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March 2005 Iran: Ethnic Politics Out Of Bounds Iran's population of some 69 million people is ethnically and religiously diverse. But successive Iranian governments, whether theocratic or monarchic, have stressed the Persian nature of the state and tried to eliminate minority interests by emphasizing linguistic, religious, and cultural unity. It is noteworthy, therefore, that candidates campaigning before the 17 June presidential election are pandering to minority groups. -RFE - 3/31/05 Iranian President Appeals for Saving Naghsh-e Jahan The Iranian President, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, once again appealed for a solution to the problem that Jahan Nama building is causing the world heritage site of Naghsh-e Jahan Square of Isfahan, emphasizing the need for cooperation of Iranian officials. -CHN - 3/31/05 Kazemi was tortured, Iranian doctor says Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi showed signs of being savagely beaten when she was brought to a Tehran hospital in 2003, said an emergency room doctor on duty at the time. -CBC - 3/31/05 Iranian Dissidents Asking Aid from Bush Ghassem Sholeh Sadi, an Iranian dissident, says he wants President Bush to clearly state that America "respects and would welcome" a new elected leadership of Iran if a movement to change the regime through nonviolent action succeeds. -New York Sun - 3/31/05 Iran becomes major aluminum producer in region with 180,000 tons output Iran's output of aluminum ingot of about 180,000 tons last year turned it into a major producer of the metal in the region. - 3/31/05 Crisis in Lebanon Tests U.S. 'Mideast Democracy' Policy On the face of it, the United States appeared to have gotten its wish at the United Nations yesterday. That's when the government of Syria told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that Damascus will withdraw all its forces from Lebanon before elections are held there in May. But analysts say the reality on the ground in Lebanon is not so simple. -RFE - 3/31/05 N Korea football violence erupts "The atmosphere on the pitch and outside the pitch was not a sports atmosphere," Iran's coach Branko Ivankovic was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. -BBC - 3/31/05 Photo: Municipality Building in Rasht, Iran The municipality building of Rasht is among cultural and historical sites of this northern province. - 3/31/05 An Improbable War and Turkey's New Opportunities "We want dialogue with the U.S., not war," says Turkish author Burak Turna. "We have written this book to prevent a war." -Antiwar.com - 3/31/05 Exiles: Iran Seeks to Obtain Nuclear Warheads The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an exile group that wants to oust Iran's clerical rulers, said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had told the defense minister to take steps to obtain nuclear warheads. The NCRI is a coalition of exiled opposition groups, which is listed by the United States as a terrorist organization. -Reuters - 3/31/05 Nation-building, once scorned, is embraced Bush administration ramps up postwar rebuilding efforts after hard lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan. -CSM - 3/31/05 Condi's Pitch for a "Different Kind" of Middle East "We are going to build a different kind of Middle East, a different kind of broader Middle East that is going to be stable and democratic and where our children will one day not have to be worried about the kind of ideologies of hatred that led those people to fly those planes into those buildings on Sept. 11." -CounterPunch - 3/31/05 Provoking Iran: It's Newton's Law of Threat and Response According to a report by the Associated Press, U.S. officials are "concerned" that Iran is reportedly buying and stockpiling high-tech small arms weapons as well as heavier equipment such as tanks, cruise missiles, etc. Well duh! -CounterPunch - 3/31/05 US Dismisses Iranian Media Tour of Nuclear Plant as 'Theatrical' The United States Wednesday dismissed as theatrical Iran's media tour of its Natanz nuclear facility. The State Department said if Iran wants to put to rest concerns about its nuclear intentions, it should fully cooperate with U.N. inspectors and European negotiators. -VOA - 3/31/05 Sleepwalking to Disaster in Iran Truth to be told, there is no American military strike on the agenda; that is, until June 2005. It was curious that no one in the American media took it upon themselves to confront the President or his Secretary of State about the June 2005 date, or for that matter the October 2004 review by the President of military plans to attack Iran in June 2005. -Common Dreams - 3/31/05 Behind diplomacy, Iran sees a fight coming As concerns mount over its nuclear program, fear of a US strike is spurring Iran to strengthen its defenses. -CSM - 3/31/05 Hercules of Kermanshah Finds a Moulage Head The Hercules statue of Kermanshah, one of its important cultural heritage dating back to 2000 years ago, has found a new moulage head after several years. The original head of the statue is kept in store after being stolen and damaged several times. -CHN - 3/31/05 Art in winter in Tehran Elahe gallery is a very nice spacious gallery which can give artists a chance to stage many different art forms there. This was definitely true for Shahnaz Zehtab's recent show of her Installations and Paintings which made a very good use of this possibility. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 3/30/05 Iran gas line be materialized without further delay: Pak expert The expert, who is leaving for India to attend a conference on gas on April 7, said that Iran's Pars gas field, one of the largest in the world, would meet the growing energy needs of India and Pakistan for a long time. - 3/30/05 EU welcomes release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan The European Union welcomed Wednesday the decree signed on March 20 by President Elham Aliyev of Azerbaijan pardoning prisoners, 53 of whom were designated 'political prisoners' by the Council of Europe. - 3/30/05 Egyptian belly dance 'in crisis' Exponents of the art of belly dancing - a unique element of Egypt's national cultural heritage - believe it is undergoing a crisis and is in danger of being driven underground. - 3/30/05 Revelations from an Insider The sound of Daniel Ellsberg's voice could falsely identify him as a softy. It's delicate and cottony, but the Pentagon insider-turned-peace activist has wit cut sharp as a razor and insight that hasn't faded with age. -Common Dreams - 3/30/05 Needed: An Honest Intelligence Estimate on Iran Hats off to journalist Dafna Linzer and Sunday’s Washington Post for exposing a familiar but fallacious syllogism favored by senior Bush administration officials: Iran has a lot of oil; Ergo, Iran does not need nuclear energy for civil purposes; Ergo, Iran’s nuclear development program must be for weapons. -Common Dreams - 3/30/05 Bush to accept advice on intelligence President George W. Bush was to announce Thursday that the administration will accept many of the recommendations of a commission examining American intelligence failures in detecting illicit weapons abroad. -IHT - 3/30/05 Poll: Iran not a nuclear threat Almost six out of 10 adults in Britain, France and Germany say that Iran does not pose a nuclear threat to Europe, according to the findings of a new CNN/TIME poll. - 3/30/05 Iran opens secret nuclear plant Journalists have been allowed to accompany Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on his first official visit to the Natanz nuclear facility. - 3/30/05 Iranian President inspects Uranium Processing Plant in Isfahan At Isfahan Processing Plant, known as UCF, hexafluoride uranium (UF6) is produced, which is then transferred to Natanz Complex to be enriched. - 3/30/05 Iran shatters North Korea dream as Japan defeats Bahrain Iran struck two in Kim Il-Sung Stadium in Pyongyang to hand North Korea its third consecutive loss and Mohamed Ahmed Salmeen's own goal helped the home team Japan leapfrog Bahrain in 2006 World Cup Asian zone Group 2 qualifiers Wednesday. - 3/30/05 A Con Job by Pakistan's Pal, George Bush The announcement Friday that the United States is authorizing the sale to Pakistan of F-16 fighter jets capable of delivering nuclear warheads -- and thereby escalating the region's nuclear arms race -- is the latest example of how the most important issue on the planet is being bungled by the Bush administration. -Los Angeles Times - 3/30/05 Postcard from Iran “If the Americans succeed in referring Iran’s case to the Security Council, Iran will immediately suspend all its voluntary confidence-building measures,” Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rohani warned at the International Conference on Nuclear Technology and Sustainable Development held in Tehran from 5-6 March 2005. -Nuclear Engineering - 3/29/05 Khatami visits Elderly and Disabled House of Kahrizak in Tehran Upon arrival at the center, the Iranian president was warmly welcomed by several disabled and elderly being lodged in the center. - 3/29/05 Women write about the Iran they know Women of Iranian descent don't want us to believe everything we see on TV, and they are taking to the bookshelves to make sure we don't. -USA Today - 3/29/05 Love, revolution, and leaving Iran ‘Even After All This Time’ chronicles one family’s turmoil during the Iranian Revolution -MSNBC - 3/29/05 Iran should do more to win greater share in tourist income in 2010 According to the world Ecotourism Organization, Iran, a country with high tourism potential and attractions, can have a share of dlrs 12 billion in the global tourism revenues by 2010. Iran, which ranks seventh worldwide in terms of tourist attractions, can earn dlrs 180 million from tourism this year. - 3/29/05 Woman MP Wants to Run for President in Iran A female lawmaker said on Tuesday she wanted to stand in Iran's presidential elections in June, despite the fact no woman has ever been allowed to run for president in the Islamic state. -Reuters - 3/29/05 Iran growing in strength, says coach Ivankovic A 2-1 victory over section favourites Japan has sent Iran to the top of Group 2 alongside Bahrain in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. For Iran’s Croatian coach, Branko Ivankovic, the victory was their most important in recent years – and could have a significant bearing on their World Cup prospects. -2006 FIFA World Cup - 3/29/05 Iran Air launches direct Tabriz-Baku flight Iran's flag carrier, Iran Air, on Monday launched its first direct flight from this northwestern Iranian city to Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. - 3/29/05 Attraction of foreign, private investment vital for Iran Economists and economic and financial planners believe that the government's fourth five-year economic, social and cultural development plan (2005-10) would be a major challenge and hard to attain targets in the coming years. - 3/29/05 Japan for expansion of all-out relations with Iran Visiting Iranian Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari conferred here Tuesday with Japan's Minister of Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa on expansion of mutual cooperation. - 3/29/05 Iraq closes border checkpoint with Iran without notice Iraqi border guards closed Monday 'Shalamcheh' border checkpoint, 16 Km west of Persian Gulf city of Khorramshahr, to prevent entry of Iranian pilgrims, on the eve of an important Shia holy day. - 3/29/05 Female students in fear as Shias push for headscarves Female students strolled in the balmy spring afternoon through the grounds of the humanities faculty at Baghdad University yesterday oblivious to the watching man in black. -Guardian - 3/29/05 Churches in Iran Expanding Rapidly, says VOM Spokesman Iran has become increasingly open to evangelical Christians and for the time being, Evangelicals have unique opportunities in the Middle East nation. -Christian Post - 3/29/05 Kyrgyz Developments Worry Iran, But Unlikely To Have Lasting Impact Tehran has worked hard in recent years to strengthen its relationship with the Akaev government, but the Iranian government cannot be expected to openly protest the democratic aspirations of the Kyrgyz