Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.
From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for “medical reasons”. The clue to detecting the fake “dissident” is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal “dissident” was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.
One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.
MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.
Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.
Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled “Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?”, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.
Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's “reformed revolutionary”. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the “imam” on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.
He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following “hunger strikes”, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.
http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_27144.shtml
Train Cars Derail, Catch Fire in Ky.
Twin Falls Times-News - Twin Falls,ID,USA
The immediate area, including Brooks Elementary School, was evacuated,
said
state police Maj. Lisa Rudzinski. The crash occurred about 8:45 am EST,
...
http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/01/16/ap/us/d8mmona81.txt
Suspicious fire guts school building
Daily Telegraph - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
A FIRE, thought to be deliberately lit, has destroyed a demountable
administration building at a school in Sydney's south-west. ...
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21073306-5001028,00.html
Train Hauling Volatile Chemicals Derails Near School
ktla 5 - Los Angeles,CA,USA
The fire continued into Tuesday evening, and officials said they will
likely have to let the chemicals burn themselves out. ...
http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-trainfire,0,7806461.story?coll=ktla-news-1
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=1112769875
School fire latest in string of problems
13abc.com - Toledo,OH,USA
WTVG-- January 16, 2007 - Just before two this morning, fire crews got
the
call of a fire at the new school at Collingwood and Nebraska. ...
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=4939987
Fire burns annex at Byng Junior High School
KTEN - Denison,TX,USA
The building is connected to the junior high school and although the
fire
did not spread into the junior high _ classrooms and officers are
damaged
by smoke ...
http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=5943258
See all stories on this topic:
http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=1112737264
Fire burns annex at Byng Junior High School
BYNG, Okla. An annex at Byng Junior High School containing computer and
telephone
systems has been destroyed by fire. The building is connected to the.
http://www.einnews.com/oklahoma/news.php?fid=98031207
EIN News: Oklahoma News
http://www.einnews.com/oklahoma/
Note: 850koa radio is reporting an apartment house fire today, that is still burning.
They rescued over 60 people, and do not know if they have all of them out.
Unknown cause of fire.
Broken bones, etc for several, said they were hanging on the edges of balconies, when fire dept arrived.
I have posted a bunch of Russia related articles, on the last 2 pages, I think that I have more coming.
[unknown url]
US defence secretary in Afghanistan as Pakistan strikes militants
AFP
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates was briefed in Afghanistan on efforts
to defeat the Taliban as Pakistan -- stung by accusations of being a
militant base -- destroyed three suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts in a dawn
strike.
Gates met President Hamid Karzai and military commanders and flew by
helicopter to a military post on the border with Pakistan to see work
ongoing to put down an insurgency launched after the Taliban were driven
from power in 2001.
Hours earlier, while the newly appointed defence secretary prepared for
his round of talks, the military in neighbouring Pakistan announced a
dawn strike on five suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts in a tribal region
bordering Afghanistan.
Seven helicopters attacked the camps after reports of 25 to 30 local
and foreign militants there, spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said.
"I can't give you the exact number of casualties but most of them were
believed killed," Shaukat told AFP, adding three camps were destroyed.
Officials said the precision strike targeted a complex in South
Waziristan where local and foreign extremists had been training.
Islamabad was angered by statements last week by US intelligence
director John Negroponte that top Al-Qaeda leaders who had been harboured by
the Taliban had found "secure hideouts" in Pakistan from where they
were regrouping.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz firmly rejected the complaints on Sunday
but admitted his government was struggling to stop Taliban insurgents
moving across the porous border despite the positioning of 80,000 troops
along the frontier.
But the Afghan government has welcomed Negroponte's statement and
similar ones from other top officials as acknowledgement of its long-held
assertions that the roots of the insurgency are in its neighbour.
Bickering over the dragging Taliban insurgency -- which was at its
deadliest last year with more than 4,000 people killed, most of them rebels
-- has soured relations between the Islamic neighbours.
Gates expressed concern, during a stopover in Brussels to meet NATO,
which is leading 33,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, about increased
Taliban attacks as the weather warms -- the traditional "spring
offensive".
