Archive for September, 2007
It seems the relations between Iran and Taliban are strengthning too rapidly for Western comfort. Iranian weapons have been confiscated in Iraq, and even once in Afghanistan, before.
Another shipment carrying Iranian weapons for the Taliban has been ceased in Afghanistan by NATO forces, a development that signals Iran’s sly rise as a leading conventional arm proliferator. The Ahmadinejad regime is supplying miscreants with tools of destruction to ensure that places like Iraq and Afghanistan become a living hell for the Allied forces. But, also, it is elongating the the plethora of troubles that the normal people have been facing in these war inflicted countries.
The shipment ceased included mostly armor piercing bombs, which are very popular among the insurgents in Iraq as well. Iran seems to be the new North Korea, merrily proliferating arms.
Citing unnamed officials from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, the newspaper said the shipment seized on September 6 included armor-piercing bombs, which have been especially deadly when used as roadside bombs against foreign troops in Iraq. [source]
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The official spokesperson of the U.S State Dept., Sean McCormack said that a fresh sanctions against Iran are being discussed. He added that, if the U.S had its way then they would have had the resolution up for voting in the UN by now.
There has been talk of Germany backing out from all such attempts of sanctions against Iran, however, McCormack stated that Germany was backing such sanctions, that too fully.
Sanctions and isolation are the best way to deal with this highly volatile situation-make Iran an international pariah.
“It’s no secret that we would’ve wished these discussions had reached the point where we actually could have a resolution there on the table and have a vote,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said during a news briefing, “but things don’t always work on our timetable.” [source]
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Ahmadinejad told a British news channel that Iran will readily help the U.S in Iraq, if it stopped accusing Iran of backing insurgency in Iraq. Also, he said that Britain was “different” than the U.S, and British foreign policy was changing. He almost commended Britain for pulling out most of its troops out of Iraq.
He wasn’t forthcoming on the question of presidential-level talks with the U.S or, even, France, England or Germany. However, he is willing to work closely with Europe, as he believes Europe, having faced the scourge of two great wars, is peacefully disposed.
Apart from this, the rest was the humdrum, done-to-death nuclear solidarity and peace talk. He rebuffed claims that the Shiite militant groups active in Iraq were operating under support from Iran.
Ahmadinejad’s proposed barter is not something the U.S would settle for, as the glaring nakedness and abundance of evidence, pointing at Iran’s hand in insurgency in Iraq, can’t be overlooked.
“We are the country that gets damaged a lot by Iraq’s insecurity,” he said. “Our security depends on each other’s.” [source]
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Australian authorities are closely monitoring each step of Iranian students, who they suspect of spying for the Iranian government. The Oz authorities are acting on the tip-off from lay Australians that have made an increasing number of calls to the National Security Hotline. Also, some Iranian leaders have alluded to the surreptitious activities of Iranian students in Australia.
The Iranian students are spying on Australia’s 25,000 strong Iranian communities, which Tehran fears is heavily against the anarchic Mullah regime and financing a silent coup against it. Australian authorities are keeping a close watch on those Iranians keen upon securing an Australian citizenship as well.
Some of the students suspected of gathering information on the communities in Sydney and Melbourne are believed to be under electronic surveillance[source]
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The Russian contractor building Iran’s first nuclear powerplant has said that no concrete agreement about the start of the powerplant has been reached, though, negotiations are underway. This is contrary to Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani’s statement that an agreement has been reached on the timetable.
Russia is playing the waiting game, constantly delaying the project. It is under pressure from the West, but it has also blamed Iranians for procrastinating the payments.
Iranian officials say they have made the proper payments and that Moscow is delaying due to pressure from the West.[source]
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In 1983, the U.S Marine’s saw their barracks rocked in Beirut by the most powerful non-nuclear explosion till date and the worst act of terrorism against the U.S prior to 9/11. It killed 241 Marines.
Now after nearly quarter-a-century, a federal judge has ordered Iran (the country was complicit with Hezbollah) to pay $2.65 billion to the families of the victims of that blast.
It is a landmark ruling, for never before has any foreign country been asked to pay such a huge amount as compensation for an act of terror.
It is unlikely that Iran would pay the damages directly, as it has not owned up to the despicable act. But a new legislation might open the flood gates for the victims to take under control the Iranian property and bank accounts that is seized around the world.
Families were encouraged by Libya’s decision to ultimately accept responsibility for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Scotland. The country, once a pariah by Washington’s view, agreed to compensate the families of the 270 victims. Part of the $2.7 billion has been paid. A final $2 million installment to each family is outstanding.[source]
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India and Iran have historically enjoyed friendly relations, but after the formers nuclear accord with the U.S, there is mounting pressure on New Delhi to distance itself from anything faintly Iranian.
Two U.S senators have written to, perhaps, the most powerful lady in the U.S., secretary of State Condi Rice. However, they are not against the nuclear deal with India but its timing. They feel that the U.S hurried into the accord. They have spelled out their reservations against India-Iran ties and believe India should cut ties with Iran.
Jon Kyl (Republican-Arizona) and Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois) have written to US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, questioning whether this was the right time for the US Congress to endorse the 123 Agreement, particularly as India was stepping up its military contacts with Iran.[source]
India has strong ties with Iran, though, no military bonding between the two countries exists. India has tried to dodge the Iranian nuke issue and refrained from taking a definite stand, or a side. With the nuclear accord, the U.S can expect to hale India into distancing itself from Ahmadinejad’s regime.
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Iran has an extremist government at the helm and even the word “hardline” seems too dignified to define it. However, being a moderate in Iran doesn’t necessarily earn one a minority satus. In fact, there is no dearth of moderates in Iran, who have seen the Islamic Revolution go terribly wrong, from an intellectual awakening of Iranian masses guided by the light of religion to a revolution that has slowly extricated itself from its own ideals and eloquent promises.
There is a government that threatens to plummet even further in its abyss of cynical extremism without even sparing a thought for it’s helplessly innocent subjects.
However, the moderates are the faintest glimmer of hope to purge Iran of the incumbent bunch of fools that run the show, and, maybe, salvage Iran from the colossal disaster it seems to be heading for.
The moderates have received a voice at the center, with the appointment of former President Rafsanjani as the head of the most important religious body in Iran, the Assembly of Experts.
Though, if given a choice, the moderates would have not gone for Rafsanjani, but they would settle for his pragmatism and sporadic fits of lukewarm extremism for the moment. Rafsanjani basically is not an extremist but a moderate, less-illusioned hard liner. The moderates would be happy because they finally have a rumbling voice in the corridors of power, which is better than no voice at all. He is the Moderate Mullah, who can adroitly countervail the frenzied Ahmadinejad regime, though, ever so feebly.
Some analysts, however, suggest that Rafsanjani, seen as a clever political operative who understands the West, will have limited political latitude and remain answerable to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in recent years has increased his power and his belligerence toward Washington.[source]
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