NATO withdraws Afghanistan staff after US advisers killed

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/228625.html

NATO on Saturday pulled all its staff out of Afghan government ministries after two U.S. military advisers were shot dead in the interior ministry, as anti-U.S. protests raged for a fifth day.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the shooting, saying it was in revenge for the burning of Qur'ans at a U.S.-run military base - an incident that forced U.S. President Barack Obama to apologize to the Afghan people. Thejakartaglobe

HIGHLIGHTS

"For obvious force protection reasons, I have also taken immediate measures to recall all other ISAF personnel working in ministries in and around Kabul," said U.S. General John Allen, commander of NATO's international security assistance force. news24.co

The two advisers, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, were shot in the back of the head, according to Western officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information. Huffington Post

U.S. officials said the assailant - who has not been identified by name or nationality - remained at large and a manhunt was underway. Huffington Post

Britain said its embassy was also temporarily withdrawing all civilian mentors and advisers from Afghan government institutions in Kabul. Thejakartaglobe

The latest deaths come hard on the heels of the killing of two American troops on Thursday when an Afghan soldier turned his weapon on them at their base in eastern Nangarhar province as demonstrators approached. Thejakartaglobe

US presses Pakistan to allow intelligence bases near Iran

Satellite photo of Iran-Pakistan border

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/227892.html

An Indian newspaper says the United States is putting pressure on Pakistan to allow Washington to establish espionage bases in the country’s Balochistan province to gather intelligence on Iran.

According to a report published by The Times of India on Monday, the US Congress has been discussing a resolution to recognize the right of Baloch people to self-determination as a means of putting pressure on Islamabad to give in to the US demands.

The move elicited angry reactions from Pakistan’s top leaders including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who described it as an attack on the country's sovereignty.

Pakistan’s foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, also said though the resolution was an isolated move by a few individuals, it "is contrary to the principles of the UN Charter and international law.”

“The outburst in America for Balochistan…is part of the move [by the US] to set up intelligence bases close to the Iranian border,” an unnamed Pakistani official was quoted by the paper as saying.

The official indicated that the Congressional hearing and resolution were nothing but "pressure tactics."

"They [Americans] want to use our soil against Iran, which we can never allow," he added.

Meanwhile, two officials from Pakistan’s security agencies and one from diplomatic circles confirmed to the daily that the American diplomats and military leaders had requested permission for their agents to operate near the Iranian border in Balochistan.

The revelation came a few days after the US House of Representatives blamed Pakistani security agencies for the abductions and extra-judicial killings in Balochistan.

This is not the first time that the United States has made efforts to spy on Iran.

On May 30, 2011, the members of a CIA espionage and sabotage network were arrested by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry.

On November 24, Iran announced the arrest of a dozen other CIA spies, who were found to have been on a mission to sabotage the country's nuclear facilities and other important compounds.

Another CIA espionage network with 12 members was busted in Iran and Lebanon in cooperation with the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah.

On December 4, Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit downed a US RQ-170 Sentinel stealth aircraft when flying over the northeastern Iran city of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) away from the Afghan border.

Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the drone had been part of a CIA reconnaissance mission, involving the United State's intelligence community stationed in Afghanistan.

Iraqi people celebrate US troops withdrawal

Iraqi demonstrators celebrate the withdrawal of the US troops from their country, January 19, 2012.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/225766.html

Iraqi people have held a massive demonstration in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, to celebrate the end of the US-led occupation of their country, Press TV reports.

Millions of Iraqis have gathered in Baghdad to express their joy over the withdrawal of US troops from their country.

At the beginning of the ceremony, influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said the West, particularly the United States, were “defeated” in Iraq.

Sadr added that Iraqis will no longer accept foreigners in their country because they can never bring security and stability for Iraq.

The US forces “humiliated people, destroyed homes and desecrated mosques” during their presence in Iraq, Sadr stated.

On January 19, Iraqi people also held a similar demonstration in the city of Najaf, south of Baghdad.

