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Iran To Shut Down Google Email, Will Launch National Email Service

Tyler Durden's picture




 

First China is dumping our toxic stocks, now Iran is dumping our email services. And the proverbial Iran "punch" has yet to come (scheduled for tomorrow, February 11).

More from the WSJ:

Iran's telecommunications agency announced what it described as a permanent suspension of Google Inc.'s (GOOG) email services, saying a national email service for Iranian citizens would soon be rolled out.

It wasn't clear late Wednesday what effect the order had on Gmail services in Iran. Iranian officials in the past have claimed technological advances that they haven't been able to execute.

Google didn't have an immediate comment about the announcement.

An Iranian official said the measure was meant to boost local development of Internet technology and to build trust between people and the government. The measure was announced on the eve of the culmination of celebrations to mark the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic.

Competing plans for progovernment and antigovernment demonstrations have set the stage for clashes between authorities and opposition protesters, who have taken to the streets repeatedly since contested presidential elections in June.

 

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Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:00 | 225379 deadhead
deadhead's picture

White House announces specifics of newest Iran freeze  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35329028/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:34 | 225474 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Iran blocks gmail. Offers competing email service.
Google stock (GOOG) unchanged.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:31 | 225578 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

oh the irony..

"As the IRGC consolidates control over broad swaths of the Iranian economy, displacing ordinary Iranian businessmen in favor of a select group of insiders, it is hiding behind companies like..."

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:59 | 225633 MsCreant
MsCreant's picture

Oh drat! I have all my money in Khatam al-Anbiya!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:07 | 225655 inflationary (not verified)
inflationary's picture

 

currently reading: http://thenext-crisis.blogspot.com/... this pales in comparison to real crisis!

 

 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 19:14 | 225763 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Amazing how I'm redirected once again to iamned.com, why are you hiding behind shell links?

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:08 | 225399 10044
10044's picture

Big deal, it's not like google was charging for it. The 1979 revolution WILL be rewritten tomorrow, the opposition will storm the parliment or something of that magnitude.
Btw, they've been trying to "punch" for 31 yrs!!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:12 | 225405 HelluvaEngineer
HelluvaEngineer's picture

Oh, how I would love to see a screen shot of the Iranian email system.  I bet it's lovely.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:16 | 225419 callistenes
Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:34 | 225591 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

It'll look just like that but you forgot the gay porn banner along the top

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 19:30 | 225794 MarketTruth
MarketTruth's picture

OMG! i remember early(ish) web and using Pine mail. That was, what, around the mid to late 1980's?

Sat, 02/13/2010 - 12:18 | 229822 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

lol

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:14 | 225411 Herne the Hunter
Herne the Hunter's picture

Tomorrow they will bring out their own iPad. Boom!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:30 | 225462 HelluvaEngineer
HelluvaEngineer's picture

...available in tablet and scroll versions

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:02 | 225527 Herne the Hunter
Herne the Hunter's picture

... with 24 years of battery life (Plutonium battery pack not replaceable though)

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:38 | 225482 J.B. Books
J.B. Books's picture

IPad = I(ranian)Pad = a yellow sponge

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:15 | 225416 Hammer59
Hammer59's picture

They got Jimmy Carter on the kisser though....And thus unleashed Ronald Reagan.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:18 | 225424 economessed
economessed's picture

Iran, STFU.  Unless you have a gay sex tape of Ben Bernanke, you can just go pound sand.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:34 | 225472 Postal
Postal's picture

While I understand the sentiment, that was not a mental image I needed...

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:05 | 225647 MsCreant
MsCreant's picture

If they had that tape (children is better), I may need to change religions. I would count Iran as a savior.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:20 | 225430 Yophat
Yophat's picture

Aww crap....next thing you know Bernanke will be raising interest rates!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:29 | 225435 Mr Lennon Hendrix
Mr Lennon Hendrix's picture

Tomorrow is the big day!  It feels like Christmas, I can not wait to see what happens. 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:22 | 225436 Mr Lennon Hendrix
Mr Lennon Hendrix's picture

Google is a CIA front op, so Iran just got the memo a la china I presume.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:22 | 225438 percolator
percolator's picture

I love this quote, "An Iranian official said the measure was meant to boost local development of Internet technology and to build trust between people and the government."

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:25 | 225446 Racer
Racer's picture

They should head to the office of the BLS.. and give them some tips!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:40 | 225489 Daedal
Daedal's picture

Looks to me like the BLS gave them tips.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:41 | 225714 nedwardkelly
nedwardkelly's picture

Haha... right. I couldn't imagine anything that would make me trust the government more than them developing their own email system and then forcing me to use it.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:24 | 225440 Psquared
Psquared's picture

Is this their idea of shock the world? Gimmee a break. These third world countries are only hurting themselves and priming the pump for a revolution.

