Friday, November 14, 2014

Eye on Iran: Lawmakers Try, But Fail, to Force Vote on Iran Sanctions Bill








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Reuters: "Republican lawmakers tried to force a vote in the U.S. Senate on Thursday on a bill to impose tough new sanctions on Iran if negotiators do not reach what they see as an acceptable nuclear deal, but the measure failed to move ahead. U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Bob Corker asked for unanimous consent to allow a vote, but Democratic Senator Chris Murphy objected. 'It would send a message that Congress does not stand with the president as the negotiations continue,' Murphy said. The Republicans said their goal was to ensure Congress is involved in the process of reaching a deal with Iran before a Nov. 24 deadline. The proposed 'Iran Nuclear Negotiations Act of 2014' would re-impose sanctions on Iran waived during the negotiating process if there is no deal by the deadline. It would also give Congress 15 days after an agreement is reached to review the pact and let legislators cut off funding to implement the pact if it passed a resolution of disapproval or the plan was not submitted for lawmakers' approval. And it would reinstate any sanctions if Iran failed to comply with terms of an agreement." http://t.uani.com/1xWAH1j

Fars (Iran): "Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Seyed Majid Moussavi announced that the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance groups are in possession of Fateh-class missiles which were developed by Iran a few years ago. Speaking in an interview with 'Qiam Sejjilha' magazine on Wednesday, Moussavi said that the late commander and head of the IRGC Missile Research Center, Martyr Major General Tehrani Moqaddam, who was martyred in an explosion in 2011, supported and helped Hezbollah and the Palestinian resistance groups to develop missile capabilities. 'Considering the range of their missiles, they are able now to attack all targets from Southern to Northern parts of the occupied territories,' he said. 'Based on what has been announced so far, their operational missile capability includes a fully vast, but of course hidden, (number and type of) Fateh class missiles, and this missile capability can be used and has been organized,' Moussavi added." http://t.uani.com/112YsK0

Tasnim (Iran): "The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy commander said on Monday that the US forces will certainly exit from the Persian Gulf sooner rather than later due to Iran's outstanding missile capabilities. Americans have no choice but to leave the Persian Gulf and they have no option by any means to achieve their objectives, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said on the sidelines of a ceremony in Tehran, held in commemoration of Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani-Moqaddam, known as the father of Iran's missile program. 'Our missile capabilities is definitely effective on pushing the US (forces) out of the Persian Gulf,' the commander emphasized." http://t.uani.com/1xRZN13

   
Nuclear Program & Negotiations

Roll Call: "Republicans are gearing up to try to force President Barack Obama to give Congress veto power over an agreement about nuclear weapons with Iran. The expected chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee signaled Wednesday that getting a say in any such deal will be a priority of GOP senators when they take over next year. 'Nov. 24 is going to be the time frame which we'll know more clearly whether there's going to be an extension or something has actually been reached. But I would imagine that regardless ... there will be a desire very quickly after the first of the year for Congress to weigh in on the topic in some form or fashion,' Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told reporters. 'Whether it's ensuring, you know, that Congress has a vote in final outcome or some other way, my sense is that there'll be a move pretty quickly to speak to that legislatively.'" http://t.uani.com/1xBDPkR

Sanctions Relief

Tehran Times: "French carmaker Renault is negotiating with Iranian carmaker Saipa to acquire a stake in Saipa's subsidiary Pars Khodro, according to Majid Souri, the Saipa investment management director. 'Negotiations with Renault are being held, but we have yet to reach a final agreement,' ISNA quoted Souri as saying on Tuesday." http://t.uani.com/111mMf7

Trend: "France's car-maker Renault is in talks with Iran's SAIPA Company to buy 20 percent of the shares of Pars Khodro Company. Majid Souri, an official with SAIPA Company, said that by buying the mentioned shares, Renault will gain a seat in the company's board of directors. 'If the nuclear talks bear results, our negotiations will be pursued seriously,' he added. He went on to note that currently SAIPA owns 74 percent of Pars Khodro Company's shares. 'Renault seeks to boost its production in the Iranian market,' Souri said." http://t.uani.com/1ukvvoP

Sanctions Enforcement & Impact

FT: "Alibaba has removed listings from its online marketplace for enterprises sanctioned by the US and other countries for their role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Chinese ecommerce group has hosted listings on its eBay-style websites for companies that have been accused of helping Iran and North Korea procure nuclear and ballistic missile technology... Most recently, the company removed advertisements for Sinotech (Dalian) Carbon & Graphite Manufacturing, which makes graphite electrodes that can be used in ballistic missiles. That group had been designated in April by the US Treasury Department as a front company that has been used to send shipments to Iran. The US Treasury said that the company sold ballistic missile technology to Iran in violation of UN sanctions. It said that it belonged to Chinese national Li Fangwei, who also goes by the English name Karl Lee." http://t.uani.com/1xoehsV

Terrorism

Al-Akhbar (Lebanon): "After the war in 2012, the enemy learned the smuggling routes into Gaza, and targeted weapons convoys and rocket caches. In late 2012, the Israeli air force bombed a weapons convoy in Sudan, said to be on its way to Gaza. At that point, the Iranians realized that the best option to supply rockets to the Palestinian resistance was to help manufacture them locally instead of smuggling them. Accordingly, Tehran worked with Hezbollah to train Gazans on setting up plants to manufacture rockets, as one leader said. Operation Protective Edge in 2014 demonstrated the worth of months of training in Iran. The phrase 'locally made' was used extensively in resistance statements during that conflict. The Iranians did not deny that the rockets fired by the resistance were locally made. Assistant Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdul-Lahian, said the IRGC had transferred rocket-making technology to the Palestinians.  Regarding drones, Islamic Jihad sources said that Iran had delivered three Ababil UAVs to the Qassam Brigades to carry out certain missions, but that these planes were downed as was declared." http://t.uani.com/1tQRQVH

Human Rights

Radio Zamaneh: "The Iranian Ministry of Sports has reacted to public pressure and announced it has plans to designate a section of stadiums to female spectators. The ministry's deputy for women's sports, Robab Shahrian, told ISNA that the ministry will implement a new plan designating specific areas in stadiums for women to attend all athletic events. Shahrian reported that she has spoken to the Iranian Volleyball Federation chief and emphasized that Iranian women have a legitimate demand to access sporting events. She added that the issue becomes more critical as Iran plans to host a number of sports championships where female spectators would have to be accommodated." http://t.uani.com/1EKtK7s

Opinion & Analysis

Haleh Esfandiari in WSJ: "Among the endangered species in Iran these days are journalists-and the lawyers who defend them. Only last month two female journalists were arrested for reporting on recent acid-throwing incidents in the city of Isfahan, where women who were supposedly improperly dressed have been disfigured and blinded by being sprayed with acid. Also arrested was the photographer who documented protests against these attacks. These three journalists were soon released, thanks to public outrage over the acid incidents-authorities have yet to arrest anyone-and the arrests themselves. But they were the lucky ones. Editors, publishers and reporters often are summoned by Iranian authorities for allegedly violating the main national press law. The pattern is established: Security officials show up unannounced at a journalist's home or workplace and arrest him or her. They search the premises and confiscate papers, computers, digital files and cellphones. Interrogations follow. If authorities decide to hold the journalist, they feel no compunction to provide a reason, nor to allow contact with immediate family or access to a lawyer. This was the experience of Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American reporter for the Washington Post, and his journalist wife, Yeganeh Salehi. They were arrested at home in July; both had personal belongings confiscated. The judiciary provided only vague explanations for the arrests. Ms. Salehi was released last month but has remained silent about her interrogation and incarceration experiences, no doubt out of fear of jeopardizing her husband's case. This, too, is true to form. Those hauled in for questioning are told when they are released that speaking out and any publicity would hurt rather than help them and their loved ones... As of July, 65 news providers were behind bars in Iran, according to Reporters Without Borders, and Iran remains 'one of the world's most repressive countries as regards to freedom of information.' Journalists in Iran must grapple with not only the Ministry of Guidance but also the Ministry of Intelligence, which works hand in hand with the judiciary. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards have established their own (intrusive) Internet watchdog organization. Lawyers brave enough to defend journalists and political dissidents have not fared well either. Abdolfattah Soltani was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2012. Mohammad Seifzadeh is serving a six-year sentence. The human and women's rights lawyer and activist Nasrin Sotoudeh completed nearly three years in prison last year; she was briefly detained again when she joined the protests against the acid attacks in Isfahan. Iranian lawyers and journalists display admirable courage in these difficult conditions." http://t.uani.com/1ukAHJj
    

Eye on Iran is a periodic news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Eye on Iran is not intended as a comprehensive media clips summary but rather a selection of media elements with discreet analysis in a PDA friendly format. For more information please email Press@UnitedAgainstNuclearIran.com

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