Week in Review

DoctorZin provides a review of this past week's [12/25/05 -12/31/05] major news events regarding Iran. (The reports are listed in chronological order, not by importance)

Ahmadinejad.

• Sara Esfahani, Rooz Online reported that the cabinet of president Ahmadinejad has embarked on a policy of fundamentally altering the national organization that selects applicants to national universities as an effort to control student life and access to higher education.
• Rooz Online reported on the conflicting reports given by the regime on the assassination attempt on Iran's Presidents life.
• Iran Focus reported that Ahmadinejad has asked for a committee to be set up to prove that the massacre of some six million Jews in Nazi Germany never took place.
• Cyrus Kadivar, Iran va Jahan criticized a recent article by Thomas L. Friedman entitled “A shah with a turban”.
• Matthias Kuntzel, Transatlantic Intelligencer, FrontPageMag.com reported on the problems with German's recent confrontation over Ahamdinejad's holocausts statements.
• Tino, Truck and Barter reported that the Iranian embassy in Sweden seems to be actively looking for holocaust deniers in Sweden. What is going on?
  

Power Struggle inside of Iran.

• Yahoo News reported that a reformist-funded satellite television channel plan to take legal action against Iranian authorities for allegedly banning their activities and broadcast into Iran.
• The Peninsula reported that the managers of a reformist-funded satellite television channel are to take legal action against Iranian authorities for allegedly banning their activities and broadcast funded by Mehdi Karoubi, a reformist cleric.
• Rooz Online reported on the Iranian government's battle over Azad University.
• Hamed Irani, Rooz Online reported that the Iranian government banned news reports about Saba TV.
• Meysam Tavvab, Rooz Online reported that the Iranian government had expressed concern that the reformist satellite broadcaster Saba might upset pious Muslim women, before banning the station.
• Hossein Bastani, Rooz Online argued that anyone surprised by the government ban on Saba TV is forgetting recent history, particularly leaders of the so-called "reformist movement."
  

Iran's Nuclear Program.

• The Jerusalem Post:Iran denied on Sunday that it had received from Russia a proposal for moving its uranium enrichment facilities to Russian territory.
• Efraim Inbar, The Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies published a report: The Imperative to Use Force Against Iranian Nuclearization.
• Rooz Online reported that the Iran-EU talks ended before they even began.
• Reuters reported that Iran's Foreign Minister said: Iran says does not need permission for nuclear work.
• Ray Takeyh, The Financial Times argued that diplomacy will not end Iran's nuclear program.
• Erik Schechter, The Jerusalem Post reported there are five options on the table for dealing with Iran and its suspected nuclear weapons program.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that Russia is waiting for Tehran's reply to a proposal to move Iranian uranium enrichment facilities to Russian soil.
• DW-World.de published an interview with German arms expert Oliver Meier about the chances of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff.
• Reuters reported that Moscow's tensions with the West over Iran's nuclear program and its patchy record on democracy will test Russia's year at the helm of the G8.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Mossad Chief Meir Dagan said: "Iran is one to two years away, at the latest, from having enriched uranium."
• The New York Times reported that Iran hints at a warmer reception to Russia's nuclear proposal.
• Reuters reported that top Iranian and Russian officials agreed on Thursday to hold talks on a Russian proposal aimed a resolving Tehran's nuclear standoff.
• Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Monsters and Critics reported that the Russian Defence Ministry denied having agreed to nuclear talks with Iran.
• International Herald Tribune reported that Iran said that it needed talks with Moscow to clarify what it described as "ambiguities" in a Russian proposal.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that a high-ranking Russian diplomat said that Russia has no interest in Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and does not want a radical, Islamic nuclear power on its doorstep.
• Roland Flamini, United Press International reported on Iran's dangerous gamble.
• Washington Times reported that EU officials are concerned that U.S. sanctions against companies selling Iran weapons are hobbling a unified effort to end a nuclear standoff.
• TurkishPress reported that the Turkish Press claims CIA director Porter Goss told Ankara that Iran has nuclear weapons.
• UPI, Monsters & Critics also reported the Bush administration is preparing its NATO allies for a possible military strike against suspected nuclear sites in Iran.
• Spiegel Online asked is Washington planning a military strike on Iran.
• Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official said: Iran's agreement to discuss Moscow's plan to enrich uranium in Russia does not mean that Tehran has abandoned its drive to enrich uranium on its own soil.
• Reuters reported that Russia's foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that a top envoy had talked to Iranian officials to discuss a Russian proposal to enrich uranium for the Islamic Republic.
• Iran Focus reported that a top Iranian official said on Friday that Iran viewed the right to enrich uranium on its own soil as a “red line” not to be crossed.
• Itar-Tass reported that the Director of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, is scheduled to visit Iran, in February.
  

The Reports of US and/or Israeli Contingency Plans for an Attack on Iran.

• Arab Monitor reported that Turkeys Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul dismissed reports about an alleged US offer to permit Turkey to take out PKK bases in Iran in exchange for Turkeys support of US military strikes against Iran.
• Aljazeera reported that General Dan Halutz, Israel's chief of staff, has ruled out the prospect of a pre-emptive strike against Iran.
• Adnkronos International reported that the Iranian government will set aside funds in its next annual budget to prevent what it says are "American plots."
  

The Unrest inside of Iran.

• Breaking News.iereported that some of Tehran’s bus drivers stopped work today in protest, despite the arrest of their associates just days ago for a similar protest. Traffic in Tehran reportedly ground to a halt.
• SMCCDI reported that tens of the Greater Tehran's bus drivers have been arrested in the last 24 hours.
• Shahram Rafiizadeh, Rooz Online reported that this past week's union strike of Bus drivers in Tehran is the most serious confrontation between workers and government officials during the last two decades.
• SMCCDI reported that workers of the Greater Tehran's Subway Company were able to cut off the electrical power of Tehran's subway lines, on Tuesday afternoon, in support of arrested union brothers.
• Safa Haeri, Iran Press Service reported that the leaders of Tehran Bus Company have been arrested and the Union dissolved.
• SMCCDI reported that a tentative [execution of] a political prisoner resulted, today, in a violent riot at the Oroomiah (former Rezai-e) prison.
• Reuters reported that a little-known Sunni rebel organisation says it has abducted nine Iranian soldiers to pressure Tehran to free imprisoned members of the group.
• SMCCDI reported that hundreds of Bassji and militiamen have been deployed in the central City of Shiraz and were on maneuvers for taking back the city from 'unidentified' forces.
• Iran Focus reported that some 200 workers from the Miral glass factory held a demonstration and set fire to tyres south of Tehran Saturday morning in protest to their employers’ refusal to pay their overdue salaries. SMCCDI also published a report.
  

