by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Aug 8, 2009
All Rights Reserved.

        Charging protestors over Iran’s disputed June 12 election with “treason” and “spying,” Iran continued its crackdown, crushing what’s left of the pro-Democracy protest movement.  Personnel at the British and French embassies in Tehran now stand trial for sedition, charged with trying to overthrow Iran’s mullah-dominated government.  European Union officials stood by helplessly as their employees face a slew of phony charges to intimidate and suppress any residual elements of protest in the wake of the controversial election.  Opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi promised more protests but has been incognito since threatened with harsh consequences should he continue running his mouth.  “This is obviously a show trial directed against the EU,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bidt, rejecting Tehran outrageous attempt to squelch protests over a fake election.

            President Barack Obama watched at a distance while Ahmadinejad was sworn in for another four-year term by Judiciary Chief Justice Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.  “You [U.S. officials] should know that, in Iran, nobody is waiting for your congratulations,” Ahamdinejad, signaling he has no intention of cooperating with Washington’s agenda.  Obama has given Tehran until the end of the year to suspend uranium enrichment or face a new round of sanctions and possibly more draconic measures, including military action.  Because of Ahmadinejad’s harsh rhetoric, Israel’s new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his conservative Russian-born Foreign Minister Avigor Lieberman consider Iran’s atomic program an existential threat.  Both have put Obama on notice, in no uncertain terms, that if Iran’s nuclear program continues, Israel will take unilateral action.

            When Obama came to office Jan. 20, he tried to “reset” relations with Tehran, asking its leaders to “unclench” their fists.  Despite the overtures, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Ahmadinejad forcefully reject Washington or the U.N.’s attempt to stop Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.  Making Iran’s defiance and nuclear program a centerpiece of his reelection, Ahmadinejad has no intent of changing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.  Most Western powers believe that Iran’s atomic program is aimed at creating nuclear weapons, not, as Ahmadinejad insists, generating electricity.  Ahmadinejad made defiance of the U.S. and U.N. a central part of his reelection campaign.  When it comes to suspending Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, it’s highly unlikely Khamenei or Ahmadinejad will budge once inch, continuing to march ahead toward weapons’ grade uranium.

            Trying protestors for espionage carries the most draconic penalties, possibly hard labor or death.  Many opposition leaders or protestors have already disappeared, most likely tortured or summarily executed while awaiting predetermined sentences by pro-regime judges.  French citizen and embassy employee Clotide Reiss was charged with “action against national security by taking part in unrest . . . collecting news and information and sending pictures of the unrest abroad,” said IRNA, Iran’s official state-run news agency.  Accused of treason and sedition, the court accused Reiss of “providing information over the vote unrest to foreigners,” admitting, in effect, that reporting any factual events is punishable by death.  Reiss confessed her “mistakes,” under coercion.  British Embassy employee Hossein Rassam was also charged with espionage, forced to blame British officials.

            EU officials demanded that Iran free all diplomatic personnel currently incarcerated and charged with crimes against the state.  French officials want all charges dropped and all prisoners freed immediately.  “France renews its demand for the immediate liberation the young academic, since the accusations against her are baseless,” read the French Foreign Ministry communiqué.  Iran’s rejection of French and British demands portends more trouble ahead for embassy employees.  While a different time, Iran authorities held 53 embassy employees 444 days before released only minutes after the late President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated Jan. 20, 1981 the 40th president.  Since the 1953 CIA coup throwing elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq out of power and installing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran has shown no trust of U.S. policies.

            Iran’s brutal crackdown of protestors rebelling against a fraudulent election demonstrates the ruthlessness of the current mullah’s regime to hang onto power.  Arresting, charging, trying, convicting and sentencing protestors shows the extremes to which the Party will go to assert control.  All the protests by EU officials fall on deaf ears, offering he first glimpse of the crackdown likely to follow when the U.S. and U.N. crack down on Iran’s refusal to suspend enriching uranium.  While Obama gave Iran until the end of the year, Israel considers all of its options of how to stop Iran from building an A-bomb.  Barack hopes that the right combination of “carrot-and-stick” will help Tehran come to its senses before it’s too late.  Like today’s illegitimate show trials seen in Tehran, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad won’t stop enriching uranium until the mullahs are forced to back down.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Charisma.