Syria's president promises a national dialogue to consider political reforms,

Syria's president promises a national dialogue to consider political reforms, but his vague overtures to a pro-democracy uprising fall flat as protesters take to the streets shouting "Liar!" and demanding his ouster. In only his third public appearance since the revolt erupted in March, Bashar Assad blames the unrest on "saboteurs," offers modest potential reforms, but gives no sign he'd move toward ending the Assad family's political domination.
___

2 dead in insurgent attack in Afghan capital

A police officer and an eyewitness say suicide bombers have attacked a police station near the presidential palace in the heart of the Afghan capital, killing two police officers.

A police officer said one suicide bomber also had been killed in the attack in Kabul that started early Saturday afternoon. The officer requested anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media.

A 32-year-old eyewitness, Mohammed Honayon, told The Associated Press the attackers were wearing Afghan army uniforms and opened fire as they tried to enter the police station.

A gun battle between insurgents and security forces was still going on for control of the station.

 

Four British men held on spying and terrorism charges in the Horn of Africa state of Eritrea have been freed after five months in captivity.

The two ex-Marine guards and two civilian crew members, working for an anti-piracy security firm, were expected to land at Heathrow airport late tonight.

But questions remained over the security contractors' activities in the isolationist country, including official allegations that they set up a "military base" on a remote island and stashed sniper rifles, silencers, pistols and "poison-tipped" bullets "intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage".

The men worked for British maritime security company Protection Vessels International, which said they made an unscheduled stop in Eritrea last December owing to rough weather while en route to provide security for ships in an area where piracy is rife. PVI claimed they were arrested because of "confusion over fuel payments".

But Eritrea's government insisted that the men were detained as they tried to leave Eritrean waters without permission, and said its searches then uncovered a weapons cache on the island of Romia. The government alleged that a total of 21 PVI employees were involved in crimes "against Eritrean sovereignty", and that four were caught while trying to escape.

"On 19 December, 21 members of the PVI (including those four detained) infiltrated and deployed different types of weapons, poison-tipped bullets, bulletproof vests, specialised communication equipment and infrared night-vision binoculars in the sovereign Eritrean island of Romia," a government press release said last week.

"There is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage. Hence, the members are accountable for infiltrating into the sovereign Eritrean island of Romia and stashing weaponry, for orchestrating acts of espionage and terrorism."

The statement also claimed that 11 seamen stayed in hiding on Romia for four days, along with military hardware, equipment and communication facilities. "These seamen were given directives to keep guard in twos and to pose as 'tourists keen to observe sharks'," it said, proving that the PVI had been using Romia "as its military base and arms depot".

PVI employs former British marines to provide armed on-board security and escort vessels for shipping operating in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It has denied Eritrea's claims.

Paul Gibbins, a company spokesman, said this was the worst event in the company's two-year history and a full investigation would be conducted into what had gone wrong.

"We need to find out what the pinch point was. Was there a confusion over the fuel? Was there an issue over the vessel's departure? We just don't know at this stage," he said. "The whole episode has been a series of unfortunate events."

Gibbins denied that the company was involved "any espionage or acts of assassination". He said that the ship had been forced to stop in Massawa for a crucial fuel resupply and equipment repair.

But, he insisted, the company had worked hard before it docked to ensure that the ship's presence was not regarded "as a threat or hostile action".

"Christopher Collison was dispatched to Massawa to liaise with the local shipping agent and the port authority," he said. "He was there for four days, explaining and negotiating. We had only intermittent contact with him during that time, because mobile phones don't work in that area. We worked very hard to ascertain if it was safe to enter the port."

Gibbins said that, despite the lack of contact, the company was eventually forced to make the decision to give the ship permission to enter the port. However, he said, it had tried to "desensitise" and "detune" the presence of both the ship and its crew by unloading the weapons they carried as part of their regular duties on Romia, an outlying and uninhabitated island, before landing.

"We did everything we could to make it clear our presence was not misconstrued as a hostile act," he said.

The ship spent five days at Massawa, but was eventually forced to leave before it had fully refuelled. "We needed 15 tonnes of fuel but could only get 1,500 litres before we were forced to leave to meet an engagement to provide security for clients," said Gibbins. "In hindsight, it's true we could have done things better but, given the time constraints and the immediacy of the decisions that needed to be made, we worked hard to facilitate safe entry to the port. We do regret those unfortunate events and apologise to everyone concerned."

Election rules lost on the Arab world

IF the Western world does not tie specific demands to the dollars it is giving away, Egypt will go the way of the Palestinians.

In 2006 the Palestinians held what was touted as their first democratic election and the most un-democratic of parties took the plurality. Hamas, the terrorist organisation, won. Hamas was charged with choosing a prime minister and with carving out a government.

In the end, it didn't totally happen. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the opposition party Fatah, ousted Hamas's prime minister and unceremoniously inserted his own choice. Hamas revolted and kicked Fatah out of Gaza. Now five years later, in a move understood only by the Palestinian leadership, Fatah and Hamas have forged a unity government.

The Arab world watched what happened in the Palestinian Authority. And the Arab world learned a lesson.



The US along with the rest of the Western world watched, but they did not learn. The US has just pledged $US1 billion dollars to the Egyptians. The G-8 has promised $US40bn to Arab countries willing to implement democratic transformations. The Western world has high hopes for the Arab world and, understandably, the limelight is shining on Egypt. Hosni Mubarak, the brutal dictator, was ousted in February and the ruling military authority in Egypt has promised elections for September. Not just any elections, democratic elections.

But it can't happen. September is only three months from now. More time elapsed from the fall of Mubarak to the call for elections than will elapse from the call for elections to the time of elections. In other words, the Egyptians now running the country took more time to think about calling for elections than they are giving themselves to re-organise, re-orient and re-group for democratic elections which have never been held before in their country.

It's a game. The Egyptian military knows that it cannot happen. It is toying with the West. The military is still busy clamping down on restless protesters and is too busy and too preoccupied to concentrate on laying down the framework for a democratic infrastructure. Even if they had the time, the generals in charge have no inclination to prepare for a democratic election in their new Egypt. They want to hold on to their power for as long as they possibly can. They want to cement their control over the people and convince them that their best chance for a better life comes through continued military rule.

Egypt's generals realise how dangerous democracy can be.

Hamas is to the Palestinian Authority what the Muslim Brotherhood is to the new Egypt. If elections are held in September this Islamic, terrorist, anti-democratic organisation has a significant chance of having a strong turnout. If the Muslim Brotherhood gets its expected 20 per cent of the vote it might become the second most powerful party and the pivotal force of Egypt.

The rule throughout much of Europe is that anti-democratic forces are not permitted to stand for election in new, fledgling democracies. In Germany, in particular, where the tradition of democracy is still new, that rule is strongly enforced. There are clear and unbiased ways of evaluating a political party and their players. Platforms and statements are studied to determine if they express democratic or anti- and un-democratic values and policies. When the Palestinians first spoke of a democratically held election, the US and Israel insisted Hamas be prohibited from participating. But with building pressure came capitulation. The rest is history.

Democracy has but one major responsibility and that is to guard itself against those who want to destroy it.

The most significant lesson of Hitler's rise to power was the two elections of 1932. In both those ballots, Hitler received a plurality, he was democratically elected. When he ascended to power in January of 1933 one the first things Hitler did was pass the Enabling Act, which eliminated democracy. Hitler used democracy to gain power and then destroyed the democracy that put him in place.

If there are to be democratic elections in the Arab world, then first teach them about equality. Teach them to disagree without killing the person with whom you disagree. Teach them to defend the rights of the minority.

Teach them what democracy means. Then, maybe, democracy will have a chance of succeeding in the Arab world. Without that infrastructure, just keep the thugs in place and save a few billion dollars.

 

A Yemeni colonel, two soldiers and four suspected Al-Qaeda militants were killed in clashes in the flashpoint southern city of Zinjibar

A Yemeni colonel, two soldiers and four suspected Al-Qaeda militants were killed in clashes in the flashpoint southern city of Zinjibar on Sunday, a military official and medics said.
"I lost one of my men, Colonel Salem al-Zuba," who was killed in fierce clashes with Al-Qaeda gunmen, an officer of the besieged 25th mechanised brigade told AFP.
A medic at a military hospital in Aden said the bodies of two soldiers were brought in from clashes in Zinjibar, which was mostly overrun by suspected Al-Qaeda militants last month.
Al-Razi hospital in the nearby town of Jaar, meanwhile, "received the bodies of four Al-Qaeda militants, in addition to five others wounded," a medic told AFP.
An unidentified spokeman claiming to represent the gunmen in Zinjibar told AFP by telephone that the jihadists "stormed part of the camp of the 25th brigade," a report denied by the officer.
Residents said fighter planes overflew Zinjibar on Sunday.

