Front-page Iran

Front Page Iran

2012-08-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Front Page Iran, your daily news resource on all the issues concerning Iran. Updated daily from various news sources. All the news belongs to it's respective author and I have copyright over only the notes I've added after the article. If you wish to have a article featured please contact me or comment on another post. Comments are only allowed to registered users as to avoid Spam.

Military Action, Spies, India

2007-08-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

Decleration of war on Iran would require Congressional Support

President Bush declared recently that Iran may face consequences for it's actions. To that declaration democrats have counter declared that the president would require congressional support if he were to attack Iran by air. However there is still no "smoking-gun" that would require such action. The airstrikes would most likely target camps where the training of Shi'ite militia fighting, who are to fight in Iraq, is taking place. Sen. Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican doesn't believe that airstrikes could be launched. "I doubt the president could or would do so without coming to Congress,” he said. “Nevertheless, there are a number of wide-ranging actions he could be taking, primarily focusing on expanding diplomatic efforts to increase pressure on Iran.”
Kansas City

In all reality any action other then military action is good action. The last thing anyone wants is another war, especially with the troops strained so far. Plus, one word, civilians.

British Spy Tunnel Found

A passage found by workmen near the British embassey in Tehran is said to have transported spies and prostitutes into the Iranian nation. The men were working on a carpet shop accross from the embassy. A blogger who used to work at the embassy is quoted as saying, "The British embassy is using the tunnel for the comings and goings of spies linked to the embassy, and prostitutes."
Scotsman

Spies and prostitutes, thats all? Sheesh I thought maybe they'd find weapons and soldiers. Whats the big deal on spies and prostitutes, we have spies and prostitutes every here in North America? I wonder whos the blogger that gave out that info.

India's choices with Iran

India must choose whether to join most of the world in standing against Iran, or to run against the stream and join in as one of Iran's allies. India has a huge economie and over a billion people, so it is definitly a player in the world's playing field. As well as all that, it is also a nuclear power which brings it to a even higher level in the world order.
Read full article at Washington Post

Tupolev, thats all really, some trading

2007-08-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

Well everyone is reporting on yesterdays news, or news about the Iran/American meeting. So I decided to report on other subjects, of varying importance (depending on what you think.)

Russian Aircraft ordered in by Iran

Iran has recently ordered a number of Tupolev 204 (Tu-204) from Russia. The 8 passenger planes, which are capable of carrying 212 passengers, should be arriving in the next 18 months. The plane was put into service in 1989 and is comparable to a Boeing 757. The plane has a crew of two, max speed of 900 km/h (560 mph) and a range from 6300km to 8500km depending on the plane. Their are currently 2 in service in Iran and 41 in the world.
Iran has cited difficulties in obtaining western aircraft due to political disagreements.
Iran Mania

Such interesting news. However I don't think Russian built aircraft is the best way to vouch for safety in your airlines. China makes cars and their cheap, however their is no possible way you could get me to buy one (unless you gave me the money). Cheap, is often not the best way to go when your dealing in large transportation equipment. All the best though.

Iran has launched it's Foreign ministry site in Arabic!

Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi said, "Arab users can be directly informed about Iran's foreign policies instead of referring to other news outlets." Plans for more languages will follow so that the world can reach an unbiased source of information on Iran.
Iran Mania

An unbiased account of Iran, from the Iranian government? In a way it's good that Iran is thinking about visitors, and of course it wants to get the word out about it's wonderful state. I would hardly call any statement made by the Iranian government unbiased.

Iran to help in 150km railway in Saudi Arabia

The project was signed by OPEC countries(Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ), Saudi Arabia and Iran. Iran will also transport 2000 vehicles to Saudi Arabia, construct a detergent factory and one lead production line. The TDO (Trade Development Organization) of Iran has had a great increase in the amount of goods being shipped from Iran to the Middle Eastern countries, where the demands for Persian goods and services are high. Last year a reported 16 billion dollars (US) were transacted in between Iran and Arabic nations.
Iran Mania

It's good to hear that their is a demand for their goods, it's always nice to hear of a country prospering.

Russia, North Korea, Iran deals

2007-08-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

Iran and North Korea Ties strengthened

A deal was signed yesterday to increase cooperation with their economies and to strengthen their bonds according to the IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency ). North Korea has been negotiating with it's neighboring countries to receive energy and economic aid in return for it's dismantlement of it's nuclear program.
Bloomberg

Iran faces Russian pressure

Russia has threathened not to deliver fuel, to a Russian built nuclear reactor, unless Iran reviels it's nuclear past. According to American sources Russia is also not keeping it's word to deliver other components nessasary to operate the plant.
Iran has come under much scrutiny for it's nuclear program. Recently it answered some of the questions the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has been demanding of, about it's previous nuclear power/arms expectations and experiments.
Taipei Times

Even Iran's good friend Russia is bugging it about the Nuclear program. The Iranian government has to realize that friends are few and far in-between in this world. It's philosophy of acting tough is wearing down, even with it's friends.

Journalist’s Day in Iran

“The western media are using words that present the oppressor as the oppressed and the oppressed as the oppressor,” said Ahmadinejad at a recent rally for Journalist's day. Among other things Ahmadinejad discussed the Israeli-Palestinian and how the West was warping the truth.
Ynet News

Journalist day, warping the truth, media freedom? Interesting how all 3 play out days after Iran shut down one of the leading reformist papers in it's country. Mahmoud even said that Iranian journalists were being brave and were helping the public choose correctly." Choose correctly, you gotta love those 2 words. It's like laying down 50 items on a table then saying you can choose which ever item you want, however if you don't choose one of the preselected items, then you'll be punished. Quite a crude form of Freedom.

Iranian Supplied Arms, Algeria

2007-08-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

More Soldiers Killed in Iraq by Iranian EFP's

According to American military sources, more American soldiers were killed in July by explosively formed penetrators (EFP's). The number is as high as 99 attacks using the explosives. These bombs are being created by Iran, according to the American military. July had the attack count using the explosives in the war's history according to Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Second in command in Iraq.
New York Times

Not new news at all. We've all known for a while that the Iranian Republican guard has been using these weapons against the United States Military. Why wouldn't the Iranian military not want to support insurgents fighting against the US? All they have to do is supply arms and then deny giving them away. It's a pretty safe way of waging a war against someone without risking your life.

Algeria Supports Iran

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president of Algeria, has backed Iran and it's nuclear program. In a recent visit to Algiers, Ahmadinejad said, “Iran cannot talk to countries which do not recognise its right to produce nuclear energy for peaceful means.”
The Peninsula

Iran and American Discussions

2007-08-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

Talks on Iraq

A new series of talks have taken place in Baghdad between American and Iranian officials on the state of security of Iraq. Security is definitely an issue as just hours before the meeting was to take place a suicide bomber killed 33 people. In reference to the talks, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, "It is an established channel of communication and we will see in the future as to whether or not it is a useful channel of communication." (Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Kazemi-Qomi met Iraq's national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie for two hours in Rubaie's office to go over what the committee had discussed.) The U.S. believes that Iran is supplying arms to Iraqi militias fighting against the U.S. . The meeting lasted hours and another meeting is to take place in a later time.
Sydney Morning Herald

In all reality any talks in between Iran and the United States are a fairly good sign. What these meetings have accomplished however, that's another story. When two sides meet to discuss but neither listen to each other, there is little headway.

Afghanistan and US, mixed opinions on Iran

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, stated that Iran is an asset to Afghanistan, while President Bush wanted to isolate Iran from the world. "Iran has been a supporter of Afghanistan, in the peace process that we have and the fight against terror, and the fight against narcotics in Afghanistan," said Karzai. Bush differentiated, "I would be very cautious about whether or not the Iranian influence there in Afghanistan is a positive force." "We will continue to work to isolate it. Because they're not a force for good, as far as we can see. They are a destabilising influence, wherever they are now," Bush added.
Gulf Daily News

Doesn't seem like a simple disagreement between the two nations. Quite more like opposing ends of a spectrum, I hope this is the only thing they disagree on.

The Daily Shargh (East), newspaper, shut down

The largest Iranian reformist newspaper was shut down for the second time in a year by the government, after publishing an article calling for gender equality. The paper was created in 2003 and faced it's first closure by the government in September of 2006 for criticizing Iranian Hard-liners. It restarted in June but less then 3 months later it has already been taken down once more.
The article was an interview, "with an anti-revolutionary figure, who is famous for promoting anti-morality materials," according to Ali Reza Malekian, a Culture Ministry official. The poets name was Saghi Qahraman who said that men should play a larger role in households and not make women do all the household work.
Since the new government has taken power from the 2005 elections, over 100 newspapers have been silenced in Iran.
Washington Post

Another ridiculous closure of newspaper for expressing media freedom. It's amazing to hear that the Iranian government even allows these papers to go on. The government clearly knows the paper will publish material it disagrees with, but I guess in act the government trys to show it's as not as strict as others may protray it. Although, it doesn't play the part so well.

Recommencement of the website

2007-08-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

Iranian F-5 ( Azarakhsh.)Image copyright to rightful owner.

Finally I'm back and will be reporting daily once again, it's been a long time.

Iran to Talk with U.S. on Iraq

The meeting will be held in Baghdad on Monday. "Based on the agreement, the two sides would exchange ideas over details of a trilateral security committee on Monday," said Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran's Ambassador to Iraq. "Iranian, Iraqi and U.S. representatives would join the conference to talk about composition and agenda of the security committee ... the discussion would be held at expert level," he also added.
Xinhua

"Go Somewhere Else"

"Our support (for the Palestinian people) is unconditional. As for the Israelis, let them go find somewhere else," said the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Islam bans the assassination of innocent people wherever they are," he added. "We reject all methods of terrorism, whatever the denomination or motive." He then lambasted Western Powers for their weak performances in human rights. "In the United States people's telephone conversations are listened to. In Britain, people are spied on using television cameras. In Palestine, Israel commits butchery. But no-one causes a scandal."
AfricaAsia (IC Publications)

This is utter hypocrisy on his part, with more and more human rights allegations in Iran rising every day, he dares to even mention the West's human rights issues. He's just waiting for the destruction of Israel by militants and openly as well, yet he says he rejects terrorism. Since when is shooting Qassam's in Israel not considered terrorism?

New Fighter Jet

Named Azarakhsh (Lightening), it is the newest fighter jet produced by Iran. Modeled after the Northrop F-5, it made a successful flight into Isfahan to a ceremony attended by Defense Minister, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar. It has been in development since at least September of 2006. "The domestically developed fighter plane is another example of the technological achievements of Iran," said Isfahan governor, Morteza Bakhtiari. "When the United States is selling its arms to its allies in the region, our country's experts are making huge progress everyday toward self-sufficiency in defense," he added.
The plane is is the second developed by Iran, the first being Sa'egheh (Thunder) which is comparable to a F-18.
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
Xinhua

Although creating your own airplane is quite a feat, designing it on a plane which ran off the service lines 1987 and was first designed in the 60's is ... not so impressive. But good job anyway.
Specs:

Maximum speed: 917 knots (1,060 mph, 1,700 km/h)

Combat radius: 760 nm (870 mi, 1,405 km)

Ferry range: 2,010 nm (2,310 mi, 3,720 km)

Service ceiling: 51,800 ft (15,800 m)

Rate of climb: 34,400 ft/min (175 m/s)

Lift-to-drag ratio: 10.0

Source: Wikipedia

Over 200 youth's arrested for attendance at "satanic" rock concert

The concert happened near the town Karaj, 50km West of Tehran. According to a witness the concert was in a private orchard. "Most of them were wealthy young people who were not aware of the satanic nature of the concert," said Ali Farhadi the public prosecutor. He also added, "A female singer, who was performing, and some rock and Rap music bands were among the detained." Under law set in 1979, you are not allowed to host parties without permission from the government and rock, rap and all western music is forbidden. Charges laid ranged from participating in/attending the concert to drinking alcohol and for women, dancing with unrelated men.

The event was staged to capture the attendees by the concert organizers. Cameras were placed before the event to gather evidence. The tapes were to blackmail the attendees later on.

International Herald Tribune

No news

2006-10-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

Not too much activity concerning Iran these days on the news.

Iran Unmoved by possible sanctions

On Monday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the sanctions on North Korea would not deter Iran. And on Tuesday, he said efforts aimed at preventing Iran from having nuclear technology were doomed to fail, the state-controlled IRNA news agency reported. “Some Western countries have turned the U.N. Security Council into a weapon to impose their hegemony and issue resolutions against countries that oppose them,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said Monday, as quoted by state-run television. Iran “won’t be intimidated,” he added. On Tuesday, he weighed in again. “Some oppressive countries intend to create discord in order to dissuade the Iranian nation from reaching the summits of dignity and glory, including using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said, according to IRNA. “But with God’s kindness, they will be defeated.”
The whole article at New York Times

Olmert tells Russia to act on Iran

"Speaking in Moscow after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the entire international community should unite to block what he called Iran's intention to build nuclear weapons. Mr. Olmert said he is confident that Mr. Putin understands Israel's concerns. But in a joint news conference Wednesday, Mr. Putin said nothing about Iran's nuclear program. He said Russia wants to help restart peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. "
Full article at English Chosun

Watch out Iran your Next

2006-10-16T00:45:00.000-05:00

After the whole North Korea issue, many are taking advantage of the recent successes with sanctions towards North Korea to warn Iran that it may face similar consequences and unlike before, these aren't hollow threats. The only problem with the matter is that it took a North Korean Nuclear Test before sanctions were rolled out, what will it take for Iran. Hopefully not the same. "I hope the lesson they learn is that if they continue to pursue nuclear weapons, they will face the same kind of isolation and restrictions that we have just imposed on the North Koreans," said John Bolton. Once again the 6 nations will try and find common ground on how the Iranian issue is to be tackled. Iran's response? Sanctions are only a taste of the "psychological warfare" being fought against Iran. Hmm, doesn't seem like Ahmadinejad has been watching the news lately ie: North Korea.
A through article at Washington Post

Iran to keep on working on Nuclear program

"The threats and pressures against Iran's nuclear activities will not tarnish the will of the Iranian nation to continue its way (of achieving nuclear technology)," Ahmadinejad said. "The nation will not be intimidated by the threats and will continue on its path vigorously." "If they succeed in imposing their illegal demand on us they will increase the pressure to impose extra demands," Ahmadinejad said. "By God's grace they will not be able to stand against the Iranian nation." The blatant fool only wants to anger the world, when your so opposed to something that your blinded from everything. Ahmadinejad is so against America that he can't see anything except for his own propaganda. He has a chance now to lay down his rhetoric but he'll never do it out of foolishness and anger.
Statements from the Scotsman

Olmert Statement

"If the atomic bomb reaches Iranian hands it will reach other hands. International fears – not only Israel's – are that these weapons reach other players like Hizbullah," Olmert said. He is to meet Putin on Tuesday to discuss the Iranian issue.
Longer article at Ynet news

Possible End of Negociations

"We do not at the moment have a situation in which negotiations can be held with prospects of success, so the (U.N.) Security Council must take up its efforts" to work toward possible sanctions,Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. "But we have made equally clear that our offer for cooperation with Iran remains on the table. That means we are ready to return to the negotiating table any time if Iran declares its readiness to accept the conditions for negotiations." It seems that the Eu has finaly reached a concensus on one thing, that they have to do something about Iran. Negociations have failed but the door remains open for them to recommence, although under no cercumstance would Iran ever walk thorugh this door. Now we can finaly see if anything comes out of the meeting on Tuesday.
Full article at Deutche Welle

Back finaly, North Korea and Iran

2006-10-14T19:02:00.000-05:00

Well even now with all these problems arising in the world, I'm back from a long break to continue posting relevant news stories on the Iran Nuclear Crisis.
Hope you'll enjoy.

Some sources are now reporting that Iran was given missile technology form North Korea. Isn't it amazing how once North Korea is in the picture they can be tied to everything? I don't doubt the report of course, it's just funny how now the news is connecting the two.
Short Article at Jerusalem Post

Maritime exercises to be held between The United States, Bahrain and other Persian Gulf states on the 31st of October. A lot of suspected movement is being done to practice against Iran. Such as the preparation of minesweepers to move out by October the 1st and the many naval tests being held in the region. These exercises are to help prepare the surrounding nations and not directed against Iran. "It's an effort to bring a lot of Gulf States together to demonstrate resolve and readiness to act against proliferation," said an unnamed official.
The Story at UPI

Iran is to rebuild 100 school in Lebanon, 60 in Beirut and 40 in the Bekka province. Iran as well is rebuilding 30 mosques and surrounding religious places, 20 religious places in southern Beirut and 50 religious buildings in Southern Lebanon. It is also rebuilding 4 hospitals in Bekka, 5 in Southern Beirut and 10 in Southern Lebanon. It will also build some roads and bridges destroyed during the conflict. All in all it'll cost between 35-50 million dollars (Currency unspecified.) In a clearly biased news article it ends off on how much damage was done in Lebanon and how many civilians were killed by "the Quds occupying regime's army." A lot more money would have been saved if Iran had not funded Hezbollah and helped them cause the war in the first place. But then again, that's unfair cause we see in retrospect, then again we all knew it would happen eventually.
The biased News Article at Iran Mania

After a news report that said that EU nations are to formally end negotiations with Iran, German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger dismissed the report and said, "We have made clear in London that we are ready to return for talks with Iran at any time. We are reaching out our hand. The offer is on the table, it only requires strong signals from Iran."
Full article again at Iran Mania

Finally urgent breaking news, Qatar has indefinitely banned all fish and seafood from Iran and Pakistan! This comes after levels of radiation were found in fish being imported to Kuwait from Iran.
More at The Peninsula

A week

2006-04-28T23:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the past week and no updates. I've been busy, and this week will follow with no updates and then I'll be back to normal daily feed.
Thank you for visiting.

