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Sayfa 1
MIDDLE EAST BULLETIN GÜNLÜK ORTADOĞU BÜLTENİ
22 JUNE / HAZİRAN 2011 NO: 1185
CONTENTS / İÇİNDEKİLER 1. IRAQ / IRAK
Iraq: Al-Sadr rejects any Iranian attack on Iraq
Religious authorities’ stand over status of US Forces in Iraq
Maliki: Iraq still under risk
Ministry of Defense: Iraqi troops Tunisian man leading an Al Qaeda cell in Mosul
Blast targets Diwaniya governor house, 22 killed
Talabani and Ahmadinejad talk of importance of Iraq-Iran relations
Mutlag meets with Minister of Human Rights
Maliki demands that media take its role as fourth authority through democratic mechanisms
Watching with concern Maliki's gov't repression - Kurdish Intellectuals
Iraqi-Iranian border demarcation in process
Iraq’s Foreign Minister visits Iran on Tuesday
İran Kürdistan’a Bomba Yağdırıyor
2. IRAN / İRAN
İran ve Irak’tan ikili ve bölgesel işbirliğine vurgu
Commander Stresses Iran's Upper-Hand in Soft War
Iran, Russia Welcome Formation of National Gov't in Lebanon
Rusya Dışişleri Bakanı’nın özel temsilcisi Şeybani ile görüştü
Suudi Arabistan'ın çabaları sonuç vermez
Nuclear chief invites Amano to visit Iran’s nuclear sites
Salehi avoids impeachment through Malekzadeh resignation
Ahmedinejad: Bölge sorunları yabancıların müdahalesi olmadan çözümlenmeli
Pakistan, Tahran’ın terörle mücadele konferansına cumhurbaşkanı düzeyinde katılıyor
Camp Ashraf to be closed by year-end: Zebari
Iran parliament starts impeachment proceedings against foreign minister, ally of Ahmadinejad
3. ISRAEL - PALESTINE / İSRAİL – FİLİSTİN
Senior Israeli source: Iran actively helping Syria squash demonstrations
Israel approves transfer of $100 million of building goods into Gaza
Fayyad to stay on as Palestinian prime minister
Netanyahu to Erdogan: Israel and Turkey should renew spirit of friendship
IAF strikes Gaza tunnel
US citizens head to Greece to join Gaza-bound flotilla
Netanyahu sends congratulatory letter to Erdogan
4. AFRICA AND EGYPT / AFRİKA VE MISIR
" FJP Begins Coordinating With Other Parties Ahead of Elections"
State Council: Const
Defying leadership, Brotherhood youth form new party
European Parliament slams Amr Moussa for his close ties to Mubarak
Tuesday’s papers: Al-Azhar backs a civil state and ElBaradei’s on top
Moussa: Christians are not a minority in Egypt
Al Bashir: Halayeb to Bridge Strong Ties with Egypt
Egypt's 'noble poor' denied their role in the revolution
Woman at centre of sectarian violence in Imbaba, Abeer Talaat, is released
Tunisians voice unease over Ben Ali 'charade' verdict
Morocco's Draft Constitution: Much Ado about Nothing
End of consultation on political reforms ordered by President Bouteflika
Morocco: Arab League welcomes the new draft constitution
Sayfa 2
5. LEBANON AND JORDAN / LÜBNAN VE ÜRDÜN
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - June 22, 2011
Berri: Cabinet to undergo test to prove competence
6. SYRIA / SURİYE
Arap Medyası El-Esad'ın Konuşmasına Geniş Yer Ayırdı
SANA Correspondents: Millions of Syrian Citizens Flock to Public Squares in Support of the Comprehensive Reform Program under Leadership of President Bashar al-Assad
Dr. Shaaban: The West had better support the process of democracy Syria is witnessing process instead of imposing sanctions on the country
7. ARABIAN PENINSULA AND THE GULF OF BASRA / ARAP YARIMADASI VE BASRA KÖRFEZİ
Yemeni protesters demand interim council to prevent Saleh’s return
Clashes in Taiz Resume
Massive Demonstration in Sana'a as Protesters Warn of Attempts to Abort Uprising
More focus on rights issues in Bahrain
Bahrain 'will emerge stronger'
The Independent: Bahraini leadership faces new claims that torture took place in hospital
8. SOUTH ASIA / GÜNEY ASYA
PAKISTAN / PAKİSTAN
Three security officials, four militants killed in Khyber, Orakzai
Pakistani support for military action against militants drops: poll
AFGHANISTAN / AFGANISTAN
Suicide Attack Targeting Afghan Governor Kills Female Student
One killed in suicide attack in Afghanistan's Parwan province
Tehran, Kabul to exchange terror data
China pleased to see progress in Afghan reconciliation: FM spokesman
Obama plans to call back 30,000 troops from Afghanistan by 2012: report
1 NATO soldier killed in IED blast in S. Afghanistan
Peace in Afghanistan a long way off: Australian DM
Sayfa 3
1. IRAQ / IRAK
Iraq: Al-Sadr rejects any Iranian attack
on Iraq
Controversial Iraqi political and
religious leader Moqtada al-Sadr has
stated that he comprehensively rejects
any Iranian attack on Iraq, even if it
targets the "American occupiers". To
date, this is the strongest position
taken by the firebrand cleric who is the
leader of the Sadrist movement and
enjoys strong ties with Tehran.
Al-Sadr's surprising comments comes
in response to a statement made by
Iranian ambassador to Iraq Hassan
Danaifar to local Iraqi media. In this
statement, Danaifar threatened that
Iran would respond against Iraq in the
event of the US carrying out an attack
on the country from its bases within
Iraq. He stressed that "we informed
the Iraqi officials that Iran will, of
course, respond to any attacks carried
out against it from within Iraqi
territory." The Iranian ambassador to
Iraq also confirmed that "our Iraqi
friends have confirmed that they
would not allow any country to use its
territory to launch at attack on Iran."
According to the statement published
yesterday by the website of the
Political Commission of the Sadrist
movement, al-Sadr "in response to a
request for a formal [religious] opinion
put to him regarding the statements
made by the Iranian ambassador and
in which he said that : in the event that
we [Iran] are subject to American
bombardment from Iraq, there will be
an Iranian response against Iraq, his
Eminence [Ayatollah al-Sadr] answered
that: we will not allow this, even if it is
the [American] occupiers who are
being targeted."
The Iranian embassy in Baghdad
yesterday declined to comment on the
statements attributed to the Iranian
ambassador, informing Asharq Al-
Awsat that "there is no official in the
Iranian embassy in Baghdad who is
authorized to comment on this issue."
The Iranian embassy in Baghdad also
told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the Iranian
ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Danaifar,
is currently present in Tehran."
Sayfa 4
For his part, senior member of the
Sadrist trend, MP Hakim al-Zamili told
Asharq Al-Awsat that "the position
taken by Sayyid Moqtada al-Sadr in
this regard is in essence an expression
of the truthfulness of the Sadrist
movment's position with regards to
the national issues that there must be
no bargaining on for any reason, nor
any excuse or pretext…for Iraq
becoming a springboard for aggression
against any neighboring country." He
added that "we also do not accept Iraq
becoming an arena for others to settle
scores from within our territory."
Al-Zamili added that "the position of
the Sadrist trend as clearly expressed
by its leader Moqtada al-Sadr is based
upon well-known fundamentals,
namely respecting our neighboring
countries and respecting our
legitimacy as a nation and
homeland…al-Sadr's main concern is
Iraq, therefore he hopes that our
relations with all neighboring countries
is built on mutual respect and the
development of common interests in
all fields."
As for al-Sadr's rejection of any Iranian
attacks on Iraqi soil, even if this is
targeting the American forces, MP
Hakim al-Zamili informed Asharq Al-
Awsat that "our position in this regard
is clear and frank because we reject
Iraq becoming an arena for score-
settling at the expense of the national
interests of Iraq. Therefore, in the
event that Iran wants to settle its score
with the US, or vice versa, this should
not come at the [national] interests of
Iraq, because we have had enough of
wars and problems, especially as we
have suffered from this problem for
more than 30 years."
For its part, the Iraqi State of Law
coalition that is led by Iraqi Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki also
comprehensively rejected the
statements made by Iranian
ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaifar. A
prominent member of the State of Law
coalition, Adnan al-Saraj, told Asharq
Al-Awsat that "Iraq's position on this
issue is clear and frank; the Americans
and Iranians are both aware of this
position, and we previously informed
Sayfa 5
the Americans of our formal rejection
of any attack against Iran being carried
out from within our territory whatever
the pretext. We also informed them
[the Americans] of our rejection of
Iraqi airspace being used as a
springboard for any bombardment of
Iran, whether this is via Turkey or
Israel, and this is something that the
Americans are well aware of."
Al-Saraj also told Asharq Al-Awsat that
"the Iraqi position is one that rejects
these statements because there is no
justification for this, not to mention
that this is not a new position. Our
position is that at the same time that
we reject Iran being bombarded from
within our territory, we also reject Iran
issuing such statements that false
positions can be based upon."
He also stressed that "we informed the
Americans that we will solve our
problems and issues ourselves –
whether these are internal or with our
neighbors – and that we do not need
any foreign intervention, whatever the
reason." Al-Saraj concluded by
stressing to Asharq Al-Awsat that "Iraq
also informed the US of its rejection of
the US settling its score with Al Qaeda
within Iraqi territory."
Sadrist trend leader Moqtada al-Sadr's
position on this issue represents a new
and strong position taken by this
traditionally Shiite pro-Iranian Iraqi
group. According to the political
observers in Baghdad, the Sadrist
trend finds itself in an extremely
strong political position today,
witnessing an increase in popularity in
the Iraqi street, as well as winning 40
parliamentary seats at the last
elections. Iraqi political observers have
commented that perhaps al-Sadr, who
is known for possessing a rebellious
and volatile personality, has decided to
exploit his party's strong political
position to take a stance against Iran,
particularly as many analysts believe
that Tehran pressured the Sadrist
trend to ally with Nuri al-Maliki's State
of Law coalition to resolve the crisis
surround the formation of the
previous Iraqi government last year.
http://www.asharq-
e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=25610
Sayfa 6
Religious authorities’ stand over
status of US Forces in Iraq
The spokesman for cleric Sayyed
Moqtada Al Sadr announced on
Monday that Al Sadr received
feedback from religious authorities
over the extension of US troops term
in Iraq beyond 2011.
Religious authorities rejected the
extension of US Forces term in Iraq,
the spokesman said.
Al Sadr affirmed to the religious
authorities that Washington is
pressuring the Iraqi government to
“legalize” the non-withdrawal of US
Forces, a source from Al Sadr Front
revealed.
Sadr Front leader Sayyed Moqtada Al
Sadr sent referendums to a number of
Sunni and Shiite authorities over their
stand if US Forces remain in Iraq
beyond 2011. Religious authorities
rejected the extension of US troops
term which they believe is a violation
to the country’s sovereignty and an
aggression against the people’s
integrity, Salah Al Ubaidi told
Alsumarianews.
After receiving the answers of religious
authorities, Al Sadr stressed the
necessity for the people including Iraqi
tribes to mark a stand against the
extension of US troops term in Iraq, Al
Ubaidi added.
In this regard, Al Sadr addressed the
following religious authorities: Kazem
Al Ha’iri, Isaac Al Fayad, Mahmoud Al
Hashemi Al Husseini, Ali Al Akbar Al
Ha’iri, Mortada Al Moussawi Al Kazwini
and head of the Supreme Shiite Islamic
Council Abdul Amir Qabalan Al Tofaili
in addition to Muslims Scholars
Association and Al Azhar Al Sharif as
well as Cardinal Emmanuel, a source
from Al Sadr Front told
Alsumarianews.
The referendum was based on three
questions namely: “What if the
occupier stays in Iraq without the
approval of the Iraqi government. How
can we legally back the government?
What would be our stand if the
occupier stays in Iraq by the consent of
Sayfa 7
the government? Kindly advise about
this issue”, the source speaking on
condition of anonymity said.
Religious authorities rejected the
extension of US troops in Iraq beyond
2011, the source said.
Al Sadr’s letter read out: “The occupier
has implicit intentions that are close to
settling in beloved Iraq. The occupier
wants to pressure the Iraqi
government in order to ratify a law
that legalizes their presence in the
country with the authority to make
arrests and interfere in the interior
affairs of a country that enjoys an
Islamic history and future”.
Speaker Ousama Al Nujaifi affirmed on
Sunday night that any decision
regarding the new security agreement
with the United States would be
difficult to take in light of the
complicated political situation in the
country.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-
News/1-65570-Religious-
authorities%E2%80%99-stand-over-
status-of-US-Forces-in-Iraq.html
Maliki: Iraq still under risk
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki
affirmed on Monday that Iraq is still
under risk urging all political parties to
renounce the policy of marginalization
and opt for love and forgiveness.
In the ceremony celebrating the 3d
foundation anniversary of the national
reform movement led by Ibrahim Al
Jaafari, Al Maliki noted that Iraq is still
under risk. He noted however that he
is not pessimistic but he is calling to be
aware and vigilant in order not to face
the same exceptional circumstances in
Iraq.
“Iraq is still facing challenges. The
country has made a major leap
towards stability, sovereignty, security
and reconstruction. There remains a
lot to do”, Al Maliki added.
Iraqi Prime Minister stressed the
necessity to renounce and eradicate
the culture of violence, oppression and
sectarianism within our parties,
movements and educational
institutions.
Sayfa 8
This is how we can renounce this
culture which does not belong to the
Iraqi people long known for
forgiveness and love among the
different components of the Iraqi
society.
In June 2008, the national reform
movement was formed including
political, social, cultural and religious
parties led by former Prime Minister
Ibrahim Al Jaafari.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-
News/1-65553-Maliki%3A-Iraq-still-
under-risk.html
Ministry of Defense: Iraqi troops
Tunisian man leading an Al Qaeda cell
in Mosul
Iraq Ministry of Defense said on
Monday that it arrested an official in Al
Qaeda from the Tunisian nationality
and another 16 members who
constitute an armed cell led by the
Tunisian man. The arrest took place
during a special operation in Mosul.
Defense Ministry Spokesman Brigadier
General Mohammad Al Askari said
during an interview with
Alsumarianews that a “troop of Iraqi
army carried out a security operation
on the left cost of Mosul city and
arrested an Al Qaeda cell constituted
of 16 people led by a Tunisian man”.
“The troop ceased big quantities of
explosives, arms and TNT”. “The force
took the arrested to a detention
center for investigation”, he added
without giving any further details.
“The special operation was based on
precise intelligence information”, he
uttered. To that, Media Official of Al
Qaeda Ahmad Abdul Karim Ali
Suleiman was arrested during a
security operation in Samarra region in
Saladin Province, the second most
important state in Al Qaeda’s Iraq
Islamic State, after Diyala.
It is to be noted that the province of
Nineveh, the center of which is Mosul
city 405 km north of Baghdad, is
considered a security hot spot
according to the Iraqi government and
US troops since security incidents such
explosions and operations against
Sayfa 9
security forces and citizens take place
on a daily basis.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-
News/1-65555-Ministry-of-
Defense%3A-Iraqi-troops-Tunisian-
man-leading-an-Al-Qaeda-cell-in-
Mosul.html
Blast targets Diwaniya governor
house, 22 killed
A double explosion targeting the
house of Diwaniya governor left
behind at least 57 people among killed
and wounded mostly policemen, Iraqi
medical and security sources reported
on Tuesday.
The bombings were carried out by two
suicide bombers in two car bombs, the
Defense Ministry said.
A car bomb exploded at 8:15 am on
Tuesday in front of the house of Al
Diwaniya governor Salem Hussein
Alwan in Al Sawb Al Saghir region,
central Diwaniya, security sources told
Alsumarianews.
When policemen and Civil Defense
gathered in the incident, site a second
explosion detonated killing 22 and
wounding 35 others mostly policemen,
the sources reported.
“It is not yet known whether the
governor and his family escaped death
or not”, the sources continued.
The death toll is expected to rise, they
added.
Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier
General Mohammed Al Askari told
Alsumarianews that the bombings
were triggered consecutively by
suicide bombers in two car bombs.
Security Forces imposed intensified
security measures in the incident site,
he added.
Diwaniya province, 180 km southern
Baghdad, enjoys remarkable security
stability. However, attacks have
increased in the last three months
mostly targeting the US base in the
province since 2003.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-
News/1-65551-Blast-targets-Diwaniya-
governor-house%2C-22-killed.html
Sayfa 10
Talabani and Ahmadinejad talk of
importance of Iraq-Iran relations
The Iraqi and Iranian presidents have
stressed the importance of the growth
of relations between their two
countries.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Jalal
Talabani spoke over the phone today
according to Iranian state broadcaster,
Press TV.
"The expansion of relations between
Iran and Iraq will be beneficial to
regional peace and security," President
Ahmadinejad said.
