“Until Friday we had 80 percent dictatorship and 20 percent democracy, and since Friday we have 100 percent dictatorship.”
--Samira Makhmalbaf, Iranian filmmaker
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Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Iran Ratio
Deep Packet Inspection Technology: Sophistication of Iranian Regime's Control of the Internet
Christopher Rhoads writes:
The Iranian regime has developed, with the assistance of European telecommunications companies, one of the world's most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet, allowing it to examine the content of individual online communications on a massive scale.
Interviews with technology experts in Iran and outside the country say Iranian efforts at monitoring Internet information go well beyond blocking access to Web sites or severing Internet connections.
Instead, in confronting the political turmoil that has consumed the country this past week, the Iranian government appears to be engaging in a practice often called deep packet inspection, which enables authorities to not only block communication but to monitor it to gather information about individuals, as well as alter it for disinformation purposes, according to these experts.
The monitoring capability was provided, at least in part, by a joint venture of Siemens AG, the German conglomerate, and Nokia Corp., the Finnish cellphone company, in the second half of 2008, Ben Roome, a spokesman for the joint venture, confirmed.
link: Iran's Web Spying Aided By Western Technology - WSJ.com
Iranian Media Co-opts Foreign Support
The Danger of Hijacked Rallies
June 21, 2009
State-run TV in Iran is showing demonstrations in other countries such as the US, however with some serious editing. They are not broadcasting the majority of people standing and shouting in solidarity with people in Iran. Rather, they show images of demonstrators who shout, “Death to the Islamic Republic,” while they hold pre-1979 flags of Iran which have come to symbolize the monarchy. Even worse than the monarchists, they show rallies organized by the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran now known as the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI,MKO, MEK, or PMOI)which is on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations as they have attacked numerous Iranian embassies around the world.
State run TV goes on to make statements along the lines of, “These are the organizations which are supporter the ‘rioters’ and ‘terrorists’ that fill the streets of Tehran.” As a contact in Iran said,
The only concern that we have now is the bloody Rajavis (MEK), who now want to benefit from the situation. They are definitely helping the dictators. They are only giving more reasons for cracking down the people. May God protect us all.
link: niacINsight
Mousavi: "Objecting to lies and cheating is your right"
In the name of God, the compassionate and merciful, We are all from God, and one day we will return to Him [A Koranic quote, that signify readiness for death]
The heart-wrenching news of martyrdom of a group of protestors, against widespread cheating in recent elections, has cast a pall of silence and sadness over our society. Opening fire on people, militarizing the city, spreading fear, provoking [the public] and power displays are all illegitimate children of the unlawfulness which we face and it is bewildering that the perpetrators of these acts accuse others of this.
To those who call people lawless, for expressing their opinions, I say that the biggest act of lawlessness is indifference [to the public] and contravention of the explicit [text] of article 27 of the constitution [allowing public demonstrations] by the government in not issuing permits for peaceful gatherings. Do revolutionary people who, with gatherings like these, brought you and us out of the dark history of Shah's tyranny must be beaten and wounded and be threatened with force?
I, as a mourner, invite the people to self-restraint. The country belongs to you. The revolution and the government are your inheritances. Objecting to lies and cheating is your right.
Be hopeful in exercising your rights and do not allow those, who try to instill fear in you to dissuade you, to make you angry. Continue to avoid violence in your protests and treat the disproportionate actions of the security forces as broken hearted parents would their children.
Having said that, I expect that security forces will not allow memories of these days to cause irreparable harm in their relationship with the people. That they [security forces] are not informing the families of the martyred, the wounded, and the arrested, and are keeping them hidden and in limbo will not aid in restoration of peace and will antagonize [people's] emotions. Arbitrary arrests lead to loss of respect and authority of security forces in the mind of the people and the society. I ask the Almighty to be compassionate towards these martyrs and to give them the highest of honors, and for their stricken families I wish patience and fulfillment of their dreams.
Mir Hossein Moussavi
link: The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
The Purloined Blog: Hide it in Plain Sight
Noam Cohen writes:
There are practical benefits to the mainstreaming of political protest online. It presents another barrier to censorship.
Mr. Zuckerman said there had been discussion about having a dedicated human rights site — “and we realized that it will be the most attacked site in the world,” he said.
“The response,” he said, “is to say let’s go in the other direction — encourage anyone that has a human rights site to mirror it everywhere, including sites like Blogspot.com with lots of noncontroversial sites. It is kind of hard for Iran to block Blogger.com well, not that it is hard, but it is complicated. They would have close down a lot of blogs, including blogs with cute cats.”
Beyond the practical benefits, there is something satisfying about a country being assisted by ordinary bloggers who suddenly show their skills in organizing and belief in basic political principles. It harks back to heroes like the Roman leader Cincinnatus, a farmer who had to be persuaded to lead the republic in a time of need and after succeeding quickly returned to the farm. Any functioning society needs professional politicians, just as any modern society needs political blogs, but it is good to be reminded that leadership and political voices can come from other ranks.
But, Mr. Zuckerman reminded me, “You have to have the sword at home. You don’t want to have to buy a sword at the last minute.”
Interesting in-depth story at link: Link by Link - As Blogs Are Censored, It’s Kittens to the Rescue - NYTimes.com
"Mousavi Will Talk Soon to the Nation"
shovelh81: Soon Mousavi will announce full national strikes, probably starting with Petrochemical - prepare for this #Iranelection RT less than 10 seconds ago from web · Reply · View Tweet
skapol: RT @StopAhmadi: Police forces more or less "waiting" at ppls doorsteps, preventing formation of larger groups #iranelection less than 10 seconds ago from Spaz · Reply · View Tweet
thetilo: @oxfordgirl Do not panic, do not be frightened. Mousavi will talk soon to the nation with action plans. #IranElection #IranElections #gr88 less than 10 seconds ago from web · Reply · View Tweet · Show Conversation
Grushenka2: Tomorrow everybody should get money from bank and go shopping for necessary things with their car lights ON #iranelection less than 10 seconds ago from web · Reply · View Tweet
Rileysscout: RT #iranelection I am in Iran.Please pray for us Iranians are encouraged to use proxies Twitter is blocked Spread the word
link: (43) iranelection - Twitter Search
Full National Strikes: Iran
Gov will respond with electric power cuts - prepare and have gas cylinders at home or gasoline for light/cooking #Iranelection RT less than a minute ago from web
Expect food shortage - transport stoppage - money shortage in bank #Iranelection RT RT RT 2 minutes ago from web
Soon Mousavi will announce full national strikes, probably starting with Petrochemical - prepare for this #Iranelection RT RT RT 3 minutes ago from web
link: persiankiwi (persiankiwi) on Twitter
Iran: CB Radio
If u have CB radio only use when moving - never in fixed location - always off when at base - #Iranelection 1 minute ago from web
if you see helicopter - burn tyres - as much as possible in many location - #Iranelection RT RT RT 2 minutes ago from web
Do everything possible to confuse Gov forces - give false info - block telephone lines #Iranelection RT 3 minutes ago from web
Monday - all day all car lights to stay on to show unity and support for Sea of Green - #Iranelection 13 minutes ago from web
Ppl - if possible buy CB radio for communication between groups - we have these - #Iranelection RT RT RT 17 minutes ago from web
Ppl store medication in your homes - our soldiers will need medicine - #Iranelection RT RT RT 19 minutes ago from web
If there is tear gas - burn cars - smoke protects you from tear gas - #Iranelection RT RT RT 21 minutes ago from web
Tomorrow at 4pm telephone Republican Guard Baseej with false reports all over city #Iranelection RT RT RT 22 minutes ago from web
link: persiankiwi (persiankiwi) on Twitter
