RL Iran Report," December 19, 2005, and July 18, 2006).
A sign of Ahmadinejad's beliefs was his statement in the
speech: "Today is the day when we invite humanity to the only true
path and course because there is no other path." He also referred to
his earlier invitation to President Bush to debate him, saying,
"we're ready to assess the problems of the world in a
face-to-face debate and to think of solutions for them and to allow
humanity to choose; of course, it must be uncensored." (Bill Samii)
KHATAMI CRITICIZES U.S. DURING CHICAGO VISIT. Former Iranian
President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami told CNN during a September 3
visit to Chicago that international terrorism is the result of U.S.
foreign policy, and he warned that those policies will contribute to
regional "extremism." Khatami is in Iran for a two-week visit; the
last U.S. president to visit Iran was Jimmy Carter some 30 years ago.
Khatami had a message for President Bush: "I would tell him that the
United States, with all of its might and resources, can, side by side
with the good people of the Middle East, bring about a new experience
and the creation of democracy and the advancement of democracy, even
though the way to democracy may have been slow originating in the
Mideast." He called for an end to threatening language, and said
Iranians fear the United States will attack their country. (Bill
Samii)
UN CHIEF CALLS FOR IRANIAN COOPERATION. UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan during a September 7 press conference in Madrid urged the
Islamic Republic to be more cooperative with efforts to determine the
status of its nuclear program, RFE/RL reported. "I think we should
insist that Iran reassures the international community that its
intention is [peaceful], it has no hidden agenda as it says," he
said. "But, if that is the case, it has the responsibility to take
steps to reassure all of us that their intentions are peaceful and
remove that cloud of uncertainty and doubt that surrounds their
[nuclear] program." Annan made similar points during a September 6
press conference in Ankara, RFE/RL reported. "I have urged Iran to do
whatever it can to reassure the international community that indeed
its intentions are peaceful and find ways and means through complete
openness to the inspectors of the [International Atomic Energy
Agency] to remove the cloud of doubt that surrounds its intentions."
(Bill Samii)
IRAN UNCOMPROMISING ON NUCLEAR PROGRAM. UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan visited Iran on September 2 and 3, Radio Farda and other news
agencies reported. After meeting with President Ahmadinejad on
September 3, Annan said at a press conference with Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Mottaki that he was told Iran will not stop its
uranium-enrichment program but is willing to enter negotiations
regarding the nuclear program.
Mottaki described Security Council Resolution 1696 of late
July, which calls on Iran to halt its enrichment and reprocessing
activities, as politically motivated and the result of pressure from
the United States and Britain.
Annan also noted that Ahmadinejad restated Iran's backing
for Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the recent
Israel-Hizballah conflict. Tehran has not agreed to back the
disarmament of Hizballah, Annan's aides said, according to "The
New York Times." The aides described Ahmadinejad as "confident,
brash, and uncompromising" and eager to show that the United States
and Britain are "fading powers paying a price for meddling in the
Middle East."
Part of the continuing efforts to persuade Iran to suspend
its uranium-enrichment and -reprocessing activities in exchange for
various incentives and in order to avoid international sanctions
would be a meeting between Iranian Supreme National Security Council
Secretary Ali Larijani and EU High Representative for Common Foreign
and Security Policy Javier Solana. Tehran responded to an
international proposal addressing these issues with a lengthy
counterproposal, and the meeting would be an opportunity to discuss
what anonymous diplomats told AFP on September 5 is an "at best,
unclear" Iranian text.
Anonymous diplomats said on September 5 that the meeting
probably would take place on September 6 in Vienna, AFP reported.
Vienna's "Der Standard" daily issued a similar report on
September 5, but EU spokeswoman Christina Gallach would not confirm
the possibility, according to the paper.
The Iranian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency,
Ali Asqar Soltanieh, said on September 6 that talks between Iran and
the EU regarding the nuclear issue have been postponed, AP reported.
Soltanieh said, "Both sides are arranging for a couple of days
later." Soltanieh ascribed the delay to "a procedural matter."
In Tehran, Foreign Minister Mottaki said on September 6 that
Iran-EU talks are welcome, Mehr News Agency reported. He said the two
sides are determining a convenient date.
Larijani said on September 7 in Madrid that Tehran is
determined to "hold serious and constructive talks" with the
so-called 5+1 group on a range of issues, IRNA reported. This refers
to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China,
France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), plus
Germany, which in June offered Iran a package of incentives in
exchange for its suspending uranium-enrichment and -reprocessing
activities and cooperating more fully with nuclear.
Larijani met with Italian Premier Romano Prodi on September
8.
