Some 150 observation groups comprising astronomers equipped with state-of-the-art equipment are monitoring the Ramadan crescent in different parts of the country.

TEHRAN, Sept. 11--An official of the leader’s office said on Tuesday the likelihood of observing the crescent of the lunar month of Ramadan on Wednesday is very high.
Alireza Movahed-Nejad also told Fars News Agency that 150 observation groups comprising astronomers equipped with state-of-the-art equipment are monitoring the Ramadan crescent in different parts of the country.
However, he pointed out that if the holy month’s crescent is not observed on Wednesday, it will be surely observed on Thursday.
“Reports of different groups are sent to leader’s office and after summing them up and considering different aspects, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei will announce the sighting of the Ramadan crescent,“ Movahed-Nejad said.

VIENNA, Austria,
Sept. 11--Cuba lashed out Tuesday at countries that ’interfere’ in Iran’s nuclear case--an allusion to US criticism about the International Atomic Energy Agency’s newest Tehran probe.
Beyond her comments as Cuba’s chief IAEA delegate, Norma Miguelina Goicochea Estenoz also expressed support for the work of the agency and its head, Mohamed ElBaradei in her separate capacity as head of the agency’s nonaligned board members, AP reported.
Her statements outside the agency’s 35-nation board meeting reflected the main dispute at the gathering: whether a pact committing Iran to cooperate with an agency probe of past nuclear activities will blunt attempts to pressure Tehran to scrap uranium enrichmentÑtechnology that could be used to make a bomb.
A diplomat attending the closed meeting told The Associated Press that Goicochea Estenoz told delegates that, if Iran answered all questions to the satisfaction of the IAEA, the country should no longer be treated as a special case.
That would mean an end to UN sanctions and the threat of new ones for Iran’s refusal to end uranium enrichment--a position strongly opposed by the United States and some other Western countries.
Before the start of the board meeting, Goicochea Estenoz called for “noninterference in the work of the agency,“ adding that nonaligned countries offered “full support for the professionalism of“ ElBaradei.
She was even more direct as Cuba’s chief delegate, criticizing countries “that always want to interfere“ with ElBaradei and his staff and speaking of a “real feeling among many member states“ that the West was exerting undue pressure on the IAEA chief.
Despite their reservations about the plan, Washington and other nations backing new UN sanctions against Tehran have toned down initial criticism because they have realized that opposition could backfire.
Too much criticism could leave the impression that the US, France and Britain, the most vocal backers of new UN sanctions, did not care about resolving the issue that had sent Iran’s nuclear file to the Security Council in the first place.
Cuba and the majority of the other nonaligned nations, which make up about a third of the board, insist the last month’s pact represents a potential breakthrough in more than four years of diplomatic maneuvering meant to reduce any nuclear threat from Iran.

UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei Tuesday walked out on an afternoon session of his IAEA to protest against a EU speech which did not fully support his initiative on new inspections in Iran, diplomats told AFP.
“He walked out because the EU did not support the Secretariat,“ a diplomat who was at the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board of governors said.
IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming declined comment.

TEHRAN, Sept. 11--Domestic and foreign reporters visited Tehran’s Evin Prison on Tuesday at the judiciary’s invitation.
The main purpose of the invitation was to give reporters an opportunity to see from close the conditions under which the inmates live.
The insistence of journalists on filming parts of Evin Prison delayed the visit program by 30 minutes, IRNA reported.
During the four-hour visit, the prison officials did not allow photographers to take any pictures.
The prison officials explained that some prisoners have not been sentenced and taking their pictures is prohibited.
About 120 reporters and photojournalists also visited Shahid Kachouei Training Center where prisoners charged with financial offenses are kept.
The journalists also visited other sections, such as the women section.
Kian Tajbakhsh, who was arrested on charges of endangering national security, met with reporters to answer their questions about the prison’s conditions.
Tajbakhsh, accompanied by a warden, described his conditions as satisfactory.
He told reporters that he visits his family once a week and talks to his family on the phone everyday.
“I have access to books and television. Although I am in solitary confinement, it has a private shower.
It’s a good suite,“ he said.
Tajbakhsh, an urban planning consultant with the Soros Foundation’s Open Society
Institute, noted that he has been in solitary confinement for 120 days.
“I will speak more in a television program titled ’In the Name Democracy’ in detail in future,“ he said.

TEHRAN, Sept. 11--Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday ruled out the timeout proposal made by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.
He told IRNA ahead of his departure for Moscow that the Iranian nuclear program is not a show and that Iran has planned to produce fuel for civilian purpose.
Brushing aside the US allegation about Iran’s nuclear program, Mottaki said every individual from the 70-million-strong Iranian population is stronger than an atomic bomb, adding that if the atomic bomb were effective it would have prevented the collapse of the former Soviet Union, IRNA reported.
Underlining the futility of nuclear arms, he said that the US, which possesses the highest number of atomic bombs, has been dragged into a quagmire.
“The atomic bomb contradicts the Islamic law. We don’t believe in nuclear bombs. We have even made proposals for disarmament, but it has faced objection from nuclear powers,“ he said.
Elaborating on the EU package of incentives, the foreign minister said the package is aimed at persuading Iran to overlook its NPT rights.
Mottaki said the timetable set by Iran and the IAEA for clearing up the outstanding issues about Iran’s nuclear program would be useful in indicating Iranian goodwill and exposing the malignant attitude of certain countries.
ElBaradei called on the Security Council to take a ’timeout’ from sanctions and for Iran to pause its uranium enrichment to avert a crisis over the country’s nuclear program.
“A double timeout of all enrichment-related activities and of sanctions could provide a breathing space for negotiations to be resumed,“ ElBaradei told the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday.

WASHINGTON,
Sept. 11--The public sees the Iraq war as a failure and thinks the US troop buildup there has not worked, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll suggesting the tough sell President Bush faces in asking Congress and voters for more time.
The pessimism expressed by most people--including significant minorities of Republicans--contrasted with the brighter picture offered by Gen. David Petraeus.
The chief US commander in Iraq told Congress on Monday that the added 30,000 troops have largely achieved their military goals and could probably leave by next summer, though he conceded there has been scant political progress.
By 59 percent to 34 percent, more people said they believe history will judge the Iraq war a complete or partial failure than a success. Those calling it a failure included eight in 10 Democrats, three in 10 Republicans and about six in 10 independents, the poll showed--ominous numbers for a president who hopes to use a nationally televised address later this week to keep GOP lawmakers from joining Democratic calls for a withdrawal.
Underscoring the public’s negativity, four times as many predicted the war in Iraq would be judged as a complete US failure as the number who see a complete success, 28 percent to 7 percent.
When the Gallup Poll asked the same question in September 2006, 52 percent said the war will be judged as a partial or complete failure, seven points fewer than the AP-Ipsos survey.
In the poll--taken in the days just before Petraeus’ long-awaited appearance--more people rated the troop increase a flop than a success by 58 percent to 36 percent, with three in 10 Republicans joining majorities of Democrats and independents in foreseeing failure.
Meanwhile, Baghdad said on Tuesday it expects US forces to cut back on combat duties in the near term after the top American general in Iraq signaled the start of a troop reduction from this month.
“We anticipate in the near term a relaxation of the requirement for coalition forces to be in direct combat operation,“ Iraq’s National Security Advisor Muwaffaq Al-Rubaie told reporters as he welcomed the testimony to Congress by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, US ambassador to Baghdad.
“We will work with the coalition partners to ensure that coalition requirement in Iraq will take into consideration the growing Iraqi capability and security condition on the ground,“ he said.
But he cautioned against a quick withdrawal of US troops, echoing Petraeus in his testimony on Monday.
Rubaie said Iraq needed the coalition forces until its own security forces are self-reliant.

BAGHDAD, Iraq,
Sept. 11--Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Mohammad Reza Baqeri conferred on Monday with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on issues of mutual interest.
At the meeting, the Iranian envoy underlined Iran’s all-out support for the Iraqi government, IRNA reported.
Referring to the implementation of projects in Iraq by Iranian experts, he said,
Baqeri stressed that the current volume of economic transactions between Iran and Iraq should be increased.
Pointing to Iran’s commitment to generate 1,250 megawatts of electricity in Iraq, he said Iranian experts enjoy high capabilities in the construction of power plants as well as technical affairs for the transfer and generation of electricity.
“Iran is ready to supply Iraq with some of its fuel demands,“ he said.
Conveying the message of peace and friendship of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the Iraqi nation and government, he said the Iranian president is ready to pay a visit to Iraq.
The Iraqi president welcomed the idea of the Iranian president’s visit to Iraq and expressed hope that the visit would take place in the near future.
Expressing satisfaction with the visit of the Iranian delegation to Iraq, Talabani described it as a sign of Tehran’s determination to resolve Iraq’s problems and its support for Maliki’s government.

TEHRAN, Sept. 11--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps has acted in a strong, pious and determined manner in its drive to defend the revolution’s achievements.
Speaking in a gathering of IRGC commanders on Tuesday, the chief executive noted that IRGC’s strength is at the service of justice, peace, security, global security and social welfare, IRNA reported.
“IRGC is based on the Islamic Revolution’s ideals,“ he said, noting that IRGC has a mission similar to the mission of prophets.
Ahmadinejad further said IRGC is responsible for resisting oppression.
Referring to IRGC’s brave resistance against the Iraqi Army during the 1980-88 Iraq-imposed war and its campaign against terrorist groups, he said IRGC has always fought terrorism.
Referring to Iran’s achievements in gaining access to peaceful nuclear technology, the chief executive said the arrogant world powers did not believe that Iran will withstand their threats to prevent Iranians from achieving their goals.
“Iran has had maximum cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has officially announced that Iran has not deviated from the correct path,“ he said.
Ahmadinejad stressed that the Iranian nation and government have announced that they favor holding dialogues with others.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to cooperate on global issues, peace and progress,“ he said.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 11--Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz termed Tehran-Riyadh relations as unbreakable, noting that the ties between the two major Muslim nations have a firm basis.
The Saudi king made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei on Tuesday, who was in Riyadh to deliver President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s message to King Abdullah.
During the meeting, the Saudi king referred to brotherly relations with the Islamic Republic, stressing that the two states are influential nations in the Muslim world, IRNA reported.
King Abdullah reiterated the necessity of Iranian and Saudi officials discussing important regional developments.
The Saudi king said the two nations have a grave responsibility in the Muslim world and stressed his country’s strong will and determination to cement ties with the Islamic Republic.
Mohseni-Ejei, for his part, reiterated Iran’s desire for expansion of ties and called for continuation of negotiations between Iranian and Saudi officials over regional issues, including the ongoing situation in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.
Ejei also urged regional states to play a more effective role in reducing Iraq’s problems.
The minister also called for the Saudi officials’ serious action against those who insulted Iranian pilgrims.
Earlier, Hamid Habibi, the head of Iran’s Haj & Pilgrimage Organization’s Representative Office in Saudi Arabia, said the abusive behavior of some Saudi police forces at the holy shrines, particularly those at the Baqi Cemetery, was a relatively new problem with which the Iranian pilgrims were grappling during this year’s minor pilgrimage.