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Réalité-EU Analysis
Round up of Today’s International News
Compiled by Gerlinde Gerber: gerlinde.gerber@realite-eu.org
01/03/10
BRITAIN
'Iran pressure made UK drop sanctions'
After Iran's Bank Mellat reportedly won a preliminary court case against British sanctions, an Iranian parliamentarian says the move was an outcome of Tehran's pressure on London. […] In October, the British Treasury moved to forbid any financial company within the UK to do business with Bank Mellat over its alleged connections with Tehran's nuclear program.
Not Permissible for Muslims to Join Non-Muslim Parties
British Environment Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, has said that Islamic fundamentalists have infiltrated the British Labour Party. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the British Minister said that the ruling Labour party, which he is a member of, has been infiltrated by an extremist Islamist group that want to create an "Islamic social and political order" in Britain.
Hamas extends British reporter Paul Martin's detention
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has said it is extending the detention of a British journalist being held in the Gaza Strip. It announced Paul Martin would be held for a further 15 days. The freelance reporter was arrested on 14 February as he prepared to testify in the defence of a militant accused of collaborating with Israel.
EUROPE
IAEA chief accuses Iran of non-cooperation
The new chief of the UN atomic watchdog, Yukiya Amano, accused Iran Monday of not cooperating sufficiently with an investigation into its contested nuclear activities. […] "The agency continues ... to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, but we cannot confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities because Iran has not provided the agency with the necessary cooperation," he said.
NAM Says IAEA Should Not Bow To ‘Undue Pressure’ On Iran
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has stated that there should be no “undue pressure or interference in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s activities.” In a statement issued at a meeting in Vienna on Thursday, NAM also said the right of every country, including Iran, “in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and its fuel cycle policies must be respected.”
EU won’t blame Iran either, over its nuclear plans
Despite ramped-up pressure from the United States and some members of the United Nations, and fears from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, European Union foreign ministers said that while they are running out of patience over Iran’s excuses for continuing to enrich uranium, that Europe is not ready to support more sanctions, without even broader international support.
Gaddafi calls for jihad against Switzerland
Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi has called for the Muslim world to rise up and wage jihad against Switzerland in the latest escalation of a two-year-old row between the countries - and a UN official in Geneva has weighed in on Switzerland's side. Colonel Gaddafi told a televised rally to mark the birthday of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad: "Let us wage jihad against Switzerland, Zionism and foreign aggression. Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against Muhammad, God and the Koran."
UN deplores Gaddafi call for anti-Swiss 'jihad'
A top UN official has condemned as "inadmissible" Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's call for a jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland. "Such declarations on the part of the head of state are inadmissible in international relations," said Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the UN chief in Geneva. Col Gaddafi criticised a Swiss vote against the building of minarets and urged Muslims to boycott the country.
Iran launches fierce attack on West in U.N. rights forum
Iran launched a fierce verbal assault on the West on Monday, charging some European countries of subjecting Muslim communities to insult and violence and suggesting the United States and Europe aided terrorism. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the United Nations Human Rights Council, to which it is bidding for election in May, that some Western states are gross violators of rights and are promoting lewdness to undermine family life.
IRAN
Iran says can cut energy to Europe, hit enemies
Iran could make European countries suffer by cutting off energy supplies and can target any adversary with its missiles, a senior Iranian military official said on Sunday. […] “Iran is standing on 50 percent of the world’s energy and should it so decide Europe will have to spend the winter in cold,” Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, said in a meeting with war veterans and volunteers in Kerman, according to Fars news agency.
Iran moves enriched uranium stock back underground
Iran has moved a stock of enriched uranium back underground after drawing what it needed to refine the material up to 20 percent purity, Tehran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday. Iran has said its move to feed low-enriched uranium (LEU) into centrifuges for higher-scale refinement is for peaceful purposes so that it can make fuel for nuclear medicine. Western officials and U.N. inspectors doubt Iran's explanation since it lacks the technical capacity to convert higher-enriched uranium into fuel rods for its medical isotope reactor, whose Argentine-provided fuel stock is running out.
Iran to test new guided-bomb soon
Iran's air force will soon test-fire a new guided-bomb, the Iranian Fars news agency reported on Monday. "The 2,000-pound Qassed-1 guided-bomb has been mass produced and given to the Air Force ... its new version will be test-fired soon," Iranian Air Force commander-in-chief Hassan Shahsafi was quoted as saying by the agency. […] Iran frequently holds military drills and shows off modern weaponry in an effort to demonstrate its readiness to thwart any attack on its territory.
