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bountyofbeads · 4 years

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Cries of ‘Revenge Is Coming’ at Funerals for Slain Commanders in Iraq https://nyti.ms/35ph602

According to the Washington Post: "Trump was also motivated to act by what he felt was negative coverage after his 2019 decision to call off the airstrike after Iran downed the U.S. surveillance drone, officials said. Trump was also frustrated that the details of his internal deliberations had leaked out and felt he looked weak, the officials said."

Cries of ‘Revenge Is Coming’ at Funerals for Slain Commanders in Iraq

Tens of thousands mourned the killing of a major Iraqi official and a top Iranian general by a U.S. drone strike, as the Middle East braced for Iran’s response.

By Alissa J. Rubin, Ben Hubbard and Falih Hassan | Published Jan. 4, 2020 Updated 8:02 a.m. ET | New York Times | Posted January 4, 2020 |

BAGHDAD — As Iraq held joint funeral services on Saturday for two revered military leaders killed in an American drone strike near the Baghdad airport this past week, tens of thousands of pro-Iranian fighters marched down the streets of Baghdad, waving flags and chanting, “Revenge is coming” to the United States.

The surprise killing on Friday of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force and one of the most powerful figures in the region, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi-Iranian deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, the armed groups that are part of the Iraqi security forces, sent shock waves across the Middle East.

It also raised fears that the shadow war that had been building in the region between the United States and Iran could suddenly escalate into a major conflict.

General Suleimani, 62, was the architect of Iran’s network of ties with militant groups across the region, including in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

The extent of that network added to uncertainty about how Iran might respond to his killing. Tehran could do so from any of those places by targeting United States forces, or their allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia or other countries in the Persian Gulf.

But even as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised “forceful revenge” for the killing of General Suleimani, experts said it remained unclear whether Iran would make good on its threats. They noted that the country had to balance its need to show resolve against a staunch enemy and its reluctance to thrust itself into a full-scale war with the United States, a much stronger power.

The funerals were held against a backdrop of extreme regional tension as Iran and the United States signaled they could be on the brink of a potentially catastrophic war. Since the killing of General Suleimani and Mr. al-Muhandis, neither side has made another move — although both have made threats.

At the joint funerals, as close to a state ceremony as any since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a key pillar of Iran’s regional reach was on display in Baghdad. The mobilization fighters, faces somber and almost all dressed in black, carried a vast array of flags representing their different groups.

They chanted: “The blood of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis will not be spilled in vain. Revenge is coming.”

Precisely what kind of revenge was planned was not clear. But without giving details, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted on Saturday by the Tasnim news agency as saying that Iran would punish Americans wherever they are within reach of the Islamic Republic in retaliation for the killing of General Suleimani.

Gen. Gholamali Abuhamzeh, the commander of the Guards in the southern province of Kerman, raised the prospect of possible attacks on ships in the Gulf.

Iran reserved the right to take revenge against the United States for the death of Soleimani, he said in comments made late on Friday and reported on Saturday by Tasnim.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West, and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there,” he said. “Vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since long time ago, some 35 U.S. targets in the region as well as Tel Aviv are within our reach.”

The loss of Mr. al-Muhandis was a profound one for the Iraqi fighters who saw him not just as a militia leader close to Iran, but also as someone who had helped rally the armed groups when they first formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State. The extremists were then threatening to sweep from the north to Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.

Many proclaimed during his funeral: “Our men do not fear America; each man dies on his day. Your voice, Abu Mahdi, remains the loudest one.”

General Suleimani’s body will be taken to Najaf, Iraq, a prominent Shiite burial place, then flown to Mashhad, Iran, on Sunday for a funeral service. A large state service is expected in Tehran on Monday, and the general is expected to be buried in his hometown, Kerman, on Tuesday, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

Amid the tensions, the United States has called on its citizens to leave Iraq, shuttered its embassy in Baghdad, sent additional Marines and on Thursday deployed 700 members of the 82nd Airborne Division to the region.

After the strike, President Trump said the attack had been intended “to stop a war” and warned Iran that the United States military had already identified targets for further strikes “if Americans anywhere are threatened.”

Among those attending the funeral on Saturday were Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi of Iraq and a number of senior Shiite leaders, including Ammar al-Hakim; Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a former prime minister; Falih Al Fayad, the national security adviser; and Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of the Badr Organization, which is both a political party and has one of the largest and oldest militias.

Missing from the cortege were Qais al-Khazali, the leader of one of the most notorious pro-Iran militias in Iraq, Asaib al-Haq; and Hamid al-Jazaeri, who leads the Khorasani Brigades, a pro-Iran militia.

Mr. Abdul Mahdi looked visibly upset as he walked surrounded by security officers in a sea of militia fighters. As Iraq’s leader, he has been caught between Iran, its neighbor, and the United States as the two have ratcheted up their confrontations.

The latest conflict started with a rocket attack a week ago that killed an American contractor working at an Iraqi military base in the north of the country. That was followed by an American attack on five Popular Mobilization militia bases in western Iraq and Syria that killed more than 24 people and set in motion the events that led to a nearly two-day siege of the United States Embassy in Baghdad.

After the funerals on Saturday, some mourners tried to again enter the Green Zone, the seat of the Iraqi government and many embassies. But they were pushed back, in contrast to a violent attack on Tuesday, when pro-Iranian protesters pushed past guards and laid siege to the American Embassy, effectively imprisoning diplomats inside, burning and looting the reception area and climbing inside the compound.

In Iran, the news media flooded its broadcasts and front pages with coverage of General Suleimani’s death, and even news outlets perceived to be more moderate called for revenge.

When President Hassan Rouhani of Iran paid his condolences on Saturday during a visit to General Suleimani’s home, he, too, spoke of revenge — but with an open-ended timeline.

“The Americans did not realize what a great mistake they made,” Mr. Rouhani said. “They will see the effects of this criminal act, not only today, but for years to come.”

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Alissa J. Rubin and Falih Hassan reported from Baghdad, and Ben Hubbard from Beirut.

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At Baghdad funeral procession for Qasem Soleimani, calls for retaliation against the United States

By Mustafa Salim, Kareem Fahim and Louisa Loveluck | Published January 04 at 7:55 AM EST | Washington Post | Posted January 4, 2020 |

BAGHDAD — Amid calls for revenge, funeral processions were held early Saturday for Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a powerful Iraqi militia leader, who were killed by an American drone strike on the orders of President Trump.

Thousands of mourners joined the procession, waving Iraqi flags and the banners of the Iraqi paramilitary forces that are backed by Iran and known collectively as the Hashd al-Shaabi. As the mourners set out from the Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhimiyah, officials from Iraq and Iran, along with militia leaders, were seen making their way through the throngs flanked by burly guards.

Helicopters shadowed the crowds. “Death to America, death to Israel,” people chanted. “We will take our revenge!”

Iran has vowed to retaliate against the United States for the killing of Soleimani, Tehran’s most powerful military commander, and the Trump administration has said it is sending thousands of new troops to the Middle East. The looming confrontation has left the region bracing for an escalation of violence, and Iraq, caught between its allies in Tehran and Washington, fears the country will be at the center of the storm.

An Iranian commander quoted by the Tasnim News Agency on Saturday suggested that dozens of American facilities and military assets in the Middle East were at risk, along with Israel, a key U.S. ally.

“Thirty-five vital American positions in the region are within the reach of the Islamic Republic, and Tel Aviv,” the commander, Gholamali Abuhamzeh, was quoted as saying. “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital thoroughfare for the West, and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf,” he added.

A spokesman for the U.S.-led military coalition against the Islamic State said that “we have increased security and defensive measures at the Iraqi bases that host anti-ISIS coalition troops. Our command places protection of U.S. Forces, as well as our allies and security partners in the coalition, as the top priority; we remain vigilant and resolute.”

The Pentagon said Friday that it was preparing to deploy an additional 3,500 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region. According to two defense officials, the military also has put hundreds of soldiers from the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy on alert for potential deployment.

Trump told reporters Friday that the United States killed Soleimani in a bid to “stop a war.” The president, speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, urged Iran not to retaliate. “We did not take action to start a war,” he said.

The drone attack, early Friday local time, struck a two-car convoy on an access road near Baghdad International Airport and also killed several of Soleimani’s local allies. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi called the attack “an assassination” that was in “flagrant violation of the conditions authorizing the presence of U.S. troops” on Iraqi soil.

Soleimani joined Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a young man and took control of the Quds Force, its special operations wing, in the late 1990s. Under his command, the force built alliances across the region by paying for weapons and providing strategic guidance. Soleimani was regularly photographed on visits to affiliated militias in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, burnishing his reputation as a talismanic operator with influence across the Middle East.

The U.S. strike killed some of the Quds Force’s key allies, including Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, a powerful Iraqi militia leader better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy leader of the Hashd al-Shaabi militias. Ibrahimi is being buried in the sacred Shiite city of Najaf later on Saturday, officials said, and Soleimani’s body was scheduled to be flown back to Iran for burial there.

The funeral procession on Friday was “an opportunity,” said a young militiaman wearing a camouflage hat, interviewed on local Iraqi television. “The resistance is united, against the enemies of Islam, and the enemies of humanity,” he said, singling out the United States.

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Loveluck reported from Beirut and Fahim from Istanbul.

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Thousands in Baghdad mourn Iranian general killed by US

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and SARAH EL Deeb | Published January 4, 2020 8:30 AM ET | AP | Posted Jan 4, 2020 |

BAGHDAD (AP) — Thousands of mourners chanting “America is the Great Satan” marched in a funeral procession Saturday through Baghdad for Iran's top general and Iraqi militant leaders, who were killed in a U.S. airstrike.

Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in an airstrike early Friday near the Iraqi capital's international airport. The attack has caused regional tensions to soar.

Iran has vowed harsh retaliation, raising fears of an all-out war. U.S. President Donald Trump says he ordered the strike to prevent a conflict. His administration says Soleimani was plotting a series of attacks that endangered American troops and officials, without providing evidence.

An official with the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said it has scaled back operations and boosted “security and defensive measures” at bases hosting coalition forces in the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity according to regulations.

Washington has dispatched another 3,000 troops to neighboring Kuwait.

Soleimani was the architect of Iran's regional policy of mobilizing militias across Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, including in the war against the Islamic State group. He was also blamed for attacks on U.S. troops and American allies going back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The mourners, mostly men in black military fatigues, carried Iraqi flags and the flags of Iran-backed militias that are fiercely loyal to Soleimani. They were also mourning Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a senior Iraqi militia commander who was killed in the same strike.

The procession began at the Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad, one of the most revered sites in Shiite Islam. Mourners marched in the streets alongside militia vehicles in a solemn procession.

