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(AFX UK Focus) 2004-11-03 17:15 GMT:

Iran can make atom bomb but does not plan to - Iranian official

MOSCOW (AFX) - Iran has the capacity to produce nuclear weapons but does not
intend to do so, Ali Akbar Soltan, deputy director-general of Iran's foreign
ministry political department, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

"We do not intend making nuclear weapons," he said.

The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) in Vienna has set a Nov 25
deadline for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities and answer all
questions about its nuclear ambitions.

The US alleges Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Iran
denies.

"If we had had such an intention, we would have done so a long time ago because
Iran has the capacity to do so, especially talented scientists," Soltan told an
international conference here.

"But we are interested only in nuclear power for peaceful purposes," Interfax
quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, US officials in Washington said James Billington, the chief of the US
Library of Congress, is visiting Iran this week to discuss possible research and
educational exchanges.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the trip had been
arranged by a private organization known as "Catalytic Diplomacy" and that it
was intended to explore a possible exchange program between the Library of
Congress and Iran's national library.

Germany pledges to work with U.S. on Iraq, Iran

REUTERS

1:36 a.m. November 3, 2004

BERLIN – Despite past differences with Washington, Germany pledged on Wednesday to work with whoever wins the U.S. presidential election to stabilise Iraq and ensure Iran did not obtain nuclear weapons.

Speaking as President George W. Bush appeared headed for victory over Democrat John Kerry, Interior Minister Otto Schily said it was in German interests to help restore order in Iraq regardless of its opposition to the U.S.-led war there.

"Despite the issue of our differing positions in the past, we all have to contribute to ensuring that the situation in Iraq stabilises," Schily said on German television.

Kerry argued during his campaign that he would have more success than Bush convincing traditional allies like Germany and France to commit troops.

But the German public is overwhelmingly opposed to sending soldiers and the government has ruled it out, although Defence Minister Peter Struck suggested last month that if conditions in the violence-ridden country changed so could Germany's stance.

Berlin's relations with the Bush administration were strained by the Iraq war, but Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has worked with some success over the past year to patch up differences.

Karsten Voigt, coordinator for German-American relations in the German Foreign Ministry, pointed to Iran as one area where close cooperation was urgent and necessary.

"In Iran there is clearly a need to work together," he said. "The Europeans – the British, French and Germans – are seeking a peaceful solution. But the goal is to prevent, together with the Americans, Iran gaining access to nuclear weapons."

Voigt expressed doubt that Washington would take military action in Iran. "Let us hope and work together to ensure that the cooperative solution the Europeans are working on will be successful," he said.

Posted on Wed, Nov. 03, 2004

Librarian of Congress Visits Tehran

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - In a move that could widen cultural exchanges with Iran, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington is holding talks in Tehran on acquiring a wide range of publications for the library.

Billington was invited by the director of Iran's national library, Muhammad Kazam Mousavi Bojnourdi, and discussed the invitation with State Department officials, Helen Dalrymple, spokeswoman for the Library of Congress said Wednesday.

The Library is interested in expanding its collection of Iranian publications, a process curtailed after Iran's revolution in 1978-79, she said. Billington is seeking printed, digital and other material in different formats and in a wide range of languages.

The United States broke relations with Iran after militants took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran 25 years ago this week and held Americans hostage for 444 days.

However, there have been some cultural exchanges, and officials of the U.S. Agency for International Development went to Iran last year to assist in earthquake relief.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the fact that Billington was in Iran on the anniversary of the embassy takeover was purely coincidental.

Boucher also said the Bush administration had approved Billington having talks in Iran and that State Department officials briefed him before he flew to Tehran.

FOR BUSH, IRAN WILL BE LEADING ISSUE

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- President George Bush was expected to make Iran his leading foreign policy concern during any second term in office.

Officials said the White House and other departments in the administration have already discussed U.S. options to halt or delay Iranian nuclear weapons production. They said the options would be examined and developed during 2005.

"The president knows about Iran and is worried about Iran, but has set aside this issue for his second term," an official said. "By next year, it will clearly be a leading national security issue."

On Wednesday, Bush claimed victory over Democratic challenger John Kerry as the president led in both popular and electoral votes. Bush was reported to have achieved a majority of 274 electoral votes.

The Chinese Dream

November 03, 2004
Iran va Jahan
Nicole Sadighi

Bright lights and Big City
Witness to the two faces of an Ancient Land and,
The Chinese Dream

Armani, Gucci, YSL, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Sky scrapers, nightclubs, bars, restaurants – No this is not Knightsbridge London, 5th Av N.Y., Paris or Rome. Believe it or not this is just one of the many cosmopolitan booming roads in Shanghai.

I recently returned from an awe-inspiring, eye-opening visit to this old and ancient land, which was the birthplace of China's Communist Party. In my naivety I had expected to be met by a severity of stern rigidness in a hardnosed grim and uninviting land, yet instead I encountered gestures of warmth and easy-going attitudes.

Barely a decade ago this once bashful and naked terrain started its transformation from miles of green farmland and conventional customs into a buzzing cosmopolitan metropolis, where people no longer kowtow to the old red way of life. At the heart of Shanghai is Pudong, the cities financial and business district, where you will find ultramodern gleaming and grandiose tall skyscrapers that sparkle and glisten in the sunshine. Buildings such as the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which is placed on top of the Jin Mao Tower from the 53rd and 87th floor; which boasts to be the highest hotel in the world with spectacular views of The Bund, Huang Pu River and the city.

Just across to the opposite side of the Huang Pu River where barges and party boats pass through frequently is The Bund, which is lined with turn of the century European style buildings from the old British and French colonial days. At night these buildings are lit up like Harrods in London. Was I in Shanghai? Yet, flapping in the wind, every few meters the famous red flags had been placed on top of these magnificent architectures just as a reminder of the rule of law and a conformation – yes I was in Shanghai. Indeed about fifteen minutes around the corner is the street that has the building where Chairman Mao (Mao Tse Tung) held the first ever communist meeting and the party continues to use this as one of its main base for meetings. This small stretch of road contradicts its surroundings as they like to keep the street quiet and non-eventful and just to ensure this discipline they have placed the glare of small cameras surreptitiously positioned on the corners of the building and policemen at either end of the road.

However, astonishingly at the end of the street is the lively and trendy Zen Chen Di Square, where you will find yourself surrounded with an array of busy nightclubs, bars, restaurants, one after the other, booming with loud music and all promoting their own unique attractions such as cabarets or live jazz bands. One is really spoiled for choice. As you walk through the square, passing each venue, buzzing with tourists, drinking and laughing both inside and sitting outside on the tables and chairs provided, one cannot help but notice looming in the shadows of the hustle and bustle is the presence of the police, who still keep a watchful eye on society. In fact I saw a young girl who was innocently handing out flyers in the streets in the hope of promoting a bash was suddenly snatched by the authorities quite aggressively and taken away speedily. This was quite a contrast to what I had witnessed at many of the venues that were doing the same thing with no misgivings.

In amongst the ultramodern urbanized neighborhood streets, in remarkable contrast there are still reminiscence of the old Shanghai shantytowns, with small crudely built ramshackle housing, where the unassuming people lead simple but struggling lives without the luxuries that we in the developed world take for granted, such as indoor plumbing or even indoor bathrooms. Some residents sitting outside, old men playing cards, or some just eating their noodles, a young woman washing clothes in a bowl full of used water. It was a very humbling tableau.

A twenty minute car journey takes you to Shanghai flea market where I decided to brave the charge of stall owners who run to you as soon as you step out of the car, resembling the behavior of the paparazzi to the rich and famous, although one does not have the same privileges. Struggling to make sense of the chaos and avoiding the assortment of watches and purses thrust upon ones direction, accompanied by phrases like "lookie, lookie, watchy", "looky, Burberry bag" "Give you best price", After much deliberating and reasoning I managed to master the art of bartering. During my time there I met a very delightful young 17-year-old-girl, Yu Oo Ching, who for a girl from a poverty stricken background and limited or no education had mastered the English language above all others from the same background. She was most taken by me as I her. Our conversation took me to establish a little of her family history. She had informed me that her family had moved from Anhwei province in Beijing to Shanghai because there is more work in Shanghai.

In 2002 there were 690 million Asians living on $1 a day according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is 223 million fewer than in 1990 (Time magazine Sep 20, 2004). China's official figures state that there are 114 million migrant workers in China, and have estimated that there will be 500 million in the next generation. To be sure the government is encouraging this influx of migrant workers who offer cheap labour in manufacturing and construction industries. Buildings and developments are sprouting like weeds in a blink of an eye. Eighteen months ago China began its successful work of building the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC) which I had the fortunate pleasure of witnessing the end result for myself. This spectacular futuristic Star-Trek style US$300 million circuit, with a capacity of 200,000 spectators was to be the host of the first ever F1 race in China. It is the most advanced facility ever built and took 7,000 workers a day, working in rotation shifts throughout the night and day. Mao Xiaohan, President of SIC said: "We would very much like to be a test venue for Formula One teams. And we plan to host many other events here such as MotoGP and the German touring car championship. We will also organise many events for car manufactures and tyre production companies. We plan to have many commercial activities at the circuit".

Freedom Fever - A Contagious Epidemic!

And how is this new bouquet from China received in the rest of the world? In particular other dogmatic states...such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is not only the Bush Administrations' member of the "Axis of Evil"; but also according to NGO's such as, "Hands Off Cain" (http://www.handsoffcain.org//) and Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/); the I.R.I is in complete violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although China remains by far the most prolific executioner, Iran, in proportion to its population, applies just as many irrational death penalties and a great deal more perverse punishments.

Nonetheless, the Islamic Republic, which has extremely huge economic problems, is somehow attempting to follow the Chinese model and I hasten to add unsuccessfully, as there are clear differences between the two. Firstly in Iran there is a large criminal society made up of many "Mafioso" type organisations like the "Bonyaads" and others alike that control very large portions of the economy. Secondly, I.R.'s constitution prevents foreign investment in many sectors of the economy. Therefore, I.R. could not, even if she wanted to, implement policies such as the Chinese have. China is now days considered as following a good economic policy, particularly in relation to foreign investment. The Islamic Republic has done nothing but the opposite and therefore any hope of moving forward in this respect would require complete regime change.

Indeed life in Shanghai has undergone many changes and China is an investment destination. It is going through a process of reinvention, a kind of personality change which signals that the old ways are now for the history books. Would anyone believe that this was the birthplace of China's Communist Party? And what does the future hold for the regime? One thing is certain; the country has started its journey to the outside world and it certainly has a future as bright as Shanghai's city lights. Nonetheless the leadership appears to assume that improved living standards alone can retain its people's gratitude. Although young people crave new things they struggle with age-old political differences and are getting hungrier for more, yet there is the sweet smell of freedom lingering in the air. Will communism take a back seat in the future? Is democracy on the horizon? Will other authoritarian regimes follow suit, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, who like China's communist regime has been a repressive totalitarian system with a list of human rights violations. Do we dare to dream? The Chinese dream!

Nicole Sadighi is a Market Research Analyst and freelance Journalist based in London, UK. She contributed this article to Iran va Jahan.

nicolesadighi@hotmail.com

Other articles by Nicloe Sadighi:

No Regrets!

Unsung Heroes

Where Angels Fear To Tread

A Necropolis For The Living

Iranians welcome massively Bush's re-election

SMCCDI (Information Service)
Nov 3, 2004

Millions of Iranians expressed their satisfaction on the outcome of the US Presidential elections and George W. Bush's victory by calling and congratulating each other. Many were seen walking in the streets and shaking each others hands or showing a discret V sign.

Many are speaking about the promises made by Mr. Bush to back the Iranian Nation in its quest for freedom and democracy.

As Iranians and especially the younger generations have become happy , those affiliated to the Islamic regime are seen deeply worried about their future.

The regime and its US based known apologists and lobbyists had tried hard to make fear to Iranians on the outcome of a Bush win. Money was poured by controversial individuals, such as Akbar Ghahary the treasurer of IAPAC, to money oriented TV and radio networks, such as, 670 AM, Tamasha TV, Melli TV and a specific program of Apadana TV hosted by an ideologist named Faramarz Foroozandeh.

But all these desperate tries were not able to lure the Iranians of inside and nor especially the members of the Diaspora.

Witnessing such fiasco, the Islamic regime tried hard to bring the few thousands of professional demonstrators for its organized celebration of the 1979 attack against the US Embassy in Tehran. It's to note that the Iranian Capital has over 12 millions of inhabitants and that the today's official commemoration of one of the main Islamist act of terror ecountered another massive popular rejection.

http://globalnin.com/branchedsurvey/results.aspx?surveyid=20&languageid=2&partnerid=0&branchid=0&filter=region

BBC World Service

Total Votes: 78,242

Who would your choice for President be?

a. George Bush

Arabic 28%
English 16%
Spanish 17%
Persian 51%
Russian 44%
Urdu 8%
Hindi 17%
Portuguese 10%
Chinese Traditional 27%
Chinese Simplified 28%

b. John Kerry

Arabic 50%
English 76%
Spanish 76%
Persian 42%
Russian 44%
Urdu 51%
Hindi 84%
Portuguese 80%
Chinese Traditional 69%
Chinese Simplified 69%

c. Ralph Nader

Arabic 22%
English 7%
Spanish 7%
Persian 7%
Russian 5%
Urdu 8%
Hindi 3%
Portuguese 7%
Chinese Traditional 4%
Chinese Simplified 3%

Israel wants UN sanctions on Iran over nuclear programme

AFP - World News
Nov 3, 2004

JERUSALEM - Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom called Wednesday for UN sanctions against Iran unless it called a complete halt to uranium enrichment.

“We hope the conclusions to be presented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the end of November in Vienna, will be straight and clear, so the UN Security Council can rule in favour of sanctions if Iran refuses to halt its nuclear programme,” he told public radio.

“Iran is a threat to the entire world’s stability because the country is developing a nuclear weapons programme, including long-range missiles that could reach London, Paris and parts of Russia,” Shalom charged.

Britain, France and Germany are preparing for talks with Iran on Friday over a deal in which Tehran would suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for a nuclear cooperation programme with Europe.

Under an IAEA resolution, Iran has until November 25 to clear up suspicions over its nuclear programme or risk seeing the issue referred to the Security Council for possible sanctions -- a move backed by the United States.

FOR BUSH, IRAN WILL BE LEADING ISSUE

WASHINGTON [MENL]

http://regimechangeiran.blogspot.com/

Good article Dr Z. I emailed it around to my email list.

Prairie

IRANIAN MILITARY RHETORIC REFLECTS OUTSIDE PRESSURES

By Alex Vatanka

The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC), Brigadier General Yahya Rahim Safavi, said on 8 October that U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq are merely the foundations of an expansionist U.S. military strategy to subdue the entire Middle East, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) reported. Safavi added: "If this strategy fails heavily in Iraq, it will, undoubtedly, stop. Otherwise it may extend to neighboring countries." This line of thinking reflects Iran's fear that it is the next candidate for regime change in the context of the White House's "axis of evil," and it explains regime hard-liners' efforts to undermine U.S. objectives in Iraq. From the hard-liners' perspective, the survival of the Islamic Republic is at stake. The IRGC -- constitutionally designated to be the guardian of the Islamic revolution and Iran's territorial integrity, and which is believed to control the country's nuclear and ballistic-missile programs -- therefore has a unique responsibility, and this arm of the regime has found itself to be in the ascendancy as pressure piles on Iran.

In contrast with the IRGC's apparent policy of brinkmanship -- senior IRGC official Hassan Abbasi cited "a strategy drawn up for the destruction of the Anglo-Saxon civilization" -- more moderate political figures like President Mohammad Khatami emphasize the peaceful nature of the country's nuclear program, underscore the defensive nature of Iranian military doctrine, and argue that the ballistic-missile program is only a deterrent. Many in the regime deem it necessary to be bellicose in order to avoid the fate of Iraq's Ba'athist regime. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the recently installed hard-line-dominated parliament, ranking officers in the regular armed services and the IRGC, and the conservative media are increasingly emphasizing Iran's abilities to avenge a possible U.S. or Israeli strike at Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as a capacity to sabotage U.S. initiatives throughout the wider Middle East. As Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani told AFP on 18 August, Iranian assets and capabilities can be activated region-wide and presumably utilized in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and the waters of the Persian Gulf.

