Top Stories
WSJ: "Tehran has shipped conventional weapons to Syria in violation of a U.N. arms-export ban, according to a new U.N. report, which also concludes that U.N. sanctions are constraining Iran's pursuit of materiel for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. The report, reviewed Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, says sanctions are working because nations are 'taking a more active role' in implementing them at ports and customs points and through financial and regulatory bodies. 'Sanctions have clearly forced changes in the way in which Iran procures items' that are banned by the U.N., the report by a U.N. panel of experts says. The report said six of the nine reported violations of conventional-arms shipments from Iran were to Syria-whose government is now conducting a broad and deadly crackdown on antiregime protesters. In all such incidents, the arms were found to be 'carefully concealed' to avoid inspection and hide the identity of the end user. 'It is likely that other transfers took place undetected and that other illicit shipments were identified but not reported' to the U.N.'s sanctions committee, it says... The report said Iran continued 'willful' circumvention of sanctions through the use of 'front companies, concealment methods in shipping, financial transactions and the transfer of conventional arms.' Front companies set up by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps 'carry out procurement and to export covert shipments of conventional weapons,' it says." http://t.uani.com/jzxNdW
AP: "Iran has received a new shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia for its first nuclear power plant, the official IRNA news agency reported Wednesday, a key step following the plant's recent startup. The Russian-built Bushehr plant in southern Iran has been on the fringes of the controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program. The United States and its allies suspected a connection between the plant and what the West believes are Iranian attempts to develop a nuclear weapon - a charge denied by Tehran. Hamid Khadem Qaemi, spokesman for Iran's nuclear agency, said Russia delivered a total of 33 tons (30 metric tons) by plane over the last week for Bushehr. The amount is meant for the plant's second year of operation, IRNA quoted Qaemi as saying. Bushehr's startup was repeatedly postponed and recently, foreign intelligence reports said the plant's control systems were penetrated by Stuxnet, a malicious computer software." http://t.uani.com/iDK45I
Plains Daily: "Today, former Ambassador Mark Wallace called on Bobcat Company, West Fargo, ND, and its parent, Doosan Corporation of Seoul, Korea, to cease supplying Iran with equipment and technology that may be aiding that country in their pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to a letter sent from Wallace's non-profit group United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) to Doosan and Bobcat CEOs today, Bobcat 'continues to sell products including compact truck loaders, excavators, etc., through the Tehran-based construction equipment distributor Touranto.' ... The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has been identified as a terrorist organization by the US, is heavily involved in the country's energy sector, including those industries served by Bobcat and Doosan sales. Last summer, due to the involvement of the IRGC and Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, Obama signed into law comprehensive sanctions against Iran. The sanctions mandate that any companies which deal directly or through subsidiaries with Iran must cease those activities or face losing US government contracts. Since 2000, Doosan, primarily through Bobcat, has been awarded almost $100 million from such contracts. Bobcat told PlainsDaily this morning that 'Under US guidelines, Bobcat North America is not allowed to and does not do business in Iran. To our knowledge, our Bobcat Europe-Middle East-Africa office does not either.' However, that does not explain the prominence of Bobcat sales through Iran-based Touranto. Bobcat provided no further comment on the issue." http://t.uani.com/jsAsuB
Nuclear Program & Sanctions
AP: "Russia says Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant will operate at its capacity in the next few weeks. The first reactor at Bushehr went into operation earlier this week, but the plant is still running tests of control and protection systems... Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday that Bushehr will become fully operational 'in the coming weeks' but declined to provide a more accurate timeline." http://t.uani.com/mTAIgt
WashPost: "International sanctions are 'constraining' Iran's capacity to purchase supplies and equipment to develop nuclear and ballistic missile technology, but Tehran continues to actively seek way to overcome the measures, according to a new United Nations report. The report, which was conducted by an eight-member panel of experts and has been delivered to the U.N. Security Council, is the most comprehensive assessment yet of international efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic. Its findings paint a mixed picture of the sanctions' impact. 'Sanctions have clearly forced changes in the way in which Iran procures items,' according to the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. 'At the same time, Iran's circumvention of sanctions across all areas, in particular front companies, concealment methods in shipping, financial transactions, and the transfer of conventional arms and related materiel, is willful and continuing.'" http://t.uani.com/kVtodQ
Human Rights
AFP: "Damascus expelled an American journalist working for Al-Jazeera to Iran after she tried to enter Syria illegally on an expired Iranian passport, the Syrian embassy said in a statement Wednesday. The embassy said Dorothy Parvez was put on a Caspian Airlines flight to Tehran on May 1, escorted by the Iranian consul in Damascus. It said Parvez, who they identified with an Iranian name as Feiruz Parvez, was turned over to Iran because she was carrying an expired Iranian passport when she arrived in Damascus April 29, giving 'tourism' as her reason for traveling to Syria. 'It is very regretful that a journalist working for a world renowned news agency such as Al-Jazeera International would attempt to enter a country on two illegal accounts: an expired passport, and by providing false information on official documents regarding her travel reason. It is even more troubling if her employer was aware of, and condoned, this illegal activity,' the embassy said." http://t.uani.com/koxHsY
