Iran calls on US to quit Iraq

The Iranian president, on a landmark visit to neighbouring Iraq, has called for US troops' withdrawal from the war-torn nation, saying that the country will "live in peace" without them.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the call on Monday while signing seven pacts with Iraq in the areas of trade, industry and transport.

"Without the presence of the foreign troops the region will live in peace and brotherhood," said Ahmadinejad.

"We believe that the forces that travelled thousands of kilometres to reach here must leave the region, and must hand over responsibility to the people of the region."

He avoided directly naming the United States, which has 158,000 troops in Iraq.

US commanders have accused Iran of training and arming Shia fighters.

Iraqi government figures revealed at the weekend that for the first time in six months the Iraqi death toll from unrest rose in February. At least 23 people were killed in fresh attacks on Monday.

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This is relevant because Ahmadinejad believes that if the United States troop leave Iran that we can all "live in peace".

Iran leader hails Ahmadinejad for 'nuclear success'

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday hailed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's role in the "great success" of the nuclear programme, amid threats of new sanctions against Tehran.

"One of the examples of achievements in last 29 years (since the Islamic revolution) is the nuclear issue," Khamenei told Iran's elite clerical body the Assembly of Experts, in comments broadcast on state television.


Representatives from six world powers met in Washington on Monday on a draft resolution imposing new sanctions proposed by permanent Security Council members Britain and France, after a new report by the UN atomic watchdog.

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Iran still wants to continue its nuclear program even though there are so many opposed to it. They see it as a need as other countries see it as a problem.

Israel faces 'certain death': Iran leader adviser

TEHRAN (AFP) — The assassination of a top commander of the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah has hastened the "certain death" of Israel, the top military adviser to Iran's supreme leader said on Thursday.

General Yahya Rahim Safavi, in the latest of a spate of anti-Israel verbal attacks by Iran, said the murder of Imad Mughnieh in a Damascus car bombing last week had enraged thousands of young members of Hezbollah.

"With this anger, the certain death of the Zionist regime had been brought forward," he said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Safavi, who was for a decade top commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, again accused Israel of carrying out the attack that killed Mughnieh but also said that "security terrorists" from the United States and "one Arab nation" had cooperated.

He did not name the Arab country.

Iran has stepped up its rhetoric against Israel in the last days after the murder of Mughnieh, which it blamed on the Jewish state. Israel has denied any involvement.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday called Israel a "dirty microbe" and "savage animal".

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This is important because the Israeli's are really upset about the death of Mughnieh. This article also shows Israel's response to Ahmadinejad's comment about Israel.

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Ahmadinejad: Israel filthy bacteria

In yet another verbal attack against Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the Jewish state a "filthy bacteria" whose sole purpose was to oppress the other nations of the region.

"The world powers established this filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the nations in the region like a wild beast," the Iranian president told supporters at a rally in southern Iran.

"[Israel] won support [from the other nations] which created it as a scarecrow, so as to keep the people of this area under control," Ahmadinejad said.

Referring to the assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh, the Iranian leader said that Israel "uses terror as a threat every day, and afterwards is happy and joyful."

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This is important because Ahmadinejad made a verbal attack against Israel. It is always important when a President speaks badly of another country.

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Ahmadinejad to become first Iranian president to visit Iraq

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraq's government said on Thursday that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due in Baghdad on March 2 for the first visit ever by an Iranian president to the neighbouring country.
The announcement came shortly after Iraqi and US officials said that Tehran had asked for a delay in talks expected this week in Baghdad between the United States and Iran on the future of Iraq.

"The Iranian president will be visiting for two days from March 2. He will be meeting with President Jalal Talabani and with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP, adding that discussions would revolve around "bilateral issues."
"He will be accompanied by a number of ministers," Dabbagh said, refusing to be drawn on what else was on the itinerary "for security reasons."

Ahmadinejad's visit would be the first by an Iranian president to Iraq since the creation of the Islamic republic after the 1979 revolution which ousted the shah.
Iran and Iraq fought a devastating war between 1980 and 1988 in which around one million people died.

But the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime in 2003 led to a marked improvement in relations with the new Shiite-dominated government in Iraq.

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Anytime a leader from a country visits another country it is important.

Iranian and U.S. officials will meet within days in Baghdad for a new round of talks as part of efforts to build on recent progress in stemming sectarian violence, Iraq's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Washington, at odds with Tehran over its nuclear programme, wants Shi'ite Muslim Iran to use its influence with militias from the same sect in Iraq to stem attacks on U.S. forces and Sunni Muslim groups, which are deepening the cycle of sectarian violence in the country.

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Iran and the United States are trying to work out the issues concerning nuclear programs. Hopefully, after all the discussions, they will be able to ressolve the conflicts that have been created.

Iranian Satellite for Research Only

Iran’s satellite pursues scientific, commercial and research purposes, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said on Tuesday. “The research rocket, Explorer 1, is gathering information in preparation for sending a satellite into space,“ IRNA quoted Hosseini as saying.

The spokesman made the remark while commenting on the nature of the Iranian satellite ’Omid’.President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the massive gathering at Azadi Square on Monday that Explorer 1 has been successful and Iran will launch two more explorers ahead of sending the indigenous satellite into space.

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Iran is really trying to spread the message of their nuclear program just being for educational purposes. Yet, very few believe that they will not use the space program for education, but for destruction.

Iran defiant on anniversary of revolution

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant tone Monday on the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, vowing not to slow Iran's nuclear program and announcing plans to launch more rockets into space as part of its drive to orbit a domestic satellite.

Like Iran's nuclear activities, the country's space program has provoked unease abroad because the same technology needed to send satellites into space can be used to deliver warheads.
Iranian officials insist both the space and nuclear programs are intended for peaceful purposes, and Ahmadinejad rallied Iranians against U.N. Security Council demands that Iran stop enriching uranium.

Hundreds of thousands marched in Tehran shouting "Death to America" and burning effigies of President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

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This article shows the opinions of the citizens of Iran as well as their future plans. They say that they are using the space program and nuclear missiles for their advantage and not for harm, but other countries do not believe that.

Iran Does Not Listen to US

Iranian officials have dismissed U.S. concerns regarding the country's space program after launching a new rocket capable of carrying the first domestically-built satellite into orbit.

Washington and European officials have expressed concern about Iran's missile program and accused Tehran of trying to master technology to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charges and says both programs are peaceful.

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This article shows the worry that Washington and other major areas of power are showing with Iran having the capability of sending rockets and what not into space. Iran sees this as a peaceful new chapter in their history, but the new success has caused a lot of controversy.

Iran claims to have Nuclear Weapons

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Iran is approaching the "summit" of nuclear development after Russia finished delivering all the nuclear fuel.

In his speech, Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran had overcome the bullying of the West and changed the political climate of the world.

Mr Ahmadinejad invited the West to come forward and join Iran in building new nuclear power plants. Otherwise, he said that Iran would push ahead on its own.

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Ahmadinejad has made many threatening words towards the west. Now that Iran is ready to make nuclear weapons, the US and other countries believe they have more to worry about. Soon, they could have weapons and maybe become a leading power of the world.

Iran Fires Rocket

Iran fired a rocket from its newly inaugurated space center Monday, laying the groundwork for what it says will be the future launch of its first domestically produced satellite, the semi-official FARS news agency reported.The report said the rocket was launched "into space." But similar previous technological achievements announced by the Islamic republic have been greeted with doubt by analysts.

Amid fears in the West that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, some experts believe Iran's space program is possibly a cover to improve its military ballistic missiles.

In February 2007, Iran announced the launch of "its first satellite into space," the state-run Iranian Students News Agency reported at the time. But the satellite did not reach orbit.

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This could cause some controversy with Iran's missiles that they claim not to have. Some may fear that they will be able to send out a nuclear bomb towards the United States and others will believe that they are just going out into space like everyone else does all the time. This is a big step for Iran when the space center was inaugurated.

Iran Limiting Execution in Public

The head of Iran's judiciary has issued an order that no executions be carried out in public without his permission. Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi also banned the publication of photographs or films of executions.

Correspondents say it appears Ayatollah Shahrudi wants to lower the profile of executions as Iran has been widely criticised by Western countries and international organisations.

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This is important because it shows that even though most Americans think that Iranians are inhumane, but this proves that they are trying to limit the executions in public. Hopefully, this will allow some tensions to decrease.

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Iran might reduce economic ties with France

Two Iranian parliamentary committees discussed reducing economic ties with France on Monday in reprisal for President Nicolas Sarkozy's "unfriendly" policies in Iran's nuclear standoff.

We discussed moving towards reducing economic ties with France especially in the auto industry," the head of the national security and foreign affairs committee, Alaeddin Borujerdi, said.

Since Sarkozy's election, France has considerably toughened its position towards Iran and has called for the Security Council to impose a third set of sanctions to punish Iran for its failure to heed ultimatums to suspend uranium enrichment.
In September, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned that France's new tougher position could hit economic relations.
French cars have a prominent presence in Iran's closely protected auto market, and models such as the Peugeot 405 and 206 have been manufactured under licence by Iran Khodro, Iran's largest car manufacturer.

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This could affect many people in the society of Iran because of the relationship with France. Even though it is just cars, soon Iran could pull from France in other major provisions or even pull away all together.

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Iraq and Iran now friends

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad, according to Iraq's Foreign Ministry.Relations between the countries have improved since the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-led regime in Iraq. Shiites make up a majority of the population in Iraq and Iran, and the two nations have cultural, religious and economic connections.

Meanwhile, a top police official in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and two other Iraqi officers were killed Thursday by a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform, Iraqi and U.S. authorities said.One of the dead was al-Jubouri's personal escort, police said.

A CNN stringer reported that government buildings, houses, a college and a hospital are nearby. The blast shattered windows at the hospital. The U.S. military also said several cell phone towers were knocked out and some Iraqi soldiers were among the wounded.

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Having Iraq and Iran starting to stop fighting brings us closer to world peace. Even though world peace is just like Communism ( it only looks good on paper) the chances of it happening increase when two countries who fought an eight year war can meet together again. Hopefully, no one will get hurt in the process.

Iran vs US and Israel

Mr Ahmadinejad said Mr Bush had brought a "message of confrontation" during his tour, during which he warned Arab allies that Iran posed a threat.

Israel says Tehran could have a nuclear bomb by 2010 and has warned an Iranian nuclear weapon would threaten the Jewish state's existence.

Mr Bush told Gulf state leaders during his eight-day tour, which also took in Israel and the West Bank, that Iran was the world's top sponsor of terrorism. But Mr Ahmadinejad hit back on al-Jazeera, saying: "President George Bush sent a message... of rift, a message of sowing the seeds of division. It is a message of confrontation."

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Israel is starting to get nervous with the possibility of Iran's nuclear weapons. The United States is coming to Israel's aid because of their history. The president of Iran and President bush are having some confrontations.