Iran 'testfires' new missile in war games nr Iraqi border

November 11, 2008 (Telegraph.co.uk) report: Iran 'test-fires' new missile

Iran has test-fired a new type of missile during war games near the Iraqi border, state television said on Tuesday, after warning the United States it would respond to any violation of Iranian airspace.

The English-language Press TV said the Iranian-made missile, named as the Samen, was successfully tested on Monday by the elite Revolutionary Guards in the western border city of Marivan.

They also tested artillery and rocket launchers, Press TV said on its website.

Iran's armed forces have staged frequent manoeuvres in recent months, coinciding with speculation of possible US or Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic over its disputed nuclear ambitions.

In a move that further heightened tension, Iran in July test-fired nine highly advanced missiles, including one which reportedly could reach Israel and US bases in the Middle East.

Iran's army last Wednesday said US helicopters had been seen flying close to Iran's border and that it would respond to any violation, a message analysts said seemed directed at US President-Elect Barack Obama more than at American troops in Iraq.

The Nov 5 statement followed a cross-border raid last month by US forces into Syria, an action that was condemned by Damascus and Tehran.

The United States and its Western allies suspect Iran is seeking to build atomic bombs, a charge Tehran denies.

Mr Obama, like outgoing President George W Bush, has not ruled out military action although he has criticised the outgoing administration for not pushing for more diplomacy and engagement with Iran.

Iran has said it would respond to any attack on its territory by targeting US interests and Washington's ally Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies.

S.O.S. Please email Tehran Watch - 2 years of emails lost

Here in England on Wednesday, 15 October 2008, two engineers from British Telecom IT Support were here for a specially ordered appointment to ensure a smooth changeover from my current ISP, Virgin Media, to BT Broadband.

Sadly, it turned into a 3-hour job. The engineer, after deleting the Virgin email address from my PowerBook G4 (Mac OS X 10.3.9) said it had never occurred to him that the contents of my AppleMac drafts email folder would also be deleted, along with the contents of my folders for sent and incoming emails. In their experience, such a thing had never happened before.

Groan. Over the past 3-4 weeks, on top of the 3 hours Wednesday, I've spent what seems like a total of 20 hours on the phone to BT, from here to Scotland and India, ever since initial call to BT's broadband sales office.

BT couldn't set me up for broadband for a few weeks resulting in connection to BT dial-up service in the interim - for which I almost got charged £18 for Day One if I hadn't checked tarriff for the 'Pay As You Go' option that BT signed me up to, instead of the 'Anytime' package costing £1 for first month.

Not to mention the ordeal I went though trying to obtain an internet cable for a few weeks of the dial up service. And then the service itself. By the end of Day One, BT dial up Tech Support told me the loss of connection every few minutes was nothing to do with them and blamed my internal modem as being corrupted and broken. Not true, I discovered next day.

Yesterday morning, I awoke feeling gutted, bereft and exhausted over the whole experience. More than one thousand draft items and scores of photos for future blogposts which, despite Apple's best efforts (a further 1-hour ordeak over phone) are no longer recoverable. All gone. Vanished. Forever. Nightmare.

Years of hard work and precious energy wasted. I feel sad at losing so much, just when I was getting back into the swing of things after ten bereavements (including my mother and three longstanding friends) and the toll it took on my health.

Chin up. Worse things happen at sea. I'll endeavour to continue blogging while working on piecing together lost drafts, updating email address in my blogs. re-subscribing to news alerts, etc.

Right now, the thought of having to find all the pieces to put back together again, and recall people's latest email addresses that may or not be in my computer's address book, is too overwhelming.

If you have ever emailed me, no matter how long ago, please email me NOW with copy of last email or just a few words or, better still, photo of your pet, to enable me to save your address safely in a new folder for easy future reference.

My new BT email address is now in the sidebar here at Tehran Watch.

I'm always here, with my cat Ophelia, happy to receive emails that are not spam. It still pains me to be so slow in replying. I fear that taking days, weeks, months, even years (!) to reply puts people off from staying in contact.

P.S.
Mostly I am sad at losing photos of pets belonging to some of my favourite bloggers. I adore cats and had collected some pretty special photos for a Cat Watch Blog that I'm creating as a place for me to visit when the going gets tough at my watch blogs and I feel disappointed in human beings.

If you know the personality of any cat (or dog, especially if it gets along with cats) and have a photo of the pet, please send it to me so I can create a little story for posting (with your permission and credit - with link to you if you have a blog or website) at the most suitable of my three new blogs (currently under construction) namely: Cat Watch Blog, Heavenly Cats, Pets in Heaven.

Here's looking forward to learning about cats living in different parts of the world. I'm curious to know if cats all over the world have same habits and act in same way, or behave differently from mine here in England. If anyone ever thinks of sending us a greetings, especially over Christmas and New Year, anything for my pet blogs would be cheerfully received and warmly appreciated. I promise to reply with some observations and questions about your pet's charm and character.

Having said all that, I'm bracing myself for the possibility that no-one will take notice of this post although, even during blogging breaks, my network of blogs continues to receive thousands of visitors and page views. I have no idea of how many people read my blogs via a news reader and never visit in person. I don't even know if the feed for my Sudan Watch blog still works. It no longer works in my newsreader, NetNewsWire.

Hey is anybody out there? Please say something!

With love from Ingrid and cat Ophelia, posted by the sea on south west coast of England, UK xx

An edited version of this post will appear in part of my network of blogs, ie: Sudan Watch, Congo Watch, Ethiopia Watch, Egypt Watch, Uganda Watch, Kenya Watch, China Tibet Watch, Russia Watch, Syria Watch, ME/CFS Watch, ME AND OPHELIA.

Gandhi Peace Brigade/CodePink Meets with Ahmadinejad

Copy of post at San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center by Jes Richardson Sunday Oct 05, 2008 - excerpt:

Gandhi Peace Brigade/CodePink Meets with Ahmadinejad

President Ahmadinejad met with CodePink in New York City last week. Hopefully, this will open the door for talks in the future. CodePink plans to visit Iran this November. In addition to asking for a second meeting with President Ahmadinejad, we will also be talking with teachers and students in Iran to encourage friendships with teachers and students here in the United States. If you're interested in knowing more about this program, please get in touch: jes_richardson [at] yahoo.com

Dear Friends,

President Ahmadinejad spoke at the United Nations last week. The next day he met with 150 people from 50 different peace groups, an event organized by Fellowship of Reconciliation http://www.forusa.org/. Leslie was honored to be a part of this historic event: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081013/huff-hannon.

President Ahmadinejad told the delegation,"Iranians love Americans!" He also said his country doesn't want war. He believes the time of the atomic bomb has come to an end. "We've passed that time; we have no interest in the bomb." Over three years ago Iran's spiritual leader issued a proclamation, or fatwa, prohibiting the possession of nuclear weapons. Iran hasn't attacked another country in 260 years.

Jodie Evans and Medea Benjamin, Co-founders of Code Pink, were both there. A few people were selected to talk about their organization and ask Ahmadinejad a question. Medea, as the Founding Director of Global Exchange, had this to say: "President Ahmadinejad, my organization has been sending delegations to Iran for years, but the process is cumbersome, and we never know who is going to get a visa, and often not until the last minute. I, myself, would love to visit Iran, but I can't get a visa!" He responded with a promise he'd push to make it easier for Americans to get visas and hoped the U.S. would do the same for Iranians.

Source: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/10/05/18542944.php

French FM warns Israel plans Iran strike

From Global Research/Press TV, October 5, 2008
French FM warns Israel plans Iran strike:

Kouchner evokes the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says Israel would strike Iran, under the pretext that the country is seeking nuclear bombs.

Israel has long alleged that a nuclear Iran would pose an existential 'threat' to Tel Aviv, accusing Tehran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of seeking weapons of mass destruction.

The UN nuclear watchdog said in its latest report on Iran that it could not find any 'components of a nuclear weapon' or 'related nuclear physics studies' in the country.

In a Haaretz interview published on Sunday, Kouchner said a nuclear weapon would not 'give any immunity to Iran'.

"Israel has always said it will not wait for the bomb to be ready," he added.

The outspoken French minister, who is on a two-day visit to the Middle East, said Tel Aviv would 'eat' Iran before the 'bomb' is ready.

He later released a statement saying that he had been misquoted by the paper and that he had used the word 'hit' not 'eat'.

Kouchner, however, confirmed that he did 'indeed evoke the possibility of Israeli strikes to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon'.

Kouchner's remarks are in line with French President Nicolas Sarkozy warning in early September that the pursuance of a nuclear program by Iran could lead to an Israel-waged war on the country.

"We could find one morning that Israel has struck (Iran)," the French president said, adding that no one would question the legitimacy of such an act of aggression.

Iran says its nuclear activities are directed at the civilian application of the technology, such as generating electricity for its growing population.

During his late September visit to New York, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that 'the era of nuclear bombs has ended', stressing that weapons of mass destruction have no place on Iran's defensive doctrine.

Israel, meanwhile, is widely believed to have acquired some 200-300 nuclear warheads. Former US president Jimmy Carter confirmed in late May that Israel is the possessor of the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East.

Iran, the Arab League and the one-hundred-eighteen Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members, sought to put the dossier of 'Israel's nuclear capabilities' on the agenda of the annual UN nuclear watchdog meeting in Vienna.

In a vote on Saturday, Israel - backed by the US and EU - managed to evade a link between its nuclear program to nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

IAEA says Iran is continuing to enrich uranium in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution (BBC)

September 15, 2008 BBC report - 'Iran criticised in new UN report' - Iran maintains that the purposes of its nuclear programme are peaceful. Copy:

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran is continuing to enrich uranium in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution.

