World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #6 Disinformation, Inc.

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.keralanext.com/news/?id=926442

Russia satisfied with UN draft resolution on Iran: Sergei
25 Hours,27 minutes Ago

MOSCOW : A draft resolution on Iran that is being worked out in the United Nations largely corresponds to Russia's views and should get Security Council backing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by Interfax as saying.

"The new proposed resolution... that is now being discussed in the UN Security Council largely reflects our approach," Lavrov said.

"The proposal focuses on those spheres of nuclear activity that concern the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- enrichment of uranium, chemical processing and heavy water programmes as well as limiting deliveries... of goods and technology related to creating nuclear weapons delivery systems," Lavrov said.

"We think that on that basis it will be possible to achieve a consensus decision of the UN Security Council that would induce the Iranians to sit down at the negotiating table and ensure active and full cooperation with the IAEA on all remaining questions about Iran's nuclear activities," Lavrov said.

Lavrov's comments came after he spoke with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about outstanding obstacles to agreement of a resolution.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Monday that Russia still objected to a plan to impose travel restrictions on persons and entities thought to be involved in nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

The West suspects Iran is developing a nuclear weapons programme under cover of a civil nuclear energy programme. Tehran denies this.

Russia, a permanent Security Council member, has close ties to Iran and has balked at earlier international proposals for UN sanctions against Tehran, but has lately appeared more amenable.

http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=927619

Paris baggage handlers jailed for airport theft scam
1 Hour,2 minutes Ago

PARIS : Sixteen former Paris airport workers were convicted on Wednesday of robbing luggage from hundreds of international air passengers between 2004 and 2005.

The baggage handlers at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport were arrested in September last year after it emerged that items had gone missing from bags carried in the holds of Air France, Delta and Northwest flights.

A French court handed down prison sentences ranging from three months to three years to 13 airport workers found guilty of theft, and in one case of trafficking in stolen goods, while three others received suspended jail terms.

Four other people, none of them airport staff, were handed fines and in one case a three-month jail term for aiding and abetting theft.

Analysis of security camera footage showed the luggage-handlers breaking into close to 600 bags over a two-year period, stealing watches, telephones, cameras and cash worth an estimated 280,000 euros (US$370,000).

The stolen goods were sold on in the staff locker room or on a nearby car park.

Taking into account the time already spent in detention, only one of the accused will remain in jail.

All but one of the accused were also told to pay damages of 28,000 euros to Air France for harming its image, as well as one symbolic euro to the luggage handlers' former employer, Connecting Bag Services (CBS).

A subsidiary of the French group Vinci, CBS has 800 baggage handlers working at the Paris airport.

http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=926820

Largest immigrant landing hits Sicily
20 Hours,15 minutes Ago

More than 600 immigrants arrived in the southern Italian island of Sicily in the biggest single immigrant landing there, local officials said on Tuesday.

A total of 648 migrants, including 21 women and seven children, arrived in the southwest Sicilian port of Licata on Monday evening, crammed aboard a 30-meter-long fishing boat.

The boat was towed to Licata by Italian coastguards after it was spotted some 18 miles (about 28.8 km) off the Sicilian coastline.

Most of the immigrants, who were in relatively good health, are believed to be from Egypt, local reports said, adding that they had been taken to several Sicilian immigrant holding centers for identification.

According to the reports, the Italian Northern League, an anti-immigrant opposition party, blasted the six-month-old center-left government over the mass landing.

Italian Welfare Minister Paolo Ferrero announced earlier this month that Italy would have a new immigration law, relaxing restrictions adopted by the previous center-right government in 2002.

http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=927558

US: Pakistani convicted for financing Sikh militant group
1 Hour,54 minutes Ago

A Pakistani has been convicted by a US federal jury for providing financial aid to the Sikh militant group Khalistan Commando Force, responsible for thousands of deaths in India, and could face a maximum of 45 years in prison.

After two weeks of trial, the federal jury convicted a guilty verdict against Khalid Awan, a Pakistani national living in New York for links with the KCF. Awan is said to have provided money and financial services to the KCF.

