down with murder inc

er...remember those Niger forgeries, those WMD in Iraq anyone?

Nuclear Case Against Iran Strong but Circumstantial
Barbara Ferguson, Arab News WASHINGTON, 9 February 2006 -
Iranian engineers have completed sophisticated drawings of a deep subterranean shaft that could be used for testing explosive nuclear devices, The Washington Post reported yesterday. Citing unnamed officials familiar with available intelligence, the newspaper said the proposed 400-meter tunnel is complete with remote-controlled sensors to measure pressure and heat and appears to be designed for an underground atomic test that might one day announce Tehran's arrival as a nuclear power.
US and allied intelligence analysts believe that day remains as much as a decade away, assuming that Iran applies the full measure of its scientific and industrial resources to the project and encounters no major technical hurdles, the report said. But whether Iran's leaders have reached that decision and what concrete progress the effort has made remain divisive questions among government analysts and UN inspectors, said the Post.
The drawings of the unbuilt test site, not disclosed publicly before, appear to US officials to signal at least the ambition to test a nuclear explosive, the newspaper said. The designs were obtained from a laptop computer stolen by an Iranian citizen in 2004, and allegedly drawn up by a firm called Kimeya Madon for a small-scale facility to produce uranium gas — the construction of which would give Iran a secret stock that could be enriched for fuel or for bombs. Also on the laptop, obtained by the CIA and shared with British, German and French intelligence, were drawings on modifying Iran's ballistic missiles in ways that might accommodate a nuclear warhead.
US intelligence analysts consider the laptop documents authentic but admit they cannot prove it, and say a small possibility remains that opponents to the Iranian regime could have forged them to implicate the government, or speculate that a third country, such as Israel, may have fabricated the evidence, says the Post, adding that analysts have now discounted this theory. But US and UN experts who have studied the undated drawings say they do not clearly fit into a larger picture, according to the report. Nowhere, for example, does the word "nuclear" appear on them. The authorship is unknown, and there is no evidence of an associated program to acquire, assemble and construct the components of such a site, the paper said.
As far as US intelligence knows, the idea has not left the drawing board, the paper said.
Additionally, an imprisoned Pakistani arms dealer, Bukhary Syed Tahir, thought to have played the role of manufacturer, salesman and partner in Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan's nuclear network, which allegedly supplied materials to Libya, Iran and North Korea, recently offered unconfirmed statements that Iran received several advanced centrifuges and equipment that would vastly improve its nuclear knowledge.
Meanwhile, an Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham on Monday stressed the peaceful and transparent nature of Iran's nuclear activities and said Tehran does not intend to leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He told reporters that the door for negotiations was still open and there were no obstacles to the continuation of talks. Stressing the international call for nuclear disarmament, he said Iran "favors non-discriminatory and comprehensive nuclear disarmament."
Criticizing the discriminatory attitude of certain nuclear countries toward the nuclear activities of others, he said: "There are a number of countries which possess atomic weapons who wish to deprive others of the legitimate and indisputable right to access nuclear technology for peaceful uses." "The rights of all countries (to nuclear energy) should be determined within the context of international law, rules and relations and no country should have preference over another or be subjected to double standards."
The government spokesman once again invited countries to participate in Iran's nuclear programs, and assured that Iran would give "due respect to their individual national interests." - arab news

flashback to a week before - Feb 1st 2006

Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary-General Larijani at Press Conference:
'We Recommend That You [the West] Learn a Lesson From History...
The Iranian People is Zealous and Brave; Do Not Toy With the National Pride of the Iranians...
Your Interests in the Region Will Be Harmed'
The following are excerpts from a press conference held by Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary-General Ali Larijani. The conference aired on the Iranian News Channel (IRINN) on February 1, 2006.
TO VIEW THIS CLIP, VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1029.
Ali Larijani: "Some leaders, like the leader of America, often use the term 'atomic bomb' in their propaganda about Iran. He considers Iran's nuclear technology and research to be synonymous with a bomb. I don't know why Mr. Bush tells such a big lie. It is inappropriate for world leaders to tell such obvious lies.
"All Iran's nuclear activity is subject to the supervision of the IAEA and its inspectors, and no reasonable person would say that it is possible to manufacture nuclear weapons under such inspection. The problem is that some European countries believe that the Iranian people should not have nuclear knowledge. They do not say so in their propaganda, but they tell us this in closed meetings. They say: 'You must not have nuclear know-how and knowledge.' I ask them to say publicly what they say in closed meetings. They should say that they want to classify nations into two groups: One that should have nuclear knowledge and one that should not.
"They want to form a modern world order of masters and subjects. This is the truth. They do not want nuclear knowledge to improve the Iranian people's status. The rest is propaganda. They know that Iran is not pursuing [nuclear] weapons."
[...]
"Sanctions are the kind of thing they fear more than us. As soon as some European countries mentioned sanctions at the meeting in Germany, oil prices began to rise. If they do this, we will not be the only ones to be harmed. They will be harmed more than us. For Iran, there are still ways to deal with this. We do not recommend that they use such methods, but if they do, they should expect a response."
[...]
"We recommend that you learn a lesson from history. Do not repeat what you have done in the past and regretted. The Iranian people is zealous and brave. Do not toy with the national pride of the Iranians, because you will face a firm response. Things will change for you. Your interests in the region will be harmed."
[...]
Saketi, Dubai TV: "We recently heard that a company called Hara is building tunnels, 50 meters deep, for nuclear purposes. Do you have any comment? Thank you."
Ali Larijani: "It seems that in the world of politics, lying is not such a big deal. When Mr. Bush himself tells such big lies, don't be surprised when reports like this are published. We don't need tunnels. We conduct our nuclear research in full view of the IAEA, not in tunnels. But even if we have tunnels, this should not be a problem."
[...]
Barbara Slavin, USA Today: "I'd like to ask you first about the IAEA report that there were 15 pages of documents showing how to turn uranium metal into a weapon. If Iran says that its program is for peaceful purposes, what were you doing in possession of 15 pages of documents, showing how to make a weapon?"
[...]
Ali Larijani: "I think there was a mistake in these figures. It was not 15 pages but a page and a half. If anyone here can make a bomb with a page and a half, I will coat him in gold. How can anyone build a bomb with a page and a half of information?
"I said to Mr. ElBaradei: You yourself know what this page and a half is worth. Others are using this as a pretext. This document is in the hands of the IAEA. It is just a page and a half long. Endless data like this can be found on the Internet."
Middle East Research Institute

US Asks Turkey to 'Warn Iran over its Nuclear Program'
By Cihan News Agency, Washington - Weds February 08, 2006 - zaman.com
The US administration wants Turkey to send a warning to Iran, suspected of manufacturing nuclear weapons.
Robert Joseph, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said Washington expects Turkey to send a message to Tehran warning that it will not accept Iran being in possession of nuclear weapons. Joseph assessed the recent developments on Iran in a press conference held in Washington.
"Turkey, like other members of the international community, can openly communicate to Tehran that it will not tolerate Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, and that this is a very dangerous and stability breaking situation that goes far beyond the Basra Gulf. When taken into consideration Iran's ability and possibility to use nuclear weapons by means of ballistic missiles developing more and more, Turkey has to note this and continue cooperating with the other members of the international community," Joseph said.
The US official claimed Iran has the capability of developing an atomic bomb on its own. Meanwhile, the Chinese administration called on Iran to follow "a calm diplomacy" to solve the nuclear problem. Beijing announced the responsibility of solving the problem had not been fully referred to UN Security Council. - .zaman.com

