Iranian Alert -- November 24, 2003 -- IRAN LIVE THREAD

The US media almost entirely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, “this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year.” But most American’s are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. Starting June 10th of this year, Iranians have begun taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy. Many even want the US to over throw their government.

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.

In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.

This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.

I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.

If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.

If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

PS I have a daily ping list and a breaking news ping list. If you would like to receive alerts to these stories please let me know which list you would like to join.

BP Rules Iranian Oil Out Amid Nuclear Worries

November 24, 2003
Forbes
Braden Reddall

LONDON -- Britain's BP will not pursue development of a major Iranian oilfield, company chief executive John Browne said on Monday, amid growing international concern over a secret Iranian nuclear research programme. "No, I don't think it's something that BP would entertain," Browne told reporters during a conference in London. "It's the wrong time."

With a big chunk of its business based in the the United States after two major U.S. acquisitions in the past four years, and a growing shareholder base there, BP is sensitive to U.S. political antipathy towards Iran.

Washington accuses Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons during a concealed 18-year atomic research programme recently exposed by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The United Nations Security Council is due on Wednesday to discuss a resolution condemning Iran for the research, which could be arms-related.

The resolution will respond to a recent IAEA report that said Iran had concealed a uranium enrichment programme and secretly reprocessed plutonium, that can be used in weapons.

Iranian oil officials said earlier this year that BP and France's Total had been shortlisted for the Bangestan project, one of several fields it has targeted for foreign investors to help raise oil export capacity.

BP, like other large integrated oil companies, is searching far and wide for places to develop commercially viable reserves as traditional hunting grounds like the North Sea reach maturity.

But Iran has fallen behind on its schedule for signing up new investment and appears to have become a no-go area for several companies worried about the political fall-out from the revelations about Tehran's nuclear research.

A Japanese consortium backed by the Japanese government missed a June deadline this year to seal a $2 billion deal for another large Iranian oil prospect, Azadegan, following pressure from the United States to back away.

Browne's comments were made at a conference sponsored by the Wall Street Journal Europe and CNBC Europe.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2003/11/24/rtr1158723.html

Compromise Reached on Iran's Nuclear Program

November 24, 2003
The Associated Press
CNN.com

VIENNA, Austria -- Breaking days of deadlock, the United States and key European countries agreed late Monday on how to balance condemnation of Iran's past nuclear transgressions with recognition of its newfound openness, diplomats said.

The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a draft resolution was formally submitted to the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency two days before it was to resume a meeting adjourned Friday to allow time to bridge the rift.

The diplomats told The Associated Press that the draft included a "trigger mechanism" demanded by the United States in the form of a clause indirectly threatening Security Council action should Iran was found guilty of "further significant failures" -- new evidence of clandestine activities or failure to honor its new commitments to the IAEA.

Washington had insisted it would hold out for at least a threat of Security Council action over 18 years of clandestine activities by Iran, including uranium enrichment and plutonium processing that U.S. officials say point to a nuclear weapons agenda.

France, Germany and Britain instead put forward a relatively softly worded draft resolution meant to focus on encouraging Iran to continue its stated commitment to open its nuclear programs to stringent IAEA scrutiny. That was rejected by Washington, leading to days of deadlock before compromise was achieved late Monday.

Agreement on the text of a draft set the stage for passage of the resolution Wednesday, when the board meeting was set to resume.

"We've reached agreement," said one of the diplomats. "We're all set for Wednesday."

As the text of the draft was still developing earlier in the evening, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's chief IAEA envoy, suggested his country was happy with a resolution that avoided direct mention of Security Council involvement should Iran backslide but refused to characterize developments as a "victory" over Washington.

"It's always natural that there are differences of views on matters of international importance," he told the AP. "What is important here is that a chance has been given for the power of logic to prevail."

He said Iran would not have tolerated any direct mention of Security Council action -- and the implicit threat of sanctions -- in any resolution.

"Those are red lines that are not going to be crossed by anyone," he said, suggesting that Iran would have rethought its nuclear concessions, including opening its programs to intensive scrutiny and suspending uranium enrichment, had the resolution mentioned the Council.

U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli already indicated on Friday that Washington was ready to drop its insistence on a "trigger clause" directly linking nuclear transgressions by Iran with Security Council involvement.

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/24/nuclear.agency.iran.ap/index.html

"From Green to Red . . . and Now Shades of Green?!"

November 24, 2003
Iran va Jahan
Farhad Mafie

Is the similarity in colors between the green Islamic flag and the green United States dollar bill just an interesting coincidence? Consider the lucrative business that the Islamic government of Iran, its affiliated network, and its associates have created in the Middle East for the G8 and other European countries. Coincidence? No, not at all . . . it is very real.

From Green to Red . . .

In 1977 Zbigniew Brzezinski (former National Security Advisor in the Carter Administration) introduced the Green Belt Policy, referring to the green Islamic flag. He proposed and tried to implement the creation of a series of Islamic governments along the Southern borders of Russia to isolate Communist Russia from the warm waters of the Persian Gulf and also from the oil-rich regions of the Middle East. He also used the concept of Islamic fundamentalism as an important ideological weapon against communism to further prevent the dissemination of leftist ideas in the Middle East.

This short-term policy and naïve approach brought the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), Taliban, Hezbollah, etc., to the region. And finally, after 23 years, its detrimental and destructive forces reached the United States in the September 11th tragedy.

Green Generating Green$

There is no question that having incompetent systems of government in the Middle East, such as the Islamic government of Iran, has played a significant role in keeping oil prices below actual production costs for its primary customers (e.g., the G8 countries) for more than 20 years. Just check any trustworthy source and compare the region's 1979 economic figures with today's numbers; comparing the financial condition of Iran and its neighboring countries in 1979 with their economic situation today shows their miserable and deteriorating conditions in spite of the inherent wealth in the region.

And there is also no question that supporting the Middle East war machinery -- new equipment, parts re-building destroyed infrastructure, etc. -- is a huge and profitable business for the G8, other European countries, Japan, China, and others. For example, the cost of the destruction to Iran's infrastructure after its eight-year war with Iraq is more than 400 billion dollars, which the Iranian people will be paying for generations to come. In the meantime, many countries are benefiting from the new business of reconstruction. And the saga continues . . .

Imagine the miserable condition Europe, Japan, etc., would be in if they were paying $140 per barrel for oil instead of the current deals they are getting from Islamic Iran and others! No wonder they all provide a red-carpet treatment to officials of the Islamic government of Iran!

Looking for Solutions

Since 1979, in the absence of a competent government in Iran, European countries have been able to benefit from the flow of inexpensive oil and gas, as well as from multibillion-dollar contracts with the Islamic government of Iran. In return European countries have (1) provided a safe passageway for the IRI terrorists and assassins who were responsible for murdering some of Iran's most important opposition leaders, including the Shah's last Prime Minister, Shahpour Bakhtiyar, (2) approved multibillion-dollar oil contracts, (3) granted multibillion-dollar loans to the IRI, (4) ignored the IRI's human rights violations, (5) supported the IRI and its dog-and-pony reformist show, and much, much more.

After the September 11th tragedy, Europe -- under unprecedented pressure from the U.S. -- can no longer ignore the behavior of the monster that it has been supporting. More than ever, therefore, European countries are looking for potential solutions.

But they are looking for a solution that merely confines the criminal behavior of these systems (e.g., IRI) without changing the current profitable business model between Europe and Islamic Iran.

Shades of Green -- Modern Islamic Governments/Leaders!

The collaborators and associates of the Islamic government of Iran, with the help of their European cheerleaders, are now labeling themselves with ridiculous slogans such as "Modern Islam," "Modern Islamic Women," and "Gentler Islam" in an effort to extend the life of the Islamic system of Iran for a couple of more decades with a different image. A different shade of green!

To show their "genuineness," their new titles will probably be accompanied by some social freedom. In reality, however, nothing will change. The miserable political and economic conditions of Iran and the region will stay the same. Just like when Khatami became president. A smiling president instead of the usual frowning faces of the Mullahs (Islamic clergymen) was created, and some minor social freedoms were provided for youths, all in an effort to give a new face (a "reformist" face) to the Islamic system of Iran. This successful tactic provided the needed new face to win over Europe's public opinion, which had drastically deteriorated after the 1997 Mykonos Trial in Germany.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -Albert Einstein

Since the breakdown of the USSR, hundreds of unemployed Russian nuclear scientists, engineers, and specialists are now living a lavish lifestyle in Islamic Iran and are driving Islamic Iran's nuclear programs. The IRI is also working very closely with North Korea and China on extending the range of its missiles way beyond its neighboring countries' boundaries. This combination is an unfortunate recipe for future disaster.

Giving a different shade of green to a barbaric system in Iran is not going to change anything. It only provides them with a forum where they can hide their activities and achieve their long-lasting objectives, such as the destruction of Israel and other U.S. interests in the world, and much more.

The issue is not Islam, Christianity, or any other religion. The issue is not old or modern Islam. The issue is a system of government (the Islamic government of Iran) that has been effectively using and interpreting religious-related ideologies to justify its criminal behavior to the masses and to its regional collaborators.

The Western World can either support the wishes of the Iranian people to establish a secular and democratic system via an internationally observed referendum in Iran, or it can expect more blood ("red") from the potential new versions of Islam government ("shades of green") that are going to come.

The only remaining choice is to end this insanity for good.

By Farhad Mafie
P.O. Box 51330, Irvine, CA 92619
Mafie@att.net
Nov. 10, 2003

http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=11&d=24&a=5

Iran sticks to Tehran declaration

IRIB English News
2003/11/25

Tehran, Nov 25 - Vice President for legal and parliamentary affairs Mohammad-Ali Abtahi said here late Sunday that given Europe's confidence in Iran's nuclear program, Iran will comply with Tehran declaration.

Speaking to the Dubai-based Al-Arabia network, he added that though Iran has already declared several times that it doesn't intend to gain access to nuclear weapons and that its nuclear activities are peaceful, the US and Israel keep insisting on their claim.

Responding to the question on his prediction of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) decision in its Wednesday meeting, he said that Iran started its multilateral cooperation with IAEA even before the agency called for it, given its belief that further transparency to the effect will also be to its own benefit.

Concerning Iran's readiness for any decision that may be taken by the IAEA in the upcoming Vienna meeting on Wednesday, he noted, "We already managed to sign an agreement in this respect through diplomatic efforts and properly briefing the Europeans and the three EU Foreign Ministers visiting Tehran.

"Therefore, we shall proceed according to the signed document known as Tehran declaration, which is approved by the Europeans and the IAEA," he added.

Abtahi said that the Europeans are aware that diplomatic approach towards Iran on the issue is in the world's interests, adding that the Americans however have not yet realized it.

"The Europeans have so far benefited from Iran's domestic potentials and Iran is prepared to respond to the entire world if it chooses to make use of its capabilities as well.

Abtahi said that considering Iran's opposition to both Taliban and Saddam when they were ruling in Afghanistan and Iraq respectively, once they were toppled, the US included Iran in the trilateral 'axis of evil' along with Iraq and North Korea.

"That's why Iranian nation doesn't trust the US," he added.

http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=193157&n=31

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