West supports Qatar plan to unify terrorist Syrian opposition

 

An insurgent keeps an eye out for Syrian government forces in the Karmel al-Jabl district of Aleppo city on October 31, 2012.

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/03/270183/west-backs-new-syria-opposition-plan/

The US, Britain and other western states have backed a Qatari plan that seeks creation of a consistent Syrian opposition that would engage in talks with Damascus government, or provide greater arms supports to insurgents if negotiations fail.

The plan, due to be formally introduced in Qatar’s capital city of Doha on November 8, will unify foreign-based Syrian opposition groups with armed groups fighting on the ground, the Guardian reported on Friday.

A blueprint for the plan, known as the Syrian National Initiative, is outlined in a document put forward by Riad Seif, a Syrian dissident driving the council’s formation.

The Doha initiative has been organized by the Qatari government, and the US, Britain and France have already thrown weight behind it.

Russia, however, opposes the plan, stating that it violates earlier international agreements that seek formation of a new Syrian government by "mutual consent" of parties involved in the conflict.

The Istanbul-based Syrian National Council (SNC), the leadership of the main opposition group, also dismissed the plan, arguing that it attempts to mitigate SNC influence.

Washington's decision to shift support away from the SNC and swing it behind the Doha initiative comes as US officials are deeply frustrated over the exile group's failure to incorporate all internal and external factions of the Syrian opposition.

"We've made it clear that the SNC can no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition," the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said on October 31.

"They can be part of a larger opposition, but that opposition must include people from inside Syria and others who have a legitimate voice that needs to be heard," she pointed out.

US, Israel arranging roles in Iran war theater?

Reuters / Issei Kato

Source: Russia Today

http://www.rt.com/news/us-israel-iran-war-plan-926/

Reports are surfacing of a US-Israeli plan to attack Iran’s ballistic missile batteries, giving Israel extra space to tackle Syria and Hezbollah. While no talks have been confirmed, anonymous sources claim that war plans have been put to paper.

­While it’s unclear how far-reaching the US and Israeli plans are, some say the allies have detailed intentions to destroy the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missiles – and let Israel launch an assault on Syria and Hezbollah to boot.

An anonymous US military source told DEBKAfile, a website covering Israel-related security issues, that the US Air Force will be tasked with destroying Iran’s Shahab-3 ballistic missile batteries. Each of these missiles has a range of 1,280 kilometers (800 miles), making them capable of reaching Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Upgraded versions of the Shahab-3's can reach targets 2,000 kilometers away. In the past, Iran has warned that its missiles will always be ready to launch in case of an attack.

By destroying the Shahabs-3's, Israel would be able to focus its energy on taking on perceived threats from Syria, Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, without having to worry about an attack from Iran, the official told DEBKAfile.

And last weekend, an anonymous senior US official told an Israeli newspaper that National Security Advisor Tom Donilon had briefed Israeli authorities on a contingency plan, in case of a showdown with Iran.

Israel has denied reports of such a plan, but last week’s talks between US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have still caused a heated debate.

If tensions with Iran increase, some predict the US may attack the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities in an attempt to protect Israel, the source said in a briefing.

But Tehran is only estimated to have between 30 and 40 of these missiles – a small number that could hardly make a dent during times of war. If used against the US and its allies, the missiles would be quickly destroyed by the American Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Systems and Israel's Arrow guided interceptor rockets.

Even if the missiles had a chance to reach their targets, the military source told DEBKAfile that Iran would probably not waste them all at once.

“They are too canny to leave themselves without some Shahabs in reserve for crises even more acute than the outbreak of war,” the source said.

But Iran has other missiles. Iranian Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said the fourth generation of high-precision Fateh-110 missiles, with a range of over 300 kilometers (185 miles), was successfully test-fired on Saturday, showing Iran's ability to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

“Using new guidance methods, target-striking systems were installed on the missiles and during the flight test … its ability to hit the target without deviation was proven,” Vahidi told the IRNA news agency.

Last month, the Pentagon reported that Iran is working on a missile capable of reaching the United States, and is aiming for completion of the project within the next three years.

And after the US angered Tehran by voting for greater sanctions last week, war seems ever more likely. Israel is now upgrading its Arrow II ballistic missile shield, which is designed to neutralize incoming missiles at altitudes high enough for non-conventional warheads to disintegrate safely.

And whether or not the US Army is ready for another war, the latest sanctions, combined with Iran’s ballistic missile testing, continue to escalate tensions between the US and the Islamic Republic.

Turkey holds military exercise near Syrian border

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/01/253887/turkey-holds-military-exercise-near-border/

The Turkish army has staged tank exercises near its border with Syria days after it reinforced its border troops with tanks, missile launchers and armored combat vehicles.

According to Turkish sources, some 25 tanks took part in the exercises in the Nusaybin district of Mardin Province, just 2 kilometers away from the Syrian border, on Wednesday.

The maneuvers, conducted by the Mardin 70th Mechanized Brigade, aim at testing the tanks' speed and maneuverability.

The exercises were overseen by local commanders and are expected to continue for a couple of days.

Ankara has repeatedly expressed concerns about reports that a Kurdish group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is exerting control in the Kurdish areas of northern Syria and near the Turkish border.

Turkey has warned that it will attack PKK positions in Syria if the group launches attacks against Turkey from the Arab state. Ankara has carried out several military operations against the PKK camps in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

Turkey is accused of supplying armed groups fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with military and communication equipment.

Turkey, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has also set up a secret base near its border with Syria to send military supplies to anti-Syria groups.

"It's the Turks who are militarily controlling it (the base). Turkey is the main coordinator/facilitator. Think of a triangle, with Turkey at the top and Saudi Arabia and Qatar at the bottom," Reuters quoted a Doha-based source as saying adding that Qatar has a key role in directing operations at the base with Qatari military intelligence and state security officials involved.

The US intelligence is also believed to be involved in the secret anti-Syria "nerve center" and that they are working through middlemen.

Syria has been the scene of violence by armed groups since March 2011. The violence has claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including many security forces.

Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

PA condemns ethnic cleansing plan

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123826§ionid=351020202


The Palestinian Authority (PA) has condemned Tel Aviv's plan for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland.

The Israeli military recently announced the measure, according to which anyone caught in the occupied West Bank without an Israeli entry or residency permit would be labeled an "infiltrator."

Acting PA chief Mahmoud Abbas said, "Israel does not have the right to deport any Palestinian, the Palestinian Authority will not allow it," the Ma'an news agency reported on Monday.

“Israel's decision is an act of provocation and was meant to anger Palestinians," he added.

"Our basic agreement with Israel is that the West Bank and Gaza are one geographic entity under the Palestinian Authority,” Abbas asserted, but failed to acknowledge the authority of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas over the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip since wining the Palestinian parliamentary election in 2006.

'Netanyahu seeks US bombs for Iran attack'

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121389§ionid=351020104


As Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu plans a visit to Washington, a report says he will ask the US to release sophisticated bombs needed for a possible strike on Iran's nuclear sites.

Netanyahu will ask Israel's closest ally to supply sophisticated 'bunker-buster' bombs needed to break through to Iran's nuclear enrichment sites, the Sunday Times reported.

The Israeli premier is expected to attend a three-day meeting of the top pro-Israeli lobby in the US, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly known as AIPAC and to meet with senior administration officials.

Despite Tel Aviv's refusal to renounce nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, Israel and its Western allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program — a charge strongly denied by Tehran.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), views the claims as "unfounded and baseless” as the non-diversion of Iranian nuclear materials has been repeatedly verified in unannounced visits by UN inspectors.

Israel, reported to have the region's sole atomic arsenal, has a long-standing tendency to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, arguing that the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Plans for a military attack against Iran have gained momentum in Tel Aviv over the past few months.

