12/1/08

Iran defiant over US nuclear row
RTE.ie – Ireland
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US would not be able to bring Iran to its knees in a row over sensitive nuclear work the West suspects …
www.rte.ie/news/2008/0112/iran.html

Bowling for Boghammars – Iran’s Small Boat Navy FYI
By RJ
The tense encounter between a squadron of US Navy Warships and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC or Pasdaran) and Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IIRN) boats is not a new adventure by any stretch of the imagination. …
www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=565353

IRAN ATTACK!
By mghtmck
But more thoughtful people think that Iran is on to something. It turns out that our Navy has simulated an attack by speed boats (a much larger group of boats and supported by shore based missiles) – in these war games, the US Navy lost …
dailyrevolution.net/?p=1001

Comment on No Legitimate Justification for War with Iran by Bash
War With Iran ;Bush the spindoctor warmonger is at it again.The world has accepted the mess in Iraq with its weapons of mass deception.the recent incident in the Gulf of Hormutz is yet another posturing of the USA in finding an excuse …
blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/10/no-legitimate-
justification-for-war-on-iran/#comment-332427

A Bush Secret Weapon Used Against Iran?
By poppypundit
Obviously, Bush and his Big Oil buddies have figured out a way to accelerate the extreme effects of global warming, and even isolate them against a specific target, namely, Iran. A few more attacks with this new secret weapon, and Iran …
poppypundit.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/
a-bush-secret-weapon-used-against-iran/

Iran Demands Exclusive IAEA Oversight
The Associated Press –
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s top leader demanded an end to UN Security Council oversight of the country’s nuclear program during a meeting Saturday with the …
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRqjZV
1Meppj40hTs8IBOv4DdsQwD8U4HNT00

US: Iranian bombs rise in Iraq
CNN International – USA
President Bush said while in Kuwait that Iran must stop supporting the militia special groups that attack Iraq. Iraqi and US officials indicated just a …
edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/12/iran.iraq/

Why is Iran Still in the Cross-Hairs? by Dr. Ellen Hodgson Brown
By dandelionsalad
In the latest escalation of tensions with Iran, on January 5, 2008 five Iranian patrol boats surrounded three US ships in the Strait of Hormuz, coming within a “threatening” 200 meters. A voice with a thick accent then said in English, …
dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/why-i
s-iran-still-in-the-cross-hairs-by-dr-ellen-hodgson-brown/

Just East of Eden — Iran: Images and Reflections
By Gaither Stewart
Iran is both a great and ancient civilization, and a magnificent modern nation in ways that would astonish most Americans, but if the machinations of the filthy Neocon Washington cabal go according to plan, it may soon be reduced to a …
dailyscare.com/2800/just-east-of-eden-iran-images-and-reflections

US won’t bring Iran ‘to its knees’: Khameni
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the United States will not be able to bring Iran “to its knees” in a row over sensitive nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/13/2137246.htm

Crisis in Iran’s Football – The Federation!
By admin
After almost nineteen months, Iran has a new head for her football federation. Ali Kafashian whose last position was being the General Secretary of Iran’s Olympic Committee was elected by the 67 members of the 74-member “Football …
www.lastkick.com/?p=2645

New stage in Iranian nuke saga?
Ynetnews – Israel
The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – not the UN Security Council …
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3493275,00.html

Some 7200 register to run in Iran parliament vote
Reuters – USA
By Zahra Hosseinian TEHRAN (Reuters) – Some 7200 people have registered to run in Iran’s March parliamentary elections, when reform-minded opponents of …
www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSL1224955920080112

UN nuclear chief presses Iran leaders on cooperation
AFP –
TEHRAN (AFP) — UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Saturday met Iranian leaders on a visit aimed at persuading Tehran to intensify cooperation …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h1fLJL63DFgfRyn_z1s77Xw5mPVA

Israel stressed to Bush that Iran is a nuclear ‘threat’: general
AFP –
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Iran poses a real nuclear threat and Israel made that point clear to US President George W. Bush during his visit this week, …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hc1qLzUeOt9nhRE_yzb8-U7MMaFg

