Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Iran

Iran Again Rules Out Iraq Talks With U.S.

(RFE/RL)

4 December 2005 -- Iran today reiterated it has no intention of holding talks with the United States on helping improve security in neighboring Iraq.

TEXT SIZE - +

December 04, 2005

Last week, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he had been authorized by the State Department to meet Iranian officials for talks on Iraq.

Iranian officials on 29 November ruled out such talks.

And speaking in Tehran today, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi again poured cold water on the proposal.

"Negotiations with America were not on our agenda," Assefi said. "The issue of security in Iraq is an internal matter related to the Iraqis. The Iraqi people are mature and wise and they should determine their own future. So there is no need for negotiations with America."

Khalilzad today said he would urge Iranian officials to play a more constructive role in Iraq.

The United States and the Iraqi government have accused Syria, and also Iran, of allowing foreign fighters to cross into the country. Both countries deny the charges.

(Reuters)

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Many Iranians have been claiming that their access to social networks and Internet-based e-mail sites has been blocked in recent days.

Iran Tightens Internet Control

Iranians are reporting that their access to Facebook and Internet-based e-mail sites like Gmail has been blocked, without any explanation from the government. Not even the strongest antifiltering programs have penetrated the firewall, they say. Some speculate the move is related to Iran's plan to launch a national internet, which might sever Iranians' ability to access the World Wide Web. More

Web-savvy Iranian oppositionists are renowned for their ability to use proxies and other means to circumvent Tehran

Explainer: Iran's National Internet

Reports that Iran has stepped up its Internet censorship in recent days -- as evidenced by a general slowdown of the web, Internet blackouts, and the blocking of sites such as Google -- has raised speculation that the country might be testing its controversial "national Internet." More