AFP: Iran on Saturday arrested the head of reformist daily Bahar, Saeed Pourazizi, for publishing an article seen by critics as questioning the beliefs of Shia Islam, Fars news agency reported.
Iran arrests head of reformist daily: wife
Visit by Iraq’s prime minister stirs outpouring from ranks of former U.S. officials
Washington Post: Former senator Robert G. Torricelli (D-N.J.), former representative Patrick J. Kennedy (D-Mass.), former Republican homeland security secretary Tom Ridge and former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) spoke to the crowd of rain-ponchoed Iranian dissidents.
Iran Guards want to keep ‘Death to America’ chant
AFP: Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that “Death to America” will remain their slogan, regardless of signs of detente between the Islamic republic and Washington.
Iraq makes request for WMDs
Standard.net: No, this is not The Onion. No, this is not a rip-off of The Onion. This is not satire. This is the plea from Iraq’s Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Defense and the Minister of National Security Affairs. All of whom happen to be the same person: Nouri al-Maliki.
Use US soft power to free the Ashraf Seven
The Hill: In Iraq, the buck stops with the Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, more so than any other country. He is the Commander in Chief, the acting Minister of Defense, the acting Minister of Interior, the acting Minister of National Security and the Head of Intelligence.
Loud protests as Obama hosts Iraqi leader
Wall Street Journal: More than 1,000 demonstrators marched in front of the White House Friday to protest President Barack Obama’s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The Iraqi leader was meeting Mr. Obama seeking approval for new military equipment and other aid.
Iranian Kurd leader says West shouldn’t be fooled by Rouhani
Reuters: The leader of an armed Iranian Kurdish group says new President Hassan Rouhani is taking advantage of the West’s wary optimism towards him to step up pressure on citizens at home, particularly Kurds, and has markedly increased executions.
Call to help Iranian dissidents in Iraq
Church Times: Britain should take action over the applications of vulnerable Iranian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq, who are seeking relocation in this country, an MP said this week.
Iran official says IAEA got answers it wanted in nuclear talks
UPI: The International Atomic Energy Agency got the answers it needed from Iran to allay nuclear concerns, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said. Araqchi led the Iranian delegation to Vienna for two days of talks with the IAEA.
Senators seeking more Iran sanctions resist bid for delay
Bloomberg: Two top Senate backers of added U.S. sanctions against Iran said the Obama administration failed to persuade them to put legislation on hold during efforts to negotiate curbs on the Islamic republic’s nuclear program.
