Iran launches homegrown satellite

[Afshin]

Full article and video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7866357.stm

[aliirooni]

good timing Israelis FM said something like Israel was getting ready to attack Iran or its nuclear facilities...I am sure after this they are going to think twice about it ...I mean if shoot a satelite into space why not a few hundred heavy duty bombs into that little shit hole!

[ali_europe]

thanks for the news afshin jan.... steps like this are very important for IRAN... IRAN need to improve its technological and defence ability to create a stable strong background in region...that's the only key to prepare IRAN for a democracy long therm.... weakness of nations in the region has often been a reason why foreign power could come to this region and control the national recources of our region...huge amount of wealth has left this region to west, while unstable conditions and tensions just has weaken our region...


in short therm all Persians, KURDS, Arabs, Armenians, Turks etc should focus of following things

- good relations among countries in the region

- not allowing foreign powers to create tensions or separatism...putting the interessts of the region first and
not focus on stupid issues like hate between arabs and Persians etc...that would only weaken the region

- being united and defend the strategical and long therm interessts of our region, this
 includes the rights of having nuclear technology or a defence dooperation between countries in the region

- also very important..in long therm a more independent oil and gas policy..stop using dollars for oil and gas trade
use other currencies for the oil and gas business

- support countries like IRAN or turkey which are trying to get stronger and more independent, even
 the governments of these countries aren't yet great democracies

- support defence cooperations between countries in region

-support those movements which fight vs USA or Israel in the region

- pressures on governments of the region including IRI to start with democratization

[Afshin]

I agree Iran needs to be strong and independent but equally important is to be free of corruption and have democracy.

More update today:



BBC- Representatives of Britain, the US, Germany, France, China and Russia are to hold talks on Iran.

The meeting is part of regular discussions on how to persuade the country to halt its nuclear programme.

Tehran claims that the programme is for peaceful purposes, but Western powers fear that Iran is trying to develop atomic weapons.

The talks come a day after Tehran announced that it had launched its first domestically-made satellite.

Iran said the satellite, carried on a Safir-2 rocket, was meant for research and telecommunications.

But the US, UK and France voiced concerns that the technology used could lead to ballistic missile development.

Wednesday's talks are to take place in the German town of Wiesbaden.

Direct talks?

The UN has imposed sanctions on Iran because of Western suspicions that it is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

Until now neither the threat of tougher sanctions nor the offer of economic incentives has persuaded Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

But with a new president in the White House there are signs of a fresh approach that is likely to be discussed in Germany, the BBC's Steve Rosenberg reports from Berlin.

President Barack Obama has indicated he may support direct US talks with Iran over its nuclear programme - possibly without pre-conditions.

There is also talk of a low-level US diplomatic presence being established in Tehran.

However, Washington has already made it clear that the Iranians will also need to show flexibility.

Ahead of the talks, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Iran had an opportunity "to step up and become a productive member of the international community".

Citing words from President Obama's inauguration speech, she said the international community was "reaching out a hand to Tehran" but that Iran had to "unclench its fist".

[ali_europe]

absolutly agree afshin jan.. but if you look around in the third world...as long a nation is weak and dependent, you'll see huge corruption... democracy can only work if our country would get to a minimum level of industrialization and education...the 1953 putsch clearly shows that people were manipulated and scared and lot of people in villages even didn't know what was going on in Tehran.... once IRAN would become a strong power and a bigger part of population has acces to school and education, a democratization from inside would start without any influence of foreign power...till then IRANIANS must support industrialization and education process in IRAN

[aliirooni]

absolutly agree afshin jan.. but if you look around in the third world...as long a nation is weak and dependent, you'll see huge corruption... democracy can only work if our country would get to a minimum level of industrialization and education...the 1953 putsch clearly shows that people were manipulated and scared and lot of people in villages even didn't know what was going on in Tehran.... once IRAN would become a strong power and a bigger part of population has acces to school and education, a democratization from inside would start without any influence of foreign power...till then IRANIANS must support industrialization and education process in IRAN

many countries have strong military but they don't have democracy so I don't really believe that a strong military necessarily means path to democracy  in fact many countries use their strong military to block democracy!
Things such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion are what usually led to democracy in other countries and neither of which Iran has!

[ali_europe]

absolutly agree afshin jan.. but if you look around in the third world...as long a nation is weak and dependent, you'll see huge corruption... democracy can only work if our country would get to a minimum level of industrialization and education...the 1953 putsch clearly shows that people were manipulated and scared and lot of people in villages even didn't know what was going on in Tehran.... once IRAN would become a strong power and a bigger part of population has acces to school and education, a democratization from inside would start without any influence of foreign power...till then IRANIANS must support industrialization and education process in IRAN

many countries have strong military but they don't have democracy so I don't really believe that a strong military necessarily means path to democracy  in fact many countries use their strong military to block democracy!
Things such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion are what usually led to democracy in other countries and neither of which Iran has!

it is not only about military...it is about stable ecconomical condition and defence ability, else foreign powers easiely destroy any democratization

examples:
IRAN 1953: Dr Mossadegh was about to turn IRAN to a democracy, but since majority of IRAN's population were poor and uneducated and IRAN was quite weak, it was an easy game for CIA and inteligent Service to destroy IRAN's young democracy

1973 Chile: Allende was about to turn Chile to a democracy, but CIA and some corrupted Chilenian military easiely prepared a putsch and destroy the democracy

etc....


examples that show that strong countries are more resistent to foreign powers

1991: After collpapse of soviet union americans wanted to make Russia collapse in hundred of small countries...but cuz russia was strong and americans couldn't directly invade Russia, after few years Russia could slowly stabilize...and even Russia isn't still a democracy, but the country is slowly moving to more democratic conditions(which will need time of course)

mid 1990's till today: Western powers are trying every thing to destabilze China... of course China isn't a democracy yet, and of course they will need long time to have democratic conditions in their country....but strong ecconomical stability and good defence ability has made it possible for china to step by step reform their country,improve their ecconomy and defence abilities without fears that Western powers would make China collapse in 100 independent small nations

Venzuela: more social justice,improving the life conditions of majority of people and improving their defence abilities made it lot harder to CIA to create putsches....Chavez even could stop a CIA Putsch cuz of huge public support and good preparation of his supporters

of course countries like Russia, China or Venezuela etc aren't yet democracies, but they are making small progresses and foreign powers couldn't till now create any strong separatism or other troubles for them

[aliirooni]

I didn't entirely disagree with you on that issue I guess the point I was trying to make was that in order to have true democracy, we need to have more than just a strong military we need to have strong civil movements that promote secularism, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and rule of law where no one is above the law.

[ali_europe]

I didn't entirely disagree with you on that issue I guess the point I was trying to make was that in order to have true democracy, we need to have more than just a strong military we need to have strong civil movements that promote secularism, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and rule of law where no one is above the law.

of course strong defence abilities and technological and educational development aren't alone enough to make a country a democracy..but they are important foundations to make a democracy survice, specially if foreign forces around you are waiting to control your natural recources