Israel has announced it will construct thousands of additional settler units and withhold the transfer of Palestinian tax collections in response to UNESCO's decision to admit Palestine as a full member state.


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his key ministers decided to accelerate construction work in occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and in other parts of the occupied territories on Tuesday, a day after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to admit Palestine into the organization as its newest member at its Paris headquarters.

"These measures were agreed… as punishment after the vote at UNESCO," an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

"We will build 2,000 housing units, including 1,650 homes in East Jerusalem [al-Quds] and the rest in the settlements of Maaleh Adumim and Efrat," he said.

The official added that Netanyahu and his cabinet ministers also decided to freeze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Every month, Israel collects about $60 million in customs duties, which are levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports. The funds make up a large percentage of the PA budget.

Tel Aviv's latest move will impose another burden on Palestinians, who are already facing hardships due to a truncated economy caused by Israeli restrictions.

The PA says it pays more than $200 million every month only in salaries and financial assistance to the neediest Palestinian families.

Over the past few months, Israel has decided to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories several times.

In September 2011, the European censured Tel Aviv for its illegal construction activities in the occupied territories.

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Persiaht.org

The United States and Russia are planning to modernize and upgrade their nuclear weapons and delivery systems at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, a new report says.


The US will spend $700 billion on the nuclear weapons industry over the next decade, while Russia will spend at least $70 billion on land, sea, and air delivery systems alone, according to a document published on Monday, The Guardian reported.

Nuclear powers China, India, Israel, France, and Pakistan are expected to devote sizable sums on tactical and strategic missile systems, the report adds.

The report is the first in a series of papers for the Trident Commission, an independent cross-party initiative set up by the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). Its leading members include former Conservative defense secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former Liberal Democrat leader and defense spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell, and former Labour defense secretary Lord Browne.

The US will spend a further $92 billion on new nuclear warheads with additional plans to build 12 nuclear ballistic missile submarines, air-launched nuclear cruise missiles, and bombs.

The report also found that Russia is introducing mobile ICBMs with multiple warheads and a new generation of nuclear weapons submarines that can carry cruise and ballistic missiles.

There are reports that Russia is also planning a nuclear-capable short-range missile for 10 army brigades over the next decade. 

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Persiaht.org

A US radar base has become operational in the southeastern Turkish town of Sirnak near the border with Iraq.


Turