Iranian Alert -- DAY 38 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST

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Iranian ambassador says Zahra Kazemi buried in Iran

16 July 2003 -

Reporters Without Borders called for exhumation of the body of Canadian-Iranian photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi (see photo) after being told by the Iranian ambassador to France that she had already been buried, apparently before completion of enquiries into how she died. Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi said she had been beaten to death.

http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20

From containment to empowerment
Let the democratic movement of the Iranian people to develop from inside

May 19, 2003
The Iranian

Expanded version of a talk given at the University of Washington’s Persian Studies Program, Seattle, Washington, on Saturday, May 17, 2003.

The US-Iran relations can only be assessed in a boarder context of the global United States foreign policy and in particular in regards to the Middle East. It is also important to look at how the new right’s influence has shaped the US foreign policy in the current administration, and how the events of September 11, 2001, have provided the much-needed domestic justification for this policy.

The title of this panel discussion suggests that while “containment” refers to the Islamic Republic regime in power in Iran, the “empowerment” applies to the Iranian people – a policy which has also presumably been the motivation behind the US military attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq over the last two years.

These two wars have indeed provided us with ample evidence about the thinking behind the rhetoric’s of the new American foreign policy under President George W. Bush. These had been spelled out in the past by prominent figures of this administration, but were generally ignored as being irrelevant at the time, as few if any of them had any influence in the corridors of power then.

Now that they are well positioned in the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House, we understand what “Project for the New American Century” meant or what "Pax Americana" was all about. In effect, we are facing a policy of empowerment, not much of the nations under dictatorial rule, but of the global American power in a unipolar world dominated by a single superpower.

It is well documented that the current policy, followed under the general term of “fighting terrorism”, was formulated well before September 11, but that the tragic events of that day provided the means to persuade a sceptic American public opinion for military intervention in countries suspected of supporting or harbouring terrorism.

Make no mistake: the US involvement in the Middle East has all the hallmarks of colonialism, in the classical sense. Of course almost all similar adventures in the past too had some justification in terms of securing the trade routes, advancing the cause of civilization and/or bringing the words of God to the natives. And of course, not all colonialist adventures in the past were malign or of no benefit to the humankind.

Indeed, it can be said that civilisation as we know it would have been poorer if not for great advances by empires in the past. But the by-products of these advances should not obscure the fact that the real motivations behind almost all of them have been greed and the quest for power and domination.

Moreover, an inevitable outcome of these adventures has been the eventual rise of the people who have been at the receiving end, and the humiliating withdrawal or defeat of the foreign power. The history of the birth of the United States provides ample evidence for this. As all empires have experienced in the past, military intervention may bring swift victory at first but inflict a lengthy headache later.

Today it is mainly this awakened desire of the current world superpower for world domination that has drastically changed the political map of the Middle East in less than two years. It is also the same policy, which is at the heart of the administration’s thinking towards Iran.

Iran under the Islamic Republic regime is not only a police state with horrible record on human rights and a bastion of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism attached to it, but also an obstacle to the American influence in the area and its desire to pacify the region both for itself and for its ally in the area, Israel.

And so, we see a shift of policy from containment of the Iranian regime in the 80’s and 90’s to what is now termed as empowerment. As I mentioned earlier, “empowerment” was also the buzzword frequently used in the case of military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

These two countries have so far paid a heavy price in lives and devastations, with little evidence of how much power the average citizen have achieved or will acquire in the process. But the military actions have secured their primary aims: a permanent foothold for American military in those countries, and regime changes moulded in a way to guarantee American political and financial interests for the foreseeable future.

In the case of Iran, is it very doubtful that the American administration will be using the same military means. But that the eventual end is the same, is not in doubt. Here, the Americans are hopeful that a groundswell of public opposition to the current regime in Iran combined with political and military pressure would do the job for them with no need for military intervention. And that of course is a strong possibility.

In Iran of today, unlike Afghanistan or Iraq, there is a very strong and vociferous public opposition to the current regime. This opposition has been demonstrated in so many ways, from national opinion polls to public displays of anger and dissent, to widespread boycott of the nationwide local election on 28th February this year.

