Iran blamed U.S., Israel for killing of scientist, Posted by Meosha Eaton

(Reuters) - A senior Iranian official on Sunday blamed the United States and Israel for the killing of an Iranian scientist, who the deputy interior minister said was not linked to Iran's nuclear program as reported by media.

Darioush Rezaie, 35, a university lecturer, was shot dead by gunmen in eastern Tehran Saturday. Some media reports said Rezaie was a nuclear scientist but Deputy Interior Minister Safarali Baratlou said this was not true.

North Korea and Iran increase collaboration on nuclear missile, report claims, Posted by Meosha Eaton

North Korea and Iran are jointly working on weapons programmes designed to build a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, a leading British security think tank has said.

Pyongyang, North Korea Photo: GETTY

According to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), North Korea's weapons programmes are now benefiting from technology from Iran.

Pyongyang also possesses technology that would enable Iran's uranium enrichment programme to increase its output. However concrete evidence that North Korea has supplied the Iranians with its superior equipment has not been uncovered by IISS.

Kenya police seize heroin valued at $5 mln, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Police working with U.S. drug enforcement officers


By Celestine Achieng

MOMBASA, Kenya, March 25 (Reuters) - Police in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa said they seized 196 kg (432 lb) of heroin valued at about $5 million and arrested six people in the latest step by authorities to end drug trafficking in the country.

Officers acting on a tip off said on Friday they had arrested three Kenyans, two Iranians and a Pakistani, who oversaw the offloading of the drugs from a fishing boat into two waiting vehicles at dawn.

Both Iran and Pakistan are major transit countries for heroin from Afghanistan which produces more than 90 percent of the world's supply of the drug.

The drugs were concealed in dog food packaging, police said.

The United States has said Kenya's position makes it an ideal destination and transit point for both heroin and cocaine.

Last year the United States said it had permanently banned four senior government officials and a businessman from travelling to its territory over allegations of trafficking narcotics. [ID:nLDE6AF1GF]

The Criminal Investigations Director, Frank Muhoro, said Kenyan authorities were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate who was behind the heroin.

"We are working with them for the purposes of investigations on the drug menace. We are not relenting on the fight against narcotics. This is a major breakthrough," he told Reuters.

The heroin, suspects, two pistols and ammunition were flown to the capital Nairobi, Reuters witnesses said. ($1=84.95 Kenyan Shilling) (Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Editing by George Obulutsa and Jon Hemming)

Bahraini's speak of community divisions, Posted by Meosha Eaton

SHOWS:

MANAMA, BAHRAIN (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF ROAD DIVIDING ARAD VILLAGE; MOSTLY SUNNIS LIVING ON THE RIGHT AND MOSTLY SHI'ITES LIVING ON THE LEFT SIDE

2. CLOSE OF SHOP ON THE ROAD

3. VARIOUS OF ALLEYWAY ON SUNNI SIDE

4. SHOP SIGNS

5. CLOSE OF PEOPLE LEAVING HOME

6. MEN FROM SHI'ITE PART OF THE VILLAGE SITTING IN A MAKE-SHIFT METAL SHACK

7. MEN ENTERING SHACK

8. VILLAGE RESIDENT MOHAMMED AL-ARADI READING NEWSPAPER

9. POTS OF TEA / MEN SITTING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VILLAGE RESIDENT MOHAMMED AL-ARADI, SAYING:

"The issue (of Sunni/Shi'ite friction) will eventually disappear. The young generation might be affected because of their relatively new experience, but we have confidence that once they go back to school, mix with others at school, on the street and in daily life, they will be able to overcome this hurdle, although what has happened leaves a bit of sorrow inside and it leaves a bitter feeling, for some."

11. GRAFFITI ON WALL IN SHI'ITE PART READING (Arabic): "February 14th is the day when the oppressed rise above the oppressor."

12. CLOSE OF WALL

13. WALL GRAPHITE READING (Arabic): "Khalifa (the prime minister), we will not forget our martyrs."

14. MOSQUE MINARET / STREET BELOW

15. SHI'ITE RELIGIOUS EVENTS STALL WHERE WATER IS HANDED OUT TO PEOPLE AT ASHORA

16. CLOSE OF WALL, PAINT RIPPED OFF AND GRAFFITI ON IT READING (Arabic): "Khalifa step down."

MANAMA, BAHRAIN (MARCH 24, 2011) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

17. VARIOUS OF VILLAS AND ROADS AT SUNNI-PART OF THE VILLAGE

18. CLOSE OF FLOWERS AT ONE OF THE GARDENS

MANAMA, BAHRAIN (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

19. VARIOUS OF SUNNI COMMUNITY MEMBERS SITTING DOWN TALKING AT THE VILLAGE'S MAJLIS (COMMUNITY CENTRE)

20. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VILLAGE RESIDENT, MUBARAK IBRAHIM, SAYING:

"When we realised that the operation is being steered by Iran or that it might become like what happened in Iraq, in terms of sectarianism, things changed after that, tensions increased and meetings were held about this. We became aware of it more."

21. CLOSE OF HAND MOVING ROSARY

22. VARIOUS OF MEN SITTING DOWN

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COMMUNITY MEMBER, SAYING:

"They have raised the ceiling of demands to very high, you either take our demands or we won't accept (they say). I mean I don't know what would happen if the demands weren't met, surely there would be civil war, which we fully reject."

24. CLOSE OF MAN'S EYES

25. MEN DISCUSSING

26. VARIOUS OF ORNAMENTS IN THE ROOM

STORY: In the wake of Bahrain forces' fierce crackdown on a month of protests, the main street parting Manama's quiet Arad suburb has suddenly become a great divide.

One elderly Shi'ite man who didn't want to be named or filmed said the road was once an ordinary street with Sunnis on one side and Shi'ites on the other, but now everyone is nervous.

Bahrain's U.S.-backed ruling Al Khalifa family, part of the Sunni minority, is eager to declare an end to the unrest.

State television shows people relaxing in cafes, saying they feel safe in the streets, now guarded by tanks and masked soldiers.

But to many in the tiny island kingdom, eyed closely by Sunni-ruled oil exporter Saudi Arabia and non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran, Bahrain has stepped back from the brink of chaos to find the delicate fabric that held society together has unravelled.

"The issue (of Sunni/Shi'ite friction) will eventually disappear. The young generation might be affected because of their relatively new experience, but we have confidence that once they go back to school, mix with others at school, on the street and in daily life, they will be able to overcome this hurdle, although what has happened leaves a bit of sorrow inside and it leaves a bitter feeling, for some," said Mohammed al-Aradi, a Shi'ite, sitting on a tattered chair in a makeshift metal shack where he and his friends while away the afternoon.

Seizing the momentum of uprisings that have swept the Middle East, mostly Shi'ite demonstrators took to the streets on Feb.14 and camped out in the main Pearl roundabout for weeks, sparking the worst unrest since the Shi'ite protests of the 1990s.

Bahrain forces razed the area last week, after stamping out protests and sporadic clashes that have killed around 20 people.

On the side of Arad that houses Sunnis and some wealthy Shi'ites, homes are freshly painted and the streets are tidy. On the Shi'ite side, many alleys are crumbling, and faded buildings are blotched with white paint covering anti-government graffiti.

Shi'ites make up about 60 percent of Bahrain's population, but Sunnis are over represented in key political positions, and Shi'ites say they get preference for jobs and services.

As the country became an important financial hub, their exasperation grew as many Sunnis and foreigners, who make up over half of Bahrain's 1.2 million people, grew wealthier.

Sitting around a living room in white robes sipping coffee, Sunni men in Arad say they are sympathetic to their Shi'ite neighbours, but calls for a constitutional monarchy makes them uneasy. They said democracy in sectarian Arab states had failed and that they worried about foreign intervention and Bahrain turning into Iraq.

"When we realised that the operation is being steered by Iran or that it might become like what happened in Iraq, in terms of sectarianism, things changed after that, tensions increased and meetings were held about this. We became aware of it more," said Mubarak Ibrahim

"They have raised the ceiling of demands to very high, you either take our demands or we won't accept (speaking about protesters). I mean I don't know what would happen if the demands weren't met, surely there would be civil war, which we fully reject," added another resident of the village.

