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Poll Violation Documents Presented
TEHRAN, Aug. 3--President Mohammad Khatami on the last day of his presidential term on Tuesday, in a letter to Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, reported violations in the recent presidential election to him.
The outgoing president presented documented evidence regarding electoral violations that aimed at defaming candidates of the 9th presidential election held in June.
Khatami urged the judiciary to take a neutral stance and punish the perpetrators.
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Nuclear Technology, an NPT Right
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Hideaki Domichi
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Mohammad Reza Bahonar
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TEHRAN, Aug. 3--First Deputy Parliament Speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar once again reiterated Iran’s stance vis-ˆ-vis its peaceful nuclear program, saying that access to nuclear technology is the country’s clear-cut right envisioned in the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), ISNA reported.
In a meeting with Japan’s Ambassador to Iran Hideaki Domichi on Wednesday, Bahonar said, “The core of government’s policies is to ensure national interests and long-term benefits.“
He added that governments might come and go but there would never be major alterations with respect to principles.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Bahanor said the ground is prepared for Japanese companies to engage in key investment projects in Iran, especially in the energy sector.
“Iran can turn into a permanent investment base for Japan,“ he said.
Reflecting upon the importance attached by the government of Iran to its political ties with Japan, Bahonar said Iran is determined to further expand two-way relations and is keen to engage in intensive talks with the Asian country over crucial regional and international matters.
Domichi said, during his mission in Tehran, he and his colleagues at the embassy will spare no effort to help boost Iran-Japan relations. He also expressed hope that success in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency would elevate Iran to its deserved political and economic status.
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Probe Underway
To Identify Killers of Judge
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Hassan Moqaddas
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TEHRAN, Aug. 3--Judiciary Spokesman Jamal Karimi-Rad said on Wednesday police investigations are underway to identify the killers of Tehran’s deputy prosecutor.
Judge Hassan Moqaddas was shot and killed early on Tuesday when he was leaving office in northern Tehran.
Karimi-Rad noted that eyewitness accounts about the assassination are being reviewed.
He added that the victim’s body is at the Coroner’s Office and results of the investigations will be made public as soon as possible.
Moqaddas was one of the judges who had examined the Berlin Conference dossier at Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, which led to the imprisonment of several reformist activists.
Meanwhile, Massoumeh Shafiei, wife of jailed journalist Akbar Ganji, condemned the assassination of Moqaddas.
She expressed regret over such terrorist moves, saying, “Terrorism, in any form and by anyone, should be condemned as an inhumane and indecent act.“
She also said dialogue and peaceful means are best ways of settling the problems in all fields.
Shafiei offered condolences to the bereaved family of Moqaddas and prayed to God to grant them patience.
Moqaddas had convicted Akbar Ganji, along with six other dissidents, for attending the Berlin conference on Iranian reforms in 2000.
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Venezuela Keen On Closer Interaction
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Aug. 3--Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday he will visit Iran at the earliest possible opportunity.
He made the remark in a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Venezuela Ahmad Sobhani and extended his warm greetings to Iran’s president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, IRNA reported.
Earlier, Iranian media reported that the Venezuelan president would take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Ahmadinejad, but the report was not confirmed by Venezuela.
Ahmadinejad had its presidency confirmed by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
In a separate meeting with head of Imam Khomeini Relief Committee Seyyed Reza Nayyeri on Monday, Chavez expressed hope that Ahmadinejad would follow the policy taken by President Khatami to improve relations with other countries.
The Venezuelan president hailed the effective plans pursued by the committee to eliminate poverty, saying that his respective country is in dire need of such a plan. He added that the Venezuelan minister of social development will visit Iran to get familiar with the plans of the Iranian committee.
Chavez stressed that the Iranian and Venezuelan nations would get closer and relations between the two important states in the Middle East and Latin America would expand further.
For his part, Nayyeri said Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is ready to provide Venezuela with the experiences it has acquired during the past years.
Nayyeri, who arrived in Venezuela last week on an official visit, returned home Tuesday.
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Licenses for 9 Publications
TEHRAN, Aug. 3--Culture and Guidance Ministry has issued permits for nine publications, including a daily to be published by former parliamentary speaker and one of the ninth presidential election candidates, Mehdi Karroubi.
ISNA on Wednesday quoted the ministry’s Press and Information Office as saying that one newspaper, three weeklies, two biweeklies, one monthly and two periodicals have received publication licenses.
Karroubi’s newspaper will be called ’National Trust’.
The print media, which flourished during Mohammad Khatami’s presidency, came under frequent attacks from the judiciary which ordered the closure of a number of mostly reformist papers.
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Sudan Gov’t, Nation Condoled
TEHRAN, Aug. 3--Outgoing President Mohammad Khatami, on the last day of his presidential term on Tuesday, offered condolences to his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan Al-Bashir on the death of First Vice Prime Minister John Garang.
Garang died in a helicopter crash on Monday which claimed the lives of 42 people, IRNA
reported.
The death of Garang, who was sworn in as Sudan’s first vice prime minister in a unity government on July 9, was followed by riots in Khartoum.
In the message, Khatami extended condolences to the Sudanese nation and the bereaved families, and prayed to God to grant them patience.
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UK Embassy Condemns Flag-Burning Incident
TEHRAN, Aug. 3--British Embassy in Tehran on Wednesday condemned the act of hooligans who set on fire Iran’s flag near a training camp set up by Iran’s national football team in London.
In a statement, a copy of which was faxed to Mehr News Agency, the embassy censured what it called the “despicable behavior of a number of hooligans against an sporting event“.
