Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 9.19.2005:

The Failure of Containment

Amir Taheri, Weekly Standard:

The Board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is scheduled this week to decide whether to refer Iran to the United Nations' Security Council for alleged violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Iran is making a last-minute effort to stall the decision, but it is already clear that the European strategy--carried out by Britain, France, and Germany--for dealing with Iran's clandestine quest for nuclear weapons has failed. READ MORE

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

• Richard Beeston, The Times UK reported the targeting of British military in Iraq by Iran.
• Barkeshli, Flickr a slideshow of Ahmadinejad's Gala Event in NYC.
• Eli Lake, The NY Sun reported on the showdown in Vienna today, America, Britain, France, and Germany were lobbying for the votes necessary to take Iran to the U.N. Security Council.
• Iran Press News reported on Ahmadinejad's comments upon arrival in Tehran.
• Iran Press News reported on further uprisings in the southern city of Ahvaz (Province of Khuzestan).
• Iran Press News reported on Rafsanjani's trip to Saudi Arabia and the regime mounting fear regarding a showdown with the West.
• Adnkronos International reported on the inevitable consequences for Iran of North Korea's historic decision to abandon its nuclear activities and rejoin the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
  
• Iran Focus reported clashes erupted at night in the strategic oil-rich city of Ahwaz, southern Iran, between people and State Security Forces (SSF).
• Forbes reported that the UN atomic agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed El Baradei called on Iran to finally allow access to sensitive sites and key people.
• The Washington Post argues that Yahoo Inc. has been assisting despots to shutdown dissident reports from inside of totalitarian regimes.
• Curt, Committee to Protect Bloggers announced that Reporters Without Borders is preparing a guide for bloggers and cyberdissidents.
• Louis Charbonneau, Reuters reported that Europe and the United States called for the United Nations' atomic watchdog to bring Iran before the Security Council.
• Kenneth R. Timmerman, FrontPageMagazine reported that the MEK rented demonstrators.
• Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor reported that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that nuclear power was an "inalienable right."
• Bloomberg reported that Iran today agreed to allow stepped- up inspections by United Nations atomic experts.
• Newsweek published an interview with Iran's new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that a U.N. rights expert asked Iran to release an imprisoned journalist Akbar Ganji.
• Nasser Karimi, Chicago Sun Times reported that Iranian officials said that they have no plans to resume uranium enrichment soon but warned that they might change its mind.
• Ynetnews reported that a majority was secured for referring Iran's nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council.
• Dafna Linzer, The Washington Post reported that Ahmadinejad's speech was able to do what weeks of high-level U.S. diplomacy had not: convince skeptical allies that Iran may, in fact, use its nuclear energy program to build atomic bombs. A must read.
• Iranian blogger, Omid Memarian, Rooz Online reported that a member of the central committee of the Islamic Coalition Party once again called for combating civil society groups in Iran.
• And finally, Cox & Forkum published another of their cartoons: UNrehearsed.