Anxiety builds in the Aftermath of the 2016 US Election

UPDATE: November 26th, 2016

By: Stewart Brennan

As the smoke clears from the political upheaval of the 2016 US Presidential election, we find that acceptance of defeat and moving forward has stalled.

The anger and scare mongering propaganda that was ramped up by the US mainstream media over Donald Trump winning the US presidency has now found a life of its own and gone into overdrive as a handful of determined people led by Jill Stein of the Green Party has raised an unprecedented 4.5 million dollars in 24 hours to pay for election recounts in three very important swing states.

If the Green Party and the undisclosed pockets behind this recount are successful in petitioning these 3 states to recount the votes in their states and then manage to overturn the election results of all 3 important swing states (Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 election by winning the electoral college while also having the most votes...and if that happens, the US would immediately find itself knee deep in mass protest which would threaten to tear the social fabric of the American community apart.

So, who benefits from an action like this? Clearly it would be Clinton, but greater still would be the warmongering US establishment and their foreign lobbyists…

Jill Stein Clinton Connection?

Jill Stein’s recount move seems more like an establishment operation to put their candidate Hillary Clinton in power through the back door. One could easily come to the conclusion that the recount move targeting these 3 specific states 2 weeks after the election and just days away from the deadline, was a carefully planned political operation. I don’t think this calculated move was drawn up by Stein, even though she's a very smart person. No, I think she's being used by powerful people to put Clinton into the White House...how else does someone raise 4.5 million dollars in 24 hours unless they know people with deep pockets...the sort of people that had a lot riding on Clinton...judging by all the information that is coming out, it looks more like a political false flag and all the markers are lined up to go into operation...including the mainstream media, political organizations belonging to people like George Soros such as MoveOn, and of course the TV brainwashed mob to push it all over the edge...This operation has the potential to throw the entire country into a very serious constitutional crisis with massive unrest if all 3 states flip to Clinton...and we'll never know if the recount is on the level either...

Clinton winning the "Recount Election" would be a nightmare, and I think this "false flag operation" is being carried out precisely for that end purpose...not by Jill Stein directly but by connected people in high places with deep pockets. After all, political circles are very small, especially between the Liberals and Greens, so if Clinton wins the “Recount Election”, don't be surprised if Stein is offered a position best suited for her talents such as Secretary of the Interior considering her noble position at Standing Rock in North Dakota, I think this is precisely where a deep pocket connection was made with Jill Stein...

At the moment, America is a deeply divided nation thanks in great part to its mainstream corporate media who act more like a military propaganda mouthpiece for the pentagon, the Military Industrial Complex, and the US government rather than an investigative news media that should keep the establishment in check. No, the US mainstream media has become a tool of the American corporate establishment and they use it against the people to get what they want…look what they've done, they are destroying the American Republic and tearing the US apart by propagating war, demonizing whistleblowers, suppressing dialog, ridiculing opposing opinion, stirring up political unrest and propagating racism while putting American citizens at each others throats…the entire nation is building towards a civil war because of them.

One Glaring Example

Anti-Trump protests, organized or hijacked by the George Soros funded “Move On” group, were quickly put in motion and broadcast over US television. I can’t remember the last time I saw political activism covered on television…In fact, the so called grassroots anti-Trump protest is the only grassroots protest that US mainstream media news seems to have covered in the last three decades of the Bush 1 & 2, Clinton and Obama presidencies…they certainly did not cover the massive anti-Iraq war protests in 2003 not to mention do their jobs with investigative journalism to call out the establishment on their lies, and they did not cover the grassroots Occupy movement protests in 2011 or cover / investigate the violent behaviour of the police that were sent to break up those protests by the Obama administration, who had every intent on crushing the peoples voice. So, why now, why has the US mainstream news decided to cover the Anti-Trump protests on American TV news?

Background: The 2016 Presidential Election

The mainstream media (MSM) were grossly in support of Hillary Clinton and tried to convince everyone for months that she was leading in the official polls and going to win the presidential election.

MSM told people how to think, and it backfired (Nov 10, 2016)

You know what they say, if you repeat a lie often enough, people start to believe that it’s the truth, and so mainstream TV saturated their news in favour of the establishments presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton…and then she lost the election.

The MSM led millions of people to believe Clinton was going to win the 2016 Presidential election and when she didn’t win, people took to the streets in their thousands calling for a change in the US electoral system because it was reported that the few states Clinton won, gave her more votes than Donald Trump received for the many states that he won.…the protests were helped along of course by George Soros funded “Move On” and of course, George Soros is a big Hillary Clinton supporter...after all I’m sure he wanted to see a little payback for his investment in a Hillary victory. (ReCount Plans within plans?)

Although it’s very true that many people out protesting on the streets were not there because of Soros, but because they were angry with the results and maybe also a little scared by some of Trumps more insidious statements that the mainstream news did nothing to calm their fears. 

Now adding fire to the anti-trump protests, we have the challenge by Jill Stein of the Green Party and Clinton Supporters to recount the ballots in three swing states that could possibly overturn the election in Clinton’s favour. According to Jill Stein, the challenge is to find out if foreign agents? hacked into the election system and tampered with the results.

It’s one thing to challenge the validity of a papertrailess election system before the election but it's another thing altogether when one asks for a vote count 15 days after the election is over. But what becomes extremely concerning is when computer experts and lawyers suggest Clinton demand a recount in 3 swing states that Donald Trump won. The timing is more than suspicious wouldn’t you say?

Nothing is certain in a recount except that if Steins petition for a recount is successful in all 3 states (Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania), along with the success of online petitions by political organizations calling for the electoral college to overturn the election results in Clinton’s favour on December 19^th, 2016, Hillary Clinton will have won the electoral college and become the unofficial US President. You can be sure the mainstream media and Move On will then be mobilised to the streets Immediately following where there would be a great deal of social unrest throughout America. In fact, the whole country would descend into a major constitutional crisis that could threaten to usher in Marshal Law with a militarized police force to enforce it. Pressure will be on the Congress to officially adopt the results of the "ReCount Election" on January 6th, 2017...

