tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332836342011-04-21T16:26:29.120-07:00This site contains a compilation of news on Iran.Ivan Kooimannoreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33283634.post-1159824851340479492006-10-02T14:34:00.000-07:002006-10-02T14:34:56.670-07:00<div id="mb_0"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iran in the News, September 30, October 1 & 2<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> [</span></span></span></span>contents<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">]</span></span><br /><br /></span> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Nuclear Issue</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span> <ul><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:85%;" >Condoleezza Rice</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">:</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />" <span style="font-style: italic;">I think it's fair to say that we have not yet heard anything that suggests that the Iranians are going to suspend,</span>"</span><br /></li></ul><ul><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:85%;" > </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:85%;" >Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span><span style="font-size:85%;">:<br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Allegations or charges by the United States that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons" are a big lie" </span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="US May Accept Iranian Nuclear Bomb" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=01&amp;a=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">US May Accept Iranian Nuclear Bomb</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093000156.html" title="Senate votes to extend Iran sanctions" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Senate votes to extend Iran sanctions</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Ahmadinejad rejects short-term enrichment suspension" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8803" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Ahmadinejad rejects short-term enrichment suspension </a> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="U.S. Will Push Banks To Cut All Ties to Iran" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=7" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">U.S. Will Push Banks To Cut All Ties to Iran </a></span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">International</span><br /> <ul style="font-family:Arial;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="President: Iran is keen on developing relations with independent European states" href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0610011802172856.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran is keen on developing relations with independent European states </a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Kiev denies sale of sophisticated radar to Iran" href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=46073&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Kiev denies sale of sophisticated radar to Iran </a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Iran, Indonesia to fight organized crimes" href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=46072&amp;NewsKind=Current%20Affairs" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran, Indonesia to fight organized crimes </a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0610015788164311.htm" title="Greek envoy lauds Iran's nuclear stance" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Greek envoy lauds Iran's nuclear stance</a></span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Regional<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Ahmadinejad calls for restoring dignity of Islamic countries" href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0610016057165859.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Ahmadinejad calls for restoring dignity of Islamic countries </a></span> </li></ul> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Domestic</span> <ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Iran claims to have arrested separatists on frontiers" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8813" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran claims to have arrested separatists on frontiers</a></span> </li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Waiting for Ahmadinejad to Deliver" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=8" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Waiting for Ahmadinejad to Deliver</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"> <a title="Letter shows Khomeini considered nukes" href="http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060930-013905-9911r" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Letter shows Khomeini considered nukes</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Iran says backs OPEC push for &quot;acceptable&quot; oil price" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-10-01T072252Z_01_HAF124641_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-OPEC-IRAN.xml&amp;WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-businessNews-2" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Iran says backs OPEC push for "acceptable" oil price</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Iran to purchase 5 Russian Tupolev airliners" href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=46102&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Iran to purchase 5 Russian Tupolev airliners</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Japan may block loans for Iran oil project - Kyodo" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&amp;storyID=2006-09-30T001201Z_01_SP6242_RTRIDST_0_ENERGY-INPEX-IRAN.XML" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Japan may block loans for Iran oil project - Kyodo</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Iran's intelligence agents arrest daughter of murdered priest" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8801" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Iran's intelligence agents arrest daughter of murdered priest</a></span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Opinion / Analysis</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="How Experts View a Strike Against Iran" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=01&amp;a=3" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">How Experts View a Strike Against Iran</a></span></li></ul> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /></span></span></span><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Rice: Iran Gives No Sign of Suspension Yet" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=4" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Rice: Iran Gives No Sign of Suspension Yet</a> </span> </span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font>Reuters </span></span></span><font><font> <font><span style="font-style: italic;"> October 02, 2006 </span><br /></span></span></span></p><font><font><font> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Condoleezza Rice, </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">U.S. Secretary of State </span><br /></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><li><font>"I think it's fair to say that we have not yet heard anything that suggests that the Iranians are going to suspend," </span></li><font><li><font>"I believe that Javier Solana will probably check his sources one more time to see if there is anything more there," </span></li><font><li><font>"We did have a discussion of the importance of remaining firm on (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1696, which means that if the Iranians don't suspend, then we will go to the Security Council for sanctions." </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font> <font><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran Escalates Its Nuclear Rhetoric" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=5" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran Escalates Its Nuclear Rhetoric </a></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>The Associated Press</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-style: italic;"> October 02, 2006 </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"> Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">, Iranian President</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>"Allegations or charges by the United States that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons" are a big lie</span></li><font><li>"Not a single person has a right to give up the rights of the Iranian nation," [ <a title="Source" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8807" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Source</a>]</li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><a title="China's FM, Larijani discuss Iran's nuclear issue on phone" href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0610012729182856.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">China's FM, Larijani discuss Iran's nuclear issue on phone</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">IRNA, Monday October 02, 2006</span><br />Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary and top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, in a phone conversation on Sunday discussed Iran's nuclear issue.<br /><br /> During the conversation, Larijani briefed Zhaoxing on his talks with the European Union negotiators.<br /><br /><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="US May Accept Iranian Nuclear Bomb" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=01&amp;a=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> US May Accept Iranian Nuclear Bomb</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Times, </span><font><span style="font-style: italic;"> October 01, 2006 </span><br /><font>America is going to have to learn to live with a nuclear Iran, US intelligence analysts have concluded at a secret meeting near Washington. Senior operatives and outside experts from the intelligence community were almost unanimous in their view that little could be done to stop Iran acquiring the components for a nuclear bomb, The Sunday Times has learnt.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>"The conclusion is that America is going to have to live with the bomb unless there's some miracle, such as a major accident, a major defector or an orange revolution," the source added, referring to the people's protests that brought reformers to power in Ukraine. None of these scenarios is considered likely.<br /> </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>"The Israelis are going to have to make a decision earlier than we do," Clawson said. "That's a real problem for us."</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><a title="Rice: Iran Gives No Sign of Suspension Yet" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=4" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><br /></a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h1><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><a title="Senate votes to extend Iran sanctions" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093000156.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><span style="font-size:100%;">Senate votes to extend Iran sanctions</span><br /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;font-size:85%;" ><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Reuters,Saturday, September 30, 2006</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> The U.S. Congress agreed on Saturday to extend sanctions on Iran set to expire this weekend that are aimed at choking off funds that could aid Iran in developing nuclear weapons.<br /><br />It also authorizes assistance for human rights and pro-democracy groups and for independent broadcasting organizations that meet its criteria.<br /><br />The bill initially was resisted by the White House until lawmakers agreed to give President George W. Bush more room to waive the sanctions.<br />[>><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&amp;fp=45213b16dcfc8d07&ei=KkEhRdSoFsn2aK3FrLAH&amp;url=http%3A//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093001253.html&cid=1109890127" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> <b>President</b> <b>Signs</b> <b>Iran</b> <b>Sanctions</b> <b>Bill</b></a>]<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Ahmadinejad rejects short-term enrichment suspension" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8803" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Ahmadinejad rejects short-term enrichment suspension</a> </span><br /><font><span style="font-style: italic;">AFP, </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">September 30, 2006</span><font><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /></span>President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday vowed Iran would not suspend its enrichment of uranium even for a short period, in the face of Western pressure over its nuclear programme.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">, Iranian President</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li>"They (the West) want us to suspend for a short period and then they will use this for propaganda and say Iran has suspended and it has caved in,"</li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <font><br /><font></span><font><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > INTERNATIONAL<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="U.S. Will Push Banks To Cut All Ties to Iran" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=7" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> U.S. Will Push Banks To Cut All Ties to Iran</a></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>New York Sun,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-style: italic;"> October 02, 2006 </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Bolstered by a new sanctions bill against Iran, Secretary of State Rice will press Arab foreign ministers tomorrow in Cairo to instruct banks in the region to cut ties to any entities contributing to Iran's nuclear program, support for terror, or pursuit of advanced conventional weapons.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><a title="President: Iran is keen on developing relations with independent European states" href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0610011802172856.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">President: Iran is keen on developing relations with independent European states </a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">IRNA, Monday, October 2, 2006</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> In a meeting with Austrian Ambassador to Iran Mishael Pustel, President Ahmadinejad said that European states proximity to the Middle East nations provided an exceptional privilege for further developing international relations.<br /> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">, Iranian President</span><br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li> "The Islamic Republic of Iran is interested in bolstering cooperation with the independent European states,"</li><li>"Iranian nation believes that it is its right to produce nuclear energy in line with NPT and regards Austria's view about Iranian nuclear program as positive,"</li><li> "Iran calls on the international community to help restore law and order in both Iraq and Afghanistan by ending occupation."</li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h2><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><a title="Greek envoy lauds Iran's nuclear stance" href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0610015788164311.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Greek envoy lauds Iran's nuclear stance<br /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>IRNA, Monday October 02, 2006</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;">Greek Ambassador to Tehran Mercurius K</span>arafotias in a meeting with head of Iran-Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group Iraj Nadimi here Sunday appreciated Iran's nuclear stance and said that views of both states on regional and global issues, particularly the right of the Iranians to peaceful use of nuclear energy, are quite similar.<br /><br />The Greek diplomat expressed satisfaction with favorable mutual relations in the recent years and urged that inter-parliamentary exchanges should increase.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Kiev denies sale of sophisticated radar to Iran" href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=46073&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Kiev denies sale of sophisticated radar to Iran </a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranMania, September 30, 2006 </span><br />According to an IRNA report, Kiev ruled out certain media reports that it wants to sell Kolchuga early warning radar systems to Iran.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>A member of Ukraine's Presidential Office and military advisor of President Viktor Yushchenko on Friday called the report "baseless." He stressed that Ukraine has not delivered any sophisticated radar system to Iran.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran, Indonesia to fight organized crimes" href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=46072&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran, Indonesia to fight organized crimes </a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranMania, September 30, 2006<br /></span> Iran and Indonesia are to launch joint campaign against organized crimes and drugs smuggling, IRNA reported. Iran's ambassador to Jakarta Behruz Kamalvandi and Indonesian chief prosecutor Abdulrahman Saleh on Friday also stressed judiciary cooperation in other domains.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > REGIONAL<br /></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><a title="Ahmadinejad calls for restoring dignity of Islamic countries" href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0610016057165859.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Ahmadinejad calls for restoring dignity of Islamic countries </a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">IRNA, October 1, 2006</span><br />President Ahmadinejad said that the progress of each Islamic country is regarded as the development of Muslims worldwide. Given the capabilities and talents of Islamic nations, he said the current status of Islamic nations is beneath their dignity which should be restored through unity and solidarity. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>, Iranian President</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li> "The enemies of Islamic Ummah, who are afraid of their unity and solidarity, sow seeds of discord among them to harm existing ties among them,"</li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Gooood Morning Tehran! This is Jerusalem" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Gooood Morning Tehran! This is Jerusalem</a></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>AFP</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-style: italic;">, October 02, 2006 </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <font>While arch-foes Israel and Iran step up the tough political rhetoric against one another, short-waves and a wood-panelled radio studio in Jerusalem offer the people of the two countries a rare communication bridge.<br /><font>Amir, 66, left his home town of Tehran 47 years ago to come to Israel and has since worked as a broadcaster at the Voice of Israel service in Farsi, which is beamed via short-wave into Iran.<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>"I miss Iran and am ready to pay any amount of money to go back, as long as they assure me that I can leave safely afterwards," Amir says.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />DOMESTIC<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran claims to have arrested separatists on frontiers" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8813" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran claims to have arrested separatists on frontiers </a></span><br /><font><span style="font-style: italic;">Iranfocus, Monday, October 2, 2006</span><br /></span>Iranian security forces have recently arrested a network of "separatists" in the Iranian capital Tehran and the oil-rich south-western city of Abadan, state television reported.<br /><br />A string of top Iranian officials including hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have accused Britain of being behind a spate of bombings in Khuzestan since 2005.<br />London has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Waiting for Ahmadinejad to Deliver" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=02&amp;a=8" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Waiting for Ahmadinejad to Deliver</a></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Inter Press Service,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-style: italic;"> October 02, 2006 </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>While President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is busy running a high voltage campaign against the United States and its policies, back home citizens are wondering if he will ever make good on an election promise to crack down on the corrupt and distribute Iran's vast oil revenues more equitably.<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>'My whole family voted for Ahmadinejad because he promised to improve our lives. He said he was going to fight corruption and create jobs. He said oil money belonged to the people. I haven't seen any of the oil money in my house yet, but I have to deal with the ever increasing prices anyway,"</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><a title="Letter shows Khomeini considered nukes" href="http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060930-013905-9911r" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Letter shows Khomeini considered nukes</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">United Press International, September 30, 2006</span><br /><font></span>A newly disclosed letter from Ayatollah Khomeini written in 1988 says that Iran would need nuclear weapons to win the war with Iraq, a report says.<br />In the letter, Khomeini, who died in 1989, quotes the country's leading military commander of the day on the weaponry Iran would need to continue fighting. The letter also reveals that Iran's economy had been almost destroyed by the eight-year war and that the supply of military volunteers was drying up.<br /><br />Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has denied that Iran plans to develop nuclear weapons. He has said that such weapons would violate Islamic principles.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />ECONOMIC<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran says backs OPEC push for &quot;acceptable&quot; oil price" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-10-01T072252Z_01_HAF124641_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-OPEC-IRAN.xml&amp;WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-businessNews-2" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Iran says backs OPEC push for "acceptable" oil price</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Reuters, Sunday, October 1, 2006</span><br /> Iran will support any OPEC move to bring crude oil prices back to acceptable levels following a recent slide, Iran's OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said on Sunday.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran to purchase 5 Russian Tupolev airliners" href="http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=46102&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran to purchase 5 Russian Tupolev airliners </a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 128);font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" >Iran Mania, Sunday, October 01, 2006</span><br />The Iranian airline company, Iran Air Tour is planning to purchase five Tu-204 passenger airplanes from Russia, the Persian service of IRNA said.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Japan may block loans for Iran oil project - Kyodo" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-09-30T001201Z_01_SP6242_RTRIDST_0_ENERGY-INPEX-IRAN.XML" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> Japan may block loans for Iran oil project - Kyodo</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Reuters, September 30, 2006</span><br />Japan's government will refrain from extending loans or guaranteeing debts for development of Iran's giant Azadegan oil field by Japan's biggest oil developer if the United Nations Security Council imposes economic sanctions on Tehran, Kyodo news service reported on Saturday.<br /><br />Tokyo is believed to have already conveyed the stance to the United States, which has opposed the oil development project by Japan's INPEX Holdings Inc. <1605.t>, Kyodo said, citing sources close to the matter.<br /><br />It would be hard for INPEX to finance the deal without financial aid from the government,<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran's intelligence agents arrest daughter of murdered priest" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8801" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Iran's intelligence agents arrest daughter of murdered priest </a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Iran Focus,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Saturday, September 30, 2006</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><br />Agents of Iran's dreaded Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) have arrested the daughter [and her husband] of a Christian priest whose high-profile murder 12 years ago was met with international condemnation, a Christian news agency reported on Friday.<br /><br />The couple lead an independent house church in Mashad, where the government executed a convert Christian pastor in 1990, it said.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>Tehran initially blamed the 1994 murders on the opposition Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK) and brought several former members of the group on television to testify that they were responsible for the killings. But in the aftermath of the 1997 "serial murders" of dissidents and intellectuals in Iran, which for the first time lifted the lid on numerous killings by the Intelligence Ministry, journalist Akbar Ganji shed light on the murders, revealing that it had been an "inside-job" sanctioned on the orders of Deputy Intelligence Minister Saeed Emami and carried out by a team under the command of Mahmoud Saeedi.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />ANALYS / OPINION</span><br /></span></span><font><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="How Experts View a Strike Against Iran" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=10&d=01&amp;a=3" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> How Experts View a Strike Against Iran</a></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>SF Chronicle,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-style: italic;"> October 01, 2006<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Abbas Milani: [</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>director of the Iranian Studies Program at Stanford University]</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>[any]attack will strengthen the radical elements within the regime. All remnants of democracy will be eradicated. </span></li><font><li><font>If we assume the Iranian regime's goal is a bomb, an attack will not solve the problem.</span></li><font><li><font> The regime needs the bomb for its own security, particularly with a disgruntled population. If Iran is attacked, the population is likely to rally around the regime, and thus the mullahs will achieve the security they hope to gain with the bomb.</span></li><font><li><font>Democracy is the only solution to Iran's nuclear problem, and an invasion is lethal to the cause of Iranian democracy. </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Richard Andres [</span><font> professor at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies] </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>In the short term, air strikes would be more effective than media pundits generally believe. </span></li><font><li><font> Iran would almost certainly retaliate in Iraq and elsewhere. </span></li><font><li><font>costs to America's economy and reputation would be significant. </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <font><br /><font><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bennett Ramberg [</span><font>served in the State Department in the George H.W. Bush administration and is the author of "Nuclear Power Plants as Weapons for the Enemy."]<font><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>Should the United States decide to "eliminate" Iran's nuclear program, it must occupy the country or otherwise induce regime change. Anything less will simply slow nuclear development, not halt it. </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <font><br /><font><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Peter Brookes [</span><font>Heritage Foundation senior fellow ]<font><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>Keeping the military option in play for dealing with Iran's nuclear (weapons) program makes good policy sense. Diplomacy is always more effective when backed up by the credible threat of force.</span></li><font><li><font>Unfortunately, striking Iran's nuclear program isn't easy [...] <font>Nor is it risk-free. A strike could have serious consequences, including increased energy market volatility, more Iranian meddling in Iraq/Afghanistan and even Tehran-sponsored terrorism against U.S. interests. </span></span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><font><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Michael Eisenstadt [</span><font>senior fellow and director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy]<font><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>Preventive military action, in the form of air and missile strikes against Iran's nuclear program, would involve major risks and uncertain prospects for success. For this reason, the United States should exhaust its diplomatic options first.</span></li><font><li><font>For this reason, attacks on Iran's security services and its conventional military forces should be part of a preventive strike. </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><font><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stephen Zunes [</span><font>professor of politics at the University of San Francisco.]<font><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li><font>A U.S. attack on Iran would lead Iranians to rally behind their government, further isolate the United States in the international community and invite Iranian retaliation.</span></li><font><li><font>Iran is believed to be at least 8 to 10 years away from developing even a single atomic bomb, so there is still plenty of time for a diplomatic solution. </span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33283634-115982485134047949?l=iraninthenews.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Ivan Kooimannoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33283634.post-1159551145393942942006-09-29T10:30:00.000-07:002006-09-29T10:32:46.246-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iran in the News, September 29</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >NUCLEAR </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span> <ul><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solana</span>:“We have made some important progress on the elements related to how the potential negotiations can take place.”</li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ahmadinejad</span>: </span></span>"They asked for even just a one-day halt (of uranium enrichment). We said we won't do it,"</li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Larijani</span>:"We do hope to embark on the main negotiations as soon as possible,"</li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mottaki</span>“There is no reason or logic for a suspension of Iran’s nuclear activities”</li><li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bush</span>: we ought to give the Europeans time to see whether or not the Iranians will make the proper choice about verifiably suspending[...] sooner rather than later, to make sure that these discussions are not their attempt to stall</li></ul> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">VARIOUS</span><br /></span> <ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Americans favor diplomacy on Iran: Reuters poll" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-09-28T110335Z_01_N27288539_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-POLITICS-POLL-IRAN.xml&amp;WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-politicsNews-3">Americans favor diplomacy on Iran: Reuters poll</a></span></li><li><a title="House approves Iran Freedom Support Act" href="http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2006/09/28/ap3052830.html">House approves Iran Freedom Support Act</a></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Iran cleric says Pope's comments &quot;act of madness&quot;" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-29T112323Z_01_BLA939223_RTRUKOC_0_US-RELIGION-POPE-IRAN.xml&amp;WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_C2_worldNews-2">Iran cleric says Pope's comments "act of madness"</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Egypt goes nuclear amid regional tensions" href="http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=16724">Egypt goes nuclear amid regional tensions</a></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Unpaid workers in southern Iran city launch protest" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8777">Unpaid workers in southern Iran city launch protest</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Two brothers hanged in public in western Iran city" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8791">Two brothers hanged in public in western Iran city</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title=" Human Rights in Iran(1): Women's Struggle Against Discrimination by the Regime" href="http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&amp;ID=IA29606"> Human Rights in Iran(1): Women's Struggle Against Discrimination by the Regime</a> </span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">OPINION / ANALYSIS</span><br /><ul><li><a title=" A Deal With Iran?" href="http://frum.nationalreview.com/">Deal With Iran?</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">By David Frum</span></li><li><a title="Iranian Expert Urges Promotion of Democracy to Deter Iran From Becoming Nuclear" href="http://www.voanews.com/english/NewsAnalysis/2006-09-28-voa35.cfm">Iranian Expert Urges Promotion of Democracy to Deter Iran From Becoming Nuclear</a><span style="font-style: italic;" class="byline"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span>By Judith Latham</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Killing Time, Being Kind" href="http://roozonline.com/english/017896.shtml"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><a title="Killing Time, Being Kind" href="http://roozonline.com/english/017896.shtml">Killing Time, Being Kind, </a></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >By: Mehrdad Sheibani</span></li></ul> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="Bush reiterates demand that Iran halt nuclear fuel work" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8789">Bush reiterates demand that Iran halt nuclear fuel work</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></span><br /><span class="itemTitle"><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Friday, September 29, 2006</span><br /></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">President George W. Bush</span><br /><ul><li>“I talked to the Secretary of State about this very subject this morning, who agrees with me that we ought to give the Europeans time to see whether or not the Iranians will make the proper choice about verifiably suspending, and at the same time, she assures me that she's working with them to make sure that this process cannot go on forever”</li><li>“My judgment is, sooner rather than later, to make sure that these discussions are not their attempt to stall their way into us losing our interest in the subject”.</li></ul> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="European official reports progress in talks with Iran" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8785">European official reports progress in talks with Iran</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">International Herald Tribune, September 29, 2006<br /></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Javier Solana, </span>the European Union’s foreign policy chief<br /><ul><li>“We have had the opportunity of being together for several hours and of working with great intensity,”</li><li> “We have made some important progress on the elements related to how the potential negotiations can take place.”</li></ul><br /><ul><li>"But still, we have some issues that have been put but have not been closed," <font><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran Rejects Demands to Halt Enrichment" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/28/ap/world/mainD8KE0JCG0.shtml">[Source: AP]</a></span> </span></li></ul><font><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Larijani</span><br /></span><ul><font><li>"We do hope to embark on the main negotiations as soon as possible," indicating [...] future negotiations could proceed. <font><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iran Rejects Demands to Halt Enrichment" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/28/ap/world/mainD8KE0JCG0.shtml">[Source: AP]</a></span> </span></li></span></ul><font><font> </span></span><h2 style="font-weight: normal;" class="headlineblack"><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><font><a title="Iran FM rejects suspension of uranium enrichment" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8787"><span style="font-size:100%;">Iran FM rejects suspension of uranium enrichment</span><br /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Iranfocus, Friday, September 29, 2006</span></span></span></span></h2><font><font> </span></span><h2 style="font-weight: normal;" class="headlineblack"><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><font>Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki rejected on Friday demands by the international community that the Islamic Republic suspend uranium enrichment, the process which could be used to develop atomic weapons.</span></span></span></h2><font><font> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Manouchehr Mottaki,</span> Iran’s Foreign Minister </span></span><ul><font><font><li>“There is no reason or logic for a suspension of Iran’s nuclear activities”</li><li>“The West has experienced that the language of threats and referrals to the Security Council are ineffective, and now it has no choice but to negotiate”</li><li>“The United States’ position on Iran’s nuclear issue has changed and Europe is no longer pursuing the previous U.S. position”. </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><h2 style="font-weight: normal;" class="headlineblack"><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><a title="Iran Rejects Demands to Halt Enrichment" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/28/ap/world/mainD8KE0JCG0.shtml">Iran Rejects Demands to Halt Enrichment</a> </span></span></span><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="bodysmall"><span style="font-style: italic;">Associated Press, Thursday, September 28, 2006</span><br /></span>President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday rejected demands that Tehran suspend its uranium enrichment activities, saying his government was determined to continue pursuing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.</span></span></span></h2><font><font> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>“We support negotiations and talks in the framework of law and fair conditions and on the basis of defending the obvious right of the Iranian nation,”</li><li>"They asked for even just a one-day halt (of uranium enrichment). We said we won't do it,"</li><li>"Those who have filled their arsenal with nuclear weapons and conduct new tests every day want on political pretexts to deny the Iranian nation its full definite right of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,"</li><li>“Why are they insisting that we suspend our atomic work?” “Because they control the advertising network of the world, and they want to tell the nations that they were right and Iran wanted to produce nuclear weapons, and after that they would never let us continue our program.” <a title="European official reports progress in talks with Iran" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8785">[Source: International Herald Tribune]</a></li></span></span></ul><font><font><br />suspension of enrichment [...] would mean "a huge loss" for the Iranian program.<br /><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>"Who will pay for the losses?" he asked. "</li><li>"Then they reached a point that they asked for even just a one-day halt. We said we won't do it." </li></span></span></ul><font><font> </span></span><ul><font><font><li>"But still, we have some issues that have been put but have not been closed,</li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span> </span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><a title="Americans favor diplomacy on Iran: Reuters poll" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-09-28T110335Z_01_N27288539_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-POLITICS-POLL-IRAN.xml&amp;WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-politicsNews-3">Americans favor diplomacy on Iran: Reuters poll</a></span></span></span><font><font> </span></span></h1><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">Reuters, Thursday, September 28, 2006</span><br />A majority of Americans want the United States to increase diplomatic efforts over Iran's nuclear ambitions, while 70 percent oppose the use of U.S. troops to thwart Iran, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Thursday.<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>45% U.S. should <span style="font-weight: bold;">join with allies</span> to increase diplomatic efforts </li><li>17% United States should <span style="font-weight: bold;">step up diplomacy on its own</span>.</li><li>26% support the use of U.S. <span style="font-weight: bold;">ground troops</span> in Iran,<br /> </li><li>70% <span style="font-weight: bold;">opposed to ground troops</span>.<br /> </li><li>9% favored <span style="font-weight: bold;">air strikes </span>on selected military targets in Iran.</li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />INTERNATIONAL<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="House approves Iran Freedom Support Act" href="http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2006/09/28/ap3052830.html">House approves Iran Freedom Support Act</a></span><br />The bill, passed by a voice vote, sanctions any entity that contributes to Iran's ability to acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.<br />It also <span style="font-weight: bold;">approves assistance for human rights, pro-democracy and independent organizations and states</span> that it is the sense of Congress that the United States should not enter into agreements with governments that are assisting Iran's nuclear program or transferring weapons or missiles to Iran.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., sponsor of the measure. </span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>"It would be a critical mistake to allow a regime with a track record as bloody and as dangerous as Iran to obtain nuclear weapons,"</li><li>"Enough with the carrots. It's time for the stick."</li></span></span></ul><font><font><br />[...] critics questioned the need for unilateral action when a multinational approach to Iran's alleged nuclear program was pursued.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.</span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>"It is, if you will, a cruise missile aimed at a difficult diplomatic effort just as they are reaching their most sensitive point,"</li><li> "The timing for this legislation could not be worse."</li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio</span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>It's time, said , "to give assurance to Iran that we are not going to attack them."</li></span></span></ul><font><font><br />[>><a title="Full text of Bill" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8793">Full text of Bill</a>]<br /><br /></span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><a title="Iran cleric says Pope's comments &quot;act of madness&quot;" href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-29T112323Z_01_BLA939223_RTRUKOC_0_US-RELIGION-POPE-IRAN.xml&amp;WTmodLoc=IntNewsHome_C2_worldNews-2">Iran cleric says Pope's comments "act of madness"</a></span></span></span><font><font> </span></span></h1><font><font> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati</span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>"It was an act of madness what the Pope did and he disgraced himself and the system he represents," </li><li>"His comments showed either that he did not have information on Islam, or the he had information and did injustice to Islam, or that he had fallen into a trap,</li><li>"These moves aimed at confronting Islam and the (Islamic) revolution (in Iran) are all doomed to defeat," </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >REGIONAL<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Egypt goes nuclear amid regional tensions" href="http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=16724">Egypt goes nuclear amid regional tensions</a></span> </span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> </span></span></h1><font><font> </span></span><div style="margin: 6px 0pt 0pt 4px; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 4px; float: right; clear: right;"><font><font> </span></span><dl><dt><font><font><b><br /> </b></span></span></dt></dl><font><font> </span></span></div><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-size:85%;">With the Egyptian government's decision last week to revive its mothballed nuclear energy program, ISN Security Watch probes the regional and domestic pressures prompting the country to go nuclear.<br /></span></span></span></span>The Egyptian nuclear announcement and Turkey's recent decision to begin work on three nuclear power plants come at a time of rising tensions in the region, as EU nations and the US seek to limit the development of the Iranian nuclear program.