Syrian troops fought with ''armed gangs'' in the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur yesterday,

Syrian troops fought with ''armed gangs'' in the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur yesterday, state television reported, as international outrage mounted at Syria's brutal crackdown on protesters.

''Army divisions entered Jisr al-Shughur and purged the state hospital of armed groups,'' the report said.

''Violent clashes pitched the army divisions against armed groups positioned inside and around the town,'' it added.

Advertisement: Story continues below
Jisr al-Shughur, in north-western Syria near the border with Turkey, has been the focus of military operations for days, following what the authorities said was the massacre of 120 policemen by ''armed gangs'' in the town last Monday.

Human rights activists and residents deny the allegations of a massacre and say a number of policemen were executed by other security force members when they refused to fire on protesters in the town.

Harrowing reports of atrocities committed during Syria's crackdown, including deserting soldiers' accounts of massacred civilians, have sparked fresh international outrage.

The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-moon, expressed concern at the mounting death toll, while the US and the European Union urged the President, Bashar al-Assad, to let aid workers in.

As the death toll mounted, detailed accounts emerged from some of the thousands who fled to Turkey from the bloodshed in Jisr al-Shughur.

Among them were Syrian army deserters who told of atrocities committed by soldiers, who were under the threat of execution if they disobeyed orders.

Tahal al-Lush described the operation, in Ar-Rastan, a town of 50,000 people in Homs province, that had pushed him to desert.

''We were told that people were armed there. But when we arrived, we saw that they were ordinary civilians. We were ordered to shoot them,'' he said.

''When we entered the houses, we opened fire on everyone, the young, the old … Women were raped in front of their husbands and children,'' he said.

The turmoil has pushed 4600 Syrians to seek refuge in Turkey, a government official said.

Both the EU and the US are backing a UN Security Council resolution proposed by Britain and France that condemns Syria for its crackdown.

Libya condemns visit of foreign officials in Benghazi, threatens retaliation

Libya Thursday strongly condemned the visit of foreign officials to the eastern part of the country, particularly Benghazi, the stronghold of the rebel army fighting the regime of Mouammar Kadhafi. The Libyan General People's Committee for External Relations and International Cooperation issued a statement condemning the visits, which it described as 'a flagrant violation of international law, an encroachment on the sovereignty of the Libyan people, a blatant interference in its internal affairs and support to the separatist rebel groups under flimsy pretexts.'

In the statement, Libya threatened retaliation against foreign leaders who visit Benghazi.

Libya said it now reserved the right to establish contacts with movements claiming independence in the Canary Islands, for example, to work towards the liberation of enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla; to forge an alliance with the Basque country to provide support for independence of Scotland, the island of Lampedusa and Pantriya for the return of these territories to Tunisia, their motherland.

Senegal is also targeted by Libya, according to the statement, as President Abdoulaye Wade was expected Thursday in Benghazi.

'The Libyan people have the right to support Casamance rebels, who have been fighting for almost three decades for the independence of their region,' the statement said.

 

About a thousand protesters return to Baghdad's Tahrir Square

About a thousand protesters return to Baghdad's Tahrir Square. Many protesters there and in other cities around the country opposed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's decision to not fire anyone in his Cabinet after this week's expiration of a self-imposed 100-day deadline for reforms. Al-Maliki had promised to purge his government of corruption and dysfunction and provide more electricity and better public services, but the deadline passed earlier this week with little fallout.

Bahrain's most senior Shiite cleric says there is no chance for talks with the Gulf nation's Sunni rulers

Bahrain's most senior Shiite cleric says there is no chance for talks with the Gulf nation's Sunni rulers while security forces maintain their clampdown on protesters calling for equal rights and political freedoms. The sermon by Sheik Isa Qassim underscores the deep discontent among Bahrain's Shiite majority despite the lifting of martial law-style rules earlier this month and appeals for dialogue by the Sunni monarchy. It also marks another blow to the ruling establishment after organizers of Bahrain's prestigious Formula One race called off efforts to reschedule the 2011 event, which was canceled in March amid the unrest.

