Imprisoned American-Iranian scholar Haleh Esfandiari was recently shown on Iranian television making an apparently coerced confession. Her daughter writes in the
Washington Post:
The program . . . was supposed to show Iran and ostensibly the world my mother's complicity in a plan to undermine the Islamic Republic using, of all things, female activists and academics. But the footage turned out to be a typical secret police job of deception, vicious in intent yet clumsily contrived.
(The Guardian's charming title for an article about the confessions was "
US academics admit aiding Iran democracy drive.") "In the Name of Democracy" is a
phrase from Esfandiari's statement that was used as the title for the television program. This IRIB article, interestingly and typically, does not mention Esfandiari and two other supposed conspirators by name:
Interim Friday Prayer leader of Tehran Ayatollah Sayed Ahmad Khatami said on Friday in his second sermon confessions of three American agents proved Washington is after launching soft and velvet coups not only in Iran, but also in many other countries.
From here until the end the original article is in boldface.
According to IRNA Political Desk reporter from central campus of Tehran University, addressing thousands of Tehrani worshipers, this week's Friday preacher of Tehran added, "This policy has worked in some countries, but in Iran, it has faced defeat, just like the other failed American policies on Iran."
Khatami reiterated, "In order to pursue its interferences in independent countries of the world, the American officials always backs up the process of soft coups, resorting to promotion of Western culture in so-called civil societies, creation of gaps be tween the nations and their governments through crisis generation and systematic activities of certain individuals, and launching psychological wars."
He added, "Then in the long run, taking full advantage of the press, mass media, and intellectual circles, and launching feminist campaigns, they try to reap the fruits of their vast scale efforts."
Pointing out that getting involved in such broad activities aimed at interference in foreign countries costs millions of dollars, he once again referred to the confessions of the arrested American agents in Iran, arguing, "Those confessions have enraged the country's statesmen and press, prompting them to react angrily."
Ayatollah Khatami reiterated, "During the past fifty years the American officials has directly or indirectly interfered in the internal affairs of 25 countries of the world militarily, and the funny thing is that Washington also claims it is after the establishment of democracy throughout the world."
Member of the Leadership Assembly of Experts highlighted the Islamic Republic of Iran's role in preserving stability and security in the Middle East region, adding, "Iran's policies regarding Iraq have always been aimed at promoting security measures there and serving the oppressed Iraqi nation, and yet America has always, resorting to fake pretexts, been accusing Iran of interference in Iraq's affairs."
He added, "The American officials policy in Iraq today is aimed at bringing the Ba'th Party back to power, and fueling the flames of tribal and sectarian wars there."
Elsewhere in his second sermon, Ayatollah Khatami referring to the Palestine issue, said, "In Palestine, the government and parliament took shape relying on people's votes, but you noticed how the oppressive powers treated that government and that parliament."
He added, "Now the world nations know very well that the only matter about which America does not care about the slightest bit is establishment of democracy, and that at the peak of that country's ideals there is exertion of America hegemony in as many independent countries in the world, as possible. [...]
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