DOCSLIB.ORG

ABSTRACT Who Whispers in the King's Ear, for How Long, and to What Effect? the Primary Hypothesis Guiding This Study Is That E

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
ABSTRACT Who Whispers in the King's Ear, for How Long, and to What Effect? the Primary Hypothesis Guiding This Study Is That E ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: TO WHISPER IN THE KING’S EAR: ECONOMISTS IN PAHLAVI AND ISLAMIC IRAN Ehsanee Ian Sadr, Doctor of Philosophy, 2013 Directed by: Professor Virginia Haufler Department of Government and Politics Who whispers in the King’s ear, for how long, and to what effect? The primary hypothesis guiding this study is that economists gain influence when the international resources they can deliver are valued and desired by the country’s political leadership; and economists lose influence when those resources are not valued or desired. Alternate hypotheses that consider the role of increasing complexity in international economic relations, epistemic communities, emulation, and economists’ political activity are also considered. These hypotheses are evaluated through a study of the experiences of economists in Iran under both the Pahlavi monarchy and the Islamic regime. Results indicate support for the primary hypothesis that economists are desired for their ability to signal competence and gain the trust of the international financial and donor communities. Surprisingly, especially in the Islamic Republic, epistemic communities of economists are also found to have been very successful in using moments of political or economic crisis to influence the worldview and economic policy preferences of political leaders. TO WHISPER IN THE KING’S EAR: ECONOMISTS IN PAHLAVI AND ISLAMIC IRAN By Ehsanee Ian Sadr Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2013 Advisory Committee: Professor Virginia Haufler, Chair Professor Shibley Telhami Professor Karol Soltan Professor Margaret Pearson Professor Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak © Copyright by Ehsanee Ian Sadr 2013 To Allison and Ali Sadr who believed in me from the first breath. ii Acknowledgements My first expression of thanks must go to Professor Virginia Haufler, an exceptional advisor in every respect. Dr. Haufler always managed to administer the perfect cocktail of intellectual challenge, emotional support, and practical guidance needed at various stages of this project. Without her kind but firm mentorship I would have been lost trying to navigate the long-distance completion of the dissertation while also working and starting a family. Professor Shibley Telhami has been an inspiring example of a ferocious academic intellect combined with a passionate commitment to improving policy, particularly in the Middle East. I’m particularly grateful for his introducing me to the Palestinian Business Committee through which I’ve had the opportunity to observe the policymaking role of academics up close. Professors Karol Soltan, Margaret Pearson, and Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak also contributed in meaningful and multiple ways toward improving the final dissertation product. I am grateful for their patience with and many insights for improving a flawed earlier draft. During the process of researching the role of economists in Iran, I imposed upon many who were kind enough to share opinions, experiences, data, and contacts with me. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Mohammad-Hadi Mahdavian for facilitating introductions to a number of key players and to Dr. Alireza Qandahari for helping me access needed data and challenging me to think about my topic in new ways. iii The generosity of my in-laws in hosting me and entertaining two small and active children while I roamed Tehran doing interviews cannot be overstated. I’m also grateful to my own parents for, among other things, watching the kids, photographing records at the National Archive, editing various drafts, and instilling the confidence I needed to take on such a big project. It is to them that this dissertation is dedicated. And with my own little family, the children I full-heartedly adore, and the man I share my life with, I look forward to a new dissertation-free future. With you as my companions I can’t wait to see what happens next! iv Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction and Literature Review ...................................................... 1 Why Study Economists? ......................................................................................... 3 The Ubiquitous Rise of Economists ....................................................................... 6 Explaining the Phenomenon ................................................................................... 8 International resources ................................................................................ 8 Economists as political interest groups ..................................................... 10 Functionalism ............................................................................................ 11 Epistemic Communities ............................................................................ 13 Mimetic Isomorphism ............................................................................... 16 Hypotheses and Variables Under Investigation .................................................... 17 Case Justification and Significance ...................................................................... 23 Background on Iran............................................................................................... 24 Data and Methods ................................................................................................. 32 Chapter Two: After the coup (1953-1961) .................................................................... 34 Iran’s first economists ........................................................................................... 35 Ali Amini .................................................................................................. 36 Ebtehaj ...................................................................................................... 38 The Shah and his economic team .......................................................................... 43 The Shah’s support falters .................................................................................... 46 Amini’s return ....................................................................................................... 47 Understanding the Shah’s support ........................................................................ 49 Chapter Three: The White Revolution, the Young Turks, and the start of the Golden Decade (1962-1969) ............................................................................................ 55 The White Revolution ........................................................................................... 57 The ‘Young Turks’ ............................................................................................... 62 The Mansur Government ...................................................................................... 63 Hoveyda ................................................................................................................ 68 The Technocrats .................................................................................................... 72 Understanding the Shah’s support ........................................................................ 78 Chapter Four: Boom and Bust (1969-1979) ................................................................. 84 The Shah and his Military ..................................................................................... 88 The Shah and his Economic Team........................................................................ 91 The Oil Boom ....................................................................................................... 92 Planning in an Era of Plenty 1973-1974 ............................................................... 95 Hyperboom 1974-1975 ......................................................................................... 98 The King is Displeased ....................................................................................... 102 Understanding the Shah’s relations with his Economic Team ........................... 104 Revolution ........................................................................................................... 108 v Chapter Five: Revolution, War, and Economists (1979-1989) ................................. 109 Initial optimism is crushed .................................................................................. 109 Islamic Economics .............................................................................................. 115 The First Development Plan is Defeated ............................................................ 119 Economists, Population Growth, and War .......................................................... 124 The First Development Plan and a New Team ................................................... 129 Economists in the Islamic Republic: Why the turnaround?................................ 132 Chapter Six: The Rafsanjani Years (1989-1997) ....................................................... 139 The First Five Year Plan ..................................................................................... 140 Beyond the Plan .................................................................................................. 143 Privatization. ........................................................................................... 143 Exchange Rate Policy ............................................................................. 145 Implementing the Plan—Initial Success ............................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • IRAN April 2000
    COUNTRY ASSESSMENT - IRAN April 2000 Country Information and Policy Unit I. SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1 This assessment has been produced by the Country Information & Policy Unit, Immigration & Nationality Directorate, Home Office, from information obtained from a variety of sources. 1.2 The assessment has been prepared for background purposes for those involved in the asylum determination process. The information it contains is not exhaustive, nor is it intended to catalogue all human rights violations. It concentrates on the issues most commonly raised in asylum claims made in the United Kingdom. 1.3 The assessment is sourced throughout. It is intended to be used by caseworkers as a signpost to the source material, which has been made available to them. The vast majority of the source material is readily available in the public domain. 1.4 It is intended to revise the assessment on a 6-monthly basis while the country remains within the top 35 asylum producing countries in the United Kingdom. 1.5 The assessment will be placed on the Internet (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/cipu1.htm). An electronic copy of the assessment has been made available to the following organisations: Amnesty International UK Immigration Advisory Service Immigration Appellate Authority Immigration Law Practitioners' Association Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants JUSTICE Medical Foundation for the care of Victims of Torture Refugee Council Refugee Legal Centre UN High Commissioner for Refugees CONTENTS I SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1 - 1.6 II GEOGRAPHY 2.1 - 2.2
    [Show full text]
  • IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY the Islamic Republic of Iran
    IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Islamic Republic of Iran is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shia Muslim clergy and political leaders vetted by the clergy dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty--albeit restricted--and the rule of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was chosen by a directly elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989. Khamenei’s writ dominates the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He directly controls the armed forces and indirectly controls internal security forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions. The legislative branch is the popularly elected 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majlis. The unelected 12-member Guardian Council reviews all legislation the Majlis passes to ensure adherence to Islamic and constitutional principles; it also screens presidential and Majlis candidates for eligibility. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected president in June 2009 in a multiparty election that was generally considered neither free nor fair. There were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control. Demonstrations by opposition groups, university students, and others increased during the first few months of the year, inspired in part by events of the Arab Spring. In February hundreds of protesters throughout the country staged rallies to show solidarity with protesters in Tunisia and Egypt. The government responded harshly to protesters and critics, arresting, torturing, and prosecuting them for their dissent. As part of its crackdown, the government increased its oppression of media and the arts, arresting and imprisoning dozens of journalists, bloggers, poets, actors, filmmakers, and artists throughout the year.
    [Show full text]
  • C01384460 Approved for Release: 2014/02/26
    C01384460 Approved for Release: 2014/02/26 APPLIND1X A . ;hose Dil? An Abbreviated History of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Dispute,-'194; -53 In 1372, the then Shah of Persia, rlaser ad-Din, in return for much needed cash, gave to Baron Paul Julius de Reuter. .'a concession to. exploit all his country's minerals (except for gold, silver, and precious stones'), all its forests and uncultivated land, and ail canals and irrigation works, as ;sell as a monopoly to construct railways and tranilways. Although the resulting uproar,-zsrac:.a11~ from neighboring Russiaraused this sweeping concession to be cancelled, de Reuter, who was a German Jew with British citizenship, persisted and by 1889 regained two parts of his original concession--the operation of a bank and the working of Persia's mines. Under the latter grant, de Reuter's men explored-for oil without great success, and the concession expired in 1999, 'the year the Baron died.` Persian oil right Shen passed to a British speculator, William Knox D'Arcy, whose first fortune had been made in Australian gold mines: The purchase price of the concession was about 50,000 pounds, and in 1903 the enterprise began to sell shares in "The First Exploitation Company." Exploratory drilling proceeded, and by 1904, two producing wells were in. a,+A - Shortly thereafter,Ainterest in oil was sharply stimulated by the efforts of Admiral Sir John Fisher, First Lord of the Admiralty, to convert the Royal Navy.from'burning coal to oil.. As a result, the Burmah Oil Company sought to become involved in eersian oil and, joining with D "lrcy and Lord Strathcona, formed the new Concessions Syndicate, L d, which endured un'ti'l 1907 when Burmah Oil bought D'Arcy out for 200„000 pounds cash and 900,000 pounds in shares.
    [Show full text]
  • Hamazor 05-1.Pdf
    HAMAZOR - ISSUE 1 2005 C o n t e n t s The Chairman, WZO - p 24 007 Congratulatory messages 024 25th Anniversary celebrations in the UK - the chairman’s address and report 033 A brief exposition of spirituality in Zoroastrianism - kersey h antia 038 Changing world of Zarathushti faith - jehan bagli 042 How can Zoroastriansim be practiced ... - mehernosh m bhadha 045 Lasting friendships of outstanding Zoroastrians - shahpur f captain 048 Down memory lane - noshir h dadrawala 050 Happy 25th anniversary - dolly dastoor 053 Restructured WZO: a long term vision - adi j davar 058 The emergence of the World Zoroastrian Organisation - john r hinnells 065 The Pahlavi-Chinese bilingual inscription from Xi’an - hulmut humbach 068 What is the Zarathushtrian commitment - kaikhosrov d irani 070 Singularity & Universality of Zoroastrianism - yasmine jhabvala 075 Zoroastrians in the new millenium - jamsheed marker 081 Harmony in Paradox - dina g mcintyre 084 Achievements of 25 years service to the community 087 Twenty Fifth Anniversary of WZO - farhang mehr 092 Ahreman’s end between Theology & Philosophy - antonio panaino 098 A global community without borders - rohinton rivetna 114 Fostering Zoroastrian Unity Worldwide - dinshaw k tamboly 120 Man & Divinity in the Gathas - farrokh vajifdar 125 Farsi Article - Zartosht Azadi 126 Announcement from the Chairman, WZO Happenings: 129 “It just wasn’t my time” - usheen davar 134 Journey to tsunami affected area - niloufer randeria 136 Nuturing Navsari - report from dinshaw tamboly PHOTOGRAPHS 138 XIII N A
    [Show full text]
  • Anesthesia and Pain Management in Traditional Iranian Medicine
    Pregledni rad Acta Med Hist Adriat 2016; 14(2);317-326 Review article ANESTHESIA AND PAIN MANAGEMENT IN TRADITIONAL IRANIAN MEDICINE ANESTEZIJA I UPRAVLJANJE BOLI U TRADICIONALNOJ IRANSKOJ MEDICINI Alireza Salehi, Faranak Alembizar, Ayda Hosseinkhani* Summary Studying the history of science could help develop an understanding of the contributions made by ancient nations towards scientific advances. Although Iranians had an import- ant impact on the improvement of science, the history of Iranian medicine seems not to have been given enough attention by historians. The present study focused on the history of anes- thesia and pain management in Iranian medical history. In this regard, related books such as Avesta and Shahnameh were studied in order to obtain the history of anesthesiology in Iranian pre Islamic era. This subject was also studied in the famous books of Rhazes, Haly Abbas, Avicenna, Jorjani, MomenTunekaboni and Aghili from different times of the Islamic era. Scientific data bases such as PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched using key words “Iranian”, “Persian”, “pain management” and “anesthesia”. It was discovered that pain management and anesthesiology were well known to the Iranians. Rhazes and Avicenna had innovations in this regard. Fourteen Mokhader (anesthetic) herbs, which were included in the collection of the previous knowledge of the 18th century entitled Makhzan al-Advieyh and used as the Persian Materia Medica, were identified and listed. This study introduces the history of anesthesiology and pain management at different periods in the history of Iran. Key words: Anesthesiology; pain management; traditional Iranian medicine. * Research centre for traditional medicine and history of medicine, Shiraz University of medical sciences Shiraz, Iran.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Sunnis Resist Extremism, but for How Long?
    Atlantic Council SOUTH ASIA CENTER ISSUE BRIEF Iran’s Sunnis Resist Extremism, but for How Long? APRIL 2018 SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI ome fifteen million of Iran’s eighty million people are Sunni Muslims, the country’s largest religious minority. Politically and economically disadvantaged, these Sunnis receive relatively lit- tle attention compared with other minorities and are concen- Strated in border areas from Baluchistan in the southeast, to Kurdistan in the northwest, to the Persian Gulf in the south. The flare up of tensions between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran over Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen would seem to encourage interest in the state of Iranian Sunnis, if only because the Saudis present them- selves as defenders of the world’s Sunnis, and Iran the self-appointed champion of the Shia cause. So how do Iran’s Sunnis fare in a state where Shia theology governs al- most every aspect of life? How have they been affected by this regional rivalry? Are they stuck between jihadist and other extreme regional Sunni movements on the one hand, and the Shia regime’s aggres- sive policies on the other? Is there a danger that these policies could push some disgruntled Iranian Sunnis toward militancy and terrorism? A tour of Turkmen Sahra in the northeast of Iran near the Caspian Sea, and in Hormozgan on the Persian Gulf in 2015 and 2016 revealed some of the answers. More recent interviews were conducted by phone and in person in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and with European-based experts. “Being a Sunni in Iran means pain, fear, anxiety, restrictions,”1 said a young The Atlantic Council’s South woman in a southern Hormozgan village.
