Iransara In English

KHATAMI CHALLENGES POWER OF HARDLINERS
"The president insists that he is not seeking powers beyond the Iranian constitution, and his measure is likely to be passed by the reformist parliament. But it may be blocked by Guardian Council, which reviews all legislation before it comes into effect. It is packed with hardliners." More...

posted by Davood J Fard @ 1:20 PM 0 comments

NEXT TARGET!
Washington post: Would you support the United States if he doesn't comply and there is a war against Hussein?
The foreign minister of Iran: We are basically against a military operation against Iraq. Of course, it all depends. If Americans are going to attack Iraq unilaterally, we certainly would not be supportive. In the case that Iraq does not comply and the Security Council would authorize using force against Iraq, it would be a different story. But basically we cannot agree with the U.S. policy to use force in order to change the regime of another country.
If Iran’s regime were little bit democratic and rational it would be a great opportunity for it to get rid of one of its most dangerous enemy. Certainly, Saddam, who caused the bloodiest war in Iran’s history, is a huge threat to his own people and to other countries in the region.
But problem is that Iran’s rulers are not much different from Saddam. Both regimes are violating human right, developing mass destruction weapons, supporting terrorism and terrorizing their own people. It is obvious that Iran would be the next target in the region and the rulers of Iran are aware of it very well. When Kharrazi- Iran’s foreign minister- says that Iran cannot agree with U.S. policy to interfere in another country’s affairs, he reveals Ayatollahs’ nightmare of being target after Saddam.

posted by Davood J Fard @ 8:40 PM 0 comments

9/11 HITS IRANIAN CAVIAR SALES
AMN INFO: "Iranian caviar producers have become an unlikely commercial victim of the decline in first class air travel since September 11. The Fisheries Trade Company said its exports fell by two-thirds in the six months after the terrorist attrocities. Officials noted that most of their caviar was served to first class airline passengers."

posted by Davood J Fard @ 7:04 PM 0 comments

Life
Life is perhaps
a long street through which a woman holding
a basket passes every day
Life is perhaps
a rope with which a man hangs himself from a branch
life is perhaps a child returning home from school.
Life is perhaps lighting up a cigarette
in the narcotic repose between two love-makings
or the absent gaze of a passerby
who takes off his hat to another passerby
with a meaningless smile and a good morning .
Life is perhaps that enclosed moment
when my gaze destroys itself in the pupil of your eyes
and it is in the feeling
which I will put into the Moon's impression
and the Night's perception.

- Foroogh Farrokhzad- Iranian poet.

posted by Davood J Fard @ 10:58 PM 0 comments

IRAN TELLS UN IT OPPOSES US STRIKES ON IRAQ
Today, Iran is calling for respect for Iraq's territorial integrity and letting the United Nations take the lead in resolving the current crisis over weapons inspections. In remarks to the General Assembly, Iranian foreign minister Kharrazi, speaking through an interpreter, also made clear Teheran opposes U.S. threats to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"We are against any unilateral measure or military intervention in Iraq, underline the central role of the United Nations in this regard, and hold that it is up to the people of Iraq to determine their own future through democratic means," he said. VOA

posted by Davood J Fard @ 11:09 PM 0 comments

FOCUS ON IRAN AND SYRIA, NOT IRAQ
Senator Bob Graham, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, calls the Bush administration's focus on Iraq a distraction from the campaign against terrorism and lists Syria and Iran as countries that should be the first targets of any aggressive effort against state sponsors of terrorist activity.
He said the antiterrorism effort should focus on countries that had a significant Qaeda presence or terrorist training camps. "Those are primarily in Syria, in the Syrian-controlled areas of Lebanon and in Iran," the senator said.
He added a warning: "Avoid the allure of distractions. At this point, I think Iraq is a primary distraction from achieving our goals or reducing the threat of international terrorism." More...

posted by Davood J Fard @ 8:24 PM 1 comments

FOCUS ON IRAN AND SYRIA, NOT IRAQ
Senator Bob Graham, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, calls the Bush administration's focus on Iraq a distraction from the campaign against terrorism and lists Syria and Iran as countries that should be the first targets of any aggressive effort against state sponsors of terrorist activity.
He said the antiterrorism effort should focus on countries that had a significant Qaeda presence or terrorist training camps. "Those are primarily in Syria, in the Syrian-controlled areas of Lebanon and in Iran," the senator said.
He added a warning: "Avoid the allure of distractions. At this point, I think Iraq is a primary distraction from achieving our goals or reducing the threat of international terrorism." More...

posted by Davood J Fard @ 8:22 PM 0 comments

END DRUG TRADE
Kamal Kharrazi, Iran's foreign minister said: "The United States is helping terrorists and bandits to work against the Islamic Republic of Iran.Illegal drugs provide much of the financial support for terrorist activities." More...

posted by Davood J Fard @ 1:38 PM 0 comments

ABANDONING IRAN'S REFORMERS
Shicago Tribune: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami is again challenging the fundamentalist mullahs who hold most of the real power in Iran, complaining that the hard-line clerics have made it all but impossible for him to do his job and pursue reforms.
In May, he threatened to quit (as did many of his supporters in Parliament), if his conservative opponents continued to block his reform attempts. They have, he hasn't.
Last week he declared that he would introduce a bill that would seek to restore his presidency's full powers to act as head of state and protect citizen's rights.
Khatami's latest effort may be no more effective than his previous attempts to wrest some control from the mullahs, who maintain their grip on the Army, security forces and the courts. But such dramatic social and political change is almost certain to be a long and frustrating process. The administration should be wary, as one former diplomat warned, that the new American approach "may help those we are trying to harm, and harm those we are trying to help."
Imperfect as he may be, Khatami still deserves U.S. support.
This time, story is very different from the others. America’s policy against Saddam’s regime is not just because of its biological and nuclear weapons or supporting terrorism. Iraqi regime is violating human right and freedom in Iraq as well and it’s the other issue that U.S.A claims. Ignoring and violating the human right and basic freedoms in Iran is far more obvious than Iraq. And that could be an efficient reason for America to interfere in Iran regime after toppling Saddam. Mullahs are aware of this and they will try to avoid it in any ways. That’s why I think they will modify their policy a little bit by approving Khatami’s bill and giving him a minor power. According to Iran’s constitution, Khatami would never get full power to achieve his goal and do what he did promise people. Khatami in his press conference clearly said that he was going to act base of constitution and he just needed the restricted power, which was illustrated in it.

posted by Davood J Fard @ 10:47 AM 1 comments

IRAN, IRAQ IN NEW WAR OF WORDS
During Monday's press conference in Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi criticized Iraq for serving "Zionist interests" in the past by waging war against Iran between 1980-88 and invading Kuwait.
"Launching a prolonged war against Iran and invading its Arab neighbor (Kuwait) caused disputes among Islamic countries, which were all music to Israel's ears," Asefi said.
His remarks were in response to Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, who strongly lashed out at Iran over the weekend, charging that the "Persians have always been the allies of Zionists" and "of having ambitions in the Arab world like the Zionists." More...

posted by Davood J Fard @ 1:42 PM 0 comments

IRANIAN FILM IN VENICE
Tehran times: Italian diva Sophia Loren and Oscar winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow starred in the opening ceremony of the 59th edition of the Venice Film Festival.Iranian feature film "Women's Prison" directed by Manijeh Hekmat is to compete in the Controcorrente (Upstream) Section of the festival along with 17 other foreign films for San Marco Award.

posted by Davood J Fard @ 4:39 PM 0 comments