Volume 2, Issue 26, 13 March 2008

Iran Update is a regular publication prepared for the member communities, affiliates and organizations of the World Jewish Congress

Iran’s Proxy War Against Israel

This week’s devastating attack on a Jerusalem yeshiva has shocked us back to reality, after a few years of respite from suicide attacks in Jerusalem. One has to wonder what kind of peace can ever be achieved with those who attack young people studying in school—the victims were mostly teenagers. The pictures of the carnage evoke images that can never be forgotten, while there was rejoicing in Gaza celebrating the deaths of kids.  A terrorist with a Kalashnikov rifle carried out a murderous attack and his family set up a mourning tent at their home in east Jerusalem. Over it flies the flag of Hamas. 

Israel is under ferocious attack by Iran through its proxies Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and others.  These unofficial armies continue to receive funding, weapons and training from Iran, including large arsenals of rockets which strike deeper and deeper into Israel.   These missiles continually hit the Israeli town of Sderot, injuring and killing civilians, terrorizing the populace which has a precious fifteen seconds to run to shelter at the sound of a red alert siren.

The last big terrorist attack in Jerusalem was three years ago. Nothing has changed in three years of talks, conferences, negotiations, elections, and even the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.   Three years later, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad are still hired, directed, and paid for by Iran. Nothing has changed—innocent Israelis are still being massacred and the UN Security Council still cannot bring itself to condemn the murder of these young people.

Iran is unrelenting in its war on Israel, seeking to weaken it through so many kinds of terror, with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah as it henchmen. Terror shootings, Qassam missiles, Katyusha rockets all serve to reinforce the threats of Ahmedinejad to wipe Israel off the map.

This week’s London Times tells much about the Iran-Hamas connection (see below,” Hamas Wages Iran’s Proxy war on Israel”). It reveals that Hamas has been sending its best minds to train in Tehran alongside the Revolutionary Guard for more than two years.  According to the Times, 650 Hamas fighters have trained in Syria “under instructors who learnt their techniques in Iran.”  Hamas deliberately models itself on Hezbollah, upgrading their forces, munitions, and weapons, saying that “They come home with more abilities that we need, such as high-tech capabilities, knowledge about land mines and rockets, sniping, and fighting tactics used by Hezbollah, when they were able to come out of the tunnels from behind the Israelis and attack them successfully.”

Hamas launches missiles at kindergartens and people’s homes in the south while Hezbollah has rearmed in the north. As Israel struggles to contain this formidable enemy, she must make clear to the international community what it has been denying all along. These are not just “resistance groups” trying to derail peace talks but arms of a state with the clearly enunciated goal of the destruction of Israel.  They hide with impunity in Iran’s shadow. And as long as the world refuses to recognize this, this war will go on and peace will remain out of reach.

Ronald S. Lauder

UN Passes Third Round of Sanctions Against Iran - The resolution passed the third time around is not as strong as the US wanted.  Still, it is an important step in the long-term international campaign to convince Iran’s leaders that the cost to Iran if it persists with its nuclear program will simply be too high. So far, Iran has made it quite clear that it has no intention of complying with the UN’s demand. Meanwhile, the Security Council will not support the use of force to deal with the issue. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/world/middleeast/04nations.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-sanctions5mar05,1,5829666,print.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080304/wl_time/usviranrunningouttheclock&printer=1
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25835&Cr=iran&Cr1= 
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=25849&Cr=iran&Cr1

UN Alleges Nuclear Work by Iran’s Civilian Scientists – Iranian nuclear engineer Mohsen Fakhrizadeh lectures weekly on physics at Tehran’s Imam Hossein University. Yet for more than a decade, he also ran secret programs aimed at acquiring sensitive nuclear technology for his government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/10/AR2008031003097_pf.html

