Posted on 10/07/2005 9:34:28 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
Blair links Iraq bombings to row over Iran's nuclear program
Ewen MacAskill, Brian Whitaker
Friday October 7, 2005
The Guardian
Tony Blair warned yesterday he will not be diverted from the debate over Iran's nuclear programme by Tehran's suspected involvement in a series of deadly bomb attacks on British soldiers this year.Speaking at Downing Street 24 hours after a British official pointed a finger of blame at Tehran, Mr Blair said: "There are certain pieces of information that lead us back to Iran."
Such attacks would not prevent Britain continuing to press for Iran to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. "There is no justification for Iran or any other country interfering in Iraq," Mr Blair said. "Neither will we be subject to any intimidation in raising the necessary and live issues to do with the nuclear weapons obligations of Iran under the Atomic Energy Agency treaty."
Britain has repeatedly raised Iran's nuclear programme with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, and was last month instrumental in having the issue referred to the UN security council.
Mr Blair admitted it was not clear whether Iran or Hizbullah, the Lebanon-based guerrilla group sponsored by Tehran, was behind the supply of bombs.
Hamid Babei, press counsellor at the Iranian embassy in London, said there was evidence of British involvement in supporting guerrilla attacks inside southern Iran. He said that after a bomb was detonated at Ahwaz on June 12, killing seven people, 12 suspects were arrested and interrogated. "They had some links with British forces in Basra and were trained there, and came to Iran and made that explosion," Mr Babei said. Britain rejects the charges.
The Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, yesterday played down the allegations of Iranian involvement. "The prime minister said they are not sure," he told a meeting at Chatham House during a visit to London. "They [the British government] have some evidence that the device used was made by Iranians. It doesn't mean that the Iranian government gave it to those people. It may be that the Iranian government gave it to some other organisation and they gave it to Iraqis."
British defence officials yesterday reiterated their insistence that there is no evidence linking the explosive devices to Tehran. Military sources say that investigation of the explosives carried out by military personnel have been inconclusive because the shattered remnants leave so few clues.
Instructions on how to make shaped armour-piercing explosives of the kind used by Hizbullah are openly available on the internet, they say.
- The Financial Times reported that the US and Britain on Thursday issued blunt warnings to Iran and Syria over their alleged involvement with terrorist groups, with Tony Blair declaring there was no justification for Tehran interfering in Iraq's affairs.
- The White House released a transcript of President Bush's speech on the War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy.
- The White House then released a Fact Sheet: President Bush Remarks on the War on Terror.
- Iran Press News reported on the beatings, torture and threats of execution to political prisoners: Behrooz Javid-Tehrani, Javid-Tehran and Valiollah Fayz-Mahdavi.
- Iran Press News reported that Friday, October 7th, the regime will stage orchestrated protests supporting the continuation of the regime's hazardous nuclear activities.
- Iran Press News quoted Mohammad El Baradei, in an interview with Al Jazeera TV, said: Trust in Tehran's regime has expired. He added he will not attest to the peacefulness of the regime's nuclear activities and that he has come to a crossroads.
- Iran Press News reported IRI Embassy demanded the Japan Times correct an article on Iran's nuclear program that they claimed contained lies.
- Xinhuanet reported that Iran will not invite EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to the next round of nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany saying: Iran is not satisfied with Solana's negative attitude toward Iran's nuclear program.
- San Jose Mercury reported that Russia's foreign minister dismissed speculation that Moscow might join talks between Iran and European negotiators.
- The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran has made progress in its nuclear fuel cycle program.
- Iranian blogger, Azarmehr, For a democratic secular Iran profiled Ahmadinejad's mentor, the mad Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.
- Iranian blogger, Morteza Abdolalian, Iran Watch Canada reported that Iranian dissident Afshari has left Iran , escaped 6 years imprisonment.
- Iranian.ws reported that Islamic Republic Broadcasting launched first Qoranic tv network on Thursday in Tehran.
- Iranian.ws reported that Ali Larijani met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Wednesday and The two senior officials underlined the need for maintaining vigilance and integrity among Muslim states against the enemies' conspiracies.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that with President Bush's top advisers set to discuss U.S. policy toward Iran today, the State Department has circulated a briefing paper that proposes significantly expanding U.S. diplomatic contacts with Tehran.
- The Associated Press then reported that while the Bush administration ruled out expanded diplomatic contacts with Iran.
- And finally, The Washington Times reported that the Bush administration expressed concern about the role of Iran's military in the country's nuclear programs.
"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin
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"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin”
What do we do about Ahmadinejad? What do we do, Dr. Zin?
If I woke up tomorrow to find he'd been assassinated by an Iranian, I'd be thrilled.
http://thespiritofman.blogspot.com/2005/10/irans-justice-minister-spokesman.html
I found this interesting!
To read today’s thread click here.
Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread – The Most Underreported Story Of The Year!
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