Damon Rosen Telling the TRUTH
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Saturday, 14 October 2017
Thursday, 6 March 2014
The Captain Realized Resistance was Futile
Naval Commando raid.
Flash 90
One day after IDF Navy commandos stopped a ship carrying missiles from Iran to Hamas, IDF intelligence officialsestimate that the seizure of the ship before it reached its target has led to fury in the IranianNational Guard, headed by the Al Quds force, and to an investigation into what went wrong.
The Israeli defense establishment believes that Iranian activity along the so-called “southern route” will be halted for the next few months, but that it is quite possible that Iran will continue to make every effort to transport weapons to terror groups through other routes.
A senior IDF officer said that there is tension between Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, and the Quds Force commander, Kassem Sulimani. The tension stems from Rouhani's strenuous objections to actions of this type, and the fact that he places internal issues at the top of his agenda. The officer said that Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, they may harm efforts to reach an agreement with the West on Iran's nuclear program.
Asked about US involvement in the commando attack, the officer said that the US was informed of the relevant details ahead of the raid, but did not take an active part in collecting information that led up to it.
A senior naval officer said that “all of the possible ways” to stop the weapons smuggling to Gaza were considered before a decision was made to use the naval option.
"The main difficulty was locating the ship at sea at a distance of thousands of miles,” he explained. “It was like finding a needle in a haystack. We also took into account the danger of being discovered and the great distance from Israel's shores.”
The officer added that the IDF took into account “extreme scenarios,” including “a ship with explosives, exploding terrorists, including booby-traps on board, and for that reason, we were accompanied by experts in bomb disposal and a great variety of combat fighters and tools of various kinds, including two missile ships, a helicopter, and fast and efficient ships.”
As for the timing and location of the operation, the officer said that various factors were taken into account, including the height of the waves, “We were concerned that the ship's crew would think that we were pirates, and that is why we identified ourselves from the outset as the IDF, and when the captain looked right and left, he saw two Navy missile ships, including additional vessels – and it was a show of force he could not resist, and therefore the boarding of the ship was quiet.”
The officer said that the Turkish captain and the rest of the crew did not know that there were weapons on board.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/178200#.Uxiq35IaySM
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Monday, 24 February 2014
Op-Ed: Obama is Burnishing His Legacy
Obama is planning a visit to Iran
Unlike most re-elected presidents, Barack Hussein Obama is deftly exploiting foreign affairs at the expense of Israel and his own country's national security to burnish his legacy.
And while it is not surprising anymore, this president's manic delusions of grandeur and 'shameless' power grabs are intentional and not merely coincidence.
Obama's cynicism, deception, pathological lying, betrayal and broken promises to "fundamentally transform the United States of America" are not surprising because his Third World philosophy, vision, dreams and plans are irreconcilably at odds with our Constitution.
That could explain the repetitive trends of impressive White House directives emanating from a government in cahoots with a compliant Congress.
Since Obama assured Israel that "you are not alone" less than a year ago, escalating sectarian strife and intractable conflicts in the Middle East presented Jerusalem with an enormous challenge to protect and defend itself from Islamic extremists intent on attacking the Jewish state.
Speculation aside, the Arabic language Kuwaiti news outlet Al-Jarida has learned from a US diplomat that 'Obama is seeking to visit Tehran this year and was expecting for the invitation to devote his new administration's policy in the region based on the principle of non-military involvement and harmony'.
The source pointed out that the most significant detail remaining to be decided is 'whether there will be a meeting between Obama and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, or whether that meeting won't be held'.
According to unknown diplomat, "Obama wants to be the first US president to visit Iran since the Khomeini revolution in order to show that he is an advocate of peace and dialogue even with those who chant death to America."
Similar to how it reacted during secret US backchannel talks with Tehran, already a "violation of the special relationship with Israel”; the White House categorically denied the report.
Although the improved ties with Tehran seem to be in America’s national security interests, Obama's desperation to reach a comprehensive nuclear accord in exchange for Iran's recognition as a nuclear threshold state effectively betrays Israel and US Arab allies.
Under prevailing circumstances, Obama will not lift a finger to destroy Iran's nuclear program. But, we should also bear in mind that despite Obama's capitulation to the Iranians, Israel's ability to strike Iran's illicit nuclear program remains undiminished.
Regardless of the reasons for betraying Israel, the imprudent Obama administration's naive foreign policy demonstrates an astounding diplomatic incompetence:
The two-state framework is going nowhere and in danger of collapse; and the interim deal, castigated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "historic mistake" was a grand deception that has nothing to do with dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
For these reasons, wary and assertive critics are 'casting Obama as a sucker for an Iranian charm offensive.' With regards to the Israeli-Palestinian talks, Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon denounced Secretary of State John Kerry's project “obsessive and messianic.”
Other Israeli officials are quite unforgiving and slammed Kerry for threats onboycott and implied incitement for Palestinians to pursue a "Third Intifada" should talks fail.
Quite frankly, something is terribly amiss with Israeli leaders apologizing for their truthful, frank and outspoken assessments of emerging frontline threats to Israel. It was a terrible mistake, unfair and unnecessary gesture of appeasement.
Netanyahu's next meeting with Obama in March should serve a stern warning to Washington that 'enough is enough' and that Israel's determination of "denying Tehran an atomic bomb capability" is sacrosanct.
First and foremost, "diplomacy is about taking excuses, not giving them".
Overwhelming pessimism abounds, but the resolution of the faltering US-sponsored peace process with the Palestinian Arabs should depend on the successful final outcome of nuclear diplomacy with Iran.
The US failure to address Syria’s dangerous disintegration and threat of terrorism from Hezbollah will not prevent Iran from building atomic weapons.
