VOL. XLVII

No 06

9-February-2004

The Political Scene (9 February 2004)

The stand off between Iranian conservatives and reformists over the forthcoming parliamentary elections remains unresolved. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has announced plans to evacuate settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Impasse In Tehran

As so often in the past, the current confrontation between reformists and conservatives in Iran has threatened to develop into a zero-sum collision in which one side or the other must lose...