people. Nevertheless, some Iranian officials have attributed the events in the Central Asian republic to the United States, which reflects their concern about the large U.S. presence in the region. -RFE - 3/29/05 CIA shutters spy ring against Iran In its scramble to marshal resources for gathering intelligence on al-Qaida and Iraq, the CIA shut down a spy ring it was operating in South America that provided a rare glimpse into the activities of Iranian militants and intelligence networks, according to a former agency official involved in the operation. -LA Times - 3/28/05 13th Century Persian Literary Masterpiece in English: An Interview with Richard Jeffrey Newman Saadi’s "Golestan", one of the best-loved masterpieces of Persian literature has been newly translated into English by Richard Jeffery Newman. The 168-page new translation has been published by Global Scholarly Publications in association with the International Society for Iranian Culture, both of which are based in the United States. -Pejman Akbarzadeh - 3/28/05 French and German Experts to Study D.N.A. of the Burnt City Citizens French and German scientists are to help study D.N.A. of the skeletons found in the 5000-year-old site of Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchistan, uncovering secrets about the ancient people living in the area. - 3/28/05 Conference on Iran's foreign policy in Durham, England Academics from several countries gathered in the north-east English city of Durham Monday for a two day conference on Iran's Foreign Policy since the Islamic Revolution. - 3/28/05 Transition This can be the last piece that appears at Roya’s Corner, as Roya is going through a transition of perhaps making a distinction between Dream (roya in Persian) and Reality, finally after nearly half century of life. -Roya Monajem - 3/28/05 On Iran and Korea, few options The next steps may focus on the two countries' fear of further isolation and economic hardship by seeking resolutions of condemnation or threatening sanctions through the United Nations Security Council. -IHT - 3/28/05 India to resume talks for Iranian pipeline India said Monday that it would resume talks with Pakistan about building a natural gas pipeline from Iran, resisting U.S. opposition. -Bloomberg - 3/28/05 Varahram Zoroastrians temple in Yazd, central Iran, is a tourists attraction Zoroastrians temple in the city of Yazd in central Iran known as Varahram Temple is one of the historical and tourists attractions of Yazd province. - 3/28/05 Iranian delegation arrives in China The volume of Iran-China trade exchange stood at 7 billion dollars in 2004 and is expected to hit 10 billion dollars by the end the 2005 - 3/28/05 US allegations against Iran 'baseless,' Iran diplomat says Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations , said in an interview with CNN on Sunday that Tehran feels it has made good progress in recent EU-led talks aimed at seeking guarantees that Iran will not seek nuclear weapons. -AFP - 3/28/05 Two bombs explode on railway track linking Pakistan and Iran Pakistani railway officials said on Monday that two bombs exploded on the railway line in the southwestern province of Baluchistan which links Pakistan and Iran, reports said. - 3/28/05 Local Iranians call for U.S. restraint Despite their intrigue with American life and culture, Iranians do not want a Western-style democracy imposed on them by the United States, Siahpoosha said. Iranians yearn for more freedom, but they want reform in their own time and by their own doing. -Journal News, NY - 3/28/05 Works of Golnaz Ghadiri at Abtin gallery and Nina Rahshenas at Golestan gallery A few weeks ago I was walking with a friend along north Valiassar Avenue. Before reaching Modaress-Chamran expressway, we dropped by at Abtin gallery which is located in a little alley. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 3/28/05 UNESCO Director-General Worried about Isfahan Naghsh-e Jahan UNESCO Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura, who is in Isfahan, has expressed his concern over the fate of the world-famous square of Naghsh-e Jahan which is endangered by the construction of Jahan Nama building in its vicinities. -CHN - 3/27/05 Rafsanjani's possible return creates a buzz in Tehran Akbar was intelligent, and naughty, always trying to be in charge although he wasn't the eldest,” says Taiyebeh Hashemi-Bahramani, 76, pulling her floral chador across her smile. “He was always ambitious, but he was popular, and we were sad when he left.” -Financial Times - 3/27/05 Isfahan Prosecutor Attorney Rules Jahan Nama Construction to Stop The prosecutor attorney of Isfahan ruled for the construction of the Jahan Nama building in the vicinities of the historical square of Naghsh-e Jahan to stop until the final verdict is reached by the court. -CHN - 3/27/05 Mir-e Norouzi, the Protagonist of the Norouz Play story of Mir-e Norouzi, a temporary ruler who comes to throne during the 13-day holiday of Norouz, is one of the few stories with the spirit of these holidays taking the form of a dramatic art. -CHN - 3/27/05 New Canadian envoy to Iran submits credentials to President Khatami In the meeting, President Khatami said that maintaining the two countries' relations at a satisfactory level is not only of great importance for both sides, but also for the whole region and the world peace and stability. - 3/27/05 Soccer: Celebration turns deadly in Tehran The fullest range of human emotions, from triumphalism to national humiliation, are inevitably stirred when 80 countries around the globe compete over a weekend for places in the 2006 World Cup. -IHT - 3/27/05 U.S.: Man sent cash to Iran A Lincolnwood man illegally funneled more than $3 million to Iran over a four-year period in violation of U.S. trade sanctions, federal authorities said. -AP - 3/27/05 Camels, computers, cars and more smuggled across Iraqi borders ZOWER CHUM, on the Iran-Iraq Border With a Kalashnikov rifle slung over one shoulder, Kadhum Mahmoud took a few brisk steps on the snow-packed earth and crossed from Iraq into Iran. -IHT - 3/27/05 Iran's FM Spokesman: US should stop fanning distrust, sowing suspicion Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid- Reza Asefi said Sunday that US should stop fanning distrust, spreading suspision and continuing to raise excuses against peaceful use of nuclear energy. - 3/27/05 Past Arguments Don't Square With Current Iran Policy Lacking direct evidence, Bush administration officials argue that Iran's nuclear program must be a cover for bomb-making. Vice President Cheney recently said, "They're already sitting on an awful lot of oil and gas. Nobody can figure why they need nuclear as well to generate energy." -Washington Post - 3/27/05 One-Way Planet At breakfast a couple of weeks back, having made my way through the sports section and chomping on the last of a morning bagel, I picked up the front-page of my hometown paper and a headline caught my eye -- Data Lacking on Iran's Arms, U.S. Panel Says. Not exactly a barnburner, but I was curious nonetheless. -TomDispatch - 3/26/05 Iran passes through Japan dam prosperously Bayern reserve forward Vahid Hashemian scored Iran's both goals on fine passes by IRI's other Bundesliga star Mehdi Mahdavi-Kia in 1st, and on Asia's best player of 2004, Ali Karimi in Second half of the world cup qualifier against Japan. - 3/26/05 Iran's National Soccer Team Arrives in China for World Cup qualifier against North Korea Iran's national football team arrived here on Saturday to face North Korea in the 2006 World Cup qualifier. - 3/26/05 Pakistan to Aid UN Probe Into Iranian Nuclear Program Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, says he has agreed to let the United Nations inspect his country's centrifuges, in connection with a probe into Iran's controversial nuclear program. - 3/26/05 Iranian President urges governments to oppose proliferation of WMD Addressing the first International Congress on Bioethics, he stressed that opposing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by those who produce such kinds of armaments, covertly or overtly, has no ethical value. - 3/26/05 Quake rattles Khorramabad in southwestern Iran An earthquake measuring 3.8 on the open-ended Richter scale shook the city of Khorramabad in the southwestern province of Lorestan on Friday. - 3/26/05 Soccer: Bahrain Beats North Korea in World Cup Qualifier Bahrain's football team has scored a 2-1 upset victory over host North Korea in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match in Pyongyang. -VOA - 3/26/05 Afghanistan, the Poor Stepsister to Iraq Afghanistan is slightly bigger than Iraq, with roughly the same population. Both had horrible, repressive governments. Both have held elections. Both lack basic security against crime and insurgency. Both are basically wards of the United States, and for both the future remains in doubt. But there the similarities end. -Boston Globe - 3/26/05 5 killed, 40 wounded as football fans leave Azadi stadium after Iran-Japan game Five people were trampled to death and 40 others were wounded in a crush of spectators after Iran-Japan World Cup qualifier on Friday evening. The crush happened when tens of thousands of soccer fans were leaving the stadium after the game ended. - 3/26/05 AP: Iran Stockpiling High-Tech Small Arms Iran is quietly building a stockpile of thousands of high-tech small arms and other military equipment — from armor-piercing snipers' rifles to night-vision goggles — through legal weapons deals and a U.N. anti-drug program, according to an internal U.N. document, arms dealers and Western diplomats -AP - 3/26/05 German media hails Hashemian double goal heroics against Japan The German media on Saturday praised Iranian national team star forward Vahid Hashemian after his double strike against Japan in the Group B Asian World Cup qualifier at Tehran's Azadi stadium on Friday. - 3/26/05 Prize-Winning Documentary Exposes Hidden Side Of Iranian Society Iranian-born director Nahid Persson earned high honors at the recent Creteil International Women's Films Festival for her chronicle of two young women on the streets of Tehran. "Prostitution Behind the Veil" follows the lives of two young friends -- Minna and Fariba -- who have turned to prostitution to make a living. -RFE - 3/25/05 Oil and Gas Pipelines Sow Political Goodwill and Generate Controversy The vast networks of pipelines that carry oil and natural gas around the globe bring more than just economic benefits. In some cases, they can foster better relations between countries. In other cases, they can strain ties. -VOA - 3/25/05 Regimes Quiet About Kyrgyzstan Revolution Neighboring regimes in Central Asia gave little or no media coverage to the lightning revolution in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, but opposition parties were jubilant, hoping the seeds of democratic change had been sown in the region. -AP - 3/25/05 Pakistan mulls nuclear handover Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is considering sending nuclear parts to a UN watchdog to help it investigate if Iran is developing atomic weapons. -BBC - 3/25/05 Earthquake jolts Shoushtar suburbs in Iran's Khouzestan province An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the open-ended Richter scale jolted suburbs of Shoushtar, a city in Iran's southwestern province of Khouzestan, on Friday afternoon. - 3/25/05 Impasse is unbroken in Iran talks Iran and its European negotiating partners struggled without success to break an impasse on reaching a long-term agreement on nuclear, economic and security cooperation. -IHT - 3/25/05 "Troubled" Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran triangle may deepen US presence Dogged by drug, terrorism and nuclear threats, Afghanistan , Pakistan and Iran are fast becoming a "troubled triangle" that could deepen US presence in the region, experts told a conference. -AFP - 3/25/05 Higher Oil Prices Make New Pipeline Construction More Likely Largely because of rapid growth in Asia, world oil consumption is growing faster than production. Supply short fall, combined with sharply higher oil prices, is spurring the construction of new pipelines to get oil and gas to world markets. -VOA - 3/25/05 Iran defeats Japan 2-1 in crucial World Cup qualifier Iran defeated Japan 2-1 in crucial World Cup Qualifier on Friday March 25 in Tehran's Azadi stadium. - 3/25/05 Coming Out: The Youth of Iran Yasmin Vossoughian's film has been selected as a finalist for a talent competition on the website of INDTV, a new news organization chaired by former senator and US presidential candidate Al Gore. - 3/24/05 A way to break the nuclear impasse Iran is on a nuclear roll. In recent weeks it signed a deal with Russia to acquire nuclear fuel for its Bushehr reactor, rebuffed reprimands from the International Atomic Energy Agency, berated European interlocutors for bad faith and got the United States to back off from veiled military threats and even to agree to modest economic incentives. -IHT - 3/24/05 Analysts: Pipelines Used as Diplomatic Tools and Targets for Terrorists The millions of kilometers of pipeline crisscrossing the world have an enormous impact on the world's economy. But on a geopolitical level they are much more, from a diplomatic tool to a tempting target for terrorists. -VOA - 3/24/05 A 'positive' Iran-Europe meeting A statement by Iran and the Europeans after the meeting said that the talks had created an "enhanced relationship" that set the stage for further progress. -IHT - 3/24/05 Neocons Concentrate on Promoting U.S.