Watchdog says Iran defies UN

Iran has defied a UN deadline to halt uranium enrichment, the UN nuclear agency said in a report yesterday that led to calls for tough Security Council action over Tehran's atomic program. US President George W Bush said Iran's nuclear ambitions were "dangerous" but that Washington, which fears Tehran is trying to develop atomic weapons, wanted to resolve the dispute "diplomatically and peacefully". Iran reacted sharply, hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisting it was being denied its right to atomic energy and issuing a veiled threat to cut off ties with the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He said Iran did "not give a damn" about demands to freeze sensitive nuclear work, adding that the world would enjoy peace if it were not for US bullying. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei's report came as a 30-day UN Security Council deadline expired for Tehran to comply with UN demands to halt enrichment, which makes the fuel for civilian nuclear reactors but what can also be the explosive core of atom bombs. The report said the IAEA had taken samples on April 13 at Iran's enrichment facility in Natanz "which tend to confirm as of that date the enrichment level (of 3.6 percent) declared by Iran."
More at TMCnet

PFLP's Jibril warns US, Israel against attacking Syria, Iran

"We will not allow any aggression against Syria or the Islamic Republic of Iran," leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command Ahmed Jibril told a rally of about 1,000 supporters in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital.

"I say it frankly, we will not only be on their side, we will be in the forefront," said Jibril.
Jibril was among the Palestinian faction leaders who met President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when the Iranian leader visited Damascus in January.

"You must understand that the pressures on Syria and Islamic Iran are primarily because of their stand on the Palestinian cause," Jibril told the rally.

"If the United States of America and this Zionist entity (Israel) believe that they can change the regimes in Syria and Iran, then we tell them: 'Think whatever you wish, but the Palestinians inside and outside (the territories) will remain on the side of Syria and Iran'," Jibril said.

Earlier this month, after a dramatic highway pursuit, Israeli security forces apprehended a PFLP member en route to carry out a suicide bombing. The group also supplied the bomb used in an April 2 suicide bombing that killed four Israelis near Kedumim in the West Bank.

In October, one of Jibril's aides reported that he was planning to move to the Gaza Strip.
More at the Jerusalem Post

Iran N-strike must be ruled out: Kasuri

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Friday nuclear strike against Iran should never be considered and the international community should provide it an opportunity for face saving.

He was speaking at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) on the subject of Pakistan's role in promoting peace and stability here today. He reiterated his call for efforts to seek a peaceful solution of the Iranian crisis.

Referring to reports on the possibility of a nuclear attack to eliminate Tehran's nuclear capability, he said. "I think that should not ever be contemplated."

Mr Kasuri cast doubts if a nuclear strike on Iran would be able to achieve the conceived objectives, adding , Iran might have already ⌠dispersed what it had. Secondly he said an attack on Iran would be considered an attack on yet another Muslim country.

This will destabilize large parts of the Muslim world, he said, adding there were Shia population in the Muslim countries.

Opposing sanctions against Iran, he said, Islamabad's oil import bill last year soared to $6 billion registering an increase of 50 per cent. If the price of oil went up by $100 a barrel one could imagine its impact on the world's economy including Pakistan.

He said the international community should not to undermine Tehran's capability to hurt and give a robust response following a strike against it. If a few ships were sunk in the Straits of Hormuz by anybody, there were not enough facilities for refining oil hence it would lead to oil price hike, he added.
More at DAWN

Excerpts from IAEA report to the U.N. Security Council on Iran's nuclear program

"After more than three years of agency efforts to seek clarity about all aspects of Iran's nuclear program, the existing gaps in knowledge continue to be a matter of concern."

------

"... the agency has repeatedly requested Iran to provide additional information on certain issues related to its enrichment program. Iran declined to discuss these matters ... ."

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"... the agency was shown by Iran in January 2005 a copy of a hand written one-page document reflecting an offer said to have been made to Iran in 1987 by a foreign intermediary (in the nuclear black market). In order to be able to ascertain its nature and origin, a copy of the document is needed by the agency. However, Iran continues to decline the agency's request for a copy of the document."

More at the Chicago Tribune

War and the High Price of Oil

2006-04-18T22:22:00.000-05:00

War game will focus on situation with Iran

Amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran over the future of Iran's nuclear program, the Pentagon is planning a war game in July so officials can explore options for a crisis involving Iran.
The July 18 exercise at National Defense University's National Strategic Gaming Center will include members of Congress and top officials from military and civilian agencies. It was scheduled in August, before the latest escalation in the conflict, university spokesman Dave Thomas said.
It's the latest example of how otherwise routine operations are helping the United States prepare for a possible military confrontation with Iran. On Tuesday, President Bush refused to rule out military action — even a nuclear strike — to stop Iran's nuclear program. "All options are on the table," Bush said in the Rose Garden.
The exercise is one of five scheduled this year, including others envisioning an avian influenza pandemic and a crisis in Pakistan. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld started the exercises involving members of Congress in 2002 to help the legislative and executive branches discuss policy options.
Such exercises do not involve military members simulating combat. Instead, officials gather for a daylong conference and discuss how to react to various events presented in a fictional scenario.
Prodded by the United States, the United Nations Security Council has demanded that Iran stop all uranium enrichment activities by April 28. Last week, Iran said it has mastered the technology to make fuel that could be used for power plants or bombs, but it insists its nuclear program is only meant to generate electricity. The United States and its allies say Iran is working to build nuclear weapons.
The July exercise may have real-world consequences since Iran could interpret it as evidence the United States plans to attack, said Khalid al-Rodhan, an Iran expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"Anything the U.S. will do in the region will be seen as further provocation," al-Rodhan said. "Given what's happening in Iraq, it's clear the Iranians are afraid of U.S. intentions."
More at USA Today

Nuclear war with Iran too costly for Americans, Iranians

Author Gore Vidal has called this country the United States of Amnesia because decisions made by the American government often seem divorced from a memory of history. One example of this was the lead-up to the latest U.S. invasion of Iraq, which many people said would bear similarities to the U.S. war on Vietnam.
While there are many clear differences between the war against the peoples of Vietnam and the war in Iraq, the similar idea is that the people of a country will do whatever it takes to fend off the aggressive invasion of their country by a superpower, no matter what the apparent odds.But now it seems Americans can't even remember 2003 as the Bush administration is threatening to attack Iran. Iran has a much stronger military than Iraq, which had been devastated by a decade of sanctions. If the United States were to attack Iran, it is likely the results will be similar to what's happening in Iraq.Iran has recently enriched uranium, which is a necessary component for nuclear weapons the country has threatened to develop in the future. In response to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Pentagon presented a plan to the White House that includes "the use of a bunker-buster tactical nuclear weapon ... against (Iran's) underground nuclear sites," according to an article in The New Yorker by Seymour Hersh.There's nothing "tactical" about a weapon of mass destruction. Nuclear weapons kill innocent people indiscriminately. Two years ago, I completed a pilgrimage to the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in order to see the destruction the "leaders" of my country wreaked on the people of those two beautiful cities. It's impossible for me to conceive that with all Americans know about the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of victims in August 1945, there are still people in the United States of Amnesia who would consider ever using nuclear weapons. If the option of nuclear war is unleashed, innocent Iranians will die.
More at TMC Net

Bush won't exclude Iran nuke strike

The United States on Tuesday failed to secure international support for targeted sanctions against Iran and President George W. Bush refused to rule out nuclear strikes if diplomacy failed to curb the Islamic Republic's atomic ambitions.
Bush said he would discuss Iran's nuclear activities with China's President Hu Jintao, who has been cool towards sanctions, during his U.S. visit this week.
Asked if his options included planning for a nuclear strike, Bush said: "All options are on the table. We want to solve this issue diplomatically and we're working hard to do so."
But a meeting of major powers in Moscow ended without consensus despite strong U.S. pressure for international sanctions. Washington believes Iraq is trying to build bombs but Tehran says it is only developing nuclear energy.
The meeting of deputy foreign ministers of the U.N. Security Council's permanent members -- The United States, Britain, France, China and Russia -- plus Germany, was called after Tehran declared last week that it had enriched uranium and was aiming for industrial-scale production.
The No. 3 U.S. State Department official, Nicholas Burns, argued that sanctions should be imposed on Iran, but Russia and China are resisting and the parties came to no agreement, said U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey in Washington.
"Burns raised the issue of some form of sanctions and there will need to be further discussions on this," he said after being briefed by U.S. officials about the meeting.
More at Reuters

Defiant Iran threatens to ‘cut off hands of any aggressor’

The defiant stance came hours before a two-day meeting in Moscow of senior diplomats from the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany to discuss the issue and less than two weeks before a council deadline for Iran to stop uranium enrichment. “Today, you are among the world’s most powerful armies because you rely on God,” Mr Ahmadinejad declared at a parade to commemorate Army Day. “Iran’s enemies know your courage, faith and commitment to Islam and the land of Iran has created a powerful army that can powerfully defend the political borders and the integrity of the Iranian nation and cut off the hand of any aggressor and place the sign of disgrace on their forehead,” he added.
The United States, Britain, Japan, Israel, France and Germany have accused Iran of using its civilian nuclear programme as a cover to produce nuclear weapons. Iran has maintained its right to enrich uranium and says it is only building nuclear facilities to generate electricity. US President George W Bush said that “all options are on the table” to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons, but added that he would continue to focus on the international diplomatic option to persuade Tehran to drop its nuclear ambitions. “We want to solve this issue diplomatically and we’re working hard to do so,” Mr Bush told reporters in the Rose Garden. Mr Bush also said there should be a unified effort involving countries “who recognise the danger of Iran having a nuclear weapon”, and he noted that US officials are working closely with Britain, France and Germany. Mr Bush was asked if his administration was planning for the possibility of a nuclear strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. “All options are on the table,” he said. Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran’s army “has to be constantly ready, equipped and powerful. It has to be equipped with the latest technologies, recognize the enemy and constantly be vigilant.”
More at the IrishExaminer

Oil prices rise above 71 US dollars

World crude oil prices closed with record highs above 71 dollars on the eve of U.S. energy stocks weekly report Tuesday, amid worries of supply in Iran and Nigeria.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, added 93 cents to close at 71.35 dollars a barrel, its highest closing price since 1983, after touching intra-day high of 71.60 dollars, the highest price since 1983.
On London's ICE Futures exchange, the price of Brent North Sea crude for June delivery climbed 1.05 dollars to 72.51 dollars a barrel, its record high since 1988.
The Organization of Petroleum downgraded the world demand-growth forecast for 2006 to 1.42 million barrels a day, down from 1.46 million barrels per day in the previous report Tuesday in its latest monthly report.
Traders are still concerned about the possibilities that Iran's oil exports would halt if the United Nations imposes Teheran an international sanction for its nuclear activities.
Iran vowed on Monday to keep on enriching uranium despite international demand that it freeze its controversial nuclear program, the official IRNA news agency reported.
More at Xinhua

Crude Oil

2006-04-17T21:49:00.000-05:00

Over 70$

Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery in June ended at $71.46 per barrel on Monday, rising for the ninth consecutive day.
Markets are anxious about the idea that the US could launch military strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran has pledged to carry on enriching uranium to fuel a nuclear reactor.
Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer, says it needs nuclear power to generate electricity, but western nations are concerned it wants to develop atomic weapons.
ABN Amro broker Lee Fader told the Associated Press news agency that the trigger for Monday's rally was "heightened fear about military action" against Iran.
"If somehow this got resolved diplomatically," Fader said, "that would definitely take a few dollars off" the price of crude oil.
But traders say that in the short-term the price could rise as high as $75 per barrel.
A sentence more at BBC NEWS

Not much news today, actualy oddly silent.

40 000 suicide bombers

2006-04-16T16:54:00.000-05:00

I find it funny that just now the major newscasts are reporting on the 40 000 suicide bombers waiting and preparing for a possible confrontation. This is old news mates. Boy it takes a while for the "news" to spread. I read this story a couple months back, and I cannot see how it comes as a surprise to anyone that there is such a growing number of supporters to Ahmadinejad.

Satellite images show reinforcement of Iran's nuclear sites

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a U.S.-based think tank, said in an email with commercial satellite photos attached sent to news media that Iran has built a new tunnel entrance at an Iranian uranium conversion facility in Isfahan. Just two entry points existed in February, it said."This new entrance is indicative of a new underground facility or further expansion of the existing one," said ISIS, led by ex-United Nations arms inspector and nuclear expert David Albright.ISIS also released four satellite images taken between 2002 and January 2006 it said showed Natanz's two subterranean cascade halls being buried by successive layers of earth, apparent concrete slabs and more earth and other materials. The roofs of the halls now appear to be eight meters (26 feet) underground, ISIS said.The revelations came one week after Iran announced it had enriched uranium for use in power stations for the first time, stoking a diplomatic row over Western suspicions of a covert Iranian atomic bomb project. Iran says it seeks only nuclear energy for its economy.The UN Security Council, wielding the threat of sanctions against Iran, has urged Tehran to halt enrichment activity and asked U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei to report on the Iranian response on April 28. Iran stood its ground during a visit by ElBaradei last week. "Iran is taking extraordinary precautions to try to protect its nuclear assets. But the growing talk of eliminating Iran's nuclear program from the air is pretty glib," Albright told Reuters by telephone from Washington.Despite Bush's denial, Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said Tehran could not discount the possibility of a U.S. military strike."We stress at the same time that it would not be in the interest of the United States, nor us," Rafsanjani, who heads a council that arbitrates Iranian legislative disputes, said during a visit to Syria."Harm will not only engulf the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the region and everybody," the influential Iranian leader told a news conference with Syrian Vice President Farouq Shara.
(Please note that these sites are popping up all over the country, as just last month more underground facilities were found in tehran in preparation.)
More at Haaretz

Iran `suicide squads ready to hit US, British targets'

Teheran has trained suicide bombers to attack British and American targets if Iran's nuclear sites are attacked, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The main force - the Special Unit of Martyr Seekers in the Revolutionary Guards - was first seen in Iran last month when members marched in a military parade, dressed in uniforms with explosive packs around their waists and detonators held high, The Sunday Times said.
Dr Hassan Abbasi, head of Iran's Center for Doctrinal Strategic Studies in the Revolutionary Guards, said 29 Western targets had been identified.
"We are ready to attack American and British sensitive points, if they attack Iran's nuclear facilities," The Sunday Times quoted Abbasi as saying in a tape recording of a speech the paper said it had obtained. He said some sites were "quite close" to Iran's border with Iraq.
Abbasi warned the would-be martyrs to "pay close attention to wily England" and vowed that "Britain's demise is on our agenda," The Sunday Times reported.
The paper quoted unidentified Iranian officials as saying 40,000 Iranian suicide bombers have been trained and are ready for action.
At a recruiting station in Teheran recently, volunteers for the suicide force had to show their birth certificates, give proof of their address and mark a box stating whether they would prefer to attack American targets in Iraq or Israeli targets, the paper said.
(Please note here that those 40 000 suicide bombers are likely to be used against military targets in and around the middle eastern region and that before this report came out another one stated that 400 terrorists were being prepared to attack targets over seas. These 40 000 are basicly "soldiers" if you can even call them that, thsoe 400 are the real threat to the American people.)
More at the Standard

Iran's leader calls on global propaganda campaign against Israel

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday called on a global propaganda against Israel, the news agency ISNA reported.
'To defeat the Zionist regime (Israel) we need solidarity among the Islamic world and use of new methods such as staging effective propaganda to disclose the inhuman and blood-thirsty nature of the regime to all nations,' Ahmadinejad said.
In a meeting with Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri, Ahmadinejad said the world was gradually getting aware of the 'faked nature' of Israel which, he said, 'would lead to the fall of the regime.'
More at Monsters and Critics

Iran donates $50m to Hamas government

Iran has announced it is giving $50 million to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority to fill gaps left by western aid cuts.
The US and the European Union (EU) have cut off aid and Israel has frozen a transfer of about $50 million a month to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Government.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says the gift is Iran's duty as a friend of the Palestinians but has not said how or when it will reach them.
Iran has been at odds with the US since its 1979 Islamic revolution and has refused to recognise Israel.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday labelled Israel "a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm".
Washington and the EU have frozen aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority because the Islamist group has not complied with their demand to recognise Israel, renounce violence and abide by interim peace agreements.
(When the world figures it should stop supplying a terrorist organisation with money you can always count on Iran to jump right into the wrong lane traffic. Though I do understand the palestinian people are under great stress financialy and socialy, I don't believe that giving there terrorist government money will help the people and will only finance future attacks.)
More at ABCNEWS Online

Senators Back Direct Talks With Iran

"I think that would be useful," said GOP Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when asked on ABC's "This Week" about having direct talks. "The Iranians are a part of the energy picture," Lugar said. "We need to talk about that."
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., agreed, saying the U.S. has ceded too much diplomacy to Europe.
"I happen to believe you need direct talks," Dodd said on "Fox News Sunday." "It doesn't mean you agree with them. It doesn't mean you support them. It doesn't mean you have formal diplomatic relations. But there's an option."
The Bush administration has warned Iran to comply with worldwide insistence to back off its nuclear program and said it had a "number of tools," including a military option, if Tehran did not cease uranium enrichment activities.
However, while the administration has said it would talk with Iran about its activities in Iraq, it has rejected the idea of direct negotiations over its nuclear program. The concern is that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb, an allegation Tehran denies.
More at the Houston Chronicle

The Build up to war and Bloomberg

2006-04-15T17:03:00.000-05:00

Well as some of you might have read before, Bloomberg published an article with the header of something of the sorts," Iran can produce Nuclear weapon in 16 days." When I first read the article was shocked on how a reliable source such as Bloomberg could manipulate the public in that way. As you all should know by now, the title was referring to Iran when it has all it's centrifuges running (54 000) it would be able to produce a weapon in 16 days. That moment is now years away. But I must say shame on Bloomberg for this manipulative title.

