Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 12.10.2005:

Iran’s strategic role in the Islamic world

Mehr News:

Iran’s active participation at the third extraordinary summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which was held last week in Mecca ... offered a series of proposals at the December 7-8 summit that drew the attention of Islamic leaders.

Ahmadinejad proposed establishing an Islamic common market, an Islamic rapid reaction military force to respond to crises in Muslim countries, and a fund to support the Palestinian cause. ...

The partial ratification of Iran’s proposal to establish an Islamic rapid reaction force was among the most important achievements of the OIC summit and will most probably have a positive effect on developments in the Islamic world.

The rapid reaction force will be tasked with providing assistance to countries affected by natural disasters and in the future may be tasked with conducting security and military missions, with the aim of preventing internal crises in Islamic countries. READ MORE

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

• Amir Taheri, Gulf News warns the west that the campaign to ridicule Ahamdinejad's religious beliefs inside Iran is deceptive. Ahmadinejad is reflecting Khomeinist ideology that even Rafsanjani and Khatami must believe, if they support the regime. A must read.
  
• JTA News reported that the U.N. Security Council unanimously condemned anti-Israel calls by Iran's president.
• The Billings Gazette reported that Iran's armed forces began their biggest ever military maneuvers Friday in the Persian Gulf involving submarines, warships, missiles, jet fighters and helicopter gunships.
• NBC 15 reported that Saudis fumed Friday after Iran's hard-line president marred a summit dedicated to showing Islam's moderate face.
• The Associated Press reported that Robert Joseph, undersecretary for arms control and international security described the Iranian government as "very aggressive, very determined to develop nuclear weapons."
• Louis Charbonneau, Reuters reported that Germany summoned Iran's envoy over holocaust remarks.
• Expatica reported that Israel would have to prepare "other solutions" in view of Iran's nuclear program.
• Radio Free Europe reported that as Iraq's Kurdistan region has achieved a degree of self-rule Iranian Kurds are watching closely.
• Reuters reported that Israel called Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "very dangerous."
• The Economist reported that Akbar Ganji, "Iran's most outstanding dissident, is in renewed danger" and that he refuses to give in.
• The Christian Science Monitor reported that Tehran and Iranian opposition websites in recent weeks are rife with rumors that the regime is about to replace ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• Iranian.com published a simple diagram: How Iranian politics works.
• And finally, A Weblog Awards Update with comments from our friends at Iraq the Model, the current leader in the vote totals. I think you might enjoy this.