Jordan's king opens parliament, renews support for Palestinians

Sun, 28 Nov 2010

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday opened the newly-elected parliament by pledging continued support to the Palestinians in their effort to set up an independent state.

"Jordan will do its utmost to end the injustices which have been inflicted on the Palestinian people and to enable them to get rid of the (Israeli) occupation and set up their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital," the monarch said.

He said that the Hashemite Kingdom would continue to work for a "comprehensive peace" between Israel and Arab countries on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative and the relevant UN resolutions.

The Saudi-authored Arab peace blueprint offers Israel full recognition by all Arab states if it pulls out from all territories it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, including East Jerusalem which was then part of Jordan.

King Abdullah also pledged that his country would do its best to enable neighboring Iraq to restore its stability and security as well as "its vital role in the region and the world."

Prime Minister Samir Rifai formed a new 31-member cabinet on Wednesday, just over two weeks after elections were held.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355557,parliament-renews-support-palestinians.html.

Saudi king playing into US hands?

Mon Nov 29, 2010

Wikileaks claims that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia secretly urged the United States to strike Iran's nuclear facilities to end its nuclear program.

Part of the documents recently released by the whistleblower website reads the Saudi king has "frequently exhorted the US to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons program."

"He told you [Americans] to cut off the head of the snake," the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir said, according to a report on Abdullah's meeting with the US general David Petraeus in April 2008.

The apparently leaked documents suggest leaders of other countries such as Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates as well as the Israeli regime also considered Tehran's peaceful nuclear program an existential threat, urging a US attack on Iran.

At the beginning, Wikileaks sought to shed light on Washington's belligerent polices and condemn the killing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, analysts believe the recent document release is a scenario carefully orchestrated by US intelligence agencies to deflect attention from the United States' domestic problems, upset the situation in the region and lay the groundwork for military action against Iran.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153087.html.

Iranian academic killed in terror attack

Mon Nov 29, 2010

An Iranian academic has been killed and another university professor and his wife wounded in two separate car explosions in Tehran.

Yet unknown terrorists exploded the cars of Doctor Majid Shahriari and Professor Fereydoun Abbasi in separate places on Monday morning, IRNA reported.

Shahriari was killed immediately, but Professor Abbasi and his wife received injuries and were transferred to hospital.

The two were professors at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153089.html.

APA urged to face Palestine challenges

Mon Nov 29, 2010

The Iranian parliament (Majlis) speaker says the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Syria enjoys "good political potential and dynamism to face Palestine challenges."

Ali Larijani made the remarks in a joint press conference with Speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly Mahmoud al-Abrash upon his arrival in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday.

"There are important challenges regarding Palestine which have previously been discussed at the APA…, which indicates the assembly has good political potential and dynamism to confront such challenges," Fars news agency quoted Larijani as saying on Sunday.

The top parliamentarian said Asian countries have always been hindered by challenges, expressing hope that al-Abrash's presidency will pave the way for tackling Asia's setbacks.

He further said Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri's current visit to Tehran is a positive development proving close relations between Iran and Lebanon.

Saad Hariri arrived in Iran Saturday on his first visit to the country as premier, aiming to expand relations with Tehran.

During his three-day visit to Tehran, Hariri held meetings with Iranian high ranking officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi.

Hariri's trip to Tehran comes one month after President Ahmadinejad's landmark visit to Lebanon.

The Iranian parliament speaker is in Syria to take part in the 5th Plenary Session of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA).

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153098.html.

'Iran favors Lebanon stability, unity'

Mon Nov 29, 2010

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has expressed the Islamic Republic's support for maintaining stability, security, national unity and convergence in Lebanon.

"Defending security and national unity in Lebanon is not a motto that someone can oppose. This is the main foundation of Lebanon," IRNA quoted Mottaki as speaking in a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Tehran on Sunday.

He said cooperation between Tehran and Beirut will prepare the ground for strengthening regional convergence, and stressed the importance of making use of all potentialities to achieve the goal.

The top Iranian diplomat pointed to ongoing developments in the region, including the situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and occupied Palestine as well as the spread of terrorism and extremism, urging regional countries to further bolster cooperation.

Mottaki called on countries in the Muslim world and the region to remain vigilant against those who seek to sow discord.

He said the recent landmark visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Lebanon and Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri's current trip to Tehran would create opportunities for amicable relations between the two countries in all fields.

President Ahmadinejad paid a visit to Lebanon in mid-October upon an invitation from his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman.

