Saturday, September 17, 2005

Week in Review

DoctorZin provides a review of this past week's [9/11-9/17] major news events regarding Iran. (The reports are listed in chronological order, not by importance)

Ahmadinejad - A dangerous terrorist flys into NY City.
  • Iran Press News reported that Ahmadinejad, will be leaving Tehran for New York City on Tuesday. He will arrive in New York on Wednesday morning and bring with him an entourage.
  • Iranian.ws reported that Ahmadinejd urges Iranian youth to support regime.
  • The Marze Por Gohar Party reported that Iranians from all over the United States are merging in New York to protest against the Islamic Republic president Ahmadi Nejad in New York City. A list of groups headed to NYC included.
  • Kenneth R. Timmerman, The Washington Times suggested that the NYPD should take Ahmadinejad to the airport minutes after his speech at the UN.
  • SMCCDI reported that there would be a large demonstration against Ahmadinejad's presence in NYC.
  • Agence France-Presse, Tribune de Genève reported that Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make his debut on the world stage at the UN summit. The new president will try and lobby support for the Islamic republic's claim to make its own reactor fuel.
  • Iran Press Service reported that in his first international appearance, Iranian new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad surprised the UN audience that included more than hundred Head of States was that he did not mention his much awaited “initiative” on Iran’s nuclear issue.
  • RCI reported there were approximately 5-9,000 demonstrators present at the UN to voice their opposition to Iranian President Ahmadinejad's presence at the UN.
  • PRNewswire reported that several former U.S. Embassy hostages, Iranian victims of torture held a press conference condemning the New York (UN) visit of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
  • Eli Lake, The NY Sun reported that a group of former American hostages is demanding that the CIA turn over a classified report that they say wrongly cleared Iran's new president of his role in interrogating them during the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran.
  • Claude Salhani, UPI reported that as Iran's newly elected president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in New York to attend the U.N. general assembly he was met by a flurry of protests.
  • Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that Ahmadinejad met with Iranian nationals residing in the United States.
  • The Financial Times reported that the presence at the United Nations of Iran's new hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, has galvanized the exiled opposition into action. Several thousand demonstrated his presence in NYC.
  • The New York Times reported that there were no senior American diplomats were in the room when Ahmadinejad spoke but a U.S. official denied a walkout.
  • Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that President Ahmadinejad will be on CNN for an exclusive interview on Saturday. 11AM PST.
  • SMCCDI reported that Iranian activists are planning two protest actions on the dates of Friday September 16th and on Saturday September 17th.
  • The Times UK reported that speculation was growing that the Iranian leader planned to propose joint ventures in uranium enrichment with Europe, Russia, China and South Africa to allow a degree of international oversight.
  • Iranian blogger, Mehdrad Sheibani, Rooz Online reported that President Ahmadinejad surprisingly spoke of the grandeur of Iranians. Yes, these are the words of a president whose normal speeches at home repeat Islam or Islamic in every sentence he pronounces.
  • SMCCDI (Information Service) reported that Iranian political activists gathered, yesterday afternoon, in front of the building which is hosting the Islamic Republic regime's Representation Office at the UN.
  • Kenneth R. Timmerman, NewsMax reported that former hostage from the U.S. embassy in Tehran, said: out of his 51 interrogations, Ahmadinejad personally had conducted one-third of them.
Iran's Nuclear Program.
  • The Telegraph UK reported that the former head of the United Nations inspection team that is investigating Iran's nuclear programme has called on the Security Council to give it greater powers to do its job properly.
  • Louis Charbonneau, Reuters reported that a joint EU and U.S. effort to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council is meeting fierce resistance.
  • The NY Times reported that Iran said today that it would not suspend its nuclear activities and contended that there would be serious consequences if its case were sent to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.
  • AFX News reported that Iranian Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who heads his country's atomic energy agency, said his country would not drop its nuclear energy programme whatever 'dividends' are offered by the outside world.
  • Reuters reported that Iran's top nuclear official reminded the West that Tehran had powerful allies opposed to referring its suspected atomic weapons program to the U.N. Security Council.
  • UPI reported that President Bush called Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons a "grave concern" and said he would raise the issue at the United Nations.
  • Mikhail Zygar, Dmitry Sidorov, Mos News reported that by increasing the tensions, Iranian authorities are trying to gain more leeway from the West.
  • Steven Weisman, The NY Times reported that India is balking at confronting Iran, straining its friendship with the U.S.
  • Globe & Mail reported that lacking the votes to win, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is prepared to delay again a showdown with Iran.
  • Ron Kampeas, JTA reported that behind-the-scenes at U.N., Sharon will have one focus - Iranian Nukes.
  • Louis Charbonneau, Reuters reported that the U.N. atomic watchdog fears referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council now for possible sanctions would split its members.
  • Dafna Linzer, The Washington Post reports on the Bush administration's hour-long slide show that blends satellite imagery with disquieting assumptions about Iran's nuclear energy program, entitled: A History of Concealment and Deception.
  • The Wall Street Journal reported that the Bush administration dispatched intelligence experts to China and India last week to brief them on Tehran's alleged efforts to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
  • Bloomberg reported that China's President Hu Jintao agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to curb Iran's nuclear weapons development.
  • The LA Times reported that the United States has launched a major push to isolate Iran diplomatically, but said it may be too little too late.
  • Reuters reported that Iran is ready to share its nuclear technology with other Islamic countries, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
  • Time Magazine reported Chinese President Hu Jintao's talks with President Bush this week have shown just how far apart the two countries remain on the goal of depriving "Axis of Evil" states of nuclear programs.
  • The Telegraph UK reported on the fear of nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East should alarm the west after Iran's president said they would provide Muslim nations with nuclear technology for free
  • ABC News published the U.S PowerPoint presentation being used as a Briefing on Iran Alleges Pattern of Concealment, Deception.
  • The Guardian UK reported that Britain will lead a drive to have Iran referred to the UN Security Council.
  • The Associated Press reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indicated the Bush administration was prepared to delay again a showdown with Iran saying: the world is not perfect in international politics. You cannot always get a 100 percent solution.
  • The Washington Times reported that French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin threatened to refer Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council, saying: If a state fails in its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is legitimate, once dialogue has been exhausted, to refer it to the Security Council.
  • Deutsche Welle reported that the EU3 were seeking to arrange a meeting Thursday with the Iranian delegation.The Times of India reported India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: There is no difference in objectives between India and the United States vis-a-vis Iran.
  • ABC News reported that President Bush said Friday that he's confident that the international community will refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council if it does not account for what the United States contends is a record of nuclear deceit.
  • The Wall Street Journal reported that President Bush hopes to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to toughen his stance on Iran.
  • ABC News reported that comments by U.S. President George W. Bush have given fresh impetus to Tehran's talks with the European Union.
  • BBC News reported that Iran's president met three leading EU foreign ministers a in the highest-level talks on the subject since his election.
  • CNN reported that western leaders are waiting to hear what Iran's new president will say Saturday at the United Nations about the country's nuclear program.
  • BBC News reported that the UK government has described as "unhelpful" a speech by the Iranian president in which he asserted Iran's right to produce nuclear energy.
  • Ynet News reported that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with South African President Thabo Mbeki and asked him to advance the referral of Iran’s nuclear program to discussion at the United Nations Security Council.
  • CNN reported that Iran's president is absolutely "determined" to pursue a nuclear energy program and will "use every resource" it has to battle the United States and European nations trying to prevent it.
  • Reuters reported that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged the United Nations on Saturday to stand up to Iran.
  • The Financial Times reported that Iran is seeking a compromise in its nuclear-fuel stand-off.
  • The Washington Times reported cracks appeared in the U.S.-European diplomatic drive to curb Iran's nuclear weapons program, when Paris would not object to Mr. Ahmadinejad's suggestion that Iran share its nuclear energy technology with other Islamic countries.
Akbar Ganji - Back in Jail.
  • The Daily Times PK reported that Iranian dissident journalist Akbar Ganji appears to have been sent back to solitary confinement despite promises by judiciary officials that he would be freed from prison.
  • BBC News reported that Iranian dissident writer Akbar Ganji has been placed in solitary confinement after being transferred back to prison from hospital, his wife has said.
  • Iran Watch Canada translated recent Iranian news reports on Ganji and Zahra Kazemi's court file. One saying the Iranian government spent a total of $1 on Ganji's medical care.
  • IranMania reported that the wife of jailed Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji complained that she had had no news of the dissident for three weeks.
  • Reuters reported that a United Nations rights investigator on Friday called for the release of dissident Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji, reimprisoned upon discharge from hospital despite poor health after a lengthy hunger strike.
Other Iranian dissidents inside of Iran.
  • The Scotsman interviewed Ahmad Batebi, Tehran's 'most wanted' political dissident. A must read.
  • Iran Press News reported that political prisoners Valiollah Fayz-Mahdavi and Hodjat Zamani, joined their fellow activists, Bina Darab-Zand and Behrooz Javid-Tehrani on their hunger strike.
  • The Committee to Protect Bloggers has not been able to get any information on Omid Sheikhan since the third week in July. If anyone out there can find out if he is safe or not, please let them know.
  • Reporters Without Borders called for the immediate release of journalist Massoud Bastani, in Evin prison for covering a demonstration in support of imprisoned fellow journalist Akbar Ganji.
The unrest against the regime spreads in Iran.
  • Iran Press News reported that the Deputy Governor of Kurdistan, Jamshidi, was killed in a car crash along with one of his children. This is the second government official in Kurdistan who has presumably been killed in a car accident, in the past two weeks.
  • Iran Focus reported that some 200 special units of the State Security Forces (SSF) moved into different locations across the Iranian capital on Saturday.
  • Iranian blogger, Shahram Kholdi, S'CAN-IRANIC reported a few hardliner websites, whose credibility cannot be verified and cite their "informed sources", report that the assassins of Judge Moghaddas were two brothers. One of the brothers is currently under arrest.
The Power Struggle inside of Iran.
  • Iran Press News reported that Ahmadinejad's own site reports that his opponents at the Ministry of Oil are conceiving a cold winter for the people, due to lack of oil for heating.
U.S. Policy.
  • The New York Times reported that the assembly of more than 170 world leaders to mark the United Nations' 60th birthday gives Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a unique opportunity to advance U.S. foreign policy goals on several difficult fronts.
  • Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service News Agency reported that the President Bush's administration is moving steadily toward adopting the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states.
  • Reuters reported that President George W. Bush said Iran had a right to a civilian nuclear program.
  • The White House published President Bush's speech at the UN.
The Iranian Military.
  • Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the Supreme Leader appointed Major General Ataollah Salehi to the post of general commander of the Army.
  • Iran Focus reported that Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said: If the U.S. attacks Iran, each of America’s states will face a crisis the size of Katrina.
  • WorldNetDaily fears that Iran's military is preparing an EMP attack on the U.S. The effect would be far more devastating than Katrina.
The Iranian Economy.
  • Iran Press News reported that the regime is facing a $12 billion budget deficit this year.
Human Rights/Freedom of the press inside of Iran.
  • Shirin Ebadi, Rooz Online warned that Iran's new government sponsored NGO's are providing wrong information regarding human rights conditions in Iran.
  • Agence France Press reported that a 22-year-old Iranian man has been publicly hanged.
  • Iran Press News reported that the regime has stepped up it's oppression and intimidation of women and the youth of Iran.
  • Iran Press News reported on the distribution of CD's cataloguing and exposing the depth of the regime's corruption and crimes in the province of Khuzestan.
  • Iranian blogger, Mehrdad Sheibani, Rooz Online reported that a Majlis deputy requests that the term happiness be defined and its terms identified! He has asked the ministry of Islamic guidance to come up with standards for holding marriage weddings and punishing those who violate it!
  • Iranian blogger, Hossein Derakshan, The Guardian discussed Internet censorship in Iran.
  • Iranian blogger, Mehrangiz Kar, Rooz Online reported that in Iran these days there is talk of replacing detention and flogging as forms of punishment with something more human.
  • Iranian blogger, Vahid Sabetian, Rooz Online reported that the new hardline government of Iran has tasked the new Minister of Justice to write the bill for defining political crimes in Iran.
Protests inside of Iran.
  • Iran Press News reported that the Dezfool Sugar Factory workers marched 448 miles from Dezfool to bring their protest to Tehran.
  • Iran Focus reported that the chancellors of ten of Iran’s prestigious universities have resigned in protest against the policies of the new radical Islamist government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Iran and the International community.
  • Iran Focus reported that a handshake between British Foreign Minister Jack Straw and one of Esfandiar Rahim Masha'ie, new Vice-Presidents, has aroused much anger and indignation among Iranian exiles, who say he has a long history as a torturer and executioner of political dissidents in Iran.
  • Asian Tribune reported that Pakistan is willing to back out of the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.
  • Bill Samii, Radio Free Europe reported that Iran's Supreme Leader met with Ramadan Abdallah Shallah, visiting head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
  • The International Herald Tribune reported that last February, a group of European and American foreign policy experts issued the "Compact Between the United States and Europe," a detailed proposal for trans-Atlantic cooperation on the key foreign policy issues. They produced a response to the Iranian crisis.
  • The Tribune India reported that US President George Bush may have launched a failed drive to isolate Iran.
  • The Dawn reported that Iranian forces opened indiscriminate fire on three Pakistanis who wanted to go to Dubai through Chabar, killing them.
  • Itar-Tass reported that Ahmadinejad, at his meeting of Putin, said: Powerful Russia is Iran’s best friend and powerful Iran is one of the best friends of Russia.
Insight into the Iranian people.
  • The Telegraph India reported that Hijab and chador notwithstanding, Iranian women have carved out a space for themselves in society.
  • The Guardian reported that in Iran an ancient poet, Hafez, already popular is gaining rock star status among those unhappy with the regime. Hafez was a scourge of the clerical establishment, which he saw a two-faced and hypocritical.
Can You Believe This?
  • Iran Press News reported that Iranians are dying of thirst in the port city of Kenaarak.
  • Iran Press News reported that a member of the regime's parliament strongly reacted to comment made by Dr. Condoleeza Rice who had stated that in case she crosses paths with Ahmadinejad at the U.N., she would in fact say hello. Mullah Mousa Qorbaani said: Ms. Rice is delusional if she thinks that she can say hello to Ahmadinejad.
  • Reuters reported that rights activist Bianca Jagger, seeks to promote dialogue between Iran and the United States, saying she is treading a fine line between criticism of U.S. policy and a need to hold Tehran to account on human rights.
  • Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that prominent American anti-war university professors arrived in Tehran carrying a message of peace.
  • Yahoo News reported that Ayatollah Jannati said that the US does not deserve Katrina Aid.
Must Read reports.
  • Jim Saxton, The Washington Times published Jim Saxton's: Fighting Terror Four Years On.
  • Salman Rushdie, The Times followed up with his recent call for reform within Islam saying: Lesson One for the Modern Muslim: Remember, This is Not the 8th Century.
  • Roger Kimball, The NY Sun reported on the Hitchens, Galloway clash ina debate on the Iraq War. Plus a video.
The Experts.
  • Farid Zakaria, PBS interviewed Prince Reza Pahlavi on major issues like Democracy & Election in Iran. And audio clip and partial transcript here.
  • FrontPageMagazine.com published an interview with Ilan Berman, Vice President for Policy of the Washington-based American Foreign Policy Council and author of the new book: Tehran Rising: Iran's Challenge to the United States.
  • Amir Taheri, The Wall Street Journal reported that in the Tehran moneychangers' bazaar the Iraqi currency is in great demand. He discussed its implications.
  • Amir Taheri, Morocco Times reported that at a recent Friday prayer session in a mosque in London the “imam” delivering the sermon said believers were to pray that "no harm comes to Iran's nuclear bomb."
  • Radio Free Europe published an interview with Iran expert, Ilan Berman. Berman said growing Iranian government "activism" throughout both the Middle East and Central Asia poses a major challenge to U.S. interests.
  • Amir Taheri, Arab News reported that Iran is readying for conflict with the U.S.
Photos, Cartoons, Audio and Video of the week.
And finally, The Quote of the Week.
Reuters quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying:

"The Islamic Republic never seeks weapons of mass destruction and with respect to the needs of Islamic countries, we are ready to transfer nuclear know-how to these countries."

posted by DoctorZin @ 9/17/2005 11:58:00 PM