Summary of Iran Stories in Today's BroadcastsBehnam NateghiWednesday, June 02, 2004
<b>Prospect of Compromise on Iran at the IAEA Board Meeting</b>
• Iran has provided “changing or contradictory information” on its work involving sophisticated P-2 centrifuges which can enrich uranium to bomb-grade levels, a confidential report by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei says, according to French government news agency AFP. Iran will lead the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the IAEA's board of governors, according to German news agency DPA, which notes that the IAEA inspectors faced obstacles when they attempted to visit some of Iran's nuclear sites. “Iran's nuclear dossier is on the way to being sorted out and there is nothing very important that is pending,” head of the supreme national security council Hasdan Rowhani said today, following the ElBaradei report. “The only issue that is outstanding is that of the 36 percent contamination,” Rowhani said, repeating assertions the traces came into Iran on equipment bought on an international black market, which has led the United States to renew its accusation that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, and not simply generate atomic energy as Tehran insists. The issue is no longer military uses of Iran's nuclear program, but Iran's violations of its past commitments, <b>Robin Bhatty</b>, an Amman-based senior analyst with International Crisis Group, tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. Possibly, there is going to be a compromise between the Islamic Republic and those members of the IAEA board of governors who suspect Iran's nuclear program, which would allow Iran to continue to remain in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and prevent Iran's case from being referred to the UN Security Council, he adds. (Fariba Mavedat)
• ElBaradei's report credited Iran with more nuclear openness but said questions remained about nearly two decades of covert activities first revealed nearly two years ago. The dossier was issued for the June 14 meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors. The IAEA had not found proof to date of a concrete link between Iran's nuclear activities and its military program, but “it was premature to make a judgment,” ElBaradei said on Tuesday.
<b>Iran's Imports Increase by 38 Percent</b>
• The value of Iran's imports rose to $4.673 billion in the first two months of the fiscal year that began March 20, 2004, 38 percent higher than the same period last year, the customs bureau announced. The dangerous rise of imports is a direct result of higher oil prices. A sudden fall in oil prices will either force Iran to hurriedly reduce its imports or face an extreme increase in foreign debt. The country's foreign trade surplus, which was $3.7 billion in the 2002-3 fiscal year, fell to $1 billion in the first 11 months of the following year, according to the central bank's economic affairs director. Iran could face a $5.4 billion trade deficit in 2004, according to the May issue of Iran's Economic Statistics released by France's finance ministry. Meanwhile, Iran's non-oil exports rose by 19 percent in the first two months of the current fiscal year, as compared to the same period last year, according to the customs bureau. Nevertheless, imports were 550 percent higher than the country's non-oil exports. (Fereydoun Khavand)
<b>EU-GCU Free Trade Zone to Isolate Iran</b>
• Iran will be further isolated as a result of the recently announced free trade zone in the Persian Gulf to be formed by the members of the European Union and the six Arab Persian Gulf countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The possible admission of all six GCC states in the World Trade Organization would strengthen Iran's neighbors to the south in the world economy and compound Iran's isolation. (Fereydoun Khavand, Paris)
<b>Restrictions on Internet and Youth Increase near Anniversary of Khomeini's Death</b>
• As preparations begin for ceremonies, speeches and marches to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic Law Enforcement Forces have arrested scores of young people in a crackdown on un-Islamic attire, unlicensed pop music CDs and cassettes, illegal drugs, as well as popular websites, according to Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, who announced Monday that a widespread campaign has started by the newly formed “prevention of special crimes headquarters.” According to new Internet regulations drafted by the judiciary, anyone involved in producing and publishing “pornographic content” through the Internet will be fined and/or jailed. In the past month, 40 percent of “un-Islamic and pornographic” Internet content has been eliminated, Mortazavi said. A member of the plainclothes security forces who spoke at a rally in front of the British Embassy said last Friday's earthquake in the Caspian provinces, Qazvin and Tehran was a result of the spread of decadence and prostitution, according to the official Islamic Republic newspaper. (Mahmonir Rahimi)
<b>Chalabi Warned Iran on US Intelligence Breakthrough, Report Says</b>
• Former US ally Ahmad Chalabi, head of the disgraced anti-Saddam party Iraqi National Congress, betrayed one of Washington's most valuable sources of information about Iran by disclosing to a Baghdad-based Islamic Republic intelligence official that the US had broken the secret communications code of Iran's intelligence service, the <i>New York Times</i> reported on Wednesday. The <i>Times</i> agreed to hold off publication of some specific information that top intelligence officials said would compromise a vital, continuing intelligence operation. The administration withdrew its request on Tuesday, saying information about the code-breaking was starting to appear in news accounts, the <i>Times</i> added. US intelligence is said to have discovered the alleged betrayal when it read a cable which the Iranian intelligence official sent to his superiors in Iran detailing the conversation with Chalabi.
