From Iran, their version of the news

[Shammu]

 Syria never to disregard its strategic ties with Iran
Damascus, July 26, IRNA

Syria-Relations-Iran
A senior official from Syria's Foreign Ministry said that his country will never disregard its strategic ties with Iran.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the Syrian official told IRNA that Syria does not change its friends and allies based on political developments.

According to the Al-Hayat daily, quoting reliable sources in Damascus on Wednesday, "The US, Europe and a number of Arab states encourage Syria to stay away from Iran and use its influence to exert pressure on Lebanon's Hizbollah and Palestine's Hamas movement in exchange for some guarantees."
The daily said that the proposed guarantees include international incentives to resume Syria-Israel talks on Golan heights, ending Syria's isolation and final signing of the cooperation agreement between Syria and the European Union.

Meanwhile, quoting the high-ranking Syrian sources, Al-Hayat said that the required conditions cannot be met by Syria.

It added that Damascus will never alter its principal approach and that it cannot rely on the US promises.

Syria never to disregard its strategic ties with Iran

[Shammu]

 Speaker urged Islamic states not to remain silent on Zionists aggression
Tehran, July 26, IRNA

Iran-Israel-Majlis
Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel in a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Husun Gurcan Turkoglu here Wednesday said that the Islamic and Arab states should not remain silent on the Zionist regime's aggression on Lebanon.

Turning to the current crisis in Lebanon as the most important issue facing the world of Islam, he urged all countries not to remain silent and called for their attempts to prevent continuation of such savage attacks.

"If today the Islamic and Arab states do not rush to assist Lebanon and stop the Zionist regime's aggression, such attacks will not be limited to Lebanon," he said.

He referred to the Mongols aggression on regional states over the past centuries and said that the present Mongols -- Zionists -- are much worse, given that once they gain power they start killing defenseless people and their aggressive habits keep growing daily.

Haddad-Adel called for the immediate action of the Islamic states to prevent taking the lives of the defenseless Lebanese people.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Majlis speaker expressed satisfaction with the growing trend of friendly ties between Iran and Turkey.

He added that the state officials of both countries are willing to further expand and raise the level of mutual brotherly relations.

The official declared the readiness of Iran's Majlis to support expansion of bilateral bonds.

For his part, Turkoglu underlined the significance of inter-parliamentary relations in raising the level of mutual ties.

The diplomat briefed Haddad-Adel on the approach of his country to the recent regional crisis and said, "Turkey seeks cease-fire in the region and has taken some diplomatic measures to this end." Turkoglu stressed that the regional people will eventually gain victory.

Speaker urged Islamic states not to remain silent on Zionists aggression

[Shammu]

 Analysis - Israel in desperation to agree to ceasefire
Tehran, July 26, IRNA

Lebanon-Israel-Full Scale War
Israeli attempts to destroy the Islamic resistance of Lebanon overnight turned to a full-scale war Israel has unleashed against innocent civilians of Lebanon.

The occupying regime of Israel used taking two Israeli soldiers as captives by Hizbollah as a pretext to embark on aggression on Lebanon from the air, ground and the sea.

The occupiers in Tel Aviv thought that they would implement the plan for destroying Hizbollah within three or five days and make preparations for other targets against regional states.

But, the Zionist occupiers did not know that Lebanese resistance movement enjoys popular support. They did not know military power of Hizbollah and were not aware of their own capability as well.

They have admitted after two weeks of heavy and destructive bombardment of Lebanon that they could not attain their goals despite heavy price they paid for their savage attacks.

Now, the Zionist regime's military and political people have begun to criticize each other for such a failure to the extent that American media have disclosed the differences in the occupied territories despite Israel had appealed for censorship of the news about Lebanon conflict.

Israeli so-called political people say that the military officers have not provided them with accurate information and have dragged the occupying regime to a war with dark future bringing mishap for the Zionists.

In contrast, the military people describe the political people as lacking enough courage to press ahead with great targets!
The feedback from confrontation of resistance movement of Lebanon with the armed-to-the-teeth military of the occupying regime has surprised the observers.

The Zionist regime enjoying billions of dollars worth of military supplies of the US and Britain every year has now drawn to a desperation.

