Top Stories
AFP: "Japan imposed new sanctions Friday against Iran, including an assets
freeze on people and entities linked to its contentious nuclear programme and
tighter restrictions on financial transactions. Japan also said it would
suspend any new oil and gas investments in Iran, but there are no plans to
restrict imports of crude oil from the Islamic republic, the fourth-biggest oil
supplier to resource-poor Japan. The steps come a month after Tokyo approved
punitive measures in line with a June UN Security Council resolution which
slapped a fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt uranium
enrichment work." http://bit.ly/9aSclp
AFP: "Hardline Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that the people of the Middle East are 'capable
of removing the Zionist regime from the world scene' in an annual Palestinian
solidarity day address in Tehran. 'If the leaders of the region do not have the
guts, then the people of the region are capable of removing the Zionist regime
from the world scene,' the hardliner said as the crowd chanted 'Death to
America! Death to Israel!'" http://yhoo.it/aCOJ6V
WSJ: "Iranian opposition leader
Mehdi Karroubi was attacked on Thursday night when a group of militiamen broke
into his residential building and fired on his bodyguards, according to a
family member. Militia in plainclothes armed with guns and knives shattered windows,
broke the front door and set the parking lot on fire by throwing tear gas and a
hand grenade over the wall, Mr. Karroubi's son, Mohamad Taghi Karroubi, said by
telephone Thursday night. The militia stormed the hallway, shooting in the air
as they ran upstairs to Mr. Karroubi's front door, where they engaged in a
90-minute battle with his bodyguards, the younger Mr. Karroubi said." http://bit.ly/bzbtkG
Nuclear Program
Reuters: "Iran would retaliate by striking Israel's nuclear facility if Israel
attacked its nuclear activities, armed forces chief of staff Hassan Firouzabadi
said on Friday. 'Our developed weapons can hit any part of the Zionist regime
(Israel) ... We hope not to be forced to attack their nuclear facility,'
Firouzabadi told the semi-official Mehr news agency." http://bit.ly/bbK769
Human Rights
AFP: "The son of Sakineh
Mohammadi-Ashtiani, an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for
adultery, pleaded Friday for sustained international pressure to save her life.
'I urge you, please keep up the pressure,' said the son, Sajjad, in an
interview published in France's Liberation newspaper. 'Had you not been there,
my mother would have already been dead,' he added." http://bit.ly/cHulTK
AP: "The lawyer who defended a woman
sentenced to death by stoning in Iran was reunited with his family in Norway
Thursday. Mohammad Mostafaei said he was pleased his wife and 7-year-old
daughter were allowed to travel to Norway on tourist visas. In August, the
31-year-old lawyer fled to Turkey then Norway after learning Iranian officials
intended to arrest him. He has said he is seeking asylum in Norway, but still
hopes officials in Iran will allow him to return to his practice." http://bit.ly/aWERbk
Guardian: "The Iranian film-maker
Jafar Panahi has been denied the right to attend this year's Venice
international film festival. Due to open the short film section of the festival
with The Accordion, his request was refused by officials in Tehran. Imprisoned
earlier this year while making a film described by Iranian culture minister,
Mohammad Hosseini, as 'anti-regime', Panahi was released on bail in May
following a two-week hunger strike and international outcry." http://bit.ly/azFZCx
Radio Farda: "Nasrin Sotoudeh has
made a career fighting the good fight, defending numerous rights activists and
others facing trumped-up charges by the Iranian regime. Now the prominent
Iranian lawyer finds herself in a similar situation. Following raids on her
home and office over the weekend of August 28-29, she has been charged by the
judiciary with undermining national security and disseminating propaganda against
the Islamic establishment. 'These charges against me are ridiculous,' Sotoudeh
told RFE/RL's Radio Farda, 'as are similar ones that have been brought against
my clients. [Some of them] are in jail based on these charges.'" http://bit.ly/8Z4FbP
Domestic Politics
LAT: "Iranian security forces
patrolled central Tehran on Thursday and the home of a reformist leader
reportedly remained under siege by pro-government militiamen in what appeared
to be attempts to intimidate the political opposition ahead of rallies planned
for Friday. Riot police lined the streets near Enghelab Square and around
Tehran University in the morning hours ahead of Friday's gatherings to mark
Quds Day, an annual event in support of the Palestinian struggle against Israel
that the government fears will draw opposition supporters to the streets." http://bit.ly/95X2DJ
Bloomberg: "Members of Iran's Basij
militia detained opposition supporters during Quds Day, the annual
state-organized event to express solidarity with the Palestinian people,
al-Arabiya television reported. Militia members broke windows at the home of
opposition leader Mehdi Karrubi late yesterday, the Dubai-based news channel
said." http://bit.ly/cKqE9T
Radio Farda: "Blogger 'Kodan-e Ba Estedad'
(Talented Moron) writes about the role of weeping in Iran's domestic and
foreign policy. He has put together a number of examples from Iran's recent
history." http://bit.ly/9JObNG
Opinion
Senator Scott Brown in WSJ: "Those
of us who hope for peace in the Middle East applaud the meeting of Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The fact
that Palestinians finally agreed to direct negotiations, without preconditions,
is a positive step. But let's not delude ourselves: There can never be peace in
the Middle East with a nuclear-armed Iran. I don't pretend to have all the
answers on how to end the conflict between Arabs and Israelis, but I do know
that it is doomed so long as Iran remains a menacing actor on the world stage.
Now is the time to ratchet up the pressure, to further isolate Iranian
President Ahmadinejad, and to impose even more punishing sanctions on the
Iranian economy. For this effort to succeed, we must enlist the full support of
neighboring Arab states." http://bit.ly/cFij90
Stephen Pollard in The Daily
Telegraph: "There are any number of myths surrounding the Middle East talks
currently talking place in Washington. But the issue overshadowing the
entire process seems to have been missed by most observers: Iran. The fact that
proper talks have now begun is not a triumph of hope over experience; it is far
more prosaic than that. It is the result of bargaining between the US, the
Israelis and the Palestinian Authority (PA). There has been an implicit deal.
America will take care of the Iranian nuclear threat, either through its own
actions or by allowing Israel to act, and in return the Israelis will do
whatever they can to keep the peace process on the road." http://bit.ly/dw6Hv1
Meir Javedanfar in The Diplomat: "Is
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad really all that powerful? He certainly
sees himself that way, not least because he has the backing of Iran's most
influential man, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In reality, though, Ahmadinejad's view
of himself is distorted. The only reason he has maintained his position since
2005 is because of Khamenei's support and, while detractors often bash his
predecessor Mohammad Khatami for being weak and toothless, anything more than a
cursory comparison of the two shows the reality is quite different." http://bit.ly/cLtEbn
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