(Iran) Khamenei is lying about nuclear programme, says former Revolutionary Guards general

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

A former general of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards has accused the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of having blood on his hands over the brutal crackdown on the country's opposition, and described government claims that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful as a "sheer lie".

In a letter to prominent opposition activist Mohammad Nourizad (website in Farsi), the former officer gives a rare glimpse of political dissent within the ranks of the elite force in charge of the nuclear programme and Khamenei's personal security.

Identified only by his initials, the general says that he and a number of his colleagues were threatened with execution for disloyalty and then – after a series of secret courts-martial – dismissed "because we refused to participate in the betrayals and the crimes committed by our seniors".

"I'm writing this letter to you to tell our people that there are still many generals and members of staff within the Revolutionary Guards who are opposed to these crimes and are waiting to join the people," the letter reads.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/12/khamenei-accused-blood-on-hands

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Here's the thing:

Iraqi defectors lied to us to give * justification to invade their ex-homeland.

Why should a former Revolutionary Guards general be trustworthy?

[Arctic Dave]

3. Exactly.

Without knowing anything about the circumstances this, for all purposes, is just propaganda to sow distrust.



It would be the same as person writing a column saying they know the US is committing crimes.

[cstanleytech]

13. Thing you and others are missing though is that they really dont need the nuclear plants.

They have oil to sell from which to setup alternate clean energy such as wind turbines, solar and also geothermal but they are supposedly going with nuclear (which has a major spent fuel disposal issue) for the "electricty"? I dont buy their claims of that just like I didnt buy the ones Bush made over Iraq having WMDs.

[Prometheus Bound]

14. They are already using solar, wind, geothermal and hydro generated electricity.

They know the oil and gas will not last forever. They also need at least one nuclear reactor to produce medical isotopes for 800,000 cancer patients.

[cstanleytech]

15. If I recall the US offered to provide the needed isotopes back around 2009 or 2010

or are you speaking of some other isotopes?

Edit: Just wanted to also clarify something also though which is while I dont believe Irans claims and do tend to believe they could be trying for a nuke I do not support invading and occupying Iran as it would be as unmitigated disaster imo for our country on atleast the same scale as Bush deciding invading to invade Iraq was.

[Prometheus Bound]

17. It would be rather foolish of them to rely on US promises.

The US sold them a medical reactor and now refuses to sell it the rods it needs to keep it operating.

The US sold it Boeing jets and then refused to sell parts for them.

[cstanleytech]

18. Link to both claims would be helpful if you have them as

it would be interesting to know why the US would refuse them.

[Prometheus Bound]

19. Sorry, just going by memory.

Don't have time to look them up.

The US refused them as part of the long-term sanctions program. I imagine both the reactor and planes are quite aged by now, having been sold to the Shah.

[cstanleytech]

20. To bad, without the links its hard to judge if the US didnt have a legit reason.

[harun]

2. Chalabi part Deux.

[louis-t]

4. Here we go again.

[bemildred]

5. "Identified only by his initials"

And hence not worth a bucket of warm spit.

[dipsydoodle]

6. The girl at the checkout of the local Walmart may be able to confirm this.

[may3rd]

9. Only if her sister was Neda

Just to stir the "Where's my vote" pot

[WilliamPitt]

7. Chalabi

[eggplant]

8. Can we call this one "screwball"? n/t

[ozone_man]

16. +1

For rinse and repeat.

[may3rd]

10. Iranian TV poll pulled after results didn't reflect the states stance....

63% wanted enrichment suspended to end sanctions
89% didn't want to see the straits closed



Iran TV halts 2 polls on nuke activities, Hormuz closure after voting came against Ahmadinejad

Iran’s state-run TV was forced to cancel two polls after the majority of voting came against the policy of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The first poll, launched by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, was about how the Iranians regarded a possible halt in the uranium enrichment operations, which would accordingly halt the whole nuclear project in the country, in return for stopping the international economic sanctions imposed against Tehran.
...
....
The TV quickly stopped the poll and replaced it with one seeking viewers’ opinions on an Iranian parliament proposal to close the Strait of Hormuz, ......
.....
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/07/06/224890.html


probably wasn't a "scientific" poll anyway

[Wolf Frankula]

11. From a Wise Italian. "How Dangerous it is to trust to the Representations of Exiles."

"It seems to me not amiss to speak here of the danger of trusting to the representations of men who have been expelled from their country, this being a matter that all those who govern states have to act upon almost daily; and I touch upon it the more willingly, as Titus Livius gives a most memorable instance of it, though in a measure foreign to the subject he treats upon. When Alexander the Great went with his army into Asia, Alexander of Epirus, his brother-in-law and uncle, came with his army into Italy, having been called there by the banished Lucanians, who had held out the hope to him that by their means he would be able to seize that whole country; and when Alexander, upon their assurances and the hopes held out by them, had come into Italy, they killed him, because they had been promised by the citizens of Lucania permission to return to their homes if they would assassinate Alexander. We see, then, how vain the faith and promises of men are who are exiles from their own country. As to their faith, we have to bear in mind that, whenever they can return to their country by other means than your assistance, they will abandon you and look to the other means, regardless of their promises to you. And as to their vain hopes and promises, such is their extreme desire to return to their homes that they naturally believe many things that are not true, and add many others on purpose; so that, with what they really believe and what they say they believe, they will fill you with hopes to that degree that if you attempt to act upon them you will incur a fruitless expense, or engage in an undertaking that will involve you in ruin. .......... A prince therefore should be slow in undertaking any enterprise upon the representations of exiles, for he will generally gain nothing by it but shame and serious injury. "

Niccolo Macchiavelli. Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius.

Yes, this is largely just cut and paste, but we have been here before with Chalabi, and if those wise words above had been read, and considered, we would have not had the unhappy Iraq adventure. If this 'general' will give public testimony, under oath, and provides solid evidence, and that means solid testable evidence, not gingered up papers, I will consider his words, but if he continues to hide behind initials, (and I am certain the Iranian authorities know who he is) I will not believe him.

Wolf

[may3rd]

12. Could the same hold true in Syria?

Ex-Syrian ambassador calls for foreign military intervention


http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/15/world/meast/syria-defector-interview/index.html?hpt=hp_t1



Or the new Chalabi in Libya?