Iraq and Iran Discuss Shiite Militia

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say the government has dispatched a delegation to Iran to discuss concerns about the arming and training of Shiite militias in Iraq.

A government official says five Shiite politicians left Wednesday with "evidence, confessions and pictures" indicating that Iran is supplying weapons and training fighters who are locked in a violent standoff with U.S. and Iraqi troops.

The official says the delegation "will seek to clarify ... the interference of Iranian leaders."

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Iran and Iraq have been discussing the condition of the Shiite militia. According to the article, Iran is arming and training fighters to battle American and Iraqi troops. The future of Iran is still questionable at this point.
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India and Iran: Friends?

By landing his plane in New Delhi on what was to have been a routine refueling stop, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has provoked a diplomatic contretemps between India and the U.S. that reveals the fragility of their emerging alliance. New Delhi remains deeply wary over being seen to be doing Washington's bidding when it comes to dealing with other countries.

The furor began when New Delhi received a request for Ahmadinejad's plane to make refueling stop on a flight home from Sri Lanka. The Indian government, which has of late been remedying its prolonged neglect of the West Asian region, pounced on the opportunity to host the Iranian President. Turning the six-hour stopover into an official visit, the government hoped, would also smooth the ruffled feathers of its leftist coalition partners, who have accused the government of betraying old friends like Iran and pandering to the U.S. ever since India voted at the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2005 to refer Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council. Also, with negotiations over a $7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline stalling, India saw the visit as a chance to breathe life back into a project desperately needed by energy-starved India.

But the announcement that Ahmedinejad would be feted in New Delhi didn't pass without comment from Washington. State Department spokesperson Tom Casey, in reply to a question, said: "We would hope that the Indian government... would call on [Ahmadinejad] to meet the requirements that the Security Council and the international community has placed on him in terms of suspending their uranium enrichment activities and complying with the other requirements regarding their nuclear programme." That statement piqued India's Ministry of External Affairs, which responded: "India and Iran are ancient civilizations whose relations span centuries. Both nations are perfectly capable of managing all aspects of their relationship with the appropriate degree of care and attention." In a sharper tone, the statement added: "Neither country needs any guidance on the future conduct of bilateral relations as both countries believe that engagement and dialogue alone lead to peace." Washington quickly moved to defuse the tension, with Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher saying the issue had been blown out of proportion: "It's up to every country to determine for itself how it's going to organize its bilateral relations."

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India and Iran seem to be strengthening diplomatic ties. It is believed that "energy-starved India" is trying to enrich their energy project.

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Israel Determined to Stop Iran's Nuclear Development

JERUSALEM - In the clearest indication yet that Israel now believes Iran's nuclear aspirations will be curbed, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that efforts being undertaken by the international community will ensure that Tehran does not acquire nuclear capability.

In a series of interviews on the eve of the Passover holiday, Olmert sounded the same message: Iran will not get the bomb. "I want to tell the citizens of Israel: Iran will not have nuclear capability," he told the daily Ha'aretz newspaper.

"The international community is making an enormous effort - in which we have a part, but which is being led by the international community - so that Iran will not attain non-conventional capability. And I believe, and also know, that the bottom line of these efforts is that Iran will not be nuclear..."

Tehran insists its nuclear program is civilian in nature and is meant to generate power. But Israel believes Iran is bent on developing nuclear weapons. Threats by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad to "wipe Israel off the map" have further heightened fears in the Jewish state.

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Relations between Israel and Iran continue to worsen. Iran's nuclear program strikes a sore spot for Israel, and Israel is determined to stifle the growth of the nuclear program.

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New Development in 9/11 Tragedy

Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader issued a new audiotape Tuesday accusing Shiite Iran of spreading a conspiracy theory about who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks to discredit the power of the Sunni terrorist network.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, has stepped up his denunciations of Iran in recent messages in part to depict al Qaeda as the Arabs' top defense against the Persian nation's rising power in the Middle East.

The increasing enmity toward Iran is a notable change of rhetoric from al-Zawahiri, who in the past rarely mentioned the country - apparently in hopes he would be able to forge some sort of understanding with Tehran based on their common rivalry with the United States. Iran has long sought to distance itself from al Qaeda.

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Iran has attempted to separate itself from all organizations that were somehow involved in the September 11 tragedy in order to avoid international feelings of distaste. However, the sudden mention of Iran's involvement in the disaster can only increase feelings of distrust, which causes many to wonder what will eventually become of Iran.

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Iran: A Strong Military Force

TEHRAN (AFP) — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday proclaimed Iran as the "most powerful nation" on earth as the country's air force showed off its prowess at a time of mounting tension with the West.

"Iran is the most powerful and independent nation in the world," Ahmadinejad told a military parade outside Tehran marking the Islamic republic's annual Army Day, reaffirming one of his favoured slogans.

Ahmadinejad said all the branches of the armed forces would react forcefully in response to any attack against Iran's soil and boasted that no one would dare to launch a strike on the country...

Ahmadinejad repeated his belief that the power of Iran meant the prevailing world order was set to be turned on its head.

"Thanks to the resistance of the Iranian people, the great powers have become bogged down. The region and the world must prepare for great changes and the disappearance of satanic powers."

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Ahmadinejad's boasts over Iran's military strength strikes a soft spot for Americans, and the Iranian air force's display of power only helped to build the tension between the countries. The question remains: What will happen between the U.S. and Iran in the near future?

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Security Talks Failing

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraq's Foreign Minister says efforts to bring together US and Iranian officials to discuss security in Iraq are faltering due to conflicts of timing and schedules.

Iraq is pressing for a fourth meeting that has yet to be scheduled. Hoshyar Zebari said the two sides need to stick to an agreed date.

He further reminded Iraqi officials had managed to get Iran and the US to agree on four dates, but none of them worked because of scheduling reasons...

The US and Iranian ambassadors held the first round of talks in May, a rare meeting between the two countries, which have not had formal relations since early after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution...

The United States and Iran broke diplomatic relations in April 1980, after Iranian students seized the United States' espionage center at its embassy in the heart of Tehran. The two countries have had tense relations ever since.

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After losing friendly ties in 1980, the relationship between the United States and Iran has been rather bitter, to say the least. Will the two countries ever make peace with each other?

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Iran Wants to Join SCO

With an illogical analysis, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher has recently criticized regional cooperation in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and particularly Iran’s request for membership in the SCO. Based on a long-term forecast -- those which most often turn out to be wrong -- he has expressed concern over these issues.

Failing to take the entirety of the SCO’s comprehensive goals into account, Boucher underlines its security objective and says that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is not a Warsaw Pact and if it moves in that direction, the U.S. will take action. Referring to Iran’s request for membership in the SCO, he said that even if the SCO accepts Iran as a new member in order to make the organization more powerful, the consequences of Iran’s membership in the SCO will depend on the nature of cooperation in the organization...

Iran’s interest in joining the SCO is in line with the country’s moderate foreign policy because, along with its efforts to join the SCO bloc, Iran has made several unprecedented and successful moves to strengthen ties with regional organizations in other parts of the globe -- from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council to Latin American and African organizations.

Iran’s membership in the SCO is meant to promote cooperation rather than to exercise influence over the organization’s alignment and as such it enjoys full international legitimacy and national and global support. The accession of Iran as an observer member and President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s invitation to the most recent SCO summit in China were strong steps SCO members have taken for Iran’s accession as a full member of the SCO.

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Iran has requested membership into the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), which has caused Richard Boucher some concern. The Middle Eastern country's membership "is meant to promote cooperation rather than to exercise influence over the organization's alignment"; in other words, Iran's joining the SCO should not change the layout of the organization. If anything, their membership should facilitate cooperation among the countries within the organization.

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Iran: Too Important to Ignore

There was a time not too long ago that Iran was viewed as little more than a nuisance. It was a moderately significant player in the Middle East but not powerful or plugged-in enough to be taken seriously as a regional power.


