US never allows Syria decide its fate: Lawrence Davidson

Published on Jul 17, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Tensions rise between the US and Russia over the Syrian crisis as Washington renews its call for regime change in Damascus, despite Moscow's assertions against any foreign interference.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed his opposition to foreign interference in Syria's internal affairs, highlighting that the West has been trying to blackmail Moscow into accepting a military intervention in Syria. Moscow says any potential change in the Syrian power structure must be achieved through negotiation.

The Security Council is debating a new resolution on Syria, occasioned by the expected expiration on July 20 of the mandate for the UN observer mission.Damascus blames "outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups" for the violence, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Lawrence Davidson, professor at West Chester University, to further discuss the issue.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Superspy's Confession on MI6 Black Ops in Iran

Global Research, July 16, 2012 | Preposterously bizarre as it might seem, the head of MI6 foreign intelligence agency John Sawers made a rare appearance before Britain’s civil servants in London on Friday and warned that the Iranians are “determinedly going down a path to master all aspects of nuclear weapons; all the technologies they need,” and that they will by 2014 acquire a nuclear bomb.

The superspy’s confession to MI6 covert operations in Iran comes at a time when a few weeks earlier, a book claims that the nuclear assassinations in Iran were orchestrated and carried out by Mossad agents.

There is a Persian fictional character innocently known as Uncle Napoleon in Persian literature who readily discerns the hand of Britain behind any social or political chicanery which takes place in Iran. An initial evaluation of such an attitude might strike one as somewhat illogical or even ludicrous but when you scrutinize all the available evidence with a critical eye, you will concur that Uncle Napoleon enjoys a bittersweet sense of the true nature of the British government.

Back to Sir John Sawyers, one cannot help smiling with some considerable degree of amusement especially when one sees how he boasts that the MI6 men prevented Tehran from developing nuclear weapons earlier and that without intervention, Iran may have gone nuclear as early as 2008.
 

Britain’s black ops in Iran range from carrying out assassination attempts to sabotaging and staging coup d'état.

Perhaps the first instance of MI6 black ops in Iran dates back to the early fifties when MI6 spymaster Colonel Monty Woodhouse was serving in the spy agency. In that capacity, he engineered the notorious Operation Boot with the intention of overthrowing the government of Mohammad Mossadegh, the Iranian politician who had a penchant for nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in favor of restoring the British-friendly Shah of Iran to his throne in 1953. Monty Woodhouse personally flew guns into Iran from Baghdad aboard an RAF aircraft. He then “bought Iranian rials for sovereigns and - at a secret rendezvous in the Tehran suburbs - handed the cash to one of two mysterious Iranian brothers to help finance plans for the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh.” In fact, the government of Mossadegh was overthrown through an inauspicious liaison of MI6 and CIA.

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Pakistanis stage sit-in to protest US supply routes

Published on Jul 16, 2012 by PressTVGlobalNews : Thousands of Pakistanis have again protested Islamabad's decision to reopen supply routes for US-led forces in Afghanistan. They staged sit-in on the supply route to press the government to reverse its decision.

The protest which was organized by the country's largest Islamic party, Jamat-e-Islami, in metropolis Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

The protesters also strongly denounced US assassination drone attacks in Pakistan. Thousands of innocent civilians have been killed in these attacks.

Clinton and Morsi meet in Cairo

AJE reported on Hillary Clinton in Cairo? Is the last words on this voice of 'the US state dept.', US official stance?

Published on Jul 14, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, has re-affirmed support for Egypt's democratic transition after holding talks with the nation's newly-elected president, Mohamed Morsi.

The top American diplomat said that her country's "shared strategic interests far outnumber our differences" with Egypt.

Camps or deportation for Burma's Rohingyas, says president

A Rohingya woman from Burma, who tried to cross the Naf river into Bangladesh to escape sectarian violence, cries while holding her six-day-old baby in a Bangladeshi coast guard station, before being sent back to Burma. 

Burma's president has told the UN that refugee camps or deportation is the solution for nearly a million Rohingya Muslims in the wake of communal unrest in the west of the country.

President Thein Sein said Burma would send the Rohingyas away "if any third country would accept them".

"We will take responsibility for our ethnic people but it is impossible to accept the illegally entered Rohingyas, who are not our ethnicity," he told UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.

