Iran News Roundup March 24, 2010

Politics

• Gholam-Hossein Elham, former Justice Minister, releases an old interview with Khorasan on his website:
  • "I believe that this phenomenon [unrest] is not a post-election phenomenon. The issue is rooted in a movement which is pursuing the substance of the regime..."
  • "In reality, formation of the Kargozaran-e Sazandegi [Servants of Construction] came from within the government and is one intellectual current's attempt at remaining in power is the key goal of this movement. If we look at their past, the Kargozaran desired to restrict restriction of power...The next step...was the Second of Khordad [Khatami's reform] movement..."
  • "During the reform era, they did not believe in the structure of the Islamic Republic..."
• Hassan Lahouti, Rafsanjani's grandson, is bailed out of prison.
  • According to JARAS, Lahouti was arrested because of his criticism of Supreme Leader Khamenei in private phone conversations with his friends.

Diplomacy

• Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, senior presidential adviser:
  • "Obama not only did not manage to realize his slogan [of change], but has pursued the dark policies of Bush all over the world ever more energetically..."
  • "The Bush presidency is one of the darkest eras of the United States and the greatest hatred emerged internationally towards the United States..."
  • "Today we see that the United States rather than moving its military forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan has increased their number which has led to mass murder of the people and increased impoverishment in these countries. Obama had said that he wanted to oppose violation of human rights and wanted to close Guantanamo and secret prisons in Europe. Did this happen? Of course not..."
  • "There has also not been any correction of the dark policy of Bush towards Iran's nuclear program or [the United State's] opposition towards the Iranian nation..."
  • "We do not want anything from the United States. The Iranian nation demands its rights to be recognized and respected..."
  • "The Islamic Republic has not become isolated, rather, it is expanding [its foreign relations] ever more and is finding new friends...If they have claims, they must show it in their actions so the Iranian nation gradually trusts them..."
• President of Turkmenistan will visit Iran.
• [E] Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Luiz Amorim reiterated that Iran's problem for supplying nuclear fuel for its research reactor in Tehran still can be solved by fuel swap in a third country.

Trade

• Iran and Turkey expand economic relations.

Military and Security

• The German news agency reports Bahraini authorities have rounded up a Revolutionary Guards network of money laundering in Bahrain involving a Bahraini cabinet minister, a female Kuwaiti businesswoman, and several accomplices in Kuwait, Egypt and the Sudan.
• [E] Israeli military's Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi says his hopes for internal unrest in Iran have been lost, admitting that the system remains strong as ever.

Iran in the Afghan Media

• Afghanistan’s First Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim has asked Iranian ambassador to Kabul Fida Hossien Maleki to urge his government to transfer Afghan citizens jailed in Iran. An Afghan parliamentary delegation visiting Iran recently reported that 3,000 Afghans were facing execution in Iranian jails, but Maleki stressed the report was inaccurate.
• [E] U.S. officials say Iran is aiding the Taliban. (Current news stories on Pajhwok are only available to subscribers, but will be accessible the next day.)

Photo of the Day

• Elevated Highway in Isfahan.