Archive for July 20, 2015

« WarSclerotic home page
Newer Entries »

Iran Parliament Wants to Revise Nuclear Deal

July 20, 2015

Iran Parliament Wants to Revise Nuclear Deal

by Joel B. Pollak

20 Jul 2015

via Iran Parliament Wants to Revise Nuclear Deal – Breitbart.

Iran’s parliament, the Islamic Constituent Assembly, or Majlis, holds the power to revise or delay key parts of the nuclear deal with Iran–even as President Barack Obama and world powers seek a UN Security Council resolution before the U.S. Congress can review the deal.

On Saturday, the Fars News Agency reported that the Majlis threatened to reject the agreement’s provision on ballistic missiles, which call for an international embargo on missile technology to be extended for eight years–a significant, last-minute concession by the U.S.

Iran wants unrestricted ballsitic missile development and access to conventional arms dealers abroad.

“The parliament will reject any limitations on the country’s access to conventional weapons, specially ballistic missiles,” said Tehran MP Seyed Mehdi Hashemi.

In addition, the nuclear deal says that the Majlis will ratify the Additional Protocol (AP) to the Non-Proliferation Treaty–but it does not say when.

The AP is the key to long-term monitoring of Iranian nuclear research and development by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Without approval of the AP, Iran may hide key information about its nuclear activity, and may accelerate advanced centrifuge research immediately when the nuclear deal expires, among other hazards. (Even then, its commitments under the AP will be somewhat voluntary.)

The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation asserts that the inclusion of the AP in the Iran deal should reassure critics:

While some aspects of the Additional Protocol are present in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, (monitoring fissile material stockpiles from cradle to grave, inspections, information regarding fuel cycle research), the signing of the Additional Protocol represents the continuation of these monitoring and verification provisions long after the comprehensive agreement between the P5+1 and Iran is implemented. Those who are worried that Iran will bide time and wait to build a bomb after the deal has phased out should take comfort in the increased access to facilities (both declared and not) and information provided in perpetuity by the IAEA’s Additional Protocol.

However, there is no guarantee that the AP will be ratified.

Moreover, as the Business Insider notes, while the interim agreement of Nov. 2013 provided that Iran would ratify the AP within one year, there is no such deadline in the final Iran deal. The AP is merely to be applied “provisionally,” while the Majlis decides whether to accept it or not.

Meanwhile, if the Obama administration has its way, the U.S. Congress will have no opportunity to amend the deal–and will have to accept the lifting of international sanctions regardless of whether legislators accept or reject the agreement.

 

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: ,

Comments: 1 Comment

Iran Dictator Calls For Muslim World to Unite and Destroy Israel, Says USA Created ISIS

July 20, 2015

Iran Dictator Calls for Muslim World to Unite and Destroy Israel, Says USA Created ISIS

By Jordan Schachtel19 Jul 2015

via Iran Dictator Calls For Muslim World to Unite and Destroy Israel, Says USA Created ISIS.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei went into a conspiracy-laden tirade on Saturday, blaming the “arrogant powers” for getting in the way of the Muslim world’s mission to unite and destroy Israel.

“If the Islamic Ummah were united and relied on their own commonalities, they would certainly be a unique power in the international political scene but big powers have imposed such divisions on the Islamic Ummah to pursue their own interests and safeguard the Zionist regime [of Israel],” Khamenei said in remarks to commemorate the end of Ramadan.

Khamenei also defended Iran’s support for its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, which is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and the Assad regime in Syria.

“The Americans dub the Lebanese resistance as terrorist and regard Iran as a supporter of terrorism because of its support for the Lebanese Hezbollah, while the Americans, themselves, are real terrorists,” Khamenei said. Hezbollah was originally created by Tehran’s first “Supreme Leader” with the mission to “turn Lebanon to a graveyard for Jews,” according to its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The Iranian dictator claimed that al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terror group were created by the United States, according to Iran’s state-controlled media. The U.S. “have created al-Qaeda and Daesh [ISIL]” and “support the wicked Zionists [Israel],” he said.

The U.S. cannot criticize Iran’s support for Hezbollah’s “resistance” movement because the U.S. supports the “Zionist, terrorist and infanticidal” Israelis, added Iran’s ruler.

The “Supreme Leader” declared victory over the United States in Tehran’s recent nuclear agreement with world powers, saying, “This is the outcome of the Iranian nation’s resistance and bravery and the creativity of dear Iranian scientists.”

He predicted that in the case of war with the United States, The U.S. “will emerge loser,” PressTV reported.

Khamenei swore to never engage the Americans in dialogue over regional differences, asking, “Our policies and those of the US in the region are 180 degree different, so how could it be possible to enter dialogue and negotiations with them (Americans)?”

In declaring victory over the U.S. in nuclear negotiations, he added, “today, they [world powers] have been forced to accept and stand the spinning of thousands of centrifuges and continuation of research and development in Iran, and it has no meaning but the Iranian nation’s might.”

Noticeably, Khamenei’s more-controversial comments were left out of a CNN story on his remarks.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , ,

Comments: 1 Comment

Report: EU to Start Labeling Settlement Products Soon

July 20, 2015

By: JNi.Media

Published: July 19th, 2015

via The Jewish Press » » Report: EU to Start Labeling Settlement Products Soon.

EU - Selection - Chickens

Photo Credit: Asher Schwartz

JNi.media) In a few months, the EU will enact its plan to label products made in the Jewish towns and villages of Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem, the Financial Times reported Sunday.

Apparently, over the past three years, the European Commission has delayed issuing proper technical guidelines on the labeling of the Jewish-produced goods, fearing that the move would “backfire” over in Israel.

But now, according to the report, the EU has decided to put aside pressing issues such as the collapsing economies of Greece, the Ukraine, Spain and Portugal, and focus its efforts on issuing a directive which Brussels “insists is a purely administrative document.”

David Walzer, Israel’s ambassador to the EU, described the initiative as “a European attempt to politically pressure Israel on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by using economic means of questionable legality.”

Walzer argued the labels are an attempt by “to de facto determine the boundaries of Israel while it is up to the parties involved to decide,” and warned that “nothing good or constructive can come out of going down that road.”

But the EU foreign ministers, slated to meet in Brussels on Monday, are planning to reemphasize their decision to start “full and effective” labeling of goods from Jewish settlements. This is in accord with a letter signed in April by 16 foreign ministers, including France and the UK, telling EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to make clear that products from Jewish settlements are illegal.

The EU has prepared measures making it possible to track postal codes, to make sure goods shipped from Jewish settlements do not enjoy duty-free status under the EU free-trade agreement with Israel.

An examination of the 2013 guidelines, proposed when Catherine Ashton was the EU foreign policy chief, reveals several loopholes, which could enable Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria to continue doing business in Europe as before.

The guidelines prohibit dealing with Jewish businesses which have branches both in Israel and in Judea and Samaria. However, it should be possible for post-1967 Jewish settlers to sell their goods unlabeled to a pre-1967 Israeli exporter, who will then be able to sell them as compliant with EU guidelines.

The drawback here would be NGOs like B’Tselem and Peace Now, which will report on Jews trying to export their goods this way.

However, because the guidelines do not prohibit EU support awarded to Palestinian entities or to their activities in the territories, a Jewish enterprise in post-1967 Israel could create partnerships, fictitious and/or real with Arab businesses, to sell their goods.

Jewish products from Judea and Samaria could also invest in a campaign to gain consumer interest, labeling the goods excessively as coming from the settlements, for consumers with a penchant for exotic products.

Categories: Uncategorized

Comments: 1 Comment

Newer Entries »