WarSclerotic

At least 19 dead in Cairo rioting – CBS News.

(AP)

Last Updated 3:45 p.m. ET

Fierce clashes erupted Sunday between Christians protesting a recent attack on a church and the Egyptian military, leaving at least 19 people dead and more than 150 injured, Health Ministry officials said.

In rioting outside the state television building along the Nile in Cairo, witnesses said some of the protesters may have snatched weapons from the soldiers and turned them on the military. The protesters also pelted the soldiers with rocks and bottles.

The clashes spread to nearby Tahrir Square and the area around it, drawing in thousands of people. They battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up pavement for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes. At one point, a group of youths with at least one riot policeman among them dragged a protester by his legs for a long distance.

The Christian protesters said their demonstration began as a peaceful attempt to sit in at the television building. But then, they said they came under attack by thugs in plainclothes who rained stones down on them and fired pellets.

“The protest was peaceful. We wanted to hold a sit-in, as usual,” said Essam Khalili, a protester wearing a white shirt with a cross drawn on it. “Thugs attacked us and a military vehicle jumped over a sidewalk and ran over at least 10 people. I saw them.”

Wael Roufail, another protester, corroborated the account.

“I saw the vehicle running over the protesters. Then they opened fired at us,” he said.

Khalili said protesters set fire to army vehicles when they saw them hitting the protesters.

Television footage of the riots showed some of the Coptic protesters attacking a soldier, while a priest tried to protect him. One soldier collapsed in tears as ambulances rushed to the scene to take away the injured.

Christians blame Egypt’s ruling military council for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in February. Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority makes up about 10 percent of the country of more than 80 million people. As Egypt undergoes a chaotic power transition and security vacuum in the wake of this year’s uprising, Christians are particularly worried about the increasing show of force by the ultraconservative Islamists.

Sunday’s rally began in the Shubra district of northern Cairo, then headed to the state television building along the Nile where men in plainclothes attacked about a thousand Christian protesters as they chanted denunciations of Egypt’s military rulers.

“The people want to topple the field marshall,” the protesters yelled, referring to the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi. Some Muslim protesters later joined in the same chant.

Armed with sticks, they chased the Christian protesters from the TV building, banging metal street signs to scare them off. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.

Gunshots rang out at the scene, where lines of riot police with shields tried to hold back hundreds of Christian protesters chanting “This is our country.”

Security forces eventually fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. The clashes then moved to nearby Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak. The army closed off streets around the area.

The clashes left streets littered with shattered glass, stones, ashes and soot from burned vehicles. Hundreds of curious onlookers gathered at one of the bridges over the Nile nearby to watch the unrest.

After hours of intense clashes, chants of “Muslims, Christians one hand, one hand” rang out, a call for a truce. The stone-throwing died down after that.

In the past weeks, riots have broken out at two churches in southern Egypt, prompted by Muslim crowds angry over church construction. One riot broke out near the city of Aswan, even after church officials agreed to a demand by local ultraconservative Muslims, called Salafis, that a cross and bells be removed from the building.

Aswan’s governor, Gen. Mustafa Kamel al-Sayyed, further raised tensions by telling the media that the church was being built on the site of a guesthouse, suggesting it was illegal.

Protesters said the Copts are demanding the ouster of the governor, reconstruction of the church, compensation for people whose houses were set on fire and prosecution of those behind the riots and attacks on the church.

Last week, security forces used force to disperse a similar protest in front of the state television building. Christians were angered by the treatment of the protesters and vowed to renew their demonstrations until their demands are met.

Syria warns of reprisals if opposition council is recognized.

Al Arabiya

Sunday, 09 October 2011

Walid al-Moualem, Syria’s foreign minister, says that tough measures will be taken against any state that recognizes the National Council set up by opponents of President Bashar al-Assad. (Photo by Reuters)

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israel today | Israel ready to strike Syria, Lebanon, Gaza – israel today.

