Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Regional Aspirations of Iran

WORLD/MIDDLE EAST

COMMENTARY
UPDATED -- Presented for your consideration, a number of news stories that paint a worrisome picture of Iran.

NEWSLINE
"There are states that fear success of democracy here - that it might be infectious and spread."

NEWSBYTES
Police Seize Forged Ballots Headed to Iraq From Iran
(NYT) BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 13 - Less than two days before nationwide elections, the Iraqi border police seized a tanker on Tuesday that had just crossed from Iran filled with thousands of forged ballots, an official at the Interior Ministry said.

Truck with allegedly fake ballots detained
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- With the country's parliamentary elections slated for Thursday and early voting already under way, a truck carrying what are believed to be fake ballots was detained in the Iraqi border province of Wasit, the U.S. military said Tuesday.

Iraq border chief denies forged ballots seized
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The head of Iraq's border guards denied police reports on Wednesday that a tanker truck stuffed with thousands of forged ballot papers had been seized crossing into Iraq from Iran before Thursday's elections.

Iranian leader denies Holocaust
(BBC) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has courted further controversy by explicitly calling the Nazi Holocaust of European Jewry a "myth."

Iran president: Holocaust is a 'myth'
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad escalated his anti-Israeli rhetoric Wednesday, calling the Holocaust a "myth" used by Europeans to create a Jewish state in the heart of the Islamic world.

Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran
(Times Online) ISRAEL’S armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed.

TESNION: Saber rattling
GRAVITY: Nuclear

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3 Comments:

Blogger Ed Dickson said...

Interesting blog. Thanks for the good read!

9:12 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I saw the stories posted numerous places on the New York Times report that forged ballots from Iran entering Iraq via tanker trucks. It was an enticing story to write about because Iran is dedicated to doing what it can to influence the elections.

Thanks to Captain's Quarters would gave no quarter on this topic. The article by Reuters reveals the there has been no such incident and in fact the borders are closed during the election.

9:59 AM EST  
Blogger Steven Moyer said...

I notice that the Reuters article you cited is written by Mussab al-Khairalla, who quotes, Lieutenant General Ahmed al-Khafaji, the chief of the U.S.-trained force which has responsibility for all Iraq's borders.

The general says, "This is all a lie," and, "I heard this yesterday and I checked all the border crossings right away. The borders are all closed anyway."

Far be it from me to invoke the memories of Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf who once said, "There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!"

Oh, I just did! Heh heh heh.

10:12 AM EST  

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