IRAN: Iran to hold large-scale military parade

Iran's Armed Forces are set to test the country's state-of-the-art weapons systems in a large-scale naval-ground military parade. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC) and the Army will take part in the large-scale military parade on Sunday, Fars News Agency reported. Iran's Shahab, Zalzal and Naze'at ballistic missiles, and Kowsar and Noor anti-ship missiles along with the country's electro-optical surveillance systems, tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and smart bombs are expected to be put on display in Sunday's joint military march. The naval division of the parade will also put a new generation of domestically-built submarines and torpedoes on display...(Press TV).

Full Article: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=70055&sectionid=351020101

IRAN NEWS ROUND UP: Former IRGC Chief comments on the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz

Commenting the United Arab Emirates' decision to construct a pipeline reducing the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, former  chief of the Revolutionary Guards (and current secretary of the Expediency Council) Mohsen Rezai says that Iran's threats of closing the Strait does create regional insecurity:

• "Our defense in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf stabilizes the security of the Persian Gulf. If we are attacked and we don't respond this will not produce security in the region. It is our defending the Strait which creates security and stability. Therefore, if we move in a defensive direction with regard to the Strait of Hormuz and the broader security and stability of the region it would not be a threat towards anyone. Our discourse is the discourse of stability.
• We will counter anyone who wants to disrupt the security of the region... It is possible that disruption [of the flow of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz] will bother us [in Iran], but the global implications of it would harm those who started the crisis even more...
• It is enough to give the wrong signal to Mr. Bush and he thinks that in case he enters this fight, it would be as swift as Afghanistan and Iraq. Such flawed information must not reach Mr. Bush. It has to be explained to him that Iran possesses deterrent capabilities. In such a way, both parties reduce the threat of misreading.
• In case Iran truly is capable of closing the Strait, it is better that the U.S. or [any other] counter part not to be surprised, and this must be explained to them [the U.S.]. When this capability is explained to the U.S. or any other party, the counterpart will make better calculations in its game theory and will end up making he right decision.
• But it is important for us to think about how we communicate this message. Our rhetoric is not offensive nor adventurous, and I favor not alarmism or offensive rhetoric, but calm rhetoric...
• During the past two years, Mr. Bush decided to attack Iran or devise harsher sanctions, but Iran's correct moves foiled those attempts...If the wrong information reached Mr. Bush [about Iran's capabilities] grand events would have evolved in the region. On the other hand, Iran used a stratagem based on preserving calm and stability of the region which was very effective...
• Our disputes with the United States are not about developing a nuclear capability at all, and the Americans are well aware of this. The discussions they start mostly serve the purpose of making an atmosphere in which they can squeeze us more.
• Another matter is cheap oil, which is important for the Americans, and I think we should pursue rational reasoning [in this case.] High oil prices, or very cheap oil does not serve our interests...(Iran News Round Up).

Full Article: http://www.mideastmonitoring.com/2008/09/iran-news-round-up-sep-20-friendship.html

Iran News Round Up (Sep. 20): Friendship with Israeli people is wrong; Quakers to fete Ahmadinejad; Ahmadinejad wants to debate McCain/Obama; Wahabi-Shi'a cyberwar; Iranians arrested in Kuwaiti waters; closing Strait of Hormuz

From the Office of Michael Rubin at AEI

[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signifies English link]

Diplomacy

• (E) Russia opposes new sanctions.
• Ahmadinejad declares his readiness to participate in a debate with U.S. presidential candidates.
  • (E) In English.
• (E) UNICEF nominates Iranian state broadcaster's children's program for award.
• Speaking on the Meshayee affair, Ahmadinejad says:
  • "Our position with regard to the Zionist regime is crystal clear. We have never recognized this regime. This regime is the root of corruption in the region and was created as a threat to the nations of the region, and the nations of the region do not recognize this regime...
  • The Zionists are in positions of power internationally, have monopolized the international media and propaganda machinery, and portray an image of being in a majority in this world. Their being Jewish is a big lie, since they are a bunch of irreligious liars of this world...Not only is the idea of 'Greater Israel' dead, the 'small Israel' is also dead, and more fundamentally, the very idea of Israel is completely dead…
  • I advise you [the Israelis] to stop from doing injustice and abandon the land of Palestine and pursue you own life. You have done criminal deeds for sixty years. Repent and allow the Palestinian nation to decide its destiny with its own hands...This is the right of the Palestinian nation to defend itself and counter the occupiers, but the words of Mr. Mashayee are the words of the cabinet.
  • Our nation and nations [in general] have no problem with people. We do not know any state belonging to the Zionist regime. We do not recognize a state called the Israeli state. But we do distinguish between the people who have been brought there with lies [to function as] protective shields, and the network of the Zionist regime...We are compassionate people. We are even compassionate when it comes to Bush.
  • If we say something, it is out of compassion, not motivated by vengeance, because we are against injustice...
  • Our attempts in the Holocaust issue serve the purpose of showing the true Holocaust [in Palestine]...
  • I do appreciate the sensitivities of the parliament with regard to the Mashayee affair, but I must say that Mr. Mashayee is innocent. He has never said the Israeli nation. Mashayee has been [active] in the revolutionary scene since he was eighteen years old and his position is the position of the cabinet.
• Khamenei at the Friday prayers : "The informed and awakened Iranian nation will come to the streets this year at the Qods Day to defend the rights of the wronged innocent people of Palestine along with other freedom seeking Muslim nations...The Hamas government in Gaza is a legal and popular government which has taken office through the ballot, but those claiming to represent civilization and democracy, ignoring this fact, support the crimes and tough actions of the Zionists...The Iranian nation has no problem with the Jews, Christians and followers of other religions, but statements that we are friends with the people of Israel like all other peoples of the world is wrong, since they confiscate land and belongings of the Palestinian nation are partners in crime of Zionist authorities and confiscators of Palestine. This strong position is the official position of the [Islamic Republic] regime...Such statements are now history..."
  • (E) More, in English.
  • Vice President Mashayee writes an open letter to Supreme Leader Khamenei immediately after the Supreme Leader's Friday prayer sermon in Tehran: "...I am convinced about the annihilation of world Zionism and find it within our reach."
• The Islamic Republic Broadcasting to show a documentary about Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University.
• Iranian-American academic Houshang Amirahmadi urges Ahmadinejad to make a deal with the United States if he wants to be reelected as president of the Islamic Republic.
• The Non-Aligned Movement expresses support for the Islamic Republic in the nuclear issue.
• (E) Quaker organization, American Friends Service Committee, to fete Ahmadinejad.
  • (E) [Previous Rubin/Gershowitz op-ed on AFSC]

