DAMASCUS, Syria, May 19--A senior Hamas official said late Friday Iran and Syria are making efforts to stop clashes between Hamas and Fatah.
Musa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas political office, also stressed that Syria and Iran have had no role in the ongoing Hamas-Fatah crisis, Syria News website reported.
He added that the economic embargo on the Palestinian government and the resulting economic crisis have fueled differences between the two groups.
The Hamas official noted that the two countries are striving to forge unity and not to hamper the Palestinian cause.
Abu Marzouk blamed Arab countries for failing to meet their financial obligations with regard to the Palestinians and said the Israelis are behind these events.
Hamas and Fatah had formed a unity government which has failed to function smoothly. They blame each other for violating the spirit of the Mecca agreement signed on Feb. 8 by the two warring parties.

MASHHAD,
Khorasan Razavi,
May 19--Some 85 percent of war veterans with chemical wounds in Iran have mild symptoms of diseases linked to chemical weapons used by the former Iraqi regime during the 1980-88 war.
Director of the Center Dealing With Chemical Victims, Mostafa Qanei, told reporters on Thursday that of the 40,000 chemical victims in Iran, only 100 patients are in very critical conditions, IRNA reported.
Qanei explained that it takes 10-15 years, as indicated by research, for a chemical disease to advance from a mild stage to a moderate or serious stage.
Noting that the diseases of about 15 percent of war veterans with chemical wounds in the country are of a serious nature, he said they are being treated by a team of physicians in their own houses.
Referring to pulmonary impairment as the most widespread problem among chemical victims, the official said, “Many chemical victims are also suffering from eye, nerve and mental impairments.“
Qanei highlighted medical research in the past 20 years, saying that Iranian physicians have achieved great accomplishments for treating the diseases of chemical victims.
The official said 19 papers have been published in international journals about Iran’s medical achievements in treating chemical wounds, announcing that several universities in Canada, the US, Italy and German are currently cooperating with Iranian physicians in this regard.
Qanei also pointed to a nationwide plan launched in 2006 to assess war veterans suffering from chemical wounds.

TEHRAN, May 19--Iran ranked 37th in the field of research by submitting 6,700 scientific papers to the publications of the Institute for Scientific Information in 2006.
Addressing the second conference of Islamic Association of University Faculties, Science, Research and Technology Minister Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi said on Monday that the figure shows a twofold growth in comparison with the previous year, the Persian daily ’Iran’ reported.
“Iran has registered the highest scientific growth in the region,“ Zahedi said. Earlier, ISI announced that Iran ranked first among Muslim nations and 32nd worldwide in terms of nanotechnology research by submitting 250 scientific papers to the institute in 2006.

Farideh Aali

TEHRAN, May 19--A UNICEF expert said social disorders are threatening women and children in many countries while it is negligible in Iran.
Farideh Aali, the UNICEF’s expert on cooperation with Muslim states, made the remark in a meeting of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with provincial officials, which was held on Saturday in the Foreign Ministry’s Research Center.
She added that in some Muslim countries, 4 million children under five die annually because of malnutrition.
“The death toll linked to malnutrition is rising and it’s dangerous,“ she said.
The expert noted that infantile paralysis is still common in 8 countries, 6 of which are Muslim states.
Aali criticized the rising murder of women and children in the world and said this is misrepresented as violation of human rights in Muslim countries.
“Close cooperation between religious leaders and UNICEF to eradicate rough behavior against women and children is necessary,“ she said.
Manouchehr Sadeqi, director general of Interior Ministry’s Social Department, said after the Iraq-imposed war, Iran attained achievements related to population control, social disorders and solving problems of women and children. Referring to nongovernmental organizations in Iran, he said, “In the last few years, we could register 9,000 NGOs, which are appropriate bodies for the participation of women in social activities.“
UNICEF has launched a four-year plan for reducing social disorders in West Azerbaijan, Hormuzgan and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces, which will be implemented in 2009.

BANDAR ABBAS, Hormuzgan, May 19--A judiciary official said vehicles, vessels, houses and stores used by smugglers of alcoholic drinks will be seized.
Speaking to the judiciary officials of Hormuzgan province on Saturday, Mohsen Yektan-Khodaie, the head of Hormuzgan judiciary, added that according to the law, all the places used for storing alcoholic drinks and the vessels used for carrying it will be immediately seized by the government, IRNA reported.
He noted that nobody can lodge an appeal against the confiscated properties, pointing out that smugglers of alcoholic drinks will be fined at least 300,000 rials per liter which is the international price for alcoholic drinks.
“All the vessels and vehicles used for transporting alcoholic drinks will be confiscated and sold in tenders. Revenues will go to the state treasury,“ he said.
He pointed out that the demand for alcoholic drinks has declined in the last few years.
Yektan-Khodaie called for the assistance of cultural and educational organizations for the eradication of smuggling and consumption of alcoholic drinks.
“Cultural and educational organizations should intensify efforts for eradicating the consumption of non-Islamic drinks,“ he said.

