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

DoctorZin reports, 6.21.2006:

Iranian Dissident Akbar Ganji: "We need the spiritual support of the world."

Rooz Online reported that Akbar Ganji, the imprisoned Iranian journalist who was released last month and who is currently on a European trip said that there is absolutely no possibility to reform the Iranian system under its legal structure. "I agree with civil disobedience. This is a method that is used all over the world. But in Iran civil disobedience bears a very high price. We need the spiritual support of Europe and the world."

Sharansky agrees.

Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that one of Mr. Bush's staunchest intellectual supporters (former Soviet dissident) Natan Sharansky, said: "We need to understand the [Iranian] opposition are our real allies and not repeat the mistakes of the Clinton administration."

US/Russian close ranks on Iran?

MosNews reported that U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone and agreed to close ranks on Iran.
Bloomberg reported that President George W. Bush will seek to maintain western unity in the confrontation with Iran during a summit with European Union leaders Wednesday in Vienna.

EU offers more talks with Iran.

The Guardian reported that the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, has made an unexpected private offer of last-minute talks to persuade the Iranian government to accept the west's nuclear package.
Amir Taheri, Gulf News argued that talking about talks [this time with Iran] is an old tactic used whenever adversaries run out of ideas about their next move.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard ready to replace Iran's Foreign Ministry.

Radio Free Europe reported that with the recent purge of Iran's diplomatic corps, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman said should the new ambassadors and the Foreign Ministry stumble, the IRGC is ready to fill the vacuum.

Tehran's bloody Prosecutor lectures the West on human rights to the UN's Human Rights body.

SMCCDI reported that Tehran's infamous Prosecutor General "Saeed Mortazavi" is currently the guest of the newly formed UN Human Rights body in Switzerland.
IRIB News reported that Tehran Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi said that Iran is concerned over the violations of human rights in the West.

Oil prices could triple with an attack on Iran?

Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States said world oil prices could triple if the diplomatic standoff over Iran's nuclear program escalates into a military conflict.

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

BBC News reported that a far-right rally planned to coincide with Wednesday's Iran-Angola World Cup match in Leipzig is not going ahead, at least not legally.
Voice of America reported that Iranians in 'Tehrangeles.' are making sure their opinions about the future of Iran are heard loud and clear.
Reuters reported that Iraq's new oil minister accused Iranian coastguards of protecting smugglers.
Richard Miniter & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, The Weekly Standard reported that nearly every major media outlet has fallen for at least one of the three major myths concerning Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Mehran Riazaty reported that the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime said that the present security problems in Iraq may only be solved through withdrawal of the occupation army (i.e. US).
Rooz Online reported that the intelligence minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran claimed the recent unrest in Iran was directed from outside the country and announced that they are pursuing this aggressive goal through a gradual overthrow” of the regime.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel said his family might have escaped death under Hitler had they listened to the warnings of what was coming back in 1942. He feels compelled to warn the world about what is coming with Ahmadinejad.