Politics

• According to Al Hayat, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will win the 2009 presidential elections.
• In the internal bulletin of the Moshrekat reformist party, a certain Azar Mansouri says Ahmadinejad came to power with the help of the "garrison party," failed to deliver on economic promises and will probably also tell the voters that he wanted to distribute cash among the citizens, but was hampered in the effort by "others."
• Agah-Sazi pulishes Seyyed Morteza Mobbalegh's recommendations to the reformist camp ahead of the presidential elections.
• Office of Former President Khatami refutes rumors that Khatami is not running for the 2009 presidential elections.
• Presidential candidate Hassan Rowhani ridicules the Ahmadinejad government's "claims of having contacts with the Imam of the Era."
• Ahmadinejad calls the Iranian parliament's attempt to separate the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization headed by Vice President Meshayee from the presidency "contrary to the constitution of the Islamic Republic."
• Semnan general-governor Ali Abdollahi details his implementation plans development in Semnan.
• According to Baztab Online political deputy at Ministry of Interior, former Revolutionary Guard commander Ali-Reza Afshar will soon resign from his post and current governor general of Tehran Kamran Daneshjoo will take his place. Former East Azerbaijan general governor Me'marzadeh rumored to be slated to take over as governor general of Tehran.
  • Deputy Interior Minister Afshar says he has not resigned from his post.

Trade

• Sistan va Balouchestan governor Ali Mohmmad-Azad discusses exports from his province.

Economy

• Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi urges Iranians to pray to God to do away with inflation and rising prices and warns the Islamic Republic authorities that dissatisfaction with rising prices could evolve into political dissatisfaction.

Religion, Culture, and Society

• Shahab News publishes a "shocking report" on activities of "50 Satanist sects in Iran."
  • Isfahan Law Enforcement Forces report increased "Satanist activities" in the central Iranian city.
• Former president Mohammad Khatami condemns the "anti-Quranic positions" of Iranian religious innovator Abdol-Karim Soroush.
• Mashhad Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda warns against "soft threats" and "cultural NATO."
  • Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda urges the public to "rebel against deficiently dressed women."
• The donkey Chak-Chak jockeyed by Mr. Kashefi, and the donkey Ra'd va Bargh respectively win first and second prize at the donkey races in Hassan Abad village of Meybod in Yazd province. The donkeys Chamoush and Zel-Zeleh came in third.
• Lake Gav-Khouni dries out.
• Hackers attack more Shi'a religious web sites.
  • In a reaction to hacker attack against Shi'a sites, Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi says that the "Wahabis don't want the voice of the Shi'as to reach the world." More here.
  • Shi'a News warns of the outbreak of "cyber warfare of the Wahabis against Shi'as and Shi'ism."
  • (E) Several hundred websites attacked.
• Sistan va Balouchestan governor praises the role of the tribes during the Iran-Iraq war.
• Hollywood produces a movie about Princess Ashraf, twin sister of the late Shah of Iran.
• Shi'a News slams Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi's statements about Shi'ism being an "innovative sect."

Military and Security

• Commenting the United Arab Emirates' decision to construct a pipeline reducing the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, former  chief of the Revolutionary Guards (and current secretary of the Expediency Council) Mohsen Rezai says that Iran's threats of closing the Strait does create regional insecurity:
  • "Our defense in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf stabilizes the security of the Persian Gulf. If we are attacked and we don't respond this will not produce security in the region. It is our defending the Strait which creates security and stability. Therefore, if we move in a defensive direction with regard to the Strait of Hormuz and the broader security and stability of the region it would not be a threat towards anyone. Our discourse is the discourse of stability.
  • We will counter anyone who wants to disrupt the security of the region... It is possible that disruption [of the flow of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz] will bother us [in Iran], but the global implications of it would harm those who started the crisis even more...
  • It is enough to give the wrong signal to Mr. Bush and he thinks that in case he enters this fight, it would be as swift as Afghanistan and Iraq. Such flawed information must not reach Mr. Bush. It has to be explained to him that Iran possesses deterrent capabilities. In such a way, both parties reduce the threat of misreading.
  • In case Iran truly is capable of closing the Strait, it is better that the U.S. or [any other] counter part not to be surprised, and this must be explained to them [the U.S.]. When this capability is explained to the U.S. or any other party, the counterpart will make better calculations in its game theory and will end up making he right decision.
  • But it is important for us to think about how we communicate this message. Our rhetoric is not offensive nor adventurous, and I favor not alarmism or offensive rhetoric, but calm rhetoric...
  • During the past two years, Mr. Bush decided to attack Iran or devise harsher sanctions, but Iran's correct moves foiled those attempts...If the wrong information reached Mr. Bush [about Iran's capabilities] grand events would have evolved in the region. On the other hand, Iran used a stratagem based on preserving calm and stability of the region which was very effective...
  • Our disputes with the United States are not about developing a nuclear capability at all, and the Americans are well aware of this. The discussions they start mostly serve the purpose of making an atmosphere in which they can squeeze us more.
  • Another matter is cheap oil, which is important for the Americans, and I think we should pursue rational reasoning [in this case.] High oil prices, or very cheap oil does not serve our interests.
• Law Enforcement Forces kill an unknown number of "armed villains" in Sistan va Baluchistan province.
• Tehran public prosecutor Morazavi says a more intensive phase of the "societal security scheme" will start after the end of Ramadan and will target hooliganism.
• Former defense minister Shamkhani says "some people who did not even participate in the war have become the experts of the Iran/Iraq war...One must protect the culture of the holy defense against corruption."
• Basirat News publishes a report by Radio France (Persian service) on the Revolutionary Guard's Navy.
• Kuwaiti coast guard arrests six Iranian citizens in a boat in Kuwait territorial waters.

Human Rights and Labor

• At Friday prayers across Iran, worshippers sign petitions to fight against the Bahai religion.
• (E) Tehran bus driver union board member released from prison.

Photo of the Day

• Khamenei leads Friday Prayers.

RUSSIA/SYRIA/LEBANON: Russia Relays Intelligence on Israel to Syria-Hizbullah

ALERT

The Israeli Army's Information Security Chief on Friday accused Russia of relaying intelligence information on the Jewish state to Syria and Hizbullah. Col. Ram Dor made the charge in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, Hebrew for Latest News.

Dor said Russian Navy spy ships and Russian personnel serving at monitoring stations on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights carry out the alleged mission of monitoring the Jewish state and relaying the information to Syria and Hizbullah.

"My evaluation is that" such facilities "can cover most of Israel's territory."
Dor said the Syrians and Hizbullah "exchange intelligence" they gather on Israel...(Naharnet).

Full Article: http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Newsdesk.nsf/0/6CDF36C3F3F51AF7C22574C900644EAB?OpenDocument

DEBKAfile REPORTS: Ten Russian warships have docked at Syrian port

ALERT

Israeli military and naval commanders were taken by surprise by Rear Adm. Andrei Baranov's disclosure that 10 Russian warships are already anchored at the Syrian port of Tartus, DEBKAfile’s military sources report...What most worries Israeli military leaders is an earlier announcement by Adm. Wysotsky that Russia’s Mediterranean assets would subjected to its Black Sea fleet command, thereby placing Russia’s warships near Israel’s shores at the service of Moscow’s contest against the US and NATO in the Caucasian. It is feared that Israel will be dragged into another cold war.

Rear Adm. Baranov disclosed that the warships in Tartus had brought engineering crews to widen and dredge the harbor to accommodate additional, fleet vessels. The crews were also working on expanding Latakia, another Syrian port, possibly for aircraft carriers or guided missile cruisers.

The Russians are making no secret of their intention of using their naval presence in Syrian ports as a deterrent to a possible Israeli air strike against Syria...(DEBKAfile).

Full Article: http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5591

U.S.: CIA Chief Explains NK-Syria Nuclear Collaboration

CIA Director General Michael Hayden has explained how his agency tracked down and shed light on North Korea’s suspected nuclear collaboration with Syria. During his remarks to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on Thursday, Hayden said North Korea and Syria have been in nuclear collaboration since the end of the 1990s. However, he said the extent of such cooperation wasn't unveiled until the spring of last year. Hayden said that Syria was getting close to operating a nuclear reactor it is believed to have built with the North’s help, and that before it became operational, the reactor at the desert outpost of Al-Kibar was flattened in an air strike on September sixth of last year.

The CIA chief also said the North conducted a nuclear test two years ago, and intelligence officials believe Pyongyang has produced enough plutonium to make at least a half dozen nuclear weapons...(KBS).

Full Article: http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=1&key=2008091908

AL-ALHRAM WEEKLY ONLINE: Syrian skills

FEATURE ARTICLE

Once again, Syria has moved to the regional centre stage following the recent summit in Damascus that brought the Syrian president together with the emir of Qatar, the Turkish prime minister and the French president. The four-party summit epitomised the current balances of power and intersecting interests in the region. Moreover, it established Damascus as the "counterpoise" on the regional scale and the "pacesetter" of the Levant.

Not only did this summit highlight Syria's geopolitical centrality as key to the equations in the Arab east, it also throws into relief the extraordinary bankruptcy of the "moderate axis" in the region. Moreover, the presence at this summit of Qatar, head of the Gulf Cooperation Council and a Washington ally yet with well-known connections with Iran; of Turkey with its regional weight and US links; and France with its obvious international weight, have made it palpably clear that the international and regional isolation that had been imposed on Damascus since the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri is now definitely a thing of the past.

Syria has been and remains a fundamental part of the ebb and flow of regional tensions due to its capacity as that crucial link in the Iranian-led alliance...Yet, in spite of its alliance with Iran, Damascus has succeeded in juggling regional divides and contradictions to its best advantage. Nothing makes this clearer than its alliances with two major regional powers, Iran and Turkey.

...We could thus say that Syria is effectively the pivot in the balance between all non-Arab forces in the region...As a result, Syria was therefore eventually able to dismantle the regional and international alignment against it, the walls of which tumbled upon the visit by Sarkozy, representing both France and the EU. Clearly, Damascus would not have been able to achieve this breakthrough had it not been a brilliant tactician capable of capitalising on its importance to various regional parties so as to manoeuvre itself into increasingly better negotiating positions...

...After all, to be fair, Syria's consummate adroitness in manipulating regional power balances and manoeuvring between its various polls has enabled it to safeguard its political regime and evade a barrage of international pressures...(Al-Ahram Weekly On-line).

Full Article: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/915/op3.htm

IAEA/IRAN: IAEA has Evidence of Iranian Military Nuclear Activity

According to Western diplomats, the IAEA has captured documents proving that Iran secretly tried to upgrade a warhead by adapting it to carry a nuclear bomb. According to an IAEA source, the documents will be presented to the agency's Governing Council. Iran's representative in the IAEA, Ali Soltanieh, said that the documents were forged and that the IAEA was overstepping its authority by presenting them...(THE MEMRI BLOG).

Full Article: http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/9943.htm

IRAN: Ahmadinejad wants debate with Obama, McCain

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he is ready to debate with the US presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain when in New York. "I am ready to have a televised debate over global issues with US presidential nominees at the United Nations," said the president in a Thursday press conference in Tehran. Ahmadinejad is due to address the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, but there has been news of the US State Department stalling his visa process.

He noted that his reasoning for proposing a debate with senators McCain and Obama is to improve relations between the two countries. "Last year, I said I was ready to meet with (President George W.) Bush. But now he is at the end of his term and (a meeting) will not impact our relations and future," he said...(Press TV).

Full Article: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=69848&sectionid=351020101

Related Articles:

• Arab-American 'backing Obama' [46% Obama, 32% John McCain] (Al-Jazeera)

YNET: Brussels roundtable: Iranian nuclear crisis may be irresolvable [IRGC taking control in Iran, Cheney advisor]

International experts say actions taken so far by international community against Iran's nuclear aspirations have been severely deficient. 'Even the Ayatollahs of Qom seem moderate when compared to the forces now gaining control in Islamic Republic,' former Cheney advisor notes..."Around 10,000 companies in Europe are still collaborating with Iran on the development of its gas and oil industry," said roundtable chairman Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress...David Wurmser, a former senior advisor for Middle East and strategic affairs to US Vice President Dick Cheney told the forum that the internal situation in Iran is deteriorating. "What we are seeing is Iran turning from a theocracy to theocratic fascism controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps," he said...(YNET).

Full Article: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3598573,00.html

IRAN/ISRAEL: Ahmadi-Nejad backs aide over Israel

Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iran’s president, defied politicians and senior clergy on Thursday by backing remarks made by one of his closest aides over friendship with the Israeli people. Although Mr Ahmadi-Nejad is more used to attacking Israel and predicting its demise, he defended Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, the vice-president for tourism, against calls to sack him for saying Iran was “a friend of [the] Israeli people”. The president on Thursday made the first public defence of Mr Mashaei, saying his government was, in any case, acting independently of the Qom-based senior clergy. While reiterating that the Israeli government was “illegitimate”, he said Iran’s policy was friendship with the Israeli people, who had been used as “human shields” for the regime’s “atrocities”...(FT.com).

Full Article: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f2f0ffb2-85b9-11dd-a1ac-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1

IRAN/GEORGIA: Iranian FM Visits Georgia

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki paid a visit to Tbilisi to discuss peace and security in the Caucasus with the Georgian officials. During the visit, Mottaki met with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and his counterpart Ekaterina Tkeshelashvili. Before his visit to Tbilisi, the Iranian foreign minister visited Russia, Azerbaijan and Germany, and yesterday he returned to Tehran to attend a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbyandyan. Mottaki said that his diplomatic efforts over the recent days contributed to peace and stability in the Caucasus region after the war broke out in Georgia...(FAR NEWS AGENCY).

Full Article: http://english.farsnews.net/newstext.php?nn=8706280818

IRAN: Iran will not be attacked [Iran's Navy Commander]

Iran's navy commander has said that the enemy's hue and cry should not be taken seriously because no one will dare to attack Iran. Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that any analysis of the performance of the occupying forces in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that they have not achieved anything. Speaking at the induction ceremony of the new commander of Noshahr Naval University, Sayyari said there will be no attack on Iran. Addressing the students of the university, Sayyari stated that navy officers should be very patient and always pay heed to the ideals of the Islamic Republic...(Press TV).

Full Article: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=69882&sectionid=351020101

U.S./LEBANON: Suleiman expected to meet with Bush next Thursday Sept. 25

Suleiman will travel to USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Italy . His summit with Bush is next Thursday September 25...(YA LIBNAN).

From YA LIBNAN: Friday News Briefs

Full Article: http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/09/friday_news_bri_15.php

LEBANON: Saniora: It is Unacceptable to Live Under the Threat of Arms

Premier Fouad Saniora told guests during an iftar he hosted at the Grand Serail on Thursday that the Lebanese wanted to live in "a capable state" and urged for stronger commitment to reach reconciliation. "The choice of the Lebanese was and will always be a strong and capable state" that maintains security, Saniora said. He called for dialogue to resolve all differences among the Lebanese. "Dialogue requires bigger commitment from our part and a serious effort to reach reconciliation," Saniora said. "It is not acceptable that citizens live under the threat of arms." Dialogue "gives us national immunity against foreign" efforts to "hit internal unity," he said...(Naharnet).

Full Article: http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&4A6BB470F33AC406C22574C9001F46E1

Related Article:

• Security Council Briefed on Situation in Lebanon (Naharnet)
• Threats Forced U.N. Envoy Out of Lebanon! (Naharnet)

LEBANON: Hizbullah: The Ties between Hizbullah and Syria are Strategic

In a speech he gave in Damascus, Hizbullah's leader in South Lebanon, Nabil Qauq, said that Hizbullah's relations with Syria were "strategic", and that they terrified Israel and the U.S. He added that Syria was Hizbullah's chief and most loyal supporter among the Arab countries. Regarding Hizbullah's arms, Qauq said that the developments in Lebanon have finally to rest the idea of disarming Hizbullah, either through political maneuvers or by force...(THE MEMRI BLOG).

Full Article: http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/9936.htm

HEADLINES 09.18.2008

Russia may sell more air defence systems to Iran

U.S. puts more pressure on companies helping Iranian Nuclear Programme 

Missiles Can Reach Ships in the Gulf, Iranian Official

Preparations for Hariri-Nasrallah reconciliation meeting underway

Iran aims to overtake Saudi Refining Capabilities

Yemen arrests 19 after U.S. embassy bombing

Livni to take over as Israeli PM

Iran News Round Up (Sept. 19): Who will/can run for president? Gedmin interview; nuclear defiance; Ahmadinejad wants to debate Obama, McCain; zeroes to be lobbed off currency

From the Office of Michael Rubin at AEI

[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signifies English link]

Political

• Deutsche Welle Persian's analyst says former president Khatami will not run for president, and that former parliamentary speaker Karrubi will be the lead candidate of the reformist camp.
• Presidential candidate Hassan Rowhani proposes ballot by ballot announcement of election results to avoid fraud at 2009 presidential elections.
• Former Interior Minister Pour-Mohammadi says "a number of people have begged me to run for presidency."
• Ahmadinejad warns of alliance of "seemingly opposite forces" in a conspiracy to topple his government.
• Supreme Leader Khameini to lead the Friday prayer at Tehran University this week.
• The Iranian parliament is preparing a bill to define who is considered qualified to run for presidency. According to the latest parliamentary discussions, candidates with the following professional backgrounds are considered qualified to register their candidacy: "The president, his advisors and his vice presidents; members of the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly [the parliament] and Assembly of Experts, representatives of the Supreme Leader in institutions and general governors, head of the Judiciary, his deputes and advisors and heads of the Supreme Court, members of the Supreme Audit Court, members of the Administrational Justice, the Supreme Military Tribunal and the General Chief Prosecutor of the country, members of the Assembly of Experts and its secretary, members of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, members of the Council of Guardians (both lawyers and Islamic jurists), cabinet ministers, director generals of the ministries and their deputies, Joint Armed Forces Staff Chief and commander in chiefs of the tripartite armed forces, the Revolutionary Guards and commander in chief of the Law Enforcement Forces, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, heads of institutions of organizations of the country, university deans at major universities and provincial capitals, ambassadors, general governors, and mayors of large cities, senior scholars and university professors, general secretaries and party chiefs at national level."
  • On this ground, Asr-e Iran accuses the legislators of "elite circulation" in the Islamic Republic.

Military and Security

• Arya News Agency reports "increased possibility of acquisition of [S-300] Air Defense system from Russia."
• The Islamic Republic to display new military gadgets at upcoming military parades.
  • Fars News Agency adds there would be display of "unmanned rockets and drones."
• Navy chief Habibollah Sayyar, while presenting the Capitan Peyman Ja'fari Tehrani as the dean of Imam Khomeini Naval University in Nowshahr, says the "enemies of Iran don't dare attack us."
  • Chief Ideological-Political commissar in Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Mohammad-Ali Salajeghe Ansari adds that "belief and spirituality are the forceful engines propelling the Islamic government."

Religion, Culture, and Society

• Asr-e Iran's polls shows that 48.5 of the users of the website don't like any of the Ramadan television series. "Bezangah" comes first as the most popular series with 20.4 percent of the vote, followed by "Rouz-e Hasrat" (16.9 percent), "Mesl-e Hich-kas" (7.05 percent) and "Mamour Badragheh" (7 percent).
  • Council for Supervision on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has ordered the IRIB to stop transmission of "Bezangah" television series on moral grounds, but the IRIB says it will continue its transmissions of the Ramadan special series.
• According to Asr-e Iran, a "popular organization" has declared the next Friday prayer the day of signing a national document condemning "the Zionist Baha'is," and calling for fight against this religious minority in Iran.
• According to Asr-e Iran, "Wahabi hackers have hacked the largest Shi'a web sites, ns3.al-shia.com and ns1.al-shia.com.

Media

• (E) Radio Free Europe president Jeff Gedmin interview on broadcasting into Iran.

Diplomacy

• (E) St. Vincent premier dismisses call to break relations with Iran.
• (E) Iranian foreign minister visits Georgia.
• (E) Ahmadinejad wants debate with Obama, McCain.
• (E) UN representative in Iraq praises Iran's role in Iraq.

Nuclear Issue

• The Islamic Republic ambassador to the IAEA says the "report of U.S. spy agencies on Iran's nuclear programs is a lie" and said the Islamic Republic will produce report exposing the "lies of the U.S."
• Alef News Agency analyzes the latest IAEA report on the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities from a "national security angle."
  • Deputy chair of the Energy Committee of the Iranian parliament Naser Soudani says the IAEA report reflects a politically charged atmosphere.

Economy

• (E) Iran to lob three zeroes off currency amid inflation.

Photo of the Day

• Ahmadinejad speaks

RUSSIA/IRAN: Russia may sell more air defence systems to Iran

ALERT

Russia is negotiating the delivery of more air defence systems to Iran despite Western demands for a halt in sales to Tehran over its refusal to stop uranium enrichment. "Contacts between the two countries (on delivery of air defence systems) are continuing and we do not see any reason to suspend them," Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport chief Anatoly Isaikin told reporters Thursday at the Africa Aerospace and Defence-2008 (AAD-2008) exhibition near Cape Town in South Africa. Isaikin said deliveries of Russian anti-aircraft weaponry to Iran were aimed exclusively at increasing its air defence capability and were not subject to international restrictions...(ZEENEWS.COM).

Full Article: http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=470015&sid=WOR

U.S./IRAN: US acts to curb Iranian nuclear progress

The US on Wednesday announced measures against a network of companies it accuses of helping Iran with its nuclear programme and with weapons used against US troops. The moves, co-ordinated by the departments of Treasury, Justice and Commerce, are centred on the Mayrow General Trading Company. The Dubai-based export-import group has already been blacklisted by the US for allegedly providing Iran with technology for improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Treasury department imposed formal sanctions on six Mayrow-related companies. It said they had “engaged in procurement on behalf of Iran of conventional weapons parts, military aircraft spare parts and dual-use goods that can be used in nuclear-related activities”...(FT.com).

Full Article: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a464b3e8-850f-11dd-b148-0000779fd18c.html

U.S/IRAN/IRAQ: Material Was Sent To Iran for Bombs, Indictment Alleges

A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted 16 foreign individuals and companies in a broad conspiracy to send restricted dual-purpose U.S. electronics and other items to Iran for use in roadside bombs against U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan...(Washington Post).

Full Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/17/AR2008091703536.html

SYRIA: Syria awaits Airbus team in move to buy 50 jets

Syria is expecting a delegation from Airbus to arrive in Damascus today as it attempts to strike a deal that would enable Syrianair to buy 50 passenger jets from the aircraft manufacturer, in spite of US sanctions, said a government official...The Arab government hopes to lease six aircraft for Syrian-air, the rundown state-owned carrier, then purchase 14 aircraft that will be delivered between 2010 and 2016. It would also like to have the option of buying another 36 jets up to 2028, as well as technical assistance to restructure the Syrian carrier...

...Airbus officials have privately acknowledged that there have been contacts with Syrian officials, but declined to comment on the nature of talks or a potential visit by officials to Damascus...The European aircraft group has since approached the US Department of Commerce to find out whether it would consider granting a licence to re-export US content to Syria. If the answer is positive, Airbus would then decide whether to pursue formal talks on a deal...(FT.com).

