Queen outlines UK election themes Nov 20, 2009
The British government will bring forward legislation to ban cluster munitions and "work towards creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, including addressing the challenges from Iran and North Korea.". Under British law, a Parliamentary general election must take place by June 3. (CNN -- World)
Letters to the editor: Nov. 19 edition Nov 20, 2009
For health care reform with a strong public option, and also for medical malpractice reform (his father is a surgeon, immigrated to America from Iran in the 1950s) ... For diplomatic and economic containment of Iran until democratic forces there eventually win out. (Lincoln Journal, MA)
Editorial Roundup: Excerpts From Recent Editorials Nov 20, 2009
The New York Post, on President Obama and Iran. When it comes to Iran, President Obama hasn't made it to the top of his learning curve yet ... "Meaningful engagement and dialogue," Obama ad promised, was finally going to open wide the long-shuttered door between Washington and Tehran and help bring a newly cooperative Iran into the community of nations. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
Switzerland and the EUDefence Nov 20, 2009
Switzerland also remains a venue for international talks; a recent example being meetings between US representatives with counterparts from Iran and Russia ... The Swiss currently represent the interests of the US, Russia, Cuba, Iran and Georgia in different cases. (SwissInfo.org, Switzerland)
Obama 'furious' about Afghanistan leaks... Nov 19, 2009
They should offer Iran a deal that they could not refuse ... In exchange Iran will provide a secured path for any Gas pipeline through Afganistan to Pakistan and GE's electrical plants in India ... Iran would provide a strong Central Government which Afganistan is lacking. (The Drudge Report)
When You've Lost Commentary . . . Nov 19, 2009
If Obama was to be believed on the campaign trail, he would be threatening military action against Iran, sticking by the snake Saakashvili, and moving the embassy to Jerusalem. And so I imagine is the case with Cameron. (The American Conservative)
Obama Bows, but the World Refuses to Bow Back Nov 19, 2009
The mullahs of Iran have consented to something in the nature of negotiations, but their agreement in principle to allow the enrichment of nuclear fuel in France has, like many agreements in principle, turned out to be no agreement. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the mullahs have proved no more moveable by Obama's emollient and respectful tones than by George W. Bush's Texas twang. (Townhall.com)
Iranian threat extends beyond nuclear bounds, says official Nov 19, 2009
Published: Friday, November 13, 2009 1:10 AM EST When Iranian authorities murdered peaceful protestors over the summer, it became clear that the nation poses a danger to its own people as much as it does to Israel and the rest of the world, a member of Canada s parliament said during a conference on the Islamic republic this week. Irwin Cotler, a Jewish professor of law and director of the human rights program at McGill University in Montreal, believes it is unwise for Western countries,... (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
West seeks new beginnings Nov 19, 2009
Poor infrastructure: transport, telecommunications and power A volatile security situation Pervasive corruption Nascent banking system with limited commercial financing Inconsistent customs procedures High transport costs Little or no enforcement of intellectual property rights Competition from cheap goods and services: Pakistan, China and Iran Shortage of skilled labour and trained personnel Source: World Bank. Mrs Clinton has already made it clear - in public - that US aid is not a given. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Iranian government foes sentenced to death Nov 19, 2009
Iran has sentenced five defendants to death in a mass trial of opposition figures accused of fomenting the unrest that followed the disputed June presidential election, state television reported Tuesday ... None of the five have been identified by Iranian authorities ... Iran began the mass trial in August of more than 100 prominent opposition figures and activists, accusing them of charges ranging from rioting to spying and plotting what Iran's clerical rulers have depicted as a foreign-backed... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Chinas ascent traced back to Clinton-era trade deal Nov 19, 2009
China s ascent traced back to Clinton-era trade deal. 4:16 pm November 18, 2009, by Jay. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Iran sentences 5 to death Nov 19, 2009
Thousands took to the streets to dispute the outcome of Iran's June 12 presidential election ... Iran sentences five people to death for their part in post-election protests ... Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran has announced it has sentenced five people to death and another 81 to prison terms of six months to 15 years for their roles in the protests that followed the country's disputed presidential elections. (CNN -- World)
'Complacency' led to US sub crash Nov 19, 2009
According to the report, the crew of the USS New Orleans - which ruptured an oil tank in the crash in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran - bore no fault for the accident. Five known 'sleepers. (BBC News -- Americas)
* Iran sentences five to death for turmoil Nov 19, 2009
Iran sentences five to death for turmoil ... Iran has sentenced five defendants to death in a mass trial of opposition figures accused of fomenting the unrest that followed the disputed June presidential election, state television reported on Tuesday ... None of the five have been identified by Iranian authorities. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Kuwait protest for women's rights Nov 19, 2009
MID-EAST WOMEN'S RIGHTS Women can vote and be elected: Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestinian territories, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Morocco, Tunis, Algeria, Iran Women cannot vote or be elected: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia There are no elections: Syria (holds presidential referenda in which women can vote), UAE, Libya. "We cannot be elected or give our vote to any political candidate. We are deprived of this political right," Ms Mullah, from the Kuwaiti Women's Cultural and Social... (Yahoo News -- Kuwait)
Iran doctor 'committed suicide' Nov 19, 2009
BBC News : Iran doctor 'committed suicide ... Iran doctor 'committed suicide ... Iran's police chief says a doctor who died at a detention centre shut in July after the deaths of several opposition supporters committed suicide. (BBC News -- Africa)
Sunday Bloody Sunday in Tehran Nov 19, 2009
com U2 performs "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in support of freedom for the people of Iran ... Written to describe the killing of protesters in Northern Ireland during the early 1970s, the lyrics to "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 are being dedicated to those who have died during recent protests in Iran ... Beginning their stop in Barcelona, U2 transforms the performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" into one advocating freedom in Iran. (The Seahawk, NC)
Key facts and figures on Afghanistan Nov 19, 2009
Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia which shares borders with Iran, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan ... About two thirds of the opium is turned into heroin before it leaves Afghanistan and goes on to feed some 15 million addicts, mainly in Russia, Iran and Europe. (AlertNet)
Five 'sentenced to death in Iran' Nov 18, 2009
Five 'sentenced to death in Iran ... Five people have so far been sentenced to death and 81 have received jail terms in connection with post-election unrest in Iran, prosecutors have said ... The statement released by prosecutors in Tehran on Tuesday was meant to "stop rumours regarding the cases of the post-election detainees", Iranian Channel 2 TV reported. (BBC News -- Africa)
Iran: 5 Death Sentences in Election Unrest Nov 18, 2009
TEHRAN, Iran, Nov. 16, 2009 ... Supporters of Iranian opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi are seen in a June 13, 2009 file photo ... (AP) Iranian state television reports five people have been sentenced to death over the unrest that followed the country's disputed June presidential election. (CBS News -- World)
Afghanistan sinks in new corruption index Nov 18, 2009
United States, Russia make gains, Iran's score dips ... Countries which saw their ranking drop included Iran, which fell to 1. (AlertNet)
Salman Rushdie 'to divorce' again Nov 18, 2009
The author went into hiding in the 1980s after Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa for "insulting Islam" in The Satanic Verses. SEE ALSO 19 Apr 04 | Entertainment 15 Jan 04 | Entertainment 15 Feb 03 | Middle East 25 Mar 02 | Entertainment 19 Mar 02 | Americas. (Yahoo News -- Celebrity Couples)
AP: Iran Sentences 5 to Death in Postelection Turmoil Nov 18, 2009
None of the five have been identified by Iranian authorities. Iran began the mass trial in August of more than 100 prominent opposition figures and activists, accusing them of a range of charges from rioting to spying and plotting what Iran's clerical rulers have depicted as a foreign-backed plot to oust them from power ... They claimed fraud after election authorities declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of a second term and their anger unleashed the most serious internal unrest in... (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Iran: 5 Face Death for Election Upheaval Nov 18, 2009
TEHRAN, Iran, Nov. 17, 2009 ... Iran's Mass Trial of Activists Results in Death Sentences for "Terrorist" Activity ... In this June 24, 2009 file photo, Iranian security forces on motorcycles are seen amongst traffic near the parliament building Wednesday Tehran, Iran amid election protests. (CBS News)
CHENEY: 'NO REASON FOR AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO BOW TO ANYONE'... Nov 18, 2009
And Iran and North Korea have yet to deliver on Obama s promise that U.S. engagement will yield better behavior ... In my lifetime (55 years), this nation has engaged in five wars, has nearly contributed to World War III in the Cuban Missile Crisis, has intervened militarily in Cuba, Libya, Kosovo, and Somalia, has suffered the humiliation of the Iran hostage crisis, and has been attacked twice on American soil by Islamic extremists. (The Drudge Report)
Newsweek: Obama heads to Asia with requests, not demands Nov 18, 2009