7200 Register for Iranian Elections
The Associated Press –
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Some 7200 people have registered as prospective candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections that are widely seen as a referendum …
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hr64hb-
7K0IuxPwi1xyu5oSWzYPgD8U4D8380

US-Iran naval incident gets murkier
AFP –
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Rival accounts and videos of an incident between Iranian and US military boats have sowed confusion over the gravity of the confrontation …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hpHJ5FXAcdCw7mukNgPD5wGAZJcA

Newsbusters: Iran Will Not Voluntarily Cease Its Nuclear Weapons …
By KNAB(KNAB)
“On Sunday, October 31, 2004, virtually on the eve of the US presidential election, the Majlis, Iran’s Parliament, met in Tehran. The 247 lawmakers present of the 290 total considered an inflammatory resolution. …
pointvcounterpoint.blogspot.com/2008/01/
newsbusters-iran-will-not-voluntarily.html

Pentagon releases video of Iran clash
WASHINGTON – Recent clashes between Iranian and US Navy forces in the Persian Gulf reflect Iran’s shifted military strategy to use its Revolutionary Guard’s fast boats more aggressively in the region, the top US military officer said …
www.gmanews.tv/story/76263/Pent
agon-releases-video-of-Iran-clash

More than 7100 to run in Iran election
Reuters – USA
By Zahra Hosseinian TEHRAN (Reuters) – More than 7100 people have registered to run in Iran’s March parliamentary election when reform-minded opponents of …
www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1217347020080112

US discloses two other incidents involving Iran speedboats
Africasia – London,UK
Iranian speedboats approached US naval vessels in two previously undiclosed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz in December, including one in which a US…
www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?
area=mideast&item=080111201756.n3kp0m1y.php

Soccer-Iran coaching turmoil continues
Reuters.uk – UK
TEHRAN, Jan 12 (Reuters) – Iran remain without a head coach after the head of the country’s football federation said the leading candidate lacked the…
uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKSP33505620080112

US President tells Syria, Iran to stop backing Iraq violence
AFP –
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (AFP) — US President George W. Bush on Saturday called on Syria to cut the “flow of terrorists” into Iraq and on Iran to stop …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gl6i_IxzDVa-KfKHQ5XubtnvWl3g

Iranian exports to Germany rose 50% in 2007
Iran: Iranian exports to Germany were up 50 per cent in 2007 to reach 580m euros, the business daily Handelsblatt reported. It cited the German Office for Foreign Trade as saying that although German exports to Iran dropped for the …
www.ameinfo.com/143519.html

Who’s the voice on radio in Iran standoff?
Seattle Times – United States
By ANDREW SCUTRO and DAVID BROWN The threatening radio transmission heard at the end of a video showing apparently harassing maneuvers by Iranian patrol …
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/
nationworld/2004121278_iran12.html

IAEA chief urges Iran to ‘accelerate’ cooperation
Jerusalem Post – Israel
By AP The UN nuclear watchdog chief pressed Iran on Friday to “accelerate” its cooperation with his agency to so he can shed more light on Teheran’s…
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1199964
901375&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Bush hopes to persuade gulf allies of Iranian threat
Globe and Mail – Canada
The intent is to build a common front to pressure Iran – which Mr. Bush
said this week was “a threat to world peace” – into ceasing its efforts to
acquire …
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20
080112.BUSH12/TPStory/TPInternational/America/

Iran gas supply to Turkey unlikely
Times of India – India
TEHRAN: An Iranian official said on Saturday that Iran would not resume gas deliveries to Turkey early next week if it cannot meet domestic demand, …
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Iran_gas_supply
_to_Turkey_unlikely/articleshow/2694775.cms

Bush warns against Syria, Iran’s fuelling violence in Iraq
Xinhua – China
12 (Xinhua) — US President George W. Bush warned Saturday against Syria and Iran’s fuelling violence in Iraq. Bush made the warning while speaking to …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/12/content_7411135.htm

Huckabee on Iran: ‘you will see the gates of Hell’ —Iran dominates Republican presidential debate in conservative South Carolina 11 Jan 2008
The wide-open and unpredictable Republican presidential race moved to religiously conservative South Carolina last night with a debate dominated by Iran and Ronald Reagan… Asked whether the American commanders on the scene were right in not attacking the Iranian boats, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said he backed their decisions, before warning Iran: “Be prepared, first, to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next thing you see will be the gates of Hell, because that is exactly what you will see after that.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and
_americas/us_elections/article3170279.ece