Full Article: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/19d3fed0-851b-11dd-b148-0000779fd18c.html

IRAN: Iran Official says Missiles Can Reach Ships in Gulf

A top adviser of Iran's supreme leader said that in the event of war no ship passing through the oil-rich Gulf region would be beyond the reach of the country's missiles, a government newspaper reported on Thursday. Iran, embroiled in a standoff with the West over its nuclear ambitions, has said it could respond to any military attack by closing the strait at the southern end of the Gulf through which about 40 percent of the world's traded oil passes.The United States, whose Fifth Fleet is based in the Gulf state of Bahrain, has vowed to keep shipping lanes opened...(Reuters via Asharq Alawsat).

Full Article: http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=14088

LEBANON: Hariri-Nasrallah Reconciliation in the Making?

The daily al-Akhbar, which is close to Hizbullah, reported that preparations are underway for a reconciliatory meeting between Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri. The report said aides to both leaders would hold discussions to agree on the venue of the proposed meeting that would be the last in a series of reconciliation efforts that started in Tripoli. Hariri had called for an "honorable reconciliation," stating that such move requires "brave men."...(Naharnet).

Full Article: http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&32B76CD83BCBA228C22574C8002F593C

LEBANON: Resistance Tension in South

Lebanese Army units contained a quarrel between partisans of the Lebanese Communist Party and AMAL movement in the southern village of Kfar Rumman overnight. The quarrel started after AMAL partisans tried to knock down a monument erected by the LCP to commemorate "martyrs" of the Lebanese National Resistance Front (LNRF)...(Naharnet).

Full Article: http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&D225CE4AADE4B232C22574C80021CC2B

IRAN/GULF: Iran Aims to Overtake Saudis in Refining Capabilities

Iran plans to become the most productive oil refiner in the Gulf region by 2012, the director of the Refinery and Oil Products Distribution Company, Aminollah Eskandar, announced at a news conference earlier this week, the Teheran Times reports. According to the plan, Iran will surpass Saudi Arabia’s current capabilities at 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) once the new plan has been implemented, boosting the country’s capacity to 3.3 million bpd, said Eskandar, adding that only by 2015 would Saudi Arabia reach 3 million bpd. The plan is estimated to cost $22 billion...(The Media Line).

Full Article: http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=22759

YEMEN: Yemen arrests 19 after US embassy attack

Yemeni authorities have arrested 19 people suspected of being connected to al-Qaeda and having links to Wednesday's attack on the US embassy in Sanaa. Car bombs detonated outside the US embassy in Yemen left four civilians and six policemen dead. The six attackers, one wearing an explosives belt, also died. There were no casualties among US diplomatic staff. The US State Department said the bombings bore "all the hallmarks" of an al-Qaeda attack but the United States had not yet concluded who was to blame. A group calling itself Islamic Jihad in Yemen, which is unrelated to the Palestinian group with a similar name, claimed responsibility and threatened attacks on other embassies including those of Britain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates...(Telegraph.co.uk).

Full Article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/yemen/2981248/Yemen-arrests-19-after-US-embassy-attack.html

ISRAEL: Tzipi Livni prepares to take over as prime minister

Tzipi Livni, the 50-year-old Israeli foreign minister and mother of two, is poised to become the Jewish state's second woman prime minister after being voted leader of the ruling Kadima Party. Miss Livni who has declared victory after a surprisingly tight race to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as head of Israel's governing party, and said she would immediately turn to the task of trying to cobble together a new government. Official results showed Miss Livni, a political moderate, winning by a 1.1 percentage point margin in the Kadima Party primary elections...(Telegraph.co.uk).

Full Article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/2978557/Israel-Tzipi-Livni-prepares-to-take-over-as-prime-minister.html

Related Article:

• Palestinian Authority welcomes Livni victory in Kadima primary (Haaretz)

Iran News Round Up (Sept. 18): Persian Gulf vulnerable to Iranian missiles; teachers arrested; Total remaining in Iran; Ahmadinejad impeachment fizzles; Iranian soft power moves into Caribbean; foreign exchange reserves

From the office of Michael Rubin

[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signifies English link]

Military and Security

• Rahim Safavi, former chief of the Revolutionary Guards and current top security adviser to the Supreme Leader says, "In case of war, not a single boat can float in the Persian Gulf outside the reach of the coastal missile systems of the Revolutionary Guards Navy, and this is one of the achievements of the tripartite forces of the Guards."
• (E) Defense Minister: Iran is guardian of Strait of Hormuz.
• (E) Ahmadinejad tells NATO to stay out of Caucasus.
• (E) Iran denies sleeper cells in GCC states.

Nuclear Issue

• (E) Iran's IAEA rep: U.S. must accept Iran's nuclear 'realities.'

Trade

• Christophe de Margerie, head of Total, refutes "distortions" of his words regarding activities of Total in Iran and says "We are still in Iran, and intend to stay." As proof of continuing Total activities, he points to "renewed expansions at Do-Roud oil field on Kharg island which produces 120,000 barrels of oil per day, and Saveh [cooking] oil company located 100 kilometers from Tehran." Commenting his earlier statements the Total head said: "What I said was that today, Total can't take the risk of heavy investments in Iran. Even now our operations are done with difficulty because of U.S. sanctions, and one can't rule out the possibility of more severe sanctions."
  • (E) Total still wants a piece of Iran.
• Aftab News publishes a lengthy article on the Crescent bribery scandal in the Islamic Republic.

Economy

• Deputy chairman of the Economics and Finance Committee of the Iranian parliament criticizes Ahmadinejad government's withdrawals from the foreign exchange reserve.

Human Rights and Labor

• Ten school teachers arrested after declaring their intent to participating in a demonstration protesting against poor living conditions of school teachers in Iran.
• Mojtaba Bayat, former member of the Office of Consolidating Unity student organization, summoned to the Revolutionary Tribunal.
• Ehsan Mazandarani, student activist at the journalism university, summoned to the university disciplinary committee.
• The Committee on Unauthorized Arrests publishes its sixteenth bulletin discussing arrest of civil rights activists in Iranian Kordestan region.

Politics

• Reformist theoretician Said Hajjarian says if the ground is not prepared for healthy elections, he will not vote at presidential elections of 2009.
• Aftab-e Yazd's questions parliamentarians engaged in an attempt to impeach Ahmadinejad because Vice President Mashayee expressed friendship to the people of Israel, but discovers the impeachment schemes have been abandoned.

