Iran has Arrested Top Militant Rebel Leader Abdolmalek Rigi

TEHRAN: Tehran based Arabic news channel Al-Alam said that he has been arrested in the “east of the country”, while the Fars news agency is quoting the Iranian intelligence ministry saying the arrest did take place for the “Jundallah leader along with two of his group members.”

No further information has been forwarded so far.

Rigi heads a shadowy Sunni militant group called Jundallah (Army of God) which has been accused by Iranian officials of carrying out several attacks in the Sistan-Balochistan province.

The province, which houses a significant population of Sunni Baloch, is a hotbed of Sunni insurgency against Shia rule in Iran.

U.S Anti-Missile Shield in Europe Against Iran

WASHINGTON: A planned US anti-missile shield in Europe is intended to protect against the ‘emergent threat’ from Iran, the US State Department said on Thursday.

‘Our revised approach is tailored to address the emergent threat coming to the region from Iran,’ said department spokesman Philip Crowley.

‘We’re going to protect our interests and those of our allies,’ he added, confirming that Romania would host medium-range ballistic missile interceptors as part of the shield system.

Romania’s President Traian Basescu earlier announced that his country had agreed to participate in the system, which is expected to be operational by 2015.

The United States in September shelved a plan to place missile defence facilities in the Czech Republic and Poland, after strong protests from Russia.

President Barack Obama’s administration announced the new programme in September, saying it would reconfigure the system after reevaluating the threat from Iranian long-range ballistic missiles, and deciding to focus on protecting against short- and medium-range missiles.

Fehmer Stands to Improve Commercial Ties with Iran

TEHRAN: Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker, National Assembly, held a meeting with Speaker of the Iranian Majlis-e-Shoora Dr. Ali Larijani, in Tehran.

During the meeting, the entire range of bilateral relations between the two countries were discussed particularly the need to remove impediments to trade, implementation of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

They also stressed for more frequent contacts between Parliamentarians of both the countries, business communities and visa facilitation for the businessmen of both the countries.

Dr. Fehmida Mirza emphasized the need for greater cooperation in energy, electricity, transport and communication sectors for mutual benefits of both the countries. The Speaker underlined the need for early completion of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project to meet the energy requirements of Pakistan.

The speaker also expressed the need for increase of contacts between the Parliamentarians and political leadership of the two countries. Dr. Fehmida Mirza urged for enhancing the interaction between women parliamentarians of Pakistan and Iran.

The Speaker highlighted the efforts of the government of Pakistan to eliminate extremism and terrorism from the country. She said that Pakistan was fighting against the terrorism to secure the whole region and world.

She said that the Government was committed to eliminate the terrorism and entire nation is united to curb the menace of extremism. She said that the Parliament had also passed unanimous resolutions in this regard. She apprised her Iranian counterpart about the formation and functioning of the National Assembly and its standing committees.

Dr. Larijani, Speaker Majlis-e-Shooray Islam Iran appreciated the role of Pakistan and assured Madam Speaker Iran’s support to Pakistan’s efforts in this regard. The two sides also reviewed the regional situation and in this context emphasized the need for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Mullen Warns Against Attack on Iran

WASHINGTON News updates: US Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warns that any military attack on Iran will be “very, very destabilizing” and will have unintended consequences for the Middle East.

Admiral Mullen accused Tehran of being “on a path that has strategic intent to develop nuclear weapons and have been for some time.”

“I think that outcome is potentially a very, very destabilizing outcome on the other hand, when asked about striking Iran, specifically, that also has a very, very destabilizing outcome,” Adm. Mullen told a gathering at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

He underlined that diplomacy is crucial in resolving the standoff over Iran’s nuclear energy program. However, Mullen says the US military is prepared for any eventuality in Iran, despite being stretched by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adm. Mullen said he worried about “unintended consequences” of either scenario, adding “that part of the world could become much more unstable, which is a dangerous global outcome.”

Iran Test-Fires Medium-Range Sejil Missile

TEHRAN news updates: Iran on Wednesday successfully test-fired an improved version of its Sejil 2 medium-range missile which it says can reach targets inside Israel, state television announced.

