AFP: Iran on Sunday accused the United States of selfishly “pursuing its own interests” by pushing for reforms in the Arab and Muslim world, saying the initiative was of no benefit to the Middle East. “America is only pursuing its own interests, and we believe plans imposed from the outside will not be of any benefit to the region,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. Iran says US Mideast reform agenda ‘not beneficial’ to region
AFP: Iran on Sunday accused the United States of selfishly “pursuing its own interests” by pushing for reforms in the Arab and Muslim world, saying the initiative was of no benefit to the Middle East. “America is only pursuing its own interests, and we believe plans imposed from the outside will not be of any benefit to the region,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. Iran Refuses to Give Up Nuclear Research-Diplomats
Reuters: Iran intends to use Monday’s talks with France, Britain and Germany to ensure it has the right to go on carrying out research with equipment that could be used to develop nuclear weapons, Western diplomats said. Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani, will meet foreign ministers of the EU’s “big three” in Brussels on Monday for talks on details of a deal that would reward Iran for taking steps to assure the world it is not developing an atom bomb. Iran warns it will quit nuclear talks with EU if no progress made
AFP: Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani warned Sunday that the Islamic republic would abandon key talks with the European Union on its nuclear programme if it was clear no progress was being made. The talks, set to begin in Brussels on Monday, are aimed at building on Iran’s agreement to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment … Iran says permanent enrichment freeze ‘not on agenda’ in talks with EU
AFP: Iran said on the eve of crucial talks with Britain, France and Germany that it was not prepared to accept a permanent freeze of its controversial nuclear fuel work. “The permanent suspension of enrichment is not on our agenda. A short-term freeze is what we are stressing,” foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. Whitewashing Iran
Washington Times – Editorials: In just the latest move thatcalls into question the seriousness of its efforts to learn the truth about Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the International Atomic Energy Agency apparently withheld information suggesting that Iran had attempted to purchase large quantitities of dual-use material (items with civilian and military uses) which can be used to detonate an atomic weapon.
Iran Human Rights Conference, Exhibition in Paris Draws Crowds
Iran Focus: Paris, Dec. 11 A three-day exhibition of aquarter-century of human rights violations in Iran, sponsored
by over 30 European human rights organizations, began with
a conference in Paris on Friday and is drawing large crowds
of French and Iranian visitors.
Iran Human Rights Conference, Exhibition in Paris Draws Crowds
Iran Focus: Paris, Dec. 11 A three-day exhibition of aquarter-century of human rights violations in Iran, sponsored
by over 30 European human rights organizations, began with
a conference in Paris on Friday and is drawing large crowds
of French and Iranian visitors.
U.S. and Europe Are at Odds, Again, This Time Over Iran
New York Times: Despite a renewed American effort to repair relations with Europe, a disagreement between the Bush administration and European leaders over how best to persuade Iran to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program has deepened in recent weeks, diplomats on both sides say.The U.S. vs. a Nuclear Iran
New York Times: The Bush administration says the prospectof Iran’s obtaining a nuclear weapon is “intolerable,” and from the White House to the State Department, officials express considerable skepticism that Europe’s efforts to negotiate quietly an end to Iran’s nuclear activities will succeed.
Iranian woman journalist freed on bail, hospitalised
AFP: An Iranian woman arrested in a judicial crackdown on reformist journalists was freed on bail but needed hospital treatment due to her detention, her husband told AFP on Saturday. According to Ahmad Beigloo, journalist Fereshteh Ghazi “was kept in solitary confinement for 38 days and had to be checked into hospital as she was not in a good physical or mental shape”. 