US cautious on NK multilateral talks proposal

Reuters

The White House reacted cautiously on Thursday to reports that North Korea had proposed a new multilateral format to resolve the impasse over its nuclear program, saying "we'll see whether this moves us forward." (...) The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that North Korea's ambassador to Moscow had told it Pyongyang, until now determined to hold talks with Washington alone, now favored six-sided talks, including Russia, to resolve the nuclear dispute

US official lambastes N Korea

BBC:

A senior United States official has launched a blistering attack on North Korea, saying the country had accelerated its nuclear weapons programme while its people lived a "hellish nightmare".

US arms negotiator John Bolton made some unusually personal criticisms of the North's leader, Kim Jong-il, who he called a "tyrannical dictator" living like royalty.

The comments appeared part of an on-going diplomatic stand-off over the North's nuclear ambitions, with neither side wishing to be seen to be weak ahead of expected talks.

4 More Ships to Solomons

From the Sydney Morning Herald :

Australia was to deploy four more navy craft to the Solomon Islands to support the growing intervention force, authorities said.

The arrival of Australian patrol boat HMAS Whyalla, the first of the four new ships, came as the force prepared to set-up bases outside Honiara to continue the mission to restore law and order in the troubled nation.

A spokeswoman for the intervention force said the arrival of the Whyalla "adds considerably" to the capability of the intervention force, which would be joined by three more Australian navy craft later this week.

Mine hunter HMAS Hawkesbury will be tasked as a patrol boat, while landing craft HMAS Wewak and HMAS Labuan will be used to transport stores and equipment.

Australian warship HMAS Manoora - which sailed into Honiara harbour on Saturday - has become a strong symbolic backdrop for the intervention and is now positioned off-shore near the capital's main market.

The RAN (Royal Australian Navy) has a Virtual Fleet Tour as a guide to these (and other) ships.

Total Philippine Coverage

For an excellent summary of the recent events in the Philippines, visit the blog of Command Post contributor Willie Galang. Willie has an excellent series of posts and screenshots of local media coverage from his "on the ground" perspective in Manilla.

North Korean bank is 'front for arms trade'

Observer:

North Korea's only bank in Europe is at the centre of a vast spying and criminal network funding its weapons programme, according to Austrian authorities.

An Austrian intelligence report says the Golden Star Bank in Vienna is a base for spies engaged in an illicit trade in missile technology.

The report, seen by The Observer, says: 'There are noticeable efforts by the North Korean secret services to place its agents in diplomatic and non-diplomatic positions in Austria. The camouflage for these activities is Europe's only established branch of the North Korean state bank, which is located in Vienna.'

The document says agents are raising hard currency for Kim Jong Il's regime 'by selling weapons and missile technology to Third World countries and countries in crisis in the Near and Middle East (for example, Syria, Iran, Iraq or Libya).'

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS CALLS FOR THE EU TO CUT TIES WITH IRAN

Here is the report:

Reporters Without Borders (www.rsf.org/) called on the European Union today to break off the "constructive dialogue" it has conducted with Iran since 1998 until officials responsible for the death of Canadian-Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi earlier this month had been brought to trial. It said it was "unthinkable" that such talks could continue while such a serious crime remained unpunished. It also called on the EU to back Canadian efforts to have Kazemi's body returned to Canada and for an international commission of enquiry to be set up.

The appeal to the EU was made in a letter to the current EU Commission president, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, to EU external relations commissioner Chris Patten and to Javier Solana, the EU high representative for common foreign and security policy.

After official attempts to cover up the cause of Kazemi's death, Iranian Vice-President Mohamed Ali Abtahi publicly admitted on 16 July that she had been "beaten." An autopsy and a government commission set up by President Mohammad Khatami was not able to provide full details and the origin of the skull fracture that caused her death remains a mystery.

(Also posted on my blog.)

Update On The Liberia Deployment

Updating a prior post, things are heating up in Liberia. The Salt Lake Tribune offers the latest on the Marines' deployment to the coast, noting:

Three amphibious assault ships carrying 2,300 Marines and 2,000 sailors have been heading toward the western Mediterranean since last weekend for possible deployment to Liberia. The president's new orders will move them all the way to the Liberian coast; Pentagon officials said they would arrive in seven to 10 days.

Report: N. Korean nuke test threat

CNN:

North Korea is prepared to conduct a nuclear test unless the United States responds positively to its proposals for resolving a row over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions, Japanese and North Korean sources were quoted as saying by a Japanese newspaper on Saturday.

The Asahi Shimbun said this had been conveyed to U.S. envoy Jack Pritchard by a North Korean official in a secret meeting between officials from the two nations earlier this month.

Earlier this week, diplomatic sources in Tokyo told Reuters that the North was ready to declare itself a member of the nuclear club, opening the way for possible tests and increased production of weapons, unless the nuclear crisis is resolved by September 9 -- the anniversary of the communist nation's founding.

N. Korea missile firm sanctioned

CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration has slapped sanctions on a North Korean company for shipping missile technology to Yemen last December, even though it allowed Yemen to keep the missiles.

On July 17 the United States imposed missile proliferation sanctions on the North Korean company, Changgwang Sinyong Corp., for "knowing involvement" in the transfer of missile technology to Yemen, U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Friday.

The sanctions were announced in the Federal Register Friday, adding to sanctions already in place against the company and the North Korean government.

US sends warships to Liberia

ABC Online:

President George W Bush has ordered United States warships to take up positions off the coast of Liberia.

The BBC reports the warships will be used to support the expected deployment of West African peacekeepers in Monrovia.

President Bush’s announcement came as mortar bombs pound Monrovia in fighting between the Government and rebels that threatens a humanitarian disaster.

Shortly after Mr Bush's announcement, the rebels declared an immediate cease-fire but vowed to defend their positions, after a day in which shells struck schools crammed with refugees, killing at least 14 people and wounding scores more.

