Week in Review

DoctorZin provides a review of this past week's [5/1-5/7] major news events regarding Iran.

Iran's Presidential Elections:

• Radio Free Europe reported on the prospective candidates for Iran's next presidential election.
• The Los Angeles Times reported that the EU3 are requesting more help from the U.S. in its negotiations with Iranians on Iran's nuclear enrichment program. A U.S. official said the request was vague.
• Iran va Jahan reminded the western media that former Iranian President Rafsanjani has "a record."
• Iran Focus reported that Ali-Akbar Velayati, a candidate in the forthcoming June 17 presidential elections, hinted at official responsibility for terrorist operations abroad against its opponents.
• AFP reported that Iran said it will not accept any foreign monitoring of its June 17 presidential elections.

The EU3 Negotiations with Iran:

• Saturday -Washington Post reported that Iran has not made any decision to restart its nuclear program, adding that they do not want to jeopardize key negotiations.
• Friday - Tehran Times reported Iranian nuclear negotiator Sirus Naseri said that Iran will not compensate for Europe’s political weakness.
• Friday - AFX UK reported that Iran is ready to accelerate its nuclear activities if agreement is not reached quickly.
• Thursday - Reuters reported that talks between Iran and the EU's three biggest powers on the future of Tehran's nuclear program are near collapse.
• Wednesday - ABC News reported they received a copy of a "non-paper" that served as they basis of the recent discussions between the EU3 and Iran in London and explains why Iran wants 3,000 more centrifuges.
• Wednesday - The WSJ reported that Iran has given the EU3 until early June to permit Iran to restart its uranium enrichment program. "They're always probing for weaknesses," one European diplomat said.
• Tuesday - The New York Times reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said: "We will resume some nuclear activities,'' ... ''What activities or when is still under study."
• Tuesday - The Financial Times reported that the EU3 need to manage the recent crisis with Iran over its threat to resume its uranium enrichment.
• Monday - Deutsche Welle reported Germany is warning Iran, that if the Islamic regime restarts enrichment, "this would lead to a collapse of the talks." Then Koffi Annan warns Iran. Even, Mohamed ElBaradei warns Iran.
• Last Sunday - USA Today reported Iran will likely resume some nuclear activities related to uranium enrichment next week.

Iran's trouble making outside of Iran:

• The Scotsman reported that Iran denies any involvement in an assassination attempt on Saddam Hussein in his prison cell.
• Daily Telegraph reported that control of Iraq's police force was handed to a Shia Arab party despite warnings by American intelligence that Iranian agents have infiltrated the group's paramilitary wing.
  

Iranian Supreme Leader Speaks Out:

• IranMania reported that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that the enemies know attacking Iran will cost them dear, and that they will take their dreams to that effect to the grave.
• WorldNetDaily.com reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the U.S. "arrogant," "rude" and said the U.S, "deserved a punch in the mouth."
• BBC News reported that the leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned the United States to stay out of his country's nuclear program.
  

US Policy and Iran:

• VOA News reported that U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said "In our view, this unrest and these arrests involve the denial of rights of minority groups in Iran."
• The Financial Times discussed the Bush administration's offer of money to groups and individuals working for democracy and human rights inside the Islamic republic.
• The U.S. Department of State reported on Secretary Rice, EU's Solana discussion of Iran. Plus a disturbing update.
• Reuters reported that White House spokesman Scott McClellan has warned Iran that resuming enrichment would break its deal with the EU3.
• Reuters reported that the United States is seeking the extradition of a former Russian atomic energy minister because he may have sensitive information on Moscow's nuclear ties with Iran.

Rumors of War:

• The Islamic Republic News Agency reported Prime Minister Tony Blair as saying: "I've got no intention of bombing their nuclear installations or anything else."
• The Adventures of Chester discussed such controversial topics as, should US combatant commanders be given wide latitude in the employment of nuclear weapons?

Human Rights/Freedom of the press inside of Iran:

• The Committee to Protect Bloggers published several reports on recent roundtable discussions on anonymous blogging.
• BBC News reported that the head of Iran's hardline judiciary has launched an unprecedented attack on police interrogators for extracting confessions.
• Adnkronos International reported that Iranian jails are adding a new prisoner "every 47 seconds."
• Reporters Without Borders exposed the regime's recent efforts to silence Iranian bloggers.
• Iran Focus reported that a young man was hanged for "acting against the state."
• Bonewslife.com reported that the trial of Christian convert Hamid Pourmand has been postponed after reports of the trial were leaked to the press.

Popular struggle for freedom inside of Iran:

• Iranian.com reported a survey that said 85 percent of Iranian students would support the establishment of a secular and democratic republic.
• Iran Focus reported that a packed Azadi Stadium in Tehran was the scene of angry anti-government protests at the May Day gathering, booing Rafsanjani.

Popular struggle for freedom outside of Iran:

• The Times UK reported now is the time for the Foreign Office to decide how best to help dissidents in Iran.
• Aljazeera reported that Syrian authorities have detained five Iranian Arabs on suspicion of having links with an opposition group in Iran.

Iran and the world community:

• The Telegraph UK reported that Iran has offered to save 20,000 UK jobs in deal to ease nuclear pressure.
• Dr. Demarche, a member of the State Department Republican Underground, reviewed Europe's failure to look honestly at Iran about the Shehab-4.
• The Weekly Standard reported that Iran is supplying Zimbabwe financial, military, and commercial support and asks what the Iranians are getting in return?
• Radio Free Europe explained why Iran is meddling in Nigeria.
• The WSJ reported that Tehran and New Delhi inked a secret defense agreement providing India with access to Iranian military bases in the event of a war with regional rival Pakistan.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that a German company is under suspicion of selling weapons technology to Iran.
• Reuters reported that Britain and Canada advised travelers late on Friday not to use Iran's main new international airport because of concern over its safety. The Iranians threaten to cut relations with Britain over a rumor, about this.

Bad Reporting:

• The Times UK reported incorrectly that Michael Ledeen had led calls for an attack on Iran. They should read his work.

Middle East Experts:

• Bernard Lewis wrote for Foreign Affairs, about "Freedom and Justice in the Modern Middle East."
• Michael Ledeen once again pleaded with the U.S. administration not to be fooled by the repackaging of Rafsanjani and the threat of the Iranian regime to U.S. security.
• Iran Focus published Part 1 of a Special Report on Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) which masterminded 450 acts of terrorism throughout the world.

And finally, The Quote of the Week:

National Public Radio reported a young Iranian as saying:

"In Iran, everybody hates the regime... including the regime."