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Turkey condemns ‘heinous assassination’ of Syrian Kurd leader – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Assailants shot Mishaal al-Tammo dead on Friday in the Syrian city of Qamishli, and two people were killed when gunmen opened fire during Tammo’s funeral as mourners began chanting anti-Assad slogans.

By Reuters

Iran says radar can detect small unmanned drones – Israel News, Ynetnews.

Islamic Republic’s air defense units equipped with advanced radars capable of tracing unmanned drones, senior military commander says

Associated Press

Iran FM questioned over Russia cancellation of S-300 missile deal – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the sophisticated systems that would have dramatically boosted Iran’s ability to defend against airstrikes, but refuses to deliver the missiles claiming that UN sanctions prevent supplying them to Iran.

Iran’s parliament has questioned the country’s foreign minister about Russia’s cancellation of a deal to sell Tehran S-300 air defense missile systems.

Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the sophisticated systems that would have dramatically boosted Iran’s ability to defend against airstrikes. Israel and the United States objected to the deal.

	A Russian-made S-300 missile
	Photo by: Kremlin

Russia refused to deliver the missiles to Iran last year, claiming that new U.N. sanctions prevent Moscow from supplying them to Iran.

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi answered lawmakers’ questions Sunday about Moscow’s scrapping of the deal.

Lawmaker Mostafa Kavakebian said Iran’s “weak diplomacy” is to blame for the cancellation.

The news comes after Iran’s announcement in late September that it had completed the production of a self-made version of the Russian S-300 missile, over a year after Moscow cancelled a delivery of the sophisticated system to Tehran to comply with United Nations sanctions.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev banned the delivery of the high-precision S-300 air defense system to Iran in September of 2010, scuttling a tentative deal in gestation for years, saying it would violate expanded UN sanctions imposed in June over Iran’s defiance of demands to curb its nuclear program.

Iranian officials said after Russia scrapped the sale that Tehran had decided to build its own model of the S-300.

“Buying S-300 missiles from the Russia was on the agenda to meet some of the security needs of our country,” said Mansourian. “But under the pretext of the (UN Security Council) resolution and due to American and Zionist pressure, Russia refused to deliver the defensive system.”

On Friday, however, Iranian officials indicated that they have completed the production and deployment of a domestic version of the 3-00, with Iranian army official Brigadier General Alireza Sabah saying that missile system has “proved once again that the country’s enemies have been left disappointed in their desperate attempts to impose sanctions on Iran.”

“The command and control center of this system is completely digital, sophisticated, and equipped with a simulator” and can receive signals, while functioning as part of a unified network of air defense to identify and track targets, Sabahifard said.

Iran says may accept Russian deal to end nuclear standoff with West – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

In July, Russia presented a ‘step-by-step’ proposal, in which Iran would address questions regarding its nuclear ambitions in exchange for a gradual easing of sanctions.

By Haaretz Tags: Iran threat Iran nuclear

Iran tentatively accepts a Russian “step-by-step” deal to end Tehran’s nuclear standoff with the West, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Saturday, reiterating what he called Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.

In July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. President Barack Obama of Moscow’s “step-by-step” approach, under which Iran could address questions about its nuclear program and be rewarded with a gradual easing of sanctions imposed by countries that fear Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons, a charge it denies.

	In a photo from 2009, Iranian technicians work at a facility producing uranium fuel for a planned heavy-water nuclear reactor, just outside the city of Isfahan.
	Photo by: AP

Speaking in a joint press conference with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov, Salehi was quoted by the semi-official FARS news agency as saying that Tehran accepts the Russian offer “in principle,” adding that the “proposal displays Russians’ goodwill for ending this superficial nuclear case of Iran.”

“We emphasize our right to use the peaceful nuclear energy as much as we are loyal and committed to the [International Atomic Energy] Agency’s statute,” the Iranian foreign minister told FARS.

With Israel and Washington both keeping the possibility open of launching pre-emptive strikes on Iran to stop it getting nuclear weapons, the negotiations are a possible way to avoid what analysts say would be highly risky military action.

