Thursday, September 19, 2013

Eye on Iran: Obama Administration Weighs Iran Talks at U.N.








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WSJ:
"The Obama administration is preparing for high-level meetings next week with the Iranian government on its nuclear ambitions and is open to a direct exchange between President Barack Obama and Iran's new president, Hasan Rouhani, at the United Nations, according to senior U.S. officials. The recent softening between Washington and Tehran gained new momentum with the release by Iran in recent days of 11 political prisoners, including a prominent human-rights lawyer freed on Wednesday. The releases were seen as a signal to Washington of a desire for better relations on the eve of Mr. Rouhani's first visit as president to the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. Both Messrs. Rouhani and Obama will address the General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. White House officials said Mr. Obama currently has no planned meeting with Mr. Rouhani. But the two sides have communicated ahead of what could be the first face-to-face interaction between an American and a president of the Islamic republic." http://t.uani.com/1ds8yp4

Fox News: "In its most symbolic conciliatory gesture yet, the new Iranian regime released at least 11 political prisoners today, including two renowned human rights advocates, according to government sources. The move, likely intended to signal a new, moderate approach from Tehran, comes just before new President Hassan Rowhani's upcoming address to the UN General Assembly. But with jails packed with dissidents and religious prisoners, including American citizen Saeed Abedini, it may take more than the release of 11 people and even a pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons to convince the world of a shift in Iranian policy. Among the freed prisoners were eight women and three men, including internationally-recognized human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. Sotoudeh, a mother of two, was handed a six-year sentence in 2011 on national security charges. She was an active and vocal human rights attorney known for taking on high-profile political and human rights cases... There are currently over 800 political prisoners still being held in Iran, including journalists, photographers, bloggers, lawyers, human rights activists and Christians and Bahais held for their faith." http://t.uani.com/18Azn5m

Reuters: "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Wednesday that his government would never develop nuclear weapons, his strongest signal yet that he may be seeking a diplomatic thaw with the West after decades of acrimony. In an interview with NBC News days before he travels to New York for a U.N. appearance, the new Iranian president also insisted he had 'complete authority' to negotiate a nuclear deal with the United States and other Western powers. 'We have time and again said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, nor will we ever,' Rouhani said when asked whether he would forswear nuclear arms." http://t.uani.com/156zgDA

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Nuclear Program

Reuters: "President Barack Obama has told Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in an exchange of letters that the United States is ready to resolve its nuclear dispute with Iran in a way that allows Tehran to show it is not trying to build weapons, the White House said on Wednesday. 'In his letter the president indicated that the U.S. is ready to resolve the nuclear issue in a way that allows Iran to demonstrate that its nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful purposes,' said White House spokesman Jay Carney. 'The letter also conveyed the need to act with a sense of urgency to address this issue because, as we have long said, the window of opportunity for resolving this diplomatically is open, but it will not remain open indefinitely,' Carney said." http://t.uani.com/1aVTYJ9

AP: "A West African man was ordered jailed Thursday until trial on U.S. charges that he attempted to broker an illegal deal to ship tons of uranium ore from Sierra Leone to Iran, including a trip to the U.S. with uranium ore samples concealed in shoes inside his luggage. Patrick Campbell, 33, faces a maximum of 20 years behind bars and up to $1 million in fines if convicted of attempting to violate the U.S. embargo against Iran. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement affidavit filed in federal court says Campbell claimed he could supply enough ore - commonly known as yellowcake - to yield 1,000 tons of purified uranium that could be used for nuclear fuel or weapons." http://t.uani.com/156v1bg

Reuters: "Talk by Iran's Supreme Leader of 'flexibility' days before his government's debut at the United Nations General Assembly in New York suggests a new willingness at the highest level to explore a compromise solution to Tehran's nuclear row with the West... A Tehran-based diplomat said there had been a significant change of mood in the government but the real question was whether Rouhani would bring any new initiative to New York. 'Khamenei's words indicate that Iran may have a bit of space to compromise but it's very unclear how much that will be. It's unclear whether this is a change in negotiating tactics or preparing for Iran to compromise,' the diplomat said. The Western message that Iran's more conciliatory language needs to be backed up with concrete action was underlined by the United States, France, Britain and others at this week's annual gathering of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna." http://t.uani.com/1gCXTYz

Reuters: "Israel accused Iran on Wednesday of using 'deception and concealment' to buy time for its nuclear program, signaling skepticism about the new Iranian president's move away from the hardline stance of his predecessor... An Iranian official said he saw an 'opening' in Iran's nuclear row with the West, in the latest signal that Tehran expects fresh movement to break the deadlock. But the head of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission said: 'The picture that the Iranian representatives are portraying regarding openness and transparency of their nuclear program ... stands in sharp contradiction with Iran's actual actions and the facts on the ground.' The issue was not whether Iran has 'modified its diplomatic vocabulary ... but whether it is addressing seriously and in a timely manner outstanding issues that have remained unresolved for too long,' Shaul Chorev told the annual meeting of member states of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." http://t.uani.com/1erWpUi 

