csmonitor--2020-12-02--This teen tutor turns computer science into kids’ stuff

“ The entire idea is to make it as flexible or as adaptable to each student as possible , ” says Samvit , whose impulse to serve others is driven in part by the Hindu community spirit of his upbringing .
Drawing on his “ comp sci ” courses at school , Samvit started CS Remastered – “ CS ” for computer science .
He developed curricula focused on one-on-one tutorials for kids ages 10 to 16 and recruited 250 volunteers as teachers in four U.S. chapters and one each in India and China .
The organization has now taught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to study Python or Java .
Though the coding lessons are preplanned , instructors adjust to each learner ’ s speed .
But as he taught younger peers , he noticed that available online resources and group-lesson formats “ weren ’ t really structured to fit every individual , ” and the idea for a nonprofit to meet the need was born : an organization offering tailor-made lessons .
By the age of 12 , computer whiz Samvit Agarwal had his own YouTube channel to help friends and family with their technical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning hackathons , his proud mom began reaching out to friends in the neighborhood to offer his help with kids ’ computer science projects .
For the past two years , since fifth grade , Aarav Khatri woke up on the weekends excited for more classes .
Separate from his schoolwork , his weekend computer science classes – given for free by the nonprofit CS Remastered ( “ CS ” for computer science ) – were taught by local teen volunteers at a few libraries in central New Jersey .
With the guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlocked a limitless world , where lines of code could identify prime numbers , design dictionaries , or spit out a Fibonacci sequence .
“ It was quite fun knowing that in class we might be making something cool , ” says Aarav , now 13 , who studied with the program through the summer .
CS Remastered founder Samvit Agarwal took extra time to explain to Aarav the coding concept of recursion – something even college students are still learning .
It took two or three private lessons with exercises that increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Because , he says , Samvit was “ very patient ... very good at explaining stuff.
” Samvit ’ s brand of patience is the root of the program that brings computer savvy to kids through individualized attention they may not get in school .
Samvit , a 17-year-old high school senior , is a computer science ace , a programming polyglot who started the volunteer teaching program in 2018 .
And he has grown it into a service for 300 kids like Aarav , with 250 volunteer tutors .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says his program focuses on “ helping out some of the kids around me.
” The impulse to serve others is driven in part by the Hindu community spirit of his upbringing , Samvit says .
He plans to focus on creating social impact in college as he studies computer science and business further .
He ’ s already thinking about the possibility of opening up another CS Remastered chapter wherever he moves next .
Samvit describes a life steeped in technology .
Raised between his parents ’ Indian homeland and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software consulting careers and takes part in dinner conversations about technology ’ s impact on the world .
He describes an “ aha ” moment in fourth grade when a robot he built over the course of a month from a Lego Mindstorms kit whirred to life on his bedroom floor .
“ It was pretty amazing to see it walk , ” says Samvit .
By the age of 12 , he had started a YouTube channel meant to help friends and family with their technical issues .
His how-to tech videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a range of devices , have attracted more than 14,000 subscribers .
Sanyukta Agarwal describes her son as very independent .
“ And like any teenager he does not like mom or dad asking him too many questions , ” she wrote , punctuating that with a smiley face emoji , in an email to the Monitor .
During middle school , Samvit taught himself the programming language Python after school .
He has since picked up Java , HTML , CSS , and Javascript through school and other training .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sees it more in terms of creativity .
“ If I have an idea , I can actually form it in front of me through code , ” he says in his rapid-fire way , as if typing out his thoughts .
“ I think that ’ s pretty amazing.
” After Samvit started winning hackathons , Ms. Agarwal , his proud mom , began reaching out to friends in the neighborhood and offering Samvit ’ s help with their kids ’ computer science projects .
He says the idea for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teaching younger peers .
First he identified a need : tailor-made lessons for the individual .
Available online resources and group-lesson formats “ weren ’ t really structured to fit every individual , ” he says .
Drawing on his “ comp sci ” courses at school , he started developing curricula focused on one-on-one tutorials for kids 10 to 16 .
Students choose whether they want to start studying Python or Java .
Though the coding lessons are preplanned , instructors adjust to each learner ’ s speed .
“ The entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or as adaptable to each student as possible , ” Samvit says .
He recruited fellow high schoolers to teach and registered the nonprofit with the state of New Jersey in autumn 2018 .
Without a budget , Samvit and his fellow instructors began tutoring at local libraries .
An adult had to chaperone and “ make sure they put the tables and chairs back , ” says Ms. Agarwal .
( After countless parent-chauffeured rides to these sessions , the nonprofit president recently earned his driver ’ s license . )
Classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual platform Discord , which allows for breakout rooms .
Since the instructors themselves are still in high school , once the school year began , all tutoring moved to weekend sessions .
CS Remastered is seeking funding , mainly to buy its most disadvantaged students laptops for lessons .
It ’ s also adding partners , including nonprofits Girls Who Code and HomeFront NJ , which works to curb homelessness and for whom Samvit ’ s team has offered lessons .
CS Remastered has opened four chapters in the U.S. , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We thought if it ’ s working here , it definitely does have the prospect to work in a lot of other places across the world , ” says the Gen Z founder .
On an October evening , fall leaves cast a golden glow through the windows of the Agarwals ’ living room , where they ’ ve gathered for a socially distanced interview .
After virtual work and school days , Samvit and his parents usually convene for dinner , prayer , and recently movies from the ’ 90s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She acknowledges her son ’ s work ethic , but wishes he ’ d slow down .
Samvit has been juggling senior year and the nonprofit and a comp sci class at Princeton University , since he exhausted course offerings at his public high school .
He keeps other coding-related passion projects spinning on the side .
Ms. Agarwal says her son is committed to whatever he takes on : “ I ’ ve sometimes seen him up till almost 2 in the night ... ” “ No , that ’ s like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couch .
He claims his max is midnight .
Samvit says his desire to pay it forward is partly influenced by his Hindu background : “ That ’ s kind of something that I guess I ’ ve been brought up with – that idea of good karma , of giving back to the community.
” Each family member wears red mauli thread around a wrist : a reminder of faith and invitation for blessings .
Tutors receive as much as they give CS Remastered has benefited students and tutors alike .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who started as one of CS Remastered ’ s tutors this summer and doubles as the media manager , is part of the nonprofit ’ s effort to involve more young women .
“ I think in general young women aren ’ t made to feel like they could be good at STEM or computer science , ” Amisha says .
But imparting her knowledge through tutoring , she adds , “ has helped me get over my impostor syndrome .
...
It ’ s made me more confident in my abilities.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that confidence shine through to their own kids .
The receptivity generated by the peer-to-peer coaching , says Aarav ’ s dad Maneesh Khatri , is the program ’ s strength .
“ With kids , they ’ ll listen to others more than their parents , ” says the software engineer .
Jyotima Prasad – a life coach whose son and daughter both have studied with Samvit – also heaps praise on the model .
“ I always feel that giving back and volunteering , it always takes a very good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond yourself , ” she says .
“ Those kinds of qualities in such a young kid ... it ’ s a very good thing . ''