He will be sentenced on March 7, 2007, and faces a maximum of 45 years in prison.

The conviction was announced by US Attorney Roslyn Mauskopf of the eastern district of New York and Assistant Director in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York Mark Mershon.

"The war on terror is a global battle.We will not permit individuals in our jurisdictions to finance terrorist groups responsible for murder and violence in any part of the world," Mauskopf said.

The justice department maintained that the KCF, which is comprised of Sikh militants seeking a separate state in Punjab, has engaged in numerous assassinations of prominent Indian government officials -- including the murder of the then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995 and hundreds of bombings, acts of sabotage and kidnappings.

The attorney's office in New York and the FBI began investigation in 2003 after an inmate at a detention centre in Brooklyn where Awan was incarcerated for credit card fraud told authorities that Awan had boasted his relationship with Paramjit Singh Panjwar, the leader of the KCF and one of the 10 most wanted fugitives in India.

According to the attorney's office of New York, the government's evidence at trial included recordings of Awan's prison telephone calls to Panjwar in Pakistan, in which Awan introduced the inmate as a potential recruit for the KCF and statements by Awan admitting that he sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to KCF.

It also included testimony by two New York-area fund raisers for the KCF who stated that they delivered money to Awan's residence in Garden City; and testimony by the assistant inspector general of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division that the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent victims in India.

http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=927409

Tape shows attack against U.S. Embassy in Damascus
5 Hour,28 minutes Ago

DAMASCUS, Syria - A video surveillance tape broadcast Wednesday carried graphic detail of an attempt in September to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, an attack that was foiled by Syrian security guards.

The tape, carried by ABC News, shows three unidentified gunmen parking their car in front of the American Embassy and attempting to storm its front gate.

"A civilian is seen falling to the ground, cut down by the attackers' gunfire," ABC said in a statement describing the video. "The tape shows three of the attackers being felled one by one."

The report — individual video frames presented in rapid chronological order — then showed the car blowing up and several passers-by lying on the sidewalk amid raging flames and smoke. ABC did not disclose how and when it obtained the surveillance footage.

Syrian authorities have said three gunmen and a Syrian guard were killed in the Sept. 12 attack when guards exchanged gunfire with the assailants outside the compound's walls.

A fourth attacker who was shot as he fled an explosives-laden truck without detonating it died a day later in hospital before he could be questioned by investigators, Syrian investigators said.

No American was hurt in the attack, but a dozen other people were wounded.

The Syrian investigation said in October that the gunmen did not appear to have links with terrorist organizations outside Syria but had followed religious training in neighboring Saudi Arabia,

Syrian authorities were not immediately available overnight Wednesday to comment on the new video tape, and Syrian diplomats in the US declined to comment.

http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=927387

United States considers build-up to warn Iran
5 Hour,55 minutes Ago

The Bush administration is weighing options for a naval build-up in the Persian Gulf as a warning to Iran over its nuclear programme and alleged support for Shia militias in Iraq.

Under the proposed build-up the Pentagon would send an aircraft carrier to join one already in the region. The proposed deployment has been described as a message to Teheran not to take provocative steps, rather than preparation for an attack.

The idea of sending a second aircraft carrier was initially raised earlier this month by the commander of US forces in Iraq, General John Abizaid. But it also comes amid mounting pressure from Saudi Arabia against a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

Pentagon officials were yesterday considering Abizaid's request, but few other details were immediately available. A Pentagon spokesman said there would be no comment on military movements.

"The administration has been pretty clear about Iran's role in the region, which is that Iran has to stop being provocative," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower has been in the region since September, along with four other ships and submarines.

The navy could move other carriers into the region within six weeks.

However, if the US were to contemplate a military strike, it would need far more than two carriers, said Reva Bhalla, an analyst at Strategic Forecasting Inc. The US deployed five carriers ahead of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Outgoing UN secretary general Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that military intervention in Iran would be "unwise and disastrous," as the Security Council debated a resolution that would impose sanctions on Teheran over its nuclear programme.

The council's latest draft resolution would order all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear programmes.

Reports that the US is leaning towards an even stronger posture against Iran reflects indications that Washington wants to deepen its military presence in the region. It follows warnings from Saudi Arabia that it would fund Sunni militias in Iraq in the event of a US troop withdrawal.

"The aircraft carrier is a way of assuring the Saudis that the inclination is to do more rather than less, and that we are not going to leave them in the lurch," said John Pike, a military analyst.

The tougher posture on Iran and a temporary troop surge in Iraq would both run counter to the findings of the Iraq Study Group earlier this month which recommended a withdrawal of US combat forces from Iraq by early 2008, and the opening of diplomatic talks with Iran and Syria.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=803070

Last update - 00:18 20/12/2006

U.S. calls on Syria to open diplomatic relations with Lebanon

By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press

The U.S. State Department called Tuesday on Syria to abide by the
wishes of
neighboring countries and open diplomatic relations with Lebanon.

Spokesman Sean McCormack rejected a statement by President Bashar Assad
in
Russia that he wants a dialogue with the United States but "will not
take
instructions" from Washington.

McCormack said Syria is under no obligation to follow U.S. instructions
but
should respond positively to requests from neighbors.

One such request, he said, is for Syria to open an embassy in Beirut.
"That
would be a signal that they have completely renounced and given up on
the
idea of getting back into Lebanon," McCormack said.

They could also help Lebanon "by not trying to manipulate the Lebanese
political system, not helping Hezbollah sponsor marches in the street,
not
stand in the way of finding out who was responsible for the murder of
former Prime Minister Hariri, and seeing those people brought to
justice,"
he added.

Assad, wrapping up a visit to key ally Russia, was asked by reporters
about
proposals by a special U.S. panel that the United States should open
talks
with Iran and Syria.

He said said he was always ready to talk to the U.S., provided the
subject
matter was appropriate.

"Any dialogue is useful providing you are discussing common interests
of
two countries but not to discuss other interests and ignore your
interests," he said.

Putin, speaking earlier at the Kremlin, said he was concerned about the
Middle East moving from one conflict to another and planned to discuss
turmoil in Gaza with Assad.

"Unfortunately the situation in the [Middle East] region remains
tense,"
Putin said. "We see that the region is practically developing from on
conflict to another and that cannot but concern us."

Assad described his meeting with Putin as "successful and constructive"
but
gave few concrete details beyond praising Moscow's role in the region
and
saying it could be a sponsor of a peace settlement.

The Syrian leader declined to comment on Russian arms sales to Syria
and
rejected as a "fabrication" suggestions that Russian weapons had been
provided by Syria to Lebanon.

Syria represents 4% of Russia's annual arms sales, and they purchased
$6.1
billion in weaponry from Russia in the past year.

Arms deals between Syria-Russia have come under harsh criticism from
the
United States and Israel, with Israel alleging that Russian antitank
missiles sold to Syria were handed over to Hizbollah for use against
Israel
in the recent war in Lebanon.

Russian analysts maintain that Syria is interested in acquiring an air
defense system aimed at the Israel Air Force.

Syrian sources state they want to upgrade their military, but don't
necessarily have the economic means to do so outside of favorable deals
with Russia.

A recent resumption of high-level contacts between Syrian and European
officials and calls for talks with Damascus by the Washington panel
have
opened the way for a possible rapprochement between the West and Syria.

But U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected the
bipartisan
panel's recommendations, saying the price of engaging Syria and Iran
was
likely to be too high, the Washington Post reported last week.

Washington imposed sanctions on Syria in 2004, mainly for backing the
Palestinian Hamas movement and the Shi'ite Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

Pragmatic Non-Royal to be Next Saudi Ambassador to the United States

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001834.php

December 20, 2006
SCOOP: Pragmatic Non-Royal to be Next Saudi Ambassador to the United States

For Saudi watchers, some fascinating news has just made its way to The
Washington Note.

A former staffer at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, ADEL AL-JUBEIR,
who
comes from a distinguished, yet non-royal family, has risen to such
levels of esteem in the estimation of Saudia Arabia's King Abdullah
that
he has been appointed the next Saudi Ambassador to the United States.

This is quite remarkable news. One of the rumored successors to Prince
Turki al-Faisal, who recently resigned as Ambassador in Washington with
plans to depart at the end of January 2007, was Prince Turki's cousin,
Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al-Saud, who is currently Saudi Arabia's
Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Prince Mohammed succeeded Prince
Turki
in London after having served as Ambassador to Italy after Turki was
assigned to Washington. Many expected Prince Mohammed to move to
Washington, but family concerns kept the Ambassador in the United Kingdom.

Wanting someone trusted and close -- closer than family to some degree
-- King Abdullah has now appointed his personal foreign policy advisor
to serve as his Ambassador in Washington. Abdullah met the relatively
young Adel al-Jubeir in Washington some years ago -- when he was
Director of Communications at the Embassy. Adel's brother, Nail
Al-Jubeir, now holds the very same position that Adel once heldo in
Saudi Arabia's Washington Embassy.

For those following the tension between two former Ambassadors --
Prince
Turki al-Faisal and Prince Bandar bin Sultan -- Adel al-Jubeir was once
housed in the very same office (no walls) with Rihab Massoud, the close
aide to Saudi National Security Advisor and former Ambassador to the US
Prince Bandar. Massoud has been depicted by many as the
"animater-in-chief" of the escalating tension between the current and
immediate past Ambassadors.

Massoud, according to sources, was constantly at odds with Adel
al-Jubeir and worked to have him demoted and assigned to issues that
were considered peripheral in the Embassy. Then Crown Prince Abudullah,
after briefly meeting al-Jubeir on a trip to the United States,
requested that he become the Crown Prince's foreign policy advisor.

The fundamental tension between Prince Turki and Prince Bandar revolves
around both the management of political relations with the White House
as well as a split in the Saudi government's views on potential US
military action against Iran.

The King has now appointed someone whose views on the matter are
unknown
-- but who may have a "complicated past" with one of Bandar's chief
retainers. This doesn't necessarily mean that Prince Turki's views are
preferable to the King -- but it does mean that the King both wants to
hold his cards close to the vest, and doesn't want to allow a royal
escalation of tensions to continue by appointing a "successor royal" to
the DC Embassy.

Adel al-Jubeir's appointment will be formally announced after the U.S.
Department of State notifies the Saudi government that al-Jubeir's
credentials will be accepted. "No problems are anticipated," according
to an insider source.

Russian company to sell natural gas directly to French consumers

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/19/business/gazprom.php

Russian company to sell natural gas directly to French consumers

BERLIN: Gazprom, Russia's state- owned energy monopoly, agreed to a
long-term supply contract with Gaz de France in exchange for the right
to sell Russian natural gas directly to consumers in France.

The agreement, signed Tuesday, signals a determination by Gazprom to
increase its foothold in the lucrative European natural gas retailing
market, after forging a similar deal in Italy last month.

But the contract also renewed concerns about whether Europe was headed
down a dangerous path by relying more on Russia, which already supplies
a quarter of the natural gas consumed by the 25 countries in the
European Union.

Critics charge that Russia is not investing sufficiently to develop its
energy resources and could have supply shortfalls in coming years. They
also fear that Russia may use its position as a major supplier of
natural gas as a political weapon.

None of those concerns were on display Tuesday, when Alexei Miller,
chief executive of Gazprom, and Jean-François Cirelli, chief of Gaz de
France, signed the agreement Moscow. The deal represents a victory for
Gazprom, which for several years had been trying to enter the French
retailing market.

"Without a doubt, the agreement will contribute to energy security in
Europe and France," Miller said. Cirelli said that "the extension of
our
commercial cooperation with Gazprom helps to ensure the long-term
reliability of our customers' supply in France and in Europe."

