[24 Oct 2013] Berlin accuses washington of monitoring Merkel cell phone...
The European Union\'s Justice Commissioner says time is ripe for a QUOTE strong and united stand on data protection against US surveillance...
The European Union\'s Justice Commissioner says time is ripe for a QUOTE strong and united stand on data protection against US surveillance operations.
Viviane Reding called on European states to adopt a data protection law for facing the US as a strong and united entity. This comes amid new reports that the US has been spying on its European allies. Germany has summoned the US ambassador to Berlin over reports that Washington had monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel\'s cell phone. Merkel herself has called the U-S president to demand immediate clarification. She\'s also set to discuss Washington\'s snooping in Europe with French President Francois Hollande during a two-day EU summit in Brussels. The White House says Obama has assured Merkel that her cell is not being tapped.
4m:0s
5999
[24 Oct 2013] Lawyer Says he barred from discussing torture of intimates...
A lawyer for a nine-eleven suspect, who\'s jailed in the US Guantanamo prison, criticizes his limitations in even talking about the torture of his...
A lawyer for a nine-eleven suspect, who\'s jailed in the US Guantanamo prison, criticizes his limitations in even talking about the torture of his client.
James Connell says the Guantanamo court has barred him from reading out his client\'s personal account of his alleged abuse. He says this hampers his ability to put up a strong defense. To add insult to the injury, Connell said he was also prevented to send the document to a third party such as the U-N\'s special rapporteur on torture. The lawyer insisted that the treatment violated the U-N Convention Against Torture. Other lawyers have also complained about the issue, saying it\'s important to discuss torture claims because all their five defendants face the death penalty if convicted. Connell has also revealed that his client suffered a head injury apparently during an interrogation by the C-I-A in 2006.
3m:10s
5988
[25 Oct 2013] The Debate - US spying scandal - English
The US spying scandal has spread in scope and geography: The latest: The US National Security Agency has spied on Germans, including Chancellor...
The US spying scandal has spread in scope and geography: The latest: The US National Security Agency has spied on Germans, including Chancellor Angela Merkel. Add to that, French diplomats in Washington and at the UN, not to mention Italy, Brazil, Mexico, and of course, the US itself. All based on leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, through Glen Greenwald, the outgoing Guardian journalist, who is feeding the material from Brazil.
In this debate, we will discuss what the repercussions of this US spying on its allies would be, and try to get to the bottom of how vast this spying has been, and whether the countries involved will do anything about it.
26m:35s
15610
[30 Oct 2013] Iran, UNSC members plus Germany begin expert-level talks...
Iran and the permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany start a two-day expert-level meeting in Vienna.
Tehran has sent experts...
Iran and the permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany start a two-day expert-level meeting in Vienna.
Tehran has sent experts from nuclear, oil, banking and other industrial sectors. Iran\'s Foreign Ministry\'s director for political affairs, Hamid Ba\'eedinejad, is leading the team. This, as an American delegation, including experts from the country\'s State and Treasury Departments, is also present. The last meeting of the two sides was held in Geneva on October 15 and 16. Following the talks described by both sides as constructive, Tehran and the six powers decided to send their experts to Vienna at the end of October to discuss details of Iran\'s new proposal to resolve outstanding issues over its nuclear energy program. The latest talks come as Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency wrapped up two days of negotiations on Tuesday, which were also described as very productive.
0m:55s
6303
[31 Oct 2013] The Debate - EU Anti-US Outrage - English
Europe is in an uproar over US spying: Two days after Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany telephoned President Obama to complain about the...
Europe is in an uproar over US spying: Two days after Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany telephoned President Obama to complain about the monitoring of her cellphone, she joined fellow European leaders at a summit meeting in Brussels last week in sending a delegation to the US to seek answers, in addition to her own delegation. In this debate, we\'ll discuss which European countries are the latest to feel the sting of spying, and look at statements from the top US intelligence official contradicts President Obama and White House officials, saying that they were aware of spying on allies.
23m:30s
6301
[31 Oct 2013] The Debate - israeli Occupation - English
Israel has approved 3,500 new settler homes in the occupied East Jerusalem Al-Quds and the West Bank, a move that the EU said it...
Israel has approved 3,500 new settler homes in the occupied East Jerusalem Al-Quds and the West Bank, a move that the EU said it \\\"deplored\\\", recalling that settlements were illegal under international law. The UN has voiced the same, and the PA has said Israel intends to wreck the so called peace talks. In this debate, we will discuss why this repeated scenario, along with Israel\\\'s illegal actions exercised on Palestinians on occupied lands continues, with impunity.
20m:41s
6657
[08 Nov 2013] israeli PM: Deal with Iran a very bad deal - English
Following his meeting with the U-S secretary of state, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a deal with Iran would be QUOTE a very bad...
Following his meeting with the U-S secretary of state, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a deal with Iran would be QUOTE a very bad deal.
Without mentioning any names, the Israeli prime minister said some regional countries have the same view as Israel about the Geneva nuclear talks. In response to Netanyahu, a White House spokesman said it is premature to criticize a deal since no agreement with Iran has been made yet. U-S President Barack Obama telephoned Netanyahu to discuss the Geneva talks on Iran\'s nuclear program. The White House says the president gave the Israeli prime minister an update on the nuclear negotiations.
5m:7s
6838
[08 Nov 2013] The Debate - Nuclear Negotiations - English
On the nuclear talks between Iran and the permanent members of the UN, known as the P5+1, A breakthrough seems to be on the horizon after years of...
On the nuclear talks between Iran and the permanent members of the UN, known as the P5+1, A breakthrough seems to be on the horizon after years of negotiating.
Iran\'s new nuclear negotiating team, headed by FM Mohammad Javad Zarif, may be able to get Iran what it was always entitled to based on international law: its inalienable right to civilian nuclear technology, without giving up its right to nuclear enrichment.
In this debate, we\'ll discuss the possibilities of reaching this deal, and its political ramifications, both regionally and beyond.
But how serious and sincere are the US and its European allies in the talks as they derailed at least two earlier agreements?
23m:16s
6517
[19 Nov 2013] US Natl. Security Adviser: US will not apologize to...
A top White House official says Washington does not need to apologize to Afghanistan for over a decade of killing and injuring civilians in the...
