Week in Review

DoctorZin provides a review of this past week's [4/10-4/16] major news events regarding Iran.

Iran's Presidential Elections:

• Reuters reported that Iranian political "heavyweight" Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said he is now "more definite" to run for president on June 17.
• Iranian blogger Hoder wrote about the myth of the moderate Rafsanjani.
• MehrNews quoted Rafsanjani as saying "If the future president is elected by a low voter turnout, one could hardly call him the people's representative."
• Radio Free Europe reported the possibility that an individual connected with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) could be elected as Iran's next president and this is causing some consternation in Iranian political circles.
  

The EU3 Negotiations with Iran:

• Yahoo! News reported European diplomats are saying the EU is "rock-solid" in its insistence that Iran cease uranium enrichment.
• Reuters reported that French President Jacques Chirac has been pushing the EU to drop its refusal to consider letting Iran enrich uranium.
• People.com.cn (China) reported that a top Iranian nuclear negotiator said Saturday that Iran would not welcome coordination on Iran's nuclear issue between the European Union (EU) and the United States.
• The negotiations will start again this next week.
  

Iran's Nuclear Program:

• Reuters reported the U.N. nuclear watchdog is making an inventory of processed uranium in Iran after an intelligence agency accused Iran of spiriting an unspecified quantity of processed uranium, out of the Isfahan uranium conversion facility to an unknown location. Iran denied they removed anything from the facility.
• Reuters reported Russia is likely to delay shipments of enriched uranium fuel to Iran to start up a Russian-built atomic power plant there until the autumn.

Iran's trouble making outside of Iran:

• World Tribune.com reported that Yemen's military routed Iranian-backed insurgents in an offensive near the Saudi border.
• Al Jazeera reported that Iran had vowed to take legal action against the United States government for funding the opposition groups in the country.
• Iran Focus claimed more than 30 armed agents dispatched from Iran were arrested in Iraq.

US Policy and Iran:

• USA TODAY reported 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.
• The Department of State is soliciting applications for grants to promote human rights and democratization initiatives in Iran.
  
• The Baltimore Sun reported that Cheney reaffirmed the administration's support for diplomatic efforts by the EU3 to rein in Tehran. But he suggested that there is a limit to how long the United States will wait.
• The Wall Street Journal interviewed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on April 13, 2005.
• The NY Sun claimed the Bush administration approached Hizbollah for talks and that the group would be open to new discussions. The administration denied the allegation.

The MEK:

• The NY Sun reported that three hundred supporters of an Iranian opposition group characterized by the State Department as a terrorist organization gathered in Washington DC to pressure the Bush administration to lift the designation.
• USA Today interviewed former MEK member Arash Sametipour who says his main motivation now is to stop others from joining the group.
• Iran Focus reported Iran's state-run media and press reacted harshly to a recent meeting held in the United States Congress designed to rehabilitate the MEK.
  

Rumors of War:

• WorldTribune.com said when talking about Iran's nuclear program, "Don't expect another Osirak."
• ABCNEWS reported that Israel will not mount a unilateral attack aimed at destroying Iran's nuclear capability.
• The Jerusalem Post reported a public opinion poll that shows a majority of Americans support military action by the United States and Israel to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons as a last resort.
• Gulf News reported that Kurdish fighters dedicated to overthrowing the Iranian Government are hiding out in the mountains of northern Iraq, waiting for a chance to strike at Tehran.
• Zaman.com claimed that the US is now trying to control the region to influence the Ural region, Russia's industrial center.
• Pravda reported the USA is interested in establishing mobile army bases on the territory of Azerbaijan, which is stipulated in the plan to re-deploy US troops in Europe and Asia.
• Reuters reported Israeli defense officials asked Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to raise a military option against Iran's nuclear programme with US President George Bush. They also produced photos showing the very advances stage of Iran's nuclear program.
  

Iran's economy:

• The Christian Science Monitor took a look at how well are Iran's hard-liners running Tehran?
• IranMania reported that Iran's 'Privatization Bill' will be ready next month.
• Iranian.ws reported that Shell will open Iran's Soroush field in just weeks.
  

Human Rights/Freedom of the press inside of Iran:

• The Middle East Forum updated us regarding the imprisoned student dissident Ahmad Batabi.
• IPS interviewed the imprisoned Mr. Amir Abbas Fakhravar discussing the upcoming election and referendum movement.
• Amnesty International, Urgent Action: Seventeen-year-old Rasoul Mohammadi is reportedly due to be executed on 16 April.
  

Popular struggle for freedom inside of Iran:

• SMCCDI reported another public execution lead to sporadic but violent clashes in the City of Najaf-Abad.
• The Jerusalem Post reported more than 250 people were arrested Friday in southwestern Iran.
• SMCCDI reported angry protesters greeted the Islamic regime's 'Justice' Chief with hostile slogans.
• SMCCDI reported at least two Iranian militiamen were shot to death.
• Iran Focus reported more than 1,000 residents of an Iranian village in the suburbs of the city of Shiraz yesterday took part in anti-government demonstrations, setting fires to tires and blockading roads in the area.
  

Popular struggle for freedom outside of Iran:

• OpenDemocracy.com published the controversial Iranian dissident Mohsen Sazegara article, Iran’s road to democracy.
• The Word Unheard published the following response Mohsen Sazegara's recent article.
• CBC News reported Iran won't allow an international team of forensic scientists to examine the body of Zahra Kazemi as Canada has demanded.
• The Canadian Press reported 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.

Lunacy in the west:

• AFP reported that Iran, which long castigated the United States as the "Great Satan," wants to promote its tourist potential on America's CNN television station and Britain's BBC.

Iran's and the world community:

• WorldTribune.com reported that Iran wants to join a United Nations satellite network that produces high resolution imagery.
• The Word Unheard reported on the recent flights of Iranian-made drones over Israel.
• The Washington Post claimed Iran has pulled out the vast majority of its Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon. ???
• Global Information System reported of evidence of a new Palestinian insurgency offensive to coincide with Iranian-Syrian push.
• FrontPageMagazine.com reported on the dangers of the growing Iran-Chavez alliance.

Iranian TV:

• MemriTV.org once again provided us with a window into Iranian TV. Check out a few of their latest excerpts.
• FrontPageMagazine.com reported on an Iranian TV series in which an American Officer interrogates, frames and arrests innocent Iranians.

Middle East Experts:

• The American Thinker reported Iran's leaders are now implementing a course of action similar to one that Hitler adopted after the failure to win the Battle of Britain over 60 years ago: turn east and establish a Second Front.
• Michael Ledeen writing for the National Review Online discussed the virtues and sins of Presidents recent intelligence commission report.
• Peter Ackerman and Michael Ledeen argued in the LA Times that a successful people's revolution in Iran would be the result of careful planning and mass discipline, but it requires political and economic support from outside the country and maybe some from within.

And finally, The Quote of the Week:

Mr. Amir Abbas Fakhravar is serving an eight years imprisonment, on charges of insulting the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i:

"I can tell you very frankly that if the present rulers come out in broad daylight telling people that it is noon time and the sun is shining, people would not believe them and go saying it is full night."