@@ Rob Sobhani, a true motherfucker @@
Arash
December 01, 2003
A new era in Azerbaijan
By S. Rob Sobhani
The ongoing turmoil in Georgia that forced the resignation of President
Eduard Shevardnadze highlights the difficulty former Soviet republics are
encountering in making a smooth transition from authoritarianism to
democratic pluralism. In neighboring Azerbaijan, arguably America's
strongest ally in the former Soviet Union, this transition has lead to the
recent election of Ilham Aliyev, the 42-year-old son of and presidential
successor to Heydar Aliyev, a man who has dominated the political landscape
of this oil-rich country for over 40 years. While some in the State
Department have questioned aspects of this election, Washington must now
make every effort to work with the clear winner to ensure a smooth
transition that can further enhance the lives of the people of Azerbaijan
and advance America's interests in this increasingly important part of the
world.
I first met Ilham Aliyev in 1993, during his first visit to the United
States. He had come to meet with senior officials of Amoco Corp. (now part
of British Petroleum, or BP) and to determine how his country could best
benefit by partnering with American energy companies. Upon his return to
Baku, Ilham Aliyev was assigned by his father to head the delegation that
ultimately negotiated the landmark U.S.-led multinational agreement to
develop the giant oil fields of the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.
Realizing that Azerbaijan's landlocked position required a dependable
pipeline to carry its oil to international markets, Ilham Aliyev (and the
team he assembled) worked closely with U.S. officials to ensure that the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became a reality. Today, the BTC pipeline
is the anchor of U.S. interests in the energy-rich Caspian Sea region.
Since that first visit, Ilham Aliyev has become a frequent visitor to
Washington, representing his country in bilateral talks with senior U.S.
officials on national security (tracking down al Qaeda), trade and energy
issues. Despite claims to the contrary from some in the opposition, Ilham
Aliyev has included members of the "responsible opposition" in almost all of
his official oversees visits.
As the newly elected President of Azerbaijan, this close friend of the
United States faces a number of challenges that should be of concern to
Washington. One of the biggest challenges facing President Aliyev is how to
tackle what is perhaps the most horrific vestige of the Soviet-era -
corruption. According to Western oil executives working in Azerbaijan, Ilham
Aliyev has been responsible for keeping corruption out of the critical oil
sector of the economy. The non-oil sector, however, has been beset by
rampant corruption and is in need of leadership from the new president in
order to attract the foreign investment needed to diversify Azerbaijan's
oil-dependent economy. The United States should provide Ilham Aliyev with
every tool it can to ensure that the non-oil sector is revived. A visit by
Commerce Secretary Don Evans, accompanied by CEOs from major U.S.
corporations, would be a good start.
The second most important challenge facing the new President Aliyev is a
long-awaited settlement of the war with Armenia over the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabagh. While the conflict may best be described as being in a
state of frozen instability, Mr. Aliyev wants to settle this issue in a
peaceful manner that allows the 1 million refugees to return to their homes.
Washington would be well-served to warn Armenia not to take advantage of
this transition in Baku in order to restart the war over Nagorno-Karabagh.
Beyond this warning to Armenia, Secretary of State Colin Powell must get
involved personally in the resolution of this conflict that still threatens
to engulf the region if left unresolved.
Beyond the threat of a resumption of the war with Armenia, the new President
Aliyev's most worrisome foreign policy challenge is the continued pressure
exerted by the clerics in Tehran to turn this secular Shi'ite Muslim state
into an Islamic republic.
Washington needs to send a very strongly worded letter to the Iranian
government stating that the U.S. will not tolerate any interference in
Azerbaijan's internal affairs, including the intimidation of companies
exploring for oil in Azerbaijan's sector of the Caspian Sea. [ This also is
focus center of Sobhani sharing interest with OIL companies ] The United
States should use this opportunity to insist that Iran end its hostile
actions towards the Anglo-American giant BP, and allow BP to explore the
Alov structure that may contain as much as 9 billion barrels of oil
reserves. [Why Brits are not doing their own job and USA should do the
thing for BP???, could you answer Mr. Sobhani, why anytime there is Iran
Involved America should stick-up for Brits???] Of course, the best signal
that Washington could send Tehran would be to invite Ilham Aliyev to the
White House for a working visit with President Bush. [Sobhani, against Iran'
s interest?? What is called?, one going agains his birthplace interest what
is called, can you refresh my memory???]
In exchange for our steadfast support of his new presidency, Washington must
work with Mr. Aliyev to ensure that he moves Azerbaijan towards a more open
political system with economic transparency in order to avoid the chaos that
grips Georgia today. This would mean the empowerment, not
disenfranchisement, of Azerbaijan's responsible opposition. And it would
mean the beginning of a healthy, diverse economy.
The United States has a vested interest in President Ilham Aliyev's success.
