Iran Moving Methodically Toward Nuclear Capability

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Los Angeles Times: Iran has made steady progress toward producing nuclear fuel and could make significant quantities
of enriched uranium in less than a year, according to new estimates by diplomats, scientists and intelligence officials.
Mastering enrichment will move Tehran a big step closer to being able to build an atomic bomb. Iran’s progress already has intensified its confrontation with the United States and other countries that fear it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Khatami: Kerry, Bush both hostile to Iran

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UPI: Iranian President Mohammed Khatami charged Wednesday that President George Bush and his election rival Sen. John Kerry are both hostile to Iran.
The Iranian News Agency, IRNA, quoted Khatami as saying “Kerry and Bush are both wrong if they think they can deprive Iran of its legitimate right to acquire nuclear technology.”

UK parliamentarians debate EU-Iran dialogue

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Iran Focus: London, Oct. 20 – Several members of Britain’s House of Commons strongly criticized Tony Blair’s government yesterday for its economic ties with Iran, at a time of growing concern over the clerical state’s human rights violations and nuclear program.

US frowns on reported European nuclear offer to Iran

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AFP: The United States said it would be “concerned” by Iran’s acquisition of any new nuclear technology, signalling opposition to a reported European offer to give Tehran a light-water reactor it proves it is not secretly developing atomic weapons. The State Department said the transfer of such technology would be problematic given Iran’s past …

Report indicates increased social corruption

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Iran Focus: Paris, Oct 20. – According to the latest report released by Transparency International shows that corruption among Iranian government officials has increased.
Iran now ranks 88 in the Corruption Perceptions Index compared to 78 last year. The figures reflect the increasing economical haul that is plaguing Iran.

Student union leader sentenced to flogging, prison time

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Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 20 – The secretary of the student
union of Azad University in Iran’s Central province was sentenced to 40 lashes, one year in prison and fined one million rials in the town of Arak.
Soroush Farhadian was charged with ‘spreading false propaganda’ against the regime.

Five more people executed in northern Iran

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Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 20 – Four men were hanged in the town of Sari in the northern province of Mazandaran on
charges of armed violence. The men, identified only by their first names, Mohammad-Reza, Hamid-Reza, Hassan and Reza, were executed after the Supreme Islamic Court upheld the original judge’s verdict.

Iran Says It’s Ready to Prove Not Pursuing Nuke Weapons

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Reuters: Iran is ready to prove to the world it is not producing atomic weapons provided the West recognizes the Islamic Republic’s right to peaceful nuclear technology, President Mohammad Khatami said Wednesday. Iranian officials are
due to meet senior diplomats from Britain, Germany and France in Vienna Thursday to receive a proposal giving …

Iran endorses Bush for president

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Associated Press: The head of Iran’s security council said Tuesday that the re-election of President Bush was in
Tehran’s best interests, despite the administration’s “axis of evil” label, accusations that Iran harbors al-Qaida terrorists
and threats of sanctions for the country’s nuclear ambitions.

Iran vows to reject EU plan if it fails to respect nuclear rights

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AFP: Iran warned Wednesday it would reject a European proposal aimed at defusing a nuclear standoff if it does not respect Tehran’s rights to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. “Any proposal must recognise our legitimate rights,” Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh said.