UAE to buy uranium for nuclear plants

Nuclear reactors (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/191420.html

The United Arab Emirates is advancing its plans to buy the uranium that will be needed to begin operating nuclear power plants.

The UAE's nuclear operator, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), will issue an international tender to buy nuclear fuel, the Arabic language newspaper Al-Ittihad reported on Friday.

According to the paper, ENEC was expected to complete its negotiations for fuel and sign final contracts by the first quarter of 2012, Reuters reported.

"It is expected that the contracts will meet the amount of imported fuel needed for the future operational period and for the following 15 years," the daily quoted ENEC as saying.

The UAE has said it plans to bring its first nuclear power plant on stream in 2017.

The Persian Gulf state expects nuclear energy to eventually account for 25 percent of its power requirements.

Despite being a leading oil exporter, the UAE has embarked on a nuclear program to meet its domestic demand for power.

Castro announces political term limits

Cuban President Raul Castro addresses the Sixth Communist Party Congress in Cuba, April 16, 2011. Reuters Pictures

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/175336.html

Cuban President Raul Castro has proposed a series of reforms including term limits for politicians and economic changes during a Communist Party summit.

Castro told 1,000 delegates that public office terms should be limited to two 5 years in an opening speech at the Sixth Party Congress in Cuba on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.

"We have arrived at the conclusion that it is advisable to limit the fundamental political and state offices to a maximum period of two consecutive periods of five years," Castro said.

Promising to launch a “systematic rejuvenation” of the government, Castro also proposed the elimination of food ration coupons and other subsidies, saying they represented an "unbearable burden ... and a disincentive for work."

He also suggested changes to the country's socialist economy, such as decentralization and a new reliance on supply and demand in some sectors.

At the same time, Castro dismissed changes that would allow the privatization of property, and affirmed his commitment to free healthcare and education.

The term limits will not likely effect Castro's position, who was appointed as president by his older brother, former President Fidel Castro, who fell ill in 2006. Formally taking over in 2008, the younger Castro would most likely be termed out in 2018 when he is 86 years old.

The senior Castro was not able to attend the congress, but later wrote that he fully supports his brother's proposals.

Last year, Castro announced layoffs of 500,000 government workers making up 80 percent of the country's entire labor force. Earlier this month, however, he announced that the cuts would be delayed indefinitely.

'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.

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.

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 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.

Cuba's Castro addresses parliament

Castro spoke on the threat of nuclear war and a
subsequent change in the world order [EPA]


Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/08/20108715838881948.html


Fidel Castro, the former president of Cuba, has addressed the national assembly for the first time since stepping down as leader.

The ailing Castro, who remains head of the Communist Party, last made an official government appearance four years ago, before falling seriously ill and having to hand over the presidency to his brother Raul Castro.

In his address on Saturday, Fidel Castro, 83, talked of the threat of a nuclear holocaust and an end to the current world social order.

Castro has been warning that the world is on the brink of nuclear war for some time, stating the administration of Barack Obama, the US president, is planning to attack rivals Iran and North Korea.

World order

"When the president [Barack Obama] would give the order ... it would be tantamount to ordering the instant death not only of hundreds of millions of people including an inestimable number of residents of the United States as well, but also the crew member of all of the United States navel craft in the seas heading towards Iran," Castro said.

"Simultaneously with this, the conflagration would break out in the Middle East and Eurasia."

Castro said that the current world order "cannot last and will inevitably collapse".

He asserted that foreign exchange reserves, which have created wealth by taxing hard working publics, would also fall apart.

But he warned that were nuclear war to break out that change would be hastened.

"If war were to break out, the current world order would disappear abruptly and the price would be much greater," he said.

Al Jazeera's Latin America editor Lucia Newman said: "He looked certainly a lot better than he has in a long time and that was one of the points that he was trying to make - that although he has been out of the public eye he is still in the picture.

"It was a message to the Cuban people and the world that he should be listened to. And he was talking directly to the president of the United States."

'Long live Fidel!'

Wearing his trademark olive green military uniform, Castro had entered the chamber to cheers of "Fidel, Fidel, Fidel", and "Long live Fidel! Long live Raul!".

Castro had an assistant with him when entering the assembly, but stood independently at the podium.

He spoke for 11 minutes - a relatively short time considering his typical lengthy speeches - and Raul Castro was also present in parliament.


It is the first time the pair have been seen together in the same room since the change of power.

Castro emerged from private seclusion earlier this week, meeting with a Communist youth group among other public appearances.

He has not been able to appear publically since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006. He renounced the presidency in 2008.

Cuba has been a one-party Communist state since 1959 when Castro ousted Fulgencio Batista, a dictator supported by the US.

UK premier rapped over Iran gaffe

British Prime Minister David Cameron


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137628§ionid=351021806


British Prime Minister David Cameron is under fire in the UK for making a false statement regarding Iran's nuclear program during a visit to Turkey.

The Tory leader came under criticism after he said Ankara could be an important influence in helping solve problems "like the Middle East peace process and the fact that Iran has got a nuclear weapon."

Labour former Europe minister Chris Bryant scuffed at the premier saying, "He is increasingly getting a reputation for being a foreign policy klutz, with two right feet, both of them firmly planted in his mouth," AFP reported.

"This is less of a hiccup, more of a dangerous habit," Bryant added.

Cameron's comments come while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly verified the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran.

Downing Street rejected the criticism against the premier, claiming, "It is perfectly clear that he is talking about the pursuit of a nuclear weapon."

The West accuses Iran of pursuing a covert military nuclear program. Tehran, however, denies the allegations, saying that an IAEA member and a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty it has the right to peaceful nuclear technology.

US, Israeli warships move to PG: Report

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=131181§ionid=351020205



An armada of more than twelve US and Israeli warships has passed through the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea and is reportedly heading to the Persian Gulf.

Egypt allowed the vessels to pass through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea Friday, UPI reported on Saturday.

The final destination of the fleet, which also includes an aircraft carrier, is not yet known; but some say it may be heading towards the Persian Gulf.

Special security measures were implemented by the Egyptian authorities for the safe passage of what is believed to be the largest US armada to pass through the canal in years.

All commercial and civilian traffic through the Suez Canal was halted and beefed-up security forces posted along both sides of the waterway.

The fleet is led by the aircraft carrier, the USS Harry Truman and its strike group of 60 fighter-bombers and 6,000 seamen and marines, Debka File reported from its military sources.

Meanwhile, Jeff Steinberg from the Executive Intelligence Review in Washington told Press TV that the US Defense Department had confirmed the report. He further added that the move should be closely watched.

Egyptian opposition parties have criticized the government for allowing the passage at a time when tension is high in the Middle East over the recent Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound aid convoy.

On May 31, Israeli forces attacked the flotilla, killing nine activists on board. The attack was condemned by the international community and prompted global protests.

'US cannot garner support for Iran war'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=129902§ionid=351020104



A former chief UN weapons inspector says the UN Security Council would never approve an attack on Iran, amid US efforts to punish the country for its nuclear work.

Hans Blix made the remarks in an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard published on Wednesday, as the UN Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran.

"A military solution is unlikely. It is clear that the UN will not approve such an action," he said. "Under the UN Charter, there are two possibilities for military action: self-defense against an armed attack or an invasion authorized by the UN Security Council."

The former weapons inspector highlighted the fact it would be impossible for the US to evaluate the existence of low-enriched uranium -- which Iran is producing domestically to make medical isotopes and to fuel its under-construction nuclear power plants -- as an armed attack and compel the UN Security Council to authorize an offensive military strike against Tehran.

Asked on the likelihood of a US military unilateralism, Blix said the odds were very low as the US knew Iran was not unprepared and would dread a situation similar to the preemptive invasion of Iraq --the legality of which remains internationally contested.

"Even the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Admiral Michael Mullen, has spoken out against it. He said that one must consider the consequences. And he said the situation was a bit like that in Iraq: you know what to do when you go in, but little about how one makes advances."

Noting West's lack of proof to back allegations against Iran's nuclear program, Blix stressed that the "hot" nuclear standoff could very well be resolved through diplomacy.

Iran -- a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) -- argues that is has the legal right to a civilian nuclear program.

The US and Israel, meanwhile, have kept "all options" on the table to prevent Iran from developing its program.

Veto-wielding UNSC members Russia and China, which joined the sanctions campaign despite earlier opposition, say the issue should be resolved through diplomacy and have warned against any military strike against the second oil producer in the world.

At IAEA, Iran slams Israel nukes

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=129932§ionid=351020202



While the US and the EU have refused to put Israel's nuclear program under the spotlight, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA says Israeli nukes pose a major threat to piece and stability across the world.

Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltanieh slammed Israel's nuclear weapons program on Thursday.

"Its (Israel) nuclear weapons capabilities shall undoubtedly increase the potential threat to peace and security of the Middle East and the world at large," he said.

Israel, which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), is widely believed to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, with around 200 warheads in its arsenal, but has maintained a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its capabilities.

Arab nations along with Russia have also censured Israel at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board meeting, for preventing the Middle East from becoming a nuclear-free region.

Speaking on behalf of the Arab group, Sudan's Ambassador to the IAEA Mahmoud al-Amin told the closed-door session that Israel was a "nuclear danger."

Meanwhile, the US and the European Union expressed concern over the examination of Israel's case at the IAEA board.

"Singling out Israel for censure is in our view both counterproductive and inappropriate," Glyn Davies, the US ambassador to the IAEA, said

The IAEA meeting was held only a day after the UN Security Council (UNSC) imposed a fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

The imposition of new sanctions is a "clear indication that others, particularly the United States, are following the path of confrontation, as if the [former US President George W.] Bush era is continuing, and that is very disappointing and the slogan of change has not translated into the action," Soltanieh told Press TV after the meeting.

The forth round of UNSC sanctions came after Iran, Turkey, and Brazil signed a declaration on May 17, according to which Iran would ship 1,200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel rods to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.

The nuclear declaration gives Iran a guarantee since the low-enriched uranium is to be stored in Turkey and would be returned if Iran does not receive the 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel within one year.

Despite the fact that Iran agreed to conduct the fuel swap in a third country -- a demand by the West that Iran had previously rejected due to guarantee concerns -- on June 9 the UNSC passed a resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran.

Tehran says it sees the declaration as a confidence-building measure that provides an opportunity for cooperation between Iran and the West.

Israel Shakes Down China

By: Marwan Bishara

Source: Al Jazeera
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/imperium/2010/06/10/israel-shakes-down-china



The New York Times revealed yesterday why the Chinese changed their mind about yet another UN Security Council resolution that imposes new sanctions against Iran.

The resolution passed with 12 votes in favour, two against and one abstention is the fourth of its kind.

Like the Brazilians and the Turks, the Chinese leaned towards diplomacy and doubted the efficacy of another round of sanctions.

Along with Russia, China opposed tougher sanctions that would hurt Iranians and push Tehran into a corner.

Analysts believe Beijing and Moscow came on board after direct intervention by Barack Obama, the US president, and a pledge to water down the resolution and possibly other concessions some of which might be kept secret for long.

The end result is UNSC resolution 1929 that focuses primarily on the nuclear domain, avoids targeting the Iranian society, and dispels use of force as a means for resolution.

But in a rather humiliating revelation, the Israelis tried on the day of the vote to set the record straight by speaking to the US "paper of the record" about their meeting with the Chinese.

Veiled threat

According to The New York Times, "In February, a high-level Israeli delegation travelled to Beijing to present classified evidence of Iran’s atomic ambitions.

Then they unveiled the ostensible purpose of their visit: to explain in sobering detail the economic impact to China from an Israeli strike on Iran — an attack Israel has suggested is all but inevitable should the international community fail to stop Iran from assembling a nuclear weapon.

“The Chinese didn’t seem too surprised by the evidence we showed them, but they really sat up in their chairs when we described what a pre-emptive attack would do to the region and on oil supplies they have come to depend on ...”

To add insult to injury, the Israeli official who chose to reveal this nugget asked the paper for anonymity so as not to upset his Chinese counterparts!

In fact, the Israelis do not want to hide their chutzpah.

The official who was permitted to speak to the press seems proud of Israel's audacity to shake down Beijing when the rest of the world is trying to gain China's favour as one of the of the world's two superpowers.

According to the US newspaper," ... the episode demonstrates how Israel — a small country with limited influence on China — has found ways to engage an emerging superpower whose geopolitical heft is increasingly vital to the Jewish state."

China depends on the Gulf region for half of its oil imports and has being trying to defuse tensions that could hamper its energy supplies.

Double game

When dealing with world superpowers, Israel has long played a double game whenever its relationship with the US permitted it.

In the 1990s it tried to help China out of its global isolation following the Tiananmen massacre. It even tried to lobby Washington for Chinese interests.

In fact, the Israelis have long boasted of lobbying the US, its White House, Congress and media in favour of countries of little importance to the US; have poor human rights record; or merely need US support.

After the Cold War, East European countries and former Soviet republics along with many other Asian countries were offered access to Washington in favour of normalisation of relations.