The majority of those eligible to vote among the seven million citizens of
this country voted for Mr. Aliyev in order to preserve the legacy of his
father - stability. It is in America's interest that Azerbaijan's transition
to a more open and pluralistic society be anchored in stability.
S. Rob Sobhani is president of Caspian Energy Consulting and an adjunct
professor at Georgetown University.
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20031130-111255-6658r.htm
Pacifist
news:fGOyb.700$gs2....@newscontent-01.sprint.ca
He likes to be like Chalabi even when Chalabi himself is trying to cast
off his
old persona!!
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Maleki
> S. Rob Sobhani is president of Caspian Energy Consulting and an adjunct
> professor at Georgetown University.
What's his religious background?
--
sa'diyA marde neku nAm namirad hargez
morde Anast ke nAmash be nekuyi nabarand
"Sa'di"
Yek Irani
news:p7v6q2feavkt.x...@40tude.net...
> On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 16:48:04 -0500, Arash wrote:
>
> > S. Rob Sobhani is president of Caspian Energy Consulting and an adjunct
> > professor at Georgetown University.
>
> What's his religious background?
bedoone sharh
YI
Freethought110
particularly the motherf*cker part of it.
"Yek Irani" <YekI...@ee.net> wrote in message news:<Eljzb.11$3z...@news.ee.net>...
Sam Ghandchi
> Rob Sobhani has a baha'i background which pretty much explains it all,
> particularly the motherf*cker part of it.
What do you mean Nima?
Why calling a person like Rob Sobhani names
because of being a Baha'i? It is his religion. He
has not lied about who he is or what his views
are. One can disagree with his views. I do not
like many religions and religious organizations
but would not call their adherents names.
Many do not like the views of dissidents
of those religions either but I think they
have a right to express their views.
I do not support the political views of Rob Sobhani:
http://www.ghandchi.com/214-PrinceRP.htm
But I condemned those IRI lobbyists who attacked him
and tried to get him fired from his school by misusing
writing petititons and I defended his rights in another
petition:
http://www.ghandchi.com/224-signpetition.htm
They did all that because they did not like his
views. of being against IRI but made it
a personal issue about his wording about women.
These are end justifying means and I condemn
it no matter where it comes from.
http://www.ghandchi.com/270-EndMeans-plus.htm
Those who signed the petition of IRI lobbyists
against Sobhani made a big mistake. For whatever
reason, they fell for the IRI lobbyists trick.
"Freethought110" <freetho...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:83b59396.03120...@posting.google.com...
Pacifist
news:JOadnbBqkYG...@comcast.com
Let's not complicate things unnecessarily. Regardless of his religius
affiliations:
Rob Sobhani is a self-promoting, unscrupulous opportunist.
His instincts and intentions are entirely anti-Iranian and
anti-democratic.
Whether in Iran or Azerbaijan Republic, he is out to make a fast buck on
the back of the stupid American ZioNazis and their purposely generated
paranoia.
Finally, his claim of being an adjunct professor are spurious and a
source of embarrassment to the university concerned.
Rob Sobhani and his ilk (Reza Pahlavi, et al) need to be exposed at
every opportunity for being the anti-Iranian scum that they are.
P
Yek Irani
dozers to Perspolis. You scum bags have been trying to kill everything
Iranian and join the Arab 40 leagues under water yet constantly throw Anti
Iranian around like candy. Well fuck you and the Mullah you rode on.
kire Arab to okoone harchee hezbolAhi yo supporterAshoon
Yek Irani
"Pacifist" <mushr...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1f79b5c8bca675709a8...@mygate.mailgate.org...
Pacifist
> I know nothing about RS...
You don't know about that or anything else ;-)
Yek Irani
> "Yek Irani" <YekI...@ee.net> wrote in message
> news:C0yBb.23$ab...@news.ee.net
>
> > I know nothing about RS...
>
> You don't know about that or anything else ;-)
I DO know, you are a tokhme Arabe koone Akhoond boose Irani koshe sag
felestini. Does that count for anything.
YI
Freethought110
> "Freethought110" <freetho...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:83b59396.03120...@posting.google.com...
> > Rob Sobhani has a baha'i background which pretty much explains it all,
> > particularly the motherf*cker part of it.
>
> What do you mean Nima?
Sam Jan,
I meant exactly what I said! Rob Sobhani is part of the same gang and
cabal of moneyed and well-connected baha'i cultists (whether directly
or indirectly affiliated) who are deeply in bed with and serving the
agenda of the most ruthless and sinister ultra-rightwing forces in the
world, i.e. Sharonites and Neo-Con fascists. That he is Iranian is
completely incidental, but that he has a baha'i background is highly
significant indeed because the agenda Sobhani is serving is parallel
to the agenda currently being pushed by the uhj, viz. its full entry
into Iranian politics.
> Why calling a person like Rob Sobhani names
> because of being a Baha'i? It is his religion. He
> has not lied about who he is or what his views
> are. One can disagree with his views. I do not
> like many religions and religious organizations
> but would not call their adherents names.