Iran 'could quit nuclear treaty'
11 Feb 2006 - Iran could abandon the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if forced to limit nuclear activities, its hardline president says.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said if the rights of the Iranian people were violated, Iran would "revise its policies". He made the comments in a speech marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
On 4 February, the IAEA decided to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its disputed nuclear programme. The NPT, which has 187 signatories, was created to prevent new nuclear states emerging, to promote co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to work towards nuclear disarmament. Non-nuclear signatories agree not to seek to develop or acquire such weapons. In return, they are given an undertaking that they will be helped to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It is believed to be the first time Iran has threatened to pull out of the treaty.
'Peaceful use'
Addressing huge crowds in Tehran, Mr Ahmadinejad said that Iranian policy was based on the peaceful use of nuclear technology for "industry, medicine and economy". "Until now the Islamic Republic has pursued its nuclear effort within the context of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Non-Proliferation Treaty," he said. A huge crowd turned out to listen to the president "However, if we see that despite our respect for these regulations you want to violate the rights of the Iranian people, you should understand the Iranian nation will revise its policies," he warned.
On 6 February, following the IAEA's decision to report Iran to the UN Security Council, Iran formally told the UN nuclear watchdog to end snap inspections of its nuclear sites by mid-February. It also ordered the IAEA to remove surveillance cameras and indicated it would end its freeze on full uranium enrichment.
Iran denies US and European claims that it is trying to develop weapons, maintaining that its nuclear programme is only for energy production. Leaving the NPT is allowed under the treaty, and would allow a state free to develop nuclear power and weapons without inspection.
North Korea announced its withdrawal from the NPT in January 2003, the first state to make such a move. Several states with nuclear weapons - Israel, India and Pakistan - have never joined the treaty. - BBC

Iran starts enrichment work
Diplomats say Islamic republic has put gas into centrifuges at its pilot enrichment plant in Natanz.
13th feb 2006 - VIENNA - Iran has started putting uranium feedstock gas into centrifuges, the first step in manufacturing what can be either nuclear reactor fuel or material for an atom bomb, diplomats said Monday.
"Iran has put gas into centrifuges at its pilot enrichment plant in Natanz," a diplomat in Vienna said.
The diplomat said that Iran had not yet fired up the whole 164-centrifuge cascade but had "over the past two or three days" started work with some centrifuges. Enrichment is seen as a red line by the United States and the European Union since it is the key process to making nuclear weapons.
Putting uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas into centrifuges, which distill out enriched uranium, would be a major escalation by Iran in its face-off with the West over a nuclear program which the United States charges hides secret atomic weapons development.
Iran said Monday that it would resume uranium enrichment even before the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency meets next month in Vienna to decide whether to recommend action by the UN Security Council, which has the authority to take punitive measures against Iran. A second diplomat said that Iran was still doing "preliminary work" with centrifuges, almost certainly working on single machines rather than a whole cascade. The diplomats' comments show however that Iran is following through with its threat to move ahead on enrichment. - middle-east-online

Iran dashes hopes for Russian nuclear deal
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran February 13 2006
Iran announced on Monday it was indefinitely postponing talks scheduled for Thursday in Moscow, dashing hopes a Russian compromise proposal might ease its nuclear stand-off with the United Nations.
Tehran also resumed enriching uranium at its Natanz plant in defiance of the recent vote by the UN's watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to diplomats in Vienna, the IAEA's home-base.
The resumption came a day after Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Iran's parliamentary speaker, said Tehran was about to restart "nuclear research activities" at Natanz. IAEA inspectors are due to visit Iran's nuclear sites on Tuesday to verify that Tehran has resumed enrichment.
The research facility at Natanz contains a small number of centrifuges, which convert uranium hexoflouride gas into enriched uranium. It is not large enough to produce enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.
Iran is nonetheless defying this month's IAEA vote calling for a suspension of the nuclear programme.
Moscow's proposal for Iran to enrich uranium in Russia, a possible compromise, received a further blow on Monday as Gholam-Hossein Elham, the Iranian government spokesman, said talks scheduled for Thursday had been put off because of the "new situation", a reference to Tehran's being referred to the UN Security Council.
The decision in Moscow and Beijing to back referral has prompted criticism in Tehran of Iran's nuclear negotiation team.
On visits to both Moscow and Beijing shortly before the IAEA vote, Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, praised the stance of his hosts. Aftab website, affiliated to Mr Larijani's predecessor, Hassan Rowhani, recently wrote that the hopes of those looking to Russia and China had "turned out to be a mirage".
Conservative pragmatists like Mr Rowhani are wary of strengthening a hard line in Tehran. On Saturday, President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad hinted Iran would consider leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if its access to nuclear technology were blocked. - FT.com

Germans charged in Iran nuke warhead plot
By Martin Sieff Feb 14, 2006, 19:42 GMT
Germany has arrested two of its citizens and charged them with helping Iran obtain German technology needed to build nuclear warheads for ballistic missiles.
A Russian and a North Korean were also accused of helping the Germans, StrategyPage.com reported Monday.
The warhead for a nuclear missile is one of the more difficult bits of technology to develop. A nuclear weapon is a precision machine, containing many complex electronic, mechanical and chemical components. The ballistic missile carries the warhead outside the earth`s atmosphere, and then sends it back in reentry at speeds in excess of 12,000 miles an hour. It is this speed that creates tremendous heat, as the warhead enters the atmosphere. The high speeds also create high G forces and vibration. All this generates unfriendly conditions for the components of the nuclear device, the Web site said.
The two Germans were specifically charged with getting a vibration testing device out of the country, and to Iran. This device makes it possible to test nuclear bomb and warhead structure components without having to launch a missile.
StrategyPage.com noted that the Russian connection was 'ominous, because Russia has lots of proven warhead technology. North Korea is also working on designing warheads for nuclear weapons.'
'Iran has long used bribed foreigners to help them get military technology and equipment for them, stuff that no nation would knowingly sell to Iran,' the Web site said. UPI via monsters and critics

Rice says Iran defying world
By Mark Heinrich Wed Feb 15, VIENNA (Reuters) - Threatening new sanctions, the United States accused Iran on Wednesday of defying the world by resuming uranium enrichment for nuclear fuel without resolving suspicions it secretly wants to build atomic bombs.
Russia urged Iran to change course to allow a compromise. It said Iran had to regain international trust before Moscow would back Tehran's declared right to enrich uranium on its own soil.
Iran resumed small-scale feeding of uranium gas into centrifuge enrichment machines on Tuesday, officials close to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
European Union powers had persuaded Tehran to suspend enrichment in November 2003 over fears it was pursuing a nuclear arsenal under cover of a civilian energy program. Tehran says its program is only for nuclear-generated electricity.
"They have now crossed a point where they are in open defiance (of the world community)," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The United States, which has long imposed economic sanctions against Iran, was considering further measures, said Rice. The so-called "extraterritoriality" element of U.S. sanctions against certain states that seeks to prevent non-U.S. firms doing business in Iran is deeply resented internationally. Rice said U.S. President George W. Bush would ask Congress for $75 million to try to promote democracy in Iran. Critics say this might backfire as many Iranians are hostile to U.S. policies in the Middle East.
RUSSIA URGES COMPROMISE
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Iran must suspend all atomic fuel enrichment work to give Moscow's proposal to defuse the nuclear standoff a chance of success. He said imposing sanctions on Iran over fears it was secretly seeking nuclear arms would only make matters worse.
Russia backed an IAEA vote on February 4 to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions, but has floated its own idea for resolving the dispute. It has proposed enriching Iranian uranium on its soil and returning it to Iran for use in atomic power reactors to prevent possible diversion of high-grade fuel for bomb-making.
Lavrov said after talks with EU leaders in Vienna that Russian-Iranian talks set for February 20 were based on a package agreed with Western powers trying to get Iran to curb its nuclear work in exchange for economic incentives. "For this to happen, there must be a resumption of (EU-Iran) talks and it is clear that Iran must resume a moratorium on enrichment on its own territory," Lavrov told a news conference. "Sanctions ... are simplistic. They will not help. Not in one single case have they ever helped," he said. "If we want the (nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty not to be violated and if we want to avoid living in fear of a secret military nuclear program in Iran, we must do all we can to maintain and develop the IAEA's ability to do its job."
Russia has significant trade interests in Iran, including construction of Tehran's first nuclear reactor and arms sales.
Lavrov said Iran must fully cooperate with IAEA investigations to resolve international concerns about its nuclear intentions before Moscow would support a complete nuclear fuel industry on Iranian territory.
Iran's decision to retaliate for being referred to the U.N. Security Council by resuming uranium enrichment and curbing some IAEA inspections has drawn widespread international criticism.
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said Iran's new enrichment work had needlessly escalated tensions with the West and would damage Tehran's relations with the 25-nation bloc.
Iran has given conflicting statements on what is being done at its Natanz pilot fuel enrichment plant. Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's atomic program, spoke of work on a "small laboratory scale," adding: "Injecting gas into one or a few centrifuges could not be termed enrichment."
A senior Iranian official denied any uranium hexafluoride gas had been injected into centrifuges. yahoo.com

Russia Puts Condition on Iran Enrichment
By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press Writer Feb 16, VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow will only host Iran's uranium enrichment program if Tehran agrees to re-impose an indefinite freeze on enrichment at home.
In Paris Thursday, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said that Iran's nuclear program is a cover for clandestine military activity. "No civil nuclear program can explain the Iranian nuclear program. It is a clandestine military nuclear program," Douste-Blazy said on France-2 television. "The international community has sent a very firm message in telling the Iranians to return to reason and suspend all nuclear activity and the enrichment and conversion of uranium, but they aren't listening to us."
Lavrov's comments Wednesday came just five days before talks in Moscow on moving Iran's enrichment program to Russia to allay fears that Tehran might misuse the technology to make nuclear arms. The meeting is crucial, with tensions over Iran likely to diminish if Tehran agrees to the Russian proposal - and to balloon if it does not. Lavrov, in Vienna to meet senior European Union officials under Austria's EU presidency, suggested that any hope in Tehran for Russian backing of enrichment on Iranian soil was a long way off. "When confidence in the Iranian nuclear program is re-established ... we could come back to the possible implementation of the right that Iran has to develop a nuclear energy sector full scale," said Lavrov.
Russia, a traditional ally of Iran, backed Tehran's referral to the U.N. Security Council earlier this month on condition the council take up the issue no earlier than March and based on a report being prepared by International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei on his agency's probe into Tehran's nuclear program.
An Iranian official said Wednesday that Tehran would like to avoid having the Security Council take action on its nuclear program and believes Russia's proposal could provide the basis for an immediate short-term solution. But Iran will not abandon its right to full nuclear technology, including enriching uranium, which is guaranteed under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, said the official, who is knowledgeable about the country's nuclear negotiations.
Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator, Javad Vaeidi, will lead the team heading to Moscow for talks Monday with the Russians to deal with concerns and clarifications Tehran has about the Russian proposal, the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. "But we have said there are prospects for the proposal to become acceptable and to be implemented," the official said. "We will do our best in good faith to reach that positive conclusion."
Iran confirmed Tuesday it has resumed small-scale uranium enrichment, and on Wednesday Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Ahmadinejad's visit to the plant in central Iran was widely seen as a gesture of support for scientists involved in Iran's uranium enrichment program. Activities at Natanz had been suspended since October 2003.
"What enemies fear is not production of an atomic bomb, because in today's world atomic bombs are not efficient," Ahmadinejad was quoted by the news agency as saying. "The main fear and concern of enemies is the self-reliance and knowledge of the Iranian nation and the fact that Iranian youth are acquiring peaceful nuclear technology." The Iranian official said it is a matter of national pride that the country has developed or copied the technology to produce and run centrifuges and the materials used in the centrifuges despite efforts by the United States and other Western countries to deprive it of nuclear technology.
Centrifuges are used to enrich uranium. Uranium enriched to low level is used to produce nuclear fuel for reactors and further enrichment makes it suitable for use in nuclear weapons. Iran had 164 centrifuges in Natanz sealed by the IAEA in 2003. The seals were removed last month when Iran resumed nuclear research. Iranian officials have indicated that Tehran may possess up to 2,000 centrifuges. For a large-scale enrichment, Iran has to build up to 60,000 centrifuges.
The official stressed that Iran wants to use nuclear technology purely for peaceful purposes, that it opposes all weapons of mass destruction and favors all countries getting rid of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
The official asked Security Council members to consider whether using pressure and possibly imposing sanctions will advance international nonproliferation efforts, or whether the object is to ensure that Iran does not divert its nuclear technology into the military arena.
Sanctions could damage Iran's economy, and pressure will only strengthen the resolve of the Iranian people to advance their peaceful nuclear technology, the official said. The way to advance nonproliferation, the official said, is to ensure that Iran's nuclear technology is used transparently and is closely monitored by the IAEA. Iran is prepared to increase monitoring to an unprecedented level, the official said. The official said the Russian proposal could pave the way for negotiations on a longer-term solution which would allow Iran to enrich uranium by 3.5 percent under the strictest monitoring the IAEA has ever conducted, along with legal and political commitments, the official said. - AP wire

The history of Iran's nuclear efforts should be noted. It began in 1957 when Reza Shah Pahlevi signed a civilian Atoms for Peace agreement with Eisenhower's administration. Iran received a US research reactor in 1967. Then in 1974 after the first oil shock, the Shah created the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, explicitly tasked to develop civilian nuclear power to displace oil freeing more oil for export, and for developing a nuclear weapon. The Bushehr reactor complex of civilian power reactors was begun by West Germany in the 1970's under the Shah, the same time Iran began buying major shares of key German companies such as Daimler and Krupp. After his 1979 ascent to power, Ayatollah Khomeini ordered all work on the nuclear program halted, citing Islamic beliefs that weapons of mass destruction were immoral.
In 1995, the Russian Foreign Ministry signed a contract with the Iranian government to complete the stalled Bushehr plant, and to supply it with Russian nuclear fuel, provided Iran agreed to allow IAEA monitoring and safeguards. According to an article in the March 2004 MERIA Journal, that 1995 Russia-Iran deal included potentially dangerous transfers of Russian technology such as laser enrichment from Yefremov Scientific Research Institute (NIIEFA). Iran's initial deal with Russia in 1995 included a centrifuge plant that would have provided Iran with fissile material . The plant deal was then canceled at Washington's insistence.
The monitoring of Bushehr continued until the reports from NCRI of secret nuclear weapons facilities in 2002 led to increased pressure on Iran, above all from President Bush, who labeled Iran one of a three nation 'axis of evil' in his January 2002 State of the Union speech. That was when the Bush Administration was deeply in preparation of regime change in Iraq however and Iran took a back seat, not least as Washington neo-conservatives such as Ahmad Chalabi had convinced the Pentagon his ties to Teheran could aid their Iraq agenda.
Since that time, relations between Washington and Teheran have become less than cordial. Iran has been preparing for what it sees as an inevitable war with the United States. Brig. Gen. Mohammad -Ali Jaafari, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' army, told the official IRNA news agency on October 9 2005, 'As the likely enemy is far more advanced technologically than we are, we have been using what is called 'asymmetric warfare' methods. We have gone through the necessary exercises and our forces are now well prepared for this.' This presumably includes terrorist attacks and the use of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, ballistic missiles. - William Engdhal

China close to $100bn Iran deal
18th Feb 2006 - China and Iran are close to a deal to develop the Yadavaran oil and gas field, reported the Chinese finance magazine Caijing, with an agreement possible in March. China would buy 10m tonnes of LNG for 25 years from 2009, bringing the total value of the contract to around $100bn. - ameinfo.com

Wall St Journal rumour-mongering?

