Iran Renounces Nuclear Program

Here is the story:

Iran today agreed to suspend its disputed uranium enrichment programme and sign an agreement allowing tougher UN inspections of its nuclear sites.

The Reuters news agency reported that an Iranian official and a European diplomat had both told it that uranium enrichment would be suspended, but it was unclear for how long.

The French, German and British foreign ministers were today visiting Tehran to attempt to defuse international tensions over Iran's nuclear programme.

The country insists that its facilities are for a civil electricity programme, but the US, UK and other governments claim there is compelling evidence to the contrary.

The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has given Iran until October 31 to prove that it does not have a nuclear weapons programme.

(Also posted on my blog.)

Trial of Nuke Tube Businessman Begins

Deutsche Welle

The trial of a German businessman accused of entering into a deal to provide aluminum tubes to North Korea has begun in Stuttgart. He faces charges of breaking weapons embargoes and assisting Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

Full story »»

DPRK in 'nuclear display' threat

BBCi

North Korea has said it will "physically display" its nuclear deterrent, according to the North Korean news agency KCNA. It was not immediately clear what prompted the claim, but it appeared to be the latest in a series of aggressive statements regarding Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

Full story »»

Military Action Against Iran Not Ruled Out

Here is the story:

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he wanted the standoff over Iran's nuclear programme resolved peacefully but did not rule out possible military action.

Asked in parliament if he ruled out such action if Iran did not cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog, Straw said: "We wish to see this matter resolved peacefully. I'm not going to predict what is going to happen except to say we have adopted a consistent approach in respect of Iran."

(Also posted on my blog.)

Secret Atom Site Reported near Isfahan

From The Australian :

Iran is secretly building a nuclear site in the west of the country to test centrifuges that could be used to make highly enriched uranium for military purposes, a leading Iranian opposition group said.

The site, 15 kilometres from the city of Isfahan, is used to test 120 and 180 centrifugues that can be used to produce highly enriched uranium, which is neccessary for making nuclear weapons, said a spokesman for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCR).

The reporters have their own agenda, but also have a good track record.

The group had in August 2002 announced the existence of a secret nuclear plant in the central city of Nantaz, where the UN's nuclear agency subsequently discovered traces of enriched uranium during inspections last year.
[...]
The NCR spokesman for Austria, Firouz Mahvi, said that the 150,000-hectare (370,000-acre) Isfahan site is known under the name of a "fuel research and production centre" and also has other installations operating for Iran's nuclear programme.

Eyes On Korea Briefing: Oct 14/03

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

Top Topics

• North Korea welcomed in October by announcing that it was using reprocessed plutonium to make bombs - South Korean president Noh Mu-hyeon responded by calling for calm, while the Minister of Unification requested that the US take a more conciliatory stance towards the North Koreans. The Bush Administration, on the other hand, was apparently unimpressed, much to the chagrin of critics on the Left and Right.

• For those interested in the debate surrounding democracy and "Asian Values," Prince Roy over at PRC News links to an outstanding paper by UCLA's Randall Peerenboom that you'd be advised to download

• The Hoover Institute's Harry Rowen contributes some outstanding analysis of the North Korean situation in this issue of Policy Review - a must read.

ALSO ON TAP TODAY: Total Recall in South Korea; Wider regional role for USFK; NK Developments; Nukes updates; What to do about NK; Lifestyles of the Rich and Stalinist; the ROK forces to Iraq debate; Food aid to NK; NK's economy; Professor Song Du-yul: Traitor?; Security guarantees and human rights; Kim's one-finger salutes in Beantown, and so much more!

read the rest! »
 

The Iran-Al Qaeda Connection

Here is the story:

Saad bin Laden, one of Osama bin Laden's oldest sons, has emerged in recent months as part of the upper echelon of the al Qaeda network, a small group of leaders that is managing the terrorist organization from Iran, according to U.S., European and Arab officials.

Saad bin Laden and other senior al Qaeda operatives were in contact with an al Qaeda cell in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the days immediately prior to the May 12 suicide bombing there that left 35 people dead, including eight Americans, European and U.S. intelligence sources say. The sources would not divulge the nature or contents of the communications, but the contacts have led them to conclude that the Riyadh attacks were planned in Iran and ordered from there.

Although Saad bin Laden is not the top leader of the terrorist group, his presence in the decision-making process demonstrates his father's trust in him and an apparent desire to pass the mantle of leadership to a family member, according to numerous terrorism analysts inside and outside of government.

Like other al Qaeda leaders in Iran, the younger bin Laden, who is believed to be 24 years old, is protected by an elite, radical Iranian security force loyal to the nation's clerics and beyond the control of the central government, according to U.S. and European intelligence officials. The secretive unit, known as the Jerusalem Force, has restricted the al Qaeda group's movements to its bases, mostly along the border with Afghanistan.

(Also posted on my blog.)

Iranian Lawyer Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Here is the story:

Moments after learning Friday that Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the mother of the Iranian human rights lawyer prayed to Allah. Ebadi's husband, too, gave thanks for what may lie ahead.

"The reform movement is reborn," said Javad Tavassolian, the husband of Ebadi, the first Iranian and first Muslim woman to win the peace prize.

Ebadi - who also is Iran's first female judge - was hailed around the world as a courageous champion of political freedom after the Norwegian Nobel Committee honored her for promoting peaceful and democratic solutions in the struggle for human rights.

The prize, announced Friday in Oslo, Norway, also gave hope to the dispirited reformers challenging Iran's ruling clerics that the 56-year-old lawyer's newfound clout and international stature may breathe life into their tired ranks.

"This prize doesn't belong to me only. It belongs to all people who work for human rights and democracy in Iran," Ebadi said in Paris, where she was attending a conference.

Ebadi, who was jailed for three weeks in 2000, has been a forceful advocate for women, children and those on the margins of society.

"As a lawyer, judge, lecturer, writer and activist, she has spoken out clearly and strongly in her country, Iran, far beyond its borders," the Nobel committee said in its citation.

Reformers in Iran may now expect even more: a firebrand willing to directly battle the powerful theocracy in the model of other history-shaping Nobel laureates such as Nelson Mandela and Lech Walesa.

"She is an international figure now," said Isa Saharqis, a prominent reformer and editor of the monthly political journal, Aftab, or Sun. "The conservatives cannot close their eyes to this."

Iranian state media waited hours to report the Nobel committee's decision - and then only as the last item on the radio news update.

It was not until late Friday that Iran issued an official statement, with government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh congratulating Ebadi for her prize.

(Also posted on my blog.)

Good News Israel Blog Debuts

Daniel Moore: B'surot Tovot translates as "good news" in Hebrew, and that's what our new blog is about. We hear about attacks, and tragedy - but how often do we hear about the good news and achievements that make Israeli society so remarkable?

Bsurot.com is a blog dedicated to doing just that, and Joe has graciously agreed to give us a guest blog on Winds of Change.NET to demonstrate. Toda rabah, Yosef!

read the rest! »
 

Khomeini Calls For American Invasion of Iran

The story can be found here:

It's not strictly necessary to speak to Hossein Khomeini to appreciate the latter point: Every visitor to Iran confirms it, and a large majority of the Iranians themselves have voted for anti-theocratic candidates. The entrenched and reactionary regime can negate these results up to a certain point; the only question is how long can they do so? Young Khomeini is convinced that the coming upheaval will depend principally on those who once supported his grandfather and have now become disillusioned. I asked him what he would like to see happen, and his reply this time was very terse and did not require any Quranic scriptural authority or explication. The best outcome, he thought, would be a very swift and immediate American invasion of Iran.

It hurt me somewhat to have to tell him that there was scant chance of deliverance coming by this means. He took the news pretty stoically (and I hardly think I was telling him anything he did not know). But I was thinking, wow, this is what happens if you live long enough. You'll hear the ayatollah's grandson saying, not even "Send in the Marines" but "Bring in the 82nd Airborne." I think it was the matter-of-factness of the reply that impressed me the most: He spoke as if talking of the obvious and the uncontroversial.

(Also posted on my blog.)

DPRK Bans Japan

From the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) :

The Japanese Government has rejected North Korean demands that it no longer be involved in talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

The North Korean Government has released a statement accusing Japan of having 'black hearted intentions' and being an obstacle to peace.

It declares Japan would no longer be allowed to participate in any multilateral talks on the nuclear crisis.

The Japanese Government has been quick to reject that, saying the issue is of regional concern.

A foreign ministry official says North Korea is in no position to decide who should and should not be involved in any future dialogue.

North Korea Boosts Nuclear Program

[CNN]

North Korea has admitted reprocessing 8,000 fuel rods from its Yongbyon nuclear reactor to boost its nuclear capabilities in response to threats from the United States.

In a rare interview, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon told CNN of the move, saying North Korea's nuclear deterrence was not intended to attack other countries, but as a means to safeguard the country's territory.

"We have already processed that fuel rods and also changed the purpose of those fuel rods," Choe said, when asked about the 8,000 fuel rods.

When asked what that purpose was, Choe replied: "As we have clearly pointed out - since the United States is now threatening the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) ... we have been left with no alternative."

Full story...

Iran: Playing With Nuclear Fire

"Iran's Atomic Dilemma" writes Amir Taheri. "Stopping Iran's Atomic Quest" writes Canada's National Post in an editorial. Meanwhile, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists says the window during which Iran could still be stopped could be as short as 6-9 months.

This should be worrying, and not just to the folks in the White House. It should be profoundly worrying to the people of Iran.

Tyler Cowan explains "The Game Theory of Nuclear Proliferation," and why it's so dangerous. Note that in addition to upping the risks of war with the USA, Iran's efforts also up the risk of catastrophe as a result of miscalculation between other nuclear powers - like Israel and Iran, for instance. I've made this point before... but Iranians need to understand the full implications. A regime that owns nuclear weapons directly threatens the personal safety of every Iranian in a way that simply hasn't been true before.

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