Is the US a third world country yet?

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:44 | 225603 Boop
Boop's picture

No, that's tomorrow.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 19:17 | 225768 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

No, that was so last year.

This year we become part of the repressive theocratic Islamic Ummah.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:23 | 225441 carbonmutant
carbonmutant's picture

 The new email system will be supplied by Chinese programmers... with appropriate back doors

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:26 | 225448 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

By having their own email system (and requiring that it be used) they get to collect and read all the email that pass through it.

Way useful, that.

"An Iranian official said the measure was meant to ... build trust between people and the government."

Code for: All your message are belong to us.

cougar

 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:31 | 225464 economessed
economessed's picture

...they get to collect and read all the email that pass through it

Just like the NSA does here (hi guys!)

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:43 | 225499 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

In fact, it would not surprise me in the slightest if one day it turned up that the NSA planted the thought-seeds for the Iranians to do this. The NSA would have a much easier time branching the Iranian mail system than Google's, and without any of the downside. Now if they could just get the Saudis to do the same ... we'd be gold.

special agent cougar

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:20 | 225679 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

They don't read your email. Content isn't just irrelevant, it's actually detrimental to building a picture. Focusing on individual pieces of communication is too complex and there's too much noise.

What matters is WHO you email and who emails you. Patterns...

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:58 | 225741 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Actually, the NSA et al monitors a lot more than your headers ... see http://lettersfrommrsunshine.blogspot.com/2009/05/if-you-watch-televisio...

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:29 | 225456 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Google is Skynet.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:05 | 225535 carbonmutant
carbonmutant's picture

Not yet but they're working on it... (semantic web)

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:16 | 225879 moneymutt
moneymutt's picture

and their corporate HQ is in a state governed by the Terminator...whoa

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:30 | 225458 spekulatn
spekulatn's picture

That's what GOOG gets for not being evil. 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:30 | 225459 Ned Zeppelin
Ned Zeppelin's picture

Iran's "Punch": the surprise introduction by Mahmoud "Steve" Ahmadinejobs, on stage in black turtleneck and blue jeans, of the iQuiran, which is a combination e-Book reader, computer, Islamic terrorist "cell" phone, and prayer rug (with onboard compass). 

Amazon and Barnes & Noble stock will fall in overnight trading.   

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:33 | 225468 besodemuerte
besodemuerte's picture

iQuiran, which is a combination e-Book reader, computer, Islamic terrorist "cell" phone, and prayer rug (with onboard compass). 

Nice.  Although, I think they'll say something more material than what is being joked around here.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:56 | 225517 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

Wrong. Nothing could be more material than the iQuiran. That is solid gold right there.

"the Punch" is going to be something incredibly lame or else they would not have been forced to pre-announce. They need to brush up on their marketing skillz.

cougar

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:09 | 225658 MsCreant
MsCreant's picture

So you're saying the "punch" is some kind of Kool-aide?

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:08 | 225543 Herne the Hunter
Herne the Hunter's picture

Loading the NYT homepage will take ages though, censors have to black-bar subversive words and woman's body parts first. (although I'm sure they will let 3rd parties develop apps for that.)

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:32 | 225465 crosey
crosey's picture

Will Iran corner the pork bellies market?  OMG!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:32 | 225466 dumpster
dumpster's picture

now iran can do what the usa does read all the local mail ..

iran the great scape goat for our own failures our own hubris ..

shine the light over their ,, not here on the piles and piles of unmitegated crapola... in our own back yard piles of spit

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:06 | 225538 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

+10

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:36 | 225479 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Can I ask a serious question (altholugh I thoroughly enjoyed the iQuiran...Ingenious !

Anyone believe Iran is going to set off a nuke tomorrow ?

And tpo all the intelligent mind here, does that equal Market crash ??

Edumacate me, please.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:38 | 225593 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

http://www.juancole.com/

"Meanwhile, Iran's political opposition is calling for big demonstrations on Thursday, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addressed Air Force officers on Monday, recalling the key role this branch of the armed services had played in largely going over to Imam Khomeini and spurning the shah or king.

According to Kayhan writing in Persian, Khamenei said that the enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the instruments of imperialism and Zionism are unable to perceive the reasons for the endurance and spiritual power of the Islamic Revolution. He called for unity on the anniversary of the revolution and dismissed protesters as agents of the US, the UK and "Zionism." Defeating what he sees as a US-funded and instigated fifth column in his movement is what he meant by dealing the West a 'stunning blow.'

The regime's rigidity and conspiratorial mindset prevent reconciliation with the political opposition, which genuinely believes that Ahmadinejad stole the election last summer."