Gaz de France said that it had no choice but to comply with an EU
directive for member countries to open their energy markets to domestic
and foreign companies.

"Gazprom will be able to sell to industrial customers immediately," a
Gaz de France spokeswoman said. "Starting next July, it will have the
right to sell to domestic consumers. And, yes, if you buy gas direct
from Gazprom, you will be billed by Gazprom," she added.

Russia, in contrast, does not allow foreign companies access to its
vast
network of pipelines and has refused to ratify the EU's energy charter,
which, if implemented, would create some degree of reciprocity in the
energy market between Europe and Russia.

Gazprom will begin its retail sales in July and intends to sell as much
as 1.5 billion cubic meters, or 53 billion cubic feet, a year starting
in 2008, according to a joint statement. It is still unclear what
impact
Gazprom's entrance will have on consumers, but another major competitor
could prompt competitors to ease their rates.

As the largest distributor of natural gas to Europe, Gaz de France
serves 13.8 million customers, including 11.1 million in France. In
2005, it posted a profit of ¤1.7 billion, or $2.25 billion, on sales
of
¤22.4 billion.

In return for access to Gaz de France's pipelines, Gazprom agreed to
extend its natural gas supply contracts, which were set to expire, to
2030, agreeing to sell 12 billion cubic meters a year to Gaz de France.
In addition, Gaz de France will receive 2.5 billion cubic meters
annually from the new Nord Stream pipeline, a joint Russian-German
project in which Russia will be able to send natural gas directly to
Europe by building a pipeline under the Baltic Sea.

The project, which will have an annual capacity of 55 billion cubic
meters, is scheduled to be completed in 2013, and will reduce Russia's
reliance on Ukraine and Belarus as transit countries.

Last month, Gazprom arranged a major retailing contract with Eni, the
Italian energy giant. In return for extending its natural gas supply
contract to Eni until 2035, Eni granted Gazprom access to its pipeline
network to sell natural gas directly to Italian consumers.

Russia is already a major supplier of gas to Italy, selling 21 billion
cubic meters each year, nearly a third of total consumption. In return
for granting Gazprom access to the retailing sector, Eni also hopes to
gain rights to explore and exploit Russian natural gas fields.

Besides France and Italy, Gazprom also sells directly to consumers in
Germany, Austria and Britain.

Compared with Italy and Germany, France is far less dependent on
Russian
natural gas imports. Russia supplies more than a third of German
natural
gas, but only 19 percent of that used by France, whose biggest vendor
is
Norway, followed by Russia, Algeria and the Netherlands.

Some Europeans, however, are becoming increasingly alarmed about the
EU's growing dependence on Gazprom, the only Russian natural gas
exporter, fearing that President Vladimir Putin will use energy supply
as a means of political and economic coercion.

Others worry that Russia is not investing enough in its energy
development. For example, Gazprom's decision to develop the giant
Shtokman fields alone, instead of with a foreign consortium, has left
foreign energy companies jittery about the security of their contracts
with Russia and its ability to continue to export large quantities of
natural gas.

"We can understand why Gazprom wants to enter the Europe market now
that
the markets here are opening up," said Jorgen Henningsen, senior
advisor
on energy and the environment to the European Policy Center, an
independent research center in Brussels. "But what we worry about is
that as consumers, we should be asking if Gazprom is investing in the
right kind of things back home in order to guarantee secure energy
supplies."

Soldier accused of passing secrets

http://www.peterboroughnow.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=1940097&SectionID=5054

Soldier accused of passing secrets

LONDON (Reuters) - A British soldier has appeared in court accused of
divulging secret information, newspapers reported on Thursday, with the
Times saying the charges related to information on Afghanistan passed
to
Iran.
The Daily Telegraph said Daniel James had communicated with a "foreign
power" believed to be Iran.

The newspaper, which did not give a source for its information, said it
had learnt he acted as an interpreter for NATO's commander in
Afghanistan, British General David Richards.

