Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 8.24.2005:

French FM Says EU Still Want Iran Nuclear Talks

Paul Carrel, Reuters:

European powers are still keen to talk to Iran about its sensitive nuclear programme despite calling off an Aug 31. negotiating meeting, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Wednesday.

Britain, France and Germany have called off next week's negotiations on proposals they made to Iran earlier this month because Tehran has resumed some nuclear work in breach of a promise to freeze it while talks lasted, France said on Tuesday.

Douste-Blazy said the trio, acting on behalf of the European Union, were not slamming the door on Iran, which the West suspects may be taking the preliminary steps towards making atomic weapons. READ MORE

The Europeans are caving in again. But the Europeans know that this is just a stalling technique.
Recently, Iranian chief negotiator on nuclear affairs, and member of the Iranian Supreme Council for National Security Hosein Musavian said:

thanks to the negotiations with Europe we gained another year, in which we completed (the UCF) in Esfahan.

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

• Rooz Online reported that Ali Afshari, a leading member of Iran's largest student organization, will not have an open court hearing since there are currently no laws defining political rights.
• Iranian.ws reported that Iran is preparing to spend billions more on missile warfare.
• Al Jazeera reported that Iran's conservative-controlled parliament has rejected new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nominee for the oil ministry, Ali Saidloo, as well as three other proposed cabinet members.
• Reuters reported that the United States remains concerned about Iran's nuclear program saying: the contamination issue was one part of this overall set of questions that not just the United States has, but the rest of the world has about Iran's nuclear program.
• The Associated Press reported that Iran will soon offer new proposals for negotiations with Europe.
• DEBKAfile reported that Iran’s new defense minister, Mostafa Mohammad-Najar, brigadier general in the Revolutionary Guards, has packed a lurid, blood-spattered biography into his 49 years. A profile.
• BBC News reported that the United States has criticised an independent investigation which found no evidence that Iran was working on a secret nuclear weapons program.
• Science Daily reported that Iran snubbed the EU3's precondition to halt its nuclear programs prior to a resumption of talks.
• The Christian Science Monitor reported on Iran's influence on the Afghan Hazaras as they prepare for the next elections in Afghanistan.
• Iran Focus reported that the commander of Iran’s “Lovers of Martyrdom Garrison”, a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – vowed that his suicide volunteers will destroy United States’ interests all over the world in retaliation to any attempt by the U.S. to hit Iran’s nuclear installations.
• SMCCDI reported on the mass arrest of Iranian women have increased for the non-observance of Islamist veil.
• SMCCDI reported Iran's new Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, is a notorious Islamist terrorist, known for his involvement in the murder of several dissidents in Turkey.
• SMCCDI reported an Iranian dissident Kurd was murdered in the Swedish City of Lindsborg. The victim's name is Kaveh Zare-i aged 25. The spread of this news has increased the fear among many Iranian opponents.
• Sean Penn, The San Francisco Chronicle, Part Three of his series on Iran. A meeting with the grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini: Hassan Khomeini.
• Patrick Devenny, FrontPageMagazine.com argues that the new Iranian government is its most radical.
• And finally, Photos prove that Iran's hardline students are learning to spell.