"Egyptian election results deepen Israeli fears" (AP)

A sentence:

Some of the fears — for example, that an Islamist-led government in Egypt would mold itself in Iran's image — may be overblown. Iran's clerical rule is unique in the Middle East, and the Muslim Brotherhood stresses the idea of a theocracy has no place in its ideology.

Theocracy itself is not what is unique about Iran.

"US spy drone shot down in eastern Iran" (IRNA)

Here is the IRNA English version of this story:

A US spy drone was shot down by Iranian armed forces in east of the country, said an informed military official Sunday.

He noted that the unmanned craft is of the type ‘RQ170’ which was slightly damaged is currently in the hands of the Iranian forces.

Armed forces with a dominant control over the country’s borders managed to indentify and down the invading plane.

Stating that this is a clear example of aggression on Iran’s borders, he added that Iranian armed forces are fully ready to counter any aggression.

According to Ynet (h/t: Israel Matzav):

"The Iranian military's response to the American spy drone's violation of our airspace will not be limited to Iran's borders any more," Iran's Arabic language Al Alam television quoted the military source as saying, without giving details.

PressTV demonstrates perils of abandoning "enforced impartiality" (Guardian)

This is a real muddle. PressTV somehow gets past Britain's broadcasting code in the name of diversity while Fox, if I follow correctly, does not make it onto the air in the name of something called "enforced impartiality." The author is upset about PressTV but he feels that "Enforced impartiality in broadcasting, however, is still a cause that is worth defending . . . " My head hurts.

"Iran to Send New Living Creatures into Space" (Fars News-Iran)

"Probably mice"? They don't have it totally figured out yet:

Iranian scientists plan to send a second biocapsule of living creatures, probably mice, into the space, an academic revealed on Sunday without giving any specific date for the launch.

"The plan for sending living creature into space was approved and it is waiting for a final approval," Mansour Kabkanian, a professor at Tehran's Amirkabir University, said on Sunday.

"After the final approval, the plan for sending living creatures into space will be implemented," he said, adding that the country plans to send the living creatures to the altitude of 300km below the 70 degrees orbit.

Kabkanian also mentioned that Iranian scientists have proposed sending mice into space since they are stronger and more resistant than other mammals.

Also earlier this year, Head of Iran's Space Agency renewed his promise that Iran would send a live monkey into space.

"One cannot give a set date for this project and as soon as our nation's scientists announce the readiness (of the project) it will be announced," said Hamid Fazeli in October.

Fazeli had said in mid-June that Iran plans to launch a Kavoshgar-5 rocket with a 285-kilogram capsule carrying a monkey to an altitude of 120 kilometers (74 miles)."

"Our scientists are exerting continuous efforts on this project... our colleagues are busy with empirical studies and sub-system testing of this project so it is a success," he said.

In mid-March, Iran's space organization announced the launch of the Kavoshgar-4 rocket carrying a test capsule designed to house the monkey.

The capsule had been unveiled in February by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, along with four new prototypes of home-built satellites the country hopes to launch before March 2012.

At the time, Fazeli called the launch of a large animal into space as the first step towards sending a man into space, which Tehran says is scheduled for 2020.

Iran has already sent small animals into space - a rat, turtles and worms - aboard a capsule carried by its Kavoshgar-3 rocket in 2010. [...]

And they came back alive?

"Islamist success is democracy at work: Egypt's Moussa" (Reuters)

As you probably already know, Islamists got a majority of the votes in the Egyptian election since the Salafis participated in the election and also got a significant number of votes. It looks so bad that Reuters seems oddly conflicted in its attempt to give it a positive spin. We're just going to sample the first sentence:

Amr Moussa, a front-runner for Egypt's presidency, said on Sunday the strong Islamist showing in the first parliamentary election since army generals replaced Hosni Mubarak in February had to be swallowed as democracy in action.

Who came up with that swallowing image: Moussa or Reuters?

US Ambassador to Belgium on anti-Semitism

This is getting attention currently. Here is the key paragraph:

A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Gutman said. He also argued that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism.