“The entire idea is to make it as flexible or as adaptable to each student as possible,” says Samvit, whose impulse to serve others is driven in part by the Hindu community spirit of his upbringing.
Drawing on his “comp sci” courses at school, Samvit started CS Remastered – “CS” for computer science. He developed curricula focused on one-on-one tutorials for kids ages 10 to 16 and recruited 250 volunteers as teachers in four U.S. chapters and one each in India and China. The organization has now taught 300 students who can choose whether they want to study Python or Java. Though the coding lessons are preplanned, instructors adjust to each learner’s speed.
Samvit Agarwal has a strong interest in leveraging his computer science passion for social impact – and with his nonprofit tech tutoring program, he’s already creating change for his teen peers.
But as he taught younger peers, he noticed that available online resources and group-lesson formats “weren’t really structured to fit every individual,” and the idea for a nonprofit to meet the need was born: an organization offering tailor-made lessons.
By the age of 12, computer whiz Samvit Agarwal had his own YouTube channel to help friends and family with their technical issues. And, after he started winning hackathons, his proud mom began reaching out to friends in the neighborhood to offer his help with kids’ computer science projects.
For the past two years, since fifth grade, Aarav Khatri woke up on the weekends excited for more classes.
Separate from his schoolwork, his weekend computer science classes – given for free by the nonprofit CS Remastered (“CS” for computer science) – were taught by local teen volunteers at a few libraries in central New Jersey. With the guidance of tutors and his laptop, Aarav unlocked a limitless world, where lines of code could identify prime numbers, design dictionaries, or spit out a Fibonacci sequence.
“It was quite fun knowing that in class we might be making something cool,” says Aarav, now 13, who studied with the program through the summer.
Why We Wrote This Samvit Agarwal has a strong interest in leveraging his computer science passion for social impact – and with his nonprofit tech tutoring program, he’s already creating change for his teen peers.
CS Remastered founder Samvit Agarwal took extra time to explain to Aarav the coding concept of recursion – something even college students are still learning. It took two or three private lessons with exercises that increased in difficulty, but Aarav eventually nailed it. Because, he says, Samvit was “very patient ... very good at explaining stuff.”
Samvit’s brand of patience is the root of the program that brings computer savvy to kids through individualized attention they may not get in school.
Samvit, a 17-year-old high school senior, is a computer science ace, a programming polyglot who started the volunteer teaching program in 2018. And he has grown it into a service for 300 kids like Aarav, with 250 volunteer tutors.
As much as Samvit likes challenging himself, he says his program focuses on “helping out some of the kids around me.”
The impulse to serve others is driven in part by the Hindu community spirit of his upbringing, Samvit says. He plans to focus on creating social impact in college as he studies computer science and business further. He’s already thinking about the possibility of opening up another CS Remastered chapter wherever he moves next.
Sarah Matusek/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Samvit Agarwal, a 17-year-old tech whiz from New Jersey, juggles his own computer studies with a nonprofit he founded to teach his peers high-tech skills.
Samvit describes a life steeped in technology. Raised between his parents’ Indian homeland and the United States, he has observed their software consulting careers and takes part in dinner conversations about technology’s impact on the world. He describes an “aha” moment in fourth grade when a robot he built over the course of a month from a Lego Mindstorms kit whirred to life on his bedroom floor.
“It was pretty amazing to see it walk,” says Samvit. By the age of 12, he had started a YouTube channel meant to help friends and family with their technical issues. His how-to tech videos, which feature steps for resetting passwords on a range of devices, have attracted more than 14,000 subscribers.
Sanyukta Agarwal describes her son as very independent. “And like any teenager he does not like mom or dad asking him too many questions,” she wrote, punctuating that with a smiley face emoji, in an email to the Monitor.
During middle school, Samvit taught himself the programming language Python after school. He has since picked up Java, HTML, CSS, and Javascript through school and other training. If others consider the field purely technical, he sees it more in terms of creativity.
Tailor-made lessons
“If I have an idea, I can actually form it in front of me through code,” he says in his rapid-fire way, as if typing out his thoughts. “I think that’s pretty amazing.”
After Samvit started winning hackathons, Ms. Agarwal, his proud mom, began reaching out to friends in the neighborhood and offering Samvit’s help with their kids’ computer science projects. He says the idea for the nonprofit brewed over time as he began teaching younger peers. First he identified a need: tailor-made lessons for the individual. Available online resources and group-lesson formats “weren’t really structured to fit every individual,” he says.
Drawing on his “comp sci” courses at school, he started developing curricula focused on one-on-one tutorials for kids 10 to 16. Students choose whether they want to start studying Python or Java. Though the coding lessons are preplanned, instructors adjust to each learner’s speed.
“The entire idea is to make it as flexible or as adaptable to each student as possible,” Samvit says.
He recruited fellow high schoolers to teach and registered the nonprofit with the state of New Jersey in autumn 2018.
Without a budget, Samvit and his fellow instructors began tutoring at local libraries. An adult had to chaperone and “make sure they put the tables and chairs back,” says Ms. Agarwal. (After countless parent-chauffeured rides to these sessions, the nonprofit president recently earned his driver’s license.)
Classes moved remote during the pandemic on the virtual platform Discord, which allows for breakout rooms. Since the instructors themselves are still in high school, once the school year began, all tutoring moved to weekend sessions. CS Remastered is seeking funding, mainly to buy its most disadvantaged students laptops for lessons. It’s also adding partners, including nonprofits Girls Who Code and HomeFront NJ, which works to curb homelessness and for whom Samvit’s team has offered lessons.
CS Remastered has opened four chapters in the U.S., one in India, and one in China.
“We thought if it’s working here, it definitely does have the prospect to work in a lot of other places across the world,” says the Gen Z founder.
On an October evening, fall leaves cast a golden glow through the windows of the Agarwals’ living room, where they’ve gathered for a socially distanced interview. After virtual work and school days, Samvit and his parents usually convene for dinner, prayer, and recently movies from the ’90s.
Ms. Agarwal encourages this togetherness. She acknowledges her son’s work ethic, but wishes he’d slow down. Samvit has been juggling senior year and the nonprofit and a comp sci class at Princeton University, since he exhausted course offerings at his public high school. He keeps other coding-related passion projects spinning on the side.
Ms. Agarwal says her son is committed to whatever he takes on: “I’ve sometimes seen him up till almost 2 in the night ...”
“No, that’s like very rare,” Samvit counters from the couch. He claims his max is midnight.
Samvit says his desire to pay it forward is partly influenced by his Hindu background: “That’s kind of something that I guess I’ve been brought up with – that idea of good karma, of giving back to the community.” Each family member wears red mauli thread around a wrist: a reminder of faith and invitation for blessings.
Tutors receive as much as they give
CS Remastered has benefited students and tutors alike. Amisha Singh, a high school senior who started as one of CS Remastered’s tutors this summer and doubles as the media manager, is part of the nonprofit’s effort to involve more young women.
“I think in general young women aren’t made to feel like they could be good at STEM or computer science,” Amisha says. But imparting her knowledge through tutoring, she adds, “has helped me get over my impostor syndrome. ... It’s made me more confident in my abilities.”
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Parents of the program’s students see that confidence shine through to their own kids. The receptivity generated by the peer-to-peer coaching, says Aarav’s dad Maneesh Khatri, is the program’s strength. “With kids, they’ll listen to others more than their parents,” says the software engineer.
Jyotima Prasad – a life coach whose son and daughter both have studied with Samvit – also heaps praise on the model. “I always feel that giving back and volunteering, it always takes a very good heart, compassionate heart, and going beyond yourself,” she says. “Those kinds of qualities in such a young kid ... it’s a very good thing."