The mourners, many of them in tears, chanted: "No, No, America," and “Death to America, death to Israel.” Mohammed Fadl, a mourner dressed in black, said the funeral is an expression of loyalty to the slain leaders. “It is a painful strike, but it will not shake us,” he said.

Two helicopters hovered over the procession, which was attended by Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and leaders of Iran-backed militias. The procession later made its way to the Shiite holy city of Karbala, in central Iraq.

The gates to Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses government offices and foreign embassies, including the U.S. Embassy, were closed.

Iraq, which is closely allied with both Washington and Tehran, condemned the airstrike that killed Soleimani and called it an attack on its national sovereignty. Parliament is to meet for an emergency session on Sunday, and the government has come under mounting pressure to expel the 5,200 American troops based in the country, who are there to help prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.

The U.S. has ordered all citizens to leave Iraq and closed its embassy in Baghdad, where Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters staged two days of violent protests earlier this week in which they breached the compound.

Britain and France also warned their citizens to avoid or strictly limit travel in Iraq.

No one was hurt in the embassy protests, which came in response to U.S. airstrikes that killed 25 Iran-backed militiamen in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. said the strikes were in response to a rocket attack that killed a U.S. contractor in northern Iraq, which Washington blamed on the militias.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have steadily intensified since Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and restore crippling sanctions.

The administration's “maximum pressure” campaign has led Iran to openly abandon commitments under the deal. The U.S. has also blamed Iran for a wave of increasingly provocative attacks in the region, including the sabotage of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure in September that temporarily halved its production.

Iran denied involvement in those attacks, but admitted to shooting down a U.S. surveillance drone in June that it said had strayed into its airspace.

On Saturday, billboards appeared on major streets in Iran showing Soleimani and carrying the warning from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that “harsh revenge” awaits the US.

Iranian state television also aired images of a ceremony honoring Soleimani at a mosque in the Shiite holy city of Qom, where a red flag was unfurled above the minarets. Red flags in Shiite tradition symbolize both blood spilled unjustly and serve as a call to avenge a person who is slain.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Soleimani’s home in Tehran to express his condolences.

“The Americans did not realize what a great mistake they made,” Rouhani said. “They will see the effects of this criminal act, not only today but for years to come.”

On the streets of Tehran, many said they mourned Soleimani and some demanded revenge.

“I don’t think there will be a war, but we must get his revenge,” said Hojjat Sanieefar. America “can’t hit and run anymore," he added.

Another man, who only identified himself as Amir, was worried.

“If there is a war, I am 100% sure it will not be to our betterment. The situation will certainly get worse,” he said.

Global powers had warned Friday that the killing of Soleimani could spark a dangerous new escalation, with many calling for restraint.

Iran’s state TV reported that Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, made an unplanned trip to Iran where he met with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The Qatari diplomat was also set to meet with Rouhani.

Qatar hosts American forces at the Al-Udeid Air Base and shares a massive offshore oil and gas field with Tehran. It has often served as a regional mediator.

Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs, took to Twitter to reiterate the kingdom's call for "self-restraint" to avoid “unbearable consequences.”

Another Saudi official confirmed to The Associated Press that the U.S. did not give a heads-up to Saudi Arabia or its other Gulf allies before carrying out the strike that killed Soleimani. The official was not authorized to discuss security matters and so spoke on condition of anonymity.

Italy's Foreign Minister meanwhile condemned the strike that killed Soleimani, in a rare criticism of the U.S. strike from a Western ally.

In a Facebook post, Luigi Di Maio said the use of violence threatens to bring "destabilization and devastating humanitarian and migratory effects.”

Italy has long been one of Iran’s biggest trading partners in the European Union, and it has more than 800 regular soldiers and some 80 special forces in Iraq.

Illustrating Soleimani's regional reach, Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, including the territory’s Hamas rulers, opened a mourning site for the slain general and dozens gathered to burn American and Israeli flags.

Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas official, said the killing of Soleimani was “a loss for Palestine and the resistance.” Iran has long provided aid to the armed wing of Hamas and to the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group.

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El Deeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem, Jon Gambrell and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, Zeina Karam in Beirut and Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip contributed.

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Tens of thousands march in Baghdad to mourn Soleimani, others killed in U.S. air strike

By Ahmed Aboulenein, Maha El Dahan | Published January 4, 2020, 12:45 AM | Reuters | Posted January 4, 2020 |

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people marched in Baghdad on Saturday to mourn Iran’s military chief Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, killed in a U.S. air strike that has raised the specter of wider conflict in the Middle East.

By ordering Friday’s air strike on the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s foreign legions, President Donald Trump has taken Washington and its allies, mainly Saudi Arabia and Israel, into uncharted territory in its confrontation with Iran and its proxy militias across the region.

Gholamali Abuhamzeh, a senior commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, said Tehran would punish Americans “wherever they are in reach”, and raised the prospect of possible attacks on ships in the Gulf.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens to leave Iraq following the strike at Baghdad airport that killed Soleimani. Dozens of American employees of foreign oil companies left the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Friday.

Close U.S. ally Britain warned its nationals on Saturday to avoid all travel to Iraq, outside the autonomous Kurdistan region, and to avoid all but essential travel to Iran.

Soleimani, a 62-year-old general, was Tehran’s pre-eminent military commander and - as head of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards - the architect of Iran’s spreading influence in the Middle East.

Muhandis was the deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella body of paramilitary groups.

An elaborate, PMF-organized procession carrying the bodies of Soleimani, Muhandis and other Iraqis killed in the U.S. strike took place in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

Mourners included many militiamen in uniform for whom Muhandis and Soleimani were heroes. They waved Iraqi and militia flags. They also carried portraits of both men and plastered them on walls and armored personnel carriers in the procession, and chanted, “No No Israel” and “No No America”.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Iraqi militia commander Hadi al-Amiri, a close Iran ally and the top candidate to succeed Muhandis, attended.

Mourners later brought the bodies by car to the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala south of Baghdad. The procession was to end in Najaf, another sacred Shi’ite city where Muhandis and the other Iraqis will be laid to rest.

Soleimani’s body will be transferred on Saturday to the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan that borders Iraq. On Sunday it will be taken to the Shi’ite holy city of Mashhad in Iran’s northeast and from there to Tehran and his hometown Kerman in the southeast for burial on Tuesday, state media said.

Trump said on Friday Soleimani had been plotting what he called imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel. Democratic critics of the Republican president said Trump’s order was reckless and that he had raised the risk of more violence in a dangerous region.

The U.S. strike followed a sharp increase in U.S.-Iranian hostilities in Iraq since last week when pro-Iranian militia attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad following a deadly U.S. air raid on the Kataib Hezbollah militia, founded by Muhandis.

‘VITAL AMERICAN TARGETS’

On Friday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed harsh vengeance against the “criminals” who killed Soleimani and said his death would intensify the Islamic Republic’s resistance to the United States and Israel.

Abuhamzeh, the Revolutionary Guards commander in Kerman province, mentioned a series of possible targets for reprisals including the Gulf waterway through which a significant proportion of shipborne oil is exported to global markets.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there,” Abuhamzeh was quoted as saying on Friday evening by the semi-official news agency Tasnim.

“Vital American targets in the region have long since been identified by Iran...Some 35 U.S. targets in the region as well as Tel Aviv are within our reach,” he said, referring to Israel’s largest city.

A senior figure in Lebanon’s heavily armed Hezbollah movement said retaliation by the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” to Soleimani’s killing would be decisive, al-Mayadeen TV reported on Saturday.

Mohamed Raad, leader of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc in Lebanon, was referring to a swathe of Iranian-aligned militias from Lebanon to Yemen that have bolstered Tehran’s military clout across the Middle East.

‘REVENGE ON THE MURDERERS’

Many Iraqis condemned the U.S. attack, regarding Soleimani as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State militant group that had seized wide swathes of north and central Iraq in 2014.

“The broad participation in this procession proves the public’s condemnation of America and its allies for their human rights abuses while claiming to fight terrorism,” said one of the marchers, Ali al-Khatib.

“It is necessary to take revenge on the murderers. The martyrs got the prize they wanted - the prize of martyrdom.”

Many Iraqis also voiced fear of being engulfed in a major U.S.-Iranian conflict, and of militia reprisals against those involved in months of street protests against the Iranian-backed Baghdad government over alleged misrule and corruption.

They said that Soleimani and Muhandis had backed the use of force against unarmed anti-government protesters last year and established militias that demonstrators blame for many of Iraq’s social and economic woes.

Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Maha El Dahan; Additional reporting by Kate Holton in London, Parisa Hafezi in Dubai and Nadine Awadallah in Beirut; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Frances Kerry

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jordanianroyals · 5 years

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24 September 2019: US cable TV news network MSNBC, owned by NBCUniversal, broadcast an interview with King Abdullah II on Monday.

In the interview, conducted by NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, King Abdullah stressed that the two-state solution is the only means of ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, warning that a one-state solution means an apartheid future for Israel, which would be catastrophic. His Majesty touched on a number of regional issues, stressing Jordan’s support for Saudi Arabia following the recent attacks on Aramco's oil facilities. The King reaffirmed the distinguished Jordanian-Saudi relations, highlighting that the security of Saudi Arabia is of the utmost importance to Jordan. (Source: Petra) Following is the transcript of the broadcast interview.