Talabani expressed his happiness at
the increasing closeness of the two
neighbors and said that better
relations can only be a good thing for
the whole of the Middle East.
hmadinejad highlighted the cultural
ties between Iraq and Iran and said:
"The two countries have great
potential to promote bilateral and
regional ties.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister
Hoshyar Zebari arrived in the Iranian
capital, Tehran, today on an official
visit to discuss ways to enhance
bilateral ties. He will meet with senior
Iranian officials, including President
Ahmadinejad.
http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/
4/247794/
Mutlag meets with Minister of Human
Rights
Deputy Prime Minister Salih Al Mutlag
discussed with Human Rights Minister
Mohamed Shiaa Al Sudani "ways to
achieve human justice and bring
fairness to the oppressed and the
preservation of the freedoms under
the democratic experiment Iraq is
experiencing."
A statement issued by his office
quoted him as saying "one of the
things that human rights experts
focused on is the social right, which
did not come at random. The process
of change also does not come at
random it is a journey of struggle and
Sayfa 11
human sacrifice and bitter
experiences."
"The Iraqi citizen, in the successive
governments before and after the
occupation, sought the right to human
dignity and the hope of freedom, in
order to feel secure and he must get
what he wanted as a civilized human
being who refuses humiliation," he
added.
For his part, Al Sudani pointed out to
"the importance of giving an image of
the new Iraq based on the democratic
system and communication with
international organizations and bodies
that showed a great deal of assistance
to Iraq in many areas."
He said there are indications that the
human rights situation in Iraq is much
better than it was in the past,
according to the statement.
http://www.ninanews.com/english/Ne
ws_Details.asp?ar95_VQ=FHDDMD
Maliki demands that media take its
role as fourth authority through
democratic mechanisms
Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki
demanded that media takes its role as
the fourth authority through
democratic mechanisms.
Maliki said in a speech, recited on his
behalf by the government spokesman,
Ali Al Dabbagh, at the national zone
conference organized by the
Communications and Media
Commission today, "we want the
media to take its role as the fourth
authority through democratic
mechanisms under the auspices of an
independent body that deals
professionally and impartially to
promote our country that we want it
to be precious."
He stressed the need to organize the
work of independent media, saying
"this matter requires us to talk to get
to an equation that reserves the
Sayfa 12
independence and strength of
independent media and its free role,
and to prevent harm to it by the
parties that want to harm this
experiment, or the yellow media that
wants to violation of the codes of
honor."
He proposed that “CMC adopts this
issue as it is an independent entity and
is specialized in media and in
collaboration with the parliamentary
Media Committee, and the Journalists
Syndicate and civil society
organizations to come out with a
reference equation that we resort to.”
http://www.ninanews.com/english/Ne
ws_Details.asp?ar95_VQ=FHDDKI
Watching with concern Maliki's gov't
repression - Kurdish Intellectuals
Kurdish intellectuals expressed their
concern, today, over what they
described as "the impatience of
Premier's Nouri al-Maliki's government
and its repressive organs against the
protesters all over Iraq."
In a statement, as received by Aswat
al-Iraq, which included 113 signatories
from amongst Kurdish intellectuals,
they expressed their "denunciation for
repressive measures committed
against the demonstrators, preventing
media organs from transmitting the
events, and threatening and detaining
the workers in the cultural fields as
well as civil activists."
The statement criticized Maliki for not
fulfilling his promises in the 100-day
period.
It rejected the thought of making the
tribal Sheikhs clash with the
demonstrators.
On 10 June instant, clashes occurred
between the demonstrators and pro-
government tribal elements who
demanded the execution of the killers
of Dijail wedding massacre, which
happened in 2006.
http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.as
px?page=article_page&id=143312&l=1
Sayfa 13
Iraqi-Iranian border demarcation in
process
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiar Zebari
declared that the Iraqi and Iranian
sides made "notable progress" in
demarcation of land and water
borders, as reported by Mehr Iranian
news agency.
In a press conference in Tehran with
his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar
Salehi, he added that the discussions
were "held on the principles believed
by both countries, away from political
wrangling."
He declared that the agreement to be
signed covered mutual taxes, customs
cooperation, and encouraging joint
investments, in addition to economic
and trade cooperation.
Salehi stated that Iraqi-Iranian
technical committees were able to
complete the majority of border marks
in the north.
He disclosed that the first Iranian vice-
president will soon visit Iraq to chair
the Iranian side in the bilateral Higher
Committee, who will be accompanied
by a number of heads of Iranian
companies.
http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.as
px?page=article_page&id=143310&l=1
Iraq’s Foreign Minister visits Iran on
Tuesday
Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Hoshiar Zibary,
is scheduled to visit the Islamic
Republic of Iran on Tuesday, to discuss
bilateral relations between the two
neighboring countries, the Foreign
Ministry’s electronic site reported.
“The Foreign Minister shall pay an
official visit to Tehran, accompanied by
a high-level Ministry delegation,
specialized in bilateral judicial and
consulate affairs, to carry out talks
with the Iranian side and discuss Iraq’s
relations with the Islamic Republic of
Iran,” the site stressed.
It added that Zibary would confer
during the visit with his Iranian
Counterpart, Ali Akbar Salihi and a
number of other officials.
Sayfa 14
http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.as
px?page=article_page&id=143300&l=1
İran Kürdistan’a Bomba Yağdırıyor
İran ordusu bugun sabah saat 10.00
sıralarında Kürdistan Bölgesi’nin sınır
bölgelerini top yağmuruna tuttu.
İran ordusu topçu birlikleri bugün
sabah saat 10.00 sıralarında Kürdistan
bölgesi’nin sınır bölgelerine yoğun bir
top atışı başlattı.
İran PJK’ı bahane ederek Kürdistan
bölgesi’nin sınır bölgelerini bombalıyor
ki bombalanan bölgeler çiftçiliğin
yoğun olduğu bir bölge ve bu ciddi bir
maddi hasara neden oluyor. İran
bugün Berdunaz,Pirelok ve Binari
Kodayan dolaylarını hedef yaptı.
http://www.peyamner.com/details.as
px?l=6&id=237704
2. IRAN / İRAN
İran ve Irak’tan ikili ve bölgesel
işbirliğine vurgu
İran ve Irak cumhurbaşkanları iki ülke
arasında çeşitli alanlarda ikili ve
bölgesel işbirliğine vurgu yaptı.
FHA- Irak Cumhurbaşkanı Celal
Talabani ile bir telefon görüşmesi
gerçekleştiren Cumhurbaşkanı
Ahmedinejad, Tahran ve Bağdat
arasında işbirliği ve ilişkilerin tüm
alanlarda derinleşmesi, iki milletin
çıkarlarına ve bölgede barış ve
güvenliğin yararına olacağını kaydetti.
Görüşmede Irak Cumhurbaşkanı
Talabani de ikili ilişkilerin gelişen
sürecinden duyduğu memnuniyeti dile
getirerek iki ülke arasındaki işbirliğinin
Sayfa 15
gelişmesinin, iki millete ve bölgeye
değerli getirileri olacağını vurguladı.
http://turkish.farsnews.com/newstext.
aspx?nn=9003310630
Commander Stresses Iran's Upper-
Hand in Soft War
A senior commander of the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
underlined that the Islamic nature of
Iran's establishment has granted the
country an upper-hand in soft war
against enemies.
"Our soft war power is much more
than enemy's since Islam and our
beliefs are our backbone, and this
backbone is the strongest in the
world," Commander of IRGC's Sahib ul-
Amr Corps Salar Abnoush said,
addressing a meeting in Iran's
Northern city of Qazvin on Tuesday
evening.
He further pointed out that a good
knowledge and understanding of these
two assets enables all Iranian
commanders to lead and command
their forces efficiently.
In December, Iranian Intelligence
Minister Heidar Moslehi cautioned
that enemies are continuing their plots
against the Islamic Republic through
soft tactics and are spending billions of
dollars to overthrow the Islamic
establishment in Iran.
"During the last 25 years, as many as
80 institutions, foundations,
associations and companies
specialized in soft war against Iran
have been set up with two-billion-
dollar annual funds," Moslehi said at
the time.
"There are numerous like-minded
institutions and agencies inside and
outside of Iran, whose missions are
mainly focused on toppling the Islamic
establishment in the country," he
warned.
Sayfa 16
He pointed to the complexity of soft
war against Iran, and stated, "The
enemies of the Islamic Republic have
always been involved in hatching long-
term plans over the past 19 years as
part a soft war against the Iranian
nation and in doing so they have
allocated more than $17.7 billion in
order to stage a coup against the
sacred establishment of the Islamic
Republic."
Supreme Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali
Khamenei had also on many occasions
warned about the enemies' soft-war
plots to undermine Iran's resolve
towards progress. In November 2009,
he underlined the necessity for proper
measures to repel enemy's soft war
against Iran.
"Today, the main priority of the
country is to confront (enemy's) soft
warfare which is aimed at creating
doubt, discord and pessimism among
the masses of the people," Ayatollah
Khamenei said, addressing a large and
fervent congregation of Basij
(volunteer) forces.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.
php?nn=9004010494
Iran, Russia Welcome Formation of
National Gov't in Lebanon
High-ranking Iranian and Russian
foreign ministry officials in a meeting
in Tehran underlined the importance
of establishment of security and
stability in the region, and welcomed
formation of the new national
government in Lebanon.
The issue was raised during a meeting
between special envoy of Russian
Foreign Minister and Director-General
of the Middle-East and North Africa
Department of the Russian Foreign
Ministry Sergei Vershinin and Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad
Reza Raouf Sheybani on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Vershinin
reiterated that people of the region
have the right to determine their own
fate without interference of others,
and said that different groups'
dialogue with the government is the
only solution to the current crises, and
Sayfa 17
called for ceasing military operation in
all countries facing crises, including
Libya.
Sheybani, for his part, criticized the
dual behavior of the West with
developments in the Middle-East and
North Africa, and said the legitimate
demands raised by the people in the
region are in the direction of
independence and sovereignty of their
own countries.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.
php?nn=9004010487
Rusya Dışişleri Bakanı’nın özel
temsilcisi Şeybani ile görüştü
İran Dışişleri Bakan Yardımcısı ile
görüşen Rusya Dışişleri Bakan
Yardımcısı, Lavrov’un mesajını
kendisine teslim etti.
Mehr haber ajansı muhabirinin
bildirdiğine göre, Rusya Dışişleri Bakan
Yardımcısı Verşnin önceki gün İran
Dışişleri Bakan Yardımcısı Muhammed
Rıza Rauf Şeybani ile görüşerek
Dışişleri Bakanı Sergey Lavrov’un
mesajını kendisine iletti.
Bu görüşmede Ortadoğu bölgesinin
gelişmelerine işaret eden Verşnin,
yabancıların müdahelesi olmaksızın
bölge halkı kendi kaderini belirlemesi
gerektiğini söyleyerek, Libya’ya yönelik
askeri operasyonun durulmasını istedi.
Muhamed Rıza Şeybani ise bu
görüşmede batının çifte standart
tutumunu eleştirerek bölgenin ve
Kuzey Afrika’nın halkının talepleri
meşru olduğunu vurguladı.
İran Dışişleri Bakan Yardımcısı,
Lübnan’da milli devletinin
oluşumundan ve Filistin’de milli
uzlaşma çalışmalarından
memnuniyetini dile getirdi.
http://www.mehrnews.com/tr/newsd
etail.aspx?NewsID=1341343
Suudi Arabistan'ın çabaları sonuç
vermez
İslami şura meclisi dış siyaset ve ulusal
güvenlik komisyonu başkanı Alaeddin
Brucerdi, uluslar arası terörizmle
Sayfa 18
mücadele konferansının
düzenlenmesini önlemek amacıyla
Suudi Arabistan’ın yürüttüğü
çabalarının sonuç vermediğini söyledi.
İslami şura meclisi dış siyaset ve ulusal
güvenlik komisyonu başkanı Alaeddin
Brucerdi, İslami şura meclisi haber
ajansına verdiği demeçte, Suudi
Arabistan’ın, Tahran’da düzenlenecek
olan uluslar arası terörizmle mücadele
konferansının engellenmesi için yoğun
bir çaba yürüttüğünü belirterek,
konferans ülkeler tarafından sıcak
karşılanacak çünkü, terörizm, dünyanın
en önemli sorunlarından biridir dedi.
Suudi Arabistan’ın, Pakistan devlet
başkanından, Tahran’da düzenlenecek
olan uluslar arası terörizmle mücadele
konferansına katılmamasını istemesine
işaret eden, İslami şura meclisi dış
siyaset ve ulusal güvenlik komisyonu
başkanı Alaeddin Brucerdi, "İran İslam
cumhuriyeti, terörizmle mücadele
konusunda en ön safta yer almaktadır"
dedi.
Suudi Arabistan’ın “Terörizmle
mücadele konferansının” siyasi bir
manevra olduğu iddialarına da yanıt
veren Alaeddin Brucerdi, "İran,
muhtelif ülke liderlerini davet ederek,
Tahran konferansının düzenlenmesi
için , bütün imkanlarını kullanacak ve
konferansı düzenleyecektir" diye
konuştu.
Bilindiği gibi Tahran'da 25 ile 26
Haziran tarihlerinde uluslar arası
terörizmle mücadele konferansı
düzenlenecek.
http://www.mehrnews.com/tr/newsd
etail.aspx?NewsID=1341459
Nuclear chief invites Amano to visit
Iran’s nuclear sites
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
Director Fereydoun Abbasi Davani has
said that he has invited IAEA Director
General Yukiya Amano to visit Iran’
nuclear facilities.
Abbasi Davani made the
announcement after a meeting with
Amano in Vienna on Tuesday on the
sidelines of a five-day Ministerial
Sayfa 19
Conference on Nuclear Safety, which
opened on June 20.
Abbasi Davani said that he invited
Amano “and his colleagues to come to
visit anywhere they like in all our
nuclear installations,” Reuters
reported.
He also said that he had held “very
good” and “transparent” talks with
Amano.
According to Reuters, Iran’s nuclear
chief said that the two sides pledged
to resolve problems through more
dialogue in future but did not give any
details on what was discussed.
“We don’t have a difference of view,”
he stated.
On January 15 and January 16, 2011,
diplomats from Egypt, Cuba, Syria,
Algeria, Venezuela, Oman, and the
Arab League visited the Natanz
enrichment facility and the Arak heavy
water reactor in response to Iran’s
invitation.
Some members of the UN Security
Council and the European Union had
also been invited but decided not to
send representatives.
The main bone of contention between
Tehran and the West is Iran’s uranium
enrichment program.
Iran says all its nuclear activities are
totally peaceful, and, as an IAEA
member and an NPT signatory, it has
the legal right to produce nuclear fuel
for its research reactors and nuclear
power plants.
http://www.mehrnews.com/en/newsd
etail.aspx?NewsID=1341130
Salehi avoids impeachment through
Malekzadeh resignation
Iranian MPs decided to drop the
motion to impeach Foreign Minister Ali
Akbar Salehi after Salehi accepted the
resignation of the newly appointed
deputy foreign minister for
administrative and financial affairs,
Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, on
Tuesday.
Sayfa 20
Salehi also appointed Behrouz
Kamalvandi, the deputy foreign
minister for the Americas, to the post.
On Sunday, lawmakers started a
campaign to impeach Salehi if he did
not dismiss Malekzadeh. MPs had
cited the appointment of Malekzadeh
as deputy foreign minister as the
reason for their decision to impeach
Salehi.
Some of the Majlis representatives
said Malekzadeh is allied with the
deviant current, which is associated
with Esfandiar Rahim Mashaii.
On Sunday, an impeachment motion,
signed by 33 MPs, was submitted to
the Majlis Presiding Board. However,
the situation changed when
Malekzadeh resigned.
Part of the impeachment proposal
read, “The appointment of
Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh… as
deputy foreign minister for
administrative and financial affairs, will
jeopardize foreign interests of the
system due to his not very good
background.”
However, MP Hossein Sobhaninia of
the Majlis Presiding Board told the
Fars news agency that the lawmakers
who put forward the motion have not
yet requested the withdrawal of the
impeachment motion.
He added that if the MPs do not
announce the withdrawal of the
impeachment motion to the presiding
board over the next few days, the
foreign minister will be impeached.
MP Ahmad Tavakkoli and some other
MPs said Salehi himself should have
dismissed Malekzadeh before he
tendered his resignation.
http://www.mehrnews.com/en/newsd
etail.aspx?NewsID=1341143
Ahmedinejad: Bölge sorunları
yabancıların müdahalesi olmadan
çözümlenmeli
İran İslam Cumhuriyeti ve Cezayir
Cumhurbaşkanları, Libya ve Fil Dişi
Sahili gibi bölge ülkelerin sorunlarının
yabancı müdahalesi olmadan
çözümlenmesi gerektiğine işaret
Sayfa 21
ederek, bölge için hegemonya güçlerin
plan ve programlarının bağımsız
milletler tarafından kabul
görülmediğini belirttiler.
Cezayir Cumhurbaşkanı ile telefon
görüşmesi yapan Ahmedinejad,
Batılıların bölgede eski sömürgeci
imparatorlukları yeniden canlandırma
çabasında olduklarına işaret ederek
“Libya ve Fil Dişi Sahili gibi ülkelerin
sorunu yabancıların müdahalesi
olmadan çözümlenmeli” dedi.