European Powers Drop Iran Resolution – Facing objections by Russia, China, and developing nations, European powers abandoned an attempt to introduce a resolution on Iran’s nuclear defiance at a meeting of the IAEA. It as felt that, on the  heels of a third round of sanctions, it may reduce Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=10705489

China Says Sanctions Won’t Affect Its Iran Trade – A new round of sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN will not affect China’s trade with that country, said Chinese spokesmen. It will triple daily crude imports from Iran.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080304/r_t_rtrs_wl_other/twl-uk-china-iran-bd5ae06_1.html?printer=1
http://english.farsnews.com/printable.php?nn=8612150797

UN – Iran May Not have Come Clean on Nuclear Past – Iranian documents obtained by the UN nuclear watchdog strongly suggest that Iran was working on a nuclear weapons design as recently as four years ago, UN officials disclosed last week in a private briefing. Information has disclosed that work was done that is only applicable to development of a nuclear weapon. The chief UN nuclear inspector urged Iran to stop stonewalling his experts. Meanwhile, the UN is certain to approve a third round of sanctions against Iran within days.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/01/AR2008030101722_pf.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/world/middleeast/03nuke.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030300600_pf.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030300315_pf.html

Iranian Leader, in Baghdad, Hails ‘New Chapter’ in Ties with Iraq –  Ahmedinejad’s visit is the first to Iraq by an Iranian leader since 1979.  He arrived at a time when the Bush administration and many Iraqis are increasingly suspicious of Iran’s intentions in their country and in the wider Middle East. US military officials are voicing increasing concern that Iranian-backed Shiite militants are stepping up their activities in Iraq. Yet, a good part of the Iraqi political elite boycotted functions held in his honor. Ahmedinejad has asked that the ambassador to Iraq be replaced.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/02/AR2008030200193_pf.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-iraq_29_slyfeb29,0,6645710,print.story
http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_8515531?nclick_check=1
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03082008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/ajads_endless_iraq_debacle_100962.htm?page=0
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/6064.htm

Israel: Iran Arming Hezbollah with Missiles Sent via Turkey – According to intelligence received in Israel, Iran is arming Hezbollah with missiles sent via Turkey.  Turkish authorities are unaware of the arms shipments, which are in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that brought an end to the Second Lebanon War.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=961107

Olmert: Israel Has the Strength, Might to Defend Itself Against Iran – PM Ehud Olmert said that Israel is definitely threatened by Iran but has the power to defend itself against any threat.  He added that this is not only Israel’s responsibility, but also that of the international community that regards Iran as a threat.  Jerusalem feels that the new set of sanctions are too soft.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=960457

Russia Tells Iran to Suspend Enrichment – Russia tells friend and neighbor Iran to study the incentives the world’s key powers are offering and suspend uranium enrichment as the UN Security Council is demanding.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080305/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_iran_nuclear&printer=1
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-32291120080304

US:  Iran Still Funding Terrorists – US military leaders said that Shi’ite Muslim extremists in Iraq still being funded by Iran pose a risk to the reduced levels of violence there, and that planned withdrawals of troops will be reassessed this summer. According to the leaders, Iran is training surrogates and supplying weapons to them.  Also, a US government task force is probing how Iran launders money to finance terror groups. Barclays Bank is questioned over terrorist blacklist. US Treasury Secretary Paulson accused Iranian banks of deception, saying that the US was pressuring foreign banks dealing with Iran to respect UN sanctions.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NATION/959559456/1002/NATION&template=printart
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/03/04/2008-03-04_untitled__iran04m.html?print=1&page=all
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/03/04/cnterror104.xml
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080305/pl_nm/usa_paulson_iran_dc_3&printer=1

US Under Fire Over NIE Report in UK - A senior UK diplomat strongly criticized the NIE report and claimed the assessment had to been too categorical in stating that Tehran halted work on building an atomic weapon in 2003. He said that he has never seen any intelligence that gives even medium confidence that these programs have not been resumed.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/deb43818-eae9-11dc-a5f4-0000779fd2ac.html

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Parliament Speaker Urges World to Stop Zionist Regime’s Crimes –  Gholam Ali Haddad Adel declared that measures carried out in Gaza by Israel, the US and Great Britain in the Gaza Strip are only bringing about more deaths in the area.
http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1097750&Lang=E

Iranian TV Series: “40 Soldiers”, Depicts Mythological Persian Heroes Vanquishing US - In a 28-episode series, Iranian TV depicts a Muslim siege of a Jewish fortress and an Islamic resistance that vanquishes American soldiers.
http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD185708

Iran Reformers Disqualified Ahead of Election -Over two thousand hopefuls were disqualified weeks ago for the parliamentary elections slated for this month.  Most of the excluded are reformist candidates whose devotion to the Islamic system was questioned.  There seems to be little doubt that religious conservatives will tighten their grip on power. Iran may shut down the internet during the election. The hard-liners are burdened by the unpopularity of Ahmedinejad because of an ailing economy.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0304/p06s01-wome.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/world/middleeast/06iran.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8612150599
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080310/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_elections_1&printer=1

Iranian Factions Gear Up for Parliamentary Vote – All parties are banking on a high turnout to show the world the Iranian system’s legitimacy.  Even reformists, who complain that they are only being allowed to compete for half of the seats and worry that they will win no more than 10%, have ruled out calling for a boycott. Survey says Iranians favor free election of their top leader.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-iranelect9mar09,1,6559749,print.story?ctrack=8&cset=true
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/08/AR2008030802663_pf.html

Iran Bank Chief Shows Independence – Tahmasb Mazaheri, the governor of Iran’s central bank, facing intense financial pressure from abroad as a result of US and UN sanctions, has been grappling with rising inflation, which is set to be a big issue in the parliamentary elections on March 14.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/60178e10-eaf3-11dc-a5f4-0000779fd2ac.html

Iran: New UN Sanctions will not change Iran’s Will – Iranian senior officials heavily condemned the new UN resolution and said they will talk only to the IAEA. http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1098740&Lang=E      
http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1098476&Lang=E

Financial Sanctions ‘Painful’ for Iran: US Official – Targeted sanctions have been effective in isolating Iran, causing a “painful” situation for Tehran’s leaders and raising questions about the Iranian administration.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080306/pl_nm/usa_iran_sanctions_dc_2&printer=1

Iran Students Put Bounties on Heads of Israel Leaders – Iranian hardline students have offered rewards totaling a million dollars for “execution” of three Israeli military leaders over the deadly strikes on Gaza, a student news agency said.  The students quoted their leaders’  “Israel must be wiped off the map” threat at a ceremony in Tehran.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080310/wl_afp/mideastconflictisraeliranstudent_080310112859&printer=1
http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/6045.htm

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The Washington Times, Editorial, “It’s Iran vs. Israel,” March 10, 2008 -
The terrorist attack in Jerusalem in which eight seminary students were killed by a Palestinian terrorist and the latest fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza are
part of the much larger struggle between Iran and Israel.  (See also “Hamas Wages Iran’s Proxy war on Israel’ in The Sunday Times, below).
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080308/EDITORIAL/863820881&template=printart
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3512014.ece

Jerusalem Viewpoints, “The US NIE on Iran and its Aftermath: A Roundtable of Israeli Experts,” Jerusalem Council for Public Affairs, March-April 2008 – An important discussion of the NIE report and its aftermath by three Israeli intelligence experts: Maj-Gen. (res) Aharon Ze’evi Farkash, former Head of IDF Military Intelligence; Maj-Gen. (res) Yaakov Amidror, former Head of Research and Assessment, IDF Military Intelligence; and Brig-Gen. (res) Yossi Kuperwasser, former Head of Research and Assessment, IDF Military Intelligence.  Between 2003 and 2005, the Iranians refrained from any nuclear activity under the influence of the impression created by America’s pre-emptive policies in the region, which served as the main instrument that enabled the Europeans to force Iran to postpone uranium conversion and enrichment.  But when the Iranians realized in 2005 that there was no actual threat, they decided to start conversion and then enrichment. As a result, the Iranians already have prepared enough uranium hexafluoride gas (UF6) for more than ten atomic bombs.
http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=254&PID=0&IID=2053

