LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril 19/2010

Bible Of the Day
Peter's First Letter 03/10-22
3:10 For, “He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. 3:11 Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”3:13 Now who is he who will harm you, if you become imitators of that which is good? 3:14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.”* 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear: 3:16 having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ. 3:17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil. 3:18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 3:19 in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, 3:20 who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 3:22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

A thought for the day: Sadness is a grace from God, it makes the sad person share this kind of torturing feelings with those are in agony. It is a reminder of the duty of giving a hand for those who are suffering and lonely. Just let us always remember that those whom Jesus loves more shares with them his sufferings

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Asharq Al-Awsat Q & A with Dr. Samir Geagea/April 18/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 18/10
Gunman Arrested after Shooting in Bikfaya/Naharnet
Kataeb says SSNP member attacked its convoy/Now Lebanon
U.S. Officials: It is Unclear if Syria Transferred Scuds to Hizbullah but 'Intent is There'/Naharnet
Fadlallah: U.S. Concerns Reflection of Israeli Fears/Naharnet
Will Syria come in from the cold?Today's Zaman
Israel warns Syria over Hezbollah attacks/Times Online
'Hizbullah a division of Syrian army'/Jerusalem Post
Ahmadinejad Extolls Iran's Military Might/AP
President Ahmadinejad slams Israel, says Jewish state about to collapse/Agencies
Sheikh Qabalan to Sfeir: No Return of Maronite Politics to Lebanon/Naharnet
Hariri in Italy to Discuss Mideast Peace, Bilateral Ties/Naharnet
Report: Israel Threatened Syria to Return it to 'Stone Age' Over Hizbullah Arms/Naharnet
4 Grenades Found in Batroun, 1 Explodes/Naharnet
Israel Fires Flare Shells, Goes on Alert over Adeisseh Electoral Gathering/Naharnet
Report: Sison Handed over to Berri, Hariri Aerial Photos of Weapons Truck/Naharnet
More Flight Cancellations to Europe/Naharnet
Baroud about the Polls: Security Arrangements Underway, Government Won't be Lax with Violators/Naharnet
Aoun Visits Spain/Naharnet
Deal in Amsheet Leads to Coalition List/Naharnet
Jounieh Municipality: Majority-FPM Deal/Naharnet
Presidency Denies Report on Fears over Repercussions of Tribunal's Decisions/Naharnet
Shami Backs Iran 'Peaceful' Program at Tehran Nuclear Disarmament Conference/Naharnet
Hizbullah's Fayyad Says U.S. Alarm on Scuds Spurs Israel to Attack Lebanon/Naharnet
10 Wounded in Army Clashes with Jaafar Clan/Naharnet

Report: Sison Handed over to Berri, Hariri Aerial Photos of Weapons Truck
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador to Beirut Michele Sison has informed Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Saad Hariri about Israel's intention to bomb a truck allegedly transporting arms to Hizbullah, western diplomatic sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily. Washington, however, asked Israel to stop the operation at the last minute to avoid the eruption of war.The sources said Sison showed aerial photos and documents of the truck, which do not confirm that it was transferring Scud missiles to Hizbullah as Israeli media previously reported. The ambassador reportedly asked Berri and Hariri to work on putting an end to the danger that is emanating from the alleged transfer of weapons to the Lebanese Shiite group. Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 12:23

Report: Israel Threatened Syria to Return it to 'Stone Age' Over Hizbullah Arms
Naharnet/Israel has warned to Syrian President Bashar Assad that it would "return Syria to the Stone Age" if Hizbullah attacks the Jewish state with ballistic missiles, Britain's Sunday Times reported. "In a message, sent earlier this month, Israel made it clear that it now regards Hizbullah as a division of the Syrian army and that reprisals against Syria will be fast and devastating," the newspaper said. "We'll return Syria to the Stone Age by crippling its power stations, ports, fuel storage and every bit of strategic infrastructure if Hizbullah dare to launch ballistic missiles against us," the daily quoted an Israeli minister as saying. The threat came after Israel alleged that Syria has recently supplied long-range ballistic missiles and advanced anti-aircraft systems to the Lebanese group. The Sunday Times said that the warning, which was conveyed to Damascus by a third party, was aimed at reinforcing an earlier statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who has said that if war breaks out "the Assad dynasty will lose its power and will cease to reign in Syria." Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 12:46