TOP AL QAEDA MEMBER IN IRAN

From ABC:

The CIA has determined that al Qaeda's No. 3 leader and top military commander, Saif Al-Adel, has been in custody in Iran for several weeks, U.S. officials told ABCNEWS. The detention of Al-Adel, an Egyptian national who is also thought to be affiliated with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, is considered to be another major blow to Osama bin Laden's terror organization.

Officials say he fled to Iran last year to avoid U.S. forces searching for him in neighboring Afghanistan, but continued to operate.

"He is the person that would be in charge of operations for al Qaeda at this particular moment," said Jack Cloonan, a former FBI agent who is now an ABCNEWS consultant. "He is very close to bin Laden. … He would know where bin Laden is at this moment."

(Also posted on my blog.)

IRAN DEMOCRACY ACT PASSED IN CONGRESS

Of course, given the contents of the legislation, it is an open question as to what the legislation will accomplish:

As the questions and concerns continue to mount regarding Iran’s nuclear aspirations, and in the wake of the recent student demonstrations in Tehran, the U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a non-binding version of the Iran Freedom and Democracy Support Act, to serve as a congressional statement of encouragement towards Iranian democratic change. A similar version of the act had already been introduced and passed in the Senate. However, neither version included allocation of money to Iranian opposition groups and satellite TV’s.

The original Senate version of the bill, which was introduced by Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, included a provision to allocate $50 million to fund anti-regime Iranian media outlets, specifically Los Angeles based stations, who broadcast uncensored Persian programs into Iran, and others such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s “Radio Farda.”

That allocation, however, was stricken from the bill before the legislation was allowed to leave committee for a vote by the Senate as a whole. Subsequently, the House version of the bill, introduced by Congressman Brad Sherman of California, also passed without any type of monetary allocation. Sherman and other bill supporters in the House, including Congressman Christopher Cox, also from California, hinted that although the $50 million provision was removed, monetary allocation for pro-democracy Iranian elements could possibly take form within future Commerce, Justice, or State appropriations bills. The bill did, however, provide a non-binding outline for U.S. policy towards Iran centered on supporting pro-democracy forces within and outside the country. The opponents of the bill, who argue that the US should not fund Iranian opposition groups, saw the passing of the watered-down version of the Act as a victory.

(Also posted on my own blog.)

Iranian 'spy' charged in Berlin

Expatica:

German authorities Friday filed espionage charges against a 65-year-man from Berlin accused of spying for Iran.

The man, who holds both Iranian and German passports, is alleged to have spied on Iranian dissidents in Germany for Iran's VEVAK secret service agency.

The charges were filed at a court in Berlin by Germany's chief public prosecutor, Kay Nehm, the federal prosecutors office in Karlsruhe said.

The man has been in custody since his arrest last month.

Gweilo's Hong Kong Freedom Briefing

This is about recent political protests in Hong Kong: their story, and their aftermath. These important events has been almost ignored thanks to events in Iraq and Iran, but we need to pay attention.

On July 1st, 500,000 peaceful protestors took to the streets of Hong Kong ostensibly to protest draconian "anti-subversion" legislation but equally to express discontent with the Beijing imposed Tung Che-hwa administration and their desire for increased democratization. Mr. Tung's usually reliable allies the Liberal Party (pro-business, pro-Beijing) bolted, and their chairman James Tien Pei-chun resigned his cabinet position and called for withdrawal of the legislation. Tung and Beijing backed down and pulled the bill.

The shockwaves from these events are still reverberating, but coverage has been thin. Fortunately, we have Hong Kong local blogger Conrad "The Gweilo" to fix that. Read all about it!

Dan's Winds of War: Iran Excerpts

JULY 24/03: Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday.

Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis, and all Iran-related entries are being mirrored over here at The Command Post.

Visit us to see also: Our Iraq Briefing; 2 new rants from bin Laden; a Saudi fatwa authorizing the use of WMDs against the US; more on the Saudi connection to 9/11; Mauritania coup fall-out; the leader of the Chechen suicide bombers revealed; comebacks for al-Qaeda affiliates in Uzbekistan and Kashmir; Mugabe's latest threat; and an Australian intervention force in the Solomon Islands.

IRAN REPORTS

• Iran says it's holding top al-Qaeda leaders. Meanwhile, the U.S. is skeptical and wants Iran to keep its word in regards to captured al-Qaeda leaders, especially those involved in the Riyadh bombings.

• As is noted above, the one point of the debate over Iran's relationship with al-Qaeda is that the nation has within it certain members of the organization. There is now confirmation from the Kuwaiti Interior Minister that Suleiman Abu Ghaith is in Iran. I am still suspicious as to why Kuwait refused to extradict Abu Ghaith, but I also share US concerns over just how "imprisoned" the group's leadership in Iran are, as Abu Ghaith is evidently free enough to make threats in a message broadcast over Dubai Radio, a courtesy not being extended to many Iranian students and bloggers.

• The CS Monitor lays out "The nonviolent script for Iran." (Hat Tip: reader M. Simon)

• On a related note, Pedram urges expat Iranians to get involved in Western democracy: "If not for involvement in the political life of your new home, at least as a learning experience for the future of Iran." (Hat Tip: Jeff Jarvis)

• Jen Martinez notes that Students at Universities in Iran were arrested for blogging. It seems the Iranian government has formed a new secret Internet Police to monitor Internet activity and stem the growing number of Iranian bloggers.

• As my colleague Venomous Kate noted on Tuesday, Iran has officially outfitted its military with the Shahab-3 missile, which is capable of reaching Israel. However, it is worth noting that the Shahab-3 were not given to the regular army, but rather to the Revolutionary Guards. The IRGC have a rather infamous history and are believed to be harboring members of al-Qaeda's leadership at one of the shah's old hunting lodges that now serves as a military base, though this information may be out of date given recent developments.

• The Asia Times have a long article on the history of political movements in the post-colonialist Arab world and in particular the role of the Iranian Revolution.

• Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi has delivered a nasty rant against the U.S. for Bush's blunt statement that Iran and Syria harbor terrorists, which sure looks like the case from here, no matter how either nation tries to spin it.

CANADA CALLS HOME ITS AMBASSADOR FROM IRAN

This story has the details of the recall, which was done to protest the death of Zahra Kazemi.

(Also posted, with commentary, on my blog.)

N. Korea may go nuclear

Reuters

North Korea could declare itself an atomic power soon if the United States does not respond to its proposals for ending a nuclear controversy, diplomatic sources in Tokyo said amid increasing shadow-boxing ahead of likely talks.

U.S. May Sign Non-Agression Pact with NK

The Washington Times reports:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration might be willing to give North Korea a written guarantee that the United States has no intention of attacking without provocation, the State Department said Tuesday.

At the same time, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the administration is working for a diplomatic solution to the impasse over the North Koreans' nuclear arms program but said it would not give inducements to achieve it.

Winds of Change Korea Briefing

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Korea, via Kwangju blogger Robert Koehler of The Marmot's Hole.

* China has been either been real busy or real negligent on the Korean diplomacy front, depending on who you ask. South Korean President Noh Mu Hyeon held summit talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao on July 9 - check out Infidel of A Layman's Opinion for his breakdown of the meeting (scroll down the page until you see "Roh's Fault"). China has also recently proposed "five way talks with bilateral US-DPRK talks on the sidelines." By the way, Randall Parker of Parapundit (an excellent source for Korean news and punditry) recently posted an excellent look at China's role in the North Korean crisis, and Kevin of Incestuous Amplification cautions us against overestimating Beijing's leverage over North Korean behavior.

Other Topics Include: South Korea's "Sunshine Policy" has clouded forecast; North Korean high explosive tests; William Perry's warnings; the "Rummy Plan"; funny business at the DMZ; and so much more.

read the rest! »

THE CANANDIAN REACTION TO ZAHRA KAZEMI'S DEATH

A commentor to this post asked what the Canadian government was doing in response to the death of Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi. This report covers the Canadian reaction.

IRANIAN-EU RELATIONS

Apparently, the European Union is "reviewing" its relations with Iran--with all of the negative connotations that implies:

The European Union on Monday warned Iran its entire relationship with the Islamic republic would be reviewed if the government did not sign an enhanced nuclear inspections protocol demanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

EU foreign ministers sent their toughest statement so far to Iran as concern mounted over its potential nuclear weapons capability and further human rights violations.

Ministers said the council "decided to review future steps of the co-operation between and EU and Iran in September", when Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA director-general, presents his second report on Iran's nuclear programme. Dominique de Villepin, French foreign minister, said Iran faced a "strategic choice" over whether or not to accept an IAEA additional protocol. Such a protocol would allow the agency to carry out unannounced visits to registered and non-registered nuclear sites.

Last weekend, the Tehran authorities tested the Shahab 3 missile, reckoned to have a 500km range that could reach Israel. Silvan Shalom, the Israeli foreign minister, meeti ng EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday, said Iran was threatening regional security.

However much the conservatives and reformers want closer trade relations, European diplomats said Tehran had done everything possible to sabotage those negotiations. "It does not matter whether they are reformers or conservatives. They are united when it comes to a national security doctrine," said one British diplomat.

Concern is also growing over human rights abuses, after Zahra Kazemi, a woman photojournalist, died after being interrogated by the security forces - which President Mohammad Khatami, under intense pressure from Canada, the US and EU, admitted last week.

(Also posted on my own blog.)

Shell hits US embassy in Liberia

BBC:

One mortar shell has hit a building of the US embassy compound in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

There are no reports of injuries from that attack, but more than 60 are being reported killed in less than an hour of bombardment on the centre of the city.

Mortars were fired near the centre of the city after a lull of about 12 hours in fighting between government forces and rebels.

U.S. Troops Are Sent Closer to Liberia

AP:

WASHINGTON - Some 4,500 more American sailors and Marines have been ordered to position themselves closer to Liberia amid renewed fighting in the West African nation, officials said Monday.

And President Bush indicated he had not made up his mind on the size of a U.S. force that might be sent to help a proposed African peacekeeping force in the country.

"We continue to monitor the situation very closely," Bush said during a joint news conference on his Texas ranch with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed a deployment order over the weekend ordering a three-ship amphibious ready group from its position off the Horn of Africa into the Mediterranean Sea, defense officials said Monday. That would put the group in a position to get to the west coast of Africa faster, if needed for an evacuation of Americans, peacekeeping or some other mission.

N. Korean artillery moved up closer to border

Chicago Sun Times/AP

South Korea--North Korea has moved heavy artillery closer to the tense border with South Korea, and last year deployed more missiles that are capable of reaching Japan, South Korea said.

WHO WIILL ANSWER FOR ZAHRA KAZEMI'S DEATH?

Reformers in the Iranian Majles (Parliament) are demanding that there be some accountability:

Iranian reformist lawmakers on Sunday called for a top hardline judiciary official to resign or be sacked over the death in custody of a Canadian journalist this month.

In a series of blunt verbal attacks MPs accused Tehran Prosecutor General Saeed Mortazavi's interrogators of beating Montreal-based Zahra Kazemi to death and said the former judge was waging an implacable campaign against journalists in Iran.

Officials at Mortazavi's office and the judiciary declined to respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the accusations.

Kazemi, 54, a Canadian of Iranian descent, died of a brain haemorrhage caused by head injuries more than two weeks after she was arrested for taking photographs outside Tehran's Evin prison, where many political dissidents are held.

Kazemi's death has tested previously harmonious relations between Iran and Canada and shed a spotlight on Iran's shadowy security services and treatment of the media.

Reformist deputy Mohsen Armin, in a speech to parliament broadcast live on state radio, said Kazemi told police she had been beaten, particularly on the head, during initial interrogations by officials from Mortazavi's office.

''Mortazavi, instead of respecting the dignity of journalists and the country's prestige...by punishing those who beat her,'' ordered her to stay in detention, Armin said.

This story is also noted on my blog.

IRAN'S MISSILE ARSENAL

This report gives the latest on Iran's efforts to build for itself an offensive missile capacity:

Iran equipped its elite revolutionary guards Sunday with a locally made ballistic missile — the Shahab-3 — capable of reaching Israel and U.S. forces stationed in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The missile was inaugurated during a military parade before Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is in charge of the country's armed forces, state-run Tehran television reported.

''Today, the Iranian nation and armed forces ... is prepared to stand up to the enemy with a firm resolve anywhere,'' Khamenei was quoted as saying.

The missile's inauguration comes as the United States is accusing Iran of working to build nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the claims, saying its nuclear program is to produce electricity not weapons.

The Shahab-3 has a range of about 810 miles, making it able to reach Israel and U.S. troops stationed in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey.

Also linked to on my own blog.

North Korea Hides New Nuclear Site, Evidence Suggests

An important article from the New York Times:

American and Asian officials with access to the latest intelligence on North Korea say strong evidence has emerged in recent weeks that the country has built a second, secret plant for producing weapons-grade plutonium, complicating both the diplomatic strategy for ending the program and the military options if that diplomacy fails.

The discovery of the new evidence, which one senior administration official cautioned was "very worrisome, but still not conclusive," came just as North Korea declared to the United States 11 days ago that it had completed reprocessing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods, enough to make a half dozen or so nuclear weapons.

Rebel Forces Enter Liberian Capital; Thousands Flee

[Fox News]

Heavy explosions and machine-gun fire shook Liberia's war-battered capital Saturday as rebels punched into the city, sending tens of thousands of panicked residents and weary fighters streaming downtown.

Many more civilians surged toward the fighting waving leafy branches and demanding an end to more than a decade of turmoil.

Warlord-turned-President Charles Taylor vowed to "fight street-to-street, house-to-house" until the rebels are defeated.

Full story...

Iran Says Report on Uranium Enrichment Questionable

Not that we should expect otherwise. From Reuters:

Iran said on Saturday reports that enriched uranium was found in samples taken by U.N. nuclear inspectors in Iran were questionable and called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to clear up the issue.

"The issue that samples taken contain enriched uranium is very questionable and we are expecting this issue to become clear in our talks with the IAEA," state television quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi as saying.

Iranian Efforts To Build Nuclear Weapons

Apparently, the Iranian government is even closer to achieving nuclear capability:

U.N. inspectors have found enriched uranium in environmental samples taken in Iran, which could mean Tehran has been purifying uranium without informing the U.N. nuclear watchdog, diplomats said.

The diplomats, who asked not to be named, said initial analysis showed enrichment levels possibly consistent with an attempt to make weapons-grade material and high enough to cause concern at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

If Iran, dubbed part of an "axis of evil" by Washington, has been enriching uranium without telling the IAEA, this would deepen U.S. suspicions that its nuclear ambitions go beyond its stated aim of using nuclear energy only to generate electricity.

However, the diplomats said the mere presence of enriched uranium in the samples was not solid proof Iran had done the enrichment itself. Contamination was another possibility, though how it had arisen would have to be explained to the IAEA.

The IAEA declined to confirm or deny the statements of the diplomats, though an agency spokeswoman said IAEA inspectors have been taking samples in Iran.

Beijing: North Korea to Build Nuclear Missile

North Korea is poised to build at least one nuclear missile, according to The Sydney Morning Herald (thanks Daily Pundit):

North Korea is poised to build at least one nuclear missile, according to new Chinese intelligence, taking the crisis over its weapons program to a dangerous and alarming phase.

U.N. Chief: N. Korea a Nuclear Threat

Guardian

The U.N. atomic agency's chief called North Korea ``the most serious threat'' to nuclear proliferation Friday while urging Iran to let inspectors investigate suspect nuclear facilities.

Though he said the Vienna-based IAEA has amassed results from its inspections of the Iranian facilities, he denied reports that experts determined that enriched uranium was found in the samples. He described the reports as ``pure speculation at this stage.''

``There's a lot of analysis we need to discuss, a lot of results with Iran,'' ElBaradei told The Associated Press. ``We are not in any way ready to come up with a conclusion on that issue before we discuss all the results with the Iranian authorities.''

Free Iran Petition

David Kian of ActivistChat.com writes me to say:

"We are encouraging an effort that will mount increasing pressure on the backs of the Clerics, while strengthening the Student Movement and other Iranian Movements for freedom. We need the world to focus on HUMAN RIGHTS. So we have created a petition that was recently distributed at July 9th actions around the United States. If we the people are to take matters into our own hands and help out our brothers or sisters in other parts of the world while pressuring dictators it is important that all peace-loving citizens of Earth sign this petition.

We need to UNITE... we definitely need to INFORM... and we need to LEAD!!!! The people will be the ones who push the governments to do what's right in this situation."

Joe Katzman
Winds of Change.NET
"Liberty. Discovery. Humanity. Victory."

Gunfire on the Border

South Korean and North Korean soldiers exchanged machine gun fire across the Demilitarized Zone (search) Thursday morning, the South Korean military said. North Korea fired first with four shots at a South Korean army position near the town of Yonchon at 6:10 a.m (5:10 p.m. Wednesday EST). The South fired 17 rounds in response one minute later, said Maj. Lee of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

South Korea is not reporting any injuries.

Iranian Official Admits Journalist Was Beaten to Death

[Yahoo News]

A top Iranian government official admitted that an Iranian-Canadian photo-journalist who died after her arrest here last month had suffered a "brain haemorrhage caused by a beating".

Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a reformist, also made the dramatic claim that the death of 54-year-old Zahra Kazemi was linked to wave of arrests carried out by regime hardliners seeking to undermine the embattled pro-reform camp.

Full story...

via Glenn Reynolds

Former SecDef Predicts War with NK This Year

Former Clinton defense secretary William Perry predicted today in a Washington Post article that the US could be at war with North Korea this year.

He also warned:

"The nuclear program now underway in North Korea poses an imminent danger of nuclear weapons being detonated in American cities,"

This author's opinion on Perry's statements are here.

It's Good to be a Mullah!

Everyone, of course, recalls the famous Mel Brooks line "It's good to be the king." There is no longer any king in Iran--at least not in a technical sense, but that doesn't stop the rulers of the Islamic regime from living like kings, even though such a life is at the expense of their own people.

This is a four part story, but it deserves to be read, and it shows quite clearly that the only religion followed by the rulers of the Islamic Republic is extreme cynicism and hypocrisy.

Also linked here.

Hello All

My name is Pejman Yousefzadeh. I have been a blogger for nearly a year and a half, and I have my own weblog, Pejmanesque. A lot of my blogging is about foreign policy and national security issues, and much of it centers around Iran--where my family comes from, and whose fate I take a special and deep interest in.

It's my pleasure to accept Michele Catalano's very gracious invitation to begin blogging here (though I will continue to blog over at Pejmanesque as well). The Command Post has rightfully gained the respect and attention of the Blogosphere as a terrific resource for news and information on a lot of issues. You will see me blogging here from time to time on Iran, and on other issues of import, with the posts cross-listed at my own blog as well.

For my virginal post, I want to link to a Tech Central Station article that I wrote on the issue of the revolts in Iran. As I write in the article, it will take a great deal of effort to overcome the ruthless determination of the mullahs to hold on to power in Iran, and I discuss the measures that mullahs have taken to preserve their power, and what can be done to overcome those measures. The cross-listing at my own blog can be found here. I certainly hope that my article can help serve as some kind of guide for how the power of the Islamic regime can ultimately be broken.

North Korea News Roundup

Kate of Electric Venom has an excellent compilation of North Korean News items for review.

Busted: U.S. Arms Smugglers to Iran

U.S. Federal authorities investigating illegal arms shipments to Iran are scrutinizing 18 American companies alleged to have supplied prohibited parts for Hawk missiles, F-14 Tomcat, F-4 Phantom and F-5 fighter aircraft, C-130 Hercules transport planes and military radar. (Hat Tip: Iranian.com)

...Just one of the many items in today's Iran Regional Briefing over at Winds of Change.NET.

Liberian Prisoners Tell of Horror

AP:

MONROVIA, Liberia - They staggered out of jail as scarred stick figures. A few slumped on the pavement in exhaustion — too ill to show any emotion about their newfound freedom. One was so traumatized he no longer recognized his sister.

The men and boys, some as young as 13, were among 51 political prisoners unexpectedly released Friday from three jails in Monrovia — bearing witness to a brutal system of punishment and terror meted out by President Charles Taylor, whose regime now appears to be crumbling.

"My people must think that I am dead," Junior Mulbah, 13, said weakly as he gazed around him, looking vainly for signs of a familiar face among the crowd outside the jail.

The sudden and unexplained release comes amid growing international pressure for Taylor to step down after years of sanctions against his regime.

S. Korea: No Proof North Took Nuke Step

AP...

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea (news - web sites) said Monday there is no proof that North Korea (news - web sites) has completed a key step toward the production of nuclear weapons, although the North reportedly claimed that it has.

The statement by Yoon Young-kwan, South Korea's foreign minister, was the latest in a series of conflicting reports on North Korea's nuclear activities. The communist nation expelled international inspectors in December, and the United States relies mainly on satellite images for clues about what is going on at its nuclear facilities.

"No scientific data or evidence has emerged to prove that North Korea started reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods at full scale or has completed the process," Yoon said in an interview with CBS radio in Seoul.

Yoon said South Korea and the United States were cooperating on efforts to obtain information about North Korea's nuclear activities.

US Orders Diplomats To Leave Burundi As Fighting Rages

From Yahoo / AP:

The United States ordered its non-essential diplomats to leave Burundi and warned US citizens there to avoid the country amid increased fighting between government and rebel forces.

The State Department also said Americans already in Burundi should reconsider any plans to stay there as a Hutu rebel group resumed the worst assault on Bujumbura in 10 years of war "to alert the world" to the conflict.

Andrew's Winds of War: July 14

Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted. of AndrewOlmsted.com.

TOP TOPICS

* NATO countries are increasingly reluctant to send troops to assist in the occupation of Iraq. Nor is India likely to help pick up the slack, despite efforts to tie India's participation to clearance for its purchase of the Israeli "Arrow 2" THAAD anti-missile system.

* The U.S. is drawing up war plans for North Korea. That's normal given that the Korean War never ended, but recent war plans are shifting in interesting ways. Today's shocker? The Chinese are also making war plans. Their last set concluded that even though NK's border with China was only lightly defended, they didn't have the logistics to race to the DMZ fast enough. Leak with a message? Disinformation op? Stay tuned.

* Iran Gu Brath! When you see and listen to this excellent video collage, you'll understand. The part toward the end is absolutely priceless. (4 MB, link via Bahman Kalbasi)

Other Topics Today Include: German history and Iraq; An al-Qaeda attack in Baghdad?; WMD intel fallout; Iran in Iraq; crossroads for Khatami; Journalists arrested and dying in Iran; Invade Iran - a discussion; An intellectual response to Islamism; Liberia; Kashmir; Homeland security autos; and Officer Kassem(nova)'s 50 women.

read the rest! »

Israel Arrests Irish 'Bomb Expert'

BBC:

A suspected dissident Irish republican who Israeli police accuse of training Palestinian militants in the use of explosives has been arrested in the West Bank.

British and Irish newspapers earlier reported that a manhunt was underway for a dissident Real IRA bomb maker in the region.

