Gholamali Haddad-Adel

TEHRAN, Oct. 26--Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel here Tuesday referred to nuclear negotiations with Europe as 'useful'.
Talking to parliamentary reporters, Haddad-Adel added that this, however, does not mean that European stances are frank, IRNA reported.
The speaker, who did not elaborate on the details of the Iranian proposal to the EU3 (Britain, France, Germany), added that the proposal does not in any way mean "a surrender to Europe".
"We have neither closed the door on the possibility of talks with Europe nor opened the door to negotiations with the US since we do not see any honesty in the Americans," he said.
Haddad-Adel reiterated that Tehran does not reject any kind of negotiations within the framework of its national interest on nuclear issues.
"Iranian representatives at the negotiations will brief their European counterparts on the details of the proposal and will discuss ongoing problems with them," he said.

Mohsen Armin

TEHRAN, Oct. 26--Islamic Revolution's Mujahideen Organization will probably introduce its presidential candidate, IRMO spokesman said.
Mohsen Armin also told ISNA on Tuesday that IRMO's senior members believe reformist groups can reach consensus over a particular candidate.
"If the Guardians Council were to reject the qualification of the reformist candidate, reformers should avoid taking part in the election," he said.
Armin opined that reformers can reach consensus over the candidacy of Mostafa Moin who served as former minister of science, research and technology.
Commenting on rumors about the support of IRMO and the Islamic Iran Participation Front for the candidacy of prominent jurist, Mohaqqeq-Damad, Armin said neither Mohaqqeq-Damad is willing to run in the next election nor reformers will support him.
"Although the reformist Internet sites are currently being filtered, the conservative sites, which are full of insulting material, are still active," he said.
Noting that IRMO is very sensitive about the detention of online journalists, Armin noted that if IRMO were to gain information about those who are behind the conservative sites, which are full of insulting material, it will certainly disclose the same.

TEHRAN, Oct. 26--Judiciary Spokesman Jamal Karimi-Rad said Wednesday the Hong Kong-based GoldQuest company has agreed to pay compensations to the government and the people, ISNA reported.
Karimi-Rad added that the company, which has representatives in Iran, has agreed to compensate following the measures of judiciary, which labeled their activities 'fraudulent'.
Asked if any organization had authorized the company to print coins with Imam Khomeini's picture on it, Karimi-Rad said the company has not received any authorization and the Center for Publishing Imam's Works has filed a complaint.
The company offered gold coins and other valuable items via the net, promising the buyers hefty profits in a short period. The government announced that their activities were damaging the economy by causing an outflow of capital.
Subsequently, the judiciary launched an investigation into the case, saying their activities were illegal. Later, a group carrying coins into the country was arrested upon arrival and the coins were found to be counterfeit.

TEHRAN, Oct. 26--Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Abdollah Nasseri here Monday outlined the agency's policies during the coming presidential election (May 2005).
In his letter to IRNA's director general for domestic news, Mohammad Fazeli, whereby he was appointed as the head of the headquarters to cover the event, Nasseri touched upon main areas that should be taken into consideration, IRNA reported.
The IRNA chief referred to creation of the proper ground for people's participation as the basis of national security and safeguarding the prestige of the agency as the national media by avoiding politically-biased tendencies as the most important pivots of IRNA's electoral policies.
Nasseri also called on IRNA's officials to adopt appropriate news policies to encourage Iranian expatriates to vote in the presidential election.

TEHRAN, Oct. 26--Impeachment of two ministers will be held simultaneously in future, a lawmaker said here Tuesday.
Qodratollah Imani, member of the committee following up the impeachments of Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari and Education Minister Morteza Haji, told reporters that MPs will hold a final session to endorse the impeachments next Tuesday, IRNA reported.
"It would then be brought to the open Majlis session for approval on November 16," he said.
Imani added that Lari is charged with lack of proper interactions and cooperation between his ministry and other governmental bodies. He is also accused of disturbing national unity and social security, interference in the affairs of other governmental bodies, providing false reports and appointing disqualified managers and governers.
Mismanagement and failure to provide national security were also mentioned by Imani as other charges made by the MPs against the Iranian interior minister.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 26--Lebanese President Emile Lahoud appreciated on Monday efforts made by Iranian officials, particularly President Mohammad Khatami, to support Beirut's political stances.
Lahoud made the remark in a meeting with Iran's Presidential Advisor Mohammad Sadr in Beirut, IRNA reported.
Lahoud also underlined Beirut's support for Tehran's political stances.
Sadr, for his part, conveyed the warm greetings of President Khatami to the Lebanese president and nation, and congratulated him on his reelection as the president of Lebanon.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Sadr said his visit to Lebanon is aimed at voicing Iran's support for Lebanon in the face of foreign pressures, particularly Israeli ploys.
In separate meetings Tuesday with Lebanon's National Assembly President Nabih Berri and Premier-designate Omar Karami, Sadr discussed expansion of mutual ties and regional developments.
In his meeting with Berri, parliamentary ties and dimensions of Iran-Lebanon cooperation were discussed and special focus was placed on further bolstering relations.
Referring to the ratification of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 as a risky measure, Sadr said it is an obvious example of interference in the country's domestic affairs.
Later, Sadr met with Premier-designate Omar Karami and exchanged views on bolstering relations in political and economic fields. He reiterated Iran's political and economic support for Lebanese government and people.
Karami lauded Iran's support for his country as well as its approach, and briefed Sadr on the current political and economic situation in Lebanon.
In related news, Sadr also met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Seyyed Hassan Nasrollah on Monday. The two sides discussed the latest developments in Middle East, especially Palestine and Iraq.

The European proposal to Iran to stop uranium enrichment in return for commercial and investment considerations and a guarantee of fuel supply for nuclear power plants is an insult to our intelligence. We must have done a lot of wrong in other situations to deserve this child-like treatment. The US State Department spokesman also treated us as mentally retarded by suggesting that "Iran does not need nuclear energy", and showed ill intent by not distinguishing between civilian and military nuclear technology development in Iran.
Fact is that we must minimize use of our oil and gas reserves for fuel. They can be converted into thousands of consumer products needed by humans, not counting food. Besides, fossil fuels are heavy pollutants. Fact also is that we must get most of our power requirements from clean and cheap nuclear sources in the absence of better and safer substitutes.
We also must produce our own fuel for the nuclear power plants we plan to build, which is not going to be limited to the two in Bushehr. We must have the technology and equipment and be self-reliant. We cannot subject the country to the whims of a few potential suppliers who are more powerful than us, united, and have their own ambitions in the region; that is, in the territory of our influence and national interest. We MUST NOT make our power industry hostage to those whose political goals may at times overpower commercial interest.
Iran needs to advance in nuclear science and technology not only for use in civilian fields other than power, such as food, medicine, transport, communication, etc., but for the sake of science itself. Furthermore, Iran has rich underground reserves of uranium, which should be mined, processed, enriched and sold, to other countries for their nuclear power plants. This, of course, must be done responsibly and under the supervision of the IAEA. There is no reason why we should not emerge as a supplier rather than be a slaved buyer.
One of the problems the Islamic Republic has been facing is its failure to gain the trust of the international community on a number of issues, nuclear activities included. I believe that the pressure on Iran is not solely for her suspected nuclear military program. Big powers have nothing to worry about and they know it. The big-power midgets also have little to worry and they know it too. So, it's either for the Islamic Republic to submit to most of what they demand, which is short of enslaving Iran in the nuclear field, or reconsider some of its external and internal policies looming in the background of these problems.
I have a proposal, which might open the way for negotiations with the big powers on issues related to
nuclear plants and fuel production. The main concern of Europe's big three and the Americans is their mistrust of the Islamic Republic's lack of clarity and, to some extent Iran's partnership with Russia.
Moreover, I do not believe that the Russians, whose interest lies in their trade and investment relations with the West, can and will complete the Bushehr plant without the West's blessings. They would have to obtain some vital parts needed for commissioning of the plants from the West anyway.
This is why the Russians have toyed us with since 1990, when they first contracted to finish the plants. I had visited the bombed plants (during the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war) then through the IAEO and suggested that they can be finished in two years. Furthermore, I believe that if nuclear power plants are going to be built in Iran, the European big three and the Americans are not going to let anyone else do it. The contracts for two dozen power plants that were planned for Iran 30 years ago belonged to Germany, France and the US. My guess is that they want to come back and do it themselves, this time UK included.
So, I propose the three European musketeers and the US come and invest in the Iranian nuclear power plant business, a joint venture with Iran which should give them at least 50% ownership interest. This way, they can directly control the fuel usage and disposal. They will profit in three ways: profit from the construction contracts, profit from the operation, and have the feeling of security about the use of enriched uranium. Iran, on the other hand, will have the dozens of nuclear power plants it needs and must have, share the cost with the partners, reduce capital investment requirement, and gain the trust of the international community about its intentions.
I further propose that a commercial company owned and operated jointly by Iran and the partners of the power plants also conduct the commercial enrichment operation for fuel production. Iran's own academicians and researchers can continue to conduct their work in an international environment with IAEA supervision.
I invite the Iranian negotiators to study this proposal and use it as a compromise plan at their next joint meeting.