Little Red Blog

Two items to discuss.

• Iran and Syria call for other Islamic states to be "vigilant" against the "U.S. and Israeli plots" to destabilize the region. [source: IRNA and the AP story now available.]


• Russia and Iran are to sign a deal for Russia to provide nuclear fuel for Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. [source: Reuters via IranPressNews]

Iran's former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, now head of the Expediency Council, says that Arab states remain vigilant against “U.S. and Israeli plots” to create division among the Islamic states in the region. His comments come a day after asserting the “united front” of Syria and Iran to oppose on “all grounds to confront threats.”

Syria’s Prime Minister Naji al-Otari met with Rafsanjani after arriving in Tehran for a joint Iran – Syria meeting on economic cooperation between the two states. al-Otari also met with current Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

al-Otari stated that Israel was the “source of instability” in the region and confirmed that Syria would continue its “struggle,” along with Lebanon and the Palestinians, to vindicate its “lost rights.”

Original text of IRNA report. [Originally included due to lack of this link.]

Tehran, Feb 17, IRNA -- Visiting Prime Minister of Syria Naji al-Otari in a meeting with Head of Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here on Thursday stressed that Damascus was determined to upgrade its economic ties with Tehran to keep pace with bilateral political ties.
Al-Otari arrived here on Wednesday at the head of an economic-political delegation to attend the meeting of Iran-Syria High Committee on Economic Cooperation.
Referring to Tehran-Damascus strong relations, the head of Iran's Expediency Council expressed satisfaction with expansion of political, cultural and economic ties between the two countries.
He said that in light of the current circumstances, further cementing of relations between Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and other Islamic states of the region was of great importance.
Rafsanjani noted that those countries could create a powerful alliance through their close cooperation so that it would benefit the interests of their people.
The EC chairman added that division among regional states was the wish of the US and the Zionist regime of Israel and for the same reason, he argued, countries of the region should "stay completely vigilant vis-a-vis the US and Israeli plots in this
regard."
Rafsanjani also said that Tehran and Damascus could play a key role in Iraq's reconstruction.
Al-Otari, for his part, said that Iraq's occupation only benefitted [sic] the big powers. He added that efforts should be made to restore the country's sovereignty and wealth to their real owners (people of Iraq).
The Syrian prime minister stated that the Zionist regime of Israel was "the source of instability" in the Middle East region and that Damascus would continue its struggle along with Palestinian and Lebanese nations, to vindicate its lost rights. 1394 / 1412

Russia and Iran are set to sign a long awaited, and U.S. opposed, deal for Russia to provide nuclear fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Assadollah Sabouri, deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization says the deal will be signed on February 26th, while Russian Atomic Energy Agency chief Alexander Rumyantsev is in Iran. The assumption is that Russia and Iran have agreed on terms for spent fuel to be returned to Russia after 10 years of use. This, of course, is an unsettling development.
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It should be clear (and is to those who are willing to see) that Iran and Syria are enemies of the U.S. and after the success in the Iraqi elections, are stepping up their rhetoric against the U.S. This is no doubt an effort to draw additional support from islamofascist, ba'athist and anti-American or anti-Israel groups.

Add to that, Russia's inability to recognize the threat Iran poses to world peace, most likely due to their greed. And the window is closing quickly on the U.S., EU, UN and world to take a stand against Iran. While much attention is pointed to Syria, it must be clear that should the Mullah's fall, Syria would most likely quickly come to order (save what now has to be expected in any Arab or Islamic state reforming or being liberated, an "insurgency" of islamofascist).