They created bloodbath in Lebanon in the past two weeks dropping several thousand missiles, artillery shells and mortar rounds upon the innocent children, women and men.

The international media networks have shown footages of the human tragedy Israel has created in Lebanon in the past two weeks.

Contrary to all principles of humanity, Tel Aviv leaders have embarked on jubilation that they have captured several villages on southern Lebanon, but, they don't understand at what price -- at the price of creating a bloodbath?
The history will make a judgment on practice of the Zionists.

If mass killing of civilians can be termed a victory. Hitler and Saddam also had made victory for themselves so the history has its own judgment about them.

The international community should fulfill its obligation to end the current crisis which may engulf other areas and find regional and international dimensions.

The international community has realized that it should stop bloodshed in Lebanon and the only way out of the current tragedy is establishment of an immediate ceasefire.

The United Nations and majority of the countries are calling for ceasefire, but, the United States and Israeli leaders are opposing.

This indicates the real nature of the US and Israel. 


Analysis - Israel in desperation to agree to ceasefire

[Shammu]

 President: Those having claims on human rights, peace have failed
Dushanbe, July 26, IRNA

Tajikistan-Ahmadinejad-Karzai
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Wednesday said that those having claims on human rights and peace have failed in their test of honesty.

He made the remark while speaking to reporters at the end of the tripartite private meeting with the presidents of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Imomali Rakhmonov and Hamid Karzai respectively, which was held at Tajikistan's presidential guest house in the capital city of Dushanbe on Wednesday afternoon.

At the meeting, Ahmadinejad said that peace and tranquility can be materialized based on spirituality, human dignity and respect for the rights of all nations.

In a joint statement released by the three presidents at the end of the meeting, they expressed their dissatisfaction with relations based on force and condemned it.

"We believe that any progress in Tajikistan and Afghanistan is in the interest of regional states.

"At the meeting, we agreed to pursue the trilaterally signed agreements," he added.

President Ahmadinejad said that the interesting thing at the meeting was the decision to start extensive trilateral cooperation.

"Every measure taken in line with the progress of any of the three countries of Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan is considered to benefit the three states. We reached agreement to use all capacities for the sake of each other's progress.

"The three countries have many scientists and intellectuals who can contribute to the advancement of Iran, Tajikistan and
Afghanistan," he added.

The Iranian president heading a high-ranking political-economic delegation, arrived in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe on the final leg of his two-nation Central Asian tour on Tuesday.

Upon arrival in Dushanbe, the president and his entourage were warmly welcomed by President Imomali Rakhmonov.

President Ahmadinejad's visit to Tajikistan took place in response to the official invitation of his Tajik counterpart.

Ahmadinejad is the third Iranian president to visit Tajikistan after the independence of the country, which was gained 14 years ago.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah, Commerce Minister Parviz Mir-Kazemi, Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh as well as Minister of Road and Transportation Mohammad Rahmati are accompanying the president on the current visit.

On the first leg of his Central Asian two-nation tour, the president was in Turkmenistan on a two-day visit.

With a population of seven million, Tajikistan is one of the Central Asian countries which has recently gained independence.

Persian is the official language of Tajikistan and 97 percent of its population are Muslims

President: Those having claims on human rights, peace have failed

[Shammu]

 Unshakable Israeli military apparatus: A 'Thing Past'
Tehran, July 27, IRNA

Iran Daily-Editorial-Lebanon
IRNA's English language morning paper, the Iran daily, focussed on latest status of developments in Lebanon in its Thursday edition's editorial by Mahdi Armin, titled, 'Things Past'.

Out to subjugate Arab masses unwilling to submit to Israel's will, the latter is bent on ensuring that pain and agony become a permanent feature of Arab lands in its neighborhood. In the third week of its resistance against the US-backed Israelis, Hezbollah has fired more rockets on military and commercial centers across the Lebanese border, reads the editorial.

Haifa, Israel's third largest city is almost empty while fear and anger has gripped the towns of Karmiel and Nahariya.

Hezbollah leader, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and his dedicated fighters are maintaining their couth and have demonstrated against heavy odds that they are a force to reckon with.

Tel Aviv and Washington have been taken off-guard with the power and ability of Hezbollah to engage one of the world's most feared militaries and inflict heavy casualties on the armed-to-the-teeth enemy.