The two-stage Sejil, powered by solid fuel, is capable according to Iran of reaching distances of 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), which would put arch-foe Israel, most Arab states and parts of Europe, including much of Turkey, within range.

U.S. House Votes to Expand Sanctions Against Iran

WASHINGTON news updates: US House voted Tuesday to impose new economic sanctions on Iran as lawmakers cast doubt on Iran’s willingness to respond to diplomatic efforts to curtail its purported nuclear arms program.

The legislation, approved 412-12, would end access to U.S. markets for foreign companies selling refined petroleum products to Iran or helping that country develop its petroleum capacity. While Iran is a major crude oil producer, its lack of ability to produce enough gasoline and other refined petroleum products is a major economic vulnerability.

With no Senate action on the legislation expected this year, the House vote was for the time being mainly a warning that the United States is ready to act on its own if the Tehran government doesn’t respond to current international efforts to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

The bill drew opposition from lawmakers who said it would mainly cause hardship among poor and middle-class Iranians.

Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, in a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, said the Barack Obama administration was “entering a critical period of intense diplomacy to impose significant international pressure on Iran.”

Sanctions legislation “might weaken rather than strengthen international unity and support for our efforts,” Steinberg’s letter said.

Diplomatic Opportunity Still Exists in Iran N-Issue: Ali Larijani

TEHRAN news update: Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Ali Larijani, said Monday it is still possible to use diplomacy to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue.

“There is still a diplomatic opportunity and it is beneficial for them to use this opportunity so that Iran proceeds within the framework of IAEA regulations and international surveillance and they see clearly that Iran is moving towards peaceful activities,” Larijani told reporters at a press conference on the occasion of Parliament Day on Monday.

“Off course they are free to choose another path and Iran will behave according to that,” he added.

Referring to Iran-P5+1 talks for supply of Tehran’s nuclear reactor fuel, he said, “perhaps they thought they can take our country’s enriched materials by deceit.”

Asked about the possibility of economic sanctions or military attack against Iran over its nuclear dossier, he said Iran has never neglected the possibilities but added the enemy does not dare to invade Iran.

“Israelis threatened Iran and it made Iran think of other ways to protect its nuclear facilities, threats were raised but they never dared to do it because Israel’s interior situation is disturbed.”

Asked about Iran’s nuclear situation in the future and in case of tougher sanctions by the West against the country, he said if they want to continue the diplomatic path, Iran is also ready to continue negotiations.

He also criticized the West for using the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a lever to politicize the atmosphere.

Also regarding the guarantees that Iran is seeking in the nuclear issue, he explained, “we don’t want any special guarantee except for implementation of the agency’s regulations.”

“Iran accepts to continue its move within the framework of the NPT, therefore, they must guarantee that they won’t meddle in, but what they recently did in the Board of Governors was out of the NPT regulations,” he said.

“We believe that they must guarantee the NPT regulations are implemented properly and they don’t make political interference.”

Iran’s Parliament believes that the international capacity is not limited and the capacity could be used to resolve the issue diplomatically, he added.

He also urged the West to be frank and do not seek for deceit saying, “they say they want to reach an understanding with Iran but they issue resolutions against it, this approach harms our image.”

Larijani also emphasized, “nuclear energy is a key issue for Iran and it is naive if the West presumes it can change it with a candy now that we have struggled to reach here.”

The Parliament Speaker also touched on Russia’s behavior towards Iran including Bushehr nuclear power plant and S300 anti-missile systems saying, “Russians have not acted properly in some cases but it does not mean that they are an enemy, although such behaviors influence other issues.”

U.S Lack the Courage to Attack Israel: Ahmadinejad

BRASILIA News Update: Visiting Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said that US and Israeli military threats against Iran were a thing of the past, and that, in any case, “they don’t have the courage” to attack Iran.

“The age of military attacks is over, now we’ve reached the time for dialogue and understanding. Weapons and threats are a thing of the past,” the Iranian told a joint press conference with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, closing his one-day visit.

Fielding a question on whether he feared an attack from Israel or the United States, Ahmadinejad said armed confrontation was no longer a possibility.

That’s clear “even for mentally challenged people,” he said with a smile.

Besides, he added, “those you mention (Israel and United States) don’t have the courage to attack Iran. They’re not even thinking about it.”

Ahmadinejad met for three hours with Lula to discuss Iran’s controversial nuclear program, over which Lula urged Teheran to find a “just solution” with Western powers.

Iran’s Threats to Target Tel Aviv if Israel Attacks

TEHRAN: Representative of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini said that if Iran is attacked then it will target Israeli city Tel Aviv. Iran is to begin large-scale air defence war games aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from possible attack.

The drill comes as a top clerical official renewed his threat to target “the heart of Tel Aviv” should Israel attack Iran.

The five-day drill will involve Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard and the regular army and will cover 230,000 square miles of central, western and southern Iran, said air force General Ahmad Mighani.

As Iran has pressed forward with its nuclear program, Israel has repeatedly threatened military action to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The US has also not ruled out military action should diplomacy fail to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities.

The West suspects Iran aims to use a civilian nuclear program as cover to produce weapons, and Iran has effectively rejected a new UN proposal aimed at easing those concerns.

Tehran denies any intention to make nuclear weapons and says it only wants to generate power.

The defence drill will involve an attack by planes representing a hypothetical enemy.

“Reconnaissance enemy planes will violate our air space and try to disrupt electronic and radar systems, identify sensitive facilities, take photos and … attack air defense sites,” Gen Mighani said. “Our air defence system will confront the intruding planes.”

A planned key component of Iran’s air defences, an anti-aircraft missile system from Russia, has yet to be delivered.

Gen Mighani criticised Russia, saying the months-long delay in the S-300 missiles was apparently the result of Israeli pressure, not technical issues, as Moscow claims.

Pakistan Ranks 42nd in Global Corruption Index: TI

KARACHI,Pakistan: According to the latest Transparency International (TI) corruption report, Pakistan has become more corrupt as compared to 2008. The TI announced its report today in which Pakistan had moved up quite a few positions in the list of the most corrupt countries and ranked at number 42 in the list.
Releasing the annual report, the TI chief in Pakistan, Adeel Gilani, had said that anti-corruption efforts in the country had taken a 180 degree turn after Gen Pervez Musharraf issued the National Reconciliation Ordinance on October 5, 2007, 56 days after the ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption.

Somalia, Afghanistan seen most corrupt among 180 nations whereas New Zealand, Denmark have best scores in watchdog ranking

Releasing its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) on Tuesday, the watchdog said Afghanistan had sunk for the second straight year in its ranking of 180 nations based on perceived levels of corruption in the public sector.

The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and 10, low levels. The ranking is based on data from country experts and business leaders at 10 independent institutions, including the World Bank, Economist Intelligence Unit and World Economic Forum.

For the third year running, the conflict-ridden east African nation of Somalia came in last, this time with a score of 1.1.

Afghanistan had the second-worst ranking at 1.3, down from 1.5 in 2008 and 1.8 in 2007. Myanmar followed with a score of 1.4, while Iraq and Sudan were both on 1.5.

New Zealand was the top-ranked country with a score of 9.4, followed by Denmark at 9.3, and Singapore and Sweden, both on 9.2.

Countries which saw their ranking drop included Iran, which fell to 1.8 from 2.3 following a presidential election in June that the opposition said was rigged.

Political turmoil also contributed to a fall in Ukraine’s score to 2.2 from 2.5. Greece saw its score slide to 3.8 from 4.7, reflecting insufficient anti-corruption enforcement, lengthy delays in the judicial process and a string of corporate scandals that TI said pointed to “systemic weaknesses”.

Nations that improved included the United States, which rose to 7.5 from 7.3. TI cited Washington’s swift response to the financial crisis, including reforms demanding greater transparency and accountability.

Poland rose to 5.0 from 4.6 after establishing an anti-corruption office. Russia edged up to 2.2 from 2.1, a rise attributed to anti-corruption legislation introduced by President Dmitry Medvedev. But TI noted that the excessive role of the Russian government in the economy remained a problem.

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