Category: Iran

Israel must be suspicious of Armenia: expert

13 August 2009 [18:57] – Today.Az

“I believe the Armenian-Israeli relations are very weak and quite formal,” Azerbaijani political expert Vafa Guluzade said commenting on Israeli ambassador’s secret visit to Yerevan.

The Israeli government is fully aware that Armenia is an ally of Iran and will fulfill any orders of the country, he said.

“For this reason, Israel-Armenia relations can never be strong. Israel must treat Armenia with suspicion,” he said.

As to the question whether it is true that Israeli ambassador’s visit to Yerevan is linked with crash of Iranian TU-154 with weapons on board for Hezbollah, Guluzade said:
“I believe that this visit is 100 percent linked to this matter. Because Israel could be very interested and concerned about arms shipments for the Lebanese movement Hezbollah via Armenia. The ambassador might have arrived in Yerevan to clarify this issue.”

/ANS PRESS/

August 13, 2009
Kurdish mag sparks wrath by urging Jews to return

Dawood Baghestani, Iraqi Kurdish editor-in-chief of "Israel-Kurd", holds a copy of the magazine in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. The newly launched monthly magazine has caused a stir in northern Iraq after calling on Jewish Kurds to return to the region. (AFP/File/Safin Hamed)

by Abdel Hamid Zebari

ARBIL, Iraq (AFP) – A new magazine in Iraq’s Kurdistan region has caused furore among conservative Muslims with a rousing call for Jews to leave Israel — and come back to Iraq.

The magazine, “Israel-Kurd”, is the brainchild of Dawood Baghestani, the 62-year-old former chief of the autonomous northern region’s human rights commission.

The glossy, full-colour monthly in Kurdish and English has a lofty mission: to help solve the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict by convincing more than 150,000 Kurdish Jews living in Israel to return to Iraqi Kurdistan, Baghestani told AFP.

“The biggest reason behind the complexity of the Palestinian problem is the unjust practices of Arab regimes against the Jews — there are more than 1.5 million Jews originally from Arab countries in Israel,” Baghestani said.

“If the Jews had not been subject to an exodus, the Palestinians wouldn’t have been either,” he said, referring to the flight of 700,000 Palestinians from the newly created Jewish state in 1948 during the first Arab-Israeli war.

“If the situation in our new federal and democratic Iraq, and particularly in Kurdistan, becomes stable, then many Jews would want to return and reduce the number of Jewish settlements in Palestine.”

The latest edition of the 52-page magazine, which has a circulation of around 1,500 copies, features a woman draped in an Israeli flag on the cover.

Inside are stories about Kurdish Jewish traditions and photographs from the first half of the twentieth century, as well as arguments on how a return of Jews would help to build a wealthy and strong Kurdistan.

But many people in Iraq are not buying the argument.

“I’m suspicious. I don’t see the point of this kind of publication,” said Zana Rustayi, a representative of the Islamist Jamaa Islamiya party in the regional assembly.

“The Kurds are part of the Muslim nation, and Kurdistan is part of Iraq.”

Iraq has no relations with Israel, and the country was an implacable foe of the Jewish state under the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein, who was overthrown by the US-led invasion in 2003.

A Sunni member of parliament in Baghdad, Mithal Alusi, was suspended from parliament and threatened with charges last year after visiting Israel for a conference. The decision was later overturned by the constitutional court.

Dawood Baghestani, Iraqi Kurdish editor-in-chief of 'Israel-Kurd', reads a copy of the magazine in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. The newly launched monthly magazine has caused a stir in northern Iraq after calling on Jewish Kurds to return to the region. Photo:Safin Hamed/AFP

Kurdistan does have a warmer history with the Jewish state, however. Many of the current crop of Kurdish leaders have visited Israel in past decades.

Jews lived in Kurdistan for centuries, working as traders, farmers and artisans.

But the creation of Israel and the rise of Arab nationalism in the mid-twentieth century dramatically altered the situation, spurring most of Kurdistan’s Jews to leave.

