24/12/07

Rice: Enmity With N Korea, Iran, Syria Need Not Be Permanent
SecState Rice left open the prospect of better relations with US adversaries N Korea, Iran and Syria before the end of the Bush administration.
www.globalsecurity.org/military/library
/news/2007/12/mil-071221-voa06.htm

23/12/07

Iran: Plant in Bushehr to be operational by March 2008
Ynet, YNetNews 12/23/2007
CNN quotes Iranian energy minister as saying Iran’s first nuclear power plant will be functional within three months, contradicting earlier claims by Russian company constructing plant that it won’t be operational before end of 2008 – The Iranian nuclear plant in Bushehr will be operational within three months and could begin supplying electricity to Iran’s power grid by summertime, the CNN news network quoted Iranian Energy Minister Parviz Fattah as saying Sunday. This statement contradicts an earlier statement released last week by the Russian company that is constructing the plant, according to which the plant will not b operational before the end of 2008. “I can say with certainty that the plant won’t be launched before late 2008,” Sergei Shmatko, the head of the Atomstroiexport company building the nuclear plant in the southern port of Bushehr, said.
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3485812,00.html

Israeli delegation heads to U.S. to argue Iran still seeking nuclear arms:
Israel has dispatched an unscheduled delegation of intelligence officials to the U.S. to try to convince it that Iran is still trying to develop nuclear weapons – contrary to the findings of a recent U.S. intelligence report, security officials said.
snipurl.com/1vqww

On the death penalty, U.S. sides with Iran, China:
The U.N. General Assembly adopted a moratorium on the death penalty last week, overcoming opposition from the United States, China and Iran.
www.sacbee.com/110/story/585642.html

Rice stresses US policy of ‘ending confrontation’
Daily Times – Lahore,Pakistan
“With Syria and Iran we remain open to better relations, but they must choose cooperation not confrontation with the international community,” Rice said. …
www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=
2007%5C12%5C24%5Cstory_24-12-2007_pg4_6

Iran supports national consensus in Lebanon: Mottaki
Tehran Times – Iran
TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki has expressed Iran’s support for a national consensus in Lebanon as “the only solution to defuse the country’s …
www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=159813

Iran ‘restraining Shia militias in Iraq’ 23 Dec 2007 Iran has decided “at the most senior levels” to restrain Shia militias in Iraq, causing a sharp drop in roadside bomb attacks in recent months, according to a senior US diplomat.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?
xml=/news/2007/12/23/wiran123.xml

Iran Cited In Iraq’s Decline in Violence —Order From Tehran Reined In Militias, U.S. Official Says 23 Dec 2007 The Iranian government has decided “at the most senior levels” to rein in the violent Shiite militias it Blackwater supports in Iraq, a move reflected in a sharp decrease in sophisticated roadside bomb attacks over the past several months, according to the State Department’s top official on Iraq.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/12/22/AR2007122201847.html

ABC News: US praises Iran curbs on Sadr militia in Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The US ambassador to Iraq praised Iran on Sunday for helping to curb Shi’ite militia violence in Iraq on Sunday, using some of the warmest language Washington has employed toward its arch foe over Iraq.
digg.com/world_news/ABC_News_U_S_
praises_Iran_curbs_on_Sadr_militia_in_Iraq

US praises Iran curbs on Sadr militia in Iraq
Reuters – USA
By Peter Graff BAGHDAD, Dec 23 (Reuters) – The US ambassador to Iraq praised Iran on Sunday for helping to curb Shi’ite militia violence in Iraq, …
www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSL23441484

Iran supports national consensus in Lebanon: Mottaki
MehrNews.com – Tehran,Iran
23 (MNA) — Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki has expressed Iran’s support for a national consensus in Lebanon as “the only solution to defuse the …
www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=609972

22/12/07

Afghanistan condemns suicide attack in Pakistan mosque
Xinhua – China
“The Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan describes the terrorist attack as against Islamic norms and against humanity and condemns it,” said a statement issued …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/23/content_7296566.htm

Surprise visitor Rudd calls on Afghanistan
Sydney Morning Herald – Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
PRIME MINISTER Kevin Rudd paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan yesterday to meet President Hamid Karzai and Australian troops involved in an …
www.smh.com.au/news/national/pm-calls
-on-afghanistan/2007/12/23/1198175424212.html

More armored vehicles on way to Afghanistan
Afgha.com – Germany
A large number of the 3100 MRAPs to be procured by the Defense Department at an estimated cost of $2.7 billion are being sent to Afghanistan and Iraq, …
www.afgha.com/?q=node/5397

France could boost troops in Afghanistan
Reuters UK – UK
By Sayed Salahuddin KABUL (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France could boost its presence in Afghanistan to help the Afghan army and…
uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKSP9540920071222

Poppies vs. Power in Afghanistan
Washington Post – United States
It has taken the huge problems that affluent, nuclear-armed nations are encountering in the miserable ruins of Afghanistan and Iraq to drive it home anew. …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/12/21/AR2007122101918.html

No troop ‘surge’ for Afghanistan
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
By Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ruled out a large “surge” of US forces in Afghanistan …
www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-
fg-gates22dec22,1,1927279.story?coll=la-news-a_section

Sarkozy, Rudd on Afghanistan visit
CNN International – USA
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — The leaders of France and Australia were both to hold meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday and visit with their …
edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/22/af
ghanistan.sarkozy.rudd.visit/?iref=mpstoryview

French president visits Afghanistan
AFP –
KABUL (AFP) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew into Kabul on Saturday on a surprise visit to Afghanistan to meet President Hamid Karzai and some of the …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5K89zOZPvSJg5tQPIrf7x9OmuPQ

Major roll call votes by area members of Congress this week:
Kansas City Star – MO,USA
Iraq-Afghanistan war (HR 2764): The Senate agreed 70-25 to add $70 billion for US military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan through May 2008. …
www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/414142.html

Afghanistan’s hidden treasures are revealed
Houston Chronicle – United States
By FRITZ LANHAM Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul, an exhibition of artifacts documenting that country’s role as an ancient …
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/art/5398032.html

Sarkozy visits French troops in Afghanistan
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has flown into Kabul on a surprise visit to Afghanistan – his first since becoming President.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/23/2126198.htm

French president visits Afghanistan
By AFP(AFP)
KABUL (AFP) – The international community cannot afford to lose the “war against terrorism” in Afghanistan, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Saturday on a quick visit to the insurgency-hit country.
www.afp.com/english/news/stories/071222131145.gyq9lv7w.html

French and Australian leaders visit Afghanistan
The new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd paid a short visit to Afghanistan several hours after a visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The two leaders both held meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and visited troops of …
www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/557
1810/French-and-Australian-leaders-visit-Afghanistan

Treasures From Afghanistan to Tour the United States
By afghandevnews
A traveling exhibition of some 200 artworks from the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul will begin a 17-month tour in the United States in May, making its first stop at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. …
afghandevnews.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/tr
easures-from-afghanistan-to-tour-the-united-states/

Rudd makes surprise visit to Afghanistan
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to visit Australian troops.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/23/2126197.htm

Funding Democracy Or War?
By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
The question to ask is why did Congress approve the Iran Democracy Bill when it means more crack down on the pro-democracy movement?
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18940.htm

Iran could revive atom bomb bid due curbs on IAEA: US :
The US ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency challenged suggestions that the US intelligence finding disclosed on Dec 3 reduced the urgency of reining in Iran via IAEA investigations, UN sanctions and steely diplomacy.
snipurl.com/1vpm4
 
Russia: One year until Bushehr active :
The Iranian nuclear power plant at Bushehr will not be fully operational before the end of 2008, say Russian builders.
www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/106015.html
 
Iran, Russia discuss defense ties :
A senior Russian military official has arrived in Tehran to discuss defense cooperation with Iran, the Iranian Defense Ministry says.
www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=35603&sectionid=351020101

Abdullah, Ahmadinejad Hold Wide-Ranging Talks
Arab News
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks here yesterday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on major regional and international issues as well as ways of strengthening bilateral ties, the Saudi Press Agency said. Ahmadinejad, the first Iranian president to perform Haj as guest of a Saudi king, arrived in the Kingdom on Monday accompanied by top aides. Nearly three million pilgrims from different parts of the Islamic world including several thousands from Iran performed Haj this year. “In my discussion with King Abdullah we discussed different ways to consolidate the brotherly relations among Muslim nations,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the Iranian media covering his trip. He described Tehran’s relations with Riyadh as “friendly,”….
www.uruknet.de/?p=39465

Iran decries US interference in Lebanon
PRESS TV – Tehran,Iran
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said achieving a national consensus is the key to ending the political crisis in Lebanon. …
www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=36011&sectionid=351020101

Bush offers olive branch to Iran, North Korea, Syria
Malaysia Sun – Malaysia
As to Syria, Rice noted that despite strains in the relationship, the United State invited Damascus to the Annapolis Middle East peace conference last month …
story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/
9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/311521/cs/1/

US uneasy about Iran-Nicaragua ties
PRESS TV – Tehran,Iran
The US redoubles its efforts to undermine the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as Managua is boosting ties with Iran. …
www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=35915&sectionid=351020101

Nicaraguans wary of Iran’s growing presence in country
San Francisco Chronicle – CA, USA
As part of a new partnership with Nicaragua’s Sandinista President Daniel Ortega, Iran and its allies intend to help build a $350 million deepwater
port at …
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
f=/c/a/2007/12/21/MNU3U0Q3N.DTL

21/12/07

US Wants Iran to Admit to Nuke Program 21 Dec 2007 Iran must “confess” [!?!] to running a past nuclear weapons program or its claims of cooperating with a U.N. investigation will not be credible, the chief U.S. envoy to the U.N. atomic watchdog agency said Friday. [Bush can’t even ‘confess’ to being human – Ahmadinejad should just say ‘b*** me.’]
www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7171672,00.html

Iran could revive atom bomb bid due curbs on IAEA: U.S. 21 Dec 2007 The United States said on Friday that what U.S. intelligence found to be a secret Iranian nuclear arms program halted in 2003 could easily be revived because of later curbs on U.N. inspections in the country.
www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2128237120071221

Rice promises more U.S. pressure on Iran in 2008 21 Dec 2007 The United States is open to better relations and talks with Iran, but Washington will not drop its condition that Tehran suspend sensitive nuclear work, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday.
www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2127475120071221

Powers fail to reach deal on Iran sanctions 20 Dec 2007 The United States and five other powers failed again to reach agreement Thursday on tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ihz08QzoTgFD9PsHdjI9DL0T1yJQ

Russian fuel supplies bring Iran closer to nuclear arms – Israeli Minister: :
He said the creation of nuclear weapons in Iran was a “matter of political will” and that “transition from the civilian nuclear energy path to a military one is a matter of a few months only.”
en.rian.ru/world/20071220/93411246.html
 
‘Israel will attack Iran on its own’: former CIA official :
Citing conversations he had in Israel with officials in Mossad and the Israeli defense establishment, Riedel concluded that “Israel is not going to allow its nuclear monopoly to be threatened.”
snipurl.com/1vod0
 
What Will Israel Do?:
A unilateral military strike against Iran is much more likely following the latest intel report about Tehran’s nuke program.
www.newsweek.com/id/81215/
 
Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran
Top US Envoy: Iran Needs To “Confess” To Past Weapons Program : –
Iran needs to “confess” to running a secret nuclear weapons program up to 2003 or its claims of cooperating with a U.N. investigation of its past clandestine activities will be a sham, a senior U.S. envoy said Friday.
snipurl.com/1vod1
 
Rice: U.S. is open to talking with Iran, Syria if they change their policies :
Rice said the U.S. would not meet with the top Iranian leaders until they suspend their uranium enrichment program, a stance she said is supported by the U.N. Security Council.
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/937117.html
 
Powers fail to reach deal on Iran sanction:
The United States and five other powers failed again to reach agreement Thursday on tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ihz08QzoTgFD9PsHdjI9DL0T1yJQ
 
US hits at Chinese oil deal with Iran:
The US has complained to Beijing about a new deal between Sinopec, the Chinese state-owned energy company, and Iran, in a sign of the rift between the world’s big powers about Tehran’s nuclear programme.
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9b1abb3e-af22-11dc-880f-0000779fd2ac.html
 
Ahmadinejad and King Abdullah meet in Mina :
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and King Abdullah said strengthening ties between Tehran and Riyadh as two poles of Islam’s world prevents enemies to divide Muslim nations
www.payvand.com/news/07/dec/1213.html

U.S. campaign to isolate Iran backfires
Aijaz Ahmad: U.S. may become further isolated in the Arab region view video
whatcounts.com/t?r=1664&c=884913&l=36235&ctl=1625C01:
5F203ADDA66F317E9B5293F04D1D7088EDC3615173C7E546&

Powers fail to reach deal on Iran sanctions
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Dec 20, 2007
The United States and five other powers failed again to reach agreement Thursday on tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.
www.spacewar.com/reports/Powers_fail
_to_reach_deal_on_Iran_sanctions_999.html

Iran continues to support Iraq insurgents: Pentagon
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Dec 18, 2007
Iran continues to funnel weapons and supplies to Shiite insurgents in Iraq, the Pentagon said in its quarterly report for Congress out Tuesday.
www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_continues_to_
support_Iraq_insurgents_Pentagon_999.html

20/12/07

Bush’s bid to punish Iranian banks stalls 18 Dec 2007 The Bush regime’s new policy of penalizing Iranian banks is facing a critical challenge as financial institutions in Russia, China and much of the Middle East decline to cut ties, analysts and diplomats say. Even Afghanistan and Iraq have so far declined to take action against Bank Melli, Iran’s largest public financial institution, which was among the first foreign banks to open branches in Kabul and Baghdad.
www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/18/africa/sanctions.php

NIE Will Not Stall Those Intent On Military Intervention Against Iran
Implications of the National Intelligence Estimate On Iran
By Stefan Simanowitz
To welcome this intelligence as wholly accurate is to concede the much disputed question of whether Iran has ever had a nuclear weapons programme.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18929.htm

Manufacturing Consent For War With Iran:
Pentagon report: Iran keeps funding militias in Iraq:
A new Pentagon report says violence is down across Iraq but notes that Iranian influence on Iraq’s security continues, despite some assurances this fall that Iran was reducing its shipments of weapons into Iraq.
www.csmonitor.com/2007/1220/p25s03-usmi.html