Is a Major False Flag Being prepared to Escalate the War on Iran

 

Opinion: 

By Stewart F. Brennan

Everyone awake is feeling it . . . regarding the War on Iran.

QUESTION: Will there be a false flag carried out on US soil to force a unified call for war on Iran?

My reply:

"The desperation of the US / western deep state to hold onto their economic control of the world will not be furthered with little psy-ops such as the incident in the UK on an American military base, or a knife attack on a plane on its way to Israel. Those things are the build up to an event much more sinister and catalysing to capture the uninformed public and push them to unify behind a military reply on Iran.

A major false flag operation on US soil (probably in a blue state) will be blamed on Iran and will push the US government (who will show unity, red and blue) into a massive retaliation. Elections can then also be legally postponed.

A major false flag event would then be used to unify the people in the US and western Europe for that matter, to use war on a nation, just as they did on 911. Only this time it will most likely be a nuclear reply and direct, since the US is short on advanced weapons and cannot defeat Iran by conventional means. A false flag is the only card left in the US hand, and they do not like to lose, so you can count on them using it."

Stewart Brennan

'US posts elite commandos near Iran'

A commando with the Combined Special Forces Operations Component Command, fires his weapon during a drill. (File photo)

Source: Press TV

The US-based Wired magazine says Washington has stationed a special team of highly trained commandos near Iran's border for possible sabotage operations.

Quoting a US Army officer speaking on behalf of Special Forces, the report by the magazine's columnist, Spender Ackerman, said a team of “highly trained personnel that excel in uncertain environments” are operating near Iran.

According to Ackerman, the team called Joint Special Operations Task Force-Gulf Coordinating Council (JSOTF-GCC) is now on the ground to instruct local troops in special operations. This is the first time the US has acknowledged the existence of the team, which apparently did not exist before the middle of 2009.

“The primary, day-to-day mission of the team…is to mentor military units belonging to the US oil-rich Arab allies…[which] consider Iran to be their primary foreign threat,” he added.

Ackerman also quoted Maj. Rob Bockholt, a spokesman for special-operations forces in the Mideast, as saying that the task force provides “highly trained personnel that excel in uncertain environments,” and “seeks to confront irregular threats.”

The report said the unit began its existence in mid-2009 - around the time that Iran rejected President Barack Obama's offer of diplomatic dialogue.

“Whatever the task force does about Iran - or might do in the future - is a sensitive subject with the military,” it added.

“It would be inappropriate to discuss operational plans regarding any particular nation,” Bockholt said when asked about a possible link between the unit and terrorist operations in Iran.

Ackerman quoted Col. Tim Nye, the chief spokesman for the US Special Operations Command, as saying that the task force is responsible “for coordinating all SOF [Special Operations Forces] engagements and training with [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council nations.”

“The special operations forces of those nations have shown a notable improvement over the past year. Qatari commandos quietly traveled to Libya ahead of Muammar Gaddafi's downfall to prepare Libyan rebels for the successful capture of Tripoli. The United Arab Emirates, another close US ally, has also made its elite forces a priority, even hiring [the American security affairs company] Blackwater's founder to bolster their training,” he added.

According to Ackerman, US military officials have thus far refused to identify missions of the task force, its leadership or its headquarters, citing the safety of the personnel involved and the success of those missions.

He noted that even if JSOTF-GCC is primarily a training team, it represents another military option for the US in the region at a time of escalating rhetoric with Iran.

“The Iranians are threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz, the sea lane through which a fifth of the world's oil travels, as two US aircraft carrier battle groups float nearby. And when the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the US could reopen the waterway by force, there might be an elite commando team nearby to help do it,” Ackerman concluded.

Britain to boost arms sales to Saudis

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220882.html

British Prime Minister David Cameron has made his first visit to Saudi Arabia as the UK premier to win lucrative weapons deals in the Middle East's most autocratic regime.

Cameron's visit to the Saudi monarchy comes amid warnings from human rights groups and MPs over the sale of arms, as well as a "shocking disrespect for basic human rights" in the Kingdom.

Amnesty International's UK campaigns director Tim Hancock, said any future arms sales to the regime should take account of Saudi Arabia's behaviour.

“In recent years we've documented the indiscriminate bombing of Yemeni villages by Saudi Arabian jets," Hancock said.

"So if Mr Cameron is discussing arms deals on this trip he must ensure that they will be subject to rigorous controls and that no equipment is shipped to the country if there is the slightest risk of it being used to commit human rights abuses", added the Amnesty's director.

The trip comes at a time when the Foreign Office has posted a warning on its website calling on all Britons travelling to Saudi Arabia to exercise vigilance.

As Cameron was discussing deals to sell armored personnel carriers, sniper rifles, small arms ammunition and weapon sights to the Saudi regime, the monarchy's troops killed an anti-regime's protester in eastern Qatif region, in a demonstration calling for the release of political prisoners in the country.

His visit also comes at a time when MPs on the Committee on Arms Export Controls demand to know why the government has continued to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, “given there was some unrest”.

After the prime minister's meeting with King Abdullah a Downing Street spokesperson said the two leaders "agreed to strengthen co-operation in a range of areas."

"The two leaders also discussed recent developments in the region, in particular their shared concerns about the situation in Syria, Iran and Yemen” , said the spokesperson.

David Cameron discussed the future of Syria and his country's plan for ousting of President Assad, when the Saudis have not only been involved in the crushing of dissent in Bahrain, but also in their own eastern province of Qatif.

Last year, the British premier conducted a mini-tour of the region, but he did not visit the Kingdom. That tour, as evidenced by later agreement was merely designed to flog weapons to oppressive regimes as the Islamic Awakening swept across the region.

Cameron was joined on the trip by British business leaders, including representative from the defence giants BAE, Thales and Qinetiq.

Today's trip to Saudi Arabia also comes as a committee of MPs questioned why the government had not blocked weapons sales to Saudi Arabia given the widening unrest earlier in the country.

"Why does the UK believe that the assurances relating to end-use will not be breached?", asked the committee on arms exports controls.

Saudi Arabia is Britain's biggest trading partner in the Middle East, with bilateral trade worth 15 billion pounds a year. Saudi investment in Britain is worth more than 62 billion pounds.

Iran to build high-tech fighter jet

Iranian-made Saeqeh fighter bombers

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167253.html

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force has launched a project to design and build the country's most advanced fighter jet.

Brigadier General Mohammadreza Karshki told Fars news agency on Saturday that the Iranian Air Force is cooperating with the Defense Ministry in the project.

He further pointed out that the project is now in the initial phases.

The senior Iranian Air force commander added that the new fighter is a new generation of Iran's first domestically-manufactured jet Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) with enhanced features.

The Iranian fighter jet is similar to the US-built F/A-18, although its appearance is similar to F-5E/F Tiger II.

Iran unveiled its first squadron of Saeqeh fighter-bombers in an air show in September 2010.

The new single-seater bombers have the ability to track down enemy aircraft, engage in combat, target locations on the ground, and carry assorted weapons and ammunition.

'Iran brushes off Israeli threats'

The Khark vessel transits through the Suez Canal on February 22, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166783.html

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has downplayed Israel's threats against Iran, saying Tehran will pursue its plans irrespective of Tel Aviv's threats.

“The Zionist regime (Israel) may have caused concern for itself… but we will implement our plans regardless of the regime and in coordination with friend countries in the region,” IRNA quoted Sayyari as speaking to reporters in the Syrian capital city of Damascus on Wednesday.

He made the remarks after two Iranian ships, Khark and Alvand, docked at a Syria port following their passage through the Suez Canal, a strategic international shipping route in Egypt, for the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979.

The 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-ton supply vessel Khark has 250 crewmembers and can carry three helicopters.

Sayyari said the two Iranian warships docked in Syria's Lattakia Port “on a routine and friendly visit and carry the message of peace and friendship to world countries.”

The Iranian commander refuted involvement of the ships in any military exercise and noted that the two vessels are on a long-term training mission.

Sayyari noted that the Egyptian government has authorized the passage of the two ships through the Suez Canal and added that they are currently sailing in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Egyptian official news agency, MENA, reported on Friday that Cairo had "agreed to allow the two Iranian warships to transit the Suez Canal."

Israel, however, has placed its Navy on alert, branding the naval movement as a cause for 'concern' and an act of provocation.

On Tuesday, Iran's Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Abdul-Rahim Mousavi said that Israel has been outraged by the passage of the two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal.

“The Zionist regime was shocked by the presence of Iran's naval ships in the Suez Canal and this is the reason that the regime has made propagandas on the matter over recent days,” he added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expressed concerns over the passage of the two Iranian ships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

"Israel views with gravity this Iranian initiative and other developments that reinforce what we have said in past years about Israel's security needs," he claimed in a statement released by his office.

"Today we are witnessing the instability of the region in which we live and in which Iran is trying to profit by extending its influence by dispatching two warships to cross the Suez Canal," added the premier.

The United States -- the most influential NATO member -- has also announced that it will be "watching carefully to see where these ships go and the implications of that."

'Israel shocked by Iran ships in Suez'

An Iranian Alvand class frigate

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166604.html

A senior Iranian army commander says Israel has been outraged by the passage of two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal for the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in the country.

“The Zionist regime (Israel) was shocked by the presence of Iran's naval ships in the Suez Canal and this is the reason that the regime has made propaganda in this regard over recent days,” Iran's Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Abdul-Rahim Mousavi told IRNA on Tuesday.

“The global arrogance should know that Iran's Army is fully ready to defend the ideals of the Islamic Republic,” he added.

The Iranian commander also noted that after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, many countries believed that Iran's Army would stop activities after a few months but all plots by arrogant powers have been foiled.

“Today, Iran's Army is among the strongest armies in the region and the world,” he emphasized.

General Mousavi further pointed out that Iran has constantly made efforts to increase its military capabilities as it always predicted the ongoing events in the region and the globe.

The remarks came on the same day that two Iranian vessels, Khark and Alvand, crossed the Suez Canal, a strategic international shipping route in Egypt, and were heading towards the Mediterranean Sea.

The 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-ton supply vessel Khark has 250 crewmembers and can carry three helicopters.

Iran's Navy has announced that dispatching Iranian warships to the Mediterranean is aimed at strengthening friendly relations with other countries and conveying Iran's message of peace and security in international waterways.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expressed concerns over the passage of the two Iranian ships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

"Israel views with gravity this Iranian initiative and other developments that reinforce what we have said in past years about Israel's security needs," he claimed in a statement released by his office.

"Today we are witnessing the instability of the region in which we live and in which Iran is trying to profit by extending its influence by dispatching two warships to cross the Suez Canal," added the premier.

Iranian navy ships enter Suez Canal

The naval vessels are the first from Iran to transit through the waterway since the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.


The canal is a vital global trading route and major source of revenues for the Egyptian authorities

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201122244215758692.html

Two Iranian naval ships have entered Egypt's Suez Canal and are heading towards the Mediterranean, a canal official said.

"They entered the canal at 5:45am," the official told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

The two vessels, Alvand, a patrol frigate and Kharg, a supply ship, are the first naval vessels to go through the canal since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, after which diplomatic ties between Egypt and Iran were strained.

Egypt's ruling military council, facing its first diplomatic challenge since taking power on February 11, approved the vessels' passage through the canal.

The canal is a vital global trading route and a major source of revenue for the Egyptian authorities.

Israel takes a "grave view" of the passage of the ships.

On Sunday, after a weekly meeting of his cabinet, Binyamin Netanyahu , Israeli prime minister denounced the ships' arrival in the region as an Iranian power play.

And last week, the prospect of the Suez crossing was described by Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's far-right foreign minister, as a "provocation" by Iran.

But an Iranian diplomat said that, "This will be a routine visit, within international law, in line with the co-operation between Iran and Syria, who have strategic ties.

"The ships will spend a few days in Syrian ports for training purposes, having already visited several countries including Oman and Saudi Arabia," the diplomat added.

The decision was a difficult one for Egypt's interim government as Cairo is an ally of the United States and has a peace treaty with Israel.

However, Egypt's official MENA news agency has reported that the request for the ships to transit the canal was granted because they were not carrying weapons or nuclear and chemical materials.

The 1,500-tonne Alvand is normally armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-tonne Kharg has a crew of 250 and facilities for up to three helicopters, Iran's official Fars news agency said.

'World on threshold of major change'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166332.html

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the World is going to experience a major change, as humanity is striving to understand the truths.



“Today, we witness that humanity is striving to realize the truth and the world is on the threshold of an enormous change,” Ahmadinejad said in his speech to Iranian officials and representatives of the Islamic countries in Tehran on Monday.



“Achieving justice is rapidly turning into a global objective,” IRNA quoted him as saying.



Ahmadinejad said that despite efforts by arrogant powers to spread hatemongering and enmity in social and human relations, friendship and brotherly relations are taking over.



“While the global arrogance is hatching complex, satanic plots, the people are awaking and, God willing, the time has come for the extinction of the arrogant powers,” the chief executive went on to say.



The current era is the time for the establishment of the rule of justice, Ahmadinejad pointed out.



“When the oppressed people of the world rise for justice and monotheism, the grounds will be prepared for the righteous to rule the world,” he added.



Ahmadinejad's remarks came as pro-democracy movements have been spreading across Arab countries in recent weeks.



Last month in Tunisia, nationwide outrage at the government's suppressive policies sparked a massive revolution that ended the 23-year-long rule of its president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and forced him to flee to Saudi Arabia.



On February 11, the popular revolution in Egypt, which started on January 25, ended the three-decade-long rule of US-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak.



Other pro-democracy uprisings have also flourished in Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Algeria and Jordan, as more Arab countries are expected to witness similar popular revolts.

Iran warships to 'transit Suez'

Israel's foreign minister says Tehran is about to send two warships through the Suez Canal for the first time in years.