Andrea Mitchell: This morning, I sat exclusively with Jordan’s King Abdullah, about the escalating [US] conflict [with Iran] and the stalemate over Middle East peace between Israel and the Palestinians. King Abdullah II: We have had our issues and challenges with Iran. And again for us, you know, the attacks on Saudi Arabia is of tremendous importance to Jordan. We have an outstanding relationship with the Saudis. We are committed to their defense. Having said that, I think many of us over the past six months, if not more, have been trying to caution escalation and calm things down. And relatively that's happened across the summer. Obviously the attack on Aramco has upped the ante. And this is a very important week in New York, where I think all of us are trying to figure out how to step away from the brink of war. Mitchell: The Wall Street Journal had a report that it's not that clear to many experts that it was Iran. Do you think it absolutely was Iran that launched these attacks? King Abdullah II: The reports that I've gotten, the type of weaponry, drones and missiles that were used, definitely a state actor, maybe using non-state actors is probably the politest way of saying it. Mitchell: Proxies. King Abdullah II: So, I think we all believe that we know who the culprit is. Why did it get to this level, and now can we calm things down and walk away from stupidity, I guess is the way to describe it. Andrea Mitchell: Do you think diplomacy is still possible? And should the president of the United States meet with President Rouhani if that could be worked out? King Abdullah II: Well, again, if you're going to meet, you want to meet to be able to achieve something. So, you know, the president would be in a far better position than any of us to decide whether or not that's a valid way of going. I've always believed, as His late Majesty, King Hussein did, that diplomacy, dialogue, reaching out to the other is the only way to go. Because what is the alternative? The alternative is violence. And we've all learned the hard way in our part of the world that wars are really easy to get into and almost impossible to get out of. Mitchell: The U.S. has a maximum pressure campaign and recently sanctioned only days ago the Central Bank of Iran. How does Iran now react, when it is being squeezed with the toughest sanctions on any country in the world right now? King Abdullah II: So, again I think one has to be careful, that when you push somebody in a corner where they have nothing else to lose, that creates its own set of problems. But I think maybe if I take a step back, I always try to explain the challenges of Iran is that they tend to gives themselves an A plus for foreign policy, i.e. their ability to affect issues in Iraq and Syria, Lebanon through Hezbollah, Yemen, but kind of give themselves a C minus for internal diplomacy. We know that they haven't been able to meet salaries for most of the citizens. I think people are very frustrated inside that country. But any country faced with an external challenge is going to rally around the flag. So, again I think we have to be smart on what is the aim and what is the strategy that we can all agree with, as part of the coalition forces, to make sure that Iran take a step back and we can calm tensions in the Gulf. Mitchell: There was an independent Pentagon report last month that said that ISIS is resurging in Iraq and Syria since the US withdrawal of most of our troops. And that even though there's no ISIS territory or caliphate, it is now operating virtually and raising the ISIS flag in Al Hol; this is a direct threat to you and— King Abdullah II: Well, I think from a security border point of view, we’ve fought ISIS on two of our borders, Syria and Iraq, for a while. I don't see it's—we're not worried about that. But you're absolutely right that ISIS, especially in to get technical, the Syrian campaign over the past year pushing them out of Syria into the southern Euphrates, they were being pushed into western Iraq. And this is one of the reasons why Jordan and Egypt have reached out to the Iraqis for better coordination. We've got to keep in mind that as we're dealing with the Syrian regime, and there was a major game-changer today where I think, we're moving to more constitutional issues to get Syria moved into the right direction. We’ve got to remember that there's still two stories in Syria: how do we deal with the regime, and how do we move society on? But the war against terror not only in Syria but into western Iraq. Due to maybe concentration on the peace process, we've seen it in the south the vacuum that's been created there because coalition forces are no longer engaged. There has been a resurgence of ISIS. We are all aware of this. We are coordinating with each other. But I think we still need to do a little bit more and for the next six months, if we don't keep our eye on the ball in western Iraq and Syria, then we're just actually giving the narrative and the ability for ISIS to re-establish itself. Mitchell: We've had so far no result from the Israeli election. And it could be they have another, a third election if they can't form a government. Is this a critical moment where the two-state solution is, some fear, all but dead because of both U.S. and Israeli policies. The Palestinians have been shut out of the process. Jerusalem is now the capital-no longer a negotiating point for a final solution. So, where do we stand now given how supportive the U.S. has been of Netanyahu's policies and how this has shut out the Palestinians from any role in diplomacy? King Abdullah II: I really don't think, but again it's up to the Israelis whether they'll go for another round of elections. I think the president of Israel has a tremendous task of seeing which government he can ask to be formed. And the second that happens and I think all of us, and I'm saying all of us members of our region, but the international community, will all jump onboard to say: can we focus back to what most of us believe the only solution is the two-state solution? If it's a one-state solution, as you alluded to, then we are talking about an apartheid future for Israel, which I think would be a catastrophe to all of us. So we're standing by in the wings, seeing how we can help. And we just have to see what happens in the next couple of weeks. Mitchell: When you hear talk of Israel annexing the West Bank, what is your reaction? King Abdullah II: Well again, I do take a pinch of salt in electioneering. But a statement like that does not help at all because what you do is then hand over the narrative to the worst people in our neighborhood. And we that want peace, want to be able to move forward, tend to be more isolated. If the policy is to annex the West Bank, then that is going to have a major impact on the Israeli-Jordanian relationship, and also on the Egyptian-Israeli relationship because we are the two only Arab countries that have peace with Israel. But if there's a box that's being ticked on a certain government getting everything that it wants, without giving anything in return, what is the future? Where are we going to go unless we can get Israelis and Palestinians to come together, to live together, to be sort of the message for the future? And at the moment, that's at jeopardy. So if we're talking about an apartheid Israel, with a law that's different for Jews and different for Christians and Muslims, that’s going to continue to add fuel to disruption in the Middle East. And it sort of—the mind boggles when that statement came up. Mitchell: Speaking of crises, the burden on Jordan, on the Kingdom of the refugees from Syria and other refugees, the burden on your economy, and the continuing, of 700,000 Syrians alone refugees in your country is extraordinary. King Abdullah II: It's tough. It's the equivalent of 60 million Canadians just coming across the border in a period of two or three years. Our second biggest city at the height of the refugee crisis was the size of Chicago, and that was the refugee camp. We have gotten 63% of what we need to look after just the Syrian refugees, and this year only about 6%. So the problem is, there's been a tremendous strain on the economy of Jordan and on the Jordanian people. I think we did the right thing because these were people that were escaping violence and hatred. But it's been immensely tough. We're working with the IMF and the World Bank to slowly bring Jordan back into some breathing space and try to create growth. But it's been an immense challenge for us to be able to do that. Mitchell: King Abdullah is going to be addressing the United Nations this week as he continues to push for diplomacy rather than a military option toward Iran.

#King Abdullah II #interview

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newstfionline · 5 years

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Mexican Police Protest Against Joining New National Guard (Reuters) Officers of the Mexican federal police protested on Wednesday against the newly created National Guard, saying their superiors had threatened firings if they did not join the security force, in which they face pay cuts and loss of seniority benefits.

Central American officials avoid focus on immigration (AP) From the steps of his church in this Guatemalan border town, the Rev. Fernando Cuevas has watched the flow of migrants evolve from massive caravans that filled the nearby plaza to small groups of families arriving by bus to scramble aboard rafts waiting to carry them to Mexico. What hasn’t changed is the Guatemalan government’s attitude toward migrants. In Tecun Uman recently, there was no sign of authorities even making a show of trying to dissuade people from crossing into Mexico illegally aboard rafts. “Having no immigration policy is also a policy,” Cuevas said. “There are too many conflicts of interest to stop migration.” A major reason for their silence: The countries of the so-called Northern Triangle rely heavily on the money their citizens send home from abroad. In Honduras, remittances totaled more than $4.8 billion last year--more than 20% of gross domestic product, according to its Central Bank. In Guatemala it was more than $9 billion, and in El Salvador some $5.5 billion.

Honduran Fishing Boat Sinks; 27 Dead, 9 Missing, 55 Rescued (AP) A fishing vessel sank during bad weather Wednesday in the Caribbean off Honduras’ northern coast, and at least 27 fishermen were known dead, the Central American country’s military said. Nine people remained missing and 55 others had been rescued.

Thousands marvel as total eclipse darkens Chile, Argentina (AP) Tens of thousands of tourists and locals gaped skyward Tuesday as a total eclipse of the sun darkened the heavens over Chile and Argentina. Tourists from around the world gathered to witness the cosmic spectacle, which began in the morning as the moon crossed in front of the sun and cast a shadow that passed over a tiny uninhabited atoll in the South Pacific and headed to South America. Chile and Argentina were the only inhabited places where the total eclipse could be seen.

Argentine Soccer Giant River Opens Stadium to Homeless as Winter Bites (Reuters) Argentine soccer club River Plate opened the doors of its Monumental stadium on Wednesday to give shelter to people living on the streets, as temperatures fell during the Southern Hemisphere winter and a biting economic recession exacerbates poverty in the South American country.

Captain who defied Italy and brought rescued migrants to port is released from house arrest (Washington Post) Over the weekend, the captain of a humanitarian rescue vessel defied Italian orders, docked at a port with 40 migrants aboard, and was swiftly placed under house arrest. But her detention lasted for three days. On Tuesday, a judge in Sicily pushed back against Italy’s hard-line response to the case, lifting Carola Rackete’s house-arrest orders and indicating that she saw no grounds for the charges. Rackete, Judge Alessandra Vella wrote, had been “saving shipwrecked individuals at sea” and “fulfilling a duty.” Rackete, who has become an emblem of resistance against Europe’s closed-door stance toward migrants, still faces legal jeopardy, and she will be questioned next week in a separate inquiry into whether she aided illegal immigration, according to Italian news outlets. But Vella’s ruling dealt a blow to the Italian government’s broader effort to limit migration by punishing rescuers who bring their boats to shore against orders.

Volcano erupts on Italian island of Stromboli, kills one person (Reuters) A volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupted on Wednesday, releasing hot trapped magma in a powerful explosion, killing one person and enveloping the popular tourist destination in ash, witnesses and local officials said.

Erdogan Says a U.S. Refusal to Give F-35s to Turkey Would Be ‘Robbery’ (Reuters) A refusal by the United States to hand over to Turkey the F-35 fighters jets which it has bought would be “robbery”, media reports on Thursday cited President Tayyip Erdogan as saying in a dispute over Ankara’s purchase of Russian air defences.

As Rahul Gandhi resigns, India’s founding dynasty nears an end (Washington Post) Rahul Gandhi announced his resignation as president of India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, in a move that could mark the end of the country’s most storied political dynasty. In May, the Congress party, as it is better known, suffered a humiliating defeat when voters delivered a landslide reelection victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. Gandhi’s resignation leaves a void at the top of his party and epitomizes the broader disarray of India’s opposition, which has no leader who can match Modi in stature and popularity.

Putin Says Ready to Step Up Dialogue With U.S Over Disarmament: Paper (Reuters) Russia is ready to step up dialogue with the United States over disarmament and strategic stability, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that he discussed these issues with his American counterpart Donald Trump in Japan.

Tornado Hits Northeast China as More ‘Extreme’ Weather Strikes (Reuters) A tornado swept through the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning on Wednesday, killing six and injuring 190, the state broadcaster said, amid a series of “extreme” weather events that government forecasters have linked to climate change.

Australian Student Missing in North Korea Released From Detention (Reuters) An Australian student who went missing in North Korea has been released from detention and has safely left the country, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

Heavy Rain in South Japan Causes Floods, Mudslides, Blackout (AP) Heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides in southern Japan on Thursday, injuring four people, damaging dozens of homes and leaving hundreds of others without power.

US, Taliban Scramble to Rewrite Draft on Troop Withdrawal (AP) Taliban and U.S. negotiators are scrambling to rewrite a draft agreement that will outline the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan and a verifiable Taliban guarantee to fight terrorism ahead of an all-Afghan peace conference Sunday.

Iran warns it will take the ‘next step,’ increase uranium enrichment Sunday (Washington Post) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country would increase uranium enrichment to whatever level was needed beyond the cap set by the nuclear agreement unless its European partners provide some relief from U.S. sanctions.

Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein: The Dubai royal ‘hiding in London’ (BBC) Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, a wife of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, has left her husband--a highly unusual move for a senior royal in the UAE. The princess is now said to be hiding in a townhouse in central London. Sources told the BBC she was in fear for her life as she prepared for a court battle with her husband. Princess Haya was his sixth and “junior” wife. He reportedly has 23 children by his different wives.

#headlines

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e-o-t-w · 2 years

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Eyes on the world #17

Freddo, pioggia, neve. Ma chi vi porta a uscire con questo tempo? Casa, copertina, Netflix e…news dal mondo!

Come ogni domenica mattina, vediamo insieme cosa ci ha riservato questa splendida (mica tanto…) settimana. Iniziamo! 👇

🇮🇷 È ancora Teheran il teatro di un omicidio che potrebbe alterare lo scacchiere internazionale, soprattutto in campo nucleare. Nella capitale dell’#Iran, è morto venerdì #MohsenFakhrizadeh, uno dei principali scienziati iraniani ad occuparsi di questo campo. È rimasto gravemente ferito durante un attacco armato mentre si trovava a bordo di un’auto ed è deceduto in ospedale poco dopo. Le informazioni raccolte a livello internazionale sono molto frammentate e non è chiaro se nell’agguato siano rimaste ferite (o uccise) altre persone. L’Iran ha subito puntato il dito contro #Israele, principale avversario in Medio Oriente e ritenuto spesso responsabile di attacchi al programma nucleare iraniano. Il premier israeliano Benjamin Netanyahu è da sempre convinto che l’Iran non abbia abbandonato questi progetti (a differenza di quanto dichiarato ormai quasi vent’anni fa), e tutti ritenevano Fakhrizadeh un uomo chiave nella loro gestione. L’Agenzia internazionale per l’energia atomica ha spesso provato ad interrogarlo, ma senza risultati, e già dal 2007 la CIA riteneva il suo incarico come insegnante all’università Imam Hussein di Teheran una copertura. In seguito alla sua morte, ci sono state diverse proteste fuori dalle sedi governative di Teheran per chiedere vendetta e, secondo le parole del presidente Rouhani, sembra proprio che la otterranno al momento opportuno. Secondo diversi osservatori, Israele avrebbe approfittato degli ultimi mesi di governo Trump per poter agire indisturbato e allontanare un nuovo accordo sul nucleare. Altri ritengono invece che l’Iran, essendo pesantemente indebolito dal Covid e da questi omicidi (non più tardi dello scorso gennaio fu ucciso il potente generale Suleimani), stia aspettando l’insediamento di Joe Biden per proporre un nuovo accordo.

🇺🇸 Iniziano a prendere forma i nuovi #StatiUniti. Il futuro presidente #JoeBiden ha annunciato le prime sei nomine della sua amministrazione, che prenderà il potere il 20 gennaio. Antony Blinken sarà il segretario di Stato, Alejandro Mayorkas segretario alla Sicurezza nazionale, Avril Haines direttrice dell’Intelligence, Linda Thomas-Greenfield ambasciatrice delle Nazioni Unite, Jake Sullivan consigliere sulla Sicurezza Nazionale e verrà eletto un “inviato speciale” per il clima (carica creata ad hoc, che andrà a John Kerry). Quest’ultimo è noto per essere stato il candidato democratico alla presidenza nel 2004 contro George Bush, ottenendo il 48,3% dei voti e 251 grandi elettori. Le nomine (tranne quelle di Kerry e Sullivan) dovranno essere confermate dal Senato, la cui maggioranza è ancora in gioco per via di due ballottaggi. Intanto #DonaldTrump – per la prima volta – ha preso in considerazione l’ipotesi di lasciare “pacificamente” la Casa Bianca in caso di certificazione del voto il 14 dicembre. Tuttavia, non si è ancora arreso nel definire truccate le elezioni. Le sue battaglie legali vengono costantemente rigettate per mancanza di prove o abbandonate. La transizione è comunque iniziata lo scorso lunedì, con il lasciapassare dato da Trump stesso al #GSA (General Services Administration, organo autonomo dal governo) dopo la certificazione della vittoria in Michigan di Biden. Questo adesso avrà accesso a fondi, strumenti e protezioni forniti al presidente che assumerà l’incarico, così come gli aggiornamenti quotidiani dell’Intelligence. Le pressioni per iniziare il passaggio sono arrivate anche da oltre 160 tra a.d. e manager di grosse aziende con sede a NY, attraverso una lettera aperta. Tra questi, il CEO della nota banca Goldman Sachs, gli ad di MasterCard, Visa e della casa editrice Condé Nast. Accettata la transizione, Trump non ha perso tempo per un altro colpo a effetto, concedendo la grazia all’ex consigliere per la sicurezza nazionale #MichaelFlynn. Aveva mentito all’FBI nel 2016 riguardo i suoi legami con l’ambasciatore russo; nel 2017 ha patteggiato uno sconto della pena per collaborare all’indagine sulle ingerenze russe alle elezioni del 2016.

🇫🇷 Periodo delicato in #Francia, dopo gli attentati degli ultimi mesi. La Camera bassa del parlamento ha approvato una proposta di legge con all’interno un articolo che condannerebbe chi dovesse diffondere immagini che dannose per l’integrità degli agenti di polizia. Manca ancora l’approvazione del Senato, ma piovono le critiche. In sostanza potrebbe essere più difficile per i giornali pubblicare eventuali azioni violente o illegali della polizia, dandole de facto maggiori poteri e libertà d’azione. Due episodi nel corso della settimana hanno tuttavia fatto tornare il focus sugli agenti francesi e le loro azioni. Lunedì scorso, in Place de la République (#Parigi) si erano accampati circa 400 migranti, quasi tutti afghani e provenienti dal campo di Saint-Denis sgomberato il 17 novembre. La polizia è intervenuta con estrema violenza, rimuovendo le tende con la forza e disperdendo la folla con lacrimogeni e granate assordanti. Parecchi video sono diventati virali e hanno fatto scattare l’allarme sul corpo di polizia, con il ministro dell’Interno Darmanin che ha chiesto chiarimenti al dirigente responsabile. Non è stata accettabile, secondo la prefettura di Parigi, la creazione di questo campo, dal momento che sono in funzione i centri opportuni. Tuttavia, dallo sgombero di Saint-Denis, dalle 500 alle 1.000 persone sono rimaste senza dimora. Nel frattempo, 3 poliziotti sono stati sospesi (e indagati) per aver picchiato un uomo di colore durante un tentativo di arresto. Stava rientrando nel suo studio di registrazione, ma era senza mascherina (obbligatoria in Francia). I tre gli si sono scagliati addosso e lo hanno trascinato dentro l’immobile (immortalati dalle telecamere di sicurezza), colpendolo con violenza. L’intervento di alcune persone ha costretto i 3 a tornare in strada, da dove hanno lanciato una granata di gas lacrimogeno. Con l’aiuto dei rinforzi hanno poi fatto nuovamente irruzione, incarcerando l’uomo per 48 ore e poi rilasciarlo senza accuse. Questo episodio, unito alla proposta di legge di cui abbiamo parlato, ha scatenato moltissime proteste nelle principali città francesi. Si parla di oltre 130 mila partecipanti, per lo più pacifici.

⚽ All’età di 60 anni, è morto #DiegoArmandoMaradona. Un arresto cardiorespiratorio è stato fatale per la leggenda del calcio lo scorso mercoledì, nella casa di Tigre (Buenos Aires). Parliamo di uno dei calciatori più famosi e talentuosi della storia, simbolo dell’#Argentina e del #Napoli degli anni Ottanta. Era solo il 3 novembre quando è stato operato per ridurre un ematoma subdurale in una clinica di La Plata. Nato il 30 ottobre 1960 a Villa Fiorito, nella periferia povera della capitale argentina, iniziò a farsi un nome nel mondo del calcio quando lo acquistò l’Argentinos Juniors. Nel 1981 fu il Boca Juniors a dargli un palcoscenico ancora più grande, e lui non tradì le aspettative. Solo un grave infortunio influenzò la sua prima esperienza europea, nel Barcellona allenato dal connazionale Cesar Menotti. Ma il talento era ormai noto a tutti, e dopo una trattativa estenuante il presidente del Napoli Corrado Ferlaino se lo assicurò per l’enorme cifra di 13 mld di lire. Nel capoluogo partenopeo passò 7 anni ricchi di vittorie, nonché i migliori della sua carriera. 2 scudetti, una coppa Italia e una Coppa UEFA il palmares con il club. Furono anni memorabili anche per la nazionale, con la Coppa del Mondo vinta da protagonista nell’86. Nella stessa partita (quarti di finale contro l’Inghilterra), mise a segno 2 dei suoi gol più indimenticabili nella storia: la celebre “#manodeDios” (contestatissimo gol di mano) e quello che per molti ancora è considerato il gol più bello nella storia del calcio (superando 5 giocatori avversari e depositando il pallone nella porta rimasta vuota). A Napoli ebbe però anche i primi problemi con la cocaina, che influenzarono la sua carriera (e la sua figura) per sempre. Nel 1991 fu squalificato dall’antidoping per un anno e mezzo, concludendo la sua carriera a Napoli. Dopo ci furono solo delle sporadiche esperienze tra Europa e Argentina, e una seconda squalifica durante i Mondiali di USA ’94. Affrontò lunghi guai giudiziari legati alla tossicodipendenza e, dopo aver recuperato in parte la forma, allenò l’Argentina ai Mondiali 2010. L’ultimo incarico della sua carriera è stato in patria, al Gimnasia La Plata.