The last US military base was handed over to Iraqi officials on December 16, 2011 and the last convoy of US troops left the country for Kuwait two days later.

In his speech on Thursday, Sadr also called on Sunni and Shia Muslims in the country to stand united.

Judge threatened to drop charges in Obama Citizenship case

Source: William J. Wagener & Orly Taitz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBKDI6T4V7w

The proof is available to download…Please share it and get informed! The US Government has threatened the judge in the case. Even though there is now an appeal in process, the information was admitted into evidence and can be picked up by anyone in any State to charge Obama. This is not over by a long shot! Anyone interested can go to Orly Taitz website for more information on what to do and how to proceed.

Orly Taitz - Official Website
http://www.orlytaitzesq.com/

'No reason for US to retain military bases abroad'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/224594.html

There is no logical reason for the United States to continue running military bases in foreign countries, a political analyst tells Press TV's US Desk.

Professor Jennifer Loewenstein, associate director of Middle East Studies Program at University of Wisconsin, told our channel on Thursday that she did not think that “the United States has any reason to continue operating 1,100 US military bases” overseas.

The United States is estimated to have from 700 to over 1000 military bases overseas, which range from small drone sites on foreign airfields to vast facilities, according to the Canadian newspaper, National Post.

People imprisoned in these bases “have not ever been rightly convicted,” Loewenstein noted, adding that they “are called terrorists without [people] knowing what their backgrounds are.”

She went on to say that Washington had no right to operate bases in other countries or use them for the purposes of detention, torture, execution, and carrying out covert military operations. “All of the reasons that we are there overseas are questionable.”

Pakistan leaders spurn pro-NATO move

Activists of Pakistan Defense Council gather during a rally in the city of Multan on January 29, 2012

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/223828.html

Pakistani religious and political leaders say they will not let Islamabad reopen Pakistan's crossings to NATO's supply trucks, closed after the US forces with the alliance conducted a deadly attack against the country.

The leaders made the announcement on Sunday during a massive anti-US demonstration arranged by the Defense of Pakistan Council, which is an alliance of 40 religious and political parties, in the city of Multan, about 400 kilometers southwest of the capital Islamabad.

Attending the demonstration, thousands of people from different religious and political groups condemned Washington's policies and its non-UN-sanctioned drone strikes on Pakistan's tribal region.

Islamabad stopped the supply convoys destined for the 130,000-strong US-led force deployed in Afghanistan in response to NATO airstrikes on November 26 that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at two checkpoints on the Afghan border.

According to reports, Pakistan's parliament is likely to approve reopening of the supply routes to NATO on the condition that the Western military alliance pays heavy tariffs.

Speaking during the rally, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan's largest religious political party, said that any resolution submitted in parliament favoring the reopening of the routes would be a step to the detriment of the country.

In a reference to the clandestine activities of the CIA and Israel's spy agency, Mossad, in Pakistan, Munawar Hassan said that international spy agencies were involved in terrorist incidents in the country.

He also stated it was time that Islamabad detached itself from Washington and its harmful policies for the region.

The head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami, another large religious political party in Pakistan, told the participants in the rally that if “the US, Israel, India or NATO forces” attacked Pakistan's border again, members of his party would retaliate against them with full force.

A leader of a religious movement warned the government that if it decided to reopen the routes, his group's members would block the passageways themselves.

Former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Hameed Gul, also said that renewed flow of the supplies to the US-led forces would expose Pakistan to potential dangers.

US court challenges Obama's presidency

A US court has tossed out a lawsuit challenging President Barack Hussein Obama's US citizenship and his eligibility to serve as president.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222996.html

After nearly a full-term in office, US President Barack Obama's eligibility for presidency is being challenged as an Atlanta court has summoned him.

A Georgia judge has ordered President Obama to appear in court on Thursday for a hearing on a complaint that says Obama cannot be president as he is not a natural-born US citizen. It is, however, unclear whether a court could force a sitting president to appear in court.

California attorney Orly Taitz has filed the lawsuit which is challenging the presence of Obama's name on the March presidential primary ballot.