Security sources told Reuters news agency the 40-year old man is currently being interrogated to discover the extent of the network he had developed among Palestinian militants.

N Korea 'reprocesses' nuclear rods

BBC:

North Korea is claiming to have reprocessed nuclear fuel rods that could produce enough plutonium for several atom bombs, according to a South Korean news agency.

It follows earlier reports from intelligence agencies that the process appears to be under way.

The US and South Korean governments have yet to confirm that North Korea is pushing ahead with the development of nuclear weapons.

Khatami Offers To Resign

But is this good for the reformers? From the Gulf Daily News (Baharain):

Iran's President Mohammad Khatami said he would quit if people wanted him to, a newspaper reported yesterday, as his reformist government faced growing criticism for failing to tackle conservative Islamic opponents.

Iraniangirl: The Power of Persianblog

We know Iran has a lot of bloggers. Iraniangirl steps up and gives you some hard numbers, then explains why they matter:

"This problem of blocked weblogs isn’t something to be forgotten easily & I think if we don’t do something serious, censure on the Internet will be continued & even get worse.

As a great number of Farsi weblogs are on Persianblog & all of them at the time are blocked I think it’s very important for us to provide some true information about it to the world..."

Aide agrees: North testing mini-bomb

Joongang Ilbo (South Korea)

The director of the National Intelligence Service, Ko Young-koo, told a National Assembly committee yesterday that the intelligence community believes North Korea has reprocessed “a small number” of the 8,000 spent plutonium fuel rods at its nuclear facility at Yeongbyeon.

Mr. Ko did not say what led to that assessment. He was speaking at a closed-door hearing of the Assembly’s Intelligence Committee. He said the reprocessing was probably done on April 30 and May 1. “It appears to have been done as a threat in connection with the negotiations on its nuclear programs,” sources at the meeting quoted him as saying.

Mr. Ko also said his agency has confirmed reports of explosives testing in North Korea at a site identified by the New York Times recently as Youngdoktong, north of Pyeongyang. The newspaper said the purpose of the tests was to develop a nuclear weapon small enough to mount on a missile warhead.

Read the rest >>>>

N. Korea Says It Wants Nuclear Talks

AP:

SEOUL, South Korea - A North Korean envoy said Thursday his nation was ready for "both war and dialogue" and insisted on direct talks with the United States to resolve a nine-month-old nuclear standoff.

South Korean said Wednesday that the communist North has taken a key step toward building nuclear bombs by reprocessing a small number of spent nuclear fuel rods.

The report escalated a standoff that began last October when U.S. officials said Pyongyang admitted having a secret nuclear program, in violation of international agreements. Washington wants the North to abandon such programs.

"Our basic position is that we want to resolve the (nuclear) issue peacefully," North Korean negotiator Kim Ryong Song said Thursday before talks with South Korean delegates in Seoul. "But if outside forces ignore our position and try to use force, we will face them boldly and show our strength."

Who Are Iran's Mystery Al Qaeda Suspects?

The talks have been shrouded in secrecy. The key figures involved have yet to be identified.

Iran says only that it is holding an unspecified number of al Qaeda militant suspects and is in discussion with unnamed "friendly countries" about turning them over.

Western governments believe Iran may be holding some of the world's most-keenly sought Islamic militant fugitives and are eagerly watching to see how Tehran will deal with them.

If Tehran cooperates in bringing to book some of the senior figures in Osama bin Laden's network, it could go a long way toward bringing Iran, a member of President Bush's "axis of evil," in from the cold.

(Reuters)

Iran situation web resources

Worth noting - several very good compilations of information on the developing situation in Iran.

Carnival of the Liberties at Winds of Change.Net

Jeff Jarvis' Buzzmachine. Jarvis has been covering the Iran situation extensively for several months now.

If it is breaking in Iran, these sites will probably have information rather quickly, possibly from Iranian bloggers directly. Aside from reports of jamming of Satellite channels, indications are that several weblog/news sites are also being blocked, including Blogspot, by the regime.

Iranian Islamic Vigilantes, Police, Youths Fight

Reuters

Hundreds of Iranian hardline Islamic vigilantes, police and pro-democracy youths fought running street battles near Tehran University on Wednesday, the anniversary of violent 1999 student unrest.

A witness said police fired tear gas at groups of youths near the campus and also fought fist fights with plainclothes Islamic militiamen to prevent them from engaging in further battles with the pro-democracy youths.

"The atmosphere is very tense, the smell of tear gas is thick in the air. Police have clashed with youths, the youths have fought with Basijis and I saw police fighting Basijis trying to get closer to the university," the witness said.

Iranian Student Leaders Kidnapped

REUTERS ALERT -

TEHRAN, July 9 (Reuters) - Armed Iranian Islamic vigilantes seized three student leaders on Wednesday as they left a news conference where they announced they had cancelled protests to mark the anniversary of 1999 university unrest, witnesses said.

[...]

"After the news conference when some of our friends wanted to leave, armed plainclothes men in three cars attacked the students and kidnapped three members of the Office to Consolidate Unity," Matin Meshkini, a student leader, told Reuters.

Other witnesses said some 15 people armed with handguns and with the trademark beards, walkie-talkies and untucked shirts of Islamic vigilantes pushed aside uniformed police who tried to intervene as they bundled the three into waiting cars.

"We cannot call it arrest, it was a kidnapping," Meshkini said.

Remaining student leaders locked themselves in the Office to Consolidate Unity, Iran's main student organisation, fearing for their safety. They left hours later after Tehran's police chief guaranteed they would not be harmed or arrested.

Iran students cancel protest

[Alertnet]

Iranian student leaders backed down from protests in Tehran on Wednesday as police enforced tight security on the anniversary of 1999 unrest fearing a flare-up of last month's anti-clerical demonstrations.

Authorities have banned off-campus rallies, closed university dormitories, postponed summer exams and vowed to deal strictly with any unrest after some 4,000 people were arrested in 10 nights of sometimes violent protests across the country in June.

Students had planned to gather in front of the United Nations headquarters in Tehran and hold campus sit-ins to mark the day five years ago when hardline vigilantes fiercely loyal to conservative clerics attacked Tehran University dormitory, killing one person and sparking five days of mass protests.

"The reason we cancelled the gatherings was... because of security issues," a student leader told Reuters. "We received information that the other side wanted to heavily confront it and we didn't want to harm the movement and pay this heavy price."

Full Story...

Will July 9 be Iran's Fourth?

[News-Capital]

While this July Fourth commemorates freedom no longer young, this coming July ninth could well mark the beginnings of freedom not yet born. This is the day Iranian dissidents, following nearly two weeks in June of embattled pro-democracy protests in every major Iranian city, have called for a general strike. Demonstrators plan to protest Iran's Islamic dictatorship - which also happens to be the longtime patron-government and terrorist-haven of Hezbollah, Hamas, and other anti-Western terrorists, including Al Qaeda leaders responsible for the latest terror attack in Saudi Arabia.

Full story...

Liberian forces block U.S. military mission

Reuters:

MONROVIA - Gun-toting Liberian troops stopped a U.S. military team from reaching a refugee camp on Tuesday as President Bush vowed to work with the United Nations and Africans for peace in the country.

Mob Raids Pakistani Embassy in Kabul

Note: Due to errors with the GWOT page, I'm posting this here for now.

AP:

KABUL, Afghanistan - A mob stormed the Pakistan Embassy on Tuesday, ransacking the building and smashing windows as diplomats took cover in the basement, during a protest against clashes along the two nations' border.

Pakistan Ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand closed the embassy and accused the Afghan government of inciting the attack and failing to protect the diplomatic post.

"Where was the Afghan government? Where were the security forces?" Mohmand said in a room littered with glass. "Efforts should have been made to protect us, to protect the mission."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed regret for the attack and promised to telephone Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to apologize. He told a news conference that his government would compensate Pakistan for the damage.

Liberians Swarm U.S. Military Experts

AP:

MONROVIA, Liberia - U.S. military experts received a jubilant but chaotic welcome Tuesday from thousands of Liberians pleading for an American-led rescue mission to help end their West African country's ruinous civil war.

Waving hankies and American flags, refugees swarmed the U.S. team's convoy as it visited some of the camps housing tens of thousands of people displaced by the fighting.

At a high school where 18,000 people live, crowds thronged the delegation, clambering over vehicles and chanting, "No more war, we want rest!"

Thousands more danced, sang hymns and chanted, "USA, USA," at Monrovia's athletics stadium, where families left destitute by war are sleeping beneath the bleachers.

Abbas threatens resignation

Note: My goal was to post this in the GWOT section, but the template has an error.

Palestinian Leadership in Turmoil After Bombing
Tue July 8, 2003 03:49 PM ET
REUTERS

Mahmoud Abbas threatened to quit as Palestinian prime minister and offered to resign from a top Fatah body in a dispute with internal critics over peace moves with Israel, officials said on Tuesday.

Israel also stepped up pressure on Abbas, demanding he dismantle militant Palestinian groups, as mandated by a U.S.-backed peace plan, following a suicide bombing that killed a 65-year-old Israeli woman in her home near the West Bank.

Abbas sent President Yasser Arafat a letter in which he tendered his resignation from their Fatah faction's policymaking Central Committee, the backbone of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian officials said.

The Central Committee said it rejected his resignation and Abbas's office made clear he was not quitting Fatah.

Hardline members of the Central Committee prompted the move by asking the moderate Abbas to step down as prime minister after he failed to persuade Israel to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners to bolster a "road map" to peace.

In a second letter to Arafat, Abbas asked the veteran leader and Fatah to outline their ideas of how to handle confidence-building steps the peace plan charts for both sides on a path to Palestinian statehood by 2005. "If he rejects their ideas, he will resign as prime minister," one senior official said, adding that the internal crisis prompted Abbas to postpone a meeting on peace moves slated with Sharon for Wednesday.

'Final test' for Iranian missile

BBC:

Iran has conducted a final test of a missile capable of reaching Israel, the country's foreign ministry has confirmed.

The Shahab-3 ballistic missile, first tested in 1998, has a range of 1,300 kilometres (800 miles).

"The test took place several weeks ago," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

The test was the final one before the missile is handed over for operation by the country's army, the spokesman added.

He gave no further information on the test.

The Shahab-3 could also reach eastern Turkey, and Pakistan.

US military team in Liberia

BBC:

A US military team has arrived in the Liberian capital Monrovia to assess how best to bring stability to the war-ravaged West African country.

The 20-strong group of military civil affairs specialists is being seen as a possible forerunner of a larger US peacekeeping force.

Liberia's President Charles Taylor has agreed in principle to leave the war-torn country following demands from US President George W Bush for him to quit.

But he said he would not accept an offer of asylum in Nigeria unless an American-led military force was in place.

IAEA: Iran Should Make First Move on Nuclear Issues

Reuters:

ROME - The head of the U.N.'s nuclear agency said on Saturday Iran should sign up to new treaty obligations allowing tougher inspections to make its nuclear power program more transparent.

But Mohamed Elbaradei offered Iran an incentive saying if it did so then restrictions on its access to nuclear technology might gradually be lifted.

"I think it's important that they have to take the first step...a 'peace offensive' to show they have done everything to demonstrate transparency," ElBaradei told Reuters in an interview ahead of his trip to Iran on Wednesday.

Washington accuses the Islamic republic of pursuing a clandestine atomic weapons program, but Iran says its nuclear ambitions are limited to generating electricity.

N Korean defector's nuclear claim

BBC:

The most high-profile defector from North Korea has said he was told in 1996 that the secretive state had already developed nuclear weapons.

