Monday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 8.14.2006:

Ahmadinejad now has a blog.

• Yahoo News reported that Iran's president has launched a Web log, using his first entry to ask visitors to the site if they think the United States and Israel want to start a new world war.

Iran calls the Lebanese ceasefire "illogical."

• Reuters reported that Iran welcomed a planned ceasefire to halt the month-long war between Lebanon's Hizbollah and Israel but described the U.N. Security Council's call for disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah as "illogical".

Iran: Israel defeated by Hezbollah.

• Trend.az reported that Iranian leaders claim the war in Lebanon has resulted in "total defeat" for Israel.

Average Iranians use modern communications technology.

• The Mercury News reported that at least 5 million of Iran's 65 million people regularly use the Internet, according to estimates by international agencies. The figure is expected to grow sharply in the next decade.
• IranMania reported that the total number of the cell phones in Iran will reach 15 million by February 19, 2007.

Iran steps up pressure on bloggers.

• Yahoo News reported that Iranian authorities are stepping up arrests and pressure on popular bloggers as part of a wider Internet clampdown.

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

• Los Angeles Times reported that in LA, Ganji affirmed Israel's right to statehood, condemned suicide bombings and castigated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's vow to destroy the Jewish state.
• Khaleej Times Online reported that armed bandits killed eight Iranian police and wounded three others in an ambush in southern Iran.
• Reuters reported that Iran said on Western threats and pressure would not resolve a dispute over its atomic program but could push Tehran to review its nuclear policy.
• A satirical photo of Ahmadinejad. He would fit in with this crowd.

Tags: iran, news, lebanon, isreal