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

DoctorZin reports, 9.19.2oo6

Ahmadinejad invited to speak to the CFR in NYC.

One Jerusalem has confirmed that the President of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Left-leaning establishment organization in New York, is inviting major civic, business, and political leaders to meet Iran's tyrannical President Ahmadinejad this week, when he is in New York. They asked for your help.
Eli Lake, New York Sun reported that Jewish leaders in New York are spurning a request from the Council on Foreign Relations to meet with the president of Iran when he arrives for the U.N. General Assembly.
Ken Timmerman, Iran.org reported a blistering response from Sen. Rick Santorum to the CFR's invitation for Ahmadinejad to speak. "President Ahmadinejad does not afford his own people the freedom of speech," Santorum wrote. "By allowing him the opportunity to address a public forum in the United States, you would be sending the wrong message to the people of Iran."

Ahmadinejad stays on the offensive while his support weakens at home.

New York Daily News reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims he'll dog President Bush this week at the UN to force the U.S. leader into a face to face debate over Iran's nuclear program.
Time Magazine reported on how Iran's populist, Ahmadinejad, lost his popularity.

Chirac not ready to refer Iran to the UNSC.

Dow Jones Newswires reported that French President Jacques Chirac suggested the international community renounce referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council during nuclear talks - and that Iran, in return, suspend uranium enrichment.

Russia gives a deadline for Iran's nuclear power plant completion.

RIA Novosti reported that Russia's nuclear chief said Bushehr nuclear power plant under construction in southern Iran will be commissioned in September 2007.

The US wants verification of any nuclear suspension in Iran.

Reuters reported that the United States wants to see a "verifiable suspension" of Iran's nuclear enrichment program so that there can be negotiations leading to a broader agreement.

But Iran denies it is ready to freeze its uranium enrichment.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran denied reports that the country was ready to consider freezing uranium enrichment for up to two months.

The Pope responds to Muslim anger at his comments.

Magdi Allam, Corriere della Sera argued that the Pope is threatened because he has said things that every single honest and rational Muslim should accept: the historical truth.
Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal reported that it took Pope Benedict XVI 5 days to express regret for all the offense caused by his speech. But maybe his apology that he said he was "deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages in my address" -- was as sly as the speech itself.

Bush preparing to restart the Arab-Israeli peace process?

Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that the Bush Administration is getting ready to re-energize the long dormant Arab-Israeli peace process to entice wavering European and Arab allies to hold a firm line on Iranian nuclear ambitions and the global war on terrorism.

Americans give Iran the lowest rating in a survey of nations.

Peter Brown, RealclearPolitics.com argued that although there is some dispute about which side won the recent Middle East war, it is clear Israel was the victor in the battle for American public opinion. Iran on the other hand received the lowest rating in a survey 17 nations by Americans.

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

World Politics Watch reported in its Iran Watch the latest protests and attacks on dissidents in Iran as well as a report that claimed that Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah are in touch with the 12th Iman, said to be in hiding since the 9th century. Read all the reports here.
Mansoor Ijaz, The Wall Street Journal argued that while Pakistan needs not just innovative solutions for its difficulties, but a leader with ideas to frame them and the guts to implement them. Increasingly, Gen. Musharraf does not appear to be that man.
The National Jewish Democratic Council PAC in a press advisory reported that U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg slammed Republican Senator Rick Santorum's refusal to stop U.S. companies from doing business with Iran. But in doing so, Senator Frank Lautenberg is attempting to rewrite history.
Bridget, GOP Vixen published an "interesting" photo of Ahmadinejad and Chavez: Caption This!