Not all in Iran back president's rhetoric

Iran's success in producing enriched uranium for the first time may have increased national pride, but hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is annoying predecessors by claiming the achievement in his name alone.
And others, including some among the president's supporters, worry his tough rhetoric is intensifying international anxiety over the nuclear program and worsening the country's isolation. Since his announcement, Ahmadinejad has been even more defiant in defending his country's decision to press ahead with its nuclear program over the U.N. Security Council's objections.
Ahmadinejad rebuffed a request Thursday by Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, saying Tehran will not retreat "one iota." This left some conservative Iranians angry. "The more Ahmadinejad confronts the international community, the more power he may show to his public in the short term but deny Iran a good life among world nations in the long term," said Hossein Salimi, a professor of international relations in Tehran. But even still this is the minority voice in Iran.
More at the Seattle Investigator

Islamic Jihad vows aid to Iran if it is attacked

Abdullah Ramadan Shala, the head of the palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said, "Any threat to the Islamic republic is a threat to the Palestinians, and Iran will not be alone in facing these threats. And any aggression against Iran is an aggression against the Palestinians." Hamas has showed similar support.
More at Iran Mania

General says Iran’s military ready “to project its power”

In preparation to a possible confrontation, Brigadier General Mohammad-Hossein Dadras, commander of the regular Iranian army’s ground forces, said Iran’s military has identified “the enemies’ weak spots” in the region and its missile capabilities would guarantee Iran’s “national interests”.“We have identified and studied the enemies’ strong and weak spots in the region regarding ground, sea, and air forces”, Dadras said at the Friday prayers ceremony in Tehran.“Today, we have in the country that which is adequate to face threats. Right now, we have that thing which, when required, will land on the enemy’s weak spot. The enemies know this”, Dadras said.“We do not need foreign support. We have an adequate missile capability which can guarantee our national interests”, he said.“Iran’s capability is such that no one dares to come near it. If they do they will return with no success”.Alluding to the border with Iraq and Afghanistan, the army chief said that Iran has six military divisions based at “strategic and operational points”.
More at Iran Focus

America to Introduce Limited Sanctions on Iran

In this frame, the US reportedly may freeze assets of several Iranian government officials and impose visa restrictions that would make it difficult for these officials to conduct foreign visits.
In his statement, US Secretary of State Spokesman Sean McCormack said the seventh article of the United Nations (UN) contract discusses freezing assets and imposing visa restrictions. "Taking such decisions is in the hand of international society," McCormack added.
At an important gathering next Tuesday in Moscow, high level foreign ministry officials from the UN Security Council's permanent members US, Britain, Russia, China, and Germany will discuss the response against Iran's uranium enrichment.
American officials reported Washington does not foresee any kind of sanction towards Iran's oil and gas sectors, so as not to increase the difficulties faced by the people of Iran.
More at Zaman Daily News

Israel condemns Iranian threats

Shimon Peres urged the world to unite against Mr Ahmadinejad who he predicted would end up like Saddam Hussein.
"The United Nations cannot but react," Mr Peres insisted.
"Iran is a member state of the United Nations that is threatening to destroy another member state of the United Nations," he said. Mr Peres, one of Israel's senior statesmen and a potential senior cabinet member in Israel's new government-in-the-making, replied that: "What the Iranian president says is reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's proclamations, and Ahmadinejad will meet the same end as he did. "The Iranian president represents Satan and not God. History has rejected these sorts of sword-brandishing lunatics," said Mr Peres.
More at BBC News

Ahmadinejad Statements and Oil above 70$

2006-04-14T18:05:00.000-05:00

Iran maintains defiant stance towards US

Iran’s religious leaders maintained an assertive stance Friday towards the US and its allies, despite assurances given by officials on Thursday to the United Nations nuclear chief, Mohammad ElBaradei, of increased co-operation with his agency. A team of UN inspectors will travel to Tehran next week after Mr ElBaradei’s visit, but Iran has refused international calls for a halt to sensitive nuclear work.
Opening a conference on Palestine on Friday in Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, accused the US of “linked plots” against Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria and demanded Washington stop “enflaming the Middle East and Persian Gulf”.
Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati told Friday prayers in Tehran that this week’s announcement that Iran had completed nuclear enrichment in its Natanz laboratory was more important in the country’s history than the nationalisation of the oil industry in the 1950s.
In day-long talks on Thursday, Mr ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was promised access to sites, documents and people requested by inspectors still trying to piece together a complete picture of Iran’s controversial nuclear programme.
More at the Financial Times

'Rotten Israel will be annihilated' - Iran's president

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today said Israel was a “rotten, dried tree” which will be annihilated by “one storm”.“Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation,” Ahmadinejad told a conference for supporting the Palestinians as it opened in the Iranian capital Tehran.At the opening of a conference on supporting the Palestinians, Ahmadinejad fired a series of verbal shots at Israel, saying it was a “permanent threat” to the Middle East that will “soon” be liberated, and questioning the validity of the Nazi Holocaust against Jews in the Second World War.“Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation,” Ahmadinejad said. “The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm,” he said.The president provoked a world outcry last October when he said Israel should be “wiped off the map”.Today, he repeated his previous line on the Holocaust, saying: “If such a disaster is true, why should the people of this region pay the price? Why does the Palestinian nation have to be suppressed and have its land occupied?”The land of Palestine, he said, referring to the British mandated territory that includes all of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, “will be freed soon”.He did not say how this would be achieved, but insisted to the audience of at least 900 people: “Believe that Palestine will be freed soon.”“The existence of this (Israeli) regime is a permanent threat” to the Middle East, he added. “Its existence has harmed the dignity of Islamic nations.”
More at Ireland Online

Iran fears push oil price above $70

The price of Brent North Sea crude oil broke through $70 a barrel for the first time on Thursday evening, fuelled by simmering tensions between Iran and the international community.
The price of Brent crude for June delivery jumped 34 cents to reach $70.20 before later falling back slightly to $70.15, an increase of 28 cents from Wednesday's close.
Brent has been striking record high points since Monday on market concerns that the US might launch military strikes at uranium facilities in Iran, the world's fourth largest producer of crude.
More at RTE Business

Russia to host new round of talks on Iran nuclear program

Russia will host a new round of talks next week with leading world powers on Iran's nuclear program in a bid to head off a confrontation with the U.N. Security Council, the Government said on Friday.
The talks involving Russia, the United States, the European Union and China will be held in Moscow on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Krivtsov said.
The United States and Britain say that if Iran does not comply with the Security Council's demand to stop enrichment by April 28, they will seek a resolution that would make the demand compulsory.
Sergei Mironov, the Kremlin-allied speaker of the Russian parliament's upper house, warned that sanctions against Iran would be ``premature and won't yield positive results,'' ITAR-Tass reported.
Russia's chief nuclear official, meanwhile, voiced hope for a diplomatic solution to the standoff despite Tehran's vow to press ahead with uranium enrichment.
Sergei Kiriyenko said that ``there is still a chance for a diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear program.''
More at the Hindu

War and Oil

2006-04-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

Rice Urges Iran's Nuclear Compliance

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that Iran will have no choice but to comply with worldwide insistence that it back off its disputed nuclear activities. Rice indicated the next step against Iran will be a resolution at the United Nations Security Council seeking punitive or coercive sanctions to stop what the United States says is a covert drive to acquire nuclear weapons. "When the Security Council reconvenes, there will have to be some consequence for that action and that defiance," Rice said after a meeting with Canada's new foreign minister, Peter MacKay. "And we will look at the full range of options available to the Security Council." Rice referred to the Security Council's power to "compel ... member states of the U.N. to obey the will of the international system." "I'm certain that we'll look at measures that could be taken to ensure that Iran knows that they really have no choice but to comply," Rice said. Iran denies it intends to build weapons, and has refused to give up what it calls a legitimate program to develop nuclear power for electricity.
More at Forbes

Iran Is `Some Years Away' From Making a Nuclear Bomb, U.S. Says

Iran is ``some years away'' from developing a nuclear bomb, said Thomas Fingar, deputy U.S. director of national intelligence.
Fingar, who chairs the National Intelligence Council, said that's the shared assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies. Fingar, one of three deputies who reports to national intelligence director John Negroponte, is in charge of intelligence analysis.
The question of how soon Iran could build a nuclear weapon gained urgency April 11 when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country had enriched uranium sufficiently to produce nuclear fuel. He said used 164 centrifuges were used. Yesterday, Deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi said Iran planned to install 3,000 centrifuges at its Natanz plant this year, then expand to 54,000. Nuclear experts say that's enough to build a bomb.
Fingar and other senior intelligence officials, talking with reporters in Washington, sought to put Iran's assertions in context.
Kenneth Brill, head of the National Counterproliferation Center and the U.S. envoy to the United Nation's nuclear watchdog, said previous Iranian claims about their number of working centrifuges were exaggerated.

More at Bloomberg

Random News

2006-04-12T16:21:00.000-05:00

Iran's Boast May Mean Little

Iran's boast that it has joined "the club of nuclear countries" by enriching uranium may rattle the Western world. But diplomats and experts familiar with the program say Iran still is far from producing any weapons-grade material needed for bombs and may be exaggerating its own progress.
"The Iranians are deliberately trying to hype this up," David Albright, president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, said Wednesday.
He called the step that Iran announced with great fanfare Tuesday _ the use of 164 centrifuges to enrich small amounts of uranium _ merely a small and expected advance.
By trumpeting its successes so forcefully, Iran may be trying to apply political pressure _ aiming to convince the U.N. Security Council that its nuclear capability is so far along that no sanctions can dissuade it. The Security Council has ordered Iran to stop all enrichment by April 28, and the chief U.N. nuclear inspector, Mohamed ElBaradei, heads to Iran for talks Friday to try to resolve the international standoff.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned ElBaradei on Wednesday to urge him to reinforce Western demands, and she called on the Security Council to consider "strong steps" against Iran. The United States wants sanctions because it fears Iran aims for nuclear weapons.
"This is not a question of Iran's right to civil nuclear power," she said. "This is a question of, ... the world does not believe that Iran should have the capability and the technology that could lead to a nuclear weapon."
Iran, apparently undeterred, said it would push ahead to dramatically expand its program, which it insists is only to generate electricity for peaceful purposes. It plans to install 3,000 centrifuges at one site by late 2006, then expand to 54,000 centrifuges, its deputy nuclear chief said.
More at the Washington Post

Storm gathering in Iran

The Iranian authorities and elite are busy transferring their bank accounts from Europe to Asia, or to Switzerland, whose territory is usually outside sanctions. These are multi-billion sums. Many analysts see this as Tehran's precaution ahead of a potential armed clash with the U.S. and its allies, which may take place if the attempt to settle the situation around Iran's nuclear program falls through.
Apparently, the Iranians have learnt their own lessons well and remember the sad experience of neighboring Iraq, which was attacked for its alleged attempt to hide the weapons of mass destruction from the world community.
For all the differences between the two regimes and their political and economic potentialities the Washington-drafted plan of action against Iran is strangely similar to the U.S. scenario for Iraq. But there are some indications that the U.S. strategists have lost some of their confidence since the cruel lesson in Iraq. This fact creates an additional chance for a diplomatic settlement of the problem.
More at the RNIA

IRAN SHOWDOWN TESTS POWER OF 'ISRAEL LOBBY'

One month after the publication by two influential international relations scholars of a highly controversial essay on the so-called "Israel Lobby," their thesis that the lobby exercises "unmatched power" in Washington is being tested by rapidly rising tensions with Iran. Far more visibly than any other domestic constituency, the Israel Lobby, defined by Professors John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt, academic dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, as "the loose coalition of individuals and organizations who actively work to shape U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction," has pushed the government -- both Congress and the Bush administration -- toward confrontation with Tehran.Leading the charge has been a familiar group of neo-conservatives, such as former Defense Policy Board (DPB) chairman Richard Perle and former CIA director James Woolsey, who championed the war in Iraq but who have increasingly focused their energies over the past year on building support for "regime change" and, if necessary, military action against Iran if it does not abandon its nuclear program.
More at TMCnet

Russia Downplays Iran's 'Good News'

Russian experts are downplaying Iran's "good news" to have joined the world's nuclear technology club.
Iran's announcement that it had processed uranium is no cause for alarm, said Viktor Mikhailov, former Russian minister of atomic energy.
"Largely a bluff," said Vladimir Yevseyev, a senior researcher at the Moscow-based Center for Global Security.
"A fairy tale," declared Yevgeny Velikhov, a politically connected nuclear scientist.
Russia's assessment matters because President Vladimir Putin's government has positioned itself as in intermediary in the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program. Russia has offered to supply Iran's civilian nuclear program with nuclear fuel jointly processed in Russia, but so far, Iran has not accepted the offer
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Iran's announcement would not bolster its negotiating position with the West.
"A solution of the Iranian problem from the position of strength does not exist. All European Union countries agree with this," Lavrov said. "If there are any such plans after all, they will fail to produce a solution, but will merely create a highly explosive situation in the Middle East."
More at the Washington Post

No quick action on Iran seen in divided UN council

Iran's declaration that it has enriched its first batch of uranium is unlikely to spur the United Nations to act sooner than May on the question of Iran's nuclear ambitions, diplomats said on Wednesday.
Following Iran's announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the council, which last month called on Tehran to suspend all enrichment work, would need to take up the issue again.
But several council members said the U.N. body had agreed in a statement last month to wait for further action until International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei makes his report at the end of April.
"When we have this report, we will react," French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere told reporters.
Nor did the Iranian announcement convince all council members that it was time to take a tougher line on Tehran.
"I think people are still talking about diplomatic efforts," Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said when asked whether China felt it was now time for the council to step up its efforts on Iran.
Last month's council statement on Iran's nuclear work was nonbinding.
More at Reuters

West will burn in nations’ fury

“Those who insulted the Iranian nation and set back Iran’s movement for progress for several years must apologise”, Ahmadinejad said at a rally in the eastern town of Rashtkhar. His comments were aired on state television and carried by the official news agency.“You must bow down to the greatness of the Iranian nation”, he said, addressing the West. He added that if the United States continued to seek to use “bullying” tactics then “every nation of the world” would chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.“If you do not return to monotheism and worshipping god and refuse to accept justice then you will burn in the fire of the nations’ fury”, Ahmadinejad said.He once again accused the West of launching a “psychological war” against Iran.
More at Iran focus

Iranian enrichment

2006-04-11T18:49:00.000-05:00

Good Job UNSC, it's about time to figure out that Iran is standing it's ground, no matter how much time you give it.

Iranian President Confirms Uranium Enrichment

Iran has enriched uranium, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on Tuesday.
"I'm announcing officially that Iran has now joined the countries that have nuclear technology," Ahmadinejad said in a carefully staged speech carried live across Iran. "This is a very historic moment, and this is because of the Iranian people and their belief. And this is the start of the progress of this country." Standing before a sweeping backdrop featuring doves around an Iranian flag, Ahmadinejad said the country was moving toward enrichment on an industrial scale for power plants, not the weapons that the Bush administration and other governments say are Tehran's real goal.
"We are saying again that the nuclear technology is only for the purpose of peace and nothing else," Ahmadinejad said.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan, traveling with President Bush to Missouri today, told reporters that the news suggests Iran is "moving in the wrong direction." If it continues down that path, he said, the United States will consult with other allies about how to respond.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said the breakthrough came Monday at the pilot enrichment plant located in Natanz, in the desert south of Tehran.
"I am proud to announce that we have started enriching uranium to the 3.5 percent level," Gholamreza Aghazadeh said, specifying the low level used to generate electricity. "This achievement has paved the way for Iran to start its industrial-scale production and, to enter this stage, we are trying to put in operation a complex of 3,000 centrifuges" by mid-March of next year, Aghazadeh said.
More at The Washington Post

Iran Sunni rebels video shows killing of officer

An Iranian Sunni rebel group video broadcast on Arab satellite television on Tuesday showed the killing by firing squad of a man identified as an Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer.
The Jundollah (God's Soldiers) video broadcast by Al Arabiya television showed militants kill the man. They displayed his identification card bearing the name Zahed Shaykhi.
The video also showed the Baluchi group's leader Abdolmalek Rigi despite official media reports that Iranian forces had killed him.
"These are falsehoods aimed at playing with the emotions of people," a militant reading a statement said.
Iranian officials have said Rigi is the leader of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in the Islamic Republic.
Rigi appeared on the tape speaking to the Iranian officer who sat nearby with a gunman pointing his rifle at his head and another standing by. The two militants later fired rounds at the officer who was sitting on the ground wearing white robes.
The group has kidnapped Iranian soldiers in the past to try to force the release of detained members.
More at Reuters

Rumsfeld Dismisses Reports of Military Plan on Iran

Secretary Rumsfeld made it clear to reporters he had nothing to say about Tuesday's announcement by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran has enriched uranium to a level used in nuclear power plants. "I'd rather wait and see what our experts say about it. I've not seen the statement, I've not had a chance to analyze anything that they've said and nor have I had a chance to talk to the people who have the responsibility in the United States government for making judgments and assessments with respect to things like that," he said.
Iran insists its nuclear intentions are peaceful and its program is only for making electricity.
As for published media reports saying the Pentagon has been working on contingency plans for possible military strikes to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear program, Secretary Rumsfeld said he had nothing to add to comments already made by President Bush. "I think the president handled it properly. The United States of America is on a diplomatic track. That is the president's decision, that is where our European allies are. There is obviously concern about Iran. It's a country that supports terrorists. It's a country that has indicated an interest in having weapons of mass destruction. So, obviously the president has indicated his concern about the country. But it is simply not useful to get into fantasy land," he said.
More at Voice of America

Russia hopes Iran to cooperate with IAEA

Iran should fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here Tuesday at a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Abdel Ilah al-Khatib.
"We regard it very important that Iran should fully cooperate with the IAEA to clarify all the remaining questions in compliance with decisions of the agency's board of governors," Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
"Russia and Jordan are convinced of the need for a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear problem," he said.
The head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, is due in Iran on Wednesday to discuss Tehran's nuclear program amid a tense standoff with the West.
More at Xinhua

Change in the Blog

2006-04-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

Well I've been lazy and just posting stories word for word, and that's not fair for all the hard worked Authors of those article and it's a violation of copyright laws so now I'll be writing my own reporting on the articles and more articles will be placed on the site.

