World Press on Iran, Turkey and the Caucasus (June 25-27, 2011)

The Washington Post reported on the story of Nader Modanlo, growing up in a provincial town in Iran. As a teenager, he came to the United States, where he earned degrees in aerospace engineering, became a U.S. citizen and co-founded a pioneering satellite telecommunications company that at one point was worth up to $500 million. Modanlo’s company is bankrupt, his U.S. and Iranian passports have been confiscated and a federal judge has ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet while he sleeps. Iran went on to launch its first satellite aboard an Iranian-built rocket in 2009 and its second earlier this month. Modanlo, 50, denies that he violated U.S. sanctions and is free on $250,000 bond. He declined through his lawyers to be interviewed, and officials from the Justice Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement likewise declined to discuss the case. But experts, court documents and other public records describe how his ambitions might have led him into trouble. The trial is expected to begin in October 2012.

The Los Angeles Times published the article headlined “Iran slams U.S. at conference on fighting terrorism.” It says that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashes out at the U.S. for drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan that have resulted in civilian deaths, saying it has 'a black record in terrorist behavior.' Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashes out at the U.S. for drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan that have resulted in civilian deaths, saying it has 'a black record in terrorist behavior.'In a message to the conference, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at the U.S. for drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The attacks, he said, have "repeatedly" turned "wedding parties into mourning ceremonies." He echoed the official Iranian line that the U.S. and its allies are hypocrites, employing terrorist tactics that kill civilians while condemning others as terrorists.

“Why Israel is wrong about Iran” is an article published by the Guardian. Israel's former intelligence chief, Meir Dagan stated that attacking Iran's nuclear installations would be "a stupid idea".Israel has to realise that the Tehran regime is more petrified by what is happening to its economy and among its own population than by the possibility of a military attack from Israel. When it comes to using violence, this regime has had 32 years of experience. It can cope. However, the regime is so frightened of its own population that it breaks up silent demonstrations.

The Turkish information agency Hurriyet reported that Turkey’s president has called for calm and for the country’s opposition parties to attend Tuesday’s opening session of Parliament after each complained bitterly about courts refusing to release their members from prison. The main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, however, would not guarantee that it would take its parliamentary oaths on Tuesday. While upset that one of its deputies also remains behind bars, the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, pledged to attend Tuesday’s ceremony. The main pro-Kurdish party, however, has refused to even reluctantly enter Parliament, demanding that its conditions.

The same agency published the article headlined “Two killed in explosion in southeast Turkey.” It says that an explosion in a gas station in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa has killed two people and injured six. The blast occurred early in the morning at a gas station in the Karaköprü area; investigators believe the explosion might have been caused by fuel stored in the area. Police closed off and evacuated people from the scene, as well as closed the Şanlıurfa-Diyarbakır road to traffic in one direction. Police also made an announcement that people should not use mobile phones in the area.

The Iranian information agency Press TV reported that Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou says Iran is ready to supply Pakistan with more electricity to help overcome the South Asian country's energy crisis. “Given the great need of Pakistan for electricity, Iran could export its surplus electricity to the country,” IRIB quoted Namjou as saying during a meeting with Pakistan's Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Asim Hussain in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Monday. He went on to say that Iran is prepared to increase its electricity exports to Pakistan by 1,000 megawatts by the next three years. The minister further explained that Iran is setting up a new electricity grid to deliver its electricity to Pakistan.