İran’ın her zaman bölgedeki
kardeşlerin ve bağımsız milletlerin
yanında yer aldığına değinen
Cumhurbaşkanı “Batılı güçler bugün
internet sosyal ağı gibi araç gereçleri
bağımsız milletlere karşı kullanıyor. Bu
tür komplolara karşı deneyimleri olan
İslam Cumhuriyeti deneyimlerini
bağımsız milletlerle paylaşmaya hazır”
dedi.
Telefon görüşmesinde Cezayir
Cumhurbaşkanı da Libya ve Fil Dişi
Sahili meselelerle ilgili Afrika Birliği
toplantısına işaret ederek “hegemonya
güçlerin bölge için planladıkları
bağımsız milletler tarafından kabul
görmüyor ve bölge meselelerinde
yabancıların müdahalesine uygun yanıt
verilmeli” dedi.
http://www2.irna.ir/tr/news/view/line
-119/1106214783094657.htm
Pakistan, Tahran’ın terörle mücadele
konferansına cumhurbaşkanı
düzeyinde katılıyor
Pakistan’ın cumhurbaşkanlık
düzeyinde Tahran’da yapılması
beklenen uluslar arası terörle
mücadele konferansına katılacağı
belirtiliyor.
Sayfa 22
Konferans, “terörsüz bir dünya”
sloganıyla gelecek hafta Tahran’da 80
ülke temsilcisinin katılımıyla yapılacak.
Pakistan Cumhurbaşkanı Asıf Zerdari,
Petrol Bakanı Asım Hüseyin, İçişleri
Bakanı Rahman Melik ve Su ile Elektrik
Bakanı Kamer’in iki gün sürecek
konferansa katılacağı bildiriliyor.
http://www2.irna.ir/tr/news/view/line
-120/1106213799094818.htm
Camp Ashraf to be closed by year-
end: Zebari
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari
reiterated Baghdad’s position on
Tuesday that Camp Ashraf, where the
MKO members are held, should be
closed by the end of the year.
“Our position in this regard is clear.
Camp Ashraf will be closed by the end
of the current year,” Zabari said in a
joint press conference with Iranian
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.
He also said that his government has
proposed that a joint committee
would be established between Iran
and Iraq with the involvement of the
Red Cross to “decide about the fate of
people held in the camp”.
Attempt to free Iranian prisoners
Zebari also said the Iraqi government
will spare no effort to help free
Iranians being imprisoned in Iraq.
“In the past years, the Iraqi
government has released hundreds of
Iranian brothers, who were arrested
for illegally crossing the border or
staying in the country more than the
allowed time,” Zebari stated.
“We have always sought to resolve this
problem but there are rules and
regulations in Iraq which are
unfortunately violated (by some
Iranians),” he noted.
Iraq has granted pardons to or
commuted the sentences of many
Iranians out of humanitarian reasons
so far, he stated.
On facilities for Iranian pilgrims visiting
Iraq, Zebari said his government plans
to improve the current facilities,
noting that the number of Iranians
Sayfa 23
who come to Iraq on pilgrimage visits
has doubled.
Asked if the two countries should lift
visa requirements for their nationals,
he said, “It is not the right time”.
On dust pollutions that originate from
Iraq and once in a while cover large
swathes of Iran, Zebari said Iraqi cities
are suffering from the dust pollution
too, and that this is an environmental
pollution caused by bad climatic
conditions.
However, in order to solve the
problem it is essential to make
regional and international efforts, he
said, adding Saudi Arabia can play an
important role in this regard.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_V
iew.asp?code=242857
Iran parliament starts impeachment
proceedings against foreign minister,
ally of Ahmadinejad
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar
Salehi speaks during the second
International Conference on
Disarmament and Non-proliferation in
Tehran. (File Photo)
Iran’s parliament on Tuesday launched
impeachment procedures against
Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi for
appointing an aide to the president’s
underfire chief of staff as one of his
deputies.
The motion to impeach Mr. Salehi,
signed by 33 lawmakers, was officially
“read out in the parliament on
Tuesday by an MP in the presiding
board,” as required by the law, a
statement on the parliament Website
said.
Under the constitution, the signatures
of 10 MPs in the 290-seat majlis are
needed to start impeachment
procedures against an incumbent
minister. The move needs the approval
of parliament’s presiding board before
being sent for a vote.
Sayfa 24
The targeted minister has to appear
before parliament within 10 days to
defend his case and ask for vote of
confidence again.
The impeachment move comes after
Mr. Salehi on Saturday appointed
Mohammad Sahrif Malekzadeh as a
deputy foreign minister in charge of
administrative and financial affairs.
Mr. Malekzadeh was a top official in
the high council of Iranian affairs
abroad, run by President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff, Esfandiar
Rahim Mashaie, whom ultra-
conservatives accuse of aiming to
undermine the Islamic regime.
Ultra-conservatives, the Shiite clergy
and the elite Revolutionary Guards
have repeatedly called for Mr.
Mashaie’s dismissal, accusing him of
leading “a current of deviation” and of
exerting too much influence over the
president.
President Ahmadinejad has so far
adamantly defended his aides,
including Mr. Mashaie.
A number of influential deputies in the
conservative-dominated parliament
reacted to Mr. Salehi’s appointment
on Sunday by calling for his
impeachment unless he sacks Mr.
Malekzadeh.
In the impeachment notice, the
deputies said that Mr. Malekzadeh’s
appointment was against national
interests.
“Such an appointment jeopardises the
nation’s interests ... This person is on
the verge of being arrested as (the
judiciary) is investigating him over
financial and non-financial cases,” the
notice said.
Influential MP Ahmad Tavakoli was
quoted by the Iranian media on
Monday as saying that the minister of
intelligence had “told Salehi in writing
that he is opposed to the appointment
of Malekzadeh to the post of deputy
foreign minister.”
According to lawmakers in
parliament’s commission of national
security and foreign policy, Mr. Salehi
has given an undertaking that if he
Sayfa 25
finds Mr. Malekzadeh has a criminal
charges pending against him, he will
be sacked.
On Tuesday, the vice-president in
charge of parliamentary affairs,
Mohammad Reza Mirtajeddini, was
quoted on parliament’s Website as
saying that “there is the possibility of
resolving the issue.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/20
11/06/21/154179.html
3. ISRAEL - PALESTINE / İSRAİL –
FİLİSTİN
Senior Israeli source: Iran actively
helping Syria squash demonstrations
Not only is Iran supplying equipment
to the Syrian army, the source says,
Iran's Revolutionary Guard also
organized demonstrations against
Israel on Nakba and Naksa Day.
A senior Israeli source says Iran is
involved in the suppressing of the anti-
regime demonstrations in Syria. Iran's
Revolutionary Guard and the Al-Quds
force, commanded by Gen. Qassem
Suleimani, are operating throughout
the country, the source says.
The source told Haaretz there is clear
information on Iran's involvement in
the crushing of the protests, as well as
the participation of Hezbollah. Their
role is not limited to shootings; Iran
has also supplied equipment to the
Syrian army, including sniper rifles and
communications systems for
disrupting the Internet in the country,
the source said.
Syrian residents and media reports say
men in military uniforms have been
heard speaking poor Arabic or Farsi
among themselves.
"In the Syrian army there is a ban on
beards, so when we see military
people with beards we can assume
they're not part of the regular Syrian
army," the source said.
Iran's involvement reached a new
zenith, the source said, when the
Revolutionary Guard organized the
demonstrations against Israel on the
Golan Heights as part of the events on
Sayfa 26
Nakba Day on May 15 and Naksa Day
on June 5.
"Initial reports about the presence of
Iranians in the suppression of the
demonstrations were from the town of
Daraa, where the mass
demonstrations began. However, since
then it is possible to see Iran's
presence in many other places," the
source said.
"During the Palestinian memorial days,
the Revolutionary Guard organized the
busing that was required to transfer
the demonstrators to the border. The
initiative was not Syrian. However, the
Syrian army approved the transfer of
the buses to the border. On Nakba Day
they [the Iranians] were also involved
in the demonstrations in Lebanon,
something that was not backed by
Hezbollah and was opposed by the
Lebanese Army. This is the reason why
in Lebanon there were not
confrontations and demonstrations on
Naksa Day," the source said.
On Naksa Day, the Revolutionary
Guard rallied Ahmed Jibril's Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine -
General Command to send hundreds
of demonstrators to the border.
"The background to the riots that
broke out in the Yarmuk refugee camp
the day after the demonstrations on
the Golan Heights was largely the
failure to pay the money that had
been promised to the participants:
$1,000 for each participant and
$10,000 for anyone who became a
'martyr' - killed in the
demonstrations," the source said.
"The families of those killed were
furious with Ahmed Jibril, whom they
blamed for dragging their children to a
confrontation with the Israelis.
Hundreds took part in the
demonstration because they had not
been paid. Jibril's security guards
feared that he would be harmed, and
they opened fire, killing 14 residents of
the camp. At the time there were
senior Hamas figures in the camp."
The senior Israeli source said the
likelihood of similar demonstrations on
the Israel-Syria border in the near
Sayfa 27
future is low. He agreed with Defense
Minister Ehud Barak's assessment in
an interview with Haaretz two weeks
ago: The process that will end the
Assad regime is irreversible.
"His regime's legitimacy is lost. The
harder he strikes, the more people
take to the streets," the source said.
He added that "in the end certain
senior officers in the Syrian army -
Sunnis - will reach an agreement with
senior Alawi officers, providing
sufficient security guarantees for the
Alawi community. They will find a
political solution that will extricate the
country from the crisis and remove
President Bashar Assad from power."
However, desertions from the Syrian
army have so far been limited to the
lower ranks - below battalion
commanders. The senior source says
there is a certain amount of
resentment in the army because
regular forces and "military security"
forces have been used to suppress
demonstrations.
He added that at Jisr al-Shoughour a
"military security" force was sent to
deal with the demonstrations but ran
into an ambush, and 120 soldiers were
killed.
"There are weapons in many places in
Syria, as in all parts of the Middle East,
and so far many soldiers and members
of the security forces have been hit by
gunfire fired by armed supporters of
the opposition," the source added.
Meanwhile, as confrontations
between demonstrators and the
military continued in Syria yesterday,
Assad announced yet another amnesty
for everyone arrested in the protests.
A pro-Assad demonstration took place
in Damascus, but Arab media outlets
noted that the participants had been
forced to attend, sometimes by labor
unions.
Sayfa 28
http://www.haaretz.com/print-
edition/news/senior-israeli-source-
iran-actively-helping-syria-squash-
demonstrations-1.368971
Israel approves transfer of $100
million of building goods into Gaza
UNRWA will bring material for building
1,200 houses and 18 schools into Gaza
Strip following 'immediate' approval
from Israel; UN Middle East envoy
welcomes 'this significant step.'
Israel has approved the building of
$100 million worth of new houses and
schools in the Gaza Strip, Israeli and
UN officials said on Tuesday.
Guy Inbar, a military spokesman, said
Israel had given the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) the
green light to bring building materials
for 18 new schools and 1,200 new
houses into the Hamas-controlled
territory.
He said the approval was immediate
and the process could begin as soon as
UNRWA was ready.
"I welcome this significant step and I
hope it will happen in a timely
fashion," said UN Middle East envoy
Robert Serry. Israel says its Gaza
blockade, which prevents certain
supplies from entering the Strip, stops
weapons from reaching Hamas, a
militant group that refuses to
recognize Israel's right to exist and
frequently fires cross-border rockets.
Israel, together with Egypt, tightened a
blockade on the Gaza Strip after
Hamas Islamists seized it from forces
loyal to Western-backed Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.
Israel has made clear it will prevent a
planned pro-Palestinian aid flotilla
from reaching Gaza. A year ago, nine
Turkish activists, including one with
dual U.S.-Turkish nationality, died in an
Israeli raid on a similar convoy.
Sayfa 29
Israel, calling the new flotilla a
provocation, has stepped up
diplomatic efforts to block it.
Organizers say the sea convoy, which
they hope will set sail this month, will
carry humanitarian aid and
construction materials.
One foreign diplomat, speaking
anonymously, suggested that
Tuesday's approval for UNRWA to
deliver housing materials
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplo
macy-defense/israel-approves-
transfer-of-100-million-of-building-
goods-into-gaza-1.368958
Fayyad to stay on as Palestinian prime
minister
Salam Fayyad dismissed allegations of
his plans to resign, says he is 'proud'
that he is public's favorite for the
prime minister post.
Salam Fayyad on Tuesday dismissed
reports that he was thinking of
stepping down as Palestinian prime
minister after the Islamist Hamas
movement rejected him as a candidate
to run the new government.
The Fatah movement of President
Mahmoud Abbas had insisted on
Fayyad staying as prime minister.
Abbas told a Lebanese television
station on Monday that since he would
name the new government, his only
choice would be Fayyad, regardless of
Hamas's position.
The move caused concern that the
national reconciliation agreement that
Fatah and Hamas concluded on May 4,
and which was supposed to result in a
government of consensus, may not
work because of strong differences
over Fayyad.
"The official and public reaction made
me proud," Fayyad said of news that
he was the public's favorite for the
post of prime minister.
Sayfa 30
"I was pleased by it because I saw in it
an approval of an approach and a
strategy for the next stage," he said.
He said Palestinians should approach a
planned United Nations resolution
calling for an independent Palestinian
state in September united, since no
one would accept a Palestinian state
as long as the Fatah-ruled West Bank
remains divided from the Hamas-ruled
Gaza Strip.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplo
macy-defense/fayyad-to-stay-on-as-
palestinian-prime-minister-1.368953
Netanyahu to Erdogan: Israel and
Turkey should renew spirit of
friendship
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
sends letter to Turkey's Erdogan urging
normalization of ties between the two
countries; Communication comes in
the wake of secret talks between Israel
and Turkey.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
sent a personal letter to Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
congratulating him on his victory in the
Turkish elections last week, and
expressing his wish to heal the
diplomatic rift between Turkey and
Israel.
The letter was sent a few days ago,
after much deliberation, according to a
senior official in Jerusalem, with
approval from the prime minister's
office. Parts of the letter were
published on the website of Turkish
newspaper Zaman in an article on the
secret contacts between Israel and
Turkey.
In the letter, Netanyhu said he wanted
to normalize relations with Turkey,
and emphasized the good relations the
two countries have had in the past.
"My government will be happy to work
with the new Turkish government on
finding a resolution to all outstanding
Sayfa 31
issues between our countries, in the
hope of re-establishing our
cooperation and renewing the spirit of
friendship which has characterized the
relations between our peoples for
many generations," the letter said.
This morning Haaretz revealed that
Netanyahu and Erdogan's offices have
been holding secret talks in an attempt
to heal the rift between Turkey and
Israel, with the Americans' support.
A source in the Turkish Foreign
Ministry and a U.S. official confirmed
that talks are being held, though in
Israel the prime minister and foreign
minister's aides declined to comment.
The talks are being held between an
Israeli official on behalf of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Turkish Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, a
firm supporter of rehabilitating ties
with Israel.
Talks are also being held between the
Israeli representative on the UN
inquiry committee on last year's Gaza
flotilla, Yosef Ciechanover, and
Turkey's representative on the
committee, Ozdem Sanberk. The two,
who have been working together for
several months on the UN committee,
pass on messages between Israel and
Turkey and have taken pains to draft
understandings to end the crisis.
In addition, the U.S. administration has
held talks with senior Turkish officials,
mainly to foil the flotilla to Gaza due
later this month, but also in a bid to
improve relations with Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplo
macy-defense/netanyahu-to-erdogan-
israel-and-turkey-should-renew-spirit-
of-friendship-1.368932
IAF strikes Gaza tunnel
Attack on smuggling tunnel follows
rocket fire on southern Israel; hit on
target confirmed
Sayfa 32
IAF fighter jets struck a Gaza smuggling
tunnel overnight, following the rocket
fire on southern Israel, Tuesday
evening.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that
the target was a passageway through
which terrorists were smuggled into
Israel.
The IAF reported hitting its target. No
casualties were reported by the
Palestinians.
A Qassam rocket exploded Tuesday in
an open area at the Eshkol Regional
Council, just a half an hour after a
mortar shell hit the same area. No
injuries or damage were reported.
The rocket attacks were the first since
Thursday, when a Qassam exploded in
an open area, once again in Eshkol
Regional Council.
Head of the Eshkol Council Haim Yalin
lamented the breaking of the long
calm that had graced the area since
April.
"Today this calm was shattered for the
second time, and this does not
surprise us. What is surprising is the
month and a half of peace we had,"
Yalin said on Thursday.
"Qassam fire is unsurprising because
we know who lives opposite us on the
other side (of the border)."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,
7340,L-4085467,00.html
US citizens head to Greece to join
Gaza-bound flotilla
Thirty six US citizens to sail on US-
flagged boat named 'The Audacity of
Hope'; ship will have no humanitarian
aid on board.
Sayfa 33
A group of US citizens have left for
Athens to join a flotilla of ships
planning to challenge Israel's naval
blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The 36 participants from the US, as
well as four crew members and nine
journalists, are planning to sail on the
US-flagged boat The Audacity of Hope
in the 10-ship flotilla. One-quarter of
the US participants reportedly are
Jewish. The ship will have no
humanitarian aid or other cargo on
board, according to reports.
