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http://dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=10673

WTO votes on membership for Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

Saturday, December 04, 2004

GENEVA: The World Trade Organization will vote for the first time at a meeting on Dec. 13 and 14 on requests by Iraq and Afghanistan to join the body as well as a repeated demand by Iran, a statement said on Friday.

The accession requests along with other issues such as a report into the latest round of trade negotiations, will be heard at the next General Council meeting of the 148 member states.

Iraq asked for full WTO membership in October, eight months after having been given observer status. Afghanistan, which also has observer status, applied to join the WTO in April 2003.

There had been speculation that some countries would only support Iraq's request for observership if Washington agreed to alter its stance on Iran.

Enrichment resumption in 6 months, says Iran

TEHRAN, Dec 3: Iran will resume enriching uranium after a maximum of six months, powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani vowed on Friday, reaffirming that Tehran's freeze on nuclear fuel cycle work is only temporary.

"The last word is after this period, which I do not assume will exceed six months ... we must seriously and firmly follow enrichment programmes and use the very important advantages of nuclear technology," he said.

"So far, we have reached the point that we accept to suspend parts of our activities for a period that was not necessary at all. Our negotiators have tried to shorten this period and we interpret it to be about two, three months up to six months," the prominent cleric said at Friday prayers.

Earlier this week the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spared Iran the fate of being referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions after Tehran agreed in a deal with Britain, France and Germany to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.

Rafsanjani also had sharp words for the positions of the IAEA and Western countries during negotiations over the nuclear programme. "We should be dissatisfied with them. They owe to us and have done injustice to us. Iran's activities are (allowed) under legal rights given to all countries to use nuclear technology for non-military purposes."

Referring to the US objection towards Iran's access to the fuel cycle, Rafsanjani said: "They are after the free home, oil reserves and this important geographical region, which have been taken from them after the Iran's Islamic revolution." -AFP

http://www.dawn.com/2004/12/04/top14.htm

Iran holds war games near Iraq

Tehran, Iran - Iran's army launched its largest military exercise on Friday near the Iraqi border, state-run radio reported.

General Ali Salimi, the army's chief commander, was quoted as saying the "Followers of the Supreme Leader" exercises were "the biggest in the history of the army" in number of units and operations.

More than 120 000 air and ground troops were to take part in the war games across more than 100 000 square kilometers in five western provinces near the Iraqi border. It was not immediately clear why the location was chosen or how long the exercise would last.

Tanks, armoured personnel carriers, jet fighters and helicopters will be deployed in the exercise, General Amir Karimi, a spokesman, was quoted as saying.

Army officials contacted by AP journalists on Friday refused to comment.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1630828,00.html