🇲🇻 #Cina e #India stanno cercando di ottenere il favore delle #Maldive a colpi di finanziamenti e infrastrutture. 2 isole sono state collegate nel 2018 da un ponte lungo 2,1km finanziato da 200 mln dalla Cina. Ne misurerà 6,7 quello che l’India ha deciso di costruire ad agosto e ne collegherà 4. Il governo di Abdulla Yameen sembrava però più incline all’influenza cinese, viste anche le tendenze autoritarie del suo governo, e potrebbe essere un duro colpo per l’India, passando da lì rotte commerciali cruciali per loro. In quegli anni, la Cina ha portato avanti progetti ambiziosi per le Maldive, come l’espansione dell’aeroporto o la costruzione di 7.000 appartamenti sull’isola di Hulhumalé (il cui problema principale era la sovrappopolazione). Come spesso accade però, ha dovuto fare i conti con debiti enormi che sarebbero ricaduti sul governo delle isole, qualora le aziende non fossero riuscite ad adempiere. La Cina infatti ha finanziato le opere tramite prestiti di centinaia di milioni di dollari, ma con la linea di garanzia appena descritta. Si parla di miliardi di dollari di debiti. Nel 2018, Yameen fu sconfitto alle elezioni da #MohamedSolih, che ha riportato la politica estera delle Maldive in posizione filo-indiana e con l’ex presidente condannato a 5 anni per riciclaggio di denaro. Con il cambio di guardia, l’India ne ha approfittato per offrire il proprio aiuto al nuovo governo, promettendo oltre 2 miliardi di dollari di finanziamenti negli ultimi 2 anni e ricominciando a costruire infrastrutture (tra cui il ponte del quale parlavamo all’inizio). Questi prestiti saranno restituiti a condizioni più lievi, con interessi bassi e rate spalmate su 20 anni. Potevano mancare grandi interessi commerciali ed economici senza lo zampino degli USA? Ovviamente no. Lo scorso settembre, hanno firmato con le Maldive un accordo di difesa e Mike Pompeo è stato in visita a Malé anche per annunciare l’apertura ufficiale di un’ambasciata. Già nel 2013 i due paesi provarono a firmare un accordo simile, ma all’epoca si mise di mezzo l’India, contraria alla presenza militare americana. Stavolta le cose sembrano andate diversamente, anche a causa della maggiore influenza cinese.

🦠 All’inizio di questa settimana, l’Università di #Oxford e l’azienda farmaceutica britannica #AstraZeneca hanno annunciato l’efficacia del 70,4% del loro #vaccino contro il coronavirus. Qualche giorno dopo però sono stati sollevati diversi dubbi sul valore, dal momento che i 2 gruppi di sperimentazione hanno ottenuto risultati profondamente diversi tra loro a causa di un errore nel dosaggio. Nel primo caso (gruppo under 55, meno a rischio di sviluppare sintomi gravi) si è ottenuta un’efficacia del 90% con la somministrazione di mezza dose + una completa a distanza di un mese, mentre nel secondo caso il valore è sceso al 62% con 2 dosaggi completi. Proprio per questo, i dati preliminari forniti da AstraZeneca sono risultati più generici rispetto ai competitor BioNTech e Moderna, e ciò non ha convinto la comunità scientifica. Ancora è presto per sbilanciarsi. Incoraggia il fatto che il vaccino di Oxford sia più vantaggioso dal punto di vista logistico (può essere tenuto in un frigo classico per mesi), ma l’efficacia potrebbe essere minore.

È tutto per le big news, passiamo alle menzioni 👇

- In agitazione il governo di #Taiwan, dove fervono le proteste dopo l’annuncio di voler importare dagli USA carne di maiale con ractopamina (additivo messo nei mangimi che aumenta la massa magra nella carne). Questa sostanza è vietata in parecchi stati e il partito d’opposizione manifesta da settimane contro questa scelta, impedendo al premier Su Tseng-chang di parlare ogni qualvolta si trovi in Parlamento, occupando il podio. Cautelatosi con un cordone di sicurezza, non è riuscito a impedire lo scoppio di una rissa lo scorso venerdì, ricevendo anche un secchio di interiora addosso. La decisione è stata presa dal presidente Tsai Ing-wen per rafforzare i rapporti con gli Stati Uniti e l’indipendenza dalla Cina, entrambe osteggiate dall’opposizione.

- In #Turchia, oltre 400 persone sono state condannate al carcere (per molti a vita) per aver tentato un colpo di stato contro il presidente Erdogan nel 2016. Nella base aerea di Akinci vennero tenuti in ostaggio diversi militari e si cercò di prendere il controllo della capitale con uomini e mezzi. Nel tentativo, morirono più di 250 persone.

- L’attivista di Hong Kong più famoso al mondo, #JoshuaWong, è stato nuovamente arrestato lo scorso lunedì. Si è dichiarato colpevole di aver organizzato una manifestazione non autorizzata fuori dal quartier generale della polizia nell’ottobre 2019. Lo stesso Wong ha fatto sapere di poter subire una pena massima di 5 anni, poiché i fatti sono avvenuti prima dell’approvazione della discussa legge sulla “sicurezza nazionale”.

- Ad oltre 400mila persone è stato impedito di votare in #BurkinaFaso. La scorsa domenica ci sono state le elezioni per eleggere presidente e Parlamento, ma diversi seggi nel nord e nell’est del paese sono rimasti chiusi per evitare violenze di matrice jihadista contro la popolazione, divenute molto frequenti negli ultimi anni (2.000+ morti nel 2020). Ha vinto Roch Kaboré con oltre il 50% delle preferenze.

- Grosse proteste in #Guatemala, dove il palazzo del Parlamento è stato incendiato. I motivi delle manifestazioni sono vari: dalla recente legge di bilancio che favorirebbe le aziende legate al governo, ai tagli all’istruzione e alla sanità. Il tutto mentre ancora si contano i danni degli uragani Eta e Iota.

- Guitar Center è la catena di negozi di strumenti musicali più grande degli USA, ma ha da poco chiesto l’amministrazione straordinaria, che solitamente avviene in seguito a grossi indebitamenti. La pandemia, unita all’impatto dello shopping online di settore, ha complicato la situazione.

- Durerà 3 settimane la missione Chang’e 5, che ha l’obiettivo di portare la Cina sulla Luna, prelevare dai 2 ai 4 kg di rocce e rientrare sulla Terra. L’ultima volta fu l’URSS a trattare un progetto simile. I moduli spaziali lanciati in orbita sono 4, ma solo uno atterrerà sulla Luna e preleverà i campioni, per poi ricongiungersi con il resto della strumentazione rimasto in orbita intorno al satellite.

- È morto a 90 anni Beppe Modenese, pioniere della moda Made in Italy. Attorno a lui, si svilupparono figure come Armani, Ferrè e Versace. Nel 1984, lanciò anche Dolce&Gabbana.

- Il più grande gruppo editoriale americano, Penguin Random House, acquisirà un altro big dell’editoria USA (Simon&Schuster) per $2 mld. Per molti è a rischio la libera concorrenza.

- È scomparso da qualche ora un #monolite argentato, notato durante un volo in elicottero da alcuni membri del Dipartimento di pubblica sicurezza nello Utah (USA) nel deserto a sud-est dello stato. Era alto 3m circa. Diversi utenti su Reddit, grazie a Google Earth, avevano individuato la sua posizione esatta e la data di messa in posa (circa 4-5 anni fa), ritenendo si tratti di un’opera d’arte.

- Lo scorso martedì a Lugano, in Svizzera, una donna svizzera di 28 anni ha accoltellato e ferito 2 persone in un centro commerciale. Le autorità hanno evidenziato i suoi legami con il mondo jihadista, cosa per cui era nota all’intelligence svizzera e altre agenzie europee.

- La Scozia sarà il primo paese al mondo a fornire gli assorbenti gratis. Il “#PeriodProductBill” obbligherà le autorità locali a renderli disponibili a chiunque ne abbia bisogno.

- Sarà la volta buona? Nominato il nuovo commissario della sanità in Calabria, il quarto in poche settimane. Si tratta di Guido Longo, ex prefetto e questore.

- Sarà #MadsMikkelsen a sostituire Johnny Depp nel film “Animali Fantastici 3”, in seguito alle accuse di violenza rivoltegli dall’ex moglie Amber Heard.

- Da ieri, la Cina ha iniziato a imporre dazi sul vino australiano fino al 212% del suo valore, al fine di limitare le esportazioni a prezzi molto più bassi rispetto a quelli praticati nel mercato interno.

- Qualche tempo fa, avevamo parlato di #PurduePharma, un’azienda farmaceutica americana con un ruolo chiave nella diffusione della dipendenza da oppioidi. Si è dichiarata colpevole di aver ostacolato l’agenzia federale antidroga, oltre ad aver manipolato le prescrizioni di antidolorifici di medici compiacenti. La sanzione commutata con il Dipartimento di Giustizia ammonta a $8,2 mld.

- I partiti di maggioranza del governo tedesco hanno studiato un disegno di legge che obbligherà ad inserire almeno una donna nei cda delle aziende tedesche quotate in borsa.

- Il Piemonte ha avanzato una proposta di legge regionale che prevederebbe una tassazione maggiorata per grandi aziende di e-commerce, che starebbero “approfittando” della pandemia per guadagnare maggiormente per via delle restrizioni.

Alla prossima 👋

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cyanideginger · 2 years

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The forgotten massacre of Iran

Iran, the land of pistachios, saffron and one of the most hospitable Islamic regions in the world has a dark secret whose stain still haunts the authorities of Iran after more than three decades. Those were the days of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the final days of the subsequent Iran-Iraq War when the massacre happened.

It was 1979 when the Iranian Government was overthrown by the Islamic Revolutionaries and a Shiite known as Khomeini was made the supreme leader of the country. Iran was not a part of the Arab world but was a nascent state ruled by Islamic Fundamentalists led by “Ayatollah Khomeini”. As Iran was at the embryonic stage as a nation, Saddam Hussein launched an offensive against it in 1980. This was followed by eight long years of conflict until a cease-fire was mediated by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in August of 1988 through UN Resolution 598.

When the UNSC was pushing for a ceasefire between Iraq and Iran, in July 1988, the National Liberation Army (NLA), a faction under the affiliation of PMOI (People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran) launched an armed invasion into the western fronts of Iran. These armed incursions were efficiently repulsed by the Iranian Military and political prisoners were taken into detention. What followed next was a massive human rights violation in the West Asian Region.

These political prisoners were eliminated in two waves. At re-trials, the political prisoners were asked about their political affiliations. If they showed any affiliations towards PMOI, they were executed. On the other hand, they were inquired about their religious faith, if they showed any deviation they were executed as well. Human Rights organisations estimate the death toll to be 4,000-5,000 men and women including children, killed in the summer of 1988.

"Whoever at any stage continues to belong to the PMOI must be executed. Annihilate the enemies of Islam immediately!”-Ayatollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of Iran on July 1988.

No data on actual casualties of the massacre ever came to lights. Even today, the Iranian government denies their involvement in the massacre. The incident was neither mentioned nor investigated in these three decades. Bodies of the terminated prisoners were buried in mass graves without any epitaph or inscription. The mass graves can still be found in Khavaran Cemetery in Southern Iran. Authorities still persecute and harass the families of the victims by detaining as well as dispersing them on Commemoration Day held on the last Friday before September 1 in Khavaran Cemetery.

