tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56362992024-03-13T21:31:40.409-06:00Omid MemarianOmid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.comBlogger780125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-31456472771224618242009-01-29T13:42:00.004-06:002009-05-27T12:44:43.441-06:00To visit updates go to my new website click hereOmid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com101tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-10266214841248349682008-10-21T03:00:00.002-06:002008-10-21T03:03:23.710-06:00Why This Election is All About Character, Not Real Issues(this piece first published on HuffingtonPost)Sen. McCain's risky decision to run his presidential campaign based on character assassination, spreading fear and hatred and even questioning the patriotism of members of Congress, is the best indication that, come November, the Americans' decisions will be based more on the candidates' Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-14637722574043073912008-10-10T15:09:00.003-06:002008-10-10T16:44:40.280-06:00"NYT: McCain camp pushed Ayers report"You might thing it's just the economy on the edge of fall, but for many it's the mainstream media; by fueling the nasty and silly season of politics. Four weeks before the general elections, cable networks, some of the newspapers and major talk shows systematically divert the attention of people from the first issue of the United States, economy, to the Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-65534289772279453982008-10-07T01:50:00.002-06:002008-10-07T02:02:01.633-06:00"KEATING ECONOMICS: John McCain & The Making of a Financial Crisis"During the past week, Obama and McCain's campaign have been attacking each other over a variety of issues, backed by TV ads. Among what I've seen, the one that Obama campaign has released recently about Sen. McCain's involvement in Keating Scandal is well made and professionally impressive. It's not a sort of video that has Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-7057291930474587912008-10-05T12:32:00.002-06:002008-10-05T12:50:35.290-06:00Bob Woodward: Bush Said His Iran Strategy Was "They're A**holes"When Admiral Fallen asked in a meeting with President Bush what the U.S. strategy toward Iran is, he responded; " They're assholes." There is a very famous saying that "leaders are the essence of their nations." Unlike many people around the world, I am so hesitant to agree this applies to the American people. President Bush simply Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-83354866157425310012008-10-01T01:33:00.005-06:002008-10-01T09:37:58.874-06:00Why there is no victory in Iraq ... and McCain's outdated foreign policy model!Below you see my opinions about last week's presidential elections, U.S. foriegn policy and also the issues that are missed in the mainstream media in the United States in an interview with Frontline/world, PBS:"The U.S and other countries are under the imminent threat of micro-terrorism conducted not by hostile Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-88809906349706645292008-09-26T00:45:00.001-06:002008-10-01T00:54:52.954-06:00Ahmadinejad Open to U.S. Talks, Denounces Threats(My story about President Ahmadinejad's press conference at the United Nations, New York, IPS News Agency)UNITED NATIONS, Sep 24 (IPS) - At a press conference following his speech to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he would welcome discussions with the U.S. presidential candidates, but added that "the Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com266tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-72738943882996055752008-09-25T00:28:00.004-06:002008-10-01T00:37:24.703-06:00When Palin Meet Ahmadinejad in Tehran?(First appeared on Huffington Post)It was a meaningful moment this morning for Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be present in the General Assembly Hall to listen to President W. Bush's last speech to member states. But, is this a message to the United States? It certainly is. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the mood in Tehran and Washington hasOmid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-34964657965394372772008-09-22T00:56:00.000-06:002008-10-01T01:12:57.640-06:00 Activists Spotlight Rights Abuses on Eve of U.N. MeetBy Omid Memarian(My story about the human rights activists' press conference a day before President Ahmadinejad's talk at the United Nations, New York)UNITED NATIONS, Sep 22 (IPS) - A day before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses world leaders at the United Nations, human rights activists criticised his government's record and Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-26767105427946822162008-09-20T15:56:00.002-06:002008-09-20T16:11:45.800-06:00POLITICS: Iranians Hope for Temperate President at the U.N.By Omid Memarian(This piece was published in IPS News Agency and reprinted on Asia Times)BERKELEY, California, Sep18 (IPS) - When Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attends the 63rd session of the General Assembly next week in New York, many Iranian academics and political activists hope he will avoid the kinds of controversial Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-72230327578155848202008-09-09T20:19:00.002-06:002008-09-09T20:24:47.954-06:00What Do Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney have in Common?(First appeard on HuffingtonPost.com)1- Both overshadow the presidents they serve or are going to serve. It's hard to believe that during his administration, President Bush has made a single big decision without the supervision of his VP, Dick Cheney. On the other hand, in the two weeks since her nomination, Sarah Palin has effectively made Sen. Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-1419821175629753112008-09-07T20:46:00.000-06:002008-09-09T20:53:53.817-06:00Shimon Prez: The Americans are making a mistake in their foreign policyHe might be the last person you expect to criticize U.S. foreign policy. In an interview with Sunday Times President Prez, 85, says why he thinks that Iran is not Israel's enemy: “The military way will not solve the problem,” said Peres, the 85-year-old founder of the Jewish state’s nuclear programme, in an interview with The Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-65739111413664525342008-09-06T21:11:00.000-06:002008-09-09T21:16:38.712-06:00Tuesdays with RupertA good story about Rupert Rupert Murdoc in Vanity Fair October issue:"uying The Wall Street Journal was surely an exercise of pure fantasy. To think he could take over a company absolutely controlled by a family that had repeatedly said it would never sell was fantasy. To think it was worth what he was paying for it was fantasy. And yet … now it’s his, and if his shareholders Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-1912248234947661722008-09-04T20:24:00.001-06:002008-09-09T20:29:13.038-06:00Democrats' Post Palin Campaign Strategy: Ignore Her, Attack McCain?(First appeared on HUffingtonpost.com)A week after John McCain announced Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, the Republican campaign strategy seems to have regressed to that of the 2004 elections, focusing more on the Democracrs characters rather than actual issues.Also, the Palin "phenomenon" appears to be Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-79446901814102973732008-09-02T20:29:00.000-06:002008-09-09T20:36:18.576-06:00Will Palin Cover McCain's Age Problem?One might think that McCain's extensive experience gives him the security to choose a younger, relatively inexperienced running mate. But this is not the issue. The fact of the matter is, if something happens to McCain's health (and that is a definite possibility), does Palin have the experience to lead the country?A VP must be able to successfully assume Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-86324461328420410622008-08-26T19:32:00.007-06:002008-09-09T20:51:45.189-06:00Q&A:A Holiday in IranMy interview with blogger and globe-trotter Michelle May (First appeared on IPS New Agency)OAKLAND, California, Aug 26 (IPS) - When Michelle May, an avid traveler, returned to New York's John F. Kennedy airport after a seven-week trip to Iran this summer, she says she was closely questioned and her luggage searched after officials read on her customs card that she had Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-7728749332808622882008-08-25T14:42:00.002-06:002008-08-26T15:17:34.509-06:00There is no win in Iraq : "Avoiding the V Word"John McCain who thinks the surge is working in Iraq and the U.S. forces are about to win this conflict has praised Gen. David Petraeus repeatedly, a man who is not sure about the level success in Iraq. Simply because beyond the political gimmicks, there is not a single fair person who thinks there would be wining in Iraq is a short time, should the Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-20938180625517781592008-08-25T12:50:00.003-06:002008-08-25T12:56:30.435-06:00" McCain vs Biden: Not All "Foreign Policy Experience" Is Created Equal"I think Arianna Huffington's piece about Biden-McCain contrast, is one of the most articulate pieces about the Democratic VP pick:"The past seven-plus years have shown us that "foreign policy experience," in and of itself, isn't all it's cracked up to be. For Exhibit A of this look no further than George Bush's most "Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-83265504062943500162008-08-24T09:50:00.002-06:002008-08-24T10:10:40.842-06:00"The New Great Game"This is really a new great game! Russia-Georgia conflict has certainly changed the power discourse in the Central Asia. It has already affected the US- Russia fragile coalition to deter Iran. Now, the U.S. has to think of a new set of policy to reframe Iran's role in the region, and also and deter Russian's endless ambitions. Surprisingly, there is one common feeling between Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-11027212641022001952008-08-23T12:24:00.003-06:002008-08-23T12:30:55.794-06:00Joe Biden, Obama's VP!Finally Barack Obama, announced his VP last night, a man who is well kwon mostly for his credentials in foreign policy. Although, Senator McCain and Senator Biden, both embrace a long time involvement in FP issues, they do have seprate and fundementaly different styles. The below video shows, for instance, how he looks at Iraq war:Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-22875193192860889502008-08-22T22:30:00.002-06:002008-08-22T22:51:11.568-06:00"No medals for the IOC"Minky Worden Minky, media director at Human Rights Watch and editor of "China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges," that I interviewed her weeks ago for IPS, has published an op-ed piece in the International Herald Tribune about China, Olympics and the pledges that did not come true. She says in spite of pledges of media and Internet freedomOmid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-43355346731184678922008-08-22T15:37:00.002-06:002008-08-22T15:43:48.235-06:00Exclusive Premiere: An Anthem For ChangeNew Obama ad featuring a number of celebrities has just come out. It's beautiful and touching, however long and repetitive. Worth watching though! Read Dave Stewart's story about this video here...Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-85891515737964285242008-08-21T11:56:00.002-06:002008-08-21T12:05:04.050-06:00Response to 9/11 Offers Outline of McCain DoctrineAn extensive review about McCain's war enthusiasm in the New York Times. This article shows what kind of president McCain would be, should he go to the office this January."Whether through ideology or instinct, though, Mr. McCain began making his case for invading Iraq to the public more than six months before the White House began to do the sameOmid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-35873040623877142092008-08-19T17:10:00.002-06:002008-08-19T17:22:22.961-06:00My Interview With Deborah Campbell: How Hezbollah's Triumph is Blowback for U.S. Policy(First published on Huffington Post)Why after the Israel-Lebanon 34-day war two years ago, and particularly after the Doha accord in May, which restored Hezbollah to the Lebanese government and essentially gave it the veto power it demanded, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been the most popular figure Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636299.post-5154598595764398092008-08-14T09:33:00.002-06:002008-08-14T09:36:42.662-06:00Georgia-Russia Conflict: Moscow Challenges America's Global and Regional Authority(First published on HuffingtonPost)Not the Taliban in Afghanistan, insurgents in Iraq or even Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestine; but Russia is challenging America's authority worldwide, mocking its supposed leadership in international organizations like the United Nations and revealing an unpleasant Omid Memarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04536747228906885404noreply@blogger.com2