csmonitor--2020-12-02--Year of racial awakening may topple Richmond’s last Confederate statue

“ It reminds me of the Berlin Wall , ” says resident Lark Washington .
“ Before this I never went on Monument Avenue because I didn ’ t want to be around statues that reminded me of white supremacy .
...
I ’ ve never spent more time on this street until now.
” For many Richmonders , the statue has represented a narrative out of touch with much of its population .
Its new life , though , shows that the narrative isn ’ t set in stone – and has many residents reimagining the city .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but his monument now includes basketball hoops , gardens , tents , lawn chairs , and a grill for spontaneous barbecues .
The New York Times calls it the most influential work of American protest art since World War II .
For 130 years , an enormous bronze statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee has towered over fabled Monument Avenue of Richmond , Virginia .
But in the last six months , Monument Avenue ’ s tallest and oldest statue has become an altar for civic action .
Its marble pedestal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality and rage against injustice .
Short memorials to victims of police violence surround its base , arranged like temporary gravestones .
The long march down fabled Monument Avenue of Richmond , Virginia , may finally be at its end .
For more than a century , enormous bronze statues of Confederate leaders have paraded through the city ’ s paved artery .
And since the summer ’ s protests against police brutality , they ’ ve all come tumbling down – except for one .
Towering 60 feet high , Richmond ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained physically and legally out of reach .
Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s plans to remove the statue have so far been delayed by a lawsuit .
But in late October , a judge sided with the state ’ s order to take it down .
Though there is still time for an appeal and the suit isn ’ t closed , it increasingly looks like the statue ’ s time is running out .
But if Lee is to go , he ’ ll leave the city a changed man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monument Avenue ’ s tallest and oldest statue has become an altar for civic action .
Its marble pedestal is coated in graffitied calls for racial equity and rage against injustice .
Short memorials to victims of police violence surround its base , arranged like temporary gravestones .
An equestrian Lee still sits above in bronze , but his monument now includes basketball hoops , gardens , tents , lawn chairs , and a grill for spontaneous barbecues .
The New York Times calls it the most influential work of American protest art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s own call it reclaimed territory .
For many Richmonders over the last 130 years , the statue has represented a narrative out of touch with much of its population .
Its new life , though , shows that the narrative isn ’ t set in stone – and has many residents reimagining the city .
“ It is an amazing visual of a dramatic turning point in our cultural history as expressed as social outcry , of people unifying in the streets to say this has got to stop , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the Elegba Folklore Society , a local group dedicated to preserving African and African American culture .
“ I hope that this has been a conscious-raising time for people , so that when we talk about America the Beautiful , it can be true.
” But a beautiful America looks far different today than it did 130 years ago .
The Lee statue ’ s dedication on May 29 , 1890 was a monumental event for Southerners and the Lost Cause narrative of Civil War history , which portrays the Confederacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights .
Between 75,000 and 100,000 people – including more than 10,000 former Confederate soldiers – held an all-day , 4-mile parade to the statue , then located in a tobacco field just outside the city .
Upon arrival , they listened to a prayer of invocation , a speech from the governor , and then a 10,000-word paean to Lee from Archer Anderson , a former Confederate leader .
Observers were “ carried back to 1861 , ” read an article in the city paper , when “ every note , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest purpose – ‘ to live or die for Dixie.
’ ” In the former capital of the Confederacy , the war wasn ’ t over .
For many of the city ’ s Black residents , it still isn ’ t today .
“ Growing up in Richmond , I never really looked at Monument Avenue , ” says James “ JJ ” Minor , president of the Richmond branch of the NAACP .
“ We never really went down that street because we knew ... the symbols of hate on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t just a place to go.
” Since the summer , that has changed .
When the Black Lives Matter protests began in May , Monument Avenue became a civic battlefront , and the Lee statue became a cultural center .
It attracted speeches , songs , memorials , protests , collective moments of mourning and community gatherings .
Even today , visiting the statue has become something of a local pilgrimage .
“ It ’ s a lightning rod , ” says Ms. Bell .
“ It ’ s a place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Richmond.
” Even if the statue is just a symbol , the movement around it still matters to many in the city .
“ It reminds me of the Berlin Wall , ” says Lark Washington , eating lunch at the Lee statue with her family .
“ Before this I never went on Monument Avenue because I didn ’ t want to be around statues that reminded me of white supremacy .
...
I ’ ve never spent more time on this street until now.
” That sense of reclaimed space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives Richmonders a greater sense of belonging in their own home .
Monuments have a way of taking the temperature of the moment , says Gabriel Reich , associate professor at Richmond ’ s Virginia Commonwealth University and an expert on Confederate statuary .
The energy attracted by the Lee statue , he says , may signal a rejection of what it has come to represent .
In a city where “ all roads lead to and from systemic racism , ” says Mr. Minor , such moments of change can have impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Richmond in October , she ’ s visited the Lee statue each day to pick up litter .
The statue has become a memorial , she says , and memorials deserve respect .
But for her it ’ s also personal .
“ He ’ s my ancestor , ” says Ms. Nazeer , staring at Lee atop his graffitied altar .
Still , she hopes the statue will soon come down .
The city doesn ’ t belong to him anymore , and she thinks enough people now realize it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter , although Black lives have to matter for all lives to matter , ” she says of the monument ’ s new life .
“ But that ’ s what ’ s happening : an awakening , I think a spiritual awakening .
”

“It reminds me of the Berlin Wall,” says resident Lark Washington. “Before this I never went on Monument Avenue because I didn’t want to be around statues that reminded me of white supremacy. ... I’ve never spent more time on this street until now.”
For many Richmonders, the statue has represented a narrative out of touch with much of its population. Its new life, though, shows that the narrative isn’t set in stone – and has many residents reimagining the city.
Monuments have a way of taking the temperature of the moment, according to one statuary expert. As Black Lives Matter transforms the landscape of Richmond, its famed Robert E. Lee statue may be facing its last stand.
An equestrian Lee still sits above in bronze, but his monument now includes basketball hoops, gardens, tents, lawn chairs, and a grill for spontaneous barbecues. The New York Times calls it the most influential work of American protest art since World War II.
For 130 years, an enormous bronze statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee has towered over fabled Monument Avenue of Richmond, Virginia. But in the last six months, Monument Avenue’s tallest and oldest statue has become an altar for civic action. Its marble pedestal is coated in graffitied calls for racial equality and rage against injustice. Short memorials to victims of police violence surround its base, arranged like temporary gravestones.
The long march down fabled Monument Avenue of Richmond, Virginia, may finally be at its end.
For more than a century, enormous bronze statues of Confederate leaders have paraded through the city’s paved artery. And since the summer’s protests against police brutality, they’ve all come tumbling down – except for one.
Towering 60 feet high, Richmond’s monument to Robert E. Lee has remained physically and legally out of reach. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s plans to remove the statue have so far been delayed by a lawsuit. But in late October, a judge sided with the state’s order to take it down. Though there is still time for an appeal and the suit isn’t closed, it increasingly looks like the statue’s time is running out.
Why We Wrote This Monuments have a way of taking the temperature of the moment, according to one statuary expert. As Black Lives Matter transforms the landscape of Richmond, its famed Robert E. Lee statue may be facing its last stand.
But if Lee is to go, he’ll leave the city a changed man.
In the last six months, Monument Avenue’s tallest and oldest statue has become an altar for civic action. Its marble pedestal is coated in graffitied calls for racial equity and rage against injustice. Short memorials to victims of police violence surround its base, arranged like temporary gravestones.
An equestrian Lee still sits above in bronze, but his monument now includes basketball hoops, gardens, tents, lawn chairs, and a grill for spontaneous barbecues. The New York Times calls it the most influential work of American protest art since World War II. The city’s own call it reclaimed territory.
For many Richmonders over the last 130 years, the statue has represented a narrative out of touch with much of its population. Its new life, though, shows that the narrative isn’t set in stone – and has many residents reimagining the city.
“It is an amazing visual of a dramatic turning point in our cultural history as expressed as social outcry, of people unifying in the streets to say this has got to stop,” says Janine Bell, president and artistic director of the Elegba Folklore Society, a local group dedicated to preserving African and African American culture. “I hope that this has been a conscious-raising time for people, so that when we talk about America the Beautiful, it can be true.”
“Live or die for Dixie”
But a beautiful America looks far different today than it did 130 years ago.
The Lee statue’s dedication on May 29, 1890 was a monumental event for Southerners and the Lost Cause narrative of Civil War history, which portrays the Confederacy as a noble defender of states’ rights. Between 75,000 and 100,000 people – including more than 10,000 former Confederate soldiers – held an all-day, 4-mile parade to the statue, then located in a tobacco field just outside the city. Upon arrival, they listened to a prayer of invocation, a speech from the governor, and then a 10,000-word paean to Lee from Archer Anderson, a former Confederate leader.
Observers were “carried back to 1861,” read an article in the city paper, when “every note, every syllable of the popular air spoke our honest purpose – ‘to live or die for Dixie.’” In the former capital of the Confederacy, the war wasn’t over.
For many of the city’s Black residents, it still isn’t today.
“Growing up in Richmond, I never really looked at Monument Avenue,” says James “JJ” Minor, president of the Richmond branch of the NAACP. “We never really went down that street because we knew ... the symbols of hate on that street. We knew that that wasn’t just a place to go.”
Since the summer, that has changed.
When the Black Lives Matter protests began in May, Monument Avenue became a civic battlefront, and the Lee statue became a cultural center. It attracted speeches, songs, memorials, protests, collective moments of mourning and community gatherings. Even today, visiting the statue has become something of a local pilgrimage.
“It’s a lightning rod,” says Ms. Bell. “It’s a place that has been designated as ground zero in Richmond.”
Reclaiming Richmond
Even if the statue is just a symbol, the movement around it still matters to many in the city.
“It reminds me of the Berlin Wall,” says Lark Washington, eating lunch at the Lee statue with her family. “Before this I never went on Monument Avenue because I didn’t want to be around statues that reminded me of white supremacy. ... I’ve never spent more time on this street until now.”
That sense of reclaimed space, expressed by so many locals, gives Richmonders a greater sense of belonging in their own home.
Monuments have a way of taking the temperature of the moment, says Gabriel Reich, associate professor at Richmond’s Virginia Commonwealth University and an expert on Confederate statuary. The energy attracted by the Lee statue, he says, may signal a rejection of what it has come to represent.
In a city where “all roads lead to and from systemic racism,” says Mr. Minor, such moments of change can have impact for generations.
Since Autumn Nazeer moved to Richmond in October, she’s visited the Lee statue each day to pick up litter. The statue has become a memorial, she says, and memorials deserve respect.
But for her it’s also personal.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“He’s my ancestor,” says Ms. Nazeer, staring at Lee atop his graffitied altar. Still, she hopes the statue will soon come down. The city doesn’t belong to him anymore, and she thinks enough people now realize it.
“It’s not about Black Lives Matter, although Black lives have to matter for all lives to matter,” she says of the monument’s new life. “But that’s what’s happening: an awakening, I think a spiritual awakening.”


csmonitor--2020-12-02--UN finally given access to refugees in Ethiopia-Tigray conflict

In a breakthrough one month after deadly conflict cut off Ethiopia ’ s Tigray region from the world , the United Nations on Wednesday said it and the Ethiopian government have signed a deal to allow “ unimpeded ” humanitarian access , at least for areas under federal government control after the prime minister ’ s declaration of victory over the weekend .
This will allow the first food , medicines , and other aid into the region of 6 million people that has seen rising hunger during the fighting between the federal and Tigray regional governments .
Each regards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggle that has been months in the making .
For weeks , the U.N. and others have pleaded for access amid reports of supplies running desperately low for millions of people .
A U.N. humanitarian spokesman , Saviano Abreu , said the first mission to carry out a needs assessment would begin Wednesday .
“ We are of course working to make sure assistance will be provided in the whole region and for every single person who needs it , ” he said .
The U.N. and partners are committed to engaging with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure that aid to Tigray and the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions is “ strictly based on needs.
” For weeks , aid-laden trucks have been blocked at Tigray ’ s borders , and the U.N. and other humanitarian groups were increasingly anxious to reach Tigray as hunger grows and hospitals run out of basic supplies like gloves and body bags .
“ We literally have staff reaching out to us to say they have no food for their children , ” one humanitarian worker told The Associated Press .
The person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sensitivity of the situation .
“ We have been urging , waiting , begging for access , ” another aid official , Jan Egeland with the Norwegian Refugee Council , told the AP .
“ We ’ re ready to go tomorrow .
...
It has been heartbreaking to be forced to wait.
” More than 1 million people in Tigray are now thought to be displaced , including over 45,000 who have fled into a remote area of neighboring Sudan .
Humanitarians have struggled to feed them as they set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and transport links remain almost completely severed to Tigray , and the fugitive leader of the defiant regional government this week told the AP that fighting continues despite Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ’ s declaration of victory .
It remains almost impossible to verify either side ’ s claims as the conflict threatens to destabilize both the country and the entire Horn of Africa .
“ It is critically important to get objective information as to what is going on , ” the top U.S. diplomat for Africa , Tibor Nagy , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phase is basically over .
I ’ m not saying the fighting is over .
So at this point , the humanitarian phase is the most important one.
” Mr. Nagy added that “ now the danger is this evolving into a long-term insurgency.
” He also disagreed with Ethiopia ’ s description of the conflict as a “ law enforcement operation ” to arrest the Tigray leaders , saying that “ it was obviously a military operation.
” The fighting between two heavily armed forces has seen airstrikes , rocket attacks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.N. and others have been increasingly insistent on the need to reach some 600,000 people in Tigray who already were dependent on food aid even before the conflict .
Now those needs have exploded , but Mr. Abiy has resisted international pressure for dialogue and de-escalation , saying his government will not “ negotiate our sovereignty.
” His government regards the Tigray regional government , which dominated Ethiopia ’ s ruling coalition for more than a quarter-century , as illegitimate after months of growing friction as he sought to centralize power .
Amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one thing is clear : Civilians have suffered .
The U.N. says food has run out for the nearly 100,000 refugees from Eritrea whose camps close to the Tigray border with Eritrea have been in the line of fire as the fighting swept through .
Reports that some refugees have been killed or abducted , if true , “ would be major violations of international norms , ” the U.N. refugee chief said over the weekend in an urgent appeal to Mr. Abiy .
These are “ extremely vulnerable people ” who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ It ’ s been extremely frustrating to lose access and communication.
” With infrastructure there and elsewhere in Tigray damaged , the U.N. has said some people are now drinking untreated water , increasing the risk of diseases .
In the largest hospital in the Tigray capital , Mekele , staff had to suspend other activities to focus on treating the large number of wounded from the conflict , the International Committee for the Red Cross said .
The ICRC , the rare organization to travel inside the Tigray region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across abandoned communities and camps of displaced people .
No one knows the true toll of the fighting .
Human rights and humanitarian groups have reported several hundred people killed , including civilians , but many more are feared .
Inside Tigray , and among the majority ethnic Tigrayan refugees in Sudan , people are exhausted .
“ The world hasn ’ t seen anything like this year .
I have never seen anything like this , ” said one refugee who gave his name as Danyo , standing on the edge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossing to seek safety .
“ When Dr. Abiy came , we saw him as a good thing , ” he said .
“ Our hopes were fulfilled , because his talk in the beginning was as sweet as honey , but now the honey has gone sour.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Fay Abuelgasim in Hamdayet , Sudan , contributed .

