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Prayer Time (Tehran)
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Dawn: 5:43
Sunrise: 7:10
Noon: 12:16
Evening: 17:41
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Weather Guide
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SUN |
MON |
Tehran: |
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High: |
2 oC |
5 oC |
Low: |
-3 oC |
-1 oC |
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Athens |
12 |
5 |
Ankara |
3 |
0 |
Paris |
6 |
3 |
New Delhi |
22 |
21 |
Rome |
12 |
6 |
Riyadh |
16 |
21 |
Frankfurt |
-6 |
-11 |
Cairo |
22 |
22 |
Kuwait City |
13 |
17 |
Karachi |
25 |
25 |
Copenhagen |
-3 |
-2 |
London |
7 |
4 |
Moscow |
-17 |
-18 |
Madrid |
12 |
11 |
Vienna |
1 |
-8 |
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Identification
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Published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)
Address:
Iran Cultural & Press Institute, #212 Khorramshahr Avenue Tehran/Iran
Managing Director: Mohammad T. Roghaniha
Executive Editor: Amin Sabooni
Editorial Dept. Tel: 8755761-2
Editorial Dept. Fax: 8761869
Advertising Dept. Tel: 8753119, 8757702, 8733764
Internet Address:
www.iran-daily.com
E-mail Address:
iran-daily@iran-daily.com
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Iraqi Parties to Discuss Unity Gov’t
Sunni Engagement Essential
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 21--Iraqi parties Saturday prepared for tough negotiations on forming a new coalition government, but it will be the victorious Shiite factions which will determine how broad its base will be.
The conservative Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, which holds the largest bloc in the new parliament, with 128 out of 275 seats, has agreed to a government of “national unity“, but it remains unclear how the minority Sunnis will be represented, AFP reported.
The Kurdish Alliance, the main Shiite partners in the outgoing cabinet, won 53 seats and will likely be included in any new government lineup.
All eyes will be on Sunni Arab parties who saw their parliamentary representation triple to a total of 58 seats after community leaders called for an end to their boycott of elections.
“It’s true that the Shiite Alliance favors a government makeup based on electoral results,“ said Mahdi Hafez, a former minister in the provision government and now member of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s cross-sectarian Iraqi National List.
“But other parties, starting with the Kurds, no longer accept just a Shiite-Kurdish coalition and that’s why the Alliance will have to compromise,“ he said.
The outgoing government counted a few co-opted Sunni ministers, but their presence failed to alleviate fears within their minority community that Sunni Arabs were headed for the political wilderness.
Political engagement by Sunnis is seen as essential to isolate insurgents who derive much of their support from a community favored by ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.
Sunni leaders have decried the election results, claiming they reflect fraud, but while some are likely to register official complaints with the judicial body charged with certifying the elections, most have indicated they are ready to talk about a national unity government.
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Turkey Halts Fuel Exports
To Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey, Jan. 21--Turkish firms stopped selling oil products on Saturday to Iraq, which already suffers fuel shortages, due to $1 billion in unpaid debt, CNN Turk channel quoted Foreign Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen as saying.
But the Iraqi Oil Ministry said part of the debt had already been repaid, with the rest to follow within days, Reuters reported.
Iraqi state oil marketer SOMO had already told Turkey on Thursday that the debt would be paid within 15 days. But 34 Turkish firms exporting oil products such as gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas stopped loading oil for Iraq in the Turkish ports of Mersin and Iskenderun.
“Our firms have stopped loading from oil facilities today because no development has been seen on payments and the firms’ receivables exceeded $1 billion,“ Tuzmen said. Ankara had set Jan. 21 as the deadline for payment of debts and warned it would stop selling to its crude-rich neighbor.
Iraq imports oil products from Turkey, Iran and Kuwait but it plans to import less because of increased oil refining capacity at home. Fuel shortages, especially of gasoline, have angered Iraqis who already queue up at gasoline stations in Baghdad for hours to get their needs.
Iraq increased state-controlled prices of gasoline and diesel by up to 200 percent on December, angering Iraqis who are used to paying heavily-subsidized prices.
Overdue oil debt reaching $600 million was a problem between Turkey and Iraq last year, but Baghdad paid the debt following calls from Ankara. Turkey’s total exports to Iraq stood at $2.8 billion in 2005.
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Rescue Operation For London Whale
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Rescuers begin their attempt to help a northern bottlenose whale that has been lost in River Thames in the heart of London, Jan. 21. (AFP Photo)
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LONDON, Jan. 21--A northern bottle-nose whale stranded in the River Thames in central London Saturday was hauled onto a barge in an urgent measure to rescue the endangered animal.
Live television shots showed the distressed whale being lifted onto the boat, using a crane and a giant inflatable pontoon, that would take it to the nearby estuary, AFP reported.
Animal rescue teams treating the whale were waiting for the results of blood tests later Saturday afternoon to determine whether the animal was injured and needed to be put down.
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IAEA Inspectors Expected
No ElBaradei Report Until March
TEHRAN, Jan. 21--Two inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrive in Tehran on Monday to carry out regular inspections at Iran’s nuclear sites, an informed source said on Saturday.
The same source told Fars News Agency that the IAEA inspectors are arriving on Monday while another two-man team has been in Iran since last nine days and is expected to leave the country tomorrow.
Iran has had extensive cooperation with IAEA to build international trust in its nuclear program. Since Iran opened up its nuclear activities to the IAEA, over 1,400 man/hours of inspection have been carried out by the agency in Iran. Some of the inspections have also been carried out without prior notification. Experts believe that the large number of inspections from one country is unprecedented in IAEA history.
Meanwhile, diplomats told AFP that IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei wants to give Iran until March to comply with international inspections, despite an emergency meeting set for February that could bring Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
The head of the IAEA is preparing a “detailed“ report on Iran’s compliance in answering crucial questions about its nuclear program that the nuclear watchdog has been investigating for three years. Iran wants China to be involved in possible enrichment of uranium with Russia aimed at ensuring Tehran does not develop nuclear weapons, according to the German weekly Der Spiegel.
In its next edition to appear Monday, the weekly quotes top government sources as saying Iran had told German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of its willingness to discuss the Russian plan.
“One of the Iranians’ conditions is that China also be involved in this joint venture,“ it adds.
Russia has offered to handle the enrichment of Iran’s uranium supplies on its soil as part of an effort to ease fears that the civilian technology could be used for military purposes.
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Appointments At IRGC
TEHRAN, Jan. 21--Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in two separate decrees on Saturday appointed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Brigadier General Hossein Salami as the commanders of the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps’ ground forces and air force respectively, ISNA reported.
The decree for Zahedi reads, “Upon the martyrdom of Major General Ahmad Kazemi and upon the recommendation of IRGC Chief Major General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, I hereby appoint you, with a brilliant track record during Sacred Defense and afterwards, as the commander of ground forces of IRGC. You are expected to boost the combat preparedness of IRGC by using the valuable past experiences, especially those gained during the tenure of Martyr Kazemi.“
The decree for Salami said, “Upon the recommendation of IRGC Chief Major General Yahya Rahim-Safavi and given your fine track record, I hereby appoint you as commander of IRGC’s Air Force. You are expected to boost the combat power of IRGC’s Air Force in compliance with the ratifications and related bylaws. I also welcome the opportunity to thank former IRGC Air Force Commander Brigadier General Alireza Zahedi for his sincere efforts during his tenure.“
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Money Laundering Bill Still Problematic
TEHRAN, Jan. 21--Guardians Council Spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodaei said on Saturday the money laundering bill is still problematic.
In his weekly session with reporters, Kadkhodaei added that the bill has already been returned to the Majlis and the council found faults with items A and B of Article 7, IRNA reported.
“The parliament tried to rectify these items twice, but failed to win the approval of the council. Item A was problematic because it pertained to all transactions and people, and there is a possibility that people engaged in proper transactions would also be subjected to this bill. Item B authorized the Supreme Council for Confronting Money Laundering to make judicial decisions. The council’s jurisprudents found this item to be contradictory to Islamic tenets,“ he said. The spokesman regretted that the Majlis did not amend these two items.
“At any rate, the bill has been returned to the Majlis. If the Majlis wants to insist on keeping these two items, then the bill must be referred to the State Expediency Council,“ he said. With regard to the bill on Goldquest companies, Kadkhodaei said, “Majlis has removed faults found by the council in this bill. The council’s final decision in this respect will be announced this week.“
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Etemad-e Melli Hits Newsstands
TEHRAN, Jan. 21--The first issue of the Persian newspaper named Etemad-e Melli (National Trust) hit the newsstands on Saturday.
The 16-page color daily is mainly focused on social, cultural and political issues, ISNA reported.
The daily’s managing director is Mohammad Javad Haqshenas and its license-holder is former Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karroubi.
The daily’s editorial notes that the Islamic system is the fruit of the endeavors of those who did not succumb to any kind of pressure for realizing their religious and national ideals. “The Islamic Revolution is near the end of its third decade. A glance at the past reveals various upheavals such as the terror and violence in the early years of the Islamic Revolution and also the Iraq-imposed war (1980-88). People suffered many hardships in those years,“ it said.
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Associate Editor of Iran newspaper Massoud Shahamipour cuts a cake in the presence of Acting Head of Iran Cultural and Press Institute Bijan Moqaddam (l), during a ceremony marking the newspaper’s 12th founding anniversary, Saturday. (Photo by Amir Rajabi)
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Hamas and Elections
By Dorafshani
Latest Palestinian opinion polls show the popular Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is gaining ground and would garner close to 35 percent of the votes at the district level in the parliamentary elections to be held Jan. 25.
Not surprisingly the US, Europe and Israel have voiced strong opposition to Hamas’s participation in the key legislative elections.
Chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas, whose ruling Fatah party is facing its first real political challenge from Islamic movements, has set a precondition for Hamas.
He has urged the group Hamas to recognize the controversial Oslo Accord. In other words recognize the state of Israel.
It is not hard to see that given the performance of Hamas, it may face a serious challenge in interacting with PA.
It is abundantly clear that Abbas is under mounting pressure from the occupying power and its US-led western allies.
These pressures that have increasingly taken the form of threats, are largely aimed at adversely affecting the present status of Hamas in the occupied territories.
The momentous victory of Hamas last year in the municipality elections in the West Bank and the defeat of Fatah candidates are issues of ’serious concern’ to the usurper state and its backers.
Their worries seemingly transformed into fear when the Islamic group voiced its decision to contest the parliamentary elections. This is while it had boycotted the earlier parliamentary race.
With Hamas well placed to tip the balance of power in the Palestinian lands and pose stronger challenges to the brutal Israeli military machine, Bush’s America and his European partners are seeking ways to create new obstacles in the way of the oppressed Palestinians and their struggle for an independent state. For instance they have openly threatened to cut assistance to the PA.
Three days before the vote, disarming the resistance movement and blocking its participation in the elections remains high on the joint US-EU-Israel agenda.
The participation of Hamas in the parliamentary race and its close rivalry with Fatah, which is not seen favorably by many Palestinians, is rather ambiguous given the fact that the Palestinian parliament is a byproduct of Oslo Accord between Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel.
The main question is whether Hamas will pursue the path that PLO previously pursued or whether it has other objectives by participating in the elections.
It must be recalled that Hamas has been trying to improve its standing among the Palestinian electorate and continues to confront Israel. Perhaps this helps explain why the US and company are worried about its participation in next week’s election.
It is worthy of mention that unlike the Islamic Jihad Organization, which has boycotted the elections by prioritizing armed resistance against the Zionist regime, Hamas is willing to participate in the political exercise.
However, the US and its allies have resorted to all sorts of machinations and propaganda to undermine the influence of Hamas among Palestinians.
Regional watchers believe Hamas is able and willing to adopt the correct approach and repel the pressures against it. For example, in its electoral campaign it no longer calls for ’Death to Israel’.
If Hamas emerges at the top in the elections, the first question will be about the future of Oslo and the search for peace in the volatile Middle East. How things will unfold between the powerful liberation group and the ruling PA also remains to be seen.
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