China, Iran may arrange oil deal
(AP) Updated: 19th Feb 2006 -
China and Iran are close to setting plans to develop Iran's Yadavaran oil field, according to published reports, in a multibillion-dollar deal that comes as Tehran faces the prospect of U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program.
The deal is thought to potentially be worth about $100 billion.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the two sides are trying to conclude the deal in coming weeks before potential sanctions are imposed on Iran for its nuclear ambitions.
In exchange for China Petrochemical Corp. developing Yadavaran, one of Iran's largest oil fields, China would agree to buy 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas a year for 25 years beginning in 2009, Asian magazine Caijing said, citing China Petroleum Corp. board member Mou Shuling.
China Petroleum, also known as Sinopec, is Asia's largest refiner. Chinese and Iranian officials in Beijing said they could not confirm the report. Beijing has strongly urged that a diplomatic solution be found to the impasse over Iran's nuclear program.
Western nations say Iran plans to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran says it wants only to generate electricity.
Growing international concern about its aims contributed to Tehran being reported to the U.N. Security Council by the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.
Next month, the Security Council is to consider Iran's nuclear activities. The council can impose economic and political sanctions on Iran, but members China and Russia could veto such measures. - chinadaily.com

suicide bombing threat?

Suicide Bombers Warn U.S., U.K. of Attacks
By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press - 19th Feb 2006 -
An Iranian group that claims its members are dedicated to becoming suicide bombers warned the United States and Britain on Saturday that they will strike coalition military bases in Iraq if Tehran's nuclear facilities are attacked.
Mohammad Ali Samadi, spokesman for Esteshadion, or Martyrdom Seekers, boasted of having hundreds of potential bombers in his talk at a seminar on suicide-bombings tactics at Tehran's Khajeh Nasir University. "With more than 1,000 trained martyrdom-seekers, we are ready to attack the American and British sensitive points if they attack Iran's nuclear facilities," Samadi said. "If they strike, we have a lot of volunteers. Their (U.S. and British) sensitive places are quiet close to Iranian borders," Samadi said.
Samadi reviewed the history of suicide bombing as a weapon, praising it as the most effective Palestinian tactic in their confrontation with Israel.
The organizers showed video clips of suicide attacks against Israelis, including one in the Morag settlement near Rafah in Gaza strip in February 2005. One settler, three Israeli soldiers and the two attackers were killed in the attack.
Hasan Abbasi, a university instructor and former member of the elite Revolutionary Guards, told the audience of about 200 that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons as claimed by the United States and some of its allies. "Our martyrdom-seekers are our nuclear weapons," said Abbasi, the event's main speaker.
After his speech, about 50 students filled out membership applications.
"This is a unique opportunity for me to die for God, next to my brothers in Palestine. That was why I signed up," said Reza Haghshenas, a 22-year-old electrical engineering student.
A 23-year-old woman student, Maryam Amereh, said: "We are trying to defend Islam. It's a way to draw the attention of others to our activities."
But Rahim Hasanlu, a 22-year-old industrial management student, declared himself not interested in joining. "I just attended to learn what they're saying, thats all."
Esteshadion was formed in late 2004, calling for members on a sporadic basis at Friday prayer ceremonies, state-sponsored rallies and at the group's occasional meetings. - news.yahoo.com

Putin says Iranian nuclear talks difficult
ISN SECURITY WATCH (Wednesday, 22 February: 16.36 CET) – Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Wednesday that ongoing negotiations with the Iran over its nuclear program were proving difficult.
In comments carried by the Xinhua news agency, Putin told reporters in the Azerbaijani capital Baku: "The Moscow negotiations were difficult. However, we are hoping we shall be able to achieve a positive result. We retain optimism."
Two days of negotiations in Moscow between Russian and Iranian officials over a proposal to export uranium enrichment for the Islamic Republic's nuclear program broke up on Tuesday without apparent substantive breakthroughs on major issues.
"There is now a break in the negotiations to enable the Iranian delegation to consult the authorities," Putin confirmed. He added that Russia's offer to conduct uranium processing for Iranian nuclear facilities on Russia soil should be "acceptable for Iran and may be used to settle the issue".
The head of the Iranian negotiations team for the Moscow talks said that the discussions were "constructive and positive," and said they raised hopes that an agreement might be reached.
The Iranian nuclear dossier was transferred to the UN Security Council earlier this month, where the Islamic Republic may face punitive sanctions for failing to fulfill its nuclear commitments. - isn.ethz.ch/

Iran finds Russian nuclear proposal 'unacceptable'
22/02/2006 - Iran is not ready to accept Russia's proposal aimed at resolving the international crisis over Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons programme, Russian newspapers reported today.
Iran and Russia yesterday finished two days of inconclusive talks in Moscow on a Russian offer to enrich uranium for Tehran to avert suspicions that the Iranians could divert the nuclear fuel for atomic weapons.
The Vedomosti daily newspaper quoted an official close to the Iranian delegation as saying that Iran insisted on the right to conduct its own enrichment activities.
"There are no reasons at this stage to resume dialogue," said the official.
An Iranian diplomat quoted by the Vremya Novostei daily newspaper said that the Middle East country wanted Russia to produce large-scale enriched uranium for it but needed a domestic uranium enrichment programme to create "the basis for independence in the nuclear sphere". - IOL

Iran Has No WMD - Russia's Intelligence Chief
22.02.2006 - Iran has no weapons of mass destruction or material for constructing them, a deputy head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Vladimir Zavershinsky said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda daily.
"We have no data that Iran has any nuclear warheads or sufficient amount of plutonium for constructing them," he said.
"In our point of view, it is still possible and should be settled in peaceful manner," Zavershinsky stressed. "What is better for world community? If nothing else, there must be a kind of a dialogue with Iran, or it will isolate itself and face sanctions that will make settlement impossible."
"Let's look at the map and think, what will happen if nuclear weapons are used in the region. It will be razed to the ground: problems of Palestine, Israel, Iran and Iraq will be "solved" simultaneously. That is why our diplomats try to keep the Iranian partners within the frames of diplomatic settlement of the problem," Zavershinsky concluded.
However, on Tuesday Iranian nuclear negotiators ended in Moscow without any progress on proposal to enrich Iranian uranium on Russian soil. Tehran said it will consider a joint venture with Russia, and possibly others, to enrich uranium for power stations. But it reserves the right to pursue enrichment at home as well.
Talks are due to continue in Iran soon. - mosnews

