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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1632916/posts
Iran to require oil payments in euros [While you were away,...]
United Press International ^ | 15MAY06 | United Press International
Posted on 05/16/2006 3:09:54 AM PDT by familyop
TEHRAN, May 15 (UPI) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Friday that in July Iran will abandon dollar payments for its oil and natural gas exports in favor of euros.
The move comes amid a standoff between Tehran and Washington over Iran's nuclear fuel enrichment program. The Bush administration insists the program is cover for a nuclear weapons program, a charge that Iran denies.
All current international oil transactions on the New York Mercantile Exchange and London's International Petroleum Exchange are priced in dollars.
Middleeastforex.com reported May 13 that Ahmadinejad announced the change Friday during a visit to Baku, Azerbaijan.
Many political observers see the decision as an attempt to pressure Washington, which is attempting to line up other U.N. Security Council members to act against Iran for its nuclear policies.
Iran has also proposed establishing a euro-based Iranian oil bourse to compete with NYMEX and the IPE. The proposal was first put forward in the beginning of the Third Development Plan (2000-2005), and began to receive serious attention in 2005.
Some observers speculate that the Iranian switch to euros could negatively affect the dollar, as many central banks from oil importing nations could choose to stock up their currency reserves with euros rather than dollars.
ON THE NET...
http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html
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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06050072.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
Monday, May 15, 2006
Student’s death in Germany sparks protests in Pakistan
By Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special Correspondent for ASSIST News Service in Pakistan
RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- The death of a Pakistani student in a cell in Germany early on Wednesday, May 10, sparked protests in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday, May 12.
The student, Aamir Cheema, who was pursuing higher education in Germany, had been arrested by German police on March 20 for allegedly trying to hurt the editor of a German newspaper that published the cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad.
Cheema, who was pursuing higher education in Germany, was arrested by the German police on March 20 while attending a rally organized to protest the printing of caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
A report on the Pakistani Geo TV said the student's father Nazir Cheema, received a phone call on May 11 from the Pakistan Foreign Office about his son's death on Thursday.
Other reports in Germany said that justice officials had said that a 28-year-old man identified only as Aamir C. was found dead in a cell early Wednesday and that he appeared to have hanged himself with his clothing.
The Friday protest call in Pakistan was given by a six-party religious alliance called Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). The MMA leaders reportedly demanded of the Pakistani government to help bring the German police officials to justice who they allege of torturing Cheema to death.
According to an Urdu Daily Jang, the protest demonstration started from Jamiah Masjid Khulfa-a-Rashideen (mosque) G-9/2. The protesters, it said, were carrying placards and banners with slogans against Pakistani government’s disinterest in making efforts to bring the dead body of Aamir Cheema from Germany to Pakistan inscribed on them.
MMA parliamentarian Mian Muhammad Aslam and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam leader Maulana Nazir Farouqi and others addressed the enraged protesters.
A protest demonstration was also staged in front of Madrassah Dar-ul-aloom Taleemul Quran (Muslim religious school) in Rawalpindi.
The daily Jang reported that the speakers called for snapping of diplomatic ties with Germany. The speakers were further quoted as saying by the Urdu daily that the Pakistani rulers were working for the interests of the US.
“An attack on Iran would be considered as an attack on Pakistan”, the newspaper quoted the speakers as saying.
Another religious organization, Shabab-e-Milli staged protest demonstration in Rawalpindi against the decision of bringing the dead body of Aamir Cheema to Lahore instead of Rawalpindi.
Leaders of the religious parties in Pakistan allege that Aamir Cheema was tortured to death by German police officials. German ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Gunter Mulack dispelled the impression that torture was inflicted on the Pakistani student. According to Daily Jang report the German ambassador while addressing a press conference on Friday, May 12 said that a high level investigation into the death of Aamir Cheema revealed that there was no mark of torture on his body.
The Jang quoted the ambassador as saying that Cheema was kept in a lock up and not in jail and he was waiting for his trial to begin.
Thousands of people attended the funeral of Aamir Cheema on Saturday, May 13 which was performed in the deceased native village, Sarroki Cheema in district Gujranwala.
The mourners were reportedly holding placards and banners with anti-government and anti-Germany slogans inscribed on them.
The religious parties say they may now hijack the issue to promote their agenda as people of Pakistan are going to polls in 2007.
The writer is a freelance journalist based in Pakistan
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.