Headlines

* Iran-Russia agree on new nuclear reactors
* Israeli group heads for Iran
* Reporter sentenced to one-year prison term
* The king and I
* A special soccer fan
* Braim Schools Alumni - Abadan
* Letter: invisible Iranians

THE WEB

Braim Schools Alumni, Abadan, Iran 1965-1980: This page is dedicated to the memories of those years when we really enjoyed life.  All schoolmates at Babak primary school and 25 Shahrivar high school as well as schoolmates in Roya primary and high school are welcomed to participate in this page. Volek, may the force be with you! Go to: http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Lab/5386/index.html

Thanks to Shahriar Negahdaripour <shahriar@ece.miami.edu>

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NUCLEAR

Win some, lose some

* Iran-Russia agree on new nuclear reactors, (Reuters) - Russia has agreed in principle with Iran on the construction of two more reactors at the Bushehr nuclear power station, a Russian official said on Friday. Georgy Kaurov, spokesman for Russia's atomic energy minister, could give no details of the deal, announced in the Iranian capital Teheran by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bulgak on Thursday... full text

* Ukraine to end nuclear Deal with Iran, (AP) - Ukraine abruptly canceled a $45 million deal to provide nuclear technology to Iran on Friday, announcing the move after talks with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The action was one of several taken by Ukraine to limit exports that could be used for the development of weapons of mass destruction... full text

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IRAN-SAUDI

* Ayatollah Rafsanjani back from saudi visit, (IRNA) - head of iran's council of exigencies ayatollah akbar hashemi rafsanjani returned home friday afternoon from a two-week visit to saudi arabia. in an interview with reporters upon arrival, ayatollah rafsanjani expressed satisfaction over the visit and said his talks with saudi officials have led to very positive results. he noted that the two coutries are now able to extend bilateral cooperations in the present climate of friendship and mutual trust... full text

* Interview: Prince Saud al-Faisal, (Financial Times) - Robin Allen interviews Prince Saud Al-Faisal who has steered Saudi foreign policy for 23 years... Prince Saud calls the 10-day visit to Saudi Arabia of Iran's former president Hashemi Rafsanjani (which ends today) "one more step in the right direction towards improving relations". The warmth of the welcome and of his own remarks towards Iran under its new president, Mohammed Khatami, cut across US attempts to enforce unilateral sanctions on Iran. "The Iranians used last December's Islamic summit in Tehran to give the world a message, not one of shadows but one of substance; that they want to improve relations," he says... full text

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FEATURES

* U.S. aides still divided over sanctions on foreign investors in Iran, (Washingotn Post) - President Clinton's senior foreign policy advisers met late into the night on Tuesday grappling with what might have seemed a straightforward decision: whether to impose legally mandated sanctions on French, Russian and Malaysian oil companies that are developing a major offshore natural gas field in Iran. But the meeting ended inconclusively, senior officials said, as did several earlier high-level discussions of the same subject. Nearly six months after the three companies triggered a State Department investigation of whether they should be penalized under U.S. law, the administration appears paralyzed by the myriad arguments for and against sanctions... full text

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CONGRESS

Sanctions Reform Act

Support the Sanctions Reform Act by writing to Congress! (USA Engage) - Visit the USA*ENGAGE web site and send an e-mail letter to Congress <http://grassroots.usaengage.org/>.  Let your Senators and Representative know that you are concerned about the growing threat posed by unilateral sanctions to American jobs and leadership in the world.  Ask them to cosponsor and actively support legislation (H.R. 2708 and S.1413) to create a more careful process to weigh the costs, alternatives and effectiveness prior to the imposition of sanctions.

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NEWS

* Israeli group heads for Iran, (BBC) - Three Israeli businessmen and three agricultural experts left for Iran on Wednesday, Israel radio reported on Thursday. "The six will remain in Iran at least 10 days as guests of the independent agricultural institute and will try to improve crops," the radio said. "The Israelis are carrying a message from Rabbi Kaduri to Islamic religious figures saying that the Jewish people do not regard the Iranian people as an enemy." The radio said the group was travelling to Iran via Europe.

* US Senate to vote on Iran missile bill by Easter, (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Trent Lott said on Thursday he will schedule a vote by April 3 on legislation to clamp sanctions on foreign entities that help Iran develop or acquire ballistic missiles. The legislation has been cleared by the House of Representatives, and the Senate bill already has 80 co-sponsors, Lott said... full text

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ECONOMY

* Habibi on Tehran-Moscow cooperation, (IRNA) - Iranian first vice-president hassan habibi said here on thursday that cooperation between iran and russia over regional and international issues has helped peace and security in the region... full text

* Iran, Russia to reactivate railroad link on borderline, (IRNA)... full text

* Tourism agreement with Greece, Armenia, (IRNA) - Tourism officials from greece, iran and armenia signed a protocol here today after three days of talks aimed at promoting tourism cooperation between the three countries... full text

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DOLLAR RATE

Unchanged

* To send money to Iran, the rate is 500-507 tomans per dollar, depending on how much you wish to send.

