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Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!

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Decision Time Approaches

September 02, 2004
The Economist
The Economist print edition

Is Iran's theocratic regime much of a threat to anyone other than its own mightily put-upon people? And even if it is, what can the outside world do about it?

Twenty-five years after the revolution that brought the ayatollahs to power, their grip is again crushing the breath out of would-be reformers. Critics in the press are locked up. Human rights are trampled. A new conservative-dominated parliament has squelched plans for much-needed economic reforms (see article). With hardliners in the ascendant, hope of turning aside Iran's troubling nuclear ambitions is fading too. Yet a nuclear-armed Iran is a danger worth averting.

Over the past 18 months Iran has reluctantly confessed to breaking every rule in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) rule-book. That is, bar one: it still denies trying to build a bomb. Few believe that. If all it wanted, as it claims, was to use nuclear power to keep the lights on, why lie for 18 years to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN body that checks that nuclear materials are not diverted for military purposes? Why secretly experiment with plutonium and uranium (both possible bomb ingredients)? Why buy machinery from black-market middlemen—the same ones who supplied Libya with a weapon design as part of its uranium-enrichment starter kit? The IAEA's latest report on Iran this week adds no new charges. Yet the rule-breaking record stands.

Would it matter if Iran did get the bomb? It no longer attempts to export revolution, and it lives in a dangerous neighbourhood, now with American troops also nearby. Although it contributes to those dangers, by refusing to recognise Israel's right even to exist, and by arming groups that reject peace with it, Iran fires off rhetorical salvoes, not missiles. Wouldn't a nuclear-armed Iran be similarly deterred, since any attempt to use its weapons would invite a devastating response?

Bear in mind that cold-war deterrence between America and the Soviet Union barely survived numerous crises and miscalculations. A fissile region that has lived uneasily with Israel's bombs would be unlikely to accept a nuclear-armed Iran with equanimity. Whatever Iran's motives—regional primacy or mere technological one-upmanship—the nuclear chain reaction could quickly see Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and even Turkey follow suit. Unlike India, Pakistan and Israel, which never signed the NPT, Iran's violations would also fatally undermine a treaty that has so far kept regional rivalries below the nuclear threshold in many dangerous places.

It was in hopes of averting all this that last October Britain, France and Germany offered Iran a face-saver: a delay in reporting its nuclear transgressions to the UN Security Council if Iran suspended all uranium-enrichment-related activity and told all to the IAEA's inspectors. If suspension turned permanent, more trade and technology would flow. But Iran's nuclear story was full of holes. Enrichment-related work never quite ceased, and more is under way again. Yet Iran wants the IAEA off its case.

Beyond shoulder-shrugging, outsiders now have two options: more diplomacy, or force. There are no very good military options—Iran's nuclear installations are scattered, and some may be hidden—but there are some. As Israel likes to point out, its attack on Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981 put back Saddam Hussein's bomb-building ambitions. It is also worth noting, however, that it did not end them. Yet for diplomacy to nudge Iran on to a safer course, it will need to be a lot more muscular, and better co-ordinated, than hitherto.

Add to the costs, expand the benefits

The Europeans' October gambit has failed. When the IAEA's board meets later this month there is no longer any excuse to delay reporting Iran's rule-breaking to the Security Council. But then what? When North Korea was similarly reported, for breaking the NPT and then flouncing out, Russia and China blocked further action. Russia claims to oppose both treaty-breaking and force; in that case, it needs to lean on Iran a lot harder. America argues, rightly, that without the credible threat of international sanctions (not just its own), hitting trade and investment in oil and gas, the clerics won't budge. Yet if they are to weigh differently the costs of their nuclear option, they also need to know what alternative future to expect.

Iran can still enjoy the benefits of civilian nuclear power, even after giving up its dangerous fuel technologies. Talks on that need to lead on to a wider dialogue—including with reluctant America. Meanwhile an Iran that lives up to its anti-nuclear promises would be a likelier candidate for WTO membership. And as a first step towards a more secure Middle East, free of all weapons of mass destruction, there needs to be serious discussion of regional confidence-building measures. Will Israel-hating Iran buy any of that? Backed by the threat of real sanctions, it is worth a try. If diplomacy is ever to denuclearise Iran, the time to try harder is now.

Iran threatens missile crisis in Middle East

ANNETTE YOUNG
IN JERUSALEM

ISRAELI defence officials watched in dismay as the small blip disappeared from the radar, short of its target.

Off the Californian coast, the Jewish state’s key Arrow-2 missile defence system was undergoing tests under the auspices of the Americans.

While one missile had successfully downed an incoming Scud, the second test against a new type of weapon being developed by the Iranians had failed to meet its target. The Israeli’s explained away the failure as a small technical hitch, but 3,000 miles away, at a secret location in the Iranian desert, the radical Islamic Republic had successfully test fired the upgraded Shihab-3 missile, now capable of striking at the heart of the Jewish state.

The brinksmanship and the rhetoric between the two states has intensified amid increasing speculation that Israel might attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

Yadollah Javani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards political bureau, warned: "The entire Zionist territory... is currently within range of Iran’s advanced missiles."

As both Israel and Iran lined up their missiles for test firings, the Israeli chief of staff, General Moshe Ya’alon, said Iran’s nuclear development had to be halted before it went much further. He told the Yediot Ahronot newspaper: "Iran is striving for nuclear capability and I suggest that in this matter [Israel should] not rely on others."

In Tehran, Iran’s defence minister, Ali Shamkhani, warned that should Israel do so, his country would "wipe out" Israel.

Tensions between the two nations rose as the United States urged the United Nations Security Council to take action against Iran for its alleged nuclear weapons programme.

The test launch of the Iranian Shihab-3 missile last month revealed the warhead had been considerably upgraded, probably thanks to assistance from foreign experts from the former Soviet Union or North Korea.

The improvements will permit slower entry into the atmosphere so that the warhead, which could be chemical, will be more durable and its contents better protected.

Currently, the Shihab-3 has a range of about 800 miles and can reach as far as Turkey, Israel and most Saudi Arabian cities, but the Iranians are also believed to be working on the Shihab-5 whose range could be up to 1,600 miles, which would put most of central Europe within reach.

While it still carries conventional warheads, the Shihab-3 presents a low threat to the region. "But Iran’s missile programme is an integral part of its nuclear programme," said Dr Shmuel Bar, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy and Strategy in Israel. "Only nuclear capability would make this weapon an effective deterrent."

Israeli officials were quick to play down the failure of the Arrow-2 test, describing it as a technical glitch, and said Washington had approved $153m for further testing in 2005 of its missile defence system.

With a growing number of experts claiming Iran is only two to three years away from producing the bomb, international diplomatic focus will now turn to the September 13 board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that is expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, this week urged the nuclear watchdog to refer the issue to the Security Council following a leaked report that Iran plans to turn tons of uranium into the substance used to make enriched uranium.

Powell’s concerns were echoed on Friday by Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, who said the report contained "clear reservations" about the nature of Iran’s programme and past concealment efforts. He said Britain would work with Germany and France to review their faltering diplomatic initiative in coaxing Iran to stop uranium enrichment and complying fully with its treaty obligations.

The confidential report said the agency had been informed that the Islamic Republic planned to process 37 tonnes of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride. Uranium hexafluoride is spun in centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, which can be used to generate power or make nuclear warheads, depending on the degree of enrichment.

However, while the report said 37 tonnes could give Iran enough material for five bombs, the agency said it found no conclusive evidence of an Iranian arms programme.

As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is entitled build a nuclear facility, including one for uranium enrichment, so long as it is intended for peaceful purposes - which is what Tehran has stated.

But the Bush administration has opposed the activation of Iran’s nuclear power plant in the Gulf port of Bushehr, arguing that Iran - one of the world’s largest oil suppliers - has no need for such a plant. It has accused Tehran of hiding a nuclear weapons development programme under the guise of a civilian atomic energy programme.

Iran agreed to suspend its enrichment programme last year, in an effort to build international trust. But in July, it confirmed reports that it had resumed building nuclear centrifuges.

Andrew Koch, of Jane’s Defence Weekly, said the IAEA has been successful in opening up Iran’s nuclear programme to international scrutiny. "There is no indication that they have been ordered to build a bomb," he said. "Whereas the American security system is focused solely on the capability and not on the intention, both the IAEA and the Europeans take the line of looking at a country’s intentions: not could they but would they?"

But other defence analysts say Iran’s technological advances along with their nuclear weapons ambitions, given their drive to be seen as a regional leader in the Gulf region, were still a major cause for concern.

"There is no way that if Iran gets the bomb that Egypt or Saudi Arabia would just sit back and declare no interest in becoming nuclear powers," Bar said, adding it would have serious implications for the NPT.

"It is a big worry," a former adviser on non-proliferation to the Clinton Administration, Robert Einhorn, told the Scotland on Sunday. "Both the US and the Europeans need to try and alter Iran’s calculations of costs and benefits."

Now a senior adviser at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Einhorn added that the Europeans were less likely to lean on Iran because of growing commercial ties, whereas the Americans "currently use all sticks and no carrots in their approach."

Kerry and EU would offer Iran a nuclear deal

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COMThursday, September 3, 2004

WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry has signaled a departure in U.S. policy regarding Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Kerry aides said that, if elected, his administration, in cooperation with the European Union, would offer a deal to Iran that would allow the Islamic republic to retain its nuclear facilities. In return, Teheran would have to pledge to return all imported nuclear fuel acquired for its reactor at Bushehr.

The Kerry position has long been recommended by State Department circles. Current and former U.S. diplomats have warned against a U.S. confrontation with Iran, instead proposing a so-called "grand bargain" with Teheran that would include a removal of sanctions imposed on Iran.

Earlier this year, the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace issued a report that called on the United States, Europe and Russia to devise "a combination of costs and incentives" to change Iran's course. The report recommended that Iran "be guaranteed a commercially viable supply of low-enriched uranium for its nuclear reactors and for the removal and disposal of spent fuel," Middle East Newsline reported. "If we are engaging with Iranians in an effort to reach this great bargain and if in fact this is a bluff that they are trying to develop nuclear weapons capability, then we know that our European friends will stand with us," Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards said.

In speeches and interviews granted this week, Edwards stressed that a Democratic presidential administration would not ease U.S. opposition to an Iranian nuclear bomb.

"A nuclear Iran is unacceptable for so many reasons, including the possibility that it creates a gateway and the need for other countries in the region to develop nuclear capability – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, potentially others," Edwards told the Washington Post.

Kerry first discussed Iran policy in a speech in June. During that speech, he said his administration would attempt to reach an agreement with the Iranians, a position later echoed by Edwards.

"At the end of the day [Bush officials] can argue all they want about their policies," Edwards said. "But the test is: Have they worked? And Iran is further along in developing a nuclear weapon than they were when George Bush came into office."

The Bush administration has pressed the International Atomic Energy Agency to continue with inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities.

The administration has sought to bring the Iranian nuclear issue to the United Nations Security Council for the imposition of sanctions.

But Bush said in a television interview on Aug. 31 that he seeks a diplomatic solution to end Iran's nuclear program.

"The military option is always the last option for a president, not the first," Bush said.

Megawatts--or what?

Increasing tensions over Tehran's nuclear aims

By Thomas Omestad

Whether it is George W. Bush or John Kerry, the next U.S. president will almost certainly have to confront another gathering crisis in the Middle East--Iran. Last week, U.S. and other diplomats revealed that Iran plans soon to start a manufacturing process that could produce either fuel for nuclear power reactors (Tehran's explanation) or enough highly enriched uranium for five nuclear bombs (Washington's take).

The disclosure is contained in a still-confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency that will be the focus of an IAEA board meeting next week. The report is said to praise Iran for improved cooperation but cite several issues that remain unresolved because Iran has failed to provide adequate information. But the report is more cautious than Bush administration officials had hoped, skirting judgment about whether Iran is seeking to build bombs.

"Not fessing up." Iran intends to convert 37 tons of "yellowcake" uranium oxide into uranium hexafluoride, a gas that in turn could be used to produce enough highly enriched uranium for five nuclear bombs. That revelation prompted Secretary of State Colin Powell to declare that Washington will urge the IAEA board to send the issue to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions. "We still believe that the Iranians are not fessing up to everything," he said.

But the administration's desire to isolate Iran with sanctions has met with a cold reaction in Europe. The U.S. failure to find unconventional weapons in Iraq has made some allies more skeptical about U.S. intelligence--and about adopting a confrontational approach. Still, Europe may be growing impatient with Tehran. Iran's moves have all but scuttled a deal brokered by Britain, France, and Germany for Iran to suspend any steps toward producing bomb-grade fuel in exchange for European help with the fuel and technology needed for nuclear power plants.

Iran is suddenly stoking campaign arguments over foreign policy. Kerry charges that a passive Bush policy has allowed Iran and North Korea to proceed toward fielding nuclear arsenals. Kerry's running mate, Sen. John Edwards, proposed last week a "great bargain" with Iran that would allow it to produce nuclear energy as long as it yields up the spent fuel that could be diverted into making bombs. If Iran refuses, Edwards argued, the United States could then gain European backing for sanctions after having tested Iran's intentions. Bush says he will continue trying diplomacy on Iran, though U.S. officials insist that Iran abandon all its nuclear programs, even those for generating electricity. With even Iran's reformers rejecting that, another clash over weapons of mass destruction--these ones quite real--is more than a passing prospect.

Iran's Nuclear Violations

September 05, 2004
Voice of America
Editorial

Radio Scripts - EDITORIAL 0-11570

Anncr: Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government:

Voice: Iran has violated its safeguards agreement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The U.S. will push the International Atomic Energy Agency, or I-A-E-A, to report Iran's violations to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions. "Whether there is a consensus to do that now remains to be seen," said Secretary of State Colin Powell. "But we think we've seen enough, the world should have seen enough over the last year to come to the conclusion that it's time for it to be referred to the Security Council."

The U.S. is convinced that Iran is using its civilian atomic energy program to hide the development of nuclear weapons. "We are looking at a range of possible actions of a political, economic, and diplomatic nature and other measures that might be taken," Mr. Powell said.

His comments followed news reports about a confidential I-A-E-A report on Iran's nuclear program. According to news accounts, Iran now plans to process thirty-seven tons of raw uranium and restart the centrifuges that are used to enrich uranium for nuclear power plants and can be used to produce uranium for nuclear bombs.

John Bolton, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said that the revelations "are further strong evidence of the compelling need to take Iran's nuclear program to the U-N Security Council." Mr. Bolton earlier warned about the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran:

(ACT: 11 DALET: POLICY/ACTUALITIES) "We cannot let Iran, a leading sponsor of international terrorism, acquire nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to Europe, most of central Asia and the Middle East, or beyond." (END ACT)

Mr. Bolton said that without "serious, concerted, immediate intervention by the international community," Iran will be "well on the road" to acquiring nuclear weapons.

Anncr: That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment -- and view all our current editorials -- at the V-O-A Editorials home page:

www.voanews.com/editorials.

AP Exclusive: Iran to Extract Own Uranium

Saturday September 4, 2004 7:46 PM

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

Associated Press Writer

SAGHAND, Iran (AP) - Iran will begin extracting uranium from deep under its central desert in less than two years, an official told The Associated Press on Saturday during an unprecedented tour of the country's uranium mine.

Iran maintains its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful, despite U.S. charges it seeks nuclear weapons, and is pressing ahead with plans to control the whole nuclear fuel cycle from mining uranium ore to enriching uranium to be used in reactors.

Saturday's tour of the Saghand mine, some 300 miles south of Tehran, was the first time Iran has allowed an international news agency to visit a site related to its highly ambitious program to develop the entire fuel cycle, from extracting uranium ore to enriching nuclear fuel. Iran wants to prove it has nothing hide, but serious questions have been raised about its nuclear program.

Iran's critics argue that a country that controls the fuel cycle will inevitably be able to produce a nuclear bomb if or when it decides to do so.

The AP learned earlier this week that Iran told the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency it was planning to process more than 40 tons of uranium into uranium hexafluoride gas. The gas - if enriched - would produce enough material for four or five nuclear warheads, according to experts. Such gas can also be enriched to make fuel for an electricity-producing reactor.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said in response that Washington would urge the IAEA at its board meeting this month to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

The European Union was also concerned by the report of Iran's processing plans, saying it could not accept the development of weapons grade uranium by Iran. The Iranians say they do not have the technology to make weapons-grade uranium, but experts say they could.

President Mohammad Khatami first announced in February 2003 that his country would mine uranium at Saghand, saying then that Iran was ``determined to make use of advanced nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.'' Few details of the activities at Saghand have emerged since then.

``We will be able to extract uranium ore in the first half of 2006 from Saghand mine. More than 77 percent of the work has been accomplished,'' Ghasem Soleimani, the British-trained director of mining operations at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said at the mine Saturday.

He said the mine will feed Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, in central Iran.

Iran also has a facility in Isfahan, another city in central Iran, that converts uranium powder, called yellowcake, into hexaflouride gas and is building uranium centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.

Saghand consists of an open pit with minimal reserves and a deep mine reached by two shafts. The total estimated reserves were 1.73 million tons of uranium ore, of ``average'' or medium quality of 553 parts per million. The mine has a capacity of 132,000 tons of uranium ore per year.

Soleimani said uranium could be extracted from the shafts as early as mid 2005 if the Iranian leadership wants things speeded up, but there was no suggestion that political leaders in Tehran want that to happen.

Soleimani said a few tons have already been extracted from the open pit for testing at a yellowcake production plant currently under construction in Ardakan, another city in central Iran.

The underground mine has two shafts, each more than 1,000 feet deep. A giant lifts takes engineers and workers at high speed down the main concrete shaft, which later splits off into several branches. The core of the mine covers an area of just under a square mile.

Mahdi Kabirizadeh, who is in charge of Saghand project, said 220 engineers and workers, all Iranian, were at work in his mine.