A top White House official says Washington does not need to apologize to Afghanistan for over a decade of killing and injuring civilians in the war-torn country. National Security Advisor Susan Rice made the remarks following reports that US President Barack Obama would apologize for the United States\' mistakes. Earlier, an Afghan presidential spokesman said that as a part of the Washington-Kabul security pact, the U-S would write a letter admitting the errors it made during its war in Afghanistan. But according to Rice, no letter has been drafted and it is off the table. Meanwhile, a group of Afghan elders known as the Loya Jirga will discuss the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement between the two countries on Thursday. If confirmed, the strategic partnership deal will allow US troops to stay in the country beyond the 2014 planned pullout and grant them immunity from prosecution in Afghanistan.
3m:31s
5697
[20 Nov 2013] The Debate - Bandar\\\'s Role In Beirut Bombings - English
Twin explosions near the Iranian embassy in Lebanon\\\'s capital Beirut has claimed over a dozen lives, killing Iran\\\'s cultural attaché to...
Twin explosions near the Iranian embassy in Lebanon\\\'s capital Beirut has claimed over a dozen lives, killing Iran\\\'s cultural attaché to Lebanon. This is the first occurrence of an embassy being targeted by terrorists, in what is believed to be a spillover from the war in neighboring Syria. In this debate, we\\\'ll discuss who would benefit from this, in which even though an Al Qaeda offshoot has claimed responsibility, many are pointing the finger to Israel and Saudi Arabia.
24m:55s
6409
[21 Nov 2013] Karzai says security pact with US should be signed next...
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he\'s willing to delay the signing of a deal with the US, known as the Bilateral Security Agreement, or BSA....
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he\'s willing to delay the signing of a deal with the US, known as the Bilateral Security Agreement, or BSA.
Karzai told Afghanistan\'s assembly of elders, called Loya Jirga, that the deal will not be signed by the president until after next year\'s presidential election. This, as the Jirga has met today to discuss the BSA. Under the pact, American troops would be allowed to remain in Afghanistan beyond a 2014 deadline. Kabul has agreed to US military operations under special circumstances and American troops\' immunity from prosecution in Afghanistan. But, ordinary Afghans are angry over raids by American and other foreign troops. And they have held protests against the security deal with the US.
3m:36s
5841
[27 Nov 2013] Iran nuclear deal, historical step forward: James Petras -...
Press TV has conducted an interview with James Petras, Middle East expert, to further discuss the recent deal on Iran\'s nuclear energy program....
Press TV has conducted an interview with James Petras, Middle East expert, to further discuss the recent deal on Iran\'s nuclear energy program. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.
3m:30s
4804
[28 Nov 2013] The Debate - Territorial Tension - English
China has announced a new air defense zone over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan. Is this a way to pressure Japan, or is...
China has announced a new air defense zone over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan. Is this a way to pressure Japan, or is China also flexing its muscle to Japan\'s staunch ally the US?
In this debate, we\'ll discuss what this move by China really means, a move that even limited action could still spark alarm across a nervous region.
25m:28s
6271
[29 Nov 2013] The Debate - Row Over Ukraine - English
To join or not to join the EU? That is a question facing Ukraine. Although in need of financial assistance, its president Viktor Yanukovych has not...
To join or not to join the EU? That is a question facing Ukraine. Although in need of financial assistance, its president Viktor Yanukovych has not signed the Association Agreement.
In this debate, we\'ll discuss why the EU is so keen to have Ukraine in its neighborhood, the role that Russia has in all this, and ultimately what is best for Ukraine, as thousands have been protesting FOR and AGAINST signing the agreement:
Will this divide Ukraine and ultimately force its president out of power?
23m:46s
5789
ہماری نگاہ Hamari Nighah - Islamic Iran and P5+1 Nuclear Deal -...
Hujjatul Islam Ali Murtaza Zaidi was invited at Al-balagh to discuss about the nuclear deal.
The interview is done in December 2013.
Hujjatul Islam Ali Murtaza Zaidi was invited at Al-balagh to discuss about the nuclear deal.
The interview is done in December 2013.
41m:4s
17037
[05 Dec 2013] The Debate - Nuclear War Heads - English
What does Senator John McCain, Hilary Clinton, Sheldon Adleson, the biggest donor to Republican Party political groups, and Congressman Duncan...
What does Senator John McCain, Hilary Clinton, Sheldon Adleson, the biggest donor to Republican Party political groups, and Congressman Duncan Hunter, who is a senior Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, have in common? They have all called for attacking Iran, with Duncan Hunter calling for bombing Iran with nuclear weapons. In this debate, we\'ll discuss why these types of statements from US officials are not uncommon, and explore whether the US actually has on its drawing board plans for using nuclear bombs were it to attack another country.
26m:45s
5179
[05 Dec 2013] 5 dead or missing as mainland Europe hit - English
Europe is shuddering under the threat of its worst storm in years. Hurricane-force winds lash mainland Europe, leaving five people dead or missing....
Europe is shuddering under the threat of its worst storm in years. Hurricane-force winds lash mainland Europe, leaving five people dead or missing.
Travel and transport are disrupted, with thousands forced to flee their homes. So far, Britain seems to be bearing the brunt, with 15000 homes evacuated. The Thames Barrier, designed to protect London from flooding, will remain shut on Thursday night. Across Britain, more than 100-thousand homes are without power. Prime Minister David Cameron has held two emergency meetings to discuss the situation. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden are on alert. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across northern Europe while rail and ferry services are shut down.
0m:46s
5795
[06 Dec 2013] The Debate - Anti-apartheid icon - English
Nelson Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, has...
Nelson Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, has died at the age 95. Mandela was South Africa\'s first black president after spending nearly three decades in prison.
In this debate we will discuss his legacy, and its impact, and whether it would translate to changes, like on the lives of oppressed Palestinians in the occupied territories, a form of apartheid exercised by Israel.
22m:26s
6779
[10 Dec 2013] Russian FM arrives in Tehran at the head of a delegation...
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Tehran at the head of a high-level delegation for talks with senior Iranian officials.
The...
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Tehran at the head of a high-level delegation for talks with senior Iranian officials.
The Russian top diplomat is scheduled to hold talks with Iran\'s President Hassan Rouhani as well as his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. Bilateral and regional issues especially the situation in Syria and the planned Geneva-2 conference are among the issues both sides will discuss during their meetings. This is Lavrov\'s first official visit to Tehran since the inauguration of Iran\'s new government back in August. He has held several meetings with the Iranian foreign minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting and also Geneva meetings on Iran\'s nuclear program.
0m:38s
5795
*FULL SPEECH* Leader Ayatollah Khamenei addressing to commanders of the...
The Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran will not back down an iota from its rights and will never give in to...
The Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran will not back down an iota from its rights and will never give in to pressure. Ayatollah Khamenei said the rights of the nation including its nuclear rights must be recognized. The leader expressed his support for the Iranian government and officials including the nuclear negotiating team. Ayatollah Khamenei also said he will not get involved with the details of the negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. But he said there are red lines and limitations that the Iranian negotiators will have to heed. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in an address to commanders and members of the Basij volunteer force in Tehran.
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Basij Commanders Print
20/11/2013
Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech in Meeting with Basij CommandersThe following is the full text of the speech delivered on November 20, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with fifty thousand Basij commanders. The meeting was held at the Musalah in Tehran.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad and upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
Greetings be upon you Abi Abdullah and upon those who laid down their lives for you. I will send you God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s eternal greetings as long as I live and as long as night and day prevail. May God not make this prayer my last covenant with you. Greetings be upon Hussein, upon Ali ibn al-Hussein, upon the children of Hussein and upon the companions of Hussein - those who laid down their lives for Hussein (a.s.).
This meeting is a very important meeting. Basij is the manifestation of the greatness of our nation and the domestic capability of our country. This meeting is the meeting of commanders. You tens of thousands of commanders of Basij have gathered in this place and one can guess from this large gathering how glorious Basij is. You are a source of satisfaction, hope and trust for the supporters of the Islamic Republic, the Revolution and the country and you are a source of intimidation and fear for the ill-wishers, enemies and those who bear a grudge [against the Revolution and the Islamic Republic].
The coincidence of Basij Week with these days, which are the days of the great epic of the history of Islam, is a good and valuable occasion. What I mean by this great epic is the epic created by Zaynab al-Kubra (s.a.) which complements the epic of Ashura. The epic that Zaynab al-Kubra (s.a.) created revived and preserved the epic of Ashura. The greatness of what Zaynab al-Kubra (s.a.) did, cannot be compared to other great events in history. It should only be compared to the event of Ashura itself and truly, these two events complete one another.
This great personality and this great lady of Islam and all of humanity managed to stand firm in the face of the great mountain of hardships and there was not even a tremble in her voice because of all these events. She stood firm like a glorious mountain peak both in the face of enemies and in the face of hardships and bitter events. She became a lesson, a role model, a leader and a pioneer.
At the bazaar of Kufa, while she was held captive, she made this astonishing speech: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Oh people of Kufa, who are treacherous and disloyal, do you cry for us? May your tears not dry and may your moans not stop. You are like a woman who loosens her threads after she pulls them together\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [al-Ihtijaj, Volume 2, page 303]. The words are as firm as steel and the meaning flows like a river and it influences hearts and souls. In such conditions, Zaynab al-Kubra delivered a speech, which was like the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), and she shook hearts and souls and she shook history with these words. This speech became eternal in history. It was delivered in front of the people while she was held captive.
After that, she delivered a speech in front of Ibn Ziad in Kufa and a few weeks later, she spoke in front of Yazid with such strength that it both humiliated the enemy and the hardships which the enemy had imposed. She said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Do you foolishly think that you can defeat, suppress and humiliate the household of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.)?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Honor belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and to the believers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 63: 8]. Zaynab al-Kubra is the manifestation of dignity, as Hussein ibn Ali (a.s.) was the manifestation of dignity in Karbala on the day of Ashura.
The way she looks at events is different from the way other people look at those events. Despite all those hardships, when the enemy wants to taunt her, she says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"I did not see anything except for beauty\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Lohuf, page 160]. She said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"What I saw was beautiful. It was martyrdom. Although it was difficult, it was in the way of God and it was done for preserving Islam. It was the creation of an epic in history so that Islamic Ummah knows what it should do and how it should move forward and stand firm\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". This is a great achievement made by the epic of Zaynab (s.a.). This is the dignity of God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s saint. Zaynab al-Kubra (s.a.) is one of God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s saints. Her dignity is the dignity of Islam and she made Islam and the Holy Quran valuable.
Of course, we are not as aspirational and determined as Zaynab al-Kubra (s.a.) and therefore we cannot say that the behavior of this great lady is our model. We are too inferior to say such things, but anyway, our movement should be in line with the movement of Zaynab (s.a.). Our efforts should be focused on bringing dignity for Islam, the Islamic community and the entire humanity. This is the same responsibility that Allah the Exalted has entrusted to prophets through Islamic obligations and rules.
In the first part of my speech, what I want to briefly discuss with you dear basijis and dear youth is that one of the factors which brought about this spirit and this patience in Zaynab al-Kubra (s.a.) and other divine saints - who moved forward with such spirit and patience - is sincerity and honesty. It is very important to honor our promises to Allah the Exalted and to devote our hearts to the path of God in a sincere way.
In the Holy Quran, this sincerity is necessary for divine prophets as well: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"And remember We took from the prophets their covenant, as We did from you, from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary: We took from them a solemn covenant, that (Allah) may question the custodians of Truth concerning the Truth they (were charged with)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 7-8]. God says that this covenant is very firm and serious. In the phrase \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Leyasala\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" lam signifies results and consequences. The result of this covenant is that these great prophets will be questioned about their sincerity in this covenant. That is to say, our Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and other great prophets should prove before God the level of their sincerity concerning the conditions of this covenant. This part is related to prophets.
God also says to ordinary people and believers: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (fully), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least, that Allah may reward the men of Truth for their Truth, and punish the Hypocrites if that be His Will\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 23-24]. When addressing great prophets, God referred to unbelievers as the opposite of honest individuals: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"And He has prepared for the unbelievers a grievous Penalty\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 8]. And when addressing these believers, He referred to hypocrites as the opposite of honest individuals and there are important points in this comparison. You and I will be questioned about our promise to God. We have a covenant with God. In the holy ayah \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", the pledge that believers made to God and that was honored by them is the same as another ayah in this holy sura: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"And yet they had already covenanted with Allah not to turn their backs\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 15].
All of us should pay attention to such points. Believers promised Allah the Exalted not to escape in the face of the enemy and not to turn their backs. The Holy Quran stresses that abandoning one\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s positions and retreating in the face of the enemy are among the things which should not be done. One should stand up against the enemy in any military, political and economic war and in any arena which is a test of strength. Your determination should overcome the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s determination. Your willpower should overcome the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s willpower. This can be done and this is possible. From the viewpoint of the Holy Quran and Islam, running away and retreating from the enemy are forbidden in any arena of jihad and confrontation.