• In an interview with the Associated Press, Chalabi denied ever telling Iran that the US had cracked some of its secret codes.
• “The whole story is completely false,” head of the supreme national security council secretary Hassan Rowhani said on Wednesday. “Chalabi was mostly in America. Sometimes, we met him at conferences, for example in London or northern Iraq. Iran had no special intelligence contacts or activities with Chalabi and we don't have now,” Rowhani said.
<b>Judiciary Summons Qum Governor for Resisting Guardians Council's Ban on Reformist Candidates in Majles Elections</b>
• The judiciary summoned Qum governor Mohammad-Javad Karakhi, as well as governors of Masjid Soleyman, Tehran, Eslam-Shahr, Borujerd and several other cities for resisting or criticizing the Guardians Council's bans on reformist candidates in last February's Majles elections. Karakhi, who headed the Qum offices of the pro-reform party Participation Front, is one of the most thoughtful and energetic officials and has been the target of conservatives' attacks since his appointment, Qum-based commentator <b>Dr. Akbar Karami</b> tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. The reformists should have expected retributions such as these from the conservatives, he adds. The conservatives, who took charge of the Majles, were expected to begin punishing the reformist officials' who spoke up against the Guardians Council's election decisions, he says, noting it is not known who had passed the confidential letter which the Qum governor sent to his superiors during the elections. (Fereydoun Zarnegar)
<b>Sales of Persian Carpets in Germany Fall by 50 Percent</b>
• Sales of Persian hand-woven rugs fell by 50 percent in Germany during the past three years, according to the head of Germany's carpet importers association. The availability of rugs copying Persian designs but in sizes more suitable to European needs and in colors more desirable to Europeans, was the main reason for the drop in Iran's share of the German carpet market, Hamburg-based carpet importer and appraiser <b>Mehdi Feqhi</b> tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne)
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فريبا مودت (راديوفردا): آژانس بين المللي انرژي اتمي در يک گزارش محرمانه گفت که ايران اذعان داشت که براي توليد اورانيم، قسمت هايي از دستگاه هاي گريز از مرکزي خريده بود، که بالقوه مي توانسته در توليد سلاح هاي اتمي به کار رود. قبلا ايران گفته بود که ماشين آلات ياد شده را خود توليد کرده بوده است. حال قرار است تا هيات مديره آژانس پس از مطالعه گزارش در روز چهاردهم ژوئن، يعني حدود دو هفته ديگر تشکيل جلسه دهد.
خبرگزاري آلمان مي نويسد که انتظار مي رود ايران در صدر مسائل مورد گفتگوي هيات حکام قرار گيرد. در اين گزارش محمد البرادعي، رئيس آژانس، خاطر نشان ساخته است که ايران وعده داده بود به بازرسان آژانس اجازه بازبيني از کليه تاسيسات اتمي خود و نيز مراکز نظامي را بدهد، اما بنا بر اين گزارش، در برخي موارد بازرسان در اين امر با مشکلاتي روياروي بودند.
خبرگزاري فرانسه در گزارشي در اين زمينه مي نويسد که نکات انتقادي ياد شده در گزارش آقاي البرادعي، باعث شده که ايالات متحده بار ديگر ايران را به تلاش براي توليد سلاح هاي اتمي متهم کند. روز گذشته ريچارد باوچر، سخنگوي وزارت امور خارجه آمريکا گفت که آنچه که روشن است، اين است که در حالي که به اجلاس هيات مديره آژانس بين المللي نزديک مي شويم، ايران هنوز نه شروط اعضاي هيات را برآورده کرده است، و نه به تعهدات خود براي ارائه اطلاعات کامل عمل نموده است. وي در پاسخ به اينکه آيا هنوز معتقد است که برنامه هاي اتمي ايران مخفيانه هدفي نظامي دارد يا نه، گفت: بله، از شواهد چنين بر مي آيد.
در اين ميان امروز حسن روحاني، دبير شوراي عالي امنيت ملي، تنها در مورد ارتباط احتمالي احمد چلبي با ايران سخن نگفت. وي در يک کنفرانس مطبوعاتي ضمن اشاره به اينکه گزارش آقاي البرادعي از همکاري هاي ايران با آژانس سخن گفته، افزود: آشکار است که سير پروند هسته اي ايران در سرازيري اتمام است، و اکثر مسائل حل و فصل شده اند. اما وي همچنين به دو مساله باقيمانده، ميان جمهوري اسلامي و آژانس بين المللي اشاره کرد.
صداي حسين روحاني (دبير شوراي عالي امنيت ملي جمهوري اسلامي): فقط دو مساله مهم و کليدي باقي مانده است. يکي بحث آلودگي است که ضمن اينکه در اين گزارش آمده، در بحث آلودگي پيشرفت هاي خوبي حاصل شده است، اما در عين حال هنوز آژانس نيازمند بررسي بيشتر است و مساله دوم، مساله P2 که آژانس به دو دوليل، يکي اينکه هنوز نتايج نمونه گيري هايي که در کارگاه P2 انجام داده، به دست نيامده است، ثانيا برخي از اطلاعات ايران در روزهاي اخير به دست آژانس رسيده است نياز به بررسي دارد، بنابراين نياز به يک زمان بيشتري دارد، تا بتواند همه مسائل مربوط به P2 را تعيين کند.
ف.م.: اما رابين بتي Robin Bhatty، يکي از تحليلگران ارشد سازمان موسوم به گروه بحران بين المللي International Crisis Group در عمان، مي گويد: مساله به اينکه آيا فعاليت هاي ايران اهداف نظامي دارد يا نه، محدود نمي شود.
رابين بتي (تحليلگر ارشد گروه بحران بين المللي، امان): افشاگري هاي آژانس بين المللي بدون شک قابل توجه است و مسائل بلندمدت همچنان به قدرت خود باقي است. اما اينجا مسئله اين نيست که ايران در ادامه برنامه هاي هسته اي خود، اهداف نظامي دارد يا نه. بلکه تکرار موارد تخطي ايران در گذشته است.
ف.م.: بتي مي افزايد که احتمالا سرانجام ميان مظنونين به برنامه هاي اتمي ايران و جمهوري اسلامي، نوعي مصالحه صورت خواهد گرفت تا ايران همچنان زير پوشش معاهده منع گسترش سلاح هاي اتمي باقي بماند، و پرونده اين کشور به شوراي امنيت ارجاع نگردد. گزارش آژانس بين المللي انرژي اتمي حاکي است که جمهوري اسلامي اذعان کرد بخش هائي از دستگاههاي گريز از مرکزي كه خريده بود، بالقوه مي توانستند در توليد بمب اتمي به کار روند. روز گذشته ريچارد باوچر، سخنگوي وزارت امور خارجه آمريکا گفت در حالي که به اجلاس شوراي حكام آژانس بين المللي نزديک مي شويم، ايران هنوز شرطهاي هيات حكام را تامين نكرده است و به تعهدات خود براي ارائه اطلاعات کامل نيز عمل نكرده است. امروز حسن روحاني، دبير شوراي عالي امنيت ملي، گفت: پرونده هسته اي ايران در سرازيري اتمام است. اما وي گفت که دو مسئله ميان ايران و آژانس باقي است: آلودگي دستگاهها به اورانيم غني شده، و مسئله دستگاههاي گريز از مرکز P2. رابين بتي Robin Bhatty، تحليلگر ارشد گروه بحران بين المللي در عمان، در مصاحبه با راديوفردا مي گويد احتمالا سرانجام ميان مظنونين به برنامه هاي اتمي ايران و جمهوري اسلامي نوعي مصالحه صورت خواهد گرفت تا ايران همچنان زير پوشش معاهده منع گسترش سلاح هاي اتمي باقي بماند، و پرونده اتمي ايران به شوراي امنيت ارجاع نگردد.