On November 7, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon warned Iran that Tel Aviv's persistent threats of military action were not just a bluff.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Herald has reported that hundreds of powerful US "bunker-buster" bombs are being shipped from California to the British island of Diego Garcia located in the Indian Ocean.

Experts believe that the cargo manifest from the US navy is being put in place for an assault on Iran's nuclear facilities, said the newspaper.

The US military used Diego Garcia as a base to attack Iraq in 1991 and 2003.

The developments come as US president Barack Obama on Saturday once again repeated his offer of "dialogue" with Tehran.

Iran says it is hypocritical of the US to call for normalization of ties with the country but does the opposite in practice.

"The new [US] administration and president … wrote letters and sent messages ... saying they are willing to normalize relations with the Islamic Republic, but in practice they did the opposite," Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Sunday in a Nowruz address to Iranians in the holy city of Mashhad.

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.

Obama unveils nuclear power plan

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/02/2010216185539168789.html


The US president has turned to nuclear power as he attempts to cut greenhouse gases, making about $8bn in federal loan guarantees available for building the country's first new nuclear power plants in almost 30 years.

Barack Obama said that despite the concerns of some environmentalists over safety, nuclear power must play a key role as the US looks to tackle climate change and reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

"On an issue which affects our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, we cannot continue to be mired in the same old debates between left and right, between environmentalists and entrepreneurs," Obama said on Tuesday.


The loan guarantees will go towards the construction of two new nuclear reactors at an existing nuclear facility in Burke, Georgia, the White House said.

Obama said the investment in nuclear power would pay-off in employment opportunities.

"It's a plant that will create thousands of construction jobs in the next few years and some 800 permanent jobs, well-paying permanent jobs, in the years to come," he said.

"And this is only the beginning."

Energy competitors

The president warned that America's competitors were way ahead on nuclear energy, specifically mentioning long-term investments by Japan and France in the industry.

He said of 56 nuclear reactors around being built around the world, 21 are in China, six in South Korea, and five in India.

"Make no mistake, whether it is nuclear energy, or solar or wind energy, if we fail to invest in these technologies today, we'll be importing them tomorrow," Obama said.

Obama used a 2005 law that authorities the energy department to guarantee loans to projects that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He said the plant would reduce carbon pollution by about 16m tones each year when compared to a similar coal plant, the equivalent of taking 3.5m cars off the road.

Nuclear opposition

There are two main areas of opposition to Obama's nuclear power goals.

Taxpayer watchdog groups oppose the spending on terms of scale and likely impact, while some environmentalists oppose the idea of expanding nuclear power on safety grounds and on principle, arguing that funds should be transferred to other sources of alternative energy.

The president's 2011 budget unveiled earlier this month contains authority for $36bn in new loan authority for the construction of new nuclear power plants in addition to $18bn already authorised.

There have been no new nuclear power plants built in the US since the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania.

Presently only 20 per cent of the country's energy needs are met by nuclear power.

The announcement came as Hilary Clinton, the US secretary of state, visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia to rally support for economic sanctions against Iran for pursuing its own nuclear programme.

Iran: No problem with nuclear plan

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/02/2010230058976481.html

Iran's president has indicated his country may be ready to ship its uranium abroad for enrichment, in line with a UN-backed proposal.

For months Iranian officials have criticised the plan proposed by six world powers last year for Iran to send out the bulk of its low-enriched uranium to be processed and returned as nuclear fuel to power its reactor.

But on Tuesday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would have "no problem" doing so.

"Some people made a fuss about it. There is no problem. We will seal a contract and we will give you 3.5 per cent uranium to enrich it to 20 per cent levels in four or five months and return to us," he said in an interview with Iranian broadcaster IRIB on Tuesday.

He dismissed concerns by "colleagues'' that the West would not return the uranium, saying Iran would respond to that by continuing to produce its own enriched uranium.

