Iranian Alert -- October 22, 2003 -- IRAN LIVE THREAD PING LIST

The Iranian Student Movement Up To The Minute Reports ^ | 10.22.2003 | DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

The US media almost entirely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, “this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year.” But most American’s are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.

There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. Starting June 10th of this year, Iranians have begun taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy. Many even want the US to over throw their government.

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.

In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.

This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.

I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.

If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.

If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.

DoctorZIn

PS I have a daily ping list and a breaking news ping list. If you would like to receive alerts to these stories please let me know which list you would like to join.

[DoctorZIn]

The Mullahs' Promise

October 22, 2003
The Wall Street Journal
Review & Outlook

Anything that gets an Iranian promise to suspend its program to enrich uranium can't be dismissed out of hand. So on that score at least, yesterday's agreement between Iran and the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany deserves a cheer. But only one.

Reading the brief text of the agreement that Iran struck with the "Big Three" foreign ministers in Tehran yesterday, it's impossible to avoid the conclusion that what resulted was largely a fudge, with the hard questions left unanswered.

The three embarked on the diplomatic mission with only 10 days remaining before an October 31 International Atomic Energy Agency deadline. If Iran fails to comply with the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency's demands by that date (including signing an additional protocol, which was also agreed yesterday), it could be declared in breach of its IAEA obligations and have its violation referred to the U.N. Security Council.

Iran had every reason to avoid that declaration. A Security Council referral would prompt Washington to lobby hard for punitive measures, possibly sanctions. Britain, France and Germany have all expressed concern over the IAEA's findings in Iran -- including the discovery of a large enrichment plant under construction in Natanz and two samples showing the presence of weapons-grade uranium. In the absence of yesterday's concessions, those countries would have been obligated to support some kind of punitive action, however interested they are for their own reasons in avoiding a confrontation.

And yet yesterday's deal may not so much have avoided confrontation as postponed it. The brief agreement does not specify how long the "suspension" of uranium enrichment will last or when it will start or even how it will be verified. It's also not clear how the agreement will affect Iran's new best friend and nuclear supplier, Moscow.

Russia has a great deal invested in Iran staying on the right side of the IAEA. There are lucrative contracts selling nuclear technology to defend. And Russia's close relationship with Tehran gives it added leverage that is useful in other negotiations with Washington. Of course, longer term, Russia has no more interest in a nuclear-armed Iran than does the U.S. It would create regional instability (encouraging other states in the neighborhood to acquire their own weapons) and might make Iran bolder in spreading its version of theocracy to other Muslim-dominated areas, including parts of Russia.

At the moment, Russia seems to think it can have it both ways, mainly by denying that Iran has any intention to develop nuclear weapons and claiming that nothing Russia is selling it would serve that purpose. But Iran's long resistance to giving up uranium enrichment is highly suggestive of its weapons intentions, whatever Moscow says. The light-water reactors that Russia is helping the mullahs build also produce large amounts of plutonium that could be used to make weapons on very short notice. The obvious concern is that Iran will insist that it is complying with its non-proliferation promises right up to the moment that it is ready to explode a bomb.

The main proliferation problem is less nuclear technology than the nature of the regimes that have it. In Iran the danger flows from the mullahs who control the country and want to oust the U.S. from the Middle East. Yesterday's European diplomacy may have bought all sides some time, but no one should be under the illusion that it removes the threat.

http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=10&d=22&a=7

[DoctorZIn]

The Mullahs' Promise

October 22, 2003
The Wall Street Journal
Review & Outlook

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1005651/posts?page=21#21

[DoctorZIn]

Iranian Man Suspected of Terror Ties

October 23, 2003
Bangkok Post News
Mongkol Kannika

An Iranian man arrested here on Tuesday for illegal entry could be a terrorist who plotted attacks in Bangkok during the Apec meeting, sources said yesterday.

Police found in his luggage about 100 CDs, computer diskettes, maps of Bangkok and memos listing key buildings in the capital including the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Mehdi Kaffash Ghouchani, 40, was going to Laos when he was arrested at Nong Khai's immigration checkpoint because his passport did not carry Thailand's entry seal.

Initial checks showed the man was not on Bangkok's list of suspected terrorists. Officials at the checkpoint were checking with the Iranian embassy, which has yet to reply.

