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More tidbits from Iran
From Memri:ABU MUS'AB AL-ZARQAWI MOVED TO IRAN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, SHORTLY AFTER THE FALLUJAH INCIDENTS, AND STAYED A FEW WEEKS AT A CAMP BELONGING TO THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS IN THE MAHRAN REGION ON THE BORDER WITH IRAQ, UNTIL LEAVING FOR THE CITY OF BAKUBA IN IRAQ. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 8/11/04) THE COMMANDER OF THE AL-QUDS ARMY OF IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS, GENERAL QASEM SULIMANI, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IRAN HAS BEEN MAKING CONCESSIONS TO ABU MUS'AB AL-ZARQAWI. A RELIABLE IRANIAN SOURCE REPORTS THAT GENERAL SULIMANI SAID THAT ZARQAWI'S OPERATIONS IN IRAQ 'SERVE THE SUPREME INTERESTS OF IRAN,' PARTICULARLY IN PREVENTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIME COOPERATING WITH THE U.S. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 8/11/04) THE IRANIAN SOURCE SAID THAT AL-ZARQAWI AND 20 COMMANDERS OF HIS ORGANIZATION NEED NO PRIOR APPROVAL TO ENTER IRAN: 'THERE ARE BORDER POINTS FROM HALABJA IN THE NORTH TO ILAM IN THE SOUTH THROUGH WHICH ZARQAWI AND 20 OF THE ANSAR AL-ISLAM FIGHTERS CAN ENTER IRANIAN TERRITORY WHENEVER THEY WANT.' (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON, 8/11/04) THE IRANIAN DAILY HAMSHAHRI REPORTED THAT MORE THAN 15,000 IRANIAN VOLUNTEERS SIGNED UP TO CARRY OUT SUICIDE MISSIONS IN THE SHI'ITE HOLY CITIES IN SOUTHERN IRAQ. (AL-AYYAM, BAHRAIN, 8/10/04) IRAN'S JUDICIARY HEAD AYATOLLAH MAHMOUD HASHEMI SHAHROUDI REFERRED TO U.S. ATTACKS ON HOLY SITES IN IRAQ AS DECLARATION OF A CULTURAL WAR. (KAYHAN, IRAN, 8/10/04) PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER MAS'OUD KHAN IS DENYING IRANIAN-PAKISTANI NUCLEAR COOPERATION. (AFTAB-E YAZD, IRAN, 8/10/04) THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF IRAN'S WEAPONS INDUSTRIES, MEHDI FARHI, SAID IRAN IS EXPORTING WEAPONS PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY TO 12 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. HE SAID THAT BY THE END OF THE IRANIAN YEAR (MARCH 20, 2005), SOME IRR 30 BILLION WORTH OF NEW CONTRACTS WOULD BE SIGNED, AND THAT 'SOME IRR 5.5 BILLION OF THIS FIGURE WERE ALREADY REALIZED IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.' (IRAN DAILY, 8/10/04) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER KAMAL KHARRAZI SAID THAT 'IN ORDER FOR IRAN'S DOSSIER TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, THERE MUST BE VIOLATIONS [OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION] AND SO FAR IRAN HAS ⊠VIOLATED NONE OF ITS OBLIGATIONS. WE ARE CLOSE TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE EUROPEANS AND WITH THE IAEA, AND WE WILL ANNOUNCE OUR POSITIONS IN THIS MATTER.' (AFTAB-E YAZD, IRAN, 8/10/04) A SECURITY SOURCE IN IRAQ SAID THAT THE AMERICANS ARE BEHIND THE ABDUCTION OF AN IRANIAN DIPLOMAT. (JOMHOUR-YE ESLAMI, IRAN, 8/10/04) THE IRANIAN REFORMIST DAILY NASSIM-E SABA HAS CLOSED. (JOMHOUR-YE ESLAMI, IRAN, 8/10/04) THE IRANIAN CONSERVATIVE PAPER KAYHAN SPECULATED THAT PERHAPS THE ABDUCTED IRANIAN DIPLOMAT IS IN THE HANDS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS OR OF THE IRAQI POLICE. IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER KHARRAZI CONFIRMED THAT DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS ARE UNDERWAY TO SECURE HIS RELEASE. (KAYHAN, IRAN, 8/10/04) Posted by: mercutio 2004-08-11 |
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