Sunday, June 08, 2008

The Plunder of Iran

These disclosures are not made by some disgruntled Iranian exile or dissident, this is a film footage of Abbas Palizdar, a member of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission in the Islamic Republic, speaking to students at Hamedan university about how Iran's wealth is being plundered on a daily basis by a powerful clerical mafia.

As we say in Persian when someone has had more than enough, 'the knife must have gone beyond his flesh and touched his bones', for him to make these courageous public disclosures and name names when the student audience insist he names the individuals.

This can only be the tip of the iceberg and how at a time when Iranian people could have been living in their most affluent times, the clerical mafia running Iran, is plundering the entire wealth and resources of a rich country for their own benefit, while their lackeys outside Iran continue to fool the European Left and academics that Islamic Republic is some kind of a champion state for the poor masses!

Below are translations of some of what Palizdar is saying in the film in bullet points:

1- One of the clerics came and said he has a disabled son and he wants to build a rehabilitation centre where he can treat his son there. We registered the centre for him. Then he asked for financial support, demanding the rights to Fars marble stone mines, one of the best in the world, and after a while he said this is not enough and asked for another mine in Zanjan. He now has ownership of four mines as an excuse to support his rehabilitation centre. At this point the students demand to know the cleric's name, Palizdar is reluctant first but finally caves in and answers 'Ayatollah Emami Kashani', member of the Guardian Council and one of the four Friday Prayer sermon Imams of Tehran.

2- Another Ayatollah came to the Supreme Leader and said he wants to build a law faculty in Qom for women. He got the permission and asked for the ownership of Dena Tyre making factory for financial backing of the faculty. Nematzadeh said they can have the factory for 126 Billion, the real value was 600 Billion. But they kept writing letters saying they want further discount, at the end a factory which was worth 600 Billion, was sold for 10 Billion. Even then they said we don't have all the money to pay now and will pay 80% of it by installments. It was agreed to but this wasn't enough discount for them either and after all that, they said we don't have the 20% to pay now either, we will pay it after we have sold the factory buildings.
'So as easy as that, the Ayatollah took ownership of the factory and then sold it off on the stock market. '
Again the students demand for Palizdar to name the cleric. Palizdar replies 'Ayatollah Yazdi, the previous head of the judiciary and the present secretary of the Clerical Association of Qom Seminaries. Responsible for the closure of so many publications during Khatami's era.

3- Carrying on with the same Ayatollah Yazdi, Palizdar continues, 'Again Ayatollah Yazdi writes a letter to Foroozesh, the Minister of Industries, saying my son, Hamid, is out of work at the moment. Can you facilitate things so my son can have a part in the export of timber made from Caspian forests. At the time Hamid Yazdi was a director at the judiciary, in other words he wasn't even out of work. Thus he plundered the Caspian forests. Then they went and arrested the local people who had perhaps stored only enough wood for their fire logs, which led to the protests outside the prisons.'

4- Car making factory, Iran Khodro, was forced to give new Persia cars to judiciary judges at half price, in instalments, and most didn't even bother pay their instalments. But this made many more to also want a piece of the cake. For example the Nahjolbalagheh Foundation, came and said why shouldn't we get 500 vehicles with the same facilities. Now who do you think this Nahjolbalaghe Foundation belongs to? It belongs to Nategh Nouri (Supreme Leader's former favourite candidate for presidency, Rafighdoost (Former revolutionary Guards commander and head of the Dispossessed Foundation, Asgaroladi (member of the super wealthy Bazaar Merchant Coalition Society), Hossein Dinparvar and Moezi.

5- Then the Persepolis football club run by Abedini and another Foundation also said we want half price cars. The said Foundation is owned by Hojjat-ol_Islam Fallahain, previous intelligence minister during the extra judicial killings of dissidents like Daryoush and Parvaneh Forouhar, and Ayatollah Alam Al-Hoda, who recently made the remark that 'Women who are not observing the Hejab properly are foot soldiers of America'

6- Twelve mines in Khorrasan province are owned by Ayatollah Vaeze Tabassi, whose own son is involved in what has become known as Al-Mokaseb case. A corruption case which was investigated by the Islamic judiciary for two years and all the accused including Ayatollah Tabassi's son were all acquitted.

7- Then Palizdar mentions the big time smuggler at Payam airport who has over 1100 cases of smuggling goods being investigated by the judiciary. Palizdar continues with frustration 'but we are still unable to arrest him, because he is under the protection of Ayatollah Nateq Nuri.'

8- Palizdar talks about tobacco and cigarette smuggling and how this large scale smuggling has grounded Iran's tobacco industry to a halt and forced thousands of its workers out of employment. Without naming names, Palizdar also talks about the extent of narcotics use in the Islamic Republic, and implicity talks about high ranking clerics also being involved in the distribution of narcotics in the country.

9- Palizdar then talks about two aviation crashes, which led to the deaths of war veterans Dadman and Kazemi. Dadman's revolutionary credentials were impeccable. He had taken part in the Tabriz riots against the Shah, taken part in the US embassy hostage taking, served in the front line against Iraqi invasion, even in the Islamic Republic led Mecca pilgrims protests which led to the Saudis killing 400 protesters as just a few points to mention in Dadman's revolutionary CV.

Palizdar says unequivocally that Dadman's crash was deliberate. He claims there is a 1000 page case held with the judiciary about the crash. (He does not however mention who was behind the crash). Regarding the crash that led to Commander Kazemi's death however, Palizdar said Martyr Kazemi had closed down the Hormoz mines for irregularities and although he says in this case he has no clear evidence, it was after the closure of the mine that his plane crashed. The Hormoz mines are owned by Ayatollah Khazaeli.

During the question time, Palizdar is asked why he has not talked about the corruption by the Rafsnjani clan, is it because he fears the power of Rafsanjanis? Palizdar replies that there is so much abuse of power by Rafsnajanis that he would need an entire meeting dedicated to this subject, but briefly mentions their interests in one third of the Kish island but more notably their interest in an oil company - owned by Rafsanjani's family including his sister who resides in Canada. He then apologises first to the female members of the audience before bringing up sexual exploits of Rafsanjani's son, Mehdi, saying that there is even a film footage of his acts with his female members of the staff available in the judiciary files.

17 comments:

Bahramerad said...

Thank you for translating this article.
While the Iranians are Bamboozled and preoccupied with the Atomic nonsense — the mullah mafias are plundering the nations wealth and sending it to bahrain and canada.
Here is the link for this article in Farsi; http://www.iranpressnews.com/source/041308.htm

Aryamehr said...

This Hezbollahi character, Abbas Palizar, is by no means on the side of the Iranian people as you can tell from his speech. He is a staunch defender of the Islamic Republic, its founder Mullah Khomeini, and President AN - he has simply realized that with the overwhelming public hate towards the Islamic leadership it is best to assume a more distant role from the current prominent leadership while still defending the foundations (i.e. Islamic Republic) in hope that his likes can fool this nation and prolong this dead corpse (Islamic Republic) under a new terrorist leadership. He is another type of so-called "reformist" whose revelations (although very likely truthful) are meant to lull the people into a false sense of trust, gaining their support, allowing these filth to easier manipulate the public in the future in their power-plays.

Iranians cannot afford to place their hopes behind people like Abbas Palizar who are part of this terrorist system and who are only trying to secure their future safety/prosperity. There is only one right way that our nation can be liberated and that is by mass demonstrations/strikes/civil disobedience/sabotage/armed struggle against the terrorist establishment, bringing to justice its criminals, and ensuring a free and fair national referendum is held - anything short of this will only serve to prolong the Iranian peoples' suffering.

Azarmehr said...

Oh my God! So what shall we do? not publicise his disclosures? Do you think if you and I said these things it would have the same effect? Do you think we have the same access to the material that he has? Do you think you and I can go to Hamedan university and say these things?

For any regime to fall you need to encourage it to crumble from within.

For some it seems its all or nothing but I think the way to make the regime fall is to keep hammering at the crack, bit by bit until the crack is too wide and the structure will snap.

'Iranians cannot afford to place their hopes behind people like Abbas Palizar who are part of this terrorist system'
If a faction of the regime is exposing the corruption of another faction and we publicise it, does that mean we are telling people to put their hopes behind one?!

I think you need to study how other totalitarian regimes have crumbled.

Aryamehr said...

Potkin-jAn,

I think you have misunderstood my comments. When I state:

"Iranians cannot afford to place their hopes behind people like Abbas Palizar who are part of this terrorist system"

I mean exactly that and am not implying whether they will or won't - simply expressing a very valid concern. What Iranians need to do is to continue pressuring and taking advantage of these kind of infightings in the system until it crumbles and/or popular intervention is granted for; however they cannot be duped about the INTENTIONS of people like Abbas Palizar. Abbas Palizar doesn't wish for a free, democratic, and nationalistic Iran but their main concern is their personal safety and the preservation of the foundations of the system so that a new gang of terrorists can come and replace the current ones.

