International Kashmir Conference concludes in Washington

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 25 (APP): The 10th International Peace Conference on Kashmir, concluded on Friday in Washington D.C., has demanded that the inalienable right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as it stood on 14 August 1947, be recognized and instituted. According to Kashmir Media Service, the Conference was held under the auspices of the Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center, and the Association of Humanitarian Lawyers.

The declaration adopted as the Washington Declaration in the concluding session urged upon the United States Congress to persuade the US Administration to support the appointment of a special United Nations envoy to Kashmir. It pointed out that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were the principal stakeholder.

The Declaration underscored the need to bring about a democratic, peaceable resolution of Kashmir dispute in conformity with the United Nations Charter.

It demanded an end to state of impunity, and restoration of individual, civil, political, and legal rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

It stressed that the cessation of militarization and human rights violations and the implementation of justice should take place expeditiously.

The Washington Declaration deplored that the non-violent, civil disobedience, including the prolific agitation of 2008 and 2009, enacted by the people of Kashmir had been repeatedly met with brutal force and collective punishment by the Indian state.

The militarization, it added, has induced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, unlawful detentions, torture, phenomenon of half-widows, orphans, displacement, migrations, and mass graves.

The Washington Declaration appreciated the commitment to resume composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, adding that the egregious violations of humanitarian norms had induced a culture of crisis.

It emphasized that the violation of promises, laws, and conventions in international humanitarian law, and the enforcement of draconian laws and policies had empowered the security apparatus of the Government of India to act with impunity.

The Washington Declaration identified its premise as sixty-two years of irresolution had witnessed conditions of militarization and inhumanity endured by the people of Indian-administered Kashmir, and the violation of their inalienable right of self-determination.

The drafting committee of the Declaration comprised Ved Bhasin, Prof. Angana Chatterji, Gautam Navlakha, Zahid G.  Mohammad, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Dr. Najib Naqi, Jatender Bakshi, Dr. Ghulam N. Mir and Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai.

Dr. Fai, the Executive Director of Kashmir Centre talking to media men expressed satisfaction over the adoption of the Washington Declaration.

16 killed in plane incident northeast Iran

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A Russian made Illushin-62 with 153 passengers on board which was flying from Tehran to Mashad on Friday afternoon faced with a problem during landing in Hashemi-nejad Airport, Mashad, at 18:10 hours local time (14:40 hours GMT). 16 persons were killed in the plane incident on Friday, three of them passengers and the rest of them crew. Civil Aviation Spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh said that among the crew 9 persons were citizens of Kazakhstan and 4 of them were Iranian. He added that the plane, an Illushin–62, belongs to Kazakhstan and was chartered by Aria Airline. The Spokesman said that around 30 people of the 153 people on board have been injured. Qahreman Rashid, the provincial official, confirmed that names of 88 passengers who are healthy and alive have been checked by the passenger list. Rashid said that cause of the incident is under investigation.

Lebanon: Berri rejects to meet with US senior official

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Lebanese Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri rejected to meet with Middle East Senior Director of the American National Security Council, Dan Shapiro on Friday. Berri only allowed his consultant, Ali Hamdan to meet with Dan Shapiro. The American Vice-President, Joe Biden and Foreign Minister, Hilary Clinton in their visits to Lebanon before parliamentary elections had rejected to meet with Berri. America usually interferes in Lebanon’s internal affairs. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry repeatedly has announced that the American ambassador to Beirut and many other American officials in their visits to Lebanon do not comply with diplomatic norms.

Iran:Statement of 50 Membars of Leadership Assembly of Experts(majlese khobregan)

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A majority of Leadership Assembly of Experts, a constitutional institution charged with designation of leader in the Islamic Republic of Iran, issued a statement to people to express views about the recent developments in the Iranian political scene. The statement thanked people for their 40-million-odd ballot in the June 24 presidential elections and described it a turning point in the history of the Islamic Revolution. The statement then affirmed that the notion of Velayat-e Faqih or the supervision and leadership of a devout expert in Islamic issues over the country’s affairs was a sequel to the track of Allah’s messengers and has its roots in the Holy Koran. It reaffirmed that no institution or authority, including the presidency would enjoy legality unless Vali-e Faqih, the person in the position, puts his signature of approval over the authority. “President is the executive arm of Velayat-e Faqih,” the statement noted. The experts of the assembly then renewed their approval of the leadership of Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei. They then denounced the wicked campaign of the enemies of the Islamic Republic system following the tenth presidential elections, namely by fanning the allegations of major fraud. “By exploiting the negligence of some of polls candidates, they embarked on a full-blown psychological warfare and tried to ruin public minds through fanning the phony and myth-like allegation of major fraud which was taken from velvet revolutions projects,” the statement said. The statement then asked the head of the assembly, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to express his support to the notion of Velayat-e Faqih more than past and wrest the enemies an opportunity to deal a blow to Iran’s national unity. The statement also asked President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to strictly follow the recommendations of the IR Leader in promotion of religion and morality, serving people and resolving their problems. It also urged the President to use all committed and revolutionary experts in his cabinet and avoid appointing people who may incite sensitivities among elites and people. The statement concluded with the hope that the elites of society pass their Divine test regarding the political developments.

The necessity to recognize the Shiite Rights in Egypt

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An Egyptian Shia cleric, who wrote a letter to interior minister of Egypt, said: Egypt should recognize the right of Shiite, otherwise we file a lawsuit to administrative judiciary and we do our best to achieve our right.