Sanctions

Reuters: "The government will provide a 10 billion rupee sovereign guarantee to back local insurance for refineries using Iranian oil, two government sources said, as it tries to boost imports paid for in local currency to ease pressure on the rupee. India's crude imports from Iran slumped 75 percent in July from June to just 35,500 barrels per day (bpd) because of problems over insurance for crude from Iran caused by western sanctions which aim to curb its nuclear ambitions. But with oil imports in dollars swelling India's current account deficit to a record in 2012/13, the government is trying to maximise purchases from Iran, which is now accepting rupees as its hard currency options are curtailed." http://t.uani.com/1erZgMX

Reuters: "Tanzania has asked Iran to ensure its oil tankers do not identify themselves as Tanzanian nearly a year after the east African country says it de-registered all Iranian vessels flying its national flag. The maritime authority in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, said it was concerned Iranian tankers appeared to still be using Tanzania's call sign as a prefix to their MMSI, a signal that identifies a ship and its location. Zanzibar launched an investigation in July last year into accusations it had re-flagged 36 Iranian tankers. It concluded that a Dubai-based shipping agent had registered the vessels to fly the Tanzanian flag without its knowledge and insists it then de-registered the vessels. But on Wednesday, Abdi Omar Maalim, director general of the Zanzibar Maritime Authority, said Zanzibar had written to Iran's Embassy after it received reports Iran's vessels were still showing on tracking systems as Tanzanian-flagged." http://t.uani.com/17LVY1V

AP: "Rhode Island is no longer going to invest in or contract with companies that do business in Iran. A new state law requires the state to pull any pension investments in companies doing business in Iran. The state will also end any relationships with state contractors with a presence in the country. Companies would be given the option of ceasing their operations in Iran before the state takes action. Gov. Lincoln Chafee and other state leaders held a ceremonial signing for the law on Tuesday.  State lawmakers passed the divestment law earlier this year. Supporters say it will help put financial pressure on Iran to drop its nuclear weapon development efforts and end its support for terrorist groups." http://t.uani.com/16hVvAq 

Human Rights

IHR: "According to reports from reliable sources in Iran, at least four prisoners were hanged in the Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj (west of Tehran) today. The sources told Iran Human Rights that one of the four prisoners was identified as Fardin Mohammadi born in 1989, from the section 6 of the prison and had been in prison for 5 years. The other prisoners who are not identified yet, were from the sections 3, 4 and 7." http://t.uani.com/1aNylqW

Reuters: "Newly-released Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh said on Thursday she expected President Hassan Rouhani's government to free hundreds of other people jailed for their political beliefs to show it is serious about reform... Sotoudeh told Reuters she expected the release of others detained for their political activities during Ahmadinejad's presidency, which she said numbered some 300 men and women. 'We are waiting for all political prisoners to be freed,' Sotoudeh said by phone from Tehran. 'This has occurred very late, and not all prisoners have been released,' she said. 'My expectation is that the process that has started will continue,' she said. 'If it does not continue, it means that this was a move made for appearances. But I am extremely hopeful that this will continue.'" http://t.uani.com/16HWXAx

Domestic Affairs

AP: "Iranian President Hasan Rouhani says his people should be free to think, speak and seek information on the Internet, subject to 'the protection of our national identity.' In an interview with NBC News in Tehran, Rouhani said that a 'commission for citizens' rights' will be established 'in the near future.' He said the viewpoint of the government on censorship issues should be based 'on our morals.' ... He side-stepped a question about whether the Holocaust was real. And he said that his authority is genuine and lasting, even though Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is known to control all matters of state, including nuclear." http://t.uani.com/1gCXg0Y

Foreign Affairs

NBC: "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed Israel for causing 'injustice to the people' of the Middle East during an exclusive interview with NBC News in which he also called for peace, saying Iran is not 'looking for war.' Unlike his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rouhani struck a moderate tone on many issues, but he deflected a question from NBC News' Ann Curry about whether he believed that the Holocaust was 'a myth.' 'I'm not a historian. I'm a politician,' he replied. 'What is important for us is that the countries of the region and the people grow closer to each other, and that they are able to prevent aggression and injustice.' ... Rouhani described Israel as 'an occupier and usurper government' that 'does injustice to the people of the region, and has brought instability to the region, with its warmongering policies.' He added Israel 'shouldn't allow itself to give speeches about a democratically and freely elected government.'" http://t.uani.com/156xIJH

Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.





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