27 March, 2009

Will Iran Be to Obama What China was to Nixon?: Le Monde of France
By WILLIAM KERN
Does the phrase, ‘It took Nixon to go to China’ apply to the case of President Barack Obama and the nation of Iran? In this latest in a series of translations we’ve been doing on reaction to President Obama’s outstretched hand to Iran, …
themoderatevoice.com/27436/will-iran-be-to-obama-
what-china-was-to-nixon-le-monde-of-france/

US judge orders Iran to pay $25M for Hamas killing
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday ordered Iran to pay $25 million plus interest to the family of Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman, who was kidnapped and executed by Hamas in 1994.
www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_
hamas_iran_lawsuit.html?source=rss

Iran and Nato end 30-year impasse
BBC News – UK
An Iranian diplomat has held informal talks with Nato officials for for the first time in 30 years. Senior Nato negotiator Martin Erdmann said he had met …
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7966263.stm

Russia, Iran say neighbors must help Afghanistan
International Herald Tribune – France
A top Iranian official said Afghanistan’s people are fed up with civilian deaths and hungry for new ideas on how to end their suffering. …
www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/27/
europe/EU-Russia-Afghanistan.php

Nuclear watchdog agency fails to elect new chief
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
ElBaradei elevated arms control into the international spotlight and oversaw the agency during a crucial period when Iran and North Korea emerged as nuclear …
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la
-fg-nuclear-deadlock28-2009mar28,0,5061293.story

Iran Clarifies Its Response to Obama – Michael Rubin – The Corner …
By Michael Rubin
There are those who mistakenly believe [Khamenei’s response] serves as a green light to America, but this is not the case and this is the position Iran has held from the beginning of the revolution… The key section of Khamenei’s …
corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YmM3OWIyZ
mJjZTJkYWZjYWU4Njk5YjA1Yjk1ZjE4OTc=

Commentary: Obama sent message to Iran’s people | McClatchy
On the occasion of the Persian new year celebration last week, President Barack Obama issued a passionate appeal for diplomacy and mutual respect to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. extra description.
www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/64950.html

Yourish.com “ Iran and Hamas, partners for peace
By Soccerdad
He will recognize that the United States has its own interests in diplomacy with Syria, Iran and the Palestinians — and allow the Obama administration the freedom to pursue them. He also will not start a preventive war with Iran. …
www.yourish.com/2009/03/27/7106

Iran Election: Ahmadinejad Set To Win Despite Tumultuous Times
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Iran Election: Ahmadinejad Set To Win Despite Tumultuous Times – The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/27/iran-
election-ahmadinejad_n_179942.html

MI Chief Amos Yadlin: Iran Has Crossed Nuclear Bomb Threshold …
By moshebur@actcom.co.il (Moshe)
Yadlin told… the Committee on Wednesday that Iran has “crossed the technological threshold” for making a nuclear bomb. He also said Iran has developed surface-to-surface missiles that can carry nuclear warheads. …
www.iris.org.il/blog/archives/3013-MI-Chief-Amos-
Yadlin-Iran-Has-Crossed-Nuclear-Bomb-Threshold.html

Iran Plans to Attend Forum on Afghanistan
Washington Post – United States
By Frederik Dahl and Zahra Hosseinian TEHRAN, March 26 — Iran said Thursday that it would attend a UN conference on Afghanistan proposed by the United …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2009/03/27/AR2009032701266.html

With eye against Iran, Arabs wooing Syria
The Associated Press
All with the goal of peeling Syria away from Iran. The Arab world’s top powers are eager to block regional rival Iran’s influence in the Middle East. …
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h9
tDEELw-nZyz2kSn2mNjPObYAlAD976FQPG0

Iranian leader assures Assad of Muslim victory
Ynetnews – Israel
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, on Friday that Israel and the US were “weakening with God’s help”.…
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3693207,00.html

t r u t h o u t | Iran, NATO in First Talks in 30 Years
At allied headquarters in Brussels last week, an Iranian diplomat and a senior NATO official had an “informal contact” focused on Iran’s neighbour Afghanistan, where the alliance is battling a stiff Taliban-led insurgency.…
www.truthout.org/032709M

Obama Determined To Make New Friends: Iran to send envoy to U.S. …
By SC&A
“My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community,” the president said in his message …
sigmundcarlandalfred.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/obama
-determined-to-make-new-friends-iran-to-send-envoy-
to-us-backed-afghanistan-summit/

The Phnom Penh Post – Iran rejects West’s pressure
The English-language Phnom Penh Post is the oldest and most comprehensive
independent newspaper covering Cambodia today.
www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/
Business/Iran-rejects-West-s-pressure.html

US takes small steps in ties with Iran
Reuters – USA
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to join Iran at an international conference on Afghanistan in the Hague on Tuesday, following through on a promise …
www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE52Q2ZZ20090327

ANALYSIS / Sudan has become playground for terror groups
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv,Israel
By Zvi Bar’el Did the truck convoy making its way from Port Sudan to Egypt carry weapons from Iran, China or Russia – Sudan’s three major arms suppliers? …
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074309.html

US, Iran could work together in Afghanistan: official
AFP
MOSCOW (AFP) — Afghanistan is a “very productive area” for engagement between the United States and its arch foe Iran, a US official declared Friday, …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/
ALeqM5g91qPxi45SSFOSfFS6WMExOHo6gQ

NATO hopes for more talks with Iran | Iran news | Jerusalem Post
Spokesman calls Friday’s meeting on Afghanistan another good step in engaging Iran in int’l effort.
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost
/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1237727557958

Schneier on Security: Security Fears Drive Iran to Linux
Security Fears Drive Iran to Linux. According to The Age in Australia: “We would have to pay a lot of money,” said Sephery-Rad, noting that most of the government’s estimated one million PCs and the country’s total of six to eight …
www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/03/security_fears.html

Infidel Bloggers Alliance: ISRAEL, IRAN, SUDAN: AN OMEN OF THINGS …
By Pastorius
The latest reports of an alleged IAF strike on a Hamas arms convoy in Sudan draw attention to an arms network running from Iran, via the Persian Gulf and Yemen to Sudan, Egypt, and Hamas-ruled Gaza. The existence of this network has …
ibloga.blogspot.com/2009/03/israel-ira
n-sudan-omen-of-things-to.html

ThreatsWatch.Org: RapidRecon: The WSJ on Pressuring Iran
By Joshua Goodman
But rhetoric alone will not convince Iran to abandon, or even halt, its nuclear development. In order for this diplomatic effort to succeed, the Obama administration is going to have to increase the pressure on Iran. …
threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2009/03/the-wsj-on-pressuring-iran/

Worldview: Obama reaches out to Iran | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03 …
Trudy Rubin writes the Worldview column for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/trudy_rubin/
20090327_Worldview__Obama_reaches_out_to_Iran.html

Global Voices Online “Iran: A Christian Blogger arrested
By Hamid Tehrani
According to several sources an Iranian Christian blogger was arrested in the city of Isfahan in Iran about one month ago. He is a convert from Islam and he used to write about Bible in his blog. …
globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/26/iran-a-christian-blogger-arrested/

Thousands From Iran Celebrate Novruz In Armenia
By admin_huliq
Armenian Public Radio reports that close to 20000 vacationers from neighboring Iran have traveled to Armenia to celebrate Novruz, the Iranian New Year in Armenia due to liberties, affordability and warm weather.Yerevan, Armenia.
www.huliq.com/1/78971/thousands-iran-celebrate-armenia

Atlas Shrugs: THE EXPANDING AXIS OF EVIL: IRAN-SUDAN-HAMAS
By Pamela Geller
Iran-Sudan-Hamas Chain Exposed hat tip Rut (IsraelNN.com) Reports of an alleged IAF strike on a Hamas arms convoy in Sudan have drawn attention to an arms network running from Iran, via the Persian Gulf and Yemen to Sudan, Egypt, …
atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/03/
the-expanding-axis-of-evil-iransudan-hamas.html

South Asia to Benefit If US-Iran Rapprochement Takes Place
Voice of America – USA
By Ravi Khanna Some experts say President Obama’s recent overture to Iran could eventually have ramifications for South Asia if relations between the two …
www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-26-voa33.cfm

Officials: Israel would prefer Japan’s Amano to head IAEA
Jerusalem Post – Israel
The race is important because ElBaradei’s successor will influence how the world meets the nuclear challenges posed by extremists like Iran and Syria who …
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=12377275546
73&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

26 March, 2009

Gorbachev upbeat on US-Russia ties after Obama visit
Reuters – USA
Washington wants Russia’s help in curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reining in North Korea’s missile program, allowing supplies through its territory to …
www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52M2RG20090326

America and Iran The tantalising prospect of reconciliation
Economist – UK
President Barack Obama was a teenager when America severed ties with its former ally, Iran, after Islamist revolutionaries occupied America’s embassy in …
www.economist.com/world/africa/
displaystory.cfm?story_id=13374436

Sudan: Strike obliterates Iranian ship at sea
Jerusalem Post – Israel
… headed for the Gaza Strip in Sudan, a new report by Sudanese sources cited an additional strike on a ship possibly making its way to Sudan from Iran. …
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=12377275528
26&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

RealClearWorld – Articles – Iran’s Promising Presidential Contender WASHINGTON —
Iran’s presidential race just got more interesting, with former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Mousavi throwing his hat in the ring and former President Mohammad Khatami withdrawing his. This development poses the most …
www.realclearworld.com/articles/2009/03/
mousavi_iran_presidential_race.html

The Iran two-step | The Spectator
Bob Kagan, one of the smartest foreign policy thinkers around, points out why Obama’s attempts to reach out to Iran are, from a hawkish perspective, sensible: “So one of two.
www.spectator.co.uk/americano/3481161/the-iran-twostep.thtml

Iran: Tehran to attend UN conference on Afghanistan – Adnkronos …
By webinfo@adnkronos.com
(AKI) – Iran will attend a United Nations conference on the future of Afghanistan taking place in The Hague next Tuesday. Iran announced the decision on Thursday but did not say who…
www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.3143890051

The Raw Story | Iran to take part in Afghan conference: official
Iran will take part in an international conference on Afghanistan being staged in The Hague on Tuesday where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will represent the United States, officials said. “Iran has confirmed its participation,” …
rawstory.com/news/afp/Iran_to_take_
part_in_Afghan_confere_03262009.html

The Washington Independent “ No ‘Substantive Meetings’ With Iran …
By Spencer Ackerman
Iran is going to attend next week’s U.N. conference on Afghanistan at the Hague, but State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid (it’s pronounced“do-good”; don’t act like you weren’t wondering) says not to expect much in the way of …
washingtonindependent.com/35926/no-subst
antive-meetings-with-iran-planned-next-week

Iran Considering New Law Putting ‘Offensive’ Bloggers to Death …
(ChattahBox)—A report from Al Jazeera’s Nazanin Sadri, says the government of Iran is seriously considering imposing the death penalty on offensive bloggers who make posts on the Internet that promote illegal activities. …
chattahbox.com/world/2009/03/26/iran-consid
ering-new-law-putting-offensive-bloggers-to-death/

Tres Fab Sweetie!: Iran Wants Death Penalty For Bloggers
By Bodhi
According to Al Jazeera’s Nazanin Sadri, “The death penalty in Iran,
like in many Muslim countries, is applied equally to men and women, adults and children. Under a strict interpretation of Islamic law, individuals can be sentenced to …
tresfabsweetie.blogspot.com/2009/03/iran
-wants-death-penalty-for-bloggers.html

Israel Bombed Sudan. Rehearsal for Iran?
If that’s the case, the bombing was a two-fold message to Iran: First, that neither geography nor international law will stop Israel from carrying out attacks it deems necessary to reduce threats against it, namely, in this case, …
middleeast.about.com/b/2009/03/26/israel
-bombed-sudan-rehearsal-for-iran.htm

‘Iran-Sudan-Hamas chain exposed’ | Middle East | Jerusalem Post Analysis:
Report of an IAF strike on Sudan not surprising in light of terror trail running through it.
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/
JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1237727547548

Iran says to attend U.N. meeting on Afghanistan Asharq Alawsat …
News of Iran’s attendance is likely to be welcomed by the new U.S. administration of President Barack Obama, who has offered a “new beginning” of diplomatic engagement on a range of issues with the Islamic Republic.…
www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=16185

Parents of imprisoned journalist plan Iran trip – TwinCities.com
By By Dave Kolpack Associated Press
Executives of major news organizations have demanded that Iran specify how a detained American journalist broke the law, and that the country allow an outside group to evaluate her health and living conditions. …
feeds.twincities.com/~r/mngi/rss/CustomRssServ
let/569/200999/~3/3t8tU45UcQI/ci_12000692

Iran to attend Afghan meet, seeks regional solution – Democratic …
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran said on Thursday it would attend a U.N. conference on the future of Afghanistan which was proposed by Tehran’s old foe the United States and called for a regional solution to the “crisis.” …
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/
duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3801457

RealClearWorld – Articles – Iran’s Muddled Presidential Politics
Who will actually win the vote is unpredictable, but not because Iran is democratic. Ayatollah Khamenei, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, oversees the agencies that will run the election: the Guardian Council and …
www.realclearworld.com/articles/2009/
03/irans_muddled_presidential_pol.html

Iran able to build nuclear bomb in year: Israel
Jerusalem (AFP) March 25, 2009 – Iran will have the capacity to build a nuclear bomb within a year but is not rushing into production, the head of Israel’s military intelligence claimed on Wednesday.
www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_able_to
_build_nuclear_bomb_in_year_Israel_999.html

Iran has crossed n-bomb threshold: Israeli military intelligence …
By Sindh Today
Tel Aviv, March 26 (DPA) Iran has crossed the technological threshold for making an atom bomb, Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin has said.
www.sindhtoday.net/world/79289.htm

Report: Airstrike exposes Iran arms chain
United Press International – USA
PORT SUDAN, Sudan, March 26 (UPI) — An Israeli airstrike on a weapons-ladened convoy in Sudan affirms arguments Iran is secretly supplying arms for Hamas …
www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/26/Report_Airstrike
_exposes_Iran_arms_chain/UPI-83391238079497/

FACTBOX-Ups and downs in US-Iranian relations
Reuters UK – UK
March 26 (Reuters) – Iran has said it will attend a UN conference on Afghanistan on Tuesday, joining talks proposed by the United States, which wants a …
uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLK12219220090326

Iran accepts US Afghan invitation
BBC News – UK
Iran has confirmed it will attend a US-backed international conference on the future of Afghanistan next week. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi …
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7965529.stm

timesofmalta.com – Iran says Afghan “crisis” needs regional solution
In a swift overture towards Tehran by the new administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, Clinton said earlier this month Iran would be invited to the conference. The Dutch foreign minister said on Wednesday Iranian delegates would …
www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090326/world-news/
iran-says-afghan-crisis-needs-regional-solution

M of A – Another Iran Scare Story Debunked
By b
A week ago the Neue Züricher Zeitung, a major Swiss newspaper, published a piece (in German) on how Iran allegedly financed a Syrian nuclear reactor program. The Associated Press and many others echo-chambered the report:…
www.moonofalabama.org/2009/03/
another-iran-scare-story-debunked.html

Push Iran on missing Fla. man, Nelson says
By Wes Allison
“I believe that the U.S. has an obligation to prioritize the case of this missing American in the context of any potential improvement in relations and cooperation between the U.S. and Iran, in Afghanistan as well as in other spheres,” …
blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/03/push-
iran-on-missing-fla-man-nelson-says.html

ANALYSIS / In bombing Sudan, Israel sends message to Iran
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv,Israel
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent As the final curtain comes down on the Olmert government, CBS reported a sensational air force bombing of an Iranian …
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074125.html

IAF Sudan strike / ‘Two planes hit convoy’
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv,Israel
Two senior Sudanese politicians confirmed Thursday that unidentified aircraft attacked a convoy of suspected arms smugglers as it drove through Sudan toward Egypt in January, killing almost everyone in the convoy. An American news network said that the attack was carried out by the Israel Air Force.
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074032.html

Iran says to attend UN meeting on Afghanistan
Reuters – USA
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran said on Thursday it would attend a UN conference on the future of Afghanistan which was proposed by Tehran’s old foe the United…
www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE52P1U520090326

Atomic Agency to Choose New Head
New York Times – United States
Only last week President Obama offered a video-recorded message to Iran urging the leadership in Tehran to talk out its many differences with the United …
www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/world/27nuke.html?hp

The Raw Story | US renews call for Iran to release journalist
US-born Saberi, who has reported for National Public Radio, the BBC and Fox News, and had been living in Iran for six years, was arrested in late January on charges of buying alcohol, which is prohibited in the Islamic republic. …
rawstory.com/news/afp/US_renews_call
_for_Iran_to_release__03252009.html

CQ Politics | SpyTalk – Mystery of Ex-FBI Agent Missing in Iran …
It “urg[ed] officials of the Government of Iran to fulfill their promises of assistance to the family of Robert Levinson, and calling on the Government of Iran to share the results of its investigation into the disappearance of Robert …
blogs.cqpolitics.com/spytalk/2009/03/
mystery-of-exfbi-agent-missing.html

Parents of imprisoned journalist plan Iran trip
International Herald Tribune – France
AP FARGO, North Dakota: The father of imprisoned journalist Roxana Saberi says he and his wife are making plans to go to Iran to see her in a couple of days …
www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/26/ame
rica/NA-US-Iran-Journalist-Detained.php

Obama Offers Iran “A Promise of a New Day” | The LA Progressive
By Joseph Palermo
A little recognition, a little respect, goes a long way with a people who have had such a tortured history with the United States.
www.laprogressive.com/2009/03/25/
obama-offers-iran-a-promise-of-a-new-day/

To Make Up With Iran, U.S. Must Fess Up to 1953 Coup: Frankfurter …
By WILLIAM KERN
“The demonization of Iran as a member of the ‘Axis of Evil’ was only the latest chapter in a long line of political blunders. … Iran would perhaps have a functioning democracy today if the CIA, under the direct orders of President …
themoderatevoice.com/27389/to-make-up-with-iran-us-must-
fess-up-to-1953-coup-frankfurter-rundschau-of-germany/

US urges Iran to give access to jailed journalist | Stuff.co.nz
A meeting between Clinton and the Iranian delegation at the Afghanistan conference would be in line with the Obama administration’s policy of reaching out to Iran on a range of issues, from its nuclear programme to Iraq and Afghanistan. …
www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/2292911/US-
urges-Iran-to-give-access-to-jailed-journalist

RealClearWorld – U.S.-Iran Engagement: When and How?
Chicago, Illinois – On Nowruz, the day when Iranians celebrate the coming of spring and the new Iranian calendar year, US President Barack Obama took the helm of American foreign policy towards Iran and dramatically communicated his …
www.realclearworld.com/2009/03/25/us-i
ran_engagement_when_and_how_99240.html

US Urges Iran to Allow Access to Jailed Journalist
Voice of America – USA
By VOA News The United States is urging Iran to grant consular access to jailed Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi. A US State Department spokesman, …
www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-25-voa82.cfm

Maliki says Iraq no place for PKK, Iranian rebels
Reuters – USA
In the same interview Maliki also warned the Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mujahideen of Iran (PMOI), that they must leave Iraq, reiterating a …
www.reuters.com/article/gc05/idUSTRE52O7FL20090325

US Iraq nominee issues Iran warning
Aljazeera.net – Qatar
Iran remains the “real problem” for Iraq, the US nominee for ambassador to Baghdad has said, pledging to work to ensure Tehran respects Iraqi sovereignty. …
english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/
2009/03/2009325213952831830.html