And that leaves Israel with no option but to act on its own. It will come to pass soon. Israel has the undeniable advantage to deliver a swift military-cyber-strategic blow to Iran's controversial nuclear program. In reality, the 'genocidal Islamic fundamentalists ruling Iran are contemporary Nazis reinforced with messianic beliefs'. Annihilation of the Jewish people and global hegemony are the only reasons why Iran would not stop from seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran giving up its nuclear weapons ambition is untenable and the potential for a comprehensive nuclear deal unattainable for the following reasons:
The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) which is an “extra-territorial sanction” recognizes the fact that Iran's illicit nuclear activities, combined with its unconventional and ballistic missile production and support for international terrorism represents a threat to the security of Israel, the US and its allies around the world.
For one, it may not be politically correct to argue that Iran will not be free from the grip of sanctions until the Islamic regime first improves its human rights record and cease its support for international terrorism.
Over time, ongoing talks on a comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers is impossible- without dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure .
Iran's ultimate goal is to become a nuclear-weapon state. In his presentation of “Worldwide Threat Assessment” to Congress in January 2014, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that, "Iran’s ultimate nuclear intentions remain"
Although Iran claimed its nuclear program a symbol of national pride, Tehran's deployment of an ancient "armada of two" warships closer to the US maritime borders was a desperate bravado and a necessary appeasement of hardliners in Iran. But then again, 'enemy warships on one’s very doorstep are not exactly foreign policy, but more a matter of national security'.
The real threat continues to rest on their ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf, especially the strategic Strait of Hormuz. If anything, Iran’s entire armada consists of outdated warships with antiquated weapons systems and they cannot hope to compete in blue-water operations against the US Navy, so the Islamic regime's provocation against Israeli and American interests is a symbolic "act of foolishness" that may trigger false flag attacks.
Given the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world powers -- the Iranian navy's operation takes place in a politically sensitive context. For the US, this rhetoric translates as continued assurances of the effectiveness of current sanctions.
Absent serious doubt about what to do, the Iranians have yet to answer the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) questions about the "possible military dimensions" of their nuclear program. In addition, they have now built nearly 20,000 centrifuges and accumulated approximately 5-6 bombs' worth of enriched uranium.
Unless Ayatollah Khamenei miraculously reverses his relentless xenophobia, Obama's legacy will be that of an American president who appeased the most barbaric Islamic fundamentalist regime in the world.
Arutz 7
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Unlike most re-elected presidents, Barack Hussein Obama is deftly exploiting foreign affairs at the expense of Israel and his own country's national security to burnish his legacy.
And while it is not surprising anymore, this president's manic delusions of grandeur and 'shameless' power grabs are intentional and not merely coincidence.
Obama's cynicism, deception, pathological lying, betrayal and broken promises to "fundamentally transform the United States of America" are not surprising because his Third World philosophy, vision, dreams and plans are irreconcilably at odds with our Constitution.
For Obama to remake our country into what he wants it to be, he must subvert the Supreme Law of the Land and build an imperial presidency.
Since Obama assured Israel that "you are not alone" less than a year ago, escalating sectarian strife and intractable conflicts in the Middle East presented Jerusalem with an enormous challenge to protect and defend itself from Islamic extremists intent on attacking the Jewish state.
Speculation aside, the Arabic language Kuwaiti news outlet Al-Jarida has learned from a US diplomat that 'Obama is seeking to visit Tehran this year and was expecting for the invitation to devote his new administration's policy in the region based on the principle of non-military involvement and harmony'.
The source pointed out that the most significant detail remaining to be decided is 'whether there will be a meeting between Obama and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, or whether that meeting won't be held'.
According to unknown diplomat, "Obama wants to be the first US president to visit Iran since the Khomeini revolution in order to show that he is an advocate of peace and dialogue even with those who chant death to America."
Similar to how it reacted during secret US backchannel talks with Tehran, already a "violation of the special relationship with Israel”; the White House categorically denied the report.
Although the improved ties with Tehran seem to be in America’s national security interests, Obama's desperation to reach a comprehensive nuclear accord in exchange for Iran's recognition as a nuclear threshold state effectively betrays Israel and US Arab allies.
Under prevailing circumstances, Obama will not lift a finger to destroy Iran's nuclear program. But, we should also bear in mind that despite Obama's capitulation to the Iranians, Israel's ability to strike Iran's illicit nuclear program remains undiminished.
Regardless of the reasons for betraying Israel, the imprudent Obama administration's naive foreign policy demonstrates an astounding diplomatic incompetence:
The two-state framework is going nowhere and in danger of collapse; and the interim deal, castigated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "historic mistake" was a grand deception that has nothing to do with dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
For these reasons, wary and assertive critics are 'casting Obama as a sucker for an Iranian charm offensive.' With regards to the Israeli-Palestinian talks, Israeli Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon denounced Secretary of State John Kerry's project “obsessive and messianic.”
Other Israeli officials are quite unforgiving and slammed Kerry for threats onboycott and implied incitement for Palestinians to pursue a "Third Intifada" should talks fail.
Quite frankly, something is terribly amiss with Israeli leaders apologizing for their truthful, frank and outspoken assessments of emerging frontline threats to Israel. It was a terrible mistake, unfair and unnecessary gesture of appeasement.
Netanyahu's next meeting with Obama in March should serve a stern warning to Washington that 'enough is enough' and that Israel's determination of "denying Tehran an atomic bomb capability" is sacrosanct.
First and foremost, "diplomacy is about taking excuses, not giving them".
Overwhelming pessimism abounds, but the resolution of the faltering US-sponsored peace process with the Palestinian Arabs should depend on the successful final outcome of nuclear diplomacy with Iran.
The US failure to address Syria’s dangerous disintegration and threat of terrorism from Hezbollah will not prevent Iran from building atomic weapons.
And that leaves Israel with no option but to act on its own. It will come to pass soon. Israel has the undeniable advantage to deliver a swift military-cyber-strategic blow to Iran's controversial nuclear program. In reality, the 'genocidal Islamic fundamentalists ruling Iran are contemporary Nazis reinforced with messianic beliefs'. Annihilation of the Jewish people and global hegemony are the only reasons why Iran would not stop from seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran giving up its nuclear weapons ambition is untenable and the potential for a comprehensive nuclear deal unattainable for the following reasons:
The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) which is an “extra-territorial sanction” recognizes the fact that Iran's illicit nuclear activities, combined with its unconventional and ballistic missile production and support for international terrorism represents a threat to the security of Israel, the US and its allies around the world.
For one, it may not be politically correct to argue that Iran will not be free from the grip of sanctions until the Islamic regime first improves its human rights record and cease its support for international terrorism.
Over time, ongoing talks on a comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers is impossible- without dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure .
Iran's ultimate goal is to become a nuclear-weapon state. In his presentation of “Worldwide Threat Assessment” to Congress in January 2014, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified that, "Iran’s ultimate nuclear intentions remain"
Although Iran claimed its nuclear program a symbol of national pride, Tehran's deployment of an ancient "armada of two" warships closer to the US maritime borders was a desperate bravado and a necessary appeasement of hardliners in Iran. But then again, 'enemy warships on one’s very doorstep are not exactly foreign policy, but more a matter of national security'.
The real threat continues to rest on their ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf, especially the strategic Strait of Hormuz. If anything, Iran’s entire armada consists of outdated warships with antiquated weapons systems and they cannot hope to compete in blue-water operations against the US Navy, so the Islamic regime's provocation against Israeli and American interests is a symbolic "act of foolishness" that may trigger false flag attacks.
Given the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world powers -- the Iranian navy's operation takes place in a politically sensitive context. For the US, this rhetoric translates as continued assurances of the effectiveness of current sanctions.
Absent serious doubt about what to do, the Iranians have yet to answer the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) questions about the "possible military dimensions" of their nuclear program. In addition, they have now built nearly 20,000 centrifuges and accumulated approximately 5-6 bombs' worth of enriched uranium.
Unless Ayatollah Khamenei miraculously reverses his relentless xenophobia, Obama's legacy will be that of an American president who appeased the most barbaric Islamic fundamentalist regime in the world.
Arutz 7
-------
Steinitz after meeting US’s top Iran negotiator: Israel reserves right to act independently
"Israel reiterated and made clear its position that an agreement with Iran must include dismantling its ability to progress toward a nuclear weapon," Steinitz said, using code for Israel's long-standing position that the world needed to insist that Iran dismantle all it's uranium enrichment capabilities. This position clashes with that of the world powers currently negotiating with Iran, which is now seemingly willing to allow Iran some enrichment capability.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made the same point publicly at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting, saying he was concerned Iran believed it could "realize its plan to be a nuclear threshold state, with an enrichment capability that it thinks cannot be touched, and with the ability to develop both nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles, which it is continuing to work on unhindered." "This combination of enrichment, weapons and launch capabilities, means that Iran is, in effect, receiving everything and giving almost nothing," he said. "That is the current situation." Netanyahu said that the long-term agreement now being negotiated between the P5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) and Iran cannot be allowed to render permanent this current state of affairs.
The long term agreement, he said, must "dismantle the Iranian ability to either produce or launch nuclear weapons, and this has yet to be achieved, and without the insistence of the major powers, it will not be achieved." Sherman, the US Under Secretary of State who led Washington’s delegation to the recent talks in Vienna, briefed Steinitz and National Security Council head Yossi Cohen and staff members from various other government and intelligence agencies on the Vienna talks.
Steinitz said the dialogue with Sherman dealt in "great detail" with diplomatic, intelligence and technical aspects of the Iranian nuclear program, and was part of Israel's ongoing strategic dialogue with the US.
Sherman has made it a practice of coming to Jerusalem after every round of talks with the Iranians to immediately brief Israel. She made clear Saturday night, however, that she does not agree with Israel's position that Iran must not be allowed any uranium enrichment capability, saying Iran might be allowed a "limited" nuclear program "that addresses practical needs." "I would like there to be zero enrichment," she said. "I would like there to be no facilities, I would like there not to be an indigenous program. I would like many things in life. But that does not mean I will get them." Sherman will also be briefing officials in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week, states which are as concerned as Israel at the prospect of Iran gaining nuclear capabilities.
Over the last two weeks Netanyahu has once again stepped up the rhetoric against Iran's nuclear program, saying that the country has not altered any of its aggressive policies. This is expected to be the item on the top of his agenda when he is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington next Monday.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Netanyahu: Iran still getting everything, giving nothing
Even as the US top Iran negotiator is in the country saying Iran could be allowed a small peaceful nuclear program, Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu continued to warn Sunday against granting Iran any uranium enrichment capabilities
"Iran will practically realize its plan to become a nuclear threshold state, with enrichment [capability] and the ability to develop intercontinental missiles. This combination of enrichment, weapons, and the ability to launch missiles creates a situation where Iran gets everything and gives nothing," he said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting.
Sherman is in the country briefing top officials on the talks, and from here will travel to Saudi Arabia, which is as concerned as Israel at the prospect of Iran gaining nuclear capabilities.On Saturday night, US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who participated in the talks between Iran and the world powers in Vienna last week, said in Jerusalem that "I would like there to be zero enrichment. I would like there to be no facilities, I would like there not to be an indigenous program. I would like many things in life. But that does not mean I will get them."
Over the last two weeks Netanyahu has once again stepped up the rhetoric against Iran's nuclear program, saying that the country has not altered any of its aggressive policies. This is expected to be one the key issues he discusses next Monday when he is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington.