What is lacking is a strong opposition force that can galvanise this public discontent into a mass political movement and present a credible democratic alternative to the Islamic Republic regime.

This is very much recognised by the opposition political elite in Iran, and as the situation becomes more critical there are signs that old rivalries and mistrusts are giving way to a new understanding among many Iranian democratic political figures and tendencies, both right and left, towards a common solution. In this critical situation, the way the Americans are going to behave would have a very definite and profound effect on the eventual outcome of these moves.

If empowerment of the Iranian people is the real aim of the US policy towards Iran, it must be understood and committed that no military intervention in Iran in any form or shape or in any circumstances should be considered. Such an intervention would only strengthen the hands of anti-democratic forces in Iran.

Moreover, even purely on military grounds, such an adventure may not be as easily pursued and terminated as that of Iraq or Afghanistan.The US military forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq encountered armies who were mainly trained in offensive rather than defensive tactics. As a result, these armies were not much of use in defensive positions. Iranians, on the other hand, have had an 8-year experience of a largely defensive war, and as such well may prove a hard nut to crack in the battlefields.

The US should also refrain from making deals with the so-called pragmatists in the current Iranian regime who are pursuing a Chines-style rapprochement with the West and hope for a Nixon-like response in return. The political developments in Iran has far outstripped that of China in the 70’s, and any deal with the Islamic Republic regime which ignores the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people is doomed to a spectacular failure from the outset.

Instead, the US would best serve the interests of the Iranian and American people by applying maximum political pressure on the Iranian regime for improvement of human rights, and getting the European and other democratic countries on its side to apply the same pressure on the Iranian regime, and by supporting the strong and vibrant democratic forces inside Iran.

It should also refrain from any selective approach towards Iranian opposition political figures and tendencies and from trying to prop up or promote those whose political ideas it finds more akin to its ideological stands. In other words, it should take a broad view of the Iranian political scene, keeping away from showing favours to any political leader, and allow the future political leaders of Iran to emerge rather than being propped up.

Only if these conditions (no military intervention, no behind the scene deals with the current regime, and no leader making) are met, the American pressure on Iran could be termed “empowerment” and would be welcomed by the vast majority of the Iranian people. It would also serve the best interests of the United States of America in the long-term.

It is worth pointing out that the American policy towards Iran and the Middle East over the last half a century have mostly been determined not solely from the view point of the United States and its national interests, but by consideration of a third country. During the cold war, it was the Soviet Union, which played a pivotal role in the American foreign policy in the Middle East.

The philosophy behind this approach was that what was bad for the Soviets must be good for America. This policy led first to the Americans propping and supporting a range of dictatorial regimes in the area (most notably in Iran), and when it did not work, to promoting the creation of a “green belt” on the southern borders of the Soviet Union.

However, as both experiences failed, and the “green belt” policy of the 70’s led to the emergence of Islamic fundamentalist regimes in Iran and Afghanistan, it became clear that this dichotomy did not always work - that not everything that was bad for the Soviet Union was necessarily good for America. And then September 11 finally brought home the disastrous consequences of such a dependent policy.

Now that the Soviet Union is gone, another country has taken its position as the determinant factor of US foreign policy in the area. The administration is now looking through the interests of Israel, and whatever the US does in the Middle East today is coloured by what is perceived to be good for Israel.

Again there is no guarantee that what is good for Israel would necessarily be good for America. The American power may secure Israeli supremacy in the area and eliminate any threat against it, but it may well put the Americans’ long-term security and interests in danger in a world infested with terrorism. As a result, the Americans may again have to pay a high price for such a dependent policy in the Middle East.

Only if Americans can articulate and follow an independent and non-interventionist foreign policy, can they in true form claim empowerment. They should look at what America’s long-term interests require rather than what the sort-term interests of Israel (or any other country for that matter) dictate.

Supporting democratic movements around the world, and allowing democracies to develop form inside are in the best interests of the United States in the long run. There are voices in America today calling for either military action in Iran or spending money on supporting certain political tendencies with little support inside of Iran but a high visibility outside of it.