___

Libyan government forces pound the outskirts of the rebel-held city of Misrata

Libyan government forces pound the outskirts of the rebel-held city of Misrata, killing at least 22 people, a hospital physician says. The doctor at Hikma Hospital, who would only give his first name, Ayman, said Moammar Gadhafi's forces used tanks, artillery and incendiary rockets in the bombardment of Dafniya, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) west of Misrata. He said at least 61 people are wounded in the attacks which began about 10 a.m. local time. Gadhafi forces had renewed their shelling near Misrata on Wednesday. The city is one of the few footholds rebels have in western Libya and controls the country's largest port.

Nearly 100,000 Yemenis protest in a main square of the capital,

Nearly 100,000 Yemenis protest in a main square of the capital, demanding the president's ouster in the biggest rally since Ali Abdullah Saleh left for Saudi Arabia after he was wounded in an attack on his palace. Saleh's evacuation for medical treatment has thrown Yemen into a dangerous political standoff, with opponents insisting he now be pushed completely out of power and his allies seeking to preserve his rule. Saleh was wounded in a blast that hit a mosque where he was praying in his presidential palace on June 3. Badly burned, Saleh was rushed to Saudi Arabia for treatment along with a number of top officials from his regime who also were wounded in the blast.

Syrian forces shell a town in the country's restive north and open fire on scattered protests nationwide

Syrian forces shell a town in the country's restive north and open fire on scattered protests nationwide, killing at least 21 people, activists say. Hundreds of Syrians stream across the border into Turkey, trying to escape the violence. A Syrian opposition figure told The Associated Press by telephone that thousands of protesters overwhelmed security officers and torched the courthouse and police station in the northern town of Maaret al-Numan, and the army responded with tank shells. The man spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Syria's state-run television appear to confirm at least part of the report, saying gunmen opened fire on police stations in Maaret al-Numan, causing casualties among security officials.

___

Unrest across the Arab world combined with a government void in Lebanon and upheaval in neighboring Syria have dealt a severe blow to Beirut’s economy and dashed hopes of a record tourist season.

“Business has dropped 40 percent in the first six months of 2011,” lamented Pierre Achkar, head of Lebanon’s hotel syndicate.

“Most reservations have been cancelled and hotel occupancy across Beirut at best has reached 35 percent in the first three months this year.”

According to the tourism ministry, Lebanon witnessed a 15.5 percent drop in the number of tourists for the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. The ministry blamed this partly on the uprisings gripping the region coupled with domestic troubles that have left the country without a government for five months.

But tourism is not the only sector that is suffering: property transactions fell 21 percent quarter on quarter while customs revenues dropped some 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

The value of companies listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange fell 8.9 percent for 2011 to the end of May. Trading fell 58 percent with the total value being down 78 percent compared with the first five months of 2010.

And after the economy expanded at a record rate of 7.5 percent in 2010, the International Monetary Fund has forecast growth at 2.5 percent for 2011.

“What we are witnessing now is a trend reversal,” said Nassib Ghobril, head of economic research and analysis at Lebanon’s Byblos Bank.

“The significant slowdown in tax revenues has led to a widening public deficit, and there is a decline in consumer confidence due to Lebanon’s political crisis, which has led to an economic slowdown,” Ghobril told AFP.

“Businesses are in a wait-and-see mode,” he said, adding: “Those who have cash are saying ‘I am not buying a house right now,’ they would rather keep their liquidity and not invest.”

Despite a solid banking sector that helped Lebanon buck the global crisis, the country staggers under a public debt of more than $50 billion (37.5 billion euros), equivalent to 135 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The Iranian-backed militant and political group Hezbollah in January withdrew its ministers from the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, plunging the country into another crisis and prompting fears of sectarian violence.

Economists today warn that the decline in revenue and lack of economic reform could leave the state with no choice but to take on more debt.

“Lebanon managed to weather the global crisis,” noted Ghobril. “But it has missed a golden opportunity as there is no government and hence no reform.”

In 2010, the tiny Mediterranean country set a new tourism record, hosting more than two million visitors, equivalent to half its four-million population.

And while Beirut this year had set its hopes on attracting those tourists avoiding Tunisia and Egypt in the aftermath of the revolts there, hotel and airline reservations have been disappointing.