"It's important that Jews are in this
boat," New York labor attorney
Richard Levy told AFP. "The Jewish
lobby in this country is so powerful."
Nine Turkish activists aboard a flotilla
last year were killed during clashes
with Israeli Navy commandos trying to
stop the ship, called the Mavi
Marmara. IHH, the Turkish Islamic
charity behind the flotilla effort,
withdrew the Mavi Marmara from this
year's flotilla citing technical reasons.
In preparation for the event, Israel
Navy held a large-scale exercise to
prepare its forces for the operation to
stop the flotilla.
The exercise involved naval
commandos from Flotilla 13 - better
known as the Shayetet - as well as
other naval units and special forces
from throughout the defense
establishment, who were being
included in the operation as part of the
lessons learned from the botched raid
on the Mavi Marmara last May.
The Israeli navy is under orders from
the government to enforce the Israeli
sea blockade over Gaza, which officials
have said is crucial for preventing the
flow of arms to Hamas in the Gaza
Strip.
http://www.jpost.com/International/A
rticle.aspx?id=226043
Sayfa 34
Netanyahu sends congratulatory
letter to Erdogan
Gesture on Turkish PM’s reelection
seen as effort to reach out to Ankara
to repair severely damaged
relationship by last year’s flotilla raid.
In the latest in a series of baby steps
Israel and Turkey are taking toward
one another in efforts to repair the
relationship severely damaged by last
year’s Mavi Marmara raid, it was
revealed Tuesday that Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu sent a
congratulatory letter to his Turkish
counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
after his reelection victory 10 days
ago.
“My government will be happy to work
with the new Turkish government on
finding a resolution to all outstanding
issues between our countries, in the
hope of reestablishing our cooperation
and renewing the spirit of friendship
which has characterized the relations
between our peoples for many
generations,” Netanyahu wrote,
according to a report on the Turkish
Today’s Zaman website on Tuesday.
Israel readies for Gaza flotilla despite
IHH withdrawal
Turkey's elections: A Kurdish delight
Analysis: How one man helped
transform Turkey into a society
Israeli government officials confirmed
that Netanyahu sent a letter to
Erdogan following the Turkish leader’s
third straight election victory, adding
that this was standard practice in
relations between countries. They did
not, however, discuss the letter’s
content.
The officials also neither confirmed or
denied reports that there were
currently secret direct talks between
the countries aimed at reestablishing
normal relations.
Sayfa 35
Turkey recalled its ambassador
immediately after the Mavi Marmara
incident last year, and has said it will
only send an envoy back to Tel Aviv
after Israel apologizes for the death of
nine Turkish men on the ship trying to
break the blockade of the Gaza Strip,
and pays compensation to the families
of those killed.
Israel has indicated in the past that it
would be willing to express “regret” at
the loss of life, but not apologize. It
has also hinted that the compensation
issue would not stand in the way of an
agreement, as long as the
compensation ended all legal claims
against it.
Last week, during a trip to Rome,
Netanyahu said at a press conference
that he was interested in repairing ties
with Ankara.
“We did not choose, in any way, a
deterioration in ties with Turkey. We
are always hoping to fix what has been
damaged, and to stop the
deterioration and place the ties back
on a positive track.”
Netanyahu said there was no reason
for continued tense ties, and that
Israel would be happy at any
opportunity to improve the situation.
He welcomed assistance from any
state and leader who wanted to help
toward that end.
The US has reportedly been working
intensively behind the scenes trying to
patch up the relationship. US President
Barack Obama has spoken twice with
Erdogan since the latter’s election
victory, and it is widely believed that
one of the issues they discussed was
the Ankara-Jerusalem relationship.
Government sources have said that
Israel’s position was that it regretted
the deterioration in relations with
Turkey, and that a positive bilateral
relationship between Jerusalem and
Ankara served both countries.
One government official said Israel
hoped it would be possible to “turn
this thing around,” and “create
positive momentum in the
relationship.”
Sayfa 36
The source did not say, however,
whether Israel was considering any
other gestures at this time toward the
Turks.
Government officials said that for the
most part, Turkey’s senior leadership
has abandoned its stridently anti-Israel
rhetoric since the elections. They also
noted positively that Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on
the Hamas-linked Humanitarian Relief
Foundation (IHH) to reconsider
participation in the planned upcoming
flotilla to Gaza, and that the
organization – and its flagship, the
Mavi Marmara – had indeed dropped
out of the event, something welcomed
in Jerusalem as a “positive signal” of
the Turkish government’s intentions.
According to one school of thought in
Jerusalem, the crisis in Syria that has
sent thousands of refugees across that
country’s border into Turkey – and has
led to a strain in Turkish-Syrian ties
that under Erdogan were getting
extremely close – was one of the
reasons Turkey was more keen now
than a couple of months ago on
improving relations with Israel; or at
least keen on greatly reducing the
level of friction.
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAnd
Politics/Article.aspx?id=225968
4. AFRICA AND EGYPT / AFRİKA VE
MISIR
" FJP Begins Coordinating With Other
Parties Ahead of Elections"
The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)
hosted, on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, the
second coordination meeting with the
political parties and forces of Egypt at
1 pm at the party's headquarters in Al-
Akhchid Street.
The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)
hosted, on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, the
second coordination meeting with the
political parties and forces of Egypt at
1 pm at the party's headquarters in Al-
Akhchid Street.
The discussions in the meeting
continued and developed the previous
consultations on coordination of the
Sayfa 37
elections and the drafting of the law of
the People's Assembly. The document
of "The National Alliance for Egypt"
was also discussed.
In fact, these are the themes that the
Coalition of Political Parties and forces
began to discuss during its meeting on
Tuesday at Al-Wafd Party
headquarters.
Al-Wafd Party called for the first
meeting which brought together heads
and representatives of the parties: Al-
Wafd, Freedom and Justice, Al-
Tagammou,The Nasserist Party, Al-
Amal, Al-Wasat, Al-Adl, Al-Nour, Al-
Karama, Al-Ghad,Al-Tawheed Al-Arabi,
Egypt Freedom and the National
Assembly for Change.
Attendees at the meeting agreed to
invite all parties and political forces
(who were not represented at the
meeting) to join the coalition, as well
as form a committee to finalize the
drafting of the law of the
parliamentary elections, and another
committee to study the elections'
coordination plans; so as to set rules,
standards and objectives and the level
of coordination in the coming
parliamentary elections, and also to
form a third commission to receive the
notes and remarks on the document of
"The National Alliance for Egypt."
However, Osama al-Ghazali Harb and
Naguib Sawiris attacked and bitterly
criticized Al-Wafd Party for its
participation in the meetings of the
coalition.
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.p
hp?id=28748
State Council: Constitution First is
Illegitimate
A statement by Chancellor Dr.
Mohamed Ahmed Attia, First Vice
President of the Administrative Court
and head of the main assembly of
Fatwa and Legislation rejected calls by
several national organizations to push
Sayfa 38
forward constitutional amendments
prior to elections.
A statement by Chancellor Dr.
Mohamed Ahmed Attia, First Vice
President of the Administrative Court
and head of the main assembly of
Fatwa and Legislation rejected calls by
several national organizations to push
forward constitutional amendments
prior to elections.
According to Attia, the provisions of
Article 60 of the constitution stipulate
that those nominated for the People
Assembly and the Shura Council
should assemble in a joint meeting
with SCAF during the 6 months of their
election. Attia added, the meeting will
then conduct an election which will
choose a constituent assembly of 100
members to set up a draft for a new
constitution within six months from
the date of its establishment.
Speaking to Ikhwanweb, Attia stated
that there is no way to ignore the
results of the referendum held last
March. He asserted that Article 60 of
the constitution is the same as Article
189 and no body, including the SCAF,
will be able to amend these articles
except through another referendum.
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.p
hp?id=28741
Defying leadership, Brotherhood
youth form new party
A group of young Muslim Brotherhood
members announced the formation of
their own political party on Tuesday,
separate from the Brotherhood’s
recently created Freedom and Justice
Party, in a defiant act that is expected
to deepen the generational rift within
the 83-year-old organization.
The party “stresses the main Egyptian
current that the great majority of
Egyptians belong to. The party is
Sayfa 39
distinguished by its civil and
democratic nature. It takes pride in its
idenity. It is open to the other. Morals,
values and religious principles play a
role in regulating its perfomance,”
read a statement posted by one of the
founders on Facebook.
Unlike most other Islamist parties, the
manifesto of Hizb Al-Tayyar Al-Masry
(meaning Egyptian Current Party) does
not mention Islamic sharia as its frame
of reference; it only refers to the Arab
Islamic civilization. “We cannot refer
to the Islamic sharia because this is not
an Islamist party, and it is not a party
for the Muslim Brotherhood youth,”
said Mohamed Shams, a 24-year-old
co-founder of the party. “Not all
founders belong to the Muslim
Brotherhood.”
The statement also envisions a larger
role for young people. “We want the
party to express the spirit of the
revolution, which means we want
most of its leaders to be young,” said
Mohamed Affan, a 30-year-old brother
and a co-founder of the party.
Affan is one of many young Muslim
Brothers who have become outspoken
recently in their criticism of the
group’s leadership. They have, on
several occasions, expressed
disenchantment with their
generation’s marginalization inside the
Brotherhood’s highest power
structures.
They have also expressed vehement
opposition to the group’s official party,
arguing that it failed to ensure a full
separation between the Muslim
Brotherhood’s proselytizing and
political activities.
Speaking last month to Al-Masry Al-
Youm, Affan said: “The feuds between
the youth and the group’s leadership
have almost reached a deadlock. Now
we are thinking of creating some
independent entity of our own.”
At least 150 founders, mostly from the
Muslim Brotherhood youth, stand
behind this would-be party, said Affan.
As to the rest, they have different
backgrounds.
Sayfa 40
According to Mahmound Hussein, the
secretary general of the Muslim
Brotherhood, the group’s leadership
was aware of this move two weeks
ago. He said that the young members
involved will be questioned by their
immediate leaders for violating the
group’s policies.
“ The group had decided that no
member can join any party [other than
the group’s official one],” he said,
downplaying the notion that those
involved might have influence on
other young Brothers, arguing that
they represent a small minority of the
group's young membership.
The questioning of those involved
might be a prelude to their dismissal
from the group.
“ Nobody can strip me of my
membership of the Muslim
Brotherhood,” said Sameh al-Barqy, a
37-year-old Brother. ”I have been part
of the group for 19 years and I hope
I'm still a Brother when I die."
To its members, the Muslim
Brotherhood is not just a political
entity. The group serves almost as a
parallel society through which
members identify themselves. They
grow up, make friends, get married
and find jobs in a Muslim Brotherhood
environment, according to experts.
Hence, severing ties with the group is a
tough challenge.
Barky added that there is no way he
could join the group’s Freedom and
Justice Party, which was officially
recognized in May.
“With due respect to the Freedom
and Justice Party, it does not satisfy
me and does not meet my ambitions,”
said Barqy, citing the party’s lack of
independence.
The Muslim Brotherhood has said
repeatedly that the Freedom and
Justice Party would be fully
independent from the group’s other
bodies. However, many critics have
rejected this claim, especially since the
group’s Shura Council selected the
party’s president, vice-president and
secretary general and decided on the
maximum number of seats the party
Sayfa 41
would run for in the upcoming
parliamentary poll.
“How could it be an independent
party if it cannot nominate its
parliamentary candidates or specify
the number of seats it will run for?”
Barqy said.
In the meantime, Barqy denies that
the launch of the new party is a
reaction to the group’s practices. “We
have been working on it for the last
two months. We felt there was a need
in society for such a party,” he said,
adding that not all founders belong to
the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the meantime, these young islamists
remain cautious not to sever their ties
with their leaders.
“ We respect the group and its
leaders. Our disagreement does not
undermine this respect. We hope [the
group] will show understanding of this
initiative,” said Affan.
The announcement of the creation of
the Egyptian Current Party came two
days after the group’s Shura Council
expelled prominent reformist leader
Moneim Abouel Fotouh for declaring
that he would run for president.
Although he said that he would run as
an independent, the group viewed his
announcement as a defiance of its
decision not to field any presidential
candidates.
His expulsion was resented by many
young Brothers, including many of
those involved in founding the
Egyptian Current Party.
According to Diaa Rashwan, an expert
with Al-Ahram Center for Political and
Strategic Studies, such a split comes as
no surprise.
“I personally expected this split from
day one of the revolution,” said
Rashwan. “A lot of parties are
expected to come out of the Islamic
Sayfa 42
movement in general and the Muslim
Brotherhood in particular.”
“ Before a revolution, political
movements are usually contained
because of pressures from the regime,
but when the transition to democracy
starts, these pressures fade away,” he
said.
Eventually, members who hold
divergent views begin to form their
own entities, he added.
Experts hold that the Muslim
Brotherhood has been an umbrella for
divergent schools of thought, ranging
from Salafi fundamentalism to liberal
Islamism. But as threats of a
systematic crackdown – which had
long forced the group to sideline
conflicting ideological differences in
the name of cohesion – continue to
diminish, internal disputes have come
to the fore.
The Egyptian Current Party is the
second rebellious party to emanate
from the Muslim Brotherhood. In
March, Ibrahim al-Zaafarani, a former
member of the Shura Council, resigned
from the group and announced the
formation of the Renaissance Party.
For Rashwan, more parties are yet to
arise from this colossal organization.
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/n
ode/470366
European Parliament slams Amr
Moussa for his close ties to Mubarak
Members of the European Parliament
and the Egyptian community in
Brussels have criticized presidential
candidate Amr Moussa for his close
ties to former President Hosni
Mubarak, suggesting that Moussa's
failure to challenge the ousted
president raises questions over his
fitness for office.
The critical remarks were made in the
European Parliament during Moussa's
Sayfa 43
trip to Belgium as part of his European
campaign to win the votes from
expatriate Egyptians.
After Moussa’s speech in parliament,
Isabelle Durant, representative of the
Green Party, said that he supported
Mubarak for ten years when he was
minister of foreign affairs, and that he
rejected running in the presidential
elections when Mubarak was still in
power.
For his part, Rudolph Kareh, an
observer in the parliament, said that
Moussa failed to achieve reform in the
Arab world when he was secretary
general of the Arab League, and
wondered what he would achieve if he
became president of Egypt.
Female activist Gamila Ismail, the only
Egyptian that was allowed to speak in
the session, wondered if Moussa’s
charisma would feed 88 million
Egyptians and create jobs for six
million.
“I was not working for Mubarak when I
was minister of foreign affairs. I was
serving my country,” Moussa said,
adding that Mubarak started to dislike
him when he gained popularity among
Egyptians.
“And I did not want to run in the
elections because the constitution at
that time only allowed Mubarak or his
son to run,” he explained
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/n
ode/470330
Tuesday’s papers: Al-Azhar backs a
civil state and ElBaradei’s on top
The grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed
al-Tayyeb, released a document
yesterday that tried to shed light on
Egypt's largest Islamic institution’s
understanding of what it would mean
to have Islam as a main source of
legislation in the Constitution.
One of the main issues on the political
scene is whether Egypt should have a
religious constitution or a civil one and
whether they’re mutually exclusive.
According to Tayyeb, they are not.
Sayfa 44
As is the case with many questions
regarding the role of religion in civil
life, this issue was often open to
controversy. The Egyptian
government’s flagship paper, Al-
Ahram, therefore describes the
document as “historic.”
The document states that Islamic
jurisprudence does not denote the
need for a “priestly state” that
enforces religious practice, and that
the concept of “Shura,” a religious
term, indicates pluralism. According to
Al-Ahram, the document also states
that the nation would resort to Islam
for supporting a democratic and
constitutional nation based on free
elections and equal representation.
Independent daily Al-Shorouk calls the
document “revolutionary.” Tayyeb said
that the parliament would be the only
legislative authority. The rest of the
document talked about respecting
women, children, freedom of speech,
the practices and values of Egyptian
society, and all religions.
According to Al-Shorouk, the
document’s long list of signatories
contains the names of many Islamic,
political, literary and intellectual
figures, including Coptic thinkers and
activists.
State-run daily Al-Akhbar quotes
Tayyeb as saying that Islamic principles
would remain the main source for
legislation and that members of other
religions should be guaranteed the
right to resort to their own religious
authorities for administering their
personal affairs if they choose.
Al-Wafd’s party paper ran the
headline, “Al-Azhar clings to the civil
state.”
The Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces (SCAF) conducted a Facebook
poll of presidential candidates.
ElBaradei came in first with 37
percent, followed by newly announced
Mohamed Selim al-Awa, with 19
percent. Ahmed Shafiq, Amr Moussa,
Hesham el-Bastawisi and Omar
Suleiman followed. Others, such as
political/sports sideshow figure
Sayfa 45
Mortada Mansour, received support of
0 percent, according to Al-Shorouk.
Political pundit Amr Hashem Rabei
told Al-Shorouk that the SCAF was
prematurely polling for the
presidential election and should have
focused the poll on whether the
constitution should be drafted before
or after parliamentary elections.
