Eye On Iran: Iran Urged to Follow Up On Nuclear U-turn
Thu, 02/04/2010 - 11:08 | by uaniadminDid You Know? Iran
on Wednesday
"fired a rocket into space carrying living organisms - a rat,
two turtles and worms," according to the New York Times. http://nyti.ms/aYzHdH
AFP: "The United States and key allies urged Iran Wednesday to follow up on a surprise U-turn from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by formally committing to a UN-brokered deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel." http://bit.ly/a5hly9
NYT: "Throwing up a challenge to the increasingly violent tactics of Iran's ruling elite, the country's two leading opposition figures are urging protesters to defy the government and take to the streets in an antigovernment rally on Feb. 11." http://nyti.ms/dCip60
Dow Jones: "Australia has used its powers under the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act to block a number of local companies from making shipments to Iran, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Thursday, but declined to reveal the contents of the shipments. Defense Minister John Faulkner invoked the act on three occasions, Rudd said, consistent with Australia's obligations under international law to block the spread of nuclear weapons." http://bit.ly/cOiA3e
Nuclear Program
The Times: "Mark Wallace, a former US ambassador to the UN and president of the lobby group United Against Nuclear Iran, characterized Mr. Ahmadinejad's actions as chess moves. 'The Iranian regime is the best chess player on the international scene right now. Certainly, that team is outplaying the West,' he said." http://bit.ly/bb7LJ4
Reuters: "A military strike on Iran could have the unintended consequence of stirring nationalist sentiment to the benefit of Tehran's hard-line government, U.S. General David Petraeus told Reuters." http://bit.ly/bgPVr8
Reuters: "Russia and Western powers have moved closer to agreement on the need for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, a leading Russian lawmaker said on Thursday." http://bit.ly/a2v3kT
Reuters: "Iran accused the United States on Thursday of launching a 'psychological war' in the Gulf region by presenting Tehran as a threat to Gulf Arab states to convince them they needed U.S. protection." http://nyti.ms/9L0oOb
Reuters: "China told other world powers on Thursday that discussing sanctions against Iran was counterproductive, striking a blow to a Western push to rein in Tehran's nuclear program. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told a conference during a visit to France that Tehran's negotiating position was evolving and he wanted to see more direct talks with Iran." http://nyti.ms/bfzYMJ
Foreign Affairs
Dow Jones: "Brazil's government hasn't held talks with Iran to enrich low-grade uranium from that country, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said Wednesday. Amorim made the statement to quell speculation over the past week that Brazil could be involved in direct bilateral talks to provide Iran with high-grade uranium." http://bit.ly/agVH7w
AP: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday ruled out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's suggestion that three detained American hikers in Iran be swapped with Iranian citizens held in the United States." http://bit.ly/cU3NUO
Culture
NYT: "Late last month - around the time the Iranian government executed two more political prisoners, charging nine others with waging war against God, a capital offense - the Tehran Symphony Orchestra was sent on a government-sponsored tour across Europe, which just ended this week." http://nyti.ms/9zvE0M
Opinion
William Tobey in Boston
Globe: "These steps alone may be
insufficient to reverse Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Given his
stated
belief that Iranian development of a nuclear weapon is
unacceptable, Obama may
face further hard choices. But, our present course on Iran will surely
fail. Iran has unclenched its fist to slap us in
the face. It is time to wake up." http://bit.ly/dn9LrmThe Times: "Mark Wallace, a former US ambassador to the UN and president of the lobby group United Against Nuclear Iran, characterized Mr. Ahmadinejad's actions as chess moves. 'The Iranian regime is the best chess player on the international scene right now. Certainly, that team is outplaying the West,' he said." http://bit.ly/bb7LJ4
Reuters: "A military strike on Iran could have the unintended consequence of stirring nationalist sentiment to the benefit of Tehran's hard-line government, U.S. General David Petraeus told Reuters." http://bit.ly/bgPVr8
Reuters: "Russia and Western powers have moved closer to agreement on the need for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, a leading Russian lawmaker said on Thursday." http://bit.ly/a2v3kT
Reuters: "Iran accused the United States on Thursday of launching a 'psychological war' in the Gulf region by presenting Tehran as a threat to Gulf Arab states to convince them they needed U.S. protection." http://nyti.ms/9L0oOb
Reuters: "China told other world powers on Thursday that discussing sanctions against Iran was counterproductive, striking a blow to a Western push to rein in Tehran's nuclear program. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told a conference during a visit to France that Tehran's negotiating position was evolving and he wanted to see more direct talks with Iran." http://nyti.ms/bfzYMJ
Foreign Affairs
Dow Jones: "Brazil's government hasn't held talks with Iran to enrich low-grade uranium from that country, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said Wednesday. Amorim made the statement to quell speculation over the past week that Brazil could be involved in direct bilateral talks to provide Iran with high-grade uranium." http://bit.ly/agVH7w
AP: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday ruled out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's suggestion that three detained American hikers in Iran be swapped with Iranian citizens held in the United States." http://bit.ly/cU3NUO
Culture
NYT: "Late last month - around the time the Iranian government executed two more political prisoners, charging nine others with waging war against God, a capital offense - the Tehran Symphony Orchestra was sent on a government-sponsored tour across Europe, which just ended this week." http://nyti.ms/9zvE0M
Opinion
Azar Azadi in Jerusalem Post: "The Iranian administration will eventually realize that annihilation of Israel and 7.5 million Jews would have reciprocal impact on its own existence and that of its proxies, even if they use one of those proxies to launch the first strike." http://bit.ly/bRmPTL
Said Amir Arjomand in the Daily Star: "The Iranian regime is now critically dependent on decisions made by one man, the supreme leader, Khamenei. For that reason, it is demonstrating a degree of fragility that is comparable to the shah's regime in the latter part of the 1970s." http://bit.ly/90wvaX
News Analysis
AP: "Iran's effort to revive talks on a deal that would inhibit the country's ability to make a nuclear weapon was met with skepticism by world leaders Wednesday, a reaction to months of waffling by Tehran." http://bit.ly/an1sv5
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