A Daily Briefing on Iran: Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 8.30.2005:

See No Evil?

The leaking earlier this month of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) projection that Iran is a decade away from obtaining nuclear weapons - doubling previous official estimates - is, in some ways, more ominous than would have been a finding that the mullahs are about to get "the Bomb." After all, the latter would be no surprise, given the considerable evidence (albeit, much of it circumstantial) that has accumulated about Tehran's intentions and activities in this area.

By contrast, the pollyanish assessment not only seems wildly out of touch with such realities. Worse yet, the fact that it is one of the first products of the newly "reformed" intelligence community suggests that - far from reducing the dangers of strategic surprise and unconnected "dots" - the Foreign Service Officer-dominated Director of National Intelligence bureaucracy is going to exacerbate past failings and mistakes. READ MORE

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

Iranian blogger, Farnaz Ghazizadeh, Rooz Online reported that three figures of the Guardian Council have joined the new government. This is raising a new controversy regarding the separation of powers in the Islamic Republic.
Iranian blogger, Kamal Tehrani, Rooz Online reported that the new Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued a warning over reprint of some books such as those by Akbar Ganji and has ordered a publishing house's popular café and cyber café to shut down.
SMCCDI reported two members of the Bassij paramilitary force were stabbed to death yesterday in the Iranian Capital.
SMCCDI reported an armed clash erupted, late afternoon, in Emamzadeh-Hassan area located in Greater Tehran.
Iran Press News reported that one of the regime's Intelligence service agents stationed in Tehran was shot and severely injured.
Iran Press News reported that Iranian blogger, Majid Rezaii who was arrested by the regime's judiciary and was sentenced to 20 months.
Iran Press News reported that Shuana Ghadri's brother, Aboubakr Esfrem, in Iraqi Kurdistan and spoke of the brutal torture that his brother endured.
Iran Press News reported that Attorney General of the Islamic Republic, Saeed Mortazavi Effective said: immediately, coordinated efforts will be under way to purge Tehran from evildoers and elements of corruption.
Stefania, Free Thoughts discussed an article for the Foreign Affairs which urges the US to not pressure the Middle Eastern regimes to hold free and fair elections.
SMCCDI reported that several prisoners have been killed in another prison riot.
Iranian blogger, Reza Bayegan, Ekbatan Observer argues that while we should support Akbar Ganji release from prison, we should not support some of his ideas.
Khaleej Times Online that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to present new Iranian proposals at the United Nations summit September 14-16.
Reuters reported that Iran is to create a $1.3 billion "love fund" to encourage poor young people to marry.
Sheffield Today reported that a 14-year-old Kurdish Iranian girl died after setting herself on fire in protest over her right not to wear the hijab headdress.
Yahoo News reported that Iran has made another breakthrough in its nuclear program by successfully using biotechnology to extract purer uranium from its mines.
And finally, The Christian Science Monitor reported that the Iranian government's plans to create an oil exchange fit into a strategy of weakening US economic hegemony.