But after the failure of the last talks, between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, plus Germany (known as the EU3+3 or P5+1), in Istanbul in January, few analysts expect a breakthrough.

Russia backed a fourth round of UN sanctions against Tehran in June 2010 but has criticized tighter measures imposed unilaterally by the United States and the European Union and emphasized its opposition to military action.

Therefore, Tehran might be more receptive to an approach from Moscow than one from the West — the E3+3’s delegation is led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

“It’s certainly easier for Iran to respond to a Russian gambit than to Western pressure. The E3+3 negotiating efforts with Iran are stuck dead in the water,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, a non-proliferation expert at London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.

“If Russia’s plan can get Iran to the negotiating table, then great. Talks have to start somehow.”

Not only is Moscow not part of the Western alliance Iran sees as its greatest enemy, it is also involved in developing part of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, as builder of its first atomic power plant at Bushehr on the Gulf coast.

‘Syrian Kurds declare ‘intifada’ after ass… JPost – Middle East.

    Kurdish activists declared an “intifada,” or armed resistance, after the assassination of a charismatic opposition figure in Qamishli in northeastern Syria, London-based Asharq Al Awsat reported on Sunday.

Security forces opened fire on tens of thousands of Syrian Kurds at Meshaal al-Tammo’s funeral on Saturday, killing at least 4 people, according to the report. British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated that 50,000 people had turned out for the funeral.

“The gates of hell have been opened on these gangs,” Kurdish activists said according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The last nails will be quickly hammered in their coffin.”

Security forces also opened fire on a funeral procession for three people who were killed on Friday in the Damascus suburb of Douma, killing one mourner and wounding 10, the group said.

At least eight people were killed in anti-Assad protests after Friday prayers.

Tammo, a charismatic figure who was released from prison earlier this year, was a critic of Assad who had also angered powerful Kurdish parties because of his criticism of Kurdish rivals. The United States has condemned his killing.

Activists said on Friday that four gunmen burst into a house in the city of Qamishli, shot dead Tammo and wounded his son. It was not clear who was behind the attack.

One activist said he feared the killing might encourage Kurds to take up arms against Assad forces, pushing the country closer to civil war.

“This is a terrorist attack, a terrorist assassination.

The Kurds might feel they want to avenge. We are very angry,” said a Kurdish activist who declined to be named.

Video footage broadcast by Al Jazeera television showed Tammo’s coffin being carried on people’s shoulders wrapped in a Kurdish flag and covered with flowers.

“Leave, Leave,” the mourners chanted.

Fares al-Tammo, Meshaal’s son, told Al Jazeera from Erbil in northern Iraq that the Kurds were angry and blamed the Syrian authorities for his father’s death.

“This blood is precious to them [Kurds], they will not give up until the regime is overthrown and the execution of Bashar Assad,” he said.

Activists in Damascus said Syrian authorities stepped up security in Kurdish areas in the capital.

Kurds make up about 10 percent of Syria’s 20 million population, and largely support the uprising against Assad.

Ethnic Kurds have long complained of discrimination and staged violent protests against Assad in 2004. They are not allowed to teach Kurdish in schools or to set up Kurdish radio stations.

While Assad has sent troops and tanks to crush protests against him which erupted in March, he also promised reforms. He has ended a state of emergency and promised parliamentary elections in February.

He tried to pacify the Kurds by giving citizenship to tens of thousands of them, and casualties in the Kurdish areas remained the lowest.

Many of Assad’s opponents say his reform promises are hollow and that his government has forfeited all legitimacy after killing at least 2,900 civilians, by a UN count.

‘Window for strike on Iran nuke facilities gro… JPost – Defense.

y YAAKOV KATZ
10/09/2011 01:22

Israeli-American scholar on nuclear proliferation tells ‘Post’ that Iranian advances limiting Israeli ability to launch effective attack.