-Iran War Steven P. Weisman wrote in The New York Times of Nov. 19 that the “biggest challenge” in President George W. Bush’s second term is “how to contain” Iran’s nuclear program. In fact, however, Iran constitutes no threat to the United States. -WRMEA - 3/24/05 Wrath of Azadi awaits Japan in qualifier Japan can expect a torrid reception when they face Iran in the boiling-hot atmosphere of Tehran's Azadi Stadium in an Asian World Cup qualifier on Friday. - 3/24/05 India Oil Chief Says Attack on Iran Would Be `Stupid' Subir Raha, the government-appointed head of India's biggest oil company, said the U.S. would be ``stupid'' to attack Iran and risk imposing record oil prices on the global economy. -Bloomberg - 3/24/05 Iranian Exile Says Uranium Enriched at Secret Site An Iranian exile accused Tehran on Thursday of secretly purifying uranium for use in nuclear weapons at a recently-constructed underground facility at a military complex called Parchin. -Reuters - 3/24/05 Iraqi Shiism could topple the mullahs At the start of the last century, some time before World War I, my grandfather left his native Iran for Najaf, Iraq. It was a common journey back then for the young and religious-minded in Iran, eager for guidance. -Cameron Khosrowshahi, IHT - 3/24/05 Back-to-back accords proposed for Iran-India gas pipeline Two back-to-back agreements between Iran-India and Iran-Pakistan are proposed for construction of a gas pipeline between Iran and India, the Indian Parliament was informed today, reports the Press Trust of India (PTI). - 3/24/05 Iranian FM spokesman: Paris talks "serious, complicated" but "helpful" Another round of the Iran-EU3 nuclear talks were held in Paris Wednesday without reaching final accord. - 3/24/05 EU studying Iranian plan for small-scale uranium enrichment The EU is considering an Iranian proposal to allow the Islamic republic to produce enriched uranium on a small scale, despite the bloc's demand Tehran must abandon the process to guarantee it will not make atom bombs, officials and diplomats said. -AFP - 3/24/05 New Geophysic Studies on the Longest Wall of Ancient Iran Archaeologists have innitiated a new series of geophysic studies in the immediate vicinity of the ancient wall of Gorgan, to uncover yet unknown architectural remains of the area. -CHN - 3/24/05 The Women’s Cultural Center’s “Library Support Call We invite all those who are interested, to help us nurture and build this library. We want the library to host an environment where every new book about women will be celebrated and valued. Our goal is make the library a reflection of the women’s movement in Iran. -iftribune - 3/24/05 Joshua Bell Plays American Premiere Of Concerto Mar. 31-Apr. 2 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Renowned violinist Joshua Bell, a Bloomington native who made his professional debut at age 14 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, returns to Indianapolis to perform the American Premiere of a violin concerto written and dedicated to him by longtime friend and Indiana University alumnus Behzad Ranjbaran in Lilly Classical Series concerts - 3/24/05 Women Roles in Norouz Celebrations When spring nears, Iranians prepare themselves to welcome the joyous season and the renewal of their calendar year with Norouz festivities. Iranian women play an important role here that deserves to be noted. -CHN - 3/24/05 Persian-Iranian Parade 2005 (1384) In New York City Set A New Milestone The Second annual Persian-Iranian Parade, sponsored by the non-profit public Persian-Iranian Parade Foundation (PIPF), held along fifteen blocks of Madison Avenue in New York City on March 20, drew huge cheering crowd of Iranian Americans, curious tourists and mainstream Americans, despite the inclement weather. "Rain or Shine, We Will Shine." Nina Ghavami, one of the Parade Funding Members & co-organizer eloquently put it. -David N. Rahni - 3/23/05 Majority of Iranians want nuclear fuel cycle capability A majority of Iranians want their country to develop a fuel cycle capability but not go further to acquire nuclear weapons, a conference in Durham, England on Iran's foreign policy since the Islamic revolution was told. - 3/23/05 Bank on Iran needing jobs more than nukes With realistic caution about the prospects of success, the Bush administration is giving diplomacy a chance in its quest to curb Iran's suspected nuclear weapons ambitions. The reasons are several. -CSM - 3/23/05 Report Calls Saudi Arabia, Libya Least Free In An Undemocratic Region In its Index of Political Freedom, the EIU paints a picture of a "strikingly varied" democratic spectrum in the Middle East. The study determines that Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Syria are among the most repressive in the region, followed by Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. -RFE - 3/23/05 Iran and the U.S. have one thing in common In an unadorned conference center of the Ministry of Finance (in Paris), the United States and Iran discovered that they have something in common. They are both passionate cheerleaders for nuclear power. It's just that the United States wants to deny Iran the right to build its own nuclear power capability. -IHT - 3/23/05 Analysts Say Oil Prices Likely to Stay High Last week the OPEC oil cartel boosted its official daily production ceiling by half-a-million barrels. But instead of moderating, crude oil prices promptly soared to a new record high, and have hovered near that level in the days since. - 3/23/05 Iran stands firm on nuclear talks Iran is maintaining its hardline stand over its right to develop a peaceful nuclear programme as talks between Iran and the EU open in Paris. -BBC - 3/23/05 Israel has no intention of striking Iranian nuclear sites: Sharon Sharon made the comments during talks with a visiting delegation from the US Congress, despite months of press reports to the contrary, the official told AFP. - 3/23/05 Jordan brands Iran, Syria biggest threat to stability Jordan's King Abdullah II launched a stinging attack against Iran , Syria and Lebanese-based militia Hezbollah as the main threats to Middle East stability. -AFP - 3/23/05 All quiet on Afghanistan's western front When you fly into Shindand airfield you have to look hard to spot any sign of activity, let alone that it is the US military's main base in western Afghanistan. This huge Soviet-built base has been the focus of speculation over possible US operations against Iran - about 50 miles away to the west. -BBC - 3/23/05 Pentagon Reaffirms Globocop Role March has been a bad month for the world's multilateralists who, encouraged by several early appointments to the State Department and a successful presidential tour of Europe, had hoped that George W. Bush would temper his unilateralist instincts in his second term. -IPS - 3/23/05 U.S. Monitors Iran Border for Insurgents Worried about people sneaking in from Iran , U.S. troops and Iraqi border guards are focusing their attention on the "socket" — a remote section of frontier that juts into Iran and is used by smugglers, shepherds and even job hunters for illegal crossings. -AP - 3/23/05 Iranian Association at the University of Toronto hosting Dr. Mohammad Eslami Nodooshan The Iranian Association at the University of Toronto (IAUT) is proud to host Dr. Mohammad Ali Eslami Nodushan, the renowned Iranian poet and literary scholar, from March 26th to April 6th . - 3/23/05 Drivers and theories behind Iran's foreign policy A two-day conference on Iran's foreign policy since the Islamic revolution created much debate among academics assembled in Durham, England from around the world. - 3/23/05 Iran: the coming war Will the United States attack Iran? Eight major arguments say no. Each one dissolves on inspection, says Dan Plesch -Open Democracy - 3/22/05 Iran in Iraq: How Much Influence? Iran's relative restraint in Iraqi affairs since the U.S.-led invasion may not last without an accommodation between Tehran and Washington. -International Crisis Group - 3/22/05 Anti-Iran militants return home More than 250 young Iranians, from a group committed to toppling Iran's leaders, are back in Tehran. -CSM - 3/22/05 Free Commerce vs. National Security: Is There Really a Contradiction? Republican administrations always tout the free market, but when it clashes with the perceived interests of the national security state—of which they are so fond—it gets outgunned. The most recent example is the Bush administration’s threats against a liquefied natural gas pipeline that would run from Iran through Pakistan to India. -Antiwar - 3/22/05 Iranians celebrate New Year Harking back to their ancient roots, the Iranians started celebrating once again the beginning of a new year that kicked off this year on March 21. -UPI - 3/22/05 Iranian Orthoped Assembles 3000 Year Old Skeleton A 3000 year old skeleton discovered in a tomb in the historical site of Izeh, before the area went under water after the flooding of Karoon 3 Dam, was assembled by an orthoped doctor, introducing new horizons for cooperation of archaeologists and medical doctors. -CHN - 3/22/05 Iran reaffirms full nuclear program ahead of talks with EU Iran reaffirmed that it will pursue a full-scale nuclear program, a day ahead of talks in Paris at which the European Union will urge Tehran to abandon crucial fuel activities in order to show it is not secretly developing atomic weapons. -AFP - 3/22/05 Esther's Iranian tomb draws pilgrims of all religious stripes Generations of Jews have protected the holy site. Will the Iranians continue to do so? Women of all religious backgrounds visit the site to pray for children, bringing colorful curtains and cloths to place on the tombs and to donate to an adjacent prayer room. -Ha'aretz - 3/22/05 Quake shakes Semnan, northeastern Iran An earthquake measuring 3.7 on the open-ended Richter scale jolted Kuhdasht region in the northeastern province of Semnan on Monday. - 3/22/05 Soccer: Iran's women still waiting for stadium access Japanese tourists Shoko Tanaka and Mariko Aritaki will be covering up in headscarves for their first live soccer match as Japan take on Iran in Tehran in a Group B qualifier for the 2006 World Cup finals on Friday. -Kyodo - 3/22/05 How America's interests collide in Asia A world power necessarily has interests that conflict with each other. That is ever more the case in a world of many camps. The resulting dilemmas have been on display in the past week as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice toured the major capitals of Asia. -IHT - 3/22/05 For Tehran, Nuclear Program Is a Matter of National Pride Having used a legal loophole to enrich uranium, Iran is loath to give it up under US pressure -YaleGlobal - 3/22/05 Water Becoming More Precious Than Oil in Arab World While one of the most pressing political and social issues facing the Arab world rarely makes headlines, it is an issue that some political analysts believe could lead to the next great confrontation in the region. Rapidly expanding Arab populations are making water far more precious than oil. -VOA - 3/22/05 Iraq-Jordan Dispute Portends Economic Problems For Amman Tensions between Iraq and Jordan have spiraled to an unprecedented low two weeks after the Jordanian daily "Al-Ghadd" printed an apparently fabricated report claiming that a Jordanian father celebrated his son's martyrdom in a suicide operation in Iraq -RFE - 3/22/05 Analysis: Talking Gas In Turkmenistan Gas will be on Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's mind on 22 March when he arrives in Ashgabat to meet with Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. -RFE - 3/22/05 US rules out Iran security pledge The US has dismissed a call by the head of the UN's nuclear agency to offer Iran security assurances as a boost to talks over its nuclear programme. -BBC - 3/22/05 What's wrong with this picture? It seems like Iran is actually in a pretty good bargaining position. It also seems as though the United States might be losing its best opportunity to do, for a change, what is best for America’s interests in its involvements in the turbulent Middle East. -Kam Zarrabi - 3/21/05 L.A. Is a Den of Iranian Intrigue and Ambition U.S. agents tap an incongruous mix of exiles for intelligence on Tehran. The jockeying for influence is intense, as is the skepticism -Los Angeles Times - 3/21/05 US military not conducting spy flights over Iran: Rumsfeld US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he had never authorized sending reconnaisance planes over Iran to spy on the country's alleged nuclear program, contrary to Tehran's assertions. -AFP - 3/21/05 Persian New Year Transcends Religions, Regimes The arrival of the spring equinox on Sunday will cue Persians to party. Far from a gardening rite, the equilibrium of day and night marks the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. -National Geographic - 3/21/05 Nuts to Bush Last November, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – as agents for the European Union – began negotiations with Iran on "a mutually acceptable long-term arrangement" that would (a) provide "objective guarantees" to the EU that Iran's nuclear program was exclusively for "peaceful purposes," (b)... -Antiwar - 3/21/05 'Lipstick Jihad' author recalls time in Iran When Fariba Katouzi learned her daughter was going to her family's homeland in Iran as a correspondent for Time Magazine, she said she wasn't happy. -Monterey County Herald - 3/21/05 In a warped reality This is a tale of one war, two anniversaries, three different demonstrations - and inconsistencies, contradictions and civilian deaths that are too numerous to count. -Guardian - 3/21/05 UN urges US engagement over Iran The head of the UN nuclear watchdog has urged the US to become more engaged in attempts to resolve a dispute about Iran's nuclear programme. -BBC - 3/21/05 Quake shakes common border between Iran and Turkmenistan An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the open-ended Richter scale hit the common border area between Iran's North Khorassan province and Turkmenistan at 09:54 hours local time (06:24 GMT) on Sunday. - 3/21/05 U.S. warns Iraq on new government His caution to the Iraqi politicians struggling to assemble a government seemed a rather unusual intervention by a Pentagon chief in the internal deliberations of a nascent democracy, albeit one that would not have existed without the U.S.-led occupation. -IHT - 3/21/05 Iran to set up secret nuclear faculty: intelligence source Iran is to establish a secret nuclear engineering faculty within a year to provide engineers for what the United States claims is a covert project to develop atomic weapons, a Western intelligence source told AFP. -AFP - 3/21/05 Happy New Year: 'Even if it's cold outside, it's spring inside our homes' Nasrin Moradi keeps warm as she prepares to celebrate the most important day in the Iranian calendar -Gazette, Canada - 3/21/05 Nuclear dispute boosts critics of 'Great Satan' in Iran poll The agreement by Washington and the European Union to seek joint diplomatic means to curtail Tehran's nuclear programme has added spice to Iran's presidential election in June, emboldening conservative Islamists eager to confront the "Great Satan". -Financial Times - 3/21/05 Iran's Khatami bids new year farewell to nation Iran 's embattled President Mohammad Khatami gave an emotional new year message to the Islamic republic, telling Iranians that reforms would go on but urging patience. -AFP - 3/21/05 Iranian Leader Says He's Ready to Battle to Death Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Monday he was ready to don combat fatigues and give his life in battle if his country were attacked, accusing Washington of seeking any excuse to start a war. -Reuters - 3/21/05 New year party gets political on streets of Tehran At first the ear-splitting explosions, blazing bonfires and choking stench of teargas could have been mistaken for the prelude to a new Iranian revolution. -Guardian - 3/21/05 Third Sadegh Hedayat Short Story Award On the anniversary of Sadegh Hedayat's birthday last month, the Hedayat office in Tehran, in collaboration with the Sokhan website and the Iran Artists' Forum (Khaneh Honnarmandan Iran), staged the Third Sadegh Hedayat Short Story Award. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 3/21/05 50 kg Achaemenid Clay Jug Found in Bolaghi Gorge A huge clay jug dating to the Achaemenid era have been unearthed in the historical site of Bolaghi, behind the Sivand Dam, where archaeologists are carrying out a rescue project to save the area’s ancient treasures before the Dam is flooded in one year time. - 3/19/05 Analysis: Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline Imperiled As the owner of the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves, Iran is keen to exploit this resource as a source of revenue. It is therefore pursuing gas export deals with a number of countries. - 3/19/05 Worldly Iran becomes dynamic new market; European firms zero in on a new crop of consumers Iran has emerged as one of the world's flash points... But Andreas Gabriel isn't worried. The director of Iran operations for the French automaker Renault is sitting in his chic, open-space Tehran office, sipping tea and lauding the opportunities in Iran's market, which is growing at a rate of about 500,000 new vehicles a year. -SF Chronicle - 3/19/05 Iran's oil production capacity to rise by 160,000 b/d Iran's oil production capacity will rise by 160,000 b/d once projects for development of Rag Sefid and Bangestan oil fields in Ahvaz, a city southwest of Iran, and of South Pars Oil Layer come on stream. - 3/19/05 Future uncertain for Iranian dissidents living in Iraq All the Mujahedeen have left in Iraq is their idyllic refuge at Ashraf, north of Baghdad, and even that has become a prison-like place overseen by the U.S. military. The State Department lists them as an international terrorist organization, and some former members brand them as a cult. -Knight Ridder - 3/19/05 The Washington Establishment Fails Logic 101 I just got back from a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. Didn't ride the Teacups, though. Because I wasn't in Disneyland but in Washington, D.C., where everyone is walking on air, swept away by the Beltway's latest consensus: President Bush was right on Iraq, and, as a result, Tomorrowland in the Middle East will feature an E-ticket ride on the Matterhorn of freedom and democracy. -Arianna Huffington - 3/19/05 In Iraq, Iranian Kurd Rebels Hope for Their Moment From the military bunker which serves as his office, Ibrahim Alizada can glimpse the snow-capped mountains of his homeland as he plots the downfall of Iran's Islamist government just 30 miles away. -Reuters - 3/19/05 Reigniting the Anti-War Movement While the Bush administration is digging in its heels for a long stay in Iraq and setting the scene for military intervention in neighboring Iran, it’s up to us build a strong peace movement capable of getting our soldiers back home, halting the building of permanent bases in Iraq, opposing any new military adventures, and giving Iraqis the chance to rebuild their own country. -CommonDreams - 3/19/05 State of California's Resolution Celebrating Nowrooz Alliance of Iranian Americans has secured the State of California's Resolution Celebrating Nowrooz, through the good office of the Lt. Governor Bustamante, an original of which is attached. Please distribute the Nowrooz Resolution widely. - 3/19/05 Iran Stands to Benefit from Political Developments in Iraq With the Shia-dominated parties of the United Iraq Alliance poised to have influential role in Iraq’s new government, Iran stands to receive a geopolitical boost. -Eurasianet - 3/19/05 EU-Russia demand Syria withdrawal "Iran must prove that it refuses totally the acquisition of a nuclear weapon," Mr Putin said, also insisting European and Russian positions were the same. -BBC - 3/19/05 Iranians getting ready for new year Iranians are getting prepared to embrace the New Year, which will begin on March 20. - 3/19/05 Quakes continue to jolt Iranian town of Zarand An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the open-ended Richter scale hit the town of Zarand in the southeastern province of Kerman Saturday morning. - 3/19/05 Saddam's 'Dutch link' Frans van Anraat was living openly under his own name when he was arrested in an Amsterdam suburb in late 2004, after an international investigation. -BBC - 3/19/05 Playing the Democracy Card The United States flaunts the banner of democracy in the Middle East only when that advances its economic, military, or strategic interests. The history of the past six decades shows that whenever there has been conflict between furthering democracy in the region and advancing American national interests, U.S. administrations have invariably opted for the latter course. -TomDispatch - 3/19/05 Aral, Caspian Seas Remain Under Ecological Threat The Soviet Union was home to two of the world's largest inland bodies of water, the Aral and Caspian Seas. Once offering up abundant examples of nature's grace, both seas are now dying. In the case of the Aral Sea, the cause is agricultural mismanagement, while in the Caspian it is pollution and oil development. There are mixed views on whether the seas can be saved. - 3/19/05 As Evidence Grows Of Iran's Program U.S. Hits Quandary New Data Suggest Big Effort To Build Nuclear Warhead, But Will World Believe It?...Checking Out a Toilet Tank -Wall Street Journal - 3/19/05 President George W Bush Sends Nowruz Greetings Laura and I send our best wishes for peace and prosperity in the New Year. - 3/19/05 Nowruz : Persian New Year Once again Persian homes prepare for the New Year or Nowruz celebrations. All Persian households follow the practices of this, the oldest of Persian celebrations, which heralds the end of winter and cold and the coming of spring. -Tavoos Art Quarterly - 3/18/05 Iranian-Americans Celebrate Persian New Year Sunday, Iranians worldwide will celebrate Norouz, the Persian New Year. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan reports on activities in Los Angeles, the U.S. city with the heaviest concentration of Iranian Americans. - 3/18/05 US Concerned About India-Iran Pipeline Project U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told India this week that Washington is opposed to New Delhi's landmark pipeline deal with Iran, a nation the United States is trying to force to abandon its nuclear program. But U.S. concerns are not likely to sway India, which is facing rapidly growing energy needs. -VOA - 3/18/05 Nuclear cycle solution must not be Iran specific, says ElBaradei Iran must not be singled out in any resolution of the dilemma over the right of countries to enrich uranium under the Non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT), according to the head of the world's nuclear watchdog. - 3/18/05 Embarking on Lunacy A group of Europeans of Iranian origin refused to disembark a Lufthansa airplane at the Brussels Airport arriving from Frankfurt earlier this month to protest the EU trio negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Furthermore, they made requests that the European powers to dislodge the Tehran Regime and restore the rule of the (Pahlavi) monarchy. -Ray Salehi - 3/18/05 EU-Iranian talks deadlocked but not about to collapse EU-Iranian talks on getting Tehran to guarantee it is not developing nuclear weapons resume next week with Iran having already rejected a US initiative to move the deadlocked negotiations along. -AFP - 3/18/05 Ukraine admits to selling cruise missiles to Iran, China Ukraine admitted that it had exported nuclear-capable cruise missiles to Iran and China, amid tense diplomatic debate over Tehran's alleged quest for nuclear weaponry. -AFP - 3/18/05 Greens Plan and Join Rallies and Actions Across the U.S. in the March 19 'Global Day of Protest' Against the Iraq War Military threats against Iran and Syria risk a greater war between the U.S. and Middle East, warn Greens - 3/18/05 Soccer: Japan arrive in Germany to prepare for Iran clash Japan touched down in Germany on Thursday to begin tuning up for next week's tough trip to Tehran for their 2006 World Cup qualifier against Iran in Group B. -Kyodo - 3/18/05 Iranology Center inaugurated in Dagestan University Dagestan on Thursday opened an Iranology Center at the republic's state university in a ceremony attended by several diplomatic and academic officials. - 3/18/05 2 killed, 6 injured in police copter crash in Iran's Fars province Fars Police Department announced on Friday that the crash of one of its helicopters in Kolikosh mountains earlier in the day had left two staff killed and six injured including the police chief of the province. - 3/18/05 US demands Pakistan nuclear help US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has pressed Pakistan to tell Washington everything it knows about the AQ Khan nuclear weapons-smuggling network. -BBC - 3/18/05 Iran hardliner accuses Europeans of bad faith in nuclear talks "They decide to give incentives ... nobody believes such false promises," said Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, a conservative cleric who heads a powerful watchdog body that vets all legislation and candidates for public office. -AFP - 3/18/05 Iran, Syria Undermine Efforts in Iraq, U.S. Officials The director of the CIA accused Iran on Thursday of meddling in Iraq and said Syria was not working hard enough to stop militants entering the country to undermine Baghdad's efforts at stability. -Reuters - 3/18/05 The American Diplomatic Coup: A New Window of Opportunity for US-Iran Relations The US has now joined the European Trio (England, France and Germany) in a new carrot-and-stick strategy that wants to convince Iran to halt uranium enrichment permanently in return for an economic incentive package that includes selling civilian airplane spare parts to Iran, and dropping US opposition to Iran’s quest for membership in the World Trade Organization. -Hooshang Amirahmadi, AIC - 3/18/05 Analysis: Converging Policies On Iran After two years of often frustrating negotiations over Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions, the United States and the European Union have pursued divergent policies. In recent weeks, however, Washington and Brussels have been reading from the same script. -RFE - 3/18/05 Atomic clock ticks down to fallout with Iran Iran and the western powers are on a collision course as the clock ticks towards crucial talks in Paris next week about Tehran's nuclear programme -Guardian - 3/18/05 The Golden Mask of Guran: A magical evening of dance theatre THE GOLDEN MASK OF GURAN follows a dream-like narrative of the Roman slave girl, Azadeh, at the court of the Persian king, Bahram V, and her desire to save the magnificent wild zebras (guran) from the king and his hunters. - 3/17/05 Fired Up for a Good New Year With a Hot Party, Iranians Look for Luck and Herald the Change in Seasons -Washington Post - 3/17/05 No incentives enough for Iran to halt nuclear programme: Khatami Iran 's President Mohammad Khatami asserted that no incentives would be enough to convince the Islamic republic to renounce its nuclear programme, but pledged the country would make "every effort" to convince the world it was not seeking atomic weapons. -AFP - 3/17/05 India needs it, and Iran has it The United States is facing a diplomatic dilemma. An enthusiastic endorsement of a proposed 2,700-kilometer gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan may hurt its Middle East strategy by helping Iran garner political support to continue its nuclear program. -IHT - 3/17/05 Mr. Massoud Behnood’s back door invitation to U.S. military intervention in Iran The sworn enemies of the Iranian nation cannot openly and directly invite U.S. military intervention in Iran these days because of guaranteed fierce resistance form all segments of the society. Mr. Behnood’s article in Payvand (Iraq’s Election) however, is the best backdoor invitation to American military adventure in Iran that I have seen so far. -Shahriar Etemadi - 3/17/05 Khatami says Iran deserves a more equitable share in OPEC output On Iran's share in the Organization of Oil Producing Countries' (OPEC) output, he said that OPEC agrees with us that Iran's share of oil production should be increased. - 3/17/05 Bush Signals New Interpretation Of Nonproliferation Treaty To former nuclear inspector John Wolfstahl, there can be no doubt that Iran has violated at least the spirit of the NPT. But now that Iran's nuclear program has been discovered, Wolfstahl concedes, technically Tehran is n-o-t violating the treaty by pursuing nuclear power -- if that is all it intends to do. -RFE - 3/17/05 Iran town rejoices at public hanging "Again! Kill him again!" people shouted as Mohammad Bijeh's body swayed above the main square of the town of Pakdasht. -BBC - 3/17/05 Iran's National Car Reaches the End of the Road The square-cut and gas-guzzling Paykan, Persian for arrowhead, is familiar to Britons because its design is the same as the Hillman Hunter car of the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the Paykans spluttering through the tides of Tehran traffic are well over 30 years old. -Reuters - 3/17/05 Bush Reaffirms Position on Syrian Withdrawal From Lebanon Mr. Bush also spoke about his desire to one day see democracy flourish in Iran. When a reporter wanted to know if he believes regime change should be a goal, the president answered this way. "I believe that the Iranian people ought to be allowed to freely discuss options, read a free press, have free votes, be able to choose amongst political parties. I believe Iran should adopt democracy," he said. "That is what I believe." -VOA - 3/17/05 Oil prices surge to fresh highs Crude oil prices set new records on Thursday despite a commitment to boost output quotas from the Opec oil producers' cartel a day earlier. -BBC - 3/17/05 Bush Insists Iraq 'Coalition Of The Willing' Not Crumbling U.S. President George W. Bush held an unexpected news conference at the White House on 16 March in which he faced questions about the dwindling military coalition in Iraq, the European and American effort to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions and suspicions that the United States is sending suspected foreign militants to their home countries, where they might face torture during interrogations. -RFE - 3/17/05 Sistani at Forefront of Iraq Constitution As Shiites ascend to power in Iraq and turn toward writing a constitution, the key role expected for their enigmatic spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is once again a subject of mystery and debate. -AP - 3/17/05 India, U.S. Hit Snags Over Iran, Arms to Pakistan Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's push for closer ties with India hit potentially serious snags on Wednesday over a pipeline from Iran and the possible sale of F-16s to Pakistan. -Reuters - 3/17/05 Iranian Brothers Detained 3 Years Freed Four Iranian brothers detained for more than three years after their arrest in an FBI terrorism probe were freed Wednesday night after agreeing to certain travel restrictions. -AP - 3/17/05 Iran slips back in Corruption Perception Index Perceptions of the degree of corruption in Iran as seen by business people, academics and risk analysts marginally grew last year, according to the latest report by Transparency International on Wednesday. - 3/17/05 The Plan is Still on Track: Bush Strategy for Syria, Lebanon and Iran As someone who believes that the Bush administration fully intends to implement the neocon plan for regime change in Syria, Iran, and Lebanon in the next couple years, I've watched it and the compliant media build the cases necessary for attack. -Counterpunch - 3/17/05 EU welcomes international support on talks with Iran Foreign ministers of the 25-member European Union Wednesday welcomed the international backing to the European bloc's negotiations with Iran on the nuclear programme and stressed that the process of dialogue with the Islamic Republic will continue. - 3/17/05 The Ancient Tehran Chashmi Digar Institute is a Non-Governmental art and cultural institution based in Tehran which is working on Iranian Cultural Heritage. - 3/17/05 A New Day In Iran? The regime may inflame Washington, but young Iranians say they admire, of all places, America -Abstract of an article by Afshin Molavi, originally published in the March 2005 issue of Smithsonian - 3/16/05 UK's gift to Iran: Body armor to counter Afghan drug smuggling The British government has made an exception to its national arms embargo against Iran to allow the donation of armored vests and body armor plates to help counter drugs smuggling from Afghanistan. - 3/16/05 Tehran apologists backing Hillary? Iranian Americans accused by members of their community of collaborating with the cleric-led Islamic regime in Tehran have planned a fund-raiser for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the San Francisco Bay Area. -WorldNetDaily - 3/16/05 US Administration Seeks More Time for Religious Freedom Talks With Vietnam, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia The Bush administration is asking Congress for more time to pursue talks with Vietnam, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia on improving their record on respect for religious freedom. The three countries could be subject to U.S. sanctions after being named as major violators of religious freedom in a State Department report last September. - 3/16/05 Arab Media See U.S.