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

DoctorZin reports, 5.14.2006:

IAEA presses hard on Iran and Pakistani General revealed evidence Iran wants the bomb.

The Times Online reported that inspectors from the IAEA are asking Iranian officials for samples of machinery taken from a nuclear site bulldozed in 2004 to confirm whether it bears traces of bomb-grade uranium. The report added: a retired Pakistani army general revealed evidence of the mullahs’ long-held desire to procure a nuclear bomb.

EU to Iran: Stop!

Reuters reported that the European Union will insist on Monday that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment despite Tehran's demand that some be allowed for research goals.

Iran to EU: No!

CNN.com reported that Iran's foreign minister told European states not to repeat the mistake of forcing an end to talks on Tehran's nuclear program by demanding it stop uranium enrichment.

US to Koffi: No!

Peoples Daily Online reported that the United States rejected UN chief Kofi Annan's call for direct talks over nuclear issues with Iran.

Ahmadinejad: No "talks" without a taking military action against Iran off the table.

The Washington Post reported that Iran's president said he was willing to hold talks over his country's disputed nuclear program but not with countries that hold "bombs over our head."

Iran's letter to Bush a sign of "the end times?"

Mehran Riazaty, an Iran Analyst, reported that the Iranian press is reporting that Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush is sign of return of Imam Mahdi.

The inside story of Condi's "battle" with Lavrov in NYC meeting on Iran.

The Telegraph reported that US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, traded barbs during bad-tempered talks at a foreign ministers' summit in New York. The row reflects deepening rifts between the United States and Russia. An amazing read.

Iran gives Al Qaeda surface to air missiles.

Iran Focus reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had provided the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq heavy weapons including the Strela-type SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles after al-Zarqawi traveled to Iran and met with Iranian officials.

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

Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post finds it worrisome that the day after Ahmadinejad wrote his war letter to Bush, Rice was meeting with her associates figuring out a way to give the Hamas-led Palestinians millions of dollars of US taxpayers' money, in spite of the fact that Hamas has agreed act as Teheran's client.
The New York Times provided striking parallels between Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's letter to Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
The Boston Herald, in an editorial, argued that the White House was correct to give that kooky letter from Iran’s president the brush-off and despite recent calls for "direct talks" with Iran; “Engaging” just will just encourage them to think they have the United States on the run.
SeattlePI reported that Iran is increasingly finding itself in economic limbo as the international community debates how to respond to Tehran's refusal to stop enriching uranium.
SMCCDI reported that approximately 12 Millions dollars were spent, by the Islamic regime's intelligence, in order to show an Indonesian support for Ahmadinejad.