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

DoctorZin reports, 9.22.2oo6

Ahmadinejad crushes CFR hopes for a "grand bargain."

The New York Times reported that Ahmadinejad met with two dozen members of the Council on Foreign Relations, then ending the evening by asking whether they were simply shills for the Bush administration.
Kenneth R. Timmerman, FrontPageMagazine.com reported that while the CFR has consistently promoted a "grand bargain" with the regime in Tehran and ex-CFR staffer Susan Maloney at the State Department has vetoed funding of the Iranian opposition radio and TV broadcasts, and training for opposition groups inside Iran, on the grounds that it might offend the Tehran regime.

Clinton: The US should talk to Iran without conditions.

News 8 reported that former President Clinton said the U.S. should try talking to Iran about its nuclear weapons ambitions without imposing a lot of conditions.

Ahmadinejad: Iran willing to talk under the right conditions.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran is willing to discuss the suspension of nuclear enrichment under the right conditions.

Ahmadinejad tries to improve his image , but...

New Press reported that Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to be enjoying the spotlight at this year's U.N. General Assembly, easing his way into the international arena and trying to improve his image amid the controversy over his nuclear program and remarks about Israel and the Holocaust.
The New York Sun reported that Columbia University invited the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to give a speech today, but at the last moment the invitation was withdrawn.
CNN News reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he is surprised American politicians "are so sensitive and biased with regards to Israel." Asked if he believes Israel has no right to exist -- he responded, "I say that it is an occupying regime."

Major powers give Iran another deadline: October.

Swiss Info reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signaled a willingness to negotiate as major powers said Tehran had until early October to agree to suspend its nuclear program.

Iran seeks Cuba and Venezuela as bases for subversive activities against the US?

DEBKAfile reported that on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Havana, intelligence experts from Iran, Cuba and Venezuela met to discuss on ways of translating their leaders' hostile rhetoric and slogans into effective war action against the United States.

Why the US is unlikely to use military action, but Iran is.

David Frum's Diary published 4 reasons why the US is unlikely to attack Iran arguing he US and Iran are heading toward a deal.
Avigdor Haselkorn, The American Thinker argued why after Israel's war with Hezb’allah an Iranian attack on Israel is now more likely than before.

BBC international poll: Washington's view that is prevailing.

BBC News reported that the BBC World Service opinion poll on Iran's nuclear intentions found that a significant majority, people in the 25 countries in which this opinion poll was carried out do not accept Iran's protestations that its nuclear activities are purely for civil purposes.

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

NPR reported that in Iran, journalists, reformers, and student activists feared the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might lead to repressive policies and restrictions. After a year of comparative calm, however, observers say that it now appears that their fears were justified.
Rooz Online reported that, despite an exponential increase in the size of the government budget and expenditure, the Islamic Republic could be in crisis unless they receive new funding.
Aaron, One Jerusalem published a roundup of the reports on the protest of Ahmadinejad at the UN. Videos.
Cox & Forkum published a cartoon: El Diablo.