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />DOMESTIC<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Unpaid workers in southern Iran city launch protest" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8777">Unpaid workers in southern Iran city launch protest</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, September 28, 2006</span><br />Dozens of unpaid workers held a protest outside the governorate of oil-rich Khuzestan Province, southwest Iran, demanding the government put pressure on their employers to pay their overdue wages.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Two brothers hanged in public in western Iran city" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8791">Two brothers hanged in public in western Iran city</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IRNA, Friday, September 29, 2006</span><br />Two Iranian brothers were hanged in public on Friday in the western city of Khorramabad, the provincial capital of Lorestan Province<br />They had been charged with launching an armed attack on Khorramabad’s City Hall in 2005, killing one of its staff, in an apparent revenge attack after another brother of theirs was executed in prison.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title=" Human Rights in Iran(1): Women's Struggle Against Discrimination by the Regime" href="http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&amp;ID=IA29606"> Human Rights in Iran(1): Women's Struggle Against Discrimination by the Regime</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">MEMRI, Friday, September 29, 2006</span><br /><br />Iranian human rights activists recently initiated a "One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws" campaign [...]. The campaign was to be officially launched on August 27, 2006, with a seminar titled "The Impact of Laws on Women's Lives," but the Iranian security forces prevented the event from taking place.<br /><br />The Iranian authorities also announced recently that Malak Ghorbani, a 34-year-old Kurdish woman and mother of two who has been convicted of adultery, has been sentenced to death by public stoning.<br /><br />In May 2006, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Zohreh Tabibzadeh Nouri</span>, advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was appointed head of the Iranian Center for Women and Family Affairs. Upon taking office, she declared her philosophy, saying:<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li>"I do not deny that there are gaps in the [Iranian] law when it comes to protection of women's rights... [However,] as long as I live and remain in charge of this center,<br /> </li><li>I will not let anyone sign international charters [or] declarations of international conferences on women's rights, since we can [fix] the gaps and existing problems through the Islamic faith.<br /> </li><li>I see no reason to follow the unsuccessful Western model."</li></span></span></ul><font><font><br />Conversely, the prominent dissident journalist Akbar Ganji, recently released after six years in an Iranian prison, announced his intention to join the campaign for women's equality in Iran.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > ANALYS / OPINION</span></span></span><br /><a title=" A Deal With Iran?" href="http://frum.nationalreview.com/"> </a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title=" A Deal With Iran?" href="http://frum.nationalreview.com/">Deal With Iran?</a></span> <span class="news_article"><span class="news_title"> </span></span> </span></span><p><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article"><font><font>National Review Online, </span></span></span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"><font><font> September 29, 2006 </span></span></span><font><font><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">By: David Frum</span> </span></span></span></p><font><font><br /><span class="news_article">What follows is not reporting. It is not a leak. It is informed speculation - informed in part by stories like <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/09/27/national/w104218D54.DTL" target="_blank">this one</a> and <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HI30Ak01.html" target="_blank">this one</a> . That acknowledged, let me venture a prediction:<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">1) Iran will indefinitely suspend its uranium enrichment program. Such a term will be easy for Iran to accept, because by then Iran will have enriched enough uranium to build a bomb or three.<br /></span><span class="news_article">2) The US will acquiesce in the end of almost all global economic sanctions against Iran, although most US-only measures will remain in place for the time being<br /></span><span class="news_article">3) Iran and Syria will take steps that can be represented as halting the flow of aid to anti-coalition forces in Iraq.<br /></span><span class="news_article">4) In return, the US and UK will begin to draw down their forces inside Iraq<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">How will the president react to this proposition? Every instinct in him will revolt against it, I am sure. But what is his alternative? A war with Iran to add to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a title="Iranian Expert Urges Promotion of Democracy to Deter Iran From Becoming Nuclear" href="http://www.voanews.com/english/NewsAnalysis/2006-09-28-voa35.cfm">Iranian Expert Urges Promotion of Democracy to Deter Iran From Becoming Nuclear</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;">VOA, Thursday, September 28, 2006<br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="byline"> By Judith Latham</span><br /><span class="dateline"></span><span class="datetime"><em></em></span><br /><span class="body">Abbas Milani reminds that Tehran is quite accomplished in simultaneously sending “conflicting messages” to sow confusion. For example, former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, considered to be among the “reformers,” sent a conciliatory message during his recent visit to the United States. Abbas Milani believes this message was designed to strengthen the position of China, Russia, and France,</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span><span class="body">Professor Milani believes that the regime is indeed “bent on having a nuclear bomb,” and he says the only long-term, effective deterrent to a nuclear-armed Iran is to “push for democracy” there.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span> </span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><font><font><a title="Killing Time, Being Kind" href="http://roozonline.com/english/017896.shtml">Killing Time, Being Kind</a></span></span></span><font><font> </span></span></h1><font><font> </span></span><div><font><font> </span></span></div><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">RoozOnline, Friday, September 29, 2006</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">By: Mehrdad Sheibani</span><br />Most news agencies seem to confirm that a deal between Iran and the international community is in the making. The credit to this yet-another impasse goes to the efforts of three representatives of the Islamic Republic who have been working to protect the regime from the dangers hovering over it. More than any other person Mohammad Khatami, the former reformist president who has been labeled the “quiet Mullah” by the German media, who traveled to the US to merely repeat President Ahmadinejad’s words, but with a smile.<br /><br />Still, this was a normal week for the security-military government of the Islamic Republic. It continued its calls for friendship with the outside world while cracking down on dissident voices inside its borders.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br />Iran in the News, September 28</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>CONTENT<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8772" title="Iranian and Europe envoy open talks on uranium enrichment">Iranian and Europe envoy open talks on uranium enrichment</a> </span> <ul><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Frank-Walter Steinmeier</span>; "I have the expectation that the talks today will be successful," </span> </li></ul> <ul><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: </span>"They say, 'You should suspend uranium enrichment on the surface, helping us to say that Iran accepted suspension,' but I have to say we are men of negotiation but we do not demand negotiation." </span>The Iranian nation won't retreat from its right one iota," </li></ul> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060928-125459-2732r.htm" title="U.S. to wait 'a few weeks' on Iran move">U.S. to wait 'a few weeks' on Iran move</a>:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sean McCormack,</span>:"Our response was, 'Absolutely, if it's a matter of a few days, a few weeks here to see if there is a possibility of keeping open a negotiated diplomatic solution,' " <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusiness.aspx?type=tnBusinessNews&storyID=nL28446243&amp;amp;imageid=&cap=&amp;from=business" title="EU, Iran plan more nuclear talks, no deal reached">EU, Iran plan more nuclear talks, no deal reached</a>: </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Solana</span>: "We still have some issues that have not been closed,"</span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GRA824692.htm" title="U.S. Says Iran Buys Iraq Militia with Arms, Cash">U.S. Says Iran Buys Iraq Militia with Arms, Cash</a>: </span><span class="news_article" style="font-size:85%;">Iranian weapons found in Iraq </span> </li><li> <a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=28&amp;a=2" title="Media Wars, Iranian Style">Media Wars, Iranian Style</a>:<span class="news_article">the Iranian government intent on defending itself against foreign efforts</span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=28&amp;a=3" title="Iran: Seven Women Risk Death by Stoning">Iran: Seven Women Risk Death by Stoning</a></span> </span> </li><li> <a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0609286114174208.htm" title="Supreme Leader: Martyrs, similar to glowing stars, serve as guidelines">Supreme Leader: Martyrs, similar to glowing stars, serve as guidelines</a> </li><li> <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216070,00.html" title="Iran Launches Production of Rapid-Fire Cannon">Iran Launches Production of Rapid-Fire Cannon</a> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Opinion</span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=27&amp;a=9" title="Rattling the Cage: The Big Con about Iran">Rattling the Cage: The Big Con about Iran</a> </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span class="news_article" style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8772" title="Iranian and Europe envoy open talks on uranium enrichment">Iranian and Europe envoy open talks on uranium enrichment</a></span><br />International Herald Tribune, September 28, 2006<br />The European Union’s foreign policy chief and Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator met Wednesday night in an effort to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>Only hours before the talks began on Wednesday, the Iranian president, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,</span> said Tehran would “not back down” from its position on enrichment and suggested during a seminar in Tehran that the West has proposed a quiet understanding that would help both sides save face.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,</span> Iranian President<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> "In negotiations, they tell us to suspend uranium enrichment for one day on the pretext of some technical problem and let us continue negotiations with you," </li><li> "The Iranian nation will not give up its right."<br /> </li><li> "They say, 'You should suspend uranium enrichment on the surface, helping us to say that Iran accepted suspension,' but I have to say we are men of negotiation but we do not demand negotiation."[<a href="http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060928-125459-2732r.htm" title="Source: The Washington Times">Source: The Washington Times</a> ] </li><li> "They want to create propaganda about it and tell the world that they forced Iran to suspend (enrichment), but they are mistaken. The Iranian nation won't retreat from its right one iota," [<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6110350,00.html" title="Source: The Associated Press">Source: The Associated Press</a>]<br /></li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">'a Western diplomat' </span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> “There are two issues at stake,” </li></span></span></ul><font><font> </span></span><ol><ol><font><font><li> “One is verification, meaning that if Iran suspends its program, it must allow full verification by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to verify that suspension. These talks are a nonstarter without a watertight verification regime.” </li></span></span></ol><ol><font><font><li> The second issue is what diplomats called the “sequencing.” The Western diplomat said Mr. Solana was aiming to obtain from Iran a firm timetable for when and how suspension might take place and when the formal negotiations would start. </li></span></span></ol></ol><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>It is unclear if Britain, France and Germany, which had been taking the lead in the incentives offer, are prepared to start preliminary formal negotiations before Iran starts suspending its enrichment program.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">France </span>hinted this month that it might be prepared to adopt this stance.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060928-125459-2732r.htm" title="U.S. to wait 'a few weeks' on Iran move">U.S. to wait 'a few weeks' on Iran move</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Washington Times, September 28, 2006</span><br />The Bush administration yesterday postponed its pursuit of U.N. sanctions against Iran for "a few weeks" to allow its European allies time to try to negotiate a suspension of Iran's nuclear fuel production.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Javier Solana</span>, the European Union's foreign policy chief, told Secretary of State <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Condoleezza Rice</span> in a telephone conversation before meeting with Iranian nuclear negotiator <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ali Larijani</span> in Berlin that Mr. Larijani "seems to be sincere" in trying to find a compromise, U.S. officials said.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>The five-hour talks between the EU representative and the Iranian negotiator were described as intensive. The two men planned to meet again today<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">U.S.;</span> Officials said that Mr. Solana suggested a little more time to negotiate a suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities might pay off, and that Miss Rice agreed.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sean McCormack,</span> State Department spokesman </span></span><ul><font><font><li> "Our response was, 'Absolutely, if it's a matter of a few days, a few weeks here to see if there is a possibility of keeping open a negotiated diplomatic solution,' " </li><li> "We want to give that every opportunity to succeed." </li><li> "disposition to this point has not been to give clear answers," </li><li> "There may be an opportunity here, there may be a little opening if we just give the Iranians a little time and space," </li><li> "Perhaps they will come through with a positive answer." </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">GERMANY</span>: Frank-Walter Steinmeier</span>, German Foreign Minister<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> "I have the expectation that the talks today will be successful," </li><li> "I think that today we will not get any final news, but hopefully in the course of tomorrow." </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusiness.aspx?type=tnBusinessNews&storyID=nL28446243&amp;amp;imageid=&cap=&amp;from=business" title="EU, Iran plan more nuclear talks, no deal reached">EU, Iran plan more nuclear talks, no deal reached</a></span><br />Reuters, <span style="font-style: italic;">September 28, 2006<br /></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />Javier Solana, </span>European Union foreign policy chief </span></span><ul><font><font><li> "We have been progressing," </li><li> "We still have some issues that have not been closed," </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Solana </span></span></span>hoped to renew contact with the Iranians by the middle of next week.<br />Solana's comments appeared to hint that the chances for a speedy resolution were fading [...].<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Frank-Walter Steinmeier</span>, German Foreign Minister [also planning to meet Larijani] and said earlier that he hoped U.N. Security Council action would be unnecessary.<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> "I expect we will see some movement in this conflict that will enable us to avoid escalating it by getting the Security Council involved,"<br /></li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />REGIONAL<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GRA824692.htm" title="U.S. Says Iran Buys Iraq Militia with Arms, Cash">U.S. Says Iran Buys Iraq Militia with Arms, Cash</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > Reuters, September 28, 2006</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>Iran is funnelling weapons and cash to buy the loyalty of armed groups in Iraq, but its long- term influence is bound to wane as Iraqis focus more on their own interests, a senior U.S. military official said.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span class="news_article">But the official gave far more detail, and said the latest weapons finds -- including explosives bearing factory stamps indicating they come from Iran -- show that the policy of arming Iraqi militia is supported at high levels in Iran and not the work of rogue Iranian operatives.<br /></span><span class="news_article" style="text-decoration: underline;">'Senior U.S. military official' </span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span class="news_article">"You see them enabling all comers," he said. "And by the way, nobody in this country stays bought. You're rented."</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><span class="news_article">Iranian weapons found in Iraq include surface-to-air missiles and anti-tank rockets like those used by Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel, as well as tank-destroying Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) that have become common in roadside bombs used to attack U.S. and British troops.<br /><br /></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span class="news_article"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"When you talk about EFP's, that is almost uniquely Iranian</span>. In fact, the fingerprint of copper plate being formed in a machine shop, I mean, the pattern is so identical that, you know, we can easily identify it right there." </span> </li><li> <span class="news_article">"The control of <span style="font-weight: bold;">military-grade explosives in Iran is controlled through the state</span> apparatus and is not committed through rogue elements right there. It is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">deliberate decision</span> on the part of elements associated with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Iranian government </span>to affect this type of activities."</span> </li><li> <span class="news_article">"Iran only has a <span style="font-weight: bold;">window of opportunity</span> to influence Iraq before Iraq -- and its natural tendencies as both an Arab state and one who's got a whole series of friction points with the Islamic Republic -- will start to take over." </span> </li><li> <span class="news_article"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"It's not in their best interest to have a destabilized Iraq</span>, because guess what? There are Arabs in the south (of Iran) and Kurds in the north that pose significant challenges to Iranian internal stability," he said.</span> </li><li> <span class="news_article">"But nonetheless, they're not sure who is going to come out on top. And so <span style="font-weight: bold;">basically they fund everybody</span>."</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > DOMESTIC<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=28&amp;a=2" title="Media Wars, Iranian Style">Media Wars, Iranian Style</a><br /><span class="news_article">Salon, </span><span class="news_article">September 28, 2006 </span><br /><span class="news_article">Trying to restrict foreign media, the government bans satellite dishes and blocks Internet sites. But Iranians tend to ignore CNN anyway. </span><br /><span class="news_article"><br />A law against satellite dishes had been on the books in Iran since the mid-1990s, but it had mostly gone un-enforced -- even though it was an open secret that many Iranians used the technology to receive "un-Islamic" television shows from abroad.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">Indeed, the Iranian government appears intent on defending itself against foreign efforts, a number of them from the United States, to break its media monopoly within the country. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span class="news_article">The government maintains similar, if more subtle, control over the print media. A cursory look suggests a thriving newspaper scene: Iran has dozens of daily papers. When spread on the sidewalks in front of newsstands, they can give the impression of an active national debate.<br /><br />None of them, though, are free from ties to the Islamic government.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0609286114174208.htm" title="Supreme Leader: Martyrs, similar to glowing stars, serve as guidelines">Supreme Leader: Martyrs, similar to glowing stars, serve as guidelines</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IRNA, September 28, 2006</span><br />Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei here Thursday in a message on the day marking the martyrs and devotees of the Sacred Defence era compared them to glowing stars serving as guidelines to everyone. </span></span><p><font><font> Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that the security established in the country was owing to the dedication of the martyrs of the Sacred Defense era, who protected the national independence and geographical borderlines of their homeland. </span></span></p><font><font><br /><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216070,00.html" title="Iran Launches Production of Rapid-Fire Cannon">Iran Launches Production of Rapid-Fire Cannon</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fox News, Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">Iran launched production of its most advanced cannon on Wednesday, state television reported.</strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=28&amp;a=3" title="Iran: Seven Women Risk Death by Stoning">Iran: Seven Women Risk Death by Stoning</a> </span><br /><span class="news_article" style="font-style: italic;">Amnesty International, </span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"> September 27, 2006 </span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >[Example cases] </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span class="news_article">Iran Eskandari, an Ahwazi Arab from the Bakhtiari clan, was reportedly talking to the son of a neighbour in the courtyard of her house, when her husband attacked her with a knife. She was badly beaten and left bleeding and unconscious on the floor. While she was unconscious, it is alleged that the man killed her husband with his own knife. While police were interrogating her about the killing, Iran Eskandari reportedly confessed to adultery with the son of her neighbour. However she later retracted her confession.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">Shamameh Ghorbani (also known as Malek), arrested in June 2005, was sentenced to execution by stoning for adultery by a court in Oromieh in June 2006. She is reportedly held in Oromieh prison. Her brothers and husband reportedly murdered a man that they found in her house, and she too was nearly killed after they stabbed her with a knife. Shamameh Ghorbani’s case is reportedly being re-examined.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Persian, English, Arabic or your own language:<br /><br /><br /></span><span class="news_article"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > ANALYS / OPINION</span><br /></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=27&amp;a=9" title="Rattling the Cage: The Big Con about Iran">Rattling the Cage: The Big Con about Iran</a> </span></span><p><font><font> <span class="news_article" style="font-style: italic;">The Jerusalem Post, </span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;">September 27, 2006 </span><br /> Larry Derfner </span> </span></span></p><font><font> <span class="news_article"><br />Despite all the skepticism, the US and Israel do have a military option in Iran: preemptive nuclear annihilation. </span><br /><br /><span class="news_article">The US and Israel, or the US by itself, or maybe even Israel by itself, can destroy Iran and its 69 million people, probably in a matter of hours or even less, and then nobody in the world will have to worry about those crazy maniacs getting the bomb. Things would be sort of weird afterward, it's hard to say what the consequences might be, but the Iranian threat would be behind us. </span><span class="news_article">Other than that, though, there is no military option in Iran. </span><br /><span class="news_article"><br /></span><span class="news_article">Many people think it's possible to wipe out Iran's nuclear facilities, or at least cripple them, from the air. But did Israel manage to wipe out or cripple Hizbullah's weapons from the air? Incidentally, Iran is about 150 times the size of Lebanon. And Hizbullah's underground military bunkers were built by the Iranians; imagine what they've built for themselves at home. </span><br /><br /><span class="news_article">I'm not saying Iran, especially a nuclear Iran, is nothing to worry about. Iran is plenty to worry about, but as for what to do about Iran, how to stop it from getting nuclear weapons, neither the US nor Israel nor anyone else has a conventional military way to go about it. </span><br /><br /><span class="news_article">[...] preemptive nuclear annihilation is only a theoretical option, not a real, live one. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br />Iran in the News, September 27</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />Content:<br /><br /></span></span></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8762">Tehran denies secret nuke deal</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8763" title=" EU-Iran nuclear talks to go ahead Wednesday: Iran">EU-Iran nuclear talks to go ahead Wednesday: Iran</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=27&amp;a=2" title="Iran's Larijani Arrives in Berlin for Talks with Solana">Iran's Larijani Arrives in Berlin for Talks with Solana</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/30100.html" title="U.S. Broadcasts to Iran are Too Soft, Study Says ">U.S. Broadcasts to Iran are Too Soft, Study Says</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://roozonline.com/english/017846.shtml" title="New Leader for Islamic Students Association in Europe">New Leader for Islamic Students Association in Europe</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://roozonline.com/english/017849.shtml" title="International Concern About Journalists in Iran">International Concern About Journalists in Iran</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a class="koyubaslik" href="http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1214" title="'Turkey and Iran Preparing for Operation in N. Iraq'">'Turkey and Iran Preparing for Operation in N. Iraq'</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8767" title="Iran’s news agency chief resigns after dispute with minister">Iran’s news agency chief resigns after dispute with minister</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0609266167165255.htm" title="Ahmadinejad for expansion of all-out cooperation with Ireland">Ahmadinejad for expansion of all-out cooperation with Ireland</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8765" title="“An eye for an eye” – Iran hands out gruesome punishment">“An eye for an eye” – Iran hands out gruesome punishment</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601511.html" title="Iranian Ex-Lawmaker Alleges Torture">Iranian Ex-Lawmaker Alleges Torture</a></span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font> </span></span><h2 style="font-weight: bold;"><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;">Analysis /Opinion:</span> </span></span></h2><font><font> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2006/september-2006/ganji_23906.shtml" title="Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People">A dubious deal</a></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2006/september-2006/ganji_23906.shtml" title="Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People">Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People, </a></span><a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2006/september-2006/ganji_23906.shtml" title="Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span class="bmarticleByline">By </span></span></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/cgi-bin/moxiebin/bm_tools.cgi?author=1;a=580;s=10_9;site=1">Akbar Ganji</a></span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font> </span></span><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> <a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2006/september-2006/ganji_23906.shtml" title="Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span></a> </span></span></h2><font><font> </span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> </span></span></h1><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="itemTitle"></span><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8762">Tehran denies secret nuke deal</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Washington Times, </span><span class="itemTitle" style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span><br />Iran yesterday said it is not negotiating a secret temporary shutdown of its uranium-enrichment program as part of ongoing talks with the European Union, rebutting Bush administration sources who told The Washington Times that such a deal is being discussed.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />Mohammad Saeedi, </span>deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> "These are not the issues to be discussed in the future negotiations, and as Mr. Larijani has said before, the P5+1 proposal will be the basis of the future negotiations with the representatives of the P5+1," </li><li> <br /></li></span></span></ul><font><font> A spokeswoman for Mr. Solana declined to comment on the report in The Times.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">>> [<span style="font-style: italic;">See: </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060926-123137-3349r.htm" style="text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;" title="Iran close to nuclear suspension">Iran close to nuclear suspension</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, The Washington Times, September 26, 2006</span>]</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8763" title=" EU-Iran nuclear talks to go ahead Wednesday: Iran">EU-Iran nuclear talks to go ahead Wednesday: Iran</a> <span class="itemTitle"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span><br /></span>Talks between Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana are to go-ahead Wednesday in a European country, the Iranian foreign minister said, expressing optimism over the outcome.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br />Manouchehr Mottaki </span> Iran’s Foreign Minister </span></span><ul><font><font><li> "The third round of talks between Solana and Larijani was supposed to be held today in New York but due to visa problems for Mr Larijani it will be held today in one of the European countries," </li><li> "Since there is an atmosphere of understanding between Iran and Europe, we can be optimistic on the results of the meeting," </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span class="news_article"><span class="news_title"><br /></span></span><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=27&amp;a=2" title="Iran's Larijani Arrives in Berlin for Talks with Solana">Iran's Larijani Arrives in Berlin for Talks with Solana</a><br /><span class="itemTitle"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span></span><br /><span class="news_article"> Iran's top nuclear negotiator has arrived in Berlin to discuss Iran's nuclear research program with the European Union's foreign policy chief, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Wednesday.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > INTERNATIONAL<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/30100.html" title="U.S. Broadcasts to Iran are Too Soft, Study Says ">U.S. Broadcasts to Iran are Too Soft, Study Says </a></span><br /><span class="news_article" style="font-style: italic;">The Sacramento Bee</span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;">, September 27, 2006 </span><br /></span><span class="news_article">In another indication that some in the Bush administration are pushing for a more confrontational policy toward Iran, a Pentagon unit has drafted a report charging that U.S. international broadcasts into Iran aren't tough enough on the Islamic regime.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">The report, which has circulated on Capitol Hill, accuses the Voice of America's Persian TV service and Radio Farda, a U.S. government Farsi-language broadcast, of taking a soft line toward Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime and not giving adequate time to government critics.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span> </span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://roozonline.com/english/017846.shtml" title="New Leader for Islamic Students Association in Europe">New Leader for Islamic Students Association in Europe</a></span> </span></span></h1><font><font> In its annual meeting in Paris, the Union of Iranian Islamic Student Associations in Europe elected Saeed Razavi Faghih as its new leader on Sunday.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span> </span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://roozonline.com/english/017849.shtml" title="International Concern About Journalists in Iran">International Concern About Journalists in Iran</a></span> </span></span></h1><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">RoozOnline, Wednesday, 27 September, 2006</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>A week after Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Mohseni Ezhei claimed that the United States is using journalists to further its aims in Iran, the International Federation of Journalists warned about the deteriorating condition of journalists in Iran.<br /><br />Ezhei made such accusations a few weeks after Ramin Jahanbegloo, an Iranian scholar and intellectual who spent months in solitary confinement, told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) upon his release that he was used by America.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />REGIONAL<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a class="koyubaslik" href="http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1214" title="'Turkey and Iran Preparing for Operation in N. Iraq'">'Turkey and Iran Preparing for Operation in N. Iraq'</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Debkafile, Sunday, September 24, 2006</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A new Middle East war is in the offing</span>. DEBKA<i>file</i>’s exclusive military sources in Iraq and sources in Iran reveal that Turkish and Iranian air units as well as armored, paratroop, special operations and artillery forces are poised for an imminent coordinated invasion of the northern Iraqi autonomous province of Kurdistan.<br /><br />Our sources pinpoint the target of the combined Iranian-Turkish offensive as the Quandil Mountains<br /><br />Turkey to the northwest and Iran to the east both have Kurdish minorities which have been radicalized by the emergence of Iraqi Kurdistan in the last three years. The three contiguous Kurdish regions form a strategic world hub.<br /><br />Tehran is not bothering to justify its forthcoming operation in Kurdistan. DEBKA<i>file</i>’s sources in Tehran report that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Iran’s rulers are determined to go in without further ado and crush the Kurdish insurgents </span>carrying out hit-and-run attacks in Iran in recent months.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ankara is keen, furthermore, to get in its blow against Kurdistan before an American action against Iran.</span> The Turks buy Russian and Iranian intelligence evaluations according which the US attack may take place at any time between the last week of September and the end of December, 2006. So they feel the ground is burning under their feet.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > DOMESTIC<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8767" title="Iran’s news agency chief resigns after dispute with minister">Iran’s news agency chief resigns after dispute with minister</a></span><br /><span class="itemTitle"><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span></span><br />The head of Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Ahmad Khadem-Almelleh, has resigned from his post over a dispute with the country’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />ECONOMIC<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0609266167165255.htm" title="Ahmadinejad for expansion of all-out cooperation with Ireland">Ahmadinejad for expansion of all-out cooperation with Ireland</a></span> </span></span><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> </span></span></h2><font><font> <span class="today" style="font-style: italic;">IRNA, Wednesday September 27, 2006</span><br />President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Tuesday that common stances of Iran and Ireland prepare the ground for expansion of all-out cooperation between the two sides.<br />Receiving the credentials of the new Irish ambassador to Tehran, Ahmadinejad said there are many capacities for expansion of relations between Iran and Ireland [...].<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8765" title="“An eye for an eye” – Iran hands out gruesome punishment">“An eye for an eye” – Iran hands out gruesome punishment</a></span><br /><span class="itemTitle"><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span></span><br />Tehran, Iran, Sep. 27 – An Iranian court in the north-eastern city of Mashad sentenced a man to have one of his eye’s gouged out as punishment for blinding another man during a scuffle, state-run press reported.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092601511.html" title="Iranian Ex-Lawmaker Alleges Torture">Iranian Ex-Lawmaker Alleges Torture</a></span> </span></span><p><font><font> <span class="news_article" style="font-style: italic;">The Washington Post, </span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span class="itemTitle"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday, </span></span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;">September 27, 2006 </span><br /> </span> </span></span></p><font><font> <span class="news_article">Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, a former Iranian lawmaker who has been jailed without charges in Tehran for more than 100 days, was briefly released from detention last Thursday to attend a memorial service, where he shouted out allegations of torture and other harsh treatment, according to his lawyers and other witnesses quoted by a human rights organization.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini,</span> <span class="news_article">former Iranian lawmaker </span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> "For the past 20 days, prison officials have chained my hands and feet. I am being tortured," </li><li> "I am held in solitary confinement and interrogated four times a day," </li><li> "They wake me up in the middle of the night to interrogate me. They are trying to turn me to a mental patient." </li><li> "They are forcing me to denounce my beliefs, to repent for my activities, and to ask forgiveness from Khamenei." </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br />He was arrested at a rally for women's right June 12 and has been held at Tehran's Evin prison with no access to lawyers<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > ANALYS / OPINION</span><br /></span></span><br /></span></span><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060926-093815-9250r.htm" title="A dubious deal">A dubious deal</a></span> </span></span></h2><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Washington Times, Wednesday, September 27, 2006</span><br />It looks increasingly doubtful that the Islamist regime in Iran will be penalized for its continued defiance over its nuclear weapons programs anytime soon. The Washington Times reported yesterday that Iran and the European Union were nearing an agreement in which Iran would agree to suspend uranium enrichment for 90 days.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span>The plan is said to have the support of some in the State Department, who view it as a step toward completely halting Iran's uranium enrichment. In reality, as other administration officials (mostly in the vice president's office and the Pentagon) persuasively argue, the deal is likely to drag the United States into a series of protracted negotiations with Iran that will gain little of substance for Washington and give Iran more time to develop a bomb.<br /><br />In short, it looks increasingly like the Security Council is about to send a signal of weakness and vacillation to the mullahs.<br /><br /></span></span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2006/september-2006/ganji_23906.shtml" title="Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People">Our Rulers Do Not Represent The Iranian People</a></span> </span></span></h1><font><font> <span class="bmarticleByline"></span><span class="bmarticleDate">Iran Press Service, Posted Saturday, September 23, 2006</span><span class="bmarticleByline"><br />By <a href="http://www.iran-press-service.com/cgi-bin/moxiebin/bm_tools.cgi?author=1;a=580;s=10_9;site=1">Akbar Ganji</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span><strong style="font-weight: normal;">My brief journey to your beautiful and amazing country began in New York City [...]. We demand that all political prisoners in Iran be freed. I am certain that you appreciate our desire for freedom; it was, after all, the main principle upon which your country was founded.<br /><br /></strong> </span></span><p><font><font> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The history of the United States</span> as a nation begins with the establishment of a polity based upon a constitution. In modern Iran, that is still a relatively new idea.<br /></span></span></p><font><font> </span></span><p><font><font> <br /></span></span></p><font><font> </span></span><p><font><font> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Although it dates to our Constitutional Revolution of 1906</span>, we have in fact achieved only some of the goals of that revolution. We are, a century later, still struggling to create a polity based on a constitution and the rule of law. </span></span></p><font><font><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Even the 1979 revolution could not turn this dream into reality. </span>The political and ideological forces that came to dominate that revolution denied the people the right to exercise their free will. The official ideology of the ruling clerical regime considers all humans to be less than adult and says that without the supervision of the clergy, they will act like children, if not madmen. According to this clerical theory, the people are most virtuous when they are most docile.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It is both possible and desirable to solve the problems between the United States and Iran</span> through direct talks. Such diplomacy will best serve the interests of the American and Iranian people if it is conducted in a transparent fashion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We believe the government in Tehran is seeking a secret deal with the United States.</span> It is willing to make any concession, provided that the United States promises to remain silent about the regime's repressive measures at home. <span style="font-weight: bold;">We don't want war; nor do we favor such a deal.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iran in the News, September 25 & 26</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060926-123137-3349r.htm" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="Iran close to nuclear suspension">Iran close to nuclear suspension</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Washington Times, Tuesday, September 26, 2006</span><br />Iran is close to an agreement that would include a suspension of uranium enrichment but wants the deal to include a provision that the temporary halt be kept secret, according to Bush administration officials.<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > </span></span></span><br /><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> Mr. Solana and Mr. Larijani are set to meet today or tomorrow in Europe when the deal could be completed. </li><li> suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran would be for 90 days </li><li> Many U.S. officials are opposing the agreement as a further concession to Iran, </li><li> Some in the State Department are supporting the deal, which they view as a step toward achieving a complete halt to uranium enrichment. </li><li> Officials said President Bush is not happy with the secrecy demand, although he continues to support the use of diplomacy to solve the problem. </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Manouchehr Mottaki, </span>Iran's Foreign Minister, said that talks between European and Iranian officials were on track and that a negotiated settlement is possible.<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8758" title="Text of Rice’s interview with Wall Street Journal on Iran">Text of Rice’s interview with Wall Street Journal on Iran</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Wallstreet Journal, Tuesday, September 26, 2006</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">AWARENESS</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> we got a very big wakeup call in the summer with the war in Lebanon because in a way that it had not really been clarified before the Middle East with all of its historic animosities and so forth, [...] in which extremism on one side and moderation on the other came into pretty sharp relief. </li><li> the supporter, the financier, the inspiration for those extremist forces like Hezbollah and Hamas, I think is now clearly in everybody’s mind Tehran, and that has given a kind of clarity to what the challenge is from Iran, not just on the nuclear side, not just on the internal politics side, but literally on Iran’s ambitions for the region as a whole. </li></span></span></ul><font><font> THE FOCUS<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> [for probably] several years, [focus will be to] rally moderate forces on behalf of emerging democratic moderate forces in the region to withstand [...] the push against them by extremists and by Iranian-led extremism. That will take some time. </li><li> for the first time I think puts a state sponsor of terror in a very key position geostrategically. </li><li> Terrorist groups without state sponsors are obviously extremely dangerous [...] Terrorists who are the arms and legs and kind of tentacles of a state with considerable assets at its disposal have the potential to change the kind of geostrategic picture. [...] we’re dealing with both simultaneously </li><li> I think we still have a chance to arrest the Iranian nuclear program in its relative infancy. [...] This time I think we’ve got a chance to resist Iranian push into the region, but we better get about it. [...] So I think we’ve got time to not get into a mutually assured destruction model. </li></span></span></ul><font><font> SANCTIONS<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> I wouldn’t draw too much of a conclusion just yet as to what the Chinese and the Russians will do. </li><li> any [U.N.]resolution will not look like a resolution that was written unilaterally by the United States.any such resolution will not look like a resolution that was written unilaterally by the United States.But [..] I wouldn’t underestimate the collateral effects [on private business willingness to do business with Iran] of whatever resolution there is in the Security Council. </li><li> Iran is not North Korea. It’s not isolated and it is pretty integrated into the international financial system. </li></span></span></ul><font><font> EXPECTATIONS<br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> I do not believe we’re going to find Iranian moderates. The question is are we going to find Iranian reasonables. </li><li> if you’re looking for people who are [..] prepared to lead the revolution toward a more favorable relationship with the United States and all of those things that has led to some 25 years of looking for those people, usually ending up in some major failure in American foreign policy. I don’t think you’re going to find them. </li><li> The question is are there people [in the Iranian government] who wish to avoid that isolation. </li><li> I don’t think you’re going to see an all-in Security Council resolution at the beginning. But as I was noting, you get both direct and collateral effects from Security Council resolutions and I think that the Iranians frankly have to worry more about the collateral effect </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> the way that we found out about Natanz was through reporting of dissidents who had been told things by people inside Iran. So one of the things that we have to do is we have to increase our capability to mine resources and intelligence about Iran. </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> I wouldn’t be so quick to say that people [Europe, China and Russia] are just putting their economic interests ahead. I do think there’s a genuine debate about how best to handle the situation. The good news is though that debate ended with Resolution 1696 because we all agreed that if the Iranians don’t suspend, we’ll seek Security Council sanctions. </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=385551" title="New German ambassador submits credentials to Ahmadinejad">New German ambassador submits credentials to Ahmadinejad</a></span><br /><span class="news_lid" id="lblLead"><span style="font-style: italic;">MEHR NEWS, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br />Iran supports the development of independent countries and likewise expects those countries to support its development, which serves the entire world, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said here on Monday.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_body" id="lblBody" innerhtml="html"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Iran <span style="font-weight: bold;">sees no limitation in boosting cooperation with Germany,</span> Ahmadinejad added after the new German ambassador to Iran, Herbert Honsowitz, submitted his credentials.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span> added;<br /></span></span></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“The United States and international institutions are well aware that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful. <o:p></o:p></span></span> </li><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“The Islamic Republic has never started any wars, and it would be better if the U.S. reflected about its own nuclear warheads instead of seeking pretexts and opposing Iran’s development.”</span></span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><h2><font><font> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1418692006" title="Iran blames Russians for N-plant delays">Iran blames Russians for N-plant delays</a></span> </span></span></h2><font><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">Reuters, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br />A senior Iranian nuclear official on Monday blamed Russian contractors for delays in building Iran's first nuclear power plant, saying they lacked the required "technical capabilities", a news agency reported.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193317369&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull" title="PM says Bush won't allow nuclear Iran">PM says Bush won't allow nuclear Iran</a></span><br /><span class="lead">US President George W. Bush will stop the Iranians from getting a nuclear bomb, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated with certainty during an interview with <i>The Jerusalem Post</i> on Monday.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ehud Olmert, </span>Israeli Prime Minister<br /></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span class="lead">"First of all I think President Bush has the courage," </span> </li><li> <span class="lead">"This is something that is very important. There is no one in the world today who has greater courage and determination, and a sense of mission about these issues, than President Bush, and I admire his determination and sense of mission."</span> </li><li> <span class="lead"> "Israel can't accept the possibility of Iranians having nuclear weapons and we will act together with the international forces, starting with America, in order to prevent it. And as I also said, I believe that President Bush is absolutely determined to prevent it, and America has the capabilities to actually prevent it."</span> </li><li> <span class="lead">"I don't think Israel can be reconciled [to this]," he said. "I don't intend to. This is a danger that is just one thing we can't afford."</span> </li><li> <span class="lead">"Everyone understands that this is something that has to be dealt with," [</span><span class="lead">Olmert said of the short-range Katyushas and Kassam rocket threats.] </span><span class="lead">"It will be dealt with, we will find a technological answer, and once a technological answer is found we will be done with it. So it is just a matter of time. It is true that in the meantime it is a major nuisance, but it is not a strategic threat to the State of Israel."</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><h2><font><font> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0609265240012625.htm" title="Shahroudi: Iranian nation not against US people">Shahroudi: Iranian nation not against US people</a></span> </span></span></h2><font><font> <span class="today" style="font-style: italic;">IRNA, Tuesday September 26, 2006</span><br />Judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi said on Monday that Iranian nation and government officials are opposed to US arrogance and the arrogant approach of US government and have nothing against the American people.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />DOMESTIC<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8748">Iran’s Ahmadinejad sacks cabinet minister</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br />Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sacked on Monday his Minister of Welfare and Social Security [for "poor performance"], marking the first time the radical president has ousted a cabinet member. Ahmadinejad immediately named Majlis (Parliament) deputy Abdol-Reza Mesri as the replacement candidate.<br />The Iranian President also named Ali Youssefpour as the new caretaker of the welfare ministry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rferl.org/reports/" title="RFE/RL Iran Report">RFE/RL Iran Report</a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:100%;" >U.S. REPORTERS BANNED BY IRAN</span><br />Vol. 9, No. 35, 26 September 2006<br />Iran's Islamic Culture and<br />Guidance Ministry announced on September 20 that U.S. reporters will<br />not be allowed to work in Iran, state television reported.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=25&amp;a=12" title="Iran: Continuing Crackdown Against Peaceful Critics">Iran: Continuing Crackdown Against Peaceful Critics</a></span><br /><span class="news_article" style="font-style: italic;">Amnesty International, Monday, </span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"> September 25, 2006 </span><br /></span><br /><span class="news_article">Amnesty International is greatly concerned by new arrests and detentions in Iran targeting human rights activists, minority community activists and others peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association.<br /><br />Those detained in recent days include Iranian Azerbaijanis [</span><span class="news_article">More than 15] </span><span class="news_article">advocating a schools boycott and at least 10 people who sought to demonstrate against the imminent execution of four women. Meanwhile, a prominent human rights defender who has been detained without charge or trial for over 100 days has disclosed that he is being subjected to continuous pressure to "repent" by the Iranian authorities.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">Iranian Azerbaijanis, who live mainly in the north-west of Iran, and who speak Azerbaijani Turkic, have over the past 15 years or so been demanding that the Iranian authorities respect their right to be educated in the medium of their own language. Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution permits "the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools... in addition to Persian".<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">Mass demonstrations broke out in towns and cities in north-west Iran following the publication on 12 May 2006 of a cartoon in the state-owned daily newspaper, Iran, which offended many in the Iranian Azerbaijani community. The Iranian authorities reportedly used excessive force to disperse demonstrators, including beatings and lethal gunfire. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators were reportedly detained. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8756" title="Iran steps up executions in volatile region">Iran steps up executions in volatile region</a> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Tuesday, September 26, 2006</span><br />Iranian authorities have hanged three prisoners in the south-eastern city of Zahedan. The three men, identified as Ali Karimi, Gholam Koohkan, and Khodamorad Lashkarzadeh, were accused of drug trafficking, the report said. They were hanged in prison on Sunday.<br /><br />Iranian authorities routinely execute dissidents on the bogus charge of drug smuggling.<br />Zahedan is the provincial capital of Sistan-va-Baluchestan which has been a hotbed of anti-government activities.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />ANALYS / OPINION</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5377914.stm" title=" Iran's gulf of misunderstanding with US"> Iran's gulf of misunderstanding with US</a></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">[Much in line with the work of Stephen Walt en John Mearsheimer]</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">BBC NEWS, </span><span class="ds" style="font-style: italic;">Monday, 25 September 2006<br /></span><a href="http://www.jta.org/page_bio.asp#Rafael%20Medoff"><span class="links"></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="byl">By Gordon Corera</span><span class="byd">, Security correspondent, BBC News<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Some of Iran's leaders [..] sensed an opportunity. America quickly fixed its sights on the Taleban in Afghanistan with whom the Iranians had nearly come to war just three years earlier.</span><br /><br /></span></span><p><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;">With a common enemy in the Taleban, the two found grounds to co-operate. </span> </span></span></p><font><font> </span></span><p><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;">After the Afghan war, US negotiators worked closely with Iranian counterparts to form a new Afghan government. </span> </span></span></p><font><font><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">And just a few weeks after Iran and the US had worked so closely over Afghanistan, Iran was described by President George W Bush as part of an "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union address.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Javad Zarif, </span>now Iran's ambassador to the United Nations,</span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-size:85%;"> "We were all shocked by the fact that the US had such a short memory and was so ungrateful about what had happened just a month ago,"</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">America's swift march to Baghdad the previous month had led to fears in Tehran that it would be next.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">May 2003: </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Afraid of being next, Tehran made a dramatic approach to the Americans</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> [..] in the form of a letter,</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">In the letter, Iran appeared willing to put everything on the table - including being completely open about its nuclear programme, helping to stabilise Iraq, ending its support for Palestinian militant groups and help in disarming Hezbollah.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">But in Washington, the letter was ignored; </span><span style="font-size:85%;">"We don't speak to evil'.<br /></span> </span></span><p><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;">The effect of America's rejection of talks was far reaching.</span> </span></span></p><font><font> </span></span><p><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;">It would tilt the balance of power within Tehran towards the hardliners. </span> </span></span></p><font><font> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Seyed Adeli,</span> who was then [May, 2003] a deputy foreign minister in Iran<br /></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-size:85%;">"The failure is not just for the idea, but also for the group who were pursuing the idea," </span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.opinionjournal.com/jer/?id=110008990" title="INTERVIEW: High Drama at the U.N. 'Pahlavi on the growing showdown with Iran'">INTERVIEW: High Drama at the U.N. 'Pahlavi on the growing showdown with Iran'</a> </span> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The wallstreet Journal, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"><br />SUMMARY:</span><br />Pahlavi;<span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" > More profound strategy and policy</span> is needed to force a regime change through <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >1. confrontation, 2. pressure and 3. support. The regime </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >doesn't care about Iran or Iranians, Iran is used 'as a launching pad' for radical Islam. No deal is ever going to be established, the regime knows of concept of national interest as we understand this. The regime had many opportunities 'to come clean', the time has come to say '</span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" ><i>ou had your chance, you blew it. We're not going to stand for this rhetoric any longer'.</i></span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" ><b>Paul Gigot:</b></span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >What do you think he's trying to accomplish this week with these appearances?</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >Reza Pahlavi</span>:<br /></span></span><ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >The truth is that he is losing more and more popularity at home, based on complete dysfunctionality of our economic situation. </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >In order to compensate for that loss of popularity, he is trying to, once again--as the Islamic Republic leaders have always done the same--deflecting attention from homegrown issues to some international arguments.</span> </li></span></span></ul></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" ><b>Gigot: </b></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >what impact do you think sanctions would have on the regime and the nuclear program?</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >Pahlavi</span>: <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >I think that if there is a sanction package considered, it has to be part of a much more profound strategy and policy.</span> </li></span></span></ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >I have proposed before--and if I may repeat it again today--a three-pronged approach, which consists of <span style="font-weight: bold;">1. confrontation, 2. pressure and 3. support.</span></span> </li></span></span></ul></ul></ul><font><font> </span></span><ol style="margin-left: 120px;"><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >CONFRONTATION: regime [..] has to be dealt with, whether it's in Afghanistan or Lebanon or Saudi Arabia or in Iraq.</span> </li><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >PRESSURE: I believe that very carefully targeted and calculated sanctions, aimed at the political, economic and personal interests of the regime's leadership and structure, as opposed to the entire Iranian nation, could certainly hurt the regime without necessarily hurting the people.</span> </li><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >SUPPORT: </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >helping the Iranian people bring change [...] </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >by putting an end to this regime.</span> </li></span></span></ol><font><font> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" ><b>Gigot: </b></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >There is more and more discussion in the United States that President Bush needs to sit down and have direct face-to-face talks with President Ahmadinejad.</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >Pahlavi</span>: <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >this regime doesn't care about Iran or Iranians. It is using Iran as a launching pad, if you will, to export a very radical, twisted version of Islam to the entire world.</span> </li></span></span></ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >I don't think that this regime is capable of understanding the concept [...] of national interest,</span> </li></span></span></ul></ul></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" ><b>Gigot: </b></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >Do you think that was a mistake for the president [Bush] to allow Khatami to come to the United States?</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br /></span></span><ul><ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >Pahlavi</span>: <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >Well, first of all, Khatami had the chance when he was president for eight years and he didn't do anything when he was in power.</span> </li></span></span></ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" >I think ample opportunities have been given to the Islamic regime to come clean and to behave the way it is expected of them [...]. They have failed to do that.</span> </li></span></span></ul><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Verdana,Times;font-size:85%;" > I think the solution today is for the world to say, <i>Look, you had your chance, you blew it. We're not going to stand for this rhetoric any longer. We're not going to stand for this terrorism any longer.</i></span> </li></span></span></ul></ul></ul><font><font><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://http//www.payvand.com/news/06/sep/1291.html" title=" Iran: Israel Views Threats With Increasing Seriousness"> Iran: Israel Views Threats With Increasing Seriousness</a> </span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Payvand, Monday, September 25, 2006<br />Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, recently accused Iranian leaders of opposing the world's "values." In her address to the UN General Assembly on September 20, Livni also called for greater international vigilance against the security threats that she insisted Iran poses.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tzipi Livni,</span> </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > Israel's foreign minister</span><br /></span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >"There is no greater challenge to our values than that posed by the leaders of Iran,"</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Numerous reports in the Israeli media have suggested Israel could strike Iran's nuclear facilities militarily in order to set back its nuclear program -- as it did in 1981 against Iraq's Osirak plant.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span> </span></span><ul><font><font><li> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > "Haaretz" reported on August 6 that the Israeli army has appointed a top Israeli officer to be in charge of preparing a possible war with Iran.</span> </li><li> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >On September 9, [...] "The Times " quoted an unnamed Israeli military official as saying Israel must be prepared for a "full-scale war" in light of what he called "Iran's growing confidence after the war in Lebanon."</span> </li><li> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >"The Jerusalem Post" reported on August 24 that some senior officials are arguing that, "when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel may have to go it alone." </span> </li><li> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >On September 19, "The Jerusalem Post" wrote that the Israeli military's Home Front Command is now investing much of its effort in confronting the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iranian hands.</span> </li></span></span></ul><font><font><br />[<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=284838&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><b>Israel</b> seen lifting nuclear veil in Iran stand-off</a>]<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17096&intcategoryid=3" title="Ivy League inviting Ahmadinejad has precedent in lectures by Nazis">Ivy League inviting Ahmadinejad has precedent in lectures by Nazis</a> </span><br /><i style="font-size: 9pt;">Global News Service of the Jewish People, Monday, September 25, 2006<br /></i><a href="http://www.jta.org/page_bio.asp#Rafael%20Medoff" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="links">By Rafael Medoff </span></a><br />Inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak is like inviting Hitler in the 1930s, an Israeli official has said, in response to the invitations extended to the Iranian leader by the Council on Foreign Relations and Columbia University.<br /><br /></span></span><p><font><font> The Israeli official's remark was closer to the truth than he realized. Although neither Columbia nor Harvard invited Hitler to speak in the 1930s, they did the next worst thing; <span style="font-weight: bold;">they welcomed senior officials of the Hitler regime.</span> </span></span></p><font><font> </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33283634-115955114539394294?l=iraninthenews.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Ivan Kooimannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33283634.post-1159245564478554702006-09-25T21:37:00.000-07:002006-09-29T16:43:03.590-07:00<h1><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span lang="EN-GB">"The </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> Lobby and </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: 130%;"> Foreign Policy"</span> </span></h1><span lang="EN-GB">Wednesday, September 20, 2006<br />[This is a <span style="font-style: italic;">report </span>of the meeting at Georgetown, provided by Ivan Kooiman]<br /></span><p style="font-style: italic;"><span lang="EN-GB">Conference, Contemporary Arab Studies, </span><span lang="EN-GB">Georgetown</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">University</span></p><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"> <span style="font-size: 130%;">SUMMARY</span></span></h2> <p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The backing of </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> caused by the pro-Israel lobby is not strategically or morally justified and leads to policies that are –unintentionally- not in the interests of either the </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> or </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">. Not the Jewish community but the pro-Israel lobby is to blame for this policy. The support for </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> has resulted in the election of Ahmadinejad and Hamas and gives terrorists a reason and become heroes and provides </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> with a reason to acquire nuclear weapons. The </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iraq </span><span lang="EN-GB"> war would not have taken place without the pro-Israel lobby. Thus, the support for </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"><script><!-- D(["mb"," is not in the strategic best interest of the </span><font>United States</span><font>\n. </span><font>Israel</span><font> with its atrocious war crimes and domestic\ndiscrimination of its Arab population is not a model democracy and therefore\nthe support for </span><font>Israel</span><font> is not justified on moral grounds. </span><font>Iran</span><font> is not a threat to the \n</span><font>United States</span><font>, and on the basis of \'guaranteed mutual\nannihilation\', a nuclear </span><font>Iran</span><font> is neither a threat to </span><font>Israel</span><font>.</span></p><p>\n<font><br /></span></p><font></span><font></span><font><font><font>Speakers</span></span>\n</span><font><font>:<br /></span></span>\n\n<ul><li><font>Peter Kogh, </span><font>Georgetown</span><font> </span><font>\nUniversity</span><font> (Introduction)</span></li><li><font>Stephen M. Walt, </span><font>John</span><font>\n </span><font>F.</span><font> </span><font>Kennedy</span><font> </span><font>School</span><font>\n of Government</span></li><li><font>John Mearsheimer, Department of\n Political Science, </span><font>University</span><font> of </span><font>Chicago</span><font></span></li></ul><br /><h2>\n<font><font>Ojective of meeting</span></span></h2>\n\n<p><font>To provide a summary of their co</span>-authored\nthesis &quot;The Israel Lobby and ",1] ); //--></script> is not in the strategic best interest of the </span><span lang="EN-GB">United States</span><span lang="EN-GB"> . </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> with its atrocious war crimes and domestic discrimination of its Arab population is not a model democracy and therefore the support for </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> is not justified on moral grounds. </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> is not a threat to the </span><span lang="EN-GB">United States</span><span lang="EN-GB">, and on the basis of 'guaranteed mutual annihilation', a nuclear </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> is neither a threat to </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><span lang="EN-GB"></span><span lang="EN-GB"></span><font><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Speakers</span></span> <span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-weight: bold;">:<br /></span></span> </span><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><font><font><font><li><span lang="EN-GB">Peter Kogh, </span><span lang="EN-GB">Georgetown</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB"> University</span><span lang="EN-GB"> (Introduction)</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">Stephen M. Walt, </span><span lang="EN-GB">John</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">F.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Kennedy</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">School</span><span lang="EN-GB"> of Government</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB">John Mearsheimer, Department of Political Science, </span><span lang="EN-GB">University</span><span lang="EN-GB"> of </span><span lang="EN-GB">Chicago</span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></li></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: 130%;">Ojective of meeting</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>To provide a summary of their co</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>-authored thesis "The Israel Lobby and <script><!-- D(["mb","U.S. Foreign Policy&quot; and provide\nreactions following the<font> \'stir –up\' their thesis\nhas created after its publication.</span></p><p><br /><font></span><font></span></p><p>\n<font><font> </span><font>Stephen M. Walt, </span><font>John</span><font> </span><font>\nF.</span><font> </span><font>Kennedy</span><font> </span><font>School</span><font> of Government\n</span></span></p>\n\n<i><font></span></i>\n\n<p><font>Walt starts out with his disappointment of the many\n\'ad hominem\' attacks the two authors received and the lack of substantial,\nfactual criticism.</span></p>\n\n<p><font>He pleases the crowd when giving examples of the\nreactions received; such as the implicit Nazi association by referring to them\nas the &quot;blue-eyed&quot; authors with &quot;Germanic&quot; names. Also he\npoints out that some criticism claimed the work to be sloppy, however after\nhaving written many books and more articles in their 25 years of experience\nthey had never heard such criticism, could it be, Walt suggests in a bon mot\nremark, that we all of a sudden chose this moment to become sloppy? (the crowd\nlaughs fervently about this weak ad populum argumentation)</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font><font>Some\nprovided \'facts\';</span></span><font></span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>The </span><font>U.S.</span><font> provides </span><font>Israel\n</span><font> with 3 billion of (that is $500 p/capita) of\n support, despite ",1] ); //--></script>U.S. Foreign Policy" and provide reactions following the<span lang="EN-GB"> 'stir –up' their thesis has created after its publication.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span lang="EN-GB"></span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span style="font-size: 130%;"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" lang="EN-GB">Stephen M. Walt, </span><span lang="EN-GB">John</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB"> F.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Kennedy</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">School</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> of Government </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <i><span lang="EN-GB"></span></i> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Walt starts out with his disappointment of the many 'ad hominem' attacks the two authors received and the lack of substantial, factual criticism.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>He pleases the crowd when giving examples of the reactions received; such as the implicit Nazi association by referring to them as the "blue-eyed" authors with "Germanic" names. Also he points out that some criticism claimed the work to be sloppy, however after having written many books and more articles in their 25 years of experience they had never heard such criticism, could it be, Walt suggests in a bon mot remark, that we all of a sudden chose this moment to become sloppy? (the crowd laughs fervently about this weak ad populum argumentation)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Some provided 'facts';</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> provides </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel </span><span lang="EN-GB"> with 3 billion of (that is $500 p/capita) of support, despite <script><!-- D(["mb","</span><font>Israel</span><font> being a developed economy. The support is regardless of the policy\n </span><font>Israel</span><font> pursues.</span></li><li><font>The </span><font>\nU.S.</span><font> has taken a one-sided approach with its role in\n the Arab-Israeli peace process.</span></li><li><font>Israel</span><font>\'s policy is exempt from any serious criticism by\n the mainstream media</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font><br />\nOften it is argued that the support for </span><font>Israel</span><font> is justifiable based on <b>strategic </b>and <b>moral\n</b>grounds. Both conclusions are wrong however.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<br />\n</span><font><font><font>STRATEGIC\nINTERESTS</span></span></span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\nDuring the cold war there was a strategic interest served by the support for </span><font>Israel</span><font>. Some argue that this is still the case with regard\nto the current war on terror.</span></p>\n\n\n\n<p><font>This causal relation is backward, because support for </span><font>Israel</span><font> has contributed to hate towards the \n</span><font>U.S.</span><font>, thus terrorism. Osama Bin laden has many times\nrevered to </span><font>Israel</span><font> as an important issue for his hatred towards the </span><font>United States</span><font>\n.</span></p>\n\n<p><font>In addition, opposing </span><font>Iran</span><font>\'s nuclear ambitions based on the threat to </span>\n<font>Israel</span><font>",1] ); //--></script></span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> being a developed economy. The support is regardless of the policy </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> pursues.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The </span><span lang="EN-GB"> U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> has taken a one-sided approach with its role in the Arab-Israeli peace process.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">'s policy is exempt from any serious criticism by the mainstream media</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />Often it is argued that the support for </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> is justifiable based on <b>strategic </b>and <b>moral </b>grounds. Both conclusions are wrong however.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-weight: bold;">STRATEGIC INTERESTS</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />During the cold war there was a strategic interest served by the support for </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>. Some argue that this is still the case with regard to the current war on terror.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>This causal relation is backward, because support for </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> has contributed to hate towards the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>, thus terrorism. Osama Bin laden has many times revered to </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> as an important issue for his hatred towards the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>United States</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> .</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>In addition, opposing </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Iran</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>'s nuclear ambitions based on the threat to </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> <span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"><script><!-- D(["mb"," is also not in the best interest of the </span><font>U.S.</span><font>, since this is not a threat to the </span>\n<font>U.S.</span><font> Since </span><font>Israel</span><font> has nuclear weapons itself, argued from the concept\nof \'guaranteed mutual annihilation\' there is no real threat even for </span><font>Israel</span><font> when </span><font>Iran</span><font>\n obtains nuclear weapons.</span></p>\n\n<p><font>It makes the </span><font>U.S.</span><font> look hypocritical that it accepts </span><font>\nIsrael</span><font> having nuclear weapons and denies this to </span><font>Iran</span><font>.<br />\n<br />\n</span><font><font>Conclusion:</span></span><font> the support for Israel is NOT helping in the war on\nterror</span></p>\n\n<p><font>Nevertheless, </span><font>Israel</span><font> has a right to exist (he wants to underscore this), but there is just\nno threat to its annihilation. In addition many threats to </span><font>Israel</span><font> are partly due to the failure of both sides to\nconclude the peace process.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font><font><font>MORAL\nSUPPORT</span></span></span></p>\n\n<p><font>The idea that </span><font>Israel</span><font> is a democracy within the </span><font>\nMiddle East</span><font> and should\ntherefore be preserved has problems as well; </span><font>Israel</span><font> is not the type of democracy we often think it is.</span></p>\n\n<p><font>For example, the Arab population is treated as second-rate people. The\ndemocratic nature of ",1] ); //--></script> is also not in the best interest of the </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB">, since this is not a threat to the </span> <span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> Since </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> has nuclear weapons itself, argued from the concept of 'guaranteed mutual annihilation' there is no real threat even for </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> when </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> obtains nuclear weapons.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>It makes the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> look hypocritical that it accepts </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> having nuclear weapons and denies this to </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Iran</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Conclusion:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> the support for Israel is NOT helping in the war on terror</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font>Nevertheless, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font> has a right to exist (he wants to underscore this), but there is just no threat to its annihilation. In addition many threats to </span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font> are partly due to the failure of both sides to conclude the peace process.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-weight: bold;">MORAL SUPPORT</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>The idea that </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> is a democracy within the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> Middle East</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> and should therefore be preserved has problems as well; </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> is not the type of democracy we often think it is.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>For example, the Arab population is treated as second-rate people. The democratic nature of <script><!-- D(["mb","</span><font>Israel</span><font> can not explain the support it receives. </span><font>Israel</span><font> has acted as worse (underscores: not worse) than its\nenemies.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><i><font>Therefore\none should as where does the support for </span></i></span><i><font>Israel</span></i><i><font> come from? </span></i><font></span></p>\n\n<p><font>The answer is the Jewish lobby. Underscores this is the explanation, however this\nis not illegitimate, illegal and just \'one of many interest groups\'. </span></p>\n\n<p><font><font><font>What explains the success of this lobby?</span></span></span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>The Jewish Lobby is well focused; among wide\n indifference this focused effort allows a minority to be very powerful.</span></li><li><font>The lobby is well-funded; Aipac alone is good for\n $50 million.</span></li><li><font>Discourse is\n influenced by;</span></li><ul><li><font>scholarly\n articles </span></li><li><font>letters</span></li><li><font>facilitated by mainstream media (which supports \n</span><font>Israel</span><font>\'s (positive) messages</span></li></ul><li><font>Think tank such as AEI, Heritage and WINEP all\n tend to be pro-Israel.</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font>He continuous, quoting Frits Holland, Newt Gingrich, Prime Minister Ehud\nOlmert, Hillary Clinton.<br />\n<br />\n<font><font>Questions and statements concerning the Israeli lobby:</span></span></span></p>\n\n<p><font>So why would this study be controversial, when the study only highlights what\neverybody already knew? &quot;We are just pointing out the elephant in the\nroom&quot;. ",1] ); //--></script></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> can not explain the support it receives. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> has acted as worse (underscores: not worse) than its enemies.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><i><font>Therefore one should as where does the support for </span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><i><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span></i><i><span lang="EN-GB"> come from? </span></i><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>The answer is the Jewish lobby. Underscores this is the explanation, however this is not illegitimate, illegal and just 'one of many interest groups'. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>What explains the success of this lobby?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Jewish Lobby is well focused; among wide indifference this focused effort allows a minority to be very powerful.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The lobby is well-funded; Aipac alone is good for $50 million.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><font>Discourse is influenced by;</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="circle"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><font>scholarly articles </span></li><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><font>letters</span></li><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">facilitated by mainstream media (which supports </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">'s (positive) messages</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Think tank such as AEI, Heritage and WINEP all tend to be pro-Israel.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>He continuous, quoting Frits Holland, Newt Gingrich, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Hillary Clinton.<br /><br /><font><font>Questions and statements concerning the Israeli lobby:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>So why would this study be controversial, when the study only highlights what everybody already knew? "We are just pointing out the elephant in the room". <script><!-- D(["mb","</span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>What would </span><font>U.S.</span><font> policy look like without the Israeli lobby?\n</span></li><li><font>Every President opposed the settlements, yet did\n not stop them, on the contrary; subsidized them.</span></li><li><font>This policy has contributed to hate against the </span><font>\nU.S.</span><font>, and therefore to terrorism.</span></li><li><font>Why did the </span><font>U.S.</span><font>\n <i>not</i>\n seize the &quot;Abbas&quot; opportunity? Neglecting this has resulted in\n the election of Hamas.</span></li><li><font>A weaker </span><font>Israel</span><font> lobby would not have resulted in the \n</span><font>Iraq</span><font> invasion, since it was conceived by the\n neo-conservatives. (The Jewish lobby did not want Iraq to be invaded which\n was more a thing of Rumsfeld and Cheney, but wanted Iran instead, yet they\n joined \'the bandwagon\' when that wasn\'t going to happen \'for now\' and\n expected Iraq would make the way clear for Iran, see Perle\'s remark at\n Q&A.)</span></li><li><font>Not the Jewish influence caused </span><font>Iraq</span><font> (the Jewish population was actually opposing \n</span><font>Iraq</span><font>) but it was the </span><font>Israel</span><font> lobby through the think tanks.</span></li></ul>\n\n\n\n<p><font></span><font><font><font>\'Treatment\nof Iran caused Ahmadinejad\'</span></span></span><font><br />\n</span><font>Iran</span><font> provided help during the invasion of ",1] ); //--></script></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">What would </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> policy look like without the Israeli lobby? </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Every President opposed the settlements, yet did not stop them, on the contrary; subsidized them.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">This policy has contributed to hate against the </span><span lang="EN-GB"> U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB">, and therefore to terrorism.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Why did the </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> <i>not</i> seize the "Abbas" opportunity? Neglecting this has resulted in the election of Hamas.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">A weaker </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> lobby would not have resulted in the </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iraq</span><span lang="EN-GB"> invasion, since it was conceived by the neo-conservatives. (The Jewish lobby did not want Iraq to be invaded which was more a thing of Rumsfeld and Cheney, but wanted Iran instead, yet they joined 'the bandwagon' when that wasn't going to happen 'for now' and expected Iraq would make the way clear for Iran, see Perle's remark at Q&A.)</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Not the Jewish influence caused </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iraq</span><span lang="EN-GB"> (the Jewish population was actually opposing </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iraq</span><span lang="EN-GB">) but it was the </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> lobby through the think tanks.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB"></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-weight: bold;">'Treatment of Iran caused Ahmadinejad'</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> provided help during the invasion of <script><!-- D(["mb","</span><font>Afghanistan</span><font>, wanted to give up Hezbollah and recognize \n</span><font>Israel</span><font>, yet what does Bush do? He includes </span><font>Iran</span><font> in his \'axis of evil\' speech. The result is the\nelection of Ahmadinejad.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<b>He notes: </b>strongly reject the belief that &quot;Jews can never be loyal\nto a country&quot;, Walt argues that everybody has multiple affinities and\nattachments, and that is normal and nothing wrong with.<br />\n<br />\n</span><font><font><br />\n</span><font>Reactions on Article:</span></span><font></span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>Walt is disappointed that attacks were ad\n hominem, not content focused.</span></li><li><font>Anti-Semitic charges are ridiculous, aimed to\n intimidate and stigmatize.</span></li><li><font>He argues there was no attack on the content of\n the article, because there was none.</span></li><li><font>Much attention to extraneous issues; he was not\n \'kicked out of Kennedy school\'.</span></li><li><font>Many factual erroneous criticisms, all on\n secondary issues, not core thought.</span></li><li><font>There has been complains that the paper was <i>\'sloppy\'</i>, <i>\'careless\'\n</i> but this has never been a complaint before, 25\n years of experience and many books and articles published. </span><font>Would he now\n suddenly have turned \'sloppy\'? (fallacious argumentation)</span></li></ul>\n\n<h3><font><br />\nIn conclusion:</span></h3>\n\n<p><font>Both the </span><font>U.S.</span><font> and </span><font>Israel</span><font>",1] ); //--></script></span><span lang="EN-GB">Afghanistan</span><span lang="EN-GB">, wanted to give up Hezbollah and recognize </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">, yet what does Bush do? He includes </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> in his 'axis of evil' speech. The result is the election of Ahmadinejad.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><b>He notes: </b>strongly reject the belief that "Jews can never be loyal to a country", Walt argues that everybody has multiple affinities and attachments, and that is normal and nothing wrong with.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Reactions on Article:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Walt is disappointed that attacks were ad hominem, not content focused.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Anti-Semitic charges are ridiculous, aimed to intimidate and stigmatize.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">He argues there was no attack on the content of the article, because there was none.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Much attention to extraneous issues; he was not 'kicked out of Kennedy school'.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Many factual erroneous criticisms, all on secondary issues, not core thought.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">There has been complains that the paper was <i>'sloppy'</i>, <i>'careless' </i> but this has never been a complaint before, 25 years of experience and many books and articles published. </span><font>Would he now suddenly have turned 'sloppy'? (fallacious argumentation)</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h3><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />In conclusion:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Both the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> and </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><script><!-- D(["mb"," face serious threats. therefore it\nis important to have a candid discussion to have a fair debate in the interest\nof both </span><font>Israel</span><font> and the </span><font>U.S.</span><font></span></p>\n\n\n\n<p><font> <br />\n<b>-end of speech-</b></span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<i>[Loud and long applauding, including\npartial standing ovation] </i></span></p>\n\n<p><font> </span><br />\n</p><b><i><font></span></i></b>\n\n<p><font><b><i><font>John Mearsheimer, Department of Political Science, </span></i></b><b><i>\n<font>University</span></i></b><b><i><font> of </span></i></b><b><i><font>Chicago</span></i></b></span><b><i>\n<font></span></i></b></p>\n\n<p><u><font>Concentration of speech:</span></u><font> </span><font>U.S.</span><font>\n stance during recent Hezbollah - </span><font>Israel</span><font> conflict.</span></p>\n\n<p><u><font>Conclusion</span></u><font>: The policy of the U.S was not in favour of </span><font>\nIsrael</span><font> of the </span><font>U.S.</span><font></span></p>\n\n<h3><font><font>Policy was to\nleave </span><font>Israel</span><font> have time to crush Hezbollah. Bush vetoed UN\nSecurity Council against </span><font>Israel</span>",1] ); //--></script> face serious threats. therefore it is important to have a candid discussion to have a fair debate in the interest of both </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> and the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><b>-end of speech-</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><i>[Loud and long applauding, including partial standing ovation] </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px;" lang="EN-GB"></span></i></b> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><b><i><span lang="EN-GB">John Mearsheimer, Department of Political Science, </span></i></b><b><i> <span lang="EN-GB">University</span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-GB"> of </span></i></b><b><i><span lang="EN-GB">Chicago</span></i></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><b><i> <span lang="EN-GB"></span></i></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><u><span lang="EN-GB">Concentration of speech:</span></u><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> stance during recent Hezbollah - </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> conflict.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><u><span lang="EN-GB">Conclusion</span></u><span lang="EN-GB">: The policy of the U.S was not in favour of </span><span lang="EN-GB"> Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> of the </span><span lang="EN-GB">U.S.</span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Policy was to leave </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> have time to crush Hezbollah. Bush vetoed UN Security Council against </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><script><!-- D(["mb","</span><font><font><font>, only when it was clear it was not going to win.\n</span></span></span></h3>\n\n<h3><font>\'Examples of wide Pro-Israel stance\'</span></h3>\n\n<ul><li><font>Prime Minister Olmert; Thanked Bush \'for\n safeguarding </span><font>Israel</span><font>\'s interests\'.</span></li><li><font>US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton; \'Always\n backed </span><font>Israel</span><font>\'.</span></li><li><font>President Bush: \'quickly re-armed </span>\n<font>Israel</span><font> with smart bombs when </span><font>Israel</span><font> ran out of them\'</span></li><li>\n<font>Many politicians have spoken out to be pro-Israel\n during the conflict; Sen. Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, New Gingrich,\n Howard Dean.</span></li><ul><li><font>Only Chuck Hagel \'was mildly reserved\' and can\n be sure not to have any chance during the next Presidential election.</span></li></ul><li><font>The mainstream media portrayed </span><font>\nIsrael</span><font> as the beleaguered party.</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font><font>Why was\nU.S position at odds with the rest of the world? [strategic interests]</span></span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font>U.S.</span><font> interests in the </span><font>Middle East</span><font>:</span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>Terrorism</span></li><li><font>Rogue states</span></li><li>",1] ); //--></script><span style="text-decoration: none;" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>, only when it was clear it was not going to win. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>'Examples of wide Pro-Israel stance'</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Prime Minister Olmert; Thanked Bush 'for safeguarding </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">'s interests'.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton; 'Always backed </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">'.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">President Bush: 'quickly re-armed </span> <span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> with smart bombs when </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> ran out of them'</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-GB">Many politicians have spoken out to be pro-Israel during the conflict; Sen. Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, New Gingrich, Howard Dean.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="circle"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Only Chuck Hagel 'was mildly reserved' and can be sure not to have any chance during the next Presidential election.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">The mainstream media portrayed </span><span lang="EN-GB"> Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> as the beleaguered party.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Why was U.S position at odds with the rest of the world? [strategic interests]</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> interests in the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Middle East</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><font>Terrorism</span></li><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><font>Rogue states</span></li><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><script><!-- D(["mb","\n<font>War in Iraq</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font><br />\nPro-Israel will compromise all these issues. </span><font>Iran</span><font> has more than ever reason to obtain nuclear weapons. The\npro-Israel stance has created a divide between the </span><font>U.S.</span><font> and </span><font>Europe</span><font>.<font>\n </span></span></p>\n\n<p><u><font>Conclusion</span></u><font>; </span><font>\nIsrael</span><font> is not a strategic asset.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<font><font>Mora</span></span></span><font><font>l reasons</span></span><font></span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>Israel</span><font> has right to defend itself -he agrees-</span></li><li>\n<font>Actions with rules of war -NO- : Aim was to\n destroy infrastructure and kill civilians.</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font><font>He\nreminds the audience of the start of war:</span></span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\nKidnapping of Israeli soldiers was followed by \'mortars to divert\' (nothing\nhit, nothing dangerous, he basically \'waives\' this as a serious matter)</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\nAlthough Hezbollah initiated, </span><font>Israel</span><font> created the conflict to the extend it was about to\nbecome.<br />\n<br />\nHe continuous with multiple detailed eye-witness accounts and experts on\ndevastation, committed solely by </span><font>Israel</span><font>.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<br />\nRules of War;</span></p>\n\n<ul><li>",1] ); //--></script> <font>War in Iraq</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />Pro-Israel will compromise all these issues. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Iran</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> has more than ever reason to obtain nuclear weapons. The pro-Israel stance has created a divide between the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> and </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Europe</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>.<font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span lang="EN-GB">Conclusion</span></u><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB">; </span><span lang="EN-GB"> Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> is not a strategic asset.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><font><font>Mora</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>l reasons<font></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB"> has right to defend itself -he agrees-</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-GB">Actions with rules of war -NO- : Aim was to destroy infrastructure and kill civilians.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>He reminds the audience of the start of war:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />Kidnapping of Israeli soldiers was followed by 'mortars to divert' (nothing hit, nothing dangerous, he basically 'waives' this as a serious matter)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />Although Hezbollah initiated, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> created the conflict to the extend it was about to become.<br /><br />He continuous with multiple detailed eye-witness accounts and experts on devastation, committed solely by </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br />Rules of War;</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><script><!-- D(["mb","<font>Attacking civilians targets should be avoided</span></li><li><font>Ensure\n non-excessive damage</span></li><li><font>Great care to minimize collateral damage</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font><br />\n-</span><font>Israel</span><font> did not meet any of these rules of war-</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<br />\n</span><font><font><font>\'Human\nshield\' claim:</span></span></span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\nHuman Rights Watch contradicts this argument; Human Rights Watch found NO cases\nwhere Hezbollah deliberately used civilians as shields.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<br />\nThe counter-argument that Hezbollah did not use civilians as shield on purpose,\nit might be because of the method of war fare.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n-however this argument does not hold either-</span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>Only one out of 24 cases suggest that Hezbollah\n weapons were present where civilians were attacked.</span></li></ul>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<font><font>Proportionality</span></span><br />\n<br />\nQuotes: Dan Gillerman (Israeli Ambassador to U.N.) &quot;To them stating we are\nusing disproportionate violence; Damn right we are&quot;.</span></p>\n\n<p><font>U.S. House of Representatives resolution to minimize\ndamage was refused.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font><font><font>Example\nof \'crushed criticism\':</span></span></span></p>\n\n<p>\n\n</p>\n\n<p>",1] ); //--></script><span lang="EN-GB">Attacking civilians targets should be avoided</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><font>Ensure non-excessive damage</span></li><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Great care to minimize collateral damage</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />-</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> did not meet any of these rules of war-</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-weight: bold;">'Human shield' claim:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />Human Rights Watch contradicts this argument; Human Rights Watch found NO cases where Hezbollah deliberately used civilians as shields.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br />The counter-argument that Hezbollah did not use civilians as shield on purpose, it might be because of the method of war fare.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />-however this argument does not hold either-</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Only one out of 24 cases suggest that Hezbollah weapons were present where civilians were attacked.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><font>Proportionality</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br />Quotes: Dan Gillerman (Israeli Ambassador to U.N.) "To them stating we are using disproportionate violence; Damn right we are".</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>U.S. House of Representatives resolution to minimize damage was refused.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example of 'crushed criticism':</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><script><!-- D(["mb","<font>Illustrates a story of how a representative wrote a\nletter to Rice urging for cease-fire & international intervention. He later\napologized for letter, not wanted to be anti-Israel and went on \'pro-Israel\ntour\' sponsored by Aipac. That to some still \'wasn\'t enough\'.</span></p>\n\n\n\n<p><font><br />\n<font><font><font>Other testimonies:</span></span></span></span></p>\n\n<p><font>Thomas Ricks [Washington Post]: </span><font>Israel</span><font> deliberately left pockets of rockets in \n</span><font>Lebanon</span><font> to serve as an excuse for further attacks.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\nHoward Friedman; only one nation backed Israel U.S., that support is because of\nyou (</span><font>Israel</span><font> lobby).<br />\n<br />\n</span><font><font>\'Explanation\'</span></span><font><br />\nWilliam Kristol; Israel war is our war.</span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<br />\nElliot Abrams, David Wurmser are White House advisors, this explains the\nsupport for </span><font>Israel</span><font>.<br />\n<br />\n</span><font><font>Conclusion:</span></span><font><br />\nAs long as the pro-Israel lobby stays strong and influential, policy will\nalways stay detrimental to all (U.S. and Israel).</span></p>\n\n<p><b><font>-End of speech-</span></b></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n<br />\n<i>[Loud applaud, continues for at least 1-2\nminutes, standing ovation and cheering.]</i></span></p>\n\n<p><font><br />\n</span><font><font>Q&A</span></span><font><br />\n<br />\nSome remarks made by Walt and Mearsheimer:",1] ); //--></script><span lang="EN-GB">Illustrates a story of how a representative wrote a letter to Rice urging for cease-fire & international intervention. He later apologized for letter, not wanted to be anti-Israel and went on 'pro-Israel tour' sponsored by Aipac. That to some still 'wasn't enough'.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><font><font><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other testimonies:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Thomas Ricks [Washington Post]: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> deliberately left pockets of rockets in </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Lebanon</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> to serve as an excuse for further attacks.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br />Howard Friedman; only one nation backed Israel U.S., that support is because of you (</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> lobby).<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>'Explanation'<span lang="EN-GB"><br />William Kristol; Israel war is our war.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br />Elliot Abrams, David Wurmser are White House advisors, this explains the support for </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Israel</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font>Conclusion:<span lang="EN-GB"><br />As long as the pro-Israel lobby stays strong and influential, policy will always stay detrimental to all (U.S. and Israel).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><b><span lang="EN-GB">-End of speech-</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /><br /><i>[Loud applaud, continues for at least 1-2 minutes, standing ovation and cheering.]</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="font-size: 14px;" lang="EN-GB">Q&A</span><span lang="EN-GB"><br /><br />Some remarks made by Walt and Mearsheimer:<script><!-- D(["mb","</span></p>\n\n<ul><li><font>Walt: &quot;Why give Osama Bin Laden -even if he doesn\'t\n believe in his message and is just a \'propagandist\'- arguments for his\n rhetoric?&quot; (by defending </span><font>Israel</span><font>)</span></li><li><font>&quot;Our policy makes it too easy for terrorists\n to become heroes&quot;</span></li><li><font>Quotes Richard Perle: How Perle assumed </span><font>Iran</span><font>\n would be easy: &quot;You\'re next&quot; after </span><font>Iraq</span><font> success.</span></li></ul>\n\n<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />------------------------------<wbr>-------------------<br />Ivan Robert Kooiman<br /><a>Ivankooiman@gmail.com</a><br />(202) 492 3731<br />Skype: ivankooiman\n\n",0] ); //--></script></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul type="disc"><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Walt: "Why give Osama Bin Laden -even if he doesn't believe in his message and is just a 'propagandist'- arguments for his rhetoric?" (by defending </span><span lang="EN-GB">Israel</span><span lang="EN-GB">)</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">"Our policy makes it too easy for terrorists to become heroes"</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB">Quotes Richard Perle: How Perle assumed </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iran</span><span lang="EN-GB"> would be easy: "You're next" after </span><span lang="EN-GB">Iraq</span><span lang="EN-GB"> success.</span></li></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33283634-115924556447855470?l=iraninthenews.