Taitz says she has been working on the case over the last three years.

“This will be 100 times bigger than Watergate,” she said referring to the 1970s political scandal that brought down former US President Richard Nixon adding, “There are high ranking judges and federal officials who are involved in this cover up. The ramifications of this trial will be enormous.”

Although Taitz said that she knew the president's legal team would fight his appearance in the Georgia court, she went on to say that, “If he [Obama] is appealing this decision, then he looks guilty. The whole nation understands this man is a fraud.”

Taitz's lawsuit is one of many such lawsuits filed nationwide against the president. Yet Obama campaign officials say such claims have no merit.

The Georgia judge has denied a motion by Obama's lawyer to nullify a subpoena that requires Obama to show up.

The allegations against Obama come as primaries and caucuses are scheduled to be held over the next few months in every US state to vote on the Republican Party competitors before a final nominee is elected at the party convention in August to challenge President Obama in the 2012 elections.

Obama stresses US allegiance to Israel

US President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on January 24, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222985.html

US President Barack Obama has stressed Washington's military collaboration with Israel in his State of the Union address.

In his election-year State of the Union address on Tuesday, the US president spoke of the country's alliances across the globe, mentioning its 'oldest alliances in Europe and Asia' and its 'deeper ties to the Americas.'

In his speech to the US congress, Obama also highlighted the US loyalty to Israel, saying “Our ironclad commitment -- and I mean ironclad -- to Israel's security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history.”

Obama's comments come amid repeated threats from the United States and Israel of the "option" of a military strike against Tehran based on the allegation, championed by Washington, Tel Aviv, and their allies, that Iran's nuclear activities may consist of a covert military agenda.

Iran has refuted the allegations, saying as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Amid the harshly-toned and increasing Western allegations against Iran, analysts have questioned the West's continued refusal to consider Israel's aggressive military agenda to be a threat against Iran.

Iranian officials have reacted strongly to the American and Israeli war rhetoric, saying that the Islamic Republic will deliver a crushing response to any military strike against the country.

Pakistani parliament backs PM Gilani

Pakistani officials and media members gather outside the Parliament House building during a joint session, Islamabad, Pakistan, January 13, 2012

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/221479.html

Pakistan's parliament has passed a resolution in support of the government shortly after the country's Supreme Court issued a contempt of court notice against the prime minister.

The Pakistani parliament on Monday night voted with majority for the resolution to endorse the government of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani for its efforts to "strengthen democracy" amidst the country's worst legal and political crisis in over a decade.

Lawmakers of the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), boycotted the proceedings.

"This House endorses and supports the efforts made by the political leadership for the strengthening democracy and reposes full confidence and trust in them," the resolution said.

The vote came after Pakistan's Supreme Court issued a contempt order against Gilani for not complying with orders related to the reopening of corruption cases.

Gilani was asked to appear in person at the court due to the government's refusal to reopen graft cases against top officials including President Asif Ali Zardari.

Gilani praised the lawmakers for passing the resolution and said that he would appear in the Supreme Court on January 19.

The Supreme Court has demanded that the government ask Swiss officials to reopen old corruption cases against the president.

The government and the ruling party, however, say Zardari has immunity from prosecution as long as he remains in office.

Zardari is also under pressure due to an investigation into who was behind efforts to ask for US help to avert an army coup in Pakistan, in May 2011.

The request for US help is said to have been made by former Pakistani Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, with support from Zardari. However, both Haqqani and Zardari have denied the accusations.

The government has been trying to avoid the escalating tensions with the military and the judiciary.

Pakistan court finds Gilani in contempt

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/221341.html

Pakistan's Supreme Court has issued a contempt order against the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for not complying with orders related to the re-opening of corruption cases.

"The Supreme Court has issued a contempt of court notice to the prime minister for not complying with its orders," Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk said on Monday.

He added that Gilani should appear in person at the court on January 19 due to his refusal to reopen corruption cases against the president and over eight-thousand other people.

The judge said the court met to debate how to proceed on graft charges against President Asif Ali Zardari.

"We are left with no option but to issue a show cause notice to the prime minister of Pakistan (for him to explain) as to why he shall not be proceeded against for contempt of this court," Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq said.

The Supreme Court has demanded that the government ask Swiss officials to reopen old corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

This is while, the government and the ruling party say Zardari has immunity from prosecution as long as he remains in office.

Zardari is also under pressure due to an investigation into who was behind efforts to ask for US help to avert an army coup in Pakistan, in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011.

The request for US help is said to have been made by former Pakistani Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, with support from Zardari. However, both Haqqani and Zardari have denied the accusations.

Top ten US military violations

Picture of a US Navy vessel passing the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220563.html

A political analyst says the US is the biggest violator of the self-written treaty that makes war unlawful unless attacked by another nation.

Before enumerating the most unlawful US wars in history, Carl Herman urges the American military and/or law enforcement to arrest the current American war criminals and prevent Washington from launching another war.

“The basis of law provides US military and all with Oaths to defend the US Constitution to refuse unlawful orders and act to arrest those who issue them,” Herman said.

1. The US has regularly violated treaties with Native Americans, as well as manipulating their meaning for the purpose of stealing their land.

2. In 1848, US President James Polk lied to Congress to start a war with Mexico, despite Abraham Lincoln's crystal-clear explanation as a member of Congress that the Adams-Onis Treaty placed the "border dispute" 400 miles within land forever promised to Mexico and forever promised as outside any US claim.

3. The US violated a treaty with Hawaii and stole their country in 1898.

4. The US entered in the First World War I on the basis that nothing should threatens America's national security and imprisoned the 3rd party Presidential candidates for questioning the war.

5. In the covert “Operation Ajax” the CIA overthrew the elected Iranian government led by Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh and installed a US-friendly brutal dictator. When that dictator was overthrown and Iran refused another, the US aided Iraq to unlawfully attack Iran from 1980-1988, killing up to a million Iranians.

6. The Vietnam War occurred after the US allowed the cancellation of an election to unify the South Vietnam with North Vietnam.

7. The US reneged on promises of freedom after the Spanish American War to impose its rule on the Philippines and install US-friendly dictators in Cuba.

8. The US and NATO promoted the war in Kosovo based on short-term military and casualty reports that were later found highly inaccurate.

9. After the September 11 attacks, the US army with the help of NATO invaded Afghanistan under the pretext of combating terrorism and locating Osama Bin Laden, which is now the longest military conflict in US history.

10. The entire world now knows that all “reasons” for war with Iraq were known to be false as they were told, according to Congressional reports.

Herman says that the "reasons" for war with Iran are as false as the "reasons" for war with Iraq and warns American to beware of another so called “defensive” war under false pretexts.

Obama launches Bureau of Counterterrorism

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/219809.html

President Obama's State Department has announced the creation of the Bureau of Counterterrorism, which will coordinate with United States entities such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and foreign governments to develop civilian counterterrorism strategies and operations.

"The mission of the new bureau will be to lead the [State] Department in the U.S. government's effort to counter terrorism abroad and to secure the United States against foreign terrorist threats," Ambassador Dan Benjamin told reporters.

"The bureau will lead in supporting U.S. counterterrorism diplomacy and seek to strengthen homeland security, countering violent extremism, and build the capacity of partner nations to deal effectively with terrorism." Washington Examiner

HIGHLIGHTS

The bureau is new only in nominal terms, and has essentially been operating as the Office of the Coordinator for Counter-terrorism for awhile now, with Benjamin at the head. Moving from an office to a bureau is generally seen as an upgrade. Antiwar

The bureau will focus on foreign terrorists, but their activities have some bearing on domestic security. It collaborates with "the Department of Homeland Security to work jointly to stop terrorist travel, to improve aviation security," for instance, but will focus more on "the bilateral kind of diplomacy that we do with others on a number of different issues, whether it has to do with how we reduce the space that terrorist groups have to fundraise, [or] to operate," Benjamin explained. Washington Examiner

As part of the State Department the bureau's specific purview would seem to be diplomatic, but when pressed over exactly what the bureau will do Benjamin provided a long but largely content-free description. Antiwar

“The establishment of the bureau in many ways is a confirmation or ratification of the things that we have been doing increasingly in recent years,” Benjamin insisted, adding that the bureau would “fund other agencies of the U.S. government to send their experts out to countries around the world.” Antiwar

FACTS & FIGURES

The U.S. began jailing suspects in 2002, creating an interrogation program from scratch to deal with so-called "high value detainees" of the war on terror.

The CIA operated its detention system under a series of secret legal opinions by CIA and Justice Department lawyers. Those rules provided a legal basis for the harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. NY Times

Rendition began to be used regularly under President Bill Clinton and its use expanded rapidly under President Bush after the terrorist attacks in September 2001. NY Times

Human Rights Watch has stated that the principle of “command responsibility” could make high-ranking officials within the Bush administration guilty of war crimes. hrw.org

Human Rights First has reported that the United States is holding suspects in more than two dozen detention centers around the world. pubrecord.org

Some 27,000 detainees are suspected to have been held by the U.S in secret prisons around the world including in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Island of Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean), Jordan and aboard U.S. amphibious assault ships. ufppc.org

Pakistan says reviewing ties with US

Pakistani women staged an anti-US protest rally in Karachi on December 20, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/219112.html

A Pakistani parliamentary committee is reviewing the country's relations with the United States after recent tensions between the two countries.

A senior government official said on Tuesday that the committee is reviewing the state of ties with the US and the kind of relationship that Pakistan should have with Washington in future.

"The relationship in future will be transparent and there will be new terms of engagement with the US in counterterrorism," the unnamed official said.

Washington-Islamabad relations entered a new phase after US-led airstrikes killed at least 24 Pakistani troops and injured dozens of others in northwest Pakistan in November. The raid prompted several anti-US demonstrations in Pakistani cities.

The Pakistani government has shut vital supply routes for US-led foreign soldiers in Afghanistan following the attack.

NATO has expressed hope for a quick reopening of the border, arguing that the blockade is damaging the economies of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The US claims that the drone strikes target militants, although casualty figures indicate that the aerial bombings have led to the loss of hundreds of Pakistani civilian lives.

The country has lost more than 35,000 people in militant attacks and bomb explosions since 2007, according to independent estimates.

Millions more have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy across the country.

Obama inks controversial defense bill

US President Barack Obama

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218751.html

US President Barack Obama has signed a bill into law that expands the US military authority over terrorist suspects, denying US citizens their constitutional rights.

The National Defense Authorization Act provides USD 662 billion in funding for military spending, including military pay raises, weapon system and funding for the war in Afghanistan in 2012.

The measure, which passed by wide majority in Congress, says the US military has the power to detain terrorist suspects without trial for as long as the so-called US global anti-terror campaign is waged.

The bill contains several provisions that rights groups and advocates have vehemently opposed, arguing that they could allow indefinite detention and interrogation of US citizens and non-citizens suspected of being linked to terrorism and deny them legal rights protected by the constitution.

In a statement accompanying his signature, the US president expressed “serious reservations” about provisions related to the detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists, saying that he might not strictly follow certain requirements spelled out in the new law.

“My administration will interpret and implement the provisions … in a manner that best preserves the flexibility on which our safety depends and upholds the values on which this country was founded," Obama said.

"I want to clarify that my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens," Obama said. “Indeed, I believe that doing so would break with our most important traditions and values as a nation.”

The bill also bans the use of government money to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States, again in an attempt to force the administration to try them in military rather than civil courts.

The White House initially threatened to veto the legislation, but it dropped the warning after Congress made last-minute changes.

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, said “by signing this defense spending bill, President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law.”

Obama signs new Iran sanctions

US President Barak Obama

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218756.html

US President Barak Obama has signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran's Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution.

The bill, signed on Saturday, requires foreign financial firms to make a choice between doing business with Iran's Central Bank and oil sector or with the US financial sector.

The legislation will not go into effect for six months in a bid to provide oil markets with time to adjust.

It also includes a "waiver," allowing the president to suspend the sanctions in case he decides that the anti-Iran attempt will adversely impact national security interests of the US.

The inclusion of the “waiver” in the bill reflects major concerns among American lawmakers that the bullying approach of the US against the Islamic Republic will backfire across the globe.

Meanwhile, energy experts say the sanctions could lead to a major hike in crude oil prices and disrupt the interests of the US and its allies that depend on oil imports from Iran.

The United States has already barred its own banks from dealing with the Iranian Central Bank. Thus, the new US sanctions are intended to dissuade other foreign banks from doing transactions with Iran's Central Bank by threatening to cut off their access to US financial institutions.

Facing major economic troubles, the United States is reportedly the world's largest debtor nation.

The sovereign debts of the US government to foreign states and institutions reached USD 15 trillion at the end of 2011. With the steady accumulation of interest on the huge debt, there is serious skepticism about the US ability to pay it off.

A number of economic experts believe that US government will soon face bankruptcy and American citizens will have to endure more severe financial crisis in the years ahead.

US sanctions, as well as unilateral embargoes imposed on Iran's energy and financial sectors by Britain and Canada came after the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report on Iranian nuclear program early November, accusing Tehran of seeking to weaponize its nuclear technology.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, Israel and some of their European allies that Iran's nuclear program may include a military diversion, Iran steadfastly insists on its civilian nature, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Iran hails US pullout from Iraq

Iraqis wave their national flag during a celebration marking the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighborhood on December 30, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218755.html

Iran's Foreign Ministry has hailed the end to US military occupation of Iraq as a great political triumph for the Iraqi nation and government.

“Through the years of foreign military presence, Iraq was faced with major political and security challenges,” said Iran's Foreign Ministry in a statement released on Sunday.

The statement added that Iraq was able to safely navigate through a plot to wage civil and tribal war in the Muslim country due to a national resolve and the accurate understanding that Iraqi political and religious leaders maintained about the sensitive nature of regional and international developments.

Iran once again expressed its readiness to continue with the constructive role it has been playing in Iraq by supporting the political process in the country and offering material and technical assistance in the nation's reconstruction effort.

December 31 marked the termination of a nearly nine-year US military invasion and occupation of Iraq in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement signed by Baghdad and Washington during the administration of former president of the United States, George W. Bush.

“I declare this day, the 31st of December, on which the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq is complete, as a national day,” said Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday.

Despite the withdrawal, however, some 8,000 US troops have remained in the country's northern Kurdistan region, reports say.

Along with the American troops, some 14 warplanes, 125 helicopters and 28 US drones continue to remain in the country's northern region.

In addition, US President Barack Obama has vowed to maintain what he has described as a robust diplomatic presence in Iraq that includes a large number of armed security guards.

PM Maliki calls for unity in Iraq

Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki delivers a speech during a ceremony in Baghdad, December 31, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218762.html

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called for unity among all political parties and people in the country following the withdrawal of American troops.

Maliki said on Sunday that all Iraqis should abide by the country's constitution, urging various political parties not to lead Iraq to a divided state.

The Iraqi premier also noted that his government will revise the industrial sector to rebuild the country.

In an earlier press conference in Baghdad on Saturday, Maliki announced the day of departure of US troops from Iraq as a national holiday.

"I announce that on this day, December 31st, which coincides with the complete pull out of all foreign troops from Iraq, is declared a national day -- it's Iraq's day," he said.

Despite the US withdrawal from Iraq, some 8,000 American troops have remained in the country's northern Kurdistan region.

Along with the troops, some 14 warplanes, 125 helicopters and 28 drones also still remain in the country's northern region.

The 2003 US military invasion has left around one million Iraqis dead, according to the California-based investigative organization, Project Censored.

The Iraq war has killed some 4,500 American troops and injured thousands of others.

'US sets stage for war against Iran'

US President Barack Obama

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218682.html

The recent allegations made by the United States against Iran have set the stage for a war against the Islamic Republic, an American analyst says.

"With the typical backdrop of alarmist propaganda in place, the stage is now set for a new war, this time with Iran," Robert Parry said in an article on Global Research.

"There is now a cascading of allegations regarding Iran, as there was with Iraq, with the momentum rushing toward war," he added.

The analyst noted that "tougher and tougher Western sanctions against Iran have pushed the various sides closer to war… as happened with Iraq -- when harsher economic sanctions merged with a US troop build-up."

Warning of "devastating consequences" of a "prospective war with Iran," Parry also said Washington's allegation that Iran is on pace to build a nuclear bomb resembles accusations that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

In 2003, the US invaded Iraq under the pretext that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed the Weapons of Mass Destruction. However, it was later revealed that not only Iraq was not in possession of WMDs but also that US and UK leaders were aware the non-existence of such weapons.

The US analyst blasted the recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Iran, saying that the report "was widely accepted as gospel truth without any discussion of whether the IAEA is an unbiased and reliable source."

Parry said the documentary evidence showed that IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano was installed with the support of the United States and that he privately indicated to US and Israeli officials that he would help advance their goals regarding Iran.

In November, the IAEA accused Iran of conducting activities related to developing nuclear weapons before 2003, adding that these activities “may still be ongoing.”

Iran, however, rejected the report as “unbalanced, unprofessional and prepared with political motivation and under political pressure mostly from the United States.”

Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the "option" of a military strike, based on their allegation that Iran's nuclear program may include a covert military aspect.

Iran insists that it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA.

US, UAE sign $3.5bn missile sales deal

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218626.html

The US has signed a deal to sell over three billion dollars worth of missiles and technology to the United Arab Emirates, its close ally in the Middle East.

The USD 3.48 billion agreement, which was signed on Christmas day, includes the sale of 96 missiles along with supporting technology and training, Pentagon spokesman George Little said on Friday.

On Thursday, the Obama administration announced the sale of USD 30 billion worth of advanced fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in addition to a USD 1.7 billion deal to upgrade the kingdom's Patriot missiles system.

The US also announced a USD 900 million sale of 209 Patriot missiles to Kuwait.

The oil-rich Middle East is considered vital for the US energy security.

The Obama administration has assured US lawmakers that military equipment in the Middle East does not constitute a threat against Israel.

The US has demonstrated support for popular uprisings in the Middle East while at the same time propped up authoritarian regimes in the region by selling to them billions of dollars worth of various types of weaponry.

In its Yearbook 2010, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) states that the US accounts for 43 percent of world military spending and 30 percent of global arms exports, making it the world's leader in both categories.

US arms sales to the Persian Gulf will amount to USD 123 billion; a USD 67.8 billion package for Saudi Arabia, USD 35.6 billion for the United Arab Emirates, USD 12.3 billion for Oman and USD 7.1 billion for Kuwait.

Pakistan judiciary probes memo scandal

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218555.html

Pakistan's Supreme Court says it has established a commission to investigate a secret memo scandal seeking to curb the power of the military.

The Supreme Court appointed a three-judge panel on Friday to look into a controversial memo allegedly drafted by Pakistan's civilian leadership asking for the US help to rein in the nation's powerful military.

The Supreme Court probe, to be led by the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court, comes against the backdrop of government opposition to a court investigation since the parliament is already looking into the matter.

Islamabad has described such a probe as unnecessary, arguing that its opponents on the Supreme Court, in the military and in the political opposition are using the scandal to try to overthrow the country's leadership.

The current political scandal focuses on a controversial memo allegedly sent to the United States in May asking for help in stopping an alleged coup plot by the army.

The plot is said to have been crafted by Pakistan's former Pakistani Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, with support from the country's President Asif Ali Zardari. However, both Haqqani and Zardari have denied the accusations.

Pakistan's military has staged a series of coups and ruled the country for most of its 64-year history.