Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 2.13.2006:

Ahmadinejad Prepares Country for a Rough Ride.

• The New York Times reported that Ahmadinejad in a speech to tens of thousands of demonstrators he said: "I ask our dear people to prepare themselves for a great struggle." "Fasten your seat belts and pull up your sleeves."

Then he Ramps Up the War of Words on Israel.

• Khaleej Times reported that the European Union condemned the latest remarks by Ahmadinejad about Israel, in which he said that the Palestinians and “other nations” would eventually remove the Jewish state.
• Yahoo News reported that Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi, said: "The repressive actions of the Zionist regime against the Palestinians are worse than the Holocaust."

Condi to Iranians: Act Responsibly.

• Yahoo News reported that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said violent protests in the Muslim world over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad could "spin out of control" if governments refuse to act responsibly.

Iran to Condi: Apologize.

• Forbes reported that Iran rejected Condoleezza Rice's charge of inflaming violence saying she should apologize.
  

France Keeps Offering a Deal - But Russian/Iranian Talks Canceled.

• CNN News reported that inspectors from the IAEA stripped most surveillance cameras and agency seals from Iranian nuclear sites and equipment as demanded by Tehran.
• Nasdaq reported that France's prime minister said: Europe is still willing to negotiate with Iran if it suspends all sensitive nuclear activities, adding: This is not about starting a push for regime change in Iran.
• Tehran Times reported that the second round of nuclear talks between Iran and Russia concerning a joint uranium enrichment project has been canceled.

More Evidence of US Efforts to Support a Regime Change in Iran.

• Sarah Baxter, The Sunday Times reported that neoconservatives are urging President Bush to boost internal dissent and opposition forces within the Islamic regime.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that US officials stationed in Baku said: "The Azeris in Iran could possibly lead a coup and assist in overthrowing the current regime there."

Israel in NATO?

• Opinion Journal argued that a better response to Iran's threats is to invite Israel into NATO.

An American Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites = 10,000 Dead and War?

• The Telegraph reported that a major American attack on Iran's nuclear sites would kill up to 10,000 people and lead to war in the Middle East.

The World Begins to Notice Tehran's Bus Strikers.

• Nick Cohen, The Observer explained: Why the Striking Bus Drivers in Tehran are the real defenders of Muslim rights.

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

• Amir Taheri, The New York Post warned Western leaders, how Neo-Islam is hijacking Islam around the world and most dangerously in the West.
• Reuters reported that Iran's Jews have sharply criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for denying the Holocaust, saying his remarks have sparked fears.
• And finally, Yahoo News reported that even former US vice president Al Gore lashed out at Iran's clerical regime, denouncing it as a threat "for the future of the world."