Bomb blasts hit Iran oil cities
27 feb 2006 - Two bombs have exploded in the southern Iranian cities of Dezful and Abadan, according to Iranian reports.
In both cities, the devices were planted in the governor's offices, the official Irna news agency says. No serious injuries were reported.
The attacks are the latest in a series to hit the southern Khuzestan province, at the heart of Iran's oil industry.
Eight people died when bombs exploded by a government office and bank in the provincial capital Ahwaz a month ago. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest explosions, according to reports.
"Hopefully, those behind the bombings will soon be found and punished," Dezful Governor-general Hamid Ghanaati told Irna.
'UK involvement'
The oil-rich Khuzestan province, which is home to about two million ethnic Arabs, has been rocked by a wave of unrest in recent months. Iran accused British army forces across the border in southern Iraq of co-operating with bombers who carried out January's attacks in Ahwaz. The UK Foreign Office rejected the allegation.
A little-known ethnic Arab separatist group said in a website statement that it was responsible for the blasts, in which eight people were killed and 46 hurt.
The Iranian government also blamed attacks in June and October last year on the UK, but British officials again denied involvement.
In November, protests erupted in Ahwaz after ethnic Arabs accused the authorities of discrimination. BBC

Tehran fails to dispel IAEA ‘concern'
By Daniel Dombey in Brussels - Published: February 27 2006
Iran has failed to dispel suspicions that it is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons grade material, and its atomic programme remains "a matter of concern", according to a long-awaited report.
The report, compiled by Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, was circulated to ambassadors on Monday and will be forwarded to the UN Security Council next month.
Western diplomats said it strengthened their case for united international condemnation of Iran, although the Security Council is unlikely to debate sanctions on Tehran in the near future.
"Although the agency has not seen any diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, the agency is not at this point in time in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran," the report said.
"Iran's full transparency" was essential in light of "the existence of a generic document related to the fabrication of nuclear weapons components and the lack of clarification about the role of the military in Iran's nuclear programme". It added that Tehran had failed to fully explain its efforts to import, manufacture and use centrifuges for uranium enrichment, the process that can create weapons grade material.
"It is regrettable, and a matter of concern, that the above uncertainties related to the scope and nature of Iran's nuclear programme have not been clarified after three years of intensive agency verification," it said.
The report also noted that Iran had resumed enrichment tests on February 11. Tehran, which insists its programme is purely peaceful, announced last month that it was resuming such research, an action which led the IAEA board to report it to the Security Council. Iran has subsequently scaled down its co-operation with IAEA inspectors. The European Union hopes that by increasing the pressure step by step it can convince Iran to repeat its "tactical" decision to suspend uranium enrichment.
Western diplomats argue their case is strengthened by unity among the five permanent Security Council members, including Russia and China, which have strong energy relationships with Iran, and that Moscow is unhappy with inconclusive talks with Tehran.
They add that the first step once the file reaches New York will be a declaration by Argentina, which holds the Security Council presidency in March, calling on Iran to abide by past IAEA resolutions.
On Sunday Iran said it had reached a "basic agreement" on a joint venture with Russia to enrich uranium, but on Monday it made clear that it would only take such a step if it could continue its research into enrichment in Iran itself. - ft.com/

Iran says US pressure "wrecking" Russian offer
Thu Mar 2, 2006 MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Thursday that the United States, by pressing for Iran to be reported to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear programme, was threatening a Russian compromise proposal, Interfax news agency said.
"The insistence of the American side on sending the Iranian nuclear dossier to the U.N. security Council shows that the Russian proposal is being wrecked," Larijani was quoted as saying at a news conference.
He spoke after talks with Russian officials on Moscow's offer to Iran to enrich uranium on Russian soil to end the confrontation with the West, which suspects Tehran of seeking to build an atomic weapon.
Larijani added no new date had been set for a fresh round of talks on the proposal. - reuters.co.uk/

West 'trying to control the world's oil': Iran
02/03/2006 - Iran's president today accused Western powers of trying to control the world's oil resources and creating a climate of fear that he said was forcing countries to stockpile weapons.
"Many of the resources of nations are going to waste in a climate of fear, being pushed toward the use for the production of arms and stockpiling of weapons," visiting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech to Malaysian and Iranian business leaders.
"The main root cause of this is because of the excessive demands of certain ruling powers over certain parts of the world," said Ahmadinejad, who arrived in Malaysia late yesterday on a three-day visit.
"They want to have control over all world resources, financial markets of the world and state of the art technology. They want to control the oil and gas and energy resources of the world and have control of strategic points in the world," he said. - IOL

CIA used A-bomb plan as bait
U.S. gave flawed design to Iran: Author
Goal to derail or delay Tehran's work
Mar. 4, 2006. 07:57 AM
Iran and EU officials failed yesterday to resolve a standoff over Iran's nuclear work before a United Nations atomic watchdog meeting Monday that may lead to Security Council action. In his book, State of War, James Risen includes the startling claim that the U.S. actually handed Tehran the blueprints for an atomic bomb in 2000. The CIA scheme was to introduce intentional flaws in the design plans that would delay or derail Iranian work. The following excerpt shows the poorly conceived plan and its easily identified flaws.
Risen is the reporter who revealed a secret domestic U.S. wiretapping surveillance program exists in the United States.
The Russian stood out like a poor eastern cousin on Vienna's jeweled cityscape.
He was a nuclear engineer who had defected to the United States years earlier and quietly settled in America. He went through the CIA's defector resettlement program and endured long debriefings in which CIA experts and scientists from the national laboratories tried to drain him of everything he knew about the status of Russia's nuclear weapons program. Like many other Russian defectors before him, his tiresome complaints about money and status had gained him a reputation within the CIA of being difficult to manage. But he was too valuable for the CIA to toss away...
So despite their disputes, the CIA had arranged for the Russian to become an American citizen and had kept him on the payroll, to the tune of $5,000 (U.S.) a month. It really did seem like easy money, with few strings attached. Life was good. He was happy to be on the CIA gravy train.
Until now. The CIA was placing him on the front lines of a plan that seemed to be completely at odds with the interests of the United States, and it had taken a lot of persuading by his CIA case officer to convince him to go through with what appeared to be a rogue operation.
The code name for this operation was MERLIN...
The Russian's assignment from the CIA was to pose as an unemployed and greedy scientist who was willing to sell his soul Â- and the secrets of the atomic bomb Â- to the highest bidder. By hook or by crook, the CIA told him, he was to get the nuclear blueprints to the Iranians. They would quickly recognize their value and rush them back to their superiors in Tehran.
The plan had been laid out for the defector during a CIA-financed trip to San Francisco, where he had meetings with CIA officers and nuclear experts mixed in with leisurely wine-tasting trips to Sonoma County. In a luxurious San Francisco hotel room, a senior CIA official involved in the operation walked the Russian through the details of the plan. He brought in experts from one of the national laboratories to go over the blueprints that he was supposed to give the Iranians.
The senior CIA officer could see that the Russian was nervous, and so he tried to downplay the significance of what they were asking him to do. He told the Russian that the CIA was mounting the operation simply to find out where the Iranians are with their nuclear program. This was just an intelligence-gathering effort, the CIA officer said, not an illegal attempt to give Iran the bomb.
At the case officer's urging, the Russian started sending messages to Iranian scientists, scholars, and even Iranian diplomats stationed at the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) in Vienna.
As he mingled with scientists and other academics, the Russian picked up business cards and email addresses. The Russian began to email his new contacts, sending intriguing messages explaining that he wanted to talk with them about his ability to provide materials of interest to Iran. Finally, at one conference, he hit pay dirt when he met a physics professor visiting from Tehran.
The Russian followed up his chance encounter with emails to the scientist back at his university in Iran. The Russian explained that he had information that was extremely important, and he wanted to make an offer. After some delays, the Iranian finally responded, with a wary message, asking what he had in mind. That was enough for the CIA. Now the Russian could tell Iranian officials in Vienna that he had been in touch with a respected scientist in Tehran before he showed up on their doorstep. The CIA had discovered that a high-ranking Iranian official would be travelling to Vienna and visiting the Iranian mission to the IAEA, and so the agency decided to take the next step and send the Russian to Vienna at the same time. It was hoped that he could make contact with either the Iranian ambassador to the IAEA or the visitor from Tehran.
The CIA sent him to Vienna without any backup...
Only a handful of CIA officers knew of the existence of MERLIN.
Better to let the Russian get lost and fumble his way around town than tell more officers about the operation.
He could not stop thinking about his trip to San Francisco, when he had studied the blueprints the CIA had given him. Within minutes of being handed the designs, he had identified a flaw. "This isn't right," he told the CIA officers gathered around the hotel room.
"There is something wrong." His comments prompted stony looks, but no straight answers from the CIA men in the room... After their trip to San Francisco, the case officer handed the Russian a sealed envelope with the nuclear blueprints inside. The Russian was told not to open the envelope under any circumstances. He was to follow the CIA's instructions to find the Iranians and give them the envelope with the documents inside. Keep it simple, and get out of Vienna safe and alive, the Russian was told. But the defector was more worried than ever about what kind of game the CIA was getting him into. And he had his own ideas about how he might play that game.
In Vienna, the Russian went over his options one more time and made a decision. He unsealed the envelope with the nuclear blueprints and included a personal letter of his own to the Iranians. No matter what the CIA told him, he was going to hedge his bets. There was obviously something wrong with these blueprints Â- so he decided to mention that fact to the Iranians in a letter. They would certainly find flaws for themselves, and if he didn't tell them first, they would never want to deal with him again...
The Russian slid his letter in with the blueprints and resealed the envelope.
After his day of floundering around Vienna, the Russian returned to his hotel, near the city's large Stadtpark. He did a computer search and found the right street address for the Iranian mission. His courage bolstered, he decided he would go back and finish the job in the morning.
He found 19 Heinstrasse...
The only proof that this was the right place was a mail directory, with three rows of tenants' names on the wall beside the building's front door. Amid the list of Austrian tenants, there was one simple line: PM/Iran." The Iranians clearly didn't want publicity.
The Russian slipped through the front door, and hurriedly shoved his envelope through the inner door slot at the Iranian office. The Russian fled the mission without being seen. He was deeply relieved that he had finally made the handoff without ever having to come face to face with a real live Iranian. He flew back to the U.S. without being detected by either Austrian security or, more important, by Iranian intelligence...
Just days after the Russian dropped off his package at the Iranian mission, the NSA (National Security Agency) reported that an Iranian official in Vienna abruptly changed his schedule and suddenly made airline reservations and flew home to Iran. The odds were that the nuclear blueprints were now in Tehran.
From STATE OF WAR by James Risen. Copyright Â© 2006 by James Risen. Reprinted by permission of Free Press, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., NY. - the star.com

US warns Iran of consequences of nuclear ambitions
By Carol Giacomo, Diplomatic Correspondent Sun Mar 5, WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday warned that Iran faced "painful consequences" if it continued sensitive nuclear activities and said the problem would become increasingly difficult to resolve if the international community did not confront it.
Ahead of what could be a crucial international meeting on Iran on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton reaffirmed that the United States will use "all tools at our disposal" to thwart Iran's nuclear program and is already "beefing up defensive measures" to do so.
"The Iran regime must be made aware that if it continues down the path of international isolation, there will be tangible and painful consequences," he told 4,500 delegates to the annual convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the leading pro-Israel U.S. lobbying group.
Monday's meeting of the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency governing board is expected to take stock of Iran's continued defiance of U.S. and European demands to end sensitive weapons-related uranium enrichment activity and then hand the case over to the UN Security Council.
The United States is discussing a 30- to 60-day deadline for Tehran to halt its nuclear program and cooperate with international inspectors or face intensified pressure in the security council, a U.S. official told Reuters.
Iran on Sunday again threatened to begin large-scale nuclear enrichment if the case is taken up by the security council.
Bolton said Iran poses a "comprehensive threat" as a state-sponsor of terrorism and a nuclear aspirant, and so "we must be prepared to ... use all the tools at our disposal to stop the threat."
'LONGER WE WAIT ... HARDER IT WILL BECOME TO SOLVE'
"The longer we wait to confront the threat Iran poses, the harder and more intractable it will become to solve," he warned.
Bolton reaffirmed that Washington does not see the security council moving quickly to impose sanctions on Iran. Veto-wielding members Russia and China have made clear their reluctance. But he said many other governments have begun to speak publicly of sanctions, implying they may take action outside the security council. The United States has had sweeping sanctions on Iran since after the 1979 Iranian revolution, but it is looking at ways to further use its Proliferation Security Initiative to deny Iran materials it needs for its nuclear program, Bolton said.
The United States and key allies, led by the European Union trio of Britain, France and Germany, are convinced Iran is trying to produce a nuclear weapon, but Tehran insists it is only interested in civilian nuclear energy.
Former chief UN weapons inspector David Kay, who also spoke at the AIPAC conference, discussed the limits of weapons inspections and said a conclusive judgment about Iran's program may only come too late, after it conducts a weapons test. The IAEA is expected to weigh a report on Monday by the IAEA chief saying Iran has ignored a February 4 resolution urging it to shelve uranium-enrichment work to ease the crisis.
Instead, Iran is vacuum-testing 20 centrifuges, which convert uranium into fuel for power plants or, if highly purified, bombs, the report said. Iran also plans to install 3,000 centrifuges later this year in a push to "industrial scale" enrichment, according to the IAEA report.
The IAEA board voted on February 4 to report Iran to the security council, but on the condition the world body would not flex its muscle at least until after Monday's session. If the security council did not act in a timely manner, Bolton said, the council's credibility would be damaged. - Yahoo News