The incident happened two weeks ago when Iran’s national squad was camping in London as a part of its preparation plan.
The incident, which took place on the sidelines of a friendly game played by Iran’s football team and the British Queen Parks Rangers, occurred on July 23. Iranians lost the game 3-0.
According to the communiquŽ, the British government has expressed regret over the incident.
In reaction to the incident, the British embassy issued the communiquŽ only after it was announced that rallies are to be staged in front of the British Embassy in Tehran.
The communiquŽ added that the hooligans tried to stop the game through this act.
“Though they were present during the game, they could hardly be considered as supporters or representatives of a more extensive thinking trend,“ it added.
Tehran and London have been trying to mend relations in recent years after almost two decades of frosty ties.
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Envoy Meets Malaysian Speaker
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 3--Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Amir Hossein Zamani-Nia held talks with Malaysian Speaker of House of Representative Ramli bin Nagah Talib here Wednesday on ways of expanding bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, the Iranian envoy briefed the Malaysian speaker on recent developments in Iran, particularly the 9th presidential election as well as the nuclear issue, IRNA reported.
He outlined the reasons for Iran’s decision to resume nuclear activities at Isfahan’s UCF facility.
Zamani-Nia voiced his country’s readiness to bolster economic cooperation with Malaysia, particularly in the fields of trade and investment. He extended an invitation to Ramli on behalf of his Iranian counterpart Gholamali Haddad-Adel to visit Iran.
The Malaysian speaker looked forward to visiting Iran and expressed satisfaction with Tehran-Kuala Lumpur political relations.
Pointing to the high potentials and capabilities of the two states, Ramli called for expansion of all-out cooperation with Iran.
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7.8 Tons of Drugs Seized
TEHRAN, Aug. 3--Anti-drug police squads seized 7,839 kg of drugs throughout the country during the past week, it was announced on Wednesday.
According to a report released by Police 110, the drug haul included 6,649 kg of opium, 684 kg of hashish, 80 kg of heroin and 426 kg of morphine.
The drugs, seized during several operations, show a 61-percent rise compared with the previous week.
Police arrested 403 smugglers, distributors and addicts who were handed over to judicial officials last week.
The drugs were mostly confiscated in Kerman, Yazd and Hormuzgan provinces.
Iran, despite its unceasing anti-drug efforts, has remained a key route for southwest Asian drugs on their way to lucrative markets in Europe and Persian Gulf countries.
Domestic drug consumption continues to be a persistent problem in the country, which has at least two million drug addicts.
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Unacceptable
SISAST-E ROUZ: At the time and age we live in books are viewed as the strategic tool for transferring viewpoints, especially among the elite. The main advantages of books are that they affect the potential readers in the long term and that they are easy to carry around. Elimination of censorship in publication of books reached critical levels during the tenure of the former Culture Minister Ataollah Mohajerani and the issue is still being pursued seriously by the ministry officials. It seems that some are trying to mar the reputation of religiosity in light of the support of foreign enemies. The fact that many obscene books have been published in recent years upon the authorization of Culture Ministry reveals that vice is being promulgated within the society. The bottom line is that in the last days of the tenure of the incumbent Culture Minister Ahmad Masjed-Jameie we have been witness to spread of unacceptable works in the arenas of cinema, print media and books.
Widening Rift
KHORASAN: After some five months of debate between the White House and the US Congress’s Democrats, President George W. Bush appointed John Bolton as the US permanent representative to the United Nations without winning the approval of the Senate. This is for the first time in the history of the UN that the US permanent representative to the UN has been appointed this way. Bolton can resume his post till 2007 when the new US Congress will be established. The story of appointment of Bolton to the above-mentioned post hints at the widening rift between the Republicans and liberals. On the one hand the conservatives are trying their best to make the American public forget about eight years of Bill Clinton’s presidency and on the other the Democrats are doing their best to protect their accomplishments such as the right of abortion and separation of religion from politics. The fact is that ever since Bush was reelected in 2004, the American society tended to become somewhat unipolar. At any rate, it is obvious that the issue of appointment of Bolton without the consent of the Senate will not put an end to the impasse between the Republicans and Democrats and will certainly worsen the situation.
Brilliant
MARDOMSALARI: The tenure of Mohammad Khatami’s government has ended. Khatami took over presidential office at the time when Iran was experiencing tough economic conditions at the home front and myriads of problems in its international relations. In 1997, the price of oil was very low, the European countries had summoned their ambassadors to Tehran and the country had 30 billion dollars of foreign debt. Meanwhile, the global community did not view the Islamic system favorably. Therefore, all fair citizens of the country remember how miserable the governing conditions were when Khatami became president. However, in light of relying on God Almighty and the public support and because of his crave and admiration to serve his people, Khatami managed to carry out important infrastructural tasks and leave a brilliant track record behind. This is something that history will tell us eventually.
New Policy
AFARINESH: Although Europeans had asked Iran to give them a couple of months till they present their plan for resolving Iran’s nuclear dossier, they did not do so when the deadline approached and impudently urged Iran to continue to suspend all its nuclear operations. Now, after some two years of negotiations, Iranians have reached the conclusion that they should resume peaceful nuclear activities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and by adhering to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). Today the main question is whether Iran should revise its nuclear policies or continue to negotiate with Germany, the UK and France. Europeans have constantly made empty promises to Iran in the past two years in return for Iran suspending its peaceful nuclear activities. Given the fact that Iran has so far met all the requirements set by Europe, it looks logical that Iran adopt a new nuclear policy.
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