Neither of these would serve the cause of democratic development in Iran or the long-term interests of the United States. A best policy is a people-centred policy – to put maximal pressure on the Iranian regime from outside and to let the democratic movement of the Iranian people to develop from inside.

America has a proud history of home-produced and developed democracy. It can be a major force in democratic developments around the world. For America’s long-term interests it is better to deal with a Turkey, which can use its democratic power to block an American request, than a Pakistan or Qatar that easily accepts what is dictated to it.

And as Americans are proud of establishing their democracy independently, they should allow the same to happen in other countries around the world. This is needed nowhere else more than in today's Iran.

Author

Hossein Bagher Zadeh is a human rights activist and commentator on Iranian political and human rights issues.

http://www.iranian.com/HosseinBagherzadeh/2003/May/US/index.html

America has already shown it intends to allow democracy to develop from within. The only way we will intervine is if American security is threatened.

Kazemi's case will test Iranian reformers: Graham

By JEFF SALLOT and INGRID PERITZ
From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Ottawa and Montreal — The Iranian government's admission that Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi died of a skull fracture suffered while in custody provoked Canadian demands yesterday that those responsible be identified and prosecuted.

"If crimes have been committed, we are demanding of the Iranian government to punish those who committed the crime, and we will push that case," Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said.

"It's completely unacceptable that a journalist goes there to do professional work and be threatened that way," he told a news conference in Shawinigan, Que.

"The government of Iran is a bit complicated, I am told," he added, referring to a power struggle between reformers, led by President Mohammed Khatami, and hard-line mullahs, which could make it difficult to ascertain the facts in the Kazemi case.

Earlier in the day, a key reformer, Iranian Vice-President Mohammed Ali Abtahi, said that Ms. Kazemi, 54, had a "brain hemorrhage caused by a beating."

Mr. Abtahi linked her death to a wave of arrests of independent journalists by unelected regime hard-liners.

"We have witnessed a kind of comprehensive attack" on journalists, Mr. Abtahi said, noting that the Kazemi case is hurting Iran's international reputation.

Health Minister Massoud Pezeshkian said in Tehran that he personally examined the body. Experts will examine the remains again to produce a final forensic report by today.

Interior Minister Abdolvahed Moussavi-Lari, another of the cabinet ministers President Khatami assigned to investigate, said the case "has nothing to do with Canada" because Ms. Kazemi was in Iran as an Iranian citizen.

Mr. Khatami, who has been locked in a political struggle with powerful clerics and a hard-line Islamic judiciary, said "the way that journalists and other citizens are being treated is raising questions" at home and abroad.

IRNA, the official press agency, quoted the President as ordering his justice and interior ministers to investigate the hard-liners' crackdown on journalists.

"The law is not something to be observed only by citizens. The law must also be observed by us," he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham told Canadian reporters the Kazemi case will be a test of whether Mr. Khatami and other reformers can prevail over the shadowy parallel power structure in Iran, which has its own secret police.

Mr. Graham said he told his Iranian counterpart in a telephone call yesterday that Canada expects "there will be no question of immunity in this case."

Mr. Graham said Kamal Kharrazi responded that "they would do their best to pursue anyone responsible" and bring them to justice.

Ms. Kazemi, a dual national, returned on assignment to her native Iran this spring, travelling on her Iranian passport. She was arrested June 23 for photographing demonstrators outside a Tehran prison.

Three days later, she was transferred to an Iranian hospital run by the hard-line Revolutionary Guard. She died last Friday of what Iranian authorities originally reported as a "brain attack" suffered while under interrogation.

In fact, Ms. Kazemi had a fractured skull, Mr. Graham said, quoting the Iranian Foreign Minister.

Mr. Kharrazi said investigators need a few more days to investigate how she was injured. The Iranian Foreign Minister suggested the injury might have been the result of a fall.

Mr. Graham said the Iranian government must get to the bottom of the case because the journalist was in their custody.

The Iranian Foreign Minister agreed and said the Canadian embassy in Iran will be kept informed of all developments, Mr. Graham said.