If such a scenario were to unfold, it would be the end of the US Republic and would change the face of the United States forever…and you can be sure that the US Mainstream news will bring you a tilted story while putting Hillary Clinton on a pedestal as they continue demonizing Donald Trump and all his supporters…many of whom voted for change the same way people voted for change with Barack Obama eight years ago.

I wouldn't put it past the Clinton clan to blame Russia and alternative news for hacking into the electoral system and changing the votes...

When it comes to the US power establishment, they do not like others changing their military, political or economic plans, nor do they tolerate resistance towards these policies...they never take “No” for an answer. Here is where Trump poses a problem for them...The same can be said about internal affairs since most of the time they just ignore what the people want unless it’s what the establishment convinced the people to want.

Donald Trump was elected US President on November 8^th, 2016 and it appears that the US establishment does not like the peoples choice for president. I don’t know about you but I have this uncomfortable feeling that they want Trump removed and wont take “No” for an answer.

US Foreign Policy

The current US foreign Policy has brought the entire global community to the point of confrontation with Russia. This dangerous confrontation has been brought about by America’s insatiable appetite for expansion of its military and economic empire. However, the added threat is that the US is also in a panic because they are going through the final stages of economic collapse.

Since the end of World War II, the US has bullied the World into accepting their dictates by military and economic ultimatums. However, over the past three decades of the Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and the 2 George Bush presidencies the US has accelerated their push for its version of a New World Order so much so that today the world finds itself in grave danger of being dragged into World War III over the US establishment’s insistence of not taking Russia’s “No” for an answer…

The Future

If the world is going to have a future, there is a narrow path that we the people must follow to bring us all safely through. That path holds honesty, truth, peace, and justice in high regards…however, if we steer away from this moral path, we will destroy the community…its not about choosing a side due to politics but focusing on the narrow path to bring about the best outcome under a rigged system.

Hillary Clinton has already proven herself to be a US War Criminal by her direct involvement and responsibility for the total destruction of Libya. Tens of Thousands of people have died because of her and now Africa is bleeding refugees into Europe that the Europeans simply cannot handle because of their own economic poverty.

The fact that Hillary Clinton was even allowed to run for US president in the past US election is a testament to the insanity that holds the reigns of power behind the scenes in America.

We already know Clinton’s position in regards to International affairs so if she had won the US presidential election, she would have quickly moved her people into place and beat the drums of war against Russia, Syria, and Iran as she did throughout her campaign over the mainstream media airwaves.

What Comes Next…will Donald Trump still be the US President?

Donald Trump won the 2016 US Presidential election, and so, for a little while, we have escaped the real prospect of World War III with Russia. However, as politically untested as Donald Trump is, those behind the scenes will do everything in their power to either steer Trump towards their political and economic objectives or they will remove him from power. If Trump does not bow to the US establishments dictates, he will pay the price…the severity of that price will depend on Donald Trump himself.

Clearly, the future of the United States and the World rest on what happens in US political circles in the next two months…

Will the establishment launch a successful campaign to remove Donald Trump from power via a challenge to US electoral law? If they do (Already in process through the Green Party) and they are successful, there will be civil war in the USA, something that the US establishment has been preparing for over the last 15 years but more aggressively over the last 8 years under Barack Obama. Don’t believe me? Check out the renewed Patriot Act, the National Defence Authorization Act (N.D.A.A.) and the way Obama and the US establishment has militarized all the local police forces throughout America. Then think about all the violence that the police have gotten away with over these past 15 years, the MSM silence of it…or how about the current war being waged on Native American’s at Standing Rock North Dakota right now?

Standing Rock should be a wake up call to millions of American’s this Thanksgiving weekend…what do you think they will do to protesters if they overturn the 2016 US Presidential election results?

If the US establishment is unsuccessful in removing Donald Trump with the "ReCount Election" and he still doesn’t play ball with them after they have exhausted all their political tricks including impeachment, then they will try to assassinate him. This scenario leads to civil unrest and could prove to be worse than the dirty politics approach because in death, Trump would become an American martyr and a rally cry for millions of really pissed off American’s.

If Trump survives politically to become the US President and then decides to continue the policies of the US establishment while enacting his divisional rhetoric, there will be an uprising by the people on both sides of the coin…this leads to widespread unrest and a battle between the people and the political establishment. Again, they are prepared for this outcome with marshal law and a militarized police state, however, the people will be united and could hold great power over the establishment by simply staying at home and not complying with the state…

I don’t really know what a Donald Trump Presidency will look like, no one does because he hasn’t been politically tested yet, but I do know what a Hillary Clinton Presidency would look like and so does everyone else that has followed her sociopathic path of warmongering and destruction. Clearly, the moral thing is to not support someone who has committed mass murder, and that’s what she’s done…Donald Trump? I mean, Who gave us these choices anyways!?