In Kabul he told reporters a surge in cross-border insurgent activity
from Pakistan was a "problem" that would have to be pursued with the
Pakistani government, which has struck a peace deal with tribal leaders in
some border areas.
Gates also said he would recommend more troops for Afghanistan if this
were requested by his commanders. There are about 23,000 US troops here
serving in a US-led force and the separate NATO-led force.
The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Karl Eikenberry, told
reporters he had recommended extending the stay of a US infantry battalion
and pressed for more NATO troops amid indications of a stronger spring
offensive.
The general pointed to a doubling in the past month in the number of
cross-border incidents along a stretch of border opposite a Pakistani
tribal area where the Islamabad government struck a peace agreement with
tribal leaders last September.
The deal was that Pakistan would refrain from action against the
Taliban or foreign fighters so long as they did not attack.
He said the 33,000-strong NATO-led International Security Assistance
Force was 10 percent short of the troops promised by NATO. A US military
official said it was also short of aviation support, logistics and
intelligence elements.
Eikenberry said one reason the Taliban had been able to mount their
biggest offensive since their ouster in December 2001 was that they had
been able to establish a command structure inside both Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
"And they need to be interdicted," he said.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.
Fanatic's mosque hideout
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007020632,00.html
Fanatic's mosque hideout
By MICHEAL LEA
and ANDREW PORTER
January 17, 2007
COMMENT ON THIS STORY
A BRITISH Muslim fanatic broke his control order and evaded cops by
hiding in a MOSQUE.
It is feared he has fled to Pakistan. He told pals he plans to train at
an Afghanistan terror camp.
The man vanished this month --- four days after a bid to prevent him
leaving the country, Home Secretary John Reid said.
He is the third extremist to disappear while under a control order and
his actions heap more pressure on Mr Reid --- who is already rocked by
the
overseas crimes fiasco.
Security sources said the recently-radicalised suspect was bent on
fighting a jihad holy war.
The Home Office is keeping his identity a secret.
But he is believed to be a 26-year-old of Pakistani origin, living in
Manchester.
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the man could be a "threat to
British troops abroad".
He said: "If there is sufficient suspicion this man is involved in
terrorist activities, there is sufficient suspicion to name him."
Mr Reid told MPs in a written statement that the fanatic "wanted to
travel abroad for terrorism-related purposes".
He was supposed to report daily to police, hand in his passport and
stay
at a given address.
But Mr Reid admitted he had absconded. He said: "He is not believed to
represent a direct threat to the public in the UK at this time."
Cops traced the man to a local mosque but he is thought to have already
made his way to Pakistan using somebody else's passport.
In October, two suspected Muslim terrorists under control orders went
on
the run. The orders impose a loose form of house arrest on suspected
international terrorists.
Mr Reid is under fire following revelations that offenders who
committed
crimes abroad had their details left off the national police computer
when they returned here.
Nine offenders got jobs in Britain as the vetting system could not see
their backgrounds.
Philippine military tries to confirm death of top al-Qaida-linked militant wanted by US
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/17/asia/AS-GEN-Philippines-Abu-Sayyaf.php
Philippine military tries to confirm death of top al-Qaida-linked
militant wanted by US
MANILA, Philippines: The Philippine military said Wednesday it was
trying to confirm whether a top al-Qaida-linked militant, long wanted
by
U.S. and Philippine authorities, was killed in a clash with troops in
the south.
Jainal Antel Sali Jr., best known as Abu Sulaiman --- a top leader of
the
Abu Sayyaf group --- was believed to have been fatally shot in a fierce
gunbattle Tuesday when army special forces raided his camp in Jolo
island's mountainous heartland, said military spokesman Lt. Col.
Bartolome Bacarro said.
"All indications are it's Sulaiman," Bacarro told The Associated Press
by telephone. "This would really be a major blow to the Abu Sayyaf once
we've confirmed it's him."
He said officials were bringing a rebel informant to identify the body,
and that an announcement would be made within hours.
If his death is confirmed, Sulaiman would be the highest-ranking Abu
Sayyaf commander killed by U.S.-backed troops, who have been hunting
him
for years for his alleged involvement in major bomb attacks and mass
kidnappings for ransom. Washington has offered up to US$5 million
(¤3.86
million) for his capture.
Sulaiman allegedly helped plot a February 2004 bombing that triggered a
ferry fire that killed 116 people in Southeast Asia's second-worst
terror attack.
Sulaiman, who often acted as spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf, claimed
responsibility for that bombing.
He is believed to have helped mastermind many of the group's most
brutal
attacks, including the kidnapping of three Americans and Filipino
tourists from the southeastern island of Palawan in 2001.
One of the Americans, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded. American
missionary Gracia Burnham was wounded and rescued by army commandos but
her husband, Martin, was killed during the operation that ended their
year-long jungle captivity.
The kidnappings of the Americans prompted Philippine authorities to
allow the deployment of U.S. troops in the southern Mindanao region to
train and arm Filipino soldiers working wipe out the resilient Abu
Sayyaf.
Egypt charges 6 Muslim Brothers with money laundering
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/16/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Muslim-Brotherhood.php
Egypt charges 6 Muslim Brothers with money laundering
CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt has charged six senior members of the Muslim
Brotherhood with money laundering --- a rare accusation against the
Islamist group in what appears to be a crackdown on the group's
finances.
Prosecutor Hisham Badawi ordered Monday that the six be placed Monday
under 15-day detention orders on charges of laundering money through
investments in Egyptian industrial projects, an official in the
prosecutor's office said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity as
he was not authorized to talk to the press.
Police had arrested the six members in dawn raids on Sunday. They all
belong to the Brotherhood's financial committee. They include Mohammed
Ali Bishr, a former lawmaker and a member of the group's executive, and
Issam Hashish, the Brotherhood's leader in Giza, the twin city of
Cairo.
The other four are businessmen who manage big companies in Egypt.
The detentions came days after President Hosni Mubarak said in an
interview that the Brotherhood was a danger to Egypt's security because
of its "religious discourse." He added that foreign investment would
stop if the Brotherhood ever came to power.
The Brotherhood dismissed Mubarak's allegations as fear mongering.
Prosecutors suspect that some of the laundered money was spent on
military training for Brotherhood members, said the official in the
prosecutor's office.
He said the financial committee is believed to manage the donations
that
the Brotherhood receives from members and sympathizers living abroad.
The Brotherhood is Egypt's opposition group. Although it has been
outlawed since 1954, it is tolerated within strict limits. Police
frequently detain its members and often prosecute them for membership
of
an illegal organization.
The Brotherhood contests elections by backing candidates who are
officially listed as independent. In 2005, it won 88 seats in
parliament, far more than any other opposition party.
Last month, student members of the Brotherhood caused a stir when they
staged a militia-style parade at Al-Azhar university in Cairo. Police
responded by making a series of arrests, detaining the group's
third-highest member and 140 students at Al-Azhar.
mm-jbm
Russia sells new missiles to Iran Defense
http://mathaba.net/rss/?x=548764
Russia sells new missiles to Iran Defense
Posted: 2007/01/17
(Aljazeera) - Russia has said that it has delivered new anti-aircraft
missile systems to Iran and said it would consider more requests from
Tehran for defensive weapons.
Sergei Ivanov, Russia's defence minister, told reporters in Moscow on
Tuesday that Russia had supplied Iran with the modern short-range
anti-aircraft systems TOR-M1.
"We're developing our military and technical cooperation with Iran in
accordance with international law and will continue to develop it,"
Ivanov said.
"And if Iran wants to buy defensive, I underline defensive, equipment
for its armed forces then why not?"
The United States has accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear arms
and undermining security in the Middle East.
The United Nations has banned sensitive nuclear trade with Iran but
there are no sanctions on conventional weapon deals.
US criticises decision
"We don't think that it's an appropriate signal to be sending to the
government of Tehran when they continue to be in defiance of U.N.
Security Council resolutions," Tom Casey, a state department spokesman,
said.
"We also believe as well that we certainly don't want to see any kind
of
lethal aid or assistance given to any country that's a state sponsor of
terror. And as we've said, Iran is the leading state sponsor in the
world."
Ivanov, also Russia's deputy prime minister, did not say how many
missile systems had been delivered or when the deliveries took place.
Last year Russia dropped its plans to sell longer-range S300
anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, Russian news agencies have reported.
The US last year imposed sanctions on leading Russian arms firms over
arms sales to Iran and Syria.
Hamas Has 10-Year Plan to Conquer Israel
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=119651
Hamas Has 10-Year Plan to Conquer Israel
06:31 Jan 17, '07 / 27 Tevet 5767
(IsraelNN.com) Hamas spokesman Hamad al-Ruqub said the terrorist
organization can defeat Israel in 10 years and take over "most of the
historical land, which will secure the return of refugees."
He said the plan is based on the military ability of Hamas, according
to
the independent Ma'an news agency, based in Bethlehem. "We have no
problem in involving all the factions and forces, including Fatah," he
added. Al-Ruqub called for a united army of all factions, with an
agreement to restrict the carrying of weapons in the streets.
Siniora hails UAE help in difficult times
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2007/January/theuae_January533.xml§ion=theuae&col=
Siniora hails UAE help in difficult times
(Wam)
17 January 2007
ABU DHABI --- Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora yesterday hailed
the
close relations existing between the UAE and Lebanon, saying that the
UAE had been at the forefront of countries supporting Lebanon.
Addressing the Lebanese expatriate community yesterday, Siniora, who is
visiting the UAE as part of a tour in the region, said, "We are proud
of
our relationship with the UAE. This country has been very supportive to
us during our most difficult times. It is a relationship that dates
back
to the days of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and
continued
later by his able successor Shaikh Khalifa."
"The UAE aid for the underdeveloped areas of Lebanon has enabled us to
exert our control and sovereignty in those areas," he added.
On his visit to the region, Siniora said it was part of the efforts to
brief the leaders of the region on the latest developments in his
country, including efforts to unify ranks and reinforce political
stability.
Pakistan buying 700 air-to-air missiles from US company
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\17\story_17-1-2007_pg7_21
Pakistan buying 700 air-to-air missiles from US company
TUCSON: Pakistan is buying 700 air-to-air missiles made by US defence
group Raytheon for 284 million dollars, the company said on Monday.
Pakistan is purchasing 500 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles
(AMRAAM), the largest international order for this weapon, and 200
short-range AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, Raytheon said in a statement.
Delivery of the AMRAAM arsenal will start in 2008 and continue through
2011, it said. AMRAAM, from a joint US Air Force and Navy program, are
used by the armed forces of 32 countries, while 20 countries have
AIM-9M
Sidewinder missiles, the statement said. Pakistan has signed a letter
of
offer and acceptance for the 700 missiles, it said. "The combined 284
million dollar procurement augments Pakistan's established inventory
and
will provide the bulk of the air-to-air fire power of the Pakistan Air
Force," the statement said. afp
Poll shows Fatah would defeat Hamas if elections held now
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Gulf%2C+Middle+East+%26+Africa&month=January2007&file=World_News2007011725513.xml
Poll shows Fatah would defeat Hamas if elections held now
Web posted at: 1/17/2007 2:55:13
Source ::: Agencies
ramallah . Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction would
defeat the governing Hamas group if parliamentary elections were held
now, a survey published yesterday found.
The poll, conducted by the Ramallah-based independent Near East
Consulting, also showed that a majority of the Palestinians want the
Islamist group to soften its position towards Israel. The survey showed
the once-dominant Fatah faction winning 40 per cent of a parliamentary
vote and its rival Hamas 23 per cent. Remaining voters said they would
back other factions or refrain from casting ballots.
If presidential elections were held now in the occupied West Bank and
in
the Gaza Strip, the moderate Abbas would win 38 per cent of the vote
compared with 18 per cent for Hamas' Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah, the
poll showed. Abbas shocked Palestinians last month when he called for
new parliamentary and presidential elections in a bid to break a
deadlock with Hamas after inconclusive talks on a unity government.
Hamas was voted into power in January 2006, drawing Western sanctions
over its refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and embrace
existing interim peace deals. The sanctions have deepened economic
hardship for many Palestinians. Hamas leaders have rejected Abbas' call
for early elections, calling it a coup attempt.
The poll found that 51 per cent of the Palestinians believe Hamas must
change its position regarding Israel while 39 per cent say it should
not. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said they favoured a peace
settlement with Israel, with 26 per cent saying they objected to such
an
agreement. Near East Consulting surveyed 823 people and the poll has a
3.4 per cent margin of error.
Meanwhile, Hamas said that tunnels dug by Palestinians under the Gaza Strip were aimed at foiling possible Israeli ground offensives and not
at killing prominent leaders of the rival Fatah faction. Fatah said on
Monday that the tunnels ran under roads and some homes of some of its
top officials and were rigged with explosives that could have been used
to kill them.
Whatever your subject, it will show up here, declassified reports on the world, looks interesting:
http://www.llrx.com/features/lclegalresearch.htm
The Directorate of Legal Research at the Library of Congress: A Treasure Hidden Under a Bushel Basket
By Michael Ravnitzky
Michael Ravnitzky is a Washington, D.C. area attorney and journalist.
Published November 12, 2006
found here:
http://www.thememoryblog.org/archives/000612.html
Arab Group Signals Iran To Avoid Meddling in Iraq
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/16/AR2007011600406.html?nav=rss_world/mideast/iraq
Arab Group Signals Iran To Avoid Meddling in Iraq
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 17, 2007; Page A13
KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 16 -- A group of eight Arab nations on Tuesday joined
the United States in issuing a veiled warning to Iran against
interfering in Iraq's affairs but offered only tepid support for
President Bush's new plan for stabilizing Iraq.
The statement was written in diplomatic jargon and did not mention Iran
by name or even cite concerns about Iran's nuclear program. It warned
against "destabilization" of the Persian Gulf, expressed support for
the
"principle of noninterference" and said it did not want Iraq to become
"a battleground for regional and international powers," code for Iran
and the United States.
The statement welcomed Bush's speech as expressing "a commitment by the
United States" to saving Iraq, but made no mention of Bush's proposed
troop buildup.
"Nine foreign ministers are meeting in Kuwait precisely to prevent Iraq
from slipping into civil war," said Kuwait's foreign minister, Mohammed
al-Sabah, at a news conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice.
The statement was also joined by five other Gulf Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates -- and Egypt
and Jordan.
The meeting came as the United States deployed a second aircraft
carrier
in the Persian Gulf region for the first time since the 2003 U.S.-led
invasion of Iraq. Rice is touring the Middle East to win support for
Bush's plan and bolster what she calls a "mainstream" alliance of Arab
states opposed to violent extremists such as Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and
Hamas.
Since September, Rice has prodded the eight nations, America's closest
friends in the Middle East apart from Israel, to create an informal
group to discuss regional issues. Arab officials have said privately
they are reluctant participants in the meetings, in part because they
are wary of being perceived as an anti-Iran alliance. The meeting
Tuesday, in a vast palace here, was the fourth such gathering and the
first to result in a joint statement.
In contrast to the statement, Sabah offered a relatively firm
endorsement of the Bush plan. "We expressed our desire to see the
president's plan to reinforce the American military presence in Baghdad
as a vehicle and a venue to stabilize Baghdad," he said. He also
acknowledged the joint statement was aimed at Iran.
But earlier, when Rice visited Riyadh, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud
al-Faisal offered only lukewarm support for the Bush plan, saying it
was
up to the Iraqi government to demonstrate that it could end sectarian
violence and unite the fractured nation. "Other countries can help,"
Saud said, "but the main responsibility in taking decisions rests on
the
Iraqis."
Saud, speaking after Rice had evening and morning meetings with King
Abdullah and other Saudi officials, declined to comment on the
specifics
of Bush's plan, which calls for an increase of 21,500 troops, in part
to
help secure Baghdad.
"The details of how to implement those objectives, I don't think we can
cover in one night of discussions," Saud said.
continued....
Norway increases weapons export to US
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200701/17/eng20070117_341912.html
Norway increases weapons export to US
The export of weapons and associated equipment from Norway to the
United States last year was nearly ten times higher than in 2001, said reports
from Oslo on Tuesday.
Norwegian weapons export to the US was in 2006 worth 794 million
Norwegian krone (about 123 million U.S. dollars), up from 81 million
Norwegian krone five years earlier.
The export of weapons to the US was never higher, according to figures
from Statistics Norway (SSB).
Also the total weapons export from Norway increased from 2005 to 1.8
billion Norwegian krone in 2006.
Source: Xinhua
Oil prices sink heavily after Saudi rules out OPEC meet
http://business.maktoob.com/oilenergynew.asp?id=20070116222517
Oil prices sink heavily after Saudi rules out OPEC meet
[Wednesday, January 17, 2007 7:25:00 am]
LONDON (AFP) - Global crude futures have plunged after oil kingpin
Saudi Arabia signalled that it would not back an emergency meeting of the
OPEC
cartel aimed at stemming the recent plunge in oil prices.
New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in
February, slid 92 cents to 52.07 dollars per barrel in pit trading.
In London, the price of Brent North Sea crude for February delivery
fell
71 cents to 52.41 dollars per barrel in electronic trading. The
contract
expires at the close.
Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi said Tuesday there was no need to call
an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting
Countries to discuss a possible output cut.
"Actually there is no reason for a meeting as all the fundamentals (of
supply and demand) are significantly healthier than they were at the
time of the Doha meeting," the minister told reporters in New Delhi on
Tuesday.
Oil ministers from several OPEC countries, including Saudi Arabia and
Iran, are in New Delhi for a major gathering of energy producers this
week.
Ali Al-Naimi's comments came amid persistent speculation over OPEC's
response to heavy oil price losses.
Crude prices have slumped since the start of the year, losing as much
as
15 percent in value.
Traders have cited one key reason being low energy demand -- which has
been fuelled by a milder-than-expected winter across the United States
and Europe.
All eyes are on OPEC, the powerful international cartel whose crude
production quotas are keenly tracked by oil market participants.
"After last week's big price falls, people are waiting and see what
OPEC
does next," said Global Insight analyst Simon Wardell.
However, he cautioned: "There's a little scepticism about whether OPEC
will be able to actually reduce production."
Meanwhile, Nigeria's energy minister said Tuesday that the crude market
was oversupplied -- but added that OPEC did not need to hold an
emergency meeting on the issue as cuts were already planned for
February.
"The winter has been very mild. There is substantial oversupply in the
market," said Maduabebe Edmund Daukoru, whose term as OPEC president
ended on January 1, 2007.
Daukoru was quoted by the Press Trust of India speaking on the
sidelines
of an oil and gas conference in New Delhi.
The Nigerian minister was replaced as OPEC head by United Arab Emirates
oil minister Mohamed Bin Dhaen Al Hamli.
OPEC has an output cut of 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) due to start
February 1 after a reduction of 1.2 million bpd in November as it tries
to hold the line on prices which have fallen from record highs of 78
dollars in July to around 53 dollars.
Saudi Arabia mulls sending troops to Iraq 'to protect their interests' there
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=19518
MSNBC: Saudi Arabia mulls sending troops to Iraq 'to protect their
interests' there
NBC News' Andrea Mitchell reported on MSNBC that Saudi Arabia is
mulling
whether or not to send troops to Iraq, to "protect their interests"
there.
According to Mitchell, Saudi Arabia is "deeply skeptical" that Iraq's
government will be able to quell the unrest. Over a hundred Iraqi
civilians died today, including at least 15 from a bombing at Baghdad
University.
But a leading Saudi Arabia official warns that Saudi Arabia can not be
expected to "solve Iraq's problems."
After the first Iraqi invasion in 1990, then Secretary of Defense Dick
Cheney paid several visits to Saudi Arabia to secure permission to
launch attacks from its country with U.S. troops.
An article in The New York Times reports that Saudi Arabia has backed
President Bush's escalation plan.
"Saudi Arabia endorsed the goals of President Bush's new strategy for
Iraq today," Thom Shanker writes. "But in carefully worded comments,
the
Saudi foreign minister indicated deep concern about whether the
Shiite-led government in Baghdad can halt sectarian violence and
protect
Sunni interests."
Excerpts from Times article:
#
"We agree fully with the goals set by the new strategy, which in our
view are the goals that --- if implemented --- would solve the problems
that
face Iraq," said Prince Saud al-Faisal, the foreign minister.
During a joint news conference here with Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, the prince said he could not comment on specifics of the plan,
which Bush administration officials acknowledge is built around support
for the current Iraqi government of Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite political
leader.
Saudi Arabia is a predominantly Sunni state. Ms. Rice met late on
Monday
with King Abdullah and other officials at a hunting lodge in the desert
outside the capital, after arriving from Egypt.
Although Prince Saud's endorsement of Mr. Bush's new Iraq plan was
lukewarm at best, the prince declined to be drawn into a discussion of
potential Saudi actions in the event that Iraq slides into full-blown
sectarian civil war.
Muslims say they'll boycott Northwest Airlines
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=NATIONAL&ID=564947238037880859
Muslims say they'll boycott Northwest Airlines
Niraj Warikoo
January 16, 2007 5:19 PM
(HAS TRIM)
Detroit Free Press
(MCT)
DETROIT - A group of metro Detroiters is threatening to lead a boycott
of Northwest Airlines over what they say is a pattern of profiling
against Muslim passengers.
''I know that many Muslims call Northwest 'Northworst' . . . for its
treatment to the Muslim community,'' Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini, head of
the
Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich., said Tuesday.
Al-Qazwini was in a group of about 40 pilgrims who were prevented from
boarding a connecting flight in Germany to Detroit on Jan. 7 while
returning from a trip to holy cities in Saudi Arabia. The Muslim group,
most of whom are Lebanese-American Shiites, held a news conference
Tuesday at the Dearborn mosque to describe what they say happened to
them. They called for Northwest to apologize, compensate them, and
discipline the employees they said profiled them.
''Otherwise,'' Al-Qazwini said, ''if Northwest will not do that, then
probably we have to call all Muslim organizations to encourage Muslims
from not flying on Northwest.''
With tens of thousands of Muslim customers, Northwest could be hurt
financially by such a boycott, Al-Qazwini suggested, adding that ''I
hope Northwest will be wiser.''
But Northwest officials defended their actions Tuesday, repeating that
the 40 or so pilgrims were unable to board because they weren't at the
gate in time.
''They showed up at the gate late,'' said Dean Breest, a spokesman for
Northwest Airlines. ''All customers need to be on time.''
Northwest Airlines requires passengers to check in for international
flights at least 60 minutes prior to departure and to be on board the
aircraft at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time,
according to a statement it issued.
Al-Qazwini and other pilgrims said Tuesday that they were at the gate
at
least an hour and a half before departure time.
''We were treated really, really, really badly,'' said Jennifer Zreik,
29, one of the travelers.
According to Zreik and others, some of the Muslims with the group were
allowed on the plane. But about 40 were not.
Some of the travelers said they had to spend the night at the airport;
others had to pay $77 in penalty fees and more in hotel costs - without
reimbursement.
Breest said, ''I'm very sorry to hear that happened,'' but added this
case has nothing to do with profiling.
Most of the pilgrims in the group are from Michigan, said Dawud Walid,
head of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, a group that has been fighting profiling of Muslims at
airports. The council organized the news conference.
Al-Qazwini said he was recently prevented from praying on a Northwest
Airlines flight.
But Breest said Northwest does not discriminate. He pointed out the
high-profile case of Muslim imams who were escorted off a US Airways
jet
in November at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after they
made Islamic prayers. The imams were eventually flown home by Northwest
Airlines, he said.
---
(c) 2007, Detroit Free Press.
Appeals Court Moves Quran Lawsuit Ahead
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/religion/sns-ap-quran-courtroom,1,6291993.story?coll=chi-religion-stories&ctrack=1&cset=true
Appeals Court Moves Quran Lawsuit Ahead
By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press Writer
Published January 16, 2007, 9:39 PM CST
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A lawsuit filed by the ACLU and a Muslim woman seeking
the use of the Quran or other non-Christian texts in addition to the
Bible for courtroom oaths should be allowed to go forward, the state
Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
A trial court dismissed the lawsuit in December 2005, saying there was
no controversy that warranted litigation. The three-judge appeals panel
disagreed but did not comment on the merits of the case.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2005, claims the state law that says
witnesses must take an oath on the Bible is unconstitutional because it
favors Christianity over other religions. State law allows witnesses
preparing to testify in court to take their oath by laying a hand over
a
"Holy Scriptures," by saying "so help me God" without the use of a
religious book, or by an affirmation using no religious symbols.
Plaintiff Sydiah Mateen claims she had a request to place her hand on
the Quran denied in 2003. Several Jewish members of the North Carolina
chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union also have said they would
prefer to swear upon the Hebrew Bible, one of the religious texts of
their faith, Chief Judge John Martin wrote in the appeal panel's
unanimous decision.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Mateen, 42, said she felt that courts
should have at least the three major religious texts in today's world.
She said, "If it was a Quran in the courtroom and a Christian was in
there, would they want to testify on a holy Quran?"
"The government cannot favor one set of religious values over another
and must allow all individuals of faith to be sworn in on the holy text
that is in accordance with their faith," said Jennifer Rudinger,
director of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The issue surfaced after Muslims from the Al-Ummil Ummat Islamic Center
in Greensboro tried to donate copies of the Quran to Guilford County's
two courthouses. Two Guilford judges declined to accept the texts,
saying an oath on the Quran is not a legal oath under state law.
The attorney general's office is reviewing the ruling but hasn't
decided
whether to appeal, spokeswoman Noelle Talley said.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0117/p01s03-wome.html
Why is Egypt airing insurgent TV from Iraq?
Al Zawraa's broadcasting of Sunni attacks on American soldiers
highlights sectarian politics.
By Sarah Gauch | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
CAIRO - Al Zawraa television station, the face of Iraq's Sunni
insurgency, shows roadside bombs blowing up American tanks, dead and
bloody Iraqi children, and insurgent snipers taking aim and firing.
And all this blatant anti-Americanism is broadcasting 24/7 on an
Egyptian government-controlled satellite provider from one of
Washington's closest allies. Even though Iraq and the US have asked
Egypt to pull the plug, the station remains on the air.
The question is, why? While Nilesat, which broadcasts Al Zawraa, argues
that it's airing the channel for purely commercial reasons, analysts
point to the political benefits for Egypt.
Some say the country's reluctance to shut down the channel shows that
Egypt, predominantly Sunni, may be taking a stand against what it sees
as the unjust aggressiveness of Iraq's Shiite-led government and the
dangers of Iran's influence there.
"With Iran flexing its muscles in Iraq and Lebanon and talking about
becoming a nuclear power, all of this puts the Sunni Arab regimes --
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan -- on the defensive," says Lawrence Pintak,
director of American University in Cairo's television journalism
program
and author of "Reflections in a Bloodshot Lens: America, Islam, & the
War of Ideas."
Mr. Pintak says Egypt's decision to keep Al Zawraa on the air plays
into
the Sunni-Shiite cold war that has descended on the region, caused
largely by sectarian bloodshed in Iraq and Iran's nuclear ambitions. In
essence, he says, it's a show of support for fellow Sunnis.
American officials have reportedly called the station "utterly
offensive," saying that closing it down is a priority.
But one Egyptian government official, who asked to remain anonymous,
reiterated Nilesat's stand that the station remains on air purely for
commercial reasons. "We're merely a carrier of this station. We're not
producing it. This is a straightforward business deal," he says, adding
that, "none of us would reject the principle of freedom of speech and
broadcasting for everyone."
continued.....
FedEx plane with anti-missile system takes off
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/16474635.htm
FedEx plane with anti-missile system takes off
An MD-10 cargo jet equipped with an anti-missile system designed to
eventually protect passenger aircraft from a terrorist attack took off
from Los Angeles International Airport on a commercial flight. The
FedEx
flight marked the start of operational testing and evaluation of the
laser system designed to defend against shoulder-fired anti-aircraft
missiles during takeoffs and landings.
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