16 March, 2009

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan (March 16, 2009) – Pragmatism …
By Andrew Sullivan
The real pragmatism, it seems to me, will require finding a way to live with and balance Iran’s inevitable nuclear bomb. I don’t believe that there’s a military way to stop the development of such a bomb if Iran genuinely wants it. …
andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_
daily_dish/2009/03/pragmatism-and.html

Counterterrorism Blog: Saudi Arabia and Iran on a collision course
By Olivier Guitta
A few weeks ago, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader called Bahrain Iran’s 14th province. Not only did Bahrain react indignantly, but—more important—so did Saudi Arabia. For, even as a potential conflict between Iran and Israel grabs …
counterterrorismblog.org/2009/03/
saudi_arabia_and_iran_on_a_col.php

Israel Matzav: Iran: The sooner the better
By Carl in Jerusalem
Alleged ‘moderate’ Mohamed Khatami has withdrawn from Iran’s election, leaving current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the only candidate for the country’s June election. At least for now. Khatami claims that he will back another …
israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2009/03/iran-sooner-better.html

Rabbi David Wolpe: Clashing Over Iran and the Jews
By Rabbi David Wolpe
Clashing Over Iran and the Jews – The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-david-
wolpe/clashing-over-iran-and-th_b_175326.html

Iran is a tougher nut than Cohen thinks | Daniel W. Drezner
By Daniel W. Drezner
Pragmatism is also one way of looking at Iran’s nuclear program. A state facing a nuclear-armed Israel and Pakistan, American invasions in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, and noting North Korea’s immunity from assault, …
drezner.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/
16/roger_cohens_unrealistic_pragmatism

The Media Line
Iran’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Company and a Chinese consortium have signed a $3.3-billion deal to produce some 10.5 million tons of LNG annually from Iran’s offshore South Pars gas field, the official Iranian Students News Agency …
www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=24563

Muslims Against Sharia Blog
By Gramfan
Iran’s moderate former president Mohammad Khatami has withdrawn his candidacy from a June presidential election, allies said, a move analysts say may boost President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election chances. …
muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2009/
03/irans-khatami-withdraws-from.html

Female Genital Mutilation Said To Be Widespread In Iraq’s, Iran’s …
By admin
Read the full story at Byline Portal by Golnaz Esfandiari, Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic – Tahereh vividly remembers the day in her native town of Marivan.
dailycensored.com/2009/03/16/female-genital-mutilation
-said-to-be-widespread-in-iraqs-irans-kurdistan/

Iran-Iraq – Kathryn Jean Lopez – The Corner on National Review Online
By Kathryn Jean Lopez
Iran-Iraq [Kathryn Jean Lopez]. BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Coalition fighter jets in Iraq have shot down an. unmanned Iranian drone aircraft, the U.S. military said Monday. The Iranian aircraft had been flying in Iraqi airspace for 70 …
corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGZmYTN
mZDk2YTVlODU5YjE2ZTA0NzVjNzliMTc0NzA=

The MEMRI Blog – Full Blog Entry
In a conversation with journalist Jihad Al-Khazen, Hamas political bureau head Khaled Mash’al referred to the dissatisfaction of some of the Arab countries regarding the Hamas-Iran alliance, saying that Hamas’s relations with Iran were …
www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/14655.htm

Roger Cohen spars with Iranian Jewish expats
Jewish Telegraphic Agency – New York,NY,USA
By Tom Tugend · March 16, 2009 LOS ANGELES (JTA) – There was no clean knockout when New York Times columnist Roger Cohen faced off against some 400 Iranian …
jta.org/news/article/2009/03/16/1003749/
roger-cohen-spars-with-iranian-jewish-expats

Iran Says Total to Continue in Developing South Pars
Bloomberg – USA
By Tara Patel March 16 (Bloomberg) — Iran said Total SA, Europe’s third- largest oil company, has agreed to continue developing the South Pars natural-gas …
www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2
0601087&sid=aZy1D2FX2y6w&refer=home

Iraqi army besieges Iranian exile camp: residents
Reuters – USA
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi forces have besieged a camp housing Iranian exiles in Iraq, residents and a security official said, after the national security …
www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE52F3NK20090316

Saudi, Iranian oil ministers: Prices should stand at 60-75 dollars
Monsters and Critics.com – USA
Geneva – The oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran said Monday their target goal for the price of oil was between 60 to 75 dollars a barrel. …
www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_
1464961.php/Saudi_Iranian_oil_ministers_Prices_should_sta
nd_at_60-75_dollars_

Reform Candidate Withdraws in Iran
New York Times – United States
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose aides have said will seek reelection, is supported by the conservative Iranian establishment. But his economic policies …
www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/
middleeast/17iran.html?ref=world

Mullen sketches out ‘US strike’ on Iran
By admin
The top US military commander describes how Washington would engage Iran militarily amid simmering talks of war on the country.
www.prisonplanet.com/mullen-sketches-out-us-strike-on-iran.html

NewsDaily: Iran’s Khatami withdraws from presidential vote: allies
Moderate former president Mohammad Khatami withdrew from Iran’s presidential election on Monday, allies said, a move analysts say may boost President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election chances.
www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre52f1ox-us-iran-election/

Iran: Khatami ‘withdraws from presidential race’ – Adnkronos Politics
By webinfo@adnkronos.com
(AKI) – Iran’s reformist ex-president Mohammed Khatami has withdrawn his candidacy from presidential elections due to take place in June, Arabic TV network Al-Arabiya reported on…
www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.3113364278

Khatami To Pull Out Of Iran Race: BBC
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Khatami To Pull Out Of Iran Race: BBC – The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/16/
khatami-to-pull-out-of-ir_n_175202.html

Mullen: US Attack on Iran Would Focus on Navy, Air Force | News …
By Jason Ditz
In an interview today on the Charlie Rose show, Admiral Michael Mullen cautioned that a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran could endanger the stability entire region, leading to an escalation that could imperil American forces in the …
news.antiwar.com/2009/03/15/mullen-us-attack
-on-iran-would-focus-on-navy-air-force/

Armenian News – PanARMENIAN.Net | Armenian News Agency – Khatami …
In his previous presidential term, Khatami inspired the Iranian youth with promises of social and political reforms while Iran’s relations with the West were less confrontational than they are now under Ahmadinejad, AFP reports. …
www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=29501

Israel Matzav: Roger Cohen’s Fantasyland
By Carl in Jerusalem
Another distinctive characteristic of Iran is the presence of the largest Jewish community in the Muslim Middle East in the country of the most vitriolic anti-Israel tirades. My evocation of this 25000-strong community,…
israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2009/03/roger-cohens-fantasyland.html

PoliBlog: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts “ Khatami won’t Run
This is interesting, as Khatami is more moderate than Ahmadinejad, and therefore there was some speculation (if not hope) that should he be able to win, that tensions between the US and Iran could be eased. …
www.poliblogger.com/?p=15317

Iran’s Khatami withdraws from presidential vote: allies
Washington Post – United States
By Parisa Hafezi TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s moderate former president Mohammad Khatami withdrew on Monday his candidacy from a June presidential election, …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2009/03/16/AR2009031600425.html

Iran’s parliament defies Ahmadinejad on budget
International Herald Tribune – France
AP TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s president is accusing legislators of violating the constitution by refusing to trim energy subsidies in a budget bill. …
www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/16/
news/ML-Iran-Budget-Dispute.php

Pajamas Media “ Zbigniew Brzezinski: More Bad Advice on Iran
By Craig Karpel
Gen. Douglas MacArthur ended his farewell address to Congress on April 19, 1951, by quoting the refrain of a barracks ballad that went, Old soldiers never die,
pajamasmedia.com/blog/zbigniew-
brzezinski-more-bad-advice-on-iran/

Israpundit “ Blog Archive “ Pentagon chief: Israeli attack on Iran …
By Jerry Gordon
On the eve of Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi’s visit to the United States for talks on Iran’s nuclear program, his American counterpart, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, …
www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=10987

Rising Powers “ Blog Archive “ Two thought exercises in American …
By Roger Scher
Today, Iran’s leaders may very well wonder if the US is an implacable foe that will stop at nothing to prevent an Iranian nuke, or instead a sensitive giant, willing to discuss Iranian grievances, achieve a grand bargain, …
risingpowers.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/03/16/
two-thought-exercises-in-american-foreign-policy/

Informed Comment: Freeman and the Coming War on Iran
By noreply@blogger.com (Juan Cole)
History, Foreign Policy, Middle East, South Asia, Religious Studies, War on Terror.
www.juancole.com/2009/03/freeman-and-coming-war-on-iran.html

Saudi Arabia asks Iran to stay out of disputes “ Rational Review
By R. Lee Wrights
“Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat on Sunday urged Iran to stay out of internal Arab disputes, in particular in Lebanon and among the Palestinians. Iran’s foreign minister made a surprise visit to Saudi
Arabia amid rising tensions between the …
www.rationalreview.com/content/60427

Delaware Libertarian: We have learned little or nothing from eight …
By Steve Newton
Yet Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Mullen contradicted one another rather publicly just two weeks ago, when Gates declared that Iran was“not close to a weapon at this point.” Of course, that’s not the only war Admiral Mullen is …
delawarelibertarian.blogspot.com/2009/03/
we-have-learned-little-or-nothing-from.html

Aero-News Network: The Aviation and Aerospace World’s Daily/Real …
Iran’s deputy defense minister announced just last month the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) having a range of more than 600 miles— theoretically putting every US installation in Iraq at risk. US officials responded by …
www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?contentBlockId=
e3607c47-abfe-4b07-a11e-5e9e1dd9b7e4

In Monday’s Europe papers
Iran, China sign $3.2 bn gas deal. Iran and China have signed a $3.2bn gas deal to produce more than 10 million tonnes of liquid natural gas over the next 36 months, according to Iran state television. WARSAW BUSINESS JOURNAL…
www.icis.com/Articles/2009/03/16/9200353
/In-Mondays-Europe-papers.html

Iran Issue No. 1
Washington Post – United States
By Mariam Memarsadeghi and Akbar Atri We are democracy activists who are passionate about our home country, Iran. One of us, Mariam, immigrated to the …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/
15/AR2009031501737.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Global Voices Online “ Iran: In Defence of the Bahá’í Minority
By Hamid Tehrani
The Bahá’í minority in Iran has long been under pressure, and it seems the situation has become worse. Iranian authorities recently accused seven leaders of the Bahá’í faith of espionage. The Bahá’í themselves say they are being …
globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/15/
iran-in-defence-of-the-bahai-minority/

15 March, 2009

Iran ready to help settle Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
Tehran Times – Iran
Iran hosted the ECO summit on Wednesday in which Azerbaijan as a member states was present. “It has been the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran that …
www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=191083

Morocco accuses Iran of cultural infiltration
AFP
Taieb Fassi Fihri criticised Iranian Shiite “activism” in Morocco, nine days after it severed diplomatic relations with Tehran. …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/
ALeqM5iI3Gh7AXpbE4MXEgiPbEDn-eWk-g

Iran on his mind, top Israeli general visits Washington | The Cable
By Laura Rozen
In addition, they said, the Netanyahu government will try to make mitigating the Iran threat the central focus of U.S.-Israeli cooperation, taking precedence over the Israeli-Palestinian or Israel-Syrian negotiating tracks. …
thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/15/iran
_on_his_mind_top_israeli_general_visits_washington

US – Iran scenarios to oust Maliki
By LadyBird
According to Al-Mesryoon, Egyptian – Sudanese Shiite order “Tariqa Burhaniya” (Arabic details on their website, some English information) is financed by Iran to spread Shia’ism in Egypt. This is very strange, there is a historical …
www.roadstoiraq.com/2009/03/15/us-%E
2%80%93-iran-scenarios-to-oust-maliki/

China Confidential: Did Iran Spread Iraqi WMD Disinformation?
By Confidential Reporter
But a number of intelligence analysts believe Iran deliberately fueled suspicions regarding Iraqi WMD and Islamist ties in order to trick the U.S. into a draining, costly conflict. Iran was allegedly inspired by the way Washington …
chinaconfidential.blogspot.com/2009/03
/did-iran-spread-iraqi-wmd.html

Iran FM on surprise visit to Saudi Arabia – GEO.tv
RIYADH: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday on an unannounced visit, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.It gave no immediate agenda.
www.geo.tv/3-15-2009/37442.htm

Iran FM makes surprise visit to Riyadh | Middle East | Jerusalem Post
Mottaki’s trip to Saudi Arabia comes days after Mubarak, Assad, Saudi king discuss Teheran ties.
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=
JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1237114831818

IRAN: Despite sanctions, business as usual
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
A South Korean firm announced Sunday that it had completed construction of a $2.1-billion natural-gas processing plant in Iran, the latest sign that years …
latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylon
beyond/2009/03/iran-despite-sa.html

Mr. Iran envisions ‘major’ war in coming months
Amid lingering talks of war on Iran, Israel’s prime minister-designate raises the alarm about a major military conflict in the coming months.
www.prisonplanet.com/mr-iran-env
isions-major-war-in-coming-months.html

Middle East News | Gulf States to reduce summit presence over Iran
Three Gulf countries warned Qatar that they will reduce their level of representation to its minimum at the coming Doha summit if Iran is invited to attend, according to press reports late on Saturday. A source from the Gulf stated that …
www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/03/15/68463.html

So Much for Sanctions – Iran signs $3.3-billion natural gas deal …
By Bear
(ChattahBox) — Last Thursday, the Obama administration extended U.S. sanctions for another year, because of the nature of Iran’s nuclear energy program and its support for militant groups opposed to Israel. …
chattahbox.com/world/2009/03/15/so-much-for-sanctions
-iran-signs-33-billion-natural-gas-deal-with-china/

Roger Cohen: Iran, Jews and pragmatism
International Herald Tribune – France
One way of looking at Iran’s particular calendar, its language and its Shiite branch of Islam is as forms of resistance against the Arab and Sunni worlds. …
www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/15/opinion/edcohen.php

Truthdig – A/V Booth – Will Iran Come Out of the Nuclear Closet?
By editor@truthdig.com
Israel is believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, though it has never acknowledged such a program. Why does Iran pursue a nuclear bomb? And will Iran come out of the nuclear closet? – Will Iran Come Out of the Nuclear …
www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20090314
_will_iran_come_out_of_the_nuclear_closet/

Reflections in a Chinese Eye: Iran signs $3.2-billion natural gas …
By William Box
China will help in the exploration of the offshore South Pars field, believed to be part of the world’s largest natural gas reservoir. The deals points to the limitations of US sanctions. By Borzou Daragahi March 14, 2009 Los Angeles…
yishilaoshanyang.typepad.com/reflections_in_a_chinese_/
2009/03/iran-signs-32-billion-natural-gas-deal-with-china.html

Iran signs $3.2-billion natural gas deal with China
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech during a conference in Tehran, March 4, 2009. Iran announced a $3.2-billion natural gas deal today …
www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection
/la-fg-iran-china15-2009mar15,0,6808983.story

A ‘back channel’ appeal to Iran
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
President Obama and his aides are preparing to send a secret message to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, inviting him to open a clandestine …
www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/
la-oe-mcmanus15-2009mar15,0,6289330.column

One Canadian MP’s Campaign Against Iran | Mostly Water
By blackandred
With great pomp Mr Cotler made public a document entitled “The Danger of a Genocidal and Nuclear Iran: A Responsibility to Prevent Petition.” The 79-page document argues that Iran poses a genocidal and existential threat to Israel. …
mostlywater.org/one_canadian_mps_campaign_against_iran

Disinfo.com – U.S. and Israel Disagree on Iran Arms Threat
By ralph
Peter Finn, Washington Post: Iran has not produced the highly enriched uranium necessary for a nuclear weapon and has not decided to do so, US intelligence officials told Congress this week, an assessment that contrasts with a stark …
www.disinfo.com/content/story.php?title=U-S
—Israel-Disagree-on-Iran-Arms-Threat