The Iranians have rejected Canadian offers of forensic and other technical assistance, saying they are competent to conduct their own criminal investigation.

Mr. Graham suggested the Iranian investigation should be given a bit more time, saying Canada can assess later whether there will a full airing of the facts or whether someone is hiding wrongdoing. "Let's give it a couple of days to work its way through this."

Canada will assess the way Iran deals with the Kazemi case in determining whether to move to closer economic and political relations with Iran, Mr. Graham said.

The Khatami government has been trying to cultivate better relations with Canada and Europe as a buffer between it and Washington. A hostile U.S. administration describes Iran as part of an "axis of evil."

Meanwhile, in Montreal, Ms. Kazemi's son, Stephan Hachemi, called Iran's admission "positive" but insisted his mother's body be returned to him in Canada.

He accused the Canadian government of being slow in helping resolve the question.

"She's Canadian. I'm Canadian. It's been two weeks since we heard the news" of her arrest, he told a press conference. "Nothing has moved. I didn't get any positive results, any concrete actions from the [Canadian] government."

He denied Ottawa's contention that the family is divided over where to bury the body.

Canadian diplomats say Ms. Kazemi's mother, who lives in Iran, wants her buried there.

Mr. Hachemi said he speaks regularly to his grandmother in Iran, but her phone is tapped and she is unable to speak freely.

"It has been clear between us, and all the members of the family, that [Ms. Kazemi] won't be buried in the land of the people who murdered her," he said. "She belongs with me, her only child."

Ms. Kazemi's father is also in Iran, in the family's native city, Shiraz. Frail and unable to walk, he has only recently been told of his daughter's death.

Amnesty International said Iran's admission of her beating was only a first step.

"What we need to see is a thorough judicial investigation into the full circumstances of her death, with a view of bringing those responsible to justice," Keith Rimstad said on behalf of Amnesty.

Iran still has to show the political will to probe her death, he said.

"There is a danger that if the political will isn't there, and the investigation doesn't meet international standards, at the end of the day we won't necessarily get to the truth of what happened."

There are conflicting reports about whether Ms. Kazemi's body has been buried. The journalist freedom group Reporters Without Borders says Iran's ambassador to France, Seyed Sadegh Kharazi, told a delegation yesterday that Ms. Kazemi had been buried in Iran on July 13 or 14. Canadian and Iranian officials insist that has not yet occurred.

Yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly called on the Iranian government to make public all information regarding Ms. Kazemi's death and to respect her son's demand to return his mother's body to Canada.

"There are still questions that are left unanswered. That is why the Quebec government joins its voice to that of Ms. Kazemi's son and the numerous people and groups who want to get to the bottom of this affair," said Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, Minister of International Affairs.

An exhibition of the photojournalist's work may be placed on display in the Quebec National Assembly as early as next fall.
With reports from Rhéal Séguin and AFP

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030717.ukazemi0717/BNStory/National/

IRAN ADMITS ZAHRA KAZEMI DIED ON "BLOWS" TO HER HEAD

PARIS 16 July (IPS) Admission by a high-ranking Iranian official that Ms. Zahra Kazemi, the Iranian-born Canadian photojournalist has died of brain injury "due to a blow" open the way for international investigations and the trial of the culprits, including officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran at international courts, according to lawyers and jurists.

Vice President for legal affairs, Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi had told journalists on Wednesday that the results of an autopsy, ordered by the government, concluding that Ms. Kazemi had died "of a brain haemorrhage as a result of a blow".

A freelance photographer covering for Canadian publications and the London-based "Camera Press" agency, Ms. Kazemi, 54, was arrested on 23 June while taking pictures of demonstrations by the families of political prisoners near the notorious Evin prison in the outskirts of Tehran.

She died on 11 July in a Tehran hospital belonging to the Revolutionary Guards, after suffering brain injuries caused by violent blows during interrogation at the Information (Intelligence) Ministry.

The death, the first of a journalist during interrogation caused an international outcry by human rights and press watchdogs, calling on the Iranian authorities to identify the murderers and explain the exact circumstances of the arrest and the death of the photographer.

"Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham held telephone talks with his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi on Wednesday over the death of an Iranian photojournalist, who worked for Canada's Camera Press magazine", the official Iranian news agency reported.

But in an overt twist of the facts, IRNA did not explain what the case had to do with Canada if the slain journalist is an Iranian citizen, as the Iranian authorities claims with insistence, never mentioning that she had also Canadian citizenship, and also that Camera Press is not a Canadian, but a British photo agency.

"Kharrazi", IRNA added, stressed to Graham that the Islamic Republic of Iran is sensitive and committed to the fate of its nationals and assured that officials will act very seriously and firmly in establishing the cause of the death as soon as possible.

But again, the agency did not say why Kharrazi must provide his Canadian counterpart with details on the death of Ms. Kazemi if she is Iranian?

Earlier in the day, Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh rejected Canada's request to transfer the journalist's body to that country, saying, "Mrs. Kazemi is an Iranian citizen and in this case we will act according to the will of her family".

Sources in Tehran and Canada said there was controversy in the family over the fate of the body, as according to the Iranian authorities, Ms. Kazemi’s mother wanted her daughter to be buried in Iran, while her son, Stephen Hachemi inists that the body be transferred to Canada for determining the cause of the death.

"In our view, no foreign government has the right to make any special comment in this regard, given the Iranian nationality of Mrs. Kazemi", he told reporters.

According to Mr Mohammad Hoseyn Khoshvaqt, the General Director of the Foreign Press at the Islamic Guidance Ministry, on her arrest by Prison guards, Ms. Kazemi provided Iranian identity documents.

"We face a case that death was caused by blows, meaning under torture, a case that if the Iranian authorities fails to identify those who arrested Ms. Kazemi, those who caused her death and those who ordered, then the International Criminal Court, of which Canada is a signatory and Iran has adhered without joining in officially, has the right to take it up", said Dr. Karim Lahiji, a vice-president of the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights Leagues.

"The committee, which has been formed on the order of the President

is following up the matter to see how and where this happened", Mr. Abtahi further told reporters after a cabinet session, referring to a ad hoc committee formed by ministers of Justice, Intelligence, Interior and Islamic Guidance.

"This is a homicide that calls for a detailed and thorough investigation. It has all the landmarks of the chain murders case, much more important than an ordinary assassination", observed Ms. Shirin Ebadi, a lawyer and human rights activist who represented some of the families of veteran and popular Iranian politicians and intellectuals murdered at the hands of high-ranking officials of the Intelligence Ministry on November 1998.

But though it was thanks to the investigation committee ordered by Mr. Khatami that the Intelligence Ministry ended up to acknowledge its senior officials had savagely assassinated Mr. Dariush Foroohar, his wife, Parvaneh and three leading intellectuals and human rights activists, but at the end of the day, the murderers got away and the real culprits, meaning the ayatollahs who had issued religious orders to kill were never identified, despite all the efforts by the families of the victims.

Praising the lamed President for the formation of the investigation committee, Ms. Ebadi hoped that the authorities would not allow this case joining that of the chain murders. "In case there is any interference in the instruction, any obstruction to the follow up, then international organisations have the right to intervene", she observed.

But most Iranian observers doubted the real culprits would be ever identified. "At best, some minor employee, maybe an ordinary prisoner, would be presented as the one who slapped her and at worst, she might be accused of espionage", one journalist who has been in jail several times and is familiar with the methods of Iranian Judiciary speculated.

IRNA quoted an "informed source" that the investigation committee had rejected a request from Zahra Kazemi's mother to transfer the body from the coroner's office to her birthplace in Shiraz for interring.

"The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also said that the committee has categorically rejected the burial as long as the cause of the journalist's death is not established", the agency added.

The announcement came as some news agencies and websites alleged that Kazemi had been buried in Shiraz after the coroner's office had issued a death certificate.

As the London-based Amnesty International added its voice to the calls made by Iran's Islamic Human Rights Commission, Iranian Association for Defence of Press Freedom (IADPF) and other international human rights organisations in calling for an independent and thorough investigation into the death in custody of the photojournalist, unconfirmed reports in Tehran said the interrogations of Ms. Kazemi were carried by Judge Sa’id Mortazavi, better know as the "Butcher of the press".

"Sa’id Mortazavi, who was named recently by Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i as the Prosecutor of Tehran and Head of the Islamic Revolutionary courts, not only was present but also carried the interrogations that led to the death of the photographer", said some Iranian internet websites.

In another development, the IADPF, in a letter published on Wednesday demanded that Judge Mortazavi to be prosecuted for the "offences and misconducts" he committed against the press during his tenure as the judge and president of the press tribunal.

"What we want is justice and that law be applied on Mr. Mortazavi for the numbers of irregularities and abuse of power and misconducts he committed when he was in charge of the press tribunal", the Association said.

http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2003/Jul-2003/journalist_dies_16703.htm

Good morning
Thanks for the ping

WABC radio hosts Batchelor and Alexander, spoke to Canadian media last night in regard to the journalist who was beaten to death for taking photos of prison where students are being held. They mentioned that the Vice President of Iran finally had to admit that she died after being beaten.

Canadian government is demanding the return of her body.

I have to admit, that though it is too little too late for Ms Kazemi, the fact that Iran feels the pressure to need to respond and admit the truth (to some extent) is a good sign. Castro would never tell you the truth. Maybe Ms. Kazemi's death will not have been in vain.

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

...I have to admit, that though it is too little too late for Ms Kazemi, the fact that Iran feels the pressure to need to respond and admit the truth (to some extent) is a good sign...

Remember, this story is important because the EU has been arguing that their support for the regime has been based on Iran's continued reforms in such areas as human rights. The fact that this is an obvious violation of human rights makes it much more difficult for them to claim that their support of the regime is producing "positive results." Look for continued US pressure on the EU to end their support of the Iranian regime.

Iran Asks For A Behaviour Change Of The UN

17.07.2003 12:33

Iran announced that it will not negotiate with UN as long as Washington would not shift his behaviour toward the country.

Iran strongly denied that there would be current negotiations with the US about the country’s nuclear programme.

It claims that the nuclear programme has been sufficiently explained to the international community.

[Neftegaz.ru]

http://www.neftegaz.ru/english/lenta/show.php?id=37749

Fox News interview with Zia Atabay
2003-07-17

Today at 1:00 pm Washington time on Fox News, live interview with Zia Atabay.

Zia is the owner and popular host of NITV (National Iranian TV) one of the LA based Iranian broadcasters who is calling for a regime change in Iran. His TV station is among those whose uplink signal is being jamed by Cuba/Iran.

It looks like the media is beginning to respond to this story. The AP also ran a story on this last night.

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail me”

Torture, Murder, Lies, Confusion and Doubts

July 17, 2003
BBC News
Lee Carter

Canada's Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, is demanding the return of the body of a Canadian journalist who died after being detained in Tehran.

The Montreal-based photo-journalist, Zahra Kazemi was arrested in Tehran on 23 June after taking photos of a prison there, well-known for its detention of dissidents.

After her interrogation she was rushed to hospital, apparently in a coma.

She died of a brain haemorrhage on 12 July. Friends and relatives say she died from injuries she sustained after her arrest.

Jean Chretien says his government wants to verify the cause of Ms Kazemi's death independently and says the reporter's body should be returned immediately.

"If crimes have been committed, we are demanding the Iranian government punish those who committed the crime and we will push that case," Mr. Chretien said from his constituency in Quebec.

"Because if it is the case, it is completely unacceptable that a journalist goes there to do professional work and be threatened in that way."

Confusion

There is confusion as to whether Iranian authorities have admitted to beating Ms. Kazemi.

On Wednesday, Iran's Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi told reporters that Ms Khazemi did die from blows inflicted on her during her detention. This marked the first admission that she had died from mistreatment.

But later, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said that his Iranian counterpart downplayed the earlier comments. Mr Graham told reporters that Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told him it was too early to say exactly how Zahra Kazemi died.

However, Mr Graham said he was told that whoever was responsible for the death would be brought to justice.

Mr Graham says it's now up to the Iranian government to continue its investigation and that he has asked to be regularly updated. However, he says if he does not like the result, Canada will consider sanctions against Iran.

Doubts about burial

It is also unclear whether the reporter's body has already been buried.

Tanya Churchmuch, the Canadian President of Journalists Without Borders says she's learnt from Iranian officials in Paris that Ms Kazemi was buried on Sunday the day after her death was announced.

This has been denied by Iranian officials, even though Ms Kazemi's mother - who lives in Iran - has apparently been given written permission for the body to be given a burial there.

That signed release and the fact that the journalist held Iranian as well as Canadian nationality may weaken the campaign to have her body returned to Canada.

Some Canadian Foreign Affairs officials have said that while spending time in the country of her other nationality, Zahra Kazemi was subject to the all the laws there.

Progress in resolving the case may be dependent on how much Iran values its generally smooth relations with Canada.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3073383.stm

Russia to Provide Iran with Nuclear Fuel

July 17, 2003
The Associated Press
Ha'aretz

MOSCOW - Russia plans to ship Iran 5,500 tons of nuclear fuel by cargo plane for use in Iran's first atomic reactor, Prime-Tass news agency reported Wednesday, citing Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev.

"The fuel is kept in the storage of the Novosibirsk Plant for Chemical Concentrates…the first 11 fuel cells, of 500 kilograms each, will be delivered to Iran by a cargo plane after the signing of the Russian-Iranian protocol on the return of spent nuclear fuel to Russia" the minister said.

Rumyantsev said that ecological experts had completed their examination of an agreement concerning the return of the spent nuclear fuel to Russia from the Bushehr plant, removing the last barrier to the delivery of nuclear fuel to Iran.

"For a long time the Iranian side has had no objections to the signing," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Rumyantsev as saying.

Russian officials have said that fuel delivery to Bushehr depends on Iranian guarantees to ship all spent fuel back to Russia for reprocessing and disposal.

Plutonium for use in nuclear weapons can be derived from spent fuel rods, and the Russian demand is aimed at assuring other countries that Iran would not be able to obtain fissile material for weapons.

Russia is helping Iran construct a 1,000-megawatt, light-water reactor nuclear plant in the southern port city of Bushehr, in a US$800 million deal that has been a major irritant in relations between Moscow and Washington.

Iran insists the plant is solely for generating electricity, but the United States has expressed fears the project could help Ira develop nuclear weapons.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=319159&contrassID=1&subContrassID=8&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

One mate, in the last thread, asked me where is Iran as a Economical power of the 70's. I replied there but I would like others to know the truth too! THANK YOU EVERY ONE!!!

Remember that Iran had a revolution that I want to call a Coup. After that Coup, Many educated and skilled Managers and Directors of the country executed or fled to exile.
Whoever wanted to work for the future of Iran was fired or was labeled with such names: The agent of Imperialists, Thief, Western mania, infidel.
I would like to draw your attention to the case that Mullahs are busy with stealing natural resources and deposits.
They are selling soil of the country to foriegners to avoid any attack or propaganda against themselves.
Their Bank Accounts are full of Money.
No one can ask them how much you have.
They sold out the Historical Monuments such as Stones of Persepolis and so on.
They have given Free Oil to Syria to protect them in stupid conferences and meetings through out the world.
The Mullahs will always be mullahs. They are not educated managers, they are just some fossil clerics.
in 1978 each US $ was around 70 Rials, nowadays each US $ is around 8300 Rials.

I think you can judge obviously who is the real enemy of Iran. Arabized Mullahs of Iran are the worst enemy of Iran through the history.

Well put.

Agree. The EU's support of the regime has nothing to do with producing "positive results" of any kind in Iran.
My feeling is that if the regime is to the point now where it feels it needs to explain itself to the world, this could be a sign of weakening. Outside pressure doesn't normally affect totalitarian, dictatorship countries that feel confident in their rule. It could just be a ruse. But I don't see Cuba or N. Korea feeling the need to blame itself for human rights violations. They either say nothing, or have a "perfectly good reason". On the other hand, I could be too optimistic.