At a time when Hezbollah has shown only a part of its military prowess in confronting Tel Aviv's deadly military machine, Zionist premier, Ehud Olmert and Shimon Perez are showing signs of frustration and possibly fear.

Reports say to help end the crisis, while Olmert and his generals have appealed for help from George Bush, Tony Blair and European governments who of course are well versed in the power and influence of Zionist lobbies across the western hemisphere.

Crisis management demands two things: identifying and analyzing the enemy's attitude, and responding to it comprehensively. Hezbollah has performed efficiently in both cases.

Unlike Tel Aviv, which has started a dangerous war and save for nuclear weapons used all its offensive military might, Hezbollah has made known only a part of its ability, and yet managed to cripple the Zionists.

The importance of the highly disciplined group's approach and battle plans becomes evident when we understand the general atmosphere in which it must function. International bodies and the major Arab powers have been reduced to impotency and are all but relevant. In other words, Hezbollah is fighting for the Arab cause all alone and is denied meaningful support from the outside world.

Israel's bankrollers in Washington, Berlin, Paris and London, only to name a few, are working hard for disarming Hezbollah sooner rather than later and pushing it further away from southern Lebanon and 'the border' with Israel.

Hezbollah is managing its defenses to the best of its ability in the unfair and unjust military conflict with the Zionist enemy.

Israeli politicians and preachers had declared that the formidable Israeli Defense Force would "finish the job" and Nasrallah's fighters in three days!
That was indeed not a very intelligent prediction. Time is not on Israel's side and it desperately wants Uncle Sam to come to its rescue. On the other side, the US military and comic book diplomacy have been overstretched as things are going from bad to worse for the ill-advised US foreign policy.

Informed world public opinion and an increasing number of Americans now see the folly and failures of their president long on a moral and mental vacation.

Israelis now hope that a ceasefire would be established soon and they would be rid, at least for now, of Hezbollah's fierce resistance.

Even if a ceasefire takes hold, few doubt Israel will be able to bully and intimidate the popular resistance group again. Colossal damage has been done to the Zionists and Hezbollah says the worse is still to come.

The 'reverse immigration' of Jews to Europe has begun and many illegal Jewish settlements have been evacuated. Hezbollah has targeted Israel's military centers and other important sites.

For all practical purposes the once strong belief that the US-armed and financed Israeli military apparatus is unshakable and invincible is a thing of the past.

Unshakable Israeli military apparatus: A 'Thing Past'

[Shammu]

 Iran deplores Israeli air raids on UNIFIL headquarters in Lebanon
Tehran, July 26, IRNA

Iran-Lebanon-UNIFIL
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi on Wednesday deplored Israeli air raid on the headquarters of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in which four UN personnel died.


He expressed condolence to bereaved families of the United Nations.

Asefi said that the Israeli air attack is example of Israeli state terrorism targeted operations to assassinate individuals opposing occupation.

He said that crimes of the occupying regime of Israel have entered new dimensions. They have targeted ambulances of relief aid workers and even journalists in Lebanon.

Asefi called on the international organizations and other states to force Israel to stop its savage operations against humanity.

With the blessings of the United States and Britain, Israel dropped bombs upon convoys of Lebanese civilians escaping bombardment killing them indiscriminately.

[Shammu]

 Home appliances prices skyrocketing in Iran
Tehran, July 26, IRNA

Iran-Home Appliances
Prices of various kinds of home appliances have increased significantly since late March, according to a Wednesday report in IRNA's English morning newspaper, the Iran Daily.


It further noted that prices of both imported and domestically-made refrigerators, washing machines, ovens and heaters went up drastically in the past four months.

Refrigerator prices have jumped by 17 percent since March, it said, adding that prices of washing machines have also increased 10-30 percent.

Domestic producers have welcomed the increase in prices as a natural market reaction to higher prices of raw materials used in manufacturing home appliances.

They have also blamed higher labor costs in the wake of the government 's decision to increase workers' wages for the rise in prices.

Smaller home appliances, including microwave ovens, meat grinders and vacuum cleaners have also experienced an average 20-percent rise in prices during the four-month period.

Meanwhile, the Tehran Municipality's Hamshahri newspaper reported on Wednesday that prices of imported home appliances are likely to go up further in the next four weeks.

It however, said that the price of TV sets has remained unchanged as domestic production of popular models is at a favorable level.

Hamshahri quoted the head of Majlis Industries and Mines Commission Hossein Hashemi as saying that the government's decision to hike import tariffs has led to the significant rise in the prices of almost all home appliances.

Hashemi further added that tariffs are used to regulate market prices, whereas improper use of tariff systems will have negative impact on the market.

Home appliances prices skyrocketing in Iran
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess they just don't make them as good, as America................ 

[Shammu]

Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan set to establish joint commission - Bozo
Tehran, July 27, IRNA

Iran-President-Trilateral Commission
Iran's President Ahmadinejad (Bozo) said here on Wednesday evening that Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan will soon establish a cultural cooperation commission.

Speaking to reporters at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport upon his arrival from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan visit, Ahmadinejad said, "Heads of the commission will be cabinet ministers from the three countries and it will be convened twice annually at ministerial, and once at summit level.

He added, the first meeting of the commission will be convened within the next two months in Kabul.

The president described the trilateral meeting of the three presidents in Dushanbe as "an important part of his trip" and said that the three countries have plenty of cultural commonalties.

He added that Iran has common borders with Afghanistan and Afghanistan has a common borders with Tajikistan, and therefore a large volume of the three countries' business transactions and transportations can take place through the Afghan soil.

Bozo said, there is plenty of ground for cooperation among the three countries, especially in the fields of transportation and energy and in that regard, during the Dushanbe trilateral Summit six cooperation documents were signed.

Concerning his 2-day visit to Turkmenistan, the IRI President said, "six cooperation documents in the fields of economics and culture were signed during these two days."
Opening Iran's Trade and Industry Exhibition in Ashkhabad and inaugurating the Bajgiran Border Terminal were among the Iranian president's activities during his Turkmenistan visit.

Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan set to establish joint commission - Bozo

[Shammu]

 India to double uranium capacity this year
New Delhi, July 26, IRNA

India-Nuclear-Uranium
India will double uranium capacity this year to meet requirements of its nuclear programs, a top government official said on Wednesday.

"We are in the process of expanding uranium capacity. Projects are already underway and uranium capacity would be doubled this year," Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Anil Kakodkar said at a seminar here.

Kakodkar, however, did not give the exact quantity of the present uranium capacity in the country or the targeted addition.

According to estimates, existing uranium reserves in the country are around 78,000 tons.

He said domestic uranium is sufficient to fire power generation plants of 10,000 MW capacity.

For any additional generation from nuclear fuels, India would have to depend either on imported uranium or domestically available thorium, he said.

India currently has a total nuclear power generation capacity of about 3,800 MW and plans to scale it up to 20,000 MW by 2020.

Kakodkar said the ore available in India contained only 0.06 percent of uranium compared to 18 percent in ores found in countries like Canada.

Nuclear power generation so far has been limited to public sector companies only, but government is in the process of liberalizing the regime, he said.

India to double uranium capacity this year

[Shammu]

Iran says Rome talks' failure due to US unilateral support for Israel
Tehran, July 27, IRNA

Iran-US-Israel
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi (Bozo jr.) here on Wednesday attributed the "failure of Rome talks" on Middle East crisis in putting an end to the bloodshed in Lebanon to unilateral US support for Israel.

He said, "The unlimited US support braves the Zionists in committing their crimes."
According to Foreign Ministry's Press Bureau, Assefi stressed, "So long as the unilateral US support for Israel continues the Middle East is doomed to burn in fire and achieving peace and stability here remains unattainable."

He reiterated, "The ongoing pre-planned war waged by the Zionist regime in Lebanon and occupied Palestine is based on US plans and full US support, just as the continuation of bloodshed and the unprecedented destruction of infrastructures there is based on the US will." Assefi further stressed, "The arrogant US behavior has led to mounting public opinion disgust against Washington's unilateral policies.  (I suggest Bozo jr look at his own first.....DW)

Focusing on Lebanese Prime Minister's remarks regarding the high volume of material and human losses, he said, "The UN has to adopt necessary measures aimed at remunerating the Lebanese nation."

Iran says Rome talks' failure due to US unilateral support for Israel