Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran
DoctorZin reports, 2.15.2006:
Signs that Russia on Board with the West on Iran?
- The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel is confident neither Russia nor China will block the implementation of UNSC sanctions. It revealed the sanctions being discussed.
- Dow Jones Newswires reported that Putin spoke with Angela Merkel about Iran and "Both sides expressed satisfaction with the high level of mutual understanding and emphasized the intention for continuing close coordination."
- Itar-Tass News Agency reported that Russia and France have made a joint statement, which calls on Iran to suspend the uranium enrichment process. “Russia and France are determined to resolve concerns about the Iranian nuclear program consequences for non-proliferation.”
- Yuri Zarakhovich, Time was less optimistic, saying: Moscow seeks cash and cachet from its interventions in the nuclear crisis. But it may end up isolated, unpaid and under threat.
- Rooz Online reported that according to their sources Russian and China have been offered deals that now put them in opposition to Iran's hardliners.
- MosNews reported that Russian political expert Mikhail Delyagin is convinced: the U.S. will launch a missile attack against Iran this summer.
- The Washington Times reported that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned President Bush not to "escalate" tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
- Dow Jones Newswires reported that once again, Britain's foreign minister said the standoff with Iran over the country's nuclear program could only be resolved by diplomacy.
- Reuters reported that Tehran confirmed it had restarted work on uranium enrichment, but said it would take some time to crank up to industrial-scale production.
- USAToday reported on a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll which found that Americans are deeply worried about the possibility that Iran will develop nuclear weapons and use them, they also fear that the Bush administration will act prematurely, but also that the United States won't do enough.
- The Associated Press reported that an Iranian newspaper's contest for cartoons about the Holocaust, launched Monday in response to a series of caricatures about the Prophet Mohammed, has already drawn at least one entry.
- Reuters reported that about 200 demonstrators threw stones, firecrackers and at least two petrol bombs at the German and British embassies in Iran.
- Contactmusic News reported that the religious edict condemning author Salman Rushdie to death for his controversial novel The Satanic Verses will remain "forever", Iran's official news agency reports.
- IranMania reported that clashes broke out between members of the Sufi sect and Iranian police in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Qom, when security forces used tear gas to break up the protest after local authorities decided to close the Sufi centre. Photos.
- Nazenin Ansari, Open Democracy reported that Iran is on freedoms path. An interesting read.
- Count Down argued that the way out of this crisis is a concerted campaign to oust the regime.
- ABC News reported that Iran's actions are reminiscent of N. Korea's.
- Rooz Online reported "dangerous" is the word that the Majlis Research Committee on the budget has used to explain Ahmadinejad's budget.
- Ladane Nasser, PBS reported that for Iran's young population, celebrating a solemn religious holiday while also gearing up for the excitement of Valentine's Day created an enthralling cultural dichotomy on the streets of Tehran last week. An interesting read.
- The Wall Street Journal argued that as Iran plays a growing role in Iraq, it is complicating Bush's strategy for the Middle East.
- Mort Kondracke, RealClear Politics argued that Iran, Iraq, and Hamas make 2006 the year of crisis for President Bush.
- And finally, The International Intelligence Summit reported that ABC News will be reporting on the Saddam WMD Tapes: Wednesday, February 15, 2006.
posted by DoctorZin @ 2/14/2006 11:59:00 PM
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