Thursday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 10.6.2005:

Blair links Iraq bombings to row over Iran's nuclear program

Ewen MacAskill, Brian Whitaker,

The Guardian UK:Tony Blair warned yesterday he will not be diverted from the debate over Iran's nuclear programme by Tehran's suspected involvement in a series of deadly bomb attacks on British soldiers this year.

Speaking at Downing Street 24 hours after a British official pointed a finger of blame at Tehran, Mr Blair said: "There are certain pieces of information that lead us back to Iran."

Such attacks would not prevent Britain continuing to press for Iran to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. "There is no justification for Iran or any other country interfering in Iraq," Mr Blair said. "Neither will we be subject to any intimidation in raising the necessary and live issues to do with the nuclear weapons obligations of Iran under the Atomic Energy Agency treaty." READ MORE

There were several other valuable reports on Blair's statement:

• The Telegraph reported that a senior British official said that there was evidence that the Iranians were now in contact with Sunni Muslim insurgent groups fighting the coalition forces in Iraq.
• Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reported that Prime Minister Tony Blair said that new explosive devices used against coalition forces in Iraq "lead us either to Iranian elements or to Hezbollah." "We cannot be sure," Blair told a news conference, but "there are certain pieces of information that lead us back to Iran."
• The Times reported Tehran fiercely denied claims that it had supplied sophisticated weapons used to kill British troops in southern Iraq. Hamid Reza-Asefi of the Iranian foreign ministry said: Britain's conspiracies have been revealed and its scandal in Iraq has made London make up this lie.
• The Christian Science Monitor provided a recap of the world media's coverage of the news reports of the UK's allegation of Iran's support for the insurgents in Iraq.

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

• The Financial Times reported that the US and Britain on Thursday issued blunt warnings to Iran and Syria over their alleged involvement with terrorist groups, with Tony Blair declaring there was no justification for Tehran interfering in Iraq's affairs.
• The White House released a transcript of President Bush's speech on the War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy.
• The White House then released a Fact Sheet: President Bush Remarks on the War on Terror.
  
• Iran Press News reported on the beatings, torture and threats of execution to political prisoners: Behrooz Javid-Tehrani, Javid-Tehran and Valiollah Fayz-Mahdavi.
• Iran Press News reported that Friday, October 7th, the regime will stage orchestrated protests supporting the continuation of the regime's hazardous nuclear activities.
• Iran Press News quoted Mohammad El Baradei, in an interview with Al Jazeera TV, said: Trust in Tehran's regime has expired. He added he will not attest to the peacefulness of the regime's nuclear activities and that he has come to a crossroads.
• Iran Press News reported IRI Embassy demanded the Japan Times correct an article on Iran's nuclear program that they claimed contained lies.
• Xinhuanet reported that Iran will not invite EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to the next round of nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany saying: Iran is not satisfied with Solana's negative attitude toward Iran's nuclear program.
• San Jose Mercury reported that Russia's foreign minister dismissed speculation that Moscow might join talks between Iran and European negotiators.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran has made progress in its nuclear fuel cycle program.
• Iranian blogger, Azarmehr, For a democratic secular Iran profiled Ahmadinejad's mentor, the mad Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.
• Iranian blogger, Morteza Abdolalian, Iran Watch Canada reported that Iranian dissident Afshari has left Iran , escaped 6 years imprisonment.
• Iranian.ws reported that Islamic Republic Broadcasting launched first Qoranic tv network on Thursday in Tehran.
• Iranian.ws reported that Ali Larijani met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Wednesday and The two senior officials underlined the need for maintaining vigilance and integrity among Muslim states against the enemies' conspiracies.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that with President Bush's top advisers set to discuss U.S. policy toward Iran today, the State Department has circulated a briefing paper that proposes significantly expanding U.S. diplomatic contacts with Tehran.
• The Associated Press then reported that while the Bush administration ruled out expanded diplomatic contacts with Iran.
• And finally, The Washington Times reported that the Bush administration expressed concern about the role of Iran's military in the country's nuclear programs.