US military chief warns Iran 11 Jan 2008
The top US military officer warned Iran Friday American warships would defend themselves, amid charges that Iranian speedboats have interfered with their passage through the Strait of Hormuz three times in the past month.
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8_u94X—fBXKO0bJ1-WDPYaYEYw

Hormuz incident shows Iran a threat-top US officer 11 Jan 2008
A tense encounter between U.S. Navy ships and Iranian boats in the Gulf shows Iran poses a threat and the United States is ready to counter it, the top U.S. military officer said on Friday. “There’s no doubt in my mind that shots would have been fired, had the situation demanded it,” said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1128043320080111

Iran hits back over Gulf ‘confrontation’ 11 Jan 2008
America issued a formal diplomatic protest yesterday over its claims that Iranian boats threatened to blow up a US naval patrol in the Gulf. The announcement came after Iran released a video intended to discredit US claims that its ships were warned that they would “explode in a couple of minutes”.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh
tml?xml=/news/2008/01/11/wiran111.xml

Iran says US video was fabricated 08 Jan 2008
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say the US navy fabricated evidence that a convoy of its ships was harassed by Iranian speedboats in Gulf waters on Sunday. The US has released [phony] grainy footage, apparently showing small boats speeding near the American warships.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7178878.stm

US reveals new Iran ‘incidents’ 11 Jan 2008
Iranian speedboats approached US warships in two previously undisclosed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz in December, a US Navy official has said. The USS Whidbey Island fired warning shots during one of the encounters on 19 December, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He also described a third stand-off on 6 January – that sparked US protests – as the most serious incident.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7184400.stm

Iran Frozen Under Snow
By Shahrzad
Almost two year ago, we had the same problem in Iran and snow was around 4 meters in some places. There were no electricity and so people suffered so many problems. Streets were full of snow and for almost two weeks […]
shahrzaad.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/iran-frozen-under-snow/

Syria-Iran Do Not Want Breakthrough in Lebanon During Bush’s Tour
Naharnet – Beirut,Lebanon
“Opponents of this visit, Iran and Syria, did not want success achieved in the Lebanese file during his (Bush’s) presence in the region,” the report said. …
www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/90
0D2793B0B21082C22573CE0025D100?OpenDocument

Bush tells Syria, Iran to stop backing Iraq violence
Africasia – London,UK
US President George W. Bush called Saturday on Syria to cut the “flow of terrorists” into Iraq and on Iran to stop supporting militias that attack US forces …
www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.
php?area=mideast&item=080112074758.aysoon8t.php

Bush in the Middle East: Iran over Palestine, Israel over all
Transnational Institute – Amsterdam,Netherlands
… of a Palestinian state, promising General Sharon in 2004 that Israel would be allowed to annex permanently the huge settlement blocs in the West Bank …
www.tni.org/detail_page.phtml?act_id=17787

Objects From Iranian Boats Posed No Threat, Navy Says
Washington Post – United States
By Robin Wright and Ann Scott Tyson The small, boxlike objects dropped in the water by Iranian boats as they approached US warships in the Persian Gulf on …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con
tent/article/2008/01/11/AR2008011103730.html

ElBaradei to press Iran leaders on atom cooperation
Reuters – USA
By Parisa Hafezi TEHRAN (Reuters) – The head of the UN nuclear watchdog meets Iranian leaders on Saturday to push for swifter cooperation in resolving …
www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSDAH22070020080112

US military chief warns Iran
Pakistan Dawn – Karachi,Pakistan
WASHINGTON, Jan 11: The top US military officer warned Iran on Friday not to mistake US restraint in an incident in the Strait of Hormuz for a lack of …
www.dawn.com/2008/01/12/top14.htm

Bush hopes to persuade gulf allies of Iranian threat
Globe and Mail – Canada
The intent is to build a common front to pressure Iran – which Mr. Bush said this week was “a threat to world peace” – into ceasing its efforts to acquire …
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RT
GAM.20080111.bush12/BNStory/International/home