Right now there is a pause before the storm…but that storm is brewing and will hit with full force very soon. Everyone can feel it building but at the same time most people have also become polar in their political belief and have chosen a side instead of walking the narrow path. The depth and ferocity of what will come is uncertain at the moment, but if you believe in morality and want to save the world, then taking the narrow path is the right choice to avert the worst of outcomes…we must hold the halls of power in contempt and make them serve the community, because after all, that is what the politicians are supposed to serve, the community not corporate and banking interests…

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LINKS:

Record Number of Americans see US as Divided

Experts Urge Clinton Campaign to Challenge Election Results in 3 Swing States

Jill Stein raises over $3mn in 24hrs for vote recount in swing states

Election Fraud? Donald Trump’s win questioned, Jill Stein’s Green Party raises cash for ‘recount’

Stein/Baraka Campaign Launches Recounts in Wisconsin,Michigan, and Pennsylvania to Restore Confidence in our Voting System

Wisconsin receives Stein and Del La Fuente recount petitions

MSM told people how to think, and it backfired (Nov 10,2016)

Billionaire Soros linked to anti-Trump protests - WikiLeaks

Anti-Trump Protests Grip Cities Nationwide | Rachel Maddow |MSNBC

Occupy Wall Street -- Police Brutality, Arrests, MSM Blackout (2011)

Occupy Police Brutality Compilation (2011) MSM Blackout

February 15th, 2003: The Day the World Said No to War MSM Blackout

Obama extends Patriot Act - 2010

Obama signs controversial 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

Standing Rock Police Violence

Secretary of the Interior

Hillary Clinton, Turkish leaders to consider no-fly zones for Syria

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before their meeting in Istanbul.(REUTERS / Handout)

Source: Russia Today

http://www.rt.com/news/clinton-turkey-syria-damascus-aleppo-437/

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu are considering implementing no-fly zones for Syria after holding Saturday talks in Istanbul.

­According to Reuters, Clinton said that Ankara and Washington need to plan ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad – including possibly implementing a no-fly zone.

During an interview with reporters, Clinton indicated the no-fly zone was a possible option, but said the issue needed “greater in-depth analysis.”

It wouldn’t be the first time the US used its power to aid opposition forces. The same tactic was used to help Libyan rebels overthrow Muammar Gaddafi last year.

Until now, the US has been reluctant to take on a military role in Syria. But if the Libyan situation repeats itself, US military intervention could be a real possibility in the near future – only serving to escalate Syria’s 17-month-old conflict.

During the meeting, Clinton also said a working group will be set up in Turkey to respond to the Syrian crisis, according to AP.

The group would increase the involvement of the intelligence services and militaries of both the US and Turkey.

“We have been closely coordinating over the course of this conflict, but now we need to get into the real details of such operational planning. It needs to be across both of our governments,” Clinton said.

Clinton is also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul – both of whom support the Syrian opposition movement.

The US is aiming to lay groundwork for democratic transition in Syria.

The meeting comes as reports of violence were taking place in Damascus.

Earlier on Saturday, Syrian state TV reported that gunmen abducted three Syrian journalists and their driver, who work for a pro-government TV station, while covering violence in a suburb of Damascus.

According to Middle Eastern history and politics Professor Jeremy Salt, the opposition has little hope of winning the conflict without the help of its Western allies.

“As of now, Damascus has mostly been cleared of rebels. Aleppo on its way to being cleared. We can see that the army has a strategy here. It cleared out the Salah al-Din district within two days, and now it’s working its way through other suburbs. So unless the rebels get more support in terms of heavy weaponry, they are very much fighting on the back foot. So that’s why Hillary Clinton is in Istanbul. To ask the basic question, ‘What’s next?’” Salt told RT.

Meanwhile, opposition fighters are still struggling to gain control of Aleppo – a key battle city.

Rebels in Aleppo say they are preparing a counterattack against government forces, after heavy bombardment forced them to withdraw from the south-west district of Salah al-Din on Thursday.

Aleppo is the cause of serious concern for Western countries, Foreign Affairs Analyst Richard Heydarian told RT.

“The West is smelling blood right now because of the recent events, including the fleeing of the prime minister. What the Clinton administration [sic] is trying to do right now is try to coordinate some sort of military approach with Turkey and possibly also with the help of Israel and other Atab countries because they feel the opposition has a chance to retain its stronghold in Aleppo,” Heydarian said.

Turkey, however, has its own motivations for taking part in the meeting. The country is dealing with a growing humanitarian crisis of its own, as it struggles to support 50,000 Syrian refugees who have fled into the country.

Clinton has announced an extra US$5.5 million in help for displaced Syrians in Turkey.

“Turkey has two sides to this. On the one hand, it is very much concerned with the tragedy and a lot of Syrians flowing in – it is one of the biggest recipients of refugees from Syria. On the other hand – it is a possible rise of Kurdish insurgency – and there is coordination between Kurds in Syria and Iran. Turkey fears Kurds could launch its own independence campaign against Turkey,” Heydarian said.

Turkish demonstrators condemn Clinton visit to Istanbul

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/11/255696/turkish-protesters-condemn-clinton-visit/

Turkish demonstrators have marched to the US Embassy in Turkey to condemn a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Istanbul.

Police used batons to disperse the demonstrators outside the embassy in the capital, Ankara.

Clinton arrived in Turkey on Saturday for talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the situation in Syria.

Washington and Ankara repeated calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

The US secretary of state and the Turkish foreign minister held a joint press conference in Istanbul on Saturday.

Clinton said Washington will "hasten the end of… the Assad regime," adding the US is worried about the presence of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Syria along the Turkish border.

"We share Turkey's determination that Syria must not become a haven for PKK terrorists whether now or after the departure of the Assad regime," she said.

The Turkish foreign minister stated that in his meeting with the US secretary of state the two sides discussed the ways of assisting the opposition inside Syria.

"We need to take joint efforts to prevent a power vacuum from being formed," Davutoglu said.

The anti-Syria Western regimes have been calling for the Syrian president to step down.

On June 3, President Assad Syria is "facing a war from abroad" and that the nation is "facing attempts to weaken Syria and breach its sovereignty."

US insists on Assad’s overthrow

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt hold a joint press conference following meetings in the Swedish capital Stockholm on June 3, 2012.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/06/03/244493/us-insists-assad-overthrow/

The United States says any political solution in Syria should result in the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a press conference in the Swedish capital Stockholm on Sunday, "Assad's departure does not have to be a precondition, but it should be an outcome” of any such political solution, AFP reported.