According to (ABNA), Ahmed Rasim al-Nafis in his letter to interior minister, Habib al-Adil, said: “we have two choices to recognize our rights: firstly tolerate the present situation (ignore our rights), secondly we file a lawsuit to administrative judiciary based on recognition our rights.

Rasim al-Nafis, Egypt’s Prominent Shia leader, in a letter to Egypt’s interior minister, Habib Adil, asked for recognition of the Shiite doctrine.

“al-Azhar confirms that there are no fundamental differences between Shiites and Sunnis.” he affirmed.

“There is discord between Hizbullah and Egypt because of supporting Gaza inhabitants in 22 days war” he added “due that Egypt may do its anti-Shia acts and bring them to court. In spite of this we filed a lawsuit to administrative judiciary via law”.

Rasim al-Nafis in his letter warned that, in next 60 day the interior minister has time to reject or accept our request; otherwise we file a lawsuit to the administrative judiciary.

Rasim said the only way to recognize Shia rights are the articles mentioned in Egypt’s constitutional law, “according to Egypt’s law, all Egyptian citizenship enjoying equal rights and they are free to do their rituals. Due that there is not any limitation for citizenships.

“According to Egypt’s laws approved in 1937, any religious community can ask his rights from Minister of the Interior to get permission for performing Hajj and ritual practices” the Shia cleric said.

He added: they tried to distort thoughts against Shias by calling them as unbelievers or infidels but their plots foiled.

Dr. Rasim stressed: more than 6 times we asked the Egypt’s government to recognize Shia rights but every time they cancelled it and detained Shias. Because they believed that Shias are illegitimate groups and should not do their rituals.14884

Pak unique location best for international trade: Zardari

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ISLAMABAD, July 23 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that Pakistan with road links to China and rail and road links to India and Central Asia has a unique position for international trade and commerce. Talking to French  Minister of State for Foreign Trade Ms Anne Marrie Idrac, The President said Pakistan had the resources of   land, water and manpower and what it needed most was access to international market for its goods.

The French minister was accompanied by Daniel Jouanneau and President Sarkozi’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and  Pakistan, Thierry Mariani.

Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sardar Aseef Ahmad Ali, Mr. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General, Ms Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State, Ms Sughra Imam, and Secretaries Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Railways also attended the meeting.

Talking to the journalists about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said the President told the French minister that in the past because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and situation in the region, the security concerns had been emphasized more than social and human development.

He said that as a result of such policies Pakistan’s exports were barely 25 billion dollars a year today which should have been more than 100 billion dollars a year.

The President appreciated the French offer to deepen cooperation between the two countries during his recent visit to France.

Farhatullah Babar said that during President Zardari’s visit to France it was decided to conclude two framework agreements including an agreement dealing with economic and energy issues.

The President also expressed satisfaction at preliminary engagement on the framework agreements.

President Asif Ali Zardari said that he looked forward to President Sarkozi’s visit to Pakistan later this year to give practical shape to the upgradation of the relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership.

The President also appreciated that during his visit the France government expressed willingness to consider pragmatic cooperation in the field of civil nuclear technology.

President Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan’s strategic priority now was economic development for which it needed peace and stability in the region and was therefore focusing on improving ties with both India and Afghanistan.

France had a crucial role in supporting it, the President said.

The French Minister said that she looked forward to fruitful discussions with her Pakistani counterparts to further upgrade economic cooperation between the two countries.

Israel plans to demolish Bustan area in O. Jerusalem

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OCCUPIED JERUSALEM- The Ir Amim organization said Thursday in a report quoted by the Hebrew media that the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is preparing a plan to demolish the whole Bustan neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem and build in its place a Jewish historical park.

The report added that the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem intends to allow only Israeli settlers to build in the vicinity of the neighborhood.

The report said that the IOA gave 14 Palestinian real estates to Jewish parties without obtaining any approval from the legal advisor of the Israeli government.

BIN LADEN SON THOUGHT KILLED IN U.S. DRONE STRIKE

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Citing U.S. intelligence officials, U.S. National Public Radio has reported, Osama bin Laden’s son Sa’ad was probably killed by a U.S. missile strike in Pakistan earlier this year. According to Reuters, a missile fired from a U.S. drone aircraft is believed to have killed him sometime this year.
The officials said, U.S. intelligence agencies were “80 to 85 percent” certain Sa’ad bin Laden was dead, adding that he was not important enough to be targeted himself but was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
It was not clear whether Sa’ad bin Laden was near his father when he died.

Iran can rejoice at failure of Israel's missile defense

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despite attempts by the operators of the Arrow missile defense system in Israel to portray Wednesday night’s aborted test as “a partial success,” in reality it was nothing less than a resounding failure. The fact that the interceptor missile failed to launch in the direction of the target is damning proof that the test failed.

Overall, the goal of the test is not to assess various data systems that could be checked without launching the missile, but to launch the interceptor missile at the oncoming target. In this case, the target was a simulator missile of the Iranian Shihab, whose range exceeds 1,000 kilometers, more than enough to reach Israel.

when Iran holds in its arsenal the Shihab 3 missile which can reach any target in Israel, This was in essence the goal of the unsuccessful test in California. In addition, Iran is about to incorporate a missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers into its arsenal. Not coincidentally, even though there has been little media attention on the subject, Israel is mulling the purchase of the U.S.-made THAAD missile defense, which is still in the development phase.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said that the test involved a dummy missile that was fired from a C-17 aircraft, which was detected by the Arrow’s radar. The data was then transferred to the “battle management control center” on the ground. Yet, due to the fact that “not all test conditions to launch the Arrow Interceptor were met,” it was decided to abort.

This mishap will be thoroughly examined in Iran. There is no doubt that Tehran’s director of its missile program will be rubbing his hands with satisfaction., this failure is also a psychological blow for Israel and its partner in the project, the U.S.

Swine flu fears prompt Hajj curbs

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Arab health ministers have agreed to prevent vulnerable groups joining this year’s Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, because of fears over swine flu.

People aged over 65 and under 12, and those with chronic diseases, will be excluded from the event, a World Health Orgnization official said on Wednesday.
In June, Saudi Arabia asked elderly and sick Muslims not to visit this year.
At least two million people took part in the last Hajj, which falls this year in November.
The decision to keep the vulnerable groups away from the pilgrimage must still be ratified by the health ministers’ governments, Ibrahim al-Kerdani of the WHO said.
Reduction expected
The decision was made at emergency talks in Cairo between health ministers from around the Muslim world and WHO officials.
Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah said his country would not reduce the number of visas it granted to pilgrims, but that he expected pilgrim numbers to be reduced this year.
The WHO says there are 952 cases of the virus – known as H1N1 in its Eastern Mediterranean region, which stretches from Afghanistan to Morocco.
The only death so far in the region was announced by Egypt on Sunday, and was a woman who had returned from a pilgrimage trip to Saudi Arabia.
As well as the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which all Muslims are required to make at least once if they have the means, the faithful can also make a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, known as umra, at any time of year.
As of 6 July, there were more than 130,000 cases of swine flu worldwide , with more than 700 deaths from the virus

Iran:VP appointment pilloried

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TEHRAN, July 22 (MNA) — Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has said the appointment of Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii as the first vice president is unacceptable.

“Certainly, the appointment of such a person has no legitimacy,” he wrote on his web site.

Having the courage to accept one’s mistakes is one of the characteristics of a good manager, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi added.

In a cabinet session in Mashhad on Saturday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a decree appointing Rahim-Mashaii, the director of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization, as the new first vice president.

In 2008, Rahim-Mashaii said, “Iran is a friend of the Israeli people” in stark contrast to Iran’s stance on the Zionist regime.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has ordered President Ahmadinejad to dismiss Rahim-Mashaii from the post of vice president. However, he is still in office.

Rahim-Mashaii’s dismissal tests president’s commitment to velayat

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami of the Presiding Board of the Assembly of Experts stated here on Wednesday that the situation is a test of Ahmadinejad’s commitment to velayat-e faqih (rule of the supreme jurisprudent) which he can pass by swiftly dismissing Rahim-Mashaii.

“The firm expectation of those who have voted for Ahmadinejad because of his commitment to velayat is that he (must) show his obedience to the Supreme Leader in practice,” he told the Mehr News Agency.

Khatami also pointed out that those who have supported Ahmadinejad in the election are not demanding any privileges but are firm in asking the president to comply with the Leader’s decree.

Appointment will affect Majlis-administration relations

MP Sattar Hedayatkhah of the Majlis Cultural Committee emphasized that Ahmadinejad’s insistence on appointing Rahim-Mashaii as the first vice president will affect relations between the Majlis and the administration.

“The insistence on appointing Rahim-Mashaii will affect the stance of a number of members of parliament toward the administration,” he told MNA on Wednesday.

Hedayatkhah added, “Ahmadinejad has some opponents who are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Thus, he should not give a pretext to opponents because it makes the people pessimistic about him and his administration.”

The principlist MP insisted, “The serious supporters of Ahmadinejad among the principlists do not regard Rahim-Mashaii’s retention of this post as expedient.”

Rahim-Mashaii appointment contradicts Ahmadinejad’s slogans

MP Ali Banaii stated that the appointment of Rahim-Mashaii as the first vice president runs contrary to Ahmadinejad’s slogans.

“Ahmadinejad emphasizes choosing individuals from among the (common) people while we see the reverse in practice,” he told MNA on Wednesday.

Banaii suggested that Ahmadinejad should have waited until the ceremony in which the Supreme Leader confirms him as president.

Rahim-Mashaii should be swiftly dismissed

Seyyed Reza Akrami of the Society of Combatant Clergy has stated that Mashaii should be dismissed as soon as possible.

“We do not consider Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii as a suitable element for Ahmadinejad’s administration and believe that he should be dismissed from the (post of) vice president as soon as possible,” he told MNA on Wednesday.

Akrami emphasized, “If the view of the Supreme Leader has been stated to Ahmadinejad, the president should certainly dismiss him. Otherwise, he has disobeyed the order of the Supreme Leader.”

“The first vice president should be head and shoulders above other vice presidents and ministers in thinking, understanding, experience, and record, while this is not true for Mr. Rahim-Mashaii in relation to the others,” Akrami said.

President should respect ulema’s views

MP Avaz Heydarpour of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee pointed out that the president should have respected the views of the ulema before appointing Rahim-Mashaii.

“It would have been better for the president to respect the negative impression of Rahim-Mashaii in the Majlis and among the ulema,” he told MNA.

He also rejected the remarks posted on Rahim-Mashaii’s personal website in which he claimed that his support for the Israeli people has been the stance of the administration, saying, “This is not true at all and the Supreme Leader rejected the remarks.”

