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Weather Guide
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Tehran
High: 32 - Low: 18

Bandar Anzali

Khorramabad

Mashhad

Shiraz

Tabriz

Abu Dhabi

Bern

Mecca

Muscat

Seoul
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Identification
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Published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)
Address:
Iran Cultural & Press Institute, #212 Khorramshahr Avenue Tehran/Iran
Chief Editor:
Amir Ali Abolfath
Editorial Dept. Tel: 88755761-2
Editorial Dept. Fax: 88761869
Subscription Dept. Tel: 88329002-4
Advertising Dept. Tel: 88500616-7
Internet Address:
www.iran-daily.com
E-mail Address:
iran-daily@iran-daily.com
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New Details on US Terror Network
The Information Ministry on Saturday issued a communiquŽ releasing new details about discovering and busting a terrorist group affiliated to the US.
According to IRNA, the statement noted that intelligence officials foiled the terrorist group and gained valuable information about its organization in America.
“The Information Ministry discovered reliable documents pertaining to special centers in the US and Israel, and their cooperation with anti-Iran terrorist networks. Complementary investigation about the group, which officially has an anti-religious stance, is continuing. Results will be made available to the people of Iran in a few days,“ the statement noted
It also said that in tandem with the interrogations, international legal and diplomatic measures will be taken against the US and UK by “competent centers“.
The statement underlined that evidence showed that the US had equipped the group with chemicals, explosives and cyanide.
“The group is responsible for the recent explosion in Shiraz mosque. In this merciless crime, several innocent children of Iran were injured or martyred,“ it said.
The communiquŽ also recalled that the terrorist group intended to plant bombs in the Tehran International Book Fair and a few scientific, educational and religious centers, and also create insecurity in the densely-populated cities of the country.
It also said the members of the terrorist network were identified and arrested in Fars, Khuzestan, Gilan, West Azarbaijan and Tehran provinces on May 7.
“One member of the group was killed during the operations and other members are under custody,“ it said.
The announcement emphasized that the main goal of the group was to create fear and intimidation.
“Terrorist acts against the Russian Consulate in Gilan and explosion of oil pipelines in southern Iran were also among their targets. That’s why American centers had planned scuba diving training for the group to target undersea oil pipelines in the Persian Gulf,“ it said.
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Saudi Arabia Declines American Demand
Saudi Arabia, under US pressure to increase its oil output amid soaring energy prices, said it had raised production by 300,000 barrels per day on May 10 and “that increase was sufficient“.
Oil Minister Ali Naimi told reporters at a news conference the increase, which came in response to customers’ requests, would push output from the world’s leading producer to 9.45 million barrels per day by June, AP reported.
He said Saudi Arabia is capable of meeting the needs of all its customers, suggesting it would raise production further only in response to demand.
The announcement coincided with a Saudi visit by US President George W. Bush to appeal for a more significant increase in output that might help bring down the price of oil. The price topped US$127 a barrel on Friday, a record high.
“Supply and demand are in balance today,“ the Saudi oil minister said. “How much does Saudi Arabia need to do to satisfy people who are questioning our oil practices and policies?“
He said the Saudis increased production by 300,000 barrels per day on May 10 after about 50 customers around the world requested it. He added most of the requests came from the US.
Naimi also said that in future if there was a need to increase oil production, then Saudi Arabia has no objection to doing so. He also said Saudi officials spoke to Bush about production and told him the kingdom’s policy is to respond to the customers’ demands.
Bush’s national security adviser told reporters earlier that Saudi Arabia’s leaders made clear during the president’s visit they see no reason to increase oil production further until customers demand it.
“Saudi Arabia does not have customers that are making requests for oil that they are not able to satisfy,“ Stephen Hadley said. “What the Saudis wanted to tell us was ’we’re doing everything we can do...to meet this problem, but it’s a complicated problem’.“
Saudi Arabia, which has the world’s largest oil reserves, has in the past acknowledged the ability to produce as much as 11 million barrels a day.
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Producers Oppose Cluster Bomb Ban
The US, Israel, China, Russia, India and Pakistan, the top producers and stockpilers will skip a conference on banning cluster bombs.
In an effort to renew the drive for a global ban on cluster bombs, more than 100 nations started a meeting on Friday in Dublin under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), but not the world’s top users and stockpilers of the weapon. The conferees are seeking an anti-cluster munitions treaty, Presstv reported.
“It is regrettable that the US and a handful of other states continue to insist on their need to use a weapon that the rest of world is banning,“ said Steve Goose, director of the arms division at the New York-based Human Rights Watch.
“But we believe that a strong new treaty will stigmatize cluster munitions to such a degree that it will be difficult for any country to use them without international condemnation,“ he said on Friday.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Chang, a spokesman for the US mission to the UN said, “We are opposed to any ban on cluster munitions. We do not believe they are indiscriminate weapons.“
US allies such as Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden are lobbying for the exclusion of some cluster bombs from the ban, diplomats said.
More than 13,000 have been confirmed injured and killed around the world by the cluster munitions, especially in Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon, UNDP said.
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Persepolis Victorious
Persepolis, the most popular team of Iran, under Coach Afshin Qotbi, were crowned champions of the Seventh Premier League on Saturday. The team defeated Isfahan’s Sepahan 2-1 in the presence of at least 100,000 enthusiastic spectators at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.
See Page 15
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