IRAN AND SYRIA ARE BACK ON THE FRONT BURNER.
By Damian Lataan(Damian Lataan)
Yet again it seems, Iran has returned to the front pages of the mainstream media with Bush yesterday sounding out Arab support for ‘containing’ Iran. However, some Arab countries are now asking why Iran actually needs to be ‘contained’. …
lataan.blogspot.com/2008/01/iran-and
-syria-are-back-on-front-burner.html

Reformists before Parliamentary Elections in Iran
By Yoshie(Yoshie)
Farideh Farhi frets that, in the run-up to the next parliamentary elections, “the ‘successes’ the conservatives have had in defending Iran’s ‘national sovereignty’ and standing tall on the nuclear issue will be touted with a constant …
montages.blogspot.com/2008/01/reformi
sts-before-parliamentary.html

MIDEAST: Iran Looms Large in Bush’s 11th Hour Tour
Ali Gharib, Inter Press Service 1/10/2008
WASHINGTON, Jan 10(IPS) – In the opening days of his trip to the Middle East, U.S. President George W. Bush visited Israel and the Palestinian territories for the first time to spearhead the U.S. role as mediator of the latest push for Middle East peace inaugurated just over a month ago in Annapolis, Maryland. But upon arrival Bush played down his own bold goals for the creation of a Palestinian state amid tough talk from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and in-depth public negotiations about the implementation of the roadmap — a U.S. -endorsed series of goals to be met on both sides of the conflict. “Gaza is a tough situation,” said Bush at a press availability with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas…
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40750

Iran tops discussion as Bush lands in Kuwait, meets leaders
Daily Star 1/12/2008
US President George W. Bush met Kuwait’s emir on Friday after arriving in the emirate to start a Gulf tour aimed at rallying the support of Arab allies against what Bush calls the Iranian “threat.” Bush flew into Kuwait from Israel after his first presidential trip to the Holy Land, where he said he believed a Middle East peace treaty would be signed within a year and called on Arab nations to reach out to Israel. His tour of Washington’s closest friends in the oil-rich Gulf region comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over a naval confrontation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said talks would now turn to “the threats that we’ve seen in the Gulf, the problem of extremism, whether it be extremism from Al-Qaeda, Sunni extremism, or whether it be Iran and its tentacles, like Hizbullah and the part of Hamas that Iran supports.
www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?editi
on_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=87992

Bush in Kuwait to seek Gulf backing against Iran
Middle East Online 1/11/2008
KUWAIT CITY – US President George W. Bush arrived in Kuwait on Friday to rally the support of Arab allies against what he calls the Iranian “threat,” after making a bold prediction for Middle East peace. Bush flew in aboard Air Force One after his first presidential trip to the Holy Land, where he said he believed a peace treaty would be signed within a year and called on Arab nations to reach out to Israel. His tour of Washington’s closest friends in the oil-rich Gulf region comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over a naval confrontation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. But several commentators in the region have voiced strong misgivings about his intentions, amid fears Washington could resort to military action to halt Iran’s disputed nuclear drive. Although Kuwait is welcoming Bush as a friend, officials have said the emirate will not allow…
www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=23855

UN nuclear watchdog chief urges Iran to ’accelerate’ cooperation
Associated Press, YNetNews 1/11/2008
IAEA’s ElBaradei calls on Tehran to clarify all outstanding issues regarding its nuclear enrichment program prior to agency’s second, ’crucial’ report. ’Iran to give IAEA comprehensive cooperation,’ says Iranian vice president – The UN Nuclear watchdog chief pressed Iran on Friday to “accelerate” Its cooperation with his agency to so he can shed more light on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program in an upcoming crucial report. Mohamed ElBaradei, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he asked Iran for better transparency and assurances regarding the country’s current nuclear activities. “We discussed how we can work together to accelerate the pace of our cooperation to clarify all outstanding issues,” said ElBaradei Friday, after meeting with Iran’s Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh.
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3493132,00.html

ElBaradei seeks clarity from Iran
Financial Times – London,England,UK
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr The head of International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday urged Iran to speed up its co-operation and “clarify all outstanding issues” …
www.ft.com/cms/s/74f09eb6-c0b0-11dc-b0b7-0000779fd2ac.html