Chinese experts had been at work here until 2002 helping dig and providing some technology, he said.

``We are now totally independent,'' he said.

IAEA inspectors visited Saghand in February, 1992 and found uranium drilling rigs staffed by fewer than two dozen workers. The nuclear watchdog has not visited since then.

Uranium enrichment heart of Iran’s nuclear activities

TEHRAN (MNA) -- MP Heshmatollah Falahat Pisheh said that the recent report on Iran’s nuclear activities prepared by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei shows that the West cannot infringe on Iran’s obvious right to enrich uranium through the agency or by using technical and legal pretexts.

Criticizing ElBaradei’s report, which has left Iran’s nuclear dossier open due to minor ambiguities such as low-level uranium contamination of imported equipment, Falahat Pisheh rejected the U.S. claims that Iran’s nuclear activities are of a military nature.

He stressed that Europe’s ultimate goal is preventing Iran from gaining access to the complete nuclear fuel cycle, adding that Iran will open talks with Europe in this regard.

“We will not give them any concessions or forgo our right, for uranium enrichment is the heart of Iran’s nuclear activities,” the Majlis deputy said.

Majlis Education and Research Committee Chairman Ali Abbaspur said that Iran has gained access to nuclear enrichment technology despite economic sanctions, adding that of course the country will not give up this technology easily in the hope of receiving minor supplies from other countries.

Enrichment activities are not only necessary for manufacturing fuel for nuclear power plants but are also required for producing essential isotopes for industrial, medical, and agricultural activities, he stated.

Abbaspur referred to the EU’s proposal to sell nuclear fuel to Iran on the condition that Iran agree not to gain access to a branch of nuclear technology, saying that no government or parliament can deprive its future generations of their obvious right to access to nuclear technology meant for peaceful purposes.

The Majlis deputy from Tehran stressed that the U.S. efforts to bring up the issue of Iran’s nuclear dossier during the frequent IAEA Board of Governors sessions have assured world public opinion of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities.

Political analyst Yusef Molayi said that Iran’s nuclear problem is not a technical or legal issue, adding that Iran should seek a political resolution in order to foster confidence.

Molayi added that ElBaradei’s report is only technical, saying that it has not referred to any legal ambiguity in regard to Iran’s nuclear activities.

The report has left Iran’s dossier open due to certain minor technical ambiguities, he pointed out.

The professor stated that instead of examining ElBaradei’s technical report the IAEA Board has become influenced by international relations and policies.

The IAEA Board has asked Iran to foster confidence about its peaceful nuclear activities in the international arena, but apparently there is no paradigm for confidence-building except for the measure carried out by Libya, he said.

Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesman Kazem Jalali believes that under the current circumstances the remaining minor ambiguities about Iran’s nuclear dossier have been resolved.

It is surprising that Iran’s nuclear dossier is still on the agenda of the IAEA Board, Jalali added.

The issue of the P-2 centrifuge and the fact that a great amount of nuclear contamination found in the Kalaye Electric workshop and in Natanz are related to the highly enriched uranium (HEU) contamination of imported nuclear equipment leave no room for ambiguities on the source of the 36 percent uranium contamination that was also discovered, he observed.

He went on to say that there is no international law depriving countries of the right to gain access to nuclear technology meant for peaceful purposes, adding that the West has no pretext to prevent Iran from gaining access to the complete nuclear fuel cycle.

A global consensus was not established against Iran’s nuclear activities and the accusations were not institutionalized, which is a sign of the failure of the U.S. policies, Jalali said in conclusion.

Leader's Adviser Velayati Praises Resistance Of Iraqi Shi'ites

September 04, 2004
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring Middle East

The recent events in Najaf and in other areas of Iraq were an inspiring display of the awareness, cohesion and unity of the Shi'ite people of Iraq and their sense of obedience to the eminent religious sources of emulation.

Dr Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior adviser of the Eminent Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i] in international affairs, made this statement at a gathering of around 4,000 Basij members in Mashhad, who call themselves "the supporters of the Alawite shrine" [the shrine of the first Shi'ite Imam, Ali, in Najaf]. Velayati went on to say: The Muslims of the world are proud of the passionate young people of Iraq, who have managed to stand up against America in spite of their small numbers, and have still been able to defeat the conspiracies of America. These are the kind of young people who agreed to a cease fire after a request by the religious authorities, but at the same time, they refused to hand over their weapons to America and its mercenaries, and in this way, they did not suffer a defeat.

Dr Ali Akbar Velayati then emphasised that Iraq could not be compared in any way with any other Arab country. He stressed: The fact of the matter is that in spite of the hellish domination of Saddam Husayn over their country, the people of Iraq maintained their resistance, and they continued their struggles for some 35 years, during which they witnessed the martyrdom of thousands of people. Today too, this nation will certainly stand up against America.

Velayati went on to say: Praise be to God's favour and attention, the incidents of Najaf came to an end with the bloody victory of the Muslims of Iraq. However, this resistance is not finished, and for as long as the occupation of the Iraqi territory continues, the resistance of the people of that of country will continue as well.

Source: Hemayat web site, Tehran, in Persian 31 Aug 04

University lecturers' group issues statement on nuclear question

Text of report by Iranian newspaper Kayhan web site on 2 September

Mashhad, 'Kayhan' correspondent: The Basij [volunteer force] lecturers of universities and higher education centres of the country have issued a statement stressing the importance of the use of nuclear technology and condemning America's policies with respect to the nuclear programmes of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The statement was issued at the end of the seminar of the nationwide officials of Basij forces related to lecturers. During the seminar, held in the city of Mashhad, participants supported the nuclear plans of the country and, referring to the clamour-mongering by America with respect to the nuclear programmes of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressed: The independence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the nuclear technology requirements of the country are crucial requisites.

The statement emphasises the need to confront the conspiracies of the enemies in the nuclear technology sector.

Moreover, in their statement, the participants in the seminar condemned the actions of the governments that occupy Iraq as well as the disrespect towards the holy sites, especially the pure shrine of His Holiness Imam Ali (God's peace be upon him). They have stressed that occupiers should leave the holy sites and cities.