Decades of discrimination have left the Rohingya stateless, with army-dominated Burma implementing restrictions on their movements, and withholding land rights, education and public services, the UN says.

Unwanted in Burma and Bangladesh -- where an estimated 300,000 live -- Rohingya migrants have undertaken dangerous voyages by boat towards Malaysia or Thailand in recent years.

According to UNHCR, around one million Rohingya are now thought to live outside Burma but they have not been welcomed by a third country.

Bangladesh has turned back Rohingya boats arriving on its shores since the outbreak of the unrest.

Ten aid organisation staff, including some from the UN, were detained in Rakhine in the wake of the recent unrest, according to a situation bulletin by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs last week.

Although security forces have quelled the worst of the unrest, tens of thousands of people remain in government-run relief camps with the UN's World Food Program reporting that it has provided food to some 100,000 people.

Both sides have accused each other of violent attacks, which were sparked following the rape and murder of a local Buddhist woman and subsequent revenge attack by a mob of ethnic Rakhines that left 10 Muslims dead on June 3.

A state of emergency is still in force over several areas.

Original from ABC |  13 July 2012

Power Struggle in Egypt Pins Muslim Brotherhood Against Military.

Published on Jul 11, 2012 by TheRealNews : Egypt's newly elected President Mohammed Morsi and the ruling military junta fight for power through country's highest courts.

Egypt court rules against parliament recall

Published on Jul 10, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Egypt's Constitutional court has just issued a ruling to stop the president reinstating the dissolved parliament.

On Tuesday Mohamed Morsi made a Presidential decree which allowed the parliament to reconvene but the courts have now ruled that no further parliamentary sessions can be held.

Pakistan needs a regime change?

NATO routes & civilian killings :

Published on Jul 9, 2012 by enqilab : NATO land routes reopened but had not rectified new foreign policy terms, rewrite terms engagement with the US including cessation of drones attacks.

'US, UK warmongering to spark WWIII'

Published on Jul 7, 2012 by presstvmobile ;

Kidon secret assassination unit.

Published on Jul 8, 2012 by presstvmobile : World mum on Israel threatening peace

Pakistanis stage anti-US protest

after reopening of US-led forces supply routes :
Published on Jul 6, 2012 by presstvmobile:



Pakistanis disappointed in their govt.Published on Jul 8, 2012 by presstvmobile :

Missing Iranian diplomats' case ...

remains unsolved after 3 decades

Published on Jul 8, 2012 by presstvmobile:

McCain visit to Lebanon

Published on Jul 6, 2012 by presstvmobile : Hezbollah calls McCain visit 'US intervention'

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

Annan: Iran must be involved in efforts to solve Syria crisis.

Kofi Annan (pic), the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, who proposed a plan to end the crisis in, acknowledges that he has "failed" and called to involve Iran in the discussions to end the crisis. He made these comments in an interview to Le Monde.

"This crisis has been ongoing for 16 months, but I started being involved three months ago. Significant efforts have been made to try to resolve this situation peacefully and politically. Clearly, we have not succeeded. And perhaps there is no guarantee that we will succeed, "Annan conveyed. "But have we considered alternatives? Do we have other options on the table? The UN Security Council said that this mission was not indefinite in time, as my own role. "

Annan mentioned the observer mission in Syria (Misnus), deployed in mid-April, with nearly 300 unarmed members in several cities in Syria, and a hundred civilian experts. Its patrols were suspended in mid-June because of the continued fighting. "It is sometimes argued that the unarmed observers have failed to stop the violence. But it was never their role! They came to Syria to check if the parties implement their commitments to cease hostilities. "

The former UN Secretary General spoke about the importance of Russia, who has so far blocked any international action against Bashar al-Assad, while stressing the need of involving Iran in the discussions. "Russia has influence but I'm not sure that the events will be determined by Russia alone. Iran is an actor. It should be part of the solution. It has influence and we can not ignore it, "stressed Mr. Annan.

So far, the Americans and Europeans have opposed that Iran, an ally of Damascus, will be invited to the recent Geneva conference, particularly because of the nuclear conflict.

Original news | July 8th, 2012

ACT NOW! LAST CHANCE TO STOP THE EXTRADITION OF BABAR AHMAD

Original post :

'Israel sent me to poison Arafat,' says Palestinian prisoner

Video released by Lebanese media apparently shows Palestinian prisoner in Ketziot prison saying he was recruited by Israeli security forces to infiltrate Yasser Arafat's compound in 2004 and put poison in his food • Israeli expert denies allegations that Arafat died from polonium poisoning.