The Iranian Economy.

• The Economic Times reported that Iran thinks the OPEC oil cartel should cut its production ceiling by 1 million barrels per day when it meets on January 31.
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that an India-Iran joint working group Wednesday resumed talks in New Delhi on a proposed natural gas pipeline project.
• IranMania.com reported that Pakistan will take a final decision about the multi-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project in two months.
  

Human Rights/Religious and Press Freedom inside of Iran.

• Rooz Online reported that Iranian satirist, Ebrahim Nabavi received the Prince Claus Award for Culture and Development in the Netherlands. Nabavi 58 is an accomplished writer with 31 published books, including his Prison Memoirs.
• Radio Free Europe reported that Tehran's prayer leader recently said: "we consider ourselves pioneers of human rights."
• Rooz Online reported that in a public letter, Ms Shafiee, the wife of imprisoned journalist and writer Akbar Ganji has called the recent statements of Mahmud Salarkia, the deputy prosecutor of Tehran to be laughable.
• Shahram Rafizadeh, Rooz Online reported that a member Iran’s Parliament says a committee in the Ministry of Culture plans to control Iranian fashion and clothes people wear.
• SMCCDI reported that two young men qualified as "Enemy of God" were hanged in the central square of the southern City of Ahvaz.
• Bahram Rafiee, Rooz Online reported that the Iranian Ministry of Culture has not issued any licenses to publishers for the publication of any new books, and officials will review all licenses for current books.
• Ardeshir Dolat reported that a young Iranian girl has been sentenced to death by hanging.
• Radio Free Europe hosted a roundtable discussion in December about "women and power" in Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
  

Iran's troublemaking.

• Iran Focus reported that thousands of Iraqis turned out to demonstrate in Baghdad against Iranian meddling in December 15 parliamentary elections.
• DEBKAfile reported on a recent meeting in Iran where Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinians agreed on launching a second front against Israel.
  

Iran's Military.

• Iran Focus reported the Commandant of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned of the “threats” by foreign and domestic enemies.
  

Iran and the International community.

• Methan Demir, The Jerusalem Post reported that a Turkish court declared on that terrorism is the instrument of Iran's foreign policy and that Teheran will not hesitate to use terrorism against its rivals in order to achieve its goals.
• Azizullah Khan, Daily Times reported on the most recent reports on the Pakistan/Balouch military conflict. It appears that Iranian intelligence in also involved.
• Morteza Mohseni, Rooz Online reported that the Saudi government has complained about the disregard for protocol by president Ahmadinejad of Iran during his recent trip to the Kingdom.
• Daily Times reported that Pakistan has dismissed speculations of Iran being behind the deteriorating situation in Balochistan.
• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said the Islamic Republic wanted Islamic nations to unite.
• MEMRI reported that Iraqi reformist Dr. Abd Al-Khaleq Hussein criticized the Iranian and Syrian regimes and their actions in Iraq and Lebanon. He wrote that these regimes were fascist.
• China Daily reported that a Frenchman was in good health after being picked up along with a German man in the Straits of Hormuz.
• Rasha Saad, Al-Ahram looks at the Arab reaction to the new Iranian President.
  

Inside Iran.

• Radio Free Europe published an interview with Kaveh Basmenji to discuss his book, "Tehran Blues," and prospects for Iranian youth.
• Radio Free Europe published an excerpt from "Tehran Blues," a new book by Kaveh Basmenji. An interesting read.
• Golnaz Esfandiari, Radio Free Europe published an interview with a 19-year-old Iranian named Arash, who delivers pizzas for a Tehran pizzeria. He said young people in Iran are worried about the future.
• Nibras Kazimi, The New York Sun reported on what he calls the retro-revolutionaries in Iran.
• USA Today reported that the author of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is preparing an international online book club.
• SMCCDI reported that the Iranian National Soccer Team has been re-selected for the upcoming June's World Cup in Germany. Each of its scheduled games are believed to lead to more hostile demos against the Islamic republic regime, both inside and outside the country.
  

US Policy on Iran.

• Dafna Linzer, Washington Post reported that the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC has begun to sharply criticize the White House over its handling of Iran's nuclear program.
• Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) Senate Majority Leader, The Los Angeles Times published a statement on the need to rein in Iran.
• The Washington Times reported that several Chinese companies involved in selling missile goods and chemical-arms materials to Iran have been hit with U.S. sanctions.
• The New York Times reported that new U.S. sanctions against state-owned Chinese companies accused of aiding Iran's missile and chemical programs could signal a harder line toward Tehran.
• Los Angeles Daily News reported that U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman is making Iran his mission.
• Bill Gertz, The Washington Times reported that China's government yesterday demanded that the Bush administration lift sanctions imposed on six companies on charges of illicit sales to Iran.
• WSTM-TV reported that the Bush administration will be looking to 2006 for the fulfillment of its foreign policy goals.
  

US Sentate on Iran.

• The American Thinker reported that there’s no clue yet as to who induced the Dems to put the kibbosh on the portions of the Senate resolution supporting democracy in Iran.
  

Must Read reports.

• Hossein Bastani, Rooz Online published Iran's Other Senior Leaders Threats: A Sampling.
• Christopher Hitchens, Slate argued that Iran is meddling in Iraqi affairs, but maybe the influence works both ways.
• Mustafa al-Ani, Al-Hayat considered Iran's leaders having learned the lesson of the "Stupid Tree."
  

The Experts.

• Amir Taheri, The New York Post warned of the fantasies of the 'Realists.'
• Ken Timmerman, The Daily Star asked: Is Iran's Ahmadinejad a messianic medium?
  

Photos, cartoons and videos.

• TheIranian Labour News Agency published photos of the Tehran bus drivers on strike.
• The Intelligence Summit published: The Extraction Of The Stone Of Iranian Madness. (I wish dealing with Ahmadinejad were this easy)
• Fars published some photos of Iran's Parliament hard at work.
• Fars News Agency published photos of a Glass workers protest in Tehran.
  

And finally, The Quote of the Week.

Reuters reported that Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, told a news conference that Iran was ready to discuss its programme and then added:

"But that does not mean that we are waiting for any country's permission for the right of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic to enjoy nuclear technology."

Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 1.1.2005:

Rebel group captures 9 Iranian soldiers-Arabiya TV

Reuters:

A little-known Sunni rebel organisation says it has abducted nine Iranian soldiers to pressure Tehran to free imprisoned members of the group, Al Arabiya television said on Sunday.

A caller speaking for the Jundollah (God's Soldiers) said the soldiers were seized near Iran's border with Pakistan, and demanded the release of 16 group members, the satellite television channel said.

