Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 7.27.2005:

A Tipping Point for Tehran

Nir Boms and Reza Bulorchi, The Wall Street Journal:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's "elected" president, will officially assume his post next month. The elections, no doubt, were a sham and the controversy about voting irregularities is far from settled. Iran's opposition sources revealed that the national ID cards of about five million dead people were provided to regime supporters, enabling them to vote multiple times at multiple locations.

So Mr. Ahmadinejad's victory had little to do with the fact that he campaigned as the "populist" son of a blacksmith and hoisted the flag of class warfare against the "wretched rich and corrupt." Instead, his victory can be attributed solely to his loyalty to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) top brass. A former commander of the Qods (Jerusalem) Force in the IRGC -- tasked with the planning and execution of terrorist plots and assassinations abroad -- Mr. Ahmadinejad was catapulted to the presidency by Iran's ultraconservative faction. READ MORE

A must read!

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

• Karen Matusic, Dow Jones Newswires reported the Senate approved legislation that strengthens penalties against U.S. companies doing business with countries deemed "terrorist states."
• The Student Movement Coordinating Committee for Democracy in Iran's website's news section appears to be up and running.
• David R. Sands, The Washington Times reported that Iran and China are united in part by their shared distrust of U.S. power and have struck a profitable and growing alliance.
• Iran Focus an MEK website, claimed it had seen secret documents showing that Iran was secretly buying European-made sophisticated nuclear parts via South Korea.
• Michael Ledeen, National Review reported that the centrality of Iran in the terror network is the dirty secret that most everyone knows, but will not pronounce.
• Reuters reported that three Iranian policemen have died fighting Kurdish insurgents.
• Reuters reported that Iran will resume some key work on its nuclear fuel cycle regardless of what European diplomats might propose.
• Yahoo News reported that Canadian Tories are calling on Prime Minister Paul Martin's government to take a harder line with Iran.
• Eli Lake, The NY Sun reported that the US Senate will soon consider new legislation that would commit America to ending tyranny the world over.
• Eli Lake, Iran Scan responds to Hoder's unbelievable post which argues that Bush wants Ganji dead. Eli said, your last post is a lie on behalf of Ganji’s jailors.
• DozaMe.org reported that a Kurdish man was killed when Iranian soldiers opened fire on demonstrators on July 25 in the city of [Oshonoieh] in northwestern Iran.
• And finally, The Media Line reported that the spiritual guide of Iran's president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad, Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Mu'sbah Yazdi, has recruited suicide bombers through an Iranian newspaper.