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Iran tests long-range missile as UN watchdog reviews N-programme

TEHRAN: Iran was due to test fire a long-range missile on Saturday amid an ongoing review by the United Nations watchdog of the country’s atomic energy programme because of fears that Tehran might be developing nuclear weapons.

Iranian state television said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards would test fire the missile during military manoeuvres being watched by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khomenei.

Short- and medium-range missiles were test-fired on Friday. “The most important part of today’s programme is the firing of a long-range missile on mock enemy positions,” the television said.

Iran’s state-controlled media has given extensive coverage to the manoeuvres in the western part of the country. The officially stated purpose of these exercises is to “test and evaluate new equipment”, try out “modern tactics” and maintain the “spirit of jihad and defence”.

Saturday’s report said the missile was a “strategic” one, a term that normally refers to weapons systems designed to strike an enemy at the source of its power, such as cities, factories, military bases, communications and transport. The report gave no details on the range or capabilities of the missile.

In August, Tehran tested an enhanced version of its medium-range Shahab-3 missile, which is derived from the North Korean No-dong missile reportedly capable of carrying a 1,000 kilogramme warhead.

The Shahab-3 was deployed with the Revolutionary Guards air arm in July last year. Although the missile has been paraded with the banner “Israel should be wiped off the map”, Iran says it is purely defensive. The Israeli daily Haaretz recently wrote that the upgraded version had a range of 2,000 kilometres, whereas the previous version was believed to have a range of 1,300 to 1,700 kilometres.

Whatever the case, the missile is well within the range of Israel, which lies only some 800 kilometres west of Iran. (snipped)

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_19-9-2004_pg7_38

Dr. Anthrax and Dr. Germ requested in return for hostages:

“The Tawhid wal Jihad is giving a 48-hour deadline for the release of all our sister detainees from Abu Ghraib prison (outside Baghdad) and Umm Al Qasr (in the south), publicly.

“Otherwise, we swear by God, the one and only, that these three prisoners will get nothing from us except beheading, so that they will serve as a lesson to others,” he said.

The speaker, who stood behind the hostages, did not give the number of female inmates whose release is being demanded from Abu Ghraib, the notorious facility at the centre of a scandal over US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners, and from Umm Al Qasr jail.

Two high-profile women, Huda Salih Mahdi Amash, known as Dr Anthrax, and Rihab Taha — Dr Germ — are known to be detained in Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad. Both are biologists who are suspected of having contributed to an illegal weapons programme under Saddam Hussein. (snipped)

http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=776