Free Republic

Top News Story Why Putin will not help the US with Iran. Amir Taheri, The New York Post reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has long envisioned Russia's return as a major world power. This weekend, Putin will see part of that dream realized serving as President of this year's G-8 summit. Putin said he was seeking a "multipolar" world in which the United States would no longer be "the sole superpower that tries to dictate to the world how to behave."   Ganji will meet US officials. Eli Lake, The New York Sun published an interview with Akbar...

Top News Story Iran's war with Israel and the US becomes clear to the MSM. The New York Times finally reported that the expansion of the Gaza crisis into southern Lebanon, confronting Israel with a conflict on its northern and southern borders, has demonstrated that the central issue at stake is regional, not local. It is the broader problem of radical Islam and of Iran.The Telegraph reported that Israeli commanders regard the northern border as their "front line" with Iran.New York Sun in an editorial argued the risks of 'Restraint' in the present Middle East conflict.The Boston Globe in...

Top News Story Iranian dissident to meet with Noan Chomsky. Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that Iran's most famous opposition figure, Akbar Ganji, is due to arrive in New York on Saturday and attend a meeting with the leftist MIT political science professor Noam Chomsky. But Mr. Ganji will not be meeting with any American government officials.   US prepares "united" and punitive action on Iran. Voice of America reported that the United States says world powers are fully prepared to seek punitive action against Iran after it failed to provide a clear answer to their overture...

Top News Story Iranian Press hides EU blacklisting of Iran. Iran Focus reported that after the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution accusing Tehran of obstructing freedom of expression on the internet, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported the EP resolution and listed all the states but one on the blacklist: Iran.   US demands an answer from Iran. The Washington Times reported that Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said of Iran: "We offered them two paths, negotiations or Security Council action... The Iranians can choose, but the time to choose has come."Reuters reported that U.S. Secretary of...

Top News Story Iran and this week's G-8 Summit in Russia. Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Iran's nuclear case would top the agenda of the G-8 summit this week in St Petersburg, Russia, July 15-17.The Washington Post reported that President Bush has decided to permit extensive U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia for the first time, in a move that would be worth billions of dollars to Moscow.Seattle PI reported that with the uproar over North Korea's missile tests, America and its allies are concerned that all the attention could hurt their effort to curb Iran's suspect nuclear...

Top News Story Why El Baradei must be forced out of the IAEA. Bruno Schirra, writing for the German website Die Welt just published a report that the IAEA tried to stop entitled: Atomic Secrets: The man who knew too much. This is the first time the IAEA’s Chief Inspector, Chris Charlier, has spoken out publicly. We have just translated the report. Here are a few excerpts:   When Baradei went to Tehran in April for consultations, the chief negotiator of the Shiite theocracy, Ali Larijani gave him an ultimatum to fire Chris Charlier. … Mohammad El-Baradei acted swiftly...

Top News Story Ahmadinejad warns Jews in Israel to leave Israel. JTA reported that Ahmadinejad said Israel is a "fabricated regime... I think the only solution would be for those who created it to wrap it up and take it away."   Iranian exiles are finally uniting on Iran. Amir Taheri, Arab News reported that recently Iranian exiles have held a series of meetings, most recently in Berlin and London, to harmonize their activities. The emerging consensus within the opposition appears to be based on at least six points. A must read.   The EU/Iran "encouraged" before more talks...

Top News Story LA's Iranian exiles seek unity on regime change in Iran. Mercury News reported that an Iranian student leader, Amir Abbas Fakhravar, who was imprisoned for years until he recently fled his homeland arrived in Southern California in hopes of uniting Iranian opposition groups.   Iran & North Korea test the International community. The Wall Street Journal reminded us of the history of North Korea efforts to sell missile technology to Iran and the problem our these nations developing nuclear weapons.Michael Rubin, The National Review Online reviewed the reasons for the failure of US and international efforts...

Top News Story Fearing assassins" Iran delays nuclear talks with EU. Yahoo News reported that crucial talks due on Wednesday between the European Union and Iran on incentives to a end a nuclear stand-off have been postponed for a week.Interactive Investor reported that Iran decided to delay today's meeting in Brussels with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana because of the possible presence in Brussels of an exiled opposition leader, Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran -- a banned opposition group.Yahoo News later reported that Iran postponed key talks in Brussels between its chief...

Top News Story Iranian student leader to meet with VP Cheney about "regime change" in Tehran. Telegraph reported that an Iranian student leader, Amir Abbas Fakhravar, who was imprisoned and tortured before fleeing to the United States in May, is to meet Vice-President Dick Cheney and deliver his message about the need for "regime change" in Tehran.   The West has no choice but wait for Tehran? Reuters reported that Western diplomats and analysts said the West has no choice but to wait as Tehran plays for time. The latest "deadline" for Iran is July 12.Yahoo News reported that...

Top News Story Karen Hughes kills Bush's US broadcasting nominee who sought a return to the principles that proved so effective during the Cold War. Joel Mowbray, The Washington Times reported that in a stunning move, Karen Hughes sided with the Democratic members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors earlier this month in shooting down the Republicans' preferred candidate to head up U.S. radio services who would like to return to the principles that proved so effective during the Cold War, namely targeting key decision makers with serious programming laced with the values and ideals inherent to free societies....

Top News StoryIran and EU have been "talking daily." So what is Wednesday's meeting for? Dow Jones Newswires reported that top Iranian and European envoys will meet Wednesday to discuss "ambiguities" in a package of Western incentives, but the ambiguities shouldn't there since the EU's Solana and Iran's Larijani are "in contact on a daily basis."The New York Times reported that Iran again rejected a deadline to respond to an international proposal to end the standoff over its nuclear program.   Hersch: on the problems with military strikes on Iran. More "anonymous sources." Symour M. Hersh, The New Yorker...

Top News Story CBC News Senior United States military commanders have told the Bush administration that military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities would probably fail to destroy them, the New Yorker magazine reported on Sunday. The senior commanders also warned that any attack could have "serious economic, political, and military consequences for the United States," the article says, citing unidentified U.S. military officials. "The target array in Iran is huge, but it's amorphous," the magazine quotes one unidentified general as saying. The article is by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who was the first U.S. journalist to report on the...

Top News StoryIranian rebels blow up railway line. Reuters reported that suspected tribal militants, fighting for greater political and economic autonomy, blew up a railway line linking southwestern Pakistan to Iran early on Saturday.Middle East Newsline reported that Iran was said to have been besieged by unrest. Iranian opposition sources reported a sharp increase in civil unrest throughout the country.   Syria detains Iranian rebels. Kuwait Times reported that a human rights group said Syria detained several leading Iranian Arab rebel leaders yesterday. The human rights group fear they will send them back to Iran.   G8 fear Iran...

Top News Story Iran invests in $1/3 Billion to suppress its internal opposition. Rooz Online reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran spent $350 million to equip and arm 2 brigades of Baseej mass-mobilization forces with heavy weapons. These two brigades had been involved in crushing the student protests. (But the US still can't provide $75 million to support them.) A must read.   Iranian fighters captured in Iraq. Excite News reported that Iraqi and U.S. troops battled Shiite militiamen in a village northeast of Baghdad on Thursday. Iraqi security officials said Iranian fighters had been captured in the...

Top News Story A serious crack in US/EU Unity on Iran. Reuters reported that Germany's defense minister said Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for power generation provided there is close monitoring by U.N. inspectors to ensure that it is not trying to develop atomic weapons.   Foreign Ministers meet in Moscow on Iran... Yahoo News reported that a meeting between EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator has been postponed until after Group of Eight foreign ministers meet on Thursday.The Washington Post reported that Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations...

Top News Story A serious crack in US/EU Unity on Iran. Reuters reported that Germany's defense minister said Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for power generation provided there is close monitoring by U.N. inspectors to ensure that it is not trying to develop atomic weapons.   Foreign Ministers meet in Moscow on Iran... Yahoo News reported that a meeting between EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator has been postponed until after Group of Eight foreign ministers meet on Thursday.The Washington Post reported that Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations...

Top News Story 5 Reasons you should not believe the media's favorite "Iran Experts." In today’s news reports alone, we have plenty of reasons to distrust these so-called experts. Please consider the following myths promoted by some of these experts: MYTH: Iranians are united in support of Ahmadinejad. FACT: There were nearly 500 protests inside of Iran in the past month. Iran Focus reported that there have been some 480 anti-government protests inside of Iran in the past month. But the Western media remains silent. Photo. FACT: Ahmadinejad's mentor, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi hopes to convince 10% of Iran will...

Top News Story Canada to world: Arrest Tehran's Prosecutor. Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that an Iranian prosecutor, Mr. Mortazavi, who is accused of condoning the torture, rape, and murder of a Canadian photojournalist has eluded arrest after Canadian Prime Minister Harper made an appeal to the world to use "all manner of law" available to apprehend him. A preview of UN sanctions on Iran?   What will Iran do with $60 billion? Strategiy.com reported that Iran expects to earn 60 billion dollars from oil exports in its current financial year that ends on March 20, 2007....

Top News Story Iran admits it has influence over Al Qaeda. RIA Novosti reported that Tehran is prepared to assist in releasing four Russian diplomats abducted by Al Qaeda insurgents in the Iraqi capital. By making this statement, Iran has admitted it's over Al Qaeda.   Iran's Holocaust Conference scheduled for October. Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported that Iran is to hold its controversial proposed conference on the Holocaust in October.   Iran warns the West of its Oil Weapon.... again. Yahoo News reported that Iran's oil minister warned that Iran would use oil as a weapon if its interests are...