Her comments came hours after Assad addressed Syria's parliament, saying that Damascus would keep fighting the armed gangs sabotaging security in the country, while it is still ready for dialog with its opponents.

Clinton has also asked Russia to join international efforts to increase pressure on Assad. She spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by telephone at the weakened.

"My message to the foreign minister was very simple and straightforward," she said, adding, "We all have to intensify our efforts to achieve a political transition and Russia has to be at the table helping that to occur."

Moscow has been opposing calls for foreign intervention in the country, and has so far blocked two United Nations Security Council resolutions condemning Assad's government.

The unrest in Syria began in March 2011, with demonstrations being held both against and in support of Assad's government.

The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters, but Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

North Korea denounces US sanctions

The US and South Korea announced military exercises 
in response to the Cheonan sinking [Reuters]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/07/201072245318873846.html

North Korea has denounced a new set of sanctions imposed by the United States in an attempt to stem Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Ri Tong Il, a North Korean official, said on Thursday that the sanctions, announced a day earlier by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, represented a "clear expression of intensified hostility".

"If the US is truly interested in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, it must take the lead in creating an atmosphere [for dialogue] rather than hurting such an atmosphere by ... imposing sanctions," Ri said on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Hanoi.

Ri, a member of the North Korean delegation at the Asean forum, made the comments as Clinton arrived in the Vietnamese capital to attend the regional conference.

Clinton was expected to discuss the North Korean issue further during talks with ministers at the forum.

She was due to meet Yang Jiechi, her Chinese counterpart, on Thursday to urge Beijing to put more pressure on the North over its nuclear program.

Nuclear weapons ambitions

Clinton had announced the new measures against Pyongyang during a visit to South Korea on Wednesday.

She said the sanctions were designed to stamp out illegal money-making ventures used to fund North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The sanctions would be aimed at the sale or procurement of arms and related goods as well as the procurement of luxury items.

Clinton also used her visit to urge North Korea to accept responsibility for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which left 46 sailors dead.

The US has announced a series of joint military exercises aimed at deterring the North from any future attack.

Robert Gates, the US defense secretary, and his South Korean counterpart Kim Tae-Young said the drills off the Korean peninsula's western coast were designed "to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behaviour must stop".

However, Ri on Thursday criticized the planned naval drills, saying the military exercises pose a major threat to global peace.

"The decision to hold military drills is a major danger for the security of the region," he said.

"Such movements pose a great threat not only to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula but also to global peace and security."

The US has sent the 97,000-tonne aircraft carrier USS George Washington to take part in the drill set to begin on Sunday in the Sea of Japan.

The exercises will involve about 20 ships and 200 fixed-wing aircraft, according to military officials.

The drills are the first overt military response to the sinking of the Cheonan, and underscore US support for Seoul.

The North has denied it is responsible for the incident and a United Nations Security Council statement condemning the sinking did not name North Korea as the culprit, apparently after Chinese pressure.
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2010 Jul 22

US Imposes New Sanctions on North Korea



Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/07/201072182522763513.html

The United States will impose new sanctions on North Korea in a bid to stem its nuclear weapons ambitions, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said.

Clinton said the measures were designed to stamp out illegal money-making ventures used to fund the nuclear program.

"These measures are not directed at the people of North Korea, who have suffered too long due to the misguided priorities of their government,'' Clinton said after talks with defense and military officials in South Korea on Wednesday.

"They are directed at the destabilizing, illicit, and provocative policies pursued by that government,'' she said.

She said the sanctions would be aimed at the sale or procurement of arms and related goods as well as the procurement of luxury items.

The US will freeze assets as well as prevent some businesses and individuals from travelling abroad, and collaborate with banks to stop illegal financial transactions, Clinton said.

'Provocative behaviour'

Clinton arrived in Seoul, the South Korean capital, on Wednesday, with tensions between the North and South running high following the recent sinking of a South Korean warship, which left 46 sailors dead.

"From the beginning of the [Barack] Obama administration, we have made clear that
there is a path open to the DPRK to achieve the security and international respect it seeks,'' she said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"North Korea can cease its provocative behaviour, halt its threats and belligerence towards its neighbours, take irreversible steps to fulfill its de-nuclearisation commitments and comply with international law,'' Clinton said.

Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert based in Seoul, told Al Jazeera that new sanctions were unlikely to have much impact or significance in the North.

"They [the sanctions] were expected, especially when the UN Security Council chose to have a very cautious approach to North Korea and did not introduce new sanctions, it was only logical that America would do something," he said.

"They [the sanctions] don't look impressive - very few countries sell arms to North Korea and those who do are not likely to be influenced by any decision made by the US.

"The idea to freeze assets of North Korea's elite has been tried before. Their lifestyle could become difficult but I do not expect it to change their policies."

Contrasting Koreas

Earlier, during a visit to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the two Koreas, Clinton was accompanied by Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, who remarked on the contrast between the prosperous South and the impoverished, communist North.

"In the 20 years since I last climbed that observation tower and looked out across the DMZ, it's stunning how little has changed up there and yet how much South Korea continues to grow and prosper," he said.

"The North, by contrast, stagnates in isolation and deprivation."

Clinton and Gates were visiting South Korea to underscore their support for Seoul following the sinking of the Cheonan in March.

The North has denied it is responsible for the incident and a United Nations Security Council statement condemning the sinking did not name North Korea as the culprit, apparently after Chinese pressure.

US officials have suggested that the apparent torpedo attack on the Cheonan could herald further attacks on the South, but some analysts have said this is unlikely given the situation in the North.

'Severe problems'

Don Kirk, the Koreas correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor newspaper, told Al Jazeera that the claim that North Korea's behaviour may turn even more aggressive is overstated.

"I don't think North Korea is in a position to stage more attacks. The country is facing severe economic problems, and also, China is trying to hold North Korea in check," he said.

"I think that after these military exercises are held, the whole direction will be towards six-party talks on its nuclear program."

The US has sent the 97,000-tonne aircraft carrier USS George Washington to take part in drill set to begin on Sunday in the Sea of Japan.

The exercises will involve about 20 ships and 200 fixed-wing aircraft, according to military officials.

North Korea has denounced the exercises as "very dangerous sabre-rattling".

Congressman seeking to bar Iranians from US

Source: PressTV

A US congressman has announced his plans to reintroduce the Stop Terrorists Entry Program (STEP) Act into Congress, which calls for the deportation of most Iranians without permanent resident status.

The STEP Act, a bill that was originally presented in 2003, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to bar citizens of Iran, Cuba, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States.

Rep. J. Gresham Barrett says he is reintroducing the STEP Act in response to the Fort Hood shooting, carried out by a US citizen, and the Christmas Day attempt to blow up an airplane over Detroit, attempted by a Nigerian national.

If passed, the bill would deport all Iranians on student visas, temporary work visas, exchange visas, and tourist visas from the United States within 60 days.

It would also make it illegal for Iranians to travel to the United States, though some exceptions could be made after "extensive federal screening."
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2010 Jan 05

US Ready to Step Up Pressure on Iran, Clinton Says



Source: PressTV

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the United States has already begun discussions with its partners about imposing sanctions on Iran.

The move is being made to pressure the Iranian government to halt its uranium enrichment activities, Clinton said in Washington on Monday.

"We have already begun discussions with our partners and with like-minded nations about pressure and sanctions," Clinton said at a press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani.

She stated that the White House will continue its dual track approach of seeking to halt Iran's uranium enrichment program through negotiations while also considering sanctions.

The US secretary of state also said Washington is willing to keep the door open to dialogue.

Clinton's remarks run contrary to an earlier statement by the White House that said the end of 2009 was supposed to be a very real deadline for Tehran to accept a nuclear deal that called for its low-enriched uranium to be shipped out of the country in exchange for 20-percent enriched nuclear fuel.

Iran says it is ready to swap its low-enriched uranium for 20-percent enriched uranium on its Persian Gulf island Kish or in Turkey, Brazil, or Japan.

Iran needs 20-percent enriched nuclear fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor, which produces radioisotopes for medical purposes.

Tehran says it will consider enriching the fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor in Iran if the parties involved in the fuel supply talks fail to provide it within a month.

Iran is a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which gives the country the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
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2010 Jan 03

US Dismisses Iran Nuclear Ultimatum



Source: Al Jazeera

The US has dismissed an ultimatum from Iran to accept a uranium exchange deal, saying the move amounted to Tehran "standing in its own way".
Responding on Saturday to Iran's demand that the West accept the swap or watch Tehran produce its own nuclear fuel, Washington said an existing international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proposal should be sufficient.

"The IAEA has a balanced proposal on the table that would fulfil Iran's own request for fuel, and has the backing of the international community," Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the US national security council, said.

"If getting access to fuel is Iran's objective, then there is absolutely no reason why the existing proposal, which Iran accepted in principle at Geneva, is insufficient.

"The Iranian government is standing in its own way."
If Tehran was to ignore the IAEA offer and start working on its own fuel production, it is though it would take years before Tehran will be able to turn its uranium into nuclear fuel.

Iranian Ultimatum

The US comments follow those by Manouchehr Mottaki, the Iranian foreign minister, who was quoted by Iranian state television as saying the West had just one month left to decide whether to accept Iran's proposal that it swap abroad its low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

Iran has already rejected a December 31 deadline to accept the IAEA deal that would see Iran ship most of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for processing into fuel for a research reactor in Tehran.

Germany, one of six world powers engaged in United Nations-backed talks to ensure Iran's nuclear programme is peaceful, also said Tehran's ultimatum made no difference.

The "situation has not changed," a German foreign ministry spokesman was quoted by the AFP news agency.
"The proposal of the international community remains valid. Iran must seize this opportunity."

Iran is already under three sets of UN sanctions for refusing to abandon its sensitive programme of uranium enrichment, the process which produces nuclear fuel or, in highly extended form, the fissile core of an atomic bomb.

Further Sanctions

The administration of Barack Obama, the US president, is said to be considering another round of more targeted sanctions since the December 31 deadline passed.
The New York Times on Saturday reported that Washington believes the domestic unrest in Iran, sparked by disputed elections last June, has made its leader particularly vulnerable to new sanctions.

Citing unnamed officials, the newspaper said the long-discussed sanctions proposal comes as the administration completes a fresh review of Iran's nuclear progress.

Obama's strategists believe Iran's top political and military leaders have been distracted in recent months by turmoil in the streets and political infighting, and that their drive to produce nuclear fuel appears to have faltered, the report said.
A UN diplomatic source in New York said preliminary work on drafting a sanctions resolution was likely to begin in mid-January.

The UN has demanded Iran suspend all enrichment, a demand Tehran refuses, saying it has a right to develop the technology under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran has also defiantly announced it intends to build 10 new uranium enrichment sites, drawing a forceful rebuke from the UN nuclear watchdog agency and warnings of the possibility of new UN sanctions.
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2010 Jan 02

Tehran Calls on West to Act



Source: PressTV

Parties involved in fuel supply talks to Tehran's research reactor will have to act fast as half of the two-month deadline has gone by, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman says.

The West is pressuring Iran to accept a UN-backed draft deal, which would require the country to send most of its domestically-produced low enriched uranium (LEU) abroad to be converted into more refined fuel for the Tehran reactor that produces medical isotopes.

The research reactor in the capital, which produces much needed radiomedicine for cancer patients, is soon expected to run out of fuel. Iran has demanded the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to arrange the fuel to be provided to the country.

