Free Republic

Top News Story Using Satellite Television to harass Muslim emigrants to the west Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-BonazziAnsar Hezbollah, which is under the direct supervision of Ahmadinejad, is engaged in establishing a multi-lingual (with a concentration on Arabic) satellite television network specifically soliciting resistance in Muslim emigrants affairs in the west. The intention is to use the recent events in France as the perfect launching ground to rouse Muslims against western governments. READ MORE A Daily Briefing of Major News Stories on Iran: Ken Timmerman, News Max reported that IAEA Director General Mohammad ElBaradei wants to give...

Top News Story Vol. 5, No. 9     13 November 2005 Domestic Threats to Iranian Stability: Khuzistan and Baluchistan Michael Rubin The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing a new wave of domestic violence, with multiple bombings in the provinces of Khuzistan and Baluchistan in the past six months. Iran is ethnically diverse. While the recent terrorism may have some ethnic or sectarian component, Iranian nationalism trumps ethnic separatism. Often, regional violence is more a sign of weak central government control and local disaffection than separatist sentiment. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, Saddam Hussein sought to play...

Top News Story Persian Journal Dr. Abdulkarim Soroush, a prominent Iranian-Islamic scholar confessed in a speech in Paris that Islam has no political and civil rights for the people. What you find in the Islamic jurisprudence is only obligations, not rights. Therefore, it is useless to look for democracy in Islam. These remarks are new attestation to the long time proven principle that religion must be separated from politics. This is especially true in the case of Islam. Secularism is the medicine acutely needed in all the Islamic societies, especially in Iran. The experience of Islamic revolution in Iran...

Top News Story Iran believes it can win a clash with the US Amir Taheri, The Jerusalem Post:When Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his "wipe Israel off the map" remarks last month, many diplomats on both sides of the Atlantic rushed to explain, read between the lines and relativize what was an unambiguous statement of Teheran's long-established policy. They expressed the hope that Iran would "clarify" - meaning soften - its position. That was followed by feverish diplomatic activities, mainly by the United Nations' Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to persuade Teheran to tone down Ahmadinejad's remarks. (Annan was forced to...

Top News Story The Cicero Article Dan Darling, The Weekly Standard: A German magazine offers insight into Iran's ongoing support for terrorism. WHILE IRANIAN PRESIDENT Mahmood Ahmadinejad's recent call to wipe Israel off the map has elicited a great deal of much-needed international condemnation, relatively little focus has been paid since to Iran's long-standing support for international terrorism. Thankfully, a recent article published in the German political magazine Cicero, titled "How Dangerous is Iran?" serves as a welcome supplement to the Iranian president's remarks that, among other things, argues that Iran is currently harboring the surviving al Qaeda leadership....

Top News Story Rooz Online The Return of Purged Intelligence Officials A group of former Intelligence Ministry agents are back in action to control Iran’s news media, this time working through the Security Department of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. The group comprises of officials and agents who were involved - and discredited - in the so-called “serial murders” cases that involved the murders, imprisonment, harassment, etc of the country’s writers, journalists, intellectuals, and politicians during 1993-1999 years at the hands officials from the Ministry of Intelligence. After these individuals were purged from the Ministry of Intelligence seven years...

Top News Story Second coming for imam is first concern for Iranian president By Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Gareth Smyth Published: November 9 2005 02:00 | Last updated: November 9 2005 02:00At the mosque of Jamkaran, 110km south of Tehran and just east of the holy city of Qom, tens of thousands gather on Tuesdays to pray and drop messages for the "missing" imam into a well. Abul-Qassem Mohammed, the 12th leader whom Shia Muslims regard as a successor to the prophet Mohammed, entered "occultation" in 941 and will one day return to rule justly before Judgment Day.In the women's...

Top News Story Blair slams Iran for backing 'terrorism'British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused Iran of supporting terrorism which was preventing political progress being made in the Middle East and elsewhere. Blair, addressing a monthly news conference Monday, said: "We know Iran supports terrorism around the Middle East it should stop it; until it stops it, there will be a deep dismay about the Iranian regime right 'round the world. They've just got to accept that," Blair said. "What they do with this terrorism is that they prevent political progress being made whether it's in the Middle East or...

Top News Story An Excerpt: Bush's Great Middle East Gamble Reuel Marc Gerecht,The Weekly Standard: Ahmadinejad, who is an unvarnished revolutionary, makes even the Europeans blanch (they still won't support sanctions, but they do blanch). The Iranian president's recently expressed desire to wipe Israel off the map was a vivid reminder that Iran's ruling elite are still, on the important issues, faithful children of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Ahmadinejad is, of course, fundamentally no different from former President Mohammad Khatami, who loathed Israel as only a very left-wing cleric can, or Iran's leader, Ali Khamenei, who often gives the impression...

Top News Story About 25 al-Qaeda leaders, including three of Osama bin Laden's sons, are running terrorist operations from their refuge in Iran rather than languishing under house arrest as Tehran claims, intelligence officials have said. A "top-ranking Western secret service agent" has told Cicero magazine that the senior al-Qaeda operatives, who fled from Afghanistan into Iran after the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001, have been provided with a secure hiding place, logistical support and equipment by the Revolutionary Guards. Iran had said it would put the al-Qaeda leaders on trial after they crossed the border....

Top News Story Ahamdinejad : The First 100 Days Amir Taheri As Iran’s new President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad prepares to mark his first 100 days in office his friends and foes are debating his performance so far and, as might be expected, reaching different conclusions. His political foes within the Khomeinist system, especially the mullahs he defeated in last June’s elections, have conducted a massive campaign of character assassination against him. This has come in the form of leaks, sound bites, and outright attacks in the media and pubic gatherings. Two mullahs, both former presidents, are leading the campaign against...

Top News Story Western Media Suddenly Get Tough on Iran's New President Richard Beeston, The Times UK reported that Ahmadinejad's recent tough talk and action make people wonder if he is a 'Little Short of Lunacy.'Paul Hughes, Reuters asked: How radical can Iran's President go?Haaretz reported on the similarities of Ahmadinejad and Hilter and the need to take his threats seriously.Bronwen Maddox, The Times UK reported Ahmadinejad has now made it impossible to argue that his threats are just for internal consumption.The NY Sun argued that with Iran now baring its 'Genocidal Intent' the next question to ask is...

Top News Story November 02, 2005, 8:57 a.m. A Rich Italian Dinner Feast Demonstrating against the anti-Semitism. In response to Iran's call for the elimination of Israel, Wednesdayevening in Rome, thousands, probably tens of thousands, will demonstrate in support of the Jewish state. The demonstration has been organized by Giuliano Ferrara, the larger-than-life editor of the feisty daily newspaper il Foglio, and the demonstrators will range from members of some Italian Islamic organizations to foreign minister Giancarlo Fini (long a bete noire of America's "leading" newspapers and networks), just back from a trip to the Middle East. It takes...

Top News Story Full text of the Cicero article on Iran by Dan Darling at November 1, 2005 07:59 AM Here is the full English text of the recent Cicero article on Iran as provided by the brave men and women of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). As I think you'll see, it's well worth reading in full.German Article Examines Threat Posed by Iran's Radical Islamists EUP20051026072016 Potsdam Cicero (Internet Version-WWW) in German 27 Oct 05 [Article by Bruno Schirra: "How Dangerous Is Iran?"] [FBIS Translated Text] Mohamad Ali Abtahi is a man whose voice has grown weary....

Top News Story Tehran's 'rewards' for rocket attacks October 31, 2005 TEL AVIV: Iran has promised a reward of $US10,000 ($13,300) to Islamic Jihad if the militant group launches rockets from the West Bank towards Tel Aviv, a senior Palestinian intelligence official says. Speaking in his Ramallah office, the official produced a fat wad of $US100 notes which he said had been confiscated from a pro-Iranian Islamic Jihad activist. The money was said to have gone from Iran to Damascus, the Syrian capital, from where Ibrahim Shehadeh, Islamic Jihad's head of overseas operations, transferred it to the West Bank....

Top News Story Iran Focus Iran's President Solution to Stock Market Slide: "Hang two or three people" Iran Focus Tehran, Oct. 30 – Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the latest cabinet meeting in the Iranian capital that “if we were permitted to hang two or three persons, the problems with the stock exchange would be solved for ever”, according to a Tehran-based newspaper. Ahmadinejad was addressing a cabinet meeting held to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation at the Tehran Stock Exchange, the daily Ruznet reported on Sunday. Ministers and experts disagreed with all the different views and proposals...

Top News Story Financial Times Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday night condemned international reaction to last week’s speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map”. In remarks reported by state media, Ayatollah Khamenei said the “leaders of the west and Europe should be ashamed of being so much under the influence of Zionists” But recognising the furore sparked by Mr Ahmadi-Nejad’s remarks, he also warned officials against “negligence vis-à-vis the enemy”. Ayatollah Khamenei rejected any link between Mr Ahmadi-Nejad’s speech and Iran’s nuclear programme. “Nuclear weapons cannot be employed to...

Top News Story Why Haven't We Seen This? If you follow the news you may have seen this picture, of Iran's President Ahmadinejad speaking at the "World Without Zionism" conference where he spoke of wiping "Israel off the map."But in this photo you can only see a portion of the graphic. The rest of the graphic speaks a thousand words. The Iranian government produced sophisticated visual props for this important speech, designed to send a message to the USA and the English speaking world. Those who produced this graphic were sophisticated enough to know that it would provide a...

Top News Story Blair hints at military action after Iran's 'disgraceful' taunt By Philip Webster, Political EditorPresident's call for Israel to be 'wiped off the map' is condemned by leaders across the world TONY BLAIR gave warning last night that the West might have to take military action against Iran after worldwide condemnation of its President’s call for Israel to be “wiped off the map”. Ending a one-day European Union summit, the Prime Minister called the explosive declaration by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday a disgrace. Promising discussions with Washington and other allies over how to react, Mr Blair said...

Top News Story The World Responds to the Iranian President's call for Israel to be "Wiped off the face of the map." The Europeans: The Associated Press reported that European governments condemned the Iranian president. The report reminded us of nearly identical statements by Khomeni. Deutrsch Welle reported that the foreign policy spokesman for Germany's new government said: Those who want to wipe out Israel cannot be partners of Germany.Russia: Reuters reported that Russia warned Tehran that such comments added to pressure for Iran to be referred to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program. The U.N.: United...