One wonders if boasting that its lobby has major influence in Washington doesn't indirectly fuel anti-Semitic claims of Jewish influence and control.

Eventually many tapped Israel and its US lobby for help in return of better relations with a country long considered an international pariah.

But when Israel tried to transfer US technology and sophisticated weapons to China worth billions of dollars a decade ago, Washington shot it down and Israel had no choice but to comply.

Proxy game?

Recently Israel has found it more and more difficult to lobby the Obama administration, whose new foreign policy philosophy favors dialogue with allies and nemesis alike, as underlined in its new National Security Strategy released last month.

And with both the US and China charting new ways of dealing with the Muslim world, based on more interaction, trade and normalization of relations, Israel feels increasingly left out in the cold.

The Netanyahu government's aggressive policies and settlement expansion in occupied Palestinian lands, following his predecessor's war on Lebanon and Gaza, is driving Israel further to isolation.

Paradoxically, the only regional issue that has kept Israel in the loop is the Iranian nuclear issue.

Its threat to use military force against Iran couldn't be ignored by those in the region or voting in the UN Security Council. The morning after UNSC passed Resolution 1929, Israel expressed displeasure at its weakness and demanded sanctions with more bite.

So I ask: Would Israel dare shake down China without a green light from Washington? Or, has the US used Israel as an attack dog against those unwilling to support more sanctions against Iran?

Or has the US done everything to pass a UNSC resolution to avoid a potential Israeli military strike against Iran...?

Russia, China urge diplomacy on Iran nuclear case

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122215§ionid=351020104


As the US and its allies push for another round of sanctions against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, Russia and China have again voiced their dissent.

Earlier in Moscow today, Russia's foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko reaffirmed Russia's commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, reported The Voice of Russia.

He further said that sanctions could occasionally be appropriate, but insisted that such measures should be well thought-out, intelligent and not hinder further dialogue.

Separately, in China, where Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili is on a visit, the foreign ministry's spokesman official spokesman Qin Gang said Beijing would seek a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

He further said that while China opposed nuclear proliferation, it defended Tehran's right to develop civil nuclear energy.

Qin Gang declined to comment on claims that the US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice that Beijing is ready to discuss sanctions against Tehran.

In a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Iran's top nuclear negotiator said the West's efforts to prevent certain countries from acquiring nuclear technology could put global security in danger.

Jalili stressed that a full commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by all countries was the best way to ensure peace and stability in the world.

Certain Western governments, led by the US, have accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons capability and have imposed sanctions in an effort to force Tehran to stop its enrichment activities.

However, Iran counters that, as a longstanding signatory to the NPT, it has the right to possess full nuclear fuel cycle, insisting that the production of nuclear weapons has no place in its policy.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has carried out intrusive inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities for years, and has announced that there is no evidence of diversion of nuclear material from civilian to military applications.

India urges dialogue on Iran nuclear program

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120939§ionid=351020104


India on Tuesday announced its opposition to any sanctions that would affect the Iranian people, amid western struggles to punish it for uranium enrichment.

"It continues to be our view that sanctions that target Iranian people and cause difficulties to the ordinary man, woman and child would not be conducive to a resolution of this question," said India's foreign minister, Nirupama Rao, in Washington.

"We believe, Iran has both rights and responsibilities. Responsibilities, stemming from its membership of the [Nuclear Non-Proliferation] NPT and also rights to develop its nuclear energy for peaceful process," she said.

Iran, a signatory to the NPT, says its program is aimed at the civilian applications of the technology. The West, however, accuses it of seeking nuclear weapons.

The Indian minister, meanwhile, called for dialogue, saying Iran has a "very important role" in the Middle East, The Hindu reported.

"We do not want more instability in that region," she said in an allusion to the two ongoing wars in the Iraq and Afghanistan.

The White House has stepped up efforts to impose new UN Security Council sanctions resolutions against Tehran. However, China, which relies on oil imports from Saudi Arabia and Iran, has forcefully rejected the move and has called for negotiation to resolve the standoff.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently visited Riyadh to lobby for Iran sanctions, and to force the Saudi king to assure the Chinese of oil supplies after new sanctions were adopted against Tehran.

Riyadh, however, reacted to the request and said China knows what it should do in regards to Iran, AFP reported.

"China is perfectly aware of the scope of its responsibilities and its obligations, including in the position it holds on the international stage and as a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told Al-Riyadh newspaper.

Hezbollah warns against attack on Iran, Syria

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=118656§ionid=351020203


Hezbollah's deputy secretary general for political affairs says the Lebanese movement would consider any attack on Iran or Syria as aggression against themselves.

"Hezbollah considers any attack on any faction of the resistance movements, or on the two supporting nations of Iran or Syria, as an attack on all of them," Hassan Khalil told Kuwait's Al-Dar.

"We will respond to any Israeli aggression on Lebanon," he added.

Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that Damascus would stand by Beirut, should Israel launch another war on Lebanon.

"Syria will stand alongside the government and people of Lebanon against any possible Israeli aggression launched on Lebanon," Assad said in a meeting with visiting Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Damascus.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak had recently said that Syria should clinch a peace deal with Israel or find itself in a "full-fledged war" with Tel Aviv.

A few days later hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened Assad with a war in which "his family will lose power" on top of a military defeat for the country.

Fresh Calls for Iran Sanctions

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/02/20102852752669556.html


The United States and France have said new sanctions against Iran are the only option after Tehran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it will begin enriching higher-grade nuclear fuel to a level of 20 per cent.


Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, and Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, said that Iran should face "strong sanctions" over its nuclear programme, a French official said following a meeting between the two men in Paris.

Earlier on Monday, Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, said that Tehran had handed an official letter to the UN's atomic agency saying that his country would begin enriching the fuel from Tuesday.

Soltanieh said that Iran would use its nuclear stockpile to enrich uranium to supply its Tehran research reactor which produces medical isotopes.

Earlier, speaking to al-Alam, Iran's Arabic-language state television station, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the country's atomic energy organisation, said Tehran planned to build 10 new facilities over the next year where the enrichment could be carried out.


Iran had said in November that it planned to build the enrichment plants but had not given a timescale.

Sanctions call

Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said on Monday that he did not believe Iran had the ability to raise the enrichment level of its uranium and that the move by Tehran was "blackmail".


"One could call it diplomacy, but if that is what is then it is truly negative," said Kouchner.

"That is not serious and we, alas cannot apply anything other than sanctions since negotiation is not possible."

Gates also said more pressure had to be applied to the Iranian government.

"We must still try and find a peaceful way to resolve this issue," Gates said.

"The only path that is left to us at this point, it seems to me, is that pressure track but it will require all of the international community to work together."

Asked about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran over its nuclear programme, Gates said: "Everybody's interest is in seeing this issue resolved without a resort to conflict."

Kouchner said all the major powers apart from China were in favour of a fourth round of UN-backed sanctions.

However, he said there was no deadline for reaching an agreement and added that he did not fear that any Israeli action was imminent.

Western powers accuse Iran of attempting to build nuclear weapons but Tehran says its nuclear programme is for purely civilian purposes.

Difficult change

Alireza Ronaghi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran, said: "It's a new phase in Iran's nuclear achievement, but it is not going to happen overnight.

"A very difficult design process will have to take place. They'll need to change the existing capacity that consists of 4,000 - 5,000 centrifugal machines.

"It will also infringe upon Iran's current capacity for enriching uranium to a level of 3.5 - 4 per cent, which is necessary for its current nuclear programme.

"Regardless, these are the things that many conservatives in Iran think will make the country's hand stronger in negotiations with the West."


Salehi and Soltanieh's statements follow instructions from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, on Sunday that he start the production of higher-grade nuclear reactor fuel.

But Salehi has also suggested that production would be halted if Iran received fuel enriched to 20 per cent from abroad.

Iran has expressed its readiness to exchange its low-enriched uranium for higher-grade fuel, but has demanded amendments to the UN-drafted IAEA plan, under which Iran would export its low-enriched uranium abroad for enrichment.

"Iran would halt its enrichment process for the Tehran research reactor any time it receives the necessary fuel for it," Salehi said.


Draft proposal

The UN plan was drawn up in early October in a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, between Iran and six world powers - the UK, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany - and later refined at a meeting in Vienna.

The talks in the Austrian capital came up with a draft proposal that would take 70 per cent of Iran's low-enriched uranium to reduce its stockpile of material that could be enriched to a higher level, and possibly be used to make nuclear weapons.

That uranium would be returned about a year later as refined fuel rods, which can power reactors but cannot be readily turned into weapons-grade material.

Ahmadinejad had last week appeared to support the deal in an interview on state television, but on Sunday he blamed the West for the stalemate over the deal.