Iranian Alert -- DAY 44 -- LIVE THREAD PING LIST

The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movment in Iran from being reported.

From jamming satellite broadcasts, to prohibiting news reporters from covering any demonstrations to shutting down all cell phones and even hiring foreign security to control the population, the regime is doing everything in its power to keep the popular movement from expressing its demand for an end of the regime.

These efforts by the regime, while successful in the short term, do not resolve the fundamental reasons why this regime is crumbling from within.

Iran is a country ready for a regime change. 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.

Please continue to join us here, post your news stories and comments to this thread.

U.S. Believes Iran's Nuclear Know-how Came from Pakistan

July 23, 2003
Ha'aretz
Ze'ev Schiff

The riddle that had stumped many of the world’s intelligence agencies over recent months appears to have been solved. The question that no one was able to answer: Where did Iran obtain the know-how to manufacture the centrifuges used in the creation of the enriched uranium used in nuclear weapons?

It now appears that Pakistan was the source for this knowledge. The United States has presented Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf with evidence backing this up, and has demanded an explanation of how such sensitive nuclear expertise was leaked to the Iranians.

It is widely believed that Iran has been operating centrifuges for over a year. This first came to light when some of the centrifuges were shown to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, and a delegation of inspectors, during a visit last February to a uranium-enrichment facility at Natanz in central Iran. The existence of the facility, some of which is built underground, was revealed last year. At the time, the Iranians said that they intended to manufacture several thousand of these centrifuges, eventually reaching a total of around 50,000. Reports hinted that the centrifuges would be built in Iran, and that Tehran had no intention of purchasing them from overseas.

Western nations feared that some of the centrifuges had also been placed in a different facility, in Kalia. According to the government in Tehran, the plant is used solely to generate electricity, but it seems that Kalia was the site of Iran’s first experiments in centrifuges. IAEA inspectors asked permission to visit the plant in Kalia, and to take samples, but were denied access by the authorities.

The Iranians claim that they are only producing low-grade enriched uranium, for use in nuclear power plants. Western sources suspect, however, that the real purpose is to build nuclear weapons.

Experts had been unable to determine where Iran got the technological know-how needed to create the centrifuges. The expertise in question is highly specialized, and very few Western nations are able to create centrifuges themselves. Various intelligence services have tried to find out which country was helping Iran. Among the ‘suspect’ countries were Russia, which vehemently denied the claim, and North Korea, which is known to have aided Iran in building conventional missiles. In the end, however, information came to light pointing to Pakistan as the source of the Iranian know-how.

As far as the Americans are concerned, the discovery is highly problematic, since Pakistan – which is known to have nuclear capabilities – is considered an ally of the U.S. Musharraf, who was in Washington in May this year, has been asked to explain how the expertise reached Iran from his country. The possibility the deal was conducted by scientists in Pakistan, acting against the law and without informing the authorities, has not been ruled out.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=321515&contrassID=1&subContrassID=8&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y

United Against the Ruling Mullahs

July 23, 2003
The Wall Street Journal
Review & Outlook

The pronouncements of America and Europe on the Middle East have sometimes seemed a tale of two policies. The U.S. brought freedom to Iraq even as Dominique de Villepin led France in Saddam's defense; the U.S. quarantined Yasser Arafat even as Brussels continued to have dealings with him; the U.S. attempted to isolate Iran even as Paris and sometimes even London pursued a fruitless policy of engagement.

This history of disagreement makes it all the more encouraging that, at least on the question of how to deal with the tyrants in Tehran, America and the EU are moving closer together.

The most recent signs of a trans-Atlantic meeting of minds came Monday. President George W. Bush escalated the war of words with Iran's ruling mullahs, saying from his Texas ranch that the U.S. "will not tolerate" Iran's constructing a nuclear weapon. At his side stood Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi -- who has just assumed the rotating presidency of the EU, and who is an unabashed supporter of Mr. Bush's Middle East policy.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, the EU's foreign ministers had strong words of their own for Iran. They expressed "deep shock" over the death of Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi, who was detained and beaten to death by Iran's police thugs for having the audacity to photograph an anti-government demonstration. The ministers also called on Iran to end its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, and demanded that Iran "show full transparency and co-operate fully" with the International Atomic Inspection Agency.

Of course, such words mean little without a credible threat backing them up. But things may be different this time. The foreign ministers said that "future steps of co-operation" with Iran will be reviewed by September, after the IAEA gives a report on Iran's clandestine nuclear program. In diplomatic speak, that's a threat. Tehran's rulers have been put on notice that the EU stands ready to cut them loose unless they renounce their nuclear ambitions.

That the EU has moved closer to a more tough-minded view of the ruling mullahs comes as welcome news. Reports came on Sunday that Iran has put into service a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,300 kilometers. At a ceremony marking the event, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "Today our people and our armed forces are ready to defend their goals anywhere."

It is chilling to think of Mr. Khamenei's theocracy defending its "goals" -- which have included, among other worthy causes, the destruction of Israel, the exportation of terrorism, and the destabilization of Iraq -- with a missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload anywhere in the Middle East. Predictably, Iran has denied that it intends to build nuclear weapons -- but has said nothing to explain the mystery of why a nation sitting atop vast oil reserves needs a nuclear reactor to generate electricity.

Fortunately, the world need not permit a nuclear-armed Iran. The regime is in a position of extreme weakness, having been shaken by mass protests in June. Escalating the pressure on Tehran may force real concessions -- or, more likely, encourage a democratic revolution by showing Iran's predominately pro-Western population that the opinion of the free world is on their side. A united front against Tehran may also prompt greater maturity from Russia, which has been a shameless supporter of Iran's nuclear program.

Of course, the EU is made up of many nations. It's impossible to know how determined Mr. de Villepin is to stick to his guns, for example. But Europe has taken a big step in the right direction.

http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news_en.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=07&d=23&a=4

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail me”

Kazemi's death probe to be handled by military court

World News
Jul 23, 2003

TEHRAN - An investigation into the death in custody of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi has been entrusted to military prosecutors, judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told the student news agency ISNA Wednesday.

Tehran's chief civilian prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, who has been criticised for his role in Kazemi's case, took the decision to pass on responsibility for the investigation to the military, ISNA reported.

Military prosecutors deal with alleged offences by intelligence, military and security officials, the agency said, adding that Mortazavi's move implied a denial that Kazemi received the blow to her head which killed her while in the custody of his office.

Kazemi, 54, died in hospital after a brain haemorrhage following the blow while she was in custody, an official report showed Monday, with specifying how she received it. Reformist deputies have accused Mortazavi of concealing the facts of the case.

The journalist was arrested on June 23 outside Tehran's Evin prison where she was taking photographs of protestors demanding the release of relatives locked up during last month's anti-government protests.

Between June 23 at 5:40 pm and June 27 at 0:20 am, when she was admitted to hospital, she spent 21 hours with the prosecutors, then 26 hours in police hands, a further four hours with the prosecutors and finally 26 hours being questioned by intelligence ministry officials.

Iran's pro-reformist President Mohammad Khatami ordered action against those responsible for her death and on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi promised that they would be punished. Kazemi's death caused a crisis in relations between Iran and Canada.

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_1340.shtml

Sham scenario of "Military Justice" to be played again

SMCCDI (Information Service)
Jul 23, 2003

The so-called investigations in the the case of the murdered Iranian-Canadian journalist have been entrusted to the Islamic regime's Military "justice" following the wave of indignation raised about the original decision to let Kazemi's assassin, Mortazavi, to investiagte the murder case.

It's to note that the new official decision follows the same exact path as another mascarade witnessed during the "Chain Murders" of 1997, when, the so-called regime's Military Justice investigated in the murders of several Iranian writers and opponents, such as the late Forouhars.

Several so-called rogue agents were arrested and one of them was eliminated under the label of "Having Committed Suicide in Prison with Depilatory Products"; While the real masterminds are still sitting in their leadership chairs.

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_1355.shtml

Iran: We've Got Qaeda Bigs

TEHRAN, July 23, 2003
(CBS/AP) Iran is holding top members of the al Qaeda terror network, the intelligence minister said Wednesday, days after President Bush accused the country of harboring terrorists.

Tehran has said in recent months that it has al Qaeda figures in its prisons — but Wednesday's comments were the first word that some of them held high positions in Osama bin Laden's group.

"A large number of small and big-time elements of al Qaeda are in our custody," Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi told reporters. He did not name any of the detainees.

CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart reports U.S. officials believe that Iran is holding two top al Qaeda officials, bin Laden's security chief Saif al-Adil and al Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Abu Ghaith. They do not believe reports that the Iranians have bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahri; they believe he is with bin Laden.

Al-Adil had been the de facto "shot-caller" for al Qaeda with bin Laden on the run. The Saudis believe he is directly responsible for the Riyadh attack several weeks ago and badly want him sent back to Saudi Arabia, report Stewart. U.S. officials describe the Egyptian as a "psychopath" who was known to have plotted to crash an airplane into the Egyptian parliament.

U.S. officials have said at different times that intelligence suggested that the top five figures in al Qaeda below bin Laden and his deputy al-Zawahri are in Iran: al-Adil, training chief Abu Mohamed al-Masri, Saad bin Laden — one of the al Qaeda chief's sons — Abu Musab Zarqawi and Abu Hafs the Mauritanian.

U.S. counterterrorism officials, however, do not believe reports al-Zawahri is in Iran, but with bin Laden somewhere along the remote Afghan-Pakistani border.

The White House on Monday repeated its accusations that Iran — as well as Syria — are harboring terrorists, a charge both Tehran and Damascus deny. "This behavior is completely unacceptable," Bush said. "States that support terror will be held accountable."

Iranian officials have insisted they are pursuing al Qaeda figures and announced several months ago they had an undisclosed number in custody. They later said they identified the al Qaeda members, but never announced who they are.

"Wherever we learn of some clues about people connected to al Qaeda, we launch intelligence operations and arrest them. We are firm on this because we consider it our duty to do so," Yunesi said at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting at Iran's presidency.

Iran said last month that it was holding talks with foreign intelligence services, including Britain's, over the fate of its detained members of the al Qaeda terror group.

Iran has also said it would hand over to Saudi Arabia any of that country's nationals among the detained suspects.

U.S. officials suspect some al Qaeda figures in Iran played a role in the May 12 suicide bombings in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Earlier this year, Iran said it had extradited more than 500 al Qaeda members to their homelands — including Arab, European and African countries. Many al Qaeda operatives are believed to have fled to Iran after the overthrow of the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan in late 2001.

Zarqawi — one of those U.S. officials have said may be in Iran — was the Bush administration's key alleged link between al Qaeda and the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, although officials have offered almost no evidence of collusion between the two.

Al-Adil and al-Masri are both wanted in connection with the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa, and U.S. officials say al-Adil may be connected to the May 12 bombings in Riyadh.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/07/world/main561909.shtml

Canada to recall ambassador over photojournalist killed in Iran

ABC News Online 7.23.2003

Canada says it will recall its ambassador to Tehran after Iranian authorities buried an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist who died after injuries sustained in police custody.

Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham told state-owned CBC Newsworld television the Canadian ambassador "will be back here before the week is out".

Following reports from Tehran confirming that 54-year-old Zahra Kazemi had been buried despite demands from her Montreal-based son and the Canadian Government that her remains be returned to Canada, Mr Graham said "we clearly want the remains of Madame Kazemi returned to Canada in accordance with the wishes of her family".

Referring to Iranian admissions that Ms Kazemi had been beaten while in custody and had died from her mistreatment, Mr Graham said "we insist on getting to the bottom of that".

Ms Kazemi was reportedly buried in Shiraz, Iran, earlier on Wednesday local time, despite repeated demands from Ottawa and for her son Stephan Hachemi, who lives in Montreal, that her body be returned to Canada for an independent autopsy and burial.

Ms Kazemi was arrested on June 23 while take pictures outside a Tehran prison and she died on July 11 after falling into a coma.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s908772.htm

BBC NEWS:
Iran holds 'senior' al-Qaeda men

The minister did not name those in custody
Iran has said it is holding several senior members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
The Intelligence Minister, Ali Yunesi, told reporters in Tehran that a large number of "small and big" members of al-Qaeda were in Iranian custody.

It is not clear how senior the detainees are, and the minister gave few details.

Earlier this year, the Iranians announced the arrest of a number of alleged al-Qaeda suspects, but rejected US allegations that senior figures of the network had taken refuge in Iran.

President Bush has accused Iran and Syria of continuing to harbour terrorists - a charge both countries reject.

'Small and big'

Mr Yunesi said that since the US-led war in Afghanistan that led to the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001, Iran had arrested "a large number of al-Qaeda members, some of whom have been expelled or handed over to their country of origin".

He told reporters: "We are still holding many others."

Last week, Kuwait acknowledged for the first time that one of its former citizens, the al-Qaeda spokesman, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, was in Iranian custody.

Kuwaiti Interior Minister Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah told Saudi newspaper Okaz that the government had turned down an offer by Iran to extradite Abu Ghaith to Kuwait.

He said Abu Ghaith's Kuwaiti citizenship had been withdrawn following the 11 September 2001 attacks.

Iran revealed in June that it had a number of al-Qaeda suspects in custody and that it had identified some of them.

Reports at the time said that among those in Iranian custody were Abu Ghaith, al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's son Saad Bin Laden and also his security chief Saif al-Adel, sometimes regarded as al-Qaeda's current number three leader.

The whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden are not known - or even whether he is definitely still alive.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3090731.stm

23 Jul 2003 13:16:14 GMT
Canada to pull ambassador out of Iran over burial

OTTAWA, July 23 (Reuters) - Canada said on Wednesday it would pull its ambassador out of Iran and mull other sanctions after Iranian authorities ignored Ottawa's wishes and buried a Canadian journalist who died in custody.

"He will be back here within the end of the week. We will examine with him and with our authorities as to what steps we wish to take to keep the pressure on the government of Iran," Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham told CBC television.

A foreign ministry spokesman said no time line had been set for the ambassador, Philip MacKinnon, to return to Tehran.

Zahra Kazemi, 54, a photojournalist of Iranian descent living in Canada, died on July 10 from a blow to the head more than two weeks after she was arrested for taking pictures outside a prison in Tehran.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23228231.htm

Canada recalls ambassador from Iran

Last Updated Wed, 23 Jul 2003 12:46:36

OTTAWA - Angry over the way Tehran has handled the death of a Canadian journalist last month, Ottawa has recalled its ambassador from Iran.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham told CBC Newsworld on Wednesday that Ambassador Philip MacKinnon has been told to leave Iran.

MacKinnon is to be back in Canada by the end of the week, Graham said, calling the recall "a strong indication in diplomatic terms of the complete dissatisfaction of one government to another government."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Iranian government said Zahra Kazemi, 54, had been buried in Shiraz, Iran.

Kazemi's son, Stephan Hachemi, and the federal government has been trying to have the body sent to Canada since Iranian authorities admitted the Iran-born Canadian citizen had died in police custody.

The photojournalist, who carries both Canadian and Iranian passports, was arrested June 23 while taking photos outside a prison in Tehran . At some point she was beaten, lapsed into a coma and then died July 11.

The official Iranian news agency (IRNA) reported Sunday that Kazemi died from a fractured skull caused by "a physical attack." However, there were no other details such as who hit her or where and when it happened.

The story on IRNA claimed the government received a letter from Kazemi's mother asking that her daughter be buried in her home town of Shiraz "in order to prevent any tragic misuse of the incident."

Kazemi caught in middle of power struggle

Hachemi said his grandmother was forced to ask for his mother's burial in Iran.

Kazemi's mother agreed in a meeting at the Canadian Embassy that the body should be returned to Canada for burial, Graham said.

"Iranian authorities have chosen to disregard that," he said.

"This clearly is a part of the overall struggle which is going on in Iran between the religious authorities, the judiciary and the police against the elected representatives of the people, represented by the government of President (Mohammad) Khatami."

Canada will keep pressure on the Iranians to respect the wishes of the family and have Kazemi's remains returned to Canada, Graham said, and demand a full and open investigation.

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/07/23/iran_ambassador030723

White House:Iran Must Turn Over Any Al-Qaida It's Holding

July 23, 2003
Dow Jones Newswires
Alex Keto

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration Wednesday reacted cautiously to the announcement from Tehran that Iran is holding al-Qaida suspects but added that, if that were true, Iran must turn the suspects over to face justice.

Earlier in the day, Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi told reporters that Iran has "a large number of small and big-time elements of al-Qaida in custody."

The comments back up previous contentions by U.S. officials that al-Qaida terrorists fled to Iran. There has been speculation that al-Qaida members in Iran helped plan the bombings in Riyadh earlier this year and U.S. officials have questioned what Iran means by having the terrorists in their custody.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan repeated some of those points again.

"I'm not in a position where I can confirm the accuracy of those statements by the Iranians, nor am I exactly sure what the term 'custody' means. The statements would appear to confirm what we and others believe to be a significant al-Qaida presence in Iran, to include members of its senior leadership," McClellan said.

"These terrorists, we've made very clear, must be brought to justice. We, along with a number of our allies, have called on Iran to turn these terrorists over to the United States or to their countries of origin so that they will face justice for their terrorist activities," he added.

Yunesi gave no indication of what Iran plans to do with the al-Qaida suspects he said his country is holding. In the past, Iran has offered to turn over to Saudi Arabia any al-Qaida suspects that come from that country.

On Monday, President George W. Bush accused both Syria and Iran of aiding and harboring terrorists and called the practice "unacceptable." He added any country that harbors terrorists will be held to account.

-By Alex Keto, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9256; Alex.Keto@dowjones.com

http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news_en.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=07&d=23&a=8

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