When we used the phrase \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"heroic flexibility\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", some people defined it as abandoning the ideals and the goals of the Islamic Republic. Some of the enemies too used it to accuse the Islamic Republic of betraying its principles. These interpretations were wrong and they misunderstood this phrase. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Heroic flexibility\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" means an artful maneuver for reaching one\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s goal. It means that the followers of God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s path - any divine path - should utilize different methods, in any way possible, in order to reach their goal and this should be done whenever they move towards the different ideals of Islam. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"If any do turn his back to them on such a day - unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop (of his own)- he draws on himself the wrath of Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 8: 16].
Like the arena of war, any movement - whether forward or backward - should be launched in order to reach one\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s predetermined goals. There are certain goals and at each stage, the Islamic government pursues one of these goals in order to make progress, achieve transcendence and create the great Islamic civilization. The Islamic government should try to achieve this goal at this stage. Of course, there are certain stages and phases to reach these goals. Experts, intellectuals and officials in charge of this are identifying these phases and goals and, as a result, our collective movement will begin. Everyone should try to make any movement, at any stage, reach its goal. This is a proper system which is based on logical and rational measures. All activists in the arena of politics and macromanagement of the country should always keep this in mind. All the people and you dear basijis too - who are activists in the arena of Basij - should always keep this in mind.
Well, when we say that we want to move forward, does this mean that the Islamic government is warmongering? Does this mean that the Islamic government wants to confront all nations and all countries in the world? Sometimes one hears that the enemies of the Iranian nation - specifically the najis-mouthed dirty dog of the region, the Zionist regime - move their jaws to say that Iran is a threat for the entire world. This is the claim of the enemy, but this is exactly the opposite of Islamic principles. On the contrary, those evil and malevolent forces - including the fake Zionist regime and some of its supporters - that show nothing except for malevolence, are a threat for the entire world.
The lesson that the Islamic government learned from the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.) and the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) is a different lesson: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Allah commands justice and the doing of good\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 16: 90]. Allah the Exalted invites us to administer justice and do good. The commander of the Faithful (a.s.) said that we should be kind to everyone because \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Those who have the same religion as you have, they are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 53]. People are either your Islamic brothers or human beings like you. This is the logic of Islam. We want to render services and show kindness to everyone. We want to establish a friendly and kind relationship with all human beings and all nations. We even have no enmity with the American people despite the fact that the government of America is an arrogant, hostile and evil government which bears a grudge against the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic. The American people are like other peoples.
What the Islamic Republic is opposed to is arrogance. The hostility of the Islamic Republic is oriented towards global arrogance. We are opposed to and fight against arrogance. Arrogance is a Quranic word and it has been used in the Holy Quran to refer to people like Pharaoh and the groups of people who are ill-wishers and who are opposed to truth. Arrogance existed in the past as well and it has continued to prevail until the present time. In all eras, arrogance has had the same structure. Of course, it has used different methods and tactics in different eras. There is arrogance today as well and it is led by the United States of America.
We should know arrogance and its characteristics. We should know the methods and the orientation of arrogance so that we can organize our behavior in the face of arrogance. We are opposed to unreasonable behavior in all arenas. We believe that we should move forward with wisdom and acumen in all arenas, in all collective and individual orientations and in all plans. If we do not know the scene, if we do not know our friends and our enemies, if we do not know imperialism and arrogance in the present time, then how can we move forward with wisdom and acumen? How can we make accurate plans? Therefore, we should know these things.
What I am saying about arrogance is a few examples regarding the behavior of today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s global arrogance in the world. In many of these examples and cases, today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s arrogance shares the characteristics of arrogance in previous centuries and previous eras. One of the characteristics of arrogance is egotism. When arrogant groups - those people who have taken everything in their hands as the highest-ranking individuals in a country, in a group of countries or in a global system - consider themselves to be superior to other people, when they regard themselves as the pivot, when they place everyone, except for themselves, on the periphery, then a wrong and dangerous equation will be formed in global interactions.
When arrogance views itself as superior and as the pivot and core [of everything], then the result will be that it grants itself the right to interfere in the affairs of other people and other nations. If arrogance considers something to be a value and if other people do not, this will grant it the right to interfere in their affairs and bully and pressure them. This egotism makes them claim to be the guardian of nations and to be responsible for global management. It also makes them consider themselves to be the boss of all the people in the world.
As you can hear, American officials and politicians speak about the government of America as if it were the leader of all countries. They say that they cannot let this be done. They say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We cannot allow this person to be or not to be in charge\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". They speak about our region in a way that it seems they are the owners of this region. They speak about the Zionist regime in a way that it seems regional nations have to accept this imposed and fake regime. They behave towards independent nations and governments as if they did not have the right to live. This egotism and this attitude of considering oneself to have a special position among all people, all nations and all human beings is the main foundation on which arrogance has been built and this is its biggest problem.
This egotism will lead to another characteristic and another criterion for arrogance which is the tendency to ignore other people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s rights. They neither accept truth nor the rights of other nations. They do not at all acknowledge other people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s rights. In international negotiations, someone says something which is right, but America does not accept it. It tries to deny such rights with different methods and it does not accept truth. This has happened many times. In the present time, one of the examples of this behavior is our current issues related to nuclear activities and industries. Imagine that someone says something which is true. If one is fair, reasonable and rational, he should give up when he faces the truth. But arrogance does not give up. It hears the truth, but it does not accept it. This is one of its characteristics. It does not acknowledge the rights of other nations either. It does not acknowledge the right of a people to choose, to do what they want and to adopt those economic and political measures which they want. They believe in imposing things on other nations.
Another characteristic of colonialism and arrogance is that it condones crimes against nations and the entire humanity and that it is indifferent towards such crimes. This is one of the greatest disasters of arrogance in modern times. Modern times means the era of scientific progress and the era of the emergence of dangerous weapons. When these weapons became available to arrogant powers, they created a disaster for all nations. They do not attach any value on the lives of individuals - those individuals who do not follow, obey and surrender to them.
There are many examples in this regard. One example is the behavior of arrogant powers towards Native Americans - those people whose financial and natural resources, whose geography and whose entire properties are in the hands of non-natives now. Well, there were native people in America. Their behavior towards these Native Americans was so violent and so disgusting that it is one of the darkest points in the history of modern America. The Americans themselves have written many things about the massacres that took place and the pressures that they exerted. The same thing was done by the English in Australia. The English hunted people, for pleasure, like animals and like kangaroos. They did not attach any value on the lives of human beings. This is only one example. There are hundreds of examples which have been recorded in their own history books.