The kidnapping in March of seven Estonian cyclists, which remains as yet unsolved, has done little to reassure potential tourists.

Another factor is the timing this year of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, which begins on August 1.

Regular visitors from the oil-rich Gulf region, who flock to Lebanon in the hot summer season and are a vital source of income for Lebanon’s restaurants, hotels and shops, are also shying away this year.

“This is going to be a disaster,” Paul Ariss, head of the Lebanese syndicate of restaurants, told AFP. “Figures for the restaurant sector show that turnover is down by 40 percent and several restaurants and pubs have closed down” in the popular districts of Gemmayze and central Beirut.

“Last year, there was a rush to open new restaurants to meet the rising demand,” Ariss added. “Today, many have begun to lay off staff.”

SYRIAN HELICOPTER gunships fired machine guns to disperse a large pro-democracy protest in the Syrian town of Maarat al-Numaan

SYRIAN HELICOPTER gunships fired machine guns to disperse a large pro-democracy protest in the Syrian town of Maarat al-Numaan yesterday, witnesses said, in the first reported use of air power to quell protests in the country’s uprising.

“At least five helicopters flew over Maarat al-Numaan and began firing their machine guns to disperse the tens of thousands who marched in the protest,” one of the witnesses said.

Troops supported by tanks also began operations to “restore security” in the nearly deserted town of Jisr al-Shughour where 120 soldiers and policemen were killed last weekend.

Residents said 15,000 troops and 40 tanks had been deployed.

Opposition groups claimed that 28 people had been shot dead after rallies in various parts of the country.

While the government accuses rebel elements of shooting the soldiers in Jisr al-Shughour, townspeople say that troops and police turned their weapons against one another after some refused to fire on crowds demonstrating against the 38-year reign of the Baath party. Government spokeswoman Reem Haddad rejected reports of a mutiny.

Troops also moved into the village of Sarmaniya, 12km from Jisr al-Shughour, and shut down communications. A witness was quoted as saying: “They began as usual by firing heavy machine guns into the village. But the people had left.” He added that “hundreds of troops and security personnel have defected [to the opposition] in the last few days. They [pro-regime] forces might be thinking that they will find some in Sarmaniya”.

Two protesters were said to have been shot dead during a rally of 1,000 in the village of Busra al-Harir near Deraa, the cradle of the revolt that began in mid-March. Demonstrations took place in the central city of Homs and outside a mosque in Damascus.

While most troops have apparently, so far, obeyed commanders, substantial numbers of defections could change the balance of power in favour of the opposition. Human rights activists have broadcast a video said to come from Lieut Col Hussein Armoush who said he had joined “the ranks of the masses, demanding freedom and democracy”.

Turkish prime minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan accused the government of committing “atrocities”.

He spoke out after more than 3,000 Syrian refugees had crossed the border into southern Turkey where the Red Crescent has established two tent camps to shelter them.

On the Syrian political front, pro-government daily al-Watan said preparations were being made for a national dialogue involving anyone having no “foreign agenda” who wishes to take part. President Bashar al-Assad has appointed vice-president Farouk al-Sharaa, adviser Bouthaina Shaaban and vice-president for cultural affairs Najah al-Attar to participate with the objective of achieving a peaceful resolution of the crisis. The opposition insists all prisoners must be released and freedom of assembly and speech must be guaranteed before talks can begin.

The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported Syria to the UN Security Council, alleging it had pursued a covert programme in violation of its commitments under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Russia and China opposed the referral, making clear their differences with the US, France and Britain, the security council’s other five permanent members, over how to handle the crisis in Syria. Moscow and Beijing are also likely to veto an EU-sponsored resolution condemning Syria’s actions against protesters.

Israel arrests ex-Hamas minister in West Bank

Israeli forces Friday arrested a senior Hamas official in the northern West Bank, Palestinian security officials said.
Wasfi Qabha, 50, who had served as a minister for prisoner affairs in the Hamas government in 2006, was taken from his home in Jenin early on Friday morning the officials said.

The Israel army confirmed it had made an arrest in Jenin, but provided no further details.

Qabha had been in Israeli administrative detention from 2007 until 2010.

The Israeli military has detained at least 11 Hamas politicians in the West Bank since last October.

