Free Republic

Top News Story Risks of appeasing Iran's mullahs[Excerpt]By Struan Stevenson Iran's increasing meddling in Iraq and its defiance in its nuclear weapons program pose the greatest challenge to peace and security in Iraq and the whole Middle East, as we enter 2005. ...     Its proxies in that country, including the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), have put forward a united slate, hoping to gain a majority in the newly elected parliament, whose primary task is to draft Iraq's future constitution. The Iranian clerics have never been so close to realizing their decades-old dream of erecting a...

Top News Story Number 936 December 30, 2004 Influencing Iran's Nuclear Activities through Major Power Cooperation Patrick Clawson This is the second part of a two-part series on diplomacy surrounding the Iranian nuclear program and discusses the role of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, with particular focus on Russia and China. The first part appeared as PolicyWatch 928 on December 16. The Iran nuclear issue will be on the international agenda in the coming months. The often-postponed visit to Tehran by the head of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency (Minatom) Alexander Rumyantsev to sign an agreement...

WASHINGTON DC -- Fifty million humans have been LIBERATED, NOT COLONIALIZED, BY THE UNITED STATES. They live in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior, mortals there lived under two morally rotting regimes from The Pit. Fifty million people. Count them and give thanks for freedom spread. That liberation goal is what the US President pronounced to the world as his chief purpose for sitting in the Oval Office, though Dems and liberal press don’t want to get the clear, repeated message. Of course, they do get the message; but they are not driven to encourage liberties elsewhere. They are motivated by their...

Top News Story Iraq's Shiites rule out Iran model Monday, January 3, 2005 Political coalition says it won't create an Islamic theocracyBAGHDAD In a surprise press conference Sunday, leaders of the Shiite-dominated coalition that is expected to prevail in national elections sought to dispel fears that they are under the secret sway of Iran, or have any desire to create an Islamic theocracy. Speaking in offices that were damaged by a car bomb just six days before, leaders of the United Iraqi Alliance urged disaffected Sunnis to join in the elections for a National Assembly, scheduled for Jan. 30....

Top StoryIran's Ebadi to run for presidency LONDON, Jan 1 (IranMania) – According to Iran Daily, news sources on Friday reported of Peace Prize Laureate, Iranian Shririn Ebadi's candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections. 14 groups such as the Council in Defense of Prisoners' Rights along with independent human rights advocates are to form a coalition to back Ebadi's candidacy. This is while according to Iran's Guardian Council, the controversial term ' Rejal' explicitly mentioned in Iran's constitution in defining the characteristics of the presidential hopefuls refers to the masculinity of the candidates. Thus it is still unknown what...

Top News Story Iraqi Prime Minister warns Iran, Syria to stop disrupting peace Fri. 31 Dec 2004 Iran FocusBaghdad, Dec. 31 - The Iraqi interim-Prime Minister, Ayad Allawi, speaking on Iraqi TV today echoed comments made yesterday by Iraq’s Defence Minister, about Iranian and Syrian meddling in Iraq. “There are countries which host those who are involved in activities that are harmful to the people of Iraq”, he said. Allawi made the comments in response to a question by Al-Iraqiah satellite TV channel on Iranian and Syrian meddling in Iraq and the recent evidence that had been obtained in...

Top News Story Iran, Russia to study UFOs Scientific probe amid rash of sightings in Eastern Hemisphere Posted: December 30, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Image taken from infrared video of UFOs in Mexico in May With a rash of recent sightings of unidentified flying objects in the Eastern Hemisphere, Russia and Iran have agreed to jointly study the UFO phenomenon. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, the two nations are stressing "expansion of bilateral cooperation particularly in space research and construction of satellites." In addition to the scientific look at UFOs, Russia and Iran are finalizing agreement for...

Top News Story “Car bomb work of Iranian intelligence”: Najaf chief of police Wed. 29 Dec 2004 Iran FocusBaghdad, Dec. 29 - The police chief in Najaf said that the commander of three terrorists arrested on Sunday in connection with a car bomb that exploded in the holy city, had extensive connections to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). He said that intelligence for when and where to attack was given by an MOIS agent to the terrorist cells. “Iraqi security forces had received information regarding a possible attack. The chaotic security situation, due to the burial ceremony...

Top News Story Iraq and Iran It may be a positive sign that when campaigning began for elections scheduled for Jan. 30 in Iraq, the first hot-button issue raised by Iraqi politicians was the specter of Iranian influence. American officials as well as Arab leaders are breaking no new ground when they warn in public about Iranian meddling in Iraq. They are fearful of Tehran for geopolitical reasons. They don't want Iranian-style theocracy to spread beyond Iran's borders. But it is an exhilarating novelty for Iraqis to be open about such a politically sensitive subject without fear of being...

Top News Story Grand Strategy in the Second TermJohn Lewis Gaddis From Foreign Affairs, January/February 2005 Summary: In his first four years, George W. Bush presided over the most sweeping redesign of U.S. strategy since the days of F.D.R. Over the next four, his basic direction should remain the same: restoring security in a more dangerous world. Some midcourse corrections, however, are overdue. Washington should remember the art of speaking softly and the need for international legitimacy. John Lewis Gaddis is Robert A. Lovett Professor of History at Yale. RECONSIDERATIONSSecond terms in the White House open the way for...

Top News Story Choices on Iran New York Sun Staff Editorial December 23, 2004 President Bush surely mis-underestimated himself when he spoke, during a year-end press conference this week, of his reliance on European allies to achieve American aims in Iran. "We're relying upon others, because we've sanctioned ourselves out of influence with Iran," Mr. Bush said. It can't be a good sign when the president of a superpower is going around claiming he lacks influence. It's not even accurate.The fact is that there are plenty of ways in which Mr. Bush could exercise influence on Iran. He could...

Top News - By Ali Akbar Dareini Tehran: Iran’s Air Force has been ordered to shoot down any unknown or suspicious flying objects in Iran’s airspace, an Air Force spokesman said on Saturday amid state-media reports of sightings of flying objects near Iran’s nuclear installations. "All anti-aircraft units and jet fighters have been ordered to shoot down the flying objects in Iran’s airspace," spokesman of the regular Army, Air Force Colonel Salman Mahini, said. Flying object fever has gripped Iran after dozens of reported sightings in the summer and in recent weeks. State-run media has reported sightings of unknown...

Spanish Foregin Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos will visit Iran late next January, it was reported on Friday. Moratinos is going to visit Iran on a four-day regional tour of the Middle East, the report added. The visit will be the first by a Spanish official since the new government took office in last May.

The U.S. forces said that they arrested two Zarqawi-linked leaders in Ramadi. The U.S. army announced on Saturday that it arrested two key leaders of a group claiming links to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. The military said in a statement that the two men "were cell leaders for a local Zarqawi-affiliated terrorist group that is operating" in the Al Anbar province, which includes the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. The statement added that the group "kidnapped and executed 11 Iraqi National Guardsmen" and that it was responsible for a number of car explosions and...

Top News Story A Special Christmas Story by Joe Katzman at December 25, 2004 03:23 AM I haven't talked about this, but over the past few weeks a number of bloggers have been working to help a certain gentleman escape from a dangerous situation in Iran and find freedom. Our Iranian friend is now out of the country and in a safe location, with people on the ground set up to help his transition and a refugee application in progress. I'm told that our Iranian friend extends his profound gratitude to the crew of elves (Gary Metz, Emily, Jack...

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) Armenia's parliament voted Friday to send 46 non-combat troops to Iraq, a move that was backed by President Robert Kocharian but drew sharp criticism from many Armenians and opposition groups. After more than seven hours of debate behind closed doors, lawmakers in the National Assembly voted 91-23, with one abstention, to send the contingent, which will include bomb-disposal experts, doctors and transport specialists. The troops could be deployed to Iraq as early as next month and could serve in Iraq for up to a year, said Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisyan, adding that the contingent would only conduct...

All Washington state wants for Christmas is a new governor.Just when it seems as if Indecision 2004 could not get more serpentine, surreal or saddled with conspiracy theories, some monstrosity, like a fanged beast from an old black-and-white movie, jumps out. The latest twist involves bloodsuckers with briefcases: lawyers. Attorneys and political consultants are now scrambling after the results of a second recount yesterday gave Democrat Christine Gregoire a 130-vote edge. That margin appears to give her a decisive victory over Republican Dino Rossi in the closest and most bizarre governor's race in American history.Legal shrieks and cries of electoral...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 - Democratic leaders say their party needs to de-emphasize the issue of abortion rights, concerned that Republicans have hurt the Democratic Party by portraying it as an uncompromising champion of abortion. In interviews and public appearances since Election Day, Democratic officials have said that the party should open its doors to abortion opponents and that candidates should make abortion a less central focus of future campaigns. Party leaders said they were not abandoning their fundamental support for abortion rights, but said Democrats should consider accepting some restrictions that enjoy popular support - like parental notification when teenagers...

Afghan troops captured 10 suspected Taliban fighters in a raid on their hideout in southern Kandahar province following an attack against a local police chief that left two people dead, the governor's spokesman said Friday. The raid occurred Wednesday on a mountain road in Miyanashi, north of the city of Kandahar, said Khalid Pashtun, a spokesman for the governor. He said the 10 rebels were overwhelmed by about 80 Afghan soldiers and gave up without a fight. The raid followed an attack in the area on Miyanashi's police chief, Khadr Jan, whose convoy was ambushed as he traveled along the...

Top News Story Iranians lying, cheating for nukes Posted: December 24, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com The mullahs of Iran have given the E.U.-3 and the International Atomic Energy Agency their word that they will stop enriching uranium and, after negotiating back and forth for weeks, they are allowing for IAEA verification. That was the word at the end of November. So, we can all stop worrying, right? Not so fast. Not even one month later, and the mullahs have created enough exceptions to fly a Shahab-3 through. First, the Iranians insisted they needed to keep some 20 or 30...