During the visit, the Iranian president met with Lebanon's top officials, political leaders, academics and university students, and addressed large crowds of people in Beirut and southern Lebanon.

The Iranian went minister on to note that Lebanon has been under repeated attacks by Israel since 1948 and emphasized that the Islamic resistance and national unity led to the Israeli regime's failures during recent years.

"The enemies, who were aware of Lebanon's special position as a serious regional rival in the field of economic development, had targeted the country's stability," he said, adding Lebanon can currently experience a new era of development.

"Lebanon can play its leading role not only at a national level but at the regional level," Mottaki pointed out.

He also called on the Lebanese premier to pursue the case of four Iranian diplomats who disappeared in Lebanon on July 4, 1982 -- during the Israeli invasion of Beirut.

Hariri, for his part, termed President Ahmadinejad's visit to Beirut as "historical," and called for the highest level of ties with the Islamic Republic, particularly in trade and economic fields.

"Ahmadinejad's Lebanon visit emphasized the opening of political, economic and trade ties, and my current trip to Tehran aims to promote this process," he said.

He also expressed his country's resolve to boost relations with Iran.

He said stability and national unity in Lebanon are among the main causes of victory against enemies, and appreciated Iran's support for Lebanon against Israeli's threats and lauded Tehran's support for the reconstruction of the country.

He also emphasized that Lebanon will always support Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy.

Hariri arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran for a three-day visit on Saturday.

In his first visit to Tehran as the Lebanese prime minister, Hariri has held talks with senior Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani and Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi about bilateral and regional issues.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/153096.html.

Iran names OIC satellite 'volunteers'

Sun Nov 28, 2010

Iran's Telecommunications Minister Reza Taqipour says Turkey, Pakistan and some Arab countries have volunteered to collaborate with Iran on design and launch of a satellite for Islamic states.

Tehran first announced plans for launching the "Besharat" satellite into space with the help of member states of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in February 2009.

"Apart from Iran, some Arab countries, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia will participate voluntarily in building and launching of the Besharat satellite," Taqipour told Mehr news agency on Saturday.

"Among the OIC member states there are a few with space technology, with Iran at the top. This is why materializing this project will depend on Iranian capabilities,” he added.

Iranian officials say Islamic countries could use satellite imagery for hazard and natural disaster management as well as accurate cartography.

In October, the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) ratified a bill allowing the government to enhance its efforts to design and launch satellites and satellite carriers.

On Monday, Iranian lawmakers voted in favor of Article 49 of a bill in the country's Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2011-2015), which will authorize the government to set up the infrastructure needed for the Islamic Republic's satellite projects.

Omid was the third Iranian-made satellite to be sent into space. Three years after Russia launched Iran's first satellite in 2005, another satellite --jointly designed by Iran, China, and Thailand -- was launched into orbit by China.

Tehran also plans to launch the country's first manned mission into space by 2019.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/152935.html.

EU, OIC delegates arrive in Gaza Strip

Mon Nov 29, 2010

Representatives from the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have arrived in Gaza for an eyewitness account of the situation in the Palestinian territories.

Eighteen European parliamentarians entered the Gaza Strip on late Friday through the Rafah crossing on Egypt's border for talks with Hamas leaders and to have a closer look at the brewing crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ma'an news agency reported on Sunday.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has undertaken the task of coordination for the European MP's visit.

The European politicians are scheduled to visit hospitals, schools and areas battered as a result of Israeli's attack on the Gaza Strip in December of 2008 to January of 2009.

The Israeli attack claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians.

Many world countries, including the UN Human Rights Council has harshly criticized Tel Aviv for failing to launch an investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces during its assault on the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, a separate delegation of the OIC, headed by its humanitarian director, Fouad Meznay, arrived in Gaza on Sunday as part of a four-day tour of the Palestinian territories.

A group of specialist surgeons and doctors, who will treat patients in the Strip, are accompanying the OIC's delegation during the visit.

The visit comes as UNRWA says that "about 80 percent of the Gaza population depends on assistance from UN agencies as unemployment has soared [to] above 40 percent."

Just as officials in the Gaza Strip were greeting their foreign guests on Sunday, the Israeli forces shot and wounded four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old, in the town of Beit Hanun in the north of the coastal sliver.

They were reportedly scavenging for food in an effort to cope with Tel Aviv's siege.

Tel Aviv has continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than 3 years.

The illegal Israeli-imposed blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the coastal enclave.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://presstv.ir/detail/153075.html.