Many of these were among 64 Hamas members rounded up by army in 2006, after Gaza militants seized Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Shalit remains captive somewhere in Gaza, and Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for freeing him.

Talks on Shalit's release, mediated by Egypt and Germany, ground to a halt in late 2009. The two sides blame each other for failing to clinch an exchange deal

 

Arrests at Siemens in Corruption Probe

German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG is embroiled in a fresh investigation of alleged corruption, Munich state prosecutor and spokeswoman Barbara Stockinger said Friday.

"There have been warrants and arrests," Ms. Stockinger said, but she declined to elaborate, noting the probe is in progress. The investigations are in an early stage but are being pursued energetically, she added.

Siemens' own compliance system uncovered the alleged attempted action, a Siemens spokesman said, adding that the company alerted authorities immediately. Siemens itself has also approached the persons involved.

"This experience is evidence of how quickly and effectively our compliance system works," he said.

A Financial Times Deutschland report earlier Friday said the bribery allegations pertain to Siemens' operations in Kuwait.

 

The controversial Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled, after organisers announced they were abandoning plans to stage the rescheduled event in October.

Political unrest in Bahrain means the event will not be staged
The event was originally scheduled to open the F1 season in March, but was dropped due to political unrest in the country.
Then last week, F1's world governing body announced a new date for the Bahrain GP in October, sparking criticism from teams, fans and some administrators.
Now organisers have finally conceded defeat, with the Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed R Alzayani issuing a statement saying: "It has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision."
"Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would further extend the calendar season detract from the enjoyment of F1 for either drivers, teams or supporters," Alzayani said.
We want our role in F1 to be as positive and constructive as it has always been, therefore...we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season.
Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed R Alzayani
"We want our role in Formula One to continue to be as positive and constructive as it has always been, therefore, in the best interest of the sport, we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season."
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone had been urged on Thursday to re-examine the decision to restore the race to this year's calendar.
Following assurances by government ministers and organisers that the race could go ahead safely, despite ongoing anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom, the Bahrain GP was last week given a green light for October.
But the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) wrote to FIA President Jean Todt, Mr Ecclestone and the Bahraini organisers claiming changes to the F1 calendar would "undermine our scheduled transport plans" and "raise insurance problems".
FOTA also highlighted articles in F1's International Sporting Code, in particular stating that changes to the calendar couldn't be made without the unanimous approval of all the teams.

Iran informs IAEA of changing uranium enrichment sites

- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Thursday Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it is going to transfer its nuclear enrichment activities to a new site, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Salehi said the transfer of 20-percent uranium enrichment activities from Natanz site to Fordo site in the central province of Qom has been notified to the IAEA, according to the report.

Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereidoon Abbasi said Wednesday that the enrichment of uranium to the level of 20 percent will be transferred from Natanz site to Fordo site under the supervision of the IAEA, after which Iran will triple its 20-percent uranium enrichment output.

Abbasi said Iran will stop the enrichment process in Natanz after it makes sure that the Fordo site can produce the uranium enriched by three times as its current status.

In September 2009, Iran confirmed that it was building the new nuclear fuel enrichment plant of Fordo near the city of Qom.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tuesday in a press conference in Tehran that the country will never stop uranium enrichment.

About the current status of Iran's nuclear activities, Ahmadinejad reiterated that the Iranian nuclear train "has neither brakes nor the rear gear," implying that the country is determined to push forward the program.

The West suspects that Iran's uranium enrichment may be meant for producing nuclear weapons, which has been denied by Iranian officials.

 

Libyan rebels promised £78m funding

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday talks were under way with people close to Muammar Gaddafi and there was the potential for a transition of power in Libya.
Ms Clinton was talking at the third Libya Contact Group meeting of Western and Arab leaders in Abu Dhabi.
At a news conference, she said the US and her allies were united and committed in their goals for the north African country.
"We reaffirmed there is only one way forward for Libya: attacks against civilians must stop; Gaddafi must go, and the Libyan people deserve to determine their own future," Clinton said.
Donors immediately promised more than £780m for the fund, which is backed by billions of dollars in frozen Libyan assets.