Most papers address the debate of
when the constitution should be
written, after Prime Minister Essam
Sharaf made a statement regarding his
preference for drafting the
constitution first. Both Al-Wafd and
the independent paper Al-Dostour ran
prominent op-eds criticizing the call, as
well as Sharaf’s statement. It is worth
noting that both papers are owned by
Wafd Party or its allies.
Al-Wafd also ran a story on a campaign
called “The Constitution First” by the
Free Front for Peaceful Change, which
reportedly gathered a million
signatures in support of the cause.
Al-Ahram says the call for a
constitution first is causing a rift
between revolutionary forces,
especially after groups like “We Are All
Khaled Saeed” and the April 6 Youth
Movement decided the constitutional
issue would be the main topic of the
“Third Friday of Anger” planned for 8
July.
In an interview with Al-Akhbar,
presidential candidate Mohamed
ElBaradei said that “the constitutional
declaration is not sacred… and I
request setting the constitution first.”
Hussein Salem, aka Friend of Israel (Al-
Dostour), aka the Spanish Man (Al-
Ahram), aka The Fugitive (Al-Wafd), is
back in the newspapers again. Al-Wafd
says that he is not included in a list of
businessmen whose Swiss accounts
Egypt requested to have frozen.
Sayfa 46
Al-Dostour claims that his detainment
in Spain and the question of his
extradition to Egypt is more of a
political matter than a judicial one. Al-
Ahram says it is likely he would be
extradited to Egypt soon.
Underground metro lovers can rejoice
in the fact that the first stage of the
third metro line between Attaba and
Abbasseya is set to open by January
2012, according to Al-Shorouk, in
order to coincide with the anniversary
of the 25 January uprising. The wheels
are in motion, quite literally, as the
transportation minister took a tour on
a small monorail to oversee the work
now being done on the line.
Egypt's papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest
distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to
Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal
Wafd Party
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the
Arab Nasserist party
Youm7: Weekly, privately owned
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/n
ode/470079
Moussa: Christians are not a minority
in Egypt
Egypt's Coptic Christians are not a
minority but are Egyptian citizens said
Amr Moussa the Secretary General of
the Arab League and potential
presidential candidate.
Sayfa 47
He said during a conference held at
the EU parliament that he perceives
Egyptians without any discrimination.
The constitution will support the
citizenship of and equality amongst all
citizens he added Moussa said the next
Egyptian president should lead the
country according to the constitution
http://news.egypt.com/english/perma
link/14518.html
Al Bashir: Halayeb to Bridge Strong
Ties with Egypt
Sudan's President Omer Al Bashir said
that an agreement over the disputed
Halayeb, will be reached soon, adding
that the region will never affect
bilateral relations but will rather serve
as a bridge of communication and
understanding between the people of
the two countries.
This is to ensure an exchange of
benefits and experiences in different
fields.
Speaking to Halayeb citizens at Osaif-
Red Sea State, he said Sudan is soon to
expand the range of its commercial
exchange with Egypt, indicating that
he had informed the former president
of Egypt, that Sudan wasn’t involved in
the demarcation of the current
borders, affirming that it was their
natives, who were involved in the
process, awhile the colonization era in
Sudan, adding that Sudan is convinced,
that its northern border, extend to the
Mediterranean Sea.
He also added that both countries are
embarking on a new era, regarding the
expected leap on their relationships,
hailing the youth's revolution in Egypt,
who had, according to the president,
achieved a quantum leap in their
country, which is definitely going to
promote bilateral relationships.
In different context, the President
stressed the need for primary school
Sayfa 48
education, to be mandatory for all
eligible children, menacing that any
guardian, who fails to send his children
to school, will be legally prosecuted,
affirming that there is no worse crime,
than holding children from enrolling
schools, pledging to continue
supplying the students through the
school meal program.
He also affirmed that every student,
who has scored 50 percent or higher in
the primary section, will find asset in
the secondary section, on the other
hand, he instructed for the work on
Osaif quarry, to be initiated instantly,
together with the border trade,
regarding the high potential of the
region, that would promote it to
become one of the best borders trade
point.
Moreover, Al Bashir pledged to
provided Osaif hospital with an
adequate number of specialist
physicians, as he also pledged to
supply the region with potable water
and electricity, highlighting Osaif is one
of the highest gold producing regions
in Sudan, together with iron, lime, salt
and fisheries, as he also pledged to
promote Osaif port, in order to enable
it to accommodate all sorts of freight
ships, beside proceeding on paving the
road, linking the region to Egypt.
http://news.egypt.com/english/perma
link/14474.html
Egypt's 'noble poor' denied their role
in the revolution
Egypt's revolution demanded social
justice, and the popularity of a recent
blog post highlighting the injustices
endured by the poor before and since
25 January shows little has changed
Activist Mohammed Abul Gheit’s blog
shot up in popularity with his post The
Poor First, You Bastards for
highlighting the poor’s role in the
revolution. For the first time readers
saw martyr’s photos and stories (20)
from the lower classes, ranging in age
from 16 to 35.
Importantly, the article pushes the
boundaries of Egypt’s classicism by
Sayfa 49
posing the question: Why is the poor's
role in the revolution ignored?
"Why don't we see those people's
photos? Is it because they are poor
and vulgar? Because their clothes are
cheap? Why are the only popular
photos of martyrs from middle- and
upper-middle classes?" wonders Abul
Gheit in his blog that has seen 10,000
likes on Facebook and 6,000
comments.
Indeed, the poor's role is ignored by
most politicians, intellectuals and
researchers, and somehow, Egypt’s
Revolution was classified as a middle-
class revolution.
In fact, all classes were seen in Tahrir
Square. During the height of the
revolt, from 25 - 28 January and
mostly from Cairo's poorest districts:
Imbaba, Boulak and Attaba, including
the fights with police in the alleys that
exhausted the police and played a
major role in the success of the
revolution. A case in point: on the
pivotal date for the revolution, 28
January, the police attacked protesters
and citizens the whole day and then
disappeared. While the middle- and
upper-classes took the beating, tear
gas bombs and bullets peacefully, the
lower classes fought back and
defeated the police.
Activist Amr Ezzat, however, resists
Abul Gheit’s minimisation of the
middle-class’ role in the revolution:
"The middle class was the brain and
initiative of revolution, also I hate the
word poor, you distance yourself from
them and the concept returns us to
charity rather than rights, I like the
political terms of labourers, farmers,
people who have rights, and this
brings us to necessary political
argument not social charity," added
Ezzat.
Abul Gheit's blog post narrates tens of
stories of how the residents of poor
and disadvantaged areas were the
ones who really fought back using
stones, makeshift weapons, such as
knives and sticks, Molotov cocktails
and often with their bare hands.
Treatment by the judicial system
Sayfa 50
To add insult to injury, many believe
that the trials of officers accused of
killing civilians at the site of protests
are at turtle speed. Last Monday the
Alexandria Criminal Court adjourned -
again - the case of six high-ranking
officers charged with the murder and
attempted murder of peaceful
protesters to 17 October. The
courtroom broke out into chaos. Today
the officers were released on account
of their occupation.
The families were outraged by what
they called the “unjustified”
postponement of the trial. The lawyers
of the policemen reportedly raised
fingers at the families, countering that
their sons are "not martyrs: they are
losers who happened to be near the
police station," according to Al Badeel
news website.
The lawyers aren’t the only ones
judging Egypt’s poorer citizens. It’s a
striking pattern to see the poorer
citizens arrested by Egypt’s ruling
military under the pretence that they
are “thugs” and receive worse
treatment than those who are
obviously middle- or upper-class,
including less protection from lawyers
and more abuses occur against them
because they won’t receive as much
media limelight.
What’s important?
So why is the poor's role in the
revolution brushed aside so?
According to Ayman El Sayad, analyst
and editor in chief of Weghat Nazar,
this goes way back to the 70s, forty
years before the 25 January
Revolution, when Egyptian values
changed and it no longer mattered
how educated or respectful people
are, but rather how much they have.
Those who attend public schools and
universities are not treated the same
as those who attend private ones.
"Your value lies in what you are
wearing, etc. As the hierarchy of
society changed; its criteria changed. I
believe that the poor are the main fuel
of the revolution. The people who
have nothing to lose are the noblemen
behind the revolution," concluded El
Sayad.
Sayfa 51
Abul Gheit and El Sayad are on the
same wavelength in this respect. Abul
Gheit linked a video of the police
station in Sayeda Zeinab (a poor
district in central Cairo) as it was being
burnt down. In the video a middle-
class young man warns a poor man:
“Careful; they are shooting live
bullets,” to which the young, poor man
replies "It doesn't matter any longer
whether I live or die."
The analysis Abul Gheit gives for this
exchange is "He [the poor man] didn't
tell him, ‘I'd die for Egypt,’ or ‘I am a
martyr of Islam:' his simple answer
means his life as a poor and humiliated
person is not better than dying. No
one could imagine that the politicians
would later say that if we don't
establish the constitution first that we
would be betraying the martyrs’ blood,
and that group [that is pushing for] the
elections first would counter: we know
the martyrs better than you do and we
have sacrificed more than you."
The whole argument of whether to
establish the constitution first versus
hold the elections first doesn't mean
much to 40 per cent of Egyptians
under the poverty line, unless this
directly affects their living conditions.
They believe that this is all media talk
and no one really cares about them.
The result is that the poor are now
blaming the revolution and
revolutionaries for exacerbating their
poverty post-revolution, explains Abul
Gheit.
Amr Ezzat believes this argument is
demeaning to the poor and politics at
the same time: “I don't agree with the
blog's main argument because it is
against politics, while the most
important thing the revolution did is
politicise Egyptians.”
Since the revolution food prices have
almost doubled. Unemployment for
young people hovers around 30 per
cent. Many of those who have jobs are
under-employed and earn very little.
In a recent survey by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) 41
per cent of the youth in Egypt
confirmed that the events post-
Sayfa 52
revolution make them want to
migrate.
The survey reveals that the first weeks
of the revolution didn't seem to
influence Egyptians’ decision to
migrate. However, the decline in
economic activity afterwards and the
loss of jobs and incomes acted as a
primary push factor for youth who
reported intentions to migrate.
When asked what their top five most
important issues are, they ranked jobs
and employment as a primary issue;
then corruption; security;
constitutional reform and at the
bottom of their list was education and
the presidential and parliamentary
elections.
Is it just a matter of a minimum wage?
The poor might also interpret the
government’s answer to the recent
minimum wage demands as biased
against them. The government
recently decided to raise the minimum
wage to LE 700 (just over
$100/month), promising to raise it to
LE 1200 ($200) within five years. But
why should the poor have to wait five
more years after over thirty years of
being marginalised and impoverished?
Senior employment expert, Dorothea
Schmidt, with the International Labour
Organization (ILO) is sceptical of this
scheme. She argues that the
government’s plans to implement a
minimum wage in Egypt will have
minimal impact on improving the
poverty situation.
In fact, many economists caveat that a
minimum wage without a maximum
wage and a rearranging of salaries
structure has little significance.
“The LE700 that the government
wants to set as a minimum wage in
both the public and the private sectors
shouldn’t involve that much debate,"
said Schmidt to Ahram Online earlier
this month, adding that large
companies wouldn't be harmed by this
step, as it implicates only a small
increase in production costs.
Sayfa 53
Schmidt believes that informal workers
are ignored by the new policies, as
they do not tackle the wage conditions
of those employed in the informal
sector, a group with the lowest
average wage rates in the country.
Statistics suggest that over 35 per cent
of Egypt's labour is working in
vulnerable jobs, lacking social
insurance, health insurance,
unionisation, etc. Informal
employment in the private sector
includes up to 75 per cent of total
labourers.
Also, the law that criminalised strikes
and protests passed only a month
after the revolution ousted the
president seems particularly biased
against the poor and those who have
long been suffering poor working
conditions and salaries.
The financial budget announced by
Financial Minister Samir Radwan
earlier in June forecasts an
expenditure of LE514.5 billion ($86.6
billion), with revenue increasing to
LE350.3 billion from 285.8, according
to a cabinet statement.
However, when comparing the
increase in the vital section, such as
education and health, the increase is
less than 10 per cent from last year,
which is much less than the
revolutionaries hoped for. The same
applies for the tax increase from 20
per cent to 25 per cent on those
whose annual income exceeds LE10
milllion, according to many analysts, is
much less than expected if you want to
bridge the wide gap between the rich
and the poor.
If this is the stance of the government,
how about the politicians and
intellectuals? They are mostly pre
occupied with the issue of constitution
first or elections first.
Sayfa 54
Many believe that the current
government is biased against the poor
and afraid of the businessmen.
Between being ignored and the
decline in economy, which has left the
poor even poorer, they seem to be
simmering resentment against the
revolution and the middle-class.
"The elite are separated from the
street; they are centred in conference
rooms, on TV channels; they only
discuss what they want and not what
the revolution wants. That's why we
find two political figures with the same
ideas forming two parties instead of
one, because they both want to be
stars" accuses El Sayad, adding that
“...it’s a fake elite that, sadly,
sabotages the revolution. This is
common in history: the noble poor
create the revolution and the
politicians inhale its benefits," adds
Sayad.
Abul Gheit ends his post by quoting
Erdogan in the 90s in an Islamic
organisations conference that his plan
is to solve the sewage problem. He
didn't say he would implement the
sharia (Islamic law) and that's how he
became prime minister: because he
focused on daily problems of the
Turks, but here in Egypt, we don't have
an Erdogan. We only have boring and
old politicians indulging in their
meaningless discussions of secular or
Islamic, constitution first or elections
first, and to those he says "The poor
first."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCont
ent/1/64/14709/Egypt/Politics-
/Egypts-noble-poor-denied-their-role-
in-the-revolut.aspx
Woman at centre of sectarian
violence in Imbaba, Abeer Talaat, is
released
Abeer Talaat, who turned herself into
police custody when sectarian violence
erupted around her story of
conversion from Christianity to Islam,
has been released
Abeer Talaat, the woman who was
allegedly held by Coptic churches in
Cairo after converting to Islam, and
Sayfa 55
whose story enflamed sectarian
violence in Imbaba last month was
finally released on Tuesday.
Talaat turned herself in to the military
council seeking protection after the
bloody incident on 7 May that left 12
killed and tens injured.
She remained in custody during the
investigations into Imbaba’s sectarian
violence. She was accused of giving
false testimony about her marriage.
Forty eight people implicated in the
Imbaba incidents are to be tried on 3
July.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCont
ent/1/64/14761/Egypt/Politics-
/Woman-at-centre-of-sectarian-
violence-in-Imbaba,-A.aspx
Tunisians voice unease over Ben Ali
'charade' verdict
Tunisians slam hasty Ben Ali trial seen
as attempt by government to placate
citizens
Tunisian authorities came under fire
Tuesday for their high-speed
sentencing in absentia of ousted
president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and
his wife to 35 years in jail for
embezzling public funds.
The court's quick verdict Monday after
only six hours of deliberation on the
first day of the landmark trial was
dismissed as a "charade" by some
Tunisians and a "joke" by a Ben Ali
lawyer.
"It is a big disappointment, the kind of
charade of summary justice that the
dictatorship had accustomed us to,"
said Mouhieddine Cherbib of a France-
based Tunisian rights group.
"We wanted a real trial, a fair one ... a
trial of the dictatorship with people
who were tortured appearing as
witnesses -- a justice system from
which you learn something," Cherbib
Sayfa 56
said, adding that high treason would
have been a more appropriate charge.
Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi were
charged with embezzlement after the
discovery of money and jewellery at
their palace on the outskirts of Tunis --
the verdict described Tuesday by daily
La Presse as "a downpayment of 35
years each".
The ex-president was also fined 50
million dinars (25 million euros/$36
million) and his wife 41 million dinars
(20.5 million euro/$30 million).
Judge Touhami Hafi said the
sentences, which exceeded the 20
years that had been widely predicted,
would take immediate effect despite
the couple living in Saudi Arabia, which
has so far ignored Tunisia's demands
to extradite Ben Ali.
A second case targetting Ben Ali only,
involving weapons and drugs allegedly
found in a presidential residence in
Carthage, was postponed to June 30 to
allow his lawyers more time to
prepare.
Ben Ali's lawyer in Beirut denounced
the verdict as farcical.
"This is a joke," attorney Akram Azoury
told AFP. "You don't retaliate to a joke.
You just laugh."
The former president denies any
wrongdoing and in a statement
released Monday said he had not
intended to go into exile while
condemning political developments in
Tunisia since the end of his 23-year
rule.
"I did not abandon my post as
president nor did I flee Tunisia, as
some media have falsely reported ... I
was duped into leaving Tunis," read a
statement released by Azoury.
The trial was only the start of a long
process that may see top members of
Ben Ali's regime in the dock over
allegations including murder, torture,
money laundering and trafficking of
archaeological artefacts.
Of the 93 charges Ben Ali and his inner
circle face, 35 will be referred to a
military court, said a justice ministry
spokesman.
Sayfa 57
"It will take time," said Kemais Ksila,
secretary general of the Tunisian
League of Human Rights.
