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Iran Hostage Crisis National Security Council, 1979 !
CRISIS COMMITTEES | 2014e IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, 1979 ! Dear Delegates, We are in the midst of the Iran Hostage Crisis, and there is no time to spare. Our situation is grave and desperate, and together we will find a solution into dealing with the recent events regarding the kidnapping of 52 Americans from the United States embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. Indeed there are many sides to this issue, and debates will be tense. The dichotomy between the many people being represented in this committee will surely lead to many disputes and tough agreements. Can the situation remain diplomatic? Or will it lead to something else? It shall remain up to you. It is with great pleasure, as director of this committee, to welcome you to our 2014 UTMUN conference. My name is Stanley Treivus, and alongside our Crisis manager Meerah Haq, we look forward to this thrilling weekend of debate that awaits us. We are both first year students studying Political Science and International relations and this will be our first time being involved in UTMUN. This conference will appeal to all delegates, experienced or novice. And our hope is that you will leave this committee with not only profound knowledge on the subject, but with a better sense of communication and improved debating skills than you had before. The issues we will be discussing will surround the many topics that relate directly to the Iran Hostage Crisis. We will look at foreign relations between the United States and Iran shortly before and during the crisis. -
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 -
IRAN COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service
IRAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service Date 28 June 2011 IRAN JUNE 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAN FROM 14 MAY TO 21 JUNE Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON IRAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 14 MAY AND 21 JUNE Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Maps ...................................................................................................................... 1.04 Iran ..................................................................................................................... 1.04 Tehran ................................................................................................................ 1.05 Calendar ................................................................................................................ 1.06 Public holidays ................................................................................................... 1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 Pre 1979: Rule of the Shah .................................................................................. 3.01 From 1979 to 1999: Islamic Revolution to first local government elections ... 3.04 From 2000 to 2008: Parliamentary elections -
Fate of Hostages
Fate of hostages in limbo as Iran writhes in turmoil By United Press Iniernattooal Ayatollah RuhoBah Khomeini refused Tuesday to help choose a new prime minister for Iran, deepening the coun- try's political chaos and delaying still further a decision on the 52 American hostages now in their 2S3th day of captivity, reports from Tehran said. President Abolhassan Bani-Sad- r, forced Monday to with- draw his nominee for prime minister, also seemed likely to lose Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, who was report- ed to have declared his usefulness in his post ended after an angry mob demonstrated against him, He denied reports he had resigned and was seeking politi- cal asylum in theUnited States or France. Khomeini gave Parliament the responsibility of deciding the future of the hostages but infighting between the moder-at-e Bani-Sad-r and the majority Islamic revolutionaries over Egypt buries the deposed Shah of Iran. Story, Page ISA. a prime minister has persistently held up debate. Iranian sources in Paris who are in contact with persons inside the Iranian government said there was a secret Par-- I liament meeting Monday at which Bani-Sa- dr was told his choice for prime minister would be rejected and Ghotbza-- I deh was denounced for frequent junkets abroad. I The sources said Parliament which has responsibility 1 for naming a prime minister and a new cabinet told Bani- - Sadr that national police chief Mostafa Mir-Sali-m, bis nomi- - I nee for premier, was not acceptable. I Bani-Sad-r withdrew the nomination and it was agreed a I special panel of representatives- - of Khomeini, the president 1 and Parliament would work out agreement on the govern-- ment. -
Weekly Geopolitical Report by Bill O’Grady