-Iranian Deal-Making Behind a War of Words Despite harsh words between Iran and the United States, many Arab commentators are convinced that the two sworn enemies are co-operating behind the scenes -- especially when it comes to Iraq. -PNS - 3/16/05 Rivers run through it India and Pakistan are edging closer to agreeing a deal where hydrocarbons would be transported from Iran via Pakistan to India. New Delhi would pay Islamabad transit fees and Pakistan would guarantee India's energy security. -Guardian - 3/16/05 Democracy is more than a soundbite Oppressed of the world, take heart - a soundbite will soon set you free. Or at least, that is the way some people think. Supporters of President Bush argue that his advocacy of democracy has provoked political earthquakes that are transforming the Middle East. -CSM - 3/16/05 Brand USA is in Trouble, So Take a Lesson from Big Mac Last Tuesday, George Bush delivered a major address on his plan to fight terrorism with democracy in the Arab world. On the same day, McDonald's launched a massive advertising campaign urging Americans to fight obesity by eating healthily and exercising. -Guardian - 3/16/05 Iraq's long road to government The inaugural session of the newly-elected Iraqi parliament comes more than six weeks after the country's first general elections since the downfall of Saddam Hussein. -BBC - 3/16/05 No Longer the "Lone" Superpower China, Japan, and the United States are the three most productive economies on Earth, but China is the fastest growing (at an average rate of 9.5% per annum for over two decades), whereas both the U.S. and Japan are saddled with huge and mounting debts and, in the case of Japan, stagnant growth rates. -TomDispatch - 3/16/05 Iran to Offer U.S. Share in Nuclear Program -Paper Iran is prepared to offer the United States a half share in any future nuclear program to demonstrate it is not pursuing atomic weapons, a senior Iranian official was quoted on Wednesday as saying. -Reuters - 3/16/05 Bush Urges Hezbollah to Disarm and Support Peace President Bush says the United States views Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, but that the militant group can change that impression by its own actions. - 3/16/05 Iran's 'desert vampire' executed An Iranian serial killer who murdered at least 20 children has been executed in front a large crowd of spectators. -BBC - 3/16/05 Rice: US concerns on Iran-India gas pipeline 'well known' While addressing the domestic and international press in New Delhi this morning, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that concerns of Washington over the pipeline between Iran and India are "well known". - 3/16/05 Quakes jolt southeastern town Two earthquakes measuring 4.2 and 4.1 on the open-ended Richter scale hit the town of Zarand in the southeastern province of Kerman in the wee hours of Wednesday. - 3/16/05 US Considering Permanent Bases in Afghanistan, General Says Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard Myers told reporters in Kabul that the United States enjoys good relations in Afghanistan and Central Asia. He said he will soon make a recommendation to President Bush about building permanent U.S. bases in Afghanistan. - 3/16/05 OPEC says increased output to address spiraling demand OPEC decided to increase the production ceiling to 27.5 mb/d, effective immediately, in view of the expectation of another year of strong global oil demand. - 3/16/05 Oil Minister: Refinery in Indonesia to guarantee Iran's market supply Speaking after signing a memorandum of understanding with his Indonesian counterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro for establishing a refinery, Zanganeh said Iran and Indonesia have for long been in talks for establishment of the refinery with the capacity to refine 300,000 bpd of crude. - 3/16/05 U.N. Praises U.S. Move on Iran, Urges Tehran to Open A new U.S.-European strategy to persuade Iran to abandon sensitive nuclear programs is a big step, but diplomacy can work only if Tehran is more open, the U.N. nuclear chief said Wednesday. -Reuters - 3/16/05 Artaxerxes II Palace in Susa Opens its Doors to Visitors The ancient palace of Artaxerxes II of the Achaemenid dynasty, in Susa, will open its doors to visitors and tourists for the first time ever in the upcoming holidays of Iranian New Year, Norouz. - 3/16/05 Iran, EU gear for new rounds of talks in Tehran Negotiators from Iran and the European Union will hold their new rounds of negotiations focusing on political and trade cooperation, here Tuesday and Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. - 3/16/05 Iran clerics blasted by academic Iran's clerical leaders have come under attack from one of the country's most influential conservative academics. -BBC - 3/16/05 UN human rights commission urged to sanction Iran Reporters Without Borders said today it was "essential" that sanctions against Iran are adopted without delay by the UN Commission on Human Rights, which began its annual session yesterday in Geneva. - 3/16/05 Committee to Protect Journalists "Attacks on the Press in 2004" report: Iran In an effort to counter the growing influence of Internet journalists and news bloggers, whose popularity has grown as sources of dissident news and opinion, Iranian officials imposed new constraints on Internet use, blocked Web content, and arrested a number of online journalists. - 3/15/05 Iran, Kuwait stand candidates for OPEC Secretary General post Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said in Isfahan on Monday that Iran and Kuwait have turned candidates for the OPEC secretary general post. - 3/15/05 Iranian Oil Minister: Hosting OPEC oil minister's gathering proves Iran secure, stable Speaking to IRNA on the sideline of the OPEC conference, Zanganeh said, "Despite certain countries' political campaign, Iran is currently one of the most secure and stable countries in the region and the world." - 3/15/05 Iranian President stresses on significance of the name of Persian Gulf In a message sent to a university students gathering, President Mohammad Khatami stressed on the significant status of the the Persian Gulf in Iranian culture and history. - 3/15/05 Iran, Kuwait sign gas export deal Speaking to reporters after signing the deal with Kuwaiti Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad Fahad al-Ahmad al-Sabah here on Tuesday, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Iran would start exporting 10 million cubic meters of gas per day as of late 2007. - 3/15/05 Iranian-American Goli Ameri Appointed by President Bush as one of Three Public Delegates to the UN Human Rights Commission Goli Ameri has been appointed by President George W. Bush as one of three public delegates to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The 2005 meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights will take place March 14 through April 22 in Geneva, Switzerland. - 3/15/05 US offer helps but Iran talks still face crisis Despite a shift in policy which has brought Washington closer to the European negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme, the talks are still in trouble. -BBC - 3/15/05 Khatami inaugurates Karaj-Golshahr metro line Iranian President Mohammad Khatami inaugurated Karaj-Golshahr metro line in the populous neighboring city of Karaj, 35 km west of Tehran, on Tuesday. - 3/15/05 Iran Says Tehran Has Offered Europe a Deal Iran's president said Monday that Tehran has given a set of proposals to three key European states involved in talks on Iran's nuclear program, which he stressed must be expanded to provide his country with more energy. -AP - 3/15/05 Analysis: Accepting Hizballah As A Legitimate Political Entity Once the poster child for Mideast terrorism, Hizballah (Party of God) is rapidly emerging from the slums of Beirut and the economically depressed southern part of Lebanon to flex its muscles and possibly become a major player in the region and, inter alia, in the war on terrorism. -RFE - 3/15/05 Saudi Arabia Says Oil Producers Should Boost Output OPEC's most influential member says the oil cartel should raise production quotas at Wednesday's meeting in Iran. - 3/15/05 Iran stamp lauds nuclear success Iran's post office has issued a stamp celebrating the country's achievements in nuclear technology. -BBC - 3/15/05 Mount Kilimanjaro Photo Wake-Up Call for Action Against Global Warming A photo of Mount Kilimanjaro stripped of its snowcap for the first time in 11,000 years will be used as dramatic testimony for action against global warming as ministers from the world's biggest polluters meet on Tuesday. -Reuters - 3/15/05 Hoon unaware of US reconnaissance missions in Iran Britain's Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon denied Tuesday that he was aware of any US reconnaissance missions inside Iran. - 3/15/05 For OPEC, Iran talks signal rare unity Trading its usual meeting place near the brown waters of the Danube in Vienna for the muddy waters of the Zayandeh River here, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is meeting in Iran for the first time since the Islamic revolution toppled the monarchy in 1979 and brought in the rule of the clerics. -NYT - 3/15/05 Media Watchdog Group: Iraq World's Most Dangerous Place for Journalists The CPJ report singles out Iran for its repression of Internet reporters and bloggers. - 3/15/05 Iran salutes female 'Schumacher' Women car racers in Iran have been awarded prizes for the first time in the history of the Islamic republic. -BBC - 3/15/05 Hormuzgan Steel of Iran signs major deal on new plant with European banks After two years of lengthy negotiations a consortium of European and Iranian banks and companies signed a major 600 million dollar agreement in Brussels Monday to construct a steel plant in Bandar Abbas. - 3/15/05 Iran Says U.S. Must Do More to Improve Ties Washington, which accuses Tehran of pursuing nuclear arms, must change its policies toward Iran and recognize it as a regional power if relations are to improve, Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday. -Reuters - 3/15/05 Senators say White House is signaling shift in Iran policy Two prominent Democrats said Sunday that the Bush administration has changed policy toward Iran by agreeing to economic incentives if Tehran gives up a potential nuclear weapons program. -USA Today - 3/14/05 Iranians to clean up Persepolis for Norouz People and members of cultural heritage advocate societies of Fars province, will gather to clean up the ancient site of Persepolis as a tradition to welcome the new Iranian year, Norouz. - 3/14/05 U.S. officials cool on Iran's hot response Top U.S. officials responded with aplomb on Sunday to developments in the Middle East, saying that Tehran's heated reply to the effort to persuade Iran to halt nuclear work was simply part of negotiations, and that a new Syrian plan to withdraw from Lebanon had "positive elements." -IHT - 3/14/05 Quake experts urge Tehran move Scientists in Iran are urging the government to move the capital out of Tehran. The city, which lies on at least 100 known fault lines could be hit by a major earthquake, they say. -BBC - 3/14/05 Bahrain repeats UAE claims on Iranian islands in Persian Gulf Bahraini Foreign Minister Muhammad bin Mubarak al-Khalifa said said in Riyadh on Sunday that The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) backs the UAE in its claims over the three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf. - 3/14/05 Iran, UAE explore expansion of political trade, ties Iran is one of the most important partners of Abu Dhabi in terms of reexports. The value of reexports to Iran stood at dlrs 70 million in 2004 which puts Iran as the fourth largest of Abu Dhabi's reexports partners. - 3/14/05 Pakistan Denies It Will Hand Nuclear Parts to UN Pakistan said Monday it was cooperating with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but rejected reports that it would hand over used centrifuge components to help solve a key mystery surrounding Iran's atomic program. -Reuters - 3/14/05 White House Acknowledges Iran Intel 'Hard to Come By' The White House acknowledged on Sunday the difficulty of gathering good intelligence in Iran but said Tehran's behavior was "suspicious enough" to warrant stepping up pressure over its nuclear program. -Reuters - 3/14/05 Politicus: If Bush has been right, then who's been wrong? 