"Justice takes time. We hope not to
have a political trial but a normal one
that respects procedures," he added.
Monday's conviction was seen as an
attempt by the transitional
government set up after Ben Ali's
departure to show discontented
Tunisians that it was accomplishing
something.
"This trial is a pretext, a charade to
show that they are taking action," said
Beatrice Hibou, a senior researcher at
the CERI international studies institute
in Paris's political studies school
Sciences Po, told AFP.
"It reflects the current tension in
Tunisia. Tunisia is seeing a power
struggle between the social movement
and the old system that wants to
continue" -- many of the former
regime still in the administration and
justice system.
Khadija Mohsen-Finan, Maghreb
researcher at Universite Paris 8,
agreed "it was necessary to convict
Ben Ali to give something to the
population".
But Tunisian lawyer Chawki Tabib said
there was nothing abnormal about the
speed of the ruling, and Morocco's
penal code allowed it.
Ben Ali -- accompanied by his wife and
two children -- left Tunisia for Saudi
Arabia in January at the climax of the
first of the Arab uprisings.
In Monday's statement, he said he
considered himself the victim of a plot
that needs him as the "absolute evil"
so that Tunisians "are prepared for a
new political system created behind
their backs by extremists."
His dramatic departure came less than
a month after the self-immolation of
Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old
street vendor whose protest over
unemployment unleashed already-
simmering popular anger against Ben
Ali.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCont
ent/2/8/14766/World/Region/Tunisia
Sayfa 58
ns-voice-unease-over-Ben-Ali-charade-
verdic.aspx
Morocco's Draft Constitution: Much
Ado about Nothing
[By Arezki daoud | The North Africa
Journal | [email protected] |
US+508-981-6937] The Moroccan
people are holding their breath on
what's coming on the political front.
Insiders involved in the political reform
with front seat view of a proposed
draft of the new constitution promised
by the King say this one is a "game
changer." Many even go as far as
calling it "revolutionary." But how
revolutionary is this draft document?
For those seeking smooth transition to
democracy, they are going to be
hugely disappointed. In many critical
areas, it seems as if the reform
commission used a thesaurus to
change words to make it sound like a
real change is happening. But the
reality is otherwise. The King will
continue to rule, may be not so
directly now yet certainly via proxy.
For example the King will now become
the "Supreme Representative of the
State," instead of the "Supreme
Representative of the Nation." Well
what does that mean in real terms? As
far I can interpret, he will continue to
call the shots no matter what, in fact
solidifying the Monarchy's control of
all State affairs.
Then it is said that the Amazigh
language will be national language.
Then again neighboring Algeria has
had the Amazigh language recognized
in its constitution for several years.
Yet, a visit to Amazigh land in the
Kabylie region of Algeria and one can
see blatant discrimination against the
Amazigh people in the hands of those
who represent the State. So let's not
be fooled, recognizing Amazigh
language means nothing if not
followed with actions on the ground
and that means economic resources to
those people.
Now further into language semantics:
the draft constitution proposes to
erase the term Prime Minister and
replace it by President of the
Sayfa 59
Government (President du
Gouvernment). Let's be real here, this
is just a exercise in synonyms shifting
and if the King is the "Supreme
Representative of the State," changing
the name would mean nothing, except
that one person will be called Mr.
President. Furthermore, the famous
Article 19 is maintained with some
changes called by the authors as
"revolutionary" as well, but which I
consider window dressing. Article 19
still insists that the King is the
Commander of the Faithfull because of
the "historical legitimacy" to the
benefit of the Monarchy, whatever
that means. But the draft constitution
says the King can remain source of
new laws (called Dahir) but only in
religious matters. That may be true,
yet the fact that no movement by the
new President can be made without
Royal consent is indicative that the
King will continue to call the shot and
will make decision by proxy.
OK I don't mean to be all negative. I do
recognize that the fact that Mr.
President will come from the political
party with the highest number of votes
in the legislative elections is somewhat
a better idea that what we have been
used to. In this case, the President
may be more tempted to report to the
voters and that's a good thing. But
something suggests that we are not
getting the full story. What's the link
between the President and the
"Supreme Representative of the
State." Is the latter like the British
monarch? Or does he (always a man)
have the ability to impose policies and
government decision. The truth is the
real power still remains that of the
King.
Still on the positive front, the cabinet
and the Walis (Provincial Governors)
will be appointed by the President.
How this will happen and what is the
role of the Monarchy remains to be
Sayfa 60
seen as well. One more problem in this
picture is about the other proposed
idea of decentralizing government put
forth by the King himself, an idea that
calls for the regions to decide on who
would govern them at the local level. If
the President is now trusted to
appoint the Walis, with Royal consent,
then should we expect the King's
regionalization initiative to be
scrapped?
Well, here's the truth: nothing the
President will want to do would
happen without the explicit agreement
of the King. That's been in the
constitution forever, and it is in the
proposed "revision." And so we are
back to square one.
As for the parliament, its legislative
coverage will theoretically expand
from 9 areas to 40. The Chamber of
Representatives will be able to form
Commissions of Inquiries if 20% of its
members agree. Motions to Censure
and the removal of the government
can be approved with only 33% of the
body. Personally, I think this is
excessive, a policy clearly meant to
weaken the President and his cabinet.
Here again, the Executive branch is
stuck between the Monarchy, without
which nothing can be done, and the
Parliament, which acts as a deadly
threat that can clearly be used by the
King to reset the agenda and remove
the threat, if any.
Meanwhile, it appears the Monarchy is
slated to gain some more power,
ironically in the name of "less power."
For instance the Justice Minister will
no longer preside on behalf of the King
over the nation's highest judiciary
body, the Conseil Supérieur de la
Magistrature (CSM). Instead, the
function will swing back to the
Monarchy. But the good news there is
that female judges for the first time
will be allowed to join the CSM, and so
we give the Commission some credit
on that front.
How will these changes be greeted in
Morocco? Very simple: millions will be
disappointed and their fight for
democracy will go on. Millions of
others, typical conservative pro-
Monarchists will support it, calling it
Sayfa 61
"revolutionary." Outside of Morocco,
the typical reactions from the likes of
Paris and Washington would be the
usual congratulatory statements of a
democracy on the move, and some in
these governments will privately
express their displeasure for the lack
of progress, but only privately.
In the final analysis, unless the King
comes forward with new changes in
draft 1, we are anticipating sustained
tension on the Moroccan political
scene going forward, not the likes we
see in Siyria or Yemen, but much more
subtle movements. The momentum
built by the youth pro-democracy
movement will not slow and might be
reignited by these latest
announcements. We conclude that at
this stage the response of the
commission appointed by the
Monarchy as lackluster as a lot more
remains to be changed.
http://www.north-
africa.com/naj_news/1juneten46.html
End of consultation on political
reforms ordered by President
Bouteflika
The political consultations ordered by
the head of state Abdelaziz Bouteflika
to reform his country ended Tuesday
as scheduled after a month, it was
learned from official sources, but they
were boycotted by large opposition
groups.
Senate President Abdelkader Bensalah
surrounded by two presidential
advisers surveyed a host of parties and
leaders to hear their suggestions or
demands.
"The meetings planned with political
parties and personalities have been
completed but the forum for
consultations on the reforms will
continue to work to develop a report
to be delivered to the president," told
AFP a source close to the proceeding.
In a speech April 15, Bouteflika
announced reforms in response to the
wave of social and political protest
that shook Algeria in the wake of the
Arab revolt.
Sayfa 62
"The department held an average of
three meetings per day. It has received
political parties except the Rally for
Culture and Democracy (RCD), the
Socialist Forces Front (FFS) and
Socialist Workers Party (PST)" said the
source.
The RCD has rejected the initiative,
calling it "monologue against change"
while the FFS found the reforms "not
credible".
Many organizations and personalities,
including former head of state Ali Kafi
(1992-1994) have followed their path,
the latter holding that "the regime
does not want real change."
The parties of the ruling presidential
alliance presented their suggestions,
including the National Democratic
Rally (RND) of Prime Minister Ahmed
Ouyahia in favour of a presidential
term limits.
Bouteflika had removed during a
partial revision of the constitution in
2008, limiting to two the number of
successive presidential terms which
allowed him to have a third five-year
term in April 2009.
These consultations should lead to
proposals. Bouteflika will present his
final version, which the government
will submission to the National
Assembly in September.
http://www.ennaharonline.com/en/ne
ws/6888.html
Morocco: Arab League welcomes the
new draft constitution
The outgoing Secretary General of the
Arab League Amr Moussa on Tuesday
welcomed the commitment to reform
of King Mohammed VI of Morocco,
which proposed a new constitution to
be submitted to a referendum on July
1.
Sayfa 63
"The Secretary-General considers this
project (the Constitution) as an
important step towards the anchoring
of the pillars of democracy," said a
statement from the League, broadcast
by the official news agency MENA.
This reform project "is part of the
process of development and
modernization undertaken by the
Kingdom of Morocco, and we hope it
will continue and deepen in the
coming period," the statement said.
Mohammed VI has proposed a project
to "strengthen the pillars of
constitutional monarchy, democratic,
parliamentary and social," while
preserving the sovereign prerogatives
of all his "head of state" and
"Commander of the Faithful."
http://www.ennaharonline.com/en/in
ternational/6882.html
5. LEBANON / LÜBNAN
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - June
22, 2011
Following are summaries of some of
the main stories in a selection of
Lebanese newspapers Wednesday.
The Daily Star cannot vouch for the
accuracy of these reports.
Al-Akhbar: Policy statement: Approval
on resistance, STL lingers
Members of the ministerial committee
tasked with drafting the policy
statement adhered to the pledge
made before Prime Minister Najib
Mikati that they will remain silent after
the meeting.
Meanwhile, the country remained
preoccupied with reactions and
counter-reactions between Gen.
Michel Aoun and the opposition team
[the Future Movement-led March 14
Sayfa 64
coalition] against the backdrop of
Aoun’s statement in which he attacked
ex-PM Saad Hariri. Mikati stepped in,
criticizing Aoun.
The ministerial committee approved,
during a meeting held Tuesday, most
of the political articles in the policy
statement, except for the one that
deals with the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, knowing that the pillars of
the parliamentary majority have left
the text that calls for Lebanon’s
commitment to the “achievement of
justice and truth” into the Hariri
assassination open for discussion.
Sources said that no major
amendments were introduced to a
draft policy statement distributed by
Mikati to committee members. They
said the article concerning “the army,
resistance, people” was approved
without debate.
Ad-Diyar: Aoun promises opposition
[will end up] in Roumieh prison
As preparations got under way for a
positive atmosphere for the start of
the new government, there came Gen.
Michel Aoun’s remarks – which drew
Future Movement response – to
create an atmosphere that hinders the
serious work of the government.
What does Aoun – who won 10
Cabinet seats in Mikati’s government –
mean by saying that many March 14
officials would end up in Roumieh
prison. Does the magnanimity of the
victor generate threats of
imprisonment?
Future Movement appears as if it does
not want the government to work or
to succeed. In any case, government
supporters, such as Gen. Aoun, who
attack in this way, and responses made
by the Future Movement work against
a government and anything
functioning in the country.
Al-Liwaa: Aoun’s attacks poisoned the
atmosphere: Mikati surprised,
Jumblatt disappointed
The policy statement is expected to be
finalized before Friday after committee
members discussed the STL in terms of
international funding, judges and false
witnesses based on justice.
Sayfa 65
In the middle of it all, there came a
dissonant voice from Aoun, which
irritated Mikati and MP Walid
Jumblatt, prompting them to call for
the avoidance of malicious behavior
and rallying behind government
actions.
Al-Mustaqbal: Future bloc responds to
"sick minds" … March 14 issues key
statement today
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri
broke his silence Tuesday to respond
to Gen. Michel Aoun’s provocative
remarks which exceeded all limits.
"The only people who will face prison
are the killers of Rafik Hariri and all the
martyrs of the Cedar Revolution, and
those with sick souls who protect
them," said a statement issued by
Hariri’s office.
As-Safir: Aoun hints at imprisonment
... Hariri responds
Mikati appears to be determined to
make up for the delay in government
formation by seeking to break the
record for finalizing the policy
statement being discussed by the
ministerial committee to ensure a
speedy approval.
It was learnt that the committee will
hold two consecutive meetings on
Thursday and Friday. If finalized before
the weekend, Mikati will call for a
Cabinet meeting to be held on Friday
afternoon to discuss and approve the
policy statement.
And if the draft policy statement was
handed over to Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri on Saturday, he would
distribute it Monday among the
lawmakers and would call for open-
ended parliamentary sessions starting
Wednesday to speed up the approval
and pave the way for government
action.
The draft policy statement and ways to
approach the sensitive points,
particularly with regards to the STL,
was discussed at a meeting late
Tuesday in Ain al-Tineh between Berri,
Cabinet Minister Ali Hasan Khalil and
the political aide to Hezbollah chief
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, Hajj Hussein
Khalil.
Sayfa 66
Meanwhile, the sharp bickering
continued between Aoun and the
March 14 team, with the Future
Movement at the forefront. PM Mikati
and Jumblatt, however, stood at a
distance from Aoun’s remarks.
An-Nahar: Government seeks to
accelerate [policy] statement, Aoun
embarrasses centrists
The domestic political scene split
Tuesday between a government
seeking to move toward the stage that
comes after a vote of confidence, and
an opposition seeking to lay the
foundation for its action – at the
forefront would be a call for
demilitarizing Tripoli.
Meanwhile, statements made by Aoun
against Future Movement leader Saad
Hariri prompted response from Mikati
and head of the National Stuggle Front
Walid Jumblatt, with both expressing
“surprise” and rejecting “malicious
behavior." Mikati and Jumblatt are
considered centrists.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Pol
itics/2011/Jun-22/Lebanons-Arabic-
press-digest---June-22-
2011.ashx#axzz1PzOnWFlX
Berri: Cabinet to undergo test to
prove competence
In an interview with As-Safir
newspaper published on Wednesday,
Speaker Nabih Berri said “The cabinet
will undergo a difficult test to prove its
competence in the next two years.”
“The future of the new majority
depends on the result of this test. If
the [majority] fails, this means it will
lose in the next parliamentary
elections.”
He added that it was important that
the new cabinet addresses electricity,
water, gas and administrative issues,
adding that the cabinet is in front of
big responsibilities.
Berri also said that the new majority
does not have the intent to avenge
from anyone, adding that laws will be
the standard adopted.
The speaker also told the daily that
Internal Security Forces Director
Sayfa 67
General Achraf Rifi is attending the
security meetings being held by Prime
Minister Najib Mikati.
An-Nahar newspaper also quoted on
Wednesday Berri as saying that
violations and robberies in ministries
and state institutions will not go
unpunished.
“Everyone is under the law,” the daily
quoted the speaker as saying, and
adding those who committed
violations will be held accountable.
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsAr
ticleDetails.aspx?ID=284397
6. SYRIA / SURİYE
Arap Medyası El-Esad'ın Konuşmasına
Geniş Yer Ayırdı
BAŞKENTLER – Arap ve yabancı
gazeteler bugünkü sayılarında
Cumhurbaşkanı Beşşar el-Esad’ın
dünkü konuşmasının Suriye halkının
farklı alanlardaki reformlarla ilgili talep
ve özlemlerini yansıtarak gelecek
aşamanın profilini çizdiğini ifade
ettiler. Gazeteler; yaşanan krizden çıkış
yolunun köşe taşlarını da kapsayan
konuşmada el-Esad’ın; güvenlik ve
istikrarın gelişim, yapılanma ve
reformların temelini teşkil ettiğine
dikkat çekildi.
Lübnanlı Gazeteci Yazar Süleyman
Takiyuddin el-Sefir gazetesinde
yayınlanan makalesinde; el-Esad’ın
konuşmasının, Suriye’nin gelecek
yönündeki yolunu yararak bütün
Suriyelilerin önüne kapsamlı reformlar
yolunu açtığını ifade etti.
El-Esad'ın konuşmasının halkın duygu
ve ihtiyaçlarıyla ilgili bilincinin tam
olduğunu yansıttığını belirten
Takiyuddin; el-Esad'ın krizden çıkışın
gerçek anahtarı olan kapsamlı ulusal
diyaloga ulaşmayı başardığını
vurguladı.
Sayfa 68
Gazeteci Sami Kleyb de aynı gazetede
yayınlanan makalesinde; bütün açılımcı
reformların el-Esad'ın konuşmasına
yansıdığını dile getirerek güçlü olanın
dış baskılar ya da muhalefetin
baskısının değil reformları uygulayan
devletin kendisi olduğunun altını çizdi.
El-Esad'ın dünkü konuşmasında bütün
halka hitap ederek reformlara
odaklandığına dikkat çeken Kleyb; bu
konuşmada el-Esad'ın reformlar
konusundaki ciddiyetinin net bir
şekilde okunduğunu aktardı.
El-Esad'ın konuşmasında anayasanın
kimi maddelerinin düzeltilebileceği ve
yolsuzlukla mücadeleye öncelik
verileceği gibi önemli noktalara ışık
tutan Kleyb; el-Esad'ın dış komplo
tehlikesinin her zaman var olacağını
ifade ederek güvenlik kemeri ve
reform azminin önemine işaret ettiğini
vurguladı.
