NOT NECESSARY TO PUT WAR BACK ON THE TABLE; IRAN IS AT WAR

Two years have passed since the signing of the ineffective nuclear agreement between world powers and Tehran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).For those who are familiar with the theocracy in Iran, it is a known fact that all foreign policy in Iran are decided by the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. This is even true in the case of the highly promoted nuclear deal.

It is worth noting that before and during the negotiations, Khamenei, said that Oman had a key role in breaking the ice between Iran and the US.

Thus, it is naive to think that the new president, Hassan Rouhani, was the one who changed the 10-year-long stalemate. Iran has an abundance of oil, gas and others natural resources, hence, using nuclear energy is both expensive and controversial.

Independent experts acknowledge that Iran’s goal of maintaining a nuclear program is to produce nuclear weapon. However, Iran has consistently refused these views and claims that its program is of a peaceful nature.

Regional hegemony

It is worth pointing out that having a nuclear warhead will guarantee Iran’s regional hegemony. Therefore, Iran has consistently tried to achieve it. Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former Iranian president and one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic who died last year, said that Iran was trying to make nuclear bomb.

“When we first began, we were at war and we sought to have that possibility for the day that the enemy might use a nuclear weapon”, he said in an interview. Consequently, the regime in Tehran sought nuclear weapons in order to tilt the balance of power in the region in its favor.

The West imposed comprehensive sanctions against Iran targeting its finance sector and its selling of oil. These intelligent punitive measures exacerbated the Iranian economy that already suffered greatly from decades of economic mismanagement and widespread corruption, to the point of destruction, according to statistics from Iran’s own Central bank. The inflation was over 30 percent in 2013.

Iranian authorities confess that the greatest threat to theocracy is not a foreign enemy, like the US, but popular protests, especially by the disenfranchised poor people and youth

Economic poverty put immense pressure on the Iranian middle class, the Iranian government even tried to redefine the base basket of food (government subsidies to the Iranian middle class) to control the inflation. Rouhani's government even started to distribute especial food baskets. The regime’s National Security Council warned about hungry rebellion. Salaries of labors was unpaid and economic deadlock brought the government to its knees.

Although, Iran’s goal of making nuclear weapon was in reach and Tehran increased its intervention in the region, the economic crisis threatened the theocracy's very existence. Consequently, the Supreme Leader ordered his officials to start the negotiation with the West. This was president Obama giving artificial respiration to Tehran.

After the agreement

The sanctions aimed at stopping Iran’s nuclear program. According to the JCPOA, Iran must redesign and rebuild its heavy-water reactor in Arak. It means that Iran’s abilities to develop and produce nuclear weapon is intensively limited for years. Some experts, diplomats and government officials argue that the sanctions achieved their goal.

But at that time, the JCPOA did not include the rest of Iran’s threatening and destabilizing activities such as its ballistic missile program, dispatch of tens of thousands of militias and paramilitary forces to Syria. The JCPOA did neither addressed the appalling human rights situation in Iran.

Iran and violation of agreement

A conditional approval was published by the Supreme Leader Khamenei with regard to Tehran agreeing to the JCPOA. The document contained several conditions.

One of the conditions was about new sanctions after signing of the agreement, it said that “Any sanctions against Iran at every level and on any pretext, including terrorism and human rights violations, by any one of the countries participating in the negotiations will constitute a violation of the JCPOA, and a reason for Iran to stop executing the agreement.”

Considering that US has imposed several sanctions on Iran after the deal, one must ask the following question, why has Iran not stopped executing the agreement?

The Iranian regime is besieged by extensive social discontent. Over 10 millions are unemployed and many ordinary Iranians are forced to live a life below poverty-line.

Not a foreign enemy

Indeed, Iranian authorities confess that the greatest threat to theocracy is not a foreign enemy, like the US, but popular protests and anti-regime demonstrations, especially by the disenfranchised poor people and youth, breaking the current status quo.

The reality is that the regime has always been at war with the young generation over individual liberties and social freedoms, which challenged the foundation of the regime’s theocracy. That is why Iran’s answer to new US sanctions has been merely rhetoric.

Due to the theocracy’s weak position in the society and its faltering economy, if Tehran abandons the nuclear agreement, all sanctions will be re-imposed. That will led to an economic and political collapse of the ruling theocracy.

Consequently, if president Trump orders to renegotiate the JCPOA, or impose new effective sanctions such as designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, Iran is not able to play its enrichment card.

These were the reasons sanctions forced the Iranian regime to come back to the negotiation table, and it will do it again.

Massacre of Over 30,000 Innocent Political Prisoners in 1988 Haunts Iran Regime

Massacre of Over 30,000 Innocent Political Prisoners in 1988 Haunts Iran Regime

إعترافات مدهشة يدلي بها وزير المخابرات السابق لنظام الملالي علي فلاحيان بشأن مجزرة العام 1988:

حسب تصريح خميني، لا معنى لمحاكمة المعارضين وأن حكم مجاهدي خلق والمجموعات المعارضة هو الإعدام

• حكم إبادة السجناء المجاهدين في العام 1988 كان قد أصدره خميني من قبل

• رجال المخابرات داخل إيران وخارجها يعملون تحت غطاء المراسلين والإعلاميين والتجار

المعارضة الإيرانية: روحاني اعترف بوضع اقتصاد بلاده في حروب العراق وسوريا

قالت المعارضة الإيرانية: إن رئيس جمهورية الملالي جعل اقتصاد إيران في خدمة إثارة الحروب في العراق وسوريا، مشيرة إلى أن تصريحات المسئوليين الإيرانيين تثبت مرة تلو الأخرى أن الأجنحة المختلفة في النظام ورغم الصراع المتزايد على السلطة، إلا أنهم متفقون على تصديرالإرهاب والتطرف وتأجيج الحروب. وطالما هذا النظام قائم على السلطة فلن يتخلى عن تدخلاته في سوريا والعراق واليمن ولبنان والبحرين. وهذه السياسة جزء لا يتجزأ من استراتيجية الملالي للبقاء.

واوضحت المعارضة الايرانية فى بيانها اليوم إن إدراج قوات الحرس في قوائم الإرهاب وطردها وطرد عملائها من المنطقة هي من المتطلبات الضرورية للسلام والأمن في المنطقة.

واستشهدت المعارضة باعتراف الحرس قاسم سليماني قائد قوة القدس الارهابية في 10 يوليو مرة أخرى بمساعي نظام الملالي لإثارة الحروب في العراق وقتل الشعب وتأجيح الصراعات الطائفية.

وأضاف سليماني أن: «قوات حزب الله اللبناني لعبت دورا كبيرا في الانتصارات في العراق وسوريا... وقدم الحزب شهداء كثيرين وقدم كل تجربته للحشد الشعبي. إني أقبّل يد السيد حسن نصر الله... واليوم الجيش العراقي يسير باتجاه جيش حزب الله.

الغربان لا تحلق عاليا

نزار جاف

(أشبعناه سبا وفاز بالابل) هذا المثل العربي المعروف ينطبق تماما على ذلك الاجتماع الذي عقده عشرة أفراد فقط من المطرودين من منظمة مجاهدي خلق ومن بينهم الوجه المعروف بعمالته وارتباطه بالمخابرات الايرانية وبقوة القدس الارهابية قربان علي حسين نجاد، الذي كان دليلا لـ (قوة القدس) وللقوات العراقية عندما كانت تهاجم سكان (أشرف) من المعارضين الايرانيين أيام كانوا في العراق، بالاضافة الى ان البقية الآخرين من الطينة نفسها ومطلوبين للعدالة في دول عديدة, ولهم أضابير مفتوحة، هذا الاجتماع الذي تم عقده تحت عنوان (لا للإرهاب والفرق)، لكي يلقي فيه رجل الدين اللبناني محمد علي الحسيني محاضرة ترجمها له الى الفارسية حسين نجاد، وقال فيها مهمتنا الاساسية أن ننقذ أعضاء مجاهدي خلق المتواجدين في البانيا، وهنا لابد من الاشارة الى المخططات الفاشلة للمخابرات الايرانية ولقوة القدس الارهابية ضد هؤلاء المجاهدين طوال الاعوام الماضية ويبدو أن ملالي إيران قد أوكلوا هذه المهمة حاليا للحسيني!

الجميع يعلمون ان الحسيني كان عضوا في حزب الله ويسكن في مدينة قم بإيران، وعندما غادر إيران وإدعا بأنه يقف ضد نظام ولاية الفقيه ويريد أن ينقذ شيعة لبنان من يد حزب الله، فإن المقاومة الايرانية هبوا لمساعدته من الناحيتين المالية والسياسية ووجهوا له الدعوات لحضور المؤتمرات والتجمعات، وفي عام 2011 عندما سجن فإنه وطبقا لأقواله فقد تخلى عنه الجميع فيما بقيت المقاومة الايرانية الى جانبه وقاموا بتأمين احتياجاته المالية.

هذا الاجتماع الذي عقد في مطعم أشبه بالقبو يدعى (طهران) تابع لوزارة الاستخبارات الايرانية يوم 8 يوليو2017 في باريس، أي بعد أسبوع واحد فقط على عقد التجمع السنوي العام للمقاومة الايرانية في باريس، والذي أثار ردود فعل عنيفة في داخل الاوساط السياسية الحاكمة في طهران، خصوصا من حيث حجم ونوعية الحضورين العربي والاسلامي فيه، مما أثار سخط وغضب الاوساط السياسية الايرانية لأن ذلك بمثابة دليل عملي على بدء إنفصام عرى العلاقة بين الجمهورية الاسلامية الايرانية وبين العالمين العربي والاسلامي والتي كما يبدو وطبقا لما قد تم طرحه في تجمعات المقاومة الايرانية، هي علاقة مشبوهة في غير صالح العرب والمسلمين تستغلها طهران من وجوه عدة لصالح مآربها ونواياها الخاصة.

توسع النشاطات والتحركات السياسية والفكرية للمجلس الوطني للمقاومة الايرانية والذي يعتبر منظمة “مجاهدي خلق” عموده الفقري ومرت كزه الاساسي، قد صار عاملا للتوجس والقلق في طهران، خصوصا بعدما نجح في كسر الحاجز والحائط ال كبير الذي وضعته الجمهورية الاسلامية الايرانية بينها وبين العالمين العربي والاسلامي خصوصا ودول العالم عموما، لاسيما وإن طهران قد قامت بتوظيف الامور السياسية والاقتصادية وبصورة ممجوجة من أجل الحيلولة دون إقامة اي علاقة مع المقاومة الايرانية، ولئن ساقت طهران أعذارا وتبريرات معظمها واهية وأبعد مات كون عن الحقيقة والواقع، ل كن ثبت لدول المنطقة والعالم بأن توسيع وترسيخ العلاقة مع المقاومة الايرانية لا يصب في مصلحة الاخيرة فقط، وانما هويخدم مصلحة دول المنطقة والعالم ويفضح الاخطار والتهديدات التي حدقت وتحدق بها من جانب إيران.

قضية رجل الدين محمد علي الحسيني الذي استطاعت المخابرات الايرانية استدراجه الى شراكها، اهتمت بها المقاومة الايرانية, من ناحية ارتباطها بالمخابرات الايرانية وليس من حيث شخص الحسيني، إذ أن مش كلة المقاومة الايرانية القائمة والمستمرة هي مع نظام الجمهورية الاسلامية الايرانية ذاته والذي ترى فيه سبب واساس بلاء الشعب الايراني, وما وصل إليه من أوضاع مزرية الى الحد الذي يباع فيه الجنين وهو في بطن أمه كما أشارت آخر التقارير الواردة من داخل إيران، كما أنه مصدر وبؤرة تصدير التطرف الديني والارهاب، والاهم من ذلك إن المقاومة الايرانية قد أثبتت وبصورة لا تقبل النقاش والجدل كل ذلك من خلال الادلة الدامغة والوثائق والمستمسكات.

المثير للسخرية والتهكم معا، إن توجيه تهمة الارهاب لمنظمة مجاهدي خلق من قبل رجل الدين الحسيني في ذلك الاجتماع المكون من 10 أفراد في قبو تحت الارض، هو مسعى بائس ومثير للشفقة بل وحتى الاشمئزاز من جانب المخابرات الايرانية من أجل التغطية على العلاقة الاساسية والجدلية للجمهورية الاسلامية الايرانية بتصدير التطرف والارهاب والتدخلات في دول المنطقة والعالم، وإن الاسئلة التي تصفع، ليس هذا الاجتماع البائس، انما الجمهورية الاسلامية الايرانية ذاتها هي: هل إن (قوة القدس) الارهابية تابعة لمنظمة (مجاهدي خلق)؟ هل إن منظمة مجاهدي خلق آوت وتأوي قادة منظمة القاعدة؟

هل إن منظمة (مجاهدي خلق) تشرف على توجيه الميليشيات الشيعية الارهابية في العراق وسورية واليمن ولبنان؟ هل إن منظمة مجاهدي خلق قامت وفي وضح النهار بتنفيذ عمليات إرهابية اغتالت فيه سياسيين أمثال الدكتور عبد الرحمن قاسملو والدكتور سعيد شرف كندي، والدكتور كاظم رجوي وحسين نقدي وآخرين؟

هل إن منظمة (مجاهدي خلق) من قامت بتفجير مرقدي الامامين العس كريين في سامراء والتي أشار لها الحسيني نفسه في مقالات وخطب له؟ قطعا إن العالم كله يعرف إجابات هذه الاسئلة ولم يعد أحد بحاجة الى أجوبة ملتوية ومخادعة من طهران.

بموجب وثائق ومستمسكات عديدة لدى المقاومة الايرانية، فإن الحسيني قد ارتبط منذ مدة طويلة مع المخابرات الإيرانية، وعندما علمت المقاومة الايرانية بهذه العلاقة في شهر مارس المنصرم، فإنها قطعت علاقاتها ومساعداتها المالية عنه، غير إن المخابرات الايرانية التي كانت تسعى لإبقاء العلاقة سرا فإنها إضطرت الى جعله م كشوفا بعد تجمع الاول من يوليو 2017، وقد حاولت من خلال ذلك التغطية على تجمع الاول من يوليو الذي حضره أ كثر من 100 ألف الى جانب وفود وشخصيات رفيعة المستوى، والاهم من ذلك إن التجمع العام قد تناقلته الكثير من القنوات الفضائية بصورة حية، وليس كما كان حال هذا الاجتماع الذي ولد ميتا، ونعود الى المثل العربي الذي اوردناه في بداية المقالة، فاجتماع القبو هذا الذي تم تخصيصه لكيل التهم والنيل باي طريقة كانت من (مجاهدي خلق)، لكن الاخيرة التي تمضي قافلتها تحت الشمس الساطعة نحو أهدافها قد حققت نجاحا كبيرا في تجمع باريس، أي بكلام أوضح فقد فازت منظمة (مجاهدي خلق) بالابل فيما لم يبق لغربان طهران التي ليس بمقدورها أن تحلق عاليا كما النسور التي تحلق عاليا باتجاه طهران، سوى الكذب والسب والافتراء!

كاتب عراقي

FACING UP TO IRAN

 By Hassan Mahmoudi

Obama's priority over Iran was to reach a nuclear accord with the notion that a nuclear deal would change the regime's behavior, in practice, regime behavior became more aggressive and, despite UN resolutions, Iran continued to pursue missile programs. Several prominent figures gave their opinions on the current situation during a panel discussion reviewng U.S. policy on Iran.

About this, American thinker published an article written by Hassan Mahmoudi:

After eight years of Barack Obama‘s strategy of “patience” towards Iran, the Trump administration on Iran is basically inverting Obama’s foreign policy.

On June 30, 2017, several prominent figures gave their opinions on the current situation during a panel discussion reviewng U.S. policy on Iran.

Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, former Assistant Secretary of State for Military Affairs, moderated the discussion and was joined by John Baird, former Foreign Minister of Canada, Joseph Lieberman, former U.S. Senator and vice-presidential candidate, Ambassador Robert Joseph, United States Special Envoy for Nuclear Nonproliferation and the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security until 2007, Rtd. General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and Bruno Tertrais, Deputy Director of the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique of France.

John Baird kicked off the discussion saying that he completely rejects the Obama administration’s appeasement of Iran and his claims that President Rouhani is a moderate. He said that there is no moderation in the Iranian government and it was very naïve of Obama to make such claims. He also pointed to the recent presidential elections in Iran, which were anything but democratic. He questioned how an election can be considered democratic when a panel exists to approve and reject candidates. There is nothing democratic about an election in which presidential candidates are only candidates because of their strong allegiance to the Supreme Leader and his vision.

Joseph Lieberman emphasized that nothing has changed in the Islamic Republic of Iran since the nuclear deal came into effect. He said that Iran continues to support terrorism, it continues to fuel warfare and still causes horrible human suffering in the Middle East, all to further its own agenda.

He too criticized the Obama’s administration’s treatment of Iran saying his policies were “Iran-centered.” Lieberman said that the Trump administration’s review of foreign policy toward Iran, which is currently in progress, will hopefully take into account that the people of Iran can be considered allies of the U.S. and so can the Iranian Resistance. He said that the opposition and resistance to the regime are looking for the same as the U.S. -- peace.

Pointing to changes in Iran, Lieberman also mentioned that President Hassan Rouhani is starting to make independent comments that are angering officials of the regime and that the country’s Supreme Leader has publicly threatened that he will be sent into exile like previous presidents.

Robert Joseph agreed that nothing has changed in Iran since the nuclear deal was signed and emphasized that Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. He also pointed out that the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main opposition, very recently revealed new information about Iran’s ballistic missile program.

He called on officials to put the Iran proliferation threat into context, in other words, to recognize that the threat lies with the regime. He said it is essential to find a path to getting rid of the regime. They reiterated that this is the bottom line as far as he is concerned.

Joseph said that the nuclear deal is highly ineffective because it rewards the regime for pretending it is not pursuing nuclear weapons. He said: “Cheating is in the DNA of the regime.”

Regarding claims that there is moderation in the Iranian government, as said by many leaders in the West, Joseph said that it is a misplaced hope. He said that this will never happen and the Iranian regime is at the center of the threat. There must be regime change from within and this can be done via the opposition. He said that we need to support the opposition that wants a non-nuclear Iran that is ruled by a secular government.

Jack Keane said that the Iranian regime’s goal is to dominate the region and to impose its will across the Middle East, but the Trump administration is acting to put an end to this. Although he agreed that President Trump does not have much experience with foreign policy, he said that he has chosen a very strong, knowledgeable and experienced foreign policy team.

Speaking about the differences between the Trump administration and that of his predecessor, Keane drew attention to the fact that Trump, at the very beginning of his time in office, sent his top officials around the world to reassure them that the U.S. would be by their side and that it would not be taking a “wait and see” approach to Obama’s administration.

Keane placed a lot of importance on Trump’s first official visit, saying that it was very significant that it was to the Middle East. He made it clear that the U.S. would stand with its Middle Eastern allies, saying that the biggest threat to all of them was Iran. He vowed that they would curb the threat of Iran together – showing that his administration was taking a 100 percent reversal of Obama’s policy.

Secondly, during his Middle Eastern trip, Trump told the Muslim leaders that they need to get extremism out of their mosques and they have to stop their citizens from funding terrorism. He said that they need to ensure that young people have an alternative but emphasized that the U.S. would be standing behind them the whole way and is ready to use force, if or when it is necessary. Keane said that this visit was proof of Trump’s commitment to countering the Iranian threat.

Another action that showed Trump’s commitment was the fact that he acted immediately when Iran fired a ballistic missile in the early days of his term.

Bruno Tertrais spoke about the European attitude to the Iranian crisis, saying that many in Europe confuse moderation and pragmatism. Referring to claims that the regime is moderate, Tertrais slammed this idea saying that it may be pragmatic but it can in no way be described as moderate. He called Iran the “arsonist to the fireman” and said that it is hugely responsible for the rise in terrorism that we have seen in recent years.

Being French, Tertrais felt he had to mention France’s stance on the situation. However, French President Emmanuel Macron is so new to the office and has not said anything yet to indicate that he is naïve about the Middle East crisis. He strongly believes that Macron will have the correct policies in place to act in the way he should.

President Obama and many EU leaders thought that trade would bring moderation to Iran, but this is completely false. Furthermore, it has been historically proven that it doesn’t work. So rapprochement in that respect is a mistake.

Tertrais emphasized that Iran and its militias are propping up the Assad regime. ISIS is the “best friend” of Assad, therefore Iran, by supporting Syria, is reinforcing ISIS and its terrorist activities. And finally, he said that Iran is not showing the behavior of a country that is giving up for good the nuclear option.

Hassan.mahmoudi:  MSc California State University, Sacramento: A human rights advocate, admin member of the international human right organization, Up to date on all current affairs including political and economic issues on Iran and the Middle East. He tweets @hassan_mahmou1

originally published in the Americanthinker

JOHN BOLTON: EVERY TIME YOU HEAR NORTH KOREA THINK OF IRAN

 Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton talked about North Korea’s Fourth of July missile test launch on Thursday’s edition of Breitbart News Daily with SiriusXM host Alex Marlow.

Bolton said intercontinental ballistic missiles are a goal North Korea has been working towards since the early 1990s, as part of the outlaw regime’s quest for “deliverable nuclear weapons,”

but it was still surprising to many observers that a missile with true intercontinental capability was successfully launched this week.

“It’s capable of hitting Alaska. It can’t hit the Lower 48 yet, but that’s only a matter of time,” he said. “The only other thing we need to find out, and I don’t want to be on the receiving end of it, is whether North Korea has miniaturized its nuclear devices – of which it’s already detonated five – to the point they can put it under an ICBM nose cone.”

“I’ve been talking about this for 20 years, and so have many other people. And yet, for the last three U.S. administrations – eight years of Clinton, eight years of Bush, eight years of Obama – people have tried to negotiate with North Korea to talk them out of their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. It’s failed consistently for 25 years,” he said.

“That’s why Trump has inherited this mess. The issue is whether he can find a way out of it, or whether he succumbs to what I know the State Department, and much of the Defense Department, and much of the intelligence community are telling him: just keep doing what we’ve been doing before. Because that will result in a nuclear North Korea,” Bolton warned.

“And by the way, you can already see the mainstream media and academia preparing us to live in a world where North Korea has nuclear weapons,” he added, citing a New York Times op-ed to that effect from Wednesday.

Bolton judged that Japan would continue to be a reliable ally against North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, since the Japanese are well aware their cities lie within range of North Korea’s missiles. On the other hand, he said “all of the evidence points to China and Russia as, at best, turning a blind eye to what the North has been up to, and more likely facilitating the North’s nuclear and missile programs.”

He said his support from China and Russia was kept low-profile to avoid sanctions, but there was no way to conceal that China supplies North Korea with much of its oil and food, giving Beijing more than enough leverage to halt Pyongyang’s nuclear missile program if it truly wanted to.

“China is playing a double game. They say they don’t want the North Koreans to have nuclear weapons but they haven’t shut it down,” Bolton charged. “It’s a very dangerous situation. Nobody should underestimate it.”

“One other point I would make: Every time you hear the words ‘North Korea,’ think of the word ‘Iran,’” he added. “Because whatever North Korea can do, Iran can do the next day by sending them a check in the appropriate amount. We have stovepiped these two nuclear proliferation threats for a very long time. We need to stop doing that because every day that goes by brings us closer to the day when one or both of them can hit the United States.”

Bolton cited North Korea’s five known nuclear test detonations, and its successful test of ballistic missile technology, to say it is a “more imminent threat” than Iran, but stressed that North Korea and Iran have been working “extremely closely on ballistic missiles” since the Nineties, “and there’s every reason to think they have worked extremely closely on the nuclear program as well.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if a big chunk of Iran’s uranium enrichment program is not in Iran, where we know where it is, but under a mountain in North Korea,” he said. “We have very poor intelligence on North Korea, so it’s a big advantage for Iran to work with them.”

“When the Israelis destroyed that reactor in Syria in September 2007, it was being built by North Koreans,” he recalled. “Well, who paid for that? North Korea doesn’t do anything for free. I doubt that Syria had the resources to do it. Quite likely it was Iran. When that reactor was found by the Israelis and destroyed, the lesson I think to Iran was, ‘Build it someplace where the Israelis can’t find it.’ That’s why they may well have turned to North Korea.”

Bolton noted that U.S. and South Korean military officials have been warning for the past year that North Korea was on the verge of developing missiles that could hit the West Coast of the United States, perhaps as early as 2018.

“In public testimony three or four months ago now, the head of the U.S. Strategic Command told Congress that the only thing he had any doubt about was whether North Korea had fully conquered the miniaturization tasks to take a nuclear device and make it small enough to put under an ICBM nose cone. So even just three or four months ago, he didn’t have any doubt about the range,” he noted.

“There are a lot of other technical steps to overcome here. You can put the nose cone and the warhead up, you can bring it back down, but it’s a pretty rocky ride. You have to make sure that the warhead will detonate at the appropriate time,” he explained.

“We don’t know whether the North has mastered that technology, but I would be very cautious about intelligence that says they can’t do this, and they can’t do that, and they can’t do the other thing, because the first American reaction to this launch was ‘it was an intermediate range ballistic missile, not an ICBM,” and we were wrong. And we didn’t detect this one before the launch. I think we’ve had enough lessons in intelligence being imperfect,” he said.

“Don’t count on our lack of knowledge meaning that the North doesn’t have the capability,” he advised. “They may well have the capability. We may simply not have detected it.

القضاء الاميركي يصادر بناء في نيويورك تملكه النظام الإيراني بشكل غير مباشر

أصدرت محكمة فدرالية اميركية في نيويورك الخميس حكما قضى بمصادرة بناء من 36 طابقا في الجادة الخامسة الفارهة في مانهاتن بعدما اعتبرته تابعا بشكل غير مباشر للسلطات الايرانية، لتؤكد بذلك حكما سابقا صدر عام 2013.

وقال جون كيم المتحدث باسم النائب الفدرالي العام في القطاع الجنوبي لولاية نيويورك ان البناء سيباع ويعود ثمنه الى صندوق خاص للتعويض عن ضحايا اعتداءات.

وتقدر قيمة البناء بين 500 مليون ومليار دولار، بحسب مصادر عدة. كما امرت المحكمة بمصادرة املاك أخرى، كما اضاف المتحدث.

وبحسب أوساط النائب العام فان هذه المصادرة بناء على حكم من القضاء المدني هي الاضخم في تاريخ الولايات المتحدة.

وكان حكم اول صدر في هذه القضية في 2013 عن محكمة الدرجة الاولى لمصلحة الجهة المدعية وهي الحكومة الاميركية، لكن الدفاع استأنف الحكم يومها.

ومن بين الذين سيستفيدون من مصادرة هذا البناء، ذوي الضحايا او الضحايا الذين سقطوا في تفجير مقر للمارينز في بيروت عام 1983 وضحايا اميركيين سقطوا في اعتداء وقع في الخبر في السعودية عام 1996.

وقالت المحكمة في حيثيات قرارها ان اصحاب البناء الذي باشر بناءه شاه ايران، حولوا ملايين الدولارات من استغلال هذا البرج الى ايران خصوصا عبر مصرف 'ملي' المرتبط بالحكومة الايرانية.

وقال النائب العام جون كيم في بيان صدر الخميس ان 'اصحاب البناء رقم 650 في الجادة الخامسة قدموا للحكومة الايرانية بناء في قلب منهاتن تمكنت من خلاله من الالتفاف على العقوبات التي تفرضها الولايات المتحدة على ايران'.

مستشار الأمن القومي لترامب: 80 بالمئة من القوات المساندة لبشار الأسد في سوريا يتم تنظيمهم من قبل النظام الايراني

قال الجنرال مك مستر مستشار الأمن القومي لترامب: جزء كبير من القوات المساندة لبشار الأسد في سوريا، هم ميليشيات منظمة من قبل طهران. انه اتهم النظام الايراني باثارة دوامة من الصراعات الطائفية بهدف ابقاء العالم العربي ضعيفا. 

وأضاف مك مستر يوم 28 حزيران خلال مؤتمر عقد في مركز الأمن الأمريكي الحديث : طهران تتحمل المسؤولية عن جزء كبير من المشكلات في سوريا وأكد ان السبب الرئيسي لتواجد أمريكا في سوريا هو القضاء على داعش.

Europe should not be deceived by Iran’s bid for sympathy

Former European Parliament Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras warns that the West must be vigilant not to fall for Iranian state propaganda depicting the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism as an ally in the War on Terror.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/opinion/europe-should-not-be-deceived-by-irans-bid-for-sympathy/

طالب نواب أوربيون بوضع بمعاقبة الحرس الثوري الإيراني على خلفية نشاطه في العراق وسوريا.

طالب نواب أوربيون بوضع بمعاقبة الحرس الثوري الإيراني على خلفية نشاطه في العراق وسوريا.

 وقالت مصادر إعلامية إن 265 نائبًا أوروبيًا طالبوا بوضع المؤسسة العسكرية التابعة للحرس الثوري الإيراني، على القوائم السوداء الدولية، بسبب “نشاط الحرس وحضوره الفعال في سوريا والعراق”.

 وعبر النواب بالوقت ذاته، في بيان وقعوا عليه، عن “قلقهم إزاء الدور التخريبي لإيران في المنطقة”.

 كما دان البيان انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان في إيران، مشيرًا إلى إعدام 3 آلاف شخص في إيران منذ تولي الرئيس حسن روحاني السلطة في الولاية الأولى التي بدأت في 2013 وحتى الـ 19 من أيار/ مايو الماضي 2017.

وأضاف أن “حسن روحاني لا يمكن اعتباره إصلاحيًا أو من التيار المعتدل، بسبب معدلات الإعدام التي جرت في الولاية الأولى من تسلمه لمنصبه”.

 ولفت إلى الانتخابات الرئاسية الإيرانية التي جرت في الـ 19 من أيار/ مايو الماضي، وفاز فيها روحاني لولاية ثانية، مشيرا إلى “ممارسة حظر على المعارضة ومنعها من المشاركة في الانتخابات، وهي انتخابات لا ينظر إليها على أنها حرة ونزيهة”.

 ودعا النواب رئيس المفوضة السامية لحقوق الإنسان والمجلس الأعلى لحقوق الإنسان، إلى “إرسال وفد للتحقيق في عمليات الإعدام في إيران”، مطالبين الحكومات الأوروبية بـ”ضرورة ربط إعادة علاقاتهم مع النظام الإيراني بتحسن واقع حقوق الإنسان وحقوق المرأة”.

 وتحدث البيان الأوروبي عن وضع النساء في إيران، معتبرًا أن “حرمان المرأة من الترشح للانتخابات الرئاسية، ومن منصب القاضي، فضلًا عن إجبارهن على ارتداء الحجاب، يعد انتهاكاً واضحاً لحقوق الإنسان”.

 يشار إلى أن البرلمان الأوروبي يضم 751 ممثلاً عن 28 دولة أوروبية.

تم نقل هذا الخبر , والمصدر هو المسؤل عن صحة هذا الخبر سواء كان صحيحا او خطأ , اذا كان لديك اى استفسار او طعن فى هذا الخبر برجاء مراسلتنا مصدر الخبر الاصلي: اليمن العربي

Iran Regime Mocks Reports That Its Missiles Against ISIS Failed

London, 27 Jun - The Iranian Regime has mocked reports that their ballistic missile attacks on ISIS in Syria didn’t work out, by claiming that the missiles were supposed to break apart over the Iraqi desert.

General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the airspace division chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said: “we had coordinated the fall of the engines in the desert in Iraq [in advance].”

He continued: “The missiles we used were two-stage, it means that the engine separates from the warhead.”

He was attempting to mock Israeli sources by claiming that they didn’t know what two-stage missiles look like.

He said: “Pity those who call themselves experts and do not understand that these were the first-stage engines (that fell), while the warheads hit targets.”

He did not explain why the warheads of the six missiles had not made it to their intended target in Deir el-Zour.

Instead, he claimed that they did and that US drones hovered over the targets after they’d been hit by the Iranians.

But did they?

There has been no report from the Americans (or any other ground forces) that there was a strike, and the Iranian Regime announced the causalities from the strike just minutes after launch, which would have been far too soon.

Even if the Iranian Regime did launch the missiles towards ISIS in Syria, they had not warned the US-backed troops who are fighting ISIS on the ground, meaning that they could have hit US troops as well, if their missiles had been successful.

Hajizadeh claims that the Russian military was told of the attack and that they may have told the US, but this isn’t really the sort of blame-shifting you expect from a high-ranking member of the armed forces and doesn’t let the Regime off the hook for jeopardising coalition forces fighting terrorists.

Iran claims to be attacking ISIS in response to the terror attacks in Tehran earlier this month, but reports have since surfaced which indicated that the Regime may have orchestrated the attack.

Despite one attack taking place at the Regime’s Parliament Building, the only people injured or killed were people protesting the Regime.

It is also painful to hear the Regime denounce terror attacks hen it is still the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world.