Another example is the nuclear bombardment that was launched in the year 1945 of the Christian calendar - that it to say, the year 1324 of the Hijri calendar - when the Americans destroyed two Japanese cities and, as a result, hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Over the course of time, the number of people who suffered from deformities and different diseases because of nuclear radiations was several times larger than this and these problems have persisted until the present time. They did not have any cogent reason for this - I will refer to this later on. They easily dropped these bombs. Until now, atomic bombs have been used twice and both times, they were used by the Americans who consider themselves to be the main responsible party for the nuclear issues of other countries.
They like to forget these events, but it is not forgettable. All these lives were destroyed, but it was not at all important to them. For arrogance, the lives of human beings have no value and it is easy for arrogant regimes to commit crimes. They massacred the people in Vietnam. In Iraq, their security services and their mercenary security agencies - such as Blackwater which I referred to in the year 1390 - committed certain crimes. They are still committing crimes in Pakistan with their drones. In Afghanistan, they conduct a number of bombardments and they commit crimes. They are not afraid of committing crimes in each area they can get their hands on and in each area their interests dictate. These crimes include murder and torture. The Guantanamo prison - which belongs to the Americans - still has prisoners. It is 10, 11 years now that they have been arresting a number of people from different countries and putting them in this prison on different charges. They have been keeping them in this prison without any trial and with extremely difficult conditions and they have been torturing them. In Iraq, the Abu Ghraib prison was one of the American prisons. In this prison, they used to torture and set dogs on prisoners.
Looting the vital resources of other nations is easy for them. Capturing and enslaving Africans is one of the tragic events in history which American imperialism and other such regimes do not like to be reviewed. They do not like the issue of enslaving the people of Africa to be reflected on. They used to sail ships from the Atlantic Ocean and anchor them on the coast of West African countries such as Gambia and other countries in this continent. Then, they used to go and capture hundreds of thousands of men and women and old and young people with guns and other weapons which were not available to people at that time. While these people were in difficult conditions, they were taken to America on such ships for slavery. They captivated free people who were living in their houses and in their own cities. In the present time, the black people who live in America are the descendents of those slaves. For several centuries, the Americans exerted such an eccentric pressure and there are many books in this regard such as the book \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Roots\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" written by Alexander Haley. This book is a very valuable book for showing part of these crimes. How can today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s modern man forget such events? Despite all these crimes, the white people continue to discriminate against blacks in America.
Another characteristic of arrogance is deception and hypocritical behavior. You should pay attention to this issue. They try to justify the crimes which were referred to and they try to show that they were rendering services by committing these crimes. Global arrogance, which intends to dominate all nations, is frequently using this method in its entire life: the method of justifying crimes and taking on the appearance of rendering services. When the Americans want to apologize for their attack on Japan - that is to say, the two bombs which exploded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki - they say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Although tens of thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of people were killed by the two bombs that we dropped on these two cities, this was the cost of ending World War II. If we the Americans had not dropped these bombs, the war would have continued. If we had not done this, then two million people - instead of the 200 thousand people who were killed as a result of these bombs - would have been killed. Therefore, we rendered a service by dropping these bombs\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
Notice that this is a statement which the Americans make in their official propaganda. Now, around 65 years have passed from that day, but they have repeatedly said this. This is one of the deceptive and hypocritical statements and one of the elaborate lies that is not made and told by anyone except arrogant regimes. These bombs were dropped on and exploded in these two cities in the summer of the year 1945 of the Christian calendar and this crime was committed in that year. This was while four months before that - that is to say, in the early spring of 1945 - Hitler, who was the primary warmonger, had committed suicide. Moreover, Mussolini - the president of Italy at that time, who was the second important element in the war - had been arrested and the war was practically over. Japan too, which was the third important element in the war, had announced that it was ready to surrender. Therefore, there was practically no war, but these bombs were dropped anyway. Why? It is because these bombs had been built and they must have been tested somewhere. Certain weapons had been built and they must have been tested somewhere. Where should they test them now? The best option was to drop these bombs on the innocent people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the excuse of war so that it becomes clear whether these bombs work properly or not. Such is their deceit.
They claim to be the supporters of human rights, but they target the Iranian passenger plane in the air and they kill about three hundred passengers who are unaware of this. Moreover, they do not apologize and they award a medal to the person who commits this crime. You have heard that in recent weeks, the Americans - from the President to lower-ranking politicians - have created uproar about the use of chemical weapons in Syria. They accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons. I do not want to judge who has used these weapons. Of course, evidence shows that terrorist groups have used them, but anyway, they said that the Syrian government has used such weapons. They created uproar about this and they said that the use of chemical weapons is our red line. American officials said this 10 times or more. But not only did the government and the regime of the United States of America not express any opposition to Saddam\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s use of chemical weapons during its criminal attacks on Iran, but it also provided him with 500 tons of hazardous and lethal chemicals which could be turned into mustard gas.
Many of our dear youth of those times are still suffering from the effects of those chemicals and it is several years that they have been suffering from various diseases. The Americans helped Saddam to be equipped with such chemicals. Of course, he had bought such chemicals from other countries as well, but it was America that provided Saddam with 500 tons of lethal chemicals - which could turn into mustard gas - and that helped him to use it. After that, when the United Nations Security Council decided to issue a resolution against Saddam, it was America that prevented this. This is the meaning of hypocritical behavior. On the issue of Syria, the use of chemical weapons is a red line, but on the issue of Iran, it can be allowed and supported. This is because on this issue, chemical weapons are used against an independent Islamic government and against a nation which does not want to give in to America.
These are some of the characteristics of arrogance. Of course, the characteristics of arrogance are more than these. Arrogant powers wage wars, create discord and confront independent governments. They even confront their own people when the interests of specific groups dictate so. During the war that Saddam waged against Iran, they offered all kinds of help - which was possible for them - to Saddam. I referred to the case of chemicals, but they also gave him secret information about Iran. After the war, when the head of intelligence services of Saddam was interviewed, he said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"I used to go to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad three times a week and they gave me a sealed package in which all satellite information about the movements of the Iranian Armed Forces existed and therefore, we knew where they were\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". They offered such kinds of help to Saddam.
The Islamic government is opposed to such arrogance. The Islamic government is not opposed to people and nations. It is not opposed to human beings. Rather, it is opposed to arrogance. This opposition has existed since the time of Abraham - God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Friend - Noah, the Holy Prophet of Islam and other great prophets and it has continued until today. Since that time, the camp of right has confronted arrogance. Why is that? Why does today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Islamic government confront arrogance? It is because arrogance with the characteristics that I described cannot tolerate an Islamic government such as the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is because the Islamic Republic of Iran was formed on the basis of opposition to arrogance. The Revolution was carried out in Iran in opposition to arrogance and the agents of arrogance. It was formed on the basis of this opposition. It grew, it became strong and it challenged the logic of arrogance on the basis of this opposition. Arrogance cannot tolerate this unless it is frustrated.
