Within the last few weeks, there have been reports that Iran has been blocking Tor, an online anonymizing tool, and PPTP and L2TP VPN protocols and most recently an Iranian general said that the Islamic Republic was ready to “reciprocate a cyber attack” by the US or its allies.
I knew I had heard this warning from Admiral Mike Mullen this week about attacks on US forces. So I did some research. Mullen said those very words, but the quote had absolutely nothing to do with Iran.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:23 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
2010 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Back to our opening story, courtesy of Muhammad Sahimi's translation of the account in Aftab News of the President's TV interview last night:
This was Ahmaidnejad's defence over claims that Government mismanagement, neglect, and/or corruption contributed to the $2.6 billion bank fraud scandal:
I have been speaking about our banking system for six years and have been rebuked for it. We see things and believe that they should be reformed, and we will begin fundamental reforms before this administration ends [in 2013]. Right from the beginning [of my presidency], we kept saying that there are problems and I have said repeatedly that a few can profit greatly, but common people cannot. The fact is our banking system is not controlled by anyone, and the government has no control over it. I am not saying nothing can be done, but sometimes certain regulations are approved without paying attention to their consequences.If the system [his administration] was not willing to confront [corruption], one could complain. But the system itself has discovered [the embezzlement], persists, and seeks to punish the offenders.... But I believe some are taking revenge against the Iranian nation, which acted very well. The targeted subsidies demonstrated that the future is bright. The Iranian nation makes great decisions, carries out great plans, [takes] great steps, whether in industry, or agriculture, or science. The nation can move forward and stand at the top. But some come forward and by insulting the government and making accusations, take revenge against the people, whereas nothing [unusual] is going on and we are doing our job. Why are you [critics] destroying yourselves? We should live in this country, and be happy and hopeful. Why are you trying to ruin everything? We have of course declared that we keep silent. We are still silent. These [accusations] all have responses, but we have kept silent for the sake of the nation.
2030 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch. Mardomak offers a summary of the President's interview on State TV tonight....
Ahmadinejad tried to make the case that he was the way forward for Iran, especially on economic issues. Saying that his provincial tours were to remedy a "weak" and "Western model" bureaucracy with the display of popular management, he declared that his subsidy cuts plan got an "A" grade and there was no 60% inflation. He insisted that employment was on a good path, with a considerable increase in jobs and investments in the first half of the year.
That is all to be expected, as was Ahmadinejad's assertion that he had out-shone President Obama in last month's statement at the UN --- "Obama's speech was weak, ours was strong and much discussed". What is intriguing is the President's declared persistence in a quest for talks with Washington: he said he was ready for discussions if the US withdraws its ships from the Persian Gulf.
And this may also be notable: there were reportedly "broadcast problems" when Ahmadinejad spoke about his provincial tours and the US.
Amir Mansour Khosravi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai, Gholam-Hossen Mohseni Ejei, Hamid Fazeli, MAyatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Nader Karimian Sardashti, Sadegh Zibakalam, Seyed Reza Taghavi Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 13:52 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 1910 GMT: Earlier we reported that there were protests in Saudi Arabia. Now, Saudi State News SPA is reporting that 14 people were injured, including 11 police officers, during attacks sponsored by foreign governments:
"A group of outlaws and rioters on motorbikes gathered" at a roundabout in the village of Al-Awamia in Al-Qatif province on Monday "carrying petrol bombs," SPA said, citing the Sunni-ruled kingdom's interior ministry.
The group carried out acts causing "insecurity with incitement from a foreign country that aims to undermine the nation's security and stability," SPA quoted a ministry spokesman as saying. "Security forces managed to deal with those traitors at the spot and after they were dispersed, machinegun fire erupted from a nearby neighbourhood
Activists report a much different story. According to them, several elderly men were injured in Awamya, and one man had a heart attack while they arrested his son. Several protesters have reportedly been shot by Saudi security, and afterwards groups of young men responded to the violence by lighting police cars on fire and throwing rocks. They have also provided several videos of those events, reportedly taken last night, and it appears that those men were also met with gunfire, which is clearly audible. Also, in 1 video, a protester appears to have been shot with bird-shot:
Fox News, belatedly recognising that there is a protest in its third week at New York's Wall Street, has begun some coverage, albeit to try and belittle the movement with "pranks" and interviews presenting the demonstrators as ill-informed and/or extremist.
Didn't quite work out that way in this episode, however. Last Wednesday, a rather fumbling interviewer for Greta Van Susteren's programme was educated by protester Jesse LaGreca about Occupy Wall Street --- its approach, its objectives, and its attempt to deal with mainstream media such as Fox News.
The interview never appeared, on Van Susteren's show or any other Fox newscast.
Fox: Your colleague, she’d seen the protests in Greece and Europe and elsewhere. Did you guys take your cue from that? Are you hoping to cite certainly what was a lot of the tension, if not police activity. I know over the weekend there were over 100 arrests and you guys got things fired up. Are you taking your cues from the international movement and how do you want to see this? If you could have it in a perfect way, how would it be?
Jesse: Well I don’t know, its really difficult to answer questions leading to those conclusions.
Homs Protester: "Arrest Me"On August 19, a friend named Abu Salah drove me to a daytime funeral and demonstration in the eastern Homs slum of Bab Assiba.
Abu Salah was a businessman who lived in the western neighbourhood of Waer and helped the opposition. He drove a car with fake license plates and delivered aid from wealthy areas such as Ghota, Inshaat and Hamra to the poorer neighbourhoods across town - such as Bab Assiba. We stopped to pick up a friend of his, a man with a beard but no moustache, a sign of conservatism.
As we drove, he received a call letting him know that his cousin, Nawar Nawriz, had died from injuries received the previous night - when attackers had shot at the Fatima mosque while he was praying. After being wounded he was taken to a "field hospital" - a safe house used as a clinic.
Abu Salah told me that opposition supporters donated blood themselves, but they lacked the packs to hold the blood and they needed morphine and medicine to prevent infections and to meet medical needs.
One of the critical things the Bahraini government has done since this year’s uprising set off panic that it was nearly game over is to create a discourse challenging the narrative of an oppressed majority demanding democracy and an end to discrimination. The authorities have worked diligently to put the argument in public space that the street protest movement was violent, sought to replace the monarchy with an Iran-allied republic and did not represent the majority of Bahrainis. To do this, a number of measures have been taken such as hiring PR companies, promoting a Sunni-led political party to occupy a nationalist middle ground, and creating a chattering army of Bahrainis and foreigners primed with talking points to influence traditional and online media, often with fake or hidden identities.