In the same interview, Shamkhani said that the "U.S. military presence [in Iraq] will not become an element of strength [for Washington] at our [Iran's] expense. The opposite is true, because their forces would turn into a hostage in Iranian hands in the event of an attack" on Iran. The clear message from that interview and similar statements is that the regime in Tehran will fully mobilize all resources at its disposal to hurt the United States, although Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi later claimed that Shamkhani was misquoted.

Coinciding with the last two International Atomic Energy Agency sessions debating Iran's file, the IRGC put on a show of military muscle. In September the largest-ever "Ashura" exercises were conducted with prominence given to "asymmetric assets" and "resistance units" staging "deep defense." In October, the IRGC test-fired a Shihab-3 missile with allegedly improved range and accuracy.

During the September Ashura exercises, IRGC commanders noted that Iran's military commanders have learned from the country's eight-year war with Iraq (1980-88) and by observing recent U.S. military invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq. IRGC spokesman Masud Jazayeri said that "considering that some powers can observe some parts of our military exercise, we hope that the greedy enemies avoid carrying out any possible attack against our country after witnessing our capabilities," ISNA reported on 14 September. Whether such rhetoric can help the IRGC gain the upper hand remains to be seen.

But the Iranians have clearly monitored the U.S. military's performance in Iraq and registered its tactical and operational shortcomings. The latter seem to have shaped the nature of the latest Ashura drills, where the focus was on small rapid-reaction forces, speedy transportation of ground-force units, and enhancing the military skills of the paramilitary Basij forces. In other words, Iranian military leaders hope to deter a U.S. military invasion by emphasizing the heavy costs that Washington is likely to incur once it has entered Iran.

Iran's mass media openly discuss the country's military options. The brazen rhetoric often runs parallel with debate on guerrilla warfare. That the U.S. military will have superiority in conventional battle is taken for granted. On 21 September, the reformist "Mardom Salari" newspaper ran an analysis on "deep defense" that quotes an assessment from the U.K.-based Center for Defense Studies which concludes, "if it [Iran] should come under attack, the advantage of deep defense in the cities by the IRGC and Basij volunteer forces can mobilize a devastating defense against foreign aggression." Safavi has claimed that the Basij paramilitary force is 10 million strong and organized along 3,000 battalions. This is an outlandish figure, but it is very difficult to estimate the extent of popular mobilization against a U.S. military intervention.

As far as "asymmetric assets" are concerned, the opinions of the chief of staff of the armed forces, General Hassan Firuzabadi, are revealing. When the current parliament rejected a bill drafted by the outgoing reformist deputies on the professionalization of the military, Firuzabadi declared that a professional military would be "mercenary," "Kayhan" reported on 20 September. Harkening back to the heyday of the Iran-Iraq war, Firuzabadi appealed instead to religious fervor by suggesting that the regime's military strategy depends on "young individuals between 18 and 25 who have no dependents and are ready to sacrifice their lives to defend Islam, the Koran, and the country." In reality, Iran has moved a long way since the early 1980s when revolutionary zeal could mobilize the public. There is no doubt that the IRGC and senior officials in the regular armed forces are very fearful about Washington's intentions. As the regime's survival is the ultimate goal, however, even the ideologues of the IRGC can be expected to compromise.

Alex Vatanka is an analyst at Jane's Information Group.

source: RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 8, No. 206, Part III, 1 November 2004

US attack on Iran 'inconceivable'

Mohammad Khatami has offered a compromise in nuclear talks

UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said it is "inconceivable" that America would try to bomb Iran.

There has been speculation about whether the newly re-elected George Bush will be more hawkish over Iran.

Pointing to talks with Tehran, Mr Straw said: "I don't see any circumstances in which military action would be justified against Iran, full stop."

Mr Straw said President Bush's re-election gave the world the chance to make new progress on Middle East peace.

No more war?

After months of talks, Iranian president Mohammad Khatami this week said Iran was ready to pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons.

But he wants recognition of Iran's right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Asked if it was inconceivable that the world would support US military action against Iran, presumably bombings or using Israel as a "proxy", Mr Straw replied: "Not only is that inconceivable but I think the prospect of it happening is inconceivable."

It is actually a moment of opportunity for the democratic world to come together

Jack Straw
Foreign Secretary

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the US had been part of the consensus on pursuing the negotiations with Tehran and there was no reason to think that would change.

The chances of another conflict in the wake of the Iraq war "pretty remote", he said.

"I don't think, please God, that we are going to see in the next four years the most cataclysmic event for international relations that we have seen in 60 years which occurred on 11 September 2001," he said.

He believed the international divisions which had followed the terror attacks could be healed.

'Chance for progress'

Mr Straw said everybody should recognise that America had come to a "very clear democratic result" in re-electing President Bush, and try to work with the US.

"It is actually a moment of opportunity for the democratic world to come together and to work on items and issues, particularly the Middle East, on which we have seen frustratingly small progress in recent years," he argued.

Mr Straw said Foreign Office officials were continuing to examine the accuracy of The Lancet medical journal's estimates that the Iraq war has led to 100,000 extra deaths.

Tony Blair has spoken to both President Bush and Senator Kerry

Estimates of casualties varied greatly, he said, with groups such as Iraq Body Count suggesting about 15,000 civilians had been killed by military intervention in Iraq.

Critics of the war are particularly concerned about the prospect of a major assault on Falluja by the US-led force in Iraq.

Mr Straw said the Iraqi interim government was seeking a political solution to the problems in the insurgent-held city.

But it was necessary to tackle the "nest of terrorists" in the area, just as had happened in Afghanistan to pave the way for democratic elections, he added.

Blair congratulations

In the US polls, Democratic challenger John Kerry conceded defeat on Wednesday evening and in his victory speech President Bush said he wanted to reach out to all Americans.

Tony Blair has spoken to both President Bush and Senator Kerry.

The prime minister said he looked forward to continuing his strong relationship with the president during his second term in the White House.

The international community had to be brought together, said Mr Blair, stressing the need for action on poverty, the Middle East and the conditions exploited by terrorists.

It was a message he repeated at Thursday's Cabinet meeting and he will discuss the election result with European leaders when he flies to a summit in Brussels later in the day.

His spokesman said: "The prime minister does believe we need to use this as an opportunity to rebuild the relationship across the Atlantic."

Britain will not back Iran war, says Straw

(Filed: 04/11/2004)

Britain will not back military action against Iran if President George W Bush decides to confront Tehran in his second White House term, Jack Straw has said.


	Jack Straw with the Duke of Edinburgh in Germany

The Foreign Secretary rejected claims that hardliners in Mr Bush's administration could press for an attack on Iran as "inconceivable".

Mr Bush has labelled Iran as part of his "axis of evil" and has led calls for the United Nations to crack down on Tehran's alleged attempts to make nuclear weapons.

However, Mr Straw said the prospects of another conflict on top of the war on Iraq were "pretty remote" and that the international community would resolve the dispute "constructively".

"I don't see any circumstances in which military action would be justified against Iran," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Mr Straw, who is in Germany for the Queen's state visit, also described Mr Bush's re-election yesterday as an "opportunity" for Europe to heal its divisions with Washington.

Mr Bush's second term in the White House could also lead to Europe and the US making progress on several issues, particularly the Middle East peace process.

"It is in everybody's interests - including that of continental Europe - that we work together with the United States and that is what the Prime Minister Tony Blair and I and the rest of the Government will be seeking to do," he said.

Iran and EU hold last-chance meeting on Tehran's nuclear program

AFP: 11/4/2004

VIENNA (AFP) - Iran and the EU continue last-chance talks in Paris Friday with both sides seeking compromise over Europe's call for the Islamic republic to suspend uranium enrichment in order to allay US-led concerns it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.

The European Union is no longer explicitly calling for an indefinite suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment, diplomats said in Vienna, and Iran has said it would consider a six-month suspension in order to move closer to EU demands.

The United States, which is keeping a low profile on the European initiative, wants the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at a meeting in Vienna on November 25, to take Iran before the UN Security Council for running what it claims is a secret nuclear weapons program.

The Council could then impose punishing sanctions.

A Western diplomat said the United States was "fully in waiting mode, waiting to see how the Iranians react" to the European offer, which is aimed at avoiding taking Iran to the Security Council.