In its latest report, the UN watchdog says it has been unable to clear up questions about a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear work.

Iran confirmed the lack of progress but blamed the watchdog for not adopting an appropriate approach in negotiations.

Iran says it is enriching uranium only for civilian atomic energy.

Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon.

In its report, the IAEA said that Iran was failing to cooperate with its investigators.

As a result, the IAEA "regrettably has not been able to make any substantive progress" on key issues which remain of serious concern, it said.

The report, which will be discussed by the IAEA's board of governors next week, calls for Iran to show greater transparency and allow investigators greater access.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7616744.stm
Page last updated at 12:33 GMT, Monday, 15 September 2008 13:33 UK

Iran renews nuclear weapons development (Telegraph)

Fresh evidence has emerged that suggests Iran has renewed work on developing nuclear weapons say security sources.

Source: Telegraph September 11, 2008 20:24 security forces. Copy in full:

Iran renews nuclear weapons development

Fresh evidence has emerged that suggests Iran has renewed work on developing nuclear weapons, according to Western security sources.
 
By Con Coughlin and Tim Butcher in Jerusalem
September 12, 2008

Nuclear experts responsible for monitoring Iran's nuclear programme have discovered that enough enriched uranium, which if processed to weapons grade level could be used to make up to six atom bombs, has disappeared from the main production facility at Isfahan.

American spy satellites have identified a number of suspicious sites, which the Iranians have not declared to nuclear inspectors, that intelligence officials believe are being used for covert research.

The new discoveries emerged as it was revealed that Israel had asked America for military supplies, including "bunker buster" bombs and re-fuelling planes, suitable for an attack on Iranian nuclear installations.

The Israeli paper Haaretz reported yesterday that Israel has also asked for permission to use an air corridor through Iraqi airspace, currently controlled by America, to Iran.

So far the requests have been turned down by Washington, which is currently not as keen as Israel to consider a military strike against Iran.

But concern that Iran has resumed work on building atom bombs has deepened following the revelation that large quantities of uranium has gone missing from Iran's conversion facility at Isfahan.

The Isfahan complex, which enriches raw uranium "yellow cake" into material that can be used for either nuclear power or atomic weapons, is supposed to be subject to close supervision by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But the Iranians only allow IAEA inspectors access to the final stage of the production process, where the uranium in gas form - UF6 - is stored.

By conducting a careful study of the amount of material stored at Isfahan, and the amount of "yellow cake" known to have been processed at the plant, nuclear experts believe between 50-60 tons of uranium - which if enriched to weapons grade level would be sufficient to produce five or six atom bombs - has gone missing from the plant.

IAEA officials believe the Iranians have deliberately removed the uranium at a stage in the production process that is not under their supervision. "The inspectors only have limited access at Isfahan, and it looks as though Iranian officials have removed significant quantities of UF6 at a stage in the process that is not being monitored," said a nuclear official. "If Iran's nuclear intentions are peaceful, then why are they doing this?" Nuclear inspectors have also been concerned to discover that Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, recently ordered scientists to increase the amount of UF6 being diverted from Isfahan to another storage facility.

IAEA officials have no idea where the missing uranium is being stored, but suspect it could be held at one of several suspicious installations that have been spotted by American spy satellites.

The Iranians will be asked to give a full account of the missing enriched uranium when the IAEA's board of governors meets in Vienna later this month to discuss the continuing crisis over Iran's nuclear enrichment programme.

The mounting concern over Iran's nuclear intentions has intensified Israeli efforts to prepare for a possible pre-emptive strike on Iran, which has led Jerusalem to presenting Washington with a "wish list" of military equipment.

In the past America has been prepared to provide Israel with "bunker buster" bombs, known by their serial number GBU-28. They weigh over two tons each and are designed to penetrate deep underground, even through reinforced concrete, before detonating.

Israel used them in unsuccessful attempts to take out the leadership of Hizbollah, the militant Shia group, during the war of 2006.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/2800255/Iran-renews-nuclear-weapons-development.html

Iran kicks off production of locally built sub (AP)

Aug 25, 2008 (AP) report from Asharq Alawsat English Edition 25/8/08 'Iran Kicks Off Production of Locally Built Sub' -

TEHRAN, Iran, (AP) - Iranian state TV says the country has launched production of a domestically built submarine capable of firing missiles and torpedoes.

Defense Minister Gen. Mostafa Mohammad Najjar inaugurated a production line Monday for the mid-sized sub, named Ghaem. The TV quotes him as saying Iran has made huge investments to become self-sufficient and equip its armed forces with modern weapons.

The report says two other submarines, which began production in 2005, have been delivered to Iran's navy.

Iran occasionally announces production of advanced weapons but rarely makes statements about submarines. Years ago, Tehran said it bought some Russian subs and would produce its own, smaller-sized ones.

Source: http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=13845