Iran
Ahmadinejad looks for trouble overseas to mask troubles at home
By James Mills
The Guardian Council, the supreme court of Iran, officially confirmed the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President of the country on Monday this week. This followed last week’s recognition of Mr Ahmadinejad’s second term by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Earlier on Monday, according to reports, protestors made attempts to form a human chain in Tehran, similar to the 25,000-strong chains formed by supporters of presidential rival Mir Hossein Mousavi prior to the election. However, these were broken up by the militia, the Basij.
According to sources in Tehran, unmarked cars are roaming the main roads packed full of uniformed Basij and Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel, while in the side streets and back alleys columns of the same government forces are out in the open, making their presence felt.
In general, there has been an eerie calm on Tehran’s streets, with tensions simmering under the surface and the opposition remaining defiant.
The past few days have seen further muddying of Anglo-Iranian relations, beginning with the expulsion of British diplomats last week and then on Monday the arrest of Iranian nationals employed by the British Embassy.
Initially, the Iranian government claimed that these workers had been despatched by the British Embassy to become involved in the protests by directing them in order to “escalate the riots so that the rioters could file fabricated reports about the [rallies] to the world from various locations”. These allegations were dismissed in forceful terms by Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
It is highly likely the regime is using the arrests as a means to stir up anti-British feeling in Iran, with the aim of unifying the people against an old enemy and deflecting attention from the post-election protests.
“Perfidious Albion” is something ingrained in many Iranians due to the colonial role that saw Britain invade Iran twice in 100 years and overthrow two governments in just over 10 years. The last one was the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq in 1953. He was replaced by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, whose father the British had helped depose in 1941.
The animosity towards Britain was demonstrated 1981, when Winston Churchill Street, where the British Embassy is located, was renamed Bobby Sands Road in order to honour the IRA hunger striker who died in prison.
European Union
Socialist MEPs vote for Stephen Hughes as vice president
by Kate Holman
Labour MEP Stephen Hughes has been elected vice-president of the new Socialist Group in the European Parliament, securing 96 per cent backing from his colleagues.
The newly-formed Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats expects to have 186 members from all 27 member states, making it the second biggest group in the new Parliament.
Mr Hughes has represented the north-east of England in the European Parliament since 1984. Over the past five years, he has been particularly active on social affairs, such as rights for posted workers and health and safety, including protection from needle stick injuries for health service staff. A member of the GMB, he has strong links with European trade unions, bringing him into conflict with the Labour Government on a number of issues including the controversial Working Time Directive.
Glenis Willmott, Labour leader in the EP, said the result reflected MEPs’ respect for Mr Hughes’ hard work. She added: “Stephen will be a great asset to us all, promoting action in support of a social Europe.” l
Honduras
Zelaya pledges to return after coup
by Keith Richmond
Manuel Zelaya, the leftist President of Honduras, who was ousted and forced into exile by a military coup last Sunday, has vowed to return to his country.
Speaking in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, where he was addressing a meeting of leaders from the Organisation of American States, he said: “I’ll be finishing my term of four years whatever you – you groups of oligarchs, you the owners of the media – may want.”
Mr Zelaya, who was elected on a left-wing populist platform in 2006, was ousted after he called a referendum asking Hondurans whether they would support constitutional change which would have allowed him to stand for re-election.
Shortly before the polls were due to open on Sunday, 300 troops stormed the presidential palace in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa and forced Mr Zelaya at gunpoint onto a plane for Costa Rica.
After talking with Latin American allies, such as Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Mr Zelaya said on Tuesday that he would be flying home yesterday (Thursday) with the head of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza. The army insisted they would arrest and imprison him if he returns.
Hundreds of pro-Zelaya protesters have clashed with police and soldiers on the streets of Tegucigalpa, trade unions have threatened a general strike and President Barack Obama has said he will work with the OAS to restore Mr Zelaya to office.
This is a remarkable change of policy for the United States, which has a history of undermining democratically elected left-wing governments in the region and backing right-wing military coups.
Mr Obama said it would set a “terrible precedent” if the coup is not reversed. He said: “We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the President of Honduras, the democratically-elected president there.”