Iran, however, has not accepted the proposal, calling for "concrete guarantees" for the return of its fuel as some Western countries' have previously failed to adhere to their nuclear commitments with regards to Tehran.

"During negotiations between Iran and concerned parties, it was agreed that Iran should receive nuclear fuel for its research reactor and should the parties fail to do so, Iran has the right to produce the required fuel on its own," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran the spokesman said that during the October meetings in Vienna "some countries had requested a two-month extension to the agreement.”

Iran had accepted the request but the clock is ticking on the agreed deadline.

"One month has already gone by, and if we are not provided with nuclear fuel the Islamic Republic will decide accordingly," Mehman-parast continued.

The US has refused to consider Iran's concerns on the deal and insists the UN-backed draft deal, which was first proposed by the Obama administration is "unchangeable."

This is while Iran, as the buyer of nuclear fuel, has the right to set conditions or ask for guarantees in the event of any purchase or swap deal.

UN Chief: Situation in Yemen Worring

Source: PressTV

The UN secretary-general has voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, where fighting continues between Houthis fighters and the Yemeni army.

Ban Ki-moon made the comment in a Monday phone conversation with the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his Spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, told reporters in New York.

The secretary-general also expressed concern about the presence of al-Qaeda in Yemen, while announcing his support for the British-led conference that is scheduled to be held in London later this month to discuss the issue.

"Ban was appreciative of the initiative of Prime Minister Brown and welcomed the focus of the conference on counter-terrorism,” Nesirky said.

“He sought assurance that the President of Yemen is involved in the preparation of the conference,” he added.

The UN secretary-general's comments came as the Yemeni army continued its attack on the Houthis in northern Yemen, while also launching several operations against al-Qaeda militants in the south.

The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters. Relative peace had returned to the region until the Yemeni army launched a major offensive, dubbed Operation Scorched Earth, against Sa'ada Province five months ago.

The government claims that the fighters, who are named after their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, seek to restore the Shia imamate system, which was overthrown in a 1962 military coup.

The Houthis, however, say they are defending their people's civil rights, which the government has undermined under pressure from Saudi-backed Wahhabi extremists. Shias, who form the clear majority in the north, make up approximately half of Yemen's overall population.

As Sana'a does not allow independent media into the conflict zone, there are no clear estimates available as to how many people have been killed in the Shia province of Sa'ada since 2004 or in the recent wave of violence.

According to UN estimates, however, during the past five years, more than 175,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Sa'ada to take refuge in overcrowded camps set up by the international body.

Of those 175,000, over 50,000 of those refugees left the war-torn province just in the first few weeks after the new round of conflict began.

Based on figures released by the UN Children's Fund, the unrest has directly affected almost 75,000 children as well.
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2010 Jan 05

Clinton: Yemen Threatens Region, World



Source: PressTV

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says insecurity in Yemen is a regional and global threat, as the White House prepares the ground for a new war in the region.

"The instability in Yemen is a threat to regional stability and even global stability," Clinton told reporters following talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani on Monday.

"And certainly, we know that this is a difficult set of challenges, but they have to be addressed," she added.

She also said that Washington was working closely with its allies on deciding "the best way forward" to address the security concerns.

Clinton said the Yemeni government had to take measures to restore stability or risk losing Western support.

Citing warnings of a possible attack from an al-Qaeda-linked group Washington closed its embassy in Sana'a on Sunday, before reopening it on Tuesday.

After the US closed its embassy, Britain and later France did the same. Japan also decided to suspend consular services at its embassy.

The UK Foreign Office, however, denied that the embassy closure was linked to such a threat, saying that it was unaware about the warning.

In response to Western claims, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi rejected any comparison between his country and Afghanistan as an Al-Qaeda haven.

"Yemen is capable of confronting these groups, but it needs international aid to form and train anti-terrorist units as well as economic aid, since the problem also has an economic dimension," Kurbi told reporters during a visit to Doha.

This is while international talks on the security and development situation in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, are expected to be held next month.

After Pakistan, southern Yemen is seen as the primary stronghold for al-Qaeda militants, a safe haven they are using to organize and train more recruits.

Despite apparent US calls for the eradication of al-Qaeda, allegations have been made that Washington has transferred "hundreds" of al-Qaeda members of different nationalities to Yemen after releasing them from prisons in Saudi Arabia and Guantanamo.

Arab media that have published the claims, such as Al-Minbar, write that the US is transferring al-Qaeda members to Yemen to have them recruited in the Yemeni army to target Shia Houthi fighters in northern parts of the country or use them as an excuse to deploy forces to Yemen.

A while after the claims were published the US engaged in direct military activity in Yemen, but allegations about recruiting al-Qaeda for the Yemeni army are yet to be proven.

Speculations are that former US presidential candidate John McCain made such a proposal while visiting Yemen back in August 2009.

He had reportedly embarked on the trip after several closed-door discussions were held at the US congress about the Arab country.

Allegations that the US is secretly transferring al-Qaeda members to Yemen could explain why a Nigerian man, who has been arrested and charged with trying to blow up the transatlantic plane on December 25, is said to have ties with the militants in Yemen.

The 23-year old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has allegedly confessed to being trained by an Al-Qaeda bomb-maker in Yemen for a mission on the Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

The West, spearheaded by the US, seems to be paving the ground to intervene in Yemen internal affairs under the pretext of opening an alleged front against al-Qaeda in the country.

The development comes more than eight years after the former US President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan. The operation was said to be aimed at eradicating militancy and the arrest of main militant leaders including Osama Bin Laden.

According to UN figures, Afghan civilians have been the main victims of the controversial war.

It appears that Washington needs to prove the West is insecure and under threat by the so-called terrorist groups like al-Qaeda to legitimize its wars, since such entities are merely the product of the media machines in the West.
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2010 Jan 03

US Shuts Yemen Embassy Over Threats



Source: Al Jazeera

The United States has closed its embassy in Sanaa citing threats from an al-Qaeda group.