Iranian officials were not immediately available to comment. In July, the group said it beheaded an Iranian security agent it had abducted the previous month. READ MORE

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

• Adnkronos International reported that the Iranian government will set aside funds in its next annual budget to prevent what it says are "American plots."
  
• Iran Focus reported that a top Iranian official said on Friday that Iran viewed the right to enrich uranium on its own soil as a “red line” not to be crossed.
• IranMania.com reported that Pakistan will take a final decision about the multi-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project in two months.
• Itar-Tass reported that the Director of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, is scheduled to visit Iran, in February.
• Radio Free Europe hosted a roundtable discussion in December about "women and power" in Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
• WSTM-TV reported that the Bush administration will be looking to 2006 for the fulfillment of its foreign policy goals.
• SMCCDI reported that hundreds of Bassji and militiamen have been deployed in the central City of Shiraz and were on maneuvers for taking back the city from 'unidentified' forces.
• SMCCDI reported that the Iranian National Soccer Team has been re-selected for the upcoming June's World Cup in Germany. Each of its scheduled games are believed to lead to more hostile demos against the Islamic republic regime, both inside and outside the country.
• Iran Focus reported that some 200 workers from the Miral glass factory held a demonstration and set fire to tires south of Tehran Saturday morning in protest to their employers’ refusal to pay their overdue salaries. SMCCDI also published a report.
• And finally, Fars News Agency published photos of a Glass workers protest in Tehran.

Rebel group captures 9 Iranian soldiers-Arabiya TV

Reuters:

A little-known Sunni rebel organisation says it has abducted nine Iranian soldiers to pressure Tehran to free imprisoned members of the group, Al Arabiya television said on Sunday.

A caller speaking for the Jundollah (God's Soldiers) said the soldiers were seized near Iran's border with Pakistan, and demanded the release of 16 group members, the satellite television channel said.

Iranian officials were not immediately available to comment. In July, the group said it beheaded an Iranian security agent it had abducted the previous month. READ MORE

Iran's remote southeastern areas on the border with Pakistan have seen sporadic unrest involving the Baluchi minority, and are a major drug trafficking route used by armed smugglers.

Some 90 percent of Iran's nearly 70 million people are Shi'ite Muslims. Sunnis among the Kurdish, Turkmen and Baluchi ethnic minorities have often complained of discrimination.

Iran: 'American Plots' make budget list

Adnkronos International:

The Iranian government will set aside funds in its next annual budget to prevent what it says are "American plots" against the Islamic Republic and "foreign interference" in the country's internal affairs, the office of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said. The budget will be introduced at the start of the new financial year on 21 March, 2006. The presidential office's statement did not say how much money would be allocated to the two initiatives.

Instead it also said that Iran would "assist all those citizens who decide to sue the United States government," in particular victims of the chemical bombs used by the Iraqis" - a reference to bombs used by Saddam Hussein's military during the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq war.

Iran has repeatedly accused the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain of supplying Saddam with chemicals used in the manufacture of those bombs.

Top Iran official says enrichment on own soil a “red line”

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website

A top Iranian official said on Friday that Iran viewed the right to enrich uranium on its own soil as a “red line” not to be crossed during negotiations with the West over its suspected nuclear weapons program. READ MORE

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called on Tehran not to carry out enrichment because of suspicions that it may obtain highly enriched uranium which is used in atomic bombs. Seeking to break the international deadlock, Russia has proposed that Tehran carry out enrichment on Russian soil under international inspections.

Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, the deputy speaker of Iran’s Majlis, or Parliament, on Friday said, however, that any proposal had to include Iran’s right to enrich uranium at home.

“The condition we put is that Iran must be able to carry out uranium enrichment inside our borders. This is our red line and we will not allow anyone to cross it”, Bahonar told reporters in Kerman province, the state-owned Mehr news agency reported.

“We are only willing to negotiate up until this red line and in any case we are opposed to carrying out uranium enrichment on Russian soil”, he said.

'Iran gas pipeline to be finalized in 2 months'

IranMania.com:

Pakistan will take a final decision about the multi-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project in two months, a Pakistani Minister said, according to IRNA. READ MORE

"There is a progress on the project and a financial advisor for the project will be appointed in a week," Minister of State for Petroleum, Muhammad Naseer Mengal, told reporters.

Mengal said that the Secretary Petroleum has recently visited India to discuss various issues relating to the project adding that meetings of joint working group have also been held.

"Pakistan has assured Indian government that Pakistan will provide protection to the pipeline in its territory," he said.

Mengal added that Pakistan is also working on TAP (Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan) and Qatar-Pakistan gas pipelines.

"We will take a decision on these gaslines in the best interest of the country," the official added.

Replying to a query about gas shortage, he said there is not any shortage of gas to domestic consumers in the country.

"In the peak of winter season, we switched off supply to industrial consumers to compensate the domestic consumers every year," Mengal noted.

Touching upon granting petroleum exploration license to Pakistan Petroleum Limited, he said this is part of the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz policy to make the country self-sufficient in oil and gas production.

The government will continue to grant oil and gas exploration licenses to local and foreign companies, said the official.

Mengal added that a memorandum of understanding was signed between Pakistan and Yemen during the President's recent visit to that country.

Under the MoU, said the official, the Yemeni companies will invest in Pakistan's petroleum sector while the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) will start oil and gas exploration in Yemen.

Mengal added that the OGDCL is also taking interest to start exploration activities in Oman.

Russian Atomic Agency Chief to Agree Bushehr Launch Date

Itar-Tass:

The Director of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, is scheduled to visit Iran early next year, the agency’s press secretary, Sergei Novikov has told Tass. “Kiriyenko’s trip to Teheran is due in February. He is expected to go to the Bushehr nuclear plant the Iranians build with Russia’s assistance,” Novikov said.

Kiriyenko will also hold talks with senior officials supervising Iran’s national nuclear program. READ MORE

Novikov said “specification of the schedule of assembly and tune-up work and of loading the reactor with nuclear fuel of Russian manufacture” would be one of the central themes on the visit’s agenda.

The Russian Atomic Energy Agency is certain that “Russian and Iranian specialists in 2006 will carry out the physical launch of the first reactor at Bushehr.”

Earlier, officials at Russia’s general contractor company, Atomstroiexport, said “Russian and Iranian specialists in Bushehr have been doing all in their powers to eliminate the certain lagging behind the previously agreed schedule that followed failure by some Iranian and Russian providers to deliver on time the equipment necessary for completing assembly work.”

“Construction work on the premises is carried out in several shifts without any days off,” the sources said.

Russia’s nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL has said that the fuel assemblies for the reactor’s physical launch “have been made under the effective contract and are kept at the company’s warehouse in Novosibirsk.”

Some Russian politicians have said tensions over the Iranian nuclear program eased in the last days of the outgoing year.

The European troika and the U.S. Administration welcomed Russia’s invitation to Iran to arrange for a joint venture for enriching Iranian uranium in Russian territory under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The chairman of the State Duma’s international affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachyov, said earlier this week “the Iranian leadership should eventually accept this proposal from Russia, if it really wants to lift all suspicions the international public has over the peace nature of its nuclear program.”

Certain results of negotiations between the European troika and Russia on this proposal are already in sight.

Kosachyov said the “theme of Bushehr was practically absent from the Russian-US dialogue of late.”

Women & Power in Central Asia

Golnaz Esfandiari, Radio Free Europe:

RFE/RL's Tajik Service hosted a roundtable discussion in December about "women and power" in Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Participants included Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi; prominent Afghan women's rights activist and parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai; and Oynihol Bobanazarova, a veteran Tajik rights advocate and director of the Open Society Institute in Tajikistan.

RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari reports on the roundtable in the fourth and final part of our series on "Women & Power In Central Asia."

Shirin Ebadi, Shukria Barakzai, and Oynihol Bobanazarova all live in patriarchal societies where men enjoy more rights and women face limitations. But despite battling discrimination, conservative traditions and intimidation, all three women have managed to push for their rights -- and achieve success. READ MORE

Iranian Nobel Laureate

In 2004, Ebadi became the first Iranian or Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The lawyer and rights activist says that despite threats, she refuses to be silenced.

"Fear is an instinct like hunger, whether you want it or not, it will come to you," Ebadi says. "I have twice escaped attacks miraculously and have always been threatened and have been imprisoned, so it's natural that I'm worried about this dangerous situation. But my years of experience has taught me not to let fear overwhelm my work."

Ebadi says that as a result of the struggle of freedom-loving Iranian women and men, Iranian society is gradually changing.

"In the beginning of the revolution, when they wanted to insult me they would call me 'feminist, liberal, defender of human rights,'" Ebadi says. "In Iran, 23 or 24 years ago, these words were used as insults. Fortunately, now as a result of the struggle of Iranian women -- but also men -- human rights protection has become valued."

Mirroring Afghan Society

Shukria Barakzai is a member of Afghanistan's newly elected parliament and the founder of "Aina-e Zan" (Women's Mirror), a weekly publication that focuses on women's issues. During the rule of the hard-line Taliban, Barakzai helped run underground schools for women in Afghanistan.

Barakzai says she has tried hard to give a public voice to the concerns of Afghan women.

"Our patriarchal society does not like to hear this voice, it's a voice that even Afghan politicians want to silence," Barakzai says. "But despite these problems, I and millions of other Afghan women have been successful through our tireless efforts to open a small glimpse of hope, for the future generations and for the children of Afghanistan."

Barakzai says discriminatory, pre-Islamic traditions are the worst problems facing women in Afghanistan.

"Unfortunately, these traditions are so deeply rooted among people that in some cases they are placed before the religion," Barakzai says. "People believe and practice traditions that [destroy] women; they consider women as elements whose only duty is to give birth to children. And the other problem is the patriarchal view that is prevalent in the society."

Obstacles In Tajikistan

Oynihol Bobanazarova, an outspoken rights defender, has played a key role in helping to reform the legal system in Tajikistan and in spurring the country to sign international covenants on human rights. This, in turn, has led to the complete abolition of the death penalty in Tajikistan.

In 1992, Bobanazarova was a founding member of the Democrat Party of Tajikistan. But she was later forced to leave the party when she was accused of "antigovernment activity" and criminal proceedings were started against her.

Bobanazarova says discriminatory traditions are among the main factors that prevent women from having an active role in Tajik society.

"In Tajikistan, for example in the families, they educate girls and tell them that before anything else they are women. For example, they keep girls away from discussions at home," Bobanazarova says. "To a certain degree there is also the people's mentality; we women also sometimes don't speak as experts and we consider ourselves helpless. I think if we do not start to talk as experts, as qualified individuals, as humans -- until that day, men will not take us seriously."

Areas Of Agreement

All three roundtable participants agreed that women activists and women in power should coordinate their efforts to tackle ignorance, discrimination, and economic hardship.

"The lines through which they separate secular women from Muslim women or elite and intellectual women from traditional ones, these dividing lines are harming us," Ebadi says. "The day that we forget these lines and focus only on equal rights for women like men, is the day of victory for the women of Iran and the world."

Bobanazarova says that for many Tajik women who live in poverty, economic empowerment is very important. She says women in power can play a key role.

"Women who consider themselves intelligent or women in the parliament should do their best to defend the right of Tajik women, because for 70 percent of the population, particularly women in villages, there are no possibilities for them to increase their knowledge," Bobanazarova says. "And I think one issue that is today very important for the women of Tajikistan is that their financial situation needs to be improved."

Like Ebadi, Barakzai emphasizes the importance of unity among women. But she says men also have a role to play.

"I think on the one hand, women should believe in their own rights as being equal under law to men, but men should also commit themselves to accepting women as equal partners in society," Barakzai says. "It's going to take time, but it can be done through long-term educational programs in Afghanistan and positive campaign by the press and also with the help of clerics. It requires a long-term struggle with the support of the international community. We women can overcome our problems and the [negative] view of society."

(This teleconference roundtable was hosted by RFE/RL's Tajik Service and held on 6 December 2005.)

Administration Outlines 2006 Foreign Policy Goals

WSTM-TV:

The Bush administration will be looking to 2006 for the fulfillment of its foreign policy goals. Building on a mission that dominated U-S foreign interests this year, the administration hopes Iraq will continue to build an adequate security force. The Pentagon says future opportunities to draw down American units in Iraq are directly related to the fortification of Iraqi security forces and their ability to combat insurgents.

The new year is also expected to bring new efforts by US diplomats to lure Israelis and Palestinians back to the table for more peace talks.

The State Department is also hoping that the nuclear programs of both North Korea and Iran can be harnessed through diplomacy.

Hundreds of Bassji and militiamen deployed in Shiraz

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Hundreds of Bassji and militiamen have been deployed in the central City of Shiraz and its suburbs. These repressive forces are composed by the most brutal elements of the Ashoora and Al-Zahra brigades.

Tens of residents have been arrested and many Shirazis especially women have been harassed for the same usual pretexts, such as, the "non observance of Islamic tradition or mandatory veil".

Many of the regime's agents are involved in playing in maneuvers, such as, taking back the city from 'unidentified' forces by using guerilla tactics. READ MORE

Reports from several other Iranian cities, such as Esfahan, Kermanshah and the Capital, are stating about an unprecedented increase of repressive measures and arrests under various labels, such as, fighting hooligans and drug or alcoholic beverages smugglers.