Jerusalem post
Friday, 21 February 2014
THE TRUE FACE OF IRAN: Explosion in Golan Heights
Mortar shells exploded in the Golan Heights following the Israeli PM’s visit to an IDF field hospital treating Syrian civilians. The violence in the region shows the “true face of Iran,” Netanyahu said.
Prime Minister Netanyahu visits Syrian patients at IDF field hospital in Golan Heights. (Photo: GPO)
Two mortar shells exploded in the Golan Heights at the Israeli-Syrian border on Tuesday shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had visited the area with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF Chief Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz.
No injuries were reported.
The Israeli dignitaries were visiting a field hospital where IDF medics and soldiers risk their lives to treat wounded Syrians caught in the brutal fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels.
“I visited today the base where people who have been wounded in the fighting in Syria are being treated,” Netanyahu said. “On the day when talks between the major powers and Iran are being opened in Vienna, it is important that the world sees the pictures from this place, which divides the good that is in the world from the bad.
IDF field hospital treats wounded Syrians. (Photo: IDF blog)
NETANYAHU: ‘THIS IS THE TRUE FACE OF IRAN.’
“The good part is that Israel is saving the lives of those who have been wounded in the daily slaughter that is being perpetrated in Syria,” he continued. “This is the true face of Israel. The bad part is that Iran is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter. This is the true face of Iran.”
“All of the children who have been injured, to say nothing of those who have been killed, were injured as a result of Iran’s arming, financing and training the Assad regime in the massacres that it is perpetrating,” the Israeli leader stated.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (L) and Netanyahu at the Israeli-Syrian border. (Photo: Ariel Hermoni/FLASH90)
“From here, I would like to tell the world, today, as the talks between the major powers and Iran are being resumed, that Iran has changed neither its aggressive policy nor its brutal character. Iran is continuing to support the Assad regime which is slaughtering its own people. This is the true face of Iran. The world cannot forget this.”
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Cantor presses for greater US engagement, cites US's shortfalls during WWII
In a speech Monday to the Virginia Military Institute, Cantor (R-Va.), who is Jewish, described leading a congressional delegation recently to Auschwitz to mark the 69th anniversary of the Nazi death camp’s liberation.
“Standing there as the frigid wind swept through the eerily quiet ruins of the camp, I could not help but regret that American action in World War II came too late to save countless millions of innocent lives,” he said.
“Hitler’s rise and conquest of Europe did not come as a surprise. We must not repeat the same mistake by reducing our preparedness, accepting the notion that we are one of many or ceding global leadership to others.”
Cantor said that “evil and hateful ideologies still exist in the world,” citing as perhaps the most evident Iran’s “determined march” to produce nuclear weapons.
“I can imagine few more destabilizing moments in world history than Iran on the threshold of being a nuclear power,” he said.
Cantor called on the United States to prepare for additional sanctions to counter what he said was the erosion of Iran’s isolation through its participation in international talks aimed at keeping it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“An America that leads is an America that must work to restore the badly eroded international pressure on Tehran,” he said. “We should lay the groundwork now for additional sanctions in the event Iran violates the terms of the interim agreement.”
The Obama administration has said that the removal of a number of sanctions ahead of the talks has not diminished a tough sanctions regime. It has opposed new sanctions while talks are underway, saying that unilateral US sanctions could fracture the international alliance that has nudged Iran to the talks.
Jerusalem post
Monday, 17 February 2014
Netanyahu: Iran engaged in 'subversive activities' in Latin America, world
The two leaders met on the eve of nuclear talks between world powers and Iran due to re-start Tuesday in Vienna, and Netanyahu told the Peruvian president that a different policy is required than what is currently in place.Speaking about Iran's global influence, especially in Latin America, Netanyahu accused Iran of inflammatory behavior, saying that "Iran is engaged subversive activities around the world, including in Latin America."
"A policy that requires Iran to stop its aggression, to stop its nuclear military program, and to become a nation among the nations, not a rogue state that arms itself with nuclear weapons." he said.
The prime minister continued: "I think it is important for Israel, I think its important for Peru and I think its important for world peace."
Iran is believed to have bases in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua.
Humala, in his comments, spoke warmly about increasing economic and global cooperation with Israel, but steered clear of Iranian issue.
Netanyahu rebuffed comments Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made Monday.
Khamenei said he was not against nuclear talks with western powers but he didn't think they would lead anywhere.
In response, Netanyahu jested that the nuclear talks had indeed already gone somewhere, allowing Iran to escape from sanctions.
Netanyahu thanked the Peruvian president for supporting Israel's recent inclusion as an observer in the Pacific Alliance, a Latin American trade bloc comprised of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Netanyahu said its beneficial for both Israel and Peru.
Netanyahu recalled the meaningful relationship between the two allies. "We remember that Peru supported Israel's bid for statehood is 1947. This is a relationship with roots, and I believe it will have big branches in coming years."
JUST LIKE THE ARABS JUST WAVE A BARREL OF OIL : Iran seeks new Russia nuclear reactor in exchange for oil
Tehran, Moscow are in talks to build a second nuclear power reactor in Bushehr in exchange for a reported 500,000 barrels of crude shipment per day
Ambassador Mehdi Sanaei said the two close trading partners have been negotiating Iran's delivery of hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil a day since September when Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
Russian officials had previously neither confirmed nor denied the discussions. But they stressed that such deliveries would not break existing UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
However, Washington and the EU have imposed their own restrictions over Tehran's disputed nuclear program that also penalize countries and companies dealing in certain areas with Iran.
The White House last month expressed "serious concern" over the rumored oil-for-goods swap - which one Russian report said concerned the delivery of 500,000 barrels of crude per day - because it could potentially boost Iran's energy exports by more than 50 percent.