It could only count Syria as an ally, it had very few other solid links with the Arab world, it was still smarting from the cost of the eight-year-long war with Iraq, and was still finding its way in a post-Cold War world. Ten years ago, a relatively passive policy of containment was deemed a sufficient response to Iran: hemming it in through various trade and financial sanctions and a regular U.S. naval deterrent force patrolling the waters of the Gulf.


Today, little happens internationally without an Iran angle. President Hugo Chavez talks oil politics. Hamas wins an openly contested election in Palestine. Hezbollah and Israel come to blows. Oil prices go up. Iraq burns. In every case, Iran is somehow implicated...


It is vital that we understand the enduring, centuries-long relationship between regional geopolitics and strategic Iranian interests and learn to act on it for the sake of regional stability - regardless of what leaders, moderate or extremist, happen to be in charge in Tehran. Iran's policies are as much a product of regional circumstances as they are domestic imperatives.

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This article discusses Iran's initial role as a "nuisance" and their rise to international infamy. The article serves as a harsh reminder that Iran can no longer be ignored; the United States and other countries must now keep Iran at the forefront.

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More Threats on Iran

In his speech on Thursday, Bush wasted little time before getting to the ominous subject of Iran. Time and time again, he lumped the alleged threat from Iran in the same breadth as the one from Al Qaeda, once again fusing enemies in the minds of the American people. “Serious and complex challenges remain in Iraq, from the presence of Al Qaeda to the destructive influence of Iran,” he said, even before declaring that the surge has “renewed and revived the prospect of success...”

“The regime in Tehran also has a choice to make,” Bush said. “It can live in peace with its neighbor, enjoy strong economic and cultural and religious ties. Or it can continue to arm and train and fund illegal militant groups, which are terrorizing the Iraqi people and turning them against Iran. If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq. Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops, and our Iraqi partners...”

This man is planning on waging another illegal war, and we need to do all that we can, nonviolently, to stop him.

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As Bush continues to make more threats on Iran, the possibility of war with the Middle Eastern country grows. His plans to "protect our interests" may very well lead to the loss of more American lives and more destruction.

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Strong Iranian Influence in Iraq

WASHINGTON, April 10 (UPI) -- Testimony by top U.S. officials in Iraq translates the mission there from a fight against al-Qaida to one against the "nefarious activities" of the Iranians. U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker described the Iranian influence in Iraq as "the greatest long-term threat to the viability" of the Iraqi government, David Ignatius wrote in The Washington Post.

Deterring the Iranian influence in Iraq became the latest justification behind U.S. military strategy in Iraq as al-Qaida numbers dwindle to around 5,000 or so hard-core elements.

The statement by Petraeus that military assessments in Iraq would be ongoing suggests the military strategy by the Bush administration is in a holding pattern as the United States waits out the final days of his presidency, Ignatius said.

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The United States is becoming much more tense as the Iranian influence in Iraq continues to grow. US leaders believe that the best course of action is to deter this influence.

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Egypt Concerned About Iranian Influence

Egypt has become increasingly concerned by Iran's growing influence in the Gaza Strip since Hamas breached the Gazan-Egyptian border in January. In practice, President Hosni Mubarek told a senior European diplomat recently that because of the situation that has developed there Egypt has a common border with Iran.

President Mubarek compared Gaza to Lebanon and said that "in both places the problems and the crises stem from Iran's growing influence."

Israeli Government officials say that Egypt's attitude to the situation in Gaza has significantly altered and Cairo is now relating much more seriously to cross-border arms smuggling by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, especially since Iranian supplied Grad rockets were fired onto the Israeli city of Ashkelon...

Arab Governments are worried by Iran's growing influence but are unwilling, with few exceptions, to become unpopular and openly criticise Teheran when domestic opinion in most of their countries generally supports Iran, local reports add.

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Iran continues to be in conflict with other countries: this time, they're having problems with Egypt. Iran's strong influence in the Gaza Strip is making Egypt uncomfortable. Will Egypt be drug into conflict with Iran?

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Confusing Iran with Iraq

Do you have trouble keeping Iran and Iraq straight? Don't worry -- so do folks at the Pentagon, sometimes.

A Defense Intelligence Agency publication available as recently as yesterday on its Web site noted "an Israeli F-16 raid to destroy an Iranian nuclear reactor" in 1981.

Just one problem: publicly-known history includes no Israeli raid on an Iranian nuclear reactor in 1981. Israel did attack an Iraqi facility at Osirak that year, however.

"I cannot exclude, of course, that the DIA detected an operation which no one else knows of to this day," wrote the man who apparently caught the error, Israeli historian Gideon Remez, in an e-mail to DIA March 24.

However, "today's preoccupation with Iran's nuclear program seems to have been projected onto the events of 27 years ago," Remez noted dryly.


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Because Iran and Iraq both pose a threat to United States security, the two countries are easily confused. American people have even confused the two countries in regards to historical occurences.

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A Bitter Bombing Is Likely

The odds of Bush bombing Iran have gone up dramatically this week.

There's just no other way to rationally interpret the resignation of Admiral William Fallon as head of Centcom.

Fallon resigned, and more likely was pushed out, after Esquire published an article on him entitled "The Man Between War and Peace." It said he was the one standing in the way of Bush bombing Iran...


What's more, according to U.S. News, "two U.S. warships took up positions off Lebanon earlier this month." The Pentagon "would want its warships in the eastern Mediterranean in the event of military action against Iran to keep Iranian ally Syria in check and to help provide air cover to Israel against Iranian missile reprisals," the story said. "One of the newly deployed ships, the USS Ross, is an Aegis guised missile destroyer, a top system for defense against air attacks."

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As was to be expected, William Fallon's resignation has led to a dramatic increase in U.S. and Iranian tension. With Bush's strong penchant for bombing Iran, will we go to war?

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Zimbabwe Receives Aid From Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to assist Zimbabwean educational and cultural institutions for the development and promotion of education and culture between the two countries, a senior Iranian Embassy official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the presentation of a book donation worth more than $35 billion to the University of Zimbabwe Library yesterday, the Head of the Cultural Section at the Iranian embassy Mr Mohammed Hassan Ipakchi said he hoped the books would benefit the people.


"Our country is ready to co-operate with various educational and cultural institutions in Zimbabwe. "The books we are donating are from a list we received from the University of Zimbabwe and we hope they are going to benefit the people of Zimbabwe as a whole," said Mr Ipakchi. The acting Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Dr Witmore Mujaji thanked the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its long-standing support to the University.

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This article shows Iran in a gentler, more benevolent light. Though Iran has been having several problems with the United States and Israel, they have been active in assisting Zimbabwe with cultural and educational expansion.

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Resignation of US Admiral Does Not Signal Policy Change in Iran

The resignation of the commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan does not signal a policy change on Iran, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says.

Admiral William Fallon said on Tuesday he was stepping down because of public perceptions of a rift with Mr Bush.

A recent article said Adm Fallon opposed military strikes against Iran...

The affair centres on an article in the April edition of Esquire magazine which described the admiral as "the strongest man standing between the Bush administration and a war with Iran"...

He said the idea, suggested in the article, that Adm Fallon's departure would indicate that the US was planning to go to war with Iran was "ridiculous".

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The fact that the strongest force against a war with Iran has resigned is frightening. What does William Fallon's resignation mean for the future of U.S. and Iranian relations?

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Let's Stop Iran!

BRUSSELS (AFP) — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted Thursday that world powers would continue to offer Iran incentives to get it to suspend uranium enrichment, even after Iran rejected further talks.

"The six ... continue to follow a dual track strategy," she told reporters at NATO headquarters, referring to the pursuit of sanctions at the United Nations and the offer of talks led by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

"We are continuing to talk about what the path would look like for Iran, should it choose the path of negotiation," Rice said...

On Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected any new talks with Solana, saying Tehran would in the future negotiate only with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Iran will not negotiate with anyone outside the (UN atomic) agency with regard to its nuclear issue," he said, according to state news agency IRNA.

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The United Nations and the EU are both trying to persuade Iran to "suspend uranium enrichment." Iran, however, has rejected further talks with the EU and states that in the future, they will only negotiate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's "nuclear watchdog."

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Sanctions Will Not Hinder Iranian Oil Production

TEHRAN, March 6 (Reuters) - Iran's oil minister said on Thursday the latest U.N. sanctions on Tehran over its disputed nuclear plans would not affect the oil sector in the world's fourth-largest crude producer.

Gholamhossein Nozari was also quoted as describing this week's OPEC meeting in Vienna as positive and said the impact of the cartel's decision to keep production unchanged would be seen in coming weeks.

OPEC ministers agreed to hold output steady and said oil prices which hit an all-time high on Wednesday were driven by factors beyond their control. U.S. crude surged to a record $104.95 a barrel in late Wednesday trade...

But he said: "The impact of OPEC's decision on oil prices will become clear in future weeks and one should see how the price growth develops in future weeks."

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Eariler this week, Iran wanted to cut back oil production. However, according to this article, OPEC ministers have agreed to keep output at the current amount. Though the U.S. continues to place sanctions on Iran, this Middle Eastern country plans to reign as the "world's fourth-largest crude producer."

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Will OPEC Increase Output?

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — OPEC has all but ruled out pumping more oil to ease record-high prices, key oil ministers signaled Tuesday on the eve of a key meeting...

Kuwait and Libya are among OPEC members who have said the cartel should maintain its current output, estimated at about 31.5 million barrels a day — roughly 40 percent of daily world demand.

However, Iran and Venezuela — both hawkish on prices — have pressed for a cut in output. Analysts said it was doubtful that the rest of OPEC would go along with that, since it would push prices even higher in the short-term...

"Global markets are well supplied," Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hussein Nozari said Tuesday, saying the weak U.S. dollar was a greater concern.

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Kuwait and Libya want OPEC to continue producing crude oil at the current rate, but Iran and Venezuela wish to cut back on oil production. The Iranian oil minister stated that markets around the world were "well supplied." Iran's stronghold on crude oil and their awareness of this advantage could have a huge impact on international oil trade.

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Iran and Iraq: United

BAGHDAD -- Iran and Iraq are two united neighbors and “no event can break the brotherly ties” between them, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said on Monday in a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

Over the past 50 years there have been many attempts for harming the brotherly relations between the two countries, but they were unsuccessful, Ahmadinejad stated.

“We should use our maximum potential for improving ties and helping one another,” he said.

The Iranian president started a landmark two-day visit to Iraq on Sunday.

In their meeting, Ahmadinejad and Zebari discussed demarcation of borders, the issue of Iranian pilgrims visting holy sites in Iraq, and the Iran-U.S. talks on security condition in Iraq.

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Iraq and Iran want to strengthen their ties and "help one another". This is bad news for the United States, who is currently at war with Iraq. The U.S. and Iran have already experienced a period of increased conflict. Will the bond between Iraq and Iran cause a fresh outbreak of tension?

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U.S. To Increase Pressure on Iran

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury's top sanctions official is traveling to major Middle East financial centers this week to build support for its campaign to increase international pressure on Iran and combat terrorist financing.

A Treasury spokesman said Stuart Levey, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, will visit Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates this week to talk to government officials and banking executives.

"That trip is part of our overall mission to combat terrorist financing," said Treasury spokesman John Rankin.

The Treasury has frozen U.S. assets and prohibited American transactions with several Iranian state banks and other companies it accuses of aiding Iran's quest for nuclear weapons and of providing financial support to terrorist groups. Among banks blacklisted are Bank Melli, Iran's largest bank, Bank Mellat, Bank Sepah and Bank Saderat.

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The conflict between the US and Iran strengthens. The United States wants to increase pressure on Iran and "combat terrorist financing." What will become of the two battling countries?

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