Sincerity of US summit, 'questionable'

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123176§ionid=351020101


Iran says the US cannot preach about nuclear disarmament while it threatens to use its nuclear weapons against other nations.

The US on Monday opened a two-day nuclear summit which is being attended by leaders of 46 other countries.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast cast doubt on the Washington's intention behind its nuclear summit.

"Countries that possess nuclear weapons, have used them against hundreds of thousands of innocent people and now insist on keeping their nuclear arsenals and even threaten nations with such weapons cannot hold such conferences," Mehmanparast said, adding that there was serious doubt about the US "real intention" behind the summit.

He said the summit was a "show" aimed to "invoke an unreal threat" while seeking to draw the global community's attention away from the main source of concern, which he said were nuclear weapons stockpiled in Western countries.

US Nuclear Policy Review

On the Obama Administration's newly released "Nuclear Posture Review" (NPR), Mehmanparast said that threatening nations with nuclear weapons pose the "grossest human rights violation" and a "breach of the UN Charter".

He said that Iran has already begun legal action against the US and has sought to document its complaint at the UN.

The new NPR by the Obama Administration restricts the use of US nuclear arms against some non-nuclear countries but excludes Iran under the allegation that it does not comply with non-proliferation treaties.

Iraqi Election

Mehmanparast said that the Iraqi election was a "major step toward the establishment of security and peace" in the country and warned against any foreign interference in Iraq's domestic affairs.

Israel's Threats of Attack

He called Israel's repeated threat of military action against Iran "psychological warfare" and said that Iran's response to any possible attack would be "severe".

Tehran's Research Reactor Fuel

On the required fuel for Tehran's research reactor, Mehmanparast said that the IAEA was "obliged" to meet Iran's "legal" demand.

He added that Iran still welcomes a fuel swap with the West but has started enriching uranium up to 20 percent to meet its demands after potential suppliers failed to help with the issue.

Iran's Arrested Journalist in Italy

Mehmanparast called Hamid Masouminejad's arrest a "political game" by Western countries and rejected allegations against him as "sheer lies".

He went on to say that Iran would take the necessary steps to secure the release of Masouminejad, a senior correspondent for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) arrested in March for alleged arms trafficking to Iran contrary to the sanctions imposed by the West and the UN against the country.

Lieberman: Turkey cannot continue bashing Israel

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118310§ionid=351020406


The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has criticized Turkey's repeated condemnation of Israeli policies, claiming Ankara cannot continue bashing Tel Aviv at every opportunity it gets.

"Every week to sharply condemn Israel, to say Israeli military forces have carried out genocide, to call operations to protect our citizens a crime against humanity... This sharp anti-Israeli line cannot be repeated every week," the visiting Lieberman complained on Azerbaijan's Lidar television.

Relations between Tel Aviv and Ankara turned sour in 2009 after Israel launched a massive onslaught against the Gaza Strip that killed over 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and left thousands more injured.

The offensive drew sharp criticism from Turkey and prompted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lash out at Israel's President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos before storming out of the session.

"The recent changes in Turkey's foreign policy concepts were unexpected to us and not entirely clear. We are doing everything we can in order to preserve relations at the previous, very trustful level and to maintain close cooperation in all areas," Lieberman asserted on Tuesday. "We hope that Turkey from its side will make certain amendments to its foreign policy concept," he added.

The appeal by the hawkish Israeli minister for closer ties with Turkey comes despite a deepening division between the two military allies.

In January, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned the Turkish ambassador to Tel Aviv and made him sit in a lower chair than those of his own and three other Israeli officials confronting the Turkish envoy.

The humiliating meeting was further flavored with a deliberate absence of the Turkish flag. Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol was also spoken to in Hebrew and was refused a handshake.

The move irked officials in Ankara who denounced the "undiplomatic behavior" and demanded a formal apology from Tel Aviv.

"Israel should give some thought to what it would be like to lose a friend like Turkey in the future. The way they recently treated our ambassador has no place in international politics," Erdogan said on the future of Turkish-Israeli ties on January 31.

On Turkey's condemnation of the Israeli crimes during the Gaza war, the Turkish leader said his nation could not close its eyes on what it deemed as incompatible with human rights.