Daniel Siryoti and Reuters

A Palestinian prisoner says Israel sent him to poison the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in his Ramallah compound in 2004.  |  Photo credit: Moshe Shai

Recent speculation that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned to death continued over the weekend when Lebanese television released a video apparently showing a Palestinian prisoner in Israel confessing that he was recruited by Israeli security forces to poison Arafat.

In the video released Friday, which appears to have been filmed in 2006, a Palestinian prisoner in the Ketziot prison is seen "interrogating" another Palestinian inmate who confesses that he was sent by Israel to kill the late Palestinian leader.

West clings to Arab influence with airstrike democracy - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin (RIA Novosti / Mikhail Klimentyev)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the West for clinging to its influence in the Arab world under the guise of “humanitarian operations.” He dubbed western involvement in Arab affairs as the export of “rocket and bomb democracy.”

At a meeting with top Russian diplomats Putin said that certain countries will do anything to retain the influence they have become accustomed to in the Arab world.

He stressed that western nations often adopt a one-sided policy in Arab affairs that violates international law.

“We must do everything in our power to coerce the opposing forces in the Syrian conflict into coming to a peaceful solution,” underlined the Russian President.

Citing the importance of an active dialogue in Syria, he said “this is, of course, a more complicated and delicate task than just barreling in with military intervention.”

Putin added that only a diplomatic solution could lead to long-term peace and stability in the region.

Russia opposes any resolution to the Syrian conflict that stipulates the removal of President Assad, maintaining the political future of the nation is the prerogative of the Syrian people.

At a summit of UN countries in Geneva last week, diplomats agreed on the adoption of UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan’s new plan for a unified transition government in Syria.

The plan states that the unity government should include elements of the opposition, but exclude political figures that put the stability of Syria in jeopardy.

Russia agrees with the plan, although Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claims some western nations have distorted the wording of the plan to push for Assad’s forced removal.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claims the document specifically calls for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

original report : 9 July 2012 

Another US warship arrives in Persian Gulf to join Fifth Fleet

USS Enterprise (CVN-65) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (file photo)

The US navy has added another warship to its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, in an attempt to bolster America’s military presence in the Persian Gulf. 

 The USS Ponce - previously slated for decommissioning - arrived at the base on Thursday, a fleet spokesman in Manama said, Reuters reported. “Ponce's primary mission is to support mine countermeasures operations and other missions, such as the ability to provide repair service to other deployed units," added the spokesman, whose name was not mentioned in the report. 

 This is the fifth US navy ship that has joined the US base in Bahrain since late June. The other four mine countermeasures (MCM) ships arrived at the Fifth Fleet on June 23 to be deployed for a seven-month period in an area of operations, including the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. 

 Washington has been weighing various alternatives to boost its military presence in the Middle East, particularly across the Persian Gulf. A US Senate report indicates that the United States has now nearly 15,000 troops in three bases across Kuwait - three times the average number of American forces in the Middle Eastern country before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. 

 According to the report, having the military bases throughout the region is a "lily pad" model to allow for a rapid deployment of military forces. The American forces have also been stationed in Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Original news : 8 Jul 2012 

Egyptian President Mursi reverses parliament dissolution.

Egypt's President Mohammed Mursi has ordered parliament to reconvene, a month after it was dissolved.

Mr Mursi, whose Muslim Brotherhood won most seats, said the chamber should reconvene until a new election is held.

The military had enforced a court order last month dissolving parliament because party members had contested seats reserved for independents.

The military council held emergency talks on Mr Mursi's decree but did not decide on any action, officials said.

The council, known as the Scaf, said it would hold another urgent meeting.

The Scaf took over the reins of power last year, after the revolution that ended strongman Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

MILF push negotiations

Published on Jul 7, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish : Thousands of supporters and fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, pushing for autonomy in the south, have gathered to discuss the waning prospects for peace with the central government. Ibrahim Murad, the movement's chairman, says he is willing to offer concessions but will not give up the right to self government, a demand that would require a constitutional amendment the government is not willing to make. But Murda says the next leadership of the MILF may not be as willing to compromise as he has over the past three years of negotiations.