Leader's Adviser Velayati Praises Resistance Of Iraqi Shi'ites
September 04, 2004
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring Middle East
The recent events in Najaf and in other areas of Iraq were an inspiring display of the awareness, cohesion and unity of the Shi'ite people of Iraq and their sense of obedience to the eminent religious sources of emulation.
Dr Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior adviser of the Eminent Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i] in international affairs, made this statement at a gathering of around 4,000 Basij members in Mashhad, who call themselves "the supporters of the Alawite shrine" [the shrine of the first Shi'ite Imam, Ali, in Najaf]. Velayati went on to say: The Muslims of the world are proud of the passionate young people of Iraq, who have managed to stand up against America in spite of their small numbers, and have still been able to defeat the conspiracies of America. These are the kind of young people who agreed to a cease fire after a request by the religious authorities, but at the same time, they refused to hand over their weapons to America and its mercenaries, and in this way, they did not suffer a defeat.
Dr Ali Akbar Velayati then emphasised that Iraq could not be compared in any way with any other Arab country. He stressed: The fact of the matter is that in spite of the hellish domination of Saddam Husayn over their country, the people of Iraq maintained their resistance, and they continued their struggles for some 35 years, during which they witnessed the martyrdom of thousands of people. Today too, this nation will certainly stand up against America.
Velayati went on to say: Praise be to God's favour and attention, the incidents of Najaf came to an end with the bloody victory of the Muslims of Iraq. However, this resistance is not finished, and for as long as the occupation of the Iraqi territory continues, the resistance of the people of that of country will continue as well.
Source: Hemayat web site, Tehran, in Persian 31 Aug 04
University lecturers' group issues statement on nuclear question
Text of report by Iranian newspaper Kayhan web site on 2 September
Mashhad, 'Kayhan' correspondent: The Basij [volunteer force] lecturers of universities and higher education centres of the country have issued a statement stressing the importance of the use of nuclear technology and condemning America's policies with respect to the nuclear programmes of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The statement was issued at the end of the seminar of the nationwide officials of Basij forces related to lecturers. During the seminar, held in the city of Mashhad, participants supported the nuclear plans of the country and, referring to the clamour-mongering by America with respect to the nuclear programmes of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressed: The independence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the nuclear technology requirements of the country are crucial requisites.
The statement emphasises the need to confront the conspiracies of the enemies in the nuclear technology sector.
Moreover, in their statement, the participants in the seminar condemned the actions of the governments that occupy Iraq as well as the disrespect towards the holy sites, especially the pure shrine of His Holiness Imam Ali (God's peace be upon him). They have stressed that occupiers should leave the holy sites and cities.
According to the report, during the concluding ceremonies of the nationwide gathering of the Basij officials of university lecturers, the commander of the Basij Resistance Force delivered a speech in which he referred to the drawing up of a 20-year outlook of the ruling system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the actions that have been undertaken by the Basij Resistance Force. He said: Taking into account the capabilities and competences of the members of the Basij Force, the necessary action must be taken to remove certain obstacles that are in the way of the Basij force in line with the 20-year outlook document.
[Commander] Hejazi also reported the implementation of the Osveh plan among various walks of life and all the ranks of the Basij Resistance Force in the future as a model plan.
It is interesting to note that the seminar of the nationwide Basij officials of university lecturers went on for five days in Mashhad. It examined Basij plans and the role of the Basij lecturers in institutionalising the 20-year outlook of the ruling system of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Source: Kayhan web site, Tehran, in Persian 2 Sep 04
Sun 5 Sep 2004
ANNETTE YOUNG
ISRAELI defence officials watched in dismay as the small blip disappeared from the radar, short of its target.
Off the Californian coast, the Jewish state’s key Arrow-2 missile defence system was undergoing tests under the auspices of the Americans.
While one missile had successfully downed an incoming Scud, the second test against a new type of weapon being developed by the Iranians had failed to meet its target. The Israeli’s explained away the failure as a small technical hitch, but 3,000 miles away, at a secret location in the Iranian desert, the radical Islamic Republic had successfully test fired the upgraded Shihab-3 missile, now capable of striking at the heart of the Jewish state.
The brinksmanship and the rhetoric between the two states has intensified amid increasing speculation that Israel might attack Iranian nuclear facilities.
Yadollah Javani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards political bureau, warned: "The entire Zionist territory... is currently within range of Iran’s advanced missiles."
As both Israel and Iran lined up their missiles for test firings, the Israeli chief of staff, General Moshe Ya’alon, said Iran’s nuclear development had to be halted before it went much further. He told the Yediot Ahronot newspaper: "Iran is striving for nuclear capability and I suggest that in this matter [Israel should] not rely on others."
In Tehran, Iran’s defence minister, Ali Shamkhani, warned that should Israel do so, his country would "wipe out" Israel.
Tensions between the two nations rose as the United States urged the United Nations Security Council to take action against Iran for its alleged nuclear weapons programme.
The test launch of the Iranian Shihab-3 missile last month revealed the warhead had been considerably upgraded, probably thanks to assistance from foreign experts from the former Soviet Union or North Korea.
The improvements will permit slower entry into the atmosphere so that the warhead, which could be chemical, will be more durable and its contents better protected.
Currently, the Shihab-3 has a range of about 800 miles and can reach as far as Turkey, Israel and most Saudi Arabian cities, but the Iranians are also believed to be working on the Shihab-5 whose range could be up to 1,600 miles, which would put most of central Europe within reach.
While it still carries conventional warheads, the Shihab-3 presents a low threat to the region. "But Iran’s missile programme is an integral part of its nuclear programme," said Dr Shmuel Bar, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy and Strategy in Israel. "Only nuclear capability would make this weapon an effective deterrent."
Israeli officials were quick to play down the failure of the Arrow-2 test, describing it as a technical glitch, and said Washington had approved $153m for further testing in 2005 of its missile defence system.
With a growing number of experts claiming Iran is only two to three years away from producing the bomb, international diplomatic focus will now turn to the September 13 board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that is expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, this week urged the nuclear watchdog to refer the issue to the Security Council following a leaked report that Iran plans to turn tons of uranium into the substance used to make enriched uranium.
Powell’s concerns were echoed on Friday by Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, who said the report contained "clear reservations" about the nature of Iran’s programme and past concealment efforts. He said Britain would work with Germany and France to review their faltering diplomatic initiative in coaxing Iran to stop uranium enrichment and complying fully with its treaty obligations.
The confidential report said the agency had been informed that the Islamic Republic planned to process 37 tonnes of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride. Uranium hexafluoride is spun in centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, which can be used to generate power or make nuclear warheads, depending on the degree of enrichment.
However, while the report said 37 tonnes could give Iran enough material for five bombs, the agency said it found no conclusive evidence of an Iranian arms programme.
As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is entitled build a nuclear facility, including one for uranium enrichment, so long as it is intended for peaceful purposes - which is what Tehran has stated.
But the Bush administration has opposed the activation of Iran’s nuclear power plant in the Gulf port of Bushehr, arguing that Iran - one of the world’s largest oil suppliers - has no need for such a plant. It has accused Tehran of hiding a nuclear weapons development programme under the guise of a civilian atomic energy programme.
Iran agreed to suspend its enrichment programme last year, in an effort to build international trust. But in July, it confirmed reports that it had resumed building nuclear centrifuges.
Andrew Koch, of Jane’s Defence Weekly, said the IAEA has been successful in opening up Iran’s nuclear programme to international scrutiny. "There is no indication that they have been ordered to build a bomb," he said. "Whereas the American security system is focused solely on the capability and not on the intention, both the IAEA and the Europeans take the line of looking at a country’s intentions: not could they but would they?"
But other defence analysts say Iran’s technological advances along with their nuclear weapons ambitions, given their drive to be seen as a regional leader in the Gulf region, were still a major cause for concern.
"There is no way that if Iran gets the bomb that Egypt or Saudi Arabia would just sit back and declare no interest in becoming nuclear powers," Bar said, adding it would have serious implications for the NPT.
"It is a big worry," a former adviser on non-proliferation to the Clinton Administration, Robert Einhorn, told the Scotland on Sunday. "Both the US and the Europeans need to try and alter Iran’s calculations of costs and benefits."
Now a senior adviser at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Einhorn added that the Europeans were less likely to lean on Iran because of growing commercial ties, whereas the Americans "currently use all sticks and no carrots in their approach."
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1045432004