Radio Farda: "Observers and rights groups say Iran's human rights record has taken a sharp turn for the worse in recent months, with the hard-line government of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad seeking to stamp out the possibility of an Arab Spring-inspired uprising. But while activists, journalists, bloggers, and students continue to face harassment, punishment, and even death, U.S. officials say the government in Tehran is 'fighting a losing battle.' 'I can't give you a timeline. I can't say [that] in six months, X is going to happen. But I think all of these efforts collectively -- [the U.S.] efforts, the multilateral efforts -- empower and strengthen democracy [and] human rights activists,' Michael Posner, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor." http://t.uani.com/k9KdiS
Domestic Politics
AP: "Iran's constitutional watchdog rebuked the president Wednesday for trying to merge Cabinet ministries without parliamentary approval - the latest sign of discord at the highest levels of the ruling Islamic system in Tehran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been locked in a simmering confrontation for weeks with Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It appears to be part of a power struggle ahead of parliamentary elections next year and the vote for Ahmadinejad's successor in mid-2013. The latest slap to Ahmadinejad came after he tried to streamline his government by combining eight ministries into four without seeking parliamentary approval. The Guardian Council, which oversees government adherence to the constitution, rejected the move." http://t.uani.com/iMocu9
Foreign Affairs
Bloomberg: "Troops from Persian Gulf nations will remain in Bahrain to protect the Sunni-monarchy against an Iranian threat and 'saboteurs and thugs,' the Bahrain News Agency said, citing the commander of the Bahrain Defense Force. The Saudi-led Gulf forces will stay in 'anticipation of any foreign threat,' the official news service said, citing Commander-in-Chief Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. Bahrain's army will return to its barracks and 'always be on alert to fend off any threats,' the news service said. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal decree on May 8 declaring an end to the nationwide state of emergency on June 1. The government declared martial law in March as it sought to quell mainly Shiite demonstrations calling for more democracy and civil rights after popular uprisings ousted rulers in Egypt and Tunisia earlier this year." http://t.uani.com/itV1iR
Opinion & Analysis
Yitzhak Benhorin in YnetNews: "Stuart Levey is worried. The man who served as the architect of economic sanctions against Iran for over six years during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations is not hiding his fears over the fact that focusing on Libya, Yemen and other Middle East hotspots is diverting the attention of US and global leaders from Iran. In an exclusive interview with Ynet, the first ever Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence within the United States Department of the Treasury says that the challenge is to ensure that Iran will continue to be the focus of attention. At the moment there is no doubt that the Middle East is taking up a great deal of the time and attention of the world's leaders but he adds they mustn't lose focus. Gary Seymour, Obama's advisor for disarmament affairs expressed similar concerns. In a recent radio interview he noted that everyone's attention was on the Arab Spring, the Arab uprisings which divert attention from Iran's nuclear plans to the lack of stability in the Arab world... Thus, Levey found himself travelling the world seeking out sanction-breakers and warning countries and companies that doing business with Iran would harm their financial relationship with the US and other nations. Levey's work was obviously easier in countries that had little or no financial interest in Iran, though in some countries like Switzerland and Germany the job was a bit more difficult due to the extensive investments and business relations with Iran. In 2006-2007 following many meetings, they made the decision to stop doing business with Iran. Levey believes they did so after coming to the conclusion that the risk of doing businesses with Iranian banks was higher. Just how did Levey convince truculent countries who had business dealings with Iran? By presenting examples proving that Iran was violating the sanctions imposed on it using deceptive conduct by, among other things, changing company names, using shell companies and changing ship names." http://t.uani.com/meTza9
Yoel Guzansky & Jonathan Schachter in The National Interest: "The battle for control of and influence over the Persian Gulf has been described variously as a manifestation of Sunni-Shi'ite, Arab-Persian and/or American-Iranian rivalry. Each carries more than a grain of truth, and what we are now witnessing is these tensions each coming to a head with the result that Tehran and Washington are in the midst of a latent battle royal with the Gulf monarchs in the middle. Iran regards and certainly presents itself as a regional (if not global) power that is fundamentally superior to its Arab-Sunni and American opponents. In order to protect its petroleum industry, coastline and shipping lanes, the Tehran regime holds that the Persian Gulf (and if recent statements are to be believed, the Mediterranean Sea as well) falls within Iran's sphere of influence, and foreign powers are therefore seen as a threat. In this regard, Iran's revolutionary regime views the United States as particularly menacing, making enmity with the United States one of its enduring principles. The Arab Gulf states, ruled by Sunni monarchs, are threatened by Iran and to varying degrees by restive Shi'ite populations inspired by the recent instability in the region. Unable to defend themselves against their much larger Iranian neighbor, they have hedged their bets by aligning themselves with the United States and relying on its defensive and deterrent power, while simultaneously appeasing the Islamic Republic... The American-Iranian rivalry expresses itself in various ways in Bahrain. On the one hand, the American Fifth Fleet is based there, undoubtedly a thorn in the side of the Islamic Republic and an important American tool of containment. On the other hand, Iran has fanned the flames of the protests, identifying with its Shi'ite coreligionists and publicly criticizing the Bahraini monarchy. Most of Iran's subversive activities in the Sunni Gulf states, however, have been covert, including the training, arming, and inciting of opposition forces (both Shi'ite and Sunni) and even occasional terrorist attacks (e.g., the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996). This pattern has repeated itself in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Iranian agents have assisted anti-American forces as well. Therefore it is likely that Iran is doing more than just simply voicing its support for the protesters in Manama. This is a new era in Gulf politics and security. While Iraq is undoubtedly less threatening than it was under Saddam and still subject to American influence, the Gulf monarchies now regard it as an Iranian satellite. Iran continues to amass power and expand its regional influence. While Washington continues to be Iran's primary competitor in the Gulf, it appears to be struggling in its efforts to restrain Iran's nuclear program and in the eyes of the Gulf Arab leaders is no longer as attractive a partner as it was in years past. The Gulf monarchs are concerned that the balance of power in the area is tipping toward Iran while the order underlying their 'moderate' camp is crumbling. By and large, the United States has stood by its Gulf allies as they face popular uprisings. Maintaining the stability of the pro-Western Gulf monarchies, deterring Iran, and securing the region's energy resources will continue to be an American national interest for the foreseeable future. Washington needs to further convince the monarchs that despite its withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States remains committed to staying in the Gulf-and even to bolstering its presence there to deter Iran. This would go a long way toward easing the apprehensions set off by what is perceived as its 'abandonment' of Mubarak. It is clear from recent events across the Middle East that American support is not unconditional. Gulf rulers can help ensure continued American allegiance by tolerating peaceful expression of dissent and enhancing the pace and quality of political reform. It is time for the Americans and the monarchs to reaffirm their alliances by convincing each other of their intentions. This will make the containment of Iran at least a possibility." http://t.uani.com/jWq6Wm
Jed Babbin in RCP: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may soon be ousted from office by the ayatollahs who control Iran. More importantly, there may be a split within the principal Iranian military/terrorist force that is destabilizing the regime. This is not another popular uprising like the one that led to the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. But it may be related to the so-called 'Arab spring' in an oddly Iranian way. For at least two months, Ahmadinejad is reportedly saying that the uprisings in many Arab states are a sign that the Mahdi's reappearance is imminent. The Mahdi is the mythic 'twelfth imam' whose return to earth is supposed to be brought about by an apocalyptic event and result in an all- Islamic paradise on earth. A cult of personality has grown around Ahmadinejad. Though he denies it, Ahmadinejad has been identified by several former American hostages as one of the hostage-takers in the 1979 seizure of American embassy in Tehran. He joined the Iranian Revolutionary Guard after the 1979 revolution and was appointed mayor of Tehran in 2003. He was 'elected' to Iran's presidency in 2005. Feted various times at the UN and Columbia University, Ahmadinejad has been an almost-Westernized public face of the regime, an Izod ayatollah, dressed in a blue blazer and tan slacks for an interview in 2009 with CBS's Mike Wallace. The proximate cause of the apparent split between Ahmadinejad and Iran's 'Supreme Leader', Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is hard to pin down because the Iranian press is tightly controlled and our intelligence community has little or no reliable information from inside Iran. The split began after Ahmadinejad was 're-elected' in 2009 when Khamenei decided to keep him instead of letting Mir Hossein Mousavi (who had apparently won the vote) replace him. The most likely cause is Ahmadinejad's attempt to remove Khamenei loyalists from ministerial positions, and - even more worrying to the ayatollahs - a growing split in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps between those loyal to Ahmadinejad and the majority who are believed loyal to the theocratic regime... Now, it appears the clash between the ayatollah and the president is coming to an end, and it won't be to Ahmadinejad's benefit... Whatever happens to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the regime he serves has been our enemy since it took power forty-two years ago. Iran remains the most dangerous and prolific sponsor of Islamic terrorism. Neither a continuation of the ayatollahs nor a replacement by a military regime offers any chance of weaning Iran from terrorism or from its nuclear arms ambitions. Because President Obama, and President Bush before him, decided against military action to stop Iran's nuclear program or interfere with their sponsorship of terrorists world-wide, the only course left is to support the Iranian dissidents. We should begin today. And we should continue until a future president reaches the conclusion that both Bush and Obama should have: that no diplomatic or economic means exist to stop Iran from achieving nuclear weapons and end its sponsoring of terrorism. Covert action and, if needed overt military action, are the only solution to the threat Iran poses." http://t.uani.com/mOFhHw
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment