Iran News Round Up

[(E) signifies English link]

Diplomacy

• Ahmadinejad, speaking in Lorestan: “All of humanity and the caring ones must celebrate the annihilation of the so-called modern economy and liberalism’s reaching the end of the road.”
• Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottakki says “the new president of America must be committed to his promise of ‘change….’ From an Iranian perspective there has not been major foreign policy difference between Democrats and the Republicans for three decades.”
• Ma’soumeh Ebtekar, spokeswoman of the captors at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, asked if she would have taken U.S. diplomats hostage if she knew then what she knows today, says: “Conditions of those days called for it.”
• Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda praises the “epic of the take over of the U.S. Den of Espionage [the U.S. Embassy in Tehran].”
• (E) Iran against Georgia’s membership in NATO
• Late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s daughter files a complaint against the Islamic Republic following release of “Execution of the Pharaoh,” an Iranian film praising assassination of Sadat.
• Ahmadinejad claims U.S. strikes in Syria show helplessness of the U.S. in the region.
• Shahab News Agency condemns the Republic of Azerbaijan’s “broadcast of pornographic movies to East Azerbaijan province [of Iran].”

Nuclear Issue

• Ayatollah Emami Kashani, speaking at Friday prayers, says “nuclear energy is the scientific face of our country, [it is] a university matter.”
• Agah-Sazi publishes translation of reports on the Iranian Nuclear Energy Organization’s attempt to produce 90 percent highly enriched uranium.

Politics

• Former intelligence minister Ali Fallahian (and current member of Assembly of Experts): “Supporting the ninth government [Ahmadinejad’s] and its achievements is a necessity…the government must state its track record and defend its programs…”
• Vice president Rahimi refutes allegations of attempting to bribe parliamentarians to abstain from impeaching interior minister Ali Kordan. Rahimi also adds MP Heydari had demanded 100,000,000 Rials to support Kordan, and not the 50,000,000 that the government is accused of having tried to bribe the parliamentarians with.
• Shah-Reza parliamentarian Heyarpour calls Rahimi a liar.
• Former speaker of the parliament warns against government attempts at bribing the parliament.
• Kayhan attacks Kordan and vice president Rahimi for attempting to bribe the parliament to avoid impeachment of Kordan.
• Shahab News Agency’s detailed account of the bribe affair.
• Revolutionary Guards commander Ali-Reza Afshar says the Kordan affair has developed into an embarrassment for the Islamic Republic.
• According to Baztab, the impeachment scheme against interior minister Ali Kordan in reality is psychological operation against Ahmadinejad.
• Baztab News publishes names of parliamentarians who demand impeachment of Kordan.
• According to parliamentarian Kowsari, the entire National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament demands Kordan’s impeachment.
• Grand Ayatollah Montazeri urges the reformists to run for president with a single candidate.
• Khatami says he has serious doubts about running for president, adds that one can’t run a country with slogans alone.
• Khatami says he is personally not inclined to return to a position of power.
• Partov-e Sokhan weekly, the mouthpiece of Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, asks why “Khatami is saying whatever he wants and remains safe and sound!”
• Sarmayeh quotes Colonel Mohammad-Ali Shoja’e Heydaim head of the political and elections bureau of Kerman General Governorate: “The unknown soldiers of the Imam of the Era [the special operation forces] preserve the Ahmadinejad government…Ahmadinejad is the apogee of goodness and propagator of virtues. Therefore, the Imam of the Era is smiling. This [the Ahmainejad government] is the reason behind happiness of the Imam of the Era.”
• Political and Elections deputy interior minister says he works “for the state, not for the Ahmadinejad campaign.”

Economy

• E’temad Melli claims it has caught the government making an unauthorized 30,000,000 billion rial withdrawal from the foreign exchange reserve.
• Parliamentarians question agriculture minister about lack of self-sufficiency in cereal production.
• Ahmadinejad to appear in parliament Sunday to present his economic reform scheme which would convert subsidies into cash transfers and oil dividends.
• Now-Andish discloses budget deficit of the Education Ministry.

Trade

• (E) Iran-Turkey trade now exceeds $11 billion.
• Iran reduces oil production by 199,000 barrels per day.

Religion, Culture, and Soceity

• Former parliamentary speaker Nateq-Nouri warns against “innovation” and “superstition,” both signs of “Satanic activity.”
• Diyar-e Ranj website propagating Holy Defense [Iran/Iraq war] values is hacked.

Military and Security

• Eraghi, chief of the Mohammad Rasoul-Allah IRGC Unit of Greater Tehran, reports a comprehensive Basij operation in Tehran to improve security in cooperation with the city police, the Law Enforcement Forces, police stations and judicial authorities.
• Bar Association and the Journalist Association to soon have their own Basij cells.

Human Rights and Labor

• (E) Workers seize machinery at porcelain factory.

Photo of the Day

• Alliance to impeach Kordan.