WarSclerotic

Ahmadinejad warns Russia over sanctions support

Al Jazeera TV, Qatar

Presenter, Female #1
Iranian President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, criticized Russia’s latest stance against his country, describing it as “unacceptable.”Addressing a massive crowd in the city of Kerman, Ahmadinejad called on the Russian government to reconsider its position so that the Iranian people will not add Russia to the list of Tehran’s historical enemies. Our correspondent in Iran, Mohammad Hassan al-Bahrani, has the details in the following report.

Reporter, Male #1
It seems that Iran’s nuclear file entered a new escalation phase. It also seems that the US-led efforts to expand international sanctions on Iran are behind this tone of escalation, which has echoed in Iranian President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s address to the residents of Kerman Province.

Guest, Male #2 (Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad)
I tell Mr. Obama to abandon the policies of pervious US administrations. The Tehran Declaration brings a historical and major opportunity that must be seized upon, if justice is really what you want to achieve. I doubt that the Iranian people will give you another opportunity. If you don’t seize this opportunity, you must know that the Iranian nation will cut your road short.

Reporter, Male #1
If Iranians are used to attacks by their political leaders against the US administration, they have not heard this tone of voice used against Russia. The Iranian president has sharply criticized the shift in Russia’s position toward Iran.

Guest, Male #2 (Iranian President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad)
Medvedev’s latest stance has confused the Iranian people. They don’t know whether Russia is still really their friend. It’s normal to expect from our friendly neighbor to stand by us in this critical time. Your current policy is unacceptable and must be reexamined.

Reporter, Male #1
Iranian sources saw in Ahmadinejad’s words a serious warning by Tehran directed at Moscow.

Guest, Male #3
This is a clear Iranian warning against Russia. I believe that the latest Russian stance is due to a sense of weakness felt by Russia in the face of US pressures. Anyhow, Russia needs Iran more than Iran needs it.

Reporter, Male #1
Amidst this strong Iranian warning directed at Russia, some are betting on a breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear crisis, which had started to ease up after the Tehran Declaration reached with Turkey and Brazil. However, with the new threats of sanctions looming on Iran, a political solution may not come that easily. Leading powers have threatened Iran with a first, a second, a third, and now a fourth round of sanctions over its nuclear program and uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, Iranians are saying: “Even if you take a unified position against us, you will not get what you wish for, and we will continue to enrich uranium as long as you continue to do so.” Mohammad Hassan al-Bahrani, al-Jazeera, Tehran.

Iran slams US response to Tehran Declaration

Press TV, Iran

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has critized Washington’s response to the Tehran Declaration. Mottaki singled out US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s remarks about the Declaration and described them as misleading. He has called the Tehran Declaration as a good opportunity for confidence building.

Amid regional tension, Israel holds massive defense drill

Al Arabiya TV, UAE

Presenter, Male # 1
The maneuvers conducted by Israel culminated with sirens, and Israelis heading to shelters and safe areas. The scenarios focused on rocket attacks launched from Lebanon, Syria and Iran on Israel’s strategic facilities and sites.

Reporter, Male # 2
As air raid sirens wailed across Israel, the Home Front Command’s military maneuvers reached their peak, and Israelis were asked to head to the shelters for 10 minutes, as the hypothetical war is entering its 18th day.

Guest, Male # 3 (Ehud Barak, Israel’s Defense Minister)
We seek to avoid war, and the maneuvers are taking place for the 4th year and will also be conducted next year. We want to be ready in the domains in which we need to be ready.

Reporter, Male # 2
Remarkably, Israel’s predictions, and probably its intelligence information, believe that there is a likelihood that its strategic and sensitive facilities might be targeted by missiles that are more precise than those that were used during the second Lebanon war. In the hypothetical war scenario, the Ministry of Defense was subjected to chemical missiles, which caused a large number of deaths and injuries, and a heavy financial toll. In addition, the Ashdod Port in the south and the Rambam Hospital in Haifa were shelled.

Guest, Male # 4 (Yaneer Golden, Home Front Command)
We are going to have all the different branches of the army around Israel participate. The maneuvers include all types of exercises, including weapons of mass destruction and chemical weapons.

Reporter, Male # 2
The exercises revealed one weak point: Israel’s low level of preparedness to face a chemical or biological attack. Only 5 percent of Israelis have received gas masks, but their participation in the maneuvers was larger than that of previous years because of the fear that Israel might attack Iran, which could trigger a regional war in which the Home Front Command is placed on the frontlines. Although Israel’s attempts to reassure that the military maneuvers are routine and defensive, it is clear that it is basing its actions on intelligence information and could be sending a double message, inside and outside the country, that Israel is ready for any future war. Ziad Halabi, al-Arabiya, Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah mobilizes on border in response to Israel drill

IBA TV, Israel

Hezbollah has mobilized its forces inside Lebanon; they claim this is in response to Israel’s civil defense drill that is taking place this week. Also, Syria has for months, been saying that Israel is planning to attack Syria.

Hezbollah leader says Israel ‘continues its ideology of racism, arrogance’

Press TV, Iran

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said that “for this reason, there is something which we must tell the Israelis, and there is something that we must not tell the Israelis. And be sure, that what we must not tell the Israelis, I will not say it and nobody must say it. It will be a surprise in any future war.”