Vandals destroy Jewish star in Poland

Sep 12, 2011

Warsaw - Vandals have destroyed a Jewish memorial in eastern Poland by rearranging bushes that formed the Jewish Star of David into a swastika, police said Monday.

The incident was the latest in a series of attacks on local minority sites.

Unknown suspects destroyed the memorial on the site of a former Jewish cemetery in Bialystok, said police spokesman Andrzej Baranowski. Video footage showed torn bushes from the Star of David that had been rearranged to form a swastika in the center of the monument.

Earlier this month, vandals destroyed a monument to victims of the Jedwabne pogrom against Jews by covering it with swastikas and racist slogans.

Other recent attacks in the region have targeted the Muslim and Lithuanian communities.

Unknown suspects attacked an Islamic Cultural Center in Bialystock in August, damaging the entrance and setting fire to the bathroom.

In another incident, vandals painted over Lithuanian names on street signs with the red and white colors of the Polish flag in the village of Punsk, near the Lithuanian border.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1662408.php/Vandals-destroy-Jewish-star-in-Poland.

Wildfire prompts evacuation of hundreds of families in Spain

Sep 12, 2011

Marbella, Spain - About 250 Spanish firefighters were Monday battling a wildfire that ravaged more than 1,200 hectares and prompted the evacuation of over 700 families near the tourist resort of Marbella on the southern coast.

About 500 families were evacuated preventively in Marbella, officials said. Around 200 families also had to leave their homes in nearby Ojen, but were able to return later on.

Evacuations also took place in Mijas, where several houses were affected by flames.

About 900 hectares of the burned area would be able to recover, while 300 others suffered much more serious damage, officials said.

Winds and high temperatures spread the fire, which was tentatively attributed to arson.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1662434.php/Wildfire-prompts-evacuation-of-hundreds-of-families-in-Spain.

IAEA activates emergency center after French accident

Sep 12, 2011

Vienna - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) activated its emergency center immediately after news broke of an explosion at a French nuclear site, the IAEA's chief Yukiya Amano said Monday.

Amano told reporters in Vienna that the IAEA has requested to receive information from France's nuclear safety authority, adding: 'This is a very early phase.'

One person was killed in the explosion at a nuclear waste incinerator Monday at the Marcoule nuclear complex in southern France.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1662437.php/IAEA-activates-emergency-center-after-French-accident.

Race narrows ahead of Poland's parliamentary elections

Sep 12, 2011

Warsaw - The race has narrowed ahead of Poland's parliamentary elections as a poll published Monday showed the opposition Law and Justice party was just six percentage points behind the ruling Civic Platform.

Civic Platform had 35-per-cent support while Law and Justice had 29-per-cent support four weeks before the parliamentary elections, according to a survey by TVN 24 of some 1,000 people.

The elections on October 9 come as parliament tackles issues like abortion and health care reform.

Both parties had lost support compared to a poll last week: Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform by three percentage points, and Law and Justice, led by former premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski, by one percentage point.

Critics have said the center-right Civic Platform was poised to win the elections, but others have noted that it was still anybody's game as there many voters were still undecided.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1662443.php/Race-narrows-ahead-of-Poland-s-parliamentary-elections.

Israel's Labor party goes to polls to elect new leader

Sep 12, 2011

Tel Aviv - Members of Israel's Labor Party, once Israel's dominant political entity but now a small opposition faction, went to the polls Monday, to elect a new party head to replace Ehud Barak, who bolted early this year to form a new independent political block.

Four candidates are contesting the election. Front-bench legislator Shelly Yechimovich, a former journalist; Amir Peretz, a one-time trade union leader who headed the party from 2005 to 2007; Amram Mitzna, another former party head and a former general, who has a successful career in municipal politics, and Isaac Herzog, another front-bench legislator who is the son of former Israeli President Haim Herzog.

Some 66,310 party members are eligible to vote. Polls close at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT) and the results are not expected until early Thursday morning. If no candidate wins more than 40 per cent of the vote, a run-off election will be held on September 21.

Pre-voting surveys give the outspoken Yechimovich the edge.

In its many previous incarnations Labor was once Israel's natural party of government, but has in recent elections gradually lost ground, scoring its lowest-ever results in February 2009 under Barak's leadership - 13 of the 120 seats in parliament.

The party, and Barak in particular, came under flack for serving as a fig-leaf in an otherwise right-wing and ultra-right coalition, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Barak, stung by the criticism, which also came from fellow legislators, bolted in January, taking four other senior party legislators with him, to form a new faction.

Barak's new faction remained in the coalition; what was left of the Labor parliamentary caucus - a mere eight lawmakers - joined the opposition and elected a temporary leader until the party primaries could be held.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1662376.php/Israel-s-Labour-party-goes-to-polls-to-elect-new-leader.

Activists unite in Lebanon against killer cluster bombs

2011-09-12

BEIRUT - Hundreds of activists and officials from across the globe gather in Beirut Monday with one aim in mind -- to rid the planet of cluster munitions which have killed or maimed tens of thousands of people worldwide.