Some analysts say the government may have created its own sectarian nightmare. In recent days, Bahrain said its forces, backed by the entrance of troops from Gulf Sunni neighbours, foiled a "subversive foreign plot" aimed at overturning the state. Many read that to mean Iran, just across Gulf waters.

Shi'ites are quick to downplay outside loyalties. They say pictures of Iraqi Shi'ite religious leaders or of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah, are just about religious association.

World govts send planes, ships for Libya evacuation, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Evacuees describe scenes of panic
* Flights awaiting permission amid increasing chaos
* EU states evacuating 10,000 citizens
* Turkey launches biggest ever evacuation of its nationals
* For FACTBOX on evacuation, click on

(Adds IOM statement, Brazil, Croatia)

By Daren Butler

ISTANBUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Governments around the world scrambled on Wednesday to send planes and ships to evacuate their citizens from turmoil in Libya, whose leader Muammar Gaddafi has vowed to crush a revolt against his 41-year rule. Fears for the safety of foreigners were heightened after a Turkish worker was shot dead as he climbed a crane at a building site near the capital Tripoli, according to Turkish officials. Turkey, with 25,000 citizens in Libya, is mounting the biggest evacuation operation in its history, and 21 other governments have asked Ankara for help getting their nationals out, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference.

European Union states are evacuating some 10,000 EU citizens from Libya, a spokesman for the EU executive said during a European Commission news briefing. The U.S. State Department said a chartered ferry with room for about 600 passengers was due to leave Tripoli shortly for Malta. "We're asking all U.S. citizens to head out to the ferry pier," spokeswoman Megan Mattson told Reuters. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as foreigners tried to escape the violence. Italy said estimates that at 1,000 people had been killed in the uprising were credible.

"The time at the airport turned into a nightmare, fights began to break out. Everyone is frantic," said Adil Yasar, a Turk who arrived in Istanbul late on Tuesday, adding he and other evacuees had gone without food and water for two days.Some 3,000 Turks who found sanctuary in a soccer stadium in the eastern city of Benghazi, where the uprising began, set sail for home escorted by a Turkish navy frigate, while two French military planes brought 402 French nationals back to Paris.

"We are very happy it's over," one passenger told Reuters after arriving at Paris's Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. "It was very sudden. Five days ago, we felt really secure. One would not have said that the situation was going to degenerate so quickly." Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has warned Gaddafi's government against taking "cruel steps" to crush the uprising, and called on all sides to ensure the security of foreigners.


"VERY FRIGHTENING"
Nationals of Lebanon, Syria and Germany, as well as Turkey, have joined thousands of Tunisians leaving Libya by its western land border, the International Organisation for Migration said. The IOM is trying to find new evacuation routes from Libya, which has an estimated 1.5 million foreign nationals, including people working there and those passing through. Libya borders Tunisia and Egypt, both of which have ousted long-time rulers in the past few weeks. Britain said on Tuesday it planned to send a charter plane to Libya to bring out Britons and was dispatching a Royal Navy frigate to waters off Libya in case it was needed.

Germany urged all its citizens to leave the country, and Chancellor Angela Merkel described as 'very frightening' Gaddafi's words that he was ready to die 'a martyr'. With eastern regions breaking free of Gaddafi's rule and deadly unrest hitting the capital Tripoli, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Japan, Russia and Saudi Arabia also sent or were planning to send planes for their nationals. Turkish construction company TAV was trying to arrange the evacuation of its 3,000 Thai and Vietnamese employees.

A Dutch military plane evacuated 82 people from Libya late on Tuesday, repatriating 32 Dutch citizens and 50 people from other countries, including Belgium, Britain and the United States, the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday. Brazil was sending a ship to pick up 180 workers and their families and take them to Malta, its foreign ministry said. A Ukrainian Il-76 military cargo plane was on its way to Tripoli to pick up 170 Ukrainians, including doctors, pilots and engineers who are working on contracts there.
Greek passenger ships headed to Libya to collect Europeans and 15,000 Chinese and bring them back via the island of Crete.

Croatia has evacuated 145 of its citizens and was trying to bring out another 140 Croat workers, its foreign minister said. Amid increasing chaos, and resignations by top Libyan officials protesting against Gaddafi's crackdown, some flights had difficulty getting clearance to land or depart. A Bosnian and Serbian planes were awaiting permission from authorities in Tripoli to bring their citizens home, officials of both countries said.

Bahrain army withdrawn, police attack protesters, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Army ordered to stand down, police to keep order
* Police disperse protesters trying to regain Pearl Square
* Shi'ite bloc wanted troop withdrawal before any dialogue
(Recasts, adds Shi'ite MPs, union strike call, hospital)
By Cynthia Johnston and Frederik Richter

MANAMA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Bahraini troops and armoured vehicles on Saturday rolled out of a Manama square that had been a base for anti-government protesters, meeting one opposition condition for a dialogue proposed by the king. But when a few protesters tried to regain their former stronghold in Pearl Square, police beat them back. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. One man raced to the centre of the traffic circle, fell to his knees to kiss the yellowed grass and began praying as other protesters celebrated. Moments later, 10 police cars pulled up and policemen beat up one protester and fired teargas. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. Troops in tanks and armoured vehicles took over the traffic circle on Thursday after riot police attacked protesters who had camped out there, killing four people and wounding 231. Bahrain's crown prince announced that all troops had been ordered off the streets and that police would maintain order. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Factbox on protesters' demands [ID:nLDE71E1RA] Interactive factbox http://link.reuters.com/puk87r For related stories on Mideast unrest click [ID:nLDE71F0BK] Analysis on regional financial impact [ID:nLDE71E0YN] Background analysis on Bahrain politics [ID:nLDE7170WL] Factbox on political risks in Bahrain [ID:nRISKBH] Factbox on political actors in Bahrain [ID:nLDE6780D9] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> "That's a very positive step," Jasim Hussain, a member of the main Shi'ite Wefaq bloc that quit parliament on Thursday, told Reuters. "They're trying to ease the tensions. I don't know whether it will be sufficient." Wefaq had earlier rejected a call by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa for a national dialogue to end the unrest that has rocked Bahrain since Monday, saying troops must be withdrawn first, among other conditions. Another Wefaq lawmaker said the troop pullout was not enough by itself. "There's no difference if people are killed by the military or by the security forces," said Ibrahim Mattar. "STOP KILLING PEOPLE" "We hope to hear a clear message from the government that it will stop killing people who are protesting peacefully." Mattar said the king must accept the "concept" of constitutional monarchy, as well as withdrawing the military. "Then we can go for a temporary government of new faces that would not include the current interior or defence ministers." He reiterated an opposition demand for the king to fire his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, prime minister since Bahrain gained its independence in 1971.

"We are not going to enter a dialogue as Shi'ites," Mattar said. "They try to put the issue in this frame. The dialogue should be with all people who were protesting. Some are liberal, non-Islamic. Some are Sunni and some Shi'ite." Shi'ites, who make up about 70 percent of Bahraini nationals feel cut out of decision-making in the Sunni-ruled state and complain of discrimination in access to state jobs and housing. On Friday, the king offered a national dialogue with all parties to try to end the turmoil fuelled by Shi'ite grievances in which six people have been killed and hundreds wounded. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to King Hamad on Friday, condemning the violence and urging the government to show restraint and respect the rights of its people. MILITARY ORDERED TO WITHDRAW "Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has ordered the withdrawal of all military from the streets of Bahrain with immediate effect," a statement said on Saturday. "The Bahrain police force will continue to oversee law and order."

More than 60 people were in hospital with wounds sustained on Friday when security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square, then still in military hands. Also on Friday, Shi'ite mourners buried the four people killed in the raid on Pearl Square, which protesters had hoped to turn into a base like Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of a revolt that ousted Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced concern about reports on violence by the security forces. "I urge the Bahraini authorities to respect fundamental human rights including freedom of expression and the right to assemble freely," she said, appealing to all parties to use restraint.

Young activists had also called for an open-ended strike from Sunday and the closure of all public and private schools on a Facebook page called the "February 14 revolution in Bahrain". They demanded that protesters be allowed back into Pearl Square, the release of all political prisoners and word on the fate of missing people, as well as the resignations of the defence and interior ministers and the security chief. A naval base near Manama that hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet helps the United States to project power across the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Fleet spokesman said there was no significant impact on operations and Jennifer Stride, spokeswoman for the U.S. naval base, said no evacuation of families was planned. The United States is caught between the desire for stability in an ally seen as a bulwark against Iran and the need to uphold the people's right to express their grievances. The unrest in Bahrain, a minor non-OPEC oil producer and regional banking hub, has shaken confidence in the economy. In 1999, King Hamad introduced a constitution allowing elections for a parliament with some powers, but royals still dominate a cabinet led by the king's uncle for 40 years.

(Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Manama, Ross Colvin in Washington and Charlie Dunmore in Brussels; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Egypt says Iran ships can use Suez Canal - Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Request an early test for Egypt's military rulers
* Israeli minister has called Iran's move "provocation"
(Adds background)

By Marwa Awad

CAIRO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Egypt has approved the passage of two Iranian navy ships through the Suez Canal, an army source said, a move that could annoy Israel whose right-wing foreign minister has called Iran's actions a provocation. "Egypt has agreed to the passage of two Iranian ships through the Suez Canal," the army source told Reuters. State television and Egypt's official news agency subsequently reported the news, without giving sources. Iran's request was an early diplomatic test for Egypt's interim military government, which has close ties to the United States and has been ruling since Feb. 11 when President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in the face of a popular revolt.



Egypt's Western allies are watching for hints of any shift in policy towards its Middle East neighbours, especially Israel with which it has a peace treaty. The two ships would be the first Iranian military vessels to pass through the canal since Iran's 1979 revolution. To navigate the strategic waterway, naval vessels need the approval of Egypt's Foreign and Defence Ministries. The Suez Canal Authority had yet to receive approval, a canal official said, adding that the next convoy from south to north would be at 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT). Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Wednesday Iran's plan to send the ships through the canal en route to Syria was a "provocation".



Israel's state-funded Channel One television said later Lieberman, a stridently far-right partner in the conservative coalition, had spoken out of turn and the Defence Ministry "had preferred to ignore" the ships' approach. There was no immediate comment from Israel after approval was given. Egypt's military said the request stated the Iranian ships did not carry military equipment or nuclear or chemical cargo. It said the ships were in the Red Sea, at the canal's southern end.



(Writing by Edmund Blair and Tom Pfeiffer; editing by Andrew Dobbie)

Brent seesaws eyeing Iran, Mideast, Africa, Posted by Meosha Eaton

As reported by Reuters:

* Africa/Mideast unrest, Iran Suez Canal intent supports
    * U.S. economic data mixed, jobless claims above forecasts
    * Coming up: CFTC positions data, 3:30 p.m. EST on Friday

 (Recasts, updates prices and market activity, changes byline
and moves dateline from previous LONDON)

    By Robert Gibbons
  

  NEW YORK, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Brent crude seesawed near a
2-1/2 year peak on Thursday in volatile trading as unrest in
North Africa and the Middle East and Israel-Iran tensions kept
the potential for supply disruption in focus.

    U.S. crude futures rose, helped by the same concerns about
Egypt-style protests in oil-producing regions and with some
support from a weaker dollar. The choppy market drove the
spread between the two grades to a new record high of $16.51.
   

 Brent crude for April delivery edged up 2 cents to $103.80
at 11:36 a.m. EST (1636 GMT), off an earlier $104.30 peak.
Wednesday's Brent close was the highest since September 2008,
as was the intraday peak of $104.52.

    U.S. crude for March delivery rose 28 cents to $85.27 a
barrel. The March contract expires on Tuesday.
    Clashes with protesters in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen kept
investors on edge.

    Tensions between Israel and Iran remained a factor amid
uncertainty about Iran's plans to send navy ships through the
Suez Canal, after Israel's foreign minister called the
intention provocative and markets were rattled on Wednesday.
  

  Iranian state TV said on Thursday that two Iranian warships
were due to pass through the Suez Canal, the first such passage
by the Islamic Republic's navy since Iran's 1979 revolution.
    But Suez Canal officials said they had no notification so
far that the Egyptian government would allow the two Iranian
naval ships to cross the waterway.
 (Additional reporting by Anna Yukhananov and Christopher
Johnson in London and Jennifer Tan in Singapore; Editing by
Lisa Shumaker)

Iranian Revolutionary Guard pleaded not guilty to Nigerian charges, Posted by Meosha Eaton

An Iranian believed to be a member of the Revolutionary Guard pleaded not guilty on Tuesday (January 02) to Nigerian charges that he was involved in the illegal importation of weapons into the West African nation

 Azim Adhajani was charged with importing prohibited firearms after a shipment of mortars and rockets from 
Iran was seized in the main port of Lagos last year, apparently putting Tehran in breach of U.N. sanctions.

 Adhajani's trial had originally been due to start in the capital Abuja on Monday (January 31) but the case was 
dismissed so it could be transferred to Lagos, allowing the prosecution to use the seized weapons as evidence in 
court. 

  
Adhajani and his alleged Nigerian accomplice Ali Usman Abbas Jega were charged with the possession and  
importation of weapons and with making a false cargo declaration at a brief hearing at a Federal High Court in 
Lagos, lawyers said.  

"They pleaded not guilty to the charge like you were in court and after the plea was taken, the prosecution 
applied for them to be remanded in prison custody, in the SSS custody," lawyer A.B Onifade, who represented 
Adhajani at the hearing, said

Adhajani and his Nigerian counterpart Usman Jega are being charged on the three counts of possession of fire
arms, importation of fire arms and unlawful disclosure of the content of an importation  Prosecution documents 
identify Adhajani as a Tehran-based businessman and member of the Revolutionary Guard.
Another Iranian is alleged to have been linked to the case when the weapons were discovered at the port but is 
said to have had diplomatic immunity and since left the country.
   
Intelligence officials say Adhajani's trial could prove uncomfortable for Iran, potentially exposing the extent 
which al Quds has established a presence in West Africa and damaging its quest for closer ties with Africa

Iran prosecutor warns opposition against rally, Posted by Meosha Eaton

As reported by Reuters:

* Iran's Green movement hopes to rally on Monday
* Prosecutor warns of response by "vigilant" Iranians
* Support for rally growing on Facebook


TEHRAN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Iran's chief prosecutor has warned opposition supporters not to hold a rally next week, saying they can expect a response from "vigilant" Iranians if they do, the semi-official Mehr news wire reported on Wednesday.

Opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi have applied to stage a rally on Monday in support of revolts in Egypt and Tunisia, hoping the uprisings there can revive their "Green movement" which was stamped out in the months following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's June 2009 re-election.

Although the government is unlikely to permit a rally organised by people it considers "seditionists", many Iranians have said they may attend in any case. A Facebook page dedicated to the day has more than 20,000 followers.

It would be the Green movement's first demonstration since December 2009 when eight protesters were killed and more than 1,000 arrested, ending months of mass protests during which Iran witnessed the worst unrest since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Prosecutor General Qolam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said that if Iranians want to show their support for protesters in North Africa, they should do so at nationwide government-sponsored rallies this Friday marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
"If a person really has the motivation to support the heroic people of Egypt and Tunisia, he will join the rally of Bahman 22 (Feb. 11) along with the nation and the government," Mohseni-Ejei said.

"Setting another date means these gentlemen have distanced themselves from the people and created division. This a political act. But the people of Iran are vigilant and if necessary they will respond," he added.

Basij militia forces loyal to the government helped suppress Green movement protests in 2009.

In an interview with The New York Times, conducted via the Internet from his home where he said he was living under conditions close to house arrest, the 73-year-old cleric Karoubi said: "Next Monday will be a test for the Green movement.

"If the government issues a permit, there will be a huge demonstration and it will show how alive the Green movement is."
He did not say what might happen in the event the authorities deny permission, as seems likely.
Both sides of Iran's deep political divide have expressed solidarity with the North African uprisings that ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and have put Egypt's Hosni Mubarak's 30-year tenure in jeopardy.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the uprisings as an "Islamic awakening", continuing the work started by Iranian revolutionaries who overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah in 1979 and established Shi'ite Muslim clerical rule.

 [ID:nLDE7130SB]
The Green movement leaders have said the Tunisian and Egyptian protesters borrowed slogans from their own 2009 protests against an election result they say was rigged, a charge the government denies.

Karoubi said a successful uprising in Egypt would win democratic freedoms that are lacking in Iran.

"It will show that Iran has been left behind, that it has not gone forward with the principles of the revolution that everything should be based on the vote of the people," he told The New York Times.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)