The column ‘Persian Press Review’ features the headlines and leading articles carried by Farsi dailies.

Tuesday’s headlines
HAMSHAHRI: Contradictory statements about the pollution of drinking water in Tehran
JAM-E JAM: Warning! Illegal eavesdrops in market
JAVAN: According to cabinet ratification tobacco smokers are banned from state employment
AFARINESH: Larijani in a meeting with Ban Ki-moon says Tehran will not back down on nuclear standoff despite pressures
HAMSHAHRI: Assembly of Tehran MPs insist that government should fulfill its commitment in paying funds to Tehran Metro
KHORASAN: President says we have documents which reveal (Zahedan) terrorists are equipped by NATO
IRAN: Minister of energy announces two major plans will be implemented to reduce nitrate in Tehran’s drinking water
ASRAR: (Ex-IRGC minister) Mohsen Rafiqdoost says Rafsanjani’s efforts on accepting UN Resolution 598 to end Iran-Iraq was a political suicide
TAFAHOM: Vice president says 106 state firms will leave Tehran
JAM-E JAM: The managing directors of 17 newspapers send letter to Ahmadinejad
JAHAN-E SANAT: Iran’s negative response to a U.S. senator on negotiations with Tehran
Khabar: Minister of energy claims that Tehran’s water is not polluted   KHORASAN: Social Commission of Majlis says retirees’ salary must not be less than the rate of inflation
DONYA-E EQTASAD: Economists warn that Europe will face new crises
SHARQ: The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Commission asks John Kerry to visit Tehran
FARHANG-E ASHTI: Minister of energy refutes the statement of health minister on new nightmare in Tehran
FARHIKHTEGAN: Majlis speaker welcomes a new round of purposeful (nuclear) negotiations with the West
KAR-VA KAREGAR: Power cutoff in industries will continue
KAYHAN: Guilds to supply goods in 30 exhibitions in provinces
Leading articles
JOMHURI ESLAMI in an editorial says inflation has baffled all strata of society, particularly the poor. For the last two decades the people have become familiar with this crisis. What astonishes the public opinion is Central Bank’s claim that the inflation rate has been lowered to a single digit; if such is the case why still the prices are skyrocketing. The distress of people is mirrored in their daily transactions in goods and services as they witness no improvement in their economic status despite the announcement by the Central Bank. If the inflation rate has been reduced, then why it can not be observed in real life?
MARDOMSALARI in its editorial says the acceptance of the Resolution 598 sheds light on the historic message of Imam Khomeini. In 1980 Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein waged war against the newly-established Islamic Republic from air, land and sea. Saddam’s pretext for the war was a fear from export of the Islamic Revolution and a claim that Iran interferes in Iraq’s internal affaires. At the time, the Islamic Republic had numerous problems. But the people of Iran were unanimously determined to drive out the enemy from their occupied land. In the last months of the imposed war the Americans’ support for the then Iraqi dictator reached its climax to the extent that the U.S. entered the war against Iran. U.S. warships openly attacked the Iranian oil platforms and oil cargos in support of the Baghdad regime. Russia and France dispatched jet fighters to the region to bombard targets in Iran. Throughout the war Kuwait and other Arab states gave billions of dollars to the Saddam regime in its war against Iran. Imam Khomeini had full knowledge about all these moves and on July, 17, 1988 decided to accept the UN 598 Resolution to end Iran-Iraq war.
ARMAN in an article focuses on observing law and says if the mass media such as radio and TV held more debates on various issues most of misunderstandings would have been cleared up by now. Actually, debates must be at expert level and not by a single person. Round-the-table discussions should be carried out by the government, Majlis, universities, and scientific centers so that disputes could be resolved in a proper manner. At first we have to know that bad law is better than lawlessness. The second point is that before legislative bodies introduce a law its various aspects should be carefully studied. The third point is that if government disrespects law then how can it expect others respect law?
AFARINESH expresses view about the right of people to efficient telecommunications networks and writes that today communications is considered one of the most lucrative companies in terms of income in both developed and underdeveloped states. But the question is whether the communications company in Iran can present better services to the people or not. According to the statistics released by the company’s authorities, its income reached above 13,000 billion rials (over 1.3 billion dollars) last year (March 2009-March 2010). But we should notice that a part of this huge income was actually imposed to the people, because of technical problems and other reasons.