The Iranian was being held for questioning. His CDs and diskettes could not be read by the checkpoint's computer and had to be sent to experts for examination.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/23Oct2003_news11.html

[Jack Black]

This is a bizzare thread with multiple news articles and no commentary. FR is a place to talk about things. Where is the talk thing. FR is not a place to archive news articles without comment (unless JR has told you to).

You keep posting the same thread with a note saying "no comments here". Why don't you use the forum like everyone else does?

[Jack Black]

By the way, I do agree this is an important topic. But the Student Protests topic is NOT the same as the Nuclear topic is NOT the same as spying allegations, etc.

[AdmSmith]

If you check earlier threads in this series, you will find that this is just what it says a Live thread ping list for events of importance regarding a country approaching regime change with important consequences.

[Admin Moderator]

Freepers can reply on any thread they like unless the reply breaks forum rules against personal attacks, profanity, etc.

[DoctorZIn]

I wrote Jack Black about the thread.
So let's not use this thread to debate what this thread should look like. If you have questions about it, Freepmail me.

DoctorZin

[DoctorZIn]

Israeli FM: "We know Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons"

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN
Oct. 22, 2003
Jerusalem Post

Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom said Wednesday that Israel remains skeptical about Iran's intent to suspend its program for enriching uranium - which can be used in nuclear bombs - following a briefing on the European ministers' discussions in Tehran.

Shalom met late Wednesday with Joschka Fischer, a day after the German foreign minister, along with his British and French counterparts, secured a pledge from Tehran to open its nuclear program to unfettered inspections by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog and suspend uranium enrichment.

"I reiterated the importance of preventing Iran - a country committed to the destruction of Israel and one of the world's sponsors of terrorism - from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities," Shalom said.

"We are very skeptical about the intentions of Iran. We know they are trying to develop nuclear weapons. We know their true intentions," Shalom said. "If they are going to use at any time nuclear weapons, it is against Israel."

Israel accuses Iran of sponsoring terrorism and of supporting extremists in the Palestinian territories.

"The Iranian nuclear program is a danger to the Middle East and indeed, the entire world and it must be stopped."

As part of the agreement, Iran said it will sign an additional protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that gives inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, the right of unfettered access to the country before the agency's next board meeting in Vienna on Nov. 20.

"I hope it will be real supervision," Shalom said of the inspectors. "If it will help us stop nuclear weapons in Iran, it will be helpful."

Shalom also stressed that Israel remains committed to the peace process along the lines of the so-called road map, but criticized the Palestinians for their lack of commitment.

"But the only way we can make progress on this issue is for the Palestinian Authority to take the strategic and moral decision to once and for all dismantle the terrorist infrastructure," he said.

"Sadly Yasser Arafat remains a key obstacle to this process. As long as he remains there will be no progress toward peace," Shalom added.

Although neither minister would discuss the details of German-brokered prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah, Shalom expressed hope there would soon be a breakthrough. The swap would involve trading Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers for several hundred Arab prisoners, including Palestinians.

Shalom thanked Fischer and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, whom he met with earlier in the day for their efforts in the exchange and urged them to continue.

Israel also continues to seek information about its pilot Ron Arad, who has been missing since 1986, Shalom said.

Earlier in the day, Shalom visited the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp north of Berlin and denounced growing anti-Semitism in the Muslim world.

"Today we are dealing with a new phenomenon that is spreading ever more widely in the Arab and Muslim world," Shalom said.

His remarks come just a week after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's told a summit of Islamic countries, to applause, that "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."

The comments were condemned by Israel, Germany, the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia. However, France blocked the European Union from ending a two-day summit Friday with a harshly worded statement condemning Mahathir, arguing that it had no place in an EU declaration.

Shalom urged Germany to work with its partners in Europe to get the union to condemn the
"Israel and the EU do not always agree on the issue, but our shared history and interests make us natural partners," Shalom said.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1066799674707&p=1008596981749

[DoctorZIn]

Israeli FM: "We know Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons"

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN
Oct. 22, 2003
Jerusalem Post
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1005651/posts?page=30#30

[DoctorZIn]

U.S. worries that al-Qaida in Iran may be running operations

JOHN J. LUMPKIN, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, October 22, 2003
(10-22) 12:08 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

A handful of senior al-Qaida operatives who fled to Iran after the Afghan war may have developed a working relationship with a secretive military unit linked to Iran's religious hard-liners, American counterterrorism officials say.

The U.S. government isn't certain of the extent of the contacts with the Iranian unit, called the Qods Force, say the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The operatives include some of the most senior members of al-Qaida who haven't been captured or killed by the United States and its allies. Their presence in Iran, probably starting in late 2001 or early 2002, has confounded efforts to knock out the group's remaining top operations chiefs.

But it is unclear whether Iran has them in custody or is letting them operate freely, according to U.S. and allied intelligence services.

The Bush administration has called for Iran to detain and hand them over.

On Wednesday, President Bush said it would improve Iranian-U.S. relations "if we end up reaching an agreement on the al-Qaida that they hold."

The men include Saif al-Adil, who is considered the No. 3 man in al-Qaida who is still at large. Another is one of Osama bin Laden's eldest sons, Saad.

Iranian officials have said they have some al-Qaida operatives in custody and plan to turn them over to their home countries. Details are always slim.

U.S. and Saudi officials suspect that the al-Qaida operatives based in Iran coordinated the May bombings of housing complexes in Riyadh that killed 35, including nine bombers.

Complicating matters is the divide between Iran's religious and secular authorities. Officials from the secular government, represented by President Mohammad Khatami, say the government does not support al-Qaida.

But the Qods Force -- al-Qaida's possible contact -- reports to religious authorities, not Khatami, U.S. intelligence officials say. A Saudi official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, also raised the possibility of rogue operations within the Iranian government, unknown to higher authorities.

All this adds up to U.S. uncertainty. "Iran keeps sending out mixed signals" regarding al-Qaida, said Stan Bedlington, a former terrorism analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency. "It hasn't really got its act together."

The 1,000-man Qods unit, whose name also means "Jerusalem Force," has a twofold purpose: to defeat insurgency inside Iran and to promote Iran's Islamic revolution in other countries through proxy forces, officials said. It has contacts with Lebanese Hezbollah, various Palestinian groups and groups in Egypt, Bahrain and Algeria.

A recent U.S. intelligence report said the unit's primary military missions are "to direct or assist in the training, organization, arming, and activities of fundamentalist foreign nationals from Muslim countries, with the aim of overthrowing their governments and establishing regimes similar in ideology to the Islamic Republic of Iran."

One of the Egyptian groups -- Egyptian Islamic Jihad -- is now considered merged with al-Qaida. Some of its former high-ranking operatives are among those thought to be in Iran.

U.S. officials declined to say why the Qods Force has their attention as a possible al-Qaida contact, beyond noting its history of working with terrorist groups.

The al-Qaida operatives are believed to have fled to Iran from neighboring Afghanistan during the Taliban's fall in late 2001 or early 2002. American and Saudi officials say intelligence reports suggest several of bin Laden's top echelon have been there. The Saudi official characterized them as "al-Qaida's board of directors."

But it is unclear who remains and it's possible some come and go. Several seem centered in far-eastern Iran in a smuggler's haven where Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran meet, officials said.

Different factions inside Iran might view them differently:

* As terrorist allies, they would bring a wealth of experience and contacts.

* As prisoners, they could become a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States.

Already, the U.S. and French governments have cracked down on Iranian exiles who make up the Mujahedeen Khalq (MEK) and National Council of Resistance of Iran, two groups trying to overthrow Iran's theocracy.

In August, Secretary of State Colin Powell ordered closed two Washington offices of the groups, eliciting rare praise from Iran. The groups had previously been allowed to operate despite their listing as terrorist groups by the United States and European Union.

The groups accuse the United States and France of acting to appease Iran. But it is unclear what recent actions the U.S. government is taking toward MEK fighters in Iraq, who had been supported by Saddam Hussein.

American warplanes bombed MEK sites during the Iraq war, and the group capitulated and agreed to disarm. But Iran may want the U.S. government to do more to group members in Iraq -- such as turning them over to Iranian authorities -- before it will negotiate over the al-Qaida operatives.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/22/national1508EDT0678.DTL

[DoctorZIn]

Another execution carried in Iran

SMCCDI (Information Service)
Oct 22, 2003

A young man suspected to be a Freedom Fighter was executed, this morning, in the Mashad penitenciary's facilities.

The official report is stating the name of this new victim of the Islamic regime as "Majid J." (the last name hasn't been fully anounced) who was accused of non Islamic behaviors of "Member of illegal gang", "Kidnapping", "illicite sexual relations" and "Constant Drinking".

It has been reported that the victim denied these charges till his last moment of life.

The Islamic regime is know for qualifying its opponents as "Apostate", "Drug Trafficker", "Spy", "Hooligan" and various charges based on the barbarian Sharia law. Such policy helps its European and Japanese backers as well as less knowledged individuals within the US State Department to claim Iran's going under big democratic changes.

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_3111.shtml

[PhilDragoo]

I thought Krauthammer expressed doubt to Tony Snow about this today.

If true, let it go off accidentally in Mecca.

Shiite happens.

[PhilDragoo]

Eternal vigilance bump.

[nuconvert]

Plan To Arrest Maverick Iraqi Cleric For Murder (Sadr)
The guardian (UK) ^ | 10-22-2003 | Michael Howard

Posted on 10/21/2003 7:22 PM PDT by blam

Michael Howard in Baghdad
Wednesday October 22, 2003
The Guardian (UK)

Coalition and Iraqi officials are preparing an arrest warrant for the firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr over his alleged involvement with the brutal murder of a rival cleric last spring, sources close to the Iraqi governing council told the Guardian yesterday. The warrant, which has yet to be finalised, cites Mr Sadr for instigating a deadly attack on Abdel Majid al-Khoei, who was stabbed to death by a mob in the Shia holy city of Najaf on April 10.

It is said to be signed by Tahir Jalil Habboush - a senior mukhabarat officer under the former regime who now works with the coalition authorities - and is based on the confessions of 23 men who were involved in the killing.

"The belief of the coalition is that al-Sadr is not containable," the council source said. "They believe there is enough evidence that Muqtada was involved in the Khoei assassination and want to act to clip his wings before he can cause any more damage."

Since his swift rise to prominence in the days following regime change in Iraq, Mr Sadr, 30, has been a constant thorn in the side of the US-led administration in Iraq. He has been the most vocal opponent of occupation, while his well-organised followers have been involved in armed confrontations with US soldiers. Last week he declared a rival government to the US-appointed authority and urged his supporters on to the streets.

But with tension running high between US forces and Mr Sadr's supporters, Iraqi police fear an explosion of anger in the disaffected areas of Baghdad and Najaf and Karbala if Mr Sadr is seized.

"If they go down to Najaf to arrest him, his house will be surrounded by a human shield, and there would be a massacre before they get him," said Murtadha Nouri, a journalist with the newspaper Al-Adala. He warned that the planned showdown could backfire: "Given the antipathy towards the US, that could well play into his hands."

Mr Sadr's popularity is based in part on the ability of his supporters to provide basic services and security to parts of Sadr city immediately after the US-led bombing.

With unemployment at between 60% and 70% in Iraq, his radical rhetoric also resonates with those struggling beneath the poverty line. But observers say Mr Sadr has lost some of his early momentum. He has been criticised for strongly challenging the Shia religious establishment, represented by Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani, who has condoned cooperation with Iraq's new government.

"Muqtada's fight is essentially over controlling the donation of the money to the shrines, and people begin to suspect those motives," said a member of the rival Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which has a seat on the governing council.

Abbas al Robai, a spokesman for Mr Sadr, said yesterday: "Any talk of involvement in violence is just by politically motivated rivals. Al-Khoei happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was the victim of local score settling. Muqtada al-Sadr had nothing to do with it."

The killing of the moderate Mr Khoei, who had recently returned from exile in Europe, heralded a series of attacks on prominent Shia figures in Iraq, culminating in the car bomb in Najaf on August 29 that killed more than 90 Iraqis, including Ayatollah Bakir al-Hakim The violence has -intensified feelings of confusion and insecurity among Iraq's majority Shia population.

The bulk of the evidence against Mr Sadr is understood to be based on confessions from 23 men arrested after the attack. Three are reported to have confessed to the stabbing while another 20 said they prevented Mr Khoei from seeking help while bleeding to death. Under questioning, they admitted receiving direct instructions from the young cleric, the source said.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1005528/posts

[DoctorZIn]

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