Ahmadinejad should obey Supreme Leader

Ahmad Salek of the Central Council of the Society of Combatant Clergy said Ahmadinejad should follow the order of the Supreme Leader.

Velayat-e faqih (rule of the supreme jurisprudent) is the key to the nation’s success and Ahmadinejad should firmly hold onto this key, he told MNA.

Commenting on the claim made on Rahim-Mashaii’s website that the opposition to the appointment is out of “jealousy”, Salek insisted those who are opposed to his appointment as first vice president are all more empathetic than Rahim-Mashaii.

Rahim-Mashaii’s website has insisted that the opposition to his appointment is due to “jealousy or ignorance.”

President has violated main tenet of principlism

MP Seyyed Hossein Naqavi has stated that Ahmadinejad’s delay in dismissing Rahim-Mashaii violates the main tenet of principlism, which calls for obedience to the leadership.

Naqavi added, “This appointment was even against the will of Ahmadinejad’s supporters and they sharply reacted to the issue.”

Ahmadinejad was expected to demote Rahim-Mashaii in the new administration, he told MNA on Wednesday.

No reason to dismiss Rahim-Mashaii

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad has said there is no reason to dismiss Rahim-Mashaii.

“Mr. Rahim-Mashaii is one of Iran’s innovative, empathetic, and pious managers and why should he resign,” the president’s website said on Wednesday.

Nuri al-Maliki and Barak Hussain Obama, to confirm the full sovereignty of Iraq and its reconstruction

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U.S. President Barack  Hussain Obama, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is visiting the United States has been emphasized during the meeting to proceed
Forward to the achievement of full sovereignty of Iraq and to the withdrawal of U.S. troops, stressing that he did not want any U.S. military bases on Iraqi territory and to encourage foreign investors to return to this country, Maliki said at the press conference with U.S. President Barack Obama that strategic issues were discussed in the various fields of political and economic and scientific-Maliki also urged the United States to contribute to the support of the Iraqi government, for his part, President Obama, in a joint press conference that he was working to lift all sanctions on Iraq and he wants to develop relations with this country at various levels.

U.S. trials for H1N1 vaccine announced

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(CNN) — In a race to beat the flu season, medical institutes across the United States will begin human trials for a new H1N1 flu vaccine starting in early August, the University of Maryland announced Wednesday.

Concern about the H1N1 virus grew after it spread quickly around the globe earlier this year.

In the hope of getting the vaccine to those who will need it most by October, the clinical trials will enroll as many as 1,000 adults and children at 10 centers nationwide, said officials at the Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, which will lead the effort. The trials will measure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The research is a first step toward U.S. health officials’ goal of developing a safe and effective vaccine against H1N1, also known as swine flu, which has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization

The time frame for developing a vaccine is a tight one.

Peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute imperative for prosperity of region: Kaira

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BRUSSELS, Jul 23 (APP): Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Qamar Zaman Kaira has said peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue is imperative as it would bring development and prosperity in the region.Talking to journalists after his meeting with Member of European Parliament and Chairman All Parties Kashmir Group in EU Parliament, James Elles here, he said Pakistan has always supported amicable and peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue as per resolutions of United Nations.

Executive Director Kashmir Centre Brussels Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo was also present.

The Minister said the long-standing issue of Kashmir has been lingering on the UN agenda for last six decades and urged the participation of Kashmiris in composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan.

Kaira said, “In dialogue process,involvement of Kashmiri leadership was a must as it would help them achieve their right to self-determination.”

He congratulated James Elles over his re-election as member EU Parliament and lauded the role of EU for highlighting the Kashmir issue at the international level.

Answering a question, Qamar Zaman Kaira who also holds the portfolio of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said at Sharm-el Sheikh meeting of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh was a right step and composite dialogue process would be initiated soon between the two countries in which all important issues including Kashmir would be on agenda.

He said Pakistan is a sovereign country and it would not allow anybody to take any action against terrorists on its soil.

He said Pakistan is fully committed to eliminate terrorism and has sacrificed a lot to flush out this menace from the country.

“Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism, and has been trying to eliminate extremism and terrorism in  all forms and manifestations and its efforts for this purpose have been appreciated world over,” he added.

The Minister stressed the need for addressing root causes of terrorism which include poverty, ignorance and sense of deprivation.

James Elles appreciated the agreement to re-initiate composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan on all issues including Kashmir and said peaceful resolution of this issue would bring development and prosperity in both the countries.

Replying to a question on any roadmap on the Kashmir issue by the EU, he said both India and Pakistan should prepare a strategy to resolve this vital issue and the EU would extend all possible support and assistance in this regard.

Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo highlighted the activities of Kashmir Centre, Brussels in creating awareness about the issue of Kashmir in European Union.

Meanwhile, Minister for Kashmir Affairs also visited an exhibition of Kashmiri arts and crafts held in connection with the Kashmir Week at EU. He also visited the picture exhibition on human rights violations by the Indian forces in the Occupied Kashmir.b4279e6f3adf579d7276b4cbd2dc639d

Russia: Iran reactor to be switched on this year

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ILNA: Russian news agencies quote the country’s nuclear agency chief as saying a Russian-built nuclear power reactor in Iran is still set to be switched on this year.

State-run RIA-Novosti and ITAR-Tass quote Sergei Kiriyenko as saying plans remain for a start-up of the reactor near the Iranian city of Bushehr by the end of the year.