Larijani expressed optimism about an upcoming meeting with
Javier Solana. Solana said on September 7 that the meeting would take
place on September 9, AP reported. He did not disclose the location.
A document drawn up by France, Germany, and Britain and sent
to dozens of other countries reveals doubts about Tehran's
intentions, AP reported on September 6. The 5+1 group met in Berlin
on September 6 to discuss the Iranian problem, and the document
warned, "The Iranian goal obviously is to split the international
community." It adds that Iran wants to "draw us into a process of
talks about talks, on Iranian terms, while making no commitments of
its own while continuing with its enrichment program."
Larijani and Solana met in Vienna on September 9. (Bill
Samii)
LEGISLATURE MOVES TO BLOCK NUCLEAR INSPECTIONS. The legislature's
National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has approved the
general outlines of a bill that would suspend international
inspectors' access to Iranian nuclear sites, IRNA reported on
September 5. Shahrud's Kazem Jalali, the committee's
rapporteur, explained, "The single article bill urges the government
to call off all [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspections of
the Iranian nuclear sites and facilities as soon as UN Security
Council embarks on imposing restrictions on Iran," Fars News Agency
reported. (Bill Samii)
IRAQI OFFICIAL MEETS IRANIAN LEADERS IN TEHRAN. President Ahmadinejad
told visiting Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih on September 6
that insecurity in Iraq is harmful to Iran, the Mehr News Agency
reported. He said the "occupation forces" encourage this insecurity
as a justification for their continued presence.
Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Ali Akbar
Hashemi-Rafsanjani told Salih that the development of a free,
independent, and Islamic Iraq will benefit the entire region, IRNA
reported. Hashemi-Rafsanjani added, "Meanwhile, the chaos in Iraq and
interference of foreign troops in the country's internal affairs
are the main cause of the insecurity in all regional states." He
called for the withdrawal of occupation troops.
Salih said at a press conference with Foreign Minister
Mottaki on September 5 that the two neighbors are keen on
strengthening relations, the Mehr News Agency reported. They already
enjoy cordial ties, he added. Salih also noted the need for a
regional "compromise" between Baghdad, Tehran, and Washington.
Mottaki also denied that Iran is interfering in Iraqi affairs. (Bill
Samii)
NEW EQUIPMENT TESTED DURING WAR GAMES. The Zarbat-i Zolfaqar war
games, which began on August 19, are continuing, with the firing of a
modified Hawk missile from a U.S.-manufactured F-14 aircraft on
September 4, state television reported. During this third stage of
the exercises, antiaircraft artillery, missiles, surface-to-air
weapons, and electronic countermeasures were tested. A deputy
commander of the army, identified as Brigadier General Amin, said the
navigation systems of enemy missiles were disrupted using equipment
developed by the Iranian air force and Defense Ministry.
Iranian air force jets successfully fired laser-guided bombs
on September 6, the Fars News Agency reported. The test took place in
northwestern Iran during the fifth stage of the Zarbat-i Zolfaqar war
games. The domestically made Saqeh fighter jet also flew in these
exercises. Brigadier General Javad Mohammadian, the spokesman of the
war games, said the Saqeh provides close-air support and can carry
bombs, rockets, and missiles, Fars reported.
Major General Ataollah Salehi, speaking in Shabestar, East
Azerbaijan Province, explained that external threats are the reason
for the exercises, IRNA reported. Salehi is commander of the regular
army. (Bill Samii)
IRAN ANNOUNCES AEROSPACE DEVELOPMENTS. Rasul Peighambari, the
managing director of the Negin Pars Company, said on September 4 that
his firm has developed radar-deflecting and radar-absorbing paints,
Mehr News Agency reported. Seven tons of camouflage and 50 tons of
antiradar paint have been produced so far, he said, and Iran no
longer needs to import such products.
One day earlier, Mohammad Islami, the head of the defense
industry's training and education institute, said his
organization and the Shahid Beheshti University have successfully
collaborated in building a "nondestructive laser testing system for
testing thermal and mechanical effects on satellites in space, as
well as designing and building a plasma thruster," ILNA reported.
Islami explained, "Thrusters are little engines that are used for
controlling and correcting the movement of dynamic systems such as
satellites." (Bill Samii)
LEBANON RECONSTRUCTION INTERESTS IRAN. Parliament speaker Gholam-Ali
Haddad-Adel said during a September 4 phone conversation with his
Lebanese counterpart, Nabih Berri, that Iran is ready to lend a hand
in rebuilding Lebanon, IRNA reported. Haddad-Adel also said
Israel's blockade of Lebanon is a violation of UN Security
Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the one-month
conflict triggered by Hizballah's cross-border raid and
kidnapping of Israeli soldiers on July 12. Haddad-Adel added, "The
occupying regime of Qods [Israel] thrives on bloodshed, violations of
international rules and regulations, and the massacre of defenseless
women and children."
Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Ali Saidlu,
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mohammad Saidi-Kia, and a
delegation of other Iranian officials arrived in Beirut on August 29,
Hizballah's Al-Manar television and IRNA reported. During a press
conference later that day, Saidlu pledged Iran's assistance in
reconstructing Lebanon and said delegations from "a number of Iranian
municipalities that enjoy good financial status" -- such as Tehran,
Mashhad, and Isfahan -- could contribute, Al-Manar reported. (Bill
Samii)
CONTRADICTORY PERSPECTIVES ON BACKING FOR NASRALLAH. Israeli Interior
Minister Avi Dichter said in an interview published in Turin's
"La Stampa" on September 4 that Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah acted contrary to Iranian desires by attacking Israel
hastily, and Hizballah gained nothing worthwhile in the conflict.
Therefore, he continued, "Nasrallah is in trouble." Dichter pointed
at Iranian support for Hamas and Hizballah, as well as its alleged
pursuit of a nuclear weapon and intention to "use it in order to
destroy us and to beat the entire West." "Ahmadinejad truly is the
new Hitler," Dichter said, adding that Ahmadinejad wants to attack
Israel, but he recognizes "attacking Israel is no joke."
Grand Ayatollah Lotfullah Safi-Golpayegani has a different
perspective, "Kayhan" reported on September 3. "The Hizballah in
Lebanon and its secretary-general, Hojatoleslam val-Moslemin Seyyed
Hassan Nasrallah, are a source of pride for the Islamic world," he
said. Safi-Golpayegani criticized those who passed religious decrees
against Hizballah's actions during the conflict with Israel and
accused them of siding with Israel indirectly. (Bill Samii)
AHMADINEJAD ADVISES STUDENTS TO REJECT LIBERAL THINKING, RECTORS TO
AVOID POLITICS. President Ahmadinejad told students in Tehran on
September 5 -- National Youth Day -- that they must object to liberal
thinking in the universities, state radio reported. "Today's
young students, in universities, must shout at the president:
'Sir, why does this secular gentleman [lecturer] come and, if I
say something contrary to what he says, penalize me in my
marks?'" Ahmadinejad said. "In other words, young students must
shout against a liberal economy, against liberal thinking."
Ahmadinejad further advised university heads to avoid politics. (Bill
Samii)
CAUSE OF POLITICAL PRISONER'S DEATH DISPUTED. Mujahedin Khalq
Organization (MEK) sympathizer Valiollah Feyz-Mahdavi died on
September 6 in Tehran's Shariati Hospital, Radio Farda reported,
citing Iranian websites. Feyz-Mahdavi was sentenced to death for
possession of explosives and confined at Rajai-Shahr Prison in Karaj,
and fellow detainees told Radio Farda that he fell ill on September
2, nine days after beginning a hunger strike. Prison officials denied
that he was on a hunger strike, saying instead that Feyz-Mahdavi
attempted suicide.
Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, one of Feyz-Mahdavi's lawyers, told
Radio Farda that other detainees told him his client got sick during
his hunger strike, was taken to the prison infirmary, and then taken
to the hospital. Subsequently, the attorney continued, news of his
being brain dead was released, and then of his death. It was not in
Feyz-Mahdavi's nature to kill himself, Dadkhah continued, and it
is difficult to commit suicide in prison. He asked "who are the
witnesses to the suicide attempt?" Dadkhah suggested that his client
died because he did not receive medical attention. (Bill Samii)
SATELLITE DISH CONFISCATION SPREADS. The social affairs and guidance
office of the Abadan police department announced on September 7 that
police in the southern city have confiscated more than 100 sets of
satellite receiving equipment, Fars News Agency reported. The
operation is continuing. Satellite receiving equipment is illegal in
Iran but is tolerated; police intermittently confiscate the
equipment, particularly when it is displayed too obviously. The most
recent round of dish seizures began in August. Brigadier General
Mehdi Mohammadifard, the deputy police chief for parliamentary
affairs explained on August 29 that police do not enter private
homes, "they merely deal with visible and explicit offenses," Mehr
News Agency. He said this is in connection with a 1994 law.