The US embassy posted a message on its website on Sunday saying it was closed "in response to ongoing threats by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to attack American interests in Yemen".
It did not say when it would reopen.

Embassy officials would not comment if there was a specific threat, but Hakim al-Masmari, the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post newspaper, told Al Jazeera that the closure could only mean, "that they believe al-Qaeda threat is very serious".
"If you look at the recent video tapes from al-Qaeda, they clearly mention they have no enemy in Yemen except the US interests in Yemen. They warned the Yemeni soldiers against helping the Americans in any such way," al-Masmari said.

"We really expect attacks on the US interests in the next month by al-Qaeda."
Joint support

The US move came shortly after the British government announced plans to join the United States in funding an "anti-terrorist" force in Yemen.

Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, has said he will hold a meeting in London on January 28 to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen.
British officials also said that Brown and Barack Obama, the US president, believed more peacekeepers were needed to curtail the crisis in Somalia, which is located across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen.

The US government has said it will be more than doubling its military assistance to Yemen. Obama on Saturday blamed al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which claims to be affiliated with Osama bin Laden's organization, for the attempted bombing of a US airliner bound for the city of Detroit on Christmas day.

"We're learning more about the suspect. We know that he traveled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies," the US president said on Saturday.

"It appears that he joined an affiliate of al-Qaeda and that this group, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America."

US military aid to Yemen has been inconsistent in recent years, with Sana'a receiving $4.3m in 2006, up to $26m in 2007, down to nothing in 2008, and back up still higher, to $67m in 2009.

Long-term Problem

Mahan Abedin, director of the Center for the Study of Terrorism, says that while US aid has fluctuated, the al-Qaeda presence in Yemen has not.

"They've had Yemen in their sights for a very long time ... at least as long as September 11. Even prior to that … Yemen has had a strong militancy problem since the late 1980's."

The fear among Western governments is that Yemen is poised to collapse amid extreme poverty and dwindling resources, and the ungoverned state would provide a safe haven for armed groups.

Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, has said he will hold a meeting in London on January 28 to discuss how to counter radicalization in Yemen.
The government in Sana'a is struggling to contain an uprising by Shia Houthi rebels in the country's north and a secessionist movement in the south, in addition to the re-grouping of al-Qaeda fighters in recent years.

General David Petraeus, the commander of the US central command, visited Yemen on Saturday to discuss military and economic co-operation with Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president, according to officials from both countries.
Petraeus had announced a day earlier that US military aid to Yemen "will more than double this coming year".

Limited Options

Experts say Obama's military options to combat al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are limited.

David Newton, a former US ambassador to Yemen, said his main option "is one he's already doing - using predators [drones] to go after terrorists that they are able to locate".

"To do that, [he] has to co-operate with Saudi security and Yemeni security, and use our own independent means to find them."

Newton said the greater challenge will be to stabilize the country, which has seen a failing economy, severe water shortages, and a ballooning population in recent years.

Other al-Qaeda affiliated groups, such as in Somalia, have meanwhile vowed to support the Yemeni fighters.
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2010 Jan 03

UK to Follow US Intervention in Yemen



Source: PressTV

The British premier's office says that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US President Barack Obama have agreed to fight what they call terrorism in Yemen and Somalia.

The UK and the US have agreed to fund a counter-terrorism police unit in Yemen to tackle the rising threat from the country.

The British premier's office says that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US President Barack Obama have agreed to fight what they call terrorism in Yemen and Somalia.

The UK and the US have agreed to fund a counter-terrorism police unit in Yemen to tackle what they deem the rising threat from the country.

The US has been involved in war in Yemen by sending its special forces to train the Yemeni military and conducting air raids in both northern and southern parts of the Middle Eastern country.

Obama Order

On December 18, ABC News quoted anonymous administration officials as saying that US Nobel Peace Prize laureate President Barack Obama ordered the US military to launch air strikes on Yemen.

Upon the orders of Obama, the military warplanes on December 17 blanketed two camps in the North of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, claiming there were "an imminent attack against a US asset was being planned." The attacks killed scores of civilians, according to Yemeni opposition groups.

Fighting in the North

US military intervention in Yemen comes at a time that the country's army with full support from Saudi Arabia has been fighting with Shia Houthi fighters in northern parts of the country.

Houthi fighters say both Saudi and US fighter jets have been involved in bombing Shia villages, inflicting heavy civilian casualties.

Earlier, the fighters had expressed full readiness for dialogue with the Yemeni government.

The Houthis say they will turn to talks if the Yemeni and Saudi military halt their attacks against them.

The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters. Relative peace had returned to the region for a period before August 11, when the Yemeni army launched a major offensive, dubbed Operation Scorched Earth, against Sa'ada Province.

The government claims that the fighters, who are named after their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, seek to restore the Shia imamate system, which was overthrown in a 1962 military coup.

The Houthis, however, say they are defending their people's civil rights, which the government has undermined under pressure from Saudi-backed Wahhabi extremists. Shias, who form the clear majority in the north, make up approximately half of Yemen's overall population.

The United Nations, which according to its charter is set up "to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace," has failed to adopt any concrete measures to help end the bloody war.

US War on Terror

The latest alleged front against al-Qaeda in Yemen is opened more than eight years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan which was said to be aimed at eradicating militancy and the arrest of main militant leaders including Osama Bin Laden.

According to UN figures, Afghan civilians have been the main victims of the controversial war.

Iran: Clinton’s Remarks Infringe Int’l Norms

Source: PressTV

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman has reacted to recent remarks by the US Secretary of State regarding Tehran's ties with Latin American countries.

Hillary Clinton on Friday alluded to Iran's business partners in Latin America, including Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia, warning them of consequences of bolstering ties with Iran.