The conference, which runs through Friday, joins representatives of 80 of the 100 or so countries that have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty which calls for the eradication of the deadly weapons.

"This meeting will serve to put the focus on the importance of states urgently implementing all aspects of this treaty," said Steve Goose, chairman of the Cluster Munition Coalition which plays a major role in demining around the world.

"This includes stockpile destruction, victim assistance and the clearance of contaminated land around the world," Goose said.

"We already have eight (member) states who completely destroyed their stockpiles and we have many others that are already far along, even though the treaty is less than two years old."

The Cluster Munition Coalition, which groups more than 350 non-governmental organizations, estimates that 28 countries are still affected by cluster munitions -- bombs that split open before impact and scatter multiple submunitions, often hundreds, the size of tennis balls.

Many cluster bombs fail to explode immediately, lie hidden for years and kill and maim civilians, often unsuspecting children who mistake the weapons for toys, for years after the original conflict is over -- such as in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

More than 100 countries, including Lebanon, have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force on August 1, 2010. The first meeting of states parties to the convention was held in November 2010 in Laos.

The convention requires signatories to stop the use, production and transfer of the weapons.

China, Israel, Russia and the United States have not signed the treaty. They are thought to hoard and manufacture the bulk of the munitions, although the data is secret.

The United Nations estimates Israel dropped four million bomblets over southern Lebanon in the final days of its deadly 2006 war with Hezbollah.

More than 50 people have been killed and 350 injured by cluster bomb explosions in southern Lebanon since then.

The Lebanese army says 67 percent of the affected lands have been cleared but 75 million dollars are still needed to render the country free of cluster bombs.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=48019.

'Hezbollah innocent in Hariri murder'

Mon Sep 12, 2011

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Miqati has rejected allegations that Hezbollah was involved in the assassination of the country's former premier Rafiq Hariri.

Urging the Lebanese resistance movement to appoint lawyers to defend four of its members accused of involvement in the 2005 case, Miqati said that he was convinced of Hezbollah's innocence.

“What pushes me to call on Hezbollah to follow this course of action is (my) conviction that Hezbollah is innocent in the (2005) assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri,” Miqati told al-Jadeed television on Sunday night.

He also said that the issue of false witnesses in the Hariri case must be followed up and that Lebanon's attorney general has been tasked with the responsibility.

Rafiq Hariri and 22 others were killed in February 2005 in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, when a huge bomb went off near his motorcade.

In July, the US-backed tribunal investigating Hariri's murder issued its indictment and accused four Hezbollah members of taking part in the attack. The tribunal linked the four to the killing by circumstantial evidence obtained from phone records rather than direct evidence.

Beirut has not been able to arrest the men, who will be tried in absentia.

Hezbollah has repeatedly denied any role in Hariri's assassination, saying the indictments had been politically motivated. The resistance movement has also blamed media outlets and figures linked to the March 14 Movement for spreading false statements against it.

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly described the tribunal as being full of "financial and moral corruption," and part of an American-Israeli plot targeting the resistance.

"When you read the text released by the tribunal, you will not find any substantial evidence, not a single piece of direct evidence is included," Nasrallah said.

"The only thing the tribunal relies on in is the mobile phone records, and even that is circumstantial. It doesn't even prove that any of these alleged suspects made any of these calls or even owned these phones," he added.

Hezbollah has also accused Israel of being behind the bombing.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/198723.html.

Iraq eyes 3 mln bpd oil output by year-end: minister

Amman (AFP)
Sept 11, 2011

Iraqi Oil Minister Abdelkarim al-Luaybi said on Sunday that his country is seeking to produce three million barrels of crude per day by the end of the year.

"We seek with international companies to produce three million barrels by the end of 2011, and export 2.5 million barrels next year," Luaybi told a conference in the Jordanian capital, which is being attended by 46 oil firms.

"We are implementing a plan that is unprecedented in the history of Iraq's oil industry, multiplying oil and gas production to four times and building gigantic infrastructure and projects to turn Iraq into a key energy source in the world."

Iraq currently produces around 2.7 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), and the government is aiming to increase that to 12 million bpd by 2017, although the IMF has voiced doubts over whether that target is attainable.

Oil accounts for the lion's share of government income, with Iraq exporting around 2.2 million bpd.

Last month, Iraq's cabinet approved a draft oil and gas law in a bid to regulate the country's most lucrative sector after years of political deadlock.

The new law divides responsibility for the oil sector between the central government and the provinces but even before its passage, foreign investors still poured in, signing 11 major contracts which could potentially boost Iraq's output fivefold.

Source: Energy-Daily.
Link: http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Iraq_eyes_3_mln_bpd_oil_output_by_year-end_minister_999.html.

Germany keen to buy solar-generated electricity from Greece

Athens (AFP)
Sept 11, 2011

Greek Prime Minister Georges Papandreou confirmed Sunday that Germany was keen to import solar-generated electricity from debt-ridden Greece.

He told a press conference in Salonika that he planned to travel to Germany late this month to discuss the project with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a meeting of German industrialists.

"We can supply the Germans with 10,000 to 15,000 MW", he said, underscoring the urgency for Greece to fight "corruption and bureaucracy" which in the past have derailed several investment projects.

Papandreou spoke of a "huge interest" by the Germans for Greece's renewable energy resources in view of of their plan to phase out nuclear energy and doubts about the political stability of Arab Mediterranean countries.

"There was a (solar) project in the Sahara, but it is in jeopardy because of the political turmoil," he added.

His remarks also came as German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler said Europe could no longer rule out an "orderly default" for Greece as it struggles with a crippling debt crisis.

"To stabilize the euro, we must not take anything off the table in the short run," Roesler, who is also Germany's vice chancellor, wrote in the column for the conservative daily Die Welt to be published Monday.

"That includes as a worst-case scenario an orderly default for Greece if the necessary instruments for it are available," he said, reviving an idea that surfaced last year to grapple with the turmoil wracking the eurozone.

Eurozone leaders announced a 159-billion-euro ($223-billion) rescue package for Greece in July, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted Sunday that the Greek government must not waver in its reform drive.

After a recent visit by a German official as part of a joint bid to boost investment to spur a Greek recovery, the German environment ministry said it was looking into a project to set up 20,000 hectares of photovoltaic systems to turn solar energy into electricity for export to Germany.

Press reports said the mammoth project dubbed "Helios" (the Greek God of the sun) would have an initial budget of 20 billion euros and would create between 30,000 and 60,000 jobs in Greece.

German Economy Minister Philipp Roesler is due to visit Greece next month to further a bilateral cooperation accord on developing renewable energy.

Athens is trying to attract investment in renewable energies to replace jobs lost due to the recession which has been exacerbated by the austerity measures demanded by the EU and the IMF in exchange for a multi-billion euro rescue package to deal with the crippling debt burden.

Source: Solar Daily.
Link: http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Germany_keen_to_buy_solar-generated_electricity_from_Greece_999.html.

Prominent Alawite clerics denounce Assad regime's 'atrocities'

Monday, 12 September 2011

Three prominent Syrian clerics of the Alawite sect, to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs, have denounced the “atrocities” committed by the regime against pro-democracy protesters.

“We declare our innocence from these atrocities carried out by Bashar al-Assad and his aides who belong to all religious sects,” Mohib Nisafi, Yassin Hussein and Mussa Mansour said in a joint statement from Homs.

The clerics denied state media reports that members of the Shiite Alawite sect are being subjected to acts of killing and kidnapping in Homs.

“The daily reports of kidnappings, killings and harassment of members of the Alawite sect are all untrue. They are designed and spread to cause divisions among people united against the regime.”

The clerics said the Assad regime is pursuing a policy of divide and conquer by spreading false reports of sectarian strife between the Shiite Alawites and the Sunnis.

“The children of Homs, Sunnis, Alawite and Christians, have lived and will continue to live in coexistence and harmony.”

“Six months have passed in this revolution and people have been killed or wounded. The climate is ripe for victory. There is no other way left to save the self except by joining the peaceful demonstrations.” The clerics said.

“This regime and its president will not rule you forever."

Source: al-Arabiya.
Link: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/09/12/166498.html.

Royal Jordanian to resume Libya flights

September 12, 2011

Dubai: Following months of disruptions amid the political turmoil in Libya, Royal Jordanian yesterday said it would shortly resume flights to the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Benghazi.

"Royal Jordanian is expected to resume its flights to Benghazi by the end of this week and to Tripoli immediately after," the Amman-based carrier said in a statement.

Royal Jordanian, which suspended its operations to the two Libyan cities after turmoil erupted in Libya in February, used to operate five weekly flights to Tripoli and two weekly flights to Benghazi before the unrest.

The carrier's President and CEO, Hussain Dabbas, said in a statement that the airline will restart operations between Amman, and Tripoli and Benghazi once all the necessary approvals are obtained from the concerned authorities — "expected soon" — as well as when the Libyan airports' readiness to receive flights is ensured.

He added that initially the flights to Benghazi and Tripoli will be "frequent, probably daily", to accommodate the "strong demand" on travel between the two countries.

Source: Gulf News.
Link: http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/royal-jordanian-to-resume-libya-flights-1.864804.

GCC plans five-year aid scheme for Jordan, Morocco

WAM & Reuters
September 11, 2011

UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed chairs Gulf bloc meeting

Jeddah: Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) met here Sunday under the chairmanship of UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the latest developments in the regional, Arab and international arena.

Foreign ministers of Jordan and Morocco are attending the meeting for the first time.

Gulf Arab countries plan to fund a five-year development aid program for Morocco and Jordan, aspiring members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) political and economic bloc, and the amount will be set in December, the GCC's chief said on Sunday.

Oil-exporting Gulf monarchies are seeking closer ties with Arab counterparts outside the Gulf to help contain pro-democracy unrest that is buffeting autocratic ruling elites throughout the Arab world, analysts say.

The six members of the GCC -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain -- said in May they would consider a request by the two Arab monarchies to join, but as yet few practical steps have been taken.

"There is a call for creating an economic development program for the two brotherly countries Jordan and Morocco," GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al Zayani said after a Gulf foreign ministers meeting in Jeddah.

"A recommendation on the size (of the aid) will be made and a decision taken by the heads of states of the GCC at their next summit (in December)," Zayani said of the five-year program.

Within the bloc, the richer Gulf countries have offered $10 billion each in development funds to Bahrain and Oman, where protesters took to the streets this year demanding reforms.

Source: Gulf News.
Link: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/gcc-plans-five-year-aid-scheme-for-jordan-morocco-1.864684.

Hamas slams UNRWA for interfering in union activities

11/09/2011

GAZA, (PIC)– The Hamas Movement’s department of refugee affairs criticized the UNRWA administration for intervening in the work of labor unions in Gaza and suspending head of the UNRWA’s Arab staff union Suhail Hindi for three weeks.

“The [suspension] decision falls within its attempts to muzzle its employees, break their will and deter them from engaging in any union activities, the refugee department said in a press release on Saturday.

“The UNRWA has no right to control the movement of its employees who are affiliated with unions; this is considered intervention in their freedoms which are internationally protected, it added.

“The UNRWA’s attempts to restrain its employees and their representatives from claiming their rights and acting for their just cause will be doomed to failure, and there is no need for the UNRWA to repeat mistakes which cause it to lose on the moral level.”

For its part, the committee for the rights of refugees denounced the UNRWA for converting itself from a relief foundation into a political and security agency.

The committee accused the administration of the UNRWA of carrying out conspiratorial schemes against the Palestinian refugees and changing its relief role into a dubious political and intelligence role through recruiting a very large number of foreign employees for jobs of no use to the Palestinian people.

It emphasized in a press release its rejection of transferring the UNRWA from a relief agency for refugees into a security and political institution serving foreign agendas aimed at liquidating the issue of Palestinian refugees.

Source: Occupied Palestine WordPress News Blog.
Link: http://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/hamas-slams-unrwa-for-interfering-in-union-activities/.

Palestine takes presidency of Arab League

Maan News Agency | September 11, 2011

CAIRO (Ma’an) — Palestine took presidency of the Arab League on Sunday as the council met for its 136th session in Cairo.

Palestine’s representative Barakat al-Farra replaced Oman’s representative as president of the Arab League. On Tuesday, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki will take over as president of the ministerial council.

Al-Farra said he hoped the 136th session would meet the Arab people’s ambitions, the official PA news agency Wafa reported.

“Everybody is looking forward to this session which coincides with major events in the Arab world, namely the Arab Spring, and so it should meet ambitions,” Al-Farra said.

Regarding Palestine, the session should offer political support to the upcoming bid for full UN membership, he said.

Al-Farra highlighted that Arab countries should support the PA financially as the government has struggled to pay civil servant wages. The Arab League should support Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem, he added.

“Arab countries that have not fulfilled their pledges made during the successive Arab League summits should pay their dues, and there should be extra financial aid to thwart Israel’s threats to cut off tax revenues to the PA,” Al-Farra said.

The media in Arab countries should help the PA to spread a clear message to the international community confirming that the Palestinian right to self-determination is inalienable and guaranteed by UN resolutions, he added.

Permanent representatives, foreign ministers and the Arab League follow-up committee will hold meetings on the sidelines of the council’s session.

Source: Occupied Palestine WordPress News Blog.
Link: http://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/palestine-takes-presidency-of-arab-league/.

Haneyya: Erdogan's visit to Gaza historic

11/09/2011

GAZA, (PIC)– Palestinian premier in Gaza Ismail Haneyya has said that his government was preparing for the historic visit of Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Strip even it was not yet formally determined.

He said in an interview with the Turkish Anatolia news agency on Sunday that his cabinet has prepared a special committee to prepare for the visit.

Erdogan is to start a four-day tour of Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya on Monday to re-launch cooperation with those countries. He personally expressed a desire to visit Gaza Strip during his Cairo visit.

Haneyya said the Turkish side has not yet formally said if Erdogan will visit Gaza. If he does, Haneyya said, it would be a historic event during which the people of Gaza would show their support for Turkey. “This visit would be a real step in the direction of breaking the cruel blockade. This visit would give the people of Gaza the chance to show their love for Turkey,” he said.

Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and other senior diplomats and suspended military agreements after Israel refused to apologize for killing eight Turks and a Turkish-American on an aid ship that was trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza on May 31, 2010.

Source: Occupied Palestine WordPress News Blog.
Link: http://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/haneyya-erdogan%E2%80%99s-visit-to-gaza-historic/.

Tunisian aid convoy to enter Gaza soon

11/09/2011

TUNISIA, (PIC)– The Tunisian aid convoy Karama (dignity) left Carthage airport for Cairo on Saturday afternoon to deliver symbolic humanitarian assistance to the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Tunisian official media said the convoy would enter Gaza through Rafah border crossing carrying medical supplies unavailable in the Strip.

Massive crowds waving Palestinian and Tunisian flags bid farewell to five Tunisian young people and two jurists, members of this aid convoy, on Saturday.

The crowds chanted slogans against the Israeli occupation and its crimes against the Palestinian people especially the blockade on Gaza.

Source: Occupied Palestine WordPress News Blog.
Link: http://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/tunisian-aid-convoy-to-enter-gaza-soon/.

Gulf states condemn Syria 'killing machine'

11 Sep 2011

Gulf Co-operation Council calls for "serious reforms" and end to bloodshed as fresh violence and arrests are reported.

The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) has called for "an immediate end to the killing machine" in Syria, and reiterated its demand for government reforms.

Ending a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the six foreign ministers of the Gulf Arab states issued a statement calling for an end to the crackdown on anti-government protesters and urging "the immediate implementation of serious reforms that meet the aspirations of the Syrian" people.

Last month, the GCC called on the Syrian leadership to "resort to wisdom" and stop the bloodshed.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain recalled their envoys from Damascus to protest against President Bashar al-Assad's use of force in the uprising against his family's 41-year rule.

Qatar shut its embassy after it was attacked by Assad loyalists in July.

The United Nations estimated on August 22 that more than 2,200 people have been killed since protests began in March. Scores have been reported killed in the following weeks and Syrian activists now put the death toll closer to 3,000.

In the latest reports of bloodshed, activists said a woman was killed near the Iraqi border on Sunday.

"A 40-year-old woman was killed at noon on Sunday by a stray bullet as security forces were tracking wanted people in the town of Albu Kamal," the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited an activist in Deir al-Zor province as saying.

The Observatory also said a 17-year-old boy died of wounds sustained a day earlier when security forces fired at a funeral for Ghayath Matar, an activist who reportedly died from torture in prison.

Raids 'intensifying'

Protests were reported in several towns on Sunday and the Local Co-ordination Committees said security forces used gunfire to disperse demonstrations in Albu-Kamal and in Quseir and Talbiseh in the central Homs governorate.

Witnesses and activists also said Syrian forces had stepped up raids across the country to arrest activists.

In the town of Hirak in Deraa province, Ahmad al-Sayyed, a resident, told Reuters that troops had detained at least 250 people in the village of Jeeza, 40 in Museifra, 50 in Busra al-Harir and 30 in Naimeh in the last 48 hours.

"They shoot in the air before they begin raids. They then drag young men and use electric sticks to beat them up and haul them away to detention centers," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, France's foreign minister said the UN's failure to condemn the actions of Syrian security forces against protesters was a "scandal".

Alain Juppe also stepped up pressure on Russia to support a Security Council resolution saying it was too late for political reforms in Syria, as Russia has called for.

"We think the regime has lost its legitimacy, that it's too late to implement a program of reform," Juppe told reporters.

"Now we should adopt in New York the resolution condemning the violence and supporting the dialogue with the opposition," he said.

"It's a scandal not to have a clearer position of the UN on such a terrible crisis".

The developments come after Nabil el-Araby, the head of the Arab League, said he had reached an agreement on reforms with Assad during talks in Damascus on Saturday.

Russia, a UN member with veto power, has resisted international attempts to condemn the violence and refused to back Western calls for Assad to quit.

The Syrian authorities blame what they describe as terrorists for the bloodshed and say hundreds of members of the security forces are among the dead. Opposition activists also acknowledge the deaths of of about 500 security personnel.

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/09/2011911192321627917.html.

Turkish PM launches 'Arab Spring tour' in bid to boost influence

Reuters
Sep 12, 2011

ANKARA // The Turkish prime minister will press his country's ambitions to become a leading political power in the Muslim world this week in trips to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, three arenas in a wave of popular revolts that have reshaped the region.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "Arab Spring tour" comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions with former friend Israel over the killing of nine Turkish activists last year - a standoff that has strengthened support for Ankara in large parts of North Africa and the Middle East.

Arab countries, in the throes of popular uprisings, have watched the economic growth and influence of Turkey's secular democracy with a mixture of fascination and trepidation.

Under Mr Erdogan's AKP party, rooted in political Islam, Turkey has boosted political and commercial ties with a region the country ruled under the Ottoman Empire.

Last week, Mr Erdogan threatened to back up his growing diplomatic clout with military action by saying he would dispatch the navy to protect flotillas against Israeli patrols - an announcement analysts said could also alarm Arab powers.

The Arab revolts have forced Turkey to rethink its foreign policy, particularly in Syria, where former the country's former ally, President Bashar Al Assad, has defied Ankara's calls to end a bloody crackdown on protesters, and in Libya, where Turkey had billion-dollar investments before Colonel Muammar Qaddafi was forced out of power.

Besides seeking closer economic and military ties with the new rulers of regional heavyweight Egypt and oil-rich Libya, analysts say Erdogan will use his trip, which begins today in Egypt, to cast himself as the champion of the Muslim world.

Mr Erdogan is expected to give a speech today at Cairo University, where his aides say he will set out Turkey's vision for the region.

"With the resounding victory of the elections in June, Mr Erdogan has complete control at home and now he wants to assert himself as the leader in the Muslim world and the Middle East," said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based security analyst.

Mr Erdogan's visit to Egypt, the first by a Turkish leader in 15 years, will be closely watched by Israel and by the United States, which has seen with alarm the deterioration of ties between Turkey and Israel and between Israel and Egypt.

Israel's peace deal with Cairo has come under increasing pressure since the fall of the former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Israel would regard with suspicion signs of closer alliance between Egypt and Turkey at a time Ankara has taken a more confrontational attitude towards Israel.

Mr Erdogan will meet the head of Egypt's ruling military council, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the prime minister, Essam Sharaf, and representatives of the pro-democracy movement that ousted Mr Mubarak.

Nabil Abdel Fattah, a political analyst at the Cairo-based Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies said: "Turkey is using the Arab-Israeli conflict and the recent rising tension in the Arab region against Israel to publicize itself.

"All its moves against Israel are only meant to promote itself as a political power in the Arab region and spread its influence on the new generation of the Arab youth who are longing for change and power."

Ankara has already downgraded diplomatic relations with Israel and halted defense trade following Israel's confirmation last week that it would not apologize for the 2010 assault on a Turkish boat challenging its Gaza blockade in which nine Turkish activists were killed.

But Ankara is likely to stop short of doing anything to alienate Washington, said Fadi Hakura, a Turkey expert at Chatham House.

"At the end of the day, Turkey sided with Washington on its key policies in the region - hosting Nato's radar system, condemning Assad and distancing itself from Iran," Mr Hakura said. "Americans can live with Turkey's emotional outbursts unless, of course, they translate into a naval confrontation but I don't think that will happen."

Mr Erdogan would be the first head of government to visit Libya since rebels fighting to end Col Qaddafi's 42-year-old rule entered Tripoli.

Turkey, hesitant at first to dump its one-time friend Col Qaddafi and to back Nato operations, is taking a lead role in efforts to rebuild Libya, eying billion-dollar deals.

Source: The National.
Link: http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/turkish-pm-launches-arab-spring-tour-in-bid-to-boost-influence.

Yemeni forces attack defected troops

Sun Sep 11, 2011

Yemeni security forces have attacked dissident troops loyal to an army general who defected to join anti-government protesters in the capital Sana'a, says an officer.

“They fired four tank shells at one of our positions,” AFP quoted a dissident officer saying on condition of anonymity on Sunday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The officer, who is loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, said the artillery fire aimed to increase tensions ahead of a meeting of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on Sunday.

The meeting of the six-nation Persian Gulf bloc was expected to address the critical situation in Yemen.

The stalemate in Yemen has raised fears of a military confrontation between the security forces and troops loyal to Ahmar.

The security forces have deployed tanks and missile launchers on the hills overlooking Sana'a to reinforce their presence in the capital.

The opposition in Yemen says it will not agree with any deal unless Ali Abdullah Saleh would hand over power immediately and the issue of granting him immunity from prosecution is excluded.

On Saturday, Yemenis staged a protest rally in the southern city of Taizz to demand an end to what they described as the military rule of Saleh's regime. The protesters called on the army and all remnants of the regime to leave power.

Saleh still remains in Saudi Arabia, where he fled to for medical treatment following a rocket attack on the Yemeni presidential palace in Sana'a on June 3.

Hundreds of Yemeni protesters have been killed in the regime's brutal crackdown on demonstrations since the start of the popular uprising in late January.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/198570.html.

Iran, Russia inaugurate Bushehr nuclear plant

Sep 12, 2011

Tehran - Iranian and Russian officials Monday inaugurated Iran's first nuclear power plant in the southern Gulf port of Bushehr, the Khabar news network reported.

The ceremony was attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi and nuclear chief Fereydoun Abbasi, as well as Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and the head of Russia's state-run nuclear power corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, Khabar reported.

Forty per cent of the 1,000-megawatt capacity is to be connected to the national energy grid in the initial phase, and full capacity is scheduled to be reached in November.

The plant uses Russian-made fuel and its nuclear waste is to be returned to Russia. Iran and Russia have granted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) full supervision of the joint plant.

'This is the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East, and Iran and Russia have set an example for peaceful nuclear cooperation,' said Abbasi, Iran's vice-president and head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization.

'The start of the Bushehr plant symbolically shows to the world how a country could maintain its freedom and independence through resistance,' he added, in reference to Western opposition towards Iran's nuclear programs.

Responding to concerns from neighboring sheikhdoms, Abbasi said in his inauguration speech that safety was a top priority at the Bushehr plant.

In a joint press conference, Shmatko said that all internationally required safety measures should be fully implemented before using the plant at full capacity.

'Based on clear international regulations and standards, more tests should be made before starting the plant at full capacity and Iranian experts should not sacrifice safety for the sake of reaching the final phase earlier,' Shmatko said.

While Iran wants the plant to reach maximum level as soon as possible, Shamtko stressed that the connection of the plant to the national grid was being made according to a very precise safety plan.

This includes switching off the plant's reactor several times to carry out additional tests before gradually increasing output to 50, 75 and finally 100 per cent of the total capacity of 1,000 megawatts.

'All relevant tests made so far have been approved by the IAEA and further tests are necessary to make sure that the plant will work safely for decades,' the Russian official said in the press conference, shown by Khabar TV.

Abbasi confirmed that Iran and Russia had made initial agreements to build further nuclear power plants, probably in or near Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, but did not rule out cooperation with other countries.

'As our final aim is to reach production of 20,000 megawatts and we cannot realize this aim just by our own experts, we are open to cooperation with other countries as well,' Abbasi told reporters.

The Iranian nuclear chief once again reiterated that Iran had a legitimate right to pursue peaceful nuclear programs, as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. International pressure and United Nations sanctions would not hinder Iran's nuclear work, he said.

'We are committed to all international nuclear regulations but not beyond that,' Abbasi said, referring to IAEA demands that Iran responds to Western intelligence reports accusing Tehran of working on a secret nuclear weapon program.

Western media representatives were not allowed to attend the inauguration ceremony, and only Iranian and Russian reporters were dispatched to Bushehr.

The construction of the plant was started in 1975 by a German company, which dropped the project in the 1990s due to political considerations.

In 1995, Russia signed a contract to complete the plant but the start-up date was delayed for technical and political reasons.

Iran and Russia are reportedly to have equal shares in the joint venture operating the Bushehr plant, but gradually all shares are to be transferred to the Iranian side.

Moscow plans to hand the facility completely over to Iranian hands within the next three years, but Tehran wants full control much sooner.

Source: Monsters and Critics.
Link: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1662394.php/Iran-Russia-inaugurate-Bushehr-nuclear-plant.

Spain beats Portugal on penalties at Euro 2012

June 27, 2012

DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Still not pretty to watch, still just as effective.

Spain failed to dazzle yet again at the European Championship, but still advanced to its third straight major championship final by beating Portugal 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Wednesday following a 0-0 draw after extra time.

"We're playing better in defense than what the characteristics of our players would suggest," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. "That's what earns victories." After earning plaudits for the eye-catching one-touch passing that helped Spain win titles at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, this year's team is struggling to create chances. Against Portugal, the defending champions managed only one shot on target in regulation time.

It didn't matter, though, because the Spanish still came through when it mattered. Cesc Fabregas, who came on as a substitute in the second half of regulation time, scored the deciding penalty after Bruno Alves had hit the crossbar for Portugal moments earlier.

"I played poorly, but the team worked really hard," Fabregas said. "I had this intuition that we could advance if we went to penalties and that's what we did." Spain will next face either Germany or Italy on Sunday in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.

Cristiano Ronaldo had several chances for Portugal, but he sent three shots well over the bar as his team held its own for the entire match. The Real Madrid star, who came alive with three goals in his last two matches at Euro 2012, did not take a penalty in the shootout. He had been slated to take the fifth one, but he never got that far.

"Our players trained and were prepared for a situation like this," Portugal coach Paulo Bento said. "We didn't have much luck." After an often dour opening 90 minutes in which the Spanish failed to impress, the match livened up in the 30 minutes of extra time. Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta forced Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio into a superb reflex save in the 103rd minute. Iniesta ghosted into the penalty area, then held his head in disbelief as Rui Patricio reacted brilliantly to get a strong hand to his shot after Jordi Alba cut the ball back toward the penalty spot.

Rui Patricio made another fine save to deny substitute Jesus Navas in the 111th. "Both teams were stronger in defense in the first 90 minutes, but that balance was broken in extra time," Del Bosque said.

Tempers frayed at times, with Portugal center half Pepe getting a yellow card for a challenge on Xabi Alonso as they went for a high ball. Ronaldo also received some heavy challenges late on. In the shootout, Xabi had the first attempt saved by Rui Patricio. But Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas then saved Joao Moutinho's shot. Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos then all scored for Spain, while Pepe and Nani scored for Portugal.

"The first one wasn't so lucky, and then we scored the rest of them," Casillas said. "Yes, we really were lucky. Everything is about luck sometimes." Del Bosque ditched his unorthodox 4-6-0 formation for Wednesday's match and opted for a traditional striker — but not the one many expected. Instead of Fernando Torres, it was Alvaro Negredo that got the start up front. But 10 minutes into the second half, Del Bosque took him off and replaced him with Fabregas.

Although Negredo worked hard, his lack of movement made him easy to mark. Spain improved as Fabregas made clever runs to stretch the defense and the defending champions dominated most of extra time with the addition of Pedro Rodriguez for midfielder Xavi Hernandez late in the match.

"I think we were better in the first 90 minutes. Then in extra time we were less efficient," Portugal coach Paulo Bento said. "When we couldn't take advantage of our opportunities, Spain got stronger."

Rui Patricio was a big help in goal for Portugal, but much more was expected from Ronaldo. The winger had a chance, albeit a difficult one, to win the game in the 90th minute when Portugal poured forward after clearing a free kick. But Raul Meireles' pass was fractionally behind Ronaldo and, with momentum lost, he had to check his run and sent his shot high and wide.

Ronaldo briefly threatened early in the first half, whipping over a cross from the left wing that Casillas grabbed before Nani could head it in. He also sent a free kick into the wall after too easily tumbling under a challenge.

Working as a unit, Portugal started to gain the upper hand midway through the first half. Moutinho flicked the ball into the path of Ronaldo, whose wild shot flew over. "Everyone helped to control Ronaldo," Del Bosque said.

Lineups:

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Joao Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao, Raul Meireles (Silvestre Varela, 113), Miguel Veloso (Custodio, 105), Joao Moutinho, Nani, Hugo Almeida (Nelson Oliveira, 81), Cristiano Ronaldo.

Spain: Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez (Pedro Rodriguez, 87), David Silva (Jesus Navas, 61), Alvaro Negredo (Cesc Fabregas, 54), Andres Iniesta.

Jordan Islamists Seek to Emulate Morsi's Victory

Written by Abdullah Omar
Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Muslim Brotherhood hopes for success despite political set back

AMMAN, Jordan -- The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan celebrated the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt as if he was one of their own, opening their offices across the kingdom to hand out sweets and gloat before shocked Jordanian authorities.

“What we saw in Egypt clearly shows that reform is coming. It is a matter of time,” said Ali Abul Sukkar, president of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The victory of Morsi in the elections is a great boost for the Islamist movement and a wake up call for the regime to implement reforms as promised,” said Abul Sukkar.

Minutes after it was confirmed that a fellow Islamist Morsi won, the leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling on supporters to join their celebrations spilling out of its 24 branches across the kingdom.

King Abdullah II sent a cable of congratulations to Morsi, stressing Jordan’s commitment to continued efforts to boost its relations with Egypt in all domains and in a manner that helps activate Arab and Islamic cooperation, a Royal Court statement said.

Diplomacy aside, analysts say the Islamist movement will be emboldened by the victory of a major ally and could harden its stance with authorities over demanded reforms. At the moment, the Islamist movement is set to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections later this year.

While authorities are still assessing the impact of Morsi’s victory on the local scene, some Jordanian officials have already voiced concerns that the local Muslim Brotherhood movement could be seeking to emulate their Egyptian counterparts.

To the dismay of opposition parties including the Islamist movement, the parliament on Sunday endorsed a controversial election reform bill that has been described as backward and anti-reform legislation and an effort to kick start the long overdue reforms promised since the Arab Spring swept the region 16 months ago.

The bill kept the balance of power in the hands of conservative tribes loyal to the regime and made sure political parties have minor, if any, representation in the legislature.

Opposition parties say the amendments will continue to enable pro-regime candidates from tribal dominated areas and influential businessmen to win at the expense of party candidates.

Zaki Bani Rashid, senior leader from the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, said his group is planning to create a shadow government and a shadow parliament after having given up on reform promises.

But Islamist leaders say the government is delaying the inevitable.

In Jordan’s first free elections since 1989, the Islamist movement swept parliament seats and enjoyed a slight majority, before authorities amended the law in favor of Bedouin tribes and loyalists.

King Abdullah is expected to sign a royal decree in coming days to officially pass the bill as law, paving the way for elections by the end of the year.

Analyst Mohammad Abu Rumman believes that authorities are adamant to maintain their grip on the country without giving concessions.

“It is too late, we missed the train. We wished results of the Egyptian elections were announced before the elections law was endorsed,” said Abu Rumman, warning against what he believes are inevitable and dire consequences to the political current political stand off between the regime and the Islamists movement.

“Are we going to rectify the situation or wait to pay a heavy price?” Abu Rumman pondered.

Hamzah Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, sent a veiled message to authorities, saying his group was headed for victory in the style of its larger Egyptian sister.

"I think victory is a temptation for another victory and encourages success. Victory of the Egyptian people will have an impact on the governments of all of the Arab and Islamic countries. They must reconsider their policies and respect the will of their people," Mansour said.

Morsi defeated former general Ahmed Shafiq in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said, ending a week of disputes over the count which left nerves frayed over who was going to be named the leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation.

Shafiq has since reportedly fled Egypt for a Gulf state.

Morsi succeeds Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown 16 months ago after a popular uprising. The military council which has ruled the biggest Arab nation since then has this month curbed the powers of the presidency, meaning the head of state will have to work closely with the army on a planned democratic constitution.

Source: The Media Line.
Link: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=35466.