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Nasr to advise Holbrooke
U.S. Afghanistan/Pakistan envoy Amb. Richard Holbrooke has asked Middle East and Islamic world scholar Vali Nasr, a professor at the Fletcher School, to serve as his senior advisor, Nasr confirms. Though best known perhaps for his scholarship on Iran and the Sunni-Shia divide, Nasr has also written about Pakistan and ethnic violence in South Asia. Asked if the move might signal that Holbrooke intends to take a regional approach that includes Afghanistan's neighbors, among them Iran, Nasr says not necessarily: "I have long running expertise on South Asia as well and was involved in campaigns as advisor on Pakistan." But it does lend that perception.
"This is good," said one Washington South Asia expert about the Nasr hire. "Vali did some work in the past on Pakistan, including a short book on [Jama 'at-i Islami] JI - Islamist party in the region. So in addition to his understanding of the wider middle east and Sunni/shi'a stuff, he has a familiarity with South Asia. Obviously Vali has spent more recent time on Iran, and that could pay off when it comes to Afghanistan regional approaches."
"I don't know about regional," another Washington South Asia expert said, "but it signals that [Holbrooke] has identified a very knowledgeable person."






Vali Naser and his father ( Regim of Iran )
Vali Naser and his father ( Regim of Iran )
Ahmadinejad is very happy for this .
Islamic fundamentalism is very happy too.
I likes to tell people, “appeasement of the ‘moderate’ Rafi
I likes to tell people, “appeasement of the ‘moderate’ Rafsanjani and the ‘reformist’ Khatami got us Ahmadinejad”; in the same sense, it is frightening to imagine what appeasement of Ahmadinejad will get us.
Twelve years of pro-Tehran lobby
Twelve years of pro-Tehran lobby
It is hard to explain how an old report is being recycled by such a prominent group of “Iran experts” and presented as a hot-out-of-oven roadmap for the new President. This puzzling "coincidence" is yet another loop in a chain of coincidental events that has made Trita Parsi the leading light of some influential Iran related circles in Washington. Hassan Dai more...
The Iranian Web of Influence in the United States
The Iranian Web of Influence in the United States
Shockingly, Balli Group represents the US Corporations Xerox and Caterpillar in Iran, and has numerous partnerships with other US corporations. How could the US companies enter the Iranian market while there are now more sanctions against Iran than there were a decade ago? These companies have profited from the loopholes in the sanction laws. Their actions have been possible because of the lack of political will in the US in enforcing the sanctions and closing its loopholes.
Daioleslam's reports and article's on the Iranian regime's lobby
Daioleslam's reports and article's on the Iranian regime's lobby network
?
Iran's lobby drooling in Washington bazaar
Iran's lobby drooling in Washington bazaar
Interview with FrontPage Nov. 17
I think that US policy will be finally dictated by the Iranian regime's behavior. Very soon, the new administration will confront the reality and will adopt a more robust policy than what President Bush has been pursuing. Very soon those who favor Iran will portray Obama as being under Israeli's order and infiltrated by NeoCons.
Nasr to advise on AFG-PAK! Why?
Holbrooke does not know much in the area, so he goes and gets an Iranian regime apologetic to advise on AFG-PAK. Nasr's specialty is Sunni-Shia divide. Hello this is useful in Lebanon, Saudi, and Iraq. Afghanistan does not have that problem. In Afghanistan Sunni Pashtun are fighting against Sunni Pashtuns, Sunni Tajiks, Sunni Uzbeks, and yes Shia Hazaras but it is more of a ethnic fight -- an ethnic fight between the Pashtun Popalzai tribe versus the Pashtun Ghilzai tribe. What expertise does Nasr have on this?
Isn't Mojahedine militia
Isn't Mojahedine militia considered as a Terrorist Group by the State department? at least Iran's government doesn't claim killing 2 US Army generals?! How do you feel about that sir?