Zalmay Khalizad, “Iran’s Nuclear Threat,” Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2008
Iran’s violations of Security Council resolutions not only continue, but are deepening.  Instead of suspending its proliferation-sensitive activities, Iran is dramatically expanding the number of operating centrifuges and developing a new generation of centrifuges.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120459364034309131.html

Charles Kupchan and Ray Takeyh, “Iran Just Won’t Stay Isolated,” LA Times, March 4, 2008 – At the same time that the US and its European allies were building support for the new round of UN sanctions, Iran’s president made an official visit to Iraq, the first since 1979.  Can Iran really be contained?
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-oe-kupchan4mar04,1,2648360,print.story?ctrack=4&cset=true

Michael Jacobson, “Iran and the Road Ahead,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, March 6, 2008 – Recently, two important developments have taken place on the Iranian nuclear issue: a third round of UN sanctions, and a new warning by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).  Although both measures are positive, their ultimate impact will depend on how aggressively and effectively key governments implement them.
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/print.php?template=C05&CID=2726

Scott Peterson, “Iran Debate: Who Owns the Revolution?,” Christian  Science Monitor, March 7, 2008 – As rival factions vie for parliamentary seats in the March 14 election, they accuse one another of being “enemies” of the regime, bent on destroying it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0307/p01s02-wogn.htm

Wall Street Journal Editorial, “Irresolution on Iran,” March 7, 2008 - The third round of UN sanctions is much weaker than the US really wanted. What do the new sanctions actually provide for?
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120485098277618201.html

Scott Peterson, “Iran’s Nuclear Program: Talk of International Consortium,” Christian Science Monitor, March 10, 2008 -  Interest is growing in a possible US-Iran nuclear compromise that could enable sensitive  atomic work on Iranian soil, lower the risks of proliferation, and ease Iran’s isolation. But is it really possible?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0310/p06s03-wome.htm

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World Bank Has No Plans for New Loans to Iran – The World Bank fully complies with UN sanctions on Iran and has no plans to approve loans to the country, it said on a document on its website. The World Bank’s lending to Iran has been under scrutiny by Cong. Mark Kirk (R-IL) who said at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee that World bank funding for Iran totaled $1.3B and that it continued to lend to Iran.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080305/r_t_rtrs_pl_debtmrkt/tpl-uk-worldbank-iran-20b2d2f_1.html?printer=1

Iran Bank Seeks Foreign Investor, Who May Face International Censure – Bank Melli, a major Iranian bank the target of sanctions, is seeking a foreign investor.  But new UN sanctions demand greater vigilance by UN states over the activities of Iranian banks, including Bank Melli.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cddeac14-ea3d-11dc-b3c9-0000779fd2ac.html

Austria’s Largest State-Controlled Oil Company Plans Agreement with Iran - 
In the upcoming months, Austria’s oil company, OMV AG, plans to enter into a 22 Billion Euro agreement with Iran. On April 21st, 2007, the OMV signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran concerning the completion of a joint natural gas project, despite international sanctions. 
 http://www.cafecritique.priv.at/OMV-PK_engl.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=946894
http://www.stopthebomb.net/en/index.php

Iran to Sign Final Gas Sales Agreement with Pakistan – Iran will sign a final agreement to export gas via pipeline to Pakis tan in April, an official from the National Iranian Gas co. said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=ap7du._0dlj0&refer=india

French Banks Release Iran’s Frozen Assets – Iranian official says the assets of Central Bank of Iran, which were seized by French banks, have been released.
http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0803119645200603.htm

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