Gulf states wary of Iran’s charm offensive
Financial Times – London,England,UK
But George W. Bush’s sudden burst of personal engagement cannot beat the active diplomatic pace of his principal opponent – Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad. …
www.ft.com/cms/s/80b6711c-c0b0-11dc-b0b7-0000779fd2ac.html

Iran Encounter Grimly Echoes ‘02 War Game
New York Times – United States
By THOM SHANKER WASHINGTON — There is a reason American military officers express grim concern over the tactics used by Iranian sailors last weekend: a …
www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/washington/12navy.html?hp

Pentagon: Maybe It Wasn’t Iran After All
By editor@truthdig.com(editor@truthdig.com)
Just a few days after the president issued stern warnings to Iran over the incident, the Pentagon now says the threats, which were spoken by someone without an Iranian accent, might not have come from the Iranians and might not have …
www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20080111
_pentagon_maybe_it_wasnt_iran_after_all/

US, Iran Release Videos of Hormuz Incident
NPR – USA
10, 2008, by the Iranian English-language channel Press TV shows the Iranian version of an incident in the Strait of Hormuz with US warships.…
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18022198

Bush takes soundings on Iran
Guardian Unlimited – UK
President George Bush yesterday began canvassing Arab support for containing Iran as his Middle East tour moved to the Gulf amid concerns about escalating …
www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2239587,00.html

Iran cleric urges Arabs to snub ‘bankrupt’ Bush
Daily Times – Lahore,Pakistan
TEHRAN: A senior Iranian cleric on Friday urged Arab leaders to distance themselves from US President George W Bush, who is set to visit Washington’s Arab …
www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%
5C01%5C12%5Cstory_12-1-2008_pg4_17

Cartoon adaptation tells young Iranian’s story
Boston Globe – United States
The country is Iran, and the girl is Marjane Satrapi, who wrote and drew the original two volumes of “Persepolis,” first published in France in 2000, …
www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=10554

A deal for a deal
Guardian Unlimited – UK
If George Bush persuades Israel to stop settlements and end occupation of the West Bank, what kind of quid pro quo will Olmert have won on Iran? …
commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/r
obert_fox/2008/01/a_deal_for_a_deal.html

Iran’s urge to dominate makes it vulnerable
Telegraph.co.uk – United Kingdom
Iran had already signalled its displeasure over his arrival by apparently
harassing US warships in the Gulf. Despite Teheran’s belligerence, however,
…
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh
tml?xml=/news/2008/01/12/wbush212.xml

11/1/08

VIDEO | Official Version of Naval Incident Starts to Unravel
www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011108J.shtml
Gareth Porter reports for Inter Press Service, “Despite the official and media portrayal of the incident in the Strait of Hormuz early Monday morning as a serious threat to US ships from Iranian speedboats that nearly resulted in a ‘battle at sea,’ new information over the past three days suggests that the incident did not involve such a threat and that no US commander was on the verge of firing at the Iranian boats.”

CIA Reveals: We Said In 1974 That Israel Had Nuclear Weapons
By Amir Oren
Israel was also suspected of providing nuclear materials, equipment or technology to Iran, South Africa and other then-friendly countries.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19042.htm

Official Version of U.S.-Iranian Naval Incident Starts to Unravel
Democracy Now! Audio & Transcript
New information reveals that the alleged Iranian threat to American naval vessels may have been blown out of proportion. We speak to investigative historian Gareth Porter.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19043.htm

Welcome To The Persian Gulf
By Daniel M Pourkesali
According to a report published in the New York Times, unnamed Pentagon officials are saying that the threatening voice heard in the audio clip which was recorded separately from the video images and merged together later by the Navy, “is not traceable to the Iranian military”.
www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19047.htm

US Admiral Says Iran Risks Gulf Conflict :
The top U.S. military commander in the Mideast said Friday that Iran runs the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats continue to harass U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf.
snipurl.com/1x791
 
US Navy threat may not have been Iranian:
THE US navy says there is “no way to know” if a threat radioed to US warships in the Strait of Hormuz came from Iranian speedboats, casting doubt on the earlier US version of Sunday’s confrontation.
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/
0,21985,23036718-5005961,00.html

