US Lawmakers Urge Clinton to Work toward Disarming Hezbollah

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Thirty-one members of the US House of Representatives have urged the Obama administration to work toward disarming Hezbollah and preventing Iran from using the Lebanese group in any confrontation with Israel. 
In a letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the lawmakers claimed the US government should ensure greater accountability from the United Nations in enforcing Resolution 1701.
 
 “In light of the clear violations of UN Security Council resolutions, we ask what actions the Administration is taking to ensure the UN addresses these violations,” the letter said. “We must seek to support stronger multilateral efforts to disarm Hezbollah and clear southern Lebanon of Iranian weapons,” it added.

The letter notes that the Obama administration has requested $210 million for UNIFIL and $100 million in military assistance for the Lebanese army. “For that much money, American taxpayers deserve to see results,” the lawmakers said.

The letter warned that Tehran may try to distract the international community from its nuclear program by inciting Hezbollah into carrying out militant activities in southern Lebanon and blowing up the regional situation.

The members of the House of Representatives said that in light of the increasing number of incidents in southern Lebanon and the capture of an Iranian arms ship allegedly destined for Hezbollah, they are highly concerned by the potential of what they called the Iranian-sponsored escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The letter, which was sponsored by Mark Kirk and Steve Israel, said the situation in southern Lebanon became worse after the 2006 war. It added that the newly formed Lebanese cabinet gave Hezbollah veto power over major decision-making.

Iran needs 20 uranium enrichment plants

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TEHRAN: Iran’s atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said the country needs 20 uranium enrichment plants in order to meet all its electricity needs, state-owned English-language Press TV reported.

Salehi told Press TV late Friday that the plants have to be equal in size to Iran’s existing flagship uranium enrichment plant in the central city of Natanz.

 

‘We are in need of 20 thousand megawatts that means 20 times the amount (of fuel) the Natanz’ facility can produce, Salehi said in an interview, adding that the Natanz site has a capacity of about 30 tonnes of enriched uranium per year.

 

‘Now the government has decided to have 10 sites with the same size as Natanz… every site will be producing 30 tonnes per year which is enough for one nuclear power plant,’ he said.

 

Natanz is estimated to have more than 8,000 centrifuges, machines that rotate at supersonic speed to refine uranium. More than half of them, or nearly 5,000 centrifuges, are currently actively enriching uranium under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

 

On Sunday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tehran’s plan to build 10 more enrichment facilities, apart from Natanz and the controversial Fordo unit which is being constructed inside a mountain near the Shia holy city of Qom.

 

Iran’s decision to build 10 plants came after it was rebuked by the IAEA over the Fordo plant.

 

World powers are outraged at Tehran for building the Fordo plant and some have even warned it could face a new set of sanctions.

 

But Salehi said new sanctions ‘will not really disturb us to the extent that they think would make us relent to their wishes.’ Press TV said Salehi also advised the West against any confrontation with Iran, which he said could have ‘unknown consequences.’ I think it’s about time to get wise people around the table and try to find a way out that would save the faces of all who are involved in this fabricated Iranian nuclear crisis.

 

‘I call it fabricated because it is really fabricated,’ the nuclear chief said.

 

Tehran has maintained it will continue cooperating with the IAEA but has also warned that attempts to denying Iran its nuclear rights could reduce the country’s cooperation to ‘a legally mandated minimum,’ which means it would not venture beyond its legal obligations, the channel reported.

 

World powers suspect Iran is enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons, a charge denied by Tehran which claims its atomic programme is purely aimed at generating electricity for its growing population.

Mosque attack: six suspects picked up

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RAWALPINDI: Teams investigating Friday’s attack on the Parade Lane mosque have picked up at least six people, including the last registered owner of the car allegedly used by militants for travelling from the NWFP to Rawalpindi.

 

Regional police officer Mohammad Aslam Khan Tareen confirmed on Saturday that five to six suspects had been detained in connection with the incident in which 40 people were killed.

Amid extraordinary security measures, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and top military officials joined hundreds of friends, colleagues and family members at funerals of those killed in the attack.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that such acts of cowardice would not dent the resolve of the armed forces and the nation to fight terrorism.

Mohammad Imran, the last registered owner of the car, was picked up from his house in Islamabad’s Sector G-11.

A security official said Imran had sold the car in 2004. It was later resold to five other parties on ‘open transfer letters’.

A source said the investigators had recovered a telephone set from the car which helped them to trace last calls made by the terrorists. One such call was made to Mir Ali, in South Waziristan, and the other to one in Afghanistan.

In Lahore, Lt-Col Fakharul Hasan and his two sons — flying officer Minhajul Hasan and 12-year-old Saadul Hasan — who lost their lives in the attack were buried at the army’s Cavalry Ground graveyard on Saturday with full military honour.

Despite condemnation, Saudis insist on bombing Shia

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The fighter jest serving with the Royal Saudi Air Force launched the assaults on Sa’ada Province on Saturday and Friday, Yemen’s Houthi fighters said on their website.

The aircraft released as many as 115 missiles, added the statement, which said four civilians including a child had been killed in attacks on the northern Malahit and Saqain districts.

The Nearly one-million population of the northwestern province has been caught in a fierce state-led and Saudi-aided crackdown on the Houthis. Besides incurring civilian casualties, the attacks have forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

The Saudis have recently reinforced Sana’a’s offensive against the Houthis, charging that the fighters had attacked one of its border checkpoints.

Already involved in defending the Shia minority from Yemeni soldiers, the fighters deny the charge saying they could not possibly be interested in opening another front.

The Saudi forces, fighters claim, venture beyond Houthi positions targeting the civilian areas and using unconventional weaponry including flesh-eating white phosphorus bombs.

The two governments have also blocked the shipment of humanitarian aid into the under-siege territory.

The international rights body, Human Rights Watch recently made an urgent call on the invading parties to spare the non-combatants and ensure they receive humanitarian assistance. James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch said on Monday that “the escalating conflict in northern Yemen risks escalating civilian casualties.”

Saudi jets continue pounding northern Yemen

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Houthi fighters announced on Thursday that the Saudi forces continued aerial bombardment of northern border areas of Jabal el-Dokhan and Jabal el-Madood.

They said the latest aerial raids have led to the destruction of a number of schools and settlements in nearby villages.

The Houthis however say they have no interest in opening up another front against Saudi Arabia as they are only fighting against the corrupt government in Yemen. Houthis say the government in Sana’a has ignored their plight for so long that they had no choice but to fight against injustices.

Houthis say Saudi Arabia is backing the government of Yemen against them. Saudi King Abdullah also visited the region where the battles are taking place.

The Saudi air force has further complicated the armed conflict by launching its own operations against the Houthis fighters.

Houthis earlier said that Saudi jets drop banned phosphorous bombs similar to what the Israelis used during the 33-day war in Gaza, on their villagers.