    [Show full text]
  • The Light of the Sacred Fire
    THE LIGHT OF THE SACRED FIRE Zo*orstrianisrn giave to the West rrany o{ it. rnost irnportant spiritu"l fu"okngs. A{t"r thousanJt years, this ancient "{ {aith is still goingf strongi. by Honroh U.C. Shopnro ' h. light of an ancient fire reflects into both our serious and our popular culturl: the three Magi attending the Christ Child at the manger, the I philosophical ramblings of Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra, the Porten- tous Strauss tone poem inspired by Nietzsche's work. And then there are the bad puns about Zorro and Lieutenant Uhura, the stories of fire-worshipers in Iran, and ih. ,tttcoottted thousands of Mazda light bulbs andJapanese cars. But there is a real light Zoroastrianism, the ancient light that sends these reflections forth - the of 62 Gnosis Mogazine I Sumner 1994 I I i.ti religion of Persia, which is still a living tradition after "Alexander the Accursed," burnt the great library at the more than three millennia. Persian capital of Persepolis in 330 B.C.E. The Cathas Zarathushtra, known as Zoroaster in Greek translit- and other Avestan religious texts survived because they eration, lived in rvhat is now eastern Iran or Afghanistan. still remained in priests' memories as ritual documents rn No one knows exactly when he lived; Zoroastrian tradi- constant use. tions date him at around 600 B.C.E., but modern schol- The Parthian state, a Zoroastrian kingdom in what is arship has placed him earlier, anywhere from 1600 to 1000 now Iran and lraq, flourished in the period between the B.C.E.
    [Show full text]
  • Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari
    Page 1 of 19 Witness Statement of Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari Witness Statement of Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari Name: Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari Place of Birth: Eshkevar, Iran Date of Birth: August 11, 1949 Occupation: Religious Scholar Interviewing Organization: Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) Date of Interview: April 25, 2014 Interviewer: IHRDC Staff This statement was prepared pursuant to an interview with Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari. It was approved by Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari on August 30, 2014 There are 89 paragraphs in the statement. The views and opinions of the witness expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. Page 2 of 19 Witness Statement of Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari Statement Background 1. My name is Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari. I was born on August 11, 1949 in Eshkevar, which is near Roodsar in Gilan Province. Before the Islamic Revolution, I studied at the Islamic Seminary in Qom for fifteen years. I was a cleric for many years. In 2000 I was incarcerated, tried in the Special Clerical Court, and permanently defrocked. 2. I have not been a member of the clergy for some 14 or 15 years. Before the Revolution I was an activist cleric, and I was arrested twice. 3. After the Revolution, I remained active and travelled the country in 1979-80 and gave public talks. I was Shahsavar and Ramsar’s first elected representative in the [first] Islamic Consultative Assembly [Majles].1 But then I left politics, and I taught at the Allameh Tabataba’i University for four or five years. However, following a talk I gave at Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Eyes of the Iranian Intellectuals of The
    “The West” in the Eyes of the Iranian Intellectuals of the Interwar Years (1919–1939) Mehrzad Boroujerdi n 1929, after a lecture by Arnold Toynbee (from the notes of Denison Ross, the fi rst director of the School of Oriental and African Studies) on the subject of the modern- ization of the Middle East, a commentator said, Persia has not been modernized and has not in reality been Westernized. Look at the map: there is Persia right up against Russia. For the past hundred years, living cheek by jowl with Russia, Persia has maintained her complete independence of Russian thought. Although sixty to seventy percent of her trade for the past hundred years has been with Russia, Persia remains aloof in spirit and in practice. For the past ten years, Persia has been living alongside the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, and has remained free from any impregnation by their basic ideas. Her freedom is due to her cultural independence. For the safety of Persia it is essential, if she is to continue to develop on her own lines, that she should not attempt modernization, and I do not think that the attempt is being made. It is true that the Persians have adopted motor-cars and in small way railways. But let us remember that the Persians have always been in the forefront in anything of that sort. The fi rst Eastern nation to enter the Postal Union and to adopt a system of telegraphs was Persia, which country was also among the fi rst of the Eastern nations to join the League of Nations and to become an active member.
