Reza Molavi

Most oil-rich Third World economies have had difficulty in evolving into true economically liberal societies. By owning or con-trolling twenties generated by oil, the state is able to dominate society snaking all classes and groups economically dependent on their ‘Black Gold’. Oil tends to centralize state power in the Middle East, as this commodity contributes 90% to 93% of their total foreign exchange revenue. However with the world rapidly mating new circumstances, this trend is poised for change. With the political developments within the Middle East in the recent past, it is not hard to accept the notion that by 2013 the entire Middle East region is posed to become a ‘Free Trade Zone’ (CNN, June 3, 2003). Read the rest of this entry →

A former US Marine, who also holds Iranian citizenship, has been sentenced to death by an Iranian judge for spying for the CIA, the Fars news agency reported on Monday.

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Durham University received £300,000 from the US State Department for a series of projects that the US hoped would help it gather information on Iran, it has emerged.

A diplomatic cable sent to Washington by the US Embassy in London in 2008, recently released by WikiLeaks, details a string of proposals for which Durham sought funding, as well as providing a commentary on their value to the US. Read the rest of this entry →