Iran

"The regime's agents broke up a sit-in marking last week's anniversary of the mass student protest that started on July 9, 1999. Loyal to the Iranian tradition, the police responded to the demonstrations by breaking into a university dormitory and storming the offices of a pro-democracy student group, killing one person and injuring 20. A day earlier, Iran's judiciary confirmed that a man convicted of adultery has been stoned to death in the province of Qazvin. Jafar Kiani, a man in his late 40s, was stoned to death following his adultery conviction. Mr. Kiani spent the last decade in jail and the sentence was carried out despite a moratorium on stoning that was declared by Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi, the head of Iran's judiciary, in 2002.

The hardline administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces rising pressure for failing to deliver on promises of greater prosperity from soaring oil revenue. Iran's current economy is so stressed that although Iran is the world's second-largest oil exporter, last week it began rationing gasoline. At the same time, the nuclear standoff with the West threatens to bring new economic sanctions. Hence Tehran is using American support for a change in government and the possibility of military attack as a pretext to further liquidate its opposition"

Iran's cooperation with the IAEA has become vital to the security of the West. For the sake of peace, let's be clear that it is also vital to the

security of Iran". WSJ

Iranian threats......of course the regime would be much, much nicer if they had nukes??

Diplomatic clock ticking on Iran

Winds of War

Legitimizing Iran.....

"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she might talk with Iran this week at a Mideast conference on Iraq. This would end a 28-year break in direct contact with Iran's rogue regime. It's a bad idea."

The man to deal with Iran at the UN

Teetering in Tehran

Russia says the launch of Iran's nuclear power plant will be delayed because Tehran is behind in making construction payments. Two possibilities come immediately to mind, both of them encouraging.

First, if Tehran is truly delinquent on its payments to the state-run Atomstroiexport, it's another confirmation that the regime's hold on the country has grown tenuous and that needed change could come with light prodding in the right places.

Second, it's possible that this is merely a way for Russia to save face while it backs off its aid to a rogue nation it has supported. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's strong denial that it isn't up to date on payments lends some credibility to this theory.

Either way, the benefits accrue to the U.S., the West, the Iranian people and civilization in general. The mullah-run Iranian regime is a danger to peace and prosperity. Its end cannot arrive too soon and in fact might not be far off, according to some observers.