Iran’s ‘sanitized’ site causes controversy

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Reuters: The analysis of soil samples taken by U.N. inspectors
at Lavizan, a site in Tehran that U.S. officials suspect may be linked to an atomic weapons programme, shows no sign of nuclear activity, Western diplomats said.
Satellite photos of Lavizan taken between August 2003 and May 2004 showed that Iran had completely razed Lavizan, a site
which Iran said was a former military research laboratory and
had nothing to do with atomic-related activities.

Iranian spy nabbed in Baghdad as Tehran steps up meddling in Iraq

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Iran Focus: Baghdad, Sep. 28 – Iraqi security forces have arrested a spy working for Iranian intelligence, a Baghdad newspaper reported Tuesday.
A senior Iraqi intelligence official identified the arrested man as Nashaat Abd Ali Al-Hussaini, adding that he had “confessed to serious things that would incriminate the Iranian intelligence and its interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,” Al-Furat reported.

Iranian spy nabbed in Baghdad as Tehran steps up meddling in Iraq

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Iran Focus: Baghdad, Sep. 28 – Iraqi security forces have arrested a spy working for Iranian intelligence, a Baghdad newspaper reported Tuesday.
A senior Iraqi intelligence official identified the arrested man as Nashaat Abd Ali Al-Hussaini, adding that he had “confessed to serious things that would incriminate the Iranian intelligence and its interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,” Al-Furat reported.

Spend on nukes? Iran should tend to its poor first

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The Straits Times: Is Iran – with oil-export revenues of more than US$30 billion (S$51 billion) expected this year – on its way to producing nuclear weapons that would threaten not only neighbouring Middle East enemies such as Israel but also European nations?
Indeed, should it be allowed to do so? With growing unemployment among its young, and rising social tensions, can
Iran afford to pursue the development of a nuclear arsenal?

Bush hopes diplomacy can persuade Iran away from nuclear weapons

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AP: President Bush, preparing for this week’s much-anticipated campaign debate on foreign policy, is insisting Iran will not develop a nuclear weapon on his watch.
“My hope is that we can solve this diplomatically,” Bush said in a TV interview broadcast Monday. “We are working our hearts out so that they don’t develop a nuclear weapon, and the best way to do so is to continue to keep international pressure on them.”

Iran threatens to withdraw from nuclear NPT

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Iran Focus: Tehran, Sep. 27 – A senior member of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the highest decision-making body on military and security issues, threatened that Iran might pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that it had signed. Ali Larijani threatened action if Iran was put under pressure by Europe and the United States to curb its nuclear program.

Iran threatens to withdraw from nuclear NPT

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Iran Focus: Tehran, Sep. 27 – A senior member of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the highest decision-making body on military and security issues, threatened that Iran might pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that it had signed. Ali Larijani threatened action if Iran was put under pressure by Europe and the United States to curb its nuclear program.

Iran ready to confront U.S. militarily

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United Press International: Maj. Gen. Rahim Safawi, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said Monday his country is ready to confront U.S. pressure, including military.
In an interview with the London-based Saudi daily al-Hayat, monitored in Beirut, Safawi said although the United States is deeply involved in Iraq, it is expected to increase its political and diplomatic pressure on Iran in the next two months.

Rafsanjani emphasizes need for Iraqi national cohesion in meeting with KDP leader

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Tehran Times: Chairman of the Expediency Council (EC) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here on Sunday underlined the need to establish unity and solidarity among all of Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups.
In a meeting with the leader of Iraq’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Masoud Barzani, he said that the enemies of the Iraqi nation are trying to take advantage of the disputes among different Iraqi groups in order to plunder the country’s resources.

Iran says being deliberately “ambiguous” over missiles

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AFP: Iran said Monday it was being deliberately ambiguous over its missile capability, currently a topic of intense speculation following fresh tests and the introduction of a “strategic” device.
On Saturday, Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani told state-run television that the Iranian army has taken delivery of a new “strategic missile” and that the weapon, unnamed for security reasons, was successfully tested last week.