Religion, Culture, and Society

• Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi praises Iranian film makers who responded to "Fitna," a Dutch film critical of Islam.

Diplomacy

• Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says only "close relations between Iran and Israel, and a close relationship between the Arabs and the United States" can harm the relations between Iran and Syria.
• Prime Minister of St. Vincent says Iran extends a $7 million dollar grant for development of an airport facility.
• Ahmadinejad meets Armenian foreign minister

Photo of the Day

• Studying the Quran during Ramadan.

HEADLINES 09.17.2008

Taliban receiving arms from Iran's IRGC

Kuwait is fearful of a nuclear Iran

Mullen makes Surprise Visit to Pakistan

"American Spy" killed in N. Waziristan, local reports

Iraq does not need US financial aid, Iraqi Cabinet spokesman

Iran's Khamenei influenced Appointments in Syria

Strike on Syrian reactor a joint intell victory, CIA Director

Iran News Round Up (Sept. 16): Reaction to IAEA report; Khatami bows out; report on Ahmadinejad's financial mismanagement as mayor leaked; IRGC infiltrates Kuwait?

From the Office of Michael Rubin at AEI

[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signifies English link]

Nuclear Issue

• Foreign ministry spokesman Ghashghavi urges the IAEA not to cave into outside pressure.
  • Foreign Minister Mottaki says Iran will continue cooperation with the IAEA.
    • (E) Says IAEA report vindicates Iran.
  • Agah Sazi publishes the complete Persian text of IAEA's report on Iranian cooperation with the U.N. agency.
    • (E) Parliamentarian: IAEA should not expect Iran to answer any allegation.
    • The Islamic Republic says it has cooperated fully with the IAEA and will produce a written response to the report.
  • Mottaki says the IAEA's report is a "confession and full of discrepancies with earlier reports of the U.N. agency."
    • Carter administration official Gary Sick, speaking to Fars News Agency, says that the recent report of the IAEA which accuses the Islamic Republic of insufficient cooperation is the result of "U.S. pressure."
• (E) US resumes effort to impose sanctions.
  • International affairs analyst Naser Imani says the Western press "tries to hide disagreements between the individual members of the 5+1 group," and urges the Islamic Republic to utilize such differences to the advantage of the Islamic Republic.
• Pictures of the Islamic Republic's missile activities displayed by the IAEA.

Politics

• Agah-Sazi publishes a leaked report from Tehran Municipality which discloses financial irregularities under Ahmadinejad's mayoralty, including: "Lack of improvement of the audit and accountant department of the municipality despite earlier orders to do so; transfer of loans to member of the Basij Resistance Force without the knowledge of or authorization from the city council; use of contractors without the knowledge of the city council; disappearance of 310,000,000,000 rials derived from fines; transfer of 1,390,000,000 rials from Tehran taxpayer's money to emergency and relief operations in Bam without authorization of the city council; transfer of 450,000,000,000 rials to mosques and religious organization without city council authorization; transfer of 7,380,000,000 rials to the poor and needy without authorization of the city council…."

• The internal bulletin of Mosharekat reformist organization publishes an editorial warning against the rise of "the garrison state":
  • "'The Supreme Leader did [will] not allow Khatami to become president, since it is the wish of the enemy', 'Disqualification of Khatami in presidential elections is dead certain,' 'Abdollah Nouri and Dr. Mohammad-Reza Khatami are also faces which have not left the Guardian Council any window of opportunity to accept their candidacy,' 'continuity of the presidency of Ahmadinejad for yet another four years is expedient, and entrance of other Principalists into elections is not a service to the regime, the Revolution or the people….'

• Number of parliamentarians demanding impeachment of Ahmadinejad reaches 76.
• Three Grand Ayatollahs, Nouri Hamedani, Safi Golpayegani and Makarem Shirazi, boycott the Ahmadinejad government which they accuse of "ignoring the guidance of the clergy."
  • The grand ayatollahs are especially annoyed with Ahmadinejad's indifference towards clerical criticism of vice president Mashayee's comments about his friendship with the people of Israel.
  • Agah-Sazi's analyst concludes that clerical unhappiness with Ahmadinejad could cost him in presidential elections of 2009.
• According to Agah-Sazi, Khatami, in his meeting with former interior minister Abdollah Nouri, disclosed that he will not run in the 2009 presidential elections.
  • Former President Khatami attacks the performance of the Ahmadinejad government and urges a more offensive strategy against the government.
  • National Trust Party number two Montajab Nia also claims to know that Khatami will not run for presidency.
  • Khatami says he will not run for presidency.
  • National Trust Party number two says former president "Khatami is not man enough for elections."
  • According to Jahan News Agency, Khatami's meeting with former Prime Minister Mousavi centered on the 2009 presidential elections. Khatami expressed his lack of interest in running for the campaign, but added a number of reformist groups pressure him to run.
  • According to Asr-e Iran, Khatami may very well run for president in 2009.
  • Former vice president Abtahi says Khatami has received death threats.
• Higher education minister Mohammad-Mehdi Zahedi discloses that Interior Minister Ali Kordan is not a member of the Scientific Board of the Azad University, but evades the question on authenticity of Kordan's doctoral degree from Oxford University, saying "Knowing how to read and write is sufficient to function as a cabinet minister."
  • Interior minister Ali Kordan says he has been a member of the scientific board of Azad University, he has nothing to do with the Crescent bribery scandal, and will explain his academic degrees later.
  • A website supporting cabinet ministers Kordan and Rahimi urges critics to engage in "a fast of silence" in the holy month of Ramadan and let the cabinet do its job.
• Mohammad-Reza Tabesh, Khatami's son-in-law, becomes secretary-general of the reformist minority in parliament.
  • Reformist candidate Mostafa Tajzadeh explains the reform movement's difficulty in gaining the acceptance of various organizations in order to be permitted to run for presidency.
• Presidential candidate Hassan Rowhani says the Ahmadinejad government lacks a strategic plan for development of the country.
• A parliamentary majority detaches the Islamic Republic Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization headed by Mashayee from the presidency.
• Abrar analyzes appointment of American University Professor Hamid Mowlana who was appointed vice president after 50 years of residence in the United States.
• Tehran City Council gives up plans to name a street in the Iranian capital after Prime Minister Mosaddeq.
• Moetalefh political faction favors a "clerical candidate" in the 2009 presidential elections.
• A so-called "Nationalist Group" featuring Adib Boroumand, Abbas Amir-Entezam, Lagha Ardalan, Davoud Hermidas Bavand, Nosrt-Allah Bokhtour-Tash and Changiz Pahlevan among others, slams the foreign and security policies of the Ahmadinejad government.
• Alef News Agency director Ahmad Tavakkoli offers former nuclear negotiator Hossein Mousavian an apology since the news agency actively contributed to espionage allegations against the Rafsanjani protégé. The Iranian president's office slams the apology as a "political alliance" and a "politically motivated move."
  • Mousavian thanks Tavakkoli.
• Iranian parliamentarians Nader Ghazipour and Fakhr al-Din Heydari engage in a verbal fight in the Iranian parliament while discussing sectarian issues. Ghazipour attacked Heyari's statements yesterday and claimed "governors of Sardasht and Mahabad and 99 percent of the executives in the southern parts of the province, even deputy chief of the Law Enforcement Forces of the province, are good Sunni brothers."
  • The heated debate ended with intervention of parliamentary speaker Larijani who warned the parliamentarians against disclosing issues which could harm the national security of Iran.