 

Bahrain affair 'damaging', say teams

Formula 1 chiefs should have handled the situation surrounding the Bahrain Grand Prix much better, claim leading team bosses, amid claims that the controversy about the attempted rescheduling of the race has been damaging for the sport's image.
Although it is now almost certain that the Bahrain event will finally be dropped from the 2011 schedule, after FIA president Jean Todt invited Bernie Ecclestone to provide a revised calendar to the governing body, the way the affair has been played out in public has not gone down well among senior paddock figures.
And despite both Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner and Renault's Eric Boullier welcoming the FIA's response to FOTA's desire for India to be reinstated to its original October 30 date, they still have some unease about the events of the event week.
Horner said: "It's an unfortunate situation. Obviously with the way things have been handled, with the uncertainty, maybe it could have been handled better, but we are where we are."
Boullier, when asked about whether the Bahrain affair had been damaging for F1, said: "Obviously, yes. I am a young inexperienced team principal, but I am pushing hard to do my best to help to build F1 for the future, and obviously it is never good when you get such reactions when things like this happen.
"F1 is a non-political sport. We cannot do whatever we want, because there are issues like this. We need to be a little bit more cautious."
The final decision on the cancellation of the Bahrain GP will now rest with Ecclestone, with Todt having written to the teams on Thursday saying that its decision on the calendar was made on the advice of the sport's commercial rights holder - who would now be asked to submit another revision to the current 2011 plans.
There appears to be no doubt, however, that India will revert back to October 30, with AUTOSPORT understanding that Delhi race organisers having written to the FIA expressing their unhappiness about moving to scheduled December 11 slot.
Todt refused to answer questions about the Bahrain GP situation during an appearance at Le Mans on Thursday.
Horner said that the teams were happy that the Bahrain matter now appeared to be heading towards a solution that would satisfy the teams.
"The situation with Bahrain is becoming fairly clear," he said. "At the end of the day we are just a racing team that signs up to compete in the championship, and obviously we rely on the governing body and the commercial rights holder to make the right decisions for the sport and the teams.
"The teams have now been consulted through FOTA, FOTA has voiced their opinion and that's fairly clear for all to see now."
He added: "Formula 1 is a sport. It's not there to be used as a political tool. Our position as a racing team is that we're here to race in F1.
"Bahrain is a great circuit and we've always been made to feel very welcome. It's unfortunate the issues that are currently going on there, but it's not down to Red Bull to judge, and we rely on the FIA and the commercial rights holder to make the right decisions."
Boullier said that one of the few positives to come out of the affairs of the last week was that FOTA had acted so strongly when it stood up against the FIA's plans for Bahrain.
"It was very good. It is the way it has to be. Out of the political situation, FOTA I think will get better out of this because it shows that we can stick together and have the same way of communication and the same wish together."

 

Divisions over Al Assad's future

While Gulf and western states have taken stands on uprisings in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen, they have refrained from doing so on Syria, despite the brutality of the regime's crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Western states have not declared that Syria's embattled president Bashar Al Assad has lost legitimacy, Israel has been relatively tight-lipped about its wishes for Syria and Gulf states have not shied away from extending support to his regime.
Al Assad not weak enough to be overthrown
Despite the much repeated cliche in every Arab country facing protests, Syria watchers say this case is different because all parties do not believe Al Assad is weak enough to be overthrown yet.
"Currently there are internal conflicts in Syria [but] there are increasing signals that the regime is going to survive for now,"" said Fadi Salem, a Syrian academic in Dubai.
States that have seen the Al Assad regime as a menace in the region could be avoiding a push for an end to the regime because they would rather see the regime weakened than overthrown, said Burhan Ghalyoun, Syrian sociologist at Paris Sorbonne University.
Democratic
"A democratic Syria may not be in their interest. They want to see Bashar [Al Assad] become weaker so they can pick the fruits of that later," he said.
Gulf states, he said, do not want to be seen siding against the regime, he said. They are afraid of a Syrian reprisal to increased pressure for reform "in fear of having the long arm of the regime's terrorism reach their countries".
"Any attempt at pressuring Al Assad to reform is being interpreted by his regime to be an attack on the country and its security. Gulf states do not want to be in that position," said Ghalyoun.
Grand bargain
It has also been suggested that Gulf states and the West are hoping for a "grand bargain" from a weakened and pragmatic Al Assad, where Gulf states would back him and western states will refrain from condemning his harsh response to the uprisings, in exchange for the Syrian president's abandonment of the ‘Axis of Resistance': Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Such a deal would weaken Iran's influence in the region, potentially relieve Israel from more than one front on its borders, and empower Israel's allies in the Palestinian National Authority as well as the March 14 movement in Lebanon.
Pressure
"They are exerting pressure on Syria to sever its relations with Iran and the Arab resistance. They are saying if you listen to us we will offer you a [way out of the conflict], but Syria has been reluctant to do so," said Abdul Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of London based Al Quds Al Arabi.
Such a decision, he said, would lie with the top security officials that surround Al Assad, not with the president himself.
"For the time being, I can't see any move towards that direction," he said.
If Syria abandons Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, added Atwan, "that would change the map of the Middle East and signal an end to armed Arab resistance to Israel".
"Hezbollah will be in a very difficult position. Iranian supply routes will be cut off completely and backing from Syria will vanish. Hamas will be cornered to rot in Gaza," he said. Salem, however, said that Al Assad was unlikely to accept such a bargain as it would severely undermine his regime's credibility, which he said was closely linked to its survival.
"Internally, the support the regime has is because it is seen as a resistance front [against Israel]," he said. Accepting such a deal would therefore leave him with virtually no supporters internally.

 

Hundreds of Syrian refugees have crossed into Turkey to escape the latest upsurge of unrest in Syria.

Hundreds of Syrian refugees have crossed into Turkey to escape the latest upsurge of unrest in Syria.  Turkey is bracing itself for a potential major exodus, as protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad escalate. There are growing concerns the destabilization in Syria could spill over into Turkey.

Hundreds of Syrians are continuing to cross into Turkey to escape President Bashar al-Assad's weeks-long crackdown against anti-government protesters.  Some of the refugees are believed to be from the town of Jisr al-Shughour, where 120 security troops were reportedly killed Monday during the anti-government demonstrations.  

The government has issued orders for security forces to hit back, accusing the protesters of being armed bandits.  

With the escalating violence, political scientist Soli Ozel says a major crisis could be looming; 250 refugees fled the conflict last month.

"You are liable to get massive influx of people trying to escape the war zones," Ozel said.

The Iraq crisis saw tens of thousands of people seeking refuge in Turkey, and according to Turkish media reports, facilities for 10,000 refugees are now being prepared.  

There is visa-free travel between Turkey and Syria, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday the border would remain open.

Mr. Erdogan said at this point, closing the border is out of question.  He said his government is following the developments in Syria with concern, and urged Damascus to show more tolerance toward its citizens and take concrete steps toward reform as soon as possible.

The Turkish prime minister has pressed President Assad to introduce reforms, but has resisted domestic and international pressure to take a tougher line, saying Damascus should be given time.  

But the escalating crisis has seen Ankara toughening its language towards Damascus.  Diplomatic correspondent for the Turkish daily Milliyet, Semih Idiz, says the government is taking an increasingly more nuanced stance.

"We understand there is still a dialogue between Bashar al-Assad and the prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan.  On the other hand, the Syrian opposition met in Turkey and that could not have gone down very well in Damascus," Idiz said.

One reason behind Ankara reaching out to Syria is that it has a restive Kurdish population, which political scientist Nuray Mert of Istanbul University says has close ties with the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK, which is fighting the Turkish state.

"We know that there are very close links between PKK and Syrian Kurds, and this [is] another threat of destabilization in Turkey because anyway we have huge problems concerning the Kurdish problem," Mert said.

One of the main factors behind the rapprochement between the two countries was President Assad's crackdown against Syrian Kurdish nationalists.  Now, according to diplomatic correspondent Idiz, Ankara fears Mr. Assad may be reaching out to his restive Kurdish population.

"We understand Bashar al-Assad is now trying to co-opt the Kurds.  What happens to them politically and how they interact with northern Iraq and the Kurds in Turkey is of relevance [to] Ankara," Idiz said.

With the Syrian president increasingly isolated and desperate, concerns in Turkey that instability could spread to its territory are growing.

"Many people in the bordering areas in Syria and Turkey have relations, and there is the Alevi and Sunni situation also, [which] plays out in Turkey.  Do not forget Turkey has Alevi population that numbers anything up to 12 million," Idiz said.

Ankara will be hoping the Syrian crisis can be defused by government reforms and negotiations with the Syrian opposition, but as violence increases, observers say that is looking unlikely.