    [Show full text]
  • The History and Characteristics of Traditional Sports in Central Asia : Tajikistan
    The History and Characteristics of Traditional Sports in Central Asia : Tajikistan 著者 Ubaidulloev Zubaidullo journal or The bulletin of Faculty of Health and Sport publication title Sciences volume 38 page range 43-58 year 2015-03 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2241/00126173 筑波大学体育系紀要 Bull. Facul. Health & Sci., Univ. of Tsukuba 38 43-58, 2015 43 The History and Characteristics of Traditional Sports in Central Asia: Tajikistan Zubaidullo UBAIDULLOEV ＊ Abstract Tajik people have a rich and old traditions of sports. The traditional sports and games of Tajik people, which from ancient times survived till our modern times, are: archery, jogging, jumping, wrestling, horse race, chavgon (equestrian polo), buzkashi, chess, nard (backgammon), etc. The article begins with an introduction observing the Tajik people, their history, origin and hardships to keep their culture, due to several foreign invasions. The article consists of sections Running, Jumping, Lance Throwing, Archery, Wrestling, Buzkashi, Chavgon, Chess, Nard (Backgammon) and Conclusion. In each section, the author tries to analyze the origin, history and characteristics of each game refering to ancient and old Persian literature. Traditional sports of Tajik people contribute as the symbol and identity of Persian culture at one hand, and at another, as the combination and synthesis of the Persian and Central Asian cultures. Central Asia has a rich history of the traditional sports and games, and significantly contributed to the sports world as the birthplace of many modern sports and games, such as polo, wrestling, chess etc. Unfortunately, this theme has not been yet studied academically and internationally in modern times. Few sources and materials are available in Russian, English and Central Asian languages, including Tajiki.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
    Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs September 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL32048 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses Summary President Obama has said his Administration shares the goals of the previous Administration to contain Iran’s strategic capabilities and regional influence. The Administration has not changed the previous Administration’s characterization of Iran as a “profound threat to U.S. national security interests,” a perception generated not only by Iran’s nuclear program but also by its military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. However, the Obama Administration has formulated approaches to achieve those goals that differ from those of its predecessor—in particular through expanded direct diplomatic engagement with Iran. Prior to Iran’s disputed June 12, 2009 presidential elections, this U.S. outreach was put into practice with messages to the Iranian people by President Obama, and through invitations to and contact with Iranian diplomats at multilateral meetings. Attempting to convince Iran that the Administration is not hostile to Iran, the Administration also downplayed Bush Administration policies to add international sanctions on Iran, to fund civil society activists there, and to openly discuss potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities. The Administration’s Iran policy did not change significantly because of the Iranian crackdown against protesters who alleged vast fraud in the June 12, 2009 presidential election, in which incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran, Country Information
    Iran, Country Information COUNTRY ASSESSMENT - IRAN April 2003 Country Information and Policy Unit I SCOPE OF DOCUMENT II GEOGRAPHY III HISTORY IV STATE STRUCTURES VA HUMAN RIGHTS - OVERVIEW VB HUMAN RIGHTS - SPECIFIC GROUPS VC HUMAN RIGHTS - OTHER ISSUES ANNEX A - CHRONOLOGY ANNEX B - POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS ANNEX C - PROMINENT PEOPLE ANNEX D - REFERENCES TO SOURCE MATERIAL 1. SCOPE OF DOCUMENT 1.1. This assessment has been produced by the Country Information and Policy Unit, Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Home Office, from information obtained from a wide variety of recognised sources. The document does not contain any Home Office opinion or policy. 1.2. The assessment has been prepared for background purposes for those involved in the asylum/human rights determination process. The information it contains is not exhaustive. It concentrates on the issues most commonly raised in asylum/human rights claims made in the United Kingdom. 1.3. The assessment is sourced throughout. It is intended to be used by caseworkers as a signpost to the source material, which has been made available to them. The vast majority of the source material is readily available in the public domain. 1.4. It is intended to revise the assessment on a six-monthly basis while the country remains within the top 35 asylum-seeker producing countries in the United Kingdom. 2. GEOGRAPHY 2.1. The Islamic Republic of Iran Persia until 1935 lies in western Asia, and is bounded on the north by the file:///V|/vll/country/uk_cntry_assess/apr2003/0403_Iran.htm[10/21/2014 9:57:59 AM] Iran, Country Information Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, by Turkey and Iraq to the west, by the Persian Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to the south, and by Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east.
    [Show full text]