Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 9.6.2005:

Europe's Pessimism Over Iran's Nukes

Agence France-Presse:

The European Union has lost hope that Iran will again suspend its uranium conversion activities or resume talks on its controversial nuclear program, a senior EU diplomat said overnight.

The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Iran's decision to reject EU incentives, aimed at ensuring it does not develop nuclear weapons, and resume conversion work meant that the EU's role had virtually ended.

"If the Iranians changed their minds and decided to restart the suspension or discuss restarting the suspension, I think that would be very interesting, but that doesn't seem remotely likely," he said. ...

"The logical step is for this to be reported to the (UN) Security Council."

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

• Iran Press News quoted Massoud Jazayeri, spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard saying: The slightest action taken by the United States vis a vis this matter will turn every single one of that country's states, into a disaster area.
• Iran Press News published an Iran Daily report that the disciplinary forces of the regime are ganging up and swarming around girls, harassing, disgracing and insulting them.
• Iran Press News reported that Azad Lotfpour, spokesman for the Committee for the National Civil and non-Government Protestors who attended the protest in front of the office of the governor of Kurdistan, was arrested today in Sanandadj.
• Iran Press News reported that the people of a suburb of Tabriz (Azerbaijan Province) protested the lack of water then attacked and invaded government offices and set fire to tires in the town square.
• Iran Press News discussed China and Russia's dangerous game with the Mullahs.
• Iran Press News reported that Qaalibaaf, the new mayor of Tehran confessed that people do not "live in Tehran" so much as they "tolerate" it.
• Adam Zagorin, Time Magazine reported that the nominee for Iran's powerful position of Oil Minister, Ali Saeedlou, couldn't get past his educational résumé. Iran's Parliament asked Saeedlou how he could have received a doctorate from an American university when he was supposedly living in Iran.
• RIA Novosti reported that the United States does not have a clear policy in dealing with Iran, said Viktor Orlov, director of the Center for political studies in Russia.
• Iran Focus reported that the IRI's prosecutor’s offices announced women who violate Iran’s strict Islamic dress code will be flogged immediately, usually 100 lashes in public.
• KurdishMedia News called for the release of Ms. Roya Tolouie, an activist in the women’s movement, and a member of the Association for the Defence of Women in Kurdistan. She was arrested following a peaceful sit-in to demand the release of prisoners.
• BBC News reported that London-based think tank, The International Institute for Strategic Studies, has assessed that Iran is still several years away from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. But takes no comfort in this.
• Eli Lake, The NY Sun reported that Iran's justice minister, Jamal Karimirad said that Akbar Ganji was transferred to Evin Prison after the hospital leave and will serve his sentence.
• Mehr News reported that Ahmadinejad who is going to attend the summit of the United Nations General Assembly in New York will travel to there directly from Tehran. In a reversal, the State Department will let him bring with him the Majlis speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and his parliamentary entourage.
• Iran mania reported that the U.S. has finally agreed with France’s sale of the VIP aircraft to Iran.
• Amir Taheri, Aawsat.com makes the case for NOT invading Iran. A must read.
  
• Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor believes Iran has changed its tack in its nuclear standoff with the west.
• And finally, Financial Times reported that Russia on Monday ruled out an early decision to report the Iran nuclear controversy to the United Nations Security Council.