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19:23 2003-08-18

Japan quits Iran's oil project?

Japan intends to quit a development project for the Azadegan, Iran's largest oilfield, say non-confirmed reports, which Hamid Reza Asefi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, has dismissed.

As far as he knows, the Japanese government stays true to available understandings, and talks on Japan's contribution to the project are going on, Mr. Asefi said to the media.

Certain media outlets assume, however, that Japan is giving up the project under US pressure. Suggestively, Nezhad Hoseiniyan, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, has recently complained of related bilateral negotiations procrastinated. If they proceed at their present pace, Iran's current obligations may become invalidated, he warned.

Iran may seek overseas partners elsewhere. Russian-based petroleum companies are among its options.

The Azadegan oilfield, recently prospected in the country's southwest, is estimated at 26 billion barrels, and its development costs US$2.8 billion.

http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2003/08/18/49373.html

Interior Ministry to Blame for Disturbances in Semirom: MP

TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – MP Keraamatollah Emadi said here Monday that the plan to incorporate Vardasht district into the municipality of Shahreza is illegal, adding that the Interior Ministry and the Isfahan Governor General's Office are to blame for the turmoil in Semirom. He also stated that President Khatami should deal with the guilty parties.

Emadi told the Mehr News Agency that the Interior Ministry and Isfahan Governor General's Office ignored the fact that the city council and people of Vardasht were against the plan, angering the people.

Emadi, who represents Semirom in the Majlis, said that the people of Semirom protested against the plan in the city center, but some opportunists took advantage of the situation and ran amok.

“The opportunists set fire to the Semirom Governor's Office and a number of cars, and broke the glass of windows of houses, shops and offices, causing disorder in the city,” Emadi said.

Police arrived on the scene to restore order after the chaos which left a number of people dead and injured.

Emadi said that the plan had been cancelled.

He added that the Judiciary should identify those who are trying to cause turmoil and should follow up the issue as soon as possible.

He stated that a year ago, some people in the governor general's office attempted to make one of the districts of Shahreza a town and to achieve their plan legally, they tried to join another district to it.

Emadi pointed to his meeting with the state director for country divisions and the deputy minister for legal and parliamentary affairs of the Ministry of the Interior, saying that he asked them to implement the plan only after taking an opinion poll in order to prevent any further turmoil, insecurity, and protests.

He noted that most of the people of Semirom and Vardasht are against the plan, adding that officials took advantage of his trip to India to state that the plan had been implemented.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said that imprudent actions and politicization should be avoided in order to increase security in the country.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/News.asp?Da=8/19/03&Cat=2&Num=0

Let Japan and the United States work together to extract western own oil in ANWAR, off the coast of California, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Besides, if Japan is helping us in Iraq, they can buy oil from the Iraqis.

No Iranian oil for blood. When Iran abandons its nuclear program and transforms itself into a democratic state, we can go back to buying its oil.