Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 4.11.2005:

Iran looks to CNN, BBC to sell itself

Sify News, AFP:

Iran, which long castigated the United States as the "Great Satan," is to promote its tourist potential on America's CNN television station and Britain's BBC, the country's vice-president for tourism Hossein Marachi has revealed to AFP.

Tense relations between Tehran and Washington will not stop Iran from exploiting its attractions on the US cable network, said Marachi, who insists US sanctions preventing American companies from trading with Iran "will not apply in this instance."

Both BBC and CNN campaigns should start within two months under a one-year contract, the value of which Marachi did not disclose. READ MORE

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• The Guardian provides an example of the frustration Iranians have with their regime, banning skiing during religious holy days.
• Barbara Slavin reports for USA TODAY that for the first time in a quarter-century of estrangement from Iran, the Bush administration is openly preparing to spend government funds in Iran to promote democracy.
• Suzanne Gershowitz writing for the Middle East Forum reminds of us of the imprisoned student dissident Ahmad Batabi (his photo has been on this blog since its beginning) The student has spent the last six years in prison for showing the bloody tshirt of a friend of his to the world press. The US has yet to call for his release.
• Iran Focus claims more than 30 armed agents dispatched from Iran were arrested in Iraq.
• The Daily Star of Lebanon says Syria and Iran's last option is to create an anti-U.S. alliance.
• IranMania reports that Iran's 'Privatization Bill' will be ready next month.
• Scott Peterson reporting for The Christian Science Monitor takes a look at how well are Iran's hard-liners running Tehran?
• The Canadian Press reports that Iran said Canada was following the "wrong approach" in the case of Ms. Kazemi, an Iranian-born Canadian photojournalist who died while in Iranian custody. Why? Because Iran now claims she was an Iranian citizen.
• And finally, Michael Ledeen writing for the National Review Online discusses the virtues and sins of Presidents recent intelligence commission report.