Russia is helping Iran build its first nuclear power plant as part of a peaceful program

Saudi Arabia allocates 86 billion dollars to disseminate Wahhabism

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In a recent conference held in Cairo, the penetration of Wahhabis in al-Azhar Institution and its negative effects have been researched. Furthermore the research has revealed the role of Saudi authorities to establish Wahhabi sect and to expand its extremist culture in al-Azhar Institution.

The research revealed the subversive role played by the Saudi Arabian Wahhabis in Al-Azhar since 1960 till today (2009).

According to experts and specialists in  al-Azhar, Saudi Arabia had allocated 86 billion dollars for the dissemination of Wahhabism in the last thirty years of which 20 billion dollars to penetrate the Al-Azhar financially, economically and religious.

Some of Wahhabis’ activities are fascinating al-Azhar scholars to Saudi universities and converting them to Wahhabi missionaries in Cairo, establishing Wahhabi centers and publishing books based on Wahhabi thoughts.

In the seminar some of al-Azhar Scholars such as Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour, Sheikh Gamal Qutb, Sheikh Dr. Sabri Abdel-Raouf, d. Ahmed Al-Sayeh,  and researchers  Dr. Ali Abu al-Kheir, Fikri Abdul-Muttalib, Mahmoud Jaber, Mohamed Qayati, Dr. Radwan Abdullah, and others … have participated.

FRENCH FM'S PARADOXICAL REMARKS ON IRAN

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France’s foreign minister has emphasized the broadening of ties between his country and the Islamic Republic of Iran, but tainted his remarks with paradoxical statements. According to IRIB, Bernard Kouchner, who recently made meddling remarks on Iran’s presidential elections, said in a news conference in Paris on Tuesday that France will maintain its ties and discussions with Iran during the second tenure of Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency.
He added: France will keep in touch with Iranian officials as before and is not intent on cutting diplomatic relations.
But Kouchner again expressed France’s support for the rioters who burnt and looted public and private property in some parts of Tehran.
He also repeated the stereotyped allegations against Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme and said new sanctions are being studied in this regard.

Sanctions blamed for Iran’s plane crashes

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TEHRAN, July 22 (MNA) – Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi stated on Wednesday that those countries which have imposed sanctions against Iran are responsible for Iran’s plane crashes.

“Although we have had great accomplishments in aviation industry, this does not negate the responsibility of those countries that imposed sanctions against Iran,” he said in a statement.

Qashqavi added, “Variety of planes is a must and special attention should be paid to it.”

Last week, an Iranian passenger plane crashed, killing all 153 passengers and 15 crew members.

The plane, a Russian-made Tupolev, went down 20 kilometers from the northwestern city of Qazvin about 15 minutes after takeoff from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport.

Awkaf minister denounces Israeli intention to build nightclub near the Aqsa

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GAZA, (PIC)– Dr. Taleb Abu Sha’ar, the minister of Awkaf in Gaza, has denounced the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) for allowing the establishment of a nightclub near the holy Aqsa Mosque.

Abu Sha’ar in a press statement on Wednesday lashed out at the nightclub’s administration for distributing invitations for the inauguration of the club with photos of the Dome of the Rock alongside dancers.

The minister warned of dangers engulfing the holy site especially after the construction of hundreds of Jewish synagogues around it and the announcement of building a Jewish tourist village underneath it.

He said that the increasing number of tunnels under the Aqsa and the continued excavations under its foundations were meant to demolish the Aqsa and build the alleged third Jewish temple on its ruins.

Abu Sha’ar appealed to the Arab and Islamic countries to support the occupied city of Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque and to confront the “rabid” settlement campaigns launched by the IOA.

The IOA is seeking to turn occupied Jerusalem into a Jewish city through forging its history, forcing the migration of its indigenous inhabitants and assaulting its holy Islamic shrines

Ayatolla uzma Hakim:ideological differences should not lead to division and rivalry, the intersection

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(Alforat Tv-Najaf/Iraq)The religious authority of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Said Al-Hakim that ideological differences should not lead to division and rivalry, the intersection

He pointed to His Eminence that the country had lived in times of familiarity and peaceful coexistence. He attributed the situation of the discourse and the rivalry that prevailed in the past years with the tolerance of the bad and uses the base interests of the Iraqi people who want to bad, wise discourse, calling people to take their hands towards the right path and alerting them to the embracing the bad consequences of bad guys who want to tear this country dear in order to achieve their own evil purposes. His Eminence during his meeting with a delegation of Messrs Al-Badri in Samarra, his office in Najaf on Wednesday, 22 Rajab 1430 H, that the letter of the religious authority for the reunification and unity of word and class and to promote the spirit of peaceful coexistence among the people of the country is the same speech since the first day and still continues, a discourse which was inherited by the religious authority of the Holy Prophet (may Allah bless him and his family and peace) and the people of his home Alothar (peace be upon them). Balugea and called on His Eminence, intellectuals and men of the tribes to cooperate and go to rebuild the country and repair the wrecked evil terrorists and invest the resources of the country enough to everybody, and describing Iraq as a discourse that one of the best and richest countries, where the considerable resources of water and abundant fertile land and the existence of the competencies that need to unify the intentions and directions in order to restore the glories of the country in various fields.

US State Department: Imposing Sanctions on Israel “Premature”

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( Almanar Tv) Washington believes it is too early to talk about imposing sanctions on Israel to force it to freeze settlement building in occupied east Jerusalem, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Tuesday. “It’s premature to talk about that,” Wood said when asked about the possibility of US financial sanctions.


“What we are trying to do, as I said right now, is to create an environment which makes it conducive for talks to go forward,” he added. “And you know, as I said, Senator Mitchell is working very hard on this.”

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell was due to leave Washington later Tuesday, another State Department official said, asking to remain anonymous. No precise itinerary was given, but the official said Mitchell would meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but would probably not travel to Syria.

Israel came under intense diplomatic heat Tuesday over its settlement activity in occupied east Jerusalem, with the European Union and Russia warning it not to violate a so-called Middle East peace plan.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy also repeated “the need for a complete freeze” of settlement activity after talks with Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.

Israel’s deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon said the Jewish state was “working and will continue to work in accordance with its vital national interests, especially with respect to Jerusalem.”

But Wood responded: “Well, certainly no one is asking Israel to act outside its national security interests. “What we’re asking both parties to do is to fulfill their Road Map obligations. Both sides have committed to do that.”

SURGE IN US VISITORS
Senior White House adviser Dennis Ross will join an already crowded list of top US officials travelling to the occupied Palestinian territories next week, a step interpreted positively in Israel as an attempt by the Obama administration to engage more constructively with Tel Aviv.

Diplomatic officials confirmed that Ross, who last month was named special assistant to the president for the Central Region will pay his first visit to Israel next week in his new role.

Ross will come in the same week as Mitchell, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Adviser James Jones, who will be coming with some 10 members of his staff.

Asked about the sudden surge in high-level US visitors, one senior Israeli diplomatic official said, “It’s about time. It’s much better that the two countries discuss the issues between them face-to-face, and not through the media.”

These high-level visits, another senior Israeli official said, underscore the importance Washington continues to attribute to its relations with Tel Aviv. The official said these visits were not tied to the recent spat over plans to build 20 apartments in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied east Jerusalem, although this issue was sure to be raised.

Saudi authorities arrested the son of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimer al Nimer

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he Saudi authorities arrested on 18 July 2009 the Shiite citizen Mohammad Nimer Baqir al-Nimer, 22 years , from al- Awwamiya, a Shiite village near Qatif , in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province , a student in Jubail University , the son of the notable leading Shia cleric Sheikh Nimer al Nimer.
The Saudi authorities arrested on 18 July 2009 the Shiite citizen Mohammad Nimer Baqir al-Nimer, 22 years , from al- Awwamiya, a Shiite village near Qatif , in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province , a student in Jubail University , the son of the notable leading Shia cleric Sheikh Nimer al Nimer.

Mohammad al Nimer was arrested without any charge but used by police as pressure on his father to give himself up to the authorities .

Sheikh al Nimer went into hiding to avoid arrest since the protests in Awwamiya in March 2009.

Mohammad al Nimer went himself to recover his car which was confiscated by Awwamiya police in previous time , but he did not know that it would be his fate behind bars.

7 Iranian pilgrims killed in Iraq

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KERMANSHAH, July 22 (MAN) – Seven Iranian pilgrims were killed and 31 others injured last night in a shooting as they crossed the Khosravi border point in western Iran, Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization announced on Wednesday.

The pilgrims came under fire inside the bus at 11:00 p.m. local time as they were moving toward Baghdad. The pilgrims were from Mashhad, northeast of Iran.

Qasr-Shirin governor Bahram Teimouri told the Mehr News Agency that the injured pilgrims are under treatment in a hospital in the Iraqi city of Khanaqin. Teimouri said the injured are in stable condition.

The bust was just 40 kilometers away from the Khosravi border point that assailants attacked it, the governor said.

Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization deputy director Hossein Akbari said the caravan sent to Iraq had been organized by travel agencies acting outside the supervision of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization.

SC summons Pervez Musharraf on July 29

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 22 (APP): The 14-member larger bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday summoned former President Pervez Musharraf to defend charges leveled against him for imposing emergency on November 3, 2007. The larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, issued a notice to Pervez Musharraf to appear in person or through counsel on July 29.

Darkness falls in Asia during total eclipse, luring masses

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(CNN) — The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean Wednesday, luring throngs of people outside to watch the celestial spectacle.

A woman looks through a refractor telescope with a solar filter on top of the roof of a school in Hong Kong.

Day turned into night. Temperatures turned cooler in cities and villages teeming with amateur stargazers.

The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, China and parts of the Pacific. Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch a rare view of the sun’s corona.

Cloud cover in some areas prevented people from fully savoring the phenomenon. Still, many were awed.

Tim O’Rourke, a 45-year-old freelance photographer from Detroit, Michigan, lives in Hong Kong but traveled up to Shanghai — touted as one of the best spots to watch the eclipse.

“It was pitch black like midnight,” said O’Rourke, standing in People’s Square with what appeared to be a crowd of thousands.

“Definitely not disappointed we came. Of course it would have been much better with nice weather, blue skies. But still it was a great experience, it was a lot of fun.” he said.

Total eclipses occur about twice a year as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun on the same plane as Earth’s orbit. Wednesday’s event lasted up to more than six minutes in some places. 

In India, where an eclipse pits science against superstition, thousands took a dip in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to cleanse their souls, said Ajay Kumar Upadhyay, the district’s most senior official.

Shahroudi urges campaign against western lies

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The tyranny, hegemony and the false claims of certain western countries on human rights should be unveiled and displayed to the Muslims and other world people,” Shahroudi said in a meeting with high-ranking judiciary officials in Tehran. He also referred to the murder of an Egyptian Muslim woman in a courtroom in the German city of Dresden and described it “a stain on the reputation of human civilization”. Shahroudi reiterated the need for Muslims to extend support and “defend the rights of Sherbini and her family.” He urged the Muslim community to “unravel the catastrophic incident and inform the world people of the event”. Marwa el-Sherbini has been named “martyr of Hijab” after he was murdered by a German citizen who accused him of being terrorist only because she was veiled. The German murderer, unemployed Axel M., killed Sherbini, a PhD studnet in a courtroom in the eastern German city of Dresden in front of her 3-year-old son on July 1 as she gave evidence against him for insulting her. Axel M., 28, (whose full name cannot be publicized before the end of the legal proceedings under the German law), was in court appealing against an earlier court decision that had imposed a fine on him for having insulted Sherbini by calling her – among other things – a “terrorist.” He was a neighbor of his victim.

IN ASSAD-SADR MEETING, SYRIA BACKS IRAQ UNITY

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has underlined the importance of Iraq’s national unity, offering support for any attempt that would promote security and stability in the war-ravaged state. According to Press TV, during a meeting with Muqtada as-Sadr in Damascus on Monday evening, Assad highlighted that Damascus deemed it critical for Baghdad to create a positive political climate of national reconciliation.
He also underlined Syria’s backing of any well-intentioned effort aimed at consolidating national unity in neighboring Iraq.
For his part, Sadr expressed high appreciation over Syria’s supportive stance regarding the interests of the Iraqi nation and its all-out efforts to preserve the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.assad-sadr1

Official Brazilian attacking Lieberman prior to his visit Brazil

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JERUSALEM (AFP) – – Description of a high-ranking Brazilian official told the Ha’aretz Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who will pay an official visit to Brazil as a “fascist.”

Bumar said Walter, secretary of international relations in the ruling Workers Party newspaper, “said Lieberman, a fascist and racist.”

“The Brazilian left will demonstrations of protest against him and against the policy, which is represented.” The paper also quoted a Brazilian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that “Bumar does not represent the position of the government.”

The spokesman said that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will meet Tuesday to Lieberman.

The visit is for Lieberman to Brazil as part of a ten-day tour in South America in an effort to address the Iranian influence in the region, according to a statement of Foreign Affairs of Israel.

Lieberman, chairman of the party and the extreme right-wing “Israel Our Home” and the third political force in Israel (15 deputies), set up his campaign in the elections of February to question the loyalty of Israeli Arabs, and adopted a strict attitude towards the Palestinians and the Syrians.

Preparations for Afghan polls in full swing: UN

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UNITED NATIONS, July 21 (APP): With one month to go until Afghans elect the next leader, the U.N. said today that preparations are in full swing and that no effort will be spared to ensure security, the biggest challenge for the elections. “There will be no let up on behalf of the international community in underlining the importance of security over the coming weeks so every Afghan who has the constitutional and democratic right to vote is provided with that opportunity on polling day,” Aleem Siddique, spokesperson for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told a news conference in Kabul, a transcript of which was issued at UN Headquarters in New York.

“Security is imperative for the forthcoming elections,” he added.  “Voters must have confidence that they can vote without fear, without intimidation and in safety.”

Forty-one presidential candidates, including President Hamid Karzai, are running for Afghanistan’s top post while more than 3,000 Afghans are competing for provincial council seats during the 20 August elections, which are being organized by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC). Two women are among the presidential candidates.

Last week the Security Council welcomed the Afghan-led preparations for next month’s presidential and provincial council elections, which are taking place during what has been the bloodiest year since the fall of the Taliban.

It also stressed the importance of “free, fair, transparent, credible, secure, and inclusive” polls.

Logistical preparations are continuing, with thousands of ballot papers arriving in Kabul over the weekend.

“As we speak, 17 million ballot papers are being transported, across the country, to every province, in a safe and secure manner,” he noted, adding, “these are all encouraging signs that bode well for the coming weeks as we approach polling day.”

In addition, more than 1,600 civic educators are briefing voters across the country with an 11-page flip chart detailing the process, while a toll-free elections hotline is taking 30,000 to 40,000 calls a week.

The IEC has also started a massive broadcasting campaign of informational television and radio advertising spots, and is monitoring the media coverage by Afghanistan’s televisions and radio stations.

Hasan Nasrallah:Our Enemies Did Everything Possible to Harm Resistance but Failed'

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Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah renewed on Monday calls for the nation to embrace the Resistance and the culture of the Resistance, saying that the last few years constituted the most difficult and dangerous phases in which the Resistance’s existence was questionable by some people in the region.

Speaking through a large TV screen during a ceremony held in memory of the head of the Islamic Action Front late Sheikh Fathi Yakan, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled that the past years witnessed the climax of conspiracy against the resistance, pointing out that the battle did not only target its weapons arsenal but reached the level of belittling the culture of resistance and its martyrs.

Sayyed Nasrallah also addressed those who are betting on a sectarian strife in Lebanon saying that “we will not let them take over our national arena.”

His eminence pledged that his party will continue on the path of resistance for the sake of all those who sacrificed their lives. “We are required to work to help the resistance spread to the Muslim world.”

SHEIKH FATHI YAKAN AN ISLAMIC LEADER FROM LEBANON
Sayyed Nasrallah began his speech by paying tribute to the late Sheikh Fathi Yakan, saying that the latter’s favor for the Islamic movement in general and in Lebanon in particular was more than clear. “In Lebanon especially, we cannot speak about an Islamic movement or an Islamic act or an Islamic path or even an Islamic resistance without remembering Sheikh Fathi Yakan as one of the founders, leaders, symbols, intellectuals but also as one of those who educated and taught generations and generations of strugglers, believers and cultivated young people,” Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized.