US envoy hints at strike to stop Iran
· Bolton says nuclear plant can be 'taken out' · UN agency meets to send report to security council
Julian Borger Washington Monday March 6, 2006 The Guardian
The US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, has told British MPs that military action could bring Iran's nuclear programme to a halt if all diplomatic efforts fail. The warning came ahead of a meeting today of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which will forward a report on Iran's nuclear activities to the UN security council.
The council will have to decide whether to impose sanctions, an issue that could split the international community as policy towards Iraq did before the invasion.
Yesterday the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said: "Nobody has said that we have to rush immediately to sanctions of some kind."
However the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, visiting Washington last week, encountered sharply different views within the Bush administration. The most hawkish came from Mr Bolton. According to Eric Illsley, a Labour committee member, the envoy told the MPs: "They must know everything is on the table and they must understand what that means. We can hit different points along the line. You only have to take out one part of their nuclear operation to take the whole thing down."
It is unusual for an administration official to go into detail about possible military action against Iran. To produce significant amounts of enriched uranium, Iran would have to set up a self-sustaining cycle of processes. Mr Bolton appeared to be suggesting that cycle could be hit at its most vulnerable point.
The CIA appears to be the most sceptical about a military solution and shares the state department's position, say British MPs, in suggesting gradually stepping up pressure on the Iranians.
The Pentagon position was described, by the committee chairman, Mike Gapes, as throwing a demand for a militarily enforced embargo into the security council "like a hand grenade - and see what happens".
Yesterday Mr Bolton reiterated his hardline stance. In a speech to the annual convention of the American-Israel public affairs committee, the leading pro-Israel US lobbyists, he said: "The longer we wait to confront the threat Iran poses, the harder and more intractable it will become to solve ... we must be prepared to rely on comprehensive solutions and use all the tools at our disposal to stop the threat that the Iranian regime poses."
The IAEA referred Iran to the security council on February 4, but a month's grace was left for diplomatic initiatives. By yesterday, those appeared exhausted. A meeting of European and Iranian negotiators broke down on Friday over Tehran's insistence that even if Russia was allowed to enrich Iran's uranium, Iran would enrich small amounts for research. Iran says that it needs enrichment for electricity.
According to Time magazine, the US plans to present the security council with evidence that Iran is designing a crude nuclear bomb, like the one dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. The evidence will be in the form of blueprints that the US said were found on a laptop belonging to an Iranian nuclear engineer, and obtained by the CIA in 2004. However, any such presentation will bring back memories of a similar briefing in February 2003 in which Colin Powell, then US secretary of state, laid out evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which proved not to exist.
While the US and Britain keep a united front over Iraq in the UN security council, there are clear differences over Iran. Britain has ruled out a military option if diplomatic pressure fails. The US has not. There is no serious consideration of large-scale use of ground forces, but there are disagreements in the administration over whether air strikes and small-scale special forces operations could be effective in halting or slowing down Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme.
Some believe Iran has secret facilities that are buried so deep underground as to be impenetrable. They argue that the US could never be certain whether or not it had destroyed Iran's "capability". - guardian

NATO spy planes fly in Israel
NATO spy planes conducted an exercise in Israel, apparently as a signal to Iran.
"We've had NATO AWACS deployed to do some demonstrations in Israel, and we do have an active dialogue with the Israeli defense force in terms of interoperability, and particularly as it regards the security of the Mediterranean basin at sea," Gen. James Jones, the U.S. general who is the supreme allied commander in Europe, said Tuesday in Senate testimony.
Jones was answering a question from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) about what NATO was doing regarding a potential Iranian nuclear threat to Israel. - jta.org

China calls for talks to resolve Iran nuclear crisis
BEIJING (Reuters) - China called on Thursday for negotiation to defuse a standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions, saying there was still room for cooperation.
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, speaking on the sidelines of the annual full session of parliament, said China supported European Union and Russian engagement to resolve the nuclear crisis.
"On the Iran nuclear issue, yesterday (IAEA director Mohamed) ElBaradei said the problem should be solved through peaceful negotiations," Li told reporters. "That makes sense. There is still room for cooperation... We support EU and Russian engagement with Iran." - reuters

Iran faces consequences in nuclear dispute: Cheney
Tue Mar 7, 2006pm ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons and faces "meaningful consequences" if it persists in defying the international community, Vice President Dick Cheney said on Tuesday.
Cheney, speaking to the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, also reaffirmed that the United States was keeping all options on the table -- including military force -- in its determination to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms.
"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences," Cheney said.
Cheney spoke as the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency governing board was meeting in Vienna to decide its next steps on Iran.
"For our part, the United States is keeping all options on the table. ... We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," Cheney said.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said late on Monday that Washington would seek to have European allies and others, possibly including Russia and China, join it in imposing travel and financial sanctions on Iran if it refused to halt nuclear uranium enrichment.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had dinner on Monday night with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and was to hold further meetings on Tuesday. - reuters.com

Rumsfeld says Iran stirring up trouble in Iraq
Big News Network.com Wednesday 8th March, 2006
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has accused Iran of sending members of an elite military force into Iraq to stir up trouble.
U.S. officials have long accused Iran of allowing insurgents and their supporters to cross its border with Iraq. Some media reports have indicated that Iran is sending in specially trained soldiers. But this is the first time Secretary Rumsfeld has made such an accusation.
"They are currently putting people into Iraq to do things that are harmful to the future of Iraq," said Donald Rumsfeld. "And we know it. And it is something that they, I think, will look back on as having been an error in judgment."
Secretary Rumsfeld said the people being sent are part of what is called the "Quds" Force, an elite unit of Iran's Republican Guards.
"They're putting Iranian 'Quds' Force type people into the country," he said. "I don't think we could consider them religious pilgrims."
Secretary Rumsfeld and the top U.S. military officer, General Peter Pace, indicated that some of the Iranian soldiers have been intercepted recently. But they could not say how long such forces have been operating in Iraq. General Pace said he has an idea how many are there, but he would not share that information. He noted that in the past, the U.S. military has found weapons and bombs in Iraq that it believes had come from Iran. But he said the latest reports refer to what he called "individuals crossing the border."
Secretary Rumsfeld said he does not have specific evidence that the Iranian government is behind the deployment of the "Quds" operatives, but he indicated he believes it is a reasonable assumption.
"Of course, 'Quds' Force, the Revolutionary Guard, doesn't go milling around willy nilly, one would think," stated Donald Rumsfeld.
Secretary Rumsfeld called the development a threat to Iraqi security, which could result in the deaths of more Iraqis. And he said the alleged Iranian operation stems from concerns about the effort to establish democracy in Iraq.
"It's certainly not to be in support of placing on their border a country that's democratic and notably unlike the regime in Iran," said U.S. defense secretary.
The allegation that Iran is sending the specially trained forces into Iraq comes as Iraqi leaders are trying to maintain order in spite of anger generated by the bombing of an important Shiite mosque two weeks ago. Secretary Rumsfeld said the attack and its aftermath have delayed the formation of a new Iraqi government. But he praised the Iraqi security forces, officials and political party leaders for preventing the outbreak of a civil war. And he accused the media of exaggerating the violence that followed the mosque bombing. - bignewsnetwork

