29 March, 2009

Iran missile experts in North Korea ‘to help with rocket launch’
Times Online – UK
Missile experts from Iran are in North Korea to help Pyongyang prepare for its rocket launch, according to reports. Amid increasing global concern over the …
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5994905.ece

International News | US hopes to engage with Iran on Afghanistan
The United States hopes to engage with Iran on issues related to Afghanistan at an international conference in The Hague on Tuesday, a senior White House official said on Saturday. In a diplomatic coup, Iran said on Thursday it would …
www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/03/29/69449.html

Anti-Iran Arab front
By LadyBird
Algerian representative in the Arab League “Abd Hajar” told Algerian
newspaper Al-Shorouk: Arab ministers discussed this in Cairo: Some Arab countries wanted to form an anti-Iran front, Algeria rejected the offer to join this front …
www.roadstoiraq.com/2009/03/28/anti-iran-arab-front/

The U.S. Has ‘No Moral Standing’ To Criticize Iran: Zunes By …
Zunes also appears on BBC, PBS, NPR and MSNBC as a Middle Eastern studies expert to present his viewpoints, analyses and commentaries on the outstanding issues of conflict in Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran. …
www.countercurrents.org/ziabari280309.htm

Reporters sans frontières – Iran
We believe the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression and the special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings should go as quickly as possible to Iran to investigate this case.” …
www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30675

War News Updates
By Bookyards
I doubt that they will be able to reconcile their mutual differences, but Afghanistan is an issue that is of common ground for both Iran and the U.S.. Both the U.S. and Iran recognize that if Afghanistan should fail it will impact both …
warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/03/us
-and-iran-open-afghanistan-peace.html

Lucianne.com News Forum – Thread
‘’Germany prefers to safeguard its financial interests in Iran, and prefers its billion-dollar business deals rather than applying the necessary pressure to bring an end to the Iranian nuclear program,’’. Comments: …
www.lucianne.com/thread/?artnum=460637

Informed Comment: World Reactions to Obama Plan for Afghanistan
By noreply@blogger.com (Juan Cole)
While many in the United States are worried that President Obama is sending 21000 new troops to Afghanistan, India, Iran and Russia are more worried about his hostility to Hamid Karzai and his pledge to negotiate with moderate Taliban, …
www.juancole.com/2009/03/world-reactions-to-obama-plan-for.html

US hopes for Iranian drugs co-operation – Politics & Economics …
By martinmorris18@btinternet.com ( AFP )
Iran, which has not had diplomatic relations with the United States for nearly three decades, did not attend the last international conference on Afghanistan when George W. Bush was still US president. Obama has reached out to Iran, …
www.arabianbusiness.com/550857-us-hopes
-for-iranian-engagement-on-drugs

Obama’s Dance With The Mullahs Picks Up Speed | One Jerusalem …
By Allen
(Shortly after Obama’s video message Amnesty International issued a report that criticized Iran for being number two behind China on the list of nations that execute civilians — only China executed more people.) …
www.onejerusalem.org/2009/03/obama
s-dance-with-the-mullahs.php

Antiwar.com Blog · Washington Post Shills for Terrorists
By James Bovard
The Bush administration -especially Dick Cheney – loved and protected the MEK because the MEK ginned up information to justify threatening to attack Iran. The Post notes that “U.S. officials credit the MEK with providing information …
www.antiwar.com/blog/2009/03/28/washi
ngton-post-shills-for-terrorists/

War in Context – Israel targets Sudan — and Tehran or Washington?
By Paul Woodward
Thus far, Iran conducted a war of attrition against Israel via its
emissaries: Hizbullah, Hamas, and other Palestinian groups. At this time, the war is reaching new peaks; it will be impossible to continue ignoring them while only …
warincontext.org/2009/03/28/israel-ta
rgets-sudan-and-tehran-or-washington/

Matthew Yglesias “ House Dems Send Letter on Iran
By myglesias
Specifically, they state that Iran “must verifiably suspend its uranium enrichment program within at most a few months of the initiation of the discussions” and calls for a variety of sanctions ot be leveled if Iran fails to do so. …
yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009
/03/house_dems_send_letter_on_iran.php

Latin American Herald Tribune – Venezuela, Iran Review Joint …
The leftist president mentioned some aspects of that trip Friday during a meeting with socialist educators, saying that the purpose of his visit to Iran was to further strengthen ties with an important ally. …
www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=330693&CategoryId=10717

Jewish writer reports from Iran – raises a storm in America “ Eideard
By eideard
The newspaper, and Cohen in particular, has been accused of being too critical of Israel and an apologist for Iran and its leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Cohen’s column was written from Iran about the country’s small Jewish minority. …
eideard.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/jewish-writer
-reports-from-iran-raises-a-storm-in-america/

Scholar says ‘We (Iran) were very close to China historically’
The Epoch Times – New York,NY,USA
BY Cheryl Casati PHOENIX—Ms. Mirlohian, an Iranian professor brought her granddaughter the second Phoenix show of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World …
www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14415/

Hillary Clinton seeks Iran aid vs. Afghanistan drugs
New York Daily News – New York,NY,USA
By Richard Sisk WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Clinton will try to enlist Iran in combating the Afghan narco-trade in the first high-level talks involving …
www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/03/28/2009-03
-28_hillary_clinton_seeks_iran_aid_vs_afghan.html

A new season in Iran relations
Boston Globe – United States
Last week, when President Obama sent a Persian new year’s greeting to Iran calling for “new beginnings” in relations between the two countries, …
www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/
articles/2009/03/29/a_new_season_in_iran_relations

28 March, 2009

Global Voices Online “ Iran: “Ahmadinejad, the most active President”
By Hamid Tehrani
No Thumbnail. Mosalmane Irani, an Iran based blogger, calls [fa] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,the most active President in the world. The blogger says Ahmadinejad has visited 32 countires and delivered 950 speeches. Cancel this reply …
globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/28/iran-ahm
adinejad-the-most-active-president/

NewsDaily: U.S. hopes to engage with Iran on Afghanistan Tuesday
The United States hopes to “constructively engage” with Iran on issues
related to Afghanistan at an international conference in The Hague o Tuesday, a senior White House official said on Saturday.
www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre52r18z-us-obama-iran/

PoliBlog: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts “ More Signs from Iran
By Dr. Steven Taylor
Also: one of the needs for starting up serious relations between two states is a common interest, and perhaps the opening for US-Iran dialog is the Afghanistan question, not the more confrontational issues on the table. …
www.poliblogger.com/?p=15430

Epoch Times – Obama Hones Iran Strategy
By By Leonard S. Spector/YaleGlobal
During the campaign, Obama argued the US needed “bigger sticks and bigger carrots,” to deal with Iran.
www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14342/

India, Iran discuss cooperation over Afghanistan | Sindh Today
By Sindh Today
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) India and Iran explored prospects of cooperation in stabilising Afghanistan and in combating terrorism Saturday, a day after US President Barack Obama unveiled a regional approach towards the violence-torn …
www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/80339.htm

Internet & Democracy Blog “ Missionary/Blogger Detained in Iran
By Chris Van Buren
Conversion from Islam to another religion has long been a taboo in Muslim countries, and in some (like Iran or Afghanistan) it still carries penalties like death or jail time for “apostasy.” For more background, read the Council on …
blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2009/03/2
8/missionaryblogger-detained-in-iran/

IntelliBriefs: Russia ready to help with U.S.-Iran meeting at …
By Naxal Watch
He said talks between U.S. and Iranian officials would “help ease tension around Iran as well as the situation in the region as a whole.” The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said it had no information about a possible meeting between Iranian and …
intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2009/03/
russia-ready-to-help-with-us-iran.html

US and Iran open Afghanistan peace talks
Times Online – UK
IRANIAN and American officials have held their first talks about ending the war in Afghanistan amid signs that President Barack Obama’s efforts to thaw …
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/
world/middle_east/article5993094.ece

‘Germany soft on Iran due to financial considerations’
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv,Israel
By Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondent A former minister in the Iranian regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini accused Germany on Saturday of failing to apply the …
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1074468.html

US hopes to engage with Iran on Afghanistan Tuesday
Reuters – USA
WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) – The United States hopes to “constructively engage” with Iran on issues related to Afghanistan at an international …
www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSN28294478

Global Voices Online “ Iran: Iranian nature in photos
By Hamid Tehrani
Post-Thumbnail. No Thumbnail. In Ariapars,Iranian blog, we can discover several photos from villages and nature in the southern province Khuzestan in Iran. Cancel this reply. Start the Conversation. Authors, please log in“ …
globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/28/iran-iranian-nature-in-photos/

Webloggin “ Iran and hamas, partners in peace
By Soccer Dad
Webloggin News and Commentary on Politics, Media and Culture.
www.webloggin.com/iran-and-hamas-partners-in-peace/

US court orders Iran to pay $25 mn for killing Israeli soldier …
By Sindh Today
Washington, March 28 (DPA) A US court has ordered Iran to pay $25 million plus interest to the family of an Israeli soldier kidnapped and killed by Hamas 15 years ago.
www.sindhtoday.net/world/80221.htm

Mideast: Hamas spokesman rejects ‘politicised aid’ from Iran …
By webinfo@adnkronos.com
(AKI) – A spokesman for the Islamist Hamas movement said the organisation refuses any “politicised” financial support, even if it comes from Iran. Hamas “outright rejects any type…
www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.3148378760

Iran at Afghan meeting a ‘’step forward’’: Holbrooke – GEO.tv
WASHINGTON: A top US envoy on Friday welcomed Irans participation to next weeks Afghanistan conference as a “step forward,” saying Washington and Tehran share common interests.”We believe.
www.geo.tv/3-28-2009/38439.htm

Did Iran Really Reject Obama’s Overture? | ForeignPolicy | AlterNet
By Phil Wilayto, AlterNet
The real story behind the US media’s ‘told-you-so’ response to President Obama’s New Years message to Iran.
www.alternet.org/audits/133808/did_ir
an_really_reject_obama’s_overture/

US judge orders Iran to pay $25M for Hamas killing – Kansas City Star
A federal judge is ordering Iran to pay $25 million plus interest to the family of an Israeli soldier kidnapped and executed by Hamas in 1994.
www.kansascity.com/449/story/1109923.html

Obama unveils sweeping new Afghan war strategy, includes Iran in …
Daily Times – Lahore,Pakistan
Obama said that together with the UN, the US would form a ‘contact
group’ – including Iran, Russia, India and China – bringing together
countries with a …
www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=
2009%5C03%5C28%5Cstory_28-3-2009_pg1_1

US judge order Iran to pay $25M for Hamas killing
WIS – Columbia,SC,USA
AP – March 27, 2009 4:13 PM ET WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal judge in
Washington is ordering Iran to pay $25 million plus interest to the family
of an Israeli …
www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10084661

Iraq Plans to Relocate Iran Opposition Group
Washington Post – United States
By Ernesto Londoño BAGHDAD, March 27 — Iraq’s national security adviser
said Friday that the government intends to move an Iranian opposition group
from …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2009/03/27/AR2009032702954.html

Venezuelan president to visit Qatar, Iran, Japan
Xinhua – China
CARACAS, March 27 (Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has
announced that he will start on Friday a one-week tour to Qatar, Iran and
Japan. …
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/28/content_11087703.htm