"If they don't return it, what will happen? We will be proven right, and then it will be proven that the agency [International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA] was not reliable and they will be discredited. Then we will be free to rely on ourselves for our activities."

US response

The US has responded that Iran needs to inform the IAEA if it plans to go ahead with the deal and transfer its uranium abroad for enrichment.

"There is a forum to be able to resolve whether this is a serious offer and that's through the IAEA. If Iran is serious, they can inform the IAEA that they are ready to accept the deal that's on the table," PJ Crowley, a US state department spokesman, said.

Western governments suspect Iran wants to make nuclear weapons but Iran says its nuclear programme is for civilian power generation.

The IAEA proposal would see about 70 per cent of Iran's low-enriched uranium taken abroad, reducing the stockpile of material that could be enriched to a higher level and possibly be used to make nuclear weapons.

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

Conservative opposition

The proposal was first drawn up in October by six countries – the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – and refined later that month in talks among Iran, the US, Russia and France.

But the deal stalled last year over disagreements about shipping and domestic resistance inside Iran.

Alireza Ronaghi, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran, said Iran's apparent change of heart had come about after an easing of conservative opposition to the proposal.

"President Ahmadinejad has said .... Iran has the technology at its disposal to produce uranium enriched to the level that could be used as fuel, and now that Iran possesses that technology there is no problem in sending the uranium outside," he said.

"The main problem was within Iran, where some conservatives were trying to lash out at the president because of his willingness to strike a deal with foreign powers, but after months of debate it seems like that obstacle has been removed.

"At the beginning there was a lot of fuss inside the parliament and elsewhere in the public domain about the government backing down against foreign powers, but little-by-little things have changed."

Position unclear

However, it remains unclear how much of a concession or acceptance Ahmadinejad's comments represent.

His timeframe of four or five months for the uranium processing overseas appears a long way off from the one year that Western officials say it would take for the process – a failure to bridge that difference could allow Iran to accuse the West of foot-dragging.

He also did not say whether Iran was ready to ship out most of its uranium stockpile in one batch - another condition of the proposal designed to delay Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon.

The US and its allies have been pushing for a fourth round of UN sanctions to be slapped on Iran for not complying with UN resolutions over its nuclear programme, but Russia and China are not in favour of any new penalties.

Possible prisoner swap

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad suggested in the same interview that Iran would free three jailed US hikers in exchange for Iranians held in US prisons, adding that there are "some talk under way to have an exchange".

The US responded cautiously, saying it had asked to meet the hikers, Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, currently held in Iran.

"If President Ahmadinejad's comments suggest that they are prepared to grant us access through the Swiss and resolve the cases of the three hikers and other Americans in custody, we would welcome that step, Gordon Duguid, a state department spokesman, said.

The three were hiking in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region in July when they accidentally crossed the border into Iran, their families said.

UK joins Taliban peace plan strategy

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117055§ionid=351020403


Britain is pushing for peace talks with Taliban leaders in Afghanistan while attempting to map out an exit strategy, as its ally, the US, prepares to deploy more troops to the country.

The British army chief, General David Richards, said on Monday that negotiations with the Taliban could be considered but must be done from a position of strength. "So it's a matter of timing, not the principle," he noted.

He added that a deal should be reached with the Taliban on condition that the group cuts its ties with Al-Qaeda.

The remarks come ahead of this week's international conference on Afghanistan in London, which is set to debate the implementation of more effective strategies in the Central Asian country.

Ways to increase pressure on the Afghan government to give firm commitments on the training of security forces will also be discussed.

General Richards' comments echo the remarks made earlier by General David Petraeus, the head of the US Central Command, and General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, who held out the possibility of striking a peace deal with Taliban leaders.

Earlier, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates also recognized the Taliban as part of the political fabric of Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has offered money and jobs to Taliban members in order to persuade them to lay down their arms.

However, US President Barack Obama's new war strategy envisages deploying 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan.