Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 11.29.2005:

Iran president had ‘religious vision’ during UN speech

Gareth Smyth and Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran, The Financial Times:

A leading website in Iran has published a transcript and video recording of President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad claiming to have felt “a light” while addressing world leaders at the United Nations in New York in September. ...

According to the transcript, Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said someone present at the UN, possibly from his entourage, subsequently told him: “When you began with the words ‘In the name of God’… I saw a light coming, surrounding you and protecting you to the end [of the speech].” Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said he sensed a similar presence.

“I felt it myself, too, that suddenly the atmosphere changed and for 27-28 minutes the leaders could not blink,” the transcript continues. “I am not exaggerating…because I was looking. All the leaders were puzzled, as if a hand held them and made them sit. They had their eyes and ears open for the message from the Islamic Republic.” READ MORE

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

• Adnkronos International reported that an Iranian parliamentarian, a member of Iran's Zoroastrian religious minority has been summoned to appear before the country's Revolutionary Tribunal for protesting remarks that Non-Muslims "cannot be called human beings but are animals" made by a close aide to Iran's Supreme Leader.
• Amy Kellogg, FOX News released part seven of her reports from inside Iran: The Ties That Bind Iran, Iraq. Video also available.
• Iran Focus reported that Rafsanjani said the United States was faced with the problem of Islamic ideology in Iraq.
• Spiegel provides more details on attempts by Tehran to lend Pyongyang a helping hand against western pressure for North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program.
• Bill Samii and Fatemeh Aman, Radio Free Europe reported on how Iran is breaking the will of political prisoners.
• Arab Times reported on a conference on Nato and the Greater Middle East wrapped up deliberations here on Sunday.
• The Wall Street Journal asked how can we trust the Russians to resolve the Iranian crisis over its nuclear program given its own history.
• Lillian Swift, The Telegraph UK reported on Iran's War on Weblogs citing this blog is blocked by the Iranian regime.
• And finally, Gooya News published many photos of a demonstration in Tehran's Polytechnic.