I don't know what is worse, the ignorance or the tendency to blame Israel. It is true that Arabs and Muslims are disseminating anti-Semitic propaganda as part of the conflict. This propaganda draws on "traditional" Western anti-Semitic patterns, themes, and texts, as well as the "traditional anti-Semitism" that the Muslim world pretty obviously harbors on its own, such as the "rocks and trees" hadith that appears in the Hamas charter and in Yusuf Qaradawi harangues.

A peace treaty might eventually eliminate some of the milder incitement and it might appease some of the more moderate leftists--and that's making the questionable assumption that the conflict would abate at all. More immediately, a peace treaty would also provide a grand occasion for Muslim and Arab anti-Semites to denounce the peace treaty itself as the latest and greatest Zionist plot. The backwardness that makes the Arab and Muslim world susceptible to demagogues and conspiracy theorists is not going away any time soon. In fact, the success of Islamist parties in recent elections suggests that the problem is going to get worse before it gets better.

"Occupy Wall Street to Become Major Challenge to US Administration" (Fars News--Iran)

Notice the reference to "Huffpost":

A senior Iranian legislator said on Saturday that the Occupy Wall Street Movement will move ahead despite the US police's heavy clampdown on protesters and will turn into a major challenge for Washington in the near future.

"Some analysts claimed that the Wall Street protest movement would not endure the test of time and was a transient movement, but facts on the ground show that this is a continuous movement risen from the bottom of the US society and it is not a movement that the US statesmen can control or mange in the short run," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Zohreh Elahian told FNA on Saturday.

"We predict that this movement with its current dimensions will become a major challenge for the US administration," Elahian added.

She added that the US police cannot control the movement through violence as they have done to the other protests and movements in recent years.

In New York, where the movement began when protesters set up a makeshift camp in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 17, police have arrested hundreds of people during demonstrations against corporate greed. Yet, organizers said the protest will grow to other cities and will continue to the end of the capitalist system.

Observers said that the Occupy Wall Street Movement has already sent shockwaves through established centers of power all over the world, and if further actions continue and spread they may soon begin to elude the coercive mechanisms designed to hold them in check.

Meantime, the United Nations envoy for freedom of expression is drafting an official communication to the US government demanding to know why federal officials are not protecting the rights of Occupy demonstrators whose protests are being disbanded violently by local authorities.

Frank La Rue, who serves as the UN "special rapporteur" for the protection of free expression, told HuffPost in an interview that the crackdowns against Occupy protesters appear to be violating their human and constitutional rights. [...]

Ahmadinejad: We will dissolve you with our thoughts

I certainly agree that Ahmadinejad's thoughts are mind-melting:

Iranians are not after weapons as they are men and women of "logic" and "culture" and would dissolve enemies by their culture and thoughts, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in response to the US and Israeli allegations about Iran's nuclear program.

"Iranians will dissolve you by their culture, thoughts and logic," Ahmadinejad said.

He made the remarks at a ceremony to unveil a collection of 18 ancient Iranian artworks which were returned to the country by Britain where they had been smuggled and were to be put on auction.

He said that the West and enemies of the Iranian nation who lack a rich and proper historical background are against any move to introduce the history and civilization of the great Iranian nation.

"They know when a nation loses its identity, it is easily influence by their plots," he added.

Yet, Ahmadinejad underscored that the hegemonic powers are unable to undermine and destroy the Iranian nation's historical and civilization roots and origins. [...]

Update on the Islam-insulting toy gun story

You may remember my blogging a PressTV article concerning Chinese-manufactured toy guns that make "insulting anti-Islam sounds." We did not learn at the time what those invidious sounds were. Now, however, thanks to EOZ, the awful truth is revealed.

Angry Arab, anti-Zionism, and anti-Semitism

I am sometimes asked in the comments why I take notice of Angry Arab at all. He is actually useful in some ways for thinking about the relationship of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. Case in point: a post with title "Disgrace unto the nations," a title which AA uses quite often. The body of the post, "How Israel stigmatizes and mistreats AIDS sufferers," is the title of a Ha'aretz article which is quite scathing on the subject of the care given to AIDS patients in Israel and their general place in society, exactly what you would guess from the title. People who call themselves "anti-Zionist" often complain that they are falsely accused of anti-Semitism as part of a ploy which Israel's supporters use to silence its critics. But the author of the AIDS article will never be called an anti-Semite although he is being harshly critical. Maybe he is overstating his case and maybe he isn't, but he writes as if he wants Israel to do something well which in his opinion it is currently doing badly. Angry Arab, by contrast, wants to harm Israel's interests in any way he can. People who would simply call him an "anti-Semite" are being a bit inarticulate, perhaps, but they are not trying to silence criticism of Israel. In the case of Angry Arab and others of his ilk, there is, in fact, no criticism (in the normal sense) to silence.

The non-existent explosion in Isfahan damaged the nuke facility

From The Times (UK) via The Australian:

[...] Satellite imagery seen by The Times confirmed that a blast that rocked the city of Isfahan on Monday struck the uranium enrichment facility there, despite denials by Tehran.

The images clearly showed billowing smoke and destruction, negating Iranian claims yesterday that no such explosion had taken place. Israeli intelligence officials told The Times that there was "no doubt" that the blast struck the nuclear facilities at Isfahan and that it was "no accident". [...]

Don't ask me who is responsible. Even the aliens who have been monitoring the Earth for centuries are pleased.

Update: Perhaps the Isfahan explosion was actually at an airforce base. See here.

"Rodong Sinmun Calls for Keeping Keyed-up Attitude to Advance Surge"

Note to newcomers to Juche-oriented blogging: North Korea has the most howlingly insane totalitarian propaganda in the world. Nobody comes remotely close. If you can somehow manage to get through all eight paragraphs of this article, you wont have the same view of world events that you had before:

All the party members and other working people should maintain the keyed-up attitude to accelerate the on-going advance of a great surge for final victory by resolutely shattering the military provocations of the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean group of traitors. Rodong Sinmun Tuesday says this in an editorial.

It is the revolutionary temperament of the army and people of the DPRK to effect a great surge in socialist construction while keeping themselves fully combat ready to cope with the enemies' reckless provocations and war moves, the editorial says, and goes on:

The U.S. imperialists and the south Korean group of traitors are going on the rampage, escalating confrontation with the DPRK, oblivious of the lesson taught by the Yonphyong Island shelling. This situation requires the party members and other working people to live and work in more alert and mobilized posture than ever before.

The building of a thriving nation is militarily guaranteed and the advance of the great surge is being dynamically pushed forward thanks to the key role of the Korean People's Army. The reality convinces the people of victory and reinforces their optimism.

All the servicepersons and people live and work in the revolutionary soldier spirit, united close around the headquarters of the revolution. Herein lies the tremendous politico-ideological might and invincible spirit of Songun Korea.

"Return retaliation for retaliation, all-out war for all-out war!" This is the invariable will of the army and people of the DPRK.

The DPRK is determined to continue socialist construction till midnight even though a war is supposed to break out the next day and mercilessly destroy the aggressors through the heroic death-defying battle involving party, army and the people. If the enemies dare hurt the dignity of the DPRK and fire even a single shell or bullet into its inviolable sea, air and land, it will make the flame on Yonphyong Island to flare up into roaring flames in Chongwadae and the stronghold of the group of traitors.

No force on earth can overwhelm the might of the single-minded unity of the servicepersons and people united close around the headquarters of the revolution. All of them should bring about a great surge in every worksite with matchless bravery and high spirit of annihilating the enemy following the flame kindled in South Hamgyong Province.

Hear that, pig farmers and fertilizer workers? You have to top all your previous great surges.

Ready-Pac recall

Lots of people who keep kosher buy Ready-Pac salad bags. In case you do, here is info on a recent recall.

"Galloway: Syria pressured over resistance stance" (IRIB)

Khomeinist Stoogery:

Former British MP George Galloway on Tuesday said that President Bashar al-Assad wants reform and change to meet the aspirations of his people.

In an interview with al-Manar Channel, Galloway said, "They are trying to pressure Syria and President al-Assad because of the good things that he did such as supporting Palestinian and Lebanese resistance and rejecting to surrender to 'Israel'.

He stressed that Israel is the only side who has interests in the assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri.

Concerning the Life Artery 6th Campaign to support Gaza, Galloway said that the Viva Palestine 6th will be launched from all over the world and that they will try to enter places controlled by Israel.

He pointed out that 17 countries will take part in the campaign which will be the largest ever under the title of "The Return" campaign.

And that's Khomeinist stoogery, too.

"Imperialist UK, based on crushing nations: Iran Supreme Leader" (ISNA)

You tell those Brits, Supreme Big Guy!

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali khamenei said Britain has a history of humiliating nations, destroying cultural and civilization heritage and taking control of their resources.

Addressing Iranian naval commanders on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei said British imperialists are known to convince nations of their ineptitude in order to dominate their resources.

"During the Ghajar and Pahlavi dynasties the country's officials were helpless in the face of the demands of domineering powers … but the Islamic Revolution gifted Iran dignity," the IR Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei added that the sense of self-respect that Iran gained because of the Islamic Revolution resulted in the country "single-handedly standing up to the biggest arrogant [powers] and imperialists and crushing their will."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that feeling weak in front of the enemy will prevent nations from progress.

"Students are Awake and Hate Britain" (Fars)

Fars has 6 or so articles at the moment about the embassy storming. Here is most of the first:

Hundreds of Iranian university students started a rally in front of the British embassy in Tehran Tuesday afternoon to shout protest against London's hostile policies against Iran.

"Down with Britain", "Down with America", "Down with Israel" and "Students are Awake and Hate Britain" are among the slogans chanted by the protestors.

Protesters who carried photographs of Iran's assassinated nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari and IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani, set fire on Britain's flag.

The rally comes as Iran is commemorating the first martyrdom anniversary of its nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari who was assassinated by the Israeli Mossad agency supported by the British MI6.

Protesters are demanding a full cut of ties with Britain.

The Iranian parliament approved a downgrading of ties with Britain on Sunday. The Iranian legislators approved the bill with 179 yes votes, 4 oppositions and 11 abstentions. The 4 oppositions demanded a full cut of ties with London.

The Guardian Council - a powerful vetting body tasked with studying parliament approvals to make sure they are not against Islamic rules and the Constitution - announced its approval over the parliament ratification yesterday.

As the parliament approval calls for downgrading ambassadorial ties with Britain to the level of charge d'affaires, Tehran is now preparing to expel the British Ambassador to Iran Dominick Chilcott. [...]

Fars helpfully numbers these articles. Headline #5: "Police Frees 6 British Staff Member in Qolhak Garden":

The Iranian Law Enforcement Police rescued 6 British staff members in the Qolhak Garden in Northern Tehran, after the protesters raided the orchid and started a sit-in.

FNA dispatches said police could repel the protesters and free the 6 staff members who were surrounded by the protesting students.

Our dispatches also said that students are forced by the police to leave the orchid. [...]

Headline #6: "Police Intensify Clampdown on Embassy Occupiers, Shoot Tear Gas to Disperse Protesters":

Tehran's Law Enforcement Police clashed with protesters and dispersed them with tear gas.

Our evening dispatches from the scene of protests in front of the British embassy compound in Central Tehran said police clashed with the protesting students who occupied the embassy building.

A number of protesters have been wounded during the clashes while police troops are exerting power to force them out of the embassy compound.

One of wounded protesters is reportedly in critical health conditions.

FNA dispatches also said that a number of the police troopers have been injured in the clashes. [...]

So maybe it was an actual spontaneous demonstration after all? Or a government-sponsored one that got out of hand? Or the whole thing is totally choreographed and they thought a police-student clash with injuries added corroborative verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative? Don't ask me.

Ha'aretz, citing Fars: "Explosion rocks Iran city of Isfahan" PressTV: "No explosion in Isfahan"

There was an explosion or there wasn't. Ha'aretz:

An explosion rocked the western Iranian city of Isfahan on Monday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, adding that the blast was heard in several parts of the city. [...] Speaking to an Iranian news website, the government of Isfahan said that the explosion occurred as a result of a military drill, denying reports that the blast was somehow related to the nearby nuclear facility. [...]

However, according to PressTV:

A top Iranian official has rejected media reports about an explosion being heard in the central city of Isfahan.

Mohammad-Mehdi Ismaili, Isfahan governor's political and security deputy, said on Monday that report was completely baseless and fabricated, IRNA reported.

He added that the Isfahan governor would follow up on the report.

Ismaili made the remarks after certain media outlets reported that a powerful blast had been heard in Isfahan on Monday afternoon.

An official from Isfahan emergency services, Masoud Anayeb, rejected the report as well, saying that there have been no reports of an explosion in the city.

Actually, there were no news reports mentioning an explosion at all. In fact, explosions don't exist.

Will smashed

If you ask me, we smashed our own will:

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei praised the Iranian nation for their resistance against enemies, and said Iran has stood up to the arrogant and colonialist powers alone and smashed their will.

"The Islamic Revolution granted honor to the nation and the country's officials and due to the very same honor and self-esteem, Iran has stood up against the will of the biggest arrogant and colonialist powers alone and shattered their resolve," Ayatollah Khamenei said addressing a meeting with the Iranian Navy commanders and officials on the occasion of the national Navy Day.

Reiterating that the Islamic Revolution has granted a high level of honor and self-esteem to the Iranian nation and officials, the Leader reminded that before the revolution, the colonialist powers, specially Britain, had long sought to make the Iranian nation forget its civilization roots and heritage in a move to inspire them with the idea that they were unable to do anything and needed the colonialist powers.

"At the time of the Qajar and specially the Pahlavi dynasties, the country's officials were too weak," he said, and cautioned "when a nation feels weak against an enemy, it cannot do anything".

"But the Islamic Revolution gifted honor to Iran and everyone should appreciate this honor," the Leader reiterated. [...]

Weapons of the resistance steadfastly and vigilantly fired at Zionist entity

Ha'aretz:

At least four Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel on Monday night. The Israel Defense Forces responded soon after, firing a number of artillery shells at "the source of fire," in southern Lebanon. There were no injuries, but some building sustained damage. At this time fire fighters are still combating the blaze caused by the rockets. [...]

AFP: "Hamas to focus on popular resistance" PIC: "The popular resistance is no substitute for the armed resistance"

AFP two days ago:

Hamas is looking to focus its energies on popular resistance without giving up its right to wage armed struggle against Israel, the Islamist movement's leader Khaled Meshaal told AFP in an interview.

"Every people has the right to fight against occupation in every way, with weapons or otherwise. But at the moment, we want to cooperate with the popular resistance," the group's Damascus-based leader said in the interview late on Thursday.

"We believe in armed resistance but popular resistance is a programme which is common to all the factions," he said. [...]

According to Palestine Information Center, however:

Member of Hamas's political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq said there was an understanding between his Movement and Fatah faction on the importance of the popular resistance, but this would not be at the expense of the armed resistance or replace it.

"The armed resistance is Hamas's unchangeable and uncompromisable program, and Hamas will remain adherent to the resistance of all forms including the armed one. It is the legitimate right of our people and all peoples under occupation," Resheq stated in a press release on Saturday.

The Hamas official also said that Hamas and Fatah along with other Palestinian factions will set the appropriate mechanisms to activate and expand the popular resistance as a kind of resistance against the occupation, the settlement and the apartheid wall.

The popular resistance is a kind of mobilizing other efforts to stand alongside the armed resistance against the Israeli occupation, he added.

I don't think Israel should provide any services to the new unified Fatah-Hamas entity.