Baghestani — who has been to Israel four times, including on a clandestine trip in 1967 — denies that he works for the Israelis.

“What I am asking for is enshrined in the constitution: every Iraqi has the right to return to one’s homeland. Jews who were Iraqi citizens were subject to injustice,” he said.

“If every Arab country allowed the Jews to return, ensured their safety and gave them back their land,Palestinian refugees would be able to return to their territory because Israel would not need so much land.”

Mahmud Othman, a Kurdish Coalition MP in Baghdad, disputes this. He says that while relations with Israel may be a nice idea, such a move would not be pragmatic for a region ringed by other Muslim states.

“Kurdistan needs the Arabs. We are living in an Arab country and we are federal region within Iraq. We don’t need a relationship with (Israel), we need a relationship with Arabs, we need a relationship with Iran, we need to be close to Turkey,” Othman said.

“I haven’t heard of any Jews in Israel trying to return to Kurdistan. I think they’re better off there.”

Source: news.yahoo.com, Aug 12, 2009

Southern commander Zvika Zamir teaching a Kurdish fighter how to assemble a Galil rifle (1969)

Source: www.nrg.co.il, ג’קי חוגי | 10/8/2009

August 13, 2009
Media ponder ‘energy chess game’

Turkish writers were pleased about the Nabucco gas pipeline deal signed by Turkey, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania on Monday in Ankara. They saw it as placing their country in an excellent position strategically, particularly with regard to Europe.

But a commentator in one Turkish paper, as well as writers in several Romanian dailies, wanted to know from where the gas for the pipeline would come. This point was also not lost on Iran’s hard-line daily Hezbollah, which believes Europe will have to approach Iran.

Further east, commentators wondered whether Russia’s rival pipeline project, South Stream, would now be scrapped.

SAMI KOHEN IN TURKEY’S MILLIYET

The inter-governmental agreement on Nabucco that was signed in Ankara yesterday deals a new “strategic card” to Turkey… through this project Turkey once again shows that it acts as a bridge between the East and West… This strengthens Turkey’s hand in international relations, particularly regarding Europe.

ISMAIL KUCUKKAYA IN TURKEY’S AKSAM

If the Nabucco project is realised and the gas to be carried by this pipeline can be found, our country will further strengthen its “strategic importance” in the eyes of the West. This “new move” by the European Union and US against Russia in the “energy chess game” will bring very important developments politically in terms of the Middle East and Caucasus.

FATIH ALTAYLI IN TURKEY’S HABERTURK

A big pipeline is being built in order to reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas. But it is not clear who will provide gas for this pipeline. Iran has gas, but the US has prevented Tehran from joining Nabucco. Russia does not permit the countries in its backyard to participate. In the current situation, it seems that only half of the capacity of the pipeline will be used.

IRAN’S HEZBOLLAH

Many experts believe that the gas sources of Central Asia, the Caucasus and even Iraq are not enough to fulfil the demands of the European countries and Turkey for a year, and that sooner or later they must use Iran’s gas sources. That’s why the Turkish prime minister emphasised Iran’s presence during the signing ceremony.

IRAN’S HAMSHAHRI

Why should the situation be such that the head of a country, which is merely on the gas pipeline route, is at the focal point of the project; managing and hosting the contract and more importantly, feeling sorry for the second largest holder of gas reserves of the world, i.e. Iran and talking about lobbying to include Iran?

RAZVAN CIUBOTARU IN ROMANIA’S COTIDIANUL

Politically, the deal is an indisputable success. However, beyond the jubilation of a good start, the Ankara deal is still only just on paper and does not eliminate the competition represented by the rival South Stream plan initiated by Russia.

ELIZA FRANCU IN ROMANIA’S GANDUL

Russia controls all the resources in the region – not only its own but also those of its former satellite states. Or, when it does not have this control, it has the money to buy it. By overpaying for Azeri gas, Russia left this project without any supplier.

FLORENTINA CIOACA IN ROMANIA’S ADEVARUL

The fact that Nabucco project is a priority for the European Union does not solve the main problem: the lack of gas supply.

UKRAINE’S GAZETA PO-KIYEVSKI

It is all too obvious that Europe and Asia want an end to threats with the “gas club”. What can you expect? Moscow should not have displayed it so insistently.

UKRAINE’S EKONOMICHESKIYE IZVESTIYA

Observers suggest that Azerbaijan will blackmail Europe with gas sales to Russia, and Russia with co-operation with Europe.

UKRAINE’S DELO

There is still a high likelihood that Russia, which is not interested in alternative supplies, will have an influence on Turkmenistan’s decision to co-operate with Nabucco.

AZERBAIJANI’S ZERKALO

Moscow’s attempts to hinder the implementation of this project… have failed. Baku expressing its readiness to participate in the Nabucco project, and also Turkmenistan’s statement that it is ready to consider this project as a way to diversify supply routes for its gas, can be viewed as the failure of Moscow’s plans to hinder the construction of this gas pipeline.

AZERBAIJAN’S YENI MUSAVAT

The signing ceremony in Ankara can be viewed as the start of a new stage in the years-long geostrategic struggle for Caspian energy.

COMMENTARY ON BELARUSIAN RADIO

The latest major foreign policy failure – and the re-orientation of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan towards Nabucco cannot be described in any other way – is entirely due to the short-sightedness of the Russian gas monopolist, which aims only at making immediate profits.

RUSSIA’S VEDOMOSTI

In the game between Nabucco and South Stream, the EU team has gone forward into the next round. The state of play might still change, but Gazprom’s goals seem less realistic than those of the European Union.

MIKHAIL ZYGAR IN RUSSIA’S KOMMERSANT

The US and Europe believe that the signing of the agreement will force Russia to give up South Stream… After the agreement was signed, it has become clear that Nabucco is significantly ahead of South Stream, owing to the fact that the project has the consolidated political support of practically the whole of Europe… Gazprom’s brainchild, South Stream, cannot boast such consolidated support.

MIKHAIL SERGEYEV IN RUSSIA’S NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA

Gazprom’s refusal to purchase Turkmen gas in the amount agreed upon last year and the current total suspension of purchasing has forced Ashgabat to look for a substitute for Russia as the major buyer… Analysts say that the Turkmen-Iranian deals are bad news for Gazprom, which is losing its monopolistic position in the transit of gas from Central Asia.

PAVEL ARABOV IN RUSSIA’S IZVESTIYA

Nabucco has been officially launched in Ankara. If everything goes as planned, Europe will get a long-awaited gas pipeline bypassing Russia in four years’ time.

July 15, 2009
Up to 169 aboard feared killed in Iran plane crash

TEHRAN (Reuters) – A passenger aircraft crashed in northwestern Iran on Wednesday and up to 169 people on board were feared killed, ISNA news agency reported.

“153 passengers along with 16 crew were on the plane that crashed,” ISNA said, without giving a source.

Earlier Iranian state television said that all 150 people on board had been killed.

The Caspian Airlines aircraft was traveling from Tehran to Yerevan in Armenia when it came down at 11:33 a.m. (0703 GMT) near the city of Qazvin, the official IRNA news agency said.

Iran’s English-language Press TV said in a scrolling news headline, “150 people on board crashed Iran plane believed dead.”

A fire brigade official earlier told IRNA that everyone on board was killed. IRNA quoted an Iranian aviation spokesman as saying a the plane crashed 16 minutes after take-off from the capital’s Imam Khomeini International airport.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

Reuters

July 15, 2009
Iran executes 13 Sunni Muslim rebels

Iran executed 13 members of a Sunni Muslim rebel group by hanging on Tuesday morning in a prison in the southeastern city of Zahedan, the country’s state news agency reported.

The government in the Shia majority country considers the rebel group Jundallah a terrorist organisation and has accused the group of killing hundreds of Iranian soldiers and civilians. Tehran has also accused the US of backing the group, which is composed of Sunnis from the Baluchi ethnic minority who complain of persecution by the overwhelmingly Shia and Persian Iranian government.

Also on Tuesday an adviser to Mir Hussein Mousavi, the main challenger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said the opposition leader would soon form a political front, an umbrella group made up of reform-minded political parties to challenge hard-liners and push for democracy.

Mr Mousavi will attend Friday prayers this week in his first official public appearance since last month’s disputed presidential vote, according to a newspaper report.

The Etemad daily said the prayers at Tehran University will be led by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former president and a rival of Mr Ahmadinejad and one of the four Friday prayer leaders in Tehran.

The reformist Mohammad Khatami, another former president and supporter of Mr Mousavi, will also attend, the newspaper said.

“Mousavi and Khatami will attend the prayers this week led by Rafsanjani. This will be their first public appearance in an official event after the (June 12) election,” said the daily, citing Mr Mousavi’s Facebook page. It also said Mr Mousavi had urged his supporters to attend the sermon.

The country’s most powerful figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, upheld Mr Ahmadinejad’s landslide win in his Friday sermon one week after the vote. But Mr Mousavi has denounced the vote as rigged, saying the next government is “illegitimate”.

14 Jul 2009

Telegraph

July 15, 2009
Biden: US Not Stand in Israel’s Way on Iran

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 5, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden seemed to give Israel a green light for military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat, saying the U.S. ”cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do.”

Israel considers Iran its most dangerous adversary and is wary of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who just won a disputed re-election. He repeatedly has called for Israel to be wiped off the map and contends the Holocaust is a ”myth.”

Israel and the U.S. accuse Iran of seeking to develop weapons under the cover of a nuclear power program. Iran denies that.

”Israel can determine for itself — it’s a sovereign nation — what’s in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else,” Biden told ABC’s ”This Week” in an interview broadcast Sunday.

”Whether we agree or not. They’re entitled to do that. Any sovereign nation is entitled to do that. But there is no pressure from any nation that’s going to alter our behavior as to how to proceed,” Biden said.

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it prefers to see Iran’s nuclear program stopped through diplomacy but has not ruled out a military strike.

”If the Netanyahu government decides to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is their sovereign right to do that. That is not our choice,” Biden said.

Asked about Biden’s comments, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday that the U.S. position on Iran and a military strike involves a ”political decision.”

”I have been, for some time, concerned about any strike on Iran. I worry about it being very destabilizing, not just in and of itself but unintended consequences of a strike like that,” Mullen said on CBS’ ”Face the Nation.”

”At the same time, I’m one that thinks Iran should not have nuclear weapons. I think that is very destabilizing,” he said.

While most experts are in agreement that there’s a good chance Iran could have a usable nuclear bomb sometime during his presidency, President Barack Obama told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday, ”I’m not reconciled with that.”

A nuclear-armed Iran, Obama said, probably would lead to an arms race in the volatile Mideast and that would be ”a recipe for potential disaster.” He said opposing a nuclear weapons capacity for Iran was more than just ”a U.S. position” and that ”the biggest concern is not simply that Iran can threaten us or our allies, like Israel or its neighbors.”

Israel is also concerned about Iran’s close support for two of its most committed enemies, Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Obama said in May, after his first meeting with Netanyahu at the White House, that the Iranians had until year’s end to get serious about international talks on curbing their nuclear ambitions. ”We’re not going to have talks forever,” he said.

But Obama sees movement on Israeli-Palestinian peace as key to building a moderate Arab coalition against Iran, while Netanyahu says dealing with the Iranian threat must take precedence over peacemaking with the Palestinians.

Most experts believe that wiping out the Iranian nuclear program is beyond the ability of Israel’s military. In 1982 the Israeli air force destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor in a lightning strike. But Iran’s facilities are scattered around the country, some of them underground.

Biden was asked in the interview that if the Israelis decide they need to try to take out Iran’s nuclear program, would the U.S. stand in the way militarily?

”We cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do,” the vice president replied. ”Israel has a right to determine what’s in its interests, and we have a right and we will determine what’s in our interests.”

July 6, 2009