| Can't tell the players without a scorecard. |
 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed Monday ultraconservative Ali Larijani as head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and new chief nuclear negotiator, the news network Khabar reported. In his appointment letter, Ahmadinejad called on Larijani to take "correct decisions which secure both the interests and legal rights of the nation". There was no need for further elaboration. In both positions as SNSC head and chief nuclear negotiator, the 48-year-old Larijani will succeed the moderate Hassan Rowhani, who had tried in the last two years to reach a compromise with the European Union in the nuclear dispute. Along with the designated foreign minister, Manuchehr Mottaki, Larijani will be the main Iranian officials in charge of future nuclear negotiations with the E.U. and also form the new nuclear delegation team. Larijani supports resuming nuclear activities and has in the past been critical of negotiations with the E.U. and opposes any compromise in the dispute. Born in Tehran in 1957, Larijani graduated in mathematics and computer sciences and later gained a PhD in western philosophy. Larijani was head of Iran's state television network IRIB from 1994-2004, and earlier served as minister of culture under former president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. As the conservative faction's main candidate, Larijani gained less than 6 per cent in last June's presidential elections and failed to reach the second round. After Ahmadinejad's landslide election victory over the ultra- conservative Abadgaran party, Larijani was one of the first officials to be invited to aid him during his four-year tenure. Meanwhile, hundreds of Iranian students plan Tuesday in Isfahan to protest against the IAEA resolution and form a human chain around the uranium conversion plant in the central Iranian city. |