Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT204
2009-02-09 13:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
IRAN: TURKMEN SCHOLAR SEES CHANGES IN IRAN
how-toVZCZCXRO6275 PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHAH #0204 0401310 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091310Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2299 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4817 RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0081 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3061 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000204
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019
TAGS: IR PGOV PREL TX
SUBJECT: IRAN: TURKMEN SCHOLAR SEES CHANGES IN IRAN
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000204
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019
TAGS: IR PGOV PREL TX
SUBJECT: IRAN: TURKMEN SCHOLAR SEES CHANGES IN IRAN
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) A prominent Persian language scholar with close ties
to Iranian academics told Iran Watcher this week that he
fears that vote-rigging, similar to what was alleged to have
occurred in the 2005 Iranian Presidential elections, will
determine the outcome of Iran's Presidential election in
June. XXXXXXXXXXXX (please protect strictly
throughout),a retired professor at XXXXXXXXXXXX
who now teaches XXXXXXXXXXXX in Ashgabat, said that he believes former President Khatami would win the popular vote "hands down," but fears the results could be altered to favor the conservatives in
the election.
2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX attended an international conference of
Persian language scholars in Teheran last month said that the
Iranians he met with are "tired" and "fed up" with their
country's isolation and want a dialog with the United States
and the West. He said that having previously visited Iran
five years ago, the changes in the country were striking.
Whereas on his earlier visit photos of Khomeini were still
pretty much ubiquitous, he said he saw very few this time.
He said that both in Teheran and at the university XXXXXXXXXXXX the atmosphere was palpably more relaxed
than it had felt anytime since the 1979 revolution. He
noticed "a lot more hair showing" (and make-up) on the female
students, and was surprised to see young couples hugging or
walking hand-in-hand on campus. He also observed a huge
increase in prices, noting that a kilo of meat now costs ten
dollars in Teheran.
3. (C) NOTE AND COMMENT: XXXXXXXXXXXX formerly taught XXXXXXXXXXXX .
He served as XXXXXXXXXXXX interpreter during
his official visits to Iran, as well visits of former
President Rafsanjani to Ashgabat in the 1990s. Now retired,
he teaches translation courses XXXXXXXXXXXX
in Ashgabat. Although he did not provide details in his
conversation with Iran Watcher, he has apparently come under
pressure from the Turkmen Government recently, which was
partially the reason for his departure from the university
faculty. XXXXXXXXXXXX was clearly uncomfortable speaking at
length in public even in Farsi. He has many contacts both in
Iran and with the Iranian community in Turkmenistan and
offered to be in touch with Iran Watcher to facilitate
contacts with them. END COMMENT.
MILES
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019
TAGS: IR PGOV PREL TX
SUBJECT: IRAN: TURKMEN SCHOLAR SEES CHANGES IN IRAN
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (C) A prominent Persian language scholar with close ties
to Iranian academics told Iran Watcher this week that he
fears that vote-rigging, similar to what was alleged to have
occurred in the 2005 Iranian Presidential elections, will
determine the outcome of Iran's Presidential election in
June. XXXXXXXXXXXX (please protect strictly
throughout),a retired professor at XXXXXXXXXXXX
who now teaches XXXXXXXXXXXX in Ashgabat, said that he believes former President Khatami would win the popular vote "hands down," but fears the results could be altered to favor the conservatives in
the election.
2. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX attended an international conference of
Persian language scholars in Teheran last month said that the
Iranians he met with are "tired" and "fed up" with their
country's isolation and want a dialog with the United States
and the West. He said that having previously visited Iran
five years ago, the changes in the country were striking.
Whereas on his earlier visit photos of Khomeini were still
pretty much ubiquitous, he said he saw very few this time.
He said that both in Teheran and at the university XXXXXXXXXXXX the atmosphere was palpably more relaxed
than it had felt anytime since the 1979 revolution. He
noticed "a lot more hair showing" (and make-up) on the female
students, and was surprised to see young couples hugging or
walking hand-in-hand on campus. He also observed a huge
increase in prices, noting that a kilo of meat now costs ten
dollars in Teheran.
3. (C) NOTE AND COMMENT: XXXXXXXXXXXX formerly taught XXXXXXXXXXXX .
He served as XXXXXXXXXXXX interpreter during
his official visits to Iran, as well visits of former
President Rafsanjani to Ashgabat in the 1990s. Now retired,
he teaches translation courses XXXXXXXXXXXX
in Ashgabat. Although he did not provide details in his
conversation with Iran Watcher, he has apparently come under
pressure from the Turkmen Government recently, which was
partially the reason for his departure from the university
faculty. XXXXXXXXXXXX was clearly uncomfortable speaking at
length in public even in Farsi. He has many contacts both in
Iran and with the Iranian community in Turkmenistan and
offered to be in touch with Iran Watcher to facilitate
contacts with them. END COMMENT.
MILES