'Middle East on the Move, Is Bush to Thank?", a newspaper's banner headline quite fairly asked Europeans last week. What a terrifying premise. -IHT - 3/14/05 Iran: Nuke Program Needed for Electricity Iran , accused by the United States of using a nuclear energy program as a front to produce weapons, has repeatedly said its program is for peaceful purposes only, and that it needs nuclear power to generate enough electricity to remain self-sufficient. -AP - 3/14/05 Vietnam Fury at Agent Orange Case Vietnamese plaintiffs have condemned a US court's decision to dismiss their legal action against manufacturers of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. -BBC - 3/14/05 France satisfied with US concesssions to Iran The United States has given Europe what it expected by making trade concessions to Iran to help resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier revealed. -AFP - 3/14/05 Historical Sassanid Era City Turned into Garbage Dump The Sassanid era city Eyvan-e Karkheh has been turned into a garbage dump, an official of the Shush Cultural Heritage and Tourism Office announced on Wednesday. - 3/14/05 Israel will attack Iran 'only as last resort' Israel will only take military action against Iran as "a very last resort" to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons, Ephraim Sneh, a member of the Israeli parliamentary defence and foreign affairs committee, said yesterday. -Guardian - 3/14/05 Iran, Afghanistan & Tajikistan Cooperate to Restore Achaemenid Relics Achaemenid dynasty is retrieving its magnificence in parts of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan through establishment of relics restoration special training workshop ratified by Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization and Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan. - 3/14/05 Rafsanjani says 'completely ready' for presidential candidacy Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani announced Monday that he was 'completely ready' for a comeback in June 17 election, putting months of procrastination almost behind him. - 3/14/05 Strong Quake in Saravan leaves no casualties, but inflicts damages An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the open-ended Richter scale which struck the city of Saravan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan near the Iran-Pakistan border, Sunday morning left no casualties but inflicted damages to property. - 3/14/05 US: No Change in Iran Nuclear Policy The Bush administration says there has been no fundamental shift in policy regarding Iran's nuclear program - only a renewed emphasis on the diplomatic track pursued by European nations. -VOA - 3/14/05 The Second Kaveh Golestan Annual Photojournalism Award The Second Kaveh Golestan Annual Photojournalism Award was launched last week at a press conference at the Artist’s Forum (Khaneh Honarmandan) at Iranshar Avenue in Tehran. - 3/14/05 OPEC may maintain oil level to cool prices “The decision may be to maintain current production levels with the aim of calming the market,” UAE Oil Minister Mohamed al-Hamli said in a statement issued ahead of a March 16 OPEC meeting in Isfahan, Iran. Reuters - 3/13/05 Iran rebuffs US over nuclear plans "To me this seems like a transparent strategy: you offer Iran modest incentives that ... the US knows Iran will refuse," says Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran analyst for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, speaking from Washington. "Then you can take [Iran] to the Security Council with a clear conscience, knowing that you did offer incentives, but Iran wasn't willing to accept. CSM - 3/13/05 Iran demands more US concessions Iran has urged the US to offer it further incentives to resolve the dispute over its nuclear programme. BBC - 3/13/05 US Offers Incentives to Boost European Nuclear Diplomacy with Iran The Bush administration, in a policy shift, says it will offer economic incentives to Iran to back the European effort to get Tehran to abandon any effort to build nuclear weapons. The Europeans say they will support referral of the matter to the U.N. Security Council if their diplomacy fails. -VOA - 3/12/05 Britain, France, Germany Give Conditions for Support of UN Action Against Iran Britain, France and Germany say they will support referring Iran to the Security Council if there is no agreement on its nuclear program. However, they still hold out hope for a diplomatic solution after several months of talks. -VOA - 3/12/05 Iran needs to attract more European tourists: WTO chief Frangialli Referring to his talks with Iranian Vice-President and head of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Hossein Marashi on the sidelines of this year's ITB tourism fair, Frangialli stressed the urgent need to promote a "positive image of Iran" to the world in a bid to lure more foreign tourists. - 3/12/05 Iran signs 3 billion euro cooperation protocol with Italy Iran and Italy signed an economic cooperation protocol worth three billion euros here Thursday night, based on which the Italian government is urged to provide Tehran with industrial machinery upon request, in return for Iranian oil. - 3/12/05 European Parliament calls on US to support EU diplomatic initiative with Iran The European Parliament Thursday night adopted a resolution on Iran's nuclear programme calling on US to support the EU's diplomatic initiative with Iran. - 3/12/05 Iran Nuclear 'Nightmare' Very Close, Israel Israel said on Friday that Iran was very close to being able to make a nuclear bomb and urged the United States and Europe to pressure Tehran to abandon a suspected nuclear arms program. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told Reuters an Iranian nuclear bomb would be a "nightmare" for Israel and other countries. -Reuters - 3/12/05 Iran rejects US nuclear incentive Iran has rejected a new US policy offering economic incentives to the Islamic state to give up its nuclear enrichment programme. "No pressure, bribe or threat can make Iran give up its legitimate right" to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, said an Iranian spokesman. -BBC - 3/12/05 'Stronger' US action if Iran does not end nuclear weapons ambitions: Cheney The United States will pursue "stronger action" if Iran does not abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, Vice President Dick Cheney said in an interview Friday. -AFP - 3/12/05 Pakistan says no US pressure over regional gas pipeline with Iran Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has denied the United States has been putting pressure on Islamabad over a planned trilateral gas pipeline involving Pakistan, Iran and India. -AFP - 3/12/05 US joins Europe in dispute over Iran Americans say they will support Iran's aim of joining the World Trade Organisation. The Americans will also no longer block Europe's offer to unlock a frozen EU-Iran trade and economic agreement and the sale of Airbus aircraft to Iran. - 3/12/05 Gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia dominates Georgian PM's talks "We want the gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia that is under construction to be used in the future for gas imports to Georgia," Nogaideli said on Saturday, summing up the results of his visit to Yerevan. - 3/12/05 Rushdie Affair Continues To Cloud Iran's Claims Of Rejecting Violence As the United States accuses Iran of state support for terrorism, and Tehran adamantly denies the charge, it can be difficult to judge the merits of each side's arguments. Many of the actions fueling the debate have taken place in an atmosphere of extreme secrecy and with few publicly known details. -RFE - 3/12/05 U.S. Accuses Iran Of Extending Its Support For Mideast Terrorist Groups Iran does not hide its close relations with Hizballah, which include meetings in Damascus or Tehran with leaders of the group. But it calls the Shi'ite Hizballah -- which forced Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 -- a liberation movement, not a terrorist group. -RFE - 3/12/05 Fourth round of Iran-EU talks concludes in Geneva without tangible progress Representatives of the Iran and the EU troika (Germany, France, Britain) concluded their fourth round of breath-taking talks earlier Friday evening in Geneva, Switzerland, having achieved no further progress compared to the 3rd round. - 3/12/05 Iran: Reformers Insist Hard-Liners' History Of Political Assassinations Continues Inside Iran, thousands have perished in apparent assassinations that followed the Islamic Revolution -- including dissidents and intellectuals. But the killings have been obscured by the monolithic structure of the new cleric-led government, the lack of an independent press, and a ban on nongovernmental political bodies. -RFE - 3/12/05 Iran: Difficult Relations With U.S. Marked By Mutual Distrust In Washington's eyes, 4 November 1979 marked the beginning of the Islamic Republic's state sponsorship of terrorism. That's when a crowd of militants unopposed by police stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. -RFE - 3/12/05 A Poet Who Pointed the Way to a New Iran It was a cold, rainy afternoon in December and three of my friends and I had stood in line for hours outside the Taatr-e Shahr Theater in Tehran. We desperately wanted tickets for an acclaimed play based on the life of the contemporary poet Forugh Farrokhzad, who was killed in a car accident at the height of her creativity in 1967. Was I dreaming? Was this real? After the 1979 revolution, Farrokhzad's poetry was banned for more than a decade. -Washington Post - 3/12/05 NIAC Submits Petition to the SBA for Group Inclusion of Iranian Americans to the 8(a) Program The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has submitted its petition for group inclusion to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) program for disadvantaged minority groups. - 3/11/05 India to go ahead with Iran gas import despite US concerns India on Thursday indicated it will not stop its economic dealings with Iran because of 'US concerns' and said it hoped issues between those countries would be resolved before New Delhi concludes gas import agreements with Tehran. - 3/11/05 Iran, Venezuela To Ink Agreements Worth Over Billion Dollars Visiting Iranian Minister of Industries and Mines Es'haq Jahangiri said in Caracas on Friday that several agreements worth a total of above one billion dollars are expected to be signed during President Mohammad Khatami's visit to Venezuela. - 3/11/05 Iraqi Shiite Women Push Islamic Law On Gender Roles Over the past two years, Fatima Yaqoub has gone from sewing dresses at home to shaping municipal policies as a councilwoman in Kathamiya, a bustling district in Iraq's capital. -Farnaz Fassihi, WSJ - 3/11/05 Death Squad Democracy? March 5th was the 38th anniversary of Time magazine's 1951 Man of the Year, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh. He was a symbol of the rule of law and democracy who died under house arrest by design of the "good" Americans. -Farhat Quammaquami, Iranian - 3/11/05 Iran plane protesters leave craft Police have arrested 56 Iranians who refused to leave a Lufthansa plane at Brussels airport, ending a 13-hour sit-in. -BBC - 3/11/05 Bush Administration Defends Decision to Withdraw from International Legal Protocol The State Department is confirming the United States is pulling out of the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. -VOA - 3/11/05 Which War Is This Anyway? Are We in World War IV? Throughout much of the Cold War, people feared above all else a global hot war, the third great one in a century of devastating world wars; and we crept up to it more than once -- most desperately, there can be no doubt, at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. -TomDispatch - 3/11/05 Dean voices pleas for change in Iran Every Wednesday afternoon, business school dean Siamack Shojai shuts the door of his office at Georgian Court University and starts his second job -- radio talk show host. -Star Ledger, NJ - 3/11/05 Lebanon's Hizballah Appears Too Strong To Be Ignored In Equation Hizballah, Lebanon's radical Shi'ite organization, showed its strength this week by staging a massive rally in Beirut in support of the Syrian presence in Lebanon. In light of such developments, the United States is reported to be reluctantly moving to accept Hizballah as a major political force. -RFE - 3/11/05 MiG tipping, not tension, at US base near Iran Iran and the United States may be in the midst of a war of words over Tehran's nuclear plans, but there is little evidence of the tension at a former Soviet base in Afghanistan, now home to U.S. troops. -Reuters - 3/11/05 US Presses Hezbollah to End Terrorist Activity The United States said Thursday it has not changed its view of Lebanon's Hezbollah organization as a terrorist group despite its show of political support this week in Beirut. A State Department official said that for Hezbollah to be accepted as credible on the international scene, it will have to get out of the terrorism business. -VOA - 3/11/05 Persian Masters cross borders Kayhan Kalhor isn't much for politics, and the last topic he wants to discuss is President Bush's notorious Axis of Evil. But the Iranian kamancheh and setar player, who appears with his fellow Masters of Persian Music tomorrow at Berklee Performance Center in Boston, is resigned to the fact that the political and the musical often converge these days. -Boston Herald - 3/11/05 Book: The Islamic Drama Without a doubt, a scholarly study of this importance to an understanding of Islamic drama is long overdue, and Professor Malekpour effectively positions Ta’ziyeh within a lively discourse of religiously rooted theatre and ritual. He is obviously determined to get theatrical respect for the form, and I believe he achieves his goal brilliantly. - 3/11/05 Confident Iran Iran’s leadership feels that events in Iraq and the region are going their