Lübnanlı el-Bina gazetesi ise el-Esad'ın
konuşmasının gelecek aşamayla ilgili
geniş bir harita çizdiğini belirterek
bunun konuşmadan sonraki sürecin
öncesinden farklı olacağına işaret
ettiğini dile getirdi.
El-Esad'ın konuşmasının iç reformlarla
ilgili ayrıntılı bir program içermesi
boyutuyla önem taşıdığını vurgulayan
el-Bina; ülke dışından yapılan siyasi
provokasyonun Suriye’de yaşanan
kaosta büyük bir etkiye sahip olduğuna
dikkat çekti.
“El-Esad Ulusal Diyaloga Hazırlanıyor”
başlığı altında dünkü konuşmayı
değerlendiren Lübnanlı el-Ahbar
gazetesi ise el-Esad'ın konuşmasında
gelecek aşamada devletin izleyeceği
politikanın profilini çizdiğine
odaklanarak konuşmanın içeriğini
kapsamlı bir şekilde ele aldı.
Zeyna el-Huri de Lübnanlı Diyar
gazetesindeki köşesinde el-Esad’ın Şam
Üniversitesi Konferans salonunda
halka hitaben yaptığı konuşmanın
Suriye’yi yeni bir çağa taşıyacak
reformlara ışık tuttuğunu ibraz etti.
Ürdün’de yayınlanan el-Arap gazetesi
ise El-Esad'ın halkın taleplerini
karşılamak için doğru tahliller yaptığına
Sayfa 69
değinerek kapsamlı ulusal diyalog
sürecinin önemine dikkat çekti.
Kuveytli el-Ray gazetesi el-Esad’ın
konuşmasında iç direnci ve gücü
pekiştirme gereğine dikkat çektiğini
belirterek sürekli var olan dış
komplolar tehlikesine bu şekilde
meydan okunacağına odaklandığını
ifade etti.
İranlı Keyhan el-Arap gazetesi ise
konuşmayı manşetten “Suriye Başkanı
ve Vatan-Asalet Konuşması” başlığı
altında yayınlayarak el-Esad'ın
konuşmasında siyasi reformlara
öncelik verdiğini belirtti.
http://www.sana.sy/tur/237/2011/06/
21/353916.htm
SANA Correspondents: Millions of
Syrian Citizens Flock to Public Squares
in Support of the Comprehensive
Reform Program under Leadership of
President Bashar al-Assad
SYRIAN GOVERNORATES, (SANA)-The
Public Squares and main streets in the
Syrian Governorates were filled with
huge masses in support of the
comprehensive reform program led by
President Bashar al-Assad. Millions of
the Syrian citizens, representing all
spectrums of the Syrian people, early
morning flocked to the main squares
at the main cities carrying national
flags and banners and chanting slogans
in support for Syria and its national
unity.
Millions of the Syrian citizens gathered
in the public squares in support of the
comprehensive reform program under
the Leadership of President Bashar al-
Assad. More than million citizens
flocked to the Umayyad Square from
Damascus city and its Countryside and
Quneitra in support of the
comprehensive reform under the
leadership of President Bashar al-
Assad.
"Huge masses in the Governorates of
Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Sweida, Lattakia,
Daraa, Hasaka, Tartous, Deir Ezzor,
Raqaa and Idleb are flocking to the
public squares in support of the reform
process under the leadership of
Sayfa 70
President Bashar al-Assad," SANA
Correspondents said.
President al-Assad's Speech Receives
Wide Attention on Arab and
International Levels
Arab and International newspapers
published on Tuesday underlined that
President al-Assad's speech expressed
the Syrian people's desire and
aspiration for reform and it has drawn
the headlines for the next stage of the
national dialogue.
speech expressed the Syrian people's
desire and aspiration for reform and it
has drawn the headlines for the next
stage of the national dialogue.
In the Lebanese As-Safir Newspaper,
writer and journalist Suleiman Taqi-
Eddin underlined that President al-
Assad's speech paved the way for
Syria's future and opened the door
wide for reform for all the Syrians.
For his part, Journalist Sami Kleib
wrote also for As-Safir saying that the
strong state is the one which carries
out reform and not the foreign
pressures.
Reviewing the most prominent points
in President al-Assad's speech, Kleib
saw that the speech holds two
important headlines: the security
firmness and the reform
determination.
Lebanese al-Binaa Newspaper said that
President al-Assad's speech has
constituted a massive road map for
the next stage, and set prominent
headlines for the situation Syria has
witnessed so far, which means that the
stage after the speech is different from
the stage prior to it.
Zena al-Khouri said in an article
published in al Diyar Lebanese
Newspaper that President al-Assad
chose Damascus University to present
his reform plan and to explain to the
world the hugeness of the foreign-
backed conspiracy hatched against
Syria.
She pointed out that President al-
Assad presented a reform package
that would move the country to a new
era.
Sayfa 71
Jordanian Alarabalyawm Newspaper
said that President al-Assad put things
on their right track with regard to
accomplishing people's demands for
reform through adopting particular
mechanisms based on a
comprehensive national dialogue.
Al Rai Kuwaiti Newspaper described
president al-Assad's speech as
positive, pointing out that the
President focused on the need for
fortifying and strengthening the local
situation to maintain security and
stability in the country and to confront
the constant conspiracies targeting
Syria.
In Tehran, Kayhan al-Arabi Newspaper
published an article under the title of
"President al-Assad and Motherland
and Originality Speech" saying that
President al-Assad declared his
strategic priorities in the framework of
launching basic and fundamental
reforms.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian
Committee for Solidarity with Syria
said that he read the speech of
President al-Assad precisely as many
righteous ideas drew his attention,
particularly those related to the
necessity of reform process which is
being translated on the ground.
"When one watch what is being
broadcast by some media, he/she
realizes that there is an organized
fierce campaign launched against Syria
…there is wide media misleading that
intervenes the rights of the Syrian
citizens and those who are interested
in the Syrian situation to get realistic
information about what is happening
in Syria" he said, indicating that Russia
will not allow the adoption of any
resolution against Syria by the UN
Security Council.
On his part, Chairman of the Russian
Society for Friendship and Cooperation
with Arab Countries, Vyacheslav
Sayfa 72
Matuzov, said that President al-Assad's
speech focused on urgent issues
according to Syria, and the President
conveyed a clear and honest image
about what is happening on the
ground.
Matuzov stressed that the speech
indicates confidence in Syria's ability to
get out of the crisis and that it will
remain steadfast in its stances and its
defense of the Arab and Syrian
people's interests and rights.
Former Lebanese President Emile
Lahoud said that President al-Assad's
speech presented a precise description
to the situation in Syria including the
armed attack on the people, the army
and the military forces, the killing of
the civilians, destroying public and
private properties and intimidating the
residents by armed gangs to
undermine Syria's stability.
In a statement issued by Lahoud's
media office, the Lebanese President
pointed out to the hasty reactions on
President al-Assad's qualitative speech
by Israel's apparatus and supporters
refer that they are determined to
hatch gory conspiracy against Syria,
yet they will not succeed in that.
Lebanese State Minister, Ali Qanso
said that president al-Assad's speech
shows his keenness on his country's
unity and stability, pointing out that
the USA is trying through these events
to exert pressure on Syria for its
pivotal role in the region.
Member of Al Wafaa Resistance Bloc,
Lebanese MP Kamel Ar Rifai said that
President al-Assad's speech reflects his
relief over the internal situation in
Syria based on linking the crisis with
foreign agendas and sabotage groups.
For his part, Chairman of the Lebanese
Democratic Party, MP Talal Areslan,
said that President al-Assad proves
everyday that he can make the crisis a
basis for resistance, stressing that the
Syrian people stand by their President
against the sinister plots.
http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/06/
21/353854.htm
Sayfa 73
Dr. Shaaban: The West had better
support the process of democracy
Syria is witnessing process instead of
imposing sanctions on the country
Damascus- President Bashar al-Assad’s
Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina
Shaaban has stressed that the United
States and European countries had
better provide support for the process
of democracy Syria is witnessing
instead of imposing sanctions on it.
Shaaban added that “President Bashar
al-Assad has promised the Syrian
people of political and social reforms,
and he has kept his promise,” pointing
out that the president had cancelled
the emergency law and formed
committees to establish new political
parties.
In a statement to al-Jazeera English,
Shaaban said that new bill are
currently being formulated in addition
to new laws on information and
freedom of journalism, pointing out
that the bills will be presented to a
national dialogue to be discussed.
She said that president al-Assad had
set a clear vision for progress in the
country and this vision will be
presented to national dialogue and will
witness the participation of all
opposition forces and social sectors.
http://www.champress.net/index.php
?q=en/Article/view/93816
7. ARABIAN PENINSULA AND THE
GULF OF BASRA / ARAP YARIMADASI VE
BASRA KÖRFEZİ
Yemeni protesters demand interim
council to prevent Saleh’s return
Women carry a mock coffin of the
'Constitutional Legitimacy' during a
demonstration to demand the ouster
of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah
Sayfa 74
Tens of thousands of anti-government
protesters demonstrated in the
Yemeni capital Monday demanding
the formation of an interim ruling
council to prevent the wounded
president from returning to power.
“Raise your voice and demand a
transitional council,” demonstrators
chanted as they marched in Hayel
Street, near the main protest centre at
University Square, an AFP
correspondent reported.
Protesters who for five months have
been demanding the ouster of
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have
been pressing his deputy Abdrabuh
Mansur Hadi to set up a transitional
council since Mr. Saleh was flown to
Riyadh earlier his month for treatment
for blast wounds sustained in a bomb
attack on his palace.
The demonstrators also chanted
slogans calling for the removal of Mr.
Saleh relatives from the helm of
security bodies, including his son
Ahmed and nephew Amar, who head
the elite Presidential Guard and
National Security force, respectively.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands of
Yemenis held protests across the
impoverished state, pushing for the
swift formation of the interim council.
Meanwhile, six Yemeni soldiers,
including two officers, were killed in
clashes with Al Qaeda-linked militants
near the gunmen-held southern city of
Zinjibar overnight, an officer said on
Monday.
The officer from the 119th Artillery
Brigade said army units “fought fierce
battles on Sunday night with Ansar Al
Sharia (Supporters of Islamic Sharia
law) gunmen connected to Al Qaeda.”
“Six members of the brigade were
killed, including Colonel Jamal Al Jaafi,
and eight others were wounded,” he
Sayfa 75
told AFP, adding that the militants had
also suffered casualties.
He said that air support had been
called in and warplanes hit several
areas held by the militants.
Hundreds of gunmen took control of
Zinjibar on May 29 in battles in which
some 90 soldiers died.
Officials say the militants are
connected to Al Qaeda but opponents
of President Saleh accuse his
government of exaggerating a jihadist
threat to head off Western pressure
on his 33-year rule.
Yemen is the home of Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the
slain Osama bin Laden’s militant
network. The group is accused of anti-
US plots including an attempt to blow
up a US-bound aircraft on Christmas
Day, 2009.
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/20
11/06/20/154110.html
Clashes in Taiz Resume
Eyewitnesses said that two civilians
were injured in clashes between pro
revolution armed tribesmen and
republican guards in al-Hoban and
Kalabah area of Taiz, near change
square Tuesday night.
Light gunfire was then heard in the city
for the next two hours.
Fierce clashes continued for 20
minutes in the city. No protesters were
reported injured.
Clashes in Taiz calmed down over the
last two weeks after intensive fighting
between armed gunmen from Sharaab
and Mikhlafi tribes who took over
most parts of Taiz city after
governmental forces attacked and
killed dozens of youth protesters.
http://yemenpost.net/Detail12345678
9.aspx?ID=3&SubID=3735&MainCat=3
Massive Demonstration in Sana'a as
Protesters Warn of Attempts to Abort
Uprising
A massive demonstration was held in
Yemen's capital Sana'a on Tuesday in
Sayfa 76
which tens of thousands of protesters
called for an immediate transitional
council and chanted slogans refusing
external interventions affecting the
implementation of the goals of the
popular uprising.
They also chanted slogans confirming
they will continue their revolution
peacefully and condemning all
attempts to leave the Yemeni people
suffer amid acute shortages and day-
and-night power outages.
In the last few days, the fuel shortage
has worsened with more than a half
km long queues of cars seen in main
streets in the capital and even there
have been hundreds of cars parked on
other streets near stations for days.
"I am here on Daery Street for a three
successive day. I cam here to fill my car
but there was not petrol, and when a
fuel shipment arrived a military
commander came here to fill his car by
force triggering the closure of the
filling station," said Nabil Tarboosh, a
driver. "I was forced to park my car
here, because there is not an oil drop
in it…..I can't move," he added.
Meantime, the youth-led protesters in
various squares of change and
freedom warned on Tuesday of any
attempts to implement any power
transfer without their participation. "If
such thing happens, we will escalate
our protest until all political forces
surrender to our demands," they said
in a statement.
The statement urged the Joint Meeting
Parties, the opposition bloc, to meet
their commitment towards the
popular uprising and stop backing any
regional or international initiatives for
power transition in Yemen.
Furthermore, the youth-led protesters
renewed their refusal to inclusion of
any of the Saleh regime members in
the transitional council, adding," and if
the council includes unwelcome
opposition figures, the council will be
announced illegitimate".
http://yemenpost.net/Detail12345678
9.aspx?ID=3&SubID=3734&MainCat=3
Sayfa 77
More focus on rights issues in Bahrain
Bahrain has changed the name of the
Ministry of Social Development to the
Ministry of Human Rights and Social
Development.
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa of bahrain issued a decree law
in this regard on Monday to push for
more focus on human rights by the
ministry.
With the new name, the ministry will
have two under-secretaries, one for
human rights and the other for social
development. The human rights
section of the ministry will be
dedicated to deal with international
reports about Bahrain and follow the
activities of human rights
organisations inside and outside the
country.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/display
article.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/201
1/June/middleeast_June594.xml§i
on=middleeast&col=
Bahrain 'will emerge stronger'
Bahrain will overcome the current
crisis and re-emerge stronger, His
Majesty King Hamad declared last
night. "Crises don't scare us. A crisis
flares up only to abate, for
development to be set back in
motion," he said, calling for national
unity so that Bahrain can be put back
on the path of progress and prosperity.
His Majesty was speaking as he
separately visited Al Mahmood and Al
Musallam majlises in Hidd,
accompanied by his Personal
Representative Shaikh Abdulla bin
Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Nasser
bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
His Majesty thanked the loyal citizens
for their honourable stances,
reassuring them on Bahrain's radiant
future, security and stability.
He reaffirmed his firm keenness for all
parties to take part in the National
Dialogue and voice their opinions.
http://www.gulf-daily-
news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=3
08422
Sayfa 78
The Independent: Bahraini leadership
faces new claims that torture took
place in hospital
Group says suspected protesters – and
doctors and nurses who treated them
– have been systematically abused
The government of Bahrain faces fresh
allegations that it systematically
tortured people it suspected of taking
part in demonstrations against its
autocratic rulers earlier this year, and
of deliberately undermining the
country's health system as 20 doctors
go back on trial today for their
supposed role in the protests.
One of the world's most respected
humanitarian organisations, Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF), alleges that
security forces loyal to the tiny Gulf
state's authoritarian leader, King
Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, regularly beat
hospital patients who had injuries that
could have been sustained during the
rallies that started in February.
The MSF testimony is the first to
document the existence of what was
effectively a torture chamber
maintained by Bahraini forces within
the hospital. And it provides fresh
evidence that retribution was not
limited to the alleged ringleaders of
the protests.
Jonathan Whittall, MSF's head of
mission in Bahrain, has recently
returned from the country. He says
that troops routinely tortured patients
at the main Salmaniya Medical
Complex (SMC) in the capital,
Manama. "The security forces basically
took control of the hospital on 17
March when tanks moved outside and
set up checkpoints for anyone entering
or leaving. Inside, many of the
wounded with injuries that could have
been sustained during the protests
were taken to the sixth floor, where
they were beaten three times a day."
Sayfa 79
MSF says that young men with injuries
such as broken limbs or gunshot
wounds were particularly targeted for
abuse,
"The hospital became a place to be
feared," says Mr Whittall. "One patient
was caught trying to leave and he was
beaten both at Salmaniya and then
later in jail – there was no evidence
that he was a ringleader. The situation
was so bad some people didn't dare
come to the hospital – in some cases,
people had no access to healthcare
and that is still the situation today."
Some of the injured were removed
from hospital, only to reappear later
with more serious injuries, Mr Whittall
adds. "One guy was brought into the
hospital with a sword injury to the
head, but he was removed by
government forces and disappeared
for weeks. His family had no idea what
had happened to him until he
reappeared with severe brain damage.
There were no medical reports or any
indication of what had happened to
him during his detention."
Unlike protests in other Middle
Eastern countries, such as Tunisia or
Egypt, where pro-democracy
demonstrators have ousted unpopular
dictatorships, Bahrain has effectively
quelled its protests. Largely, those on
the streets, who took over Manama's
central Pearl Square, were from the
majority Shia population, who argue
that they are denied the opportunities
afforded to the minority Sunnis. The
ruling al-Khalifa family are Sunni.