Iran Threatens U.S. Over Nuclear Program
By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press Writer VIENNA, Austria (AP) - 8th March 2006 -
Iran threatened the United States with "harm and pain" Wednesday if the U.S. tries to use the U.N. Security Council - which has the power to impose sanctions - as a lever to punish Tehran for its suspect nuclear program. Washington warned that Tehran has enough nuclear material for up to 10 atomic bombs.
Hours after the Iranian and U.S. exchange, the some members of the Security Council took up the issue for the first time, with the five permanent nations holding consultations in New York.
The rhetoric reflected the intensity of the debate at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy's 35-nation board in Vienna over a critical report on Iran's nuclear program. The meeting ended late Wednesday, formally opening the path to Security Council action that could range from a mild statement urging compliance to sanctions or even military measures.
The meeting also set the stage for a potential struggle between Washington, which seeks harsh measures against Tehran, and Moscow, which advocates a softer line. But the head of the IAEA - the U.N. nuclear watchdog - cast Security Council involvement as a continuation of diplomacy with Iran. Mohamed ElBaradei also suggested that Washington might need to talk to Tehran directly if negotiations reach the stage of focusing on security guarantees to Tehran in exchange for concessions on its nuclear program.
"Once we start to discuss security issues my personal view (is) that at one point the U.S. should also be engaged into a dialogue," ElBaradei told reporters.
The IAEA put the Security Council on alert over the issue last month but delayed any action to give more time for diplomacy under an agreement by the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain - the five permanent Security Council members that wield veto power.
Meanwhile, the five permanent members of the council met to discuss a first response to the Iran nuclear crisis. One council diplomat said after the quick meeting that Britain had proposed that ElBaradei report back in two weeks about Iran's progress toward compliance with IAEA resolutions. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because consultations were private.
Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful and only aimed at generating electricity, but an increasing number of countries have come to share the U.S. view that Tehran is seeking to develop atomic weapons. Iran has been under growing international pressure over the past three years as the IAEA compiled worrying details about its nuclear activities. But formal Security Council involvement opens a new dimension because the U.N. body could impose economic and political sanctions against Iran. Such action is unlikely because of opposition from Russia and China, which have strategic and commercial ties with Tehran.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Wednesday that Moscow would not support sanctions and he ruled out military action. "I don't think sanctions as a means to solve a crisis have ever achieved a goal in the recent history," Lavrov said after meeting Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the United Nations. He added that Russia was "convinced that there is no military solution to this crisis" - an apparent rebuttal to Vice President Dick Cheney's warning this week that Iran would face "meaningful consequences" if it does not back away from an international confrontation over its nuclear program. Cheney did not specify what the U.S. would do, but said it "is keeping all options on the table."
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns suggested America would push for sanctions if appeals and demands failed. "We believe that next Monday or Tuesday the United Nations Security Council will begin a very active debate about Iran's nuclear ambitions," Burns said Wednesday. "That debate will be designed to shine a very large, intensive spotlight on what we believe to be a clear Iranian (weapons) program."
Burns told the House International Relations Committee that U.S. officials expect the Security Council to consider a statement of condemnation against Iran. He said, however, that the Bush administration would like to go "beyond that to entertain the possibility of a resolution to isolate and hopefully influence (Iran's) behavior." If Iran does not respond to words and resolutions, "then we believe that the world community should entertain the possibility of sanctions against Iran," Burns said.
ElBaradei's report accused Iran of withholding information, possessing plans linked to nuclear weapons and refusing to freeze uranium enrichment - a possible pathway to nuclear arms.
In comments to the IAEA board meeting, Gregory Schulte, the U.S. delegate to the agency, said the 85 tons of feedstock uranium gas already produced by Iran "if enriched, could produce enough material for about 10 nuclear weapons."
Separately, France, Germany and Britain warned that what is known about Iran's enrichment program could represent "the tip of the iceberg."
Iran reacted angrily to Washington's role in the standoff over its nuclear ambitions. "The United States has the power to cause harm and pain," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian delegate to the IAEA, said, reading from a statement. "But the United States is also susceptible to harm and pain. So if that is the path that the U.S. wishes to choose, let the ball roll."
He did not elaborate, but diplomats said the comment as possibly a veiled threat to use oil as a weapon. Iran is the second-largest producer within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and has leverage with extremist groups in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East that could harm U.S. interests.
Iran's minister of petroleum, Sayed Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh, however, sought to ease concerns about Iran's oil plans, telling reporters at an OPEC meeting in Vienna: "Iran has no intention whatsoever of reducing its oil exports."
The White House dismissed Iran's threats. "I think that provocative statements and actions only further isolate Iran from the rest of the world," White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters traveling with President Bush.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said the comments reflected the menace posed by Iran. "Their threats show why leaving a country like that with a nuclear weapon is so dangerous," John Bolton told The Associated Press by phone from Washington. - associated press

Iran 'grave concern', says Bush
President George W Bush says the stand-off with Iran presents a "grave national security concern" for the US. Mr Bush based this on the Iranian leader's threat to destroy Israel and Washington's belief that Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
It is essential to resolve these issues diplomatically and "to deal with these threats today", Mr Bush said.
The five permanent UN Security Council members are meeting on Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. Ambassadors from US, UK, France, Russia and China are to work in private on a statement to put before the full council next week.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said that the war of words between Iran and US is "not in line with normal diplomacy". Mr Solana lamented the escalation, including an Iranian threat to cause "harm and pain". "These kind of remarks... are always very inflammatory. They are not in line with normal diplomacy. My concern is not such comments, but what reactions they could produce," he said. Mr Solana also said he did not rule out the possibility of sanctions against Iran. But he added that there was still time for diplomacy and said Europe didn't want to target the Iranian people.
Damning report
On Wednesday, the United Nations nuclear watchdog the IAEA decided to report Iran to the Security Council. Iran has vowed to resist international pressure, insisting it has the right to civilian nuclear technology. It denies US and EU accusations that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. The IAEA report, which was widely leaked to the media last week, said that the Iranians had begun feeding uranium gas into centrifuges, a first step in a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors or bomb material.
America's UN ambassador, John Bolton, told the BBC the issue would strongly test the council. He said he could not predict whether there would be any consensus at the Security Council which faced, he said, a test as to its ability to deal with the threat of nuclear proliferation.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said his country will "stand like steel" against any pressure. BBC

I smell an Iranian terror back story...Heads up

Dispatch of Iranian Intelligence agent to France
Saturday, 11 March 2006
NCRI - An agent of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), identified as Mohsen Abbaslou, has been dispatched to France to pose as a former member of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). MOIS has purported that this agent has recently escaped from Camp Ashraf (main base of PMOI forces in Iraq), in a bid to make use of him in espionage and terrorist activities. News of the arrival of the MOIS agent in France comes as the clerical regime has come under extensive international condemnation for the brutal execution of Mojahedin member Hojjat Zamani and its intensified pressure on other political prisoners. The move is seen as retaliation for revelations of the mullahs' ominous nuclear ambitions by the Iranian Resistance and the referral of its file to the UN Security Council.
Abbaslou was sent to Iraq in 2003 in a bid to infiltrate into PMOI ranks. Many of his family members and relatives are members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and the paramilitary Basij force. Abbaslou was identified as an MOIS agent after five months in the PMOI's entry facility and was subsequently expelled from the PMOI and transferred to the exit facility under control of US forces stationed at Camp Ashraf. A short while later, he escaped from the facility with the help of MOIS agents and went to Iran. Abbaslou was briefed in Iran by the head of MOIS, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, who gave him orders for his terrorist and espionage mission before sending him to Europe.
Abbaslou had written that his orders from the MOIS included, "Surveillance of the PMOI leadership's residence, identifying PMOI cadres, gaining intelligence on the venue and time of PMOI gatherings, strength of PMOI forces, types of equipment, and communications systems with forces inside of Iran, methods of recruitment from Iran and transfer of forces to Iraq, etc."
Abbaslou has never been a PMOI member or even a candidate for membership. He appeared in a ridiculous repeat performance with other known MOIS agents, Karim Haghi, Massoud Khodabandeh, Javad Firouzmand, and Behzad Alishahi. The show was boycotted by the press and there were no attendants other than the MOIS agents. Entrance to the show was limited by invitation, which was issued to those trusted by the MOIS, due to fear of protests by Iranians opposed to the clerical regime and its agents.
The Iranian Resistance draws the attention of European governments, and in particular France, to the plots of MOIS agents and the Iranian regime's espionage and terrorist networks against Iranian refugees and members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance. These agents provide political cover for the regime's terrorist activities by engaging in a disinformation campaign to demonize the Iranian Resistance. They also gather intelligence against Iranian refugees and dissidents and act as terrorist links with the Iranian regime. The Iranian Resistance, therefore, calls on European countries to identify, prosecute, and expel these agents from their soil. Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran