Iran on the Recent U.S. Spy Report

Class is over but the content cotinues. This is Iran's UN ambassador's reaction to the recent U.S. report on Iran's nuclear program.

Submitting Final Papers

Please note that all students are required to submit a hard copy of the final exam tomorrow Monday December 3. Only if your situation is extreme and there is absolutely no way you can make it to class, there will be no excuse for your absence and we will not be accepting final exams via email attachment. Remember, the Political Science department requests a hard copy of the exams from the student facilitators to verify their students' presence in the class. We are not responsible for printing them out and will not be accepting late papers. Thanks and good luck.

Marmulak

I hope you all enjoyed the film we screened today. I heard you guys laugh a lot, and I even saw some tears at the end.

This is your last posting opportunity. Let us know what you thought about the film and its themes. How does it connect to some of the themes we have spoken about in class? For some of you that had little contact with Iranian culture before, what are you taking away from this film? Please no plot summary guys.

Good luck on your papers and we will see you for the final time next week. Also we will probably post the grades up on the blog, so keep checking it out.

-Amir

Final Paper

Instructions: You must write a 3-5 page essay responding to one of the topics below. The essay must be double spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman font, with 1 inch margins. You must also have a cover page which will include your name, your student ID number, your blog screename, the number of the essay topic you are responding to, and the title of your essay. Additionally on the cover page you must also indicate which three postings you commented on in the blog. Giving the title of the posting is enough. In order to pass this class you must have done three blog postings and this essay.

For the essays we want you to make a strong argument which you will support with evidence. Your argument must be made clear in your intro paragraph. You must also support every claim you make with a reference. (For example, you can’t just say a government is repressive without having something to back you up.) You must cite an article from the reader at least once. You can also feel free to use any outside resource you please, except wikipedia. You must include a bibliography at the end of your essay.

A hardcopy of your essay is due at the beginning of the final class session, December 3rd 2007. You may turn in the essay earlier if you please.

Topics:
1. Describe the system of concessions during the Qajar period in Iran. How did this impact the 1906 Constitutional Revolution?

2. Discuss how the U.S. government both benefited from, and was eventually repudiated for, the 1953 coup d'état against Mohammad Mossadegh. Be sure to include information regarding Cold War politics and how it legitimated the intervention.

3. Describe some of the events that contributed to the culmination of the Revolution of 1979. What inspired the Revolution? What components of the Shah’s program did people oppose?

4. “It was Iran against the world” is a statement that is constantly used to describe the Iran-Iraq war. To what extent is this true? Describe the support given to both Iran and Iraq during the war. Make sure to also discuss the controversy surrounding the Iran-Contra affair.

5. Describe the powers of the Supreme Leader. How has his actions colored the presidencies of Rafsanjani, Khatami, and Ahmadinejad?

6. Make a judgment on Ahmadinejad’s tenure as the President of Iran. What have been his accomplishments and what have been his mistakes? Be sure to discuss both his domestic and foreign agendas.

7. Should Iran be allowed to continue its nuclear program? Keep in mind Iran’s domestic needs, its stated intentions, and the possible threats the program poses.

8. Discuss the American media’s current portrayal of Iran and its government. How accurate is the portrayal? What should we expect of the media? What is at stake?

9. Should Iran be an Islamic Republic? Why or why not? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this form or government versus the benefits and drawbacks of other forms of government? You may suggest alternative government styles, but you must also comment on their feasibility in the Iranian context.

10. Topic of your choice. You must have this approved by us before writing your essay. Either speak to us in class or give us an e-mail.


Feel free to talk to us about your essays. We are always here to answer your questions. Good luck!

The Iranian Challenge

Please read this article by Trita Parsi before our foreign policy lecture.

Are his points compatible with what we've discussed in class?

Keyan

Khamenei on Nuclear Technology

You can comment on this.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Hello class. The topic for this week was, of course, President Ahmadinejad. And with him comes your next chance for a posting comment.

You will need to comment on Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans. The link to it is on the left, under the link menu.

Basically, as an American, or at least someone who currently resides here, what is your reaction to this letter? What would you like to say to him as a reply?

Also, in preparation for next week, if you have the time I would suggest looking up some basic facts about the nuclear fuel cycle. This link may be able to help. It is a little technical, but just skimming it may give you some background knowledge and make this week's lecture a little easier to understand.

