Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 4.18.2005:

Urgent Help Needed By Iranian Students' Movement

SMCCDI (Urgent Action Call):

Sadly, due to dwindling funds, SMCCDI's web site,
( http://www.daneshjoo.org also known as
http://www.iranstudents.org), as well as its aid to
members and freedom fighters in Iran, has been diminished.
Presently, the web site has had to be brought down, as of
Friday April 15th, and the survival of this group depends
on your responsible donations. READ MORE

Please help if you can. They perform an important service to those seeking a free and democratic Iran.

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

• Cyrus News reports that Henry Kissinger warned that if Iran succeeds in building nuclear weapons, it could touch off an arms race that leads to the end of civilization.
• IranMania reports that the Association of Iranian Women Journalists in a statement on Saturday protested against the recent mistreatment of Iranian print media.
• IranMania reports that Iran sees signs of US maturity in nuclear standoff.
• Xinhuanet is reporting that Iran condemned Friday's hostage-taking of Shiite Muslims in Iraq, saying that Tehran is against any act against innocent and ordinary citizens. Sure.
• Turkish Weekly reports that Iran announced that the US administration should observe the nuclear talks between Iran and Europe "from the sidelines."
• Mehrnews reports that in the EU3/Iran negotiations, for most European states, "the issue of objective guarantees is not clear to them." But Iranian negotiators are saying,“ "In the next meetings it will become clear where we go."
• Tehran Times reported Iranian President as saying "With all respect I have for the system's bodies, I want to say the Guardian Council plays the leading role in holding a competitive and free election." Once again he is states the obvious, since only the GC chooses who may run, (i.e. hardliners only may apply).
• Albawaba.com reported Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi as saying that the establishment of [US] military bases in the region would not only fail to promote security in the region but might result in exacerbating the existing problems. For whom?
• The Persian Journal reports that the city of Ahvaz in Iran was calm Sunday, after two days of violent demonstrations sparked by rumors. Then Iranian.ws reported that the rumors sparked by the distribution of a "fake letter." Iranian MP's accused Aljazeera of being the source of the letter and called for the expulsion the employees of Aljazeera from Iran.. The AP confirmed that the city has returned to normal.
• And finally, the Commentator takes a look at Bush's Iranian Dilemma.