[02 Jan 2014] Iran enacts new legislation to protect Iranians outside of...
New legislation to support Iranians imprisoned outside of Iran. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry officials, there are around four million...
New legislation to support Iranians imprisoned outside of Iran. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry officials, there are around four million Iranian living outside of the country out of which less than one percent, 3300 are imprisoned in different countries. These are prisoners that have reported their status to Iranian embassies. Officials say that Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Iraq are countries with most Iranian prisoners.
Officials say some Iranians are imprisoned for political issues such acting against unilateral sanctions imposed by the West against Iran. Shahrzad Mirgholikhan was imprisoned in the United States for 58 months for similar charges she says were committed by her former husband. She says she was already tried and charged in Vienna by US authorities. Director General of Office of Iranians Abroad of Iran Foreign Ministry Seyyed Kazem Sajadi, talked about the number of freed Iranian prisoners Iran has bilateral agreement with Turkey, Syria, Thailand, Azerbaijan, and Afghanistan to transfer Iranian prisoners so they can serve their sentences inside the country. Tajikistan, Algeria, Ukraine, Kuwait, India have signed similar agreements with Iran yet the agreement has not become effective yet.
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[03 Jan 2014] Dozens of al Qaeda linked militants killed in anti terror...
At least 62 al-Qaeda-linked militants have been killed in clashes with Iraqi security forces backed by local tribesmen in the western province of...
At least 62 al-Qaeda-linked militants have been killed in clashes with Iraqi security forces backed by local tribesmen in the western province of Anbar.
A tribal leader says the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant were killed in Ramadi and a district east of the city. Earlier reports said the security forces were in control of most of the areas in Ramadi. They also managed to gain control of some more areas in the nearby city of Fallujah. The two cities in Anbar province have witnessed clashes between security forces and al-Qaeda-affiliated militants over the past several days. The violence broke out after the army removed an anti-government protest camp in Ramadi on Monday. Authorities said the camp was used by al-Qaeda-linked militants.
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[03 Jan 2014] At least 71 al-Qaeda-linked militants killed in...
Iraqi security forces backed by local tribesmen have killed at least 71 al-Qaeda-linked militants in the western province of Anbar.
A tribal...
Iraqi security forces backed by local tribesmen have killed at least 71 al-Qaeda-linked militants in the western province of Anbar.
A tribal leader says the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant were killed during clashes in and near Ramadi. Clashes also took place in the nearby city of Fallujah. Officials say 32 civilians also died during battles in both cities in Anbar province. The security forces have managed to take control of more areas which had earlier fallen into the hands of militants. The unrest came after the removal of an anti-government protest camp in Ramadi on Monday. Authorities said the camp had been used by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants.
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[08 Jan 2014] Bahrain ends negotiations with Shia opposition leaders -...
National dialog in Bahrain fails. Manama has suspended negotiations with Shia opposition leaders as anti-monarchy demonstrations continue in the...
National dialog in Bahrain fails. Manama has suspended negotiations with Shia opposition leaders as anti-monarchy demonstrations continue in the kingdom.
The country\'s state news agency, B-N-A says the national dialog ended after the opposition said it would not participate in talks. The opposition\'s decision came after security forces arrested the secretary general of the main opposition party, Al-Wefaq. Authorities have charged Khalil Al Marzooq with inciting and advocating terrorism in his speeches. The opposition denies the charges. Meanwhile, fresh pro-democracy protests have been held in several towns including in Sanabis and Samahis. Manama, has so far refused to heed the nation\'s demand and responded with a harsh security crackdown. Security forces have killed dozens of protesters and injured many more.
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[15 Jan 2014] The Debate - Failing Extremism - English
On the war on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s...
On the war on Syria: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\". Has Saudi Arabia\'s support for terrorists reached such an alarming level that UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon has said it will discuss Saudi support for terrorists in Iraq with UN members? In this edition of the debate, we\'ll discuss how isolated Saudi Arabia and its policy in Syria have become. Turkey, that has long called for the ouster of President Bashar Assad, is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. In addition, we\'ll discuss how the U-S has come to recognize that their support for these insurgents has backfired, and further analyze reports of Western intel. agencies wanting to cooperate with Syria, Iran, and Russia in battling these extremists.
Guests:
- Journalist & Middle East Analyst, Sharif Nashashibi (LONDON).
- Author & Historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley (WASHINGTON).
