Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 12.19.2005:

What is behind Ahmadinejad’s anti-Israel remarks?

Mehran Riazaty:

The main question is why Ahmadinejad made these comments? These comments are not definitely made by accident.

During Khatami’s presidency, Hassan Rohani, who used to be Iran’s Supreme National Security Chief, wrote a letter to him and explained Iran’s Political Strategy: Creating crisis, shifting crisis to opportunities then take advantage of these opportunities. It could be said that Khatami created the crisis and now Ahmadinejad shifting Khatami’s crisis to opportunities which soon Iranian Ayatollahs will take advantage of these opportunities. ...

Now the fruit of Iran’s nuclear activities is ripe, somehow they have to reveal to the world that they are enriching uranium or they want to enrich uranium or even they have a nuclear bomb!

But how? Ahmadinejad makes strong anti-Israel remarks. Moderate political groups in Iran could not even say anything because Ahmadinejad’s words against Israel are merely a repetition of the wish of the founder of the Islamic Republic (i.e. Ayatollah Khomeini). The world get angry at Iran. Israel begins to think of attacking Iran. Iran will take advantage of Israel position, and tell international communities to defend its nation against Israel who has 200 nuclear warheads needs to advance its nuclear technology.

Mehran is a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad in the office of Strategic Communication. He will be a regular contributor to this blog.

• Baltimore Sun reported that when Ahmadinejad called the Holocaust a "myth" his harsh rhetoric was also an effort to signal that Iran, not al-Qaida, is the leading force behind militant Islam.
• Ali Akbar Dareini, St. Paul Pioneer reported that the recent remarks by Iran's hard-line president are part of a strategy to keep anti-Israel sentiment alive in the Middle East.
• ABC News reported that Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the West should be more tolerant of Ahmadinejad's views.
  

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

• Khaleej Times reported that while the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) seems to have reversed its position on Iran's nuclear plans, the head of the six-member bloc said: It's not worrisome as long as it is restricted to peaceful use.
• Iran Mania reported that China is conducting negotiations with Iran on developing Yadavaran Oilfield.
• Hamed Irani, Rooz Online reported that while the Majlis (Iran’s Parliament) has a law that bans members of City Councils to hold government posts, there are numerous City Council executives who hold second posts inside the government.
• Rooz Online reported that a movie camera has been found among the debris of last week’s crash of a C-130 transport aircraft and that the entire conversation of the captain and the control tower was recorded on this camera.
• Iran Focus reported that Ali Larijani, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and Secretary General of the powerful Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) described President George W. Bush as an “odd” man.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that despite the fact that continued diplomatic initiatives will "not foil Iran's nuclear ambitions," OC Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash) told the cabinet on Sunday that "it is important to pursue [them]."
• NewKerala reported that Germany has more to lose from any economic sanctions on Iran than other Western countries.
• The Financial Times reported that Britain, France and Germany face tense negotiations with Iran on Wednesday when the two sides resume talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.
• Radio Free Europe reported that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today that Iran cannot be trusted with technology that could lead to nuclear arms.
• EU Business reported that Israeli President Moshe Katsav accused the European Union of showing "hesitation and weakness" in the face of Iran's nuclear program.
• Rooz Online published a cartoon "wiping out" Ahmadinejad "wiping out Israel."
• And finally, A photo of an Iranian missile with a banner reading: "Israel must be uprooted and erased from history."