Iran Advances Nuclear Breakout Capacity: AEI Critical Threats Quick Take by Maseh Zarif

Iran’s determination to acquire a nuclear weapons capability and to develop a rapid breakout capacity is evident in its actions since the last International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report.

Iran had installed two interconnected cascades of 174 IR-1 centrifuges each at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) and was feeding those cascades with low-enriched uranium hexafluoride in October 2011. An IAEA spokesperson announced last month that Iran had begun producing uranium enriched up to 20% in those cascades and reports this month indicated that it had installed and begun operating two additional cascades. This expansion would result in 696 IR-1 centrifuges being dedicated to 20% enriched uranium production at FFEP. The FFEP, a once-covert facility built into a small mountain near Qom, is now the second known facility, along with the Natanz Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, where Iran enriches uranium up to 20%. Diplomatic sources are now confirming that Iran has built at FFEP the infrastructure necessary to install and operate advanced centrifuges that can enrich uranium at faster, more efficient rates.  

Irak: “Report on Joint Finnish-Swiss Fact-Finding Mission to Amman and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Area, May 10-22, 2011″

Quelle: Finnish Immigration Service

Irak: “Report on Joint Finnish-Swiss Fact-Finding Mission to Amman and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Area, May 10-22, 2011″ , Autor: Finnish Immigration Service & Federal Office for Migration (Switzerland)

Bericht über eine Fact-Finding-Mission in die Autonome Region Kurdistan (Sicherheitslage, Politik, Wirtschaft, Exekutive, Menschenrechte, Frauen & Kinder, Minderheiten, RückkehrerInnen, ausländische Flüchtlinge, Gesundheitsversorgung, IrakerInnen in Jordanien & Syrien) [ID 210354]

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10 Detainees Arrested on the 25th of Bahman, Launch A Hunger Strike

February 20th, 2012 – Mihan reports that the following 10 individuals arrested during the silent protests that took place on the 25th of Bahman [Feb 14th, 2012] have launched a hunger strike at Evin prison, protesting their detention:

1. Hamid Abedini

2. Gholam Hossein Ghasemi

3. Ali Azad

4. Toufan Hatefi

5. Massoud Karami

6. Hamed Aslani

7. Mohsen Moradi

8. Mohammad Ali Abdeli

9. Gholam Hossein Azari Najaf Abadi

10. Ali Shekarchi

Eye on Iran: Diplomats Say Iran Poised for Major Nuke Program Expansion at Underground Site

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AP: ”Iran is poised to greatly expand uranium enrichment at a fortified underground bunker to a point that would boost how quickly it could make nuclear warheads, diplomats tell The Associated Press. They said Tehran has put finishing touches for the installation of thousands of new-generation centrifuges at the cavernous facility, machines that can produce enriched uranium much more quickly and efficiently than its present machines. While saying that the electrical circuitry, piping and supporting equipment for the new centrifuges was now in place, the diplomats emphasized that Tehran had not started installing the new machines at its Fordo facility and could not say whether it was planning to. Still, the senior diplomats, who asked for anonymity because their information was privileged, suggested that Tehran would have little reason to prepare the ground for the better centrifuges unless it planned to operate them. They spoke in recent interviews, the last one Saturday.” http://t.uani.com/Ahg6iF 

Roundup of Today’s International News 20/12/12

IRAN

UN nuclear watchdog holds talks in Iran
UN nuclear watchdog officials arrived in Tehran on Monday for discreet talks on Iran’s suspect atomic activities, amid a worsening international showdown that has sent tensions and oil prices soaring.

Iran ‘may boost nuclear programme’, diplomat warns
Iran may be poised to expand its nuclear programme at an underground site near the city of Qom, a Vienna-based diplomat has told the BBC.

World inter-bank system ‘ready’ to exclude Iran banks
SWIFT, the global interbank transfer network, said Friday it was ready to exclude Iranian banks from its system once the EU has enacted new sanctions to that effect against Tehran.

Iran struggles to find new buyers for oil: FT
Iran is struggling to find new buyers for crude oil as Western sanctions start to bite, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Iran’s censors wage web war against Ahmadinejad as elections loom
Iranian censors have blocked access to a number of news websites sympathetic to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, adding further fuel to a high-level power struggle at the heart of the Islamic regime.

AP Interview: ‘I was scared to death’ – German reporter recounts abuse as a prisoner in Iran
When German reporter Marcus Hellwig was thrown into an Iranian prison on spying allegations, it struck him as odd that the chair in the interrogation cell had no backrest.

Christians Arrested in Shiraz, Iran

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

SHIRAZ, IRAN (ANS) – A number of Christian converts were arrested in Shiraz after security authorities raided the residence of a Christian being used as a house church.

Shiraz is in Fars province, 934 kilometers south of the Iranian capital of Tehran.

According to the Iranian Christian News Agency Mohabat News, on Feb. 8 security authorities broke into a house where people were gathered for worship and Bible study, and arrested a number of those there.

Mohabat News said that Christians are forced to worship in small house groups, because Iran’s government is virulently Muslim and exerts heavy oversight over non-Muslims.

Mohabat News said the house was searched and service attendees were “mistreated.”

Torture In Evin – Letter To Khamenei By Former Political Prisoner Rohollah Zam

In response to the request from former political prisoner and documentary film maker Mohamad Nouri for a letter writing campaign to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Rohollah Zam has written several letters to Khamenei.

In his last letter to Khamenei, former political prisoner Rohollah Zam talks about the illegal and inhuman methods that are used by interrogators for obtaining forced false confessions from prisoners. He talks about his time in prison and the tortures he received and that others were subjected to.

He starts his letter to Ayatollah Khamenei by saying that he could have been like many of the people that are around Khamenei that flatter and bow to him, so he, also could have benefited from the shadow of Khamenei’s Monarchism that has been cast over Iran.

He says, however, since he could not resort to such actions and could only speak the truth, he had to flee the country to stay safe from the hands of Khamenei’s forces.

BREAKING NEWS – Mehdi Khazali Transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence’s Ghamare Bani Hashem Hospital

February 19th 2012 – [Kaleme] – According to the latest reports, dissident writer and government critic Dr. Mehdi Khazali who launched a hunger strike 44 days ago, was transferred to Ghamare Bani Hashem hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence in the middle of the night last night.

According to the same reports, security forces removed Dr. Khazali from Taleghani hospital  at 2:00 AM last night without the consent of the hospital physicians and personnel.  He was later transferred by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence to Ghamare Bani Hashem hospital, affiliated with the Ministry of intelligence.

Source: Kaleme - http://www.kaleme.com/1390/11/30/klm-91621/

انتقال مهدی خزعلی به بیمارستان قمربنی هاشم وزارت اطلاعات

اشتراک

یکشنبه, ۳۰ بهمن, ۱۳۹۰

چکیده :مهدی خزعلی توسط ماموران وزارت اطلاعات به بیمارستان قمر بنی هاشم وابسته به این وزارتخانه منتقل شده است. این انتقال بدون اجازه پزشکان معالج صورت گرفته است. …

مهدی خزعلی به بیمارستان قمر بنی هاشم، متعلق به وزارت اطلاعات، منتقل شده است.

به گزارش خبرنگار کلمه، ماموران امنیتی ساعت دو نیمه شب گذشته مهدی خزعلی را از بیمارستان طالقانی خارج کرده بودند.

در همین حال بنابه گزارش رسیده، مهدی خزعلی توسط ماموران وزارت اطلاعات به بیمارستان قمر بنی هاشم وابسته به این وزارتخانه منتقل شده است. این انتقال بدون اجازه پزشکان معالج صورت گرفته است.

نیروهای امنیتی شبانه مهدی خزعلی را از بیمارستان بردند

حمله قلبی در چهل و یکمین روز اعتصاب غذا؛ انتقال مهدی خزعلی به بیمارستان

Quelle: banooyesabz

The Late Ayatollah Montazeri’s Libaray and the Entrance to His Residence Sealed By The Special Clerical Court

February 19th 2012 -  [Jaras] According to the latest reports, the door to the late Ayatollah Montazeri’s library and the door to the personal residence of his son Ahmad Montazeri, located on Mojaver street have been sealed by agents of the Special Clerical Court*.

According to the website of the office of Ayatollah Montazeri, Ahmad Montazeri describes the events that occurred as follows:

In the name of God,

The entrance to the personal residence of Ahmad Montazeri and the entrance to the Late Ayatollah Montazeri’s Residence and Library have been sealed.

