Convoy of Iranian fuel tankers targeted en route to Lebanon

 ⋯ “[Collapse will enable] Lebanon to somehow be rebuilt from the ashes, and freed from the curse of Hezbollah”, said US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, on 4 ⁠November.

In a similar strategy, the US is blocking the implementation of a joint Lebanese-Syrian-Jordanian energy project, although it had been proposed by the US to counter last year's plan by Hezbollah to import Iranian fuel.

A Lebanon-bound convoy of Iranian fuel tankers has come under attack on the Iraqi-Syrian border despite holding official and legal permits.

According to reports, two tankers were targeted by an “Israeli drone” after eight of them passed from Iraq’s al-Qa’im border.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Report: The US and Mikati ‘fooled’ Lebanon into thinking Iranian fuel would be permitted. (The Cradle (https://thecradle.co/Article/news/18027))

Informed sources told Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar that the US has no plans to grant Lebanon sanctions-waivers to import Iranian fuel for its power plants, even if the Iranian fuel is gifted as humanitarian aid.

PM-designate Najib Mikati was allegedly aware of Washington’s true intentions, but decided to play along and “fool the Lebanese ministry of energy and Iranian officials”.

On 26 ⁠September, Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad disclosed a plan (https://t.me/LebUpdate/27546) to power around 8-10 hours of daily electricity with 600,000 tons of fuel gifted by Iran.

CIA Planted Nuclear ‘Evidence’ In Iran

False evidence planted by the CIA in Iran in an effort to sabotage peace talks 15 years ago has been exposed in a judicial hearing after an ex-CIA agent, Jeffrey Sterling, leaked classified information. 

The leaked documents which expose the CIA planting nuclear evidence in Iran now bring into question the conclusions reached by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran’s atomic program.

The intelligence in question pertains to fake designs of atomic components that were transferred to Iran in February 2000.

Now it turns out the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could be forced to reassess their earlier conclusions regarding Iran’s atomic program, the publication quoted two anonymous Western diplomats as saying. Part of the IAEA’s suspicions about the alleged Iran’s nuclear weapons program relies on information provided by multiple intelligence agencies.

“This story suggests a possibility that hostile intelligence agencies could decide to plant a ‘smoking gun’ in Iran for the IAEA to find,” Peter Jenkins, the UK’s former envoy to the Vienna-based agency told Bloomberg. “That looks like a big problem.”

In the latest quarterly report, the atomic watchdog said that the team of experts is still concerned about Iran’s nuclear intentions, prompting an immediate reaction from Israel.

“The agency remains concerned about the possible existence in Iran of undisclosed nuclear-related activities involving military-related organizations, including activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile,” it reads.

Whether or not the revealed CIA secret will change this assessment remains to be seen, but Tehran has always insisted that its atomic energy program is peaceful.

“This revelation highlights the dangers of reliance by the IAEA upon evidence concerning Iran provided to it by third party states whose political agendas are antithetical to Iran,” Dan Joyner, a law professor at the University of Alabama told Bloomberg.

In response to the news, the IAEA told the publication that it conducts thorough assessments of the information it receives and uses. The CIA has so far failed to comment.

- See more at: http://yournewswire.com/cia-planted-nuclear-evidence-in-iran/#sthash.xkb7LTjN.dpuf

The Ukrainian Pendulum

The American soldiers are “military advisors”, ostensibly members of Blackwater private army (renamed Academi); a few hundred of them patrol Kiev while others try to suppress the revolt in Donetsk. Officially, they were invited by the new West-installed regime. They are the spearhead of the US invasion attempting to prop up the regime and break down all resistance. They have already bloodied their hands in Donetsk.

Besides, the Pentagon has doubled the number of US fighter jets on a NATO air patrol mission in the Baltics; the US air carrier entered the Black Sea, some US Marines reportedly landed in Lvov “as a part of pre-planned manoeuvres”.

The Russian soldiers ostensibly belong to the Russian Fleet, legally stationed in Crimea. They were in Crimea before the coup, in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian treaty (like the US 5^th fleet in Kuwait), but their presence was probably beefed up. Additional Russian troops were invited in by deposed but legitimately elected President Yanukovych (compare this with the US landing on Haiti in support of the deposed President Aristide ). They help the local pro-Russian militia maintain order, and no one gets killed in the process. In addition, Russia brought its troops on alert and returned a few warships to the Black Sea.

from ICH more here 

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement on Israel.

AIPAC Is Losing Influence Over U.S. Foreign Policy

Published on 5 Mar 2014 | Phyllis Bennis: The failure of the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group to force congress to vote for intervention into Syria or for additional sanctions on Iran representing a significant decline in its influence.

Ukraine : Another case - 'overthrown' of a legitimate Government?

"His opponents not only betrayed a democratic principle. They subverted a ‘Peace Deal’ signed between them and Yanukovich on 21 February 2014 in which the latter had agreed to form a national unity government within 10 days that would include opposition representatives; reinstate the 2004 Constitution; relinquish control over Ukraine’s security services; and hold presidential and parliamentary elections by December 2014. According to the Deal, endorsed by Germany, France and Poland, Yanukovich would remain president until the elections."