According to the report, during the concluding ceremonies of the nationwide gathering of the Basij officials of university lecturers, the commander of the Basij Resistance Force delivered a speech in which he referred to the drawing up of a 20-year outlook of the ruling system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the actions that have been undertaken by the Basij Resistance Force. He said: Taking into account the capabilities and competences of the members of the Basij Force, the necessary action must be taken to remove certain obstacles that are in the way of the Basij force in line with the 20-year outlook document.

[Commander] Hejazi also reported the implementation of the Osveh plan among various walks of life and all the ranks of the Basij Resistance Force in the future as a model plan.

It is interesting to note that the seminar of the nationwide Basij officials of university lecturers went on for five days in Mashhad. It examined Basij plans and the role of the Basij lecturers in institutionalising the 20-year outlook of the ruling system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Source: Kayhan web site, Tehran, in Persian 2 Sep 04

Nice to see the Economist take a strong stand.

Would it matter if Iran did get the bomb? It no longer attempts to export revolution, and it lives in a dangerous neighbourhood, now with American troops also nearby. Although it contributes to those dangers, by refusing to recognise Israel's right even to exist, and by arming groups that reject peace with it, Iran fires off rhetorical salvoes, not missiles. Wouldn't a nuclear-armed Iran be similarly deterred, since any attempt to use its weapons would invite a devastating response?

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The Ayatollahs are not going to go quietly into the night. You are talking about fanatics who think that their death in a nuclear conflict with Israel will usher them into the bliss of eternity.

They will never achieve nuclear strike capability.

Sun 5 Sep 2004

ANNETTE YOUNG

ISRAELI defence officials watched in dismay as the small blip disappeared from the radar, short of its target.

Off the Californian coast, the Jewish state’s key Arrow-2 missile defence system was undergoing tests under the auspices of the Americans.

While one missile had successfully downed an incoming Scud, the second test against a new type of weapon being developed by the Iranians had failed to meet its target. The Israeli’s explained away the failure as a small technical hitch, but 3,000 miles away, at a secret location in the Iranian desert, the radical Islamic Republic had successfully test fired the upgraded Shihab-3 missile, now capable of striking at the heart of the Jewish state.

The brinksmanship and the rhetoric between the two states has intensified amid increasing speculation that Israel might attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

Yadollah Javani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards political bureau, warned: "The entire Zionist territory... is currently within range of Iran’s advanced missiles."

As both Israel and Iran lined up their missiles for test firings, the Israeli chief of staff, General Moshe Ya’alon, said Iran’s nuclear development had to be halted before it went much further. He told the Yediot Ahronot newspaper: "Iran is striving for nuclear capability and I suggest that in this matter [Israel should] not rely on others."

In Tehran, Iran’s defence minister, Ali Shamkhani, warned that should Israel do so, his country would "wipe out" Israel.

Tensions between the two nations rose as the United States urged the United Nations Security Council to take action against Iran for its alleged nuclear weapons programme.

The test launch of the Iranian Shihab-3 missile last month revealed the warhead had been considerably upgraded, probably thanks to assistance from foreign experts from the former Soviet Union or North Korea.

The improvements will permit slower entry into the atmosphere so that the warhead, which could be chemical, will be more durable and its contents better protected.

Currently, the Shihab-3 has a range of about 800 miles and can reach as far as Turkey, Israel and most Saudi Arabian cities, but the Iranians are also believed to be working on the Shihab-5 whose range could be up to 1,600 miles, which would put most of central Europe within reach.

While it still carries conventional warheads, the Shihab-3 presents a low threat to the region. "But Iran’s missile programme is an integral part of its nuclear programme," said Dr Shmuel Bar, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy and Strategy in Israel. "Only nuclear capability would make this weapon an effective deterrent."

Israeli officials were quick to play down the failure of the Arrow-2 test, describing it as a technical glitch, and said Washington had approved $153m for further testing in 2005 of its missile defence system.

With a growing number of experts claiming Iran is only two to three years away from producing the bomb, international diplomatic focus will now turn to the September 13 board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that is expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, this week urged the nuclear watchdog to refer the issue to the Security Council following a leaked report that Iran plans to turn tons of uranium into the substance used to make enriched uranium.

Powell’s concerns were echoed on Friday by Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, who said the report contained "clear reservations" about the nature of Iran’s programme and past concealment efforts. He said Britain would work with Germany and France to review their faltering diplomatic initiative in coaxing Iran to stop uranium enrichment and complying fully with its treaty obligations.

The confidential report said the agency had been informed that the Islamic Republic planned to process 37 tonnes of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride. Uranium hexafluoride is spun in centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, which can be used to generate power or make nuclear warheads, depending on the degree of enrichment.

However, while the report said 37 tonnes could give Iran enough material for five bombs, the agency said it found no conclusive evidence of an Iranian arms programme.

As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is entitled build a nuclear facility, including one for uranium enrichment, so long as it is intended for peaceful purposes - which is what Tehran has stated.

But the Bush administration has opposed the activation of Iran’s nuclear power plant in the Gulf port of Bushehr, arguing that Iran - one of the world’s largest oil suppliers - has no need for such a plant. It has accused Tehran of hiding a nuclear weapons development programme under the guise of a civilian atomic energy programme.

Iran agreed to suspend its enrichment programme last year, in an effort to build international trust. But in July, it confirmed reports that it had resumed building nuclear centrifuges.

Andrew Koch, of Jane’s Defence Weekly, said the IAEA has been successful in opening up Iran’s nuclear programme to international scrutiny. "There is no indication that they have been ordered to build a bomb," he said. "Whereas the American security system is focused solely on the capability and not on the intention, both the IAEA and the Europeans take the line of looking at a country’s intentions: not could they but would they?"

But other defence analysts say Iran’s technological advances along with their nuclear weapons ambitions, given their drive to be seen as a regional leader in the Gulf region, were still a major cause for concern.