Diplomats said ambassadors from Britain, France and Germany had Tuesday handed over in Tehran a written request for Iran to halt uranium enrichment, a process which makes fuel for civilian reactors but which can also be used to manufacture the material for the explosive core of nuclear weapons.

"This paper fudges the uranium enrichment question by saying suspension needs to hold until the conclusion of negotiations over the long-term status of Iran's program," said the Western diplomat who requested anonymity.

The EU, led by Britain, France and Germany, has so far in, talks that started in October, said Iran must indefinitely suspend uranium enrichment, but Iran insists that its right to enrichment cannot be called into question by an indefinite suspension.

Europe's three major powers are offering Iran nuclear technology, including access to nuclear fuel, increased trade and help with Tehran's regional security concerns if the Islamic Republic halts enrichment.

But Iran has said it wants these incentives to be given to it up front, instead of having to wait until the end of the negotiating process, diplomats said.

"Iran is willing to consider a suspension but wants to know what it will get in return," a non-aligned diplomat close to the IAEA told AFP Tuesday after a briefing the the NAM in Vienna by Iran's IAEA ambassador Pirooz Hosseini.

The European proposal submitted Tuesday hardens the offer of incentives, including moving up the timetable for Iran to receive them, diplomats said.

Top nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian said in Tehran that Iran could agree to maintain a suspension of uranium enrichment for half a year.

But he added: "Cessation is rejected, indefinite suspension is rejected, suspension shall be a confidence-building measure and a voluntary decision by Iran and in no way a legal obligation."

In Brussels, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier urged Iran on Tuesday to produce a "lasting" halt to its uranium enrichment activities, carefully avoiding the word "indefinite" as signs emerged of a compromise deal between Iran and the EU.

"We are in an extremely intensive phase of discussions with the Tehran government and we are entering into this final phase of discussions with a certain optimism," Barnier told reporters at an EU meeting in Brussels.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said the international community should accept Iran's "legitimate right to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes".

But on the other hand, Iran must "stop the (uranium) fuel cycle", Fischer told reporters in Brussels.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said in Tehran of Friday's talks: "I am optimistic... Both sides are showing flexibility."

For ex-hostages, terrorism began in '79

66 Americans were held captive at U.S. Embassy in Iran

NATION/WORLD

Rick Kupke, of Rensselaer, Ind., recounts Sept. 24 about when an Iranian man, thinking Kupke was an American spy, threatened to cut out his eye shortly after the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Kupke and 51 other Americans were held hostage for 444 days.

AP Photo/JOHN TERHUNE

McLEAN, Va. (AP) -- In the minds of many, terrorists struck their first blow against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. But others look back exactly a quarter-century ago, on Nov. 4, 1979, when 66 Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Iran.

Most remained in captivity for 444 days. Today, reflecting on their experiences through the prism of 9/11, the war in Iraq and two decades of tumultuous relations with the Middle East, many say the United States was too late to recognize that a new era had begun.

"The day they took us is the day they should have started the war on terrorism," said Rodney "Rocky" Sickmann, 47, of St. Louis County, Mo., an embassy security guard.

Many agree that terrorists were emboldened by their success in the Iran hostage crisis -- none of the hostages were killed, but the U.S. government agreed to release $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets -- and see the kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq as a consequence.

"Given the terrorist modus operandi nowadays, we probably wouldn't come out alive. They weren't as bold then. They had a latent fear of the United States," said Chuck Scott, 72, of Jonesboro, Ga., a former Green Beret in Vietnam who was an Army colonel when he was taken hostage.

Steven Kirtley, 47, of McLean, who was a Marine security guard at the embassy, said that while he's grateful everybody survived, he's also angry about what he sees as America's largely ineffectual response to the hostage-takers. He called the episode "a stepping stone to get that terrorist movement going. It was such a terrible loss of face ... such a show of weakness that I still don't think we've recovered."

Fifty-two of the hostages were held for the entire 444 days. Of those, 11 have since died.

Among the rest, memories of that time have resurfaced with the kidnappings and beheadings of Americans in Iraq.

