The Wall Street Journal – Editorial: The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency is in session this week in Vienna, and today it will review the latest batch of evidence concerning Iran’s violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. These violations include:
Carrots for the Mullahs
Iran develops heavy machine-gun capable of piercing armoured vehicles
AP: Iran has begun production of a heavy machine-gun with armour-piercing bullets, state television reported Tuesday. Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani said the 12.7-millimetre gun has a range of 2.5 kilometres and is suitable for snipers. “The United States had protested to a European country about selling the gun (to Iran), while we have already produced it,” Shamkhani said. “Today the first consignment of the weapon was delivered.”
Bush nearing decision on incentives for Iran
Reuters: President George W. Bush is close to deciding whether to join Europe in offering incentives to Iran, including membership of the World Trade Organization, in exchange for Tehran’s agreement to give up nuclear weapons, U.S. officials said on Monday. It would mark a significant shift in strategy for Bush, who has been reluctant to consider economic incentives for Iran to avoid being seen as rewarding bad behavior. He had been talking about taking Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
U.S. issues damning human rights report on Iran
Iran Focus: Washington, Feb. 28 The United States issued a damning report today on Iran’s human rights violations as part of its 2004 annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
The report said that the human rights situation in Iran had once again deteriorated over the past year.
“The right of citizens to change their government was restricted significantly”.
U.S. issues damning human rights report on Iran
Iran Focus: Washington, Feb. 28 The United States issued a damning report today on Iran’s human rights violations as part of its 2004 annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
The report said that the human rights situation in Iran had once again deteriorated over the past year.
“The right of citizens to change their government was restricted significantly”.
Flirting Youths Outrage Iranian Hardliners
Reuters: Outraged by scenes of young boys and girls using Shi’ite Islam’s most sacred mourning day as an opportunity to flirt in public, Iran’s religious hard-liners are calling on authorities to stamp out such “vulgar displays.” Failure to do so, some newspaper commentators said, would force pious citizens to take matters into their own hands.
Iran hardens position after talk of concessions – analyst
Iran Focus: Paris, Feb. 28 Emboldened by signs that the United States may be about to join the European Union’s nuclear negotiations with Iran by offering incentives to Tehran, Iran is hardening its position and making a serious bid to dictate its terms during the nuclear talks with the European “big three”, Britain, France, and Germany, an Iran expert said today.
Iran hardens position after talk of concessions – analyst
Iran Focus: Paris, Feb. 28 Emboldened by signs that the United States may be about to join the European Union’s nuclear negotiations with Iran by offering incentives to Tehran, Iran is hardening its position and making a serious bid to dictate its terms during the nuclear talks with the European “big three”, Britain, France, and Germany, an Iran expert said today.
UN issues nuclear warning to Iran
Reuters: The head of the U.N.’s atomic watchdog says Iran must be more open with inspectors probing its nuclear programme, which the United States says is aimed at making an atomic bomb. Mohamed ElBaradei was speaking on Monday as the board of governors of his International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met one day after Iran’s nuclear planners scored a major victory with a key uranium fuel supply deal with Russia.
Hakim: New Iraq must be Islamic state
AP: Many consider Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, the prominent cleric who leads the United Iraqi Alliance, to have emerged as the country’s
top Shiite power broker after the Jan. 30 elections.
A leader of a key Shiite political organization, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, al-Hakim opposed Saddam Hussein from exile in Iran before returning after the U.S.-led invasion.