"There is no way that if Iran gets the bomb that Egypt or Saudi Arabia would just sit back and declare no interest in becoming nuclear powers," Bar said, adding it would have serious implications for the NPT.

"It is a big worry," a former adviser on non-proliferation to the Clinton Administration, Robert Einhorn, told the Scotland on Sunday. "Both the US and the Europeans need to try and alter Iran’s calculations of costs and benefits."

Now a senior adviser at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Einhorn added that the Europeans were less likely to lean on Iran because of growing commercial ties, whereas the Americans "currently use all sticks and no carrots in their approach."

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1045432004

Iran to extract uranium early 2006

SAGHAND, Iran (AP) — Iran will begin extracting uranium from deep under its central desert in less than two years, an official told the Associated Press Saturday during an unprecedented tour of the country's uranium mine.
Iran maintains its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful, despite US charges it seeks nuclear weapons, and is pressing ahead with plans to control the whole nuclear fuel cycle from mining uranium ore to enriching uranium to be used in reactors.

Saturday's tour of the Saghand mine, some 480 kilometres south of Tehran, was the first time Iran has allowing an international news agency to visit a site related to its highly ambitious nuclear fuel cycle programme.

Iran wants to prove it has nothing to hide, but serious questions have been raised about its nuclear programme.

Iran's critics argue that a country that controls the fuel cycle will inevitably be able to produce a nuclear bomb if or when it decides to do so.

The AP learned earlier this week that Iran had told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) it was planning to process more than 40 tonnes of uranium into uranium hexafluoride gas — enough for four or five warheads, according to experts. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in response that Washington would urge the IAEA at its board meeting this month to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

The European Union was also concerned by the report of Iran's processing plans, saying it could not accept the development of weapons grade uranium by Iran. The Iranians say they do not have the technology to make weapons-grade uranium, but experts say they could.

President Mohammad Khatami first announced in February 2003 that his country would mine uranium at Saghand, saying then that Iran was "determined to make use of advanced nuclear technology for peaceful purposes." Few details of the activities at Saghand have emerged since then.

"We will be able to extract uranium ore in the first half of 2006 from Saghand mine. More than 77 per cent of the work has been accomplished," Ghasem Soleimani, the British-trained director of mining operations at the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, said at the mine on Saturday.

He said the mine will feed Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, in central Iran.

Iran also has a facility in Isfahan, another city in central Iran, that converts uranium powder, called yellowcake, into hexaflouride gas and is building uranium centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.

Saghand consists of an open pit with minimal reserves and a deep mine reached by two shafts. The total estimated reserves were 1.58 million metric tonnes of uranium ore, at an average grade of 553 parts per million. The mine has a capacity of 132,000 tonnes of uranium ore per year.

Soleimani said uranium could be extracted from the shafts as early as mid 2005 if the Iranian leadership wants things speeded up, but there was no suggestion that political leaders in Tehran want that to happen.

Soleimani said a few tonnes have already been extracted from the open pit for testing at a yellowcake production plant currently under construction in Ardakan, another city in central Iran.

The underground mine has two shafts, each 350 metres deep. A giant lifts takes engineers and workers at high speed down the main concrete shaft, which later splits off into several branches. The core of the mine covers an area of 1.8 square kilometres.

Mahdi Kabirizadeh, who is in charge of Saghand project, said 220 engineers and workers, all Iranian, were at work in his mine.

Chinese experts had been at work here until 2002 helping dig and providing some technology, he said. "We are now totally independent," he said. IAEA inspectors visited Saghand in February 1992 and found uranium drilling rigs staffed by fewer than two dozen workers. The nuclear watchdog has not visited since then.

http://www.jordantimes.com/sun/news/news8.htm

...They will never achieve nuclear strike capability...

Rather, the must never achieve nuclear strike capability. I fear they are much closer to that ability than most think.

It is encouraging that the press in Britian appear to becoming increasingly impatient with Iran. I hope the rest of Europe follows this lead.

ISRAELI defence officials watched in dismay as the small blip disappeared from the radar, short of its target.

Human Rights in Iran

– August 2004

Death sentences

Man sentenced to public hanging

Sharq daily, August 1 – The judicial system issued the death sentence of a man in Tehran.

Six men in Mashad sentenced to death

Jomhouri Islami daily, Aug. 2 – Six men were sentenced to execution, incarceration and forced residence in regions with bad weather. Some members of the gang intended to assassinate officials, contact espionage networks and take asylum in the US.

Executions in Pol Dokhtar and Babol

Iran daily, Aug. 3 – A man named Keyomarse Naseer Moqadas was hanged in Pol Dokhtar. Another 43-year-old man was sentenced to be hanged three times.

Execution in Qazvin

Roshangari Website, Aug. 4 – On Tuesday Aug. 3, a 50-year-old man named Majid was sentenced to hanging upon order of the court judge. He was also sentenced to 70 lashes and paying a fine of one million rials

Protests stopped execution of five

INTV, Aug. 7 – On Thursday August 5, the Iranian government intended to hang six people in public in the city of Zahedan, but protests broke out among the outraged onlookers after the first execution and the other executions were not carried out. The young man executed was named Shah Bakhsh and he was 29 years old.

Man and women sentenced to death

Sharq daily, Aug. 8 – Death sentences were issued for a man and a woman in Islamshahr and Tehran. The young man sentenced to death in Tehran is Gol Mohammad, 19. The woman sentenced to death in Islamshahr is named Fatemeh.

Man hanged in public

Iran daily, Aug. 10 – A man named Hossein from Samirom, Isfahan Province, was yesterday hanged in the province of Bushehr.

Woman and 2 men sentenced to death

Iran daily, Aug. 9 - A woman and two men were sentenced to death in Varamin.

Man executed

Sharq daily, Aug. 12 – A young man named Mohammad was executed yesterday morning.

Youth sentenced to death

E’temad daily, Aug. 11 – A young boy named Maham was sentenced to death in Tehran’s Criminal Court.

Man sentenced to 5 times hanging in public

Iran daily, Aug. 15 – Shahroodi, head of the Judiciary confirmed the sentence of five times hanging in public of a man in Tehran. This man’s name is Alireza.

16 year old girl hanged in public

IranFocus website – On Sunday, August 15, a 16-year-old girl in the town of Neka, northern Iran, was executed. Ateqeh Sahaleh(Rajabi) was hanged in public on Simetry Street off Rah Ahan Street at the city center.

The sentence was issued by the head of Neka’s Justice Department and subsequently upheld by the mullahs’ Supreme Court and carried out with the approval of Judiciary Chief Mahmoud Shahroudi.

In her summary trial, the teenage victim did not have any lawyer and efforts by her family to recruit a lawyer was to no avail. Ateqeh personally defended herself. She told the religious judge, Haji Rezaii, that he should punish the main perpetrators of moral corruption not the victims.

The judge personally pursued Ateqeh’s death sentence, beyond all normal procedures and finally gained the approval of the Supreme Court. After her execution Rezai said her punishment was not execution but we had her executed for her “sharp tongue”.

Man sentenced to death

Aftab, Aug. 19 – The death sentence of a man was issued in Tehran. The 40-year-old man was named Omid. He is sentenced to 74 lashes in addition to execution.

Three men hanged in Kerman

Jomhouri Islami daily, Aug. 21 – Three men were hanged in the Haft Baq Square in Kerman. Their names were Gholamreza A, Mohammad D. and Hamid A.

Political prisoner sentenced to execution

Radio Farda, Aug. 21 – According to a statement issued by the Komele Organization, Mr. Ismael Mohammadi, a political prisoner and a Kurd, is sentenced to execution by the 32nd branch of the High Court of Cassation. Ismael Mohammadi who is 38 years old is from Bokan and has a wife and five children.

Man hanged in Salmas

Iran daily, Aug. 22 – A man identified as M.M. was hanged in Salmas's Tuti Square.

Man sentenced to death in Tehran

Iran daily, Aug. 22 – The Judicial System issued the death sentence of a man named Majid in Tehran. The death sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Two men sentenced to execution in Tehran

Korassan daily, Aug. 23 – The Judicial system in Tehran sentenced two men to execution. These two men are named Mohammad B. and Fereidoon.

One more death sentence

Khorassan daily, Aug. 23 – The judges of the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for a man and deemed it necessary.

Hands Off Cain: 123 people executed in Iran since March

ANSA, Aug. 24 - Hands Off Cain announced in a statement that the Iranian regime has given (capital) punishment to at least 123 people from the beginning of the new year. The number of punishments must be actually more than this because there is no official condition for the death sentence in Iran…

One man hanged in Karaj, two sentenced to death

Iranian state TV, Ch. 1, Aug. 25 – A man was hanged in public this morning in Hessarak. His sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court. Two others were sentenced to death.

Another public execution in Iran

Agence France Presse, Aug. 25, Tehran - An Iranian man has been hanged publicly near Tehran… The public hanging of the man, only identified as Parviz, was accompanied by an accomplice being lashed 99 times…

Calling for execution of a young couple

Etemad daily, Aug. 28 - Tehran's public prosecutor called for the execution of a young couple, Jamal and Sara. The trial of this couple will soon be held by the Criminal Court.

Man executed in Karaj prison

Etemad daily, Aug. 29 – A man was executed in Rajaii Shahr Prison in Karaj. Reza, whose death sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court, was hanged in Rajaii Shahr Prison in Karaj.

16 year old in Karaj sentenced to death

Etemad daily, Aug. 31 – A 16 year old young man in Karaj was sentenced to death. The 16 year old Afghan teenager, named Feis Mohammad, was referred to the special court for juvenile delinquents in Karaj. After several trial sessions, Judge Loqman Kiapasha, head of the court, sentenced him to death.

Four forced to watch their father’s hanging

IranFocus website, Sep. 3 Tehran, - A man by the name of Mohammad N. was hanged in public in the city of Arak, (central Iran) on Sunday, August 29.

Mohammad’s four young children were brought to the scene to watch the execution of their father.

As he was being taken to the gallows, the children pleaded for mercy for their father, who was accused of killing his wife. Reacting to the outcries of his children, the crowd also called for the victim to be spared.

Officials, however, went ahead with the hanging. As the victim was being lifted on the crane, his 15-year-old girl, Mahdiyeh, ran up to her father’s feet. While in tears, she attempted to force him on her own shoulders so that he would be able to breathe. Officials, however, prevented her from doing so and forced the children watch their father die.

The fate of Mohammad’s two daughters and two sons remains undetermined.

Another execution in Iran

AFP, Aug. 31, Tehran - An Iranian man convicted of murdering his wife has been hanged in public in a square in the central city of Arak, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. The man was identified only by his first name Mohammad.

Arrests, Tortures and inhumane punishments

Widespread arrests of teenagers in Mashad

Rouydad website, Aug. 2 – The arrests are carried out by the State Security Forces stationed on Mashad’s main streets. Special Unit forces have been stationed on streets since Friday…

These forces, who wear official and civilian clothes, are all equipped with batons, walkie talkies and hand cuffs. They walk among the people and especially the youth and take any boy or girl whom they determine has unsuitable hair, beard, clothes or appearance to a number of cage-like buses or mini-buses which are parked exactly at the intersections. They are permitted to use any kind of violence including using batons in the case of resistance. There are also a number of judges in the buses who quickly and in a matter of minutes issue sentences and order the transfer of the detainees to detention centers.

Man sentenced to lashing for drinking alcohol

Jomhouri Islami daily, Aug. 4, Ahwaz – According to a report issued by the Intelligence and Public Relations Office of the Khuzestan Judiciary, a man named Ali S. was sentenced to 80 lashes by the 101st branch of the Ahwaz Public Prosecutor’s Office for drinking alcohol.

Hunger strike in prison

Voice of America TV, Aug. 15 – There has been a few scattered hunger strikes including (the hunger strike of) a person named Massouri and another person from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. They have been in prison in an undetermined state for years …

41 men and women arrested for participating in party

Khorassan daily, Aug. 15 – Agents of the State Security Forces in Qazvin arrested 41 men and women for participating in a party. Those arrested were 24 men and 17 women who were transferred to the Central Qazvin Prison.