Subjects:
1. REAX: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that Saudi Arabia\'s political and religious ideology is \"a threat to the world\".
- He was referring to Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative tradition which is predominant in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of insurgents fighting the Syrian government.
2. Saudi Arabia\'s ambassador to Britain wrote an op-ed in the New York Times entitled Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone: with statements like \"Nothing is ruled out in our pursuit of peace in the Arab World... Act independently by rejecting a seat on the UN. The way to prevent the rise of extremism: is to support the champions of moderation: financially, materially and yes, militarily, if necessary. Saudi Arabia will continue on this new track for as long as proves necessary
- This seemed to reiterate the sentiment expressed by Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan back in October when he talked of shifting away from the alliance with the U.S.:
3. It appears Saudi support for insurgents from AL Qaeda groups to otherwise, has created havoc in the region: From Syria, to Lebanon, to Iraq: And partly in Jordan, so much so that the UN chief Ban Ki Moon has said it may discuss this with security council members?
4. Turkey, has been a supporter of President Bashar Assad\'s ouster. But now Turkish President Abdullah Gul is now calling for a shift in government policy towards Syria. President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that \"I am of the opinion that we should recalibrate our diplomacy and security policies given the facts in the south of our country (in Syria).\" What do you make of Gul\'s call for a change in his country\'s policy?
5. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: The Syrian deputy foreign minister says Western intelligence agencies have been recently visiting Damascus for talks on combating extremist insurgents. Mekdad: Mekdad said that the contacts appeared to show a rift between the political and security authorities in some countries opposed to Assad. Has the US and other Western countries like France and the UK realized that support for these insurgents have now backfired?
6. If Western intel. agencies are cooperating with Syria, which by default will include Iran, then why is the US then insisting Iran not to participate n Geneva 2, or only participate on the sidelines, a precondition that Iran has rejected?
7. United States, the West, Iran, Russia, Syria and the geopolitical shift, which has left Saudi Arabia isolated: Yet the pattern of global terrorism has been sponsored by the US, Israel, and their Arab partners Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Will the US stop its support for terrorists?
8. How far will the US go to counter Saudi Arabia\'s destructive role at least regionally: Are the 2 countries headed for a clash?
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[16 Jan 2014] Russia calls for Iran participation in upcoming Geneva II...
Russian once again calls for Iran\\\'s participation in the upcoming Geneva two conference on Syria.
In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister...
Russian once again calls for Iran\\\'s participation in the upcoming Geneva two conference on Syria.
In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for Tehran\\\'s participation. Putin says Iran is an important country that can play an irreplaceable role. Putin also says the recent Geneva deal between Iran and the P5+1 on Tehran\\\'s nuclear energy program was achieved largely because of the stance of Iranian authorities. The Iranian foreign minister for his part said Russia has made diplomatic progress in settling the Syrian problem. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said Iran\\\'s role is essential in ending the conflict in Syria.
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[16 Jan 2014] Israel land grab continues in Hebron Hills - English
Israeli forces have handed 12 demolition orders to Palestinian residents in Hebron Al Khalil, which includes 6 houses and 6 water wells.
The...
Israeli forces have handed 12 demolition orders to Palestinian residents in Hebron Al Khalil, which includes 6 houses and 6 water wells.
The orders were handed to residents of the village of Sa\\\'ir in the South Hebron Hills. The orders will further confiscate millions of square meters of land from the Palestinians, in order for the Israelis to expand illegal settlements in the area. The village has been closed under military orders and they have given the residents one month to file a complaint before carrying out the demolitions. Human rights groups say that the demolition orders is part of a strategy by Tel Aviv to annex the South Hebron hills to Israel and a greater strategy to maintain military control over the Jordan Valley, the Negev and the South Hebron Hills. A new injunction signed on the 25th December by the head of the Israeli military\\\'s Central Command, which bans all Palestinians from appealing demolition orders to the Israeli military courts. Instead they can only take them to the Israeli high court, which is more costly and time consuming for the residents. They are further banned from using Palestinian lawyers in the Israeli high court. The residents of So\\\'ir already live in cramped conditions in their village as they have been prohibited by the Israeli authorities to build new houses. They explained that if the demolition orders are carried out, they will be left homeless with nowhere to go. They will now take the case to the high court.
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[17 Jan 2014] Syrian refugees fleeing insurgent infighting enter Turkey...
Hundreds of Syrian refugees, fleeing insurgent infighting, have entered the Turkish border town of Akcakale.
The residents of the Syrian border...
Hundreds of Syrian refugees, fleeing insurgent infighting, have entered the Turkish border town of Akcakale.
The residents of the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad in the northeastern province of Raqqah fled their homes after fierce infighting between al-Qaeda-linked militant groups. Turkish authorities closed the border crossing in Tel Abyad after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant captured the town earlier this week. Up to 100 insurgents from another al-Qaeda-linked group, the Nusra Front, have been captured and shot dead by ISIL militants in the town. The rise of infighting between rival militant groups in Syria comes in the run-up to an international peace conference on Syria, known as Geneva two.
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[18 Jan 2014] Iranian diplomat shot dead by gunmen in Yemen capital Sana...
An Iranian diplomat, shot by gunmen in the Yemeni capital Sana\'a, has died of his wounds.
Members of a terrorist group first tried to kidnap...
An Iranian diplomat, shot by gunmen in the Yemeni capital Sana\'a, has died of his wounds.
Members of a terrorist group first tried to kidnap Iran\'s commercial attaché but when they faced resistance, they opened fire on him. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian says the diplomat died in hospital. The foreign ministry has strongly condemned the terrorist attack. According to Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Yemeni authorities are investigating the incident.
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[19 Jan 2014] Iraq PM blames treacherous Arab states for surge in...
Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki has blamed QUOTE \"diabolical and treacherous\" Arab states for the recent surge of violence in...
Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki has blamed QUOTE \"diabolical and treacherous\" Arab states for the recent surge of violence in Iraq.
Maliki says Iraq is a target for certain countries that support evil and terrorism. He warned that violence has started to expand and will ultimately reach the countries which are backing it. Maliki did not specify which countries support violence in Iraq. In the past, Iraqi authorities blamed Saudi Arabia and Qatar for fueling unrest in their country. Iraq has seen a surge in terrorist attacks over the past year. The army, in recent weeks, has been fighting militants from al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the western province of Anbar. On Sunday, it launched a major offensive against the militants in the provincial capital, Ramadi.
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[14 Jan 2014] EU,US lift some economic sanctions against Iran - English
The European Union and the US have decided to lift some economic sanctions on Iran after Tehran stopped its production of 20-percent enriched...
The European Union and the US have decided to lift some economic sanctions on Iran after Tehran stopped its production of 20-percent enriched uranium.
EU officials say the decision is part of a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and the permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany. American authorities also say that the US secretary of state has approved Iran\'s sanctions relief waiver. The White House, however, says the US will continue its aggressive enforcement of sanction measures that remain in place against Iran.
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[20 Jan 2014] EU, US lifting some economic sanctions against Tehran -...
The European Union and the US have decided to lift some economic sanctions on Iran after Tehran stopped its production of 20-percent enriched...
The European Union and the US have decided to lift some economic sanctions on Iran after Tehran stopped its production of 20-percent enriched uranium.
EU officials say the decision is part of a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and the permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany. A statement by the European bloc says the suspension is for a period of six months. Meanwhile, American authorities also say that the US secretary of state has approved Iran\'s sanctions relief waiver. The White House, however, says the US will continue its QUOTE aggressive enforcement of sanction measures that remain in place against Iran. This comes after it was confirmed that Tehran has carried out its part of the Geneva agreement.
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[30 Jan 2014] Beirut conference denounces dissolution of Shia group by...
While Bahrainis have taken to the streets to protest the al-Khalifa regime\'s dissolution of a prominent Shia clerical group, Bahrain Forum for...
While Bahrainis have taken to the streets to protest the al-Khalifa regime\'s dissolution of a prominent Shia clerical group, Bahrain Forum for Human Rights in Beirut held a conference to denounce the regime\'s decision and call for reversing the regime\'s decision.
Activists have called the move a sectarian crackdown on Shias in the tiny Kingdom, stressing its unconstitutionality. Islamic scholars have condemned the dissolution, calling the regime\'s crackdown on peaceful demonstrators crime against all Muslims in the region. Other religious figures have urged Bahraini authorities to reverse their decision, warning of an eruption of violence in Manama. Since mid-February 2011, Bahrain has been witnessing peaceful demonstrations calling for the al-Khalifa royal family to relinquish power. On Wednesday, a court in the tiny Persian Gulf country ordered the dissolution of the clerical group. Following the move, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the main opposition bloc in the country, censured the move, saying that \"the regime has declared war on Shias.\" Bahrain\'s Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry dissolved the prominent Shia clerical group after calling for confiscating all the Council\'s assets. Activists and religious leaders have gathered here in Beirut to denounce dissolving the Shia body in Bahrain, amid a widespread crackdown on Shias in the Persian Gulf State. Fateme
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[30 Jan 2014] Thousands rally in Jerusalem against talks with PA - English
Thousand of Israelis have held a rally in Jerusalem al-Quds against talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority.
The rally was attended...
Thousand of Israelis have held a rally in Jerusalem al-Quds against talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority.
The rally was attended by several prominent rabbis within the settler community. The protesters called on Israeli authorities to halt talks with the P-A demanding that Tel Aviv expand and continue its settlement activities in the West Bank. The participants called US Secretary of State John Kerry\\\'s framework agreement for the so-called peace talks anti-Semitic. The so-called Kerry plan is expected to call for a phased Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank based on the 1967 lines with unprecedented security arrangements in the strategic Jordan Valley. Israel has recently been facing mounting international pressure and isolation over its continued settlement activities.
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[08 Feb 2014] The unemployment rate among Palestinians twice that of...
A new study reveals a rising trend in job discrimination against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories.
The report funded by Bank of...
A new study reveals a rising trend in job discrimination against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories.
The report funded by Bank of Israel shows the jobless figure among Arab men is twice that of their Jewish peers. It also says Jewish men earn roughly twice as much as their Arab counterparts. The situation is even worse for Palestinian women, as they are three times less likely to have a job than Jewish women. Experts blame the inequality on what they call ghetto-ization of Arabs by Israeli authorities.
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[08 Feb 2014] US concerned about American militants returning from Syria...
The US Homeland Security Chief is concerned about Americans who have fought in Syria and are now back home.
Jeh Johnson says the issue has...
The US Homeland Security Chief is concerned about Americans who have fought in Syria and are now back home.
Jeh Johnson says the issue has become an issue of homeland security. He added that law enforcement and security forces across the world are focused on foreign nationals Heading to Syria including those from the US, Canada and Europe. Western officials are concerned that their nationals fighting the Syrian government become even more radical after joining other insurgents. US authorities have confirmed that militants from some fifty countries are in Syria fighting the government there. Damascus says some western and regional countries are facilitating insurgent infiltration into the country.
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[10 Feb 2014] Iran summons Swiss envoy over US sanctions - English
Iran\'s Foreign Ministry has summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran in protest of the latest US sanctions.
The Swiss Embassy in Tehran...
Iran\'s Foreign Ministry has summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran in protest of the latest US sanctions.
The Swiss Embassy in Tehran officially represents US interests in the country. Iran\'s deputy foreign minister told the Swiss envoy that Washington\'s measure is not in the spirit of the Joint Plan of Action. That\'s the official name of a recent nuclear deal between Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. Tehran\'s complaint comes after the US added a number of individuals and companies to its anti-Iran sanctions list. The Iranian official added that claims by the US Treasury\'s under-secretary about Iran\'s links with terrorism show the confusion of American authorities. He also described Iran as one of the world\'s main victims of terrorism.
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[20 Feb 2014] Egypt further delays resumption of academic year - English
Egypt\'s military backed government has decided to further postpone the beginning of the second half of the school year from 22 February till 8...
Egypt\'s military backed government has decided to further postpone the beginning of the second half of the school year from 22 February till 8 March.
According to the interim government, the postponement will continue until security is restored and university campuses refurbished following damages from recurrent clashes that rocked several universities across the country. Many here have expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision blaming authorities for failing to restore order and security in universities across the country.
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[26 Feb 2014] Gazans turn to solar power over continuing Israeli...
The fuel crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip has forced the residents of the coastal enclave to turn to the Sun to meet their energy demands....
The fuel crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip has forced the residents of the coastal enclave to turn to the Sun to meet their energy demands.
Authorities of this crisis-hit hospital in Gaza have decided to install solar panels to get the most out of the sunlight. They say loss of power for even a minute could spell disaster for the patients there. Gazan officials hope the solar power could play a bigger role in providing energy for the Palestinians. But the solar panels are a bit costly and not everybody in the impoverished enclave can afford using them. Gaza has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for several years now. This has been exacerbated by the closure of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.
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