The Abadan legal effort applies to more than satellite
equipment, according to Fars, and the police department's social
affairs and guidance office said, "Recently a number of residents
have been carrying dogs in their cars." Locals were instructed not to
transport their dogs this way, and they were warned that drivers
would be stopped and turned over to the judiciary. Muslims consider
dogs to be unclean. (Bill Samii)
FREEDOM HOUSE DESCRIBES IRAN AS 'NOT FREE.' Freedom House
released its annual "Freedom in the World 2006" report on September
7, Radio Farda reported, and Iran was classified as "not free." Iran
received scores of six out of seven for both political rights and for
civil liberties -- seven is the least-free rating. 192 countries and
14 select territories were surveyed for the report.
Radio Farda goes on to report that in a recent issue of a
British magazine called "The New Statesman," Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei is cited in a series about "The world's top 10
dictators." The report, by the University of St Andrew's Ali
Ansari, notes Khamenei's authoritarianism, as well as
contributions to that process by the judiciary and the Guardians
Council in its electoral vetting. (Bill Samii)
TEHRAN ACTS TO MEET GASOLINE SHORTFALL. Abbas Kazemi, managing
director of the Tehran Refinery, announced on September 6 that his
facility currently produces 82 octane gasoline and it soon will
produce 90 octane gasoline, Mehr News Agency reported. He added that
this development will increase Tehran Refinery's output by
500,000 liters, although he did not provide a timeframe.
Two days earlier, government spokesman Gholam Hussein Elham
said Iran's policy is to import gasoline to meet shortfalls, IRNA
reported. The government also is considering ways to reduce gasoline
consumption, he said, including promoting mass-transit systems and
possibly the use of natural gas in vehicles. (Bill Samii)
IRAN'S DRUG PROBLEM GOES BEYOND AFGHAN DELUGE. The head of the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) called the past year's rise in
Afghan opium cultivation "very alarming" when he presented his report
to the Afghan government on September 2. Neighboring Iran is the
global leader in opium seizures, and the recent rise in opium
production is likely to be reflected in higher seizure rates.
Iran's drug problem is not merely supply-driven, however, with
domestic opium cultivation making a return and the popularity of
synthetic drugs on the upswing.
The UNODC reported in 2005 that some 60 percent of the
opiates (opium, morphine, and heroin) produced in Afghanistan leave
that country via Iran. It makes sense that climbing production
figures more recently would be reflected in higher seizure rates.
While there are no cumulative data available yet for the year,
partial reports nationally and from the provinces support the UNODC
contention.
Officials See Problem
The chief of Iran's national police force, General Ismail
Ahmadi-Moqaddam, said at the end of August that the seizure of 145
tons of drugs nationwide in the first five months of the Iranian year
(which began on March 21) marks a 29 percent increase over the same
period last year, IRNA reported on August 29.
Reports from the provinces support the police chief's
assertion. The police chief in East Azerbaijan Province, Brigadier
Mohammad-Ali Nosrati, said earlier in August that seizures in his
area in March-July were up 488 percent, ILNA reported on July 31 and
IRNA on August 11. Heroin seizures topped the list, he said. Nosrati
added that the number of arrests for drug dealing had more than
doubled (a 132 percent increase).
Authorities reported increased drug seizures and many arrests
in the southwestern Ilam Province and the Western Azerbaijan
Province. In both provinces, authorities also reported significant
numbers of arrests for smuggling, dealing, and drug abuse --
including a jump of more than 50 percent in Ilam's abuse
statistic.
Growing Opium Cultivation
Tehran tends to look at domestic drug abuse as a
supply-driven issue that can be addressed mainly through interdiction
and law enforcement. But a resurgence of domestic opium cultivation
suggests that the problem is more complicated.
Ayatollah Mohieddin Haeri-Shirazi, a provincial
representative for Iran's supreme leader, warned in early July
that forests in southern Fars Province are being converted into
opium-poppy farms, "Kayhan" reported on July 2. He did not attempt to
explain the phenomenon.
But joblessness and other economic woes -- as well as
governmental failures -- were cited earlier this year to explain
resurgent opium cultivation in Kohkiluyeh va Boirahmad Province.
...And Other Drugs
Opiates originating in Afghanistan are not the only illicit
drugs that Iranians are using. Ecstasy (MDMA) was once smuggled into
Iran from Europe, but is now frequently produced locally. Other "club
drugs" -- such as GHB, Ketamine, LSD, methamphetamines (crank), and
Rohypnol -- also appear to be gaining in popularity.
Sniffer dogs in Semnan Province, east of Tehran, uncovered 24
kilograms of concentrated heroin -- known in Iran as "crystal" --
during two vehicle inspections in Shahrud in late August, the Baztab
website reported on August 24.
The head of the Justice Department and local public
prosecutor in the northeastern city of Nishabur, Hojatoleslam Abbas
Ali Fakhrara, said in late June that young people are increasingly
turning to ecstasy and crystal, "Khayyam Nameh" reported on July 13.
Counternarcotics experts speculate that the crystallized
heroin is smoked. It is highly addictive because it is also highly
concentrated -- 15 to 20 kilograms of opium are required for 1
kilogram of crystal, while the normal opium-to-heroin ratio tends to
be 10:1.
Emphasis On Interdiction
Tehran's emphasis on supply-interdiction versus
demand-reduction has undergone changes in recent years. Each approach
has its proponents. Initially, the government had a law-and-order
approach that considered any drug-related offense a serious crime.
Penalties for narcotics trafficking were heavy -- possession of more
than 30 grams of heroin or 5 kilograms of opium could result in the
death penalty. More than 10,000 narcotics traffickers and drug users
have been executed in recent decades in Iran, and hundreds more
currently face execution. Addicts were arrested and jailed.
This approach filled prisons, but addiction rates continued
to rise as the average age of drug users fell. The strategy changed
during the latter years of Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami's
presidency (1997-2005), and an increasing amount of the drug-control
budget was shifted to demand-reduction efforts and to treating
addicts.
Authorities have also emphasized interrupting the flow of
drugs from Afghanistan. They claim millions of dollars were spent on
building static defenses along the 1,800-kilometer border with
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Such efforts are continuing. National
police chief Ahmadi-Moqaddam said in late July that "Iran intends to
close 400 kilometers of its eastern borders" by mid-December (the end
of Azar), Fars News Agency reported on July 27. Ahmadi-Moqaddam
touted authorities' use of "physical measures and...human
resources, [and] electronic and aerial devices."
Within a month, Ahmadi-Moqaddam said 100 kilometers of the
southeastern border in Sistan va Baluchistan had been sealed, state
radio reported on August 19. He added that work was "progressing
fast."
The creation in April in the same province of a base for
coordinating police, military, and other security agencies is part of
the effort. Rasul-i Akram base's deputy commander, General Qasem
Rezai, said in early August that some 100 bulldozers and other heavy
equipment are involved with sealing the eastern border, "Jomhuri-yi
Islami" reported on August 10. As he listed the number of patrols
initiated by the base, as well as the number of arrests and seizures,
the deputy commander claimed that while bandits are no longer safe,
locals have a greater sense of security.
A parliamentary representative from the southeastern city of
Zahedan, Hussein Ali Shahriari, has expressed doubts about the
effectiveness of the Rasul-i Akram base, "Kargozaran" reported on
August 15. Shahriari called it a "major strategic mistake" to believe
that a single base could salvage the security situation in the
regions. He blamed a lack of police officers, and said much more is
required to solve the problem. Shahriari cited poverty and
unemployment among the culprits, and said investors fear the risk in
the same areas. He lamented that "expecting the government to do
something to make the private sector active and create job
opportunities and wealth is apparently a vague dream that will never
be fulfilled."
Demand Reduction
Iran's state Welfare Organization's prevention and
addiction-treatment department claims that 8 percent of the
population is addicted to drugs, "Mardom-Salari" reported on June 22.
An official in the same department, Mehrdad Ehterami, noted that Iran
sees 90,000 new drug addicts every year, with more than 180,000
people treated for addiction in the state or private sector. He
listed 51 government facilities, 457 private outpatient centers, and
an additional 26 transition centers that exist to combat the problem.
The provincial prosecutor in Ardabil is a critic of existing
drug-control policies. Hojatoleslam Rabii argues that the activities
of the Drug Control Headquarters and the police are not coordinated,
according to "Hemayat" on July 30. He claims legislation is
contradictory, with "drug addiction...regarded as a crime" while
"addicts are portrayed as patients who must be cured." Rabii contends
that attempts to control drug trafficking must be more focused or
investment to cure addicts increased. Harsh sentences alone for drug
traffickers won't work, he says.
Clearly, the Iranian government recognizes the extent of the
drug problem it faces. Still, it does not appear to have decided on a
preferred approach. The head of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters,
Fada Hussein Maleki, insisted in early August that his organization
and the Expediency Council have formulated general counternarcotics
policies, and that they have been referred to Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his approval, "Hemayat" reported on August
2.
Iranian officials no doubt hope that once that happens, they
might reverse the current trend of rising drug abuse. (Bill Samii)
****************************************** ***************
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The "RFE/RL Iran Report" is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
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