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Reuters:
"Republican lawmakers tried to force a vote in the U.S. Senate on
Thursday on a bill to impose tough new sanctions on Iran if negotiators
do not reach what they see as an acceptable nuclear deal, but the measure
failed to move ahead. U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Bob Corker asked
for unanimous consent to allow a vote, but Democratic Senator Chris
Murphy objected. 'It would send a message that Congress does not stand
with the president as the negotiations continue,' Murphy said. The
Republicans said their goal was to ensure Congress is involved in the
process of reaching a deal with Iran before a Nov. 24 deadline. The
proposed 'Iran Nuclear Negotiations Act of 2014' would re-impose
sanctions on Iran waived during the negotiating process if there is no deal
by the deadline. It would also give Congress 15 days after an agreement
is reached to review the pact and let legislators cut off funding to
implement the pact if it passed a resolution of disapproval or the plan
was not submitted for lawmakers' approval. And it would reinstate any
sanctions if Iran failed to comply with terms of an agreement." http://t.uani.com/1xWAH1j
Fars (Iran):
"Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
Aerospace Force Brigadier General Seyed Majid Moussavi announced that the
Lebanese and Palestinian resistance groups are in possession of
Fateh-class missiles which were developed by Iran a few years ago.
Speaking in an interview with 'Qiam Sejjilha' magazine on Wednesday,
Moussavi said that the late commander and head of the IRGC Missile
Research Center, Martyr Major General Tehrani Moqaddam, who was martyred
in an explosion in 2011, supported and helped Hezbollah and the
Palestinian resistance groups to develop missile capabilities.
'Considering the range of their missiles, they are able now to attack all
targets from Southern to Northern parts of the occupied territories,' he
said. 'Based on what has been announced so far, their operational missile
capability includes a fully vast, but of course hidden, (number and type
of) Fateh class missiles, and this missile capability can be used and has
been organized,' Moussavi added." http://t.uani.com/112YsK0
Tasnim (Iran):
"The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy commander said on
Monday that the US forces will certainly exit from the Persian Gulf
sooner rather than later due to Iran's outstanding missile capabilities.
Americans have no choice but to leave the Persian Gulf and they have no
option by any means to achieve their objectives, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi
said on the sidelines of a ceremony in Tehran, held in commemoration of
Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani-Moqaddam, known as the father of Iran's
missile program. 'Our missile capabilities is definitely effective on
pushing the US (forces) out of the Persian Gulf,' the commander
emphasized." http://t.uani.com/1xRZN13
Nuclear Program & Negotiations
Roll Call:
"Republicans are gearing up to try to force President Barack Obama
to give Congress veto power over an agreement about nuclear weapons with
Iran. The expected chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee signaled
Wednesday that getting a say in any such deal will be a priority of GOP
senators when they take over next year. 'Nov. 24 is going to be the time
frame which we'll know more clearly whether there's going to be an
extension or something has actually been reached. But I would imagine
that regardless ... there will be a desire very quickly after the first
of the year for Congress to weigh in on the topic in some form or
fashion,' Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told reporters. 'Whether it's
ensuring, you know, that Congress has a vote in final outcome or some
other way, my sense is that there'll be a move pretty quickly to speak to
that legislatively.'" http://t.uani.com/1xBDPkR
Sanctions
Relief
Tehran Times:
"French carmaker Renault is negotiating with Iranian carmaker Saipa
to acquire a stake in Saipa's subsidiary Pars Khodro, according to Majid
Souri, the Saipa investment management director. 'Negotiations with
Renault are being held, but we have yet to reach a final agreement,' ISNA
quoted Souri as saying on Tuesday." http://t.uani.com/111mMf7
Trend:
"France's car-maker Renault is in talks with Iran's SAIPA Company to
buy 20 percent of the shares of Pars Khodro Company. Majid Souri, an
official with SAIPA Company, said that by buying the mentioned shares,
Renault will gain a seat in the company's board of directors. 'If the
nuclear talks bear results, our negotiations will be pursued seriously,'
he added. He went on to note that currently SAIPA owns 74 percent of Pars
Khodro Company's shares. 'Renault seeks to boost its production in the
Iranian market,' Souri said." http://t.uani.com/1ukvvoP
Sanctions
Enforcement & Impact
FT:
"Alibaba has removed listings from its online marketplace for
enterprises sanctioned by the US and other countries for their role in
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Chinese ecommerce
group has hosted listings on its eBay-style websites for companies that
have been accused of helping Iran and North Korea procure nuclear and
ballistic missile technology... Most recently, the company removed
advertisements for Sinotech (Dalian) Carbon & Graphite Manufacturing,
which makes graphite electrodes that can be used in ballistic missiles.