In March, Bahrain asked neighbouring
Saudi Arabia, where the ruling royal
family is also Sunni, to send in troops
to put down the protests.
The United States last week included
Bahrain on its list of human rights
abusers, which includes Iran, North
Korea, Zimbabwe and Syria. The US
had previously been criticised for its
lack of action against Bahrain, home to
a US naval fleet.
Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority
said last week that it intends to sue
The Independent for what it described
as this newspaper's "skewed
Sayfa 80
perspective and factually incorrect bias
that have provided the basis for the
daily's assault on Bahrain and its
people".
As well as allegations made by a
variety of human rights organisations
of meting out violent retribution to
those it claims took part in the uprising
against the state, the Bahraini
government has targeted medical
professionals, whom it accuses of
helping the demonstrators.
The trial of the 20 doctors charged
with undermining public order was
due to resume today. In other
instances, doctors and nurses stand
accused of refusing to treat those
injured during the protests that had
come out in support of the
government, and in some cases of
killing people.
MSF's Jonathan Whittall: "There is no
evidence that doctors turned away any
casualties or did anything to
destabilise the situation. In fact, the
whole thing was so chaotic,” he says.
"There is a lot of anger among the
medical community; a massive feeling
of injustice. Many of the doctors feel
that they have been singled out and
targeted because of their standing in
society; because they spoke out
against the violence, and that some
worked at medical stations set up in
Pearl Square during the height of the
protests." Most of the doctors in
Bahrain are Shia Muslims.
The families of several doctors claim
that they have been beaten during
their detention – claims that have
been corroborated by human rights
organisations – and that confessions
have been extracted under torture.
These claims are denied by the
Bahraini government.
A series of emails between a surgeon
at Salmaniya and the British professor
who trained him, published by The
Independent in April, gave a vivid
glimpse of the pressures on staff.
"I am in the hospital exhausted and
overwhelmed by the number of young
lethally injured casualties. It's genocide
Sayfa 81
to our people and our hospital doctors
and nurses are targeted for helping
patients by pro-government militia,"
he wrote on 15 March.
Two days later Bahraini forces stormed
the hospital, saying it had become
"overrun by political and sectarian
activity". Human rights groups say it
was an act of intimidation.
Bahrain's Justice Minister told a press
conference in May when the doctors
were charged that they had
deliberately injured a protester who
arrived with a wound on his thigh,
causing him to bleed to death. In
another case they had operated
unnecessarily on a protester who was
shot in the head. In both cases the
doctors would be charged with
"assault that led to death", he said.
According to an Amnesty International
report published earlier this month,
security officials at Bahrain's Criminal
Investigations Directorate forced a
number of doctors and nurses to stand
for long periods, deprived them of
sleep, beat them with rubber hoses
and wooden boards containing nails,
and made them sign papers while
blindfolded.
Bahrain recently lifted its national
state of emergency, arguing that the
situation has largely returned to
normal and that the government is
listening to the grievances of
demonstrators. This claim is dismissed
by several organisations as cosmetic.
The lifting of the state of emergency
coincided with a decision by Formula
One to reinstate the Bahrain Grand
Prix, which was postponed in March.
Initially the race was rescheduled for
October, but was cancelled again two
weeks ago when a number of leading
drivers expressed concern at returning
to the country.
Mr Whittall agrees that the changes
have been superficial: "The tanks may
have been moved from the front of
Salmaniya, but these have been
replaced by armoured personnel
carriers," he says.
It is not just medical professionals that
have been brought before military
Sayfa 82
courts: a number of demonstrators
have already been sentenced to death
for their role in the protests. Last
week, a 20-year-old student, Ayat al-
Gormezi, was sentenced to a year in
prison for reciting an anti-government
poem in Pearl Square. She was beaten
in prison and was not given access to a
lawyer during her trial.
http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/nod
e/4271
8. SOUTH ASIA / GÜNEY ASYA
PAKISTAN / PAKİSTAN
Three security officials, four militants
killed in Khyber, Orakzai
Local police and government officials
confirmed the attack and death toll. —
At least three security officials were
killed in attacks on checkpoints in the
Khyber and Orakzai tribal regions on
Wednesday, DawnNews reported.
Four militants were also killed in the
ensuing clashes.
In one of the attacks, militants
ambushed the Sarband checkpoint
before dawn. The checkpoint lies just
outside the town of Bara in Khyber
district, part of Pakistan’s tribal region
on the Afghan border where Taliban
and al Qaeda-linked networks have
bases.
In the second attack in the Khyber
tribal region, a bomb blast occurred at
a tribal police checkpoint in the town
of Jamrud. The blast killed a policeman
and wounded three others, Khyber
administrator Shafeerullah Khan said.
“One tribal policeman was martyred
and three others were wounded in the
bomb blast at the checkpoint,” Khan
said.
A third attack took place in the Orakzai
tribal region.
A covert US drone war targets Taliban
and al-Qaeda commanders in
Sayfa 83
Pakistan’s rugged northwest tribal
region and bomb attacks there are
common.
Nearly 4,500 people have been killed
across Pakistan in attacks blamed on
Taliban and other extremist networks
based in the tribal belt since 2007.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/22/fi
ve-militants-killed-in-clash-outside-
peshawar.html
Pakistani support for military action
against militants drops: poll
Domestic support for the Pakistani
military’s campaign against militant
groups has waned in recent years, a
poll by a US group has found, showing
deep-rooted opposition among the
Pakistani public to the United States.
The findings of two Pew Research
Center surveys will be disappointing
for the United States, which wants its
ally to deal forcefully with militants,
particularly those fighting US-led
foreign forces across the border in
Afghanistan and take refuge in
northwestern Pakistani border
enclaves.
The survey of 3,221 Pakistanis found
that just 37 per cent of them
supported using the army to fight
militants, which was 16 per cent lower
than two years ago, according to Pew.
The surveys also showed that most
Pakistanis — 63 per cent —
disapproved of the secret US raid in
May that killed Osama bin Laden, with
55 per cent describing it as a “bad
thing”.
It was not clear if the respondents
disapproved of the killing of the al
Qaeda leader, who has not been
popular in the country in recent years,
or the secret US raid which many
people saw as a violation of Pakistan’s
sovereignty.
Only 12 per cent of respondents had a
positive view of the United States and
only eight per cent had confidence in
President Barack Obama “to do the
right thing in world affairs”, Pew said.
Sayfa 84
“Most Pakistanis see the United States
as an enemy, consider it a potential
military threat and oppose American-
led anti-terrorism efforts,” Pew said.
The overwhelming rejection of US
goals in the region puts Pakistan’s US-
allied government and military in a
difficult position in trying to please its
people while working with the United
States.
Although Pakistan said the death of
bin Laden was a positive step in the
battle against militancy, his killing by
US Navy SEALs in his Pakistani hideout
seriously damaged already strained
ties between the uneasy allies.
After the raid, the Pakistan army cut
back the number of US troops
stationed in the country and ended
their role in training Pakistani soldiers
involved in fighting militants.
The Pakistan military also faced rare
criticism at home for its failure to
discover that the al Qaeda chief had
been living in the country, apparently
undetected, for years.
“Overwhelmingly popular”
But Pew said despite criticism after the
bin Laden raid, the military remained
“overwhelmingly popular”, with 79 per
cent of respondents saying it had a
good influence on the country.
The ratings for military chief General
Ashfaq Kayani saw a slight decrease
after the bin Laden raid with 52 per
cent of people favourable and 21 per
cent unfavourable.
Previously, Kayani was viewed
positively by 57 per cent, with 18 per
cent seeing him in a negative light.
Militants have stepped up attacks in
recent weeks to avenge bin Laden’s
killing.
Pew said 55 per cent of people
surveyed were “very or somewhat
worried” that the militants might take
Sayfa 85
over Pakistan, though that fear was
down from 69 per cent two years ago.
Still, 63 per cent considered Islamic
extremism a problem although that
was a decline from two years ago,
when 79 per cent said they were
worried.
Views of al Qaeda and the Pakistani
Taliban as threats have fluctuated over
the years.
In 2009, 61 per cent of Pakistanis
viewed al Qaeda as a threat, dropping
to 38 per cent in 2010 and rising to 49
per cent after bin Laden’s death. The
Taliban were seen as a very serious
threat by 73 per cent in 2009, but that
had dropped to 54 per cent.
Worryingly for the United States, 26
per cent of respondents saw the
Taliban regaining control in
Afghanistan as good for Pakistan while
21 per cent said it would be bad.
In 2010, 18 per cent believed it would
be good for Pakistan.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/22/p
akistani-support-for-military-action-
against-militants-drops-poll.html
AFGHANISTAN / AFGANİSTAN
Officials in Afghanistan say a roadside
bomb has killed four Afghan civilians in
the country's south.
Suicide Attack Targeting Afghan
Governor Kills Female Student
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Afghan officials say a suicide bomb
attack targeting a governor's vehicle in
northern Afghanistan has killed a
bystander and injured a bodyguard.
Officials said the bomber detonated
his explosives outside the office of
Parwan Province Governor Abdul Basir
Salangi as the governor's car was
leaving the compound.
A young female student was killed in
the explosion.
Sayfa 86
The governor was not in the car at the
time of the attack.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
claimed responsibility for the attack in
a text message to AP.
Meanwhile, the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) said two of its soldiers died late
on June 20 during insurgent attacks in
eastern Afghanistan.
Forty-two coalition soldiers have died
so far this month, according to an AP
count.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
One killed in suicide attack in
Afghanistan's Parwan province
(Xinhua) -- At least one person was
killed and another injured when a
suicide bomber targeting provincial
governor blew himself up in
Afghanistan's Parwan province, 55 km
north of the Afghan capital of Kabul on
Tuesday morning, police said.
"A suicide attacker detonated his
explosive vest near the entrance of the
governor's office in the provincial
capital Charikar city at around 10:50
a.m. (local time) Tuesday. As a result a
teenage girl was killed and a security
guard injured," deputy provincial
police chief Zia-ul-Rahman Seyedkhili
told Xinhua.
He said the governor Abdul Basir
Salangi escaped the attack unhurt.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
Tehran, Kabul to exchange terror data
Press TV
Iran's Deputy Interior Minister Ali
Abdollahi says Iran and Afghanistan
have agreed to exchange intelligence
on fighting terrorism.
“Based on the agreement, it has been
decided that we exchange intelligence
to launch simultaneous operations
against terrorist and extremist
groups,” Abdollahi told reporters in a
joint press conference with his Afghan
counterpart Abdul Rahman Rahman,
Sayfa 87
following a meeting of Iran-
Afghanistan joint security working
group on Tuesday, Fars news agency
reported.
Abdollahi said that the two-day
meeting was held in line with a
security agreement signed between
the two countries some five years ago.
Fighting terrorism and drugs trafficking
were among the issues discussed at
the meeting, the Iranian official said.
He went on to say that Iran and
Afghanistan are determined to fight
terrorism, adding that finding ways of
counter “extremist currents” in the
region that harm both countries, is
among the tasks in the agenda of the
Iran-Afghanistan committee.
Abdollahi pointed out that both
countries, as victims of drugs, have
also called for serious measures to
curb drugs production and trafficking.
He said that during the meeting, Iran
again expressed readiness to train the
Afghan police in countering drug
trafficking and terrorism.
Abdollahi also stated that Iran was
already engaged in providing training
to the Afghan police, adding that the
Islamic Republic was willing to
continue the important effort.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
China pleased to see progress in
Afghan reconciliation: FM spokesman
BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China is
pleased to see the reconciliation
process in Afghanistan make progress,
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
Hong Lei said Tuesday.
"China supports Afghanistan's efforts
for national reconciliation. and China
hopes the country can realize peace
and stability at an early date," Hong
said at a press briefing.
Concerning the peace talks, Hong said,
the world should fully respect the
choices made by the Afghan
government and people and create an
environment in favor of the
reconciliation.
Sayfa 88
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates
confirmed Sunday that the United
States is in "preliminary" contact with
Taliban militants for peace talks in
Afghanistan, one day after Afghan
President Hamid Karzai said talks with
the Taliban were "going well."
To find a peaceful solution to the
Afghan imbroglio and end the war, the
Karzai government has established a
70-member peace body, the High
Council for Peace, to contact Taliban
insurgents and convince them to give
up fighting and join the government.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
Obama plans to call back 30,000
troops from Afghanistan by 2012:
report
(Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama is expected to announce a plan
that would call for a reduction of
30,000 U.S. forces from Afghanistan by
the end of 2012, CNN reported
Tuesday.
The news comes one day ahead of the
presidents' expected speech on a plan
of military drawdown from
Afghanistan.
The drawdown will be accomplished
by troops returning home and not
being replaced as well as canceling
some proposed deployments, the
report quoted administration official
as saying.
White House press secretary Jay
Carney said Monday that the president
is still finalizing the pace and scope of
the drawdown, and he has had a
number of consultations with
members of his national security team
and military leaders on the subject.
Obama announced a so-called "surge"
of 30,000 U.S. forces to Afghanistan in
late 2009, bring the total number of
U.S. troops serving in the country to
approximately 100,000. Along with the
troop surge, the president also
planned to begin withdrawing troops
in July, 2011, with the goal of handing
lead security responsibility to Afghan
forces by the end of 2014.
Sayfa 89
Obama recently indicated the number
of troops that would begin coming
home in July would be "significant,"
while some Pentagon officials and
military commanders insisted the
drawdown should be "modest" in
order not to compromise Afghan
security.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
1 NATO soldier killed in IED blast in S.
Afghanistan
(Xinhua) -- A NATO soldier was killed
in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
blast in restive southern Afghanistan
on Tuesday, bringing to four the
number of casualties of military
alliance in the country since Monday
morning.
"An International Security Assistance
Force service member died following
an improvised explosive device (IED)
attack in southern Afghanistan today,"
said a statement issued by NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) here on Tuesday.
Earlier Tuesday, the multi-national
ISAF also confirmed losing two soldiers
in two separate insurgent attacks in
the country's volatile eastern
provinces on Monday.
Another ISAF service member was
killed in an IED attack also in southern
Afghanistan on Monday.
The NATO-led ISAF generally does not
disclose the identity of the casualties,
saying "It is ISAF policy to defer
casualty identification procedures to
the relevant national authorities."
Troops mainly from the United States,
Britain, Canada and Australia have
been stationed in the southern region
within the framework of ISAF to fight
Taliban militants there while U.S.
forces mostly have been stationed in
the eastern part of the insurgency-hit
country.
Over 250 NATO soldiers, most of them
Americans, have been killed in
Afghanistan since beginning this year.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
Sayfa 90
Peace in Afghanistan a long way off:
Australian DM
Xinhua -- Australian Defense Minister
Stephen Smith on Monday night said
peace in Afghanistan still remains a
long way off.
Smith said he believes the war in
Afghanistan would only end with
political settlement rather than
military victory.
"Australia for a number of years has
been a strong supporter of the notion
that our mission in Afghanistan cannot
be won by military means or combat
means alone," he told reporters in
Canberra.
"There also needs to be a political
strategy and we have been strong
supporters of the reconciliation,
reintegration and rapprochement
efforts and we are seeing very early
signs of that," he said.
Smith said in recent months there had
been very early and slow signs of
reintegration at local level, but
Australia remain committed to the war
in Afghanistan.
"I think we are a long way from seeing
a political settlement, a very long
way," he said.
The comment came following U.S.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates on
Monday confirmed that U.S. officials
have been involved in preliminary talks
with the Taliban to seek a political
solution to the Afghan war, but said he
did not expect significant progress for
months.
Gates also said recent gains on the
ground in Afghanistan meant
President Barack Obama would have
more room for maneuver, when
deciding how many troops to
withdraw as he begins a limited U.S.
drawdown next month.
Meanwhile, Australian Greens leader
Bob Brown said U.S. negotiations with
the Taliban plus the impending draw-
down of troops meant Australian
troops in Afghanistan should be
withdrawn.
He again called on Prime Minister
Gillard and Opposition Leader Abbott
to bring our troops home.
Sayfa 91
Australia currently has 1,500 troops in
Afghanistan, and the causalities of
Australian soldiers are 27 since 2001.
http://www.aopnews.com/today.html
*This media summary is prepared by ORSAM
Middle East Research Assistants Nebahat
Tanrıverdi O and Sercan Doğan. It covers news and
commentaries as reported by the national media
sources publishing in the Middle Eastern countries.
The views expressed are not those of ORSAM and
their inclusion does not imply factual accuracy.
*Bu bülten ORSAM Ortadoğu Uzman Yardımcıları
Nebahat Tanrıverdi O ve Sercan Doğan tarafından
hazırlanmaktadır. Bülten Ortadoğu ülkelerinin yerel
haber kaynaklarından derlenmektedir. Belirtilen
görüşler bölge ülkelerinin haber kaynaklarına ve
ismi geçen yazarlara ait olup ORSAM’ın görüşünü
yansıtmamaktadır.