Assassinations Boosting Nuclear Program

Killing nuclear scientists pushes people to side with military regime

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Assassinations Boosting Nuclear Program
by Omid Memarian
13-Jan-2012
 

The suspected assassination of yet another scientist linked to Iran’s nuclear program is renewing questions over whether such attempts will slow enrichment efforts, or push Iranian leaders to more aggressively pursue their nuclear ambitions.

But how is all this playing out in Iran?

On Wednesday, a Tehran bomb blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who served as deputy director of commercial affairs at the Natanz nuclear facility. According to official Iranian media, a man on a motorcycle stuck a magnetic bomb to Roshan’s car as the 32-year-old was leaving his home. Two men who were accompanying Roshan were also injured in the blast. It marks the seventh attempt on the lives of Iran’s nuclear-program employees and the sixth death.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton “categorically denied any U.S. involvement in any act of violence in Iran. “The United States had absolutely nothing to do with this,” stated Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

Iranian officials immediately pointed the finger at the U.S. and Israel. Just two months ago, when a deadly explosion at an Iranian missile complex caused the death of a top Iran commander and 16 others, a number of analysts did not rule out the possibility of foreign involvement and sabotage.

“Today on the nuclear energy scene, [the] U.S. and Zionism have chosen the lowest methods of blind assassination of our nuclear scientists, and think that with assassinating these scientists and making them martyrs they can prevent our nuclear advancement,” Rostam Ghasemi, Iran’s oil minister and a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said Thursday. “The martyrdom of our nuclear scientists leads to further commitment of our people and scientists to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“I think the assassination of an Iranian citizen is a blatant act of terrorism perpetuated by experts in targeted assassinations, and it has to be categorically denounced,” Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University told The Daily Beast. “These scientists are national treasures. This is an egregious act of violation of many different rights, to infiltrate into a sovereign state and to assassinate its citizens.”

“The United Nations has to intervene. Any civilized country has to intervene. And the [Israelis] claim to be the only democracy in the region?! That’s insane!,” he added.

In the U.S., killing Iranian scientists in order to slow down Iran’s nuclear program has been a strategy advocated by a number of Republican presidential candidates.

At a campaign event in October, Rick Santorum endorsed the idea. “On occasion, scientists working on the nuclear program in Iran turn up dead. I think that’s a wonderful thing, candidly.” Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has also approved of the killing of Iranian scientists. But how might it affect Iran’s nuclear program?

“I don’t believe a program on such a large scale as Iran’s nuclear program is eliminated or slowed down as a result of the elimination of some individuals,” Gholamhossein Karbaschi, the former Tehran mayor and a close ally of reformist leader Mehdi Karroubi, told The Daily Beast. “It does have a psychological effect, but it will not have an impact in the nuclear program itself. Its psychological effect is not favorable, either, as people hate the perpetrators.”

“However way you look at terror, people hate it, no matter where in the world it happens, especially if an innocent young individual suffers this fate. This is what people oppose vehemently,” Karbaschi added.

A journalist in Tehran told The Daily Beast under the condition of anonymity that he was shocked when he heard news of the assassination. “When I talk to people, they feel insulted that a foreign state would come and murder an Iranian citizen to cheers and nods from others,” he said. “These assassinations are a great gift to the Iranian government and military, who can now push their agendas forward with them. The Iranian government could not be helped any better; it can now present its nuclear program as legitimate and to cry foul.”

Mohsen Sazegara, an influential opposition figure based in Washington who has advocated civil disobedience against the Iranian government, said that although American, British, and Israeli authorities deny any involvement in these operations, Tehran considers sabotage and the assassinations acts of Western intelligence services and Israel’s Mossad. He said such incidents are very telling about Iran.

“Observing all of this, more than anything else, Iranian people see the Iranian intelligence apparatus’s weakness,” said Sazegara. “The same Intelligence Ministry and [Revolutionary Guards] that on a daily basis arrest and suppress workers, teachers, students, journalists, and different groups of the society, are incapable of protecting top-secret facilities and their employees.”

First published in DailyBeast.com.

AUTHOR
Omid Memarian is columnist whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle and other publications. He was a World Peace Fellow at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in 2007-2009 and the 2005 recipient of the 'Human Rights Defender Award', the highest honor bestowed by Human Rights Watch.

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iraj khan

Enter "The Anonymous" hackers challenging Israel's killing of

by iraj khan on

Iranian scientist.

An online skirmish between pro- and anti-Israeli hackers has escalated following the death of Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, the Iranian nuclear scientist who was

Now, Anonymous has weighed in. Yesterday former LulzSec leader and outspoken Anonymous member Sabu called for hackers to attack Israel in revenge for the death of Ahmadi-Roshan. He later retweeted a message from another Anonymous Twitter account dubbed FuryOfAnon with what he claimed were the internet protocol (IP) addresses and login information for Israeli SCADA systems.

//www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/01/an-online-skirmish-between-pro.html


Souri

To Roozbeh

by Souri on

It is as simple as this: Ice cream is neither Ice nor Cream!

You can use a mulitple of words, which are not bad by themselves, but putting together, will make a sense , wich could be worse than an attack or insult.


anglophile

چون تیغ به دست آری ، مردم نتوان کشت

anglophile


گفتا که کِرا کشتی تا کشته شدی زار؟

تا باز که او را بکشد، آنکه تو را کشت


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

RG True, True

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

According to many online news sources he was a member of basij, I thought he was just an academic because I read that somewhere.   Many other sites say he was, so its likely, not sure how one would verify 100%  unless the basij has a site of its own and announces it.

//www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?I...

//www.yourmiddleeast.com/news/scientist-kille...

//www.dawn.com/2012/01/12/n-scientist-killed-...

//www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/691848/...


پندارنیک

Test your logical skills too

by پندارنیک on

"The shortsightedness about the logical consequence of the position", more often than not reflects shared moral principles................


Roozbeh_Gilani

Souri: Re "both"

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

No,no, no missy! dont try avoiding my simple questions in response to your own disgraceful, out of context,  personal attack on a bunch of folks here!

Here, the  questions for you, again,  in plain and simple english:

a) I say he was a Bassiji. Suri: Do you agree or disagree?

b) I say his head was blown to pieces: Souri: Do you agree or disagree.

 simple enough I would say unless as suggested by others you are more confused these days than you usualy are...

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


Ari Siletz

Souri

by Ari Siletz on

We think alike regarding the frame of mind of that finds terrorism
justifiable. Arguments in favor of Mr. Roshan's
murder also challenge the moral argument against the 9-11 attack or
Hamas' terrorism. I hope this has only to do with shortsightedness about
the logical consequence of the position, and does not reflect shared
moral principles with terrorists. 


anglophile

That's right OY jan

by anglophile on

He used to play the "tonbak" and his "noucheh" would dance to his rythm. Kind of like Mosaddegh and his JM cronies LOL


Fesenjoon2

Yes, Really souri

by Fesenjoon2 on

I do know more than you.

And don't think you can lecture me about morals. Keep your judgments to yourself. Cuz you have no F***ing clue what morality means. I'd piss on these basijis ANY DAY. 


default

Souri, how did I get on your list?

by Hooshang Tarreh-Gol on

I don't even have a single comment on this blog. Are you in a good mode?


Oon Yaroo

"morshed" Mosaddegh?!!... That's funny, Anglophile Jaan!!!!

by Oon Yaroo on

I have heard Dr. Mosaddegh being called many things but "morshed!?"

Is "morshed" the guy who plays a big drum (deeg)  and the bell in a zoorkhaneh!?

Thanks!


Souri

One word to you!

by Souri on

You guys (the whole bunch who is cheering the assassination of this man) like Roozbeh, Fred, Hooshang, Fesenjoon, .......etc etc!

You are worse than those Bassijis! The only difference is that you are not in power , yet! 

And I wish for the benefits of Iran and Iranans, that you will never reach to that position.


Faramarz

Roozbeh Jaan

by Faramarz on

Souri has been in a bad mood lately!

It is that harsh winter of discontent in North East Canada where the arctic winds blow on the frozen tundra!

You Southern Californians just cannot relate to it.

But when spring comes in June or early July and the snow melts and the little creeks flow and the white flowers blossom, she will be fine!


Souri

Really?

by Souri on

Fesenjoon2

How did you get this vital information? Are you a spy? Do your friends work for Israel ? Do they have access to all these secret information?

How come we have't heard his name, before that terror? 


Souri

Both!

by Souri on

Ihis is not only about the words you use, it's about "how" you describe an assassination!

It seems that you are enjoying that a "bassiji" 's head was "blown to bits!"

You guys, show such a joyful reaction to the assassination of that man, it is unbearable! You don't even know him! Just because the IRI call him an ex-basiji, doesn't mean he has killed someone yet.

And even if this was the case, I wouldn't enjoy his killing in this way.

This is how  a dangerous mind enjoy the killing and assassination of others, Roozbeh.


Fesenjoon2

They should kill the rest of the scientists too

by Fesenjoon2 on

As a supervisor at the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan was engaged in building a nuclear bomb in violation of four binding U.N. Security Council resolutions.

He deserved it, and so do others who help arm the rapist soldiers of the pedophile ayatollahs. 


Roozbeh_Gilani

Souri: which bit of my statement , you dispute?

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

a) that he was a bassiji

b) that his head was blown to bits?

 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


anglophile

Iraj khan - too little too late

by anglophile on

  Where was Baynieh Jebeh Melli when when "Fadaeeyan Elsam" were killing their victims to pave the way for their "morshed" Mosaddegh?!!   Pull the other one bro - LOL

Souri

Roozbeh Gilani is even worse than Fred and Co!

by Souri on

Look what he wrote here:

"after the bassiji's head was blown to bits"

Wow, this is horrible!! Thanks God Roozbeh, you are only a cyber fighter. Imagine if one day you will get the control in the government?

In fact i would better stay away from you. You sound as such a  dangerous mind!


Roozbeh_Gilani

a wishful thinking, and a good lesson :)....

by Roozbeh_Gilani on

I dont know if this blog was written before or after the bassiji's head was blown to bits as the result of the terrorist attack. But it was certainly the fascist Regime's wishful thinking, to rally some sympathy towrds itself and it's hated, murderous mercenaries at basij Militia , while plotting this yet another act of terrorism to kill this so called "scientist" as the sacrificial lamb.

The reaction from Iranian people (ignoring the hysterical screams of  a bunch of it's  cyber mercenaries...) is proving to be quite the opposite indeed from what the regime hoped for.... 

So let this be a good lesson, for the Fascist regime's  leadership, not to count on "people rallying behind it" in case it succeeded in provoking a military attack on our beloved country Iran...

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."


iraj khan

بیانیه جبهه ملی ایران در محکومیت قتلهای دانشمندان هسته ای ایران

iraj khan


جبهه ملی ایران - آمریکا و اروپا ترور دانشمندان و کارکنان تاسیسات هسته ای ایران را به شدت محکوم میکند. نخبگان و فرهیختگان کشور بخشی از سرمایه های گرانقدر و ارزشمند ملی می باشند که باید از جان آنان اکیدا حفاظت شود و امنیت آنان تامین گردد.این قتلها از طرف هر دولت و با هر انگیزه ای که انجام میگیرد ضربه ای جبران ناپذیر و نابخشودنی به ملت ایران است. جبهه ملی ایران این ضایعه را به خانواده های همه مقتولین و ملت ایران تسلیت میگوید.

//www.jminews.com/news/fa/?mi=4&ni=7253


arash Irandoost

The Intrigues of Persia

by arash Irandoost on

This was posted in the Review and Outlook section of the Wall Street Journal   Humanitarian gestures and covert actions won't stop Iran's bomb.      //online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577152802657445264.html

As a supervisor at the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan was engaged in building a nuclear bomb in violation of four binding U.N. Security Council resolutions. On Wednesday he was assassinated after a bomb was attached to his car, making him the fifth senior Iranian nuclear scientist known to have been killed in recent years.

His death will serve a useful purpose if it convinces a critical mass of his colleagues to cease pursuing an atomic critical mass. That wouldn't be a bad way to bring the confrontation over Iran's nuclear program to a peaceful conclusion. But don't count on it.

Opponents of Tehran's nuclear ambitions have been attempting for years to use a combination of diplomacy, sanctions and covert action to persuade the mullahs that they have more to lose than gain from building a bomb. So far, none of it has worked: Diplomacy has mostly allowed the Iranians to play for time. Sanctions so far have been too narrowly targeted to have much effect, though that may change now that the U.S. and Europe are finally targeting Iran's oil trade.

As for covert activity, we may someday learn the full story of who did what, how they did it, and what effect it all had. But to judge by last November's report on Iran's nuclear programs by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran is closer than ever to a bomb. That's despite the Stuxnet computer worm, the assassinations, and last year's mysterious explosion at a missile factory.

What goes in the cloak-and-dagger world also goes for public diplomacy. Americans can take pride in last week's dramatic rescue by the destroyer USS Kidd of 13 Iranian sailors who had spent 40 days as hostages of Somali pirates. But if the Administration thought that would break the tension following Iran's threats over the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran had other ideas.

Days after the Kidd rescue, Iran imposed a death sentence on 28-year-old Amir Hekmati, an Arizona-born Iranian-American and former U.S. Marine. Mr. Hekmati was charged with spying for the CIA and convicted of being moharebe, or an enemy of God, the worst offense in the Iranian penal code. The U.S. government categorically denies that Mr. Hekmati worked as a spy. His family says he was in Iran on his first visit to see his grandmothers when he was arrested last August.

The Islamic Republic has a long history of detaining foreigners on dubious espionage charges and then trying to use them as diplomatic bargaining chips. But if Mr. Hekmati is simply their latest victim, the death sentence is unprecedented for an American citizen. It is also a reminder of how little U.S. gestures like Thursday's rescue count in Tehran's calculus. An evil regime will not be swayed by the conspicuous performance of good deeds.

Much of the world wants to believe that force won't be necessary to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions, but the explosions and killings show that a covert war involving deadly force is already underway. The Obama Administration says Iran plotted to kill a Saudi ambassador in a Washington, D.C. restaurant, and Iran is trying to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan as it previously did in Iraq. Many more people will die if the world doesn't get serious about stopping this rogue regime.


G. Rahmanian

Good Point, Amir Jaan!

by G. Rahmanian on

Exposing IR's Cyber Mercenaries of all shades and colors with their fake "anti-regime" posturing is of great importance!!!


jirandoust

Thanks, Rastgoo!

by jirandoust on

" I think its more probable that you and your kind on this site are AIPAC agents than my kind as IRI cyber army".

Could not have said it better myself, thanks Rastgoo!


G. Rahmanian

"Rastgoo" or Should I Say, Fati Commando?

by G. Rahmanian on

To condemn IR and its Cyber Army mercenaries is a fine and unerring sign of being in touch with the realities.

Shamelessly labelling people on this thread "warmongers" while twisting Ahmadinejad's statements on other threads, is a clear sign of being out of touch with Iran's political scene, to say the least!

Again, audaciously claiming no one else, but only you and your ilk condemn terrorist acts, is characteristic of IR's Cyber Army mercenaries' desperate attempts to discredit the opposition!

This scientist was assassinated by none other than IR criminals. Your high-strung and hysterical behavior in trying to exonerate those criminals is the obvious cause of your angry accusations with regards to the genuine opposition.


