Iran News Round Up

Politics

Former president Mohammad Khatami hospitalized for one night, denies interview to the public.

Former president Mohammad Khatami, who is expected to run for the 2009 presidential elections, urges the Iranian public to “define” reforms. Khatami also says in case ”popular sovereignty” is a genuine value, there must be understanding of the role of religion in society as well. In the same speech Khatami lauded founder of the Islamic Republic, Grand Ayatollah Khomeini’s mix of religion and politics.
Kargozaran technocratic faction spokesman Mar’ashi says in case Mohammad Khatami does not run for presidential elections, his faction would support Hassan Rowhani’s candidacy.

Mo’etalefeh’s Badamchian demands decisive action against Vice President Mashayee.

Abbas Salimi-Namin, director of the Iran History Research Center, says Mashayee should be dismissed because he has not demanded return of Achaemenid-era signets from a U.S. museum, not because he extended a hand of friendship to the people of Israel.
Analysing pictures of Ahmadinead’s trip to Turkey, the Student Basij and the Justice Seeking Student’s Association asks how come Mashayee, whose expression of friendship to the people of Israel has provoked a ruckus in the Islamic Republic, stands so close to the Iranian president.

Ahmadinejad Mohammad-Ali Ramin, German-born presidential advisor and theoretician of Holocaust [denial], says “don’t even think of a national unity government” and adds: “Well wishers, as well as the enemies [of the Islamic Republic] all agree that with the idealistic, value oriented, utopian, brave and revolutionary government of Mr. Ahmadinejad, this trend [Iran’s regional power] increases.”

Bahonar says Ahmadinejad is not the sole 2009 presidential candidate of principalist factions in Iranian politics.
Kayhan reports that Basij members delivered the deciding votes leading to the Ahmadinejad’s presidential election.

Agah-Sazi publishes a Persian translation of Time’s interview with Tehran mayor Qalibaf who says the people of Iran are tired of “extremism.”

Agah-Sazi also publishes an interview with Qalibaf’s wife Zahra Moshir who chairs the women’ affairs directorate of Tehran municipality.

Economy

Economist Sa’id Leylaz says the sole achievement of the Ahmadinejad government has been “bankruptcy in record time.”

Media

Shi’a News claims the BBC Persian has employed 600 Iranian journalists to produce Persian language television.

Human Rights and Labor

Military and Security

Iranian Air Force claims to have produced an AWACS plane.
Commander Ramezan Sharif, head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Revolutionary Guards, answers questions from Alef News readers.
Hojjat al-Eslam Nour-Allahi appointed representative of the Rouhollah force of the Revolutionary Guards in Markazi province.
Colonel Reza Mahdavi appointed representative of the Supreme Leader at Hazrat-e Abbas force of the Revolutionary Guards in Ardebil.
Speaking to the Al-Zahra female anti-riot force in East Azerbaijan province, chief of the ‘Ashoura force of the Revolutionary Guards stresses the importance of preparedness in facing the United States

Religion, Culture, and Society

A new biography on Mohammad Montazeri, son of Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri who was killed in 1982.
All female universities to be opened in the Islamic Republic.
Morad Mohammadi wins a bronze medal in free-style wrestling at Olympics.
Shi’a scholar Hsseini Qazvini, an expert in millenarianism, claims Saudi Arabia has spent $250 billion to counter spread of Shi’a culture in the Middle East.
Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi says several signs of the emergence of the Imam of the Era are apparent: “Spread of betrayal, ignoring prayers, blood letting and abortion, usury, selling out religion for the sake of the world, following natural inclinations,…are all signs of emergence of the Imam of the Era ….”

Nuclear Issue

Diplomacy

(E) Iran rules out International Court of Justice involvement in island dispute with UAE.

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