Top US Military Officer Says Iran’s Actions More Important Than …
Voice of America – USA
By Al Pessin The top US military officer says the origin of threatening radio transmissions during an encounter between US and Iranian boats in the Persian …
voanews.com/english/2008-01-11-voa53.cfm

IAEA Chief Urges Iran to Cooperate More
The Associated Press –
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The UN nuclear watchdog chief pressed Iran on Friday to “accelerate” cooperation with his agency so he can shed more light on Tehran’s …
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iRqjZV1
Meppj40hTs8IBOv4DdsQwD8U3SB2O2

Bush in Kuwait to seek Gulf backing against Iran
AFP –
His tour of Washington’s closest friends in the oil-rich Gulf region comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over a naval…
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIUhDaYDpqquF42z2xuGF-oNp32A

Iranian exports to Germany rose 50 percent last year: daily
Tehran Times – Iran
BERLIN (IRNA) — Iranian exports to Germany were up 50 percent in 2007 to reach 580 million euros, the business daily Handelsblatt reported. …
www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=160991

US Admiral Says Iran Risks Gulf Conflict
The Associated Press –
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — The top US military commander in the Mideast said Friday that Iran runs the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats …
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hiAbsRG9
E-8-NncKn6AqbyYZd09QD8U3Q8VO0

ElBaradei calls for Iranian co-operation
Irish Times – Ireland
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog has called for swifter co-operation from Iran in resolving questions about its atomic programme, which the West fears …
www.ireland.com/newspaper/breakin
g/2008/0111/breaking68.htm

Bush in Kuwait to seek Gulf backing against Iran
AFP –
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — US President George W. Bush arrived in Kuwait on Friday to rally the support of Arab allies against what he calls the Iranian “threat,” …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6A
FP1sIUD8GuZgErssHaO8YPsUA

Oil Ministry ready to weather frost
Tehran Times – Iran
TEHRAN (PIN) – Iran’s Interior Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi said that Oil Ministry was prepared to meet domestic household gas need during the new period …
www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=160987

Iran reaffirms validity of Iran-Iraq Algiers Accord
Tehran Times – Iran
After ratification of the accord by parliaments of Iran and Iraq, the documents were exchanged in Tehran on June 22, 1976 and went into force, it said, …
www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=160979

Disturbing Charges That General Electric Is Doing Business With Iran
FOXNews – USA
O’REILLY: Now Ms. Burlingame, Syria also involved, you know, also on the list of the State Department. They do help terrorists in Syria. …
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,322048,00.html

Iran: Bush’s Tonkin Gulf Tale Unravels
By Gareth Porter, IPS News
Evidence contradicts U.S. hawks’ claim that Iranian patrol boats threatened U.S. ships, but the media keep reporting it as fact.
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=uY
GGwMsD7ohMn%2B%2BtEPCj%2FNjhDEmedLlp

Iran,Syria, Libya Form Fatimid Axis Against Saudi Arabia
Sources in the Libyan opposition abroad are reporting that Iran, Syria, and Libya have joined together to form the Fatimid Axis, named after the Shi’ite empire that ruled North Africa in the Middle Ages. The axis is aimed at supporting …
www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4523.htm

Bush Exploits Strait Of Hormuz Incident To Threaten Iran
By Peter Symonds
www.countercurrents.org/symonds110108.htm
Five days after Sunday’s encounter between US warships and Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz, details of what took place remain in dispute. What is clear, however, is that the US administration, at the very least, deliberately inflated the incident on the eve of President Bush’s visit to the Middle East to menace Iran and raise the political temperature in the volatile region

Is Bush Losing His Grip On The Military?
By Chris Gelken
www.countercurrents.org/gelken110108.htm
The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet has released a statement saying it cannot say with any certainty that threats to blow up its vessels actually came from Iranian Navy speedboats in Sunday’s Straits of Hormuz incident.The revelation tacitly supports the Iranian version of events, in that it was a normal challenge by Iranian naval officials for the American vessels to identify themselves, and at no time was there any serious danger of an escalation or any hostile action

