Ahmadinejad: Satan inspires Bush

Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran.
Ahmadinejad: Satan inspires Bush. Rosemary to Ahmadinejad: And who inspired you?

• BBC News reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly delivered a scathing attack on US President George W Bush, saying "Satan inspires Mr Bush."

Smuggled video of Ayatollah Boroujerdi released.

• Pajamsa Media reported on Ayatollah Mohammad Kazemeini Boroujerdi is the Shia Ayatollah who supports separation of church and state. He has been arrested and tortured many times by the current regime for these views. Last week he was arrested again. Smuggled out of Iran , this video - shot under extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances and to our knowledge not shown by the mainstream media.

What lesson is Iran learning from the UNSC sanctions on North Korean?

• The Christian Science Monitor reported that the reat target in the sanctions against North Korea was Iran and others eyeing the bomb. But will they also force other bomb-bent nations away from following Pyongyang 's lead?
• Dow Jones Newswires reported that John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Iran should pay attention to Saturday's U.N. resolution against North Korea for its claimed nuclear test.

The Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader: "If Any Country... concludes... it Must Have Nuclear Weapons, it Will Ultimately Succeed.

• Memri.org reported that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic said "North Korea Has Built A Nuclear Bomb Before the American's Eyes... Despite the Great Pressure it Was Under, And [Despite] Years of Harsh International Sanctions - And No One Has Managed to Do Anything [Against it]."

Israel worried Hezbollah will obtain nukes.

• Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert is explicitly warning about the prospect of Iranian nuclear weapons reaching Hezbollah.

Is Khatami a reformist?

• Russell Berman, Telos reviewed the West's recent interest in the former "reformist" President of the Islamic Republic, Khatami, and asked: where has he ever criticized the current regime directly? When has he called for a release of the political prisoners, including student leader?

The new and improved OPEC?

• The Wall Street Journal reported that the cartel is now feuding internally over who will bear the brunt of production cuts that it's currently discussing, amounting to one million barrels a day, or nearly 4% of output.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• The New York Times reported that the American campaign to use its own financial regulations to put pressure on North Korea and Iran has been a mix of implicit threats backed by explicit action.
• Reuters reported that the closure of the Iranian newspaper, Sharq, has confirmed suspicions that the government of Ahmadinejad, who rails against the West and vows a return to Islamic revolutionary values, does not appreciate dissenting voices.
• Ahwaz.org.uk reported that an Iranian family living in Chah Salem in Omidieh (Al-Amedeya) died due to a lack of clean water.

Courtesy of Doctor Zin and team. Thank you.