RCI NEWS BRIEFS

U.S. Says Qods Force Operations Director Among Detained Iranians International Herald Tribune reported that the The U.S. ambassador said Wednesday that one of the Iranians detained by U.S. forces in Iraq during two raids over the past month was the director of operations for Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds faction, the organization responsible for funding and arming Iraqi militants. Hezbollah Protests Meant to Weaken Western Resolve Against Iran, Expert Says CNSNews reported that Iran and Syria are funding Hezbollah's "urban intimidation" campaign in Lebanon to crush the emerging democracy and weaken Western resolve to stop Iran's nuclear program. Khaleej Times Online reported that Lebanon’s embattled premier has pinned the blame on Iran and Syria for a Hezbollah-backed nationwide opposition strike. Iran Test-Fires Home-Made Missiles All Headline News reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps on Tuesday reported to have successfully test-fired two types of home-made missiles during a five-day military maneuver. Tehran Power Struggle Intensifies The Guardian reported that Ayatollah Rafsanjani believes Iran may have to yield to western demands to suspend uranium enrichment in order to save the country's Islamic system from collapse. A growing host of warnings on Iran Israeli PM Warns of 'Severe Steps' Against Iran Yahoo News reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned that if the world's diplomatic efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program fail, then "much more severe steps" should be taken. Bolton says American diplomatic strategy on Iran flawed International Herald Tribune reported that former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton says the United States may not be able to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons because it is following a flawed diplomatic strategy. Woolsey: destruction of Israel and US is essence of Iranian Vilayat Faqih movement James Woolsey (former director, CIA), The 7th Herzliya Conference said the destruction of Israel and US is essence of Iranian Vilayat Faqih movement. Newt Gingrich: Iran Eyes 'Second Holocaust' NewsMax.Com reported that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Israel is facing the greatest threat to its survival since the Six-Day War in 1967 – and warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would lead to a "second Holocaust.” Britain's FM Accuses Iran, Syria of Spitting in West's Eye Yahoo News reported that Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has accused Iran and Syria of spitting in the eye of the West, but vowed to continue trying to engage with them. Saudi FM Warns Iran The Jerusalem Post reported that Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, warned against partitioning Iraq along sectarian lines and told Iran not to "meddle" in Arab affairs. Netanyahu to US officials: Divest from Iran The Jerusalem Post reported that Binyamin Netanyahu asked New England officials to divest state pension funds from Iran, a step he said could pressure Iran into backing away from its nuclear ambitions. Amnesty International, in a public statement, said it deplores the executions earlier today of four Iranian Arab men and fears for the lives of other prisoners who are reported to have been sentenced to death recently following unfair trials. MEHR IRAN reported that a trial date for a lawsuit against the Islamic Republic has been set in US Federal Court, Washington DC for February 2, 2007. The Irish Times published the full text of President Bush's State of the Union 2007 speech. The Minnesota Daily, in an editorial, reported how Web logging has become a new tool for the social movement against the current Iranian government, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made efforts to control this new media by establishing a law requiring Iranian bloggers to register their sites with authorities. Liz Cheney, The Washington Post reminded us that we are fighting the war on terrorism with allies across the globe. She said: "We will have to fight these terrorists to the death somewhere, sometime. We can't negotiate with them or "solve" their jihad. If we quit in Iraq now, we must get ready for a harder, longer, more deadly struggle later." The Financial Times reported that Royal Dutch Shell is expected to sign an agreement on Saturday bringing it closer to a large investment in Iran, in spite of the threat of further pressure on the country over its nuclear program. Middle East Media Research Institute published a report on the teaching of the imminent return of the Mahdi (12th Iman) on the official website of the governmental Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.