Pentagon Hedges on Naval Confrontation with Iran, Admits Threat May Not Have Come from Iranians
By Faiz Shakir, Think Progress
Without definitive evidence that it was Iran who was making the provocative verbal threats, Bush nevertheless seized on the episode.
salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=
xkFWPg7vKC88dx%2BM2K39TkikIykQicAY

Caroline Glick
Jerusalem Post – Israel
For the past several weeks, the leaders of the global jihad and their state sponsors in Syria and Iran have escalated their rhetorical and military attacks …
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=119996489
3886&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

ElBaradei in Iran for nuclear talks
Aljazeera.net – Qatar
Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has arrived in Iran for talks over the Islamic republic’s…
english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B151B9F
2-AEB6-4AA7-9B4E-AFDD05231715.htm

A race against time
The Australian – Sydney,Australia
Bush began his presidency with lofty goals for this region: Iraq would serve as a model for democracy, Iran would be tamed, and a Palestinian state would be …
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/s
tory/0,25197,23039777-15084,00.html

US war provocation against Iran: Another Tonkin Gulf?
By Gaime(Gaime)
The Bush Administration has initiated an extremely dangerous war provocation just off Iran’s coast, in the Strait of Hormuz. With Bush on his way to the Middle East to mobilize a collection of oil-rich US client states against Iran, …
gaimelist.blogspot.com/2008/01/us-war-pr
ovocation-against-iran-another.html

“If Americans Are Wise They Would Not Meddle in Iran’s Affairs
By Farideh Farhi(Juan Cole)
The issue of “US support for some groups” in Iran’s elections was also brought up is a January 8 speech given by Ayatollah Khamenei. He said, “The sensitivity of the leadership regarding elections is due to the concern that some …
icga.blogspot.com/2008/01/if-americans-are-wise-they-would-not.html

US-Iran stand-off not mere propaganda
BBC News – UK
By Paul Reynolds The admission by the US Navy that Iranian speedboats might not have been the source of an apparent threat to attack American ships in the …
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7182637.stm

UN nuclear head in Iran for talks
BBC News – UK
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, is in Tehran for two days of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.…
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7182499.stm

Bush seeks backing against Iran on Gulf tour
Africasia – London,UK
US President George W. Bush begins a tour of Arab allies in the oil-rich Gulf on Friday seeking to rally support for his policy of isolating archfoe Iran. …
www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php
?area=mideast&item=080111095036.qeo9fhtp.php

Iran president visits area hit by cold, fuel cuts
Reuters UK – UK
TEHRAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday toured areas of northern Iran hard hit by a cold snap and heavy snowfalls that have led …
uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKBLA13317120080111

Iran News Round Up
(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his assistance in compiling) Nuclear Issue ElBaradei due in TehranSheikh Attar, deputy minister of foreign affairs: ‘El-Baradei’s trip concludes the nuclear dossier of Iran.’Official sermon urges IAEA to bring …
corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTE3Y2ZmN
TQwNTBhZTg0YWU5ZjQ3Mzc1YmQ4ODQzMTM=

Iran releases its own tape on Hormuz ship incident
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
In this handout provided by the US Navy, a small craft from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard maneuvers closer to the American ships. Tehran maintains that nothing …
www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-ir
an11jan11,1,1867482.story?coll=la-news-a_section

UN watchdog chief in Iran for nuclear talks
Reuters India – Mumbai,India
By Parisa Hafezi TEHRAN (Reuters) – UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei was in Tehran on Friday for talks on outstanding questions about Iran’s …
in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31345720080111

The voice of an Iranian generation
Globe and Mail – Canada
The Iranian writer-illustrator never set out to represent anything other than her own experiences in the book (translated into English in 2003) and in the …
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20
080111.SATRAPI11/TPStory/TPEntertainment/Movies/

Doubts grow over Iranian boat threats —Pentagon climbdown over ‘you will explode’ video —Mystery remains over where voice came from [It likely came from the same lab that edits the Osama bin Laden voiceovers and the Adam Pearlman threats.] 11 Jan 2008
Doubts intensified last night over the nature of an alleged aggressive confrontation by Iranian patrol boats and American warships in the Persian Gulf on Sunday, after Pentagon officials admitted that they could not confirm that a threat to blow up the US ships had been made directly by the Iranian crews involved in the incident.
www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2239119,00.html