In a breakthrough one month after deadly conflict cut off Ethiopia’s Tigray region from the world, the United Nations on Wednesday said it and the Ethiopian government have signed a deal to allow “unimpeded” humanitarian access, at least for areas under federal government control after the prime minister’s declaration of victory over the weekend.
This will allow the first food, medicines, and other aid into the region of 6 million people that has seen rising hunger during the fighting between the federal and Tigray regional governments. Each regards the other as illegal in a power struggle that has been months in the making.
For weeks, the U.N. and others have pleaded for access amid reports of supplies running desperately low for millions of people. A U.N. humanitarian spokesman, Saviano Abreu, said the first mission to carry out a needs assessment would begin Wednesday.
“We are of course working to make sure assistance will be provided in the whole region and for every single person who needs it,” he said. The U.N. and partners are committed to engaging with “all parties to the conflict” to ensure that aid to Tigray and the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions is “strictly based on needs.”
Ethiopia’s government did not immediately comment.
For weeks, aid-laden trucks have been blocked at Tigray’s borders, and the U.N. and other humanitarian groups were increasingly anxious to reach Tigray as hunger grows and hospitals run out of basic supplies like gloves and body bags.
“We literally have staff reaching out to us to say they have no food for their children,” one humanitarian worker told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
“We have been urging, waiting, begging for access,” another aid official, Jan Egeland with the Norwegian Refugee Council, told the AP. “We’re ready to go tomorrow. ... It has been heartbreaking to be forced to wait.”
More than 1 million people in Tigray are now thought to be displaced, including over 45,000 who have fled into a remote area of neighboring Sudan. Humanitarians have struggled to feed them as they set up a crisis response from scratch.
Communications and transport links remain almost completely severed to Tigray, and the fugitive leader of the defiant regional government this week told the AP that fighting continues despite Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s declaration of victory.
It remains almost impossible to verify either side’s claims as the conflict threatens to destabilize both the country and the entire Horn of Africa.
“It is critically important to get objective information as to what is going on,” the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Tibor Nagy, told the BBC. “The active military phase is basically over. I’m not saying the fighting is over. So at this point, the humanitarian phase is the most important one.”
Mr. Nagy added that “now the danger is this evolving into a long-term insurgency.” He also disagreed with Ethiopia’s description of the conflict as a “law enforcement operation” to arrest the Tigray leaders, saying that “it was obviously a military operation.” The fighting between two heavily armed forces has seen airstrikes, rocket attacks, and tanks.
For weeks, the U.N. and others have been increasingly insistent on the need to reach some 600,000 people in Tigray who already were dependent on food aid even before the conflict.
Now those needs have exploded, but Mr. Abiy has resisted international pressure for dialogue and de-escalation, saying his government will not “negotiate our sovereignty.” His government regards the Tigray regional government, which dominated Ethiopia’s ruling coalition for more than a quarter-century, as illegitimate after months of growing friction as he sought to centralize power.
Amid the warring sides’ claims and counter-claims, one thing is clear: Civilians have suffered.
The U.N. says food has run out for the nearly 100,000 refugees from Eritrea whose camps close to the Tigray border with Eritrea have been in the line of fire as the fighting swept through. Reports that some refugees have been killed or abducted, if true, “would be major violations of international norms,” the U.N. refugee chief said over the weekend in an urgent appeal to Mr. Abiy.
These are “extremely vulnerable people” who fled persecution in Eritrea, Mr. Egeland said. “It’s been extremely frustrating to lose access and communication.”
With infrastructure there and elsewhere in Tigray damaged, the U.N. has said some people are now drinking untreated water, increasing the risk of diseases.
In the largest hospital in the Tigray capital, Mekele, staff had to suspend other activities to focus on treating the large number of wounded from the conflict, the International Committee for the Red Cross said.
The ICRC, the rare organization to travel inside the Tigray region and its borderlands, has reported coming across abandoned communities and camps of displaced people.
No one knows the true toll of the fighting. Human rights and humanitarian groups have reported several hundred people killed, including civilians, but many more are feared.
Inside Tigray, and among the majority ethnic Tigrayan refugees in Sudan, people are exhausted.
“The world hasn’t seen anything like this year. I have never seen anything like this,” said one refugee who gave his name as Danyo, standing on the edge of a river that people on Tuesday were crossing to seek safety.
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“When Dr. Abiy came, we saw him as a good thing,” he said. “Our hopes were fulfilled, because his talk in the beginning was as sweet as honey, but now the honey has gone sour.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Fay Abuelgasim in Hamdayet, Sudan, contributed.


csmonitor--2020-12-03--Tips on how to become a ‘viz.’ whiz

Tips on how to become a ‘viz.’ whiz

Three Latin abbreviations cause no end of confusion in English , viz .
i.e.
, e.g.
, and viz .
itself .
I had to think carefully about the correct way to use viz .
here , because it is an abbreviation I have often read – 18th- and 19th-century texts are chock-full of viz .
– yet never before employed .
I.e .
and e.g .
can be confounding enough , without bringing viz .
into it .
They are “ frequently confused even by the most conscientious writers , ” according to Merriam-Webster .
The three abbreviations seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16th centuries , when English speakers were in the habit of poaching terms from Latin legalese .
E.g .
( exempli gratia , “ by way of example ” ) is by far the most popular today , according to Google Books Ngram Viewer .
It is basically a fancy way to say “ for example ” as it is used to introduce specific examples of a more general topic or point : “ She trains big dogs , e.g.
, Great Danes , mastiffs , Rottweilers.
” E.g .
always implies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – our trainer might also work with , say , Irish wolfhounds – so it is redundant to conclude with “ etc.
” or “ and so on.
” If you ’ re trying to figure out whether it ’ s the right abbreviation for your sentence , this mnemonic might be helpful : e.g .
equals “ example given.
” I.e .
stands for id est , “ that is.
” In English it is best translated as “ that is to say , ” as in “ My dog is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , loyal , and friendly.
” According to Fowler ’ s Modern English Usage , i.e .
introduces “ another way ... of putting what has already been said.
” It is a restatement of what has come before .
This can trespass into e.g.
’ s territory , when the restatement comprises a comprehensive list : “ She trains big dogs ; i.e.
, Great Danes , mastiffs , and Rottweilers.
” In this case , i.e .
indicates that she trains only these three dog breeds .
The mnemonic I like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Then there is viz.
, short for videlicet ( “ it is permissible to see ” in Latin ; pronounced vi-DEL-i-set ) , which was once the most popular of these abbreviations .
In 1810 it was used about 10 times more frequently than either i.e .
or e.g.
, appearing not just in scholarly treatises and legal briefs but in personal letters and diaries .
Writers sprinkled it so liberally across their compositions that modern mavens have a hard time pinning down rules for its use .
Like i.e.
, viz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the University of North Carolina writing center calls it “ a stronger version of i.e.
” But others stress differences between the two , finding that where i.e .
paraphrases its antecedent , viz .
clarifies it or adds more detail .
What most modern experts do agree on is that viz .
has had its day .
I.e .
and e.g .
are enough to handle by themselves .
As language expert Brian Garner jokes , “ How does one pronounce viz.
?
Preferably by saying ‘ namely .
’ ”

Three Latin abbreviations cause no end of confusion in English, viz. i.e., e.g., and viz. itself. I had to think carefully about the correct way to use viz. here, because it is an abbreviation I have often read – 18th- and 19th-century texts are chock-full of viz. – yet never before employed. I.e. and e.g. can be confounding enough, without bringing viz. into it. They are “frequently confused even by the most conscientious writers,” according to Merriam-Webster.
The three abbreviations seem to have appeared in the 15th and 16th centuries, when English speakers were in the habit of poaching terms from Latin legalese. E.g. (exempli gratia, “by way of example”) is by far the most popular today, according to Google Books Ngram Viewer. It is basically a fancy way to say “for example” as it is used to introduce specific examples of a more general topic or point: “She trains big dogs, e.g., Great Danes, mastiffs, Rottweilers.” E.g. always implies that what follows is not an exhaustive list – our trainer might also work with, say, Irish wolfhounds – so it is redundant to conclude with “etc.” or “and so on.” If you’re trying to figure out whether it’s the right abbreviation for your sentence, this mnemonic might be helpful: e.g. equals “example given.”
I.e. stands for id est, “that is.” In English it is best translated as “that is to say,” as in “My dog is a typical Great Dane, i.e., large, loyal, and friendly.” According to Fowler’s Modern English Usage, i.e. introduces “another way ... of putting what has already been said.” It is a restatement of what has come before. This can trespass into e.g.’s territory, when the restatement comprises a comprehensive list: “She trains big dogs; i.e., Great Danes, mastiffs, and Rottweilers.” In this case, i.e. indicates that she trains only these three dog breeds. The mnemonic I like for i.e. is “in essence.”
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Then there is viz., short for videlicet (“it is permissible to see” in Latin; pronounced vi-DEL-i-set), which was once the most popular of these abbreviations. In 1810 it was used about 10 times more frequently than either i.e. or e.g., appearing not just in scholarly treatises and legal briefs but in personal letters and diaries. Writers sprinkled it so liberally across their compositions that modern mavens have a hard time pinning down rules for its use. Like i.e., viz. can preface an exhaustive list, so the University of North Carolina writing center calls it “a stronger version of i.e.” But others stress differences between the two, finding that where i.e. paraphrases its antecedent, viz. clarifies it or adds more detail.
What most modern experts do agree on is that viz. has had its day. I.e. and e.g. are enough to handle by themselves. As language expert Brian Garner jokes, “How does one pronounce viz.? Preferably by saying ‘namely.’”


csmonitor--2020-12-03--In Iran, assassination shock spurs calls to rethink security

