Posted on 05/24/2005 3:19:44 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
Top News Story
Rice Tells Mullahs That Democracy On the Way to Iran
Eli Lake, NY Sun:
Secretary of State Rice yesterday warned Iran's "unelected leaders" that the day will come when their people will demand the same rights and liberties recently sought by Iraqis and Lebanese.
Speaking at the annual policy conference for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Ms. Rice said to thunderous applause, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Middle East is changing and even the unelected leaders in Tehran must recognize this fact. They must know that the energy of reform that is building all around them will one day inspire Iran's citizens to demand their liberty and their rights. The United States stands with the people of Iran."
Ms. Rice's remarks could signal that the Bush administration is growing impatient with the stalled European-led negotiationswith Iran over its nuclear program. Only three months ago, Ms. Rice said that America would consider lifting its objections to Iran joining the World Trade Organization and the sale of airplane parts to the Islamic Republic in exchange for good-faith efforts to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Her predecessor, Colin Powell, in 2003 pledged that America would not interfere in the internal affairs of Iranian politics, which he referred to as a "family fight."
At the conference Ms. Rice played to the crowd. In her opening lines she said, "judging by how many students I see in the audience today, I know that Aipac's future is clearly going to be bright." The line was a subtle vote of confidence for an organization that has been dogged by allegations that two of its former employees are targets of an FBI probe into mishandled classified information and possible espionage. On Sunday, Aipac's executive director said his organization is not a formal target of the bureau's investigation. ...
But her warning to Iran's mullahs represented the most potentially significant policy shift for the administration. In the last two months, some State Department officials and European diplomats have suggested that nuclear negotiations would resume when Iranians elected a new president on June 17. But the process leading up to those elections has not met Western standards. Over the weekend, Iran's Guardian council disqualified all but six of the hopefuls for the post to be vacated by Iran's outgoing president, Mohammed Khatami. The Associated Press yesterday quoted the council's chief, Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, as saying, "Thoughts of the president have to be in line with the thoughts of the supreme leader."
The State Department is now reviewing whether to grant money set aside by Congress to pro-democracy groups inside Iran. If these grants go through, it would mark the first time such public funds would be given to organizations inside the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and 1981 Algiers Accord, an agreement Iran has said requires America to refrain from meddling in its internal affairs.
The threat posed by Iran was a hot topic yesterday at Aipac, which set up an extensive interactive presentation on the history of the country's nuclear program. When the group's activists take to Capitol Hill today to lobby their representatives, one of the top pieces of legislation will be new sanctions against Iran linked to its nuclear program.
After Ms. Rice's remarks, Rep. Jane Harman, a Democrat from California, suggested in a public discussion that America work through the U.N. Security Council to entice the Iranians to abandon their nuclear ambitions. For this suggestion she was booed by the pro-Israel activists in attendance. When her discussion partner, American Enterprise Institute scholar Richard Perle, suggested that America work to support the grass roots opposition in Iran, he met applause. Ms. Harman, who is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, concurred with Mr. Perle's recommendation.
Mr. Perle then told the lunchtime crowd at the Washington Hilton that he was about to contact one of the leaders of the July 9, 1999, demonstrations in Tehran. The leaders are honored each year by the opposition. At the event, he said he would tell Ahmad Batebi, who has recently been released from Evin Prison, that Ms. Harman too supported his cause to unseat the unelected regime in his country. Mr. Batebi was imprisoned after he appeared holding up a bloody T-shirt on a 1999 cover of the Economist. Since then, the photo has graced many opposition posters and Web sites.
During a later interview, Mr. Perle said that he had spoken five times with Mr. Batebi, who has contacted him through intermediaries, for months. Mr. Perle did not make the phone call yesterday, he said, after realizing that Iranian intelligence operatives may trace the call after monitoring his remarks at the Aipac conference.
Mr. Perle said that through his conversations with Mr. Batebi, he is persuaded that the opposition in Iran yearns to hear the kind of words Ms. Rice said yesterday. "They are hoping to get a message through to the administration, they need moral support, there has been no suggestion that they want military intervention or anything like that. They want Americans to know they have been deprived of basic human rights and want Americans to support them," Mr. Perle said.
- CNN News reports that nuclear talks between Iran and the European Union are proving more difficult than ever, "Tomorrow's session could bring an end to the extensive talks we have had with the Europeans if they don't have a clear proposal."
- Khaleej Times reports that Irans reformist President Mohammad Khatami called on the armed forces, police and hardline militias on Tuesday to keep out of the presidential election next month.
- SMCCDI reports that hundreds of students of Tehran University gathered, yesterday night, in order to protest against the Islamic regime. Plus photos.
- SMCCDI reports that four militiamen and a man qualified as an armed assailant were killed, today.
- International Institute of Strategic Studies reports that prospects that the current negotiations between the EU and Iran will produce a lasting resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue are not encouraging.
- Reuters reports that signs of a split between the European Union's three biggest powers have emerged on the eve of nuclear talks with Iran, with Germany opposing British and French preparations to take action against Tehran.
- BBC News reports that Iran's Guardian Council has reinstated two leading reformists to the race for the presidency.
- Reporters Without Borders today voiced strong support for the Iranian journalists who yesterday began a series of daily demonstrations outside the parliament.
- MosNews reports that Iran said it had not considered a proposal that Russia could enrich uranium for it. Moscow rejects claims that the proposal came from Russia.
- ABC News reports that Brazil said it was unlikely to cooperate with Venezuela on nuclear energy if any such program involved Iran.
- The NY Times reports that
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme religious leader ordered a watchdog group dominated by his hard-line allies to review its decision
blocking two reformist candidates from running in presidential elections next month.- Middle East Newsline reports that the United Arab Emirates has seized three Iranian boats amid increased military tensions. Earlier, Iran seized a UAE fishing boat.
- VOA News reports that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday said the world must not tolerate any Iranian attempt to develop a nuclear weapon.
- And finally, Frontline/World will air a special on Iran's nuclear program, May 23, 2005, Iran: Going Nuclear.
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I don't quite understand the part about Batebi recently being released from prison. It makes it sound as though his prison sentence was up. Last I heard, he was in hiding, (and may have been married) after not returning to prison from a medical "leave" he was granted.
And why is Perle telling the world that he's spoken to Batebi 5 times?
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