Washington's first regime change priority is Syria. At issue is
isolating Iran. Then devoting full attention to replacing its
current government with a pro-Western one.
At the same time, covert war's raged against Tehran for years.
Destabilization tactics include fake accusations, political and
economic sanctions, isolation, covert and direct confrontation,
cyberwar, targeted assassinations, and other provocations short of
war - so far.
Everything tried so far failed. Oil sanctions won't fare better. EU
countries imposing it shot themselves in the foot. Sensible ones
won't go along. Major ones like China, Russia, India and Brazil
reject them. Expect Japan, South Korea and others to follow at least
partially.
The more America goes rogue, the fewer allies it retains. Eventually
perhaps they'll be none besides its Israeli/UK axis of evil partners
and some Middle East despots.
With Washington, they're involved in funding and arming anti-Syrian
insurgents. They also support America's latest outrage. Press TV
announced it, saying:
"The United States has arrested and charged an Iranian semiconductor
scientist for buying high-tech US lab equipment, a development
likely to further worsen Iranian-US relations."
On January 26, AP offered more details headlining, "Documents show
US has arrested Iranian scientist," saying:
Seyed Mojtaba Atarodi was charged "with violating US export
laws...." He's a Sharif University of Technology Assistant Professor
and microchip expert.
He authored or co-authored dozens of microchip technology scientific
papers, none military related.
Prison records show he's held at the Federal Correctional
Institution (FCI), Dublin, CA. near San Francisco. The prison's web
site calls it "a low security facility housing female offenders"
with "an adjacent administrative detention facility (for) adult
males on holdover or pre-trial status...."
On January 26, San Francisco federal district court held Atarodi's
bond hearing. Proceedings were closed except for attorneys and
family members. Friends said he was detained on December 7 after
arriving in Los Angeles by air.
Charges against him are sealed. Justice Department officials won't
discuss them. An unnamed Sharif University spokesman said it
involves buying ordinary US instruments available to anyone without
a license. He spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid possible
repercussions, adding:
"The fact of the matter is that he was just a professor, and he was
trying to buy some equipment for his lab, and the equipment was
very, very simple, ridiculously simple stuff that anybody can buy."
The arrest follows Washington's familiar pattern. Atarodi committed
no crime. He's now victimized by the Obama's war on Iran.
Following a brief hearing, his family said he'll be released on
bail, subject to electronic monitoring. In part, it's for medical
reasons. In the past 14 months, he suffered two heart attacks, a
stroke, and underwent two heart surgeries.
His attorney, Matthew David Kohn, said he's been treated well in
custody. He also believes prosecutors "meticulously" built their
case against an innocent man. He came to Los Angeles for medical
treatment from his brother's cardiologist.
Arresting Iranians for alleged embargo violations is rare. It shows
how far Washington's willing to go to antagonize Iran, hoping
perhaps for retaliation it can use as pretext to incite conflict.
Iranian scientists, especially nuclear ones, are central figures in
America's destabilization plans. Former Sharif University vice
chancellor Fredun Hojabri, now living in America, said longstanding
US/Iranian friction causes problems for them.
He cited a 2006 incident involving over 50 Iranian researchers,
engineers and executives. En route to a Santa Clara, CA disaster
management forum, they were detained and deported because their
visas were revoked. A Sharif University alumni group organized the
event.
America not only plays hardball, it plays dirty. Innocent people
suffer, especially Muslims falsely accused of terrorism, terrorist
related charges, or other bogus ones like what Atoradi faces.
Hopefully he'll weather the storm, be free and allowed to go home.
A Final Comment
In June 2006, Iranian American Seyed Mousavi's ordeal began when FBI
and IRS agents raided his home and confronted him and his family at
gunpoint. Though not imprisoned, he was hounded for months.
In August 2007, things came to a head. After early morning prayers,
he was arrested outside his mosque and bogusly charged with six
felony counts under the catch-all International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (IEEPA).
Though spurious and malicious, he was accused of doing business
illegally with a Kuwaiti company linked to two Iranian ones,
establishing an Iranian bank and leasing company, filing false tax
returns, impeding tax collections, and illegally securing
citizenship by falsifying information under oath.
Though innocent of all charges, in April 2008, he was convicted for
violating America's Iran embargo, omitting group membership
information on naturalization forms, and income tax evasion.
Imprisoned, he was denied all rights, isolated without reason,
dehumanized and punished for being a Muslim in America at the wrong
time from the wrong country.
This time, justice was only delayed. In January 2010, Mousavi was
released. He still awaited a Ninth District Court of Appeals
decision pertaining to immigration charges. On May 5, 2010 it came,
overturning a lower court's conviction. His web site Free Seyed
Mousavi announced the news, saying:
"Seyed Mahmood Mousavi is a free man and as a result of the
reversal, continues to be a legal citizen of the United States."
He and his family "sincerely thank (everyone) for (their) continued
support" throughout his ordeal. Justice in the end prevailed. Others
aren't as lucky.
As a result, they wrongfully languish in US prison hellholes for
their faith, ethnicity and nationality, not any crimes they
committed.
Mousavi's a free man to explain it. He's also someone this writer
knows, admires, wrote about, and discussed on air.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
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