Iran asked to resolve Afghan crisis

Germany's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Michael Steiner


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=138242§ionid=351020101


A senior German official has called on Iran to play a significant role in settling the ongoing Afghanistan crisis caused by the 2001 US-led invasion of the country.

Germany's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Michael Steiner, said the Islamic Republic plays an important role in finding solutions to the crisis in Afghanistan and called for Tehran's cooperation, IRNA reported.

"The West has made several mistakes in Afghanistan during recent years, including resorting to military approaches and paying no heed to the role of regional countries," Steiner said in a meeting with Head of Iran's Parliament (Majlis) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, on Tuesday.

The German official further added that any solution to the Afghan crisis demands cooperation of all the countries in the region, saying Germany calls for joint efforts with Iran on Afghanistan.

Steiner also stressed the importance of reaching a political understanding among influential countries in the region and said military options cannot help establish peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Boroujerdi, for his part, said that Iran's strategic policy is based on establishing sustainable security and peace in Afghanistan.

"The experience of recent years suggests that the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan has promoted insecurity in the entire region," he said.

"None of the objectives of the foreign forces in Afghanistan have been achieved, while narcotics and terrorism are posing great threats to regional and international security," he further explained.

According to Boroujerdi, any solution to the Afghan crisis needs the use of all regional capabilities.

He voiced Iran's readiness to continue cooperation with countries to settle the crisis in Afghanistan and fight against drugs.

Israel imposes full closure on West Bank

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120651§ionid=351020202


Israel has ordered its military forces to impose a total closure on the West Bank in the occupied Palestinian territory for 48 hours.

The closure was enforced Thursday midnight amid reports on the possibility of fresh protests by Palestinians around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (al-Quds) after Friday prayers. The closure is to be lifted on Saturday night.

According to witnesses, Israeli police forces are increasing presence in al-Quds due to concerns that riots may break out in the holy city and spill over into the West Bank.

During the closure, entrance to the mainly Arab eastern sector of al-Quds will only be open to some 1,000 church employees, 550 teachers, 50 Palestinian Waqf employees and some 100 employees of religious bodies.

Riots broke out last week in al-Quds following Tel Aviv regime's decision to illegally add the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Mosque of Bilal bin Rabah to its list of Israeli heritage sites.

This week's tensions appear to focus on the new Israeli plan to build 1,600 new Jewish homes in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of the occupied West Bank it has annexed to al-Quds.