The Daily Telegraph said James was of Iranian descent and spoke fluent
Pashtun, the main language in Afghanistan.

The Times said James, whom it described as a non-commissioned officer,
was charged with passing secret information linked to the military
campaign in Afghanistan to neighbouring Iran. The newspaper did not
give
a source.

The Crown Prosecution Service was not immediately available for
comment.
The Defence Ministry was unable to comment, a spokesman said.

The 44-year-old James appeared at a London magistrates court on
Wednesday charged under the Official Secrets Act, the newspapers said.

They said the full charge was that for a purpose prejudicial to the
safety of the state, he "communicated to another person information
calculated to be directly or indirectly
useful to the enemy".

Journalists were told to leave the court room for the majority of the
hearing without learning further details due to the sensitive nature of
the allegations, the newspapers said.

Continued.....says he was passing secrets to Iran.

Tube 'wide open' to terror attack

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6293375,00.html

Tube 'wide open' to terror attack

Press Association
Wednesday December 20, 2006 3:58 PM

London's Underground system remains wide open to terrorist attack
because the Government has been hugely complacent about safety, the
Tories have warned.

Homeland security spokesman Patrick Mercer said that "virtually
nothing"
had been done to make the Tube less vulnerable after the July 7
attacks.

Suicide bombers killed 52 people on the capital's transport network
last
year, and it has been highlighted as a target of at least one other
plot.

Mr Mercer told Parliamentary Monitor magazine: "The Tube is wide open
to
further attacks and very little has been done to make it any safer. The
Government is hugely complacent about Tube safety and security.

"Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, when he was detained by the Americans four
years ago, said that one of his principal targets was the London
Underground, and that has been clear for years.

"Since then, we have had a successful attack that killed 52 and injured
about 700; we have had an attempted attack that failed on July 21; and
we have almost certainly had foiled attacks as well.

"What has happened to make the tube safer? Virtually nothing.

"Apart from the Jubilee Line, there are no signs telling you what to do
in the event of an emergency.

"There are signs telling you not to put your feet on the seats and to
turn down your iPod, but nothing to tell you what to do in an
emergency."

© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2006, All Rights Reserved.

Saudi awards $3.4b contract

http://www.bahraintribune.com/ArticleDetail.asp?ArticleId=134033&CategoryId=5

Saudi awards $3.4b contract

PARIS (Dow Jones)
Suez Energy International, a unit of the French energy group Suez, said
yesterday a consortium that it leads has been awarded a $3.4 billion
contract to build the world's largest power and desalination project.
Suez's partners are Gulf Investment Corp. and Arabian Company for Power
& Water Projects. The consortium will own 60 per cent of the project.
The project will make Suez the leading power production developer in
the
Middle East, and will lift its total power capacity in the region to
8,200 megawatts.
The BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) contract is for a power
station with a capacity of 2,750 MW, and a 800,000 cubic metres per day
desalination facility, to be located at Jubail, northeastern Saudi Arabia.
The contract was awarded by the Power and Water Utility Company for
Jubail and Yanbu (Marafiq), and will supply water and electricity to
industrial and non-industrial customers in the Jubail Industrial City
and eastern province.

Iran to replace dollar with euro for deals

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=164956&Sn=BUSI&IssueID=29274

Iran to replace dollar with euro for deals

TEHRAN: Iran yesterday announced it has ordered the central bank to use
euros for foreign transactions and transform the state's
dollar-denominated assets held abroad into the single European
currency."The government has ordered the central bank to replace the
dollar with the euro to limit the problems of the executive organs in
commercial transactions," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham
told
reporters.

"We will also employ this change for Iranian assets (in dollars) held
abroad." Elham implied that the move would apply to oil revenues from
the world's number four crude producer, although it remains to be seen
how this would be received by the market.

"Foreign income sources and oil revenues will be calculated in euros
and
we will receive them in euros in order to put an end to our dependence
on the dollar," Elham said.

The move comes amid mounting pressure from the United States for the UN
Security Council to agree sanctions against Iran over its controversial
nuclear programme.

Bankers in Iran have complained in recent weeks that it was becoming
increasingly difficult to receive Iranian-held money denominated in
dollars from European bank accounts.

They said that this was because of US pressure on European banking
giants not to allow dollar-denominated funds to be sent into, or out
of,
the Islamic republic.

Elham added that Iran's budget would in future be calculated in euros.
"Until now the budget has been calculated according to revenues in
dollars, but this calculation will now change," he said.

Iranian press reports have said Iran has, since at least 2003, been
shifting reserves out of dollars to other currencies or assets,
encouraged by pressure from the United States which has been seeking to
isolate Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Iran-Pakistan- Afghanistan friendly ties to ensure regional security - president

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0612210047095020.htm

Iran-Pakistan- Afghanistan friendly ties to ensure regional security -
president

Wednesday in a meeting with Pak Foreign Minister that strengthening
friendly ties among Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan would ensure
regional
peace and security.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is on his 23rd provincial visit in
this northwestern provincial capital, added in his meeting with
Khurshid
Ahmad Khan Kasuri at Kermanshah Governorate
Headquarters, "The regional countries have shared destinies and
interests, which is a good reason for maintaining friendly attitude
with
one another."
He added, "Some corrupt and opportunist groups try to foment tension,
promote insecurity, cultivate narcotics, smuggle them, and generally
speaking, create crises in the region in a bid to secure the interests
of the global arrogance and neo-colonialist powers." The president
reiterated, "The regional countries are faced with many shared threats
and hazards, that can be warded off through stronger consultations
among
their leaders and top officials." Focusing on Peace Pipeline,
Ahmadinejad said, "Construction of the natural gas pipeline from Iran,
through Pakistan, to India would not only lead to strengthening the
friendly ties among our three countries, but also to decrease tensions
in the entire region." He added, "The construction of the Peace
Pipeline
would for instance lead to lowering the lingering tensions between
India
and Pakistan, which is one of the reasons why Iran promotes reaching a
trilateral comprehensive agreement on the issue."
The IRI President considered the role of two great and influential
Islamic countries, Iran and Pakistan in regional, international, and
particularly Islamic World developments as "very significant".

He added, "In order to play such an important role most effectively we
need to have stronger interactions and maintain constant bilateral
talks."
Ahmadinejad said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is interested in
advancement and security of the Pak nation and is sure that our
Pakistani friends, too, would never permit the enemies to harm our two
countries excellent relations."
Pakistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, too, said at the meeting in the
presence of his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki that Islamabad
attaches great importance to good and strong relations with the Islamic
Republic of Iran."
Khurshid Ahmad Khan Kasuri emphasized that Pakistan is determined to
finalize the Peace Pipeline contract with Iran and India, adding,
"Pakistan would under no circumstances permit the other countries and
particularly the outsider powers to influence Tehran-Islamabad
relations."
He added, "Pakistan feels quite responsible for playing its positive
role in maintaining regional peace and stability." Pointing out his
affiliated government's opposition towards US invasion of Iraq and
sending no forces to that country despite repeated US requests, Kasuri
elaborated on Islamabad's stands towards latest regional developments,
particularly those related to Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.

He said, "The existence of a strong and united Afghanistan is to the
benefit of Pakistan and Islamabad supports securing Afghanistan's
territorial integrity and reconstruction movement."
The Pak FM further stressed, "Islamabad also favors strengthening
regional peace and security, particularly in all its neighboring
countries.

He added, "Pakistan is displeased with the presence of some extremist
terrorist groups that favor aggressive moves, foment instability,
promote poppy cultivation and narcotic drugs trafficking, particularly
in Afghanistan."
Kasuri said, "We consider such groups a threat against our national
security and Islamabad is ready for cooperation with Afghanistan for
countering them."
2329/1771

Pak rejects machinations that link terrorism to Islam: Aziz

http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?163738

Pak rejects machinations that link terrorism to Islam: Aziz

Thursday December 21, 2006 (0415 PST)

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Wednesday said Pakistan and
Bahrain are allies in confronting the specter of terrorism because it
is
a threat to all faiths and societies and we reject terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations.

