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Khayyam
Cover story
Afghan survey: Comments
Iranians have achieved too much and have come too far in the past few
years to fall in another costly and deadly conflict. A military conflict
would certainly deliver another unnecessary blow to Iran's already ailing
economy and make times even worse for the people of Iran. Furthermore,
such a military conflict is precisely what the hardliners in Iran need
to kill the emerging glimmer of free speech, media and s\political activism.
Finally, Iran's recent efforts to mend its relationship with the outside
world and certainly with the Arab world would fall a victim to this irresponsible
adventurism. It is true that on an official and governmental measure, Iran
possesses a considerably more significant military capability than the
Taleban authority. But, please try to remember what the mountanous terrain
of Afghanistan and the flood of Arab and American assistance did to the
Soviet effort in that country. As the famous modern American proverb goes
(often used to refer to an unwinnable situation), "this could be Iran's
Afghanistan!... SEE MORE COMMENTS & FULL STATS
Opinion
National interests come first
By Hooshang Amirahmadi
 Your survey questions on Afghanistan are well
focused and relevant to the present crisis. However, a more important aspect
of the problem has to do with the fact that the Iranian government has
not handled the Afghan question with due diligence and strategic foresight
For years, the political crisis was seen in light of the Sunni-Shia divide,
ignoring the more important ethnic dimension of the struggle (the Taleban
are Pushtoon majority). Besides, any response to the crisis must be placed
in the context of regional and global geopolitics and how the chosen response
can be sustained in the direction of attaining Iran's national interests,
which have to be carefully defined in relation to the Afghan question...
GO TO FEATURE
Anyway
"In the Interest of the Country"
Al Gore and the Clintons are flying on Air Force One.
Bill looks at Al, chuckles and says, "You know, I could throw a
$100.00 bill out the window right now and make one person very happy."
Al shrugs his stiff shoulders and says, "Well, I could throw ten
$10.00 bills out the window and make 10 people very happy."
Hillary tosses her perfectly hair-sprayed hair and says, "Of course,
then, I could throw one-hundred $1.00 bills out the window and make a hundred
people very happy."
Chelsea rolls her eyes, looks at all of them and says, "I could
throw all of you out the window and make the whole country happy."
Thanks to: Elli
History
Revolution: 1979-1999
More Letters
* No happier than chadoris
A.T. writes: The fact of the matter is,
these supposedly happy (khosh-bakht) Iranian young females who have made
it to the land of freedom and "golden" opportunities, no matter
where they view themselves standing on the ladder of happiness, and whether
they deny or confess to the fact that they finally need (in a broad sense
of the word) a "shoowar," are no happier than their chador-clad
sisters they have left behind in Iran... FULL
TEXT
* We don't call this rape
Nana Farshad writes: There was the time when I
used to play tennis at the Taj tennis club in Vanak and this prostitute
was there at least three days a week with her pimp. Right after the revolution
the only thing that changed was her white outfit which was replaced with
a black chador... FULL
TEXT
* Fellowship: Travel
Fellowships for Iranian Scholars
* Stamps: Iran
philately seminar, Los Angeles
* Conference: Dialogue
of Civilizations?, Tehran
* Conference: Challenges
for Iranians Abroad, Indianapolis"
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Afghan Taleban call for talks after Iran
warning
TEHRAN, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's
Taleban called for negotiations with Iran under U.N. laws to defuse tensions
after Iran warned the movement and Pakistan that their actions in Afghanistan
could provoke a major regional conflict. The International Committee of
the Red Cross said it evacuated on Monday the bodies of seven of the nine
Iranians whose killing by Taleban soldiers sparked the crisis which deepened
with the Sunni Moslem Taleban's takeover of the Shi'ite Moslem stronghold
of Bamiyan at the weekend ... FULL TEXT
Iran warns of major regional conflict
TEHRAN, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Iran's supreme
leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned the Afghan Taleban movement and Pakistan
on Monday that their actions in Afghanistan could provoke a major regional
conflict. ``I have...so far prevented the lighting of a fire in this region
which would be hard to extinguish. But all should know that a very great
and wide danger is quite near,'' Khamenei said in a statement read on Tehran
radio ... FULL TEXT
Key Iran official survives gunmen attack-IRNA
TEHRAN, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The head of a
powerful Iranian state foundation survived an assassination attempt on Sunday,
the official news agency IRNA reported. It said unknown gunmen opened fire
on Mohsen Rafiqdoust from hills overlooking his office in north Tehran.
Rafiqdoust, 58, heads the Bonyad-e Mostazafan va Janbazan (Foundation of
the Deprived and War Disabled) which is Iran's top economic powerhouse.
It controls most hotels and hundreds of firms, including many industrial
plants ... FULL TEXT
U.S. keen to use Khatami visit for thaw
LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The United States
would like to use Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's visit to New York
for the United Nations general assembly next week to accelerate a thaw in
long-hostile relations with Tehran, diplomats say. But President Bill Clinton's
domestic troubles and Iran's threats of revenge against Afghanistan's Taleban
militia over the killing of Iranian diplomats make any spectacular rapprochement
unlikely. ... FULL TEXT
Piroozi wins big
TEHRAN, (Hamshahri) - Piroozi showed what it can
do with all its star players when it played in the first round of the Azadegan
cup ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
Women rifle shooters ready
TEHRAN, (Hamshahri) - Iranian women rifle team members
are waiting to compete in world championships ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN
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Aankas keh beh eyb-e khalq pardaakhteh ast
ze aanast keh eyb-e kheesh nashnaakhteh ast
(Seeing fault in others but blind to your own.)
Persian proverb
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