Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Iran

Bush Says Ahmadinejad Letter Didn't Answer Main Question

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, speaks at a press conference in Baku, May 5 (RFE/RL)

May 10, 2006 -- U.S. President George W. Bush has said a letter sent to him by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad failed to address international concerns about Iran's nuclear activities.

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May 10, 2006

Bush said in an interview with Florida newspapers posted on the website of the "Saint Petersburg Times" that the letter failed to address international demands that Iran stop work which could be used to make nuclear arms.

In Bush's words, the letter did not answer the question, "When will you get rid of your nuclear program?"

The letter's existence emerged on May 8 in what is believed to be the first presidential contact between the two countries in 27 years.

The letter focused on the failure of democratic governments and criticized Bush's foreign policy.

(AP, dpa, Reuters)

Ahmadinejad's Letter To Bush

(Fars)

PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT: On May 8, the Iranian government announced that President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had sent a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush. The letter was the first direct communication between leaders of the two countries since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. RFE/RL has posted the English version of Ahmadinejad's letter that was posted on the Iranian president's website.
"The people will scrutinize our presidencies," AHMADINEJAD wrote. "Did we manage to bring peace, security, and prosperity to our people or insecurity and unemployment? Did we intend to establish justice, or just support special-interest groups and -- by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship -- make a few people rich and powerful, -- thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty for [that of those few]? Did we bring the world peace and security or did we raise the specter of intimidation and threats?"...(more)

CHRONOLOGY

An annotated timeline of Iran's nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad (center) looks on as scientists unveil a fuel rod at the Tehran Research Reactor.

Iranian Nuke Still One-To-Three Years Away, Says Expert

Iran on announced on February 15 that it has installed its first domestically produced nuclear fuel rods in a reactor in Tehran. Tehran also announced that it activated a new generation of centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility. RFE/RL spoke with nuclear physicist Frank Barnaby about what the advances reveal regarding Iran's uranium enrichment abilities, which Western countries allege are aimed at secretly building a nuclear weapon. More

Iran has stepped up its pressure on activists using the Internet

Iranian Activists, Journalists Receive Threatening E-mails

A number of Iranian activists and journalists based inside and outside the country have told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda they have been threatened in anonymous e-mails. More

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