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A regime that may not be as secure as it looks

February 4, 2002
The Times

On January 16, 1979, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, boarded an aircraft at Mehrabad airport in Tehran and flew into exile. Within minutes of his departure the streets of the city were full of people, dancing and singing, hooting their car horns and waving portraits of Ayatollah Khomeini. The clerics rode to power in Iran on a tide of popular support. Now the mullahs must look anxiously out upon the streets they once controlled. ... more

Life - how the Iranians do it

February 4, 2002
The Times

Male teenagers in Iran listen to techno CDs and drink Coke. But there are still street hangings, the penalty for pre-marital sex is 70 lashes and if boys want to meet a girl, they must do so at dawn while the morals police are at the mosque. Roya Ramazani, who returned to Iran after an absence of 22 years, describes a country in cultural confusion. ... more

Rumsfeld accuses Iran of taking in al-Qa'ida chiefs

February 4, 2002
The Independent

DONALD RUMSFELD, the American Secretary of Defence, has accused Iran of giving refuge to senior al-Qa'ida and Taliban commanders fleeing allied action in Afghanistan. ... more

Taliban may have escaped to Iran

February 4, 2002
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iran may have allowed al Qaeda and Taliban leaders to escape from Afghanistan across its border during the U.S.-led military campaign, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday. ... more

Did Iran Help al Qaeda Escape?

February 2, 2002
Time

Many U.S. allies were mystified at President Bush's inclusion of Iran in his "axis of evil" last week. After all, Tehran had supposedly been cooperative in the war on terrorism, having condemned the September 11 attacks and offered landing rights for U.S. search-and-rescue missions in Afghanistan. ... more

US-Iran thaw short-lived

February 4, 2002
The Age

In pointed remarks that raised questions about future relations between the elected Iranian regime and the United States, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has accused the government in Teheran of helping Taliban and al Qaeda fighters flee Afghanistan. ... more

Terrorism's slippery definition eludes UN diplomats

February 4, 2002
The Christian Science Monitor

UNITED NATIONS - As President Bush hints at extending the "war on terrorism" to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, the Arab and Muslim world remains at loggerheads with the rest of the globe over a crucial question: Who exactly is a terrorist? ... more

U.S. Stepping Up Criticism of Iran

February 4, 2002
The International Herald Tribune

WASHINGTON Top administration officials sharpened their criticism of Iran on Sunday while defending President George W. Bush's characterization of that country, Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil" that could provoke preemptive U.S. action. ... more

Iran Helped Al Qaeda and Taliban Flee

February 4, 2002
The Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON -- In pointed remarks that raised questions Sunday about future relations between the elected Iranian regime and the United States, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld accused the government in Tehran of helping Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters flee Afghanistan. ... more

US rebukes Straw for his view of 'axis of evil'

February 4, 2002
The Times

JACK STRAW was slapped down by President Bush's National Security Adviser yesterday for interpreting the President's "axis of evil" speech as an attempt to win domestic votes. Condoleezza Rice reacted to the Foreign Secretary's comments with scarcely disguised anger, saying: "This is not about American politics, and I assume that when the British Government speaks about foreign policy, it's not about British politics." ... more

Tehran warns any US attack "irreparable mistake"

February 4, 2002
AFP

Iran warned the United States that any attack against it would be an "irreparable mistake" and denied US claims it was harbouring al-Qaeda members. Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi also dismissed President George W. Bush's charge last week that Iran is developing weapons of mass destruction. ... more

Daily on difficult times in Iran

February 4, 2002
IRNA

Tehran, Feb 4, IRNA -- The English-language paper "Iran Daily" in its Media Monitor column on Monday quoted the Persian daily "Norooz" as saying that a look at the history of the past century ... ... more

Iran rallies against 'bloodthirsty' Bush

February 4, 2002
The Daily Star

TEHRAN: It is an oft-repeated fact that Iranians close ranks when faced by external threats. Propaganda and political attacks, by the Americans in particular, cause all factions in the Iranian leadership to unite on a common defensive position. ... more

Iran fumes as US eyes Tehran's influence in Afghanistan

February 4, 2002
AFP

Iran denied US accusations that it had helped Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters escape Afghanistan as interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai moved to establish his authority in restive provinces. ... more

Iran, EU start new round of comprehensive dialogue [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
IRNA

Madrid, Feb 4, IRNA -- An Iranian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani in Madrid on Monday started a new round of comprehensive dialogue with the European Union (EU) Troika. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Dailies hope Iran-EU talks will bear fruit [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
IRNA

Tehran, Feb 4, IRNA -- Two English-language dialies on Monday commented on the 8th round of comprehensive talks between Iran and the European Union which opened today in Madrid and is chaired by Ali Ahani ... [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Football: Iran's Estighal arrive for Asian event [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
Gulf News

Kuwait Club of Kuwait, Estighlal of Iran and Nasaf Karsi from Uzbekistan have arrived in Abu Dhabi to begin their last preparations for the quarter-finals of the Asian Clubs Championship, hosted by Al Wahda Club from Wednesday, February 6. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran: Paper on improvement in Iran-EU ties since 11 September [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

A new round of Iran-EU talks begins today in Madrid. Ali Ahani, Iran's deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs and Migel Nadal, Spain's state minister of foreign affairs, will chair the meeting. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Peres Asserts Iran Armed Hezbollah, He Says 8,000 Missiles Were Sent [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
International Herald Tribune

NEW YORK Israel said Sunday that Iran had supplied Hezbollah militants in Lebanon with 8,000 missiles that could hit Israeli cities, and warned Lebanon it would not tolerate any missile attacks from its territory. Citing what he called reliable intelligence information, Shimon Peres, the Israeli foreign minister, made the allegation in an interview with the International Herald Tribune. He also contended that North Korea had supplied Iran with a medium-range missile and that the two countries were cooperating to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting North America. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran Rejects U.S. Charges on Help to Taliban [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran accused the United States on Monday of seeking to "dominate the world" and challenged it to provide proof that Tehran helped Taliban or al Qaeda fighters to escape from Afghanistan. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran warns US against attack [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
BBC

Iran on Monday warned the US to stop accusing it of supporting terrorism after American Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld claimed it was harbouring al-Qaeda members. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Central Asian nations call for long term &anti-terror campaign [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
Iran Press Service

MUNICH (GERMANY) 2 Feb. (IPS) German Defence Minister Rudolf Sharping minimised Saturday an American attack on Iraq and warned that in any case, such an act would be against peace and counterproductive. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Iran: Majlis deputies said concerned about military detention centres [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
BBC Monitoring Service

It is being said that, following a request by Majlis deputies to visit the Defence Ministry detention centre at Tehran's Jey Garrison and the non-fulfilment of this request, it is expected that the question put to Shamkhani by 60 deputies about the Defence Ministry's detention centres will be discussed on the floor of the Majlis. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bin Laden's Trail Is Lost, but Officials Suspect He Is Alive [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
The New York Times

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 — A month after United States officials expressed confidence that they had cornered Osama bin Laden in the mountains of Tora Bora, they now acknowledge that they have lost track of the terrorist leader and are increasingly frustrated over the virtual absence of intelligence on his whereabouts. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Taleban warrior? No, I'm a lost backpacker [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
The Times

I HAVE met Jamal Udeen four times in the past fortnight. Although his story that he was a British traveller caught in the wrong place at the wrong time is highly suspicious, I have never been able to quite fathom him. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Excerpts from President Bush's State of the Union [an error occurred while processing this directive] February 4, 2002
Iran va Jahan

President George W. Bush's description of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as "an axis of evil", has been the sharprest and harshest language any U.S. administration has ever used to describe those countries. [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive]