Touch and go journalism

In Tehran, and blogging for the LA Times, Ramin Mostaghim talks about how one western journalist (+ editor) were flown in – to an alleged Ministry of Intelligence hotspot-come-hotel – to interview President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and promptly flown out again after the interview. Ramin argues this kind of “touch-and-go journalism” has become all too common during Ahmadinejad’s reign,

They were to return home the next day after the interview, leaving them with little time to explore the country and find out what ordinary people think. Analysts say this type of touch-and-go journalism has become common during Ahmadinejad’s term. He has sat down for many interviews with Western journalists in the past two years, more than all the interviews of the presidencies of Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammed Khatami combined. link

Meanwhile in other news, the Tehran Times reports that Iran has its sights set on building a stealth aircraft…

Iran has launched a project to manufacture stealth aircraft, Air Force Commander Brig.-Gen. Ahmad Miqani said on Monday, according to the Iranian daily Tehran Times. “We have finished the design of a stealth aircraft, which cannot to be detected even by advanced radar systems, and the primary stages of its manufacture have started,” Miqani told reporters at a news conference. link