US might be negligent and act like a bully at times, (as iran's government is no better if not worse) but is never that idiot to support such a group, with so much hate toward them among ALL Iranians and listen to its sympathizers; after all these people helped Saddam during the iran/iraq war.
Finally, if your side has prominent iranian scholars like trita parsi and vali nasr, you are welcome to introduce them to the public
This post was a response to
This post was a response to the gentleman posting under the name "Saatchi"
NIAC + Vali Nasr ( Regim of IRAN )
NIAC + Vali Nasr ( Regim of IRAN )
NIAC welcomes appointment of Iranian American Vali Nasr to Obama ...
National Iranian American Council, DC - 4 hours ago
The National Iranian American Council welcomes the news of Professor Vali Nasr’s appointment as senior advisor to special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan ...
Saatchi's vote goes to Masood Rajavi
may be Holbrooke should have picked Saatchi's cult leader and terrorist , "Masood Rajavi" .Or any of Israeli firsters like "Rob Sobhani" .
NIAC + Vali Nasr ( Regim of IRAN )
NIAC + Vali Nasr ( Regim of IRAN )
NIAC welcomes appointment of Iranian American Vali Nasr to Obama ...
National Iranian American Council, DC - 4 hours ago
The National Iranian American Council welcomes the news of Professor Vali Nasr’s appointment as senior advisor to special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan ...
Please Please see this http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrlh_mrRYY
Please Please see this
Please Please see this
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrlh_mrRYY
Who is Vali Nasr?
a
The Mojahedin-e-Khalgh (MKO) trolls have come in full force
Dont you guys give up spamming all these blog posts with your baseless propaganda? From slate to various other blog posts about Iran. Dont you idiots realise that talking to the ayatollahs is the best way on the path to a democratically elected Iran?
For people wondering, these people (aka specialenvoy, Majid Saatchi, Hassan Daioleslam ) are all part of the MKO terrorist group hired by their paymasters to spam blogs and spread disinformation on the web.
Iran: Six hanged in 24 hours
Iran: Six hanged in 24 hours
Friday, 30 January 2009
Six prisoners were hanged by the mullahs' judiciary in the holy city of Mashhad and central city of Isfahan, according to state-run media on Wednesday.
The identities of the four men hanged on Tuesday in Mashhad were not revealed, reported the state-run daily Khorasan. They were aged between 18 and 20 years.
Professor Vali's Expertise on Afghanistan
Professor Vali is consideed to be an authority on Shia Brand of Islam and, these days, a strong advocate of US-Iran talk. To that end, he might be able to play a positive role. However, when it comes to Afghanistan and Pakistan (both being predominantly Sunni) it is doubtful whether his expertise will be of any good use.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a dispute over the land of the Pashtuns that were annexed to Pakistan during the creation of the later by Imperial Britain after world war II.
On the other hand, Afghanistan (a Sunni country)and Iran (a Shia state) have never enjoyed good neighborly relations. Even before Islam, the two countries, being historically separate cultural and political entities in the region, were often at war with each other; Iran trying to dominate while Afghanistan resisting the domination. This is a sad reality that is embedded in the long history of the region which most western scholars normally don't realize.
The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the national resistance of the Afghans for independence resulted in a complete devastation of the country. The internal struggle of resistance forces for political power and authority in the wake of the Soviet withdrawal further weakened the country. The so-called war on terror has caused more blood shed and human sufferings in this unfortunate country.
As a result of these circumstances, both Pakistan and Iran acquired a golden opportunity to compete with each other over Afghanistan (a failed state) for cultural and political influence and possible territorial gains.
Afghans are extreme freedom lovers and their long history is a witness to their fierce resistance and sacrifice for freedom and independence- a value that America cherishes most. A true understanding of the Afghan character and culture reveals that the Afghans are mostly democratic by nature and like to live in a democratic socio-political environment. Any diplomatic or political arrangement that aims at a negotiable solution, as an alternative to the war in Afghanistan, must take into account the legitimate wishes and aspirations of the Afghans for long term stability and economic prosperity. Enforcing things on Afghans, particularly when it gives rise to exploitation of the Afghan circumstances by neighbors, has never worked.
