Iranian Alert -- June 25, 2004 [EST]-- IRAN LIVE THREAD -- "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"

Joke of The Year by Iran mullah president

Jun 25, 2004, 21:28

"Islamic Revolution is Anti-Terrorist Movement"

President Mohammad Khatami here Thursday termed the Islamic Revolution as a move that is against terrorism and condemns it in all its forms.

The Islamic Revolution is standing against all terrorist moves, and terrorists either those who rely on non-Islamic powers or those who attribute themselves to Islam, Khatami added. "We condemn those who embark on violence and terrorist acts in the name of Islam for two reasons: one is for the nature of their terrorist acts and the other is due to the damage they inflict on humanitarian and free face of Islam," he stated. The president was talking to the families of a group of high ranking Iranian officials including the then chief justice Ayatollah Beheshti who attained martyrdom in a terrorist bomb blast at the headquarters of the Islamic Republican Party in Tehran on June 27, 1981.

He described the Israel as the symbol of state terrorism which is supported by non-Islamic powers. Pointing to recent events in Iraq, the president said, "Today we are witnessing a catastrophic situation in that country ... such measures carried out in the name of Islam, humanity and freedom must be condemned." "We cannot refuse to condemn the bitter incident of killing two non-Iraqi persons in Iraq, nor can we ignore their reasons which are violence, occupation and suppression," he stressed.

Khatami condemned the Israel's assassination of Palestinian dignitaries and defenseless people, saying the move by a nation who has been expelled from their homeland and who sacrifice their lives to take back their rights and inflict damage on the enemies must be differentiated from the move we have seen in Afghanistan. "There are differences between this move (Palestinian resistance) which is a heroic one and those being committed in certain countries in the name of Islam," he said. The president stressed the Islamic Revolution has always been targeted by international terrorism, terming Iran as among the victims of terrorism.

"Today, the whole world complains about terrorism but a major part of what exist now emanates from pressures and suppression by those who claim to be fighting terrorism," he said. He condemned the big powers for their support for the Zionist regime which is a symbol of state terrorism, saying "A system or a regime which symbolizes state terrorism is officially and fully supported and defended at a time when efforts are being made under pretext of fighting terrorism. "This is among the factors which would expand terrorism in the world."

He said ever increasing violence imposed on defenseless countries is the cause of insecurity and terrorist acts, adding that incorrect views would also breed terrorism and lead to violent actions. Khatami stressed that Iran was not after launching aggression on any country but would defend its rights. He noted that unity would be reinforced in the society by strengthening democracy and fighting anti-democratic factors.

"Our strength does not come from purchasing weapons from others and storing them, rather it originates from scientific and technological progress and a dynamic economy," he pointed out. Pointing to Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, he said, "Today the world is aware of the fact that the Islamic Revolution does not seek nuclear weapons.

http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_2729.shtml

Iran's Suicide Wish

June 25, 2004
World Tribune.com
John Metzler

UNITED NATIONS -- The pistol used by the assassin of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand which triggered events leading to the carnage of World War I, has been re-discovered and shall be displayed in a Vienna museum, some 90 years after the infamous assassination in Sarajevo. Given what that gun caused, I would classify the Browning pistol used by Serbian gunman Garvilo Princip as a weapon of mass destruction.

Now in Vienna the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) grapples with the unfolding legacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear hide and seek game. That of course deals with Teheran’s evolving nuclear weapons research which could, over the next few years, give Islamic Iran a nuclear weapon of mass destruction.

Given that Teheran hoodwinked European Union negotiators last year into believing that Iran would suspend its uranium enrichment activities and cooperate more fully with the IAEA, we have come back to the glaring reality that Teheran has been playing its usual shell game. Now you see it, now you don’t.

Though the political perfidy of Iran’s mullahs has not fooled the Bush Administration it has mollified the Euros who view superficial cooperation as a diplomatic victory rather than a stall for time.

Far less noticed has been Iran’s equally chilling announcement that it has enrolled more than 10,000 suicide bombers into the Headquarters for Tribute to the Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movements. A recent Teheran recruitment conference — attended by military officials and parliamentarians--claimed that the suicide bombers would attack targets in Iraq, Israel, Chechnya and Western Europe.

So here we see the Islamic Republic of Iran, a formal state entity, promoting terror against Americas in Iraq, Israel, Russia and the European Union. Even if the actual number is 1,000 terrorists, one does not have to be too creative to think of the violent consequences and intimidation factor in Iraq and Europe.