AMIR1973

My deepest condolences to all Basiji martyrs

by AMIR1973 on

It is the Basijis, like this man who was killed, who are the true Iranians. If you don't think we should "jerr" ourselves over a dead Basiji, you are a CIA-Zionist Joooo and "traitor" -- that's what the real Iranians who are right now bringing democracy to Iran believe....


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

Article makes a great point.

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

Murdering a Scientist, does more to strengthen the IRI and almost nothing to undermine the Program.  If they were killing 700 scientists across Iran that would be different.  So we are back to the USA doing everything it can to show love for IRI and meet them on their strengths.

USA Loves mullahs, yet Iranians want mullah out of power.  Its clear which side is winning, the USA keeping mullahs, but that won't always be the case.


Rastgoo

G.Rahmanian

by Rastgoo on

Or should I call you Dai Jaan Napelon?  Iranian cyber army?  You are so out of touch with ordinary Iranians that you can't even fathom Iranians don't want Democracy by bombs.  Hello Mr. Rahmanian, the self proclaimed "Opposition", you are out of touch with reality and you are a cowardly chicken hawk or even a better term as jirandoust calls you a Keyboard War Moneger (KWM).  Iranians don't want Democracy by bombs.  Iranians will have Democracy on their own terms in time.  You think that everything should happen when you want it?  Typical spoiled rotten chicken hawk.  No my dear friend you have to wait for Democracy to grow and take root.  You are so blinded by your Machiavellian "end justifies the means" that you want everything to happen to suit your life.  Typical selfish privileged uncompassionate KWM.  You probably think that the Iranian government is killing its own scientists and bombing its own facilities and planting viruses in their own systems?  No, my friend its Israel that is doing it.  You know why:  Because they don't give a damn about Iran and Iranians.  Naive and ignorant people like you think they will come and liberate Iran.  Just take a look at Iraq and see how good Democracy was implanted there.  BTW:  I think its more probable that you and your kind on this site are AIPAC agents than my kind as IRI cyber army. 


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

IRI is the most grotesque Regime and The People Of Iran

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

Need to work together to bring them down.  They are not defending Iran, but are a bunch of corrupt, lying, thieving, bullying, murdering psychopaths. I wish that iranians unite regardless of politics for a secular democracy for Iran and focus all their energies on attacking IRI not each other.

Regarding other powers we need to forget about getting help from any of them and do our own work ourselves.  This scientist was an Iranian who was murdered, condolences to his family, not by the actions of the IRI, get that clear (this is not defending IRI this is defending non regime non basiji Iranians).  While the IR has no respect for human rights and process of law for Iran, on the nuclear issue they are in complaince with their lawful obligations, if they weren't there are lawful avenues to stop the IRI.  The reason the USA/Israel are resorting to these unlawful actions is not because they care about democracy for Iran, not because they care about human rights in Iran or anywhere else, not even because they are opposed to terrorism, this assasination itself is a terrorist act (on the lines of exactly what we Iranians have suffered from IRI for 33 years living in Europe).  They do this to remind us and their brown nose followers they are infact every bit as filthy and criminal as the IRI.  To miss this is to deceive/lie to yourself.  The worst thing the USA did against Iran was to back Khomeini the worst tyrant and then build military bases all around Iran with Aircraft carrer battle groups in the hopes of dominating the middle east and Iran.  Thankfully for the next decade every single penny of the $600 Billion spent on defence will go on the credit card and same with the US deficit.  Mark my words Not a single group that betrayed the late shah saw anything but devastation and crippling defeat, USA. Not Saddam, Not Kennedy, Not Krushchev. Watch and see both filthy IRI and USA handle each other next.


G. Rahmanian

IR's Cyber Mercenaries' Flagrant Trademark!

by G. Rahmanian on

IR's Cyber Mercenaries' Flagrant Trademark: They Never Condemn IR's Crimes!