IRANIAN ACADEMIC CALLS FOR EXPANDED BROADCASTING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAKU 000608 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017 TAGS: ECPS KDEM PGOV PINR PREL PROP IR AJ SUBJECT: IRANIAN ACADEMIC CALLS FOR EXPANDED BROADCASTING TO ETHNIC AZERIS BAKU 00000608 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: CDA Jason Hyland for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a 16 May meeting with Embassy Iran Watcher, Professor Gholam-Reza Sabri-Tabrizi (please protect),an ethnic Azeri academic teaching at Edinburgh University and head of the Baku-based Coordinating Committee of World Azerbaijanis, called for the U.S. to support broadcasting efforts targeting Iran's sizable ethnic Azeri minority. Characterizing Voice of America's (VOA) Persian service as "one-sided" and "not satisfactory" (i.e. Persian-centric),Tabrizi asserted that it was actually "anti-American" in tone, dominated by "royalists" and "infiltrated by Armenians." Stating that he was interested in supporting political change in Iran from the inside, Tabrizi called for the U.S. to help establish an Azeri-language satellite television station, possibly based in Europe. With a focus on economic and cultural issues, Tabrizi said that such a station would support efforts currently underway in Iran to bring about change from within. With regard to the current situation in "South Azerbaijan," Tabrizi said that "thousands" of Iranian troops had been deployed to the region in advance of the one-year anniversary of the 22 May 2006 ethnic Azeri protests. Tabrizi also said that the Government of Azerbaijan (GOAJ) uses NGOs and opposition politicians to provide moral support to Iran's ethnic Azeri movement by "saying what the government can't." End Summary. Background on Tabrizi -------------- ¶2. (C) In a 16 May meeting with Embassy Iran Watcher, Professor Gholam-Reza Sabri-Tabrizi (please protect),an ethnic Azeri academic teaching at Edinburgh University and head of the Baku-based Coordinating Committee for World Azerbaijanis, called for the U.S. to support broadcasting efforts targeting Iran's sizable ethnic Azeri minority. Tabrizi, an academic and citizen of the United Kingdom, reportedly earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Tabriz in 1956 and later earned a doctorate from Edinburgh University in 1969. A life-long supporter of greater Azeri cultural and linguistic rights, Tabrizi supported the Shah's ouster, returning to Iran in order to hold a post in the transition government. After a falling out with hard-line Khomeini followers, Tabrizi again returned to the United Kingdom in order to resume teaching. As head of the Baku-based Coordinating Committee for World Azerbaijanis, Tabrizi maintains contact with a wide range of Iranian diaspora groups. (Note - the Coordinating Committee for World Azerbaijanis is a NGO committed to elevating the issue of ethnic Azeri rights in Iran. According to Tabrizi, it receives financial support from the GOAJ and is active in Azerbaijan, Europe and North America. End note.) Call for Azeri-Language Broadcasting -------------- ¶3. (C) Characterizing VOA's Persian service as "one-sided" and "not satisfactory" (i.e. Persian-centric),Tabrizi claimed that it was actually "anti-American" in tone, dominated by "royalists" and "infiltrated by Armenians." Tabrizi also claimed that ethnic Azeris in Iran were put off by VOA's "chauvinistic" tone, the U.S. "missing an opportunity" to speak with a wider section of Iranian society. Saying that he was interested in supporting efforts to create political change in Iran from within (Tabrizi being of the opinion that there was enough power in Iran to unseat the regime),Tabrizi called for the U.S. to provide financial support for the creation of an Azeri-language satellite television station, possibly based in Europe. In order to "cover all of Iran," Tabrizi recommended that the U.S. consider using Hotbird or a similar satellite. With regard to questions such as who would be responsible for operating the station or an estimate of how much money would be required to establish the station, Tabrizi provided few insights. ¶4. (C) Concerning programming for a possible station, Tabrizi suggested that the U.S. focus primarily on economic and cultural issues. Saying that the "unemployed working classes and small businessmen brought down the Shah and were capable of doing so again," Tabrizi said that discontent among these groups was growing because of the government's poor handling of the economy and increasing tensions with the West over the nuclear issue. Tabrizi said that focusing on the issues that mattered most to these groups - unemployment, BAKU 00000608 002.2 OF 003 poor health services, and a failing educational system - would find a receptive audience. Also expressing an interest in reaching out to other ethnic minorities to include the Kurds, Baluch, and Arabs, Tabrizi suggested that programming highlight the "cultural genocide" suffered by Iran's ethnic minorities at the hands of the Tehran regime. ¶5. (C) Acknowledging that any potential U.S. support of a foreign-based broadcaster targeting ethnic minorities in Iran would most likely be interpreted by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) as an effort to foment ethnic unrest, Tabrizi suggested that the U.S. could also consider expanding its broadcast efforts to include broadcasts in languages other than Farsi. Despite his criticisms of VOA's Farsi-language service for being Persian-centric, Tabrizi conceded that most Iranians he talked to considered VOA and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programming to be "credible." Developments Within Iran and Azeri Diaspora Groups -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Tabrizi said that his contacts in Iran had reported that "thousands" of Iranian troops had recently been deployed to northwestern Iran in advance of the one-year anniversary of the 22 May 2006 ethnic Azeri protests. Saying that the build-up was most visible in the Azeri population centers of Tabriz, Ardebil, and Orumiyeh, Tabrizi also claimed that two young Azeris had been recently been shot dead in Tabriz "for listening to Turkish music." (Note - this claim cannot be verified. End Note.) These actions, so Tabrizi, were a reflection of the IRI's great fear of the "mother tongue issue" and desire not to be caught off guard again. In Tabrizi's estimation, it was Ayatollah Janati of the Council of Guardians who was calling the shots on minority issues like this in Iran. ¶7. (C) Concerning recent rumors of infighting within the South Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement (SANAM),Tabrizi provided few insights. According to these rumors, SANAM was in disarray due to an internal power struggle centered on the future direction of the organization, those interested in focusing solely on the ethnic Azeri issue in Iran (this faction led by SANAM's leader Mahmudali Chehraganli) pitted against those in favor of a more Pan-Turkic, anti-Armenian approach (led by SANAM's North America leader Huseyn Turkeli and Ahmad Obali, head of GunAz Television). Somewhat surprised by these rumors, Tabrizi said that Obali does not believe that the Turkish government genuinely cares about ethnic Azeris or Azerbaijan, a conclusion he reached after Turkey bowed to Iranian pressure to discontinue broadcasting of GunAz Television on a Turkish satellite. Tabrizi also seemed wary of the Turks, saying that it was clear to him that the Turks and Iranians had entered into an agreement in which Turkey had agreed not to support ethnic Azeris in Iran in return for an Iranian pledge not to support the Kurds. (Note - for more information on Azeri diaspora groups, see Baku 392. End Note.) ¶8. (C) Speaking to the effectiveness of GunAz Television programming, Tabrizi said that his contacts in Iran reported that GunAz had played a crucial role in "organizing the aims" of the 22 May 2006 ethnic Azeri protests. Exhibiting "more balanced" reporting than VOA or other services, Tabrizi attributed GunAz's success to a very simple message of encouraging Azeris to think, whether it be about cultural issues such as Azeri-language education or economic issues such as high unemployment among younger Azeris. (Note - for more information on GunAz Television, see 06 Baku 1424. End Note.) ¶9. (C) On the economic situation in Iran, Tabrizi said that unemployment in urban areas, especially among younger persons seeking to enter the workforce, was dramatically higher than official IRI estimates indicate. Tabrizi said that economic discontent cut across ethnic lines, with all Iranians feeling the pain in his view. Tabrizi also said that many of his contacts did not understand why atomic energy was being developed with unemployment at such high levels. Tabrizi said that many businessmen, increasingly convinced that the U.S. will launch a military strike against Iran, complained to him that the IRI's confrontational approach on the nuclear issue was "bad for business." As a result, Tabrizi said that many businessmen were attempting to move their capital abroad for safety. In Azerbaijan, for example, Tabrizi said that many Iranians were investing in real estate, especially in Baku (he did know of many Iranians moving to Azerbaijan as a BAKU 00000608 003.2 OF 003 result of increased tensions). According to Tabrizi, many businessmen questioned the need for a nuclear energy program, believing that the funds allocated for such a program could be better used fighting high unemployment. According to Tabrizi, none of his contacts associated Iran's increasingly dire economic situation with increased U.S. financial pressure or sanctions, nor was he aware of any backlash to such efforts. Tabrizi on U.S. Friends and Allies -------------- ¶10. (C) Reportedly close to late President Heydar Aliyev and an informal advisor to current President Ilham Aliyev, Tabrizi said that the GOAJ supports NGOs like his own, diaspora groups, and opposition politicians in order to provide moral support to Iran's ethnic Azeri community. By "saying what the government can't," Tabrizi says that the GOAJ uses these proxies in order to support Iran's ethnic Azeris without angering its neighbor. With regard to the U.S. role in the region, Tabrizi said that in order for the U.S. to gain a durable foothold in the region, it needed to "focus on people, religion, and the economy." Claiming that Britain was not a genuine ally of the U.S., Tabrizi said that he believed Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) wielded considerable influence over political developments in both Iran and Iraq, primarily through it's control of Shia leaders. ¶11. (C) Despite stating that the U.S. should not rely on diaspora groups operating outside of Iran because they "live in a wonderland," Tabrizi represents one of these very groups and is well connected within Azeri diaspora circles. Asked to describe the kind of leader or organization currently operating in Iran most likely to bring about change from within, Tabrizi said that a person not affiliated with any foreign diaspora organizations, not religious, and not a Tudeh member was essential. In his estimation, a person such as Abbas Lisani, an ethnic Azeri activist not affiliated with any separatist or diaspora groups, would fit this mold. (Note - Lisani is currently imprisoned by the IRI and his situation has generated considerable international attention from the likes of Amnesty International and other organizations). Comment -------------- ¶12. (C) Tabrizi's request to secure U.S. assistance in establishing an Azeri-language satellite station based in Europe comes on the heels of efforts by other diaspora groups to do just the same. In a 12 March meeting with Embassy Iran Watcher, World Azerbaijanis Congress (WAC) president Javad Derakhti made an almost identical request, his arguments less persuasive than Tabrizi's. With regard to Tabrizi's comments about Britain, these views are echoed by many Iranians of his generation, ethnic Azeri and Persian alike. HYLAND