A common thread in this regime sponsorship of terror is Iran’s own government which has been increasingly dominated by the Revolutionary Guards the Pasdaran, the ultra-fanatical Islamic armed militants who support the hard-line mullahs.

The Revolutionary Guards — increasingly a state within a state — have both military power and more importantly the power of coercion over an increasingly restive Iranian population, and to manipulate Iranian government policy itself. The recent capture of British sailors in disputed waters near Iran, was no doubt such a deliberate and seemingly clumsy provocation meant to influence domestic and international policy.

The USA, Europe, Russia and People’s China have jointly condemned Islamic Iran’s quest for the nuclear genie. A recent IAEA resolution chided Iran for less than full and forthcoming cooperation. Still there’s been no plan to take formal measures to condemn Teheran’s non-compliance in the UN Security Council, given that such a move is probably a non-starter. Why?

Most members of the Council wish to view the moderate face President Mohammed Khatami’s “reform” in Iran, never mind the lucrative commercial opportunities with this strategic oil-rich land. Council members — many of whom have considerable business interests in Iran such as China, France, Germany, Russia--will be easily divided and split over the economic consequences of any such political pressures. The U.S. will be maneuvered into the role of the bad guy looking for a confrontation, and thus any really tough resolution against Teheran will likely be stillborn.

The hard-line clerics and Revolutionary Guard militants who now dominate the Iranian parliament are playing a crafty political game — backed up by the threat of suicide bombings — to intimidate the European Union. Should it appear that there’s a serious international consensus to crack down on this fast-developing nuclear program, Islamic Iran may bluff or risk even bolder intimidation. The mullahs moves could prove suicidal.

John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.

http://216.26.163.62/2004/mz6_25.html

Iran centrifuge plan dashes hopes of nuclear deal

By Stephen Fidler in London
Published: June 25 2004 20:12 | Last Updated: June 25 2004 20:12

Britain said on Friday it was consulting France and Germany, after Iran said it would resume manufacture of parts for centrifuges to enrich uranium and restart assembly and testing of centrifuges next week.

The declaration by Tehran dealt a blow to the European countries' hopes of reaching a diplomatic settlement over Iran's controversial programme nuclear programme. The UK Foreign Office said it regretted the Iranian announcement, "for which there was no good reason".

In an agreement last year, Tehran promised France, Germany and the UK it would suspend its uranium-enrichment activities and increase co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The three told Iran that if it complied, they would help it with its nuclear energy programme.

Iran subsequently provoked further suspicion about the intent of its programme, which it claims is peaceful, by apparent efforts to deceive IAEA inspectors. The agency criticised Iran at a board meeting this month, and deplored its failure to report last year its possession of drawings for advanced P-2 centrifuges and other associated research.

In apparent reaction to the criticism, the Iranian government told the three this week it would resume making, assembling and testing centrifuges. Pirooz Hosseini, Iran's ambassador to the agency, also wrote to Mohammed ElBaradei, director-general of the IAEA.

According to the letter to the IAEA, Iran "intends to resume under IAEA supervision manufacturing of centrifuge components and assembly and testing of centrifuges as of 29 June 2004".

In practical terms, the report to the IAEA meeting this month suggests Iran continued manufacturing some centrifuge components "under existing contracts".

The US has pressed for a harder line against Iran, seeking a referral by the IAEA to the United Nations Security Council, which could eventually result in sanctions on Iran. John Bolton, US under-secretary of state for arms control, reiterated before a congressional committee on Thursday that the US "strongly believes that Iran has a clandestine programme to produce nuclear weapons".

As part of its agreement with the Europeans, Iran signed the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which provides significant rights for IAEA inspectors inside the country, though its parliament has not yet ratified it. Even so, Iran said it would provisionally abide by the protocol's terms.

In his letter, Mr Hosseini gave no indication that Iran would change that position.

Concern that Iran had not fully declared the scope of its nuclear programme was increased by disclosures last week of apparent recent efforts to dismantle a suspected nuclear site.

According to the Institute for Science and International Security, a non-partisan Washington-based think-tank, new satellite images show buildings at the site at Lavizan-Shian in north-eastern Tehran were dismantled, rubble carted away, and the ground around it scraped. At other sites, IAEA inspectors found traces of enriched uranium using sophisticated environmental sampling. This led Iran to revise declarations to the IAEA.

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1087373280825

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.