Iran Snapshot: Ahmadinejad's Crocodile Tears for Journalists

We note Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's kind words for journalists as he closed the 17th International Festival and Fair of the Press and News Agencies:

"The distinctive point of the media and reporters is their ability to well portray humanity and defend rights of nations vis-a-vis the domineering powers and plunderers of culture and identity of human beings. The mission marks a big campaign which can be fulfilled by nobody except for the media and reporters."

Click to read more ...

An Introduction to Today's US Elections

Over the last few weeks, US Politics correspondent Lee Haddigan has given an introductory course on the US elections to EA readers. Now, for the graduates, he offers a summary of what to look for today in the Congressional and gubernatorial elections:

In a few hours time Americans will go to the polls and decide who will control the next Congress. With 435 elections for the House of Representatives and 37 Senate contests, as well as 37 battles for state Governor, it promises to be a hectic Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Sadly, Scott Lucas turned down my pleas to be sent to the US, all expenses paid, to cover the elections, and a more modest request for a coffee budget to stay awake during the coming marathon was politely ignored. But never fear, for slightly slower than up-to-the-minute breaking news, EA USA is here.

I'll start on the premise that Monday's expert predictions from Monday are a foundation for tonight's results. Those forecasts currently show that  the Republicans will gain a majority in the House of Representatives, but narrowly fail in its attempts to gain control of the Senate; as verdicts begin rolling in about 2200 GMT (6 p.m. on the US East Coast), they will confirm, reject, or modify the projections.

Click to read more ...

Iran Analysis (We Told You So): Why the Trial of US Hikers Bauer and Fattal Has Been Postponed

As EA predicted in September, the trial of detained American hikers Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, scheduled for 6 November, has been postponed.

Officially, Iran's Prosecutor General Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei is claiming that the trial could not proceed because of the absence of Sarah Shourd, who was detained with Fattal and Bauer in July 2009 when they were walking along the Iran-Iraq border: "Due to the absence of the third person, the court has delayed the trial time so that in between this time the third person can return to Iran or, in the event of her refusal to appear, her case be dealt with differently."

To be blunt, that is a very thin excuse. The cover for Shourd's release, arranged just before President Ahmadinejad's trip to New York, was that a $500,000 "guarantee" had been lodged that she would return for trial. Whether or not the money was actually placed in the control of Iran, that arrangement pretty much ensured that Shourd would not face further prosecution.

Click to read more ...

Iraq Latest: At Least 52 Killed in Attack on Catholic Church (Al Jazeera)

An al-Qaeda-linked group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Catholic church in the Iraqi capital, which resulted in the deaths of 52 people, including 25 hostages.

Attackers stormed the Our Lady of Salvation church in the Karrada neighbourhood of central Baghdad on Sunday night, taking more than 100 people hostage. The standoff was ended after police stormed the church two hours later.

At least seven members of the security forces and five gunmen were amongst those killed.

Click to read more ...

Afghanistan: The US Military v. Obama, Again (Cohen)

The simple fact is that ever since the president announced a July 2011 deadline for commencing withdrawals the military has chafed against what its views as an arbitrary deadline for pulling the plug on the operation. Rather than following Obama's admonition to not send troops into areas that could not be realistically handed over to the Afghan security forces by 2011, NATO and U.S. forces have engaged in a "clear, hold, and build strategy" in places where there is limited chance of turnover any time soon. It's hard to square that approach with a White House that seems desperate to embrace political reality and find the Afghan exit ramp.

But by spinning an optimistic tale of progress -- and pushing stories to journalists that suggest success is just around the corner -- the military could see only a nominal decrease of troops in July 2011. At the very least, it will put more public pressure on the White House to stay the course and fudge the troop withdrawal deadline.

Click to read more ...

The Latest from Iran (1 November): Closing A Medical University?

2205 GMT: Labour Front. Around 1,300 workers at the Alborz Tire Factory outside Tehran have now been on strike for a week demanding payment of six months of back wages and a New Year's bonus.

2200 GMT: Mousavi, Karroubi, and Subsidy Cuts. In Sunday's meeting with Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi said that the Ahmadinejad Government will not be able to implement subsidy cuts successfully: "Generally speaking, no one is against the subsidy cut plan, but our view is that there is no figure to manage this plan. Most prominent and competent experts have been sidelined."

Mousavi also criticized the government for stationing police and security forces around Tehran before the implementation of the cuts.

Karroubi expressed dismay over “institutionalisation” of lies and slander in the country and spoke about the “engineering” of votes during the 2009 elections and the post-election crackdowns that followed: “They treated the people in the worst way, using a great deal of violence. They cannot tolerate the slightest bit of response from opponents and critics, neither in the national media nor in the press...They cannot stand any form of freedom of speech and have effectively killed the freedom to speak the truth and to be truthful...even though they could have saved the country from all dangers by holding true elections.”

Click to read more ...

Israel-Palestine: Is There Hope in West Jerusalem's "Interim Solution"?

To save the direct Israel-Palestine talks, or possibly just to save face, secret negotiations are reportedly going on between Washington and West Jerusalem. One proposal involves  "leasing lands in East Jerusalem from future Palestinian state for 40-99 years", according to the London-based Arabic language daily Asharq al-Awsat. 

Is there more? On Saturday, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to convince the US administration to accept a plan for an "interim solution" based on a 10-year transition which the Palestinian state will be established on temporary borders. According to this plan, the Jerusalem and the right of return issues will be bypassed and the temporary borders will be the current Israeli security fence/Separation Wall. Israel will lease the Jordan Valley for 40 years and Israel Defense Forces bases will remain at entrances to West Bank cities. 

The bottom line is that Israel would remain control over 40 percent of the West Bank during the planned interim period.

Click to read more ...

Video and Latest on Bombing in Turkey: 32 Wounded but Still No Claim of Responsibility

On Sunday, a suicide bomb was detonated in the heart of Istanbul, wounding 17 civilians and 15 police. Istanbul Police Chief Hüseyin Çapkın said the male bomber tried but failed to get into a parked police van, detonating the bomb just outside the vehicle.

After the incident, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Edogan said:

I am, once again, reminding all that there will be no tolerance to those who want to stir up trouble and break the peace, stability and security atmosphere and that these attacks can never retain Turkey from solidarity, brotherhood and its growth targets. We are one, we are together, we are brothers and these games will be broken as long as our solidarity, unity and brotherhood remains. What lies behind these games? The prevention of a developed and modern Turkey lies behind [them]!

Click to read more ...

Israel the Perpetual Victim? (Levy)

We've always loved victimization, not only when we were real victims, as often was the case in our history, but also when we were the aggressors, occupiers and abusers. And we don't only cast ourselves as victims, but as the only victims. But observe our perception of our wrongdoing. It started with denial, then changed to suppression, then to shamelessness, then to dehumanization and demonization, until we arrived at the current stage: A pride parade.

Click to read more ...

Turkey Analysis: What Does Ankara's New "Red Book" of Threats Mean?

On Wednesday, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) agreed to make radical changes to a document. referred to as the “Red Book” or the "Secret Constitution", in which the main threats over the next five years to Turkey's security are outlined.  

Is the Erdogan government a new "De Gaulle" which is just pursuing its political calculations or is it the Trojan Horse aligning with "radicals" such as Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah?

Click to read more ...