It is believed that some of the officials who were responsible for the prison massacre still holds some of the highest positions in the Iranian bureaucracy. The newly elected president of Iran which is one of the top bureaucratic positions in the country, Ebrahim Raisi (an ultra-conservative) is believed to have significant involvement in the massive political assassinations during this period. The former president of Iran, a moderate, Hassan Rouhani, was the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Iranian Army during the executions of 1988 and was a member of the Supreme Defence Council of Iran since 1982, hence was completely aware of the crime but did nothing to stop it.

Iran, a country with dual characteristics in the political structure having democracy on one hand and religious ideology on the other, still denies its involvement and tries to suppress it from international recognition. With the country struggling between strengthening democracy while giving primacy to a religious ideology, which in turn ruins democratic institutions, it is extremely important to see how long these conservatives can carry on with their hegemonic ambitions in the West Asian region. Even if they attain what they seek, it’ll be achieved on a stack of dead bodies which will haunt the regime for eternity and beyond.

#politics #crisis #geopolitics #irantravel #iran news #middle east #globalism #tumblr blog #new blog #blogger

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lollipoplollipopoh · 6 years

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🇮🇷Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeted in Ahvaz military parade l Al Jazeera English by Al Jazeera English At least 29 people have been killed and 53 wounded after unknown gunmen opened fire at a military parade in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, state television reported. The attack on Saturday came as the country marked the anniversary of the start of its 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and prompted President Hassan Rouhani to warn of a "crushing response". Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari reports. - Subscribe to our channel: https://ift.tt/291RaQr - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://ift.tt/1iHo6G4 - Check our website: https://ift.tt/2lOp4tL #aljazeeraenglish

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officeofspecialpoliticscounsel · 3 years

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🔴 NEWS: America,Israel & Tehran, Are We On Track To A Major Conflict After The Killings Of Two Iranian Terrorists Qassem Soleimani & Iranian Nuclear Scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

No Iranian reports have sought to answer ‘how’ or ‘why’ such a weapon could be used.

In the wake of the assassination of Iranian nuclear military scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, many reports have focused on the alleged weapon used to kill him. The BBC, CNN and other major media outlets have reported that a “remote-controlled machine gun” was used in the assassination.

The original source…

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opedguy · 3 years

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Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei Calls U.S “Enemies”

Iran’s 81-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei got what he wanted when 60-year-old former Chief of Iran’s Supreme Court Ibrahim Raisi won the June 19 election. No moderates or reformists were allowed to run, with most voters staying home, knowing election was rigged. Khamenei got a successor 65-year-old Gholam Hussein Mohseni-Ejei got shuffled to head Iran’s Supreme Court, in a clear Mullah power grab by Khaemei. While Raisi hasn’t yet been seated as Iran’s new president, it’s clear that Iran will no longer show flexibility needed to restart the July 15, 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JSPOA]. Former President Donald Trump, 75, cancelled the agreement May 8, 2018 negotiated by 59-year-old former President Barack Obama and his 77-year-old former Secretary of State John Kerry over a two-year period. Obama hailed the agreement as delaying Iran’s pursuit of an A-bomb.

Trump cancelled the JCOPA May 8, 2018 because Iran continued its proxy wars with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Watching Yemen’s Houthi rebels attack Saudi Arabia with drones and Cruise missiles, Trump had enough of Iran’s bravado, once Obama gave Iran billions of dollars and sanctions relief. After six rounds of indirect talks in Vienna, Iran suspended talks while they transition to a new government with Raisi taking over for 72-year-old former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Since third-party talks began in April, Khameni insisted that to re-instate the JCPOA Biden must remove all sanctions imposed by Trump. Biden’s been holding firm that Iran must be in full compliance with the JCPOA, limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment to 3.5%. Since ending the deal May 8, 2018, Khamenei has given the green light to ramp up uranium production to 60%, just below weapons grade fissile material.

Biased U.S. press reports all blame Trump for canceling the deal but, at the time, Iran was involved in intractable proxy wars with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Even today, as Biden looks to re-instate the JCPOA with the P5+1, including U.K, France, Germany, Russia and China, Biden holds onto the leverage given to him by Trump. Only the fake news media blames Trump for backing out of the deal. But Iran shows no signs of desisting with its proxy wars against Saudi Arabia, and certainly not Israel. All the press talks about is Trump abandoning a rotten deal that gave Iran the cash needed to go on the warpath in the Mideast and North Africa. “We’re in a transition period as a democratic transfer of power is underway in our capital. [Vienna talks] must thus obviously wait our new administration. This is what every democracy demands,” said Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister.

Whatever the communication with Iran, there are always excuses, this time about Iran’s “democracy.” Araghchi knows the election was rigged and no democracy exists under Iran’s brutal theocracy, where only one dictator, the Ayatollah Khameni, calls the shots. With Iran’s new conservative Mullah government, it’s doubtful that Khaemein or Raisi will make any concessions, especially on scaling back uranium production. “We also hope they don’t think they will get more that the previous government because they are tougher,” said an unnamed State Department official. “It’s not about being tougher, it’s about fully implementing the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal . . . “ said the anonymous official. Biden looks committed to Trump’s position of getting Iran back in compliance to the original JCPOA agreement by verifying that Iran no longer enriches uranium beyond the 3.5% limit.

When the Obama administration cut the deal with Iran, they were convinced that Iran was close to an A-bomb, something denied by Iran from the beginning. All the effort put into Pakistan-designed centrifuges attempted to stockpile enough fissile material to eventually build a bomb. No one in the West believed that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was about peaceful purposes, including power plants or medical isotopes. While the P5+1 provided a backdrop, they had almost nothing to do with the negotiations between Kerry and Iran’s 62-year-old Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. Zarif ran afoul with the Ayatollah when he was overheard April 26 criticizing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for having too much power in Iran’s government. Zarif hasn’t had much to say since, most likely will get replaced once Raisi gets sworn in Aug. 5 as Iran’s president of the parliament.

Khamenei has little good to say about the U.S. in the Vienna talks to re-instate the JCPOA. “Westerners do not help us, they hit whenever they can,” Khamenei said. “They don’t help, the are enemies,” Khamenei said, letting Biden know Iran’s official position. Whatever the prospects of returning to the 2015 Nuke Dealis anyone’s guess. What’s known for sure is that Iran’s has turned more conservative, if that’s possible “If it continues on this path, not only will it continue to delay when and agreement to lift sanctions can be reached, but it risks jeopardizing the very possibility of concluding the Vienna talks and restoring the JCPOA,” said French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes vo der Muhll. Whether the JCOPA is restored or not, Biden must deal with the fact that the agreement was never verified. U.N. weapons inspectors were never allowed in Iran’s secret military enrichment sites.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. Reply Reply All Forward

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politicoscope · 3 years

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Ebrahim Raisi Biography and Profile

New Post has been published on https://www.politicoscope.com/ebrahim-raisi-biography-and-profile/

Ebrahim Raisi Biography and Profile

Ebrahim Raisi was born on 14 December 1960, Mashhad. Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, an ultraconservative cleric who is frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Khamenei. He owes his prominence today to a campaign – seemingly being driven by the highest centers of power in Iran – that has aimed over the past six or so years to portray him as a humble, anti-corruption, and decisive figure.

In 2016, Khamenei appointed Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi as the custodian of Astan-e Qods-e Razavi, a multi-billion dollar religious conglomerate encompassing businesses and endowments that oversees the holy Shia shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, the home city of both Khamenei and Raisi. Raisi then ran for president in 2017, losing to Rouhani. But the pro-Raisi campaign did not end there.

In 2019, Khamenei appointed Raisi head of the judiciary, one of the most powerful positions within the Iranian establishment. Since then, state media has incessantly portrayed Raisi as an anti-corruption crusader.

Who is Ebrahim Raisi? Ebrahim Raeisi Biography

Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi was born in 1960 to a religious family. Raisi grew up in the northeastern city of Mashhad, an important religious centre for Shia Muslims where Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam, is buried. Raeisi claims a lineage tracing back to the prophet Muhammad, which enables him to wear a black turban.

Raisi was active in the 1979 revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah and continues to proclaim his fidelity to the “fundamental values” of Khamenei.

“The deep state is willing to go as far as undermining one of its pillars of legitimacy to ensure that Ayatollah Khamenei’s vision for the revolution’s future survives him when Raisi takes over the Supreme Leader’s mantle,” said Vaez.

Vaez was referring to the republican pillar of Iran’s dual system of clerical and republican rule. Critics say a hardline election body’s rejection of leading moderate and conservative hopefuls to enter the election race has cleared the way for tyranny, a charge Iranian authorities deny.

Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi is fiercely loyal to Iran’s ruling clerics, and has even been seen as a possible successor to Ayatollah Khamenei as the country’s supreme leader.

Ebrahim Raisi Career As A Prosecutor

After the 1979 Islamic revolution, a young Raisi joined the prosecutor’s office in Masjed Soleyman in southwestern Iran, and later became the prosecutor for several jurisdictions. In 1981, he was appointed as Iran’s Karaj city prosecutor. After four months, he was appointed as Prosecutor of Hamadan Province. In 1985 he was appointed as Tehran’s deputy prosecutor.

Three years later, he received special provisions from the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to address legal issues in provinces like Lorestan, Semnan and Kermanshah.

Following Khomeini’s death and election of Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader, Raisi was appointed as Tehran’s prosecutor. He held the office for five years from 1989 to 1994 and in 1994, while still Tehran’s prosecutor, he was appointed as head of the General Inspection Office.

From 2004 until 2014, Raisi served as Iran’s first deputy chief of justice. He was later appointed as Iran’s Attorney-General in 2014, a post he served in until 2016.

Ebrahim Raisi Education

Ebrahim Raisi attended the seminary in Qom and studied under some of Iran’s most prominent clerics. His education was a point of contention in the debates, where he said he holds a doctorate in law and denied having only six grades of formal education.

Ebrahim Raisi Controversies

Activists hold a far different view of Raisi over his involvement in the 1988 mass execution of prisoners at the end of Iran’s long war with Iraq. After Iran’s then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini accepted a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, members of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, heavily armed by Saddam Hussein, stormed across the Iranian border in a surprise attack.

Iran ultimately blunted their assault, but the attack set the stage for the sham retrials of political prisoners, militants and others that would become known as “death commissions.” Some who appeared were asked to identify themselves. Those who responded “mujahedeen” were sent to their deaths, while others were questioned about their willingness to “clear minefields for the army of the Islamic Republic,” according to a 1990 Amnesty International report.

International rights groups estimate that as many as 5,000 people were executed, while the MEK puts the number at 30,000. Iran has never fully acknowledged the executions, apparently carried out on Khomeini’s orders, though some argue that other top officials were effectively in charge in the months before his 1989 death. Raisi reportedly served on a panel involved in sentencing the prisoners to death.

In 2016, members of the late Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri’s family put out an audio recording of him criticizing the executions as “the biggest crime in the history of the Islamic Republic.”

Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi has never publicly acknowledged his role in the executions, even while campaigning for president.

Given that his predecessor Larijani was named to a U.S. sanctions list, Raisi likely can expect the same. He also takes over a judiciary widely criticized by international rights groups for being one of the world’s top executioners, as well as conducting closed-door trials of those with Western ties.

“Raisi should be prosecuted, not head of Iran’s judiciary,” said Hadi Ghaemi, head of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. “The selection of Raisi to serve as head of the judiciary will send a clear message: The rule of law has no meaning in Iran, and those who participated in mass murder will be rewarded.”

Ebrahim Raisi would be the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, as well as his time as the head of Iran’s internationally criticized judiciary — one of the world’s top executioners.

Ebrahim Raisi Ran the Imam Reza Charity Foundation

In 2016, Khamenei appointed Raisi to run the Imam Reza charity foundation, which manages a vast conglomerate of businesses and endowments in Iran. It is one of many bonyads, or charitable foundations, fueled by donations or assets seized after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. These foundations offer no public accounting of their spending and answer only to Iran’s supreme leader. The Imam Reza charity, known as “Astan-e Quds-e Razavi” in Farsi, is believed to be one of the biggest in the country. Analysts estimate its worth at tens of billions of dollars as it owns almost half the land in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city.

At Raisi’s appointment to the foundation in 2016, Khamenei called him a “trustworthy person with high-profile experience.” That led to analyst speculation that Khamenei could be grooming Raisi as a possible candidate to be Iran’s third-ever supreme leader, a Shiite cleric who has final say on all state matters and serves as the country’s commander-in-chief.

Ebrahim Raisi Political Career

Ebrahim Raisi can fairly be described as a “hardliner,” one of those Iranian officials who is openly hostile to the idea of deeper engagement with Western governments and who favors the strict application of Islamic law at the expense of personal freedom.

Raisi is a supporter of a “state-led” vision is not expected to advocate opening up the Iranian economy to foreign investors. “Iran under Raisi is most likely to continue to invest in infrastructure, water, electricity and health, with an economy dominated by the foundations he knows well and the Revolutionary Guards [who also own many companies],” says economist and Iran specialist Thierry Coville

In 2017, Mr Raisi surprised observers by standing for the presidency.

Mr Rouhani, a fellow cleric, won a second term by a landslide in the election’s first round, receiving 57% of the vote. Mr Raisi, who presented himself as an anti-corruption fighter but was accused by the president of doing little to tackle graft as deputy judiciary chief, came second with 38%.

The loss did not tarnish Mr Raisi’s image and in 2019 Ayatollah Khamenei named him to the powerful position of head of the judiciary. The following week, he was also elected as deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for electing the next Supreme Leader.

When Mr Raisi announced his candidacy for the 2021 presidential election, he declared that he had “come as an independent to the stage to make changes in the executive management of the country and to fight poverty, corruption, humiliation and discrimination”.

Little is known about Mr Raisi’s private life except that his wife, Jamileh, teaches at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, and that they have two children. His father-in-law is Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda, the hardline Friday prayer leader in Mashhad.

After winning the 2021 Iran’s Presidential Election, Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi will have significant influence over Iran’s domestic policy and foreign affairs. But in Iran’s political system it is the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the top religious cleric, who has the final say on all state matters.

The election was engineered to pave the way for Mr Raisi to win. This has alienated a good number of Iranians already deeply discontented with their living conditions in an economy that is crippled by US sanctions but also mismanagement.

The result of the election will not help with their concerns and may even lead to more instability at home. In the past few years Iran has witnessed at least two rounds of serious nationwide protests – with hundreds, some say thousands, killed.

With Mr Raisi taking the presidency the hardliners will have taken all the centres of power: the executive branch as well as the legislative and the judiciary. Iran will be a more closed society. Freedoms will likely be curtailed even more than before.

The regime will look to China to help the economy out of deep crisis. There will be more tension with the West. Indirect talks between Iran and the US in Vienna over reviving the nuclear deal may face more uncertainty. There are already reports that the talks will now break up for a few weeks, allowing all sides to take stock of the new reality in Iran.

Ebrahim Raeisi Wins 2021 Iran’s Presidential Elections

Iranians voted Friday 18 June 2021 in a presidential election dominated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s hard-line protege after the disqualification of his strongest competition, fueling apathy that left some polling places largely deserted despite pleas to support the Islamic Republic at the ballot box.

Hard-line judiciary chief Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election by a landslide, according to preliminary results by the Interior Ministry. Raeisi, Mohsen Rezaei, Abdolnasser Hemmati, and Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi were competing in the Friday elections.

Qazizadeh congratulated Raeisi. “While supporting the votes of the people, I congratulate Hazrat Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi as the people’s” elected president, Qazizadeh stated. Qazizadeh also wished success for Raeisi for being granted the honor by the electorate to serve the “great Iranian nation”. 90 percent of the total 28,600,000 ballots have been counted so far and Raeisi has succeeded to win 17,800,000 votes, the Interior Ministry election headquarters said.

Rezaei, Hemmati, and Qazizadeh have also won 3,300,000 votes, 2,400,000 votes, and 1,000,000 votes, respectively. The three losers of the presidential race issued separate messages congratulating Raeisi for winning the presidential post. Later in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani turned up at the campaign HQ of Raeisi to congratulate him in person.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf also sent a congratulatory note to Raeisi and said the legislative branch stood fully ready to cooperate with the president-elect’s administration.

The Parliament, he said, announces its readiness for all-out cooperation with the elected administration, and truly hopes for the opening of a new chapter in revolutionary and Jahadi (arduous) management toward the resolution of the people’s problems through congruence between the executive and legislative branches.”

Raisi has promised to create a “people’s government” and a “strong Iran,” while highlighting his humble origins and the death of his father when he was only 5 years old.

“I have tasted poverty, not merely heard about it,” says one of his campaign’s posters.

“Dear youth, if for any reason you are frustrated, you should know that with an active presence in the [election] arena, a powerful people’s government can be formed,” he said in a campaign video posted online.

During a recent visit to a cemetery to pay his respects to martyrs, Raisi was interviewed by a reporter with the state television controlled by hard-liners who addressed him as if he had been already elected.

“God willing, we’re on the verge of a people’s government,” said the reporter, prompting online criticism and accusations that Raisi had been already “appointed” as president and that the regime was dropping any pretense about the upcoming vote being democratic.

Ebrahim Raisi Potential Successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Raisa is even being considered as a likely successor to the supreme leader. He was recently elected vice-president of the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for proposing a new supreme leader in the event of the death of Khamenei.

All he needs now is a place at the head of the executive to have completed the tour of Iranian institutions. If he wins this presidential election, he will acquire the popular legitimacy that he still lacks. It’s worth remembering that Khamenei was himself President of Iran when he was called to occupy the post of supreme leader in 1989, after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Given Khamenei’s age – as at 2021, he’s 82 – and questions about his health, there are very real suggestions that the next president could indeed be his successor. This election could be Raisi’s springboard to the position of supreme leader.

“Raisi is someone that Khamenei trusts … Raisi can protect the supreme leader’s legacy,” said Sanam Vakil, deputy director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program.

US Sanctions

Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, a close Khamenei ally who vows to fight corruption, is under U.S. sanctions for alleged involvement in executions of political prisoners decades ago.

Iran Nuclear Deal

Ebrahim Raisi 2021 Iran Election win put hard-liners firmly in control across the government as the Iran Nuclear Deal negotiations in Vienna continue to try to save a tattered deal meant to limit Iran’s nuclear program at a time when Tehran is enriching uranium at its highest levels ever, though it still remains short of weapons-grade levels.

Tensions remain high with both the U.S. and Israel, which is believed to have carried out a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well as assassinating the scientist who created its military atomic program decades earlier.

Ebrahim Raisi Family

Ebrahim Raisi’s father, who was a cleric, died when he was five years old. Mr Raisi, who wears a black turban identifying him in Shia tradition as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, followed his father’s footsteps and started attending a Shia seminary in the holy city of Qom at the age of 15.

Ebrahim Raeisi Wife

Jamileh Alamolhoda, the wife of Ebrahim Raisi & daughter of Ahmad Alamolhoda, hardline Mashhad Friday prayer leader. She holds a Ph.D.

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bountyofbeads · 5 years

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US blames Iran for Saudi strike; big hit for oil prices

https://apnews.com/3c3ce6a941f5489eaa778ccc5db2437c

US blames Iran for Saudi strike; big hit for oil prices

By ROBERT BURNS | Published September 16, 2019 1:28 PM ET | AP | Posted September 16, 2019 1:32 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. tried to build its case Monday that Iran was behind the fiery weekend attack on key Saudi Arabian oil facilities that raised new war worries and sent energy prices spiraling worldwide. Iran denied responsibility, while President Donald Trump said the United States was "locked and loaded" to respond if necessary.

American officials released satellite images of the damage at the heart of the kingdom's crucial Abqaiq oil processing plant and a key oil field, and two U.S. officials said the attacker used multiple cruise missiles and drone aircraft.

The Americans alleged the pattern of destruction suggested Saturday's attack did not come from neighboring Yemen, as claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels there. A Saudi military spokesman later made a similar accusation, alleging "Iranian weapons" had been used in the assault.

Iran rejected the allegations, and a government spokesman said there now was "absolutely no chance" of a hoped-for meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Trump at the U.N. General Assembly next week.

For his part, Trump sent mixed signals, saying his "locked and loaded" government waited for Saudi confirmation of Iran being behind the attack while later tweeting that the U.S. didn't need Mideast oil "but will help our Allies!"

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the U.S. was considering dispatching additional military resources to the Gulf but that no decisions had been made. The U.S. already has the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group in the area, as well as fighter jets, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and air defenses.

Downplaying any talk of imminent U.S. military action, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, told reporters at the White House that the president's language was "a reflection" that his administration was advancing policies that protect the U.S. "from these sorts of oil shocks."

"I think that 'locked and loaded' is a broad term that talks about the realities that" the U.S. is "safer and more secure domestically from energy independence," Short said.

The new violence has led to fears that further action on any side could rapidly escalate a confrontation that's been raging just below the surface in the wider Persian Gulf in recent months. There already have been mysterious attacks on oil tankers that Washington blames on Tehran, at least one suspected Israeli strike on Shiite forces in Iraq, and the downing of a U.S. military surveillance drone by Iran.

Those tensions have increased ever since Trump pulled the U.S. out of Iran's 2015 agreement with world powers that curtailed Iranian nuclear activities and the U.S. re-imposed sanctions that sent Iran's economy into freefall.

Benchmark Brent crude prices gained nearly 20% in the first moments of trading Monday before settling down to over 10% higher as trading continued. A barrel of Brent traded up $6.45 to $66.67.

That spike represented the biggest percentage value jump in Brent crude since the run-up to the 1991 Gulf War that saw a U.S.-led coalition expel Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait.

U.S. benchmark West Texas crude was up around 10%. U.S. gasoline and heating oil similarly were up.

The attack halted production of 5.7 million barrels of crude a day, more than half of Saudi Arabia's global daily exports and more than 5% of the world's daily crude oil production. Most of that output goes to Asia.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been targeted by a Saudi-led coalition since March 2015 in a vicious war in the Arab world's poorest country, maintain they launched 10 drones that caused the extensive damage. They reiterated that Saudi oil sites remained in their crosshairs, warning foreign workers to stay away.

U.S. officials say that the damage done to the north-facing parts of the facilities suggest the attack instead came across the Persian Gulf from Iraq or Iran. American officials have yet to offer substantial evidence to support their claims, though Iran in the past has relied on hard-to-attribute attacks or proxy forces to launch assaults against its enemies.

At a news conference, Saudi military spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said, "All the indications and operational evidence, and the weapons that were used in the terrorist attack, whether in Buqayq or Khurais, indicate with initial evidence that these weapons are Iranian weapons."

Al-Maliki offered no immediate evidence to support his allegations, which came after Trump said the U.S. awaited word from Saudi Arabia about who it suspected launched the attacks.

Iraqi Premier Adel Abdel-Mahdi said he received a call Monday from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who confirmed that the attack didn't come from Iraq. The State Department did not immediately acknowledge what was discussed. Iraq is home to Iranian-backed Shiite militias who aided it in its fight against the Islamic State group.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi again denied the U.S. claims Monday, telling journalists the accusation was "condemned, unacceptable and categorically baseless." Government spokesman Ali Rabiei meanwhile said a Trump-Rouhani meeting in New York as of now wouldn't happen.

"Currently we don't see any sign from the Americans which has honesty in it, and if the current state continues there will be absolutely no chance of a meeting between the two presidents," Rabiei said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry, while expressing "grave concern" about the attack, warned against putting the blame on Iran, saying that plans of military retaliation against Iran are unacceptable.

U.S. satellite photos released overnight appeared to show the attack on Abqaiq, the world's largest oil processing facility, may have struck the most sensitive part of the facility, its stabilization area. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies has said the area includes "storage tanks and processing and compressor trains — which greatly increases the likelihood of a strike successfully disrupting or destroying its operations."

At 5.7 million barrels of crude oil a day, the Saudi disruption would be the greatest on record for world markets, according to figures from the Paris-based International Energy Agency. It just edges out the 5.6 million-barrels-a-day disruption around the time of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to the IEA.

Though the world's overall energy demands in the past were smaller, the Saudi outage has sparked concern among analysts of prices pushing to $80 a barrel and beyond. Publicly traded airlines, whose major costs include jet fuel, suffered globally. That could in turn push up prices on everything from travel to a gallon of gas at the pump.

Saudi Arabia has pledged that its stockpiles would keep global markets supplied as it rushes to repair damage at the Abqaiq facility and its Khurais oil field. However, Saudi Aramco has not responded publicly to questions about its facilities.

Stabilization means processing so-called sour crude oil into sweet crude. That allows it to be transported onto transshipment points on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, or to refineries for local production.

Fernando Ferreira, the director of geopolitical risk at the Washington-based Rapidan Energy Group, said rebuilding that infrastructure "will take many months."

___

AP Writers Jon Gambrell and Aya Batrawy contributed from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP writer Zeke Miller contributed from Washington, Tali Arbel from New York, Elaine Kurtenbach from Bangkok, Nasser Karimi from Tehran, Dave Rising from Berlin, Samy Magdy from Cairo and Qassim Abdul-Zahra from Baghdad.

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yankbarry · 3 years

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Jewish Schindler rescues Iranian Christians, Syrians and Iraqis

In a Skype interview on Wednesday from the outskirts of Sofia ,Bulgaria, Barry told The Jerusalem Post he has provided refuge for 782 people from the Middle East. Most of the refugees are from Syria.

In sign of reciprocity, he said “the Syrian refugees delivered 200,000 liters of water” to Bulgarians affected by flooding and a severe heat wave.

He has spent $3 million on securing two hotels to lodge the residents.

His hotels provide social services, medical care and educational opportunities.

Yank Barry has been in Bulgaria for four months organizing the latest round of permanent housing.

He gained global fame with the band The Kingsmen (“Louie, Louie” song).

Barry runs the prominent international charity Global Village Champions humanitarian organization.

During the Skype interview, Omid Salehi, an Iranian Christian refugee, turned to Barry and said: “He saved my life.”

Bulgaria is the first point of European entry for many Middle East refugees escaping wars and persecution. Iranian Christians face widespread persecution in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Salehi, his two brothers, parents, and cousin fled to Bulgaria because they could not practice their Christian faith in Iran.

The family fled the northeastern city of Esfarayen, which has a population of just over 50,000. Omid’s father worked as a driver and mechanic in Esfarayen.

Salehi said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is not concerned about improving life for the country’s struggling Christians.

“All presidents of Iran only think of themselves, about money… Presidents change but the politics stay the same.”

George Sabbagh, a Syrian Christian, told the Post “All Syrian Christians should leave.”

He said terrorist Jihadi groups are responsible for the persecution of Christians.

Asked about a political solution for the Syrian civil war, he said “It will take a lot of time.”

Asked about Israel, Sabbagh said “If anyone could get Assad out,it would be Israel.”

Israelis, he added, “are our brothers, never against us.”

The Iraqi refugee Nidahal Faraj said she fled because the family was threatened with death for working with the American army.

Faraj, a Sunni Iraqi, said she is “not really happy.” She added that under Saddam Hussein there was safety.

She expressed disappointment with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

“We don’t like him. He doesn’t share with the Iraqi people.”

Lheg Youseff Kassem , a Syrian Kurd, said he fled because of the terrorism of the al-Qaida spinoff ISIS.

“They want to kill us and cut off heads,” he said.

Kassem said “[US President] Obama can make pressure on all sides to make a solution, to make peace in the country [Syria].”

His five-member family fled to Turkey and then to Bulgaria. He said “the Islamic group is more dangerous than Assad.”

Similar to the view of many Syrian Kurds interviewed by the Post, he said: “Israel is like other countries. It has a right to live in peace with other people.”

For more details visit https://yankbarry.com/jewish-schindler-rescues-iranian-christians-syrians-and-iraqis-2/

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andrewtheprophet · 3 years

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The Sins of the Heads of Prophecy

‘Lies, Lies and Damned Lies’ I hope Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif will read this article because it has a lesson for them. In 1990 when Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded Kuwait, the Iraqi leadership informed some leaders that it would pay them huge money from the Kuwaiti future generation funds, which at that…

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#andrewtheprophet #Iran #Israel #jerusalem #jihad #Netanyahu #nuclear #plague #revelation 11

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newstfionline · 6 years

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U.S. toughens stance on Iran, lists sweeping demands

Lesley Wroughton, Parisa Hafezi, Reuters, May 21, 2018

WASHINGTON/ANKARA (Reuters)--The United States on Monday demanded Iran make sweeping changes--from dropping its nuclear program to pulling out of the Syrian civil war--or face severe economic sanctions as the Trump administration hardened its approach to Tehran.

Iran dismissed Washington’s ultimatum and one senior Iranian official said it showed the United States is seeking “regime change” in Iran.

Weeks after President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, his administration threatened to impose “the strongest sanctions in history,” and vowed to “crush” Iranian operatives abroad, setting Washington and Tehran further on a course of confrontation.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded sweeping changes that would force Iran effectively to reverse the recent spread of its military and political influence through the Middle East to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

The speech added to the tension between the two countries, which grew notably when Trump this month withdrew from the 2015 international agreement aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

If Washington sees tangible shifts in Iran’s policies, it is prepared to lift sanctions, Pompeo said.

“The sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen for itself and the people of Iran,” Pompeo said in his first major speech since becoming secretary of state.

“These will be the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are done,” he added.

The European Union largely dismissed Pompeo’s speech and said it remained committed to the full implementation of the nuclear deal.

Pompeo took aim at Iran’s policy of expansion in the Middle East through support for armed groups in countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

He warned that the United States would “crush” Iranian operatives and proxies abroad and told Tehran to pull out forces under its command from the Syrian civil war where they have helped President Bashar al-Assad gain the upper hand.

Iran’s president summarily dismissed Pompeo’s demands.

“Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?,” the semi-official ILNA news agency quoted Hassan Rouhani as saying.

“The world today does not accept America to decide for the world, as countries are independent ... that era is over ... We will continue our path with the support of our nation.”

A senior Iranian official said Pompeo’s remarks showed that the United States was pushing for “regime change,” a charged phrase often associated with the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein.

Pompeo warned that if Iran fully resumed its nuclear program Washington would be ready to respond and said the administration would hold companies doing prohibited business in Iran to account.

“Our demands on Iran are not unreasonable: give up your program,” Pompeo said, “Should they choose to go back, should they begin to enrich, we are fully prepared to respond to that as well,” he said, declining to elaborate.

Pompeo said Washington would work with the Defense Department and allies to counter Iran in the cyberspace and maritime areas.

The Pentagon said it would take all necessary steps to confront Iranian behavior in the region and was assessing whether that could include new actions or doubling down on current ones.

Pompeo will have an uphill battle convincing European allies to sign on to the administration’s “Plan B” on Iran after its withdrawal from the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Secretary Pompeo’s speech has not demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA has made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Iran’s conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA. There is no alternative to the JCPOA,” the EU said in a statement.

Pompeo’s speech did not explicitly call for regime change but he repeatedly urged the Iranian people not to put up with their leaders, specifically naming Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Suzanne Maloney, deputy director of the Brooking Institution think tank’s foreign policy program, said Pompeo’s speech did indeed amount to a strategy of regime change.

“There is only one way to read it and that is that Trump administration has wedded itself to a regime-change strategy to Iran, one that is likely to alienate our allies. One with dubious prospects for success,” she said.

The administration’s approach “explicitly puts the onus on the Iranian people to change their leadership or face cataclysmic financial pressure,” said Maloney who has advised the State Department on Iran in the Bush administration between 2005-2007.

Lebanese analyst Ghaleb Kandil, who has close ties to the pro-Iran Hezbollah group, said Washington’s demands have previously not worked.

“These are conditions that were tested in previous phases of American pressures, before the nuclear deal, when Iran was in more difficult circumstances than it is in these days, and it did not surrender to these conditions or accept them,” said Kandil.

#Iran #mike pompeo #US foreign policy

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