Iran's crude shipments are believed to have shrunk under the impact of the unilateral Western sanctions from 2.5 million barrels per day in late 2011 to less than one million barrels per day at the end of last year.
Sanaei said Iran was interested in acquiring Russian heavy trucks and railroad equipment in exchange for the deliveries.
"A part of the funds (for the oil sale) could also go toward the construction by Russian companies of a second nuclear reactor at Bushehr," Sanaei told Kommersant business daily.
Russia completed the construction of the Islamic Republic's sole nuclear power plant after the project was dropped by Germany's industrial giant Siemens following Iran's 1979 revolution.
The Persian Gulf plant came into service in 2011 after several delays blamed on technical problems. Iranian engineers took complete control of the facility last September.
The plant's single reactor produces 1,000 megawatts of electricity - a small fraction of what the oil-rich country says it wants to produce from nuclear power.
Western nations and Israel suspect that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program masks a covert weapons drive - a charge Tehran denies.
Sanaei's confirmation of the oil-for-goods talks comes a day before world powers and Iran resume negotiations in Vienna aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord on Tehran's nuclear drive.
Iran has agreed to freeze some nuclear activities for six months under a landmark interim deal sealed last November.
It won modest sanctions relief in return that also included a promise by Western powers not to impose new restrictions on its hard-hit economy.
But most of the Western oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic remain in place.
Relations between Russia and Iran have wavered throughout history but included a close alliance in the 1980s after the fall of the shah.
Iranians Simulate What Attack on Israel and US Would Look Like
Ironic......Obama pussyfooting around Iran doing everything he can to please them....and this is the thanks, video from Iranian TV showing their real intentions, bragging and shouting about attacking Israel and blowing up America.. How ironic, way to mess up Obama, what a joke.
WELL NO SUPRISES THOUGH.
Iranians Simulate What Attack on Israel and US Would Look Like
In a video released on Iranian state television on Friday, it is possible to see how the Iranians imagine attacking Israel and the United States with drones and missiles, a hypothetical response to the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities by one or both of the countries.
In a video released on Iranian state television on Friday, it is possible to envision a hypothetical attack of Iran on Israel and the United States, if the latter two countries were to destroy the former’s nuclear facilities. The video is computerized, showing an attack on Israel’s Azreali Towers in Tel Aviv, and the U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The video also contains clips of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning Iran’s enemies that they should not intervene in the country’s affairs. “Anybody who thinks of attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran should be prepared to receive strong slaps and iron fists from the Armed Forces”, he says in the film. Another clip of one of his speeches is also added to the video, “And America, its regional puppets and its guard dog—the Zionist regime—should know that the response of the Iranian nation to any kind of aggression, attacks, or even threats will be a response that will make them collapse from within”.
The video was broadcast following anti-American statements made by the Ayatollah Khamenei yesterday, calling the United States Iran’s ‘archenemy’. A senior commander in the Iranian navy also said that Iranian warships had been sent across the Atlantic Ocean. This is despite the nuclear deal made between President Rouhani and the world powers to decrease Iran’s enrichment of uranium to acceptable international levels.
Feb 09, 2014, 11:02AM | Maya Yarowsky
Jerusalem Online
For more on the turn in Iran-US relations—click here.
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Friday, 7 February 2014
Ayatollah Tortured, Near Death, in Iran for Criticizing Political Islam
Ayatollah Boroujerdi's condition has reportedly worsened as of January 28, 2014, when he suffered severe body tremors and was motionless for hours in his cell. The authorities still refuse to transfer him to a medical facility and are denying him the most basic medical care. We ask for intervention to save his life.
Ayatollah Hossein-Kazamani Boroujerdi, a senior member of the Shiite Muslim clergy, is presently serving the eighth year of an 11-year sentence handed down to him by the Islamic Republic's courts for advocating the separation of state and religion inside Iran. He has also spoken against political Islam and its leaders. As a result, during his time in prison, he has been exposed to torture especially reserved for the Islamic Republic's dissident clergy and political prisoners. Boroujerdi has endured the rape of his spouse in front of other family members. He has been purposely exposed to toxic chemical agents while kept in a small solitary cell. As a result, he now suffers permanent neurological damage, further aggravated by group beatings. Urgent medical attention has been systematically withheld for his long list of ailments, which are mostly a direct result of years of torture and malnutrition.
Ayatollah Hossein-Kazamani Boroujerdi, in better times (left) and in his prison cell (right).
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On September 29, 2013, for example, Ayatollah Boroujerdi suffered a heart attack in prison for which he was refused medical intervention. His condition has reportedly worsened as of January 28, 2014, when he had severe body tremors and was motionless for hours in his cell, where he presently remains with no medical care.
Possibly due to Ayatollah Boroujerdi's prominence, the regime has apparently chosen not to execute him, but instead to kill him silently in prison. There were two failed attempts on his life by poisoning inside prison in 2012. His mother, detained at the same time, was also poisoned and died as a result. Previously, in November 2011, a prisoner on death row was told by the authorities that if he succeeded in killing Boroujerdi he would be set free. The attempt failed when other prisoners intervened.
To protest the violent crimes of political Islam in the Islamic Republic, Boroujerdi announced via audio tape from prison that: "I am not inclined anymore to wear this frock; this frock has no credit or value in Iran or the international community" and removed his clerical robes.
Ayatollah Boroujerdi descends from a long line of renowned Shiite clergy; both his father and grandfather were staunch opponents of religious leaders in politics. As a result, both of his parents, along with his brother, were killed by the authorities under mysterious circumstances, as is the regime's custom.
Despite his critical medical condition in prison, he remains defiant and his spirit remains unbreakable: he has stated hopes that his case will serve as a strong indictment of the Islamic Republic's despotic rule and unspeakable human rights violations.
Ayatollah Boroujerdi has risked losing his life slowly under torture by writing letters from inside prison to then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to the United Nations, speaking of the absolute lack of freedom inside Iran, the grotesque human rights violations and the imminent danger of political Islam. Further, he recently urged people of Iran to boycott the so-called elections on June 14, 2013. As a direct result of this statement his tortures recommenced despite his extremely fragile medical condition.
Ms. Roya Araghi, an advocate of Boroujerdi who herself was jailed and tortured for defending the him, and has since fled Iran, believes that without medical treatment and international intervention, Ayatollah Boroujerdi will most likely die soon under torture.
On June 29, 2013, members of Ayatollah Boroujerdi's family went to Evin prison to visit him, and were shocked to see nature of his physical condition in the seventh year of his 11-year sentence. He has developed acute heart disease, which has led to the severe swelling of his feet and knees. He also suffers from ocular, pulmonary and respiratory disorders, but has been denied medical treatment by officials until he "repents "and "mends his ways".
On July 8, 2013, Boroujerdi was interrogated for an extended period of time by government agents for his refusal to concede to the demands of the regime by signing a letter of "repentance." He was informed that "the pressures and tortures will increase until he has been destroyed". He has thus far refused to surrender.
In a rare phone call to his family that followed this episode, he stated that he "will never give in to a single threat or intimidation tactic of the regime." His family stated that he also added, "he does not regret any of his actions and stands by his word, as he is prepared to die".
After their visit, the Boroujerdi family announced that the tyrannical regime of the Islamic Republic's fanatics continue systematically to exterminate political prisoners and prisoners of conscience through well-planned prolonged torture; both psychological and physical.
Despite a statement by then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012 and a plea by the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Dr. Ahmad Shaheed, to release Ayatollah Boroujerdi, the Iranian regime continues to torture this man of God whose only crime is advocating separation of religion from politics, democracy and human rights.
On July 24, 2013, Andrew Bennett, Canada's Ambassador to the Office of Religious Freedom, condemned the prolonged detention of Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi by Iranian authorities, but to no avail.
The regime of Iran is silently executing Mr. Boroujerdi, without a bullet or a noose -- away from the eyes of the world. These silent executions are now a common method of killing political prisoners in Iran as the regime tries to hide its grotesque human rights violations and its escalating rate of executions of opponents.
The human rights activists for democracy in Iran would like to bring to the immediate attention of all international human rights organizations and governments that Ayatollah Boroujerdi's life is in grave danger due to deliberate withholding of necessary medical care by the authorities in Iran. We ask for an intervention on his behalf, to save his life.
Appendix: Partial List of Political Prisoners in Iran
Source: The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners (CFPPI)
| Name | Age | Prison | City | Sentence | Charges | Ailment | Arrest Date |
| Mohammad-Reza Pourshajri | 53 | Central Prison | Karaj | 4 years | Acting against national security Insulting Islam Insulting the Supreme Leader | Diabetes, kidney stones, heart attack, enlarged prostate | 2010 |
| Dr. Sayed Madani | Central Prison | Bandar Abbas | 6 years | Acting against national security Civil rights activist Sociology Research | Gallbladder stones | 2011 | |
| Dr. Nader Babai | Evin, ward 350 | Tehran | 74 lashes and 6 years suspended sentence | Social and civil activist arrested during the 2009 protests for helping his student Omid Dana. war vet for Iran/Iraq war | 2 strokes internal bleeding seizures | 2012 | |
| Vahid Roohbakhsh | Evin, ward 350 | Tehran | 18 months suspended sentence | he was arrested during the 2009 protests on charges of protesting/gathering and propagating propaganda against the regime | due to severe beatings during torture he has lost 70% of his hearing and needs a hearing aid | 2010 | |
| Dr. Haani Yazloo | 59 | Evin, ward 350 | Tehran | 6 years | propaganda against the regime he was previously arrested and sentenced to 1 year in prison and 15 years in exile | He has had 2 open heart surgeries and suffers from extremely high blood pressure. | 2012 |
| Pajman Abdodlhossein Zade | Evin, ward 350 | Tehran | Held for 1 year | Green movement activist from 2009 and arrested before and this year again | Broken arm during arrest | 2012 | |
| Mehdi Khodai | Evin, ward 350 | Tehran | 7 years | human rights activist acting against national security | Injured jaw and gums (due to beatings) | 2012 | |
| Zaniar Moradi | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | Death-hanging | enemy of God alleged killing of the son of an Imam | Broken spine and unbearable pain as result of routine torture, paralysis | 2008 | |
| Loghman Moradi | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | Death-hanging | enemy of God alleged killing of the son of an Imam | Broken spine and unbearable pain as result of routine torture | 2008 | |
| Yashar Daralshafa | Evin | Tehran | 5.5 years | acting against national security insulting the President | Problems with spine and disc | 2009 | |
| Saeed MatinPour | 38 | Evin | Tehran | 8 years | acting against national security contacting with foreigners | Extreme back pain and numb legs | 1997 |
| Ahmad Doneshpour | Evin | Tehran | Death | Supporter of the MEK | Crohn's and intestinal bleeding | 2009 | |
| Ayatollah Hossein Boroujerdi | 54 | Evin | Tehran | One year in Tehran and 10 years exile | Accused of acting against national security, holding lectures and public incitement against the regime and Islamic Constitution | Due to torture he is suffering from Parkinson's diseases, heart disease, kidney failure, pulmonary edema, edema of the legs, diabetes, high blood pressure, 90% loss of vision in the right eye and many other ailments | 2006 |
| Rasool Badaghi | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | In prison 6 years | Teachers Union board member | Severe debilitating headaches | 2009 | |
| Reza Shahabi | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 4 years prison and 5 years ban on union activities, 70 million Tomans fine | Union worker activist member of imprisoned workers union | high blood pressure and neck and low back pain | 2010 | |
| Mohammad Jarahi | Tabriz Prison | Tabriz | 5 years | Workers Union member | Thyroid gland tumor which has developed to cancer | 2011 | |
| Mohammad Ali Taheri | 54 | Evin ward 209 | Tehran | 7 years prison, 900 million Tomans fine and 64 lashes | Apostasy, violating national security establishment of a spiritual center( Erfan-e Halghe) | Has been on hunger strike 9 times and has serious infection of the mouth and jaw | |
| Hamid Navid | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | Death | Lymphatic cancer | |||
| Ali Alaee | Evin | Tehran | 7 years | Collaboration with a hostile enemy government | Heart disease and spinal cord pain/injury | ||
| Mostafa Daneshjoo | Evin -- intelligence /security section | Tehran | in prison without sentencing | part of the Dervish Gonabadi group | Lung disease, difficulty breathing | 2011 | |
| Reza Entesary | Evin | Tehran | Webmaster, blogger (blog: Majzobane Noor) | Injury to left arm | 2011 | ||
| Assadollah Hadi | Evin | Tehran | 5 years | Ex-political prisoner in '80s acting against national security | Severe heart disease along with problems with the meniscus of the knee | 2009 | |
| Asghar Ghattan | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 5.5 years | Ex-political prisoner in 80's connection to MEK organization | Kidney and heart problems along with prostate issues | 2010 | |
| Mohmmad Salemi | 64 | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 3 years | Ex-political prisoner in 80's connection to MEK organization enemy of God | Heart disease and spinal sciatica and kidney problems | 2009 |
| Mohammad Sadigh Kabodavand | Evin | Tehran | 10.5 years | establishing a human rights organization and acting against national security | Prostate problems | 1997 | |
| Kamyar Sabeti | Evin | Tehran | 5 years | spying | Heart disease | ||
| Sina Azeemi | Evin | Tehran | 5 years | spying | Problems breathing/lung issues | ||
| Mohsen Daneshpour | 67 | Evin | Tehran | Death | acting against national security enemy of God connection to MEK organization | Heart and prostate disease | 2009 |
| Hassan Faraji | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 7 years | spying | Heart disease, spinal cord injury, intestinal disease | 2009 | |
| Alireza Ahmadi | 30 | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | Collaborating with enemy | Broken legs during interrogation as a result of being kicked | 2012 | |
| Tasavor Taghipour | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 7 years | member of human rights organization and thus propaganda against the regime | Jaw and gum problems | 2012 | |
| Mohammad Davari | 41 | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 5 years | Acting against national security | Knee and lower back joint problems along with mouth and teeth injuries | 2009 |
| Amir Khoram | 51 | Evin | Tehran | 8 years | Member of the Freedom Movement - conspiring against national security | Jaw and gum injuries | 2009 |
| Amir Eslami | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | No sentence arrested in 2011 | Member of Darvish Gonabadi and webmaster, blogger (blog: Majzobane Noor) | Severe heart and intestinal pain | 2011 | |
| Rahman Ghahermanpour | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 3.5 years | spying | Spinal cord pain, nose, ear and throat issues | 2011 | |
| Esmael Barzagari | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | No sentence arrested 2011 | Acting against national security | Gum and jaw issues | 2011 | |
| Nader Jani | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 3.5 years | Assembly and collusion against national security | Spinal cord, heart lung problems | 2012 | |
| Saeed Mohammad Ebrahimi | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 5 years | insulting the Supreme Leader Acting against national security involvement in a soft Coup | Asthma and intestinal issues plus lower back Joint problem - herniated disc | 2010 | |
| Hamid Reza Moradi | Evin ward 209 | Tehran | No sentence | Member of Darvish Gonabadi acting against national security spreading lies and propaganda | Spinal stenosis | 2011 | |
| Hossein Zarrini | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 4 years | Assembly and collusion against national security | epilepsy | 2010 | |
| Behnam Ebrahim Zade | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 5 years | Workers Union Activist | Arthritis in the neck and ear, jaw and kidney pain | 2010 | |
| Saeed Abedeeni | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 8 years | Establishing and running a church from his home | Bleeding from stomach and bladder | 2012 | |
| Farzad Rohi | Evin | Tehran | 3.5 years | Propaganda against the regime and insulting Islam | Sinusitis | 2010 | |
| Assadollah Assadi | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 10 years | Collaborating with enemy | Lung problems/disease | 2010 | |
| Gholamreza Hosseini | Evin ward 209 | Tehran | 10 years | Collaborating with enemy | The destruction of the hip joint, and leg – gum issues | 2010 | |
| Majid Assadi | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 4 years | Assembly and collusion against national security | Anxiety and severe headaches | 2008 | |
| Nader Karbassi | 58 | Evin | Tehran | No sentence | Communicating with opposition groups | Joint problem - herniated disc | 2011 |
| Mohammad Banazade Amir-Kheezi | 68 | Evin ward 209 | Tehran | 5 years | Communicating with MEK organization | History of surgery and has severe bone pain | 2010 |
| Mushallah Hatteri | 61 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 15 years | Ex-political prisoner in the 80s protesting in 2009 demonstrations | Has had heart surgery and suffers from brain hemorrhage | 2009 |
| Riazollah Sobhani | 68 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 4 years | Professor of online Baha'i school, member of the Baha'i faith | History of heart surgery. arthritis in hands and feet | 2011 |
| Jamal Khanjani | 80 | Evin | Tehran | 20 years | Member of the Baha'i faith Accused of spying for Israel | Old age | 2008 |
| Mohammad Saifzadeh | 66 | Evin ward 350 | Tehran | 8 years | Establishing human rights organization and acting against the regime | Stroke, numbness of hands and feet. Severe chest pains | 2011 |
| Farhad Sadaghi | 67 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 4 years | Professor of online Baha'i school and member of Baha'i faith | Kidney stones, gall bladder stones and cataracts | 2011 |
| Kayvan Samimi | 65 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 6 years | Questioning the 2009 election results and calling the results fraudulent | Severe heart disease - joint problems - need for internal operations | 2009 |
| Sharokh Tanef | 64 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 4 years | Being a member of the Baha'i faith | Joint pain | 2008 |
| Karim Ma'rof Aziz | 70 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | Life in prison | spying | Diabetes - old age | 1995 |
| Behrooz Azizi Tavakoli | 62 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 20 years | Member of Baha'i faith Spying for Israel | Coronary Heart – Arthritis and herniated disc | 1997 |
| Fariba Kamal Abadi (female) | Evin | Tehran | 20 years | Member of Baha'i faith Spying for Israel | Osteoporosis | 2007 | |
| Mahvash Shahriyari (female) | Evin | Tehran | 20 years | Member of Baha'i faith Spying for Israel | Osteoporosis and depression | 2008 | |
| Hassan Fatali Ashtiani | 64 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 15 years | Communication with MEK organization | Joint pain | 2007 |
| Kamran Mortezai | 61 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 5 years | Member of Baha'i faith Spying for Israel | Severe back and knee pain | 2011 |
| Amonollah Mostaghim | |||||||
| Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 5 years | Member of Baha'i faith And a teacher of the faith online | Diabetic, heart disease and history of open heart surgery | 2010 | ||
| Favad Moghadam | 62 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 5 years | Member of Baha'i faith And a teacher of the faith online | Swelling of the arteries and herniated disc | 2011 |
| Adelle Naemi | 61 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 11 years | Member of Baha'i faith Spying for Israel | Heart disease, diabetic and past gall bladder and intestine surgery | 2011 |
| Neymat Rashidi | 21 | Evin | Tehran | No sentence | Member of the minority group of Kurdistan communications with opposition groups | Pain from injuries caused by torture | 2011 |
| Ali Ma'ezi | 59 | Central prison | Karaj | One year in prison - suspended | Enemy of God and supporter of MEK organization | bladder cancer | 2011 |
| Reza Joshan | 27 | 2.5 years in prison and 3 years exile | Enemy of God | Vision and heart problems and increased blood platelet count | 2010 | ||
| Mijagh Bozdannejad | 27 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 13 years | Communication with MEK And paying tribute to those executed in 1988 | depression | 2007 |
| Mohammad Ali Mansouri | 53 | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 18 years | Communication with MEK | 2007 | |
| Saeed Maasoori | 48 | Gohardasht | Karaj | Life | Communication with MEK | Heart disease painful gums,, back pain | 2000 |
| Shahram Radmehr | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 9 years | Propaganda against the regime and insulting Islam | |||
| Behnoud Gholizadeh | Rajai Shahr | Karaj | 9 years | Propaganda against the regime and insulting Islam | |||
| Sedigheh Moradi | 54 | 9 years | |||||
| Motahareh Bahrami | 60 | Evin | Tehran | 10 years | Enemy of god and connection with MEK | 2009 | |
| Kobra Bannazadeh Amirkhizi | 62 | Evin | Tehran | 5 years | Enemy of god and connection with MEK | ||
| Peyman KasNezhad | Evin | Tehran | 3 years | Connection with Israel | |||
| Davoud Asadi | 78 | Kianoush Sabouri | |||||
| Omid Shahmoradi Sanandaji | Evin | Tehran | 3 years | Acting against national security | 2011 | ||
| Mahdi Sajedifar | 35 | Evin | Tehran | Connection with foreign government | 2011 | ||
| Amir Moladoust | |||||||
| Morteza Rahim Tayefeh | |||||||
| Majid Mohammadi Moien | Evin | Tehran | 4 years | Connection with foreign government | 2012 | ||
| Afshin Karampour | |||||||
| MohammadHossein Yousefpour | Evin | Tehran | 5.5 years | Propaganda against the regime and apostasy | 2009 | ||
| Abdollah Momeni | 36 | Evin | Tehran | Propaganda against the regime and apostasy | 2009 | ||
| Alireza Ousivand Karimi | |||||||
| Omid Kokabee | 31 | Evin | Tehran | 10 years | communicating with a hostile government | kidney problems some stomach issues | 2011 |
| Zeynab Jalalian | 33 | Dizel-Abad | Kermanshah | Life | enmity against God (moharebeh) | losing eye sight | 2007 |
| Hossein ronaghi | 28 | Evin | Tehran | 15 years | Acting against national security | Kidny disease, stomach bleeding, several hunger strikes in prison | 2009 |
| Sakhi Rigi | Karoon | Ahvaz | 20 years | Acting against national security, Webmaster, blogger, Jondollah supporter | Issue with his Thyroid gland | ||
| Ebrahim Rigi | Karoon | Ahvaz | 11 years | Acting against national security and Jondollah supporter | Bladder, Kidney and urine tract | ||
| Esmael Vafavi | Karoon | Ahvaa | 25 years | Acting against national security and Jondollah supporter | Seizures, severe headache and deformed in the region of the scalp due to lashing | ||
| Syed Zia Navabi | Karoon | Ahvaa | 10 years | Acting against national security, Support for right of education | Gum and tooth infection | ||
| Majid Doori | Karoon | Ahvaa | 6 years | Acting against national security, Support for Right ofEducation | Gum and tooth infection | ||
| Yousef Fotuhi | Karoon | Ahvaa | 9 years | Connection with PEJAK | Suspicious painful lump between his shoulder | ||
| Kazem Khosh Namak | Karoon | Ahvaa | 10 years | Collaborating with enemy | Extreme weakness of vision |
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