Ahead of Persian new year, Zibakalam says Iran began and is ending this past century still struggling for democracy and democratic values. identifies 3 internal divisons threatening it: ethnic, growing economic inequality, cultural divisons between ultra religious &more educated
Zibakalam says many of the 24 million Iranians who voted for Rouhani 4 yrs ago will stay home in the election in June, and he expects a hardliner to be Iran’s next president, whether from rev. guards or civilian.
He says some Iranian reformists argue that wth control of the judiciary and legislative branches, the hardliners make many decisions now but have no accountability to the public for dismal results.
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Acting US envoy to IAEA today offered robust defense of Iran deal, and spoke of the new need to rebuild confidence in both Washington and Tehran. diplomatic.substack.com/p/prospects-fo…
“..the JCPOA, a key achievement of multilateral diplomacy, and a vital instrument...” acting US charge to IAEA Louis Bono today. “...confidence must be rebuilt – in Washington, in Tehran...” diplomatic.substack.com/p/prospects-fo…
DC National Guard’s MG William Walker says on call requesting National Guard to help police, Gen. Flynn and Gen. Pyatt were the ones worried about the optics.
Gen. Flynn is the brother of Michael Flynn.
Robert Salesses, who was not on the call, says multiple times Gen. Pyatt told him yesterday he did not say anything about the optics.
Klobuchar does not ask about, so was it Flynn?
Grassley disgraceful. Wray just explaining massive explosion of right wing domestic terrorism and white supremacist terrorism cases around the country, and Grassley saying please devote as many resources to much less left wing cases
Leahy: do u stand by your previous testimony white supremacist extremism is the dominant most persistent source of terrorism threats we face today.
Wray: racially motivated violent extremism, esp. white supremacist, biggest chunk of domestic terrorism. responsible for most lethal
Durbin asks Wray why little/late warning communicated to police ahead of Jan. 6. Wray: in period up to 1/6, we were tracking large amount of info about a large number of people coming to dc to protest and abt the *potential* for violence.
warning from Norfolk field office
communciated by email, verbally, and to some broader system.
Durbin asks about large number of people on watchlist who came to dc to protest.
Wray, on some of the participants in 1/6: we at FBI consider domestic terrorists.
he characterizes some as
militia violent extremism
racially motivated violent extremism (white supremacy)
"The only way forward at this stage is if the Europeans are willing to play the role of an intermediary without the Iranians and Americans talking directly,” the expert close to US negotiating team proposed. diplomatic.substack.com/p/iran-says-no…
Blinken in statement announces a "Khashoggi ban" to impose visa restrictions on 76 Saudi individuals believed to have been engaged in threatening dissidents overseas, including but not limited to the Khashoggi killing.
Blinken: While the US remains invested in its relationship with Saudi Arabia, Pres. Biden has made clear that partnership must reflect U.S. values. To that end, we have made absolutely clear that extraterritorial threats and assaults by Saudi Arabia against activists, dissidents
& journalists must end. They will not be tolerated by the United States."