Lieberman's office said in a statement that Israel "cannot ignore provocations forever" [Reuters]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121618533618622.html

Israel's foreign minister claims Iran is about to send two warships through the Suez Canal for the first time in years, calling it a "provocation," but offering no evidence.

The Egyptian authority that runs the canal has denied any knowledge of the transit.

Avigdor Lieberman said on Wednesday the ships would cross later in the day, en route to Syria. He offered no evidence and did not say how he knew it.

Ahmed Al Manakhly, director of transit in the Suez Canal Authority, told Al Jazeera that for any warship to cross through the canal, "requires approval from the Egyptian ministry of defence and security officials 48 hours in advance."

Al Manakhly said until now they had not received such a request.

He said under international treaties, Egypt cannot prevent passage to vessels of any country unless it is in a state of war with that country.

Al Jazeera's Cal Perry, reporting from Jerusalem, said that the Israeli media does not seem alarmed by Lieberman's claims.

"We have to remember that this is Lieberman's job here in Israel. He has to stay on top of these things and he has been beating this drum for the past week."

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency had reported on January 26 that Iranian navy cadets were going on a year-long training mission into the Red Sea and through Suez to the Mediterranean.

They were training to defend "the country's cargo ships and oil tankers" against the threat of Somali pirates, it said.

Barack Obama, the US president, is aware of Iran's plans for sending the ships through the Suez, the White House said.

"We're aware of it," spokesman Jay Carney said. He declined further comment on the issue.

"It would be inappropriate to speculate about the future movements of another country's ships," Chris Perrine, a Pentagon spokesman said. "I recommend you contact the government of Iran."

Christian Le Miere of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said Iranian commercial ships regularly used Suez but he was not aware of the Iranian navy ever doing so.

"That said, it's hard to see this as a credible threat to anyone. Two warships don't make a flotilla," Le Miere said.

"As long as they (Iranians) are not conducting some sort of belligerent operation I think they would have a right to go through the canal like any other country," said James Kraska, professor of international law at the US Naval War College.

10,000 Egyptians converge in Cairo

Egyptian demonstrators gather in Tahrir Square, in central Cairo, on January 31, 2011, on the seventh day of protests against long term President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163011.html

More than 10,000 protesters converge in the center of Cairo, as the nation braces for a 'million man march' to mark a week since the unprecedented demonstrations began in the country.

Many protesters defied a curfew to bunker down overnight in Cairo's Tahrir Square. They were joined by thousands of others soon after dawn, some toting signs reading "Mubarak Out," while others carried posters showing beleaguered Mubarak hanging from a noose.

Other protesters held signs emblazoned with Mubarak's picture and the slogan "Your head must roll."

Protest organizers have pledge to march in millions on the eight day of protests on Tuesday in the Egyptian capital to demand Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak step down, AFP reported on Tuesday.

The internet in Egypt was down for the fifth straight day amid reports that mobile phone networks could be restricted later in the day.

The Egyptian government also canceled national train services across the country in a move to prevent the protesters from joining the 'million man march' in the capital city.

The Egyptian military has also stepped up its presence in downtown Cairo ahead of a planned 'one-million man' protest against the government of Mubarak. The country's state television has warned people to stay home.

The protesters said they would begin their demonstration in Tahrir Square and march towards the building housing the state television and then on to the presidential palace.

Protest organizers have pledged another million-strong march in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria on Tuesday side by side their fellow capital residents.

Anti-government protesters and opposition groups have announced an indefinite general strike to mount pressure on Mubarak.

The uprising, which has claimed at least 150 lives in Egypt so far, has forced Mubarak to announce political and economic reforms, dismissed as inadequate by opposition figures.

The Egyptian Army has pledged not to open fire on peaceful demonstrators as thousands of people insist on their campaign to oust Mubarak.

The army, which put Mubarak into power in 1981, has reportedly announced that it considers the people's demands as legitimate.

'Egypt unrest signals hope of freedom'

A protester leads a chant during an anti-government rally in Tahrir Square on the morning of January 31, 2011 in central Cairo, Egypt.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163010.html

Almost a week into the Egyptian uprising, speculation is rife that the protest will have a domino effect on other Arab countries in the region.

Director of the Institute for (Persian) Gulf Affairs (IGA) Ali al-Ahmed shared his thoughts on the issue in an interview with Press TV. The following is a rush transcript of the interview.

Press TV: As I am talking to you, there are people in Tahrir square who have braved the curfew that has been in place during the past couple of days. What is your reading of the situation right now?

al-Ahmed: The situation is increasing. It has been almost a week since it started. However, the [extent] of the protest has increased. Tomorrow we have the possibility of having millions of people on the streets of Egypt and across Egypt.

The protest is not only contained in Cairo or the media in Cairo, but also in Alexandria, Suez and even the city where Mubarak was born, Minufiya. High officials from the government are from Minufiya. So this protest is spreading across the country and taking hold. It could be a matter of days before this is all over.

Press TV: Of course, you are talking about the protest tomorrow. It is called the “one million man” protest; what would you say the difference in tomorrow's protest would be with the ones that we witnessed during the past couple of days?

al-Ahmed: I think tomorrow will be a decisive day because it is going to be a few days before Friday and we might even not have to wait until Friday. Tomorrow the protest is not going to be only in Tahrir square, but in other parts of Cairo. You will see people taking a much more pro-active role than just sitting and shouting in the city.

Press TV: We talked about the same issue ten days ago. If Mubarak was willing to sort of give in to the demands of protesters, maybe none of the things we are discussing today would be on the agenda. How would you comment on that? Isn't it a bit too late to appoint Omar Suleiman coming in front of the TV cameras and promising change?

al-Ahmed: Of course it's too late. Mubarak has been in power for thirty years. He is not a [young] man. He is almost ninety years old. So for them to take these steps [is] basically insulting the intelligence of the Egyptian people and thinking that he can fool them again.

They say you can fool some people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time, and Mubarak is so crazy that he thinks he can still continue to lie and deceive the Egyptian people. He is not in his right mind. And for the United States to support the man, who basically has one foot in the grave and one foot outside it, it's also very irresponsible and not understandable for them to do that. So you have circumstances that are amazing because the man is basically not alive. He is ninety years old and I don't know how long he wants to stay in power.

Press TV: Just going back a little bit further, say one month ago, I wouldn't personally think that a man setting himself on fire in Tunisia would send signals this far and wide to travel to as far as Egypt. Not only in his country that led to the ouster of the long-time leader of that country, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, but to travel to Egypt, a country of eighty million, much more strategically important than Tunisia is, and to bring the state of chaos that we witness today in Egypt. How far do you think this signal can -- and will -- travel?

al-Ahmed: There is an Arab proverb that goes, “God puts His secret in the weakest of his creation.” Muhammad Bu Azizi is the angel of freedom that sacrificed himself to send this wave of freedom across the Arab countries and we think that if in a few days Mubarak collapses, and his regime is toppled, you will see this wave of freedom cutting across like an earthquake -- or an atomic bomb -- that shatters the ground beneath to topple other dictators in Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain and even Saudi Arabia. Across the region you will see that effect take place, the “Bu Azizi bomb”.

Egypt braces for 'million man march'

Anti-government protesters continue to congregate in Tahrir Square on the morning of January 31, 2011 in central Cairo, Egypt.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163001.html

Egypt is bracing for an eighth day of protests pledging a 'million man march' on Tuesday to mark a week since the unprecedented demonstrations began in the North African country.

Tens of thousands of protesters, demanding Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down, stayed for a seventh day in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, pledging to hold a march of a million the following morning.

Protesters also called for a general strike on Tuesday in an attempt to mount pressure on beleaguered Mubarak.

On Monday, large crowds showed up at the site and the latest footage showed, despite heavy military presence in Cairo, thousands of protesters slept in Tahrir Square.

Anti-government protesters rejected overtures from the Egyptian presidency. Mubarak appointed a new cabinet and Vice President Omar Suleiman told on the state television that a dialogue would be opened with the opposition.

The protesters said they would not relent until Mubarak steps down and the country is put on the path towards serious economic and democratic reforms.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Arab world's oldest and largest opposition movement, condemned the UN and Western countries for failing to take action against the government crackdown on protests and the killings of civilians.

The Egyptian Army has pledged not to open fire on peaceful demonstrators as thousands of people insist on their campaign to oust Mubarak.

The army, which put Mubarak into power in 1981, has reportedly announced that it considers the people's demands as legitimate.

At least 150 people have so far been killed and thousands more injured during clashes with government forces over the past week.

Egyptians revolt, dissolve government

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162972.html

Egyptian protesters have gained a landmark success by forcing the cabinet to step down with ministries unable to protect President Hosni Mubarak or the regime.

Separating the Egyptian turmoil into a battle of classes, and throwing in the Obama factor, political analyst Mohammad Oweis gives an interview to Press TV about the troubling events that have taken place in Egypt, as well as what the future holds for its citizens and president.


Press TV:

Mohammad Oweis, political analyst, is joining us over the phone from Washington to discuss the issue [of Egypt]. Mohammad Oweis, the army has reportedly received orders to shoot protestors while the curfew has been extended. How far do you think the army would go to stand against the people?

Mohammad Oweis:

You have to differentiate first between the top brass of the army, the corrupt elite of the army who are giving the orders to protect their interests and the rank and file of the army. I think they will have a mutiny sooner or later in the army. The rank and file of the Egyptian army is not going to shoot at their own people who are suffering from all kinds of discrimination, repression, [and] aggression by the regime. So, I don't think the army is going to succeed much longer than this, and the top brass will start running away like the family of Hosni Mubarak, especially [since] America has lifted the cover off of the regime. There is nowhere for them to go. I think they are on their way out and there is nothing they can do.

Press TV:

US President Barack Obama has started consultations with some world leaders about Egypt. What do you think are the aims his ominous nation wants to secure?

Mohammad Oweis:

Where was he when the Egyptian government, the top brass of the government and army were pillaging and stealing the money and the economy of Egypt? Why did he not do anything then? Where was he when Egypt had blockaded Gaza, and tried to starve the people of Gaza on behalf of the Israelis? The best thing for President Obama is to keep his mouth shut and do nothing and say nothing. Let the Egyptian people take on the presidency, the people he protected. And it is up to the Egyptian people to decide how to deal with the Americans, the Israelis, and [etc].

Press TV:

As I'm talking to you, there are images of the uprising in Egypt. Some of the people in those images holding placards, reading, “Go Mubarak!”, or “Erhalyia” in Arabic. What stage do you think Egypt -- I can't call it revolution yet, or maybe you will -- is at this point of the uprising? Where is it now?

Mohammad Oweis:

It is a successful revolution already. It already dissolved the government, [and] the ministries who can run the affair of the people. The ministries can't even protect him and can't protect the regime. There is nobody there to protect Hosni Mubarak, and he has no choice but to leave. [The] Prophet Musa (Moses) the man [needs] to come and to part the Red Sea for him to run to Saudi Arabia. He needs to get the hell out before the people get him and pull him like they did with the former Prime Minister of Iraq back in 1958. So if he does not leave standing up, he will leave flat away from this world.

US concerned about Israel's security

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162952.html

The United States' double-standards regarding Egypt's popular protests against the dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak unveils the true nature of Washington's stance on democracy.

When asked if Mubarak was a dictator, United States President Joseph Biden said, "Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things.”

Foreign Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also called on Hosni Mubarak's regime and Egyptian protesters to “show restraint.”

Such statements leave negative effects on the Muslim nations of the region because it creates the impression that the United States has double standards when it comes to human rights and democracy.

While the people of Egypt are demonstrating to topple the dictatorial government of Hosni Mubarak, the United States has come to the scene of power in an effort to save the Egyptian dictatorship.

The recent uprising in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan are a result of America's double standards in the Middle East and its biased policies against different nations.

The United States and Europe supported the dictatorship of Zine El Abidin Ben Ali, the ousted Tunisian President, and showed indifference to the Tunisian people's cries of protest.

In Egypt, the United States and the West also support Mubarak in repressing Islamic groups and intellectuals and have supported the torture of freedom-seeking Egyptian youth.

Under the pretext of human rights, the United States criticizes establishments that respect human and civil rights but stand against its authoritarian policies.

Egypt's repressive government, which is now experiencing the formation of a coup d'état, is strongly supported by the United States and the West because of Mubarak's severe dependence on these nations.

The reason behind the United States unwavering support for the Egyptian dictatorship is due to its shared Rafah border with the occupied territories of Palestine.

The United States and the West are worried that the unstable situation in Egypt would affect the occupied Palestinian territories and threaten the security of Israel.

The United States is more concerned with the security of Israel than the murder of the Egyptian people. Subsequently, US leaders view Hosni Mubarak's regime as a trusted protector of Israeli security.

The atmosphere in Egypt and the street protests do not allow the United States to keep the 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak in power for much longer.

The United States has chosen to gradually and steadily transfer power from Hosni Mubarak to military generals in order to prevent the Egyptian popular revolution from success.

Assigning General Omar Suleiman, Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID), as the vice president, and assigning General Ahmed Shafiq as prime minister falls in line with US policies to prevent the success of the Egyptian revolution.

It is natural for the people of Egypt to show a negative reaction to the appointment of two top military officials from within the government's ranks even if military curfews are imposed across Egyptian cities.

The Egyptian people, the political elite, and the popular parties have all demanded the creation of a government, the reform of constitutional laws as well as free elections.

Any effort by the United States to stop the Egyptian revolution is doomed to fail and the people of this country will become even further pessimistic regarding US policies in the Middle East.

The bloody protest of the Egyptian people will eventually lead to the overthrow of the Mubarak regime but this popular self-propelled movement will not be limited to Egypt.

It seems we will witness similar situations in Jordan and Yemen in the near future; and these countries will have very difficult situations to deal with.

The new self-propelled popular protest phenomena against dictatorial Arab regimes, is a result of the repressions of social and personal freedoms by governments dependent on the United States.

Therefore, what is taking shape in the Middle East now is popular revolutions in the Arab world, which are independent of political parties and orientations.

Successful popular revolutions in Arab countries will eventually form a new Middle East where dictators, the United States, and Israel will have no place.

Despite the fact that the United States had previously tried to form a new Middle East based on its interests and political orientations, its siding with Arab dictators neutralized the geostrategic plans it had for the region.

Instead of siding with Arab dictators, if the United States had respected the utmost basic rights of nations based on humanity and logic, we would not have witnessed such developments across the region today.

Hosni Mubarak will not withstand the wave of the Egyptian people and will eventually meet the fate of Ben Ali.

With the formation of a new Egyptian government and the handing over of power to the political elite, the United States will definitely pay the price for its unjust behavior in the new establishment of Egypt.

The turmoil in Egypt and the toppling of Egypt's government will eventually affect the Middle East peace process as well as the situation in Palestine and will strengthen radical movements against compromising ones.


The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of Press TV.

Iran to P5+1: Stop following up Zionists

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161521.html


A day after multifaceted talks between Iran and the P5+1, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad advises the six major world powers to stop following up the path of Israel.

Addressing thousands of enthusiastic people in the northern city of Rasht on Sunday, the Iranian president said certain arrogant Western powers, including the US, are not interested in resolving issues with Iran.

He added that Iran repeats to the officials of the P5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain and the US plus Germany) to get rid of pressure by certain "narrow minded" Zionist individuals “if you wants talks to bear fruit.”

“In that case, grounds will be prepared for further interaction,” Ahmadinejad stressed.

The Iranian chief executive emphasized that talks should be based on justice and respect, saying, “Negotiations should lead to the recognition of legal rights of the Iranian people and other nations.”

He warned that animosity with Iran and the Iranian nation would be to the detriment of Western interests and noted that the Islamic Republic welcomes “cooperation and interaction.”

The Iranian president said the path of interaction with Iran is still open for the P5+1, adding Iran would not allow anyone to violate its rights.

He pointed to several rounds of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, and said, “We have never expected that issues will be resolved through two or three rounds of talks.”

"However, if the other side is determined and committed to justice, law and respect, one can hope that appropriate results could be achieved in future sessions," President Ahmadinejad went on to say.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany wrapped up their latest round of comprehensive talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday.

Following the multifaceted talks, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili told reporters that Tehran is ready for further talks with major world powers provided that its rights are not violated.

He also refuted claims by EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, that Tehran seeks to set "preconditions on talks relating to enrichment and sanction."

"We are still prepared for further negotiations with the P5+1 on common issues. [We are] prepared for comprehensive talks like we said in Geneva," Jalili said.

US slams PA efforts against Israel

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161198.html


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized the Palestinian Authority (PA) for trying to condemn Israeli settlement projects at the UN Security Council.

"The only way that there will be a resolution of the conflict... is through a negotiated settlement," she told reporters at the State Department on Thursday.

"We don't see action at the UN or any other forum as being helpful in bringing about this desired outcome," AFP quoted the top US diplomat as saying.

On Tuesday, Palestinian resolution against illegal Israeli settlement buildings in the occupied Palestinian territories was formally put to the Security Council.

The resolution would condemn Israel's settlement activities and reiterate an existing UN demand for all building work in the occupied territories to stop.

Clinton did not comment on whether the United States will veto the resolution or not.

Meanwhile, a group of US cabinet officials, diplomats, journalists and pundits released an open letter, urging the US to ratify the resolution.

"If the proposed resolution is consistent with existing and established US policies, then deploying a veto would severely undermine US credibility and interests, placing us firmly outside of the international consensus, and further diminishing our ability to mediate this conflict," said the letter.

Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority once again reached a deadlock in September after Tel Aviv refused to extend a partial moratorium on settlement constructions in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians argue that the continuation of settlement activities reduces the chance of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

US prodding China over Iran sanctions

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161032.html


Washington is putting more pressure on Beijing in an attempt to enforce unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and the European Union.

"They [Chinese officials] did not agree to either European, American… sanctions that were imposed unilaterally [on Iran]," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with ABC television on Wednesday.

The top US diplomat also expressed her country's dissatisfaction with China over failing to comply fully with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions.

"We think that there are some entities within China that we have brought to the attention of the Chinese leadership that are still not as, shall we say, as in compliance as we would like them to be," she went on to say.

"And we are pushing very hard on that and we may be proposing more unilateral sanctions," Clinton pointed out.

She made the remarks as Chinese President Hu Jintao is in the United States to hold talks with US President Barack Obama and other top American officials.

On Tuesday, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad downplayed the sanctions and said the Islamic Republic is making progress on its nuclear energy and the Western states are only issuing resolutions.

He was referring to US-sponsored resolutions adopted by the UNSC as well as unilateral measures adopted by the US and the EU with the aim of hindering Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

The United States and its allies accuse Iran of following a military nuclear program, but the Islamic Republic has repeatedly refuted the baseless charges.

Under Western pressure, the UNSC imposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors in June.

Tehran argues that as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the country has the right to use peaceful nuclear energy.

Meanwhile, former head of the IAEA Mohamed ElBaradei said on Tuesday that Western countries are "hyping" concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

US imposes more sanctions against Iran

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160318.html


Ahead of the next round of talks between Iran and major world powers, the US has imposed another set of unilateral sanctions against 24 Iranian companies.

The US Treasury Department on Thursday imposed new sanctions against 22 Iranian companies affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

Two other companies, Shahid Ahmad Kazemi Industries Group and Babaie Industries, are subordinates of Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), The Wall Street Journal reported.

This is while less than one week remains to the next round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany -- in Turkish city of Istanbul on January 21 and 22.

The representatives of Iran and the P5+1 held their previous round of multifaceted talks in Geneva on December 6 and 7.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of developing a military nuclear program, and used this pretext to pressure the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors in June.

Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran has a right to use peaceful nuclear technology.

As a goodwill gesture aimed at displaying the “transparency” of its nuclear program in the spirit of international cooperation, Iran invited diplomats representing political and geographical groups in the IAEA to tour the country's nuclear facility.

Representatives from the IAEA, the Non-aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 and the Arab League arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day tour of the country's nuclear sites.

US House against Palestinian State

The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution opposing the declaration of a Palestinian state.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155697.html


The US House of Representatives has declared its opposition to the recognition of an independent Palestinian state, urging Palestinians to stop their efforts to push for such a move.

The House unanimously approved a resolution opposing unilateral declaration of Palestinian state on Thursday, Ha'aretz reported.

Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Howard Berman, who introduced the resolution, criticized Palestinian efforts to push the international community to recognize a Palestinian state.

The remarks came after Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay recognized the Palestinian state to support the rights of Palestinian people, whose land has been occupied by Israel.

The Latin American states announced that they recognize a free and independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

On Monday, the European Union also said in a statement that it "reiterates its readiness, when appropriate, to recognize a Palestinian state."

The resolution also urged the White House to "deny recognition to any unilaterally declared Palestinian state and veto any resolution by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to establish or recognize a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated by the two parties."

According to the resolution, Palestinian leaders should cease all efforts to gain recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations, within the United Nations. It also called upon foreign governments not to extend such recognitions.

Washington, which brought the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel to the negotiation table once again in September, failed to persuade Tel Aviv to extend its partial settlement slowdown, which expired late September.

The ongoing Israeli settlement projects stalled the US-sponsored direct talks.

The United States agreed to provide fighter jets to Israel and veto any anti-Israeli resolutions in the UNSC instead of an extended three-month freeze, but last week the Obama administration said it would not continue to ask Israel for the move.

Acting PA Chief Mahmoud Abbas has said he would not return to the negotiations as long as Tel Aviv continues its illegal settlement projects, adding that he would push for recognition of Palestine in the United Nations should Israel not cooperate over its settlement activities.

Palestinians say that the settlement activities are being carried out to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The international community backs Palestinian demands for a state in most of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem), all territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Iran warns Israel against new Mideast war

Iranian lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137245§ionid=351020101


An Iranian lawmaker has warned Israel against consequences of waging a war in the Middle East, saying any new conflict in the region will prove harmful to Tel Aviv.

"The Zionist regime has a mistaken analysis of the regional situation and of Iran's power because if a war is launched in the region its end is not at the hand of the beginner at all," a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament (Majlis), Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, told ISNA on Monday.

The Iranian lawmaker added that developments since the 1979 victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and unilateral wars against the country proved that the enemies have lost their position in the region while Iran has improved its status.

He pointed to Resolution 1553 of the US Congress which declares full support for Israel's military strike on Iran and said, "The Israel lobby in the US Congress sees its interests in the creation of crisis in the Middle East…The Zionist regime takes step towards causing more crises in the region."

Republicans in the US House of Representatives introduced a measure on July 24 that would green-light a possible Israeli bombing campaign against Iran.

Resolution 1553 provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that the US Congress backs Israel's use of 'all means necessary' against Iran, "including the use of military force."

According to the Iranian lawmaker, a war between Iran and Israel will not be limited to the region but will definitely turn into an invasive war.

Falahatpisheh further pointed out that the Israelis have reached a conclusion that they have no option to ensure their survival but to cause crisis in the Middle East.