“ The truth of the matter is that there are people inside the regime that are likely leaking this information , ” says Afshon Ostovar , an expert at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey , California .
“ They ’ ve got a leaky ship , and I think that ’ s the scariest issue for them , because there ’ s no clean way to deal with that.
” The “ assassination came as a shock , not because [ they ] didn ’ t expect it , but exactly because they did expect and prepare for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researcher and former intelligence analyst for Iran .
Amid internal Iranian finger-pointing that has followed the attack on the scientist , analysts say Iran ’ s intelligence apparatus often appears to be looking for threats in the wrong places .
In August , Israeli operatives in Tehran gunned down Al Qaeda ’ s second-in-command , Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah , a mastermind of the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa , reportedly “ at the behest of the United States.
” In July , amid a summer of unexplained explosions across Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uranium enrichment facility at Natanz .
The assassination outside Tehran last week of the scientist reputed to be the “ father ” of Iran ’ s nuclear program has exposed deep vulnerabilities in Iran ’ s security and intelligence .
But it ’ s just the latest in a chain of breaches .
Nearly a decade ago , after a string of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists shook Tehran , Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was assigned the task of guarding them .
The very presence of the powerful IRGC was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy intelligence operatives from further killings , conducted as part of a covert war waged in earnest at the time by Israel and the United States to slow down Iran ’ s nuclear advances .
“ Israel targeted the nuclear scientists because it understood that they did not have the security protection of the IRGC , ” Gen. Mohammad Hassan Kazemi , the deputy commander of the IRGC security branch , boastfully announced in late 2013 .
But any claim such a deterrent effect still existed disappeared Nov. 27 , when the brazen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – long reputed to be the “ father ” of Iran ’ s nuclear program – exposed deep vulnerabilities in Iran ’ s security and intelligence apparatus .
The scientist is often described as being in charge of a clandestine weapons effort until it was shelved in 2003 .
But in 2018 he was mentioned pointedly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he presented Iranian nuclear files stolen from a Tehran warehouse that he said proved that aspects of a weapons program headed by Mr. Fakhrizadeh were ongoing .
“ Remember that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to retirement and using a cover story as an academic – which was used to deny inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) access to him , despite repeated requests – Mr. Fakhrizadeh in fact held the rank of deputy defense minister and was given a dayslong state funeral .
He was a known target , and would have been well protected by the IRGC ’ s Ansar-ol-Mahdi “ secret service ” unit .
Amid a wave of internal Iranian finger-pointing that has followed the attack , analysts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be looking in the wrong places for threats .
“ The Fakhrizadeh assassination came as a shock , not because [ they ] didn ’ t expect it , but exactly because they did expect and prepare for it , and yet they couldn ’ t prevent it , ” says Maysam Behravesh , an intelligence analyst on contract with Iran ’ s Ministry of Intelligence and Security from 2008 to 2010 , and now a Sweden-based researcher with Clingendael , the Netherlands Institute of International Relations .
“ This and past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out successfully , against all odds , had there not been a complex network of spies and moles deep in Iran ’ s security structure and intelligence community , ” says Mr. Behravesh .
The dozen assassins that took part in the ambush of Mr. Fakhrizadeh ’ s convoy of four armored vehicles melted away after the attack , according to a detailed account posted by Javad Mogouei , a documentary filmmaker who has worked for the IRGC , that was backed up by eyewitnesses and family members quoted by Iranian media .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a machine gun , assault rifles , and two snipers on a barren rural road near the town of Absard , 40 miles east of Tehran .
Officials say Mr. Fakhrizadeh ’ s bodyguards had been given explicit tipoffs from other Iranian intelligence agencies that they would be hit .
Iran ’ s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “ definite punishment , ” but said the first priority was finding and prosecuting the “ murderous and brutal mercenaries.
” “ Breaches , holes , and infiltrations ” led to the assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a military adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei and former defense chief , told state TV .
General Dehghan , a candidate in Iran ’ s June 2021 presidential election , called on security officials “ to answer as to how such infiltration occurs.
” Analysts say the killing of Mr. Fakhrizadeh will complicate efforts by President-elect Joe Biden to resuscitate the landmark , multilateral 2015 Iran nuclear deal .
President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA in 2018 , in favor of a “ maximum pressure ” campaign of punishing sanctions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guardian Council approved a parliamentary bill requiring the government to boost uranium enrichment and stop IAEA inspections if sanctions aren ’ t lifted by February .
Such a step would remove Iran further from the limits of the deal .
The assassination , meanwhile , is the latest in a chain of security breaches that indicate how agents of Iran ’ s archfoes , Israel and the U.S. , have found ways to penetrate Iran ’ s intelligence infrastructure and operate relatively freely .
In August , for example , Israeli operatives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second-in-command , Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah , one mastermind of the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa , “ at the behest of the United States , ” The New York Times reported last month .
In July , amid a summer of unexplained explosions across Iran , a mysterious fire damaged Iran ’ s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz .
Officials attributed it to “ sabotage.
” This past January , a U.S. drone killed the commander of Iran ’ s IRGC Qods Force , Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani , in Baghdad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prompt some serious soul-searching within the leadership as the enemy is apparently ‘ closer to them than their necks ’ veins , ’ as some in Tehran like to put it , ” says Mr. Behravesh .
Iran blames Israel ’ s Mossad intelligence agency , which has a decadeslong history of conducting targeted assassinations across the Middle East and beyond .
Israel has not denied a role , nor sought to dispel the sense that it operates with impunity in the Islamic Republic .
“ The truth of the matter is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are likely leaking this information , ” says Afshon Ostovar , an Iran expert at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey , California .
“ They ’ ve got a leaky ship , and I think that ’ s the scariest issue for them , because there ’ s no clean way to deal with that .
It ’ s going to be messy , ” says Dr. Ostovar , author of “ Vanguard of the Imam : Religion , Politics , and Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guards.
” “ If Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the years , they ’ ve obviously got it down pretty well , ” says Dr. Ostovar .
“ But when you combine this with the Al Qaeda assassination , with the stealing of the nuclear documents ... it ’ s kind of like Iran is going to school every day and doesn ’ t know when the bully is going to take its lunch money .
“ I don ’ t know if that is how the Islamic Republic sees it .
But if I ’ m in the security forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this stuff is just not being prevented , ” he says .
Ali Shamkhani , chief of Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council , told state TV that Iran ’ s intelligence agencies had “ precisely predicted ” the attack and its location , and the scientist ’ s security had been boosted .
But “ due to the frequency of reports [ about attacks on him ] over a 20-year period , precautions were unfortunately not observed , and the enemy succeeded this time , ” he said .
Government spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry of Intelligence had collected specific details about the pending attack and shared them as a “ terror operation alert ” with the security organ in charge .
“ They could have made the crime fail if they had been a bit careful and followed the security protocols , ” Mr. Rabiei told a virtual news briefing .
The backlash has been fierce , with groups of protesters – most of them hard-liners – gathering outside the president ’ s office , Foreign Ministry , and Parliament , demanding revenge and calling on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For Iran , with its “ powerful system equipped with thousands of skilled [ intelligence ] forces , a security breach is not acceptable , ” wrote the hard-line newspaper Kayhan , noting that producing someone of “ super-strategic importance ” like Mr. Fakhrizadeh was a 50-year project .
“ There is no chance we can look the other way in the face of mistakes and failures that have been committed with regard to infiltration , ” Kayhan wrote .
Looking at the wrong targets But looking in the wrong direction may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ostovar .
IRGC intelligence has invested heavily in rooting out “ infiltrators , ” but for years pulled in dual-citizen academics and journalists .
“ They ’ re just spending time on the wrong targets , ” he says .
“ What gets in their way , probably more than anything , is that they really misunderstand the adversary .
When they arrest [ journalists ] like Jason Rezaian and Maziar Bahari , they legitimately thought these guys were part of some spy network.
” “ They really are paranoid , the IRGC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You wonder if the omnipresence of the threat that they perceive actually obscures the threat in their midst .
They only see the forest ; they don ’ t see the trees.
” In the most recent example , a Swedish Iranian disaster medicine scholar , Ahmadreza Djalali , reportedly faces execution this week .
He was arrested in 2016 after being invited to a conference in Tehran , then sentenced to death in 2017 on charges of spying for Israel .
A group of 153 Nobel laureates signed a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground in Iran , actual foreign operatives appear to work with few limits .
“ It ’ s been just like American action movies , ” wrote Mr. Mogouei , the pro-regime filmmaker .
“ The whole file tells us that the intelligence apparatus has suffered serious holes for years , very deep ones .
We need to drive back and cleanse the system .
”

