Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 6.27.2005:

'I am proud of being Iran's little servant and street sweeper'

The Telegraph UK:

By official edict there were no victory parades for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the streets of the Iranian capital yesterday.

Iran's new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the mayor of Teheran, who shocked the world with his surprise victory in Iran's presidential run-off poll on Friday, is an ultra-conservative who craves a return to the ideol-ogies of the Islamic revolution of 1979.

Yesterday, the people of Iran were given, perhaps, an early taste of things to come, as public celebrations and opposition demonstrations were banned by the country's all-powerful religious supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His decree was seen as a reflection of official fears that Mr Ahmad-inejad's win might spark a return of the reformist protests in 2003, which were crushed. READ MORE

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

• Iranian blogger WishMeLuck, Zaneirani said, Some say because Ahmadinejad is the new Iranian president the Iranians we'll be facing Islamic fascism. Apparently these people have been in a coma for the past three decades!
• Dan Darling, WindsOfChange.net reminds us that Ahmadinejad was a founder of the Qods force in Iran which has long had close ties with Al Qaeda.
• Iran Press Service reported that Iran's new President said he would look to "friendship with all nations."
• Forbes reported Blair said, It would be a serious mistake if he (Ahmadinejad) thought that we are going to go soft on them, because we are not.
• Reuters reported Ahmadinejad has vowed to flush out corruption from the country's oil sector as oil prices rose to $60 a barrel.
• SF Gate reported that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he agreed with Bush's message to Iran. "We're going to continue being tough and firm on all of that," he said after a meeting with Bush. "The message must stay very crystal clear, and it is."
• Roozonline reported that Ahmadinejad dismissed questions about human rights and nuclear issues by saying: "these discussions have worn thin and are offensive."
• Amir Taheri reported that Rafsanjani and his allies have described Ahmadinejad as "a know-nothing," he is neither.
• The Wall Street Journal said the landslide victory of a hard-line loyalist as president completes ultraconservatives' control of all levers of Iran's government and significantly complicates relations with the West.
• Jersusalem Post reported that European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Monday he saw no immediate reason to change policy on Iran.
• The Peninsula reported that some European leaders are waiting for clear words on human rights and the nuclear issue from Iran's new president.
• The Washington Times said, rarely has more misinformation been written or stated on one subject than is the case with Friday's runoff election in Iran.
• Radio Free Europe reported that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called for the European Union to put forward new proposals to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
• The Times reported that the choice offered to voters in Iran is much more rigidly circumscribed than outsiders tend to realise.
• Reuters reported that Israel called for a harder international line toward Iran and its nuclear program.
• Iran Focus said the daily mood in Iran can be seen or heard in graffiti, jokes and comments of the Iranian people.
• And finally, photos of demonstrations outside of Iran.