Iranian Alert -- October 12, 2003 -- IRAN LIVE THREAD PING LIST

The US media almost entirely ignores 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.”

But 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.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. Starting June 10th of this year, Iranians have begun taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy. Many even want the US to over throw their government.

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.

PS I have a daily ping list and a breaking news ping list. If you would like to receive alerts to these stories please let me know which list you would like to join.

EU FMs to Debate Resolution on Iran Human Rights

October 12, 2003
AFP
IranMania

BRUSSELS -- EU foreign ministers will hold talks Monday in Luxembourg on the possibility of issuing a resolution condemning human rights violations in Iran, European diplomatic sources said, adding that the EU was split over the issue.

"The issue is not clear cut," one diplomat said in reference to the split in opinion within the 15-member European Union.

Ireland, the Netherlands and Britain, to a lesser degree, are the main countries calling for a resolution to be presented to the UN commission for human rights in Geneva, with support from the Czech Republic from the side of future EU members who do not yet have the right to vote.

Italy, which currently holds the EU rotating presidency, France, Germany, Spain and chief EU diplomat Javier Solana have been more reluctant on the issue, the same source said.

Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach said Saturday that Iran had this week shown signs of "opening up" with regards to human rights during two days of "political dialogue" in Brussels with EU officials.

"There was some small progress," Gallach said in reference to Tehran's stated intent to revise its stance on the international convention against torture, to which it has so far refused to sign up.

The Iranian delegation at the talks, comprised of officials but also of NGO representatives and university staff, also gave replies to several concrete cases, including a list of 30 political prisoners on which the EU demanded information.

"Until now, it's a subject on which Iran said it could not accept intereference," said Gallach.

"It's an important step, but it is a small step. There remains a string of things we consider unacceptable," she said. "We are still convinced that the human rights situation in Iran is very, very bad."

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=18632&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

EU to Call for Probe in Canadian's Death

October 12, 2003
Reuters
Sebastian Alison

European Union foreign ministers are set to ask on Monday for an investigation into the role of the Tehran prosecutor's office in the death of a Canadian journalist, a draft EU document seen by Reuters shows.

Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, agreed to represent in Iran's courts the family of photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian citizen of Iranian descent killed in custody in Tehran in June.

The draft document, which diplomats said would likely be approved by EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, notes some arrests have been made in the case, but says:

"The Council adds its voice to those within Iran who are calling for a fully empowered, independent and impartial investigation into all aspects of the case, including the role of the office of the Chief Prosecutor for Tehran."

An Iranian intelligence official, Reza Ahmedi, is on trial for the murder of Kazemi, who died of a blow to the head after being arrested outside Tehran's notorious Evin prison.

He has rejected the charges and the reformist-controlled Intelligence Ministry has also strongly denied any of its officials were involved, saying the charges brought by the conservative judiciary were politically motivated.

Iran's state-run Human Rights Commission has said the office of Tehran Chief Prosecutor Saeed Mortezavi arrested Kazemi, then later handed her over to Intelligence Ministry officials.

The EU last week concluded two days of talks on human rights with Iranian officials.

But if, as seems likely, EU foreign ministers on Monday approve the draft document directly naming Mortazavi, they will be making a more personal allegation than they have so far.

The ministers will also discuss reconstruction aid to Iraq, at the beginning of a week when they will meet twice. After the Luxembourg talks on Monday, they reassemble in Brussels on Thursday for a meeting of the Council, when EU heads of government hold a formal session.

The European Commission, the bloc's executive, has said it will propose a donation of 200 million euros from the community budget for the 14 months from November 2003 to the end of 2004, when a major donor's conference opens in Madrid on October 23.

While foreign ministers are expected to agree this relatively modest sum, Monday's meeting could be an opportunity for individual member states to announce the size of donations that they make in addition to this.

But EU diplomats say France and Germany, implacable opponents of the U.S.-led war to oust President Saddam Hussein, are unlikely to offer much more, while Britain, Washington's staunchest ally during the war and after, may come up with a more substantial figure.

http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&locale=en_CA&storyID=3599672

Iran air-strike plan seen as bluff

By Abraham Rabinovich
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

JERUSALEM — Reports that Israel is preparing for pre-emptive air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and is now able to fire nuclear missiles from submarines were seen as reflecting deep anxiety in Israel for Tehran's nuclear program.
Israeli newspapers said officials appear to have leaked the reports in an attempt to focus the attention of the international community on the dangers of Iranian nuclear weapons development.
The German magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had prepared detailed plans for attacking six nuclear facilities in Iran.
Any attack, according to the report, would be carried out by the Israeli air force, which in 1981 destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear facility just before it was to go on line. Der Spiegel quoted an Israeli pilot as saying such an attack would be "complex, yet manageable."
Simultaneously, the Los Angeles Times, quoting Israeli and American officials, reported that Israel has modified nuclear warheads to fit U.S.-made Harpoon missiles aboard its submarines. This would give Israel a second-strike capability that could respond even if the country's land facilities were obliterated.
Israeli officials denied the Los Angeles Times report yesterday, and nuclear experts expressed deep skepticism that it would even be possible to modify a Harpoon missile for a nuclear attack.
"Anyone with even the slightest understanding of missiles knows that the Harpoon can never be used to carry nuclear warheads," former Deputy Defense Minister Efraim Sneh told Army Radio.
"Not even [Israel´s] extraordinarily talented engineers and its sophisticated defense industries can transform the Harpoon into a missile capable of doing this. It's simply impossible."
Ted Hooton, editor of Jane's Naval Weapon Systems in London, told the Associated Press that the weight of a nuclear payload would put the Harpoon out of balance, limiting its range and accuracy.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has demanded that Tehran open its nuclear facilities to inspection by the end of the month and make them available for spot checks. Three of Iran's nuclear sites have never been inspected.
It was widely assumed in Israel that the stories were initiated by the Mossad as part of a campaign to keep the Iranian nuclear issue high on the international agenda.
"Heading off Iran's attempt to attain nuclear capability is one of the Mossad's main missions," wrote analyst Aluf Benn in the Ha'aretz newspaper yesterday, "and the foreign media is one of the most important instruments utilized in this effort."
Adding substance to this analysis was a report in the daily Ma'ariv yesterday that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered the Mossad to devote most of its efforts to uncovering information about Iran's nuclear program.
"Iran constitutes the biggest danger to Israel," Mr. Sharon said, according to the newspaper. "We are coordinated on this with the U.S. down to the last detail."
A former head of the Mossad, Shabtai Shavit, told Israel Radio that Iran is a threat because "it is ruled by clerics who act according to the word of God, not according to rational considerations." Iranian leaders have frequently called for Israel's destruction.
One of the principal reasons Israel acquired F-16 aircraft from the United States was that its range permits it to reach Iran, some 800 miles from Israel's borders. Iran has warned that Israel would pay a very heavy price for any attack.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20031013-121441-2893r.htm

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