Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his government is seriously pursuing the drive against economic corruption.
Addressing a gathering at Science and Industry University on Monday, Ahmadinejad added that many of the Cabinet ratifications and measures are aimed at stopping economic corruption, Fars News Agency reported.
“It is the duty of officialdom to confront economic corruption. We have not slowed the fight against economic corruption and will strongly carry out our duties,“ he said.
Referring to the Cabinet’s decision regarding banks and related problems, the chief executive said, “The sad part is that when we warned about the performance of banks, some people diverted the issue toward our hard-working clerks while we know that this is not so.“
Commenting on Iran’s nuclear program, the president stressed that western countries have discredited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Security Council.
“They want to abuse the agency and the council in order to control other countries, but their efforts are in vain as a result of the resistance of the leader and the nation. Now the West has reached the conclusion that Iran’s case should be referred back to the IAEA. We believe that the agency needs an overhaul,“ he said.
Ahmadinejad recalled that Iran has no commitment beyond the agency’s framework.
“According to us, everything is over and we advise them (the West) to become friends of the Iranian nation. They should know that no matter what they do, they are absolutely defeated in the eyes of the Iranians,“ he said.
He noted that Iran’s nuclear policies are systematic and proceed according to the leader’s directives.
On future negotiations with the US on Iraq, Ahmadinejad said Iran agreed to hold talks with America due to the request of Iraqi officials and people.
“To have negotiated with the US does not necessarily mean that our stance regarding the US has changed,“ he said.

Iran-Africa Ties Anger Imperialists
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad also on Monday said today imperialist powers are angry at cooperation between Iran and the African states.
Addressing some ministers who participated in the meeting themed ’Trade Opportunities for Iran and Africa’, he went on to stress that today Iran and African states need to cooperate with each other seriously fully and closely.
He emphasized that when talking about Africa great powers refer to it as a completely backwards part of the planet.
“They wish to humiliate the African nations and do not want to allow African people fulfill their rights,“ said Ahmadinejad.
He concluded by saying that Iran is prepared to expand ties with all African countries and that the capacities and facilities of Iran and African countries belong to the entire independent and freedom-seeking countries.

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--A report from Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s nuclear program will unofficially be presented to members of IAEA’s Board of Governors either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Speaking to ISNA, the informed source also said on Monday that the report was expected on Monday but was delayed because of the large volume of issues that must be examined by the agency.
The source underscored the importance of ElBaradei’s report which focuses on the results of negotiations between Iran and the agency on P1 and P2 centrifuges based on the bilateral agreement to resolve all ambiguities.
“The report must be made available to the board at least 10 days before the official meeting of the board members on Nov. 22. The agency must present the report to the board for a careful scrutiny by Thursday,“ the source added.
Iran and the IAEA discussed P1 and P2 centrifuges in four rounds of talks in Tehran. After ElBaradei officially reports to the Board of Governors, the next topic, which is contamination at the College of Engineering of Tehran University, will be taken up within 10 days.
Meanwhile, deputy secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Javad Vaeedi, on Sunday said, “We expect ambiguities related to P1 and P2 centrifuges to have been removed. We have prepared all issues that appeared skeptical to the agency and, therefore, such an expectation is not far-fetched.“
He was hopeful that the agency would make a sound judgment about the centrifuges.
Asked whether the IAEA deputy for safeguards, Ollie Heinonen, was satisfied with Iran’s answers during the Tehran meeting, Vaeedi said, “Both sides were, in fact, satisfied.“

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--London is not seeking the cessation of Iran’s nuclear program and regards access to nuclear technology Iran’s indisputable right, said the head of the visiting British parliamentary delegation.
The delegation met with Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission on Monday, Fars News Agency reported.
Kazem Jalali, the commission’s rapporteur, said, “Today’s meeting lasted for two hours and the ambience was very transparent. In this meeting, the British parliamentarians raised questions about Iran’s nuclear program and also issues concerning Iraq and Afghanistan É The important issue for the British group was the issue of building trust and the commission members gave an extensive explanation on this issue.“
The rapporteur also said the commission members declared that trust is a two-way street and the nation has many questions regarding this issue to ask western statesmen, especially American and British officials.
Jalali also said that the meeting would continue late Monday.

Yan Jiechi

BEIJING, Nov. 12--China’s Foreign Minister Yan Jiechi will visit Iran on Tuesday at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki.
This will be the first visit to Iran of Yan after he took office in spring, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday, IRNA reported.
On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said during his weekly press briefing that the Chinese minister will visit Iran to discuss the latest regional and international developments with Iranian officials.
Meanwhile, China’s news agency Xinhua quoted spokesman of China’s Foreign Ministry as saying that Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is on the agenda of Yan’s visit to Tehran.
As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China has always voiced its blatant opposition to imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran.
Beijing has consistently called for finding a peaceful diplomatic solution to settle disputes over Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--Chairman of Experts Assembly Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani underscored the need for safeguarding national unity.
He made the remark while addressing the inaugural session of a one-day seminar entitled “National Unity, Strategies and Policies“ on Monday, IRNA reported.
Stressing that a united ideology leads to national solidarity, he said, “Establishment of unity would be difficult in the absence of a united ideology.“
Underlining the need for the nation’s vigilance in the current difficult situation in the region, Rafsanjani said, “The danger is serious and should be followed up in a determined manner.“
Referring to the critical regional situation, he said, “In Palestine, the Palestinians are killing each other, in Lebanon, groups have been disintegrated, and in Iraq, we witness disputes between Iraq and Turkey and between Kurds and Turks.“
Rafsanjani, who also heads State Expediency Council, termed the regional situation as ’difficult’, adding that creating regional disputes and fanning the flames of discord are among the objectives of world arrogant powers.
“Unity is the main element for solving problems,“ he said, urging political currents to refrain from differences and disputes, which he said was the objective of enemies.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 12--US forces will not hand over “Chemical Ali“ and two other cohorts of Saddam Hussein for execution until a legal row is settled, the US Embassy said on Monday, responding to a bitter attack by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki.
“There continue to be differences in viewpoint within the government of Iraq regarding the necessary Iraqi legal and procedural requirements for carrying out death sentences issued by the Iraqi High Tribunal,“ US spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo told AFP.
“Coalition forces will continue to retain physical custody of the defendants until this issue is resolved,“ she said.
On Sunday, Maliki accused the US Embassy of playing an “unfortunate role“ in preventing the handover of the three condemned men, who, like other members of Saddam’s ousted regime, are in US military custody.
Ali Hassan Al-Majid, widely known as “Chemical Ali“ for his use of poisonous gas against Kurds; Sultan Hashim Al-Tai, Saddam’s defense minister; and Hussein Rashid Al-Tikriti, his armed forces deputy chief of operations, were sentenced to death on June 24.
They were found responsible for the slaughter of thousands of Kurds in the so-called Anfal (Spoils) campaign of 1988.
Under Iraqi law, they were supposed to have been executed by October 4, 30 days after their sentences were upheld by the Iraq Supreme Court.
But Maliki made it clear he did not want the executions to take place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended on October 15, because of the outcry that followed Saddam Hussein’s execution during another Muslim holiday.
An estimated 182,000 Kurds were killed and 4,000 villages wiped out in the brutal campaign of bombings, mass deportations and gas attacks of Saddam’s military.

GAZA STRIP, Occupied Palestine, Nov. 12--Clashes broke out between demonstrators in a huge rally called by Fatah to commemorate the death of its iconic leader Yasser Arafat and Hamas police in Gaza City on Monday, witnesses said.
At least six people were killed, as gunfire rang out through the city center where hundreds of thousands of Fatah party supporters had gathered in the largest mass rally since their party was ousted from Gaza, AFP reported.
In a statement issued by Hamas, the movement said Fatah gunmen fired at the demonstrators.
Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since the takeover five months ago broke up several smaller Fatah demonstrations on Sunday, the third anniversary of Arafat’s death, arresting a number of Fatah supporters.
The Hamas-run Executive Force, that has policed Gaza since the movement took power, was out in force on the edges of the rally after earlier confiscating tens of thousands of portraits of Arafat and Abbas.
Palestinians across the occupied territories, more divided now than at any other point in their history, have been paying tribute to the iconic leader who died on November 11, 2004, and who remains a symbol of Palestinian unity.