Iran Update
Volume: 1 - Issue:  8 8 March 2010
Iran Update
Dear Friend,

We are delighted to present you with the current issue of Iran Update, a publication of International Solidarity for Democratic Change in Iran (ISDCI).
 
International Solidarity for Democratic Change in Iran (ISDCI) is a public benefit association comprised of members of Parliament, political dignitaries, human rights advocates and organizations throughout the world, as well as different Iranian organisations, associations and personalities.
 
Iran Update endeavours to report on topics related to the movement for democracy, human rights, and freedom in Iran on a regular basis. We invite you to subscribe your friends to this newsletter and contribute articles or ideas related to our work.
 
Petraeus warns Iran becoming 'thugocracy'   
AFP
7 March 2010
 
General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, warned Sunday that Iran is becoming a "thugocracy" in attempts to suppress popular anger over last year's contested presidential vote results. "I think you've heard it said by pundits that Iran has gone from being a theocracy to a thugocracy," Petraeus, whose command stretches from Egypt to Pakistan and includes Iran, said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS."
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U.S. to Allow Export of Web Services to Iran
Mashable
7 March 2010
 
According to The New York Times, the United States Treasury Department will tomorrow give Internet services license to export consumer-aimed services like instant messaging and photo sharing to countries with which trade has previously been restricted, including Iran, Cuba and Sudan.

The United States defines these nations as "closed societies" because their governments sometimes try to restrict the free flow of information between citizens, however in many cases trade is restricted by the United States in response to those actions. This new license would allow U.S.-based Internet companies like Yahoo to export certain services that can be described as "free mass-market software," despite trade sanctions.
The U.S. State Department and members of Congress
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Solidarity conference with women in the Iranian resistance and uprising   
Maryam-Rajavi.org
5 March 2010
 
On the occasion of March 8, International Women's Day, a solidarity conference with women in the Iranian Resistance and uprising was held at the residence of Maryam Rajavi in Auvers-sur-Oise, northern Paris on 5 March. It brought together women's rights and equality movement activists from Italy, Spain, Greece, Algeria, Palestine, Australia, the United States, Canada, England and France. The conference was organized by the Women's Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
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Exclusive: Who's behind the latest propaganda stunt at Camp Ashraf?  
Shahriar Kia
Family Security Matters
2 March 2010
 
The ridiculous propaganda show aimed at breathing new life into al-Maliki's election bid in Iraq is inspired by the model of absolute clerical rule in Iran. The propaganda show staged by the Iranian regime's intelligence agents at the front gate of Camp Ashraf in Iraq has taken outlandish and preposterous dimensions.
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Cyberactivists get help from YouTube, U.S. to thwart repression  
Indira A.R. Lakshmanan
BusinessWeek
22 February 2010
 
"The fact that many governments are trying to prevent their citizens from expressing themselves or obtaining information that would be critical" underscores the importance of defending online speech and assembly, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a Feb. 16 interview. The U.S. wants to support "garage-type" outfits trying to circumvent Web censorship, she said.
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Thank you for your readership. We welcome your comments. 
 
 
Sincerely,
 
ISDCI News Group
In This Issue
Petraeus warns Iran becoming 'thugocracy'
U.S. to Allow Export of Web Services to Iran
Solidarity conference with women
Exclusive: Who's behind the latest propaganda stunt at Camp Ashraf?
Cyberactivists get help from YouTube
Quick Links
Bahareh Hedayat
Meeting on Camp Ashraf
The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom will host a meeting of cross-party MPs and Peers that will discuss the humanitarian situation in Camp Ashraf as Iraq undergoes major political changes. Iran's regime facing political turmoil at home is pressuring Iraq to forcibly evict several thousand Iranian refugees from Ashraf. As millions bravely demonstrate their desire for regime change in Iran, parliamentarians in London will discuss the policy options for the West.  Date:  Thursday, 11 March 2010     Start time: 11 am
Venue:  Committee Room 9, House of Commons, Westminster
Email: [email protected]      Contact No: 07958 378 799