The unprecedented increase of regime forces in cities and their brutal behavior, acting most of the time like an occupation force, is showing the fear of the Islamic republic's leadership of future popular riots.

Soccer game leads to another political action in Tehran

SMCCDI (Information Service):

The Iranian National Soccer Team, cherished by millions of Iranians, has been re-selected for the upcoming June's World Cup in Germany. Each of its scheduled games are believed to lead to more hostile demos against the Islamic republic regime, both inside and outside the country.

Most Iranians who are in favor of a sanction against the Islamic republic, are hoping that such decision would not affect Iran's presence at the 2006 World Cup and that the World understands better the difference between the People of Iran and the current illegitimate regime.

The Iranian National Soccer Team is scheduled to play a training game against Bayern Munich in less than two weeks in Tehran.

Glass workers protest against poor conditions

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Dozens of the "Miral Glass" workers created, today, roadblocks by setting materials and tires ablaze on the Saveh road of the Greater Tehran.

The workers intended to protest against their poor conditions and the non payment for their wages.

Security forces were sent in number in order to close the perimeters and avoid a spread of the action.

Iran is the scene of daily protest actions by workers. Most nationalized companies are in stage of decomposition and bankruptcy due to the ill-policies of incompetent managers or frauds made by the political Mafia.

Workers set tyres on fire during protest in Iran capital

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website

Some 200 workers from the Miral glass factory held a demonstration and set fire to tyres south of Tehran Saturday morning in protest to their employers’ refusal to pay their overdue salaries.

The glass workers gathered outside the site of their factory near the Tehran-Saveh Highway. They complained that despite five to 25 years of service, many of the workers had not received their wages for the past 10 months.

State Security Forces were called in when the protestors blocked traffic on the road by burning tyres.

Photos of Glass workers protest

Fars News Agency: plus Iran Focus

Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 12.31.2005:

Turkey: Goss Reportedly told Ankara that Iran has nuclear weapons

TurkishPress:

During his recent visit to Ankara, CIA Director Porter Goss reportedly brought three dossiers on Iran to Ankara. Goss is said to have asked for Turkey’s support for Washington’s policy against Iran’s nuclear activities, charging that Tehran had supported terrorism and taken part in activities against Turkey.

Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible US air operation against Iran and Syria.

Goss, who came to Ankara just after FBI Director Robert Mueller’s visit, brought up Iran’s alleged attempts to develop nuclear weapons. It was said that Goss first told Ankara that Iran has nuclear weapons and this situation was creating a huge threat for both Turkey and other states in the region. Diplomatic sources say that Washington wants Turkey to coordinate with its Iran policies. The second dossier is about Iran’s stance on terrorism. The CIA argued that Iran was supporting terrorism, the PKK and al-Qaeda. The third had to do with Iran’s alleged stance against Ankara. Goss said that Tehran sees Turkey as an enemy and would try to “export its regime.”

In a little noticed change in the Turkish version of the German report, it added that the CIA is convinced that Iran already has nuclear weapons. If addition is accurate, it would explain a lot. The flurry of reports emanating out of Germany include: UPI, Monsters & Critics and Spiegel Online.

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

• Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official said: Iran's agreement to discuss Moscow's plan to enrich uranium in Russia does not mean that Tehran has abandoned its drive to enrich uranium on its own soil.
• Reuters reported that Russia's foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that a top envoy had talked to Iranian officials to discuss a Russian proposal to enrich uranium for the Islamic Republic.
• Rasha Saad, Al-Ahram looks at the Arab reaction to the new Iranian President.
• Ardeshir Dolat reported that a young Iranian girl has been sentenced to death by hanging.
• Matthias Kuntzel, Transatlantic Intelligencer, FrontPageMag.com reported on the problems with German's recent confrontation over Ahamdinejad's holocausts statements.
• Tino, Truck and Barter reported that the Iranian embassy in Sweden seems to be actively looking for holocaust deniers in Sweden. What is going on?
• And finally, DoctorZin reported that as of today, in a little over a year, we have now posted over 6,000 news posts on Iran. The good news is that the mainstream media is noticing our work here.

Is Washington Planning a Military Strike?

Spiegel Online:

Recent reports in the German media suggest that the United States may be preparing its allies for an imminent military strike against facilities that are part of Iran's suspected clandestine nuclear weapons program. READ MORE

It's hardly news that US President George Bush refuses to rule out possible military action against Iran if Tehran continues to pursue its controversial nuclear ambitions. But in Germany, speculation is mounting that Washington is preparing to carry out air strikes against suspected Iranian nuclear sites perhaps even as soon as early 2006.

German diplomats began speaking of the prospect two years ago -- long before the Bush administration decided to give the European Union more time to convince Iran to abandon its ambitions, or at the very least put its civilian nuclear program under international controls. But the growing likelihood of the military option is back in the headlines in Germany thanks to a slew of stories that have run in the national media here over the holidays.

The most talked about story is a Dec. 23 piece by the German news agency DDP from journalist and intelligence expert Udo Ulfkotte. The story has generated controversy not only because of its material, but also because of the reporter's past. Critics allege that Ulfkotte in his previous reporting got too close to sources at Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND. But Ulfkotte has himself noted that he has been under investigation by the government in the past (indeed, his home and offices have been searched multiple times) for allegations that he published state secrets -- a charge that he claims would underscore rather than undermine the veracity of his work.

According to Ulfkotte's report, "western security sources" claim that during CIA Director Porter Goss' Dec. 12 visit to Ankara, he asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to provide support for a possibile 2006 air strike against Iranian nuclear and military facilities. More specifically, Goss is said to have asked Turkey to provide unfettered exchange of intelligence that could help with a mission.

DDP also reported that the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Pakistan have been informed in recent weeks of Washington's military plans. The countries, apparently, were told that air strikes were a "possible option," but they were given no specific timeframe for the operations.

In a report published on Wednesday, the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel also cited NATO intelligence sources claiming that Washington's western allies had been informed that the United States is currently investigating all possibilities of bringing the mullah-led regime into line, including military options. Of course, Bush has publicly stated for months that he would not take the possibility of a military strike off the table. What's new here, however, is that Washington appears to be dispatching high-level officials to prepare its allies for a possible attack rather than merely implying the possibility as it has repeatedly done during the past year.

Links to al-Qaida?

According to DDP, during his trip to Turkey, CIA chief Goss reportedly handed over three dossiers to Turkish security officials that purportedly contained evidence that Tehran is cooperating with Islamic terror network al-Qaida. A further dossier is said to contain information about the current status of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. Sources in German security circles told the DDP reporter that Goss had ensured Ankara that the Turkish government would be informed of any possible air strikes against Iran a few hours before they happened. The Turkish government has also been given the "green light" to strike camps of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iran on the day in question.

The DDP report attributes the possible escalation to the recent anti-Semitic rants by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose belligerent verbal attacks on Israel (he described the Holocaust as a "myth" and called for Israel to be "wiped off the map") have strengthened the view of the American government that, in the case of the nuclear dispute, there's little likelihood Tehran will back down and that the mullahs are just attempting to buy time by continuing talks with the Europeans.

The German wire service also quotes a high-ranking German military official saying: "I would be very surprised if the Americans, in the mid-term, didn't take advantage of the opportunity delivered by Tehran. The Americans have to attack Iran before the country can develop nuclear weapons. After that would be too late."

Despite the wave of recent reports, it's naturally difficult to assess whether the United States has any concrete plans to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. In a January 2005 report in the New Yorker, US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh claimed that clandestine American commando groups had already infiltrated Iran in order to mark potential military targets.

At the time, the Bush administration did not dispute Hersh's reporting -- it merely sought to minimize its impact. In Washington, word circulated that the article was filled with "inaccurate statements." But no one rejected the core reporting behind the article. Bush himself explicitly stated he would not rule out the "option of war."

How great is the threat?

So is the region now on the verge of a military strike or even a war? In Berlin, the issue is largely being played down. During his inaugural visit with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Washington last week, the possibility of a US air strike against Iran "hadn't been an issue," for new German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, a Defense Ministry spokesman told SPIEGEL ONLINE.

But the string of visits by high-profile US politicians to Turkey and surrounding reports are drawing new attention to the issue. In recent weeks, the number of American and NATO security officials heading to Ankara has increased dramatically. Within a matter of only days, the FBI chief, then the CIA chief and, most recently, NATO General Secretary Jaap De Hoop Scheffer visited the Turkish capital. During her visit to Europe earlier this month, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also traveled to Turkey after a stopover in Berlin.

Leading the chorus of speculation are Turkish newspapers, which have also sought to connect these visits to plans for an attack on Iran. But so far none of the speculation has been based on hard facts. Writing about the meeting between Porter Goss and Tayyip Erdogan, the left-nationalist newspaper Cumhuriyet wrote: "Now It's Iran's Turn." But the paper didn't offer any evidence to corroborate the claims.

Instead, the paper noted that the meeting between the CIA chief and Erdogan lasted longer than an hour -- an unusual amount of time, especially considering Goss had previously met with the head of Turkey's intelligence service, the MIT. The Turkish media concluded that the meetings must have dealt with a very serious matter -- but they failed to uncover exactly what it was. Most media speculated that Erdogan and Goss might have discussed a common initiative against the PKK in northern Iraq. It's possible that Goss demanded secret Turkish intelligence on Iran in exchange. Regardless what the prospects are for a strike, there's little chance a US air strike against Iran would be launched from its military base in the Turkish city of Incirlik, but it is conceivable that the United States would inform Turkey prior to any strike.

Skepticism in Ankara

Until now the government in Ankara has viewed US military activities in the region at best with skepticism and at worst with open condemnation. At the beginning of 2003, Ankara even attempted to prevent an American ground offensive in northern Iraq against the Saddam regime. A still-irritated Donald Rumsfeld has repeatedly blamed military problems in Iraq on the fact that this second front was missing.

Two weeks ago, Yasar Buyukanit, the commander of the Turkish army and probable future chief of staff of the country's armed forces, flew to Washington. After the visit he made a statement that relations between the Turkish army and the American army were once again on an excellent footing. Buyukanit's warm and fuzzy words, contrasted greatly with his past statements that if the United States and the Kurds in northern Iraq proved incapable of containing the PKK in the Kurd-dominated northern part of the country and preventing it from attacking Turkey, Buyukanit would march into northern Iraq himself.

At the same time, Ankara has little incentive to show a friendly face to Tehran -- Turkish-Iranian relations have long been icy. For years now, Tehran has criticized Turkey for maintaining good relations with Israel and even cooperating with the Israeli army. Yet despite those ties to Israel, Ahmadinejad's recent anti-Israeli outbursts were reported far less extensively in Turkey than in Europe.

Still, Erdogan has been demonstrably friendly towards Israel recently -- as evidenced by Erdogan's recent phone call to Ariel Sharon, congratulating the prime minister on his recent recovery from heart surgery. In the past, relations between Erdogan and Sharon have been reserved, but recently the two have grown closer. Nevertheless, Turkey's government has distanced itself from Sharon's threats to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon on his own if nobody else steps up to the task.

The Turkish government has also repeatedly stated that it opposes military action against both Iran and Syria. The key political motivation here is that -- at least when it comes to the Kurdish question -- Turkey, Syria and Iran all agree on one thing: they are opposed to the creation of an independent Kurdistan in northern Iraq. But if the United States moves forward with an attack against Iran, Turkey will have no choice but to jump on board -- either as an active or passive partner.

It's a scenario that has Erdogan and his military in a state of deep unease. After all, even experts in the West are skeptical of whether a military intervention against nuclear installations in Iran could succeed. The more likely scenario is that an attack aiming to stop Iran's nuclear program could instead simply bolster support for Ahmadinejad in the region.

The danger for the west is an attack on Iran that leaves its government in power would be far more dangerous than it already is. It would permit the government to be far more aggressive in its destruction of the democractic opposition inside of Iran. Given that internal regime changes almost always require significant international support to work, how much longer will the west wait to signal its clear support for their efforts?

Turkey: Goss Reportedly told Ankara that Iran has nuclear weapons

TurkishPress:

During his recent visit to Ankara, CIA Director Porter Goss reportedly brought three dossiers on Iran to Ankara. Goss is said to have asked for Turkey’s support for Washington’s policy against Iran’s nuclear activities, charging that Tehran had supported terrorism and taken part in activities against Turkey.

Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible US air operation against Iran and Syria.

Goss, who came to Ankara just after FBI Director Robert Mueller’s visit, brought up Iran’s alleged attempts to develop nuclear weapons. It was said that Goss first told Ankara that Iran has nuclear weapons and this situation was creating a huge threat for both Turkey and other states in the region. Diplomatic sources say that Washington wants Turkey to coordinate with its Iran policies. The second dossier is about Iran’s stance on terrorism. The CIA argued that Iran was supporting terrorism, the PKK and al-Qaeda. The third had to do with Iran’s alleged stance against Ankara. Goss said that Tehran sees Turkey as an enemy and would try to “export its regime.”

In a little noticed change in the Turkish version of the German report, it added that the CIA is convinced that Iran already has nuclear weapons. If addition is accurate , it would explain alot.

Iran Says Still Wants to Enrich Uranium at Home

Paul Hughes, Reuters:

Iran's agreement to discuss Moscow's plan to enrich uranium in Russia does not mean that Tehran has abandoned its drive to enrich uranium on its own soil, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying on Friday. The remarks by Javad Vaeedi, deputy of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, appeared to dash faint hopes that Russia's proposal could resolve the Islamic state's nuclear standoff with the West. READ MORE

The proposal, which is backed by Washington and the European Union, involves the creation of a joint Iranian-Russian company to enrich uranium in Russia.

The plan has been put forward by Moscow to try to allay international concerns that Iran could manufacture highly enriched uranium on its own soil to build atomic weapons.

Iran says it wants to enrich uranium only to a low grade, suitable for use in atomic power reactors.

But Vaeedi said Iran had only agreed to study Moscow's joint-venture proposal on the assumption that it did not affect Iran's plans to develop a full nuclear fuel cycle, including enrichment, at home.

"Securing Iran's rights, based on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to enrich uranium on Iran's soil within the framework of International Atomic Energy Agency regulations would be the first assumption for assessing Russia's proposal," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

Calling the Russian plan an "idea" he said: "Iran takes seriously new proposals and ideas aimed at finding a peaceful solution to its nuclear problem and can review them."

Earlier on Friday, Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov had talked to his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani on Thursday to discuss the Russian proposal, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

"The telephone conversation occurred at the request of the Iranian side," the agency quoted a ministry spokesman as saying.

A spokesman declined to confirm the report when asked by Reuters. Tass quoted him as saying "discussion of these themes will continue".

An Iranian diplomat on Thursday said Ivanov, who acts as a Kremlin envoy for unofficial contacts on controversial issues, had agreed to send a delegation to Tehran led by one of his deputies to continue talks on the enrichment joint venture.

The Iranian diplomat said Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Larijani told Ivanov there were "ambiguities and problems" with the proposal that needed clarifying.

EU diplomats and arms control experts have noted that Tehran has been careful to stop short of rejecting Moscow's plan.

Doing so could see Moscow drop its earlier opposition to EU and U.S. efforts to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions, they say.

Friend or Foe?

Rasha Saad, Al-Ahram:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's landslide victory in Iran's presidential elections in June ushered in a new era of Iranian history, one that has kept the world waiting with bated breath. International expectations of former president Hashemi Rafsanjani -- considered a pragmatist -- topping the ballot box, were spoiled at the polls, as were hopes of turning over a new leaf in Iran's relations with the US, and keeping the Iranian nuclear issue from being referred to the UN Security Council.

The reformists' defeat, however, should not have been a surprise. READ MORE

2004 saw the popularity of Mohamed Khatami, the president at the time, plummet, as the public became increasingly disillusioned about his inability to push through reforms. It also saw growing public scepticism over the reformists' ability to deliver on promises of greater democracy, and more jobs for Iran's 10 million unemployed. Parliamentary elections in 2004 were described as a political earthquake, with pro-reform candidates, who had dominated parliament since 1997, winning only 40 seats in the 290-seat assembly. Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, a conservative, replaced reformist Mehdi Karroubi as parliamentary speaker.

The sudden victory of ultra-conservative Ahmadinejad must be placed in this context, as should the fear that he will turn the process -- begun by his predecessors Rafsanjani and Khatami -- of re-integrating Iran into the international community around.

Within months of being sworn in, Ahmadinajad was making headlines with fiery comments, causing controversy inside and outside Iran. He stunned the world in November when he said that Israel should be "wiped off the map". Some argued that the rhetoric merely pointed to political inexperience, that the Iranian president might not have been fully aware of its impact. But the fact that Ahmadinejad refused to back down, and made even more controversial comments just weeks later, showed that the speeches were not accidental. He refuted the Holocaust, and asked Europeans to "give part of Europe to the Zionist regime and let them establish any government they want".

Ahmadinejad's timing is interesting. For the past two years, controversy over the Iranian nuclear file has preoccupied world powers, with referral of the issue to the Security Council serving as a constant threat to the Islamic Republic. Thus while it is not uncommon for senior Iranian officials to criticise Israel, Ahmadinejad's comments, made amidst international suspicion over Iranian intentions, did much to confirm fears that the newly elected president was reverting to a hard-line foreign policy. Aware of the consequences, reformists rang alarm bells. Former President Khatami criticised Ahmadinejad, saying, "those words have created hundreds of political and economic problems for us in the world."

While nuclear talks with the EU were stumbling when the reformists were in charge, they came to a halt when Ahmadinejad assumed power. One week after swearing in its new president, Iran carried out its threat, and resumed work at a uranium conversion plant near Isfahan. Two tense weeks of debate between Tehran and the EU did not succeed in convincing Iran to forego its nuclear ambitions, and ended with an Iranian rejection of the EU package of incentives that included a trade agreement with Europe and help getting Iran into the World Trade Organisation.

Why was the Iran-EU package of trade and cooperation incentives, in return for "objective guarantees" that Tehran will not develop nuclear weapons, turned down? According to the Iranians, negotiations went well in the first stage. They claim, however, that the Europeans came under intense pressure from the US to politicise the talks, demanding that Iran offer guarantees that it would reconsider its policies in the Middle East, especially with regard to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Another sticking point: while Iran insists that its suspension of uranium enrichment is a voluntary and temporarily move, they fear that the US, and apparently the Europeans, are aiming for Iran to fully halt all nuclear activities the same way Libya did -- a demand Iran totally rejects.

At the beginning of 2005, bets remained divided between Iran and Syria as to who would be next, after Iraq, on the US regional hit list. Following Rafiq Al-Hariri's assassination in Beirut in February, and subsequent efforts to pressure, or possibly oust, the Syrian regime, an imminent military strike or confrontation with Iran seemed farfetched. Postponing a confrontation with Iran, analysts argue, is related to the US quagmire in Iraq, with any confrontation with Iran at this time only making that situation worse.

Controversy over how much influence Iran has in Iraq continues to concern analysts, despite a widely circulated report from the International Crisis Group, published in March, that found little evidence of Iranian attempts to destabilise Iraq, or even successfully intervene in other ways. Reports of Iranian involvement in Iraq have circulated since the fall of Saddam Hussein. They increased amid Iraqi elections in January, in which many Iranian allies -- top Shia politicians, many previously exiled in Iran -- gained power in Baghdad. Several Arab countries have become alarmed by these developments, especially Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said that the US invasion and occupation had widened sectarian rifts to the point of handing Iraq to Iran.