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Ivan Kooimannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33283634.post-1159202026525678392006-09-25T09:33:00.000-07:002006-09-25T09:33:57.203-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iran in the News, September 24 & 25</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="itemTitle"></span><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8741">Russia FM says no reason to impose sanctions on Iran</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Sunday, September 24, 2006</span><br />Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday Moscow saw no grounds for imposing sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear program, the news agency Itar-Tass reported<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sergei Lavrov, </span>Russian Foreign Minister<br /><ul><li> "Russia has never set factitious terms to reach conflict settlement. Our goal is to ensure the inviolability of the non-proliferation regime" </li><li> "Russia is not sitting idle and waiting for how the EU High Representative Javier Solana’s talks on Iran will end. It is actively working with the Iranian counterparts to ensure a maximally favourable result of such contacts" </li><li> "All partakers in the talks call for pooling efforts to settle the problem by political and diplomatic means. There are enough possibilities for finding such solution to the problem" </li></ul><br /><a href="http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1157913687212&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull" title="China urges diplomatic approach to N. Korea, Iran">China urges diplomatic approach to N. Korea, Iran</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Jerusalem Post, Saturday, September 23</span><br /><span class="lead">China's foreign minister called for flexibility to restart international talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons, saying a "cool-headed" approach was necessary.<br /></span><span class="lead"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Li Zhaoxing,</span> </span><span class="lead">China's foreign minister</span><br /><ul><li> <span class="lead">"We hope the parties involved will be cool-headed and more flexible,"</span> </li><li> <span class="lead">"Diplomatic negotiation represents the best chance for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue and serves the interest of all parties," </span><span class="lead"> </span> </li></ul> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span class="lead"> <p> Support for a preemptive military strike against Iran's nuclear weapons facilities if Teheran continues to produce nuclear fuel finds support in Iraq, Israel and the US, according to a new survey published by the BBC. </p> </span><span class="lead"></span><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_rv2w6xDLGY&amp;refer=home" title="Iran Says `Everything' Can Be Discussed If U.S. Ends `Threats' ">Iran Says `Everything' Can Be Discussed If U.S. Ends 'Threats' </a> <p style="font-style: italic;"> Bloomberg, Sunday, September 24 </p> <p> Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country is open to discuss "everything'' if the U.S. stops "threats'' against the holder of the world's second-largest oil and gas reserves. </p> <p> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</span><br /></p> <ul><li> "We believe that talks are much better than threats and confrontation,'' </li><li> Some U.S. politicians believe "they own the entire world, so they speak from that position, looking down at us,'' </li><li> "If they change their behavior, it is possible to talk about everything.'' </li><li> If U.S. politicians "think that by threatening Iran they'll have results, they are wrong,'' </li><li> They want to return Iran to what it was before the 1979 Islamic revolution, when Iran was "a puppet for the United States,'' </li><li> "We must do everything to be sure that on the Iranian side it will be a 'no'. If there is a 'no', I tell you today on this microphone, there will obviously be a new dynamic at the Security Council," </li><li> "We have warned the Iranians that they will be totally isolated from the international community but above all the Chinese, the Russians, the Americans, the Europeans will be together." </li></ul><br /><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24795057.htm" title="Solana, Iran have weeks to agree on talks - France">Solana, Iran have weeks to agree on talks - France</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Reuters, Sunday September 24,2006</span><br />France said on Sunday that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran had weeks rather than months to agree an agenda for talks on Tehran's nuclear programme before world powers unite against Iran.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Philippe Douste-Blazy,</span> French Foreign Minister<br /><ul><li> [when asked how much time Solana had to reach a deal Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani] "In the coming weeks," "That is not months." </li><li> "Mr Solana considered that this discussion was constructive and for the first time the question of suspension was raised." </li><li> "(There is) a total convergence of views on two current subjects: Lebanon and Iran," he said. </li></ul> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span></span></span><a title="Top Iranian, Russian Nuclear Officials To Meet In Moscow" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=25&amp;a=8">Top Iranian, Russian Nuclear Officials To Meet In Moscow</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article">Associated Press, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br /><span class="news_article"> Iran's top nuclear official was scheduled to meet Russia's atomic energy chief in Moscow on Monday, as international efforts to persuade Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment program continue. Gholamreza Aghazadeh's talks with Federal Nuclear Agency head Sergei Kiriyenko come just days after Kiriyenko was quoted as saying that the controversial Russian-built nuclear plant at Bushehr would start operations in September 2007. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />INTERNATIONAL<br /></span></span></span> <p class="textView"> <br /></p> <p class="textView"> <a href="http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-794340&Lang=E" title="Ahmadinejad: Iran stance was the best in UN General Assembly">Ahmadinejad: Iran stance was the best in UN General Assembly</a> </p> <p class="textView"> <span style=";font-family:tahoma;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">ISNA, Saturday September 23, 2006</span><br /> </span> </p> <p class="textView" align="justify"> </p> <p class="textView" align="justify"> Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his return told reporters that Iran similar to the last year had expressed and forwarded the most adequate and lucid issues and that the General Assembly had been affected by these suggestions. </p> <p class="textView" align="justify"> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:</span><br /></p> <p class="textView" align="justify"> </p> <ul><li> "This assembly has much importance and the global community considers it as an international institute," he said. </li><li> "In this assembly the righteous stances of the Islamic Republic of Iran were forwarded and similar to the past, what we had to say was new, effective and the best," emphasized the President. </li><li> "We can even say that they were the best expressed, because they absorbed all attentions to themselves," </li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />REGIONAL<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><font><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=25&amp;a=10"><span class="article_title">Israel Seen Lifting Nuclear Veil in Iran Stand-off</span></a><br /><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;">Iran va Jahan, Monday, September 25, 2006<br /></span></span><span class="article_text">TEL AVIV -- In October 1973, with its forces battling to repel invasions by Egypt and Syria, Israel did what had previously been unthinkable: It briefly wheeled its nuclear-capable Jericho-1 missiles out of their secret silos.<br /></span><span class="news_article"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Professor Gerald Steinberg, </span>head of the Conflict Management Programme at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. </span><br /></span><ul><font><li><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>"No one should simply assume that Israel would stay where it is now with its ambiguous capability if Iran becomes a nuclear power," </span></li></span></ul><font> <span class="news_article"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > DOMESTIC<br /></span></span></span><br /></span><h1><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><a title=" Iranian women applaud space tourist" href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/09/25/iran.space.tourist.ap/index.html"> Iranian women applaud space tourist</a></span></span><font> </span></h1><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">CNN, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Monday, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">September 25, 2006</span><br /><b>TEHRAN, Iran</b> (AP) -- Dozens of space travel enthusiasts, most of them women, burst into applause at dawn at an observatory near the capital as the spacecraft carrying the first Iranian woman to travel into space appeared in the sky. Iran's state-run media has briefly mentioned Ansari's voyage.<br /><br />Space tourist Anousheh Ansari, who began her journey into space Monday aboard a Soyuz TMA-9 capsule from Baikonur, Kazakhastan, has become an inspiration to women in male-dominated Iran.<br /><br />Ansari, the world's first paying female space tourist left Iran with her family a few years after the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the pro-U.S. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought hardline clerics to power. One of the reasons the family left Iran was that the opportunities for a young girl to study science were becoming limited.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><a title="Iran: Early Race For Clerical Assembly Gets Bitter" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=24&amp;a=8">Iran: Early Race For <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clerical Assembly</span> Gets Bitter [Rafsanjani vs. Yazdi]</a> </span><p style="font-style: italic;"><span class="news_article"><font> Iran va jahan, Sunday, September 24, 2006 </span></span></p><font> <span class="news_article">Early competition to head the Assembly of Experts, the influential assembly that oversees the work of the supreme leader, pits a pragmatic former president against a fundamentalist seminarian with close ties to the current president. Another possible choice, ex-president and reformist Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami, lies somewhere in the middle. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span class="news_article">The man whom many view as Hashemi-Rafsanjani’s likely rival is Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi.<br /></span><span class="news_article">A conservative weekly associated with Mesbah-Yazdi, "Parto-i Sokhan" from Qom, has published a number of attacks on Hashemi-Rafsanjani. </span><br /><br /><span class="news_article">The fundamentalists are attacking other prospective leaders in the Assembly of Experts, too. One of their apparent targets is a symbol of the reformist movement, former President <span style="font-weight: bold;">Khatami </span>(1997-2005). </span><span class="news_article">The <span style="font-weight: bold;">most vicious recent attacks</span> on Khatami have come from Fatemeh Rajabi, the wife of government spokesman Gholam Hussein Elham and the head of the "Nosazi" website. In an open letter published in "Etemad-i Melli" on September 4, Rajabi suggested that a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> U.S. visa </span>for Khatami’s recent trip to the United States is his "reward for eight years of efforts from the Americans, and especially from .the Black House."<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">Pro-reform parties are not standing by idly. They are trying to form a coalition to compete with the fundamentalists.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">But there also are questions about a draft election law that many observers <span style="font-weight: bold;">fear would extend the hard-liners’ considerable ability to restrict candidates for elected office</span>. </span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=9/24/2006&Cat=2&amp;Num=009" title="Iran's young generation key to salvation of mankind: Ahmadinejad ">Iran's young generation key to salvation of mankind: Ahmadinejad </a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Verdana,Helvetica;">President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said here Saturday that the young generation shoulders a heavy responsibility of nation building and helping avert a world catastrophe.</span><br /></span><p><font> <span style="font-family:Arial,Verdana,Helvetica;"> The president rang a bell at a boy's elementary school in southern Tehran to mark another school year.</span> </span></p><font> </span><p><font> <span style="font-family:Arial,Verdana,Helvetica;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:</span><br /> </span> </span></p><font> </span><ul><font><li> <span style="font-family:Arial,Verdana,Helvetica;"> "The present generation of young Iranians are aware of their responsibilities and are eager to fulfill them just as the previous generation successfully defended the country's borders during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war,"</span></li></span></ul><font><br /><a title="Iranian Clerics' Angling Stirs Worry on Absolute Rule" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=25&amp;a=5">Iranian Clerics' Angling Stirs Worry on Absolute Rule</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article">The New York Times, </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article"> September 24, 2006 </span><br /><span class="news_article">Political jockeying by fundamentalist Iranian clerics for the coming election of the Assembly of Experts, the group charged with overseeing the country’s supreme leader, is raising concerns that the government will move further toward authoritarianism.<br /><br />As in the last elections for the assembly eight years ago, the watchdog Guardian Council has barred reformist clerics. And this year, some clerics and some newspapers have been suggesting that a senior fundamentalist cleric who is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s mentor, Muhammad Taqi Mesbah <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yazdi</span>, may be trying to expand his already growing power by packing the assembly with loyalists trained at his education center in Qum.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">The Iranian Constitution adopted after the 1979 revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini provided for a system of <span style="font-weight: bold;">checks and balances </span>meant to ensure that the government would <span style="font-weight: bold;">not move toward authoritarianism</span>. So even as it enshrined a supreme leader, who has the final word on all matters, it created an Assembly of Experts, or religious jurisprudence, to oversee his activities.<br /><br />But <span style="font-weight: bold;">after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini</span> in 1989, a system of vetting election candidates was put in place to <span style="font-weight: bold;">eliminate any threat to the rule of the supreme leader</span>. </span><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;" class="news_article">Muhammad Taqi Mesbah <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yazdi</span>,</span><span class="news_article">[July 1998]</span> </span><ul><font><li><span class="news_article">“Democracy means if the people want something that is against God’s will, then they should forget about God and religion,” “Be careful not to be deceived. Accepting Islam is not compatible with democracy.”</span></li><li><span class="news_article">“Who are the majority of people who vote: a bunch of hooligans who drink vodka and are paid to vote. Whatever they say cannot become the law of the country and Islam.” [</span><span class="news_article">November 2002, the daily Aftab-e-Yazd]</span></li><li><span class="news_article">in a speech in Mashhad this month (about Assembly of Experts vote), [...] ISNA quoted him as saying it was like the vote of the “ignorant for the learned.” </span></li></span></ul><font> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br />HUMAN RIGHTS<br /><br /></span></span></span><a title="Iran cracks down on public eaters during holy month" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8746">Iran cracks down on public eaters during holy month</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br />State Security Forces (SSF) in the western city of Hamedan have announced that they would crack down on people eating in public during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><a title=" Crackdown on Media in Iran Continues" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=25&amp;a=4"> Crackdown on Media in Iran Continues</a> <span class="news_article"><span class="news_title"> </span></span> </span><p><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"><font>Iran va Jahan,</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><font> Monday, </span></span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"><font> September 25, 2006</span></span><font> </span></span></p><font> <span class="news_article">The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned by news journalists in Iran have been placed under more pressure by government statements that imply journalists who travel overseas are engaged in spying.<br /></span><span class="news_article">The Shargh daily newspaper was reportedly banned on September 11, adding to the ever-increasing list of banned publications in Iran and leaving many journalists jobless.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><a title="Four men hanged in south-eastern Iran" href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8744">Four men hanged in south-eastern Iran</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Monday 25 September, 2006</span><br /><br />Iranian authorities have hanged four men in the south-eastern province of Sistan-va-Baluchestan, according to a state-run daily.<br />The four men, identified as Shah Mohammad, Nader Reigi, Abdol-Ali Baluch, and Mohammad Shakib, were hanged on Saturday in Zahedan Prison, the hard-line daily Khorassan wrote on Sunday.<br /><br />Zahedan is the provincial capital of Sistan-va-Baluchestan which has been a hotbed of anti-government activities. In recent months, Iranian authorities have stepped up executions in the restive province in what many Baluchis believe is a response to a spate of attacks by dissidents on government and security officials.<br /><span class="news_article"><span class="news_title"><br /><br /></span></span><a title="Iran: Imminent execution: Kobra Rahmanpour (f)" href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=25&amp;a=9">Iran: Imminent execution: Kobra Rahmanpour (f)</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article">Iran va jahan, Monday, September 25, 2006</span><br /><span class="news_article">It is feared that Kobra Rahmanpour is at imminent risk of execution for murder. The Office for the Implementation of Sentences, which carries out executions, has set a deadline of 12 October for the family of the murder victim to agree to forgo their right to have Kobra Rahmanpour executed, and accept the payment of diyeh (blood money) instead. If they continue to ask for the execution to be implemented, it is likely to be carried out soon after 12 October.<br /><br />Kobra Rahmanpour was arrested on 5 November 2000 and was sentenced to death b[..] for killing her mother-in-law. She claimed she had acted in self-defence after her mother-in-law had tried to attack her with a kitchen knife. Kobra Rahmanpour was allegedly forced into marriage against her will by her parents, due to the poverty of her family, and was subjected to domestic violence during her marriage. She did not have access to a lawyer until the beginning of her trial.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span></span><span class="itemTitle"></span><a href="http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8739">Prisoner hanged in troubled south-east Iran province</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">IranFocus, Sunday, September 24, 2006</span><br />A prisoner was hanged in the troubled province of Sistan-va-Baluchestan, south-eastern Iran, the state-run daily Etemaad reported on Saturday.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span></span></span> </span><h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><font><a title="Five Azeris arrested in Iran" href="http://www.regimechangeiran.com/">Five Azeris arrested in Iran</a></span></span><font> </span></h1><font> <span style="font-style: italic;">Regnum, Saturday, September 23, 2006</span><br />September 23 a new school year starts in Iran. However, in the Jolfa town, as well as in other Iranian towns, troops have been deployed by the authorities in order to prevent massive rallies, the <i>APA</i> news agency informs. The reason for the measure is mass protest actions held by Azeris against opening new schools in Farsi. Five Azeris have been arrested in Jolfa: <b>Muhammedriz Hatemi</b>, <b>Gussein Shamsi</b>, <b>Adil Sukru</b>, <b>Reza Molai</b>, and <b>Zohrab Rashtberi</b>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br />ANALYS / OPINION</span><br /></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2006&amp;amp;m=09&d=24&amp;a=1" title="Ahmadinejad's Gauntlet">Ahmadinejad's Gauntlet</a> </span><p><font> <span class="news_article" style="font-style: italic;">The Washington Post, </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="news_article">Sunday, September 24, 2006</span><span class="news_article"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span> </span> </span></p><font> <span class="news_article">[...] when Ahmadinejad was asked if America would attack Iran. He quickly answered "no," with a slight cock of his head as if he regarded the very idea of war between the two countries as preposterous.</span><br /></span><ul><font><li> <span class="news_article">I had an unusual chance to sit with both President Bush and President Ahmadinejad and hear their thoughts about Iran. The contrasts were striking: Bush is groping for answers to the Iran problem; you sense him struggling for a viable strategy. </span> </li><li> <span class="news_article">Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, is sitting back and enjoying the attention. He's not groping for anything; he's waiting for the world to come to him. </span> </li><li> <span class="news_article">Ahmadinejad is the calmest revolutionary I've ever seen. </span> </li></span></ul><font><br /><span class="news_article">The common strand I take away from this week of Iranian-American conversation is that the two countries agree on one central fact: Iran is a powerful nation that should play an important role in the international system.<br /><br /></span><span class="news_article">That's the challenge: Can America and Iran find a formula that will meet each side's security interests, and thereby allow Iran to return fully to the community of nations after 27 years? Iran can't achieve its ambitions as a rising power without an accommodation with America. America can't achieve its interest in stabilizing the Middle East without help from Iran. </span><br /><br /><span class="news_article">The simple fact is that these two countries need each other.</span><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33283634-115920202652567839?l=iraninthenews.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Ivan Kooimannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33283634.post-1159050380650506432006-09-23T15:24:00.000-07:002006-09-23T15:26:20.696-07:00<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Iran in the News, September 22 & 23<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" > NUCLEAR ISSUE<br /><br /></span></span></span><a style="font-family: arial;" title="Annan Denies Claim That He Told Iran to Ignore Uranium Deadline" href="http://ww