The Iranian people, the Iranian youth, the Iranian activists and those Iranians who believe in their homeland and their country for any reason - even if it may be a non-Islamic reason - should do something to make the enemy hopeless. The enemy should become hopeless. It is very difficult for global arrogance and for the government of the United States of America in the present time to see that in this sensitive region - in West Asia, which is the one of the most sensitive regions in the world in terms of politics and economy and which influences the entire world - a country, a government and a people have emerged who do not consider themselves to be dependent on and to be the followers of this self-proclaimed superpower. This Islamic government is independent and despite the strong opposition that it is faced with, it overcomes all problems and hardships. As the Americans themselves admit, this government is challenging the influence of America in the region and it is extending its own influence.
This Islamic government is becoming a role model for regional nations and this is very difficult for the Americans to tolerate. The Americans want to say that the lives of all nations depend on America. Now a people have emerged who not only are not dependent on America, but who also have not been influenced by all these hostilities. From the first day, the Americans did whatever they could, but it was not effective. These people have achieved growth and they have become stronger on a daily basis.
The hostilities that the government of the United States of America has shown against the Islamic Republic happened during the time of different presidents, but all of these hostilities are of the same nature. All of these hostilities are the same. Therefore, no one should say that such and such a plot was hatched during the time of such and such a president and this plot has not been hatched during the time of the current President of America. This is not the case. All of these presidents behave in the same way. First, they provoked ethnicities in Iran, then they launched a coup d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'état and after that, they made Iraq attack us. The next thing that they did was to help our enemy - which was the regime of Saddam - in his war against us and after the war, they imposed sanctions on us. Then, they provoked all media networks in the world and they made them align themselves against the Islamic Republic. All of these things have been done during the time of different presidents of America and now too, these things are being done.
In the fitna of the year 1388 - during the term of the current President of America - one of the social networks, which could be used to further the goals of fitna and those who provoked the fitna, needed to fix some technical problems. The government of America asked this network to delay fixing these technical problems because they hoped to overthrow the Islamic Republic with the help of media activities and networks such as Facebook, Twitter and other such networks. They had these foolish delusions. Therefore, they did not let this network fix its technical problems and they said that it should delay it and attend to this task which is more important.
They used all kinds of tools against the Islamic Republic and sanctions are one of these tools. From their viewpoint, this tool is enough for defeating the Islamic Republic. Their mistake is that they do not know the Iranian nation. Their mistake is that they do not know the element of faith and unity among our people. Their mistake is that they did not learn a lesson from their past mistakes. Therefore, they hope that they can bring the people of Iran to their knees by imposing sanctions, exerting pressures and other such measures. Of course, they are making a mistake. The permanent experience of the Islamic Republic during the past 35 years shows that the only way to get rid of the interference of the enemy is national power and national resistance. This is the only factor which can make the enemy retreat. Of course, the enemy is the enemy. He uses all kinds of tools. As I said, he has used and is using sanctions. We should know what it is that can help us achieve our goal.
I would like to say a few things about Basij and after that, I would like to briefly speak about the current issues regarding our foreign policies. As I said, Basij is a source of dignity for the country and the Islamic Republic. Why? It is because the meaning of Basij is the presence of all the people in arenas of fundamental activities for the sake of the people and the country. Any government that has people by its side and any country in which the people show their presence and move towards a specific direction, will definitely achieve victory. This is completely clear. Countries receive a blow and they are defeated whenever the people are not present on the scene or whenever they do not have unity of action. Whenever the people are present on the scene and whenever there is unity among them, victory and progress will be certain. Basij is the example of such presence. Basij is the manifestation of the presence of the people on the scene and the unity of the people. We should adopt such an outlook towards Basij.
On the issue of sincerity, which I referred to in the beginning of my speech, Basij has emerged victorious out of the test of sincerity. Basij was put to this test during the imposed war and the Sacred Defense Era which was a time when the country was in difficult conditions. Also, during the different events that took place after the Sacred Defense Era until the present time, Basij has emerged victorious out of the test of sincerity. The Basij organization has shown that it enjoys sincerity. Of course, in my opinion, Basij is not confined to this number of people who are active in the Basij organization. There are many people whose hearts are with you. They praise and respect you and they appreciate your value. These people are not active in the Basij organization, but they are basijis as well. In my opinion, those people who believe in and respect your values and who respect your efforts, your services and your jihad are basijis as well. Being present on the scene is one of the most important tasks.
Moreover, the capabilities of Basij help us solve problems. Fortunately, today inside the organization of Basij, there are many scientific, artistic, social and political personalities and there are many social activists and people who can influence the people. Until today, Basij has represented a group of people who have been achieving growth and transcendence on a daily basis and it should act in the same way from now on too.
What I recommend is that we should increase the capabilities of Basij. There are certain prerequisites for this: moral, behavioral and practical prerequisites. Moral prerequisites means that we should build and develop Islamic virtues in our hearts and souls. A number of these virtues are patience, forgiveness, fortitude, self-control and humility. We should strengthen these characteristics in ourselves. Behavioral prerequisites means that we should utilize these virtues when we interact with the people, the environment, society and human beings in general. Imam Sadiq (peace and greetings be upon him) used to say to his companions, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"You should act in a way that whenever people see you, they say, ‘These people are the companions of Imam Sadiq. God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy be upon Imam Sadiq. You should make us be proud of you\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [al-Kafi, Volume 2, page 233]. Each and every one of you dear basijis, you dear youth with your pure and enlightened hearts and souls should behave towards all the people - as I said, many of the people are basijis in the real sense of the word - in a way that they say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"These people are students of the Islamic government. They are a source of respect for the Islamic government and the Islamic Republic\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\".
And practical, jihadi and social prerequisites are the tasks that should be carried out. That is to say, we should strengthen these virtues in ourselves. It means that we should behave in a kind, diligent and praiseworthy way towards the [social] environment. It means that we should act in a serious way in all arenas including the arena of science, the arena of social services, the arena of work, the arena of politics and the arena of production. Wherever you are, you should work in a serious way without any feeling of tiredness and any laziness. We should work. This great group of basijis - tens of thousands of people from this great group are present in this meeting - can move the country towards positive paths in the real sense of word. This group of people can be a source of solidity and stability. It can be a source of grandeur for the Islamic Republic and thankfully it is playing such a role today. Today, Basij is a source of grandeur and honor for the Islamic Republic.
I would like to raise a point about the recent contentions over the arena of foreign policies, our nuclear issues, the current negotiations and other such things. First of all, I insist on supporting the officials who are in charge of this. I support all administrations and all officials - whether officials in charge of domestic affairs or officials in charge of foreign affairs - and this is our responsibility. I myself have been an executive official. I have been in the middle of the arena and I felt with all my heart the difficulty of the work. I know that the responsibility of managing the country is difficult. Therefore, these officials need help and I help and support them. This is one part of the issue which is clear. On the other hand, I also insist on establishing the rights of the Iranian nation including the issue of our nuclear rights. We insist that these officials should not even take one step back on the rights of the Iranian nation. Of course, we do not interfere in the details of these negotiations. There are certain red lines and limits in this regard. These limits should be observed. We have said this to officials in charge and it is their responsibility to observe these limits. They should not be afraid of the fuss that the enemies and opponents make. They should show no fear in the face of such fuss and uproar.
Everyone should know that primarily, the sanctions which have been imposed on the Iranian nation result from the arrogant grudge of America. The grudge that the Americans bear against us is like the grudge of a camel. They want to exert pressures on the Iranian nation in the hope that they can perhaps make the Iranian nation surrender. They are making a mistake because the Iranian nation will not surrender to anyone under pressure. You Americans have failed to know the people of Iran. They are a people who can, by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, endure these pressures and who will turn these threats and pressures into an opportunity. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, the Iranian nation will do this.
We have had certain weak points in the area of economic decisions and plans. These weak points have made the enemy feel that he can create a rift. This is an opportunity for us to know and eliminate these weak points and, by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, we will eliminate them. The Americans should know and I think they know that sanctions do not work. The reason why we say they themselves know that sanctions do not work is the military threats they issue. Well, if sanctions can serve the purpose, then why do they issue military threats? This shows that sanctions have not served the purpose and that they do not work. They have to issue military sanctions. Of course, the act of issuing military threats is a very disgusting and despicable act. Instead of issuing military threats against different countries, you Americans should go and improve your own devastated economy. You should do something so that your government will not be shut down for 15, 16 days. You should go and pay your debts. You should think of improving your own economy.
As I said, the Americans should know that the Iranian nation behaves in a brotherly way towards all nations: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Those who have the same religion as you have, they are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". The people of Iran respect other nations, but they behave towards transgressors in a way that they become regretful. They slap transgressots across the face in a way that they will never forget. The Americans consider themselves responsible for saying something in support of the Zionist regime and the capitalist Zionists and this is a source of weakness and humiliation for them. In fact, the Zionist regime is a regime whose foundations are extremely shaky. The Zionist regime is doomed to destruction. It is a regime which is imposed [on regional nations] and it has been formed on the basis of bullying. Any phenomenon and any organism which has come into being by use of force cannot survive and this regime cannot survive either. The support of the Americans - who are indebted to Zionist capitalists - for the wretched Zionist regime is a source of disgrace for them. Unfortunately, a number of European countries flatter this regime. These Europeans go and flatter these creatures who do not deserve to be called human beings and they humiliate themselves and their people in front of these creatures. The leaders of the Zionist regime are really like wild animals and one cannot call them human beings.
One day in Europe, the French nation gained a good political reputation because the president of France in those days did not allow England to enter the European Community due to the fact that England was dependent on America. This became a source of dignity for France. On that day, the dignity of the French government increased because it stood up against America and because it did not let England - which was dependent on America - enter the European Community. A people achieve dignity in such a way. Today, the politicians of this country [France] go and humble themselves not only before America, but also before these damned and dirty Zionists. This is a source of humiliation for the French nation. Of course, the people of France themselves should find a cure for this problem.
I would like to speak to you dear youth about a few things. You youth should know that without a doubt, the bright and promising future of this country and the Islamic Republic belongs to you. You will manage to help your country and your people reach the peak of glory. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, you will be able to build a perfect model of the modern Islamic civilization in this country. In order to carry out these great tasks, you should promote and strengthen - as much as you can - religion, piety, morality and purity of soul among yourselves. Today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s youth need religion, piety, science, enthusiasm, trustworthiness, morality, social services and physical exercise. These are the things which today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s youth need and by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, you dear basijis will succeed in doing this.
Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household (a.s.), bestow Your blessings on these people and on all the basijis of our country. Dear God, make the Iranian nation conquer the peaks of honor on a daily basis. Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household (a.s.), make the immaculate soul of Imam satisfied with us and with these people. Dear God, make the pure souls of martyrs satisfied and pleased with us. Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household (a.s.), make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age satisfied and pleased with us and hasten the re-appearance of this great Imam. Make us be among his companions and his accompanying mujahids and make us be martyrs by his side.
Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings.
Source: http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1839&Itemid=4
81m:31s
59013
[12 Dec 2013] Kerry visits Palestine amidst heavy criticism from...
The US secretary of state is back in the Middle East for yet another round of shuttle diplomacy between Israelis and the Palestinian Authority....
The US secretary of state is back in the Middle East for yet another round of shuttle diplomacy between Israelis and the Palestinian Authority. John Kerry visited Ramallah to hold a closed-door meeting with PA officials to discuss the so-called peace talks that suffered a heavy blow last week.
2m:10s
5421
[20 Dec 2013] The Debate - Turkey-s Tug of War? - English
Turkey\\\'s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is tackling the biggest challenge of his rule from what he describes as a foreign-backed conspiracy to...
Turkey\\\'s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is tackling the biggest challenge of his rule from what he describes as a foreign-backed conspiracy to undermine him and create a \\\"state within a state\\\", in reference to a series of anti-corruption raids and the detention of senior businessmen close to Erdogan as well as sons of three cabinet ministers.
What has led to Erdogan\\\'s declining popularity?
Will he and his party be able to win back public support before the elections next year?
In this debate, we\\\'ll discuss what has gone so wrong for Turkey under AK Party\\\'s rule, including his foreign policies mistakes, and whether what is happening to Erdogan is the result of an evil probe (or) foreign plot.
23m:10s
6717
[24 Dec 2013] Top indian pakistani military officials meet over Kashmir...
These are the rare scenes-Pakistani and Indian military officials smiling and shaking hands with each other.The director general military...
These are the rare scenes-Pakistani and Indian military officials smiling and shaking hands with each other.The director general military operations from the two neighbors held talks at the Wagha crossing point in Pakistan to discuss the recent hostilities in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
This is for the first time in 14 years that senior military officials from Pakistan and India held face-to-face talks. Their discussion is part of efforts on both sides to restore ceasefire along the Line of Control, a temporary border that divides Kashmir.
2m:5s
6659
[25 Dec 2013] Iran Today - Iran Afghanistan relations - English
Iran and Afghanistan, two countries with a shared language and similar cultures are now planning to sign an agreement that will solidify their...
Iran and Afghanistan, two countries with a shared language and similar cultures are now planning to sign an agreement that will solidify their friendship.
Two weeks ago US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was in Afghanistan but while he was there hoping to negotiate a security treaty, Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew to Iran to meet up with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
According to the country\'s foreign ministry spokesman Karzai\'s brief visit to Iran on the 8th of December was aimed to strengthen economic ties, reviewing the state of Afghan refugees in Iran, and the trilateral cooperation of Iran, India and Afghanistan in expanding Iran\'s Chabahar port.
In this edition of the show we discuss the many dimensions of the relationship between Iran and Afghanistan.
24m:25s
6407
[25 Dec 2013] Tehran hosts computer science & software engineering...
Top Iranian computer science and software engineering students have gathered at Tehran\'s famous Sharif University of Technology. Based on 2011...
Top Iranian computer science and software engineering students have gathered at Tehran\'s famous Sharif University of Technology. Based on 2011 & 12 statistics Iranian students were ranked top 14 in the world in computer engineering. The 2013 CSI International symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Signal Processing (AISP), Computer Networks and Distributing Systems (CNDS) and Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE) has started in the capital. The event was held by Computer Society of Iran and Sharif University of Technology. The three day conference will discuss recent advances in computer algorithms, theoretical computer science and computation, formal programming methods, software engineering, verification and architecture and information systems. The chairman of the symposium talked explained about Iranian student\'s recent advances in this field. These three symposiums in 2013 published 129 papers in Iran of which 27% were published in international computer science and software engineering journals. Last year Iranian student\'s finished 5th place in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) considered to be one most prestigious computer science competitions in the world, Iran earned 2 gold and 2 silver medals.
2m:29s
6575
[26 Dec 2013] Iran and UNODC team up to fight drug trafficking - English
Iran and the representative for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have teamed up to prevent the flow of narcotics in Iran...
Iran and the representative for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have teamed up to prevent the flow of narcotics in Iran from mainly neighboring Afghanistan and also Pakistan. Thursday the UNODC rep met with Iran\\\'s Interior Minister to discuss ways of preventing narcotics trafficking. Trafficking continues to be a major costly and deadly issue for Iran as its over 1900 kilometer border with Afghanistan and Pakistan has frequently been used as the main smuggling routes of drugs to narcotics to the world.
2m:19s
5634
[08 Jan 2014] The Debate - Unheeded Complaints - English
Beirut has filed a complaint to the United Nations against Israel over its spying on Lebanon. If Israel\'s spying, along with its violation of...
Beirut has filed a complaint to the United Nations against Israel over its spying on Lebanon. If Israel\'s spying, along with its violation of Lebanese airspace, \"constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and continuous aggression on Lebanese lands, Lebanese people, the military, security, and civilian institutions, then why hasn\'t the UN done anything about it? That\'s one of the questions we\'ll be asking in this edition of the debate. We\'ll also discuss the row over gas between Israel and Lebanon, and see what the chances are of a clash between Israel and Hezbollah.
Guests:
- Historian & Political Adviser, Geoffrey Alderman, (LONDON).
- Prof., Notre Dame University, George Labaki (BEIRUT).
Subjects:
1) Lebanon\'s caretaker Fm has not only filed a complaint to the UN: He has sent similar letters to foreign ministers of nations belonging to the 15-member Security Council, as well as to the Arab League, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement Iranian President Hassan Rouhani: Will any action be taken against Israel that will change Israel\'s behavior?
- \"Israel\'s continuous aggression constitutes a violation of international law and relevant international resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701
2) On Israel\'s illegal spying activities: the Dangers of the Israeli Telecomm Towers in Lebanese Territory, along with the Telecommunications Ministry announcement that Israel had installed surveillance posts along the border with Lebanon capable of monitoring the entire country: Why such interest in spying on such a vast scale over Lebanon?
3) REAX: \"Israel\'s next war must start in Lebanon\": Headline a few days of the Jewish Press: The next confrontation must start with heavy bombing attacks that would minimize later damage to Israeli cities like Kiryat Shmona, Tzfat, Nahariya and Tveria.
- Israel air attacks inside Syria took place 5 times in 2013: Israel said to stop transfer of weapons to Hezbollah: Yet, other reports indicate most of the long-range surface to surface missiles has reached Hezbolah: Why has Israel not attacked Lebanon, or Hezbollah strongholds?
- Syria spillover increasing chances of Israel attacking Lebanon: Two rockets fired from Lebanon landed close to the northern Israel: Israel responded to the attack immediately by shelling the area from which the attack originated. Possibility: that a Jihad group launched the attack in order to get Israel to attack Hezbollah and to force Hezbollah to divert some of its troops from Syria back to Lebanon.
4) The United States and Hezbollah are in secret talks to deal with the fight against al-Qaida, regional stability, and Lebanese political issues?
- Talks, brokered by the UK, \"are aimed at keeping tabs on the changes in the region and the world, and prepare for the upcoming return of Iran to the international community
5) The Eastern Mediterranean\'s Oil And Gas: Israel and Lebanon have been at odds over their maritime borders for decades, and recent discoveries in what\'s called the Levant Basin could create more conflict?
6) Israel has found comfort in one of its enemies: Saudi Arabia (who has just given 3 billion in military aid to Lebanon): how do u view this alliance vis-à-vis Lebanon?
7) Terrorist attacks inside Lebanon have been on the rise recently, one twin bombings claiming the life of an Iranian diplomat: Do you agree with the Iranian ambassador to Beirut says all recent terrorist attacks in Lebanon were carried out to serve the interests of the Israeli regime?
20m:35s
7517
[16 Jan 2014] The Debate - Privacy Piracy - English
Imagine if you\\\'re not connected to the internet, yet your computer is still vulnerable in being spied on: That is the latest leak by former NSA...
Imagine if you\\\'re not connected to the internet, yet your computer is still vulnerable in being spied on: That is the latest leak by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden: that the US National Security Agency (NSA) used secret technology to spy on computers that were not even connected to the internet. In this edition of the debate, we\\\'ll discuss how this takes spying on ordinary citizens to a whole new level, even though NSA claims targets included the Chinese and Russian military as well as drug cartels. We\\\'ll also further disclose how this violates privacy laws, not to mention the US constitution.
25m:13s
6007