"We can only say that is a really bad idea for the countries involved," said the former first lady. "If people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them. And we hope that they will think twice," she said during a question-and-answer session at the State Department.

In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Mehman-Parast said the comments infringed accepted diplomatic norms regarding the relations between the countries.

"I think it's evident enough that such comments are in contravention of diplomatic norms," he said, adding that the best evidence was the reaction of those countries in the ALBA conference, which "unanimously rejected and condemned such comments."

In response to Clinton's remarks, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, a regional trade group known as ALBA, promised closer ties with Iran.

The leaders of ALBA, an alliance for regional integration between the countries of Latin America and Caribbean, pledged to further develop ties with Iran and denounced the US stance toward the Islamic Republic.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the oft-states remarks were "ridiculous."

"It's ridiculous, the threat of the secretary of state, and we aren't afraid of her," Chavez said.

Bolivian President Evo Morales also said that his country would not back down from holding closer relations with Iran.

This is not the first time that the US has expressed dismay over Iran's soaring popularity in Latin America, which it regards as its "strategic backyard."

Earlier in May, Clinton said that the US was "disturbed" by Iran's "gains" in the Latin America region.

Other than Venezuela and Bolivia, the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys growing relations with other Latin American countries namely Brazil and Ecuador.

In his very recent visit to Latin America in November, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela, where he signed several cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with South American leaders on joint ventures.

Nuclear issue

On supply of fuel for Tehran's reactor, the spokesman said Iran has already given its views on the issue, reiterating that the swap would be possible if Iran's "conditions are taken into consideration."

Iran has offered to exchange an amount of 1,200 kilograms of its enriched uranium - in three batches of 400 kilograms - for the equivalent of higher-enriched uranium on the Persian Gulf island of Kish.

While the West is yet to give an official response to the proposal, a US official, who requested anonymity, rejected the proposal, saying, "Iran's proposal does not appear to be consistent with the fair and balanced draft agreement proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]."

In his press briefing, Mehman-Parast also appreciated Turkey's support for Iran's nuclear rights, which he said could set an example for other countries that hold friendly ties with Iran.

"The more our friends try to make the other side understand our rights, this is positive and we hope it would be effective."

Turkey has on several occasions defended Iran's nuclear program, dismissing sanctions as a proper solution to the issue.

Chavez Rejects Clinton’s Threat Over Iran Ties

Source: PressTV

After US secretary of state expressed concern over consequences of Iran's close ties with Latin American countries, Venezuela condemns Hillary Clinton's remarks as an "imperial offensive."

"Mrs Clinton's statements (are) like a threat above all against Venezuela and Bolivia... They are the clear signs of an imperial offensive seeking to stop the advancement of progressive forces, and regain its back yard," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the most outspoken US critic in Latin America, told reporters in Havana.

"It's an overt threat. Her declarations are like a threat, especially at Venezuela and Bolivia," he added.

Chavez, who was speaking at an ALBA summit, said that Clinton's words were a clear sign that the US is seeking to stop the advancement of progressive nations.

In a veiled reference to Iran's business partners in Latin America, including Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia, Clinton on Friday warned that having close ties with Iran would have inevitable consequences.

"We can only say that is a really bad idea for the countries involved," said the former first lady. "If people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them. And we hope that they will think twice," she said during a question-and-answer session at the State Department.

In a sign of Iran's close relations with Latin American states, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went on several official trips to such countries, including Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela in November.

During his visits, Ahmadinejad signed a number of agreements with Latin American leaders to launch joint projects.

Obama letter

US president Barack Obama whose country has already had tense relationships with Brazil over a number of issues including US military presence in Colombia wrote a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on 24 November reiterating US position over Iran's nuclear program and indirectly expressing his discontent with President Ahmadinejad's trip.

A day after receiving the letter, the Brazilian president once again defended Tehran's right to develop its nuclear technology just as Brasilia has been doing, The New York Times reported.

US interference in Latin American affairs

This is while Washington's long-standing interference in Latin America has had far greater consequences.

The Brazilian president recently called on the US to develop fresh ties based on a "vision of partnership and not interference, of contribution and not intervention" with Latin American countries.

The United States, discontent with the rise of socialist and leftist governments in its so-called strategic backyard, has a long history of interference in Latin American affairs.

In 1954, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) organized a covert intervention to oust the democratically-elected Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman.

Seven years later CIA planned, financed and executed an assault on Cuba known as The Bay of Pigs Invasion, designed to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro.

More than 20,000 American troops, meanwhile, landed in Dominican Republic in 1965 to sabotage the National Liberation Movements.

The CIA also orchestrated the 1973 Chilean coup d'?tat, in which the government of President Salvador Allende was overthrown. General Augusto Pinochet assumed power and established a military government that ruled until 1990.

US Warns Latin America Against Cozying Up to Iran

Source: PressTV

As Iran increases its presence in US backyard, the US secretary of states warns Latin American nations about the consequences of the move.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad went on several official trips to Latin American countries, including Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela in November.

During his visits, Ahmadinejad signed a number of agreements with Latin American leader to launch joint projects and thus increase Iran's presence in the region.

Pointing to the recent upsurge in relations, Hillary Clinton said on Friday that "we can only say that is a really bad idea for the countries involved," warning Bolivia and Venezuela in particular.

Clinton went on to accuse Iran of being "the major supporter, promoter and exporter of terrorism in the world."

While Iran has always stated its opposition to extremism, Washington is accused of funding and supporting terrorist groups such as the Taliban in Afghanistan.

“In the 1980s, the administration former US president Ronald Reagan delivered several hundred shoulder-fired Stingers to Afghan resistance groups, including the Taliban,” The New York Times reported.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari also confirmed in a May 7 interview with the NBC that “the ISI and CIA created them (the Taliban) together."

The US secretary of state, however, went on to warn that "if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them. And we hope that they will think twice."