Iranian Alert -- September 19, 2003 -- IRAN LIVE THREAD PING LIST

"Iran bought remnants of one of the Russian rocket-motor factories and then sold it to the Syrians."

The capacity for these soon to be regime-changed nations to paint a large target on themselves is truly amazing.

You don't make a peep, when the HUNTER is stalking you, cocked, locked and right fu--ing next door.,

IRAN NEEDS TIME TO ACCELERATE ITS NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

By Safa Haeri
PARIS, 19 Sept. (IPS)

"What the Iranian regime needs above all is to gain enough time to explode its first atomic bomb in order to place the international community in face of a fait accompli", according to a prominent Iranian political dissident.

Dr. Qasem Sho’leh Sa’di, a respected lawyer and scholar made the comment as the ruling Iranian ayatollahs remain sharply divided as how to answer to demands from the United Nations nuclear energy watchdog to disclose all its atomic programs and stop uranium enriching activities.

In his opinion, the regime needs time to accelerate its nuclear technology. "If, for instance, it could proceed to an atomic explosion, then it has to be accepted as a nuclear power, regardless of sanctions it might face, as seen in the case of Pakistan. Whether one likes it or not, the world would have no other choice but to accept the fait accompli", he explained.

In a resolution formulated by Australia, Canada and Japan on 12 September and approved without vote taking, the Board of Directors of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged the Islamic Republic to sign "immediately and unconditionally" the additional Protocols to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) before 31 of October and inform the Agency about all its nuclear projects and facilities, including its secret uranium enriching plants.

So far, Tehran has not responded to the demands, arguing that the 35-members Board, under pressures from the United States and some of its European allies like Britain, France and Germany, has made a "political" decision.

Washington and Israel alleges that ongoing Iranian project of building an atomic powered electrical plant at Boosheher, on the Persian Gulf with the help of Russia is a "cover" for making an atomic bomb, a claim strongly rejected by both Tehran and Moscow.

Experts from IAEA, for their part, have reported the existence of secret sites where Iranians are busy enriching uranium, a process necessary for nuclear explosion.

The Resolution infuriated the Iranian clerical leadership and in the absence of any official decision, the press, both conservative and reformist, have reacted strongly, urging the authorities to expel the ambassadors of the three countries that originated the Resolution, to revise relations with IAEA and get out of the NPT.

With the leadership undecided on what to do, some experts have suggested to put the decision to a popular vote.

To this question, put to him on Friday by the Persian service of Radio France International, Mr. Sho’leh Sa’di said though constitutionally the authorities could revert to this solution, but whatever the answer, it would solve nothing since either way it chose is a "dead end".

"The difficulty is not with referendum, but the Resolution. If Iran bows and signs the Protocols, it opens the road for unconditional, unrestricted inspections by the IAEA’s experts. They can go anywhere, inspect everything, as they did in Iraq, where they even inspected Saddam’s bedroom. The same scenario would await Iran. Not only it loses its sovereignty, but also face sanctions by (the United Nations’) Security Council", Mr. Sho’leh Sa’di observed, adding: "And if they don’t sign, they would accelerate the process of sanctions".

Reminding that the Islamic Republic is facing an international consensus, Mr. Sho’leh Sa’di, who spent 40 days in prison last August on charges of having questioned Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i’s religious and political credetials, said the ruling conservatives would welcome a "foreign enemy" in order to "mobilize" their forces.

"Having in mind the bitter experience of the last city councils elections and afraid to see the desertion of the voters repeated at the forthcoming Majles elections (due on 21 February 2004), an exercise that would diminish further the legitimacy of the regime, an international showdown and a foreign enemy, both realities, not only can help the conservatives to prepare a mobilization, but also give them the time factor that they need above everything", he pointed out.

"Furthermore, we are also at the beginning of American presidential elections. Here again, the time factor might help the Iranian in the eventual case that the White House is controlled by the Democrats who, anyway, have their different methods than that of the Republicans, improving the future situation of Iran", observed Mr. Sho’leh Sa’di, a founder and spokesman for the "Iranian For Democracy Party" that is in the process of being formed.

When told that the other side might do the same calculation and not provide the Islamic regime with the time factor, he said dealing (attacking) Iran is not that easy. "It took (the Allied) more than a year of preparation for (attacking) Iraq. Even though Iran is under international pressures and in some ways, its situation might be worse of that of Iraq, yet, it would take months, if not years, before all preparations are complete". ENDS. IAEA IRAN 19903

http://www.iran-press-service.com/

IRAN NEEDS TIME TO ACCELERATE ITS NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

By Safa Haeri
PARIS, 19 Sept. (IPS)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/985385/posts?page=22#22

"The Syrians are interested in solid [fuel] rocket motor technology and were trying to acquire that from Russia," but had no luck doing so, "Iran bought remnants of one of the Russian rocket-motor factories and then sold it to the Syrians."

The Iranians and Syrians have been reported to have been having a lot of meetings lately. I think the Syrians have been filling up their shopping cart(s).

Straw joins French and Germans in urging end to Iran's nuclear project

MARGARET NEIGHBOUR

JACK Straw, the Foreign Secretary, has joined with his French and German counterparts to urge the Iranian government to abandon its controversial nuclear fuel enrichment programme and accept tougher UN inspections.

British officials said the confidential letter sent in early August from Mr Straw, Dominique de Villepin and Joska Fischer to Iranian foreign minister Kamal Karrazi was intended to stress to Iran the seriousness of its position and the importance of it taking action.

Amid suggestions that the letter was sent in the face of opposition from Washington, the officials emphasised that the US authorities were aware of the letter before it was sent, and insisted that the UK and US shared the common objective of securing Iranian compliance with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Nevertheless, the letter appeared to highlight a difference in tactics between the Bush administration, which has sought to isolate the Islamic regime, and the UK and European efforts to engage with Tehran.

In the letter, Mr Straw and his counterparts are reported to have urged Iran to sign, implement and ratify a protocol to the NPT that provides for intrusive inspections and to halt its uranium enrichment programme, which the West fears could be designed to produce nuclear weapons.

The letter is said to have raised the prospect of some cooperation on technology, without specifically pledging help with a civilian nuclear energy programme, if the Iranians come into compliance. British officials insisted that the letter was not offering a trade-off.

Article 4 of the NPT, they pointed out, affirms the right of treaty parties to develop civil nuclear programmes. Implicit in securing Iranian compliance with their NPT obligations, the officials argued, was a recognition of its right to develop a civil nuclear programme.

The treaty says that party countries are "entitled to participate in the fullest possible exchange of scientific information for ... the further development of the applications of atomic energy for peaceful purposes".

The letter was also "fully complimentary", officials argued, with the outcome of last week’s meeting of the governing board of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), which gave Tehran an ultimatum to prove by 31 October it has no secret weapons programme or be reported to the Security Council for possible sanctions. That outcome was endorsed by the US, the officials pointed out.

On 18 August, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami wrote to European leaders pledging that Iran would never divert its civilian nuclear programme for military purposes. It did not, however, commit Iran to sign or ratify the protocol.

A leading conservative cleric yesterday said that Iran should withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and should not consent to unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities.

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said:

"North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Many countries have not even signed it. It would have been better if Iran had not signed it."

http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=1041052003

Diplomat must wait for ruling on extradition

By John Steele

A senior Iranian diplomat arrested in Britain after the Argentinian Government alleged he was involved in a bombing is expected to hear within five weeks whether the Home Secretary will allow the extradition request to continue.

Hadi Soleimanpour, the former Iranian ambassador to Argentina, is wanted in connection with the car bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994 that killed 85 people and left a further 100 injured.

Soleimanpour, who was ambassador in Buenos Aires at the time of the explosion but is now studying at Durham University, appeared before Bow Street magistrates' court yesterday in an extradition hearing.

His arrest last month caused a strain in relations between the British and Iranian governments.

Soleimanpour, 47, was released on bail by District Judge Christopher Pratt until Oct 23. His bail included a commitment of £500,000 from the Iranian Government; he must live either in the North or, when in London, in an Iran-financed flat; he must report daily to police; and he must not try to obtain travel documents.

James Hines, of the Crown Prosecution Service, acting for the Argentinian government, said that five weeks was needed for the consideration of 2,600 pages of evidence, delivered in the last few days from Argentina, by the Home Secretary.

David Blunkett must decide whether there is sufficient merit in the material to justify granting permission for the extradition case to continue in the British courts.

If Mr Blunkett decides against the Argentinian request, the case will fall. If he allows it to continue, lawyers for Soleimanpour, led by Alun Jones, QC, a leading extradition expert, will try to persuade the courts to throw out the Argentinian case.

Mr James said the 2,600 pages of evidence produced by the Argentinians were only "2,600 pages of background".

Protesters from the National Council of Resistance of Iran staged a demonstration outside the court.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/09/20/wiran120.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/09/20/ixnewstop.html

These countries have been sending SCUD Missiles and some other weapons or Balistic Missiles to Iran since 1980's:
Libiya, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, China.
China provided Silk Worm Surface to Surface missiles and some Fighter planes.
Libiya, Syria and Yemen sent SCUD missiles to Iran in the 80's.
North Korea also provided them with Technology and trainings. There are evidences that N. Korea also sold No-Dong's Engines to Iran.

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The treaty says that party countries are "entitled to participate in the fullest possible exchange of scientific information for ... the further development of the applications of atomic energy for peaceful purposes".

On monday I will post an article from a paid energy subscription I get that shows Iran to claim a discovery well that proves linkage between two barely defined oil fields.

The gist of the article is that the new well confirms field recoverability of some 8-9 BILLION barrels of heavy crude oil from the fields.
That's right....8-9 BILLION Barrels!!!

THEY REALLY BEED THE NUKES FOR ELECTRICITY.....RRRRRRIIIIIIIIGHT.

Good Day, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am curious what the real difference between the factors of Ideology –“radical shi’ism/Isam” – concerning Iran’s relationship with the United States in contrast to other countries?

In other words, how much is ideology a factor to other countries (Western and non Western) outside the United States?

Jonathan Feiser