That is why we must support the Iranian Resistance (NCRI/MEK) and its elected leader Maryam Rajavi, who serves as a government-in-exile and have a ten point plan to create an Iran for the 21st century; a non-nuclear Iran which rejects terrorism and has good relations with its fellow countries.

On July 1, the Resistance is holding a Free Iran rally in Paris with over 100,000 dignitaries, politicians and activists in attendance. The Iranian people want change and the Resistance will provide that.

Why Iran Needs to Fuel Middle East Turmoil

turmoil inside its own borders and abroad to quell dissent, justifying all measures to achieve this.

Through such a perspective we can analyze the unseen truth behind the events of the June 7th twin ISIS attacks in Tehran. The surfacing of more facts and evidence have raised speculation that this entire turn of events was a scenario blueprinted by Tehran.

Both parties benefited, with Tehran finding pretexts to portray itself the victim of terrorism and to thus justify any and all following actions domestically and abroad. And for ISIS, suffering major setbacks in Iraq and Syria, staging such an attack in the heart of Tehran would be a necessary boost in morale amongst its dwindling rank and files.

JUNE 23, 2017 2:05 PM

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Ehud Barak’s ‘Slippery Slope’

In an interview Wednesday with Tim Sebastian -- host of the program ‎‎"Conflict Zone" on German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle...

Focusing on the needs of the Iranian regime, the aftermath of last month’s presidential election resulted in escalated factional disputes. A resulting domino effect allowed increasing voices of protests in cities across the country, making the ruling apparatus desperate for elevating the security clampdown.

The recent US Senate 98-2 vote levying significant sanctions on Iran have also sounded major alarm bells amongst the mullahs.

Turning the attention outside of Iran’s borders, this regime is seen plunging an already war-torn Middle East into further despair through warmongering. This is especially regarding Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani has been reported arriving at a location on the Syrian-Iraqi border, accompanied by Iran-associated Iraqi proxy militias, according to Al Arabiya,citing Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

As ISIS is losing ground in Syria, Iran is seeking to gain as much territory as possible, while testing the Trump administration’s will to take serious action against its conglomerate of proxy groups busy propping the Assad regime.

In Iraq, with ISIS on the verge of being defeated in Mosul, there should be no expectation of crises and turmoil decreasing in this country. There are already concerns of Shiite proxy groups established by Iran staging ethnic cleansing operations across Sunni areas throughout the country, including the strategic city of Mosul.

Further south, Baghdad witnessed a car bombing at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, leaving dozens killed and injured. More recently a blast on Friday, June 9th, shook the southern city of Karbala by leaving three killed and 15 injured, and already links are being established to Iran’s involvement, reports indicate.

“Analysts believe that the coinciding of the Karbala blast days after Tehran’s armed attacks on parliament and Khomeini’s shrine is not arbitrary. Observers have stressed the likelihood of these events being fabricated by the Iranian regime to show itself as a victim of terrorism,” the piece finalizes.

Iran is also going all-out to cause havoc for its regional archrival, Saudi Arabia, through its ongoing support for Houthi militias against the legitimate government of Yemen. Extensive reporting has shown the growing role of the IRGC and Lebanese Hezbollah in this regard.

War on the Rocks reports:

“The IRGC and Hizballah serve as key force multipliers for Houthi anti-ship operations. On January 14, the Yemeni military and Sunni tribal militias captured two Hizballah naval warfare experts in Taiz’s western coastal town of Dhubab. One of those advisers specialized in mine laying tactics while the other focused on asymmetric naval warfare. The IRGC has also provided unmanned aircraft and “explosive boat technology” for performing “kamikaze”attacks against Saudi coalition ships and air defenses. Two weeks later, three Houthi drone boats attacked a Saudi frigate near the coast of Hudaydah, killing two crewmembers and wounding three others. On March 22, Iranian sources confirmed that they were deploying Shi’a Arab specialists to provide military training and logistical support for the Houthis. One week later, Saudi coalition warships shelled a coastal area near the northwestern city of Hudaydah, which hosts Yemen’s second largest port. The bombardment killed an IRGC adviser as he assisted Houthi fighters in the rigging of bomb-laden boats destined for unmanned attacks against U.S. and Saudi coalition ships in the Red Sea.”

In conclusion, Iran is and will be capitalizing on the twin Tehran attacks to portray its presence in the region necessary and downgrade its role as the leading state sponsor of terrorism by claiming to be a victim of terrorism. The mullahs will be thumping their chests over the necessity to participate in wars to prevent attacks back home. Diverting focus and pressures coming from the Trump administration is also another very important objective in this regard.

Will Iran succeed? Only time will tell. However, undeniable is the necessity for the international community to increase essential pressure on Iran and bring an end to its deadly meddling across the Middle East. An Arab-Islamic-American has already been established against Iran’s presence in the region. Blacklisting the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization is the first compulsory step to completely cut off Iran’s reach in the region.