Summary of Iran Stories in Today's BroadcastsBehnam NateghiFriday, July 25, 2003
<b>Tensions Mount in Iran Relations with EU, Canada</b>
• Tensions mounted in Iran-Canada relations, as Iran accused Vancouver police of shooting to death an Iranian immigrant and Canada pulled its Tehran ambassador over Iran's refusal to hand over the body of Canadian-Iranian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who died in police custody of blows to her head during interrogation. President Khatami cancelled his next week's trip to Belgium after EU foreign ministers said in a statement on Monday that good relations and economic cooperation with Iran would depend on improvement in the areas of human rights, terrorism, cooperation with IAEA and recognition of Israel. (Ardavan Niknam)
• The EU is not aware of the cancellation of Khatami's trip, and no preparation had begun by the EU for Khatami's trip, <b>Christina Gallach</b>, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana's spokesperson, tells <b>Radio Farda</b>. She adds that Solana told Iran's Islamic officials that in order to maintain good relations with the EU, Iran needed to take steps in the right direction on the four issues, but a a year later no improvement can be seen. Iran has not yet agreed to sign the additional protocol of the UN nuclear non-proliferation treaty; Iran has done little in support of the Middle East peace process. She adds that last Monday, the EU foreign ministers decided to reconsider relations with Iran next September, after the release of the IAEA's report. She says the EU supports the pro-democracy forces, the students and people who took to streets last month, people who were hopeful for a greater democracy in their country. She says Iran's pro-reform forces need to strive for the same goals that the EU supports; meaning the move towards democracy, respect for human rights and cooperation with the international community. (Fariba Mavedat)
• Roundtable: Paris-based commentator and former Majles MP <b>Ahmad Salamatian</b>, Tehran University political science professor <b>Sadeq Zibakalam</b> and Tehran University international relations professor <b>Davoud Hermidas-Bavand</b> discuss Iran's recent foreign policy crisis. (Amir-Mosaddegh Katouzian)
• The reformists blaming the conservative rivals for all the ills of the country is no longer sufficient for the EU. The European governments expect Iran to speak with one voice, writes German news agency in an analysis. (Siavash Ardalan)
<b>Khatami Cancels Belgium Visit</b>
• President Khatami cancelled his September two-day visit to Brussels, after Belgian and other European leaders said they would not visit with him. In its Monday statement, the EU said future ties with Iran would depend on official recognition of Israel, ending support for terrorism, signing the non-proliferation treaty's additional protocol and respect for human rights. (Amir Armin)
• The cancellation of Khatami's September trip to Belgium was due to the US pressures on the EU, the official news agency IRNA's daily newspaper <i>Iran</i> said. Khatami was scheduled to receive an honorary degree from University of Liège. (Mina Baharmast)
• Iranian press spread the rumor that Khatami's Belgium trip had been cancelled as a ploy to prevent anti-regime demonstrations, Washington-based political activist <b>Manuchehr Ganji</b> says. He tells <b>Radio Farda</b> that activists have sent many faxes of protest to the president of the University of Liège, who is hosting Katami to give him a doctorate in the field of "dialogue between civilizations." He urges anti-regime Iranians not to cancel their demonstration plans, because according to the office of the president of the University of Liège, the September 17 ceremony has not been cancelled, he says. (Bijan Farhoodi)
<b>Iran Offers Extradition of Egyptian Al Qaeda Members</b>
• An Egyptian security official told AFP that Egypt has not responded to Iran's offer to extradite its Egyptian al Qaeda detainees. (Jamshid Chalangi)
<b>24 Islamic Student Councils End Dialogue with Government</b>
• In a letter to the Iranian people, 24 Islamic student councils said they end their dialogue with the Islamic government, because they have realized that expecting the government to respect the will of the people is an illusion. (Fereydoun Zarnegar)
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بيژن فرهودي (راديو فردا): فيليپ ريكر، سخنگوي وزارت امور خارجه آمريكا در پاسخ به اين سئوال كه آيا تا كنون ايران از طريق كانالهاي مختلف يا به هر ترتيب ديگري، اطلاع داده است كه كداميك از اعضاي ارشد القاعده را در بازداشت دارد يا نه، گفت: من هيچ خبر تازه اي در اين باره ندارم، همانطور كه شما خود ميدانيد ما چندي است نگران حضور اعضاي القاعده در ايران هستيم. ما معتقديم برخي از عوامل رژيم ايران به تروريستهاي القاعده كمك كرده اند تا از ايران عبور كنند و يا داراي پناهگاهي امن در اين كشور باشند. سخنگوي وزارت امور خارجه خطاب به خبرنگاران گفت: همانطور كه قبال هم گفتيم، تروريستهاي ارشد القاعده در ايران، در طرح ريزي بمب گزاري هاي 12 ماه مي در رياض، دست داشتند.
ما از ايران و كليه كشورها خواستيم به مسئوليتهايي كه طبق قطعنامه شماره 1373 شوراي امنيت برعهده دارند، عمل كنند و پناهگاه دراختيار تروريستها قرار ندهند. آقاي ريكر در ادامه گفت: بديهي است ما اختلافاتي ديرپا در مواضع با ايران داريم. همانطور كه وزير امور خارجه آمريكا نيز اخيرا اظهار داشت، ما اقدام ايران را در اعلام آنچه آن را بازداشت اعضاي ارشد القاعده ناميد، با خوشبختي تلقي كرديم، اما پس از آن ديگر هيچگونه خبري نرسيد. در مورد هرگونه اطلاعات اضافي در اينباره، من شما را به مقامات ايران ارجاع ميدهم.
آقاي ريكر افزود ما ديرزماني است نگراني خود را درباره حضور اعضاي القاعده در ايران ابراز داشتيم. وقت آن فرا رسيده است كه مقامهاي ايران در انجام تعهدات خود، شتاب به خرج دهند. اين به نفع هركس از جمله ايران است كه شاهد آن باشد كه جلوي تروريستهاي خطرناك رفته شده است. مقامهاي ايران بايد به كوششهاي جهاني در مبارزه با تروريسم، بويژه مبارزه با گروههاي نظير القاعده ملحق شوند. فيليپ ريكر، سخنگوي وزارت امور خارجه آمريكا گفت واشنگتن نمي داند كه ايران كداميك از اعضاي القاعده را در اختيار دارد. فيليپ ريكر گفت ما چندي است نگران حضور عوامل القاعده در ايران هستيم و معتقديم برخي از عوامل رژيم جمهوري اسلامي به تروريست هاي القاعده كمك كرده اند. وي به خبرنگاران گفت تروريست هاي ارشد القاعده در ايران در طرحريزي بمب گذاري هاي 12 ماه مه در رياض دست داشتند. فيليپ ريكر گفت وقت آن فرا رسيده است كه مقامات ايران در اجراي تعهدات خود شتاب بخرج دهند و به كوشش هاي جهاني در مبارزه با تروريسم بويژه عليه گروه هايي مانند القاعده بپيوندند.