Iran: U.S. military plans 'psychological warfare'
The Toronto Star
The Iranian President once more released comments saying that America is waging apsychologicall war with Iran. "Our enemies know that they cant cause a minute pause in our nations motion forward," said Ahmadinejad in front of a large number of people." Unfortunately today some bullying powers are unable to give up their bullying nature." Iran's foreign minister spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said that the report of a possible Nuclear attack was a form psychologicalcal warfare. "We see it as psychological warfare, resulting from the Americans anger and despair, he said to journalists.

Bush dismisses Iran reports as 'wild speculation'
Reuters
Bush said today that that report of the attack was just speculation."We hear in Washington, you know, 'prevention means force. It doesn't mean force, necessarily. In this case, it means diplomacy." But then again he reassured the world that Iran could not posses any information on Nuclear technology. "We do not want the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon, the capacity to make a nuclear weapon or the knowledge about how to make a nuclear weapon."

Iran opposition leader urges Europe to support Resistance
Iran-focus
Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi said today that the West should stop the negotiations with the Iranian President and instead supporesistancesitance. "Once again, I call on the [international community] to make this choice in support of the Iranian people and their Resistance." This was said this as she showed pictures of hangings in Iran. Today, Europe is facing a choice: A choice between firmness [against Tehran] or compromise, which would allow the mullahs to arm themselves with nuclear weapons." She also called for a nuclear free Iran.

Oil Climbs to Record in London on Concern About Iran Conflict
Bloomberg
Because of the strike scare oil has risen once again. " Crude oil for May delivery jumped $1.41, or 2.1 percent, to $68.80 a barrel at 1:30 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures were just $2.05 shy of the record $70.85 reached on Aug. 30, the day after Hurricane Katrina."

Ahmadinejad Statements
Iran-Focus
“Our enemies will take their desire to harm and stop the Iranian nation to the grave. This nation is determined to continue the path of advancement. The enemies can never create a gap in its determination by creating commotion. For as long as be stand firm, no power can harm the Iranian nation in the slightest way,” said Ahmadinejad at the North-western town of Fariman.

Trouble

2006-04-09T14:51:00.000-05:00

Govt. insists focus is on diplomacy against Iran

The Bush administration insisted on Sunday its priority was to seek a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, amid reports of stepped-up planning for possible US air strikes.
A senior administration official downplayed prospects for American military action, calling the latest reports "ill-informed," but stopped short of an outright denial.
Iran accused the United States of waging a "psychological war" out of desperation.
The US official spoke after a New Yorker magazine article by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said Washington was stepping up planning for a possible bombing campaign against Iran, despite publicly pushing for a negotiated settlement.
The Washington Post, citing unnamed US officials and independent analysts, also reported the administration was studying options for strikes against Iran as part of a broader strategy of coercive diplomacy.
The newspaper said no attack was likely soon and many specialists inside and outside the US government harbor strong doubts whether such action would be effective. But it said the intent was to show Iran the seriousness of Washington's intentions.
"The president's priority is to find a diplomatic solution to a problem the entire world recognizes," the senior official told Reuters.
"And those who are drawing broad, definitive conclusions based on normal defense and intelligence planning are ill-informed and are not knowledgeable of the administration's thinking on Iran."
More at ABC News

Meeting with Iran on hold

A meeting with Iran to discuss its role in Iraq will not be held until the formation of a government in Baghdad, said the U.S. ambassador to Iraq on Sunday.
Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni leaders are struggling to form a unity government they hope can avert civil war but there are no signs of immediate resolution.
"What we have decided is not to hold the meeting until the Iraqi government is formed," said U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on "Fox News Sunday." "We do not want to give the impression that the United States is sitting with Iran to decide about the Iraqi government. The Iraqis will decide that."
More at Reuters

Iran blasts “psychological war” by U.S.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi blasted on Sunday what it described as a “psychological war” by the United States against the Islamic Republic after an American magazine reported that the Bush administration was considering carrying out military strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites.
In an article in The New Yorker magazine, acclaimed investigative journalist Seymour Hersh quoted anonymous current and former U.S. officials as saying that Washington had increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack on its nuclear sites.
“This psychological war is due to America’s anger and desperation”, Asefi said at his weekly press conference.
More at Iran-focus

Spy Plane Shot Down

Iran said on Sunday that it shot down an unmanned spy plane from Iraq in the south of the country.
“This plane had lifted off from Iraq and was busy filming the border regions”, the semi-official daily Jomhouri Islami wrote.
The plane’s structural markings and systems have given officials “information”, the report added, without elaborating.
More at Iran-focus

Iran's Ahmadinejad not planning to attend World Cup

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has no plans to travel to Germany to support his country's World Cup campaign, an official said on Sunday.
Ahmadinejad labelled the Holocaust a myth and German diplomats feared he could become a controversial and embarrassing distraction from the tournament.
"It is not on his agenda," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters, when asked whether Ahmadinejad was planning to support Iran from the stands in Germany.
Iran's opening match against Mexico on June 11 is in Nuremberg, a city closely associated with Nazism.
There have been calls, particularly from Jewish leaders, to ban Iran from playing in the World Cup but German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the country's team and fans should not be penalised for their president's remarks.
More at reuters

Possible American Attack

2006-04-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

ElBaradei to visit Iran in next two days

Iran said the head of the United Nations atomic watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, will visit Iran within the next two days, as Tehran continues its standoff with the West over its nuclear program, according to AFP.
"Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit Iran either tomorrow or the day after it, and the trip is within the framework of Iran's cooperation and consultation with the IAEA," a source in the Iranian nuclear negotiation team told the state news agency IRNA on the condition of anonymity.
He added: "ElBaradei will hold talks with a number of the Iranian officials during his stay and Iran's outstanding issues with the IAEA will be discussed."
On Friday, a diplomat with the agency said that ElBaradei will visit Iran next week "to meet with senior officials for discussions related to outstanding safeguard verification issues and other confidence building measures requested by the IAEA board of governors."
More at Iran Mania

U.S. steps up plans for possible Iran attack

The U.S. administration is stepping up plans for a possible air strike on Iran, despite publicly pushing for a diplomatic solution to a dispute over its nuclear ambitions, according to a report by influential investigative journalist Seymour Hersh.
Hersh's story in the April 17 issue of the New Yorker magazine, mostly citing unidentified current and former officials, says President George W. Bush views Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a "potential Adolf Hitler," and sees "regime change" in Tehran as the ultimate goal.
"This White House believes that the only way to solve the problem is to change the power structure in Iran, and that means war," Hersh quotes an unidentified senior Pentagon adviser on the war on terror as saying.
The White House, without denying the report, reiterated that it was pursuing a diplomatic solution.
"We are not going to discuss military planning," said spokesman Blair Jones.
"The IAEA (The International Atomic Energy Agency) and the UN Security Council have spoken clearly: Iran must return to full and sustained suspension of its enrichment and reprocessing activities."
More at Reuters

U.S. Is Studying Military Strike Options on Iran

The Bush administration is studying options for military strikes against Iran as part of a broader strategy of coercive diplomacy to pressure Tehran to abandon its alleged nuclear development program, according to U.S. officials and independent analysts.
No attack appears likely in the short term, and many specialists inside and outside the U.S. government harbor serious doubts about whether an armed response would be effective. But administration officials are preparing for it as a possible option and using the threat "to convince them this is more and more serious," as a senior official put it.
According to current and former officials, Pentagon and CIA planners have been exploring possible targets, such as the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan. Although a land invasion is not contemplated, military officers are weighing alternatives ranging from a limited airstrike aimed at key nuclear sites, to a more extensive bombing campaign designed to destroy an array of military and political targets.
Preparations for confrontation with Iran underscore how the issue has vaulted to the front of President Bush's agenda even as he struggles with a relentless war in next-door Iraq. Bush views Tehran as a serious menace that must be dealt with before his presidency ends, aides said, and the White House, in its new National Security Strategy, last month labeled Iran the most serious challenge to the United States posed by any country.
Many military officers and specialists, however, view the saber rattling with alarm. A strike at Iran, they warn, would at best just delay its nuclear program by a few years but could inflame international opinion against the United States, particularly in the Muslim world and especially within Iran, while making U.S. troops in Iraq targets for retaliation.
More at The Washington Post

The War Games

2006-04-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

Iran test-fires two more new missiles

ran has successfully test-fired two more new missiles as the ongoing military maneuver in the south of the country was approaching its end, official media reported on Wednesday.
The state television said the Islamic Republic tested a new air- to-sea-and-ground missile with the capability of resisting electronic jamming systems and dodging anti-missile missiles.
The report defined the missile, dubbed "Nour," as a secret weapon marking a breakthrough in Iran's development of missiles.
Earlier, the official IRNA news agency reported that the armed forces on Tuesday successfully test-fired a highly precise anti- aircraft missile dubbed "Misaq" which can be launched from man's shoulder and is capable of hitting air targets.
"The speed of the missile is to the extent that no radar can detect it and its high speed protects it completely from being targeted in case of being detected by other warning systems," Mohammad Ibrahim Dehqani, spokesman of the war game, was quoted as saying.
"Misaq" and "Nour" were the Islamic Republic's fourth and fifth missile test-firing during the week-long war game
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Iran says war games tell U.S. not to meddle

The Supreme Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) declared on Wednesday that the week-long naval war games in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman by his forces serve as a warning to the United States “not to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs”, state television reported.
“The message of this great military exercise for [U.S.-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan] is for them not to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs”, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said on state television.
The powerful military chief warned the intelligence agencies of the United States “not to create insecurity in [the Iranian province of] Khuzestan and endanger security in the region”.
Safavi said the United States had to accept Iran as a “great regional power” and added that threats against Tehran would be of no use to the U.S. or Europe.
The general accused the “occupiers of Iraq and Afghanistan” of endangering regional security.
He warned the United States and Britain not to “hatch plots for the region”.
“We have intelligence that America and the countries occupying Iraq are trying to tarnish the image of Iran. They are giving the Iraqi people bad cement and expired medicines pretending they came from Iran in a bid to tarnish the image of our country in the eyes of Iraqis”, Safavi said.
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Iran military hints at Strait of Hormuz blockade

The Supreme Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, described on Wednesday the Strait of Hormuz on Iran’s southern shores as “the economic lifeline” of the West and said it could be used to put pressure on Iran’s enemies, state television reported.
About two-fifths of the world's oil supplies pass through the 50-kilometre-wide entrance to the Persian Gulf.
Safavi was speaking to reporters during the sixth day of weeklong naval exercises in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, dubbed “Great Prophet”. The general said that the area was of “immense military and geo-strategic importance” and that it linked the seaways of three continents – Africa, Asia, and Europe.
“Many industrial countries are dependent on the energy from this region. Japan gets 70 percent of its oil from this region, likewise 70 percent of certain European countries’ energy comes from this region”, he said, adding that every day the equivalent of 20 million barrels of oil travelled through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are … the corner stone of [Iran’s] defence. The Strait of Hormuz counts as a point of economic control and pressure in the transfer of energy for aggressive powers from beyond the continent that want to endanger the security of the region”, General Safavi said.
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Iran's Ali Daei gives Saba Battery semis berth

Persepolis and the visiting Abu Moslem struggled to a 2-2 draw in the 27th week of the fifth Iran Pro League while national skipper Ali Daei struck two to hand Saba Battery a place in the League Cup semifinals, MNA reported.
Against the run of play, Abu Moslem took the lead in the 33rd minute through Mohammadreza Khalatbari, who spectacularly cleared four, including the keeper Farshid Karimi before finding the net from close range.
The red-clad home side was stunned seven minutes later when striker Mehdi Kheiri, who received a superb pass from captain Hossein Badamaki, slid the ball under the diving Karimi.
Persepolis, however, pulled one back just before halftime. Referee Fereydun Esfahanian awarded a penalty for Majid Nurmohammadi handball and a cool-headed Ali Ansarian converted the spot-kick.
Some 10,000 fans in Azadi Stadium gave Javad Kazemian a standing ovation as the forward duped his marker Aziz Farisat in the area to rifle home 10 minutes into second half.
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Finaly the Talks

2006-04-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

Iran reiterates it's ready to negotiate on large-scale enrichment

ran said Tuesday it is willing to negotiate with world powers on the large-scale enrichment of uranium but will never give way on their key demand - to cease all enrichment, a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors or material for bombs.
The UN Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend all enrichment of uranium and formation shared with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.N. Security Council.
Her bottom line: ``I remain skeptical - lots of unanswered questions.''
``The conjecture that I have is that if I were Iran, and I wanted to put out disinformation, it might look a lot like what our government is claiming is information,'' she said. ``I can't tell you that's true, but I can't tell you it's not true.''
Harman didn't provide details on the classified session.
With tensions growing between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear program, Tehran in the past week has touted new weapons including missiles supposedly invisible to radar and torpedoes too fast to be avoided. Experts have questioned Iran's claims about the weapons' capabilities.
The announcements came as the Bush administration was working toward a diplomatic solution to address its belief that Iran intends to produce nuclear weapons. Iran says it aims only to generate electricity, but it has thus far defied U.N. Security Council demands that it give up key parts of its program.
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The Talks are on Saturday

Mehr news agency quoted an unnamed official in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) as saying that the Iranian delegation would be led by either Ali Hosseini-Tash or Aziz Jaafari, both of whom are brigadier generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and now hold senior positions in the SNSC.
The report said that Iranian Foreign Ministry officials will also take part in the meeting which would be held in Baghdad.
“The talks would be held before the cameras at the request of Iran”, the official said.
U.S. President George W. Bush has authorised the American ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, to discuss the security situation in Iraq with Iran. The United States and Iraqi officials routinely blame Tehran for aiding the insurgency.
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Who's Supplying Irans New technology?

Iran has unveiled with great fanfare a series of what it portrays as sophisticated, homegrown weapons _ flying boats and missiles invisible to radar, torpedoes too fast to elude.
But experts said Tuesday it appears much of the technology came from Russia and questioned Iran's claims about the weapons' capabilities.
Still, the armaments, tested during war games by some 17,000 Revolutionary Guards in the Persian Gulf, send what may be Iran's real message: its increased ability to hit oil tankers if tension with America turns to outright confrontation.
To underline that message, the maneuvers _ code-named "The Great Prophet" _ have been held since Friday around the Strait of Hormuz, the 34-mile-wide entrance to the Gulf through which about two-fifths of the world's oil supplies pass.
Throughout the war games, Iran has touted what it calls technological leaps in its weapons production. In recent years, Iran revved up its arms programs after long relying on purchases abroad to keep up its aging arsenal, hampered by U.S. sanctions and Washington's pressure on other countries against selling weapons to Tehran.
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Another New Missle

Persisting with its show of strength, Iran has tested a land-to-sea missile as well as a "flying boat", near the Strait of Hormuz — an area through which large quantities of Gulf oil are exported.
The Iranians on Tuesday test-fired the Kowsar missile. On Friday, Iranian military commanders said they had tested a missile designed to carry multiple warheads. Analysts say that throughout the course of their on-going military exercises at the strategic junction of the Gulf and the Sea of Oman, the Iranians have been sending a clear message that they have the capacity to influence the global economy, in case they are subjected to a military attack.
More here

Cause for Concern over Security

2006-04-03T19:08:00.000-05:00

U.S. not to join EU in nuclear talks

"The EU-3 is comfortable with where things are in the sense that there is a process that has been put in place, and that process should be able to lead to the desired solution," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said at a briefing.
Ereli argued that there is no suggestion that the process is soflawed that the United States needs to jump into it.
"The reason we're at a standstill is not because the United States isn't in negotiations, the reason we're at a standstill is because Iran is thumbing its nose at the international community and rejecting the offers of the EU-3, and rejecting the proposals of Russia, and moving with apparently great determination to develop an enrichment capability," Ereli said.
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Iran's Satellite

The spacecraft is small by world standards - a microsatellite of a few hundred pounds. Launched in October by the Russians for a wealthy client, it orbits the earth once every 99 minutes and reportedly has a camera for peering down on large swaths of land.
But what makes this satellite particularly interesting is not its capabilities, which are rudimentary, but its owner: Iran. With last year's launching and another planned for the next few weeks, Tehran has become the newest member of the international space club.
The question now asked in Washington and other capitals is whether Iran's efforts are simply part of its drive to expand its technical prowess or an attempt to add another building block to its nuclear program. In that sense, it is the newest piece of the Iranian atomic puzzle.
To some government analysts and other experts in the West, Iran's space debut is potentially worrisome. While world attention has focused on whether Iran is clandestinely seeking nuclear arms, these analysts say the launchings mark a new stage in its growing efforts to master a range of sophisticated technologies, including rockets and satellites. The concern is that Tehran could one day turn such advances to atomic ends.
"It may appear tempting to dismiss Iranian efforts" as relatively crude, said John Sheldon, an analyst at the Center for Defense and International Security Studies in Britain who recently wrote a report on Tehran's space program. "But Iran has already demonstrated a persistence and patience that would indicate it is prepared to play a long game in order to achieve its ambitions."
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Ahmadinejad Statements

Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that the Islamic Republic was “determined” in its pursuit to obtain nuclear capabilities, according to a statement issued by his office and carried by the official news agency.
“The Iranian nation and government are determined about their rights in the field of nuclear technology”, Ahmadinejad said during a meeting in Tehran with the Foreign Minister of the Guinea Fatoumata Kaba.
“Today, several European countries and America have been bewildered over Iran’s nuclear issue”, he said.
“The path of the Islamic Republic of Iran in obtaining nuclear technology is clear, in accordance with laws, and under the consideration of the International Atomic Energy Agency”, he added.
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A New Missle and Talk of a Military Strike.

2006-04-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

Another Missle

Iran conducted its second major test of a new missile within days on Sunday, firing a high-speed torpedo it said no submarine or warship can escape at a time of increased tensions with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
The tests came during war games that Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have been holding in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea since Friday.
On the maneuvers' first day, Iran said it successfully tested the Fajr-3 missile, which can avoid radar and hit several targets simultaneously using multiple warheads.
The new torpedo, called the "Hoot," or "whale," could raise concerns over Iran's power in the Gulf, a vital corridor for the world's oil supplies and where the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is based. During Iran's war with Iraq in the 1980s, Iranian ships attacked oil tankers in the Gulf, and Iran and the U.S. military engaged in limited clashes.
Iran's state television stopped its normal programs to break news of the torpedo test, showing it being launched from a ship into the Gulf waters, then hitting its target, a derelict ship.
Gen. Ali Fadavi, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards' navy, said the ships that fire the Iranian-made Hoot had radar-evading technology and that the torpedo - moving at 223 miles per hour - was too fast to elude.
"It has a very powerful warhead designed to hit big submarines. Even if enemy warship sensors identify the missile, no warship can escape from this missile because of its high speed," Fadavi told state television.
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U.S. Committed to Diplomacy

In an interview with the ITV television channel recorded in Liverpool on Saturday, Rice acknowledged concerns that the standoff between the U.N. Security Council and Iran over its nuclear program could lead to the U.S. taking pre-emptive military action.
But she said: "Iran is not Iraq. I know that's what's on people's minds. The circumstances are different," Rice said.
"I just want to be very clear, Iran is not Iraq. However, the president of the United States doesn't take his options off the table. We are committed to a diplomatic course because we believe that a diplomatic course can work," she said.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who met with Rice in England before traveling with her to Iraq, has said it is inconceivable that military action would be taken against Iran.
However, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that Britain's government and military chiefs plan to hold secret talks Monday to discuss contingency plans about possible military strikes against Iran
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No Plans to Attack

British officials say they are not considering an attack on Iran and have no plans to discuss a military option, as has been reported in British media.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said a Sunday Telegraph article was wrong in saying British defense officials would meet Monday to discuss what action to take if Iran attacked Iraq -- such as strategically bombing suspected Iranian nuclear plants.
Sky News reports both British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are pushing for diplomacy on the Iranian issue to continue.
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US will Find Another Excuse to Target Iran

The United States is firm in its plans to launch a military operation against Iran, said Kazim Jalali, a spokesman for the Iranian Parliament’s Commission of Foreign Affairs, adding the United States would find another reason for its military operation even if the nuclear plants were immediately shut down.
There are peaceful motives behind the nuclear projects in Iran, said Jalali, when he asserted that the use of nuclear weapons is outlawed according to Islam too. The Western news media distorted what Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said about Israel, Jalali argued.
Jalali was hosted in Turkey by the Political Thought Platform. Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, Jalali told Zaman, and added that the treaty accords certain rights to produce and utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
There are nuclear projects in Iran that allow international monitoring, said Jalali.
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Earthquakes and the Mililtary

2006-04-01T19:09:00.000-06:00

Iran May Retaliate With Terror

As tensions increase between the United States and Iran, U.S. intelligence and terrorism experts say they believe Iran would respond to U.S. military strikes on its nuclear sites by deploying its intelligence operatives and Hezbollah teams to carry out terrorist attacks worldwide.
Iran would mount attacks against U.S. targets inside Iraq, where Iranian intelligence agents are already plentiful, predicted these experts. There is also a growing consensus that Iran's agents would target civilians in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, they said.
U.S. officials would not discuss what evidence they have indicating Iran would undertake terrorist action, but the matter "is consuming a lot of time" throughout the U.S. intelligence apparatus, one senior official said. "It's a huge issue," another said.
Citing prohibitions against discussing classified information, U.S. intelligence officials declined to say whether they have detected preparatory measures, such as increased surveillance, counter-surveillance or message traffic, on the part of Iran's foreign-based intelligence operatives.
But terrorism experts considered Iranian-backed or controlled groups -- namely the country's Ministry of Intelligence and Security operatives, its Revolutionary Guards and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah -- to be better organized, trained and equipped than the al-Qaeda network that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
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Minister of Defence Denies Military Meeting

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said there was no truth whatsoever in the claims, made in the Sunday Telegraph.
He said: "No such meeting between defence, foreign office and other officials is taking place."
But BBC Defence Correspondent Paul Wood said US plans for a possible strike are thought to be at an advanced stage.
He pointed out that many defence analysts expected that British military officials would have a wide range of contingency plans available including one for a possible US air strike on Iran.
"There is no sense that such a strike is imminent however there is well sourced and persistent speculation that American covert activities aimed at Iran are already underway," he said.
The Sunday Telegraph said: "A high-level meeting will take place in the Ministry of Defence at which senior defence chiefs and government officials will consider the consequences of an attack on Iran."
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Iran has an aggressive military programme

Iran’s successful firing of a new radar-evading missile capable of striking several targets simultaneously shows that it has an “aggressive military programme under way,” the US State Department said on Friday.
The Iranian-developed missile can also “hide from radars and evade anti-missile missiles,” Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Salami told state television in Iran.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the move “demonstrates that Iran has a very active and aggressive military programme under way.”
Their programme includes “efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction as well as delivery systems,” he said.
Iran is currently under mounting international pressure over its disputed nuclear energy drive, which Israel and several western nations believe is a cover for weapons development. Tehran denies the charges. “I think Iran’s military posture, military development effort, is of concern to the international community, as evidenced by the kind of consensus you’re seeing with regard to their nuclear programme as well as other non-proliferation concerns,” Ereli said.
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43 Aftershocks

Different parts of western Lorestan province have been rattled by some 43 aftershocks since Thursday evening when the initial quake hit, IRNA reported.
The Tehran University Geophysics Institute said the strongest of such aftershocks hit an area in Dorud, 80 kilometers east of Khorramabad in Lorestan province, at 04:47 (01:17 GMT) on Friday.
Initial reports after Thursday evening's major quake which hit the province put the number of dead at 70 besides 1,300 injured.
The strongest aftershock, which lasted for one minute on Friday, shook the cities of Dorud, Borujerd and Khorramabad followed by 42 minor ones causing panic among residents.
The quakes and aftershocks which hit Borujerd and Dorud have rendered about 15,000 families homeless.
Also Russia will be sending relief to the disaster affected areas. It'll send blankets and other humanitarian aid.
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More Clashes

2006-04-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

There have been more clashes between anti-governmental rebel groups and security forces, this time leaving 3 more security forces dead. In the past 3 days the fighting has taken the lives of 6 security forces. The conflict is being held in the West Azerbaijan Province. It happened in the town of Khoy when the rebels drove up and open fire of the forces.
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Earthquake and Radar Dodging Missle

2006-03-31T11:22:00.000-06:00

Iranian Missle can Avoid Radar

Iran successfully test-fired a missile that can avoid radar and hit several targets simultaneously using multiple warheads, the military said Friday.
Gen. Hossein Salami, the air force chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards, did not specify the missile's range, saying it depends on the weight of its warheads.
But state-run television described the weapon as ``ballistic'' - suggesting it's of comparable range to Iran's existing ballistic rocket, which can travel 1,250 miles and reach arch-foe Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East.
``Today, a remarkable goal of the Islamic Republic of Iran's defense forces was realized with the successful test-firing of a new missile with greater technical and tactical capabilities than those previously produced,'' Salami said on state-run television.
It showed a clip of the launch of what it called the Fajr-3, with ``fajr'' meaning ``victory'' in Farsi.
``It can avoid anti-missile missiles and strike the target,'' Salami said.
He said the missile would carry a multiple warhead, and each warhead would be capable of hitting its target precisely.
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Iranian Earthquake

A strong earthquake hit western Iran on Friday, killing at least 70 people and devastating villages, a provincial official said.
More than 1,200 people were injured in an area around the cities of Doroud and Boroujerd in the province of Lorestan, said Ali Barani, head of the provincial emergency team for disasters.
Some survivors were dug out of the rubble of buildings alive, rescue officials said. In the worst hit areas, brick buildings collapsed into piles of masonry and mud homes were reduced to mounds of dust.
Barani said 330 village in the area were severely damaged but the death toll was unlikely to rise much further.
"If there are any changes, it will be very few," he said by phone from Lorestan.
Strong tremors on Thursday night helped keep the toll down because they drove many to leave their homes and take to the streets well before the big quake hit on Friday morning. There were 3 quakes, at 11:15pm local time there was a quake of 4.7, at 4:50 am another quake struck with a magnitude of 6.0. A 5.1 was also recorded.
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Oil Price Drops

Oil prices stayed lower after posting sharp gains this week, as Iran said it will not use oil as a weapon in the row over its nuclear programme while Agip resumed normal output in Nigeria after repairing a sabotaged pipeline.
At 4.25 pm, May-dated Brent contracts were down 13 cents at 66.33 usd, after gaining 91 cents to close at 66.46 yesterday. Meanwhile May-dated US light crude futures were down 75 cents at 66.40 usd.
After breaking out of a month-long trading range of 60-64 usd, oil prices are now nearing their all time record of 70.85 usd as concerns about supply risks in Iran and Nigeria combine with worries over US gasoline stocks.
Prices rose sharply yesterday after Iran categorically ruled out complying with a UN Security Council statement calling on it to halt uranium enrichment, and after world powers said Tehran could be facing sanctions.
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Iran Faces Isloation

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran faces ``deeper isolation'' if it persists with its nuclear program and the U.S. doesn't rule out any option in its efforts to persuade Tehran to cease uranium enrichment.
``Thus far Iran has not been interested in any of the offers put to it,'' Rice said after a speech in Blackburn, England, the electoral constituency of U.K. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. The Bush administration never takes anything ``off the table'' in its policy toward the Middle Eastern country, though it is not contemplating military action now, she said.
Rice yesterday suggested the U.S. is prepared for lengthy diplomacy to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions after the United Nations refrained from attaching consequences to its demand that Iran curb its program and open it to scrutiny. The U.S. suspects Iran is engaged in a secret attempt to build a nuclear weapon.
Rice and Straw yesterday met in Berlin with their counterparts from France, Germany, Russia and China to discuss how to deter Iran from seeking nuclear weapons. The six used a joint statement to urge Iran to halt ``all enrichment-related activities.''
She was also met by anti-war protesters, when she visited a high school. She used her speeches to defend the Iraq war.
``If you're impervious to the lessons you've just come out of you're brain-dead,'' she told the gathering, organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, a U.K. foreign policy research center. ``I believe strongly it was the right strategic decision'' to invade Iraq.
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Oil, More Pressure, India?

2006-03-30T19:53:00.000-06:00

Phone Calls

After three weeks of haggling, many Western diplomats had just about given up hope of convincing Moscow and Beijing to sign onto a U.N. Security Council statement pressing Iran to suspend its suspect nuclear activities, comply with international nonproliferation rules and return to negotiations with the Europeans.
But in the end, it took U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice personally working the phones, and ceding a little ground, to seal the deal — which gave Iran 30 days to suspend its uranium enrichment activities or face as yet unspecified consequences. In the last several days, Rice has spoken to her counterpart, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, on a number of occasions, to try and bridge the gap. On the last phone call Wednesday morning, state department officials said, Rice agreed to ask the British to strike a line from their draft statement suggesting that Iran’s rogue behavior might constitute a "threat to international peace and security."
While that may seem like mere semantics, in diplomatic parlance the phrase has a very specific — and to the Russians ominous — meaning; it echoes the U.N. charter and, in Lavrov's mind, could potentially serve as a precedent for subjecting Iran to punitive economic and political sanctions, which the U.S. supports and Russia adamantly opposes.
Lavrov, however, also made concessions. The British draft called for Mohamed El Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to report to the Security Council on Iran’s compliance or lack thereof. The Russians wanted El Baradei to report to the IAEA, but Rice and European officials said this would kick the Iran problem out of the Security Council and back to a weaker agency. The compromise, hammered out by Rice and Lavrov, called for El Baradei to report to both the Security Council and the IAEA.
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Iran's Ready for Talks

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mounachehr Mottaki said on Thursday.
“The recent proposal made by Iraqi leaders for Iran to talk with the US about issues relating to Iraq: we look on this proposal as an opportunity to help the Iraqi nation,” Mottaki told journalists in Geneva. “These negotiations will be limited only to Iraq. The venue, the team of negotiators and the time is yet to be finalised,” he added.
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Oil at 66$

“There’s got to be a crunch point over Iran,” Geoff Pyne, an independent oil analyst, said, adding “At the end of the day Iran is intent on uranium enrichment and the West won’t allow it.”
US crude stood at $66.6 a barrel, up 13 cents. London Brent crude was up 50 cents at $66.1 a barrel. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a ’presidential statement’ late on Wednesday calling on Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment work.
But as the five permanent Security Council members and Germany met in Berlin to discuss their next step on Thursday, Iran’s ambassador to the UN atomic agency ruled out complying. Oil prices touched their highest point since February 2. In real terms oil is at levels unseen for a quarter of a century.
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India is not Iran, US counters Germans

The US leapt to India’s defence after German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the Indian civil nuclear energy deal “was not helpful” given that it came in the midst of talks on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “We would differ with anybody who tries to make any comparisons between the behaviour of Iran and the behaviour of India,” US State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack told a press conference on Wednesday where the issue reared its head.
“At the end of the day, India has been a responsible member of the international community when it comes to issues of nonproliferation. Iran, on the other hand, has abrogated its treaty obligations not to seek to develop a nuclear weapon and continually lied to the international community about that,” he added.
According to reports, Steinmeier told the German daily Handelsblatt; “There is no question that in light of the continuing talks over the Iranian nuclear programme, the timing of the American-Indian agreement was not helpful.” However, the German minister said such agreements could draw countries like India into the fold of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
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Rice is all over the Place

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived late Thursday afternoon in Paris, where she is to talk with French President Jacques Chirac, as part of a lightning tour of European capitals for consultations on Iran.
Topics surrounding Iran, the Mideast and Lebanon would be at the center of their talks, which will also cover the situation in Belarus, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
The visit followed a stop in Berlin, where Rice talked with her counterparts from the other permanent member countries (Britain, China, France and Russia) of the United Nations Security Council and Germany over Iran's nuclear program.
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War Games and 30 more days?!

