Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 11.2.2005:

"How Dangerous is Iran?" - Full text of the Cicero article on Iran

Winds of Change: Here is the full English text of the recent Cicero article on Iran as provided by the brave men and women of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS).

A few excerpts:

The author of this article was able to look at a list of the holy killers who have found safe refuge in Iran. The list reads like the Who's Who of global jihad, with close to 25 high-ranking leadership cadres of Al-Qa'ida -- planners, organizers, and ideologues of the jihad from Egypt, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and Europe. Right at the top in the Al-Qa'ida hierarchy: three of Usama Bin Ladin's sons, Saad, Mohammad, and Othman.

Al-Qa'ida spokesman Abu Ghaib enjoys Iranian protection, as does Abu Dagana al-Alemani (known as the German), who coordinates cooperation of the various jihadist networks throughout the world from Iran. They live in secure housing of the Revolutionary Guard in and around Tehran. "This is not prison or house arrest," is the conclusion of a high-ranking intelligence officer. "They are free to do as they please." ...

For years, according to the findings of Middle Eastern and Western intelligence services, Iranian intelligence services have already worked together repeatedly with Sunni jihad organizations of Al-Qa'ida. "As an Islamist, I go to the Saudis to get money," the Jordanian GID man outlines the current practice of Islamist holy warriors. "When I need weapons, logistical support, or military terrorist training and equipment, I go to the Iranians." ...

The practical consequences of this answer make Western intelligence services shudder: "If anyone, the United States or even Israel, gets the idea to bomb the Iranian nuclear weapons program back 10 years into the past, then God help us," says a Western intelligence officer. "Then the Mullahs will unleash their guard dogs worldwide. They will equip and support all Shi'ite terrorist networks with the Sunni networks globally, that is, with everything that they have. For us it would be the ultimate worst-case scenario, one for which we are not prepared." READ MORE

This is the author and publication that was raided by the German authorities earlier this year for publishing classified German intelligence information. It is credible. A definite must read. It needs to be widely read.

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

• Iran Press News reported that a regime-run newspapers warned its readers to: keep the names of these inferior creatures in mind... Kofi Anan... the authorities of the European Union as well as the Vatican, Franco Fini... Turkish Prime Minister... the chief of the PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee...Denis Hastert (speaker of the U.S. house of representatives), Sean McCormack (National Security Council Spokesman).
• Iran Press News reported that Tehran authorities are inspecting the case of a young man who according to his family was tortured to death by the regime’s agents.
• Iran Press News reported that Ahmad-Reza Shiri, Journalist and blogger from Mash'had who had been arrested and imprisoned temporarily, awaiting trial.
• Iran Press News reported that a group of armed individuals who claimed to be intelligence agents of the city of Saari (Province of Mazandaraan) kidnapped the editor of Daryaasar newspaper and after brutally beating him, cut his ear off.
• Iran Press News reported that Iranian dissident Payman Peeraan's new trial begins.
• MosNews reported that industrial contracts between Iran and Russia could reach $10 billion per year.
• Iran Press News published a horrific letter of political prisoner Mehrdad Lohrasbi.
• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s top national security official and a senior aide to Supreme Leader, Larijani, said: If the West wants to refer Iran’s nuclear file to the Security Council, we won’t have any problem. It just means that oil prices will reach 150 dollars, which will bring good luck for the government of [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that politicians from Italy's left and right have said they will attend a rally in front of the Iranian embassy on Thursday to protest remarks by the Iranian president.
• Ynetnews reported that Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini said Tuesday that should Iran equip itself with nuclear weapons the whole world and not only Israel will be threatened.
• Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Tuesday rejected a call from a supporter of the MKO terrorist group to start talks with Iranian opposition groups to overthrow the country's government.
• Ha'aretz reminded us that the phrase "death to Israel" and "Israel must be eliminated" are Khomeini's original coin phrases. These are the very words that Khomeini uttered to his first-ever foreign visitor - Yasser Arafat.
• Alon Ben-Meir, United Press International reported that many believe that the Iranian president's call to 'wipe Israel off the map,' is tantamount to a declaration of war.
• The Guardian confirmed that Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has embarked on a purge of senior Iranian diplomats.
• Martin Indyk, The Los Angeles Times warned that Iran's recent bluster isn't a bluff.
• And finally, Abbas Milani, The Wall Street Journal argued that the clerical cabal that rules Iran is pushing its captive population ever closer to the precipice and the only answer to the Iranian nuclear problem is democracy.