Sayyed Nasrallah pointed to his personal relation with Sheikh Yakan that actually started following the Israeli war against Lebanon in July 2006. “Personally, I got to know Sheikh Fathi Yakan through his books especially when we were still young and we were searching for an Islamic book that discusses challenges with a contemporary language. However, the direct contact between us took place following the July war against Lebanon. During the war, I watched the press conference during which Sheikh Yakan announced the formation of the Islamic Labor Front and I found in its political line one of the strengths that the Resistance made use of in its historic victory against the Israeli enemy. Following the war, Sheikh Yakan insisted in visiting me despite all circumstances and I even felt ashamed that Sheikh Yakan, with his age and knowledge and status, comes personally to visit me. But his eminence came and a long and intimate meeting joined us in which I figured out the Sheikh’s sensitiveness, love and true passion.”

According to Sayyed Nasrallah, the current phase that Lebanon, in specific, is going through is difficult, complicated and dangerous. “It needs someone with Yakan’s courage, devotion and commitment,” his eminence highlighted.

PAST YEARS WITNESSED CLIMAX OF RESISTANCE AGAINST RESISTANCE
Hezbollah Secretary General then pointed to one of the main characteristics of Sheikh Yakan which is defending the Resistance movements in Lebanon and the region.

His eminence said that the past years witnessed the climax of conspiracy against the resistance. “The battle did not only target its weapons arsenal but reached the level of belittling the culture of resistance and martyrdom,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “They went on to undermine the Resistance’s culture and describe it as a culture of death and darkness and murder and loss and destruction opposed to a culture they called a culture of life but they included in it the culture of surrender and acceptance of humiliating compromises offered by our enemies.”

Sayyed Nasrallah said that the battle against the Resistance was huge not only in Lebanon but also in the whole Arabi and Islamic region. His eminence noted that the battle took many forms starting from the assassination of Resistance top figures but also took the form of moral assassinations through accusing Resistance movements of working in favor of the outside far from the national interests.

OUR ENEMIES DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HARM RESISTANCE
Yet, Sayyed Nasrallah spoke with assurance about the future of the Resistance in Lebanon and the region. “I say that our enemies have done all that can be done to harm the resistance and have failed,” his eminence said.

“We got past our enemies most difficult and most dangerous phases,” Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out, telling the late Sheikh Yakan to be assured that his brothers, friends and students will continue their struggle until transforming all his dreams into realities.

Hezbollah Secretary General, meanwhile, tackled news of a new attack being planned for Lebanon as the Israeli tone escalates. “They are speaking of war that will eradicate the resistance from the Lebanese territories,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. His eminence called on the nation to once again embrace the resistance and the culture of resistance.

ISRAEL IS MERELY A US TOOL, FOLLOWER OF US
Sayyed Nasrallah also raised the Palestinian cause, stressing that all Lebanese, Arabs and Muslims should commit to this national, human and Islamic cause. “Palestine is nowadays facing very dangerous challenges,” his eminence said, adding that the so-called compromise wasn’t anymore possible “because what was earlier rejected by the Palestinians wouldn’t be approved at any circumstance.”

Hezbollah Secretary General described the “differences” between the United States and Israel over the settlement as a “spectacle.” His eminence expressed belief that the Israeli enemy was merely a US tool in the Arab and Islamic world. “No one can lie to us and make us wait for the US efforts to achieve peace,” Sayyed Nasrallah stressed, highlighting that the Israeli enemy was a follower of the US administration no matter what the latter seeks to claim.

His eminence also regretted the fact that betting on the Arab and Islamic regimes was also improbable. “The readiness of these official regimes to accept compromises is actually a high one,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. “Just after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for Arab courageous moves, we saw some Arab officials calling for openness to Israeli media and to the so-called Israeli nation.”

UNITED STATES WILL BRING VIOLENCE BACK TO IRAQ
Turning to Iraq, Sayyed Nasrallah praised the real Iraqi resistance, the one that’s fighting sedition, the one that’s fighting occupation forces and safeguards Islamic and national unity.

Sayyed Nasrallah recalled the Iraqi nation, Iraqi government, the whole world and especially those who considered the US withdrawal day as a national festival that the withdrawal was achieved thanks to the Resistance and its sacrifices.

His eminence also pointed out that there were still two challenges in Iraq: the Resistance’s perseverance at one side and the fight of sedition plotted by the Americans at the other.

Sayyed Nasrallah found dangerous a statement delivered a few days ago by US Vice President Joe Biden, who said that “if violence returns to Iraq, then the US administration will free itself from its previous obligations.” According to Hezbollah Secretary General, such statement means that “the United States will bring violence back to Iraq.” His eminence stressed that the Iraqi leaders must assume a higher sense of responsibility to combat strife that takes on several faces.

WE WILL CONTINUE ON THE PATH OF RESISTANCE
Sayyed Nasrallah concluded his speech by reminding that the conflicts that took place in Lebanon during the few last years were political not sectarian.

“I tell all of those who are betting on a sectarian strife in Lebanon that we will not let them take over our national arena,” Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted, renewing calls for national unity to face all dangers and threats surrounding the Lebanese scene.

“We will continue on the path of resistance for the sake of all those who sacrificed their lived. We are required to work to help the resistance spread to the Muslim world.”