That will be especially true when the president stops off in China and seeks to encourage ," as Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg called it last month. "Strategic reassurance" is the term U.S. officials are now using to describe America's posture vis a vis China "as well as other emerging powers like India and Brazil, while protecting our own national interests," . It's all very mutual, a "tacit bargain," as Steinberg called it. It goes like this: America will welcome the rise of China and... (MSNBC -- Politics)
Iraqi doctors dismiss claims that Jessica Lynch was raped in hospital Nov 18, 2009
The new edition of a global "corruption index" has seen Iran fall into the bottom 10, ranking it one of the world's most crookedly run countries ... Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has created a powerful new intelligence organisation to try to quell any further public unrest in the wake of June's disputed election, an exiled Iranian opposition group said yesterday. (Yahoo News -- Jessica Lynch)
Death Of An Iran Doctor Raises Suspicion Nov 18, 2009
Mysterious Death Of Iran Doctor Who Treated Torture Victims Amid Crackdown Raises Suspicion ... (AP) BEIRUT (AP) - An Iranian doctor who treated victims of torture at Tehran's most feared detention facility has died, amid conflicting reports of a heart attack, a car accident or suicide - raising opposition accusations that the 26-year-old was killed ... Revelations that protesters detained in Iran's postelection crackdown were tortured, some to death, were a deep embarrassment to the country's... (CBS News -- World)
Tiny Central Washington mining town elects a Muslim mayor Nov 18, 2009
He emigrated from Rawalpindi, a city next to Islamabad, Pakistan s capital where his father s business tanked and family feuds were a constant worry to work in Iran as a seaman and then to the U.S. in 1979 on a visitor visa. When the visa expired, he decided to risk staying in the country. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Khazei’s outsider careertaught deep political lessons Nov 18, 2009
Amir Khazei was born in Iran, but left as a teenager to seek an education in Switzerland, where he never felt at home ... But he also believed it was fragile, in part because he had seen his homeland s democratic hopes dashed in the 1950s, when Mohammed Mossadegh, the elected Iranian leader, was ousted by a coup. (Boston Globe)
Carter defends handling of hostage crisis Nov 17, 2009
Jimmy Carter said advisers pressed him to attack Iran ... CHIANG MAI, Thailand - Former president Jimmy Carter said yesterday that he was pressed by his advisers to attack Iran during the hostage crisis there more than 30 years ago but resisted because he feared 20,000 Iranians could have died ... Carter said one proposed option was a military strike on Iran, but he chose to stick with negotiations to prevent bloodshed. (Boston Globe)
Rudd's foreign policy made on the run - and it's showing Nov 17, 2009
The Prime Minister's proposal for an Asia Pacific Community is treading water and Labor's election promise to haul Iran before the International Criminal Court for its nuclear program has been quietly shelved. None of these failures are isolated incidents. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Political crackdown goes online Nov 17, 2009
IRAN has moved to block the last remaining outlet of expression for the country's political opposition with the launch of a special force to police the internet ... Members will include police and personnel from other, unspecified, parts of Iran's security apparatus ... Given the spread of internet use, police must confront crimes taking place in the web atmosphere,'' the Iranian media quoted him as saying. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Iran forms committee to thwart U.S. 'plots' Nov 17, 2009
Iran forms committee to thwart U.S. 'plots. Iran has blamed the United States for stirring up protests stemming from the disputed Iranian presidential election ... Iran officials have formed panel to prevent American plots, according to state-run media. (CNN -- World)
Gorbachev to Obama: Afghan Neighbors Must Help Nov 17, 2009
"We tried to solve the problem through dialogue with America, with India, with Iran, and with both sides in Afghanistan, and we attended an international conference. We didn't simply hitch up our trousers and run for it. But we tried to solve the problem politically, with the idea of making Afghanistan a neutral, peaceful country." ... Gorbachev's conclusion is that "all of Afghanistan's neighbors must be involved. Iran cannot be ignored, and it's ill-advised for America not to be on good... (Newsmax)
An anxious wait in Afghanistan Nov 17, 2009
The US Department of Defense currently has US Marine Corps trainers in the Republic of Georgia, an EPAC member and long-shot NATO aspirant, to train its staunchly anti-Moscow Caucasian ally to fight the Taliban alongside American and French International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in the coming year ... But Karzai has been busy courting regional powers such as Iran and India as well as autocratic UN Security Council members Russia and China, and the Afghan president sees himself as having... (Asia Times Online)
UN nuclear watchdog: Can't rule out other Iran enrichment sites Nov 17, 2009
UN nuclear watchdog: Cant rule out other Iran enrichment sites. An inspection of a second enrichment facility in Iran revealed no centrifuges, a new IAEA report said Monday ... Istanbul, Turkey - In its first report on Iran's nuclear program since the revelation of a second uranium enrichment facility near Qom in September, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Monday it could not rule out other hidden nuclear sites in Iran. (Christian Science Monitor)