Weekly Geopolitical Report By Bill O’Grady May 28, 2013 prevent the Green Movement from threatening the government. Elections in Iran For the current election, it appears that (Due to the Memorial Day holiday, the next report will be Khamenei wants to avoid a repeat of the published June 10 th .) 2009 elections at all costs. And so, the Iran’s Guardian Council, the government ayatollah is taking a series of steps to body that certifies candidates for elections, prevent a reoccurrence of the last election. published its list of candidates last week. In this report, we will examine the structure Although over 800 Iranians applied to run of the Iranian government and the history of for president, the council approved a group how this government structure has evolved. of eight. The applications of two prominent From there, an analysis of Khamenei’s goals Iranians were rejected. Former president for the upcoming elections will be offered. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar As always, we will examine the Rahim-Hashaei, a close confidant of ramifications of this situation on the President Ahmadinejad, failed to make the financial and commodity markets. list. The Islamic Iranian Republic The last presidential election, which was The interaction of religious and political held in 2009, re-elected Ahmadinejad. power has been fraught with difficulty However, there were widespread claims of throughout history, regardless of the broad voter fraud, and civil unrest followed the religious denomination. Temporal power vote. In something of a surprise, Ayatollah sometimes views spiritual power as a threat. Khamenei, the spiritual head of Iran (and, in At other times, secular powers try to co-opt the convoluted government structure of Iran, religion to enhance its own power. -
Union Calendar No. 709
1 Union Calendar No. 709 114TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2nd Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 114–898 LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS A REPORT FILED PURSUANT TO RULE XI OF THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SECTION 136 OF THE LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1946 (2 U.S.C. 190d), AS AMENDED BY SECTION 118 OF THE LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1970 (PUBLIC LAW 91–510), AS AMENDED BY PUBLIC LAW 92–136 DECEMBER 30, 2016.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 23–170 WASHINGTON : 2016 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:37 Jan 05, 2017 Jkt 023170 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 E:\HR\OC\HR898.XXX HR898 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS Congress.#13 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 114TH CONGRESS EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman (25-19) CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida TED POE, Texas BRIAN HIGGINS, New York MATT SALMON, Arizona KAREN BASS, California DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina ALAN GRAYSON, Florida MO BROOKS, Alabama AMI BERA, California PAUL COOK, California ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California RANDY K. -
Rising up for Freedom
IRAN RISING UP FOR FREEDOM 1,000 International Dignitaries, Iranians, in 30,000 locations from 102 countries join Free Iran Global Summit at Ashraf 3, Albania, online. Maryam Rajavi #FreeIran2020 Special Report Sponsored The by Alliance Public for Awareness Iranian dissidents rally for regime change in Tehran BY BEN WOLFGANG oppressive government that has ruled Iran from both political parties participating has proven it can’t deliver for its people. tHe WasHInGtOn tImes since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Leaders represented a who’s who list of American “The Iranian people want change, to of the NCRI, which is comprised of multiple “formers,” including former Sen. Joseph I. have democracy, finally to have human Iran’s theocracy is at the weakest point other organizations, say the council has seen Lieberman of Connecticut, former Penn- rights, to finally have economic wealth, of its four-decade history and facing un- its stature grow to the point that Iranian sylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, former Attorney no more hunger. The will of the people precedented challenges from a courageous officials can no longer deny its influence. General Michael Mukasey, retired Marine is much stronger than any oppressive citizenry hungry for freedom, Iranian dis- The NCRI has many American support- Commandant James T. Conway and others. measure of an Iranian regime,” said Martin sidents and prominent U.S. and European ers, including some with close relationships Several current U.S. officials also delivered Patzelt, a member of German Parliament. politicians said Friday at a major interna- to Mr. Trump, such as former New York remarks, including Sen. -
Tightening the Reins How Khamenei Makes Decisions
MEHDI KHALAJI TIGHTENING THE REINS HOW KHAMENEI MAKES DECISIONS MEHDI KHALAJI TIGHTENING THE REINS HOW KHAMENEI MAKES DECISIONS POLICY FOCUS 126 THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY www.washingtoninstitute.org Policy Focus 126 | March 2014 The opinions expressed in this Policy Focus are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, its Board of Trustees, or its Board of Advisors. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including pho- tocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. © 2014 by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy The Washington Institute for Near East Policy 1828 L Street NW, Suite 1050 Washington, DC 20036 Cover: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds a weapon as he speaks at the University of Tehran. (Reuters/Raheb Homavandi). Design: 1000 Colors CONTENTS Executive Summary | V 1. Introduction | 1 2. Life and Thought of the Leader | 7 3. Khamenei’s Values | 15 4. Khamenei’s Advisors | 20 5. Khamenei vs the Clergy | 27 6. Khamenei vs the President | 34 7. Khamenei vs Political Institutions | 44 8. Khamenei’s Relationship with the IRGC | 52 9. Conclusion | 61 Appendix: Profile of Hassan Rouhani | 65 About the Author | 72 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EVEN UNDER ITS MOST DESPOTIC REGIMES , modern Iran has long been governed with some degree of consensus among elite factions. Leaders have conceded to or co-opted rivals when necessary to maintain their grip on power, and the current regime is no excep- tion. -
Understanding the Role of State Identity in Foreign Policy Decision-Making
The London School of Economics and Political Science UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF STATE IDENTITY IN FOREIGN POLICY DECISION-MAKING The Rise and Demise of Saudi–Iranian Rapprochement (1997–2009) ADEL ALTORAIFI A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics and Political Science for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London, October 2012 1 To Mom and Dad—for everything. 2 DECLARATION I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. The final word count of this thesis, including titles, footnotes and in-text citations, is 105,889 words. 3 ABSTRACT The objective of the thesis is to study the concept of state identity and its role in foreign policy decision-making through a constructivist analysis, with particular focus on the Saudi–Iranian rapprochement of 1997. While there has been a recent growth in the study of ideational factors and their effects on foreign policy in the Gulf, state identity remains understudied within mainstream International Relations (IR), Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), and even Middle Eastern studies literature, despite its importance and manifestation in the region’s foreign policy discourses. The aim is to challenge purely realist and power-based explanations that have dominated the discourse on Middle Eastern foreign policy—and in particular, the examination of Saudi–Iranian relations. -
The Unexpected Results of Presidential Election in Iran
1 The Unexpected Results of Presidential Elections in Iran By Akbar E. Torbat Iranians voted in the presidential, city and rural council elections on June 14, 2013. The two elections were arranged to be on the same day to boost participations and show support for the Islamic Republic. The Guardian Council had handpicked eight candidates and rejected the rest of the applicants for presidency in violation of the Islamic Republic’s constitution.1 Despite 1.6 million first-time young voters, the turnout was 10% lower than the previous election. Some political factions had indicated that they would boycott the election. However, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei encouraged Iranians to vote by saying “It is possible that some people, for whatever reason, do not want to support the Islamic Republic establishment but if they want to support Iran, they should come also to vote at the polls.” In reality, those who did not support the regime did not have anyone on the ballot to vote for. According to John R. Bird, Canada’s Foreign Minister, the election was “effectively meaningless” because only “regime-friendly” candidates were allowed in the race.2 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had designated his former Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashei as a nominee for president but the Guardian Council rejected him to be on the ballots. As Mashei was pushed aside, the election became a competition between the two wings of the clerical oligarchy; the conservatives (or principalists) and the moderates plus their reformist affiliates. Mashaei who had advocated secular policies and had nationalistic sentiments was considered a threat to the clerics, and therefore they decided to bar his candidacy. -
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. -
Documents of the Iranian Revolutionary Movement
the time of this writing. The Revo- knee-jerk anti-clericalism. Islam rep- governments fell: first the Bazar- lutionary Guards did attack the resents a third force in the region, gan/Yazdi regime which was pre- offices of the People's Mojahedin one which is opposed to the interests sumed to be secretly pro-U.S. Organization of Iran (OMPI) and of both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. It (Ibrahim Yazdi's secret meeting with the OIPFG: the OMPI placed an would not have been able to make Zbigniew Brzezinski led many to armed guard around its office and the gains which it has made if it conclude that he was the CIA's succeeded in defending it, and while were wholly reactionary and main conduit in the Iranian inner the OIPFG headquarters were anachronistic. Obviously it is circle); then the "moderate" gov- indeed burned, that did not hold inadequate to the broader revolu- ernment of Abol-Hassan Bani-Sadr. back their growth and influence. tionary current and obviously it Now Khomeini's longtime loyalist, The OIPFG and the Workers Syn- imposes fetters on those very forces Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, is feeling the dicates jointly sponsored a Mayday which it releases — the clearest heat. demonstration which attracted examples are the repression of Thus far Khomeini himself has 500,000 people. During the last few women and homosexuals and sex- embraced the revolutionary fervor, weeks, huge crowds have marched uality in general. But the left brings and his public statements have all openly in Tehran under the banners no credit on itself for its failure to supported the students.