Today's Iran News (August 22, 2008) IranVNC.com

1. Russia's Georgia withdrawal "too slow" -- US official
2. US and Iraq Reach Pull Out Agreement
3. Rafsanjani Calls for Return to Knowledge-Based Leadership

Russia's Georgia withdrawal "too slow" -- US official
General John Craddock, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander visiting Tblisi today described Russia's withdrawal from neighboring Georgia as "far too little" and "far too slow". Quote: "If they are moving, it's at a snail's pace."
Germany, which has repeatedly called for Russia's rapid withdrawal, also voiced concern today over the pace of the Russian withdrawal.
[GFX: Germany's government spokesperson, Thomas Steg] Quote: "This morning it was not clear that one could say with any certainty that a substantial withdrawal was taking place."
But Russian military general Anatoly Nogovitsyn has said that the pull-back began yesterday "at a rate to make sure that the Russian troops be within the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent by the end of 22 August."

US and Iraq Reach Pull Out Agreement
The US and Iraq have reached a preliminary agreement on US troop withdrawals from Iraq, the head of Iraq's negotiation team, Mohammed al-Haj Hammoud, said today.
The agreement, which is already endorsed by President Bush must now be approved by Iraqi leaders and endorsed by Iraq's veto wielding Presidency Council.
AFP reports that under the 27-point deal, US combat troops would pullout of Iraqi cities by June 2009, while a complete troop pullout would take place by 2011.
Rafsanjani calls for return to knowledge-based leadership
In today's Friday Prayer in Tehran, Ayatollah Rafsanjani called for a return to sound planning in Iran's infrastructure to deal with its on-going structural and infrastructural shortcomings, saying that such plans cannot be made on a "day-to-day basis".
Rafsanjani numbered the problems with which Iran is faced under the Ahmadinejad administration in comparison with a time over a decade before when he was in charge, saying: "We did not have electrical outages; water outages; gas outages; if droughts would come, - and we did have them in those times -- because of sound infrastructure, they would not hurt us as much."
Regarding Iran's nuclear dossier, Rafsanjani said: "We are truly innocent, and [world powers] are, based on the rancor they have towards the revolution, looking for excuses." Rafsanjani went on to say that the world powers' imposition of sanctions against Iran is "an injustice to us and an injustice to humanity".

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