Iranian 'Blogfather' Hossein Derakhshan has been arrested on the charge of spying for Israel. This is just one more example of the fear that bloggers are able to instill in governments that have been used to being able to control and restrict the information reaching its public. New develepments in electronic media make it more and more difficult to limit the sharing of knowledge within a nation and between peoples globally. This breaks down the state monopoly on knowledge and the power that this affords them.

Hossein Derakhshan was based in London after spending several years in Canada and had returned to live in Iran a few weeks ago. In 2006 he had made a trip to Israel; his aim was to show his “20,000 daily Iranian readers what Israel really looks like and how people live there”.

The eternal debate continues. Should Bush bomb Iran before he leaves office? Will he do it? Of course not - But . . . ah well we'll see.

But one thing's for sure - there are plenty of people eager that he should do it.

Numerous questions remain concerning who will and will not stand in next the Iranian presidential elections in June 2009. The players seem reluctant to show their moves too early, in fear of losing face. However, it seems one key player is being given a possible way out. Ahmadinejad, who is facing increasingly hostile criticism for the way he has handled the Iranian economy and foreign policy, is thought to be suffering from ill health. As his supporters fall away, the once rarely challenged assumption that Ahmadinejad would win a second term as president is collapsing. The announcement about his ill-health comes as doubts are raised as to whether Ahmadinejad will even stand for re-election.

Iran is becoming a dangerous place for students and academics coming from abroad. Esha Momeni, an Iranian-American from Los Angeles, went to Iran to conduct research on women's rights in Iran. She was arrested on 15th October. It is thought she is being held in Evin prison near Tehran, which is where political activists are held. Last year Mrs. Haleh Esfandiari, a prominent Iranian-American academic working at the Wilson Woodrow Centre’s Middle East Programme, was also arrested. She too was taken to Evin prison. Not only is the Iranian government suspicious of foriegn academics, but also those based in Iran whose arrests receive less publicity. Kian Tajbakhsh, a prominent social scientist, and Dr. Mahmoud Sariolghalam were both arrested in 2007 without formal charges.

So Laragani is in Bahrain trying to sooth the fears of Iran's little brother. Curious though if Bahrian is the first place in the firing line for collateral damage should the USA go to war with Iran.

23 October, 2008: Visiting Iranian Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani said here Wednesday Iran was ready to provide adequate security and economic guarantees to Gulf countries.Tehran seeks to forge bonds of rapprochement and understanding with other countries, particularly Gulf ones, Larijani told a news conference at the wrapping-up of his current visit to Bahrain.

So there's trouble again in Iran. Curious what a quiet summer it was. But I suppose the Basiji can't keep the lid on things for ever.

Iran's head of the Islamic Assembly, Ali Larijani was jeered and heckled by Shiraz university students at the Fajr Hall yesterday, where he was invited to speak by the hardline students. Herasat (Informers) agents at the university as well intelligence ministry operators were there in large numbers and had declared no placards or mobile phones were allowed to be carried into the hall. Everyone was searched before being allowed in. Once the students entered the hall, they saw Baseej students who had already occupied the front seats.

Iran will enrich uranium whether it needs it or not - For what reason? Because of hubris. That's about the shape of it.

Iran will not stop uranium enrichment even if it is guaranteed supplies of nuclear fuel from abroad, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said yesterday. Iran's Ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, was quoted as saying on Thursday in Brussels that Iran would consider renouncing enrichment if it was assured of fuel supplies from abroad.

Meir Javadanfar is concerned at the way Iran has avoided more sanctions. Shape of things to come though. There are few brakes evident on Iran's ambitions

The Iranian government has managed to weather another set of sanction from the UN. This is despite Ahmadinejad’s speech at the UN General Assembly, which was anti Western and anti- semitic.

Larajani is getting his nickers in a twist about the inefectual UN Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program. He should be overjoyed. Had it not been for that little encounter between the USA and Russia over Georgia, there would have been something for him to beef about.

Iranian shura council "Majlis" Speaker Ali Larijani said on Sunday the Security Council is expected to retain its dignity rather than be a vehicle for United States foreign policy. Larijani said that the Security Council has damaged its prestige by highlighting a technical dispute between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea).

Now they come out with the fact that Vevak - Iran's security service - has an extensive network of agents. This is news? Where have they been? Iran boasts a good secret service - one of the best in the world - certainly far superior to that of many Western Nations - with a good network of agents in the Arabian Gulf, the USA, Lebanon and Syria.

Iran runs a network of agents in the six Arab monarchies of the Gulf that could be used to destabilise the region, a senior defector charged in an interview published in Dubai on Monday.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Mossad thinks that the USA may bomb Iran. Such dreamers. No way Hosea. It is just not going to happen. Israel though - well if Mofaz wins don't rule it out. If there is a second round of voting (as seems likely) then it will be September 25th when the final internal poll takes place and we are told whether Leevni, Shitrit, Dichter or Mafaz has become premier of Israel. Then we'll know better how likely war is.

Bergman writes that the Mossad's assessment, as of May this year, is that President George W. Bush, "out of religious and ideological motives, will order a strike."

Woman facing imminent stoning in Iran

Dear EWL members,

We have been alerted that a woman, Kobra Najjar, is facing execution by stoning as punishment for adultery, after having been forced by her husband to enter into prostitution. Adultery is criminalised in the Penal Code of Iran, and is the only crime in the penal code that proscribes stoning as punishment.

EWL calls its members to take action in order to stop the stoning of Kobra Najjar and others in her situation, and call for her immediate release.

With this sentence of stoning as punishment for adultery, and similar verdicts, Iran is in breach of international human rights law. This explicitly concern obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (art. 7), and states that “In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes”.(art. 6.2)

For more information and background about this action: http://equalitynow.org/english/actions/action_2902_en.html.

At the EWL Secretariat, we have sent a letter to the Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Head of the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice in Iran, calling for the immediate release of Kobra Najjar; for the end of stoning as punishment for adultery, and for a review of Iranian legislation to remove regulations and provisions that discriminate against women. The following link provides some contact information: http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/Iran/Iran.html.

Iran is getting nervous about the prospects of a US attack and coming out with melodramatic statements on the possibility of Worl War. I don't think those ideas are credible. I am doubtful anyone will bomb Iran. She has too much potential to cause trouble in the Middle East. Last night, here in Gaza, I watched as 800 Islamic Jihad gunmen paraded. They were being filmed by Press TV from Iran. And they regard Iran as their best friend in the world at large. What these men would do if Israel and / or the USA bombed Iran might not mark the end of the world. But it would certainly be disturbing.

"Any aggression against Iran will start a world war," deputy chief of staff for defence publicity, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, said in a statement carried by the state news agency Irna.

Writing from Gaza - people here regard Iran and the UAE as the only countries still really supporting them. Meanwhile Israelis are much concerned by the hardline rhetoric from Tehran. Particularly over the missiles they are now building. The comment by the new Revolutionary Guard Chief is regarded as particularly provocative.

Iran could hit back with missiles if Israel attacked it and could also rely on allies in the region to strike, the commander of the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday.