Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBAI583
2006-02-08 07:58:00
SECRET
Consulate Dubai
Cable title:
REFORMERS IN IRAN TRYING TO REGROUP
how-toVZCZCXRO9384 PP RUEHBC RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHDE #0583 0390758 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P R 080758Z FEB 06 FM AMCONSUL DUBAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8180 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 1083 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T DUBAI 000583
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON FOR TSOU; PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/6/2016
TAGS: PGOV IR PREL
SUBJECT: REFORMERS IN IRAN TRYING TO REGROUP
REF: DUBAI 0290
CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Acting Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
(C) Summary: In two recent conversations, two activists describe
the reform movement in Iran as under pressure, fractured, but
not defeated. End Summary
Under Pressure
--------------
(S) Elaheh Koulaei (please protect),a reformist member of the
previous Majles in Iran, met with PolEconChief February 4. In
addition to acting as spokesperson for reformist candidate
Mostafa Moin's failed 2005 presidential bid, she is a senior
member of the largest reform party, Islamic Iran Participation
Front (IIPF or Mosharekat Party). (Note: Koulaei came to the
U.S. Consulate in Dubai to apply for a visa to speak at the
Bergedorf Round Table, co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson
Center, on reform in the Middle East and how the U.S. and Europe
can contribute. The conference is to be held in Washington
March 17-19 at Dumbarton House. Her views on the situation
regarding Iran's nuclear program are reported septel.)
(S) Koulaei briefly described the internal situation in Iran for
reformers. Since the election of Ahmadinejad, she said, the
regime has put some limits on activities of reform parties.
When asked for specifics, she said IIPF party members,
particularly outside Tehran, were under increasing pressure.
Membership was becoming "illegal in all but name." Nonetheless,
she said, reformers, including her party and its secretary
general, Mohammed Reza Khatami (brother of President Khatami,
and former deputy speaker of the Sixth Majles),remain "active."
(S) The reform movement, however, still lacked unity, according
to Koulaei. When asked if former Iranian presidential candidate
Mehdi Karroubi's recent efforts to establish a new party
(National Trust),newspaper and television station (reftel) were
helpful in unifying the opposition, she said they were having a
positive effect. She explained that as a cleric, Karroubi could
possibly bridge the gap between the conservatives and
reformists.
Biding Their Time
--------------
(S) Separately, the brother of a prominent Iranian reformer
recently told Conoff that as a result of Ahmadinejad's election,
the reform movement is biding its time and plans to remain quiet
for the next one to two years. He believed that if the movement
does not stay together and follow a distinct, well-planned
strategy, there might be worse to come for the reformers,
possibly even assassinations. He claimed, without providing
details, that the reformers were "working on a plan." He also
believed some among current key reformers had the capability to
emerge as leaders, but would not mention anyone by name.
Comment
--------------
(C) Neither interlocutor wanted to offer much detail into
reformers' activities or the pressures they are facing. We have
heard that one strategy the government is using to quiet
reformers is to launch corruption investigations against them.
No one else has mentioned to us so blatantly the possibility of
assassinations, but given the government's past history of
eliminating oppositionists, it is certainly conceivable.
DAVIS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
LONDON FOR TSOU; PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/6/2016
TAGS: PGOV IR PREL
SUBJECT: REFORMERS IN IRAN TRYING TO REGROUP
REF: DUBAI 0290
CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Acting Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
(C) Summary: In two recent conversations, two activists describe
the reform movement in Iran as under pressure, fractured, but
not defeated. End Summary
Under Pressure
--------------
(S) Elaheh Koulaei (please protect),a reformist member of the
previous Majles in Iran, met with PolEconChief February 4. In
addition to acting as spokesperson for reformist candidate
Mostafa Moin's failed 2005 presidential bid, she is a senior
member of the largest reform party, Islamic Iran Participation
Front (IIPF or Mosharekat Party). (Note: Koulaei came to the
U.S. Consulate in Dubai to apply for a visa to speak at the
Bergedorf Round Table, co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson
Center, on reform in the Middle East and how the U.S. and Europe
can contribute. The conference is to be held in Washington
March 17-19 at Dumbarton House. Her views on the situation
regarding Iran's nuclear program are reported septel.)
(S) Koulaei briefly described the internal situation in Iran for
reformers. Since the election of Ahmadinejad, she said, the
regime has put some limits on activities of reform parties.
When asked for specifics, she said IIPF party members,
particularly outside Tehran, were under increasing pressure.
Membership was becoming "illegal in all but name." Nonetheless,
she said, reformers, including her party and its secretary
general, Mohammed Reza Khatami (brother of President Khatami,
and former deputy speaker of the Sixth Majles),remain "active."
(S) The reform movement, however, still lacked unity, according
to Koulaei. When asked if former Iranian presidential candidate
Mehdi Karroubi's recent efforts to establish a new party
(National Trust),newspaper and television station (reftel) were
helpful in unifying the opposition, she said they were having a
positive effect. She explained that as a cleric, Karroubi could
possibly bridge the gap between the conservatives and
reformists.
Biding Their Time
--------------
(S) Separately, the brother of a prominent Iranian reformer
recently told Conoff that as a result of Ahmadinejad's election,
the reform movement is biding its time and plans to remain quiet
for the next one to two years. He believed that if the movement
does not stay together and follow a distinct, well-planned
strategy, there might be worse to come for the reformers,
possibly even assassinations. He claimed, without providing
details, that the reformers were "working on a plan." He also
believed some among current key reformers had the capability to
emerge as leaders, but would not mention anyone by name.
Comment
--------------
(C) Neither interlocutor wanted to offer much detail into
reformers' activities or the pressures they are facing. We have
heard that one strategy the government is using to quiet
reformers is to launch corruption investigations against them.
No one else has mentioned to us so blatantly the possibility of
assassinations, but given the government's past history of
eliminating oppositionists, it is certainly conceivable.
DAVIS