Hwang Yang-jop, a former tutor to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, also said that Pyongyang signed a contract with Pakistan the same year to receive help in enriching uranium for its nuclear arsenal.

Mr Hwang's comments will add credence to United States intelligence reports that the North had developed a small number of nuclear weapons before it agreed to mothball its programme in 1994.

West African troops set for Liberia

BBC:

The West African regional body, Ecowas, has agreed to provide 3,000 troops for a peacekeeping force in Liberia, in the throes of a bitter civil war.

In its statement after talks in the Ghanaian capital Accra, Ecowas also urged the United States to take a lead role in the operation.

But officials in Washington say President George W Bush has not made any decision yet on troop deployment, although a US military delegation has been sent to Liberia to assess the situation.

Liberia leader offers to go

BBC:

Liberia President Charles Taylor says he will step down but only when an international peacekeeping force has been deployed.

His declaration was welcomed by the United States, which has urged Mr Taylor to leave the country for the sake of peace.

The White House is sending a team of military experts to assess whether deploying US troops will restore order to the war-torn country and has indicated it may be flexible about Mr Taylor's departure.

UPDATE: Reuters reports that Nigeria has offered Taylor asylum there, and that he has accepted.

Iran's successful missile test puts Israel within range

Ha'aretz:

Iran has successfully tested a Shihab-3 missile, which has a range that can reach Israel. The launch last week was the most successful so far of the seven or eight tests of the missile over the last five years, and has increased worries in Washington - which spotted the test with its tracking mechanisms - and in Israel.

If the assessment proves to be true that the missile, which was launched from east to west, had an effective range beyond the 1,300-kilometer red line, meaning the range from western Iran to Israel, the Iranians could position the launching pads for the rocket deeper inside their country.

The Iranian threat will be one of the subjects under discussion when Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon visits the Pentagon and U.S. armed forces bases next week. Ya'alon's itinerary is supposed to include the Florida headquarters of two key commands: Centcom and Special Operations at MacDill air force base.

More...

North Korea threatens to scrap 1953 armistice

Star Ledger - AP

North Korea threatened to abandon the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, and warned that it will take "merciless retaliatory measures" in response to any economic blockade.

North Korea's actions add up to nuclear blackmail

Lesley Kemeny in The Canberra Times

The larger danger is the possible sale of highly enriched uranium, plutonium, fissile materials, manufactured nuclear weapons and missiles to Yemen, Syria, Iran, Pakistan or terrorist groups. This is an unacceptable risk which requires an immediate global response. To counter these threats, a logical conclusion is that the only non-military solution is to engineer North Korea's complete economic collapse by extended sanctions and a naval blockade. The global community will not tolerate nuclear blackmail.

Bush Urges Taylor to Leave Liberia, Mulls Troops

Reuters:

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday urged Liberian President Charles Taylor to leave the chaotic West African nation as he strongly considered sending hundreds of U.S. troops to help end its 14-year civil war.

"We are exploring all options as to how to keep the situation peaceful and stable," Bush told reporters at the White House. "One thing needs to happen -- Mr. Taylor needs to leave the country. In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now."

Rebels demanding Taylor's resignation have been battling government forces for weeks and now control more than half of the country, but the fighting has resulted in the worst bloodshed in Liberia since 1990.

Liberians are desperately grasping at the hope that the United States might send troops. Demonstrators chanting "George Bush, USA" surged outside the U.S. Embassy overnight and there was talk of little else Wednesday in the capital Monrovia.

Full article...

Sources: Marines on Standby for Possible Liberia Mission

[CNN]

A team of several dozen U.S. Marines is on standby in Spain for possible deployment to the war-torn African country of Liberia to reinforce security at the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Monrovia, Pentagon sources said Wednesday.

The Marines are waiting at the U.S. base at Rota, Spain, and could leave at a moment's notice. They could land in Monrovia within six hours of receiving orders.

Full story....

Iran to Shut Down University Campus

[Iran Mania News]

Iranian authorities have decided to shut down Tehran University's main campus from July 7-14 in a bid to prevent any gatherings there to commemorate major student riots in 1999, press reports said Monday.

The reports, quoting a statement from Amir Abad campus authorities, comes after officials have already refused to allow any attempt to mark the anniversary of the July 9, 1999 unrest that saw at least one student die and hundreds arrested.

Full story..

C.I.A. Said to Find North Korean Nuclear Advances

NY Times:

WASHINGTON, June 30 — American intelligence officials now believe that North Korea is developing the technology to make nuclear warheads small enough to fit atop the country's growing arsenal of missiles, potentially putting Tokyo and American troops based in Japan at risk, according to officials who have received the intelligence reports.

In the assessment — which they have shared with Japan, South Korea and other allies in recent weeks — officials at the Central Intelligence Agency said American satellites had identified an advanced nuclear testing site in an area called Youngdoktong. At the site, equipment has been set up to test conventional explosives that, when detonated, could compress a plutonium core and set off a compact nuclear explosion.

Some intelligence officials say they believe that the existence of the testing range is evidence that North Korea intends to manufacture much more sophisticated weapons that would be light enough to put onto its growing arsenal of medium- and long-range missiles.

Full article...

North Korea Warns U.N.

NewsMax.com

North Korea has warned the U.N. Security Council against being pressured by Washington to react on the nuclear crisis. An unofficial English translation of the warning was obtained by NewsMax from North Korean diplomats in New York City.

For the last two weeks, the Bush administration has tried to pressure the council to take up the matter.

All the U.S. efforts have been blocked by China, one of the permanent five members with veto power.

Full story »»

NK Threatens to Withdraw from Armistice

Www.Canada.Com:

North Korea threatened on Tuesday to abandon the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, and warned that it will take "merciless retaliatory measures'' in response to any economic blockade.

...

North Korea has recently stepped up its anti-U.S. rhetoric in an apparent attempt to force the United States to negotiate a dispute over the North's nuclear ambitions.

Full story »»