Therefore, I personally believe that Mr. Holbrooke will need
an adviser who has a thorough knowledge of the region and is aware of the sensitive issues that exist between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the one hand and Afghanistan and Iran on the other. A complex problem like that of Afghanistan can not be merely solved by an expert on Shia Brand of Islam,
especially when people's expectation from president Oboma's administration is at a high.
Professor Vali's Expertise on Afghanistan
Professor Vali is consideed to be an authority on Shia Brand of Islam and, these days, a strong advocate of US-Iran talk. To that end, he might be able to play a positive role. However, when it comes to Afghanistan and Pakistan (both being predominantly Sunni) it is doubtful whether his expertise will be of any good use.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a dispute over the land of the Pashtuns that were annexed to Pakistan during the creation of the later by Imperial Britain after world war II.
On the other hand, Afghanistan (a Sunni country)and Iran (a Shia state) have never enjoyed good neighborly relations. Even before Islam, the two countries, being historically separate cultural and political entities in the region, were often at war with each other; Iran trying to dominate while Afghanistan resisting the domination. This is a sad reality that is embedded in the long history of the region which most western scholars normally don't realize.
The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the national resistance of the Afghans for independence resulted in a complete devastation of the country. The internal struggle of resistance forces for political power and authority in the wake of the Soviet withdrawal further weakened the country. The so-called war on terror has caused more blood shed and human sufferings in this unfortunate country.
As a result of these circumstances, both Pakistan and Iran acquired a golden opportunity to compete with each other over Afghanistan (a failed state) for cultural and political influence and possible territorial gains.
Afghans are extreme freedom lovers and their long history is a witness to their fierce resistance and sacrifice for freedom and independence- a value that America cherishes most. A true understanding of the Afghan character and culture reveals that the Afghans are mostly democratic by nature and like to live in a democratic socio-political environment. Any diplomatic or political arrangement that aims at a negotiable solution, as an alternative to the war in Afghanistan, must take into account the legitimate wishes and aspirations of the Afghans for long term stability and economic prosperity. Enforcing things on Afghans, particularly when it gives rise to exploitation of the Afghan circumstances by neighbors, has never worked.
Therefore, I personally believe that Mr. Holbrooke will need
an adviser who has a thorough knowledge of the region and is aware of the sensitive issues that exist between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the one hand and Afghanistan and Iran on the other. A complex problem like that of Afghanistan can not be merely solved by an expert on Shia Brand of Islam,
especially when people's expectation from president Oboma's administration is at a high.
Afg is a serious problem--we need serious people.
The usual gang of academics (Vali Nasr, Barnett Rubin, Ahmed Rashid, etc) that circulate from administration to administration are good but should be handled with care. They don't know more than State/INR, Pentagon's J-5 Council of Colonels, DIA Afg-Pak Analytical Cells, and the Agency's NESA and targeting analysts.
Holbrooke should reach out beyond this group -- to people like experienced veterans of the Afghan-Pakistan affairs with a background in government and academic like Rich Smyth (at the U.S. Army War College), retired Ambassador Peter Tomsen (Special Envoy to the Afghan Resistance, who knows all of the big players in Afghanistan), Mir Hekmat Sadat (an Afghan-American scholar and practioner at State Dept and one of the War Colleges), Nancy Dupree (she's in Kabul and if you don't know her then you are should not be working the Afghan portfolio--try Uganda), Mike Metrinko (at the US Army War College, he was the political afffairs brain of the US Embassy in Kabul and actually opened up the embassy after a 20 year hiatus), and Ambassador Mike Malinowski (served DCM to Afghanistan during the late 1970s and also as General Consul in Peshawar and knows all of the top and middle players in Pakistan, India and most importantly Afghanistan).