And finally, this is a link to a hilarious story about the FBI, falafel, and Iranian "terrorists" in the Bay Area. Falafel isn't even an Iranian dish! It's not for a comment credit, but it is good for a laugh.

See you on Monday!

-Amir

The Iranian Regime's Lobby in the U.S. vs the Israeli Lobby

Here are a few links regarding both the Iranian Regime's Lobby in the U.S. and the Israeli Lobby in the U.S., which has taken a hard stance against Iran.

This link is about the Iranian Lobby in the U.S. It argues that "The Iranian regime has always tried to frame its confrontation with the international community and its own people, as a battle between Iran and Israeli."

This link summarises the key points made in the new book critical of the Israeli Lobby by John Maersheimer and Stephen Walt. They visited Berkeley just last week. I would suggest picking up the book because it has a chapter on Iran.

And finally, this is a link to AIPAC's (America's Pro-Israeli lobby) homepage. Their main story for today involves the sanctions on Iran.

Though this post does not count towards a blog posting comment, comments are welcome.

The Rise and Fall of the Reformists

This week we talked about Khatami and the reform movement in Iran. For this post, you will need to answer one or more of the following three questions:

1. Describe some of the impediments Khatami experienced during his presidency. Why did the reformists "fall," so to speak?

2. Do you feel that the "dialogue of civilizations" is an idea that can succeed in the world we live in? How does it deviate from our Western mode of thinking? Use citations from Khatami's text, located in the reader.

3. Do you think Khatami made the right choice by not supporting the student uprising of 1999?

Iran-Iraq War

This week we went over the Iran-Iraq war.

You can view a gallery of photos here. You can also view the surprisingly catchy Iranian propaganda song and video here.

For this post, I am interested to hear some of your views on many of the controversial moves on behalf of Iran and the world during the war. Once again you can answer as many of these questions as you like.

Without knowing the outcome, was the decision of Iran to counter-invade Iraq after two years the right one?

Do you feel it was right for the world, which felt threatened by Iran, to provide Iraq with both military support and chemical weapons?

How do you feel about Iran using human wave attacks, child soldiers, and human mine detectors (knowing that they helped Iran defend itself)?

In light of understanding more about the war, do you feel like you understand Iran's position (in terms of foreign policy) better?

Have a good week guys, keep on the lookout for more opportunities to post.

-Amir

Back to Tehran

Here you can read various opinions about Ahmadinejad after his visit to New York.

President Ahmadinejad at Columbia University

You can comment on this along with most other posts below. -Amir

Interesting links

Hey guys.

First I wanted to say that so far I have been very impressed by your comments. You guys all deserve praise for what you have done. Secondly, this post is not for comment. There's enough to comment on all ready. Though if you would like to comment, you are welcome, it just won't count towards the requirement. Basically I am just going to post some links to some interesting stories about the fallout of Ahmadinejad's visit. He seems to have almost broken the Internet in half. I'll add more links to this post if I see anything else of worth. I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts!

This is Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, on how he will deal with Iran if he becomes President.
This is the how Iran is becoming a major campaign issue in the upcoming presidential election.
This is a sampling of reactions from Iranian bloggers both inside and outside Iran to Ahmadinejad's visit.
This is from the Jerusalem post. At the end of the article seems to be Ahmadinejad's stance on Israel. Its not friendly, but its not exactly "wiping it off of the map" either.
This is about the media's "war blitz" against Iran. Its very interesting.
This is an article about how Iran, (in retaliation for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard being possibly labeled as a terrorist organization by the US), has labeled the CIA and the US Army as terrorist organizations.

And finally, this is a link to a video of Ahmadinejad at the UN.

See you all on Monday.

-Amir

Attention all new students

Most likely we've been in some sort of e-mail correspondence, but to reiterate, please purchase the reader from Copy Central on Bancroft. Amir and I tried our hardest to minimize the cost without compromising the content. It contains a lot of useful readings and all the students are expected to participate in informed (that means doing the reading) discussion during lecture.
Also, I'm happy to say that I've seen an increase in the number of postings on this site. They've been great, guys! Keep up the good work.

Have a good weekend and be prepare to expand on the information about the Shah next week.

