US, Iran vie for China’s ear over proposed UN Security Council …
Daily Star – Lebanon – Beirut,Lebanon
United States and Iranian envoys lobbied China on Thursday over proposed new sanctions on Tehran’s nuclear program, emphasizing Beijing’s key role in …
www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edi
tion_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88134

Failed Spy for Iran, Hamas Gets 5 Years
The Associated Press –
JERUSALEM (AP) — A court sentenced a major in Israel’s army reserves to five years in prison Thursday for offering secret information to Iran and the …
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jsAg7LU
GiK1EufX0lDhMF2JWb4CAD8U7RPFO0

Bush backs ‘full scope’ of Iran findings
AFP –
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush endorses the “full scope” of last month’s US intelligence findings on Iran, the White House said Thursday …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ju4JBxMar6JG7hQO_xi609aGpfww

Persian Fire, How Iran will destroy the world
By scottcarless
The issue of Iran becomes more salient as November approaches, especially regarding the situation which developed in the Strait of Hormuz; to me it would appear to be sabre rattling on both sides and having watched the tapes from the …
scottcarless.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/per
sian-fire-how-iran-will-destroy-the-world/

GAO: Iran Sanctions Ineffective
By Brian Beutler
On the other hand, some evidence, such as foreign firms signing contracts to invest in Iran’s energy sector and Iran’s continued proliferation efforts, raise questions about the extent of the sanctions’ impact. …
www.themediaconsortium.com/reporting/
2008/01/17/gao-iran-sanctions-ineffective/

Germany Set on Halting Iran Nuclear Arms
The Associated Press –
VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister said Thursday that the international community remains determined to prevent Iran from developing…
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jHz-Bz3
Pa0Ivga_oNIvTbrBoIN7QD8U7NNMG0

Chinese FM urges early resumption of Iranian nuclear negotiations
Xinhua – China
17 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Thursday night urged all concerned parties to resume the Iranian nuclear talks as soon as possible. …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/17/content_7442144.htm

Israel tests missile after warnings to Iran
Reuters – USA
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert repeated on Monday that he would consider “all options” to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons, a message he and his team had …
www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSL1723222920080117

Livni: Solve Iran issue with sanctions
Jerusalem Post – Israel
By AP Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday called on Russia to support stronger sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. …
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=120057247
8701&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Sanctions Fail to Isolate Iran
By Yoshie(Yoshie)
Delightful news from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO): Iran’s international trade has grown dramatically since the imposition of US sanctions against Iran in 1987. Click on the chart for a larger view. …
montages.blogspot.com/2008/01/
sanctions-fail-to-isolate-iran.html

International community must remain firm on Iran: Germany
Times of India – India
“The international community is resolutely against nuclear weapons in Iran,” Plassnik, too, insisted. And “we will maintain our resolve in future,” she …
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/International_community
_must_remain_firm_on_Iran_Germany/articleshow/2708674.cms

Israel worried as Russia sends nuclear fuel to Iran
Reuters – USA
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Israel said on Thursday that Russian deliveries of nuclear fuel to Iran might help Tehran develop nuclear weapons. …
www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSL1773394720080117

GCC-Iran Watch
By abu aardvark
First, al-Jazeera reports that Iran intends to participate actively and fully in the upcoming ‘neighbors conference’ on Iraqi security to be hosted by Kuwait in April. While Iran also participated in the last round in Istanbul, …
abuaardvark.typepad.com/abuaard
vark/2008/01/gcc-iran-watch.html

Israel test-fires ballistic missile after Iran warning
AFP –
Israel has in recent years concentrated efforts on countering the threat of missile attacks from neighbouring Arab states and Iran, which has itself…
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEB-pL7rDR2kQtFab0EZA6mKYAAQ

German Minister Says World Must Prevent Iran From Building Nuke …
FOXNews – USA
VIENNA, Austria — Germany’s foreign minister on Thursday said the international community remains determined to prevent Iran from developing technology for …
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,323410,00.html

US Diplomat to Push Beijing for New Iran Sanctions
Voice of America – USA
But Iran has sent one of its own top officials to Beijing, presumably to counter the US arguments. Daniel Schearf reports from the Chinese capital.…
voanews.com/english/2008-01-17-voa12.cfm

Turkmen gas dispute chills Iran and beyond
Guardian Unlimited – UK
By Golnar Motevalli and Barbara Lewis LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Iran, holder of massive but under-developed gas reserves, has watched its citizens freeze …
www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7233698

Israel urges intl community to be more determined in preventing …
Interfax Russia – Moscow,Russia
Jan 17 (Interfax) – The international community’s uncertainty about Iran’s nuclear program may lead to critical consequences for the region and the entire …
www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11947459

Will the next president talk to Iran?
By Irancove
Just recently, an incident in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf almost led to a military confrontation between the US and Iran. The naval incident reminded the world that, despite the damper of the recent National Intelligence …
irancoverage.com/2008/01/17/will-
the-next-president-talk-to-iran/

Europe faces up to Iranian threat
Asia Times Online – Kowloon,Hong Kong
By Olivier Guitta United States President George W Bush has just ended a seven-nation tour of the Middle East trying to gather support on the Iranian threat …
www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JA18Ak03.html

Iran News Round Up
Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran National Bank: ‘The bank will soon release 10000 Toman [100000 rial] bills.’Afghan official: Iranian investment top priority for Afghanistan.World companies unresponsive on Iran sanctions. …
corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDg3MjJkZ
WI4NTk0MzNjNDk5NGM4NGNkMzQwY2I2ZjU=

Iran and China in nuclear talks
AFP BEIJING – Iran’s nuclear negotiator arrived in Beijing today for talks with China on the Mideast country’s atomic programme amid a US push for new United Nations (UN) action against Tehran, an official said. …
www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=683796

US, Iran diplomats vie for Chinese support in nuclear impasse
AFP –
BEIJING (AFP) — A top US diplomat urged China on Thursday to back a new UN resolution against Iran over its nuclear programme as Tehran’s top atomic …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYRFojPQdV1hq8K5UrFHXv0mpcgA

Germany Urges Broadening Iran Sanctions
Deutsche Welle – Germany
Germany wants a show of solidarity for other world leaders when dealing with Iran and will push for tougher sanctions at a meeting next week. …
www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3064318,00.html

Iran warns sanctions could hurt oil supply-report
Reuters UK – UK
TEHRAN, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Iran’s OPEC governor has warned that any Western sanctions on investments in its energy sector could endanger security of supply …
uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKDAH72518220080117

Pentagon aide behind bogus Iran story?
An American journalist and historian who was the first to break the story of a secret Iranian peace overture to the Bush Administration in 2006 alleges that the latest Pentagon encounter between Iranian ships and a Navy vessel was a …
rawstory.com/news/2007/Bogus_Ira
n_story_was_product_of_0116.html

Iran accelerating missile work, US says
The head of the United States’ missile defense program sought Wednesday to bolster Washington’s argument for anti-missile sites in Europe by warning that Iran has sped up development of long-range missiles.
digg.com/world_news/Iran_accelerating_missile_work_U_S_says

US presses China over Iran
CNN – USA
WASHINGTON (CNN) — US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte sought Chinese backing Thursday for new UN sanctions against Iran, warning that Tehran’s …
www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/01/17/us.iran/

Iran nuclear negotiator in Beijing for talks: official
AFP –
BEIJING (AFP) — Iran’s top nuclear negotiator arrived in Beijing on Thursday for talks with Chinese leaders amid a US push for a new UN resolution aimed at …
afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvt7RiOsTAEcAe-HQuV4se8jwmqg

Iran says Western nuclear pressure failing
Reuters UK – UK
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said on Thursday the West had failed in efforts to put pressure on the Islamic Republic over its atomic …
uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKDAH72436620080117

Legal mist stokes US-Iran tensions in strait
By Irancove
The recent, and escalating, tension between Iran and the US in the narrow corridor of the Strait of Hormuz has once again drawn attention to the strait’s international maritime status, and to the ramifications of this tension as a …
irancoverage.com/2008/01/16/legal-mist-
stokes-us-iran-tensions-in-strait/

Turkmenistan’s Gas Supplies to Iran
By Plateau
Above Photo is of Tehran The weather in most parts of Iran is definitely freezing. Two days ago I spoke to a relative who lives in a more upmarket part of Tehran. She said she cannot remember a colder winter in Iran in recent decades. …
plateauofiran.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/
turkmenistans-gas-supplies-to-iran/

Bad Reviews for Bush in the Mideast
TIME – USA
Iran’s foreign minister claimed it was designed to give Israel a green light “to perpetrate new crimes” against Palestinians. Lebanon’s most senior Shi’ite …
time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1704296,00.html?imw=Y

No Sunshine For Bush In Mideast
Hartford Courant – United States
That explains the recent moves by Arab Gulf states and Egypt toward detente with Iran, demonstrated by the surprising visit of Iran’s top national security …
www.courant.com/news/opinion/op_ed/hc-
hadar0117.artjan17,0,2380219.story

Iran Halts Afghan Expulsions
By Human Security Report Project
EXCERPT: “Iran said on Wednesday it had temporarily stopped the expulsion of illegal Afghans for ‘humanitarian reasons’ after Kabul called for an immediate halt, the official IRNA news agency reported. …
www.afghanconflictmonitor.org/2008/01/iran-halts-afgh.html

Why Is Fighting Sanctions So Hard?
By Carah Ong(Carah Ong)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just released a new report entitled “Iran sanctions: Impact in Furthering US Objectives Is Unclear and Should Be Reviewed.” The report was requested by Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), …
irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/
why-is-fighting-sanctions-so-hard.html

Iran Decides to Construct Separate Gas Pipeline to Turkey
In a bid to reach a final solution to recurrent gas problems with Turkey, Iran has decided to construct a new pipeline dedicated to carry its natural gas to the Turkish market. Iran had enough reserves to double the gas provided to …
www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/4643.htm

The story of the fake Iran speedboat report
By seesdifferent
The decision came just as President George W Bush was about to leave on a Middle East trip aimed in part at rallying Arab states to join the United States in an anti-Iran coalition. … At 9am, Barbara Starr of CNN reported that “military …
seesdifferent.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/the-
story-of-the-fake-iran-speedboat-report/