The Wall Street Journal – Outlook: So the International Atomic Energy Agency adopts a resolution Monday holding Iran to a “non-legally binding,” “voluntary” and “confidence-building” commitment to suspend its uranium enrichment program. Tehran immediately declares it will abide by the agreement for no more than a few months. And our European friends tell us it’s a triumph of their tough-minded but subtly adaptive brand of diplomacy.
Tehran’s Triumph
Five webloggers jailed
Reporters Without Borders: Reporters Without Borders has strongly protested against the Iran’s relentless efforts to stifle free expression online after the arrest of five webloggers in less than two months, the latest on 28 November 2004.
Kowtowing to Tehran
Washington Times – Editorials: In the latest sign that Washington and its European allies have failed to persuade Iran to end its nuclear weapons programs, the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday passed a watered-down resolution that is likely to encourage more defiance from the ruling mullahs. At a meeting in Vienna, the IAEA board of governors approved a resolution that “welcomes the fact that Iran has decided to continue and extend its suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.”
Iran splits messages on nukes
AP: First, Iran backed down before the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Then it set last-minute conditions, called the retreat only temporary and claimed victory over Washington. Outsiders may get dizzy over such zigzags, but it is clear to Iranians what is going on a juggling act by moderates who want to work with the international community, but still must answer to defiant hard-liners back home.
Press reveals Iran’s nuclear fears
BBC: The IAEA decision to accept Iran’s suspension of uranium enrichment and not take the matter to the United Nations Security Council wins both hostile and welcome reactions in Iranian newspapers. Most editorials display more caution than Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, who boasted that Iran had humiliated the US by agreeing to a temporary nuclear freeze.
Murdered Canadian photographer’s lawyer barred from leaving Iran
AFP: A member of the team of Iranian lawyers representing
the family of murdered photographer Zahra Kazemi has been
barred from leaving the country, local media reported Wednesday.
Europes Ritual Dance
National Review Online: The European “solution” to the threat of Iranian atomic bombs bids fair to join the “peace process” as the most boffo running gag in the history of show biz. Every few months, the elegantly dressed diplomatic wizards from London, Paris, and Berlin race across a continent or two to meet with Iranians dressed in turbans and gowns, and after some hours of alleged hard work, they emerge with a new agreement, just like their more numerous counterparts engaged in the peace negotiations.
Bush says Iran freeze ‘not the final step’
AFP: US President George W. Bush said Tuesday that Iran’s agreement to freeze all uranium enrichment activities was “certainly not the final step” in easing US fears that Tehran seeks a nuclear weapon. “The Iranians agreed to suspend — but not terminate — their nuclear weapons program. Our position is that they ought to terminate their nuclear weapons program,” said the president.
Canada warns will push IAEA to report violations of Iran nuclear deal
AFP: Canada, the 2004-5 chair of UN atomic energy agency’s Board of Governors, warned Monday it would press the body to inform the Security Council of any violation of a deal to freeze Iran’s uranium program. The Canadian position, laid out in a statement by Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew, mirrored the US stance on the agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Women facing imminent stoning, death by hanging in Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Nov. 30 – The Supreme Court of Iran has upheld a stoning sentence for a woman accused of adultery. Hajieh Esmailvand has been serving prison time in the town of Jolfa (Northwestern Iran) since Jan. 2000 for having an affair
with a 17-year-old boy.