That group had been designated in April by the US Treasury Department as
a front company that has been used to send shipments to Iran. The US
Treasury said that the company sold ballistic missile technology to Iran
in violation of UN sanctions. It said that it belonged to Chinese
national Li Fangwei, who also goes by the English name Karl Lee." http://t.uani.com/1xoehsV
Terrorism
Al-Akhbar
(Lebanon): "After the war in 2012, the enemy learned
the smuggling routes into Gaza, and targeted weapons convoys and rocket
caches. In late 2012, the Israeli air force bombed a weapons convoy in
Sudan, said to be on its way to Gaza. At that point, the Iranians realized
that the best option to supply rockets to the Palestinian resistance was
to help manufacture them locally instead of smuggling them. Accordingly,
Tehran worked with Hezbollah to train Gazans on setting up plants to
manufacture rockets, as one leader said. Operation Protective Edge in
2014 demonstrated the worth of months of training in Iran. The phrase
'locally made' was used extensively in resistance statements during that
conflict. The Iranians did not deny that the rockets fired by the
resistance were locally made. Assistant Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein
Amir Abdul-Lahian, said the IRGC had transferred rocket-making technology
to the Palestinians. Regarding drones, Islamic Jihad sources said
that Iran had delivered three Ababil UAVs to the Qassam Brigades to carry
out certain missions, but that these planes were downed as was
declared." http://t.uani.com/1tQRQVH
Human Rights
Radio Zamaneh:
"The Iranian Ministry of Sports has reacted to public pressure and
announced it has plans to designate a section of stadiums to female
spectators. The ministry's deputy for women's sports, Robab Shahrian,
told ISNA that the ministry will implement a new plan designating
specific areas in stadiums for women to attend all athletic events.
Shahrian reported that she has spoken to the Iranian Volleyball
Federation chief and emphasized that Iranian women have a legitimate
demand to access sporting events. She added that the issue becomes more
critical as Iran plans to host a number of sports championships where female
spectators would have to be accommodated." http://t.uani.com/1EKtK7s
Opinion &
Analysis
Haleh Esfandiari
in WSJ: "Among the endangered species in Iran these
days are journalists-and the lawyers who defend them. Only last month two
female journalists were arrested for reporting on recent acid-throwing
incidents in the city of Isfahan, where women who were supposedly
improperly dressed have been disfigured and blinded by being sprayed with
acid. Also arrested was the photographer who documented protests against
these attacks. These three journalists were soon released, thanks to
public outrage over the acid incidents-authorities have yet to arrest
anyone-and the arrests themselves. But they were the lucky ones. Editors,
publishers and reporters often are summoned by Iranian authorities for
allegedly violating the main national press law. The pattern is
established: Security officials show up unannounced at a journalist's
home or workplace and arrest him or her. They search the premises and
confiscate papers, computers, digital files and cellphones.
Interrogations follow. If authorities decide to hold the journalist, they
feel no compunction to provide a reason, nor to allow contact with
immediate family or access to a lawyer. This was the experience of Jason
Rezaian, an Iranian-American reporter for the Washington Post, and his
journalist wife, Yeganeh Salehi. They were arrested at home in July; both
had personal belongings confiscated. The judiciary provided only vague
explanations for the arrests. Ms. Salehi was released last month but has
remained silent about her interrogation and incarceration experiences, no
doubt out of fear of jeopardizing her husband's case. This, too, is true
to form. Those hauled in for questioning are told when they are released that
speaking out and any publicity would hurt rather than help them and their
loved ones... As of July, 65 news providers were behind bars in Iran,
according to Reporters Without Borders, and Iran remains 'one of the
world's most repressive countries as regards to freedom of information.'
Journalists in Iran must grapple with not only the Ministry of Guidance
but also the Ministry of Intelligence, which works hand in hand with the
judiciary. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards have established their own
(intrusive) Internet watchdog organization. Lawyers brave enough to
defend journalists and political dissidents have not fared well either.
Abdolfattah Soltani was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2012. Mohammad
Seifzadeh is serving a six-year sentence. The human and women's rights
lawyer and activist Nasrin Sotoudeh completed nearly three years in
prison last year; she was briefly detained again when she joined the
protests against the acid attacks in Isfahan. Iranian lawyers and
journalists display admirable courage in these difficult
conditions." http://t.uani.com/1ukAHJj
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