"We also reject those machinations that link terrorism to Islam, a
faith
of peace and compassion. The need of the time is to bridge this
perilous
divide between Islam and the West through inter-faith harmony and
inter-civilizational understanding," he observed this while addressing
the Banquet he hosted in honor of Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad
Al-Khalifa and Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Forces.

The premier said it is also incumbent upon the international community
to address the root causes of terrorism, and facilitate just and
lasting
resolution of longstanding conflicts in the Muslim world, such as
Palestine and Kashmir. On the other hand, reformation of Muslim
societies through education and social reforms is also of paramount
importance.

In pursuit of these objectives, President Musharraf has advocated the
concept of "enlightened moderation" and we have called for grater unity
within the Muslim Ummah in order to meet the challenges that we face
today.

He went on to say that Pakistan attaches great importance to a secure
and stable Middle East. We believe that this cannot be achieved without
a just solution of the Palestinian issue. We urge the international
community to facilitate an early resolution of this festering conflict,
and to help improve the economic conditions in the Palestinian
territories.

The deteriorating security situation in Iraq is source of great concern
to us in Pakistan. It is our hope that the incumbent government of Iraq
would be able to unite all factions of the Iraqi society, and would
bring stability and security for the people of Iraq. The international
community has a common stake in the unity, national reconciliation and
territorial integrity of Iraq.

The prime minister said Pakistan strongly favours peace, security and
prosperity in the gulf region. We welcome the decisions of the GCC
summit held recently and will continue to work with our brothers in the
gulf countries for our mutual interests.

In our region, he said Pakistan remains committed to the process of
confidence building with our neighbor, India. Kashmir remains the core
dispute between the two countries and requires a solution based on the
wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. We firmly believe that
progress on all contentious issues, including Kashmir, must move in
tandem with the other efforts directed towards normalization of
relations between Pakistan and India.

On our Western borders, a strong and stable Afghanistan is of strategic
importance to us. We will continue to support initiatives aimed at
strengthening peace, harmony and development in Afghanistan. The
international community must also live up to its commitments to ensure
reconstruction, rehabilitation and development in Afghanistan. It must
also help in efforts to eradiate the drug menace in Afghanistan.

He also said that Pakistan is keen to further expand its fraternal
relations with Bahrain and raise them to a higher plane for the mutual
benefit of our two countries.

"We are cognizant of the enormous potential for greater bilateral
cooperation in areas such as trade, investments, joint business
ventures
defence, culture and education , among others," he observed.

He said: "I take this opportunity to express our admiration for the
far-reaching achievements of Bahrain in the fields of economy,
education
and tourism. This indeed is based on the vision for progress and
prosperity that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa has lad out
for Bahrain. His Majesty's sagacious leadership has made Bahrain an
open, enlightened and pluralistic country. We in Pakistan compliment
the
dedicated efforts being made in the Kingdom to empower women, promote
the welfare of youth and to create equal opportunities for all sections
of the society."

In Pakistan as well, our government has implemented board-based
multi-sectoral reforms that have repositioned and revitalized Pakistan
on the world stage.

Pakistan, he said is a strong and stable country endowed with rich
human
and material resources, with a population of 160 million people and a
growing middle class. Our strategic location at the confluence of three
vital regions of Asia enables us to play a pre-eminent role and
maintain
strong links with our Arab and Muslim brothers from West Asia to
Central
Asia. Our economic reforms over the past seven years have ensured an
average annual growth of 7% , which makes Pakistan one of the fastest
growing economies in Asia. As a result our per capita income has growth
while poverty levels have fallen. At the same time our exports have
risen along with an unprecedented increase in Foreign Direct
Investment.

Consequently, Pakistan's upward growth trajectory offers vast
opportunities for trade, investment and joint ventures between Pakistan
and Bahrain.

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