2006-03-29T23:19:00.000-06:00

30 More Days

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday urged Iran to suspend its nuclear program and said it would take up the issue again in 30 days.
It was the first time the U.N. body has condemned Iran's nuclear ambitions, a move that could ultimately lead to sanctions.
The statement, which took three weeks to craft, is weaker than the United States, Britain and France originally sought. Earlier drafts called for the council to meet again in 14 days and said Iran's activities were a potential "threat to international peace and security." Under the U.N. charter, that language can justify economic sanctions or military strikes.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Russia and China watered down the statement. "The message is clear nonetheless that Iran's nuclear weapons program is unacceptable," Bolton said.
The council acted a day before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to meet in Berlin with foreign ministers from the other four veto-holding members of the council — Russia, China, Britain and France — as well as Germany. The six officials are to discuss longer-range policy toward Iran, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
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Naval War Games

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) will begin large-scale naval exercises in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman on Friday by firing a Shahab-2 missile “to show Iran’s desire for peace and friendship with neighbouring countries”, the IRGC naval chief said on Wednesday.
Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari, who commands the IRGC Navy, told a press conference in the Iranian capital that the naval war games would go on until April 6 with the participation of five IRGC naval garrisons and the assistance of Iran’s regular navy and air force, as well the missiles force, the Bassij, and the State Security Forces.
“Today, Iran is calling for its rightful demands with strength and national unity and these exercises will show an increase of strength and preparedness”, the navy commander added.
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3 Guards Killed

Three members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards were killed in a clash with Kurdish separatists in the country's restive western borderlands, Iran's student news agency ISNA said on Wednesday.
The Revolutionary Guard "agents" were killed in fighting on Tuesday with a Kurdish group called PJAK. Their bodies were transferred from the border to the nearby city of Salmas, the report said.
Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment. Iran's Revolutionary Guards are an ideologically driven branch of the country's armed forces.
Security experts say PJAK is an Iranian wing of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) whose separatist struggle regained momentum in southeastern Turkey after it called off a unilateral ceasefire in the summer of 2004.
The PKK Web site said seven Iranian soldiers were killed and 11 injured in a clash with PKK guerrillas. It said Iranian forces launched an operation against the rebels on March 25 in an area it identified as Kelares, near the border between Iran and Turkey. It said there were no PKK casualties.

Blog crack down, high alert and UNSC

2006-03-28T19:48:00.000-06:00

UN Deal this Week?

U.N. Security Council powers accelerated talks on Tuesday in an effort to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear programs before their ministers meet this week.
"Ministers are getting together in Berlin on Thursday and I think for their purposes and for ours we are trying to reach agreement here" by then, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said.
Ambassadors from the five veto-holding permanent council members -- the United States, Britain, France Russia, China -- met several times on Tuesday on Iran's nuclear research, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes but the West believes is a cover for bomb making.
British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said there were "still one or two really difficult issues if we are going to finish by Thursday but most of the rest of the text is coming together."
Bolton said he hoped the full 15-member council could meet on Wednesday but cautioned, "I think we've got a certain momentum and we had it before and didn't necessarily promise that we would reach agreement."
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High Alert for the Revolutionary Guards

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces in western and south-western Iran close to the Iraqi border have been put on a heightened state of alert since the middle of this month, a source in the Iranian military told Iran Focus.
The Supreme Command of Iran’s Armed Forces issued the directive to Najaf and Karbala garrisons of the IRGC, which are respectively based in Kermanshah and Khuzestan provinces and are the headquarters of IRGC forces in western and south-western Iran.
The directive took effect from March 14, according to the source, who requested anonymity.
Najaf and Karbala garrisons are the primary Revolutionary Guards headquarters responsible for Iraqi affairs and house much of the IRGC’s elite Qods Force whose stated objective is to spread Iran’s Islamic Revolution to Iraq and other countries in the Middle East.
Under the rules of Iran’s armed forces, the decision to raise the military alert status along Iraq’s borders must have been approved by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces. Khamenei visited areas close to the Iraqi border in Iran’s restive province of Khuzistan last week and delivered a speech in Arabic, slamming the United States and Britain for their occupation of Iraq.
On Sunday, Khamenei told thousands of Islamist militiamen in Tehran that threats of military action against the Islamic republic “could be put into action in some cases, but a nation that retains its greatness, dignity, identity and interests will be able to withstand such attacks without any retreat”.
“The decision [to put the armed forces on alert along the Iraqi border] could be defensive or offensive in nature, but it’s significant because of its timing”, said Ehsan Pourhaydari, a former colonel in Iran’s regular armed forces who now lives in Germany. “It coincides with impending talks between Iran and the U.S. on the situation in Iraq. The ayatollahs must be calculating that the talks will make them more vulnerable, or will provide new opportunities for them in Iraq. Either way, it would make sense for them to put their forces on alert close to the Iraqi border”.
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Iranian Blog Crackdown

On his last visit to Iran, Canadian-based blogger Hossein Derakhshan was detained and interrogated, then forced to sign a letter of apology for his blog writings before being allowed to leave the country. Compared to others, Derakhshan is lucky.
Dozens of Iranian bloggers have faced harassment by the government, been arrested for voicing opposing views, and fled the country in fear of prosecution over the past two years.
In the conservative Islamic Republic, where the government has vast control over newspapers and the airwaves, weblogs are one of the last bastions of free expression, where people can speak openly about everything from sex to the nuclear controversy. But increasingly, they are coming under threat of censorship.
The Iranian blogging community, known as Weblogistan, is relatively new. It sprang to life in 2001 after hard-liners - fighting back against a reformist president - shut down more than 100 newspapers and magazines and detained writers. At the time, Derakhshan posted instructions on the Internet in Farsi on how to set up a weblog.
Since then, the community has grown dramatically. Although exact figures are not known, experts estimate there are between 70,000 and 100,000 active weblogs in Iran. The vast majority are in Farsi but a few are in English.
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Cargo Plane Crashes

An Iranian cargo plane carrying 12 passengers crash-landed close to the city of Karaj, west of Tehran, on Tuesday, state television reported.
None of the 12-man crew on board was killed according to the report, which quoted the head of Payam Airport. The airport is three miles away from the crash site.
The Russian-made Antonov plane crash-landed into farmland at 16:40 Tehran time after one of its engines failed.
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Military force and the UNSC

2006-03-27T17:21:00.000-06:00

Germany Urges Suspension of Program

Elbaradei met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
"We are not in a position today to say that (Iran's nuclear) program is exclusively for peaceful purposes," ElBaradei told reporters after meeting Steinmeier.
Germany, France and Britain were the three European Union nations which mediated the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program last year.
"I would like Iran to do what they can right now to lower our doubts ... until negotiations resume," the IAEA chief added.
Steinmeier said: "Iran must suspend all enrichment work, including research."
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Iran budgets $213 mln for two atomic power plants

Iran will put some $213 million of its national budget for the year to March 2007 into building two nuclear power stations, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Monday. Tehran insists its atomic scientists are only working on an ambitious power station programme that should produce 20,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2020.
The official Iran newspaper quoted Farhad Rahbar, head of the government▓s management and planning organisation, saying 1.94 trillion rials ($213 million) would be directed towards two atomic power stations.
Building and completing two nuclear power stations in order to produce cheap electricity is among the most important construction plans,■ state television quoted him as saying.
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German police search firms over exports to Iran

Police searched business premises across Germany in connection with an investigation into the illegal export of equipment for Iran's controversial nuclear programme, prosecutors said Monday.
One of the companies searched was believed to be a front for the illegal export of hydraulic pumps and transformer parts, which could be used in nuclear facilities, prosecutor Benedikt Welfens said.
German law restricts the sale to Iran of such dual use equipment, which has applications in both military and civilian programmes.
Seven persons, most of them of Russian extraction, are under investigation in connection with the illegal exports, which investigations showed reach Iran via Russia. Police seized data, a special cable ready for export and cash during last week's raid of 41 premises in 10 German states
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Military force can't destroy our atomic program

Military strikes against Iran's nuclear sites would not destroy the Islamic republic's uranium enrichment activities, which could be easily moved and restarted, a senior Iranian official said on Monday.
"You know very well ... we can enrich uranium anywhere in the country, with a vast country of more than 1 million 600 square kilometers," said Aliasghar Soltaniyeh, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
"Enrichment can be done anywhere in Iran," he told a panel discussion on the possible use of military force to destroy what the West fears is Iran's atomic bomb program.
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All this comes one day before a possible airstrike on Iran by Israel according to a Russian Democrat, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Yah, yah we'll see.

Not Nuch News

2006-03-26T20:33:00.000-06:00

Iran Oil Cut off Suicidal

Iran's nuclear standoff with the United States, Europe, and other nations has led to considerable speculation of $100-per-barrel oil and $4-per-gallon gasoline in the US. Such high prices might kick off a worldwide energy crisis and recession.
The West already suspects that Iran's uranium enrichment program is a cover for bombmaking. To try to put a stop to it, the United Nations Security Council could impose sanctions, or even riskier, the US or Israel might attempt to knock out Iran's nuclear facilities with an air or missile strike.
In retaliation, Iran could act against its own best economic interests and slash oil exports. Last September, the head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards warned that "any sanction against Iran" could push the price of oil to $100 a barrel.
"It would be easy to see oil trading at $100 a barrel," says Milton Ezrati, an economist with Lord Abbett, a mutual-fund company in Jersey City, N.J. But if oil traders view the action by Iran as merely a short-lived "diplomatic stunt," he says, oil would rapidly head back toward today's $62 a barrel price.
Mr. Ezrati warns that a long-term action would cause energy prices to soar. That would set back the incipient recoveries in Europe and Japan and seriously slow the US economy as well.

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U.S. and Russia attempting to Resolve "Issues"

The United States is working with Russia at the United Nations Security Council on Iran and is hopeful that some of the "tactical" differences may be resolved through the negotiations.

There was agreement in the international community on what Iran should do but there were some "tactical issues" that need to be resolved on how best this is going to be achieved, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on the Fox News on Sunday.

"The Iranians are defying the world's will and the international community has to speak with one voice. We and the Russians and the Europeans and others have the same view that was expressed in the Board of Governor's Resolution on February 4 of the International Atomic Energy Agency -- that is that Iran needs to suspend its enrichment activities and return to negotiations," Rice said to a question as to whether US is ready to step up the pressure on Moscow over Iran.

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The Final Victory will be Iran's

"All these threats and intimidations by the West against Iran's nuclear programme will not hinder the final victory to be that of the Iranian nation," said Ahmadinejad. 'Our local experts will eventually put nuclear technology to the disposal of the Iranian people and we will even demand compensation (from the West) for the loss of the last two and a half years."

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Ahmadinejad, Nukes and an Earthquake

2006-03-25T15:38:00.000-06:00

Germany and IAEA talks

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and ElBaradei will meet on Monday to discuss Iran's crisis. ElBaradei will also meet German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and some other high ranking officials.
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Ahmadinejad Supports "suspicious" Talks

Ahmadinejad said today that he was in support of the Iran-American talks on Iraq but was suspicious of the motives. "We essentially do not trust the Americans but we will conditionally negotiate with them about Iraq while taking into account the interests of Iraqis and the world of Islam," said the Iranian president. The talks themselves have already been approved by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word in Iranian matters. Ahmadinejad also said, "The enemies seek to prevent us from making progress by massive propaganda but, hopefully, this year the Islamic Republic of Iran will fully master the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes." Another statement came from Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's Foreign Minister. "Some of the permanent members of the Security Council ... are seeking to achieve certain political goals about Iran's nuclear case and beat the drum of confrontation."
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Ahmadinejad Attacks American ME Policy

ÂAmerica plans to divide Islamic countries by driving a wedge between them and turning them into its puppets, while a united position by the Islamic world can roll back America and Israel hundreds ofkilometerss. Presently, the real crisis is in America and the West. Not only are they facing widespread domestic crises, but they are concerned by the resistance in Palestine and they are on the verge of being destroyed in Iraq and in Afghanistan. For this reason they try to create divisions to export their problems to other countries. The recent events in the region showed that Islamic countries have begun a movement to push forward. If they continue to push this movement forward with correct understanding and complete unity, as well as bravery, resistance, and steadfastness, the conditions of the region will completely turn infavorr of the Islamic world," said Ahmadinejad at a meeting in Tehran with the Syrian Vice-President Farouq al-Shara.

Iran Earthquake

A quake with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale was felt today at 10:58 at a Fin, a small provincial town near Qeshm island with a population of 39 000. No one was hurt, but 2 helicopters were dispatched to the area and some house were damaged, reports said around 20 were destroyed. Also the quake blocked some roads to village. Aftershocks ranging from 3.8- 5.4 on the Richter scale were felt afterwards.
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That Security Council

2006-03-24T00:07:00.000-06:00

It's taking up all the news, and again I must apologise for the lack of updates but that will soon be resolved.

Russia optimistic UNSC will reach deal on Iran

A Russian diplomat said late Thursday that Moscow remains optimistic the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council will break a deadlock on confronting Iran's nuclear program, as the nations' foreign ministers took up the issue in new efforts to reach a deal.

The comments by Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Konstantin Dolgov, were important because Russia and China have been key holdouts against a council statement proposed by Britain, France and the United States demanding Iran suspend uranium enrichment.
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Russia and China Stand their Ground

UNITED NATIONS: The five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council reported little progress Wednesday after new talks meant to craft a unified message urging Iran to come clean about its suspect nuclear programme.

The gap between Britain, France and the United States on the one side, and China and Russia on the other, on the stance to take toward Iran has shown little sign of closing in the nearly two weeks that council members have debated the issue.

Nonetheless, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and several diplomats inNew York expressed their belief that the council would come to a deal eventually. "We will come up with a vehicle, I am quite certain of that," Rice said during a trip to the Bahamas.

"Wehave work still to do. This is the natural course of diplomacy. If it takes a little longer, I'm not really concerned about that."
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MTN to launch cellphone network in Iran

South Africa's MTN, the continent's largest cellphone firm, said it would launch a second network in Iran in August, reaching 31 mln subscribers by 2015, AFP reported.

"August is when we are expected to launch. We are hopeful that we will meet that date," MTN group chief executive officer Phuthuma Nhleko told a news conference.

MTN holds 49% of IranCell with a total investment of ?450 mln ($543 mln).

Only 11% of Iran's 69 mln people have cellphones, MTN said, adding that it was hoping to expand that reach to 40% of Iranians, or 31 mln customers, by 2015, AFP noted.

Under an agreement with the Iranian government, the IranCell network should cover half the country's area by November this year.
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Bush talks and Israel

2006-03-21T15:12:00.000-06:00

No Bullying

"We emphasize that nuclear technology and the nuclear fuel cycle is our absolute right. The nation, I and other officials will not yield to America's bullying language by any means," said supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "They are threatening us with the Security Council as if the Security Council is the end of the world. We had experience of the Security Council (threats) at the time of the (Iranian) war with Iraq. Whatever is against the interest of the country we will not accept."
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Talks are Oked

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that he approves of talks between U.S. and Iranian officials on Iraq, but warned that the United States must not try to "bully" Iran.
It was the first confirmation that Khamenei, who holds final say on all state matters in Iran, is in favor of the talks.
His comments came hours after President Bush spoke in favor of such a meeting, saying American officials would show Iran "what's right or wrong in their activities inside of Iraq."
Khamenei said that "if the Iranian officials can make the U.S. understand some issues about Iraq, there is no problem with the negotiations."
"But if the talks mean opening a venue for bullying and imposition by the deceitful party (the Americans), then it will be forbidden," he said in a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad, aired on state television.
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I tt would take 2 Days

Gary Berntsen, the former senior CIA operative who led the search for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in late 2001, believes the United States has the ability to easily destroy Iran's nuclear facilities. He said the US could use bunker-buster bombs and other weapons to carry out the operation.
"We can dig those things out. We can destroy them," he told The Jerusalem Post in an interview.
"We can take care of it in a couple of days with air strikes and they wouldn't be able to stop us," he added. "It wouldn't be difficult to plan. They'd be some dangers but I think the United States can do it." Berntsen, who left the CIA in June last year after more than 20 years of service, believes it will be difficult to persuade Iran to stop its nuclear program.
"I know the Iranians. I've worked against the Iranians for years. They are determined to get this no matter what, and they will lie and cheat and do whatever they have to do to get themselves a weapon," he said.
Berntsen ruled out covert action because of the scale of Iran's nuclear program.
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Historic talks

2006-03-19T22:53:00.000-06:00

Historic Talks

Iran's acceptance of direct talks with the United States over Iraq is being regarded among Iranians as a major foreign policy development, a historic if still tentative departure from 27 years of official enmity that held the government of the "Great Satan" as one to be spoken against, but never with.

"America's objective in inviting Iran for talks is to send a message to Islamic movements throughout the world that Iran gave in to Washington after 27 years of resistance," Kayhan, a hard-line daily newspaper, warned Saturday in an editorial that analysts said underscored the significance of Iran's shift.

"Announce as soon as possible that you won't have any dialogue with the U.S. and avoid entering a destructive trap that has been prepared for Islamic Iran," the editorial continued.

More at The Washington Post

A week long break

2006-03-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

Some of the major Iranian news sites wont be reporting as much this week due to the new year celebrations. I will not be posting until the 28th or 29th of March unless there is a developpement in Iran.
Be right back in a week.

Nothing much

2006-03-18T23:01:00.000-06:00

Iraq Talks to be Finalised

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that details of negotiations between Iran and the US on Iraq, including composition of the negotiating sides, would be finalized and publicized in the near future, IRNA reported.

Mottaki made the remark while talking to reporters at the end of a conference of Iranian diplomatic missions abroad.

Leader of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Abdel Aziz Hakim, addressing a gathering of his supporters broadcast on a Shia television channel on Wednesday, called for a dialogue between Iran and America.

This was taken from here

Moves toward Iran's nuclear draft

The Security Council is inching toward agreeing on a revised Franco-British draft urging Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats said on Friday as China suggested that Tehran be given up to six weeks to do so.

The 15-member council met for over one hour on Friday to review the revised text, which incorporated comments made by members after a series of informal sessions earlier this week. Members agreed to meet again on Tuesday after getting reactions from their capitals.

"The response we got from our colleagues today suggests that we are pretty close to where they wanted us to be," British UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry said.

"Our wish remains that the council should act expeditiously on this text and send the clearest possible signal [to Tehran] ... to reinforce the activities of the [International Atomic Energy Agency] Agency," he added.

This is taken from here

Journalist Freed

Iran's most prominent political prisoner, dissident Akbar Ganji, was released late on Friday night after six years in prison. Visibly thinner and sporting a bushy beard, Mr Ganji smiled and greeted family and friends on Saturday but refused to make any comments.

⌠He was released at the end of his term, Mr Ganji's lawyer Yusef Molai said.

⌠To my surprise, prison officials brought him home at 10 last night. I did not expect it as the papers said he would not be released before March 30. I am extremely happy, his wife Massoumeh Shafie said.

⌠I have asked him not to talk because I am very worried and do not want the same thing to happen again, she added.

This is taken from here

Americano-Iranian Talks and Statements

2006-03-17T12:13:00.000-06:00

Nuclear Program not Negotiable

"We do not hinge our nuclear activities on a negotiation that is not dignified and will not attain our rights. We are ready for negotiation, but a negotiation which does not intend to dissuade Iran from having nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. If so we will not accept it. The West does not want us to have nuclear technology, but Iran will continue its path with resistance, since it is our legitimate right. We are a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and we are seeking our rights with in it, like all other signatory nations," said Ali Larijani. On the note of Military action against Iran from America he also said, "Military threats show how weak they are, since they can fulfill them. We are ready for them and we have the plans for it."
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Preparing Talks

Currently the two sides are negotiating a date for the talks to be held. They will only concern Iraq and will not dwell on the Nuclear crisis. This is a major breakthrough, for it's been a while since talks have been held face to face. The talks are, "To resolve Iraqi issues, and to help the establishment of an independent and free government in Iraq," says Ali Larijani.
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Talks and possible strike

2006-03-16T16:15:00.000-06:00

Iran may speak with America about Iraq

Ali Larijani said today that Iran is willing to talk with the U.S. about Iraq, but only if they were about Iraq and nothing else. Larijani also stated this point during a meeting at the Iranian parliament. The statement was due impart of Washington's longing for talks with Iran. Iraqi Shiite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim has pushed America to talk to Iran. Scott McClellan, a white house spokesman, said today, "Our ambassador is authorized to talk with leaders in Iran, but it's to reiterate to them and express our concerns that we have about their involvement inside Iraq." McClellan said Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, would have "a very narrow mandate dealing specifically with issues relating to Iraq" and would not be discussing such other matters as U.S. differences with Iran over its nuclear program. "That's a separate issue from this," he said. Concerns that Iran is trying to use a civilian nuclear power program to secretly develop nuclear weapons have prompted the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council.
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Hint, Hint

Bush reaffirmed his first strike policy, against terrorist and U.S. enemies, today. "The president's strategy affirms that the doctrine of pre-emption remains sound and must remain an integral part of our national security strategy. We do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack," said Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser. The report also spoke about North Korea's Nuclear problem, democratic reform in Russia, Syria's terrorism and China's censorship of human rights. "China's leaders must realize, however, that they cannot stay on this peaceful path while holding on to old ways of thinking and acting that exacerbate concerns throughout the region and the world," wrote Bush. On Iran Bush said "This diplomatic effort must succeed if confrontation is to be avoided."
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Possible Strike in a Month

America warned, through a secret channel that it would strike Iran in a month, after Iran is refereed to the UN Security Council, according to a Persian-language website run by associates of the former Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami.
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1000 Arrests

1000 people were arrested in Tehran during Tuesday nightÂs annual fire festival. These people were "creating disorder and disruption". Any people that repented in writing were released, all others would be held until the end of the Persian New year period. Also any people caught giving out fireworks, would be kept in prison from 3 to 10 years, this is because the festival is justbarelyy tolerated by Iran, for it's "un-Islamicc".
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Trouble, but still quiet

2006-03-15T19:52:00.000-06:00

Ahmadinejad Quotes

Iran's President today said, "The regime occupying Qods (Jerusalem) was set up to create insecurity and confrontation in our region. If one day tranquility came about, it would mean the death of this regime. Our enemies on the one hand oppose our nationÃ’s acquisition of nuclear energy and on the other hand want to divert the attention of other nations from the key issue of Palestine to give an opportunity to the Zionist regime to prolong its existence. One of the main reasons why the big powers oppose Iran on the nuclear issue is for the sake of the Zionist regime, so as to let this regime live on. But they are unaware that not only will the Iranian nation continue in the path of obtaining nuclear energy till the end, it will not even for one instant divert its attention from the issue of Palestine. The regime occupying Qods [Israel] is the key to [Western] countriesÃ’ domination in Muslim lands, and with every blow at this occupying regime, itÃ’s the pillars of the Global Arrogance (the West) that are targetedÃ”.
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Iran is equal threat as 9/11

John Bolton compared today, Iran and 9/11. "Just like September 11, only with nuclear weapons this time, that's the threat. I think that is the threat," Bolton said on ABC's Nightline. "I think it's just facing reality. It's not a happy reality, but it's reality and if you don't deal with it, it will become even more unpleasanStrategytagy talks may be held on Monday with the Five powers and Germany, in New York. The next important talks will be held on Thursday with a full Security council including all 15 of it's members. At that meeting a draft created by France Britaintian will be discussed. It calls for Iran to re-establish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related reprocessingsing activities, including research and development" that the IAEA would verify and to reconsider building a heavy-water nuclear reactor in Arak, which is more suitable for producing fuel for nuclear weapons than a light-water reactor.
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Random stuff

2006-03-14T16:05:00.000-06:00

Russian Pressure

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today that Iran must not retreat from it's nuclear issue, otherwise Iran's independence would break and it may retreat from other areas. In an informal meeting in France today, America, France and Britain presented a statement to the 15 council members that would call on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment efforts, and call for a up to date progress report by the IAEA. Russia is still disappointed that Iran rejected it's offer and is accusing Tehran of obstructing efforts to find a diplomatic solution. John Bolton said after the Tuesday meeting, "We're going to keep talking about this. We think it is important to keep 'perm five' unity. We are united in our determination to ensure that Iran does not achieve a nuclear weapons capability."
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American General Says No Proof of Iranian smuggling

The highest ranking American military officer said that the U.S. does not have proof that Iran is bringing IED's into Iraq. Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon briefing that he has no proof of any smuggling. "Unless you physically see it in a government-sponsored vehicle or with government-sponsored troops, you can't know it," Rumsfeld said at the same briefing. "All you know is that you find equipment, weapons, explosives, whatever, in a country that came from the neighboring country. With respect to people, it's very difficult to tie a thread precisely to the government of Iran."
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Iran's Looking for a Fight

2006-03-12T12:43:00.000-06:00

Iran has Rejected the Russian Proposal

Iran said today that the Russian proposal, to enrich uranium on it's behalf, has been rejected. "The Russian proposal is not on our agenda any more," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi. It now seems that the 30 days before referral to the UN was Iran's way of buying time, for whatever there planning. "By all accounts, Tehran's decision will seriously radicalize the upcoming debates over the IAEA report in the U.N. Security Council, since trust in Tehran's plans and ambitions has been strongly undermined," said Konstantin Kosachyov, who chairs the international affairs committee of the Duma. Iran's foreign minister also said that Irna will not use Oil as a weapon but may drop out of NPT.
More here

Underground Bunker

Tehran now has a new addition to the city, a secret underground emergency command center. Found under the Abbas Abad district of Tehran, it's connected by tunnels to other governmental facilities. These tunnels are supposably 1km long and 11 meters high at places. The facility was found out by National Council of Resistance of Iran, the same organization that revealed Iran was operating a secret Nuclear program for 18 years. This is a clear sign that Iran is preparing for possible confrontation.
More here

Meddling in Iraq

2006-03-11T12:34:00.000-06:00

President Bush said today, "If the Iranians are trying to influence the outcome of the political process, or the outcome of the security situation there, we're letting them know our displeasure," Bush said. "Our call is for those in the neighborhood to allow Iraq to develop a democracy, and that includes our call to Iran as well as to Syria." America is saying that Syria is allowing militants to cross the western border into Iraq and that Iran is pushing for more radical violence and helping insurgents by supplying them with bombs.
More here

The Who's Who

2006-03-11T11:01:00.000-06:00

This will give you a little info on the characters that are in play in the Nuclear Crisis.

Iranians

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
Occupation: President of Iran.
This is the guy you'll see in most articles. He's a radical, religious and conservative. His term started on August the 3rd 2005. He first talked about Nuclear power on January the 11th, stating, "A nation which has culture, locivilizationtion does not need nuclear weapons. The countries which seek nuclear weapons are those which want to solve all problems by the use of force. Our nation does not need sweapon'sons."; He has been the center of attention for some while now. He is accused of participating in the American hostage situation in Tehran, denial for the holocaust and calling for the destruction of Israel.
Qutoe: “Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury.”

Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi
Occupation: Interior Minister of Iran
Quote: “If sanctions are imposed, we will definitely use the oil tool and other tools and we will stop at nothing.”

Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar
Iran’s Defence Minister
Quote: “We have obtained the technology. Whatever reaction the enemies show is not very important for our nation.”

Ali Larijani
Occupation: Iran's top nuclear negotiator
As his occupation says, he's a negotiator.
Quote: “Iran is a tough target which cannot be confronted.”

Americans
George W. Bush
Occupation: President
On his second term now. So he gots nothing to lose. Has standed beside Israel through thick and through thin and will probably support an Israeli led attack on Iran id there is ever one. He has also stated that Iran is part of the axis of evil and many believe that he will order an attack on Iran.
Quote: "Second, we're determined to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw regimes, and to their terrorist allies who would use them without hesitation."

Condoleezza Rice
Occupation: U.S. Secretary of State
Possible runner for president in 2008. Tough talker against Iran.
Quote: "I do think the Security Council will need to take into consideration this move by Iran."

John Bolton
Occupation: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Known for his controversial statements, such as the Un doesn't exist without America.
Quote: "There's no such thing as the United Nations. If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."

The UN
Mohamed ElBaradei
Occupation: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief
When ever the IAEA has to say something, he'll be doing the talking.
Quote: "We need to bite the bullet and see how we can move beyond nuclear weapons deterrence, and I think that we have not done that yet. "

Others
Ehud Olmert
Occupation: Israeli president
Another tough talker against Iran.
Quote: "Iran poses the most serious long-term threat to regional stability."

Sergey Lavrov
Occupation: Russian Foreign Minister
He has been constantly trying to create a diplomatic solution with Iran, but it's not working.
Quote: “We do not agree that this matter should be sent to the Security Council.”

Nuclear Sites

2006-03-10T16:22:00.000-06:00

Natanz
A town with a population of 40 000. In 2002 it was revealed that there was a secret nuclear facility located here. It is located 75km southwest of Kashan. It costed 95 million toumans to complete.

Mounting Concern

2006-03-09T16:31:00.000-06:00

Israeli Military Options

Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's former chief of staff, said today that Israel has a military option against Iran and that it should keep it in mind. It should be used with the support of the American and European forces also but only once Iran is isolated both economically and diplomatically. He also said that air strikes would not destroy the program but put it back several years. Although Iran could retaliate with missiles Ya'alon said that he is confident that Israel could protect it's self with it's arrow 2 anti-missile systems.
More here

Iran Probably Biggest Challenge

Condoleezza Rice said today, "We may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran, whose policies are directed at developing a Middle East that would be 180 degrees different than the Middle East that we would like to see develop." She also branded Iran as a "central banker for terrorism".
More here

Iran Military Options Open

Martin Indyk, Former US Ambassador to Israel, said today while participating in an interview," Look, the Iranians have been for many years now building up cards that they can play in confrontation with what they refer to as "the great Satan, the United States". They have seen the United States as a threat to their ambitions in the region and that is why they have, first of all, built a position of influence in Lebanon through Hezbollah, which, by the way, also has an international infrastructure of terrorism that's sitting on the shelf and can be mobilized. They have gone to great pains to take control of a Palestinian card through direct control of Palestine Islamic Jihad - the terrorist organization that's been responsible for all the terrorist acts in the last year or so - and also through their relationship with Hamas, which is now going to take over the government in Palestinian areas. They also have a card now that they have built after we toppled Saddam Hussein in Iraq, particularly in southern Iraq, where they have control over the Moqtada Sadr militia and the Bada brigades, which were trained in Iran before Saddam Hussein was toppled, something that the secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld, has referred to today for the first time. But we've actually been watching it as the Iranians have built up this sphere of influence in Iraq which they can use, by the way, with Hezbollah people from Lebanon to cause, I think, considerable damage to American forces there if they so choose and can spur this sectarian warfare to a level that would make what we've seen in the last few weeks look like a picnic."
The full interview here

Iranian Threats

2006-03-08T15:30:00.000-06:00

Iran Warns America with "harm and pain"

"The United States has the power to cause harm and pain. But the United States is also susceptible to harm and pain. So if that is the path that the U.S. wishes to choose, let the ball roll," said Ali Asghar Soltanieh, a senior Iranian delegate to the IAEA. This was due to the threat of possible action against Iran by the UN. Also the end of Wednesdays meeting of the UN, the path for Security Council action. Also the IAEA would send it's report on Iran by Thursday, said Ebaradei. John Bolton, America's ambassador to the United Nations, said on a phone call,"Their [Iran's] threats show why leaving a country like that with a nuclear weapon is so dangerous," in reference to Iran's recent comments.
More in a huge report here

Elbaradei's Words of Wisdom

"What we need now at this stage is a cool-headed approach, to lower the rhetoric. The Middle East is a very volatile area," said Elbaradei as the Wednesday meeting ended. He regretted that Russia and the EU diplomacy failed, on the Russian compromise. He also said that quick sanctions were not the way to go, as they would only harden Iran and strengthen it's leaders.
More here

The Sanctions Wont Work

"I don't think sanctions as a means to solve a crisis have ever achieved a goal in the recent history," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "We are convinced that there is no military solution to this crisis." "I have been answering these questions regarding Iraq and I don't believe we should engage in something which might become self-fulfilling prophesy," said the minister when asked whether the situation reminded him of the council's consideration of whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction before the U.S.-led 2003 invasion.
More here

UN action next week

"We believe that next Monday or Tuesday the U.N. Security Council will begin very active debate," said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. Another undersecretary of State,Robert Joseph, wrote that he believed that Iran would feel less threatened to use force, with either chemical, biological and nuclear arms, if it possessed a nuclear arm.
More here

If there are more stories later on today I'll post them also.

The Security Council

2006-03-07T19:10:00.000-06:00

Consequences

Today Condoleezza Rice expressed America's hopes that the standoff would be cooled down by the security council, while Cheney warned of meaningful consequences if the Council did not. "The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences," said Cheney to AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee.) It also turns out that Russia did not put up a proposal to allow Iran to conduct small research, as reported yesterday. "There is no compromise proposal and there could not be any compromise proposal," said Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia.
More here

America Against Proposed Pipe Line

"As we stated before, the U.S. government does not support the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline," White House National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones said. This was due in part of "international participation in energy projects with Iran." The project would cost 7 billion and run through Iran, India and Pakistan.
More here

It's all a Bluff

Brigadier General Ali-Reza Afshar, a veteran Revolutionary Guards commander and director of propaganda and cultural affairs in the high command of the Armed Forces, said that America is waging a psychological war with Iran.
ÂThe bulk of AmericaÂs threatening propaganda against Iran is just political bluff.Â The General said that there are 4 parts psychologicalcal war; peace, threats, crisis and war. ÂNow the enemy is trying to use other tools against us, including ethnic and religious conflicts and partisan strife, but we mrecognizenise these and be ready to confront them.Â
More here

The War Drum Beats

2006-03-06T22:05:00.000-06:00

Iranian IED's

A shipment of bombs has been intercepted by American soldiers on the Iraq-Iran border. The bombs were factory made and had engravings all from the same factory. IED's are the main killer of American troops in Iraq and have proven to become more lethal over the last months. It has been said before that Iran was supplying bombs to insurgents over the border and this will come surely as a hard hit against Iran.
More here

Russia wont give up

Once again, Russia threw in a last minute proposal to allow Iran to create small amounts of nuclear fuel. Condoleezza Rice quickly announced that America cannot accept that proposal. The game plan now is to get a resolution passed within a week, the Russian proposal will only stall that process. The proposal would stop activity at Natanz but allow for some small scale research to be done never the less.
More here

Now Turkey?

It now seems Turkey finds a need to posses nuclear power. By 2012, Turkey plans on building 5 nuclear plants. The first at Sinop, by the Black Sea. It has decided to become nuclear to keep with the times. Growing weary over Iran's nuclear ambitions, it doesn't want to be left alone. With a practically equal economy and population Iran and Turkey can be seen as equals and Turkey wants to keep it that way. "Iran with nuclear production will be the dominant power," said Ozdem Sanberk, a former ambassador to Washington who heads the Turkish Economic and Social Studies research group in Istanbul. "There will be an asymmetrical relationship."
More here

Iran's Gonna be a Killing Field

Gholamali Rashid, deputy head of the armed forces, said the US did not understand how to operate in the Gulf region. "IranÂs armed forces, through their experience of war ...will turn this land into a killing field for any aggressor," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. Â Reuters
More here

Project 111

According to an intelligence report given to Reuters by a non-U.S. diplomat, a covert Iranian program run by people closely linked to Iran's military includes plans to arm its Shahab-3 missiles, which experts believe have a maximum range of around 2,000 km (1,240 miles), with nuclear warheads. The report, which could not be independently confirmed, surfaced as the United States and its allies seek to highlight the potential security dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran. The report said it was code-named Project 111 and that the "aim is arming Shahab-3 missiles with nuclear warheads".
More here

And also Sorry for the late update, the last update was taken straight word for word from Reuters, and googlfinallyly listed me on there search engine.