"What really matters to the elites in the US, Britain and other Western countries is not democracy but the perpetuation of their hegemonic power. Hegemony, not democracy, has always been their object of worship."

Published on 3 Mar 2014 | Investigative journalist Robert Parry talks about Russia's move to invade Ukraine's Crimean peninusla and the role of the US and the west in fomenting crisis there.

Assad: no peace unless rebels lose support

Published on 30 Oct 2013 | Syria's President says that peace talks to end the civil war in his country will only succeed if foreign powers stop supporting the opposition. Bashar al Assad made the comments during a visit with the UN special envoy, Lakdhar Brahimi. Diplomatic Editor James Bays reports.

Hezbollah 'deeply rooted in Lebanese society'

Published on 22 Jul 2013 | EU foreign ministers have agreed to list the military wing of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

It will now become illegal for Hezbollah sympathisers in Europe to send the group money or for European diplomats to meet its militant staff.

The BBC's Jim Muir spoke to people in Beirut who told him that Hezbollah was "everything to us... It is not a terrorist organisation".

He also suggested that Hezbollah would dismiss the EU move as politically motivated, given the group's controversial involvement in the war in Syria.

BBC REPORT READ HERE >>

Iran and Armenia Find Solidarity in Isolation.

Published on 12 Mar 2013 : While the West seeks to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear program, landlocked Armenia seeks to build relations with its neighbor without violating international sanctions.

Iran, Pakistan press pipeline despite US sanctions threat

Published on 11 Mar 2013 : Iranian and Pakistani leaders inaugurated the construction of a much-delayed section of a $7.5 billion gas pipeline linking the two neighbours Monday, defying the threat of US sanctions.

Blackwater new landlord in Afghanistan

Published on Dec 5, 2012 by RussiaToday : US Special Operations forces have found a new landlord in Afghanistan - and a rather unusual one. They've made home in a facility operated by the 'Academi' mercenary group, formerly known as the notorious Blackwater, following a non-bid deal. Such deals are usually vice versa - as former Bush administration official Michael O'Brien puts it, now it's the tail wagging the dog.

WHY? WEST RELUCTANCE TO ATTACK IRAN:

The Islamic Republic of Iran has two types of armed forces: the regular forces Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), totaling about 545,000 active troops.

Iran also has around 350,000 Reserve Force totaling around 900,000 trained troops.Iran has a paramilitary, volunteer militia force within the IRGC, called the Basij, which includes about 90,000 full-time, active-duty uniformed members. Up to 11 million men and women are members of the Basij who could potentially be called up for service; GlobalSecurity.org estimates Iran could mobilize "up to one million men".

This would be among the largest troop mobilizations in the world.In 2007, Iran's military spending represented 2.6% of the GDP or $102 per capita, the lowest figure of the Persian Gulf nations.Iran's military doctrine is based on deterrence.

Since the Iranian Revolution, to overcome foreign embargo, Iran has developed its own military industry, produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, guided missiles, submarines, military vessels, guided missile destroyer, radar systems, helicopters and fighter planes. In recent years, official announcements have highlighted the development of weapons such as the Hoot, Kowsar, Zelzal, Fateh-110, Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles, and a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Fajr-3 (MIRV) is currently Iran's most advanced ballistic missile, it is a liquid fuel missile with an undisclosed range which was developed and produced domestically.

The testimony was ridiculous?

Rally Calls for Release of "Holy Land Five"

Published on Oct 28, 2012 by TheRealNews : Michael Ratner : Government incarceration of five leaders of a Muslim foundation that supported Palestinians is an affront to human rights.

Iran begins stockpiling 3-month food supply

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian news agency is reporting the country has begun to stockpile a three-month supply of foodstuffs for its population.

The Friday report by semi-official Mehr quotes deputy industry minister Hasan Radmard as saying the country has been buying wheat, cooking oil, sugar and rice for the food reserve.

Radmard said the decision came based on a decree by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in recent weeks. Part of the purchased foodstuffs has already been imported, he added.

Iran's trade with other countries has been hindered since the United States and the European Union imposed a banking and insurance embargo on Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

The West suspects Iran is pursuing nuclear weapon, a charge Iran denies.

Original report | 27 July 2012

Modus Operandi?

With millions of IDPs and thousands crossing borders... soon NATO may be bombing Syria out of their 'humanitarian Crisis'!

Published on Jul 25, 2012 by enqilab : Today a start of a round of humanitarian crisis news in Syria. View original from VoA : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXMr-Flog5A.

Arabs signature is typical there - create a problem then throw money telling the world - then the Arabs left without any concrete solutions  & forget the whole episode & issue,  - then throw some money again when there are noises to entertain.

If it's in Malaysia the Pak Arab complaining about, his provided for refugee accommodation, will be told off "bersyukur"!

Aljazeera, Alarabiya play as Hollywood soundstage in Syria: Webster Tarpley

Published on Jul 19, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : A bomb explosion at the National Security headquarters in the capital Damascus claims the life of Syrian defense minister General Daoud Rajha and brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, General Assef Shawkat, as well as a senior security official. The blast also injured the interior minister: That is the latest in Syria's situation as violence plagues the capital.