Mohammad Reza Baqeri

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent visit to the Persian Gulf littoral states of Oman and the United Arab Emirates is important, as it will help remove some of the regional tensions.
It was the first visit by an Iranian president to UAE since the Emirate’s establishment in 1971.
The foreign media focused on Ahmadinejad’s visit to UAE, particularly because of the ongoing dispute between Iran and UAE over the three Iranian islands of the Persian Gulf, namely Abu Mousa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs.
Deputy foreign minister for Arab and African States, Mohammad Reza Baqeri, accompanied the chief executive during the tour of Arab countries. He had constructive talks with Omani and Emirati officials due to his competence over issues related to Arab states.
Baqeri discussed the achievements of this visit to Arab countries and other regional issues in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily, the first part of which is presented below:

IRAN DAILY: What foreign policy objectives were pursued during President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent tour of Arab countries and what objectives were achieved?
BAQERI: The Persian Gulf and its littoral states have not only been of prime importance for the country, but also for the entire world. The region has attracted the attention of many countries due to economic and political reasons, such that countries located thousands of miles away are keen to increase their presence in this region. They intend to expand their political, economic and cultural relations with the Persian Gulf littoral states.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s diplomacy is geared toward Iran’s neighboring countries and dŽtente like the previous governments. This is while enemies wish to create rifts among regional countries.
The president’s visit was in line with his previous visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
The chief executive was warmly welcomed by the officials of UAE and Oman. He held fruitful talks with the officials of the Arab states in international, regional and bilateral fields.
On bilateral ties, it was decided to increase the level of cooperation. We have not had regular ties with UAE before the president’s visit. For example, Iran and UAE did not have a joint trade and economic commission. During the recent visit, the two countries agreed to form such a commission and assigned their foreign ministers to take charge of the commission since they know the political issues better.
Tehran and Abu Dhabi agreed to invest in each other’s gas and banking sectors. The president managed to meet Iranians residing in UAE, including physicians, nurses, university students and high school students, to find out about their problems. In my opinion, this part of the chief executive’s visit was similar to his provincial visits.
The chief executive also met with Iranian intellectuals and businessmen residing in Oman. Hence, the main objectives of Ahmadinejad’s tour of Oman and UAE were to strengthen bilateral ties and promote such relations, in addition to preventing the enemy from taking advantage of the rift between Iran and those countries.
We also promised the Arab countries to supply electricity and gas to them. We also want to cooperate with Arab countries in the industrial field, as Iran is presently cooperating with Syria in manufacturing the Samand sedan.
Leaders of Arab states became familiar with Ahmadinejad’s views on Iraq and nuclear energy. They closely witnessed our chief executive’s personality and realized that President Ahmadinejad is not the person portrayed by some American and Israeli media. In friendly meetings, Arab leaders realized they were talking to a university professor.
I believe the tour of Oman and UAE achieved the projected objectives and gained the desired results with regard to Iraq, Palestine and nuclear issues.

What are the commonalities of Iran with UAE and Oman, as far as their diplomatic relationship is concerned?
We are all Muslims and Islam is our first commonality with the Arab nations. We all have a common history and the roots of Iran-Arab historical relationship date back to a long time ago and such ties have been strengthened after the Islamic Revolution.
Moreover, we are neighbors and Islam has advised all of us to establish suitable ties with neighboring countries. Iran and those Arab countries have many cultural and historical bonds. Many Iranians, including businessmen, professors, physicians, nurses and laborers from Iran’s southern regions work in the Arab littoral states, particularly in Kuwait and Qatar. They regularly commute to these countries.
A majority of people of these countries speak Persian and some officials of these countries also conversed in Persian during Ahmadinejad’s visit. Chief of protocol of Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said spoke in Persian language to the Iranian delegation.
The Islamic Republic of Iran stands beside Arabs on the issue of Palestine. Just as Iran helps the Palestinian resistance group that is Sunni, it also helps Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah.
In addition, we have economic ties with all Arab states. Syria can now export the Iranian Samand sedan that is presently being manufactured in the Arab country. Iran also supplies electricity to Iraq.
Although the West has considerably promoted technology and industry in the UAE, it still greatly needs Iran’s electricity and cement industries. We use the Dubai port for reexporting goods.

What has the incumbent government done to alleviate differences and uphold the commonalities?
One such approach is by having ambassadors in all Arab countries and engaging in economic and trade activities with these countries. We and Arabs should have common interests.

President Ahmadinejad after his visit to UAE and Oman referred to the efforts of enemies for creating a hue and cry over the three Iranian islands of the Persian Gulf. Do such issues influence Iran’s diplomatic relations with UAE?
Countries of the region and the world have many territorial and border disputes with each other, but they also have sustainable ties.
We do not have any difference with UAE. We are aware that the enemy is instigating such differences. Some websites and newspapers also exaggerate about them.
(To be continued)