* To send money out of Iran, the rate is 510 tomans per dollar.

Source: Sehaty Foreign Exchange, call in U.S.: 602-595-0777 or 500-288-8881. Preferntial rates for readers of The Iranian Times. Mention this code: BAJ 07

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NORUZ

* Sal -e Tahveel 1377, in detail

Sal -e Tahveel 1377
Date & Time in Iran's time:

11 hr 24 min 31 sec p.m. on Friday 29 Esfand 1376 Khorshidi (Solar). The Zoroastrain Religious year 3736 begins on 21st March 1998. The Iranian Khorshidi year 1377 begins also on 21st March 1998.

Conversions: Greenwich Meantime: 07 hr 54 min 46 sec p.m. March 20, 1997

North America: Eastern: 02 hr 54 min 54 sec p.m. March 20, 1998
Central: 01 hr 54 min 54 sec p.m. March 20, 1998
Mountain: 12 hr 54 min 54 sec p.m. March 20, 1998
Pacific: 11 hr 54 min 31 sec a.m. March 20, 1998

Thanks to Kamran via TAMASHA <info@tamasha.com>

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WOMEN

Democracy and Iranian Woman

Society of Iranian Professionals (SIP) in northern California in recognition of International Women's Day presents the March program this Friday, March 6, in the following two parts:

1. "A Woman's Guide to Prudent Investing: Preparing for Financial Independence" by Nancy Belza, VP, InterCapital Div., Dean Witter

2. "Democracy and Iranian Woman" by Homa Sarshar, Writer and Researcher

SPEAKER Ms. Homa Sarshar started her professional work in media in 1955 with "Zan Rooz" magazine followed by "Keyhan" newspaper, and Radio-TV in Iran. Since immigrating to U.S. in 1979 she started her activities in human rights and Iranian women's issues through authoring, lectures, talks, and conducting international seminars. She's members of AMEWA (Middle-Eastern Women's Association), MESA (Middle-Eastern Studies Association), and SIS (Society of Iranian Studies).

LOCATION Faz Silicon Valley Ballroom, in Faz Restaurant, next to Sheraton, Sunnyvale. 1108 N. Mathilda Ave. Sunnyvale, CA. 408-752-8000

DATE/TIME Fri, March 6, 1998 Women's Investment Seminar -- 6:30 PM Democracy & Iranian Woman -- 7:30 PM

ALSO Ms. Sarshar will be doing a radio interview with the San Francisco Bay Area's "Radio Havayeh Tazeh" on Friday morning around 9 and with "Radio 24 Sa'ateh" on Saturday afternoon.

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THE PRESS

* Reporter sentenced to one-year prison term, (IRNA) - The islamic revolution court thursday announced that akbar ganji has been sentenced to one-year prison after being found guilty of publishing false news... full text

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THE IRANIAN

* The king and I

By Sandra Mackey

The Iranian ideal of monarchy comes out of the ancient Zoroastrian concept of a king governing hand in hand with Ahura Mazda. Thus he derives his authority from possession of farr, a sign of favor bestowed on those who stand on the side of good against evil. Conversely, a king who leaves the light to enter the darkness sacrifices the farr and with it his authority. Evidence of who possesses the farr and, therefore, the right of leadership takes the form of personal charisma... go to feature

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SPORTS

"Dream Team" IRAN -- World Cup tickets now available!

Sportestan Publishing (USA)
ish@sportestan.com
Tel: 650-473-9792

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FILM

* Iranian films in Washington DC: A festival of some recent Iranian films is planned in Washington, DC, during March/April 1998. The films are shown at the 300-seat Meyer Auditorium of the Freer Gallery. Tickets are free and can be obtained (up to two per person) on a first-come-first-served basis one hour prior to the program. Films being shown: March 8/13: Leila (Dariush Mehrjui), March 20/22: Det Means Girl (Abolfazl Jalili), March 27/29: Gabbeh (Mohsen Makhmalbaf), April 3: Beyond Fire (Kianoush Ayyari), April 5: A True Story (Jalili), April 17: The Abadanis (Kiarostami), April 26: Taste of Cherries (Kiarostami).

* "Gabbeh", "A Taste of Cherry" in Michigan: Wed. March 11th, Gabbeh, 7:00pm; Mon. April 6th, A taste of cherry, 7:00pm; at the Michigan Theater: 603 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI.

* "Taste of Cherry" U.S. screen schedules from the official Zeitgeist Film site... click here...Thanks to Payman Arabshahi <payman@fermi.jpl.nasa.gov>

* "Taste of Cherry" in Victoria: WED & THURS, MARCH 4 & 5 (7:15 & 9:10) Cinecenta, UVic. With discounts for the club & community members. UVic Persian Club : <wr855@victoria.tc.ca> : 250-472-8699

* Iranian film festival organized by Stanford University's Persian Students Association will run through mid-March... click here for details

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SATIRE

* Bad dog!

Who is the U.N. secretary general talking to?... click here

Thanks to Tourang Birangi <birangi@pdq.net>

Got something to make us smile?
Send it to Times@iranian.com

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LETTERS

* Invisible Iranians

I have always had a great deal of respect for foreign immigrants. Maybe they remind me of my own ancestors. Leaving home, country and family and walking into unknown, takes a lot of courage and commitment. But I have to admit that I have always felt closer to Iranians, maybe because I am married to one. Iranians have an uncanny ability to blend into the western society. The invisible Iranians are a strong force in the western scientific communities. During my career I have been fortunate enough to meet and get to know many unique individuals. But I have met only one truly Super Engineer.

In 1987 I did an article for a publication about the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station clean up. The center point of the story was a young Iranian born engineer responsible for decontamination of the Reactor Basement. Due to the political pressures at the time, and friction between United States and Iran I decided not to mention that Fariborz was Iranian born . Later I saw some of his incredible designs in Beyond 2000, and National Geographic Explorers. A job change, marriage, and two sons later, I lost track of my Iranian friend.

Recently I was invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony at Marshall Space Flight Center, a NASA facility in Huntsville, Alabama. It was an important ceremony for NASA, since a new states of the art ultra high pressure compressor station was completed (one of the ten largest in the country). It would retire the original building designed by legendary Werner VonBraun (father of rocket engine). I heard from one of the NASA officials that all the mechanical design work for the new building was done by one engineer, with intention to "top VonBraun's design," and according to NASA he succeeded.

While we were pondering the possibility of one person completing such a task and putting a dollar amount on all the man-hours saved on a fixed cost multi- million dollar contract, I felt a pat on my shoulder followed by a familiar voice, "This time don't forget to mention that I am Iranian!". Through my surprise it was my old friend Fariborz Bzorgi. First thing out of my mouth was "Is there anything you can not do?". Nobody had to tell me, at that point I knew Fariborz was that engineer.

Now married with two daughters, and a son on the way, he still had enough time to work in a number of patent and projects. Since I met him last he has made robots for power plants, propeller for hovercrafts, remediation tools for underground water, inspection cameras, pneumatic tools and working on a robotic dog for his daughter! Few hours later we were saying good-bye. Fariborz Invited my family and I to Tennessee with promise for a trip to DollyWood, and home cooked CHELO KABOB. I do not know about you but I do anything for a good CHELO KABOB, even go to Dollywood. John Conner <Jconner201@aol.com>

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LOST & FOUND

Kharazmi (girl's) School

I am looking for my friends: Mitcka Sadeghpour, Farima Jafarzadeh, Rama Jafari or any one from Kharazmi (girl's) Middle School or High School (Pahlavi street) who wre my classmates. Please contact me, Roshanak Keyghobadi, at roshanak65@aol.com. Thank you.

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BOOKSTORE

Know Thine Enemy : A Spy's Journey into Revolutionary Iran
Edward Shirley / Hardcover / Published 1997
See feature in THE IRANIAN. Click here

Books available through Amazon.com, the world's largest online bookstore. THE IRANIAN is an associate of Amazon.com. Click on the links for more information.

THE IRANIAN Bookstore

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EVENTS

* Globalization, Political Islam, and Urban Social Movements: March 6-8, 1998, Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley, Townsend Center Conference Room, 210 Stephens Hall. To see the schedule of speakers and topics ... click here

* Khuzestani Noruz in LA: This year's Khuzestani Noruz party will be on March 14 at the LAX Marriott Hotel. For more information contact Hassan Alesafar <NAKHLAK@aol.com>

* Farhad's last concert: Farhad, the legendary singer, is currently in the U.S. and will perform his last U.S. concert on Sunday, March 8, 1998 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Farhad will return to Iran after this concert. This is the last chance his fans will have tio see him in their lifetime. For information and reservation those interested can contact: 310-704-5700.

* Iranian film festival organized by Stanford University's Persian Students Association will run through mid-March... click here for details

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Soccer fan

* One of those soccer fans who forced her way into Azadi stadium... full image

Got any interesting photos?
Send it to Times@iranian.com

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MUSIC

Aqassi: "Ameneh"(RealAudio)

Greatest pop CDs ON SALE!

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QUOTE UNQUOTE

Nither natural nor inevitable

The great paradox of Iranian monarchy is that the ideal of just rule by a charismatic leader stubbornly survived for 2,500 years despite the harsh realities of a political and social hierarchy in which one level inflicted injustice on the level below. Through all the tyranny and despotism, Iranians never accepted man's inhumanity to man as either natural or inevitable.

Sandra Mackey
"The Iranians: Persian. Islam and the Soul of a Nations"

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