On the last day in Bahman [February 19th, 2012] at 1:30pm an individual who introduced himself as a Municipal Officer arrived at our building and asked my son to open the door so a notice could be delivered. My son opened the door, pen in hand. Several individuals (approximately 10) forced their way through the door and entered our residence, holding on to my son so that he could not inform others about what was happening.  The warrant they presented from the Special Clerical Court stated that all materials related to Ayatollah Montazeri’s Office were to be confiscated.  I responded “Though I am the representative of 7 Ayatollah’s I am not a source of emulation myself and as such your warrant is baseless.”   When the search began, I complained and insisted that the search was illegal insisting: “If the regime is so powerful why then can it not tolerate the existence of this one room?”

VOA: US Envoy Visits Israel to Discuss Iran Tensions

Photo: AP

US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon (file photo)

U.S. President Barack Obama has dispatched a senior envoy to Israel amid growing tensions with Iran about its nuclear program.

U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon met with Israeli leaders amid growing American concern Israel is planning a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

In a U.S. television interview Sunday, America’s top General Martin Dempsey warned an attack on Iran at this time is “not prudent” and “would be premature.”

It is believed that Donilon is bringing the same message to Israel in person.

My dad’s new book, “An Invitation to Persian Poetry,” (2nd Ed.) has been released

My dad’s new book is out. It’s available here.

An Invitation to Persian Poetry
(2nd Edition, Revised and Expanded)
(Los Angeles, Ketab Corp. 2012)
Paperback, 320 pages
Text in English
Selections from 124 classical and modern Persian poets
Translated from Persian by Reza Saberi
See excerpt below

Khosravâni
(4th cen. HQ/10th cen. CE)

The night of your union, like the wind, is unattainable,
While your separation’s grief seems a thousand years long.

Long nights, long sufferings, and long struggles—
How do you think I fare in these three ordeals?

Many a night I tolerate your separation,
Hoping that one day I might be united with you.

Every night the thought of you comes to me.
How strange that all night my soul is at your thought’s service!

You had promised me three kisses from your beauty spot,
Make sure you pay lest you remain indebted to me.

O my dark-eyed, moon-like beauty, I never knew that
A fortnight moon could have the glance of a gazelle.

Reuters: Iran stops oil sales to British, French companies

Iran has stopped selling crude to British and French companies, the oil ministry said on Sunday, in a retaliatory measure against fresh EU sanctions on the Islamic state’s lifeblood, oil.

“Exporting crude to British and French companies has been stopped … we will sell our oil to new customers,” spokesman Alireza Nikzad was quoted as saying by the ministry of petroleum website.

The European Union in January decided to stop importing crude from Iran from July 1 over its disputed nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at building bombs. Iran denies this.

Iran’s oil minister said on February 4 that the Islamic state would cut its oil exports to “some” European countries.

The European Commission said last week that the bloc would not be short of oil if Iran stopped crude exports, as they have enough in stock to meet their needs for around 120 days.

Industry sources told Reuters on February 16 that Iran’s top oil buyers in Europe were making substantial cuts in supply months in advance of European Union sanctions, reducing flows to the continent in March by more than a third – or over 300,000 barrels daily.

France’s Total has already stopped buying Iran’s crude, which is subject to fresh EU embargoes. Market sources said Royal Dutch Shell has scaled back sharply.

Among European nations, debt-ridden Greece is most exposed to Iranian oil disruption.

Motor Oil Hellas of Greece was thought to have cut out Iranian crude altogether and compatriot Hellenic Petroleum along with Spain’s Cepsa and Repsol were curbing imports from Iran.

Iran was supplying more than 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the EU plus Turkey in 2011, industry sources said.

By the start of this year imports had sunk to about 650,000 bpd as some customers cut back in anticipation of an EU ban.

Saudi Arabia says it is prepared to supply extra oil either by topping up existing term contracts or by making rare spot market sales. Iran has criticized Riyadh for the offer.

Westerwelle warnt Iran: Zeit der Manöver ist vorbei

Angesichts des sich weiter zuspitzenden Atomkonfliktes mit dem Iran hat Bundesaußenminister Guido Westerwelle Teheran aufgefordert, seine atomaren Pläne vor den internationalen Experten offen darzulegen. Deutschland fordere den Iran auf, dass er in vollem Umfang transparent mit der Internationalen Atombehörde zusammenarbeite, sagte Westerwelle am Rande der Tagung der G20-Außenminister in Mexiko. Die Zeit für taktische Manöver sei vorbei. Die Sanktionen seien ernst gemeint, sagte der Minister.