Posted on 11/23/2004 11:55:06 PM PST by DoctorZIn
The US media has finally discovered Iran. For the past few years the media has largely ignored 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.” As a result, 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. In fact they were one of the first countries to have spontaneous candlelight vigils after the 911 tragedy (see photo).
There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. I began these daily threads June 10th 2003. On that date Iranians once again began taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Today in Iran, most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy.
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.
DoctorZin
PS Check out our blog.
CHRONOLOGY-Iran atomic programme: revelations and diplomacy24 Nov 2004 17:35:39 GMT Source: Reuters |
Below is a chronology of the revelations and diplomacy surrounding Iran's nuclear programme over the past two years. August 2002 - Exiled Iranian opposition group the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says Iran is hiding a massive uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy water plant at Arak, later confirmed by the United Nations. December 2002 - Satellite photos of Natanz and Arak are published. The United States accuses Iran of "across-the-board pursuit of weapons of mass destruction".
February 2003 - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei travels to Iran with inspectors to visit nuclear sites and discuss Tehran's atomic programme.
June 2003 - IAEA issues first report on its probe of Iran, saying Tehran has failed to comply with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that Tehran's failure to report nuclear materials, facilities and activities is a "matter of serious concern".
July 2003 - Diplomats tell Reuters the IAEA has found traces of weapons-grade highly-enriched uranium (HEU) at Natanz but say it is possible they came from contaminated imported parts.
August 2003 - IAEA report confirms HEU contamination found at Natanz.
September 2003 - IAEA board sets Iran an Oct. 31 deadline to provide an exhaustive declaration of its nuclear activities.
IAEA finds weapons-grade HEU traces at a second site in Iran, the Kalaye Electric Company.
October 2003 - Iran tells French, British and German foreign ministers it will suspend all enrichment-related activities, a promise it never fully kept. Iran also says will accept intrusive, short-notice nuclear inspections.
Iran provides what it says is a full declaration of its nuclear activities but fails to include some important information, such as work on advanced P2 centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium.
November 2003 - ElBaradei's report to the IAEA board says there is "no evidence" to date of a weapons programme in Iran.
December 2003 - Iran signs protocol allowing snap inspections of its nuclear facilities. Tehran agrees to act as if it is in force though parliament has yet to ratify it.
January 2004 - Reports that Iran has continued activities related to its uranium enrichment programme cause the deal with the European Union's 'big three' to unravel.
February 2004 - IAEA report says Iran experimented with polonium-210, which can be used to trigger the chain reaction in a nuclear bomb. Iran has not since explained the experiments.
The report also announces that Iran has agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment activities again, but this is never fully implemented.
March 2004 - IAEA board "deplores" Iran's omissions of key atomic technology from its October declaration, says will decide in June how to respond to the omissions.
June 2004 - IAEA report says Iran imported parts for centrifuges and that it made "enquiries" for 4,000 magnets for P2 centrifuges, enough to equip 2,000 machines.
IAEA board "deplores ... the fact that, overall ... Iran's cooperation has not been as full, timely and proactive as it should have been".
Satellite pictures show Iran razed a site at Lavizan in Tehran that U.S. officials say was connected to a nuclear programme.
September 2004 - IAEA report says Iran has announced it will begin preparing a large amount of uranium for enrichment. IAEA board tells Iran to suspend enrichment programme immediately.
November 2004 - Iran promises EU three it will suspend its enrichment programme and invites IAEA to verify suspension, likely thwarting U.S. efforts to have the IAEA board refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
CIA Details Iran's Nuke Activity |
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Wednesday, November 24, 2004  WASHINGTON — Iran's demand that it be allowed to make an exception in its commitment to freeze all uranium enrichment (search) activities so it can operate about two dozen centrifuges (search) likely comes as no surprise to the Bush administration, which has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of an atomic energy program. In fact, Iran's request comes just as a new CIA report details how Tehran is continuing to pursue programs to produce nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The annual report submitted to Congress reveals that Iran continues to pursue a nuclear weapons program. Iran denies it is involved in a nuclear buildup but says it is developing a civilian nuclear energy program. The CIA reports that Iran received significant help in pursuing its nuclear ambitions from Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan (search), the father of Pakistan's nuclear program. The agency says Khan's network provided Iran with nuclear enrichment technology, complete with designs for "Pakistan's old centrifuges, as well as designs for more advanced and efficient models and components." The report, which appears on the CIA's Web site, does not say if Khan's network sold plans for nuclear warheads to Iran. Over the weekend, President Bush attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (search) summit in Santiago, Chile. He talked to the 21 Pacific Rim leaders and discussed how the United States remains convinced that Tehran has been pursuing a clandestine nuclear weapons program. Bush said the global War on Terror is being waged successfully in exposing threats, thwarting attacks and breaking up terror networks. height=1 width=1 border=0 src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/pagead/imp.gif?client=ca-foxnews_440x100&event=noscript"/> "And over the past years we've had notable successes — most particularly, the disruption of the A.Q. Khan network and its willingness and capacity to spread deadly technology," Bush said at the Chile summit. The CIA report also indicates that it remains concerned about Al Qaeda's ambition for using and acquiring nuclear weapons. The agency is still trying to determine whether Khan provided any assistance to the terror network and what role he may have played in providing help to North Korea's nuclear buildup. |
CIA Details Iran's Nuke Activity
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
FoxNews
http://regimechangeiran.blogspot.com/
Oh, the EU will fix this.
Oh, France and Germany will fix this.
No, but a series of air strikes would indeed fix this.
Gee, but Putin promised he'll get the fuel rods back--and he was so much help with Iraq, and shows so much integrity in Ukraine right now. . .
. . .or not.
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