There is a concept in postmodern theory/deconstruction that a persons
private life and loyalties are very much the centrepiece of what they
ultimately pursue in the political and public realms, in other who you
are in private is who you are in public, so I completely disagree. I
believe Sobhani's baha'i background is telling and very significant
for what his true agenda is really all about, viz. to sell Iran out to
the politics of corporate-military imperialistic greed (whose puppets
are currently the Bush administration, Sharonite Israel, etc)
and hence the Western domination of the entire Mid East and its total
colonization and impoverishment. This is not merely about a religion.
This is about the alliances that a religion has made recently in its
will to political power at any cost and the actors who facilitate such
a process, ergo Rob Sobhani.
> Many do not like the views of dissidents
> of those religions either but I think they
> have a right to express their views.
>
> I do not support the political views of Rob Sobhani:
>
> http://www.ghandchi.com/214-PrinceRP.htm
>
> But I condemned those IRI lobbyists who attacked him
> and tried to get him fired from his school by misusing
> writing petititons and I defended his rights in another
> petition:
>
> http://www.ghandchi.com/224-signpetition.htm
Fair enough. But one one must also call a spade a spade.
> They did all that because they did not like his
> views. of being against IRI but made it
> a personal issue about his wording about women.
> These are end justifying means and I condemn
> it no matter where it comes from.
>
> http://www.ghandchi.com/270-EndMeans-plus.htm
>
> Those who signed the petition of IRI lobbyists
> against Sobhani made a big mistake. For whatever
> reason, they fell for the IRI lobbyists trick.
Believe you me, with what the fascist Halliburton-Cheney/Bush/Sharon
junta and their puppets are doing to the world, even the IRI has come
out smelling like roses by comparison, if you know what I mean -- and
that is saying a lot coming from someone like me who has spent the
past 13 years actively opposing the IRI from abroad. That said, the
IRI will fall, and I predict it will happen this year, hopefully. We
need to start looking past the IRI and not allow another hijacking of
the Iranian political landscape like the last time, which is why
Sobhani and co and their agendas and interests should be exposed now,
not tomorrow.
Sam Ghandchi
When Sobhani's words in one occasion were misconstrued to
hurt him at his job by the IRI lobbyists making up a petition,
I noted how wrong it was and I said that is end justifying
the means. You signed that petition and you
made a mistake, and I hoped that you see your error in time
but you have not and are even going further in supporting the
position of IRI lobbyists. You are even using the terminology
of IRI posters on this board like SHAIP etc. Please wake up.
You are a dissident of Baha'i organization. But do not allow
your hate for Baha'i ideology to get you support the
IRI lobbyists who are whitewashing the crimes of IRI against
Baha'i people who just happen to have that religion. This is
wrong. Some people from another group of dissidents of
their former organziation also made the same error as you.
Namely the dissidents of MojAhdein. They ended up to become
the tools of IRI. Of course not all of them. And not all Baha'i
dissidents are falling for IRI lobbyists either.
I hope you do not end up with IRI lobbyists:
http://www.ghandchi.com/254-LobbyistForce.htm
Dissidents of mojAhdein and of Baha'i organization should
oppose IRI atrocities against mojAhdein and Baha'i individuals
first and next to fight despotism and oppression
in those organizations and ideologies. Some former
revolutionaries of French Revolution became liberals,
some others became the allies of reaction because of their
hate for those who had done wrong to them.
I hope to see you to be like the former group.
The Baha'i organization and their oppression
is closer to home to you than IRI. The same way for
mojAhedin dissidents that was the case. But you should
remember that what separates you from them is
insults and attacks and the thought of what they may
be if they ever come to power, but what separates
IRI and progressive forces is a real
river of blood of 24 years of IRI atrocities.
Please do not see them to be equal.
If some people on this NG are fighting IRI
and even if they are Baha'i so much power
to them for ignoring the guidelines of their
organization and standing up in a political
struggle against IRI atroicities.
Instead of correcting your error, you are
now justifying it using post-modern thinking and
thinking it is right to act like Nazis judging
people by their religion. If you oppose Baha'i
religion, fight it. But calling a person a
mother-fucker because of having that religion
and justifying it is beyond me. Even if
the religion was Satan-worshipping, I would
try to save the victim who is the one holding that
religion and to discard that religion.
As far as Post-modernism, it is a wrong ideology
and it is the basis of Cultureal Relativism
which is also wrong and these are the ideological basis
of IRI lobbyists:
http://www.ghandchi.com/232-CulturalRelativists.htm
I do not need to write more about postModernism and its
errors. Daniel Bell has done it best and no need
for me to write on it.
- Sam
Pacifist
> I DO know...
No, you don't know. What's more, I know that you don't, and you know
that I know that you don't, and I know that you know that I know that
you
don't....
P :-))