My concern has absolutely nothing to do with the veracity of the information given by Abbas Palizar, which i'm certain most is true, but it is the INTENTIONS of people like Palizar. Having said that ofcourse these disclosures should be publicized! but ordinary people should not forget about the loyalties of these people and what their intentions are. I'm just sharing my concerns as an outsider looking inside.

Hope it's more clear now.

Winston said...

The Iranian regime enriched with petro-dollars is sending "agents of influence" around the world to further its dirty agenda. These people should be exposed for what they are: dirty scumbags who have no shame or dignity.

Anonymous said...

خبرگزاری فارس گزارش داده که جامعه اسلامی دانشجويان دانشگاه بوعلی همدان از سوی وزارت علوم به مدت سه ماه تعليق شده است.

Anonymous said...

درجامعه اسلامی دانشکده حقوق دانشگاه شيراز:
"
پس از سخنرانی در دانشگاه های قبل مرا تهديد کرده اند که اگر به اين کار ادامه دهم از ادامه کارم جلوگيری به عمل می آيد. باور کنيد من از جان خودم نمی ترسم بلکه از اين می ترسم که قبل از اينکه حرفم را در تمام ايران بزنم و اکثر مردم حرفم را بشنوند دهانم بسته شود. بنابر اين با احتياط بيشتری صحبت می کنم

دستگاه قضايی خود از فاسدترين دستگاهها است و به اين نتيجه رسيده ايم که با اين دستگاه پر فساد نمی توان جامعه را اصلاح کرد. در يک مورد که يکی از مسئولين تخلف کرده بود، هاشمی شاهرودی به او نامه نوشت که کار خود را اصلاح کند و او کار خود را اصلاح نکرد و هاشمی شاهرودی هم از قضيه مطلع بود.اين امر دو حالت بيشتر ندارد؛ يا هاشمی شاهرودی عرضه ندارد و يا با آن فرد مفسد همدست است
"

Anonymous said...

سی دی این نشست در دسترس مردم همدان قرار گرفته
هنوز کسی از وی شکایت نکرده ولی
وی تحت تعقیب قرار خواهد گرفت

Anonymous said...

aryamehr ...It is very easy to speak from a comfortable chair. But if you really believe in which it you say, must go to the country and do what preaches (civil disobedience/sabotage/armed struggle against the terrorist establishment, etc).
Meanwhile your words are empty and cowards, its position is that the others fight and suffer by you, and when everything has been fixed and changed, you with your dollars will reconstruct your country.
Its position is equal of hypocrite who those that you criticism.

Anonymous said...

aryamehr ...It is very easy to speak from a comfortable chair. But if you really believe in which it you say, must go to the country and do what preaches (civil disobedience/sabotage/armed struggle against the terrorist establishment, etc).
Meanwhile your words are empty and cowards, its position is that the others fight and suffer by you, and when everything has been fixed and changed, you with your dollars will reconstruct your country.
Its position is equal of hypocrite who those that you criticism.

Cindy said...

Very interesting. Thank you for posting this. I'm a Dutch woman who fights for the rights of the people in Iran, I can't wait till this barbaric regime falls down in tiny pieces.

Anonymous said...

Aryamehr Jaan,
I totally agree with Putkin, as we can not conda anyone who might be of any help and i mean ANY help and by any means to get the voice of Iranian people across the world and Palizar is one of them, do you recall the last years of Shah in iran (at that time i was 24 years old) and do you remember sharif emamy ? amouzgar,and others ? how did they speed up the fall of that Man ? we must stop doing and telling these hurtful words and embrace anyone who could come forward and open the eyes of THOSE who still support this regime and are naive people of Iran who still go to Jamkaran .
PAAYANDEH IRAN< JAVEED AZADI.

Anonymous said...

We should remember that what seem abhorent to decent folks, like lying, stealing, and killing, are quite acceptable in the mullahs' books. Didn't their prophet do all these as soon as he set up his regime in Yathrab?

Anonymous said...

I will pray for Iran. The Iranian people are being controlled my men who claim to love god, but with every action they show their true love is money.

Anonymous said...

great piece

Aryamehr said...

Anon#2, I don't think you've quite understood me. I'm not against these kind of revelations but in fact wish more IRI criminals came forward and ratted out their fellow partners-in-crime. But at the same time I am not going to make "heroes" out of these criminals. Hopefully Iranians inside can see how these revelations are positive developments that they can capitalize upon but at the same time they shouldn't be fooled into thinking these criminals are "heroes". That's my take on this.

Aryamehr said...

Potkin-jAn,

Can you include a "link to this post" option to your posts - you need to enable this somewhere in the settings. Look at my own or winston's blog and you'll see what i'm talking about. Thanks.