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23 Oct 2009 18:083 Comments

Karroubi attacked

Parleman News | Tabnak | Asr Iran
Oct. 23, 2009

Outspoken opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi has reportedly been assaulted by pro-government visitors at the 16th International Exhibition of Press and News Agencies.

Karroubi's presence at the exhibition threw visitors into a frenzy. Hundreds of pro-opposition supporters reportedly gathered outside the Fars News Agency stand and shouted "Death to the dictator" and "The real Basijis were Hemat and Bakeri." [* Hemat and Bakeri were two Basij commanders who were killed during the eight-year Iraq-Iran war.]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supporters managed to reach Karroubi and knock his turban off his head.

Karroubi's bodyguards escorted him off the premises.

Report: Iran says prefers to purchase nuclear fuel

Reuters | Oct. 23, 2009

Iran said on Friday it had proposed to world powers that it purchase nuclear fuel for its Tehran reactor, state television reported.

"Iran is interested in buying fuel for the Tehran research reactor within the framework of a clear proposal ... we are waiting for the other party's constructive and trust-building response," TV quoted a member of Iran's negotiating team as saying.

Iran was reacting to a proposal from the U.N. nuclear watchdog that it should ship its low-enriched uranium abroad for processing.

Hosseinian loses temper in Majlis corridors

Tabnak | Oct. 22, 2009

Rouhollah Hosseinian, a Tehran representative in parliament, lost his temper in front of Majlis reporters and accused them of being rude.

The incident happened after a reporter for Azad University's Farhikhtegan newspaper asked Hosseinian about the letter of complaint allegedly signed by 100 parliamentarians.

"Why don't you release their names?" the reporter asked Hosseinian. "Are you afraid of telling us who they are? Most of the MPs we questioned about the letter said they knew nothing about it."

An infuriated Hosseinian reacted by saying, "You really have no manners or professional courtesy. You put questions to me with a smirk."

After this encounter, Hosseinian began walking away when a reporter from the daily Mardom-Salari, who had not witnessed the exchange, asked whether Hosseinian had recovered from the flu he'd caught last week.

This time Hosseinian raised his voice and shouted, "You are all ill-mannered."

The astounded reporter reacted by saying, "But you said you had the flu."

"I was joking when I said I had the flu," Hosseinian said. The reporter responded, "I was joking, too."

This comeback angered Hosseinian further. "What makes you think that we are on joking terms?" the Principlist lawmaker shouted.

This incident prompted reporters from the reformist press to warn other reporters to steer clear of Hosseinian. Moments later, however, a calm and collected Hosseinian was seen talking to reporters from the [hardline] Fars and IRNA news agencies.

Related story

Hosseinian to reporters: Go away, I have the flu

Asr Iran | Sept. 27, 2009

Principlist lawmaker Rouhollah Hosseinian refused to answer reporters waiting to question him outside Majlis, saying that he had the flu.

When a reporter asked him if he had contracted the flu after exchanging kisses with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hamid Parsayi after they returned from New York, he answered, "I got the flu from reporters."

The reporter than said, "but reporters have not gone aboard to contract the flu," to which Hosseinian replied "[no] reporters [tend to] interact with everyone."

Reporters then told Hosseinian that they had only been in contact with other lawmakers. The Principlist lawmaker, however, entered the elevator smiling and did not reply.

[*Hamid Parsayi is a Basiji student who ranked first in a competition where contenders recite passages from the Quran from memory.]

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