US Fed Chief warns on climbing deficit

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123394§ionid=3510203


The US Federal Reserve chairman says the government needs a credible plan to address its gaping deficits in order to raise consumer confidence.

A realistic plan to reduce the massive fiscal imbalance could improve economic confidence while reducing long-term interest rates, said Ben Bernanke in a testimony before the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress.

"Although sizable deficits are unavoidable in the near term, maintaining the confidence of the public and financial markets requires that policymakers move decisively to set the federal budget on a trajectory toward sustainable fiscal balance,” he said.

The Fed chief added that tackling the country's fiscal problems requires difficult choices, but delaying the action will only make matters worse.

The warning comes a day after the US Commerce Department said the country's trade deficit rose to around $40 billion in February.

Bernanke expressed particular concern about recent jobless data showing that 44% of the unemployed in March had been jobless for at least six months.

He said that a significant amount of time will be required to restore some 8.5 million jobs lost in the last two years.

Bernanke added that current projections show the government running an imbalance of 4 to 5 percent of the GDP through 2020, describing it as dangerous.

UN Chief: All Israeli settlements in al-Quds 'illegal'

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121612§ionid=351020202


The UN chief says "all" Israeli settlement building in East Jerusalem al-Quds is illegal, as Washington and Tel Aviv apparent row over plans to build more units.

"All settlement activity is illegal, but inserting settlers into Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem (al-Quds) is particularly troubling,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council in New York, quoted by The New York Times.

“This leads to tensions and undermines prospects for addressing the final status of Jerusalem (al-Quds),” he said.

Ban's comments came as US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister continued their talks for a second day in Washington amid an unusual news blackout.

"There are areas that they discussed last night, some of which they agree and some of which they disagree… The conversation was honest and straightforward," the White House press secretary told reporters.

"The president has asked the prime minister for certain things to build confidence,” Robert Gibbs said, refusing to give any further details.

The Palestinian side has maintained that Israel must fully withdraw from the territories if it is serious about peace.

In a statement released on Wednesday, chief negotiator of the Palestinian authority Saeb Erekat said that with the new settlements Israel was "digging itself into a hole that it must climb out of, if it is serious about peace."

Earlier this month, during US Vice President Joseph R. Biden's trip to Israel, Tel Aviv announced that it would soon initiate the construction of 1600 units in the Ramat Shlomo housing development in East al-Quds.

While the prime minister was in Washington for talks with Obama, the Israeli website, Ynet, also announced that another East al-Quds building project was underway, this time 20 units in the Palestinian populated neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Israel plans to build the units on the site of Shepherd Hotel, the former home of the late Islamic law scholar Haj Amin Husseini.

Contrary to UN's position, Netanyahu claims that Israel has the right to continue building in al-Quds.

Latest news reports suggest that Obama has withdrawn from the position of asking Israel to stop settlement construction. According to a Washington Post article on Thursday, Obama has asked Netanyahu to ensure that housing projects in East al-Quds "do not spoil the atmosphere for talks."

Netanyahu told reporters that he was hopeful of a compromise over the al-Quds settlement issue after his visit to Washington.

UN chief slams Israel plan to build new settlements

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121163§ionid=351020202



UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned Israel's announcement of 1,600 new housing units on the occupied Palestinian lands.

During a Thursday visit to Moscow, Ban Ki-moon told reporters that he was deeply concerned over developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, and called Israel's measure "counterproductive" towards a peace process.

Ban strongly condemned Israel's decision to build new settlement in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) and said that European communities are also against Israeli's move in occupied Palestinian lands.

"The recent measure by Israeli's government to expend new settlement of 1,600 new houses is quite counterproductive in this ongoing indirect negotiation between Israeli and Palestinian," Ban said.

The UN Secretary General made similar comments last week saying that "as I have said before, I say again, directly and without equivocation: settlements are illegal under international law."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed international criticism, saying on Monday that his government would keep building in East Jerusalem (al-Quds), as it has done so for the past 42 years.

Palestinian officials view the permanent termination of the settlement constructions as a precondition to peace talks with Israelis.

Las week, Ban also criticized Israel's on-going blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying it destroys hope of a better life and recovery from last year's conflict between Hamas and Israel's army.

"As a policy it is counterproductive. It undercuts moderates and empowers extremists. It destroys legitimate commerce and encourages smuggling. It blocks the road to a peaceful future for both sides in this conflict," he said on March 21.

Ban is on a two-day official visit to Moscow. The UN chief is expected to meet with the Russian leadership, and will also take part in the Middle East Quartet talks taking place on Friday.

Ex UN arms inspector: Iran truth overcomes US mendacity

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118449§ionid=351020104


Former Chief UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter says the truth about Iran's nuclear program is prevailing over the hype the western media is creating against Iran.

The former UN official took aim at the existing western media hype against the Iranian nuclear program and some personalities who are very good at marring the image of Iran, including David Albright, whose “commentary and analysis is more colored by the opinions of his US and Israeli contacts and connections than it is by his first hand experience.”

“I see the truth about Iran's nuclear program prevailing over the fictions David Albright and others are putting out there,” Ritter told Press TV.

Ritter made the remarks after Albright, who is the head of a nuclear think-tank close to the White House, claimed that Iran is on course to produce enough highly-enriched uranium to make nuclear weapons.

Ritter ruled out any likely military offensive against Iran, as he said Iran had law and facts on his side.

Albright was described by Ritter as "a biased personality” regarding Iran's nuclear program who relies on other people's information.

“He is specialized in exploiting the preconceived notions that exist in the West, in the United States and elsewhere about the evil intent of Iran. It is not a fact based analysis. This is faith-based analysis,” the ex-UN official added.

“When it comes to Iran, the truth does not matter. What matters is that the public has been conditioned by the media and the media uses personalities like David Albright to create hype, to create a mythology of wrong-doing that does not focus on the facts of the situation,” he maintained.

“Albright, definitely has an agenda and he is somebody who is not willing to put the facts on the table and let the facts drive you towards conclusion. He is obviously a person who has a bias against Iran. It's a built-in bias that presumes guilt on the part of Iran; therefore he interprets every piece of data that is coming out of Iran as being evidence of wrong doing on the part of Iran."

He accused Albright of taking advantage of Iran's nuclear dispute to get his name and his organization's name in the spot light on a frequent basis through the “fantastic quotes” he provides for reporters to use in their articles.

“It's all about image as opposed to substance. That's unfortunately where we are today when it comes to mainstream western media analysis of Iran and Iran's nuclear program. It's not about the substance. It's not about the reality, it's about the image,” he opined.

Prior to the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Ritter publicly argued that Iraq possessed no significant weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). He became a popular anti-war figure and talk show commentator as a result of his stance.

CIA chief holds secret talks with Egypt, Israel

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117431§ionid=351020206


The Director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, has held secret talks with Egyptian and Israeli officials over expanded US intervention in Yemen.

According to Debkafile, the CIA chief paid secret visits to the Egyptian capital Cairo and Jerusalem Al-Quds on Thursday.

Panetta met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and intelligence minister, Gen. Omar Suleiman to ask them to dispatch forces to Yemen to help the US troops.

Meanwhile, Washington has asked the Egyptian government to let the US use Egyptian airports for ferrying military equipment and launching air raids.

Panetta also met with Israeli officials in Jerusalem Al-Quds on the same day to talk about the latest developments in Yemen.

A large US base is under construction near the Yemeni Red Sea port of Hodeira, according to the report.

Washington became involved in secret joint operations in Yemen after President Barack Obama approved US military and intelligence teams to be dispatched to the country.

According to the Washington Post, operations began six weeks ago, involving troops from the US military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), whose main mission is tracking and killing suspected “terrorists.”

The US agents are helping the Yemeni army develop tactics, while providing Sana'a forces with electronic and video surveillance, as well as three-dimensional terrain maps.

In addition to "highly sensitive intelligence," the United States is sending weapons and munitions to be used against what the White House describes as an al-Qaeda cell operating in the Arabian Peninsula, the article added.

Earlier in January, the White House pledged $121 million in aid to help the unpopular Yemeni government crush uprisings.