Iran's Importance for the US Today - John J. Maresca (1999)

Challenges Facing Iran's Oil Industry: The US Factor - Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani (1999)

In the latest Iranian proposal to the European Union trio of Britain, France and Germany, Iran asked for the resumption of activities at the uranium conversion plant in Isfahan, but promised not only to allow foreign inspections but also to keep the enrichment at a level adequate for producing fuel for Iranian plants. The EU has strongly discouraged any such resumption of nuclear activity, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Iran should be referred to the UN Security Council if it breaches its nuclear obligations, but spokesmen for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization have stated that the first stage of suspension of uranium-related activities will be lifted within the next few days.

Blair Backs UN Intervention for Iran
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wire Story?id=750838

Rafsanjani stresses continuation of Iran-EU dialogue
http://news.xinhuanet. com/english/2005-05/12/content_2947085.htm

Iran follows its own nuclear line
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_ East/GE12Ak01.html

US Media and Iran's Nuclear Threat
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_ East/GE11Ak01.html

Iran: No "immediate" uranium plans
http://www.mg.co.za/articleP age.aspx? articleid=238046&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news __international_news/

Official registration began on May 10, 2005. The candidates have one week to register prior to being vetted by the Guardian Council. The Guardian Council's final decision is set for May 24, 2005. Among the high profile candidates, Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani announced this week that he would run in next month's presidential election. Rafsanjani, a moderate conservative who served two terms from 1989 to 1997, is widely regarded as the favorite to win the June 17 vote. However, Rafsanjani is regarded, not for his dramatic efforts, but for what many see is a pragmatism to. His decision to enter the race appears driven by the Iran bourgeoisie who see Rafsanjani's economic liberalism as a stalwart against hard-line isolationism.

Rafsanjani seen as leading Iran presidential race http://www.reuters.co.in/locales/c_newsArticl e.jsp;:42818edf:da35c2c8ab7577ab? type=worldNews&localeKey=en_IN&storyID=8449183

Rafsanjani out in front as Iran vote bid launched http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/iran_election_dc

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Caspian region has taken a back seat to the Middle East, where the United States has focused its war against terrorism, the former Iraqi regime, and now the religious and nationalist Iraqi rebels. Yet the Caspian region and its security are no less important to global peace, regional stability, and American security.

Equally important is the security of the Caspian region for its own people, particularly if viewed from a multidimensional perspective, involving human- social, military-strategic, resource-economic, marine- environment, geopolitics-boundaries, and emergency- management security issues. In this lecture, however, I wish to focus my talk on "good governance and human security in the Caspian region," covering the five littoral states: Iran, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. I shall begin with an outline of my conceptual thinking on the subject and then apply the framework to the real situation in the countries. Except as otherwise specified, the statistics I refer to in the lecture are for 2001 and taken from the Human Development Report 2003 of the United Nation Development Programs (HUR 2003, UNDP).

For centuries, the Caspian region was the strategic crossroads for the empires of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Control of its vital land and water routes, particularly for the spice trade, assured great power and wealth; it also invited rivalry - "the Great Game." During the Cold War, ideological confrontations were added to the geopolitical allure of the area, causing the region to serve as a fault line in the East-West struggle. Now that technological changes have diminished the significance of its trade routes and the Cold War has ended, the control of the region's rich hydrocarbon resources has become the focus of international business and political players -- the region has once again become a pivotal frontier.

However, it is a frontier vastly different from that of the past. History teaches us that while new frontiers bring significant dangers, they also generate opportunities for progress. The disappearance of the Soviet Union prompted regional and outside players to expand their influence in the region - a game characterized by gross shortsightedness with respect to the people in the region and their needs for good governance and human security. Governance - the way society collectively solves its problems and meets its needs, and human security - human rights and human capacity development -- are the most critical challenges that the littoral states must meet in order to advance their societies in the global community.