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:45 | 225605 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

`1. Iran has no home-made nukes (whether they bought some from Russia after the USSR collapsed is a different issue)

2. Iran has no interest in setting off nukes right now (and maybe not ever). Even if they get nukes, the purpose would be to deter invasions/regime change/etc. Launching a single nuke would be suicide, and they know it (and, contrary to all the crap you read, their regime is rational, and they want to survive).

So the answer is no, Iran will not set off anything tomorrow.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:26 | 225689 boiow
boiow's picture

+10

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:53 | 225726 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

The middle east / US invasion rule: you must have oil and not have nukes. If either element is altered, we leave you alone...no matter how much "terrorism" you sponsor. 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:13 | 225872 moneymutt
moneymutt's picture

the purpose of nukes and consequent bragging and tough talk to west would be to consolidate domestic support...not that that is the only thing it will ever be used for...

Thu, 02/11/2010 - 00:02 | 226191 Arthur Two Shed...
Arthur Two Sheds Jackson's picture
"their regime is rational, and they want to survive".... Huh?Rational? Start with this: The Mystical Menace of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad http://www.danielpipes.org/3258/the-mystical-menace-of-mahmoud-ahmadinejad They crave martyrdom.Survival is irrelevent to the cause. I say he trots out a mahdi AND a Jesus! Whoopee!!
Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:54 | 225622 Missing_Link
Missing_Link's picture

Can I ask a serious question (altholugh I thoroughly enjoyed the iQuiran...Ingenious !

Anyone believe Iran is going to set off a nuke tomorrow ?

I wouldn't rule it out.  I put the odds at <10% of something that dumb but >60% of some other very stupid thing.

They could also do something very damaging without using nukes, such as firing missiles at Saudi Aramco's oil facilities (causing massive release of toxic chemicals) and/or sinking a tanker to block off the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off Middle Eastern oil supplies for months.

 

And tpo all the intelligent mind here, does that equal Market crash ??

Unlikely.

If they find a way to pull off something extremely damaging and ingenious (a few of which are remotely possible but which I will not post here for obvious reasons), that would negatively impact the market.  But then we'd have bigger things to worry about.

If they cut off Persian Gulf oil shipments (such as with a Hormuz blockage), that will have a big impact on oil prices.

If they simply fire missiles at Israel and/or their neighbors (the most likely scenario IMO) and force the US to go to war, that's likely to be a net positive for the market -- more military spending could help the economy (as it did when WWII finally ended the Great Depression).

Then again, if Obama has any sense, a "War with Iran" will start with one big nuke over Teheran, which would make the war very fast indeed.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:45 | 225719 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Thank you all for the great answers, Just want to tell you even though I lurk, I really appreciate the common sense, intelligence and humor here everyday, you are a great bunch of people.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:00 | 225842 David449420
David449420's picture

"Then again, if Obama has any sense, a "War with Iran" will start with one big nuke over Teheran, which would make the war very fast indeed."

 

Population of Teheran is 12 MILLION people.  Would you make that decision?

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:45 | 225945 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Launch a satellite maybe? That would be interesting ..

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:36 | 225480 Stu
Stu's picture

who gives a crap what email they use

 

why is this news

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:46 | 225513 Daedal
Daedal's picture

Go to CNBC.com, they tell you when something is important, no thinking required.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:43 | 225602 Missing_Link
Missing_Link's picture

It's news because it proves that Iran is getting that much nuttier, and it will be that much harder for us to snoop on them.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:44 | 225502 Thoreau
Thoreau's picture
Tomorrow, Iran turns the switch on its George W. Bushehr power plant.
Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:57 | 225519 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

+1 best of breed

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 16:45 | 225506 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

I was told this AM by the persian guy who own the gas station I use that he has been unable to email or call his brother in Tehran. Now we know why he was unable to email.

We will see what they roll out tomorrow.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:08 | 225542 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

"Punch" and Counter-punch

Leading clerics all to protest. Catch all the day's action via Twitter and YouTube on Sullivan's site (best Iran coverage on the Internet).

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/02/waiting-for...

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:09 | 225546 carbonmutant
carbonmutant's picture

Cryptography will become the new national sport.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:39 | 225596 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

It's very hard to implement cryptography properly.

It's even harder to prevent sniffers.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:47 | 225692 carbonmutant
Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:16 | 225554 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Well, I have a friend who works as an analyst for 'the company' (which is coded language for the CIA, for those in the know--but I've revealed too much already!) who tells me that the much vaunted 'punch' do to be delivered tomorrow is a counterblow to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, something of a exposition of Persian beauty. Well, we'll have to see if their national gene pool has the goods that it takes. This could shape up to be quite a epic and tantalizing international tête–à–tête!

Bring it, Iranian lovelies! Make Darius and Xerxes proud, and we'll all feel a little warmer from the glistening competition.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 19:25 | 225787 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

So we're actually gonna see some ankle under that Burqa?

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_bDupP3NLtmMAI3qJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBpdnJhMHUz...

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:18 | 225559 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeahhh--Iranians will REALLLLY trust an internet service run by the Iraniian Mullahs---

About as worthless as putting a screen door on a submarine...glug, glug, glug.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:25 | 225568 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Uhhh... why just gmail. Are they going to shut down all web email services or pretend people won't just switch to yahoo or any of the hundreds of others available?

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:37 | 225586 Ned Zeppelin
Ned Zeppelin's picture

Just heard from my sources overseas, and this is BIG: the Iranian franchisees of Denny's will announce a free "Grand Imam Slam" breakfast giveaway tomorrow.  Apparently "slam" was wrongly translated as "punch."

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 23:45 | 226163 dumpster
dumpster's picture

LOL

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:43 | 225599 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Based on these latest technological developments, I think tomorrow they'll be announcing the new way to write their country: "iRan."

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:46 | 225611 Eally Ucked
Eally Ucked's picture

That's dengerous, if other countries have the same ideas and eliminate Google, not to mention start brewing their own coffee, make their burgers, stop buing iPhones our GDP will nosedive!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 17:52 | 225623 Fritz
Fritz's picture

Ahmadinejad can go fuck a goat.

 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:00 | 225635 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

I hope they do something stupid. I've been itching for a fight with them for 31 years.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:31 | 225697 boiow
boiow's picture

yeah ! like you will be on the front line getting your own ass shot at.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:47 | 225722 Missing_Link
Missing_Link's picture

If Iran does something truly stupid, I don't think we'll need to worry about a conventional ground war.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:07 | 225859 moneymutt
moneymutt's picture

we started it when our CIA, factually admitted, took out their nationalistic but not religously strident leader Mossadeq and put in the repressive Shah...how would you feel if back then someone took out Ike and propped up McCarthy instead...not that their reaction was right or excusable ...but it did not happen in a vaccuum...I wonder if we never had messed with Mossadeq, never supported the Shah, what would Iran be like now?...probably a lot better for Iranians and they would be a lot less hostile towards us...

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:00 | 225636 inflationary (not verified)
inflationary's picture

Big deal, it's not like google was charging for it. The 1979 revolution WILL be rewritten tomorrow, the opposition will storm the parliment or something of that magnitude.

currently reading: http://www.iamned.com... this pales in comparison to real crisis!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:07 | 225652 Dark Helmet
Dark Helmet's picture

I've got a guess on the "punch."

Iran has secretly produced through genetic engineering a new species of banker with even more delusional manic charisma and sociopathic charm and has been sneaking them into Harvard for the last 10 years. They accomplished this by transgenics, producing a banker whose liver produces a natural, constant endogenous supply of cocaine.

 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:14 | 225668 BlackBeard
BlackBeard's picture

Goodluck enforcing that shit Amha douka jima whatever who gives a shit.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:16 | 225672 10044
10044's picture

I've never enjoyed and LAUGHED at comments more than these ones here for this piece of news.

BRAVO EVERYBODY!!

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:09 | 225866 moneymutt
moneymutt's picture

agreed...people are f-ing funny

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:28 | 225694 Carl Marks
Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:33 | 225701 10044
10044's picture

don't devalue the monkeys please

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 18:53 | 225732 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

My guess is that they will announce that they have a national missile shield to discourage fly overs (technology from China or Russia).

A.N.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 19:47 | 225817 Anonymous
Anonymous's picture

Iran to sell off all US$ denominated assets and only accept oil payments in the yuan.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:33 | 225920 boiow
boiow's picture

would'nt be surprised.

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 20:33 | 225919 Going Down
Going Down's picture

 

Informed Comment

 

It is a trick of the Washington Establishment to scare apparently easily frightened Americans into a conviction that some small, poor, third world country is a dire threat to the most massively funded and armed military in the world. Repeating falsehoods is one way the Big Lie is implanted, that then allows US belligerence to be unquestioned at home.

 

juancole.com

 

 

Wed, 02/10/2010 - 23:59 | 226177 dumpster
dumpster's picture

iran will be opening a starbucks franchise ... next to macdonalds .. with an all you can eat taco place on the  corner ...

 

this will be known as the  liberator of the masses , 

 

 

nuke starbucks or macdonalds not  a chance .. a quite piece settles over iran ,, they have succumed to the flavors of the west .. the great battle will between starbucks and the hamburger joint to see who sells the most coffee,

 

and if the taco place will do five for a Iranian rial (IRR

Mon, 04/19/2010 - 10:28 | 307876 Tom123456
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