U.S. Officials: It is Unclear if Syria Transferred Scuds to Hizbullah but 'Intent is There'
Naharnet/ashington believes there is a Syrian "intent" to transfer Scud missiles to Hizbullah but there are doubts about whether the Scuds were delivered to the Shiite group, U.S. officials have said. "We think the intent is there," a senior U.S. official said. But the official and two others briefed on the case said it was unclear whether the missiles were actually handed over in full to the Lebanese party. "We believe a transfer of some kind occurred but it is unclear if the rockets themselves have changed hands," the senior official said. Another U.S. official said doubts were growing that Damascus had delivered the Scuds in full: "We don't believe it happened." A third U.S. official also said it was "unclear … that a transfer has occurred ... and the United States has no indications that the rockets have moved across the border." Israeli President Shimon Peres has accused Damascus of providing Hizbullah with the missiles, prompting Washington to officially warn that the transfer "potentially puts Lebanon at significant risk." Syria also warned that Israel was paving the way for new military action through its allegations.
The allegation comes at a sensitive time in U.S.-Syrian relations. Washington has reached out to Syria in recent months by nominating the first U.S. ambassador to Damascus since 2005 and sending top diplomats to meet with President Bashar Assad. Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 07:56

Gunman Arrested after Shooting in Bikfaya
Naharnet/A gunman was arrested Sunday after opening fire at a Phalange party convoy in Bikfaya, the state-run National News Agency said. It said the convoy was on its way to take part in the opening ceremony of a Phalange party office in Ein Sifsaf. NNA said the gunman was promptly arrested by Lebanese troops. The Phalange party said on its website that a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party opened fire on a Kataeb convoy lat Sunday. It identified the gunman as Faisal al-Asheq. Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 21:10

Hariri in Italy to Discuss Mideast Peace, Bilateral Ties
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri is scheduled to meet Monday with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, PM Silvio Berlusconi and other Italian officials.
Hariri, who arrived in Rome Friday evening, is said to discuss, in addition to bilateral relations between the two counties, the latest developments in the region and the obstacles to the peace process. Meanwhile, Hariri received a letter from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, congratulating him on his 40th birthday. In his letter, Putin stressed the role played by Hariri in "consolidating national unity, independence and sovereignty in Lebanon." Putin also hailed Hariri's role in the development of "friendly relations between Lebanon and Russia," saying they are "an important element of security and stability in the Middle East." Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 16:15

Sheikh Qabalan to Sfeir: No Return of Maronite Politics to Lebanon
Naharnet/Grand Shiite Jaafarite Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan on Sunday warned that it was "no longer tolerable" to return to the era of political domination by the Maronites, the Sunnis or Shiites in Lebanon. "We won't accept to go back to that era …return to Maronite politics to Lebanon," Qabalan said. "We also don't want a return of Shiite politics or Sunni politics because it is through partnership that political decisions are made in Lebanon." Turning to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, Qabalan asked: "Is there a need for concern and fear of partners and brethren in the homeland? "Are calls for a strong and just state that serves the needs of its citizens considered fanatic? Is it a national demand or is there something hidden and dangerous?" he added. "We won't allow anyone to be suspicious of our patriotism," Qabalan threatened. "You have to be convinced that Lebanon is for all its citizens, and the State should act on this basis," he said in a clear reference to Maronites. He also hit back at those who criticize Hizbullah arms, saying the "resistance is our honor and our dignity and its weapons are our glory." "We shall hold on to these weapons," he stressed. Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 17:02

4 Grenades Found in Batroun, 1 Explodes
Naharnet/A grenade exploded at a Batroun dump when a garbage collector threw the device as three other grenades were discovered in the area, the National News Agency reported Sunday. NNA said the grenade exploded at 10:00 am as soon as the garbage collector tossed it towards a field nearby. The man suffered no injuries.
Internal Security Forces arrived to the scene and inspected the grenades pending the arrival of the army explosives expert. Beirut, 18 Apr 10, 11:52

'Hizbullah a division of Syrian army'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
18/04/2010 11:12
Israel reportedly sends missive to Damascus warning against attack.
Israel has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that any missile attack against Israel by Hizbullah would result in retaliation against Syria, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.
According to the UK paper, Israel’s missive – sent earlier in April – defined Hizbullah as a “division of the Syrian army,” a military branch of Damascus in Lebanon.
The warning was reportedly delivered to Damascus by a third party. Meanwhile on Sunday, Al-Hayat reported that Hizbullah minister Nawaf al-Moussawi had said Israel's accusations against Syria were only a ploy meant to divert attention from its failure to relaunch peace talks with the Palestinians. Last week, the Kuwait-based Al-Rai reported that Syria had transferred Scud missiles to Hizbullah. According to the report, the missiles were recently transferred to Lebanon, prompting a stern Israeli warning that it would consider attacking both Syrian and Lebanese targets in response. Scud ballistic missiles have a longer range than the rockets previously used by Hizbullah against Israel, and can carry chemical warheads.
On Thursday, the Kuwaiti paper reported that Hizbullah had confirmed receiving a shipment of Scud missiles from Syria. "It's only natural for Lebanon to have the means to defend itself against an Israeli attack," Hizbullah official Hussein Haj Hassan told Al-Manar TV on Friday. The Syrian leadership has consistently denied the charge.
On Saturday, Reuters quoted US officials as saying that while the "intent" to transfer ballistic missiles to Hizbullah existed, it was doubtful such a transfer had actually taken place.
Concern over flaring tensions between rival factions in Syria’s small Mediterranean neighbor, along with the threat of a renewed civil war, has caused Hizbullah in recent years to tone down its Iranian-aided and Syrian-backed paramilitary activity in favor of expanding its involvement in internal Lebanese politics.
**Yaakov Katz and Herb Keinon contributed to this report.

Asharq Al-Awsat Q & A with Samir Geagea
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=20624
18/04/2010
Asharq Al-Awsat Interview by Sanaa Al-Jack in Beirut
Q) Do you consider that discussing the defense strategy at the dialog table can produce an applicable action plan or vision?
A) I go to the dialog table with a pragmatic mind in order to see what will be presented at the meeting, and to discuss the issue. As the process started in 2006, we will continue to take every step until we achieve the aims. I am not deceived into thinking that the agreement on a defense strategy will be reached soon, or that the upcoming sessions will lead to an immediate result. However the issue is interesting and we will discuss it. No one can judge that the dialog table has failed yet. We know that the situation is ambiguous, but a breakthrough could occur at any moment, and we find ourselves moving toward a national defense strategy.
Q) What do you think of Hezbollah's statements that reject the discussion of its weapons on the basis that it is the resistance weapons that are necessary for the protection of Lebanon?
A) Every group has the right to express its vision of the situation in the way that suits it. Our opinion is different from this vision proposed by Hezbollah. It is not true that its weapons are outside any discussion. Everything in Lebanon is open for discussion, from the presidency, to subjects beyond the budget and the day-to-day matters. Therefore, how can we disregard the discussion of Hezbollah's weapons, which is a sensitive issue that affects the Lebanese and the details of their lives?
As for saying that the weapons are the weapons of the resistance and not the weapons of Hezbollah, this issue should not be presented in this way. This is because the resistance was formed on territories on which the state was defeated, and not in an established state, even if it is not yet completed. Perhaps one of the reasons that the state is not complete is the existence of weapons outside the legitimacy. Moreover, the permanent presence of the resistance, as in our case, requires a minimum of popular unanimity, say 60 to 70 percent. However, the latest parliamentary elections, which Hezbollah fought under the slogan plebiscite on the resistance option, have shown that more than half the Lebanese are against the preservation of the weapons in their current state.
Q) How can you be able to discuss the defense strategy with Hezbollah refusing to do so, despite the fact that it is participating in the sessions?
A) Our job is to convince Hezbollah during the meeting at the dialog table. We will persevere with this, and it is inevitable that we will reach something. In the beginning to reassert a stance, and then we will move into presenting the foundations of the defense strategy of the country. However, in the current stage, we insist on reasserting our stance by putting forward concepts that can be applied to face up to the continuous attempts since 1990 to impose an equation that stresses that Lebanon cannot defend itself unless Hezbollah remains armed.
Q) Why does the defense strategy require national unanimity while the resistance does not need it?
A) This is true according to the laws, the constitution, and the National Accord Agreement in Al-Taif. The agreement from A to Z does not include the word "resistance," and it allocates the responsibility to defend Lebanon to the state and the army, while insisting on the truce agreement with Israel.
Moreover, the broad lines of the defense strategy ought to be in the hands of the Lebanese Government, which can amend them according to the impending and sudden circumstances, requirements, and dangers. Therefore, it is required to continue the dialog among the political sides in order to reach agreement over the best way to defend Lebanon. This is a fundamental step. The decision to defend Lebanon ought to be in the hands of the Lebanese Government.
Q) From the first, to the second and the third dialog table, how have the presentation of the issue of the weapons, and Hezbollah's stances toward this presentation developed?
A) The situation is regressing. At the first table of dialog we had an agenda that included a clear article entitled "The Weapons of the Resistance." I took it to the dialog table in the first session after the elections. Currently they reject this. However, we will continue to present the subject in a complete spirit of democracy and amicability, and without any sensitivities, otherwise Lebanon will not rest.
It is not true that the Lebanese Army is incapable of protecting Lebanon, and Hezbollah alone is capable of this. In the army there are more and better trained special units than those possessed by Hezbollah. Why do we not allow the army to draw up the necessary plans to defend Lebanon and its south? If we do this, we will win at the fighting level, and also we will win more by consolidating the foundations of the Lebanese legitimacy and unanimity by taking a realistic and logical step. However, they [Hezbollah] do not accept this thesis, and it is probable that they will ask to discuss a defense strategy in isolation from the status of the weapons.
Q) Will two groups gather around the dialog table, one insisting on preserving the weapons, and the other rejecting that, or will there be more than two groups?
A) There are two principal groups facing each other at the dialog table; however there are other groups with stances distinctive from insisting on preserving the weapons, or demanding that the weapons are placed within the state legitimacy.
Q) Where does President Gen Michel Suleiman stand with regard to the conferees?
A) I will not hide from you that there are worries because of the attack by a group on Suleiman, demanding his resignation, and criticizing the dialog table, while our group hastens to defend and support him with huge campaigns. Unfortunately, following this, Suleiman has leaned toward certain theses in order to appease those who attacked him. The situation is not reassuring, as the president is supposed to be for all the Lebanese, and not for one group and no one else.
Q) What about Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri?
A) Al-Hariri still is convinced that the defense strategy ought to be in the hands of the Lebanese Government.
Q) Democratic Gathering Leader Walid Junblatt no longer accepts this thesis. He has stated that he will work toward withdrawing the verbal discussion of Hezbollah's weapons. What is your stance toward this?
A) Our friend Walid Junblatt has this opinion. We have our opinion to which we still are committed. We consider that Hezbollah's weapons expose Lebanon to danger more than they defend it.
Q) What about the US warning to the Syrians about the smuggling of advanced weapons to Hezbollah through the Lebanese-Syrian borders, linking the issue to not sending new US Ambassador Stephen Ford to Damascus, and the impact of this on Lebanon?
A) If anyone has advanced weapons, why does he not hand them to the Lebanese Army? More than that, our main focus is the following: Hezbollah is tied to a large regional network that starts from Tehran, and does not end in Damascus. This drags Lebanon into confrontations, which it does not want. No one has the right to drag us into these confrontations. As for the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, it has several aspects. Currently, who determines the way of the confrontation? It is determined by officials in Hezbollah in coordination with Tehran and Damascus; this behavior exposes the Lebanese people to danger. On the other hand, not tying Lebanon to the regional network spares it many of the confrontations with which we actually have nothing to do.
Q) Do the latest events witnessed in the regions of Qusaya and Ayn al-Bayda in Western Al-Biqa come under exposing Lebanon to dangers with which it has nothing to do through the Palestinian weapons outside the camps?
A) I do not have precise data about what took place in Qusaya and Ayn al-Bayda. However, regardless of the causes and background of the incident, every weapon outside the control of the state turns into a danger against Lebanon and its civil peace. As we regret all the victims of such events, we point out that what takes place tarnishes the image and stability of Lebanon. We have the Lebanese Army, but who is responsible for these groups and these weapons outside the camps, whether in Western Al-Biqa, Al-Naimah, or other places? We do not know how these weapons, whose presence we reject, are mobilized, and we demand that the resolution to remove them, which was adopted unanimously at the first dialog table in 2006, is implemented. The regime in Syria can prevent these people from entering Lebanon through the borders, and can stop financing, training, and supporting them. Next Thursday, I will present [to the dialog table] the issue of the Palestinian weapons outside the camps, because it has priority as a result of the latest events; this is in addition to the issues of Hezbollah's weapons, and the defense strategy.
Q) Do you think that these events indicate a regional danger threatening Lebanon at this stage of the conflict between Iran and the United States, with Israel behind it?
A) The region is living through an unstable period. In the light of the military and security reality outside the Lebanese State I believe that Lebanon is entering the domain of instability. Had it not been for this reality, Lebanon would not have entered this domain. Therefore, there is a need to speed up the domestic accord over a defense strategy that spares Lebanon the consequences of the regional conflict.

President Ahmadinejad slams Israel, says Jewish state about to collapse
TEHRAN (Agencies)
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/04/18/106197.html
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that Israel was on its way to collapse, as Iran's military displayed a range of home-built drones and missiles at the annual Army Day parade. To cries of "God is Great" Iran showed off its military might, warning potential aggressors that the Islamic state would vigorously repel any attack, state television reported.
Missiles, armored personnel carriers, unmanned surveillance aircraft and small submarines with men wearing aqua-lungs standing next to them were also part of the parade. Some carriers bore banners proclaiming "We will trample America under our feet".
" This is the will of the regional nations that after 60 odd years, the root of this corrupt microbe and the main reason for insecurity in the region be pulled out "
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"The Zionist regime is on its way to collapse," Ahmadinejad, known for his strong anti-Israel rhetoric, said in an address delivered near the shrine of Imam Khomeini, Iran's revolutionary leader, located south of Tehran.
"This is the will of the regional nations that after 60 odd years, the root of this corrupt microbe and the main reason for insecurity in the region be pulled out."
Ahmadinejad, who previously has angered Israel and Western countries for asserting that the Holocaust is a "myth", said that the "murderess" Jewish state was behind the turmoil in the region.
"This regime is the main instigator of sedition and conflict in the region," the hardliner, flanked by Iran's top military brass, said from the podium.
"I want its supporters and creators to stop backing it and allow the regional nations and the Palestinians to settle things with them," he said without elaborating.
Deterring attacks
" Iran's armed forces are so strong today that the enemies will not even think about violating our territorial integrity "
AhmadinejadThe president of the Islamic Republic also said Iran had the military might to deter attacks.
Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, has described Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence. Although it says it wants a diplomatic solution, Washington has also not ruled out military action.
"Iran's armed forces are so strong today that the enemies will not even think about violating our territorial integrity," Ahmadinejad said in a low-key speech at the parade.
Iran's Shahab 3 missile, which Iranian officials say has a range of about 2,000 kilometers that potentially puts Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf within reach, was displayed.
Iran has said it would respond to any attack by targeting U.S. interests in the region and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies.
Some experts cast doubt about Iran's military capabilities to deter any attack.
"The Iranian military is capable of creating mischief ... but to actually achieve military superiority is highly unlikely," Theodore Karasik, research director at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, told Reuters.
He said Iran's military doctrine was focused on "asymmetric warfare" like using mines and speedboats, to try to disrupt enemy operations.
Quit the region
" The presence of foreign forces is the cause of conflict in our region. They must leave "
AhmadinejadIn his speech, Ahmadinejad also reiterated his view that the presence of foreign forces is causing conflict in the region.
"The presence of foreign forces is the cause of conflict in our region. They must leave," he said, adding that Iran's military might was enough of a "deterrent" for any "enemy" of the Islamic republic. Iranian officials, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have regularly blamed the presence of U.S. forces in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan for instability in the region.
Soon after his speech, Ahmadinejad presided over a parade of Iranian military personnel, members of the elite Revolutionary Guards and the volunteer Islamist militia, Basij.
While parading, the soldiers were chanting, "On the order of Khamenei, I will give my life!" and "Nuclear energy is our right."
A military personnel carrier meanwhile sported banners reading "Death to America! Death to Israel!"
The military also displayed on the back of trucks about a dozen home-built drones, which it claims can be used for surveillance and for combat, as well as a range of missiles -- part of yet another Iranian program which has caused concern in the West.
Among the missiles which were paraded on trucks and mobile launchers were the Ghadr 1 (Power), which boasts a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), Shahab 3 (Meteor), with a range of 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles), Sejil 2 (Lethal Stone), Fateh (Conqueror) and two cruise missiles Raad (Thunder) and Nasr 1 (Victory)

Ahmadinejad Extolls Iran's Military Might
18/04/2010
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=20616
TEHRAN, Iran, (AP) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday extolled Iran's military might during an annual army parade, saying the country is so powerful today that no one would dare attack it. The parade in Tehran showcased Iran's surface-to-surface Ghadr, Sajjil and Shahab-3 missiles, which have a range of up to 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) that puts Israel and U.S. bases in the region within Iran's reach. The Shahab-3 missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Although Tehran doesn't have one, this has been a source for Western concerns along with Iran's controversial uranium enrichment program, which the international community fears masks ambitions for an atomic bomb.
"Today, our armed forces have so much power that no enemy will harbor evil thoughts about laying its hands on Iranian territory," Ahmadinejad said at the parade marking National Army Day. The speech was broadcast live on state TV, which also showed segments of the parade. Ahmadinejad also urged the U.S. to stop supporting Israel and to dismantle the American military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Tehran sees American troops on its doorstep in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf as a threat, and Ahmadinejad reiterated his allegations that the U.S. presence is the source of the region's instability.
"They have to leave our region, this is not a request, it is an order from the nations of the region. It is the will of the regional nations," said Ahmadinejad. "If they are interested in helping the security of the region, they have to dismantle their military presence in the region and stop supporting Israel."
Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes.
Tehran has been also looking to upgrade its defenses, especially as Israel has refused to rule out an airstrike over concerns that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Tehran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, such as electricity production. The advances in Iran's military technology cannot be independently verified.
Iranian news agencies reported that the parade Sunday also displayed an air defense system similar to Russian-made S-300, which is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles (145 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet.
Iran ordered Russia's advanced S-300 air defense system in 2007 but none have been delivered, allegedly due to technical glitches, though many believe the delay stems from international opposition to the sale.

Obama Faces Iran ‘Wake-up Call’ from Defense Secretary Gates
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Aruta Sheva
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sent President Barack Obama in January a secret “wake-up” call warning of lack of strategy to deal with an Iranian nuclear threat, The New York Times reported Saturday.
The White House has denied the charges, and the Defense Secretary’s spokesman issued a non-committal statement: “The secretary believes the president and his national security team have spent an extraordinary amount of time and effort considering and preparing for the full range of contingencies with respect to Iran.”
The memo warned President Obama that his administration had no long-term strategy to deal with the growing inevitability that the Islamic Republic will be able to produce a nuclear weapon.He suggested that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might adopt a tactic of being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while having at hand all of the available parts to assemble a nuclear weapon for a warhead, which presumably would be aimed at Israel.
Defense Secretary Gates last week stated on American television, “If their (Iran’s) policy is to go to the threshold but not assemble a nuclear weapon, how do you tell that they have not assembled? I don’t actually know how you would verify that.”
Aides to the president defended the administration, stating that it has been planning several scenarios to deal with Iran’s nuclear program.
Last week, President Obama concentrated on the threat that Al-Qaeda terrorists may gain access to a nuclear weapon. His strategy has been to “engage” Iran in diplomatic talks and, if necessary, place crippling economic sanctions against it. However, a 2009 “deadline” for Iran to respond to diplomatic engagement passed without a strong American reaction, except for rhetoric.
President Obama’s advisors then unsuccessfully tried to scare the international community into backing harsh sanctions by revealing that Iran was building a new uranium enrichment plant. His latest effort was to attract China to attend a “nuclear summit” where optimistic statements were issued without reference to intense opposition from Beijing. It is dependent on Iranian oil, has worked with Iran on its nuclear program and also is against gas and oil sanctions that might stop Irans' nuclear development in its tracks.
Despite Secretary Gates “wake-up” memo, he stated as far back as last May that bombing Iran might delay Iran from gaining nuclear capability but would not stop it. "Even a military attack will only buy us time and send the program deeper and more covert," he told the Senate Appropriations Committee. He previously said that bombing Iran would "create generations of jihadists.”
However, he has not issued a clear-cut strategy on how to deal with Iran other than the same measures President Obama has suggested. Two years ago, Secetary Gates stated, "We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage . . . and then sit down and talk with them. My personal view would be we ought to look for ways outside of government to open up the channels and get more of a flow of people back and forth. We ought to increase the flow the other way . . . of Americans visiting Iran.”