way, finds our global security correspondent on a visit to Tehran. -Open Democracy - 3/11/05 Iranian Noble laureate calls on western countries not to humiliate immigrants The Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi denied that democracy was incompatible with Islam, when she addressed Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday evening. - 3/11/05 EU3 Say Iran Faces U.N. if Resumes Nuke Enrichment Britain, France and Germany told their European Union partners on Friday they would support referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council if it resumes uranium enrichment or breaches nuclear commitments. -Reuters - 3/11/05 Khatami says Iran, Venezuela no threat to any third country Visiting Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said in Caracas on Thursday evening that Iran and Venezuela are pursuing no covert plan to form a strategic alliance against any third country nor do they intend to undermine the interests of others. - 3/11/05 U.S. in Shift to Back EU on Iran Incentives The Bush administration, in a major shift, on Friday will adopt a European proposal to offer Iran economic incentives to abandon its nuclear ambitions, U.S. and European officials said on Thursday. -Reuters - 3/11/05 Iran vs. US: Our bond is greater than our enmity We Iranians are a proud bunch and a very stubborn one for that matter. I guess it is part of our culture and upbringing. So how would a country with people who have so much pride tolerate a strike or invasion or similar action by the major superpower? -Fariba Amini - 3/11/05 IRNA conducts poll on Iran presidential elections results of the first opinion poll conducted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) indicate that over 50 percent of eligible voters will "definitely" turn out at Iran's upcoming presidential elections. The main motivation of 33.4 percent of people for voting, as the poll has indicated, is "the development of the country and the progress of democracy". - 3/11/05 Iran lifts ban on reformist paper Iran's supreme court has overturned a 1999 ban on a reformist newspaper. The Neshat newspaper was banned after criticising Iran's penal system, which has its roots in Islamic Sharia law. -BBC - 3/10/05 Iran's nuclear pointman says talks with Europeans 'successful' Iran's pointman on nuclear issues, Hassan Rowhani, gave his weight Thursday to ongoing nuclear negotiations between the country and the Europeans, describing the talks as 'successful'. - 3/10/05 U.S. softens harsh tone on Hezbollah After years of campaigning against Hezbollah, the radical Shiite Muslim party in Lebanon, as a terrorist pariah, the Bush administration is grudgingly going along with efforts by France and the United Nations to steer the party into the Lebanese political mainstream, administration officials say. -New York Times - 3/10/05 Iran 'given Pakistan centrifuges' Pakistan has confirmed that the former head of its nuclear weapons programme, AQ Khan, gave centrifuges for enriching uranium to Iran. -BBC - 3/10/05 Rice: US Not Seeking Confrontation With Venezuela's Chavez Secretary Rice responded sharply to a comment by Mr. Serrano that it is widely held in Latin America that, in his words, U.S. fingerprints were all over the 2002 military coup that briefly unseated Mr. Chavez. -VOA - 3/10/05 U.N. Rights Body Must Fight to Restore Credibility With a membership that includes governments responsible for crimes against humanity, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights meeting in Geneva next week must take dramatic steps to restore its sinking credibility, Human Rights Watch said today. - 3/10/05 London peace camp to protest against US targeting of Iran Military Families against the War (MFAW) is setting up a peace camp in London Trafalgar Square next week to protest against the US extending its threats to other countries and against new UK anti-terror legislation. - 3/10/05 China's global hunt for oil China's craving for oil to drive its industrial boom and, to a lesser extent, satisfy its love affair with the motorcar, has helped to push up global crude oil prices. -BBC - 3/10/05 Iran puts British gunboats on public display Iranian state radio reported on Thursday that three gun-boats seized from British forces in June were to be put on public display. -Financial Times - 3/10/05 The enemy within How an Americanist devoted to destroying international alliances became the US envoy to the UN -Guardian - 3/10/05 Iran reacts angrily to new Bush broadside "It is about time the US president opened his eyes to the realities and stop exploiting the term democracy, labelling freedom seeking nations as terrorists and following racist beliefs of the Zionists," Asefi said Wednesday. -AFP - 3/10/05 Iran and EU to wrap up nuclear talks Thursday night Negotiators from Iran and the European Union huddled behind closed doors in Vienna on Thursday for a new round of haggling over Tehran's nuclear program, but remained tight-lip over the results. - 3/10/05 Israel, U.S. war game eyes Iranian missiles Israel and visiting U.S. troops began a biennial air-defence exercise on Thursday that Israeli security sources said aimed to boost the Jewish state's preparedness for any future Iranian missile strike. -Reuters - 3/10/05 McNamara Derides 'Illegal' Nukes Policies Former defense secretary Robert McNamara said Wednesday the United States and global nuclear powers haven't adhered to nonproliferation treaties and have done little to reduce nuclear arsenals following the end of the Cold War. -AP - 3/10/05 Report: U.S. cautions India on Iran pipeline project The United States has cautioned India over an ambitious gas pipeline project with Iran while noting Washington's concerns about Iran's nuclear program, a newspaper said Thursday. -AP - 3/10/05 Iran's Parliament allocates budget to discovery and annulment of US plots, intrigues Iranian Parliament (Majlis), in its Wednesday evening open session approved of a special budget aimed at discovery and annulment of US plots, intrigues, and interferences in Islamic Republic of Iran's internal affairs. - 3/10/05 Iran To Admit Archaeology Team Iran will open its borders this May to a team of Harvard archaeologists who plan to dig deep into the region’s past—marking the first time Iran has extended an invitation to American scholars in more than 25 years. -Harvard Crimson - 3/10/05 Intelligence on Iran inadequate, report to Bush says A commission due to report to President George W. Bush this month will describe American intelligence on Iran as inadequate and not complete enough to allow firm judgments about that country's illicit weapons programs, according to people who have been briefed on the panel's work. -IHT - 3/10/05 PEN Launches Campaign In Support Of Women 'Cyber-Dissidents' The London-based writers' group International PEN has launched a campaign in support of three women from Iran, China, and Tunisia who are under attack for using new information technology to challenge their governments. PEN's campaign was launched on the occasion of International Women's Day. -RFE - 3/10/05 Iran must be offered comprehensive package, say former US aides Two former aides to the administration of George W Bush's father called Wednesday for the US, EU and Russia to make an offer Iran cannot refuse in the interests of all nations of the world. - 3/9/05 Bahrain protests to Iran over raising of Khamenei pictures during Ashura Bahrain has protested to Tehran after pictures of Iran 's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were raised by Bahrainis celebrating the Shiite Muslim religious festival of Ashura, an official said. -AFP - 3/9/05 Brent crude price hits new record The increase came amid rising demand for heating oil as cold weather hit the US northeast, while a weaker dollar encouraged speculative fund buying. -BBC - 3/9/05 Bush pushes Iran on nuclear program, democracy "We look forward to today when Iran joins in the hopeful changes taking place across the region. We look forward to the day when the Iranian people are free," Bush said in a speech at the US National Defense University. -AFP - 3/9/05 AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: UNHCR Voluntary repatriation programme resumes In three years, UNHCR has assisted some 2.3 million Afghans to repatriate from Pakistan and about 779,000 from Iran, the largest voluntary repatriation programme in the 53-year history of the UN refugee agency. - 3/9/05 Bush Wants Syria Out of Lebanon President Bush says freedom will prevail in Lebanon as he repeated calls for Syria to withdraw its troops from the country. The appeal came as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Lebanon gathered to show their support for Syria. -VOA - 3/9/05 Earthquake jolts town of Zarrin-Dasht in southern Iran An earthquake measuring 4.2 on the open-ended Richter scale jolted the town of Zarrin-Dasht in Fars province, southern Iran, Tuesday evening. - 3/9/05 Global March for Equal Rights Begins on Women's Day Women's groups were to embark on a global march for equal rights, International Women's Day, amid fresh reports which paint a fairly grim picture of their plight in many parts of the world. -AFP - 3/9/05 Iran reform politician goes online Iranian authorities have recently clamped down on the rapidly growing popularity of weblogs, restricting access to major blogging sites from within the country. -BBC - 3/9/05 Berlin Technical University plans to open campus in Iran Berlin's prestigious Technical University (TU) plans to open a campus in Iran, the daily Der Tagesspiegel quoted TU President Kurt Kutzler as saying Wednesday - 3/9/05 Inflation rate in Iran pegged at 13.1% annually Inflation rate in Iran rose to 13.1 percent in the ten months to the Iranian month of Dey (December 21, 2004-January 19, 2005). - 3/9/05 Girl with Silver Earrings Found in the Burnt City Archaeologists working on the historical site of the Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchistan have unearthed for the first time ever the body of a woman with silver earrings remained at sides of her head. -CHN - 3/9/05 132 former MKO members return to Iran Representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry, Iran's Foreign Ministry, and Iran's embassy in Iraq accompanied the former MKO members to the country. - 3/9/05 Human Settlement in Iran’s Central Plateau Dates back to 10,000 Years Ago Farmers activities in Togh Tepe of Mazandaran province, resulted in the accidental discovery of the oldest pottery ever found in the area. Studies carried out on the artifacts have shown that humans have lived in the central plateau of Iran since 9 or 10 thousand years ago. -CHN - 3/9/05 International Women Day marked in Iran Marking International Women Day, a number of woman journalists and activists delivered speeches on the occasion here on Wednesday. - 3/9/05 U.S. Panel Faults Intelligence on Iran Weapons --NYT A presidential commission investigating prewar intelligence about Iraq's weapons has concluded that U.S. data on Iran's arms is "inadequate," The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing people who have been briefed on the panel's work. -Reuters - 3/9/05 IAAB Opens Registration for Second Annual International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) announced last week the schedule and opening of registration for its 2005 Conference on the Iranian Diaspora, to be held April 23-24, 2005 at the University of Maryland, College Park. - 3/9/05 U.S. Scholar, Barred by Iran, Suspends Amity Bid An American scholar who was instrumental in getting the head of the Library of Congress invited to Iran for an official conference in November has suspended his own five-year effort to build bridges between the two countries after he and a colleague were turned away at the Tehran airport in separate incidents last month. -New York Times - 3/9/05 Rowhani: US should not terrify world, Iran not after nuclear arms Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hassan Rowhani stressed that Iran is not after developing nuclear arms and mass killing weapons and recommended the US not to terrify the world with hollow allegations. - 3/8/05 Shocking report reveals growing intolerance in Europe against Muslims The International Hel