Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 8.6.2005:

Iran Won't be Intimidated, New President Says

Parisa Hafezi, Reuters:

Iran's new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday the Islamic Republic, facing intense pressure from the West over its nuclear ambitions, would not be intimidated.

Taking the oath of office in parliament following his stunning June election win, the former Tehran mayor said his priority would be to tackle unemployment and his foreign policy would seek to reduce international threats. READ MORE

Is Iran's nuclear weapons program designed to eliminate Iran's threats?

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

• The Times UK reported that Europe and Iran are in the midst of a serious diplomatic showdown.
• Kuwait News Agency reported that Lebanese Hezbollah said the Iranian leadership asserted its continued support for Lebanon, its unity, and resistance.
• Daily Times reported that a UN inspection team is set to leave for Iran to install cameras to monitor a crucial site where Iran wants to resume nuclear fuel work.
• Iran Press Service reported that the bloody unrest continues in at least three Iranian provinces.
• Reuters reported that Kurdish police dispersed hundreds of Kurds protesting outside U.N. offices in northern Iraq on Saturday over reports of detentions of dozens of Iranian Kurds just across the border.
• SMCCDI reported that the unrest and clashes continued in several northwestern cities, such as, Mahabad and Bookan.
• The New York Times reported that many of the new, more sophisticated roadside bombs used to attack American and government forces in Iraq have been designed in Iran and shipped in from there.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Saturday said Iran was taking a "confrontational course" by rejecting European Union proposals for its nuclear program and forecast the matter will go to the U.N. Security Council unless Tehran backs down.
• Reporters Without Borders condemned a wave of harassment of Kurdish journalists by local authorities in Iranian Kurdistan.
• Reza Bayegan, Iran va Jahan discussed Ahmadinejad's promises to reform the Iranian oil industry with an expert, Dr Parviz Mina.
• And finally, Iran Press News reported on the unrest in the Iranian city of Saqqez. Huge protests there have lead to clashes with the authorities and the number of injured continues to increase and witnesses described the hospitals as having been turned into prisons! A must read.