Defiance at this Time?

2006-03-05T09:44:00.000-06:00

Turkey vs. Iran

The International Strategic Research Organization released a report today titled Iranian nuclear crisis. It dealt with a possibility of an American lead attack on Iran. It was sent to all of the highest officials in Turkey including the president, prime minister and chief of the General Staff, as well as some ministers. The report stated that Turkey must be a "active mediator" to resolve the crisis. The report also stated a number of things that can happen as a result of an American attack, such as an Arab Israeli war, oil prices hitting over 100$, attacks in American military bases by Shiites and many more awful situations.
More here

Iran Threatens West

Ali Larijani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, said, "If the file is referred to the Security Council, then we will begin [industrial-scale] enrichment. We will under no circumstances suspend [nuclear] Research and Development and we will continue this activity. We are patient but are also able to recognize when they are making excuses and when they have genuine questions. We will answer the questions but we will not allow excuses so that each day that they inspect a new military base in Iran." Thus another act of defiance to the West.
More here

30 day Ultimatum

The U.S. want to place a 30 day ultimatum on Iran, that will include restrictions for Iranian politicians, economic sanctions and an oil embargo. It's to be discussed before the Security Council later this week.
More here

Iran's not giving up

2006-03-03T19:43:00.000-06:00

Fridays Talks

Today Iran and the EU3 failed to reach a agreement over the crisis. One of Iran's last chances gone. The talks took 2 hours and consisted of the top foreign ministers and diplomats from Germany, Britain, France and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. The end thought was that Iran had no new ideas on how to lessen fears of it's program. After the talks Ali Larijani, Iran's Secretary of Supreme National Security Council, started, more talks with IAEA Chief Muhamed ElBaradei.
More here

American Iran Watchers

America is opening a new office in the state department for Iranian affairs. America is also planning on boosting pro-democracy initiatives in Iran to 85 million$ from only 10 million$. Though that deal has to go through congress. Also Condoleeza Rice approved a plan authorizing 12 to 15 new positions to increase her department’s capabilities to focus on Iranian issues.
More here

Oil Rises Again

Oil has risen again to $63.47 a barrel for light sweet crude.
More here

Another Bomb

Another bombing took place in Ahvaz, the location of the 2 hangings yesterday. No one was hurt and only the windows in the area were shattered.
More here

The talks are over, whats next?

The Last Meeting

2006-03-02T22:37:00.000-06:00

The Last Meetings

The EU3 and Iran will hold an unscheduled meeting, for a last ditch deal before Iran’s file is sent to the UN Security Council on March 6th. Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, Philippe Douste-Blazy of France and Javier Solana, EU foreign policy representative, will meet Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, in Vienna. Uk’s foreign secretary, Jack Straw, may not be attending the meeting due to illness. A breakthrough is not expected to happen at this meeting, just like the rest of them. This is Iran’s last chance to work out a deal with the world to solve it’s nuclear issue before it’s sent before the security council.
More here

Oil prices raise

Oil prices raised again due to tension over Iran’s program and more possible attacks on Nigeria’s oil industry. U.S. light crude oil was at $63.65 a barrel while European crude oil was at $64.46.
More here

Ahmadinejad says IAEA is politically motivated

"Regrettably most international organizations have turned into political organizations and the influence of great powers prevents them from taking fair and legally sound decisions," said the president during his visit to Malaysia.
More here

2 Hanged in Public for Oil Bombings

Ali Affrawi and Mehdi Navasseri, 2 Arab separatists were found guilty of the bombings Ahvaz. Those bombs killed 6 people and injured a 100 others in late October last year. They were hanged off the city center bridge and left there for 40 minutes while crowds chanted "Death to America! Death to Israel! Death to England!".
More here

Ahmadinejad says Islam will dominate world in near future

“The near future will be in the hands of Islam,” said the president on his visit in Malaysia. He cited the victory of Hamas in Palestine. “History has shown that when Muslims become powerful, they do not use their power to the detriment of others, but use it in the service of peace and tranquility”, Ahmadinejad said.
More here here

More hints and Talks?

2006-03-01T13:29:00.000-06:00

It's a Peaceful Program
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on today that the Nuclear program is a peaceful one and that even yet it will not give in to international demands. "We are ready for any compromise. But if the compromise could not take place between Iran and Russia, or Iran and European countries, we, after some time, will start commercial-scale enrichment."
More here

Ahmadinejad Gives Advice to Iran's Soccer Team
It was a surprise visit for the players. His appearance at the Azadi, in the Iranian team jersey and tracksuit, caught the attention of local photographers and fans alike. "You have to
study your opponents in the World Cup very carefully, but do not be afraid of them, as with God's help and people's prayers you will be able to succeed," said the president in his words of advise. "You are individually very good, what you need to improve is the group work and for that you first must become close friends and then a strong and harmonious unit." Iran will be playing against Mexico, Portugal and Angola in group D at the World Cup in Germany this year.
More here

Bush, "Iran must not have a nuclear weapon."
On Bush's surprise visit to Afghanistan he said during a news conference, "Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. The most destabilizing thing that can happen in this region and in the world is for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. And so the world is speaking with one voice to the Iranians that it's OK for you to have a civilian nuclear power operation, but you shall not have the means, the knowledge to develop a nuclear weapon."
More here

Iran's former president lashes out for Iran's denial of the Holocaust.
Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, has said today that the holocaust is a historical realty. "We should speak out if even a single Jew is killed. Don't forget that one of the crimes of Hitler, Nazism and German national socialism was the massacre of innocent people, among them many Jews," he is quoted as saying. He served as president of Iran from 1997 to 2005. Known as a mild mannered president he tried to initiate a "dialogue among civilizations", referring to the Western World.
More here

The Talks are Over.
The talks between Russia and Iran are over without any major accomplishments. The meeting took around 4 hours. A general agreement was in place but the whole proposal still needs work. In the end Iran was still insisting that the Uranium to be enriched on it's own soil. ÂThe details of the Russian proposal on creating a joint enrichment venture on RussiaÂs territory were discussed, however, it has not yet been possible to achieve a breakthrough,Â said a Russian Security Council official.
More here

Advancement

2006-02-27T22:52:00.000-06:00

The Report
The IAEA today said that Iran is advancing enrichment but that it can't figure out if Iran is developing nuclear arms. The IAEA, "has not seen any diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices." As said by the Director General Mohamed ElBaradei. It was also added that the agency was not, "in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran." The report also said that Iran began testing 20 centrifuges at it's plant at Natanz. Some documents found on a laptop acquired in 2004 showed information that said Iran "was trying to modify ballistic missiles to carry nuclear warheads." these documents however could not be verified.
More here

Sanctions? We don't fear Sanctions.
Ali Hosseini-Tash, a top Iranian nuclear negotiator, said today that Iran sees no reason to back down from the dispute of it's nuclear program. "Iran has predicted and studied the consequences of any possible Security Council decision. There is no reason for Iran to retreat," said Tash. "Any possible Security Council resolution against Iran's peaceful nuclear activities will not have any legal or rational foundations. It is not the last loop in the chain of decisions, especially when the US and the West are not sure of an agreement among Security Council members." This leaving Iran only a week before it's brought again to the council for action.
More here

Friendly visit to Kuwait.
Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, went for a visit in Kuwait today. He is quoted as saying, "The presence of occupation in Iraq is causing the deterioration of security. We believe that when foreign occupation is ended, a large part of the problems would be solved." This visit is the first from any Iranian president since 1979. "The relations between Iran and Kuwait are progressing continuously," he said. The president claimed that Iran was pushing for a middle east clear of nuclear arms, clearly referring to Israel's stock. "We are the ones who call to make the Middle East, and even the whole world, free of nuclear weapons."
More here

Other Notes.
The price for Oil dropped to 61$ a barrel.
4 people are wounded in a bomb explosion at a mayors office in the city of Dezful. Iran is blaming Britain on the unrest in the area.
Israel has hinted again that it may attack Iran, due to it's danger to the Israel.

Back, finaly

2006-02-26T14:00:00.000-06:00

Well about those talks.
It seems Iran has agreed to the Russian enrichment project, to ease worries about it's nuclear objectives. The plan is supported by both the EU and America. It could also halt any sanctions by the UN, which is set to discus the matter on March the 6th. The nuclear plant would be built at Bushehr and would be functioning by fall 2006. Although the plan is no completly settled.

Gholamreza Aghazadeh, Iran's nuclear chief said,"There are different parts that need to be discussed. These are not just related to forming a company, there are other elements. There are political issues and the proposal should be seen as a package." He also said that Iran had a "set a precondition" but did not specify just what that was. Some Russian analystis believe that Iran wants security, for that of an attack from the United States.

An Iranian cleric, Hojjatoleslam Ali Zadsar, has accused Britain and America in being involved in the attack on the mosque in Samarra. “In these events, the footprints of the British can be seen along with the joint plot by the CIA and Mossad, and it was carried out through several intermediaries.” On this note, 500 muslim protesters arranged themselves in front of the British embassy in Tehran, buring British flags and calling for the closure of embassy. Some Danish and American flags were also burned.

A senior IDF officer has said that the world should still be suspicious of Iran, for even if it's enrichement is done in Russia, it doesn't mean Iran wont create nuclear weapons.

Sorry

2006-02-19T21:21:00.000-06:00

Yah, sorry for not posting in a while. I just wanted to say I'll have no posts for a week now. Then I'll be back fully running, with a summary of the Russian-Iran nuclear talks.

Repeats

2006-02-13T21:09:00.000-06:00

Well the reason I didn't post yesterday was because everyone was too preoccupied with the pentagon strike. So there wasn't much happening.
Well firstly, it seems that some poor old Australian got thrown in the cartoon fray. Michael Leunig created some cartoons back in 2002 of the holocaust, one with a Jewish man entering Auschwitz with the gate entrance baring Work Brings Freedom. His second cartoon was of the same scene only it was the same man carrying a rifle under the gates of Israel 2002, of which the words War Brings Peace were inscribed. Well these two cartoons were entered into the holocaust cartoon contest being held in Iran without his permission and the good ol' man called in and they pulled the cartoons out. Glad that's over.

Back to the pentagon attack issue. Germany is bickering about going to war. As the country is not one too fond of military action, Merkel said,"'We have learned from our history. Now we see that there were times when we could have acted differently. For that reason Germany is obliged to intervene at an early stage... To make clear (to Iran) what is OK and what isn`t.'

The rest of the news is a repeat of Sunday, as Iran saying it'll drop out of the NPT again and That it's starting enrichment, which I covered also on Sunday.

Where's Iran going?

2006-02-11T20:42:00.000-06:00

First of all, Iran today called the U.S. and Europe "hostages of Zionism" and said that they should pay for the cartoons. Denmark today also said it has taken it's embassy staff out of Syria and Iran.

The Iranian leader issued some more interestng statements. Mahmoud said today that he might revise his policy of working within international atomic frameworks. He released his statements on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, in front of a nation of 1000's of supporters.

``The nuclear policy of the Islamic Republic so far has been peaceful. Until now, we have worked inside the agency (IAEA) and the NPT (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty) regulations,'' he said.
``If we see you want to violate the right of the Iranian people by using those regulations (against us), you should know that the Iranian people will revise its policies.''

On another note the U.S. is preparing a military attack on Iran. It'll consist of bombing runs backed by ballistic missles from submarines. The Pentagon is currently looking for targets, planning the attack and assessing weapon-loads.
Iran has also removed almost all the cameras and seals from it's nuclear facilities. It's also threating to leave the NPT.

Statements

2006-02-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

Well today we had some stuff going. There was a large parliamentary debate in Britain today about Iran. It's been confirmed that Iran has restarted it's Nuclear plants. Natanz has been successfully restarted. 4 centrifuges have been restarted and pumped with uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6), which is a component used to create nuclear arms. Russia has also said it is not happy with Iran due to it's resistance to diplomatic solutions to the crisis. ''IAEA has made a rational decision, and Moscow is frustrated with Tehran`s spontaneous response to this decision,' said the expert. On another note, Iran is buying Russian sam's(Surface to Air missile), to protect it's nuclear facilities. 30 are being bought for a price of 700 million$.
A bunch of EU embassy's, in Iran, including the British, Danish, Norwegian, Austrian and French, were attacked today by a group of radicals chanting, "Death to Denmark/France/America."
Israel has said that Iran will have a nuclear bomb by 2010/2011. "It has already decided to run a cascade with 164 centrifuges and learn the lessons from this process. Thus, from the beginning of 2007, it would be able to enrich uranium to build the bomb", said Director of Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aharon Ze`evi Farkash.
That's about all for now.

Not much happening.

2006-02-09T17:06:00.000-06:00

Can't say much has happened in the last 2 days. The U.S. chief of arms control, said," This is going to be a very difficult diplomatic effort stretching over many months," in reference to the crisis. When asked about options he said that oil sanctions were a option being considered. Russia has said it is against military options against Iran and that it believes there is a good chance that the proposed diplomatic solution will work. The proposal would allow Iran to carry out enrichment on Russian soil and still have access to nuclear fuel. China is also backing this deal. Also the thought of an Israeli Attack on Iran is falling down after the U.S. spoke about the protective umbrella placed over Israel. Tis all for now.

Holocaust cartoons?

2006-02-07T20:05:00.000-06:00

Well it seems Iran deems it necessary to publish it's own cartoons. This form of retaliation is nothing to be surprised of, only to isolate Iran more form the world. Dozens of religious students threw stones at the Danish embassy in Tehran today in protest for the Danish cartoons. Danish officials has said Iran has a responsibility to protect the embassy, and if not Tehran will but accountable to any damages received. China still believes diplomacy is the best solution to the crisis. Mr Robert G Joseph, the undersecretary of state for arms control, said today that Iran bought time with the negotiations and it knows how to develop nuclear armaments and how to deliver them. There has been a sharp growth in people who are afraid of Iran nuclear ambitions and a larger number of people who also believe that the military solution is the best one.
And that's enough for the day.

Iran and Iran

2006-02-06T22:28:00.000-06:00

First off Iran said today that it will not negotiate with America, but might try to make deals with Russia. Those discussions will take place on the 16 of February. Rumsfeld said today that the military option is not to be ruled out, reasons given,"Iran is the main sponsor of terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas." The IAEA has now be official notified that Iran will block surprise inspections and will continue with it's work. Iran has also asked for cameras and additional surveillance equipment to be removed by mid February. Danny Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States, said today that Iran is the worlds biggest threat since World War 2. Israel has also said that Iran might have the intelligence to create a Nuclear bomb by the end of the year. Israel has been hinting of a possible air strike, of which the IDF feels confident that it would be as successful as the Strike in Iraq. Some things Iran has to clear before it's referral to the UN are, what was the bomb blueprint and why was it needed for Iran, why Iran was testing missiles capable to deliver Nuclear warheads and what was the source of the HEU particles at locations where centrifuges were stored/made.

Quite a uneventful day

2006-02-05T16:20:00.000-06:00

I'll start with Sergei Ivanov, the russian defense minister who said that Russia will continue to look for a diplomatic solution for Iran. Russia is not to sure about the use of sanctions against Iran, thus it's diplomatic effort is still progressing. Iran has ended cooperation with the IAEA but has said that it will continue to talk with Russia about current proposals. India has said that it's vote to bring Iran to the council will not hurt diplomatic ties with Tehran and that they believe that Iran has a right to Nuclear power. Merkel has now compared Iran to Adolf Hitler. Other then those small comments there is nothing else to important at the moment.

Iran to go to Council

2006-02-04T15:37:00.000-06:00

Today the resolution was passed. Of 35 countries, 27 countries voted to bring Iran to the security council, 3 countries(Syria, Cuba and Venezuela) voted against and 5 countries did not participate(Libya, South Africa, Algeria, Belarus and Indonesia.) In response Iran has said that it will resume enriching uranium and will stop allowing insepctions of it's nuclear sites. Javad Vaidi, the deputy head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council has said, "Until now we have only been researching uranium enrichment; now we have to start full-scale production." This was only a few minutes after the vote. Now iran has 30 days to consider other options, prove that it's program is for nuclear power only and allow more cooperation with the countries. If it doesn't it will be facing possible sanctions.

IAEA to meet about Iran

2006-02-03T22:49:00.000-06:00

The meeting is to take place at 5am eastern. It has been delayed for 2 days now, without any specific information on why. Tomorrows vote depends on the countries and there thoughts on the matter. While Russia will vote to report the issue only if sanctions are withheld for another month to discuss more diplomatic solutions. The Iranians will stop discussing with Russians if they are refeered to the council. The french are almost positivly for the referral to the UN. Various countries are against the use of force to stop iran from developping the Atomic bomb. But soon it'll be time and we'll see what lays in store for Iran in the morning.

A beggining

2006-02-03T18:40:00.000-06:00

This site will all be about the current issue with Iran and the meetings taking place during this period.
I hope you'll enjoy.