“The truth of the matter is that there are people inside the regime that are likely leaking this information,” says Afshon Ostovar, an expert at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. “They’ve got a leaky ship, and I think that’s the scariest issue for them, because there’s no clean way to deal with that.”
The “assassination came as a shock, not because [they] didn’t expect it, but exactly because they did expect and prepare for it,” says Maysam Behravesh, a researcher and former intelligence analyst for Iran.
Amid internal Iranian finger-pointing that has followed the attack on the scientist, analysts say Iran’s intelligence apparatus often appears to be looking for threats in the wrong places.
Security vigilance is a relentless pursuit that is mentally draining. Did Iran’s yearslong state of alert against Israeli and American infiltration lead to complacency and vulnerabilities?
In August, Israeli operatives in Tehran gunned down Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, a mastermind of the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa, reportedly “at the behest of the United States.” In July, amid a summer of unexplained explosions across Iran, a mysterious fire damaged Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.
The assassination outside Tehran last week of the scientist reputed to be the “father” of Iran’s nuclear program has exposed deep vulnerabilities in Iran’s security and intelligence. But it’s just the latest in a chain of breaches.
Nearly a decade ago, after a string of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists shook Tehran, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was assigned the task of guarding them.
The very presence of the powerful IRGC was meant to be deterrent enough to prevent enemy intelligence operatives from further killings, conducted as part of a covert war waged in earnest at the time by Israel and the United States to slow down Iran’s nuclear advances.
“Israel targeted the nuclear scientists because it understood that they did not have the security protection of the IRGC,” Gen. Mohammad Hassan Kazemi, the deputy commander of the IRGC security branch, boastfully announced in late 2013.
Why We Wrote This Security vigilance is a relentless pursuit that is mentally draining. Did Iran’s yearslong state of alert against Israeli and American infiltration lead to complacency and vulnerabilities?
But any claim such a deterrent effect still existed disappeared Nov. 27, when the brazen killing in broad daylight of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – long reputed to be the “father” of Iran’s nuclear program – exposed deep vulnerabilities in Iran’s security and intelligence apparatus.
The scientist is often described as being in charge of a clandestine weapons effort until it was shelved in 2003. But in 2018 he was mentioned pointedly by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he presented Iranian nuclear files stolen from a Tehran warehouse that he said proved that aspects of a weapons program headed by Mr. Fakhrizadeh were ongoing. “Remember that name,” he said.
Though close to retirement and using a cover story as an academic – which was used to deny inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to him, despite repeated requests – Mr. Fakhrizadeh in fact held the rank of deputy defense minister and was given a dayslong state funeral.
He was a known target, and would have been well protected by the IRGC’s Ansar-ol-Mahdi “secret service” unit. Amid a wave of internal Iranian finger-pointing that has followed the attack, analysts say Iran’s intelligence apparatus often appears to be looking in the wrong places for threats.
“The Fakhrizadeh assassination came as a shock, not because [they] didn’t expect it, but exactly because they did expect and prepare for it, and yet they couldn’t prevent it,” says Maysam Behravesh, an intelligence analyst on contract with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security from 2008 to 2010, and now a Sweden-based researcher with Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations.
“This and past hostile operations could not have been carried out successfully, against all odds, had there not been a complex network of spies and moles deep in Iran’s security structure and intelligence community,” says Mr. Behravesh.
Bodyguards tipped off
The dozen assassins that took part in the ambush of Mr. Fakhrizadeh’s convoy of four armored vehicles melted away after the attack, according to a detailed account posted by Javad Mogouei, a documentary filmmaker who has worked for the IRGC, that was backed up by eyewitnesses and family members quoted by Iranian media.
The hit team deployed a car bomb, a machine gun, assault rifles, and two snipers on a barren rural road near the town of Absard, 40 miles east of Tehran. Officials say Mr. Fakhrizadeh’s bodyguards had been given explicit tipoffs from other Iranian intelligence agencies that they would be hit.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “definite punishment,” but said the first priority was finding and prosecuting the “murderous and brutal mercenaries.”
“Breaches, holes, and infiltrations” led to the assassination, Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan, a military adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei and former defense chief, told state TV. General Dehghan, a candidate in Iran’s June 2021 presidential election, called on security officials “to answer as to how such infiltration occurs.”
Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters View caption Hide caption Protesters burn pictures of President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump during a demonstration against the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's top nuclear scientist, in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 28, 2020.
Analysts say the killing of Mr. Fakhrizadeh will complicate efforts by President-elect Joe Biden to resuscitate the landmark, multilateral 2015 Iran nuclear deal. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the JCPOA in 2018, in favor of a “maximum pressure” campaign of punishing sanctions.
On Wednesday, Iran’s conservative Guardian Council approved a parliamentary bill requiring the government to boost uranium enrichment and stop IAEA inspections if sanctions aren’t lifted by February. Such a step would remove Iran further from the limits of the deal.
String of breaches
The assassination, meanwhile, is the latest in a chain of security breaches that indicate how agents of Iran’s archfoes, Israel and the U.S., have found ways to penetrate Iran’s intelligence infrastructure and operate relatively freely.
In August, for example, Israeli operatives in Tehran gunned down Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, one mastermind of the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa, “at the behest of the United States,” The New York Times reported last month.
In July, amid a summer of unexplained explosions across Iran, a mysterious fire damaged Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. Officials attributed it to “sabotage.”
This past January, a U.S. drone killed the commander of Iran’s IRGC Qods Force, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad.
The latest killing “is expected to prompt some serious soul-searching within the leadership as the enemy is apparently ‘closer to them than their necks’ veins,’ as some in Tehran like to put it,” says Mr. Behravesh.
Iran blames Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, which has a decadeslong history of conducting targeted assassinations across the Middle East and beyond. Israel has not denied a role, nor sought to dispel the sense that it operates with impunity in the Islamic Republic.
“The truth of the matter is that there are people inside the regime that are likely leaking this information,” says Afshon Ostovar, an Iran expert at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
“They’ve got a leaky ship, and I think that’s the scariest issue for them, because there’s no clean way to deal with that. It’s going to be messy,” says Dr. Ostovar, author of “Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.”
“If Israel really is behind all of these assassinations over the years, they’ve obviously got it down pretty well,” says Dr. Ostovar. “But when you combine this with the Al Qaeda assassination, with the stealing of the nuclear documents ... it’s kind of like Iran is going to school every day and doesn’t know when the bully is going to take its lunch money.
“I don’t know if that is how the Islamic Republic sees it. But if I’m in the security forces I’m really frustrated, because this stuff is just not being prevented,” he says.
A specific alert
Ali Shamkhani, chief of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told state TV that Iran’s intelligence agencies had “precisely predicted” the attack and its location, and the scientist’s security had been boosted. But “due to the frequency of reports [about attacks on him] over a 20-year period, precautions were unfortunately not observed, and the enemy succeeded this time,” he said.
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei went further, saying the Ministry of Intelligence had collected specific details about the pending attack and shared them as a “terror operation alert” with the security organ in charge.
“They could have made the crime fail if they had been a bit careful and followed the security protocols,” Mr. Rabiei told a virtual news briefing.
The backlash has been fierce, with groups of protesters – most of them hard-liners – gathering outside the president’s office, Foreign Ministry, and Parliament, demanding revenge and calling on Iran to spurn the nuclear deal.
For Iran, with its “powerful system equipped with thousands of skilled [intelligence] forces, a security breach is not acceptable,” wrote the hard-line newspaper Kayhan, noting that producing someone of “super-strategic importance” like Mr. Fakhrizadeh was a 50-year project.
“There is no chance we can look the other way in the face of mistakes and failures that have been committed with regard to infiltration,” Kayhan wrote.
Looking at the wrong targets
But looking in the wrong direction may be part of the problem, says Dr. Ostovar. IRGC intelligence has invested heavily in rooting out “infiltrators,” but for years pulled in dual-citizen academics and journalists.
“They’re just spending time on the wrong targets,” he says. “What gets in their way, probably more than anything, is that they really misunderstand the adversary. When they arrest [journalists] like Jason Rezaian and Maziar Bahari, they legitimately thought these guys were part of some spy network.”
“They really are paranoid, the IRGC in particular,” adds Dr. Ostovar. “You wonder if the omnipresence of the threat that they perceive actually obscures the threat in their midst. They only see the forest; they don’t see the trees.”
In the most recent example, a Swedish Iranian disaster medicine scholar, Ahmadreza Djalali, reportedly faces execution this week. He was arrested in 2016 after being invited to a conference in Tehran, then sentenced to death in 2017 on charges of spying for Israel. A group of 153 Nobel laureates signed a letter calling for his release.
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Meanwhile, on the ground in Iran, actual foreign operatives appear to work with few limits.
“It’s been just like American action movies,” wrote Mr. Mogouei, the pro-regime filmmaker. “The whole file tells us that the intelligence apparatus has suffered serious holes for years, very deep ones. We need to drive back and cleanse the system.”