Jundallah Sources: Rigi Confessed Under Torture
Sources from the Jundallah organization cast doubt on the validity of the confession made by Jundallah leader Abdol Malek Rigi that was broadcast by Iranian media recently. In the confession, Rigi stated that he has ties to the US and that he “committed a number of crimes against Iranian civilians.” The sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat by phone from eastern Iran, refusing to disclose their whereabouts for security reasons, said that the content broadcast by Iran regarding Rigi was an attempt to tarnish the image of the Jundallah organization which, in the past, denied having any ties to any regional or international intelligence apparatus.
Iran slaps ban on top reformist publications: report
Iran's hardline press watchdog on Monday banned the best-selling reformist daily Etemad and a weekly run by the family of opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi, ISNA news agency said. […] Etemad (Trust) was founded eight years ago and is one of the few reformist papers which survived a crackdown on critical media especially since the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June last year.
Iran's fight for press freedom
More than 100 journalists and bloggers have been imprisoned in Iran since the disputed election last June, making it the world's leading enemy of free expression. At least 65 remain in jail – more than any single country has imprisoned since 1996. Two of those imprisoned, Mehrdad Rahimi and Kohyar Goodarzi, have been labelled "mohareb" (enemies of God) – a heresy charge punishable by death under the Iranian law. One other journalist is on death row.
Japan Proposes to Supply N. Fuel to Iran
Japan offered to provide Iran with uranium batches enriched to the purity level of 20% to be used in the Tehran research reactor, a senior Iranian legislator announced on Monday. "The Japanese (officials) proposed during the visit that Iran start interaction with Japan for purchasing the 20% enriched fuel, considering Iran's good will," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Zohreh Elahian said explaining results of a 5-day visit to Tokyo by an Iranian parliamentary delegation headed by Speaker Ali Larijani.
Iran makes inroads in parts of Africa
Looking back at the last decade, Iran has improved relations with African countries by turning to them for investment and trade as it has become more isolated by the West. In Africa, Iran has engaged in economic and development projects in a number of countries: in Senegal where Khodro, Iran's largest car manufacturer, opened an assembly line in 2007; Nigeria with which it has agreed to share nuclear technology for the production of electricity; and it enjoys good relations with South Africa (a regional leader) where its support of the ANC during the apartheid era has meant that South Africa has remained a true friend.
It is time for Obama to meet Ahmadinejad
The two-day visit by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, to Syria and his warm meetings with his Syrian counterpart as well as with the leaders of the Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas have ruffled many feathers in the US, Europe and Israel. Although they said much about the future of the region, including the end of the 'Zionist regime', the anti-Israeli gathering has sent a primarily strategic not polemical message: We stand united - an attack on one of us is an attack on all.
Incremental sanctions make a nuclear Iran more likely
[…] For the next tranche of sanctions to be successful, thought must be given not only to which measures are chosen, but how they are chosen. The instinct of policymakers in Europe and Washington is often to act incrementally; stronger sanctions are proposed, only to be diluted in U.N. negotiations aimed at unanimity. The measures that are ultimately adopted are usually just one step beyond the previous set. This incremental approach is counterproductive. The sanctions’ predictability and long lead time allows Tehran to prepare for them in advance.
Iran's New World Order
Ahmad Khatami, an influential cleric and mentor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, recently said publicly that the United States has to "regard Iran as a great power in the political sphere. The people of Iran have realized there is nothing you can do to us." The statement is part bravado, but it also offers an important clue about the Iranian regime's mind set and ultimate goal. Its nuclear program, support for terrorism and stirring of anti-American sentiments are aimed at vaulting Iran to a position of global prominence.
Time for tougher sanctions
The six countries trying to talk Iran out of its dangerous nuclear ambitions—America, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China—face an unappetising choice. Iran continues to produce stocks of enriched uranium that it claims are intended for a civilian nuclear programme (although it has no nuclear-powered reactor that could use the stuff), but which could make a bomb.
THE MIDDLE EAST
Damascus backs Tehran's nuclear activity while on state visit
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defended Tehran's programme to enrich uranium and chastised the United States for interfering in regional affairs, as he welcomed visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad, Assad, Nasrallah discuss regional issues
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah held a meeting in Damascus on Thursday to discuss regional issues. During the meeting between Ahmadinejad and Assad, the two presidents said the two nations should strengthen their ties.
Missiles on Menu as Hezbollah, Iran and Syria Dine
The Hezbollah owned and controlled Lebanese TV station al Manar reported the first visit by Nasrallah to Damascus for many years. […] Iran and Syria have both supported his organization with money and arms despite U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 imposed to prevent Hezbollah rearming. But there has been a steady flow of arms shipments including thousands of Iranian-made rockets to replenish those fired in 2006 at the towns and cities of northern Israel.
Naif calls for peaceful solution to Iran crisis
Saudi Arabia reiterated on Sunday its stance on the nuclear standoff between Iran and the West, saying that the issue should be resolved peacefully. However, it emphasized the need for ensuring the Middle East region was free of weapons of mass destruction. “The Kingdom supports a peaceful solution to the issue,” said Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif, adding that Iran should abide by all international regulations and agreements to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
Christianity's Modern-Day Martyrs
The rise of Islamic extremism is putting increasing pressure on Christians in Muslim countries, who are the victims of murder, violence and discrimination. Christians are now considered the most persecuted religious group around the world. Paradoxically, their greatest hope could come from moderate political Islam.
ISRAEL - PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
Iranian President Ahmadinejad Repeatedly Calls for Eliminating Israel
In the past two weeks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has several times reiterated his call for eliminating Israel. In a number of conversations with the leaders of countries in the region and with Iran's allies, Ahmadinejad stressed that Iran would stand alongside Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian organizations if they were to be attacked by Israel, and stated that this time there must be joint action to bring about Israel's end.
Khamenei tells Hamas Resistance is Key
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Palestinian militant chiefs on Saturday that sustained resistance was the key to liberating their land. […] He met Hamas political leader Khaled Mishal, Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Abdullah, and the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) Ahmed Jibril, all of whom live in exile. […] The three militant leaders are attending a conference organised by Iran in support of the Palestinians. Iran does not recognise Israel and is a staunch backer of Palestinian militant groups.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Caterpillar says tightens 'no-Iran' business policy
Caterpillar Inc has tightened its policy on not doing business with Iran to prevent foreign subsidiaries from selling equipment to independent dealers who then resell it to the Middle Eastern country, which is subject to extensive trade sanctions. Existing U.S. law had allowed such third-party sales, which represented less than 0.2 percent of Caterpillar's $32.4 billion in 2009 revenue, the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment said on Monday.
Hillary Clinton to discuss Iran's nuclear program on Latin America trip
[…] One of Secretary Clinton’s stops is Brazil, which currently holds a rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council, where the US is pressing for adoption of a new round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Brazil aspires to world-power status and to a permanent seat on an expanded Security Council, but it also says it opposes international measures against Iran.
Insurance Industry Faces More Pressure on Iran
[…] Regulators and lawmakers in the U.S. are looking for stiffer penalties to thrust upon companies that do business with Iran. And insurers, likely acutely aware of how risk can spread, are starting to pull back.
RUSSIA
Russia hints politics to blame in Iran arms delay
The Russian foreign minister suggested on Wednesday that the delay in delivering air-defence missiles to Iran is connected with concerns about regional tensions. Russia signed a contract in 2007 to sell S-300 missiles to Iran, a move that would substantially boost the country’s defence capacities.
US steps up diplomatic pressure on Russia over Iran sanctions
Amid fears that Moscow remains intent on weakening a planned Security Council resolution punishing Tehran for its nuclear programme, western diplomats are seeking to convince Russia to support much more robust measures. They hope the West's case for robust action will be strengthened on Monday when the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, meets in Vienna to discuss a damning new report on Iran's atomic intentions.
CHINA
China, Russia could back symbolic Iran sanctions
Western powers pushing for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program face a battle with Russia and China, which may only be persuaded to support steps that are more symbolic than painful. For weeks, officials from the United States, Britain, France and Germany have been discussing the kinds of punitive measures they should include in a draft UN Security Council resolution they hope to show to Russia and China as early as next week, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.
Nuclear-related equipment slips past sanctions into Iran
Early last year, a Chinese company placed an order with a Taiwanese agent for 108 nuclear-related pressure gauges. But something happened along the way. Paperwork was backdated. Plans were rerouted, orders reconfigured, shipping redirected. And the gauges ended up in a very different place: Iran.
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