Keyan

Mossadegh and the CIA

To learn more about the CIA overthrow of Mossadegh, and the man himself, I would suggest checking out these links below.

NY Times: Secrets of History
National Security Archive: The Secret CIA history of the Iran Coup
Wikipedia: Mossadegh Bio
Mossadegh Project: Official Site

For a posting comment, I would like you to answer any or all of these questions:

-Do you feel like you understand why Iran has acted the way it has in the last 28 years, specifically in relations to the U.S., by watching the video today?

-Do you think the U.S. was justified in taking Mossadegh out?

-Do you think Iranians share the blame for what happened to Mossadegh?

-Do you think the CIA should repeat what it did to Mossadegh to other countries, even Iran today?

You can post on any of the items we have posted so far, but make sure to do it by next Monday.

-Amir

Cold War in Iran

If you're interested about the beginnings of the Cold War in Iran, read this article by Professor R.J. Rummel (same guy who created the term "democide") and comment on it.

Ahmadinejad In America

Transcript: Ahmadinejad Interview

- Keyan

Iran's Plan for Iraq

In this article on the Iran Press Service, Walid Phares describes Iran's mounting influence in Iraqi affairs and outlines a situation in which he calls a"projected reality if U.S. forces prematurely and abruptly withdraw from Iraq."

Before agreeing with or challenging his thoughts, please read some short details on his background at this Wikipedia post. If you choose to comment on this piece, please make a reasonable, erudite connection between his affiliations listed on Wikipedia and the frame of thought that's portrayed in the article on Iran Press Service.

Keyan Keihani

First Discussion Posting Chance

Hey guys!

This is your first chance to do a discussion posting. Don't worry if you have nothing to say this time, there will be plenty of chances to come.

I have been given two links from some very nice students, I would like your comments to address both.

The first link has to do with the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He has requested to see Ground Zero in New York to pay his respects. Unsurprisingly, he was rejected. However the angry reaction to his request is very interesting. Here is the link. You can approach posting on it any way you want, but if you are stuck, think about this: Do you think the reaction is justified?

Secondly, a top U.S. Army General has recently stated that the U.S. and the world could live with a nuclear Iran. The link is here. What do you think about his comments?

I do know that we haven't gone over these issues yet, and that's why I have put it up. I want to see what you guys think going into the class. By the end of the semester it will be interesting to see if your opinions have changed.

As Keyan stated before, "A response that’s thoughtful and astute will be regarded higher than something that’s rushed and out of compulsion. Remember, intelligent debate is an integral component of this course." Be sure to put your full name on the post so we have an accurate count of how many posts people have done.

Also, the slides have been approved and they are up at www.decal.org/iran.

Finally I found this amusing video about Persians from the animated comedy American Dad. Its offensive, but strangely funny. Don't watch it if you are easily offended. And don't worry, you don't have to comment on it. This is the link. Enjoy. - Amir

Slides and other news

Hello class,

I hope you all enjoyed the last lecture. We promise they won't be so text heavy again.

To reiterate some of the things Keyan said in his e-mail, the movie won the survey by one vote. Its a good movie and a good choice. Readers should be available at copy central. Just ask for the reader of PS 98/198. Also, if you didn't get an e-mail let us know so we can add you to the e-mail list.

On the links section to the right added a link to the facebook group of the class. Join up if you want to be a part of the community!

I have also posted the slides some of you requested to the decal organization's server. Apparently it needs to be approved by the decal board itself. In a few days, go to www.decal.org/iran and scroll to the bottom, the file should be uploaded by then. It will be titled "copy of lecture 2." In order for it to fit the size restriction I had to cut out a lot of the pictures. I am sorry about that.

Also as a note for everyone, we'll be updating this blog often with chances for you guys to post. So I would suggest just checking back often for a new posting. If there isn't one, there's always those youtube videos to watch.

Finally, someone from the class asked me to post some specific pictures. They are below.

-Amir

Welcome to the class / Syllabus

Hello all. I hope you all enjoyed the first day of class. The site is still under construction for now, but on the right are randomly generating youtube videos, a news feed on Iranian stories in the news, and some links. We will be adding more features as we go along.

We heard that the decal website was down the first day of class. If this prevented people from knowing where the class was located we will allow them to sign up on telebears. Just remember to show up this Monday at 155 Kroeber at 6 or you will be dropped.

If you have 59 units or less of coursework completed sign up for PS98 with ccn 71483. If you have 60 units or more, sign up for PS198 with ccn 72632. Everyone should sign up for 2 units. Also if you are signing up be sure to pick up a reader at copy central.

We will announce the winner of the survey soon. Below is the syllabus for the course. Here's to a good semester. -Amir

IRAN: 28 YEARS OF REVOLUTION

Course Description

This course serves as an introduction to modern Iranian politics in which no prior knowledge of Iran or the greater Middle East is required. It follows the events leading up to the Islamic Revolution and describes the outcomes that have spiraled into the headlines of today. Key topics of discussion include the coup d'etat against Prime Minister Mossadegh (1953), the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Iranian Revolution (1979), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Reform Movement (1997), and the recent rise of the radical movement led by Ahmadinejad (2005). Important current events to be covered will be Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s role in Iraq, and the Shia-Sunni divide in the Middle East. Documentaries, films, guest lectures, participation in the class blog, and class discussions are integral parts of this decal. Class will meet once a week for two hours.

Course Coordinators

Amir Abadi - amirabadi@berkeley.edu
Keyan Keihani- keihani@berkeley.edu

Course Requirements
Readings
A reader comprised of short summaries and academic articles will offer the students a background to all the topics mentioned above. Specific sources for the reader are listed in the reading list. Additional readings may be handed out in class.

Final Paper
The final paper is a 3–5 page essay. Topics will be handed out two weeks prior to the final class meeting.

Blog Participation
You must submit 3, one paragraph responses on the blog during the course of the semester. You can only respond to the topics offered that week (responses to topics that are more than a week old are encouraged but will not count for a grade). Your responses must be critical and engaging. No more than one response per week will count for a grade.

Grading
Final Paper (50%), Blog Participation (25%), Attendance (25%)
NOTE: YOU MUST RECEIVE A SATISFACTORY GRADE IN ALL THREE COMPONENTS IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE. YOU CANNOT MISS MORE THAN ONE CLASS MEETING WITHOUT THE INSTRUCTORS’ PRIOR APPROVAL.

Schedule
Week 1: Introduction; overview of the course
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 1, 7-15

Week 2: The coup against Dr. Mossadegh; documentary screening, The CIA and the Coup of 1953 in Iran
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 19-21
Roosevelt, Kermit. Countercoup. Forward, Ch.13.
Blum, William. Killing Hope. pp. 64-72.

Week 3: The reemergence of the Shah and the events leading up to the Iranian Revolution; documentary screening, Evolution of Revolution: Live from Tehran (ABC)
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 20-29
Pahlavi, Mohammad Reza. Answer to History. pp. 101-129

Week 4: The Iranian Revolution; documentary screening, Iran: A Revolution Betrayed
۞ Reading: Abrahamian, Ervand. Khomeinism. Ch. 1.

Week 5: The Iran-Iraq War: the longest conventional war of the century
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 30-32 & 62-63

Week 6: Contemporary Iranian government structure: a quasi-democratic theocracy
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 46-49

Week 7: Rise of the reformists
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 36-37
Khatami, Mohammad. Islam, Liberty, and Development. pp. 3-16. & 135-153 Amuzegar, Jahangir. "Khatami's Legacy: Dashed Hopes." Middle East Journal, Winter 2006

Week 8: Ahmadinejad and the rise of ultra-conservatives
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 37-38 & Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush (link on blog)

Week 9: Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 50-56
Timmerman, Kenneth. Countdown to Crisis. Ch.26
Ritter, Scott. Target Iran. Conclusion.

Week 10: Iran’s foreign policy in the Middle East
۞ Reading: Roraback, Amanda. Iran in a Nutshell. pp. 66-81

Week 11: Guest Lecture, topic of the lecture to be announced two weeks prior.
۞ Final paper topics handed out

Week 12: Student chosen topic

Week 13: Final class meeting
۞ Final papers due

Coming soon

Blog is coming soon

First day of class is September 10th, 2007.
6:00- 8:00 PM in 155 Kroeber Hall
Course Control Number will be given out the first day of class.
Sorry, we can't reserve spots.

Looking forward to seeing you there.