Media

• Agah-Sazi reports governmental purge of the news agency IRNA and government mouthpiece Iran.
• Alef News Agency slams "anti-Iranian movies" on MBC's Persian broadcasts.
• The Islamic Republic Television to broadcast "The Infiltrator" about an Iranian citizen engaged in espionage for foreigners.

Diplomacy

• The Iranian press speculates on possibility of a meeting between president Ahmadinejad and U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama.
  • (E) Five former Secretaries of State urge talks with Iran.
• According to Agah-Sazi, Ahmdnejad brings a "close confidante" along with him to New York, controversial vice president Rahim Mashayee who has extended a hand of friendship towards the "people of Israel." According to Agah Sazi, Mashayee is expected to meet with "the Zionist Lobby."
  • Staunch Ahmadinejad supporter Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi demands ousting of vice president Mashayee.
  • In another ultimatum, the Iranian parliament demands a clear response from Ahmadinejad with regard to vice president Mashayee.
• According to E'temad, the United States has, in a meeting in Brussels, attempted to dissuade the Shi'a in the Persian Gulf region from cooperating with the Islamic Republic.
• Foreign Minister Mottaki on his way to Berlin, Germany.
• Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani to attend inter-parliamentary conference in Geneva.
• The Islamic Republic Para-Olympics committee claims the Iranian wheel chair basketball team's refusal to appear for a match against the U.S. was due to sudden change of the time of the match and not politically motivated.
• According to Entekhab News Agency, the U.S. government has offered Somali pirates $7 million to board an Iranian ship hijacked off the coast of Somalia. [Ed. Note: Previous stories have alleged that the ship contained weapons bound for Eritrea]

Economy

• Economic Transformation Scheme Group passes a proposal to delete three zeros from the currency.
• Labor Minister and Central Bank director-general elaborate their differences with regard to economic policies.
• Parliamentaian Mousa al-Reza Servati says the government hitherto has not produced any written reports on exchange reserves of the Islamic Republic to the parliament, but says the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic claims there is only $7 billion left of what was to be a future fund.
• Ali-Asghar Arshi, International Affairs Director General of the National Iranian Oil Company, says that during the past five months, Iran has earned $43 billion from oil exports.
  • Kamal Daneshyar, former head of the Energy Committee of the Iranian parliament, says Qatar is exploiting the Assalouyeh oil and gas field and delays on the Iranian side will lead to great loss to the Islamic Republic.
• Energy minister says he hopes to fill the dams with rain water.
• Speaking to the Basij of Engineers, Ahmadinejad says there is need for "economic engineering" in Iran.
• Mosharekat reformist faction releases a very critical report on the economic record of the Ahmadinejad government.

Trade

• The Islamic Republic signs South Pars Gas Field technical parts repair agreement with South Korean G.S. engineering company.
• Deutsche Welle Persian says the U.S. and Europe are interested in substituting Russian natural gas to Western Europe with natural gas from Iran.
• The Islamic Republic interested in strategic relations with Ecuador, signs cooperation agreement in the oil sector.

Religion, Culture, and Society

• Husband of Golshifteh Farahani, an Iranian actress barred from leaving Iran, says his wife will wear wig and not display her own hair in the U.S. movie, and that hopefully this will assuage worries of Iranian authorities.
• In a vague reference to the Crescent bribery case, Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi condemns "spread of bribery in Iran."
• 15 Iranian pilgrims injured in a car accident on their way to Karbala, Iraq.
• Iranian poets to convene before Supreme Leader Khamenei.
• Shi'a News warns against increased "Wahabi activity" in Iran.
  • See also Tabnak's report.
  • Ayatollah Abol-Ghasem Khaz'ali attacks "Wahabis" in a speech at the Al-Ghadir Foundation.
• Ayatollah Khaz'ali says insulting the clergy and sources of emulations is a "sin."
• The school year to begin.

Military and Security

• Kuwaiti parliamentarian Jam'an al-Harbash tells Al-Ra'y that the Islamic Republic Revolutionary Guards are infiltrating Kuwait.
• Interior Minister Kordan declares dissatisfaction with the Pakistani government's efforts to address Jundallah's cross-border-seizure of Iranian police as hostages.
• General Yahya Safavi, former chief of the Revolutionary Guards and advisor to the Supreme Leader, says the responsibility of guarding the Persian Gulf is handed over to the Revolutionary Guards.
  • The Revolutionary Guard tasked with security of the Persian Gulf. More here.
• General Ahmad Mighani, head of Khatam al-Anbia Air Force Base of the Islamic Republic Air Force, announces beginning of Air Force war games.
• Rafsanjani says the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980 was not "ordered by the U.S."
• Tabnak publishes a letter from former chief of the