Iran plans to sell oil via consortium, Evade Ban

Iran has reached agreements with European refiners to sell some of its oil through a private consortium, an official said on Saturday, a move designed to circumvent sanctions intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt its disputed nuclear programme.

The head of the oil products exporters' union said the agreement between the exporters' union, Iran's central bank, and the oil ministry would get round a European Union ban on shipping insurance for tankers carrying Iranian oil, though he gave few details and did not name the refiners involved.

The EU put into effect a ban on the importation, purchase, or shipping of Iranian oil on July 1, and the Islamic Republic will see its oil exports fall by more than 50 percent this month from last year's regular levels, costing it billions of dollars a month in revenue.

"There have been discussions with European refiners, and a final agreement has even been reached," said Hassan Khosrojerdi, the exporters' union head, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency.

"In accordance with the agreement, it is planned that 20 percent of Iran's oil exports will go through this private consortium."

He added: "It is likely that because of international restrictions, we will give minor privileges or discounts to some of the buyers of our oil."

Khosrojerdi did not say which refiners were involved or how they would receive the oil. Asked what steps had been taken to circumvent the shipping insurance ban, he said only "With the agreement with some of the European refiners, this problem has been solved completely."

Iran's oil ministry authorised the private export of Iranian oil in May, the Iranian Student News Agency reported at the time.

Historically, Iran's National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) was solely responsible for the sale and marketing of Iran's crude.

Before the EU embargo, Iran sold about one fifth of its crude to Europe. EU sanctions targeting insurance have severely disrupted Iran's oil sales to Asia as well, and Japan, one of Iran's top buyers, will import no Iranian crude in July.

original report : July 9, 2010

One-sided Syria war media biggest barrier to peace

Shades of Blood: Published on Jun 18, 2012 by RussiaToday The UN has demanded women, children, the elderly and injured to be evacuated from Syrian combat zones following the suspension of its observer mission. Heavy fighting continues in towns across Syria with scores of people being killed in clashes between the opposition and government troops.

On Sunday, activists say regime forces tried to root out rebels from urban areas by heavy shelling in the central city of Homs. They also say that, in the town of Douma, just outside the capital Damascus, rebels opened fire on a bus of soldiers killing eight.

The U.S. is now consulting its allies on what to do about the escalation of violence, but has acknowledged a Libya-style intervention to topple the Assad government would be difficult.

GI's Go home!

Published on Jun 11, 2012 by aston79suara : don't disturb others, assist your own occupy movement at home.

America's latest 'bailout'?

Published on Jun 8, 2012 by hjmanan : Back to wild west! Cash rewards offered 'dead' or 'alive' for alShabab heads.

Google following CIA’s path in confronting Iran

By Kourosh Ziabari

To Iranians, Persian Gulf is not simply a name referring to a geographical region on the world map. To Iranians, the name of Persian Gulf is interwoven with a sense of national dignity and honor which makes them a united and powerful troupe against the relentless attacks of the enemy. The name of Persian Gulf resembles a feeling of pride and decorum for them which cannot be replaced by any other gift or reward. It reminds them of the impressive days when the flag of ancient Persian Empire honorably fluttered and waved in the sky and there was no other competitor to supersede this mighty empire.

Of course Iranians’ attachment to Persian Gulf and the cultural heritage which it carries does not emanate from blind nationalistic sentiments. Iranians know well that today, they are the representative of a greater, broader union that is the Islamic Ummah. They know that it’s with the blessing of Islam that they can still take pride on being an unrivaled superpower in such a tumultuous and restless region as the Middle East. However, Iranians are extremely sensitive about those vicious, brutal powers who intend to undermine their national honor and solidarity by encroaching on their national belongings, including the Persian Gulf.

Aside from the naughty attempts by some Arab nations in the region for distorting the name of Persian Gulf, the American web giant Google has recently fueled an anti-Iranian campaign by removing the name of Persian Gulf from its online maps and Google Earth plans. No Google official was ready to give comments on this questionable move, and Iranians are still wondering what motives have caused the American company to take such a thoughtless action.

Albeit if we take a look at the documents and evidence which point to the fact that Google is in actuality a CIA subsidiary that takes orders from the White House and operates under the guise of a technology firm while serving the long-run interests of a circle of American policymakers, it will be no surprise that by removing the name of Persian Gulf from its maps, Google intends to contribute to the anti-Iranian agenda of the United States and Israel which are vehemently underway these days.

In a 2006 interview with “Alex Jones show,” Robert David Steele, a 20-year Marine Corps infantry and intelligence officer and a former clandestine services case officer with CIA said that he had credible information attesting to the fact that Google was assisted and funded by CIA. “Google took money from the CIA when it was poor and it was starting up and unfortunately our system right now floods money into spying and other illegal and largely unethical activities, and it doesn’t fund what I call the open source world,” said Steele, citing “trusted individuals” as his sources for the claim.

“Let me say very explicitly – their contact at the CIA is named Dr. Rick Steinheiser, he’s in the Office of Research and Development,” said Steele.

full report :