A Daily Briefing on Iran: Saturday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 5.20.2006:

A roundup of reports on Iran's new Islamic Dress Code.

Chris Wattie, National Post claimed a new law passed by the Iranian parliament that would require the country's Jews and Christians to wear colored badges to identify them and other religious minorities as non-Muslims.. This report was later withdrawn.
Amir Taheri, The New York Post provided much more detail on the new law. This is original source for the original National Post story. My thoughts on this report.
Chris Wattie, National Post published this report after the National Post pulled her earlier story.
Agence France-Presse reported that Iran's only Jewish MP strongly denied the report in the National Post.
Andrew G. Bostom, The American Thinker provided some historical background to the dress code debate.
Michael Rubin, The Corner published some additional background.
Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that Jewish leaders, the Israeli government and chancelleries of free countries are scrambling to find out whether there is truth to the report.

US mapping out plans to support the Iranian opposition.

Los Angeles Times reported that U.S. officials have recently taken a series of steps to increase pressure on Iran, most recently creating new offices in the State Department and Pentagon specifically to bolster opposition to the Tehran government.

Iranians struggle with Iran's new Taliban.

Rooz Online reported the Iranian press claimed that Ramin Jahanbegloo, the prominent Iranian scholar and philosopher is one of the key elements in the so-called "soft overthrow" of the Islamic republic.
Rooz Online reported that the core of the Iranian hardliners constitutes the Iranian Taliban and that they are taking control of all the social structures and at the same time the institution that selects the leader.
Rooz Online reported on the ideological activities of 9,000 Passdaran Revolutionary Guards Corps and Bassij that aims to organize those who have a similar political outlook.
Rooz Online reported that the new EU3 package designed to lure Iran into accepting a moratorium on Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities includes a section that deals with human rights.

Western intelligence agencies reconsidering Iran's nuclear timeline?

The Financial Times reported that western intelligence agencies are likely to speed up their estimates of when Iran could develop a nuclear weapon.

Bush should respond the Ahmadinejad's letter?

Kenneth R. Timmerman, FrontPageMagazine.com argued that President Bush should respond to Ahmadinejad's letter. He should treat it as an opportunity to address the Iranian people, talking over the heads of the media and taking his case directly to the people.
Youssef Goleyjani, Iran va Jahan wrote the letter that George Bush never wrote, a point by point response to Ahmadinejad.

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

Xinhua reported that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said economic sanctions against Iran are possible.
ABC News reported that European countries have asked the United States to consider selling new airplanes to Iran as part of a proposed package of incentives aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis with Tehran.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Mohamed ElBaradei will press Washington to moderate its stance on Iran in a meeting this week.
Monsters and Critics.com reported that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejected a call by Henry Kissinger for Washington to negotiate with Iran.
The New York Times discussed the effects of Iran's having closed the curtains on its nuclear programs.