35 arrested in sit-in of political prisoners’ families

Voice of America, Aug. 17 - A number of political activists and members of the Democratic Front of Iran were arrested and suppressed outside of the UN office in Tehran. The father of Dr. Farzad Hamidi (political prisoner), Mr. Taqi Hamidi: “It was exactly 4:15 and we were 50 meters away from the United Nations office when two Intelligence agents came in front of us and said we did not have the right to move… Almost 35 people were arrested.”

Tehran's youth arrested, flogged

Iran National TV, Aug. 25 – Agents of the State Security Force attacked a party in Tehran's Andisheh Street. A number of young girls and boys were arrested in this raid. A number of those arrested were reportedly released after being lashed.

Freedom of expression

Arrest of members of music group

Khorassan daily, July 31 – The Public Relations of the Revolutionary Guards Forces announced: The members of a musical group who were performing in a wedding party were arrested for acting against Islamic sanctities. Anti-vice agents arrested two of the musicians and handed them over to judiciary officials.

“Playing loud music in the car is a crime”

Agence France Presse, Aug. 8, Tehran - The judiciary in the western Iranian province of Hamedan has ordered that anyone caught playing thumping tunes in their cars should be subject to jail terms or lashes, the official news agency IRNA said Sunday.

"Playing any type of music loud in the vehicles is regarded as a crime and violators will be dealt by legal measures," the agency quoted Hamedan province's judiciary as saying in a statement.

Majlis proposes national costume to combat western fashions

AFP, Aug. 18, Tehran - Iran's conservative parliament is preparing designs for national Islamic costumes to combat the corrupting influence of Western fashion, a prominent MP said Wednesday.

"We have to design new trends within the framework of an Islamic dress code. Both men and women need a national costume," Emad Afroogh, head of the parliamentary cultural commission, told student news agency ISNA

Women

Commander of State Security Forces warns against improper veil

Jomhouri Islami daily, August 1 – The commander of the State Security Forces in Port of Anzali urged all women and visitors of this town to abide by the rules regarding the veil.

He said: “If people disregard the laws regarding the veil, they will be legally dealt with according to article 638 of the State Security Forces."

Intimidating wall graffiti against women and girls in North Tehran

Rouydad website, Aug. 2 – Witnesses say that there are intimidating wall graffiti against women and girls in some regions of North Tehran.

The graffiti written in large red letters say: “Improper veiling – two months imprisonment, bare feet – 74 lashes”.

Tehran's municipality which is charged with dealing with these situations has refrained from cleaning the slogans written by anonymous groups.

51 women and girls arrested in Gilan province

ISNA, Aug. 6 - Fifty-one women and girls were arrested in Gilan Province on charges of improper veiling. Gilan's State Security Forces announced: Thirty two improperly veiled women and girls in Lahijan and 19 others in Rasht were arrested under the plan to counter "public manifestations of corruption".

132 women arrested on charges of “improper veil”

Sharq daily, Aug. 7 – The head of the Information Center of Semnan Province's State Security Forces announced the arrest of 132 women with improper veiling. He said that according to the law of Islamic punishment, women with improper veiling who appear in public will be sentenced to jail terms ranging from 10 days to two months or a fine of 50 to 500 thousand rials.

Iran officials' links to trafficking of Iranian girls

Peik Net Website, Aug. 22 – Ansar Hezbollah has weekly meetings. In one of their latest weekly meetings a Hojjat-ol-Islam(high ranked clerical leader) named Kashani said: "The State Security Forces, Judiciary and Intelligence Ministry should know – of course I'm sure they do know – that some corruption rings are linked to powerful infiltrators in the Islamic Republic and I am willing to prove this issue to anyone and show evidence. In the cases of selling (Iranian) girls to Dubai Sheikhs, they do this with complete security and are sure that no system will stand in their way when they sell Iranian girls for at least between 12 to 15 million(15 to 20 thousand dollars) to Arab Sheikhs..."

Other news

Iran 3rd country in suicide rate

Iran daily, Aug. 5 – The World Health Organization introduced Iran as the third country with high suicide rate after Colombia and India in 2001.

Execution of Iranian girl angers human rights group

AFP, Aug. 24 London - Amnesty International has expressed its outrage at the reported execution of a girl, believed to be 16, in Iran.

The London-based human rights group said Ateqeh Rajabi was reportedly publicly executed on August 15 for "acts incompatible with chastity".

The group said Rajabi "was not believed to be mentally competent" and "reportedly did not have access to a lawyer at any stage" of her trial.

"Amnesty International believes the execution of Ateqeh Rajabi underlines the urgent necessity that Iran pass legislation removing provision for the execution of child offenders," according to a statement yesterday.

Amnesty said Rajabi's hanging was the 10th execution of a child offender in Iran since 1990.
Urging Iran to at least raise the minimum age of execution to 18, Amnesty also called for clarification on whether Rajabi had legal representation and whether a legally approved doctor deemed her psychologically fit to stand trial.

French Kissing the Mullahs

I guess the Europeans think that if you kiss the mullahs enough times they will turn from frogs to princes. England's Straw, France's de Villepin and Germany's Fischer continued that charade again this week, making their umpteenth deal with the regime in Tehran in return for the mullahs' promise, promise, promise not to produce nukes. In the light of yesterday's events in Russia, this seems particularly ludicrous and pernicious. The Iranian government is known to be the world's leading governmental supporter of terror groups. Straw et al must have a low sympathy quotient for Russian school children.

Leon de Winter has an interesting roundup of Euro press views of this demarche in Europe's Iran Fantasy. De Winter reminds us:

Few commentators could resist the opportunity to malign Bush, even though many realized that Iran had no intention of adhering to the agreement.

My suspicion is if the US did not have the military force it does, the Euros would not be so accomodating of Iran. Like angry adolescents, they bash us until the cows come home, knowing full well that we will clean up for them in the end. And we will, alas. What a syndrome we're in.

The Economist is the mouthpeace of the NWO. It has no understanding of Iran and Islamism, prefering appeasement over facing reality.