Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 8.22.2005:

Iran: Journalist Ganji Suspends Hunger Strike

Adnkronos International:The Iranian journalist and writer, Akbar Ganji, has suspended the hunger strike he began in prison on June 11, his wife, Massoumeh Shafii, told Adnkronos International (AKI). She confirmed the news after seeing him at the Milad hospital in the Iranian capital Tehran, where he was transferred from prison after his health worsened. READ MORE

Great News! Now let's hope he is released soon.

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

• Iranian blogger, WishMeLuck, Zaneirani reported that Iranian dissident Manouchehr Mohammadi (still on hunger strike) has been taken to an unknown location.
• Assyrian International News Agency reported that Iran's State Security Forces have stepped up arrests of Kurds who took part in large-scale anti-government demonstrations.
• Khaleej Times reported that Iran’s vice-president Mohammad-Reza Aref has rejected cooperation with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, choosing to return to the university as an instructor.
• Iran Focus reported that the row in Iran's Majlis (parliament) on Sunday was stage-managed by the dominant ultra-Islamist faction.
• Iran Focus reported on a new sex-segregated park is under development in the city of Mashad. The new park will be used exclusively by women.
• The Wall Street Journal reviewed the achievements of European diplomacy to induce Iran to abandon its nuclear-weapons program.
• The Washington Times reported that Iran's outgoing Supreme National Security Council chief, Hasan Rohani, said Iran wants to re-operate a second nuclear center.
• The Los Angeles Times published a report about Iran's nuclear policy that sounded as if it could have been a press release for the Iranian regime.
• SMCCDI reported that the Islamic republic regime is to apply more discriminatory measures against Iranian women in days ahead.
• Rooz Online reported on former president Mohammad Khatami’s warnings about the advances of groups with dogmatic and regressive views and there are reports that pressure groups are organizing and planning to respond to his ideas.
• Rooz Online reported that Ahmadinejad’s cabinet nominees were officially presented to the Majlis and opponents of the nominees called Ahmadinejad’s 6-page plan for Iran, just a collection of beautiful words.
• The People's Daily - China said Bush's recent threat of using force against Iran serves more a psychological deterrent than a real one.
• And finally, Sean Penn, San Francisco Chronicle, has finally publishing his series from Tehran. It contains no hard news, but provides an interesting perspective of an American in Tehran. This is the first of a five part series. We will see where it leads.

Laptop Update: We have raised $1600 for the purchase of a new laptop with $400 still needed to make the purchase. Your help would be greatly appreciated.