Berlin - Iran is obviously continuing to work to expand its arms industry. In accordance with the information of the Federal German Intelligence Service (BND), there are even indications that Tehran is pursuing its own nuclear weapons program.

In the current report of the German intelligence service about the worldwide proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and launch vehicles, a separate section is devoted to the arms efforts of Iran. According to the BND, Iran is now planning to build several nuclear power plants with the help of Russia.

It has also been observed that Iran is intensively engaged in the covert procurement of sensitive technologies, as are used in the area of uranium enrichment and in the building of nuclear weapons…

According to the findings of the BND, Iran is likewise pursuing the development of its own missile production. Missiles such as the Shahab-1, Shahab-2 and Shahab-3, with a range of several hundred kilometers are now produced in Iran…

A new Iranian missile could also become a threat to Europe: according to the BND report, the Shahab-4 may have a range of 2,000 km. According to the assessment of the weapons experts in Pullach, it could be produced beginning in 2005.
 

Albright Reaffirms Fears over Iran Nukes, Terrorism, Agence France Presse, March 7

PRAGUE - US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Tuesday reaffirmed US fears over Tehran's backing of terrorism and plans to acquire nuclear arms.

Speaking in Prague, she meanwhile thanked Czech authorities for a pledge not to sell sensitive technology to an Iranian nuclear power plant which the West fears could be diverted to non-civilian ends.
 

Khatami's Culture Minister Defines "Reform", (State news agency) IRNA, March 7

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ata'ollah Mohajerani Monday [6th March] said that the term "reformism" should be understood properly and defined clearly.

Addressing students of Abu Reyhan University, he stressed that the "reformism" which is currently discussed by many sectors and advocated by… Khatami does not mean seeking reform in religion, adding that no one should have the false assumption that principles of religion are being sought to be reconsidered.

… He said some people, particularly foreign interpreters and non-Iranian analysts, occasionally provide commentaries on the country's situation as to imply that Iranian society is at odds with religion.

Mohajerani further expressed his opinion that reformism is a concept which grew from an understanding of the framework of the constitution.
 

State-run TV Warns Clerics about "Reform", (State-Controlled daily) Mosharekat, March 6

It is being said that the Voice and Vision [Iranian radio and television] has recently made a film about the negative consequences of the process of reform in Iran and has taken it to the theologians in Qom.

One of the [Majlis] deputies said in this connection: It seems as if, in making this film, the Voice and Vision has used the recent report broadcast by CNN about the process of reform in Iran, in order to say to the ulema [theologians]: Look, this is what the reformists want.

It is worth noting that the CNN report showed images of the demonstrations in the early days of the revolution and the slogans chanted by university students then and contrasted them with parties held by some decadent youngsters and girls without the hejab in Tehran today. The report depicted the process of reform in Iran as decadent and the opposite of what it really is.
 

News Bites

Agence France Presse, March 7 - "Despite what has been written by IRNA (the official Iranian press agency), we do not regret the opening of the case, but rather the impact it has had on bilateral relations," said Michel Malherbe, a (Belgian) government spokesman. "We cannot regret the opening of a legal case, because it is a judicial act."

Acording to IRNA, Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel told his Iranian counterpart in a telephone call Monday that he regretted the opening of the case, and would do his best to "solve the problem."

Mosharekat, March 7 - Hamid-Reza Taraqi, deputy of the fifth Majlis, said: "A recent move by a Belgian court is aimed at preventing Rafsanjani from becoming the Majlis Speaker, because if he is to be arrested by the Interpol, he cannot travel to foreign countries..."

Hamshahri, March 7 - Pressures have escalated on the Tabriz University chancellor to cancel his complaint after a main agent of the July's assault on the university threatened that if a trial is held for the culprits he would reveal all facts about the incident.

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