Iran does not deny having what it terms "influence", but rejects allegations that it is "meddling" in Iraq. According to the Iranians, Iran has legitimate interests in Iraq's stability, as well as acting as a counter-balance to America's agenda. Fearing a recurrence of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran War, Iran wants guarantees of a friendly government in Baghdad. Having a government hostile to Iran and friendly to the US on its borders is seen, understandably, as great danger, since the Iranian regime has been described by Washington as a member of the "axis of evil", and a potential US military target.

Iranian analysts find it ironic that Arab officials criticise Iran about its stance on Iraq, while remaining passive about the US invasion, with some countries even offering logistic support to the US operation. Iranians have always argued that since Arabs chose to be absent from the Iraqi scene, Iranians refuse to act in the same manner.

It is in this context that relations between Iraq and Iran developed during 2005. Agreeing that former president Saddam Hussein's regime was the aggressor in the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, Iran and the interim Iraqi government looked forward to "a period of friendship and peace". A remarkable three-day first visit to Iraq by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi in June marked a new chapter in Iraqi-Iranian relations. Also, shortly after Saudi accusations of Iranian interference in Iraq, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran -- the first Iraqi president to visit Iran in the past four decades -- heading a high-level political and economic delegation on an official visit. He insisted that Iran was "not interfering in Iraq's internal affairs", and that, "the Iraqi president, prime minister, entire cabinet, and parliament members are Iran's friends".

Over 6000 Posts!

DoctorZin:

I just noticed that today, in a little over a year, we have now posted over 6,000 news posts on Iran. The good news is that the mainstream media is noticing our work here. We seldom get attribution, but these reporters are visiting here often and they are increasingly making the same connections we discuss.

2006 will witness a turning point in Iran. Keep checking this blog and you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

German media: U.S. preps Iran strike

UPI, Monsters & Critics:

The Bush administration is preparing its NATO allies for a possible military strike against suspected nuclear sites in Iran in the New Year, according to German media reports, reinforcing similar earlier suggestions in the Turkish media.

The Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel this week quoted 'NATO intelligence sources' who claimed that the NATO allies had been informed that the United States is currently investigating all possibilities of bringing the mullah-led regime into line, including military options. This 'all options are open' line has been President George W Bush`s publicly stated policy throughout the past 18 months. READ MORE

But the respected German weekly Der Spiegel notes 'What is new here is that Washington appears to be dispatching high-level officials to prepare its allies for a possible attack rather than merely implying the possibility as it has repeatedly done during the past year.'

The German news agency DDP cited 'Western security sources' to claim that CIA Director Porter Goss asked Turkey`s premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan to provide political and logistic support for air strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets. Goss, who visited Ankara and met Erdogan on Dec. 12, was also reported to have to have asked for special cooperation from Turkish intelligence to help prepare and monitor the operation.

The DDP report added that Goss had delivered to the Turkish prime minister and his security aides a series of dossiers, one on the latest status of Iran`s nuclear development and another containing intelligence on new links between Iran and al-Qaida.

DDP cited German security sources who added that the Turks had been assured of a warning in advance if and when the military strikes took place, and had also been given 'a green light' to mount their own attacks on the bases in Iran of the PKK, (Kurdish Workers party), which Turkey sees as a separatist group responsible for terrorist attacks inside Turkey.

Goss`s visit to the Turkish capital followed the rising international concern over recent statements by the new Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel should be 'wiped off the map,' denying the existence of Holocaust, and suggesting that Israel`s Jewish population might be re-located to Europe.

In a December 23 report, the DDP agency quoted an anonymous but 'high-ranking German military official' telling their reporter: 'I would be very surprised if the Americans, in the mid-term, didn`t take advantage of the opportunity delivered by Tehran. The Americans have to attack Iran before the country can develop nuclear weapons. After that would be too late.'

The DDP report also said that several friendly Arab governments, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Pakistan, had also been informed in general terms that the Pentagon was preparing contingency plans, including 'the option of air strikes,' in the event of the new Iranian government precipitating a crisis.

Arab diplomatic sources have told United Press International that they have been given no briefings on any policy change beyond President Bush`s 'all option are open.'

Bush`s most recent such statement in public came on Aug. 13, during an interview at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, when he told Israeli TV: 'As I say, all options are on the table. The use of force is the last option for any president and, you know, we`ve used force in the recent past to secure our country.'

Other NATO sources have told United Press International that 'all this may be mood music, a way to step up the diplomatic pressure on Tehran.'

It is possible that leaks from NATO and German security sources are part of a ploy to convince the Iranian government that the Americans and their NATO allies are in dead earnest when they say a nuclear-armed Iran would not be tolerated, and that Iran had better start negotiating seriously.

But the German media speculation about the supposed U.S. plans has been fueled by a number of high-profile visits to Turkey this month, including trips by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, by the CIA`s Porter Goss and by the FBI Director Robert Mueller, who also delivered U.S. intelligence reports on Iranian backing for PKK operations aimed against Turkey. There have also been some significant Turkish visits to Washington, as reported by Der Spiegel.

'Two weeks ago, Yasar Buyukanit, the commander of the Turkish army and probable future chief of staff of the country`s armed forces, flew to Washington. After the visit he made a statement that relations between the Turkish army and the American army were once again on an excellent footing,' Der Spiegel reported Friday.

'Buyukanit`s warm and fuzzy words, contrasted greatly with his past statements that if the United States and the Kurds in northern Iraq proved incapable of containing the PKK in the Kurd-dominated northern part of the country and preventing it from attacking Turkey, Buyukanit would march into northern Iraq himself,' the German weekly added.

The CIA Director`s Dec. 12 call on the Turkish prime minister last for over an hour, far longer than customary for a mere courtesy call, and followed an even longer meeting with senior staff of MIT, Turkish intelligence. The Turkish Daily Cumhuriyet reported on December 13: 'Goss also asked Ankara to be ready for a possible U.S. air operation against Iran and Syria.'

Der Spiegel noted Friday that the latest high-level visitor to the Turkish premier was NATO Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer. This is not unusual, since Turkey is a member of NATO, but the coincidence of these various trips prompted Spiegel to comment 'the number of American and NATO security officials heading to Ankara has increased dramatically.'

'In Berlin, the issue is largely being played down,' Der Spiegel reported Friday. 'During his inaugural visit with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Washington last week, the possibility of a U.S. air strike against Iran `had not been an issue,` for new German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, a Defense Ministry spokesman told Spiegel.'

The original story in the German press which provoked the wider media furore was written for the DDP agency by a veteran reporter on security and intelligence matters, Udo Ulfkotte, who has in the past been criticized in the German media for being 'too close to sources at Germany`s foreign intelligence agency, the BND' (Bundesnachrichtendienst).

At the same time, Ulfkotte has himself come under scrutiny by German security services, and his home and offices have been repeatedly searched in the course of inquiries into allegations that he had published official secrets.