Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 5.28.2005:

Why Europe is Wrong on Iran

Amir Taheri, Arab News:

The Europeans... ignore the messianic nature of the ideology that sustains the Islamic Republic. That ideology sees itself in a global competition with Western liberalism of which the European Union is one manifestation. Khomeinism’s ambition is to win that competition one day, and remold the global system on the basis of its vision. That ambition may seem laughable to outsiders who know that the Islamic Republic counts for little in the global balance of power. Some in the Tehran establishment also regard such ambitions as absurd. The truth, however, is that the system cannot act against its own nature.

The problem that the Europeans, among others, have with the Islamic Republic is not one of behavior, as Straw and his colleagues assume. The problem is with the nature of the Iranian regime. READ MORE

This is perhaps the best analysis of the problems of the EU3/Iran talks. We need to make sure this is read widely.

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

• The NY Times reports that Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, also have a "second track" paralleling diplomatic initiatives on Iran's support for terrorism and its nuclear program. He said the administration was "taking a page from the playbook" on Ukraine and Georgia."
• Times of India reports that Iran's hard-line Guardian Council has approved a bill forcing Iran to develop nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment.
• BBC News reports that Iranian TV as saying, "Foreign broadcasters, including Persian-language radio stations based abroad, were attempting to affect the outcome of the election."
• Reuters reports that Iran as saying "The United States and Israel represent the real nuclear threat to the world, not Iran."
• WorldNetDaily.com reports that the 200-mile "Iran Freedom Walk," organized by the Iran Freedom Foundation, concludes today.
• Reuters reports that Iran's former higher education minister, Moin, agreed to run for president, after having been banned.
• The Associated Press reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it would be an "enormously dangerous" situation if Iran were to become a nuclear weapons state. "We're going to do everything we can to prevent that outcome."
• Iran Shahr Blog reports that Reza Pahlavi is calling on the people of Iran to boycott of the June 17 'elections.'
• Agence France Presse reports that the United Arab Emirates has told Tehran to free five crew members of a boat which Iran has held in the Gulf since early May.
• Iran Focus provides a MEK report on Mohammad-Reza Iravani, the deputy chief of VEVAK.
• Reuters reports that Iran says U.N. resolution demanding that militias in Lebanon disarm does not apply to the Hizbollah.
• Khaleej Times reports that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf insists that Iran should not acquire a nuclear bomb.
• Iran Focus reports that nearly a thousand homeless people rounded off the streets of Tehran in the past five months had university degrees.
• Outlook India reports that Islamabad has agreed to guarantee security for the Indo-Iran gas pipeline.
• The Iranian Prospect reports the famous Iranian dissident Akbar Ganji is still on his hunger strike and getting worse. Reports Without Borders weighs in.
• WorldNetDaily.com reports that intelligence information asserts North Korea this year transferred components to Iran to assemble a plutonium-based nuclear warhead.
• Iranian.com says, "It’s Bush’s fault that Democracy spreads."
• Adnkronos International reports that a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader said,"Vote for Rafsanjani and we will have nuclear bombs."
• The Financial Times reports that Masih Alinejad who angered Iranian MP's for her story on financial corruption has now published a political novel.
• The Committee to Protect Bloggers suggests the first steps in anonymizing your blog.
• And finally, SMCCDI reports that a group of Iranian secularist activists have protested against the illegal holding of Islamic regime's ballot boxes on the US soil.