"When I saw them there blindfolded with the guys with the ski masks on -- I had gone through those things in Iran," said Rick Kupke, 57, of Rensselaer, Ind. "I can tell exactly what they felt and the fear that's going through them."

William Blackburn Royer Jr., 73, of Katy, Texas, remembers being jolted awake by the screams of his captors, "herded like cattle" into another room, stripped naked and forced up against a wall in front of a firing squad.

"The whole thing was a shock to the system -- my legs were shaking from the insecurity of the situation," he said. "It was intended as a good psychological upheaval."

Still, he was not sure if he would be killed.

Paul Needham said he remembers reciting the 23rd Psalm as he was lined up for a firing squad. He said he reflects on his captivity every day.

"It definitely changed me," said Needham, 53, of Oakton, Va., a professor at the National Defense University. "I took a look at getting my priorities in life in order -- God and family and country, rather than work, work and work."

While nearly all the hostages said they feared for their lives at some point, many said their memories center on the tedium. Most hostages were largely isolated, and many said they were allowed outside for exercise less than once a month.

During a six-week stint in solitary confinement, Gary Earl Lee said he "made friends" with ants and a salamander that inhabited his room. He would tease the ants with a pistachio nut, letting them almost reach it before nudging it farther away.

"At least they were something better than the guards," said Lee, a retiree living in south Texas.

L. Bruce Laingen, of Bethesda, the embassy's charge d'affaires, was the highest ranking American taken hostage. He said it doesn't make sense that 25 years later the United States has little dialogue with Iran, considering the large American stake in the Middle East.

He mainly faulted Iranian leaders for pursuing hostile policies such as developing nuclear technology and continuing to threaten Israel. He has lingering bitterness for the men and women who took him hostage.

But he doesn't blame the Iranian people, who he said were welcoming.

"We need to understand Iran, and Iran needs to seek to understand us," he said.

As for the anniversary, many said they prefer to remember another day.

"We celebrate Jan. 20, the anniversary of our release," Laingen said. "That's a good day. Nov. 4 is the day the roof fell in."

US attack on Iran 'inconceivable'

BBC

http://regimechangeiran.blogspot.com/

EU presidency rejects talk of military strikes on Iran

AFP: 11/4/2004

BRUSSELS, Nov 4 (AFP) - The European Union's Dutch presidency dismissed Thursday speculation about a US military strike on Iran to force the Islamic republic to abandon its nuclear drive.

Referring to suggestions that some in the United States wanted to attack Iran, labelled part of an "axis of evil" by the re-elected President George W. Bush, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said "not all people in Washington" endorsed this.

"I don't think we're thinking of military strikes. I think that would be counter-productive," he told reporters shortly before the start of a two-day EU summit that will debate Iran among other international headaches.

Ahead of fresh talks on the nuclear issue between Iran and the EU in Paris on Friday, Bot said the EU had "clear indications" that the Iranian government wants to pursue dialogue.

"It is more helpful to continue the dialogue and to convince the Iranians that there are other means if you want to have a nuclear programme," he said, noting a Russian offer of enriched uranium for peaceful atomic energy in Iran.

But the Dutch minister added: "Of course we cannot wait interminably."

Earlier Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it was "inconceivable" that the United States would attack Iran over its nuclear programme and that the world would back such action.

US stand on Iran crucial in oil issue

SOMA BANERJEE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2004 04:10:26 AM]

NEW DELHI: Global oil prices climbed back over $50 a barrel on Wednesday, as Bush headed to victory.

The US polls and its impact on global crude prices have driven home the point that crude oil prices will remain firm in the months to come. RK Pachauri of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) said, “The main area of concern under the Bush administration will be the US policies towards the oil-producing countries in the Middle East.

Apart from Iraq, which will be a critical area, one will have to wait and see the US policies towards Iran, a large oil-producing country.”

Mr Aiyar, however, feels that ground realities in the US will force the new government there to look at oil prices. “And we hope that global oil prices will soften in time,” he said.

But market sentiments and prices are divorced from such hopes and are driven largely by fundamentals based on bare market forces of supply and demand. Subir Gokarn, chief economist of Crisil, said, “Ultimately, the supply-demand forces play a role in global prices. Absence of high cost suppliers which swing the demand-supply trends has had an impact on global prices.”