Critic’s corner Nov 17, 2009
A Death in Tehran tells the story of Neda Agha-Soltan, the Iranian woman who was killed on the streets during the protests over the Iranian presidential election ... The documentary was produced by PBS with Tehran Bureau, an independent online news magazine covering Iran. (Boston Globe)
Unfriend is US dictionary's 2009 word of the year Nov 17, 2009
Iran condemns Oxford for honoring slain protester. Iran has protested to an Oxford University college over a scholarship in memory of the slain Iranian student who became an icon of mass street protests sparked by the disputed June election. (Fresno Bee)
Liberia's Taylor trial adjourned Nov 16, 2009
Russia's Iran reactor 'delayed. FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS. (Yahoo News -- Liberia)
* Iranian leaders brutal: opposition Nov 16, 2009
Iranian leaders brutal: opposition. WORSE THAN THE SHAH: In a clear effort to silence the opposition, Iranian authorities deployed a special police unit to monitor Internet sites for political material and lies AP, TEHRAN Monday, Nov 16, 2009, Page 6 ... Irans embattled opposition leaders accused the government of becoming more brutal than the shahs regime in Web statements on Saturday, and authorities announced a new Internet crackdown aimed at choking off the reform movements last... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Divisions test strength of Iran’s opposition movement Nov 16, 2009
Divisions test strength of Iran s opposition movement - The Boston Globe ... Divisions test mettle of Iran s opposition ... Police controlled the crowd during an antigovernment protest near state-sanctioned rallies held in Tehran on Nov. 4 to mark the 30th anniversary of the US Embassy takeover in Iran. (Boston Globe)
Iran media plans stir talk of troops at helm Nov 16, 2009
Iran media plans stir talk of elite force at helm. Article:Iran media plans stir talk of elite force at helm:/n/a/2009/11/15/international/i222854S15 ... DTL Article:Iran media plans stir talk of elite force at helm:/n/a/2009/11/15/international/i222854S15. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Obama Walks Tightrope in 1st Trip to China Nov 16, 2009
President's Talks With Beijing Must Balance Trade, Climate Change with Human Rights, Iran Sanctions ... China has supported sterner sanctions to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons program, but it still balks at getting more aggressive about reining in Iran's uranium enrichment. (CBS News)
Opposition: Iran rulers more brutal than sha... Nov 15, 2009
Opposition: Iran rulers more brutal than shah ... Opposition: Iran rulers more brutal than shah ... TEHRAN, Iran Iran's embattled opposition leaders accused the government of becoming more brutal than the shah's regime in Web statements Saturday, and authorities announced a new Internet crackdown aimed at choking off the reform movement's last real means of keeping its campaign alive. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Iran cracks down on online opposition Nov 15, 2009
Iranian opposition leaders Mahdi Karroubi, right, and Mir Hossein Mousavi talk in Tehran on Oct. 10 ... A history of modern Iran and its love-hate relationship with the United States ... Iranian President Ahmadinejad. (MSNBC -- International)
Did we learn the wrong lessons from the fall of the Berlin Wall? Nov 15, 2009
Especially here in the United States, where rioting mobs helped spark the American Revolution and marchers spurred the Civil Rights movement, there is a particular faith in the power of taking it to the streets, and it was possible to see echoes of those American movements when mass protests erupted in Eastern Europe, or at various times in countries like Ukraine, Lebanon, Burma, the Philippines, or, most recently, Iran ... China is the biggest counterexample, but it isn t the only one: The... (Boston Globe)
Byers to stand down at election Nov 15, 2009
Page last updated at 12:47 GMT, Saturday, 14 November 2009. Stephen Byers is one of the most prominent Blairites on the backbenches. (BBC News -- UK)
Bankers' deals could be 'torn up' Nov 15, 2009
Page last updated at 02:40 GMT, Sunday, 15 November 2009. Bankers' deals could be 'torn up. (BBC News -- UK)
Defiant Mousavi repeats call for new Iran election Nov 15, 2009
" onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. though we may suffer losses. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Mousavi still wants vote Nov 15, 2009
Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi ... Iran's main opposition leader and defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has repeated his call for a new election, after unrest this month saw clashes between police and protesters, a reformist website reported on Saturday ... It said the pair discussed the events of 4 November, a day on which Iran every year marks the storming in 1979 of the American embassy by Islamist students with an anti-US rally. (iAfrica.com)
Fanning the breeze Nov 14, 2009
that is, Iran is now the power to be recconed with that area. We cannot defeat Iran from Iraq, and we have essentially lost iraq. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Page turns for Baghdad's ancient book center Nov 14, 2009
Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs. Middle East. (Asia Times Online)
Meet the Press Nov 14, 2009
Will Iran meet these conditions. Plus, pressure mounts to articulate the way forward in Afghanistan. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Kuwait protest for women's rights Nov 14, 2009
MID-EAST WOMEN'S RIGHTS Women can vote and be elected: Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestinian territories, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Morocco, Tunis, Algeria, Iran Women cannot vote or be elected: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia There are no elections: Syria (holds presidential referenda in which women can vote), UAE, Libya. "We cannot be elected or give our vote to any political candidate. We are deprived of this political right," Ms Mullah, from the Kuwaiti Women's Cultural and Social... (Yahoo News -- Kuwait)
AP: Iran to Try Brother-in-Law of Opposition Leader Nov 14, 2009
Hundreds were arrested in the crackdown, and Iran's clerical rulers have depicted the postelection wave of protests as a foreign-backed plot to oust them from power. Still, despite calls from hard-liners, Iran's leadership has stopped short of arresting Mousavi, wary of the backlash it would likely bring. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Why Obama Will Meet with a Leader of Burma's Junta Nov 14, 2009
But dialogue with dictators, goes the new U.S. thinking that is being applied from Iran to North Korea, is now seen as preferable to not talking and cutting off any chance at reconciliation. The change in policy also reflects the political and economic reality in Asia. (Time.com)
Mideast Radicals Fill Space Left By Peace Impasse Nov 14, 2009
Hezbollah supporters, sit under a picture of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini as they listen to Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah who speaks via a video link during a rally marking Hezbollah Martyr's Day in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 ... (AP) CAIRO (AP) - Iran's closest allies in the Middle East are seizing on a deadlock in U.S.-backed peace efforts to try to sway a frustrated Arab world to their side ... Iranian-backed... (CBS News -- World)
NEWT EYES 'CONTRACT WITH AMERICA 2'... Nov 14, 2009
What is really Bush's fault is that he set things in motion so that the ObamaNutJob is now the guy facing Bozomadinijad in Iran. Thanks, Bush. (The Drudge Report)
Iranian Cleric: U.S at War With God Nov 14, 2009
Iran must continue its struggle against the United States, a hardline cleric said on Friday a day after Washington renewed long-standing U.S. financial sanctions against Iran. U.S. President Barack Obama offered a new approach toward Iran when he took office in January, but Iran remains locked in dispute with Washington and other world powers over its nuclear energy program ... The West suspects Iran's nuclear work aims in part to allow it to acquire atomic weapons. (Newsmax)
Obama faces daunting challenges in Asia tour Nov 13, 2009
Obama hopes to enlist China s help in thwarting nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea and its cooperation on a new climate treaty whose outlines are due to be agreed on next month in Copenhagen. Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe)
Obama comes to Japan mulling Afghan war options Nov 13, 2009
The itinerary reflects the growing importance of East Asia - especially China - to everything from financing U.S. debt and powering the global economic recovery to climate change, disease control and containing nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran ... Attempts to coax nuclear-armed North Korea - which occasionally threatens Japan with fiery rhetoric - to return to disarmament negotiations are likely to feature prominently, as is Iran's nuclear program. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Commentary: Don't count on Karzai Nov 13, 2009
Combined with an expanded regional strategy that realigns the geopolitics of the region so that India and Pakistan no longer feel compelled to use Afghanistan as their proxy battleground; so that Iran feels secure in its eastern border and so that central Asian stakeholders are confident in the stability and security of energy routes through the region -- the internal politics of Afghanistan can be left to the Afghans and al Qaeda's influence can be minimized. And that is what ultimately counts. (CNN)
Palin: Couric was "Badgering" and Biased Nov 13, 2009
How would she deal with the Chinese, or the Russians or the Iranians if she is so STUPID that she couldn't answer a mindless softball question like that ... And what president will refuse to talk to FOXNEWS yet want to have unconditional talks with North Korea and Iran. (CBS News)
Iranian threat extends beyond nuclear bounds, says official Nov 13, 2009
Published: Friday, November 13, 2009 1:10 AM EST When Iranian authorities murdered peaceful protestors over the summer, it became clear that the nation poses a danger to its own people as much as it does to Israel and the rest of the world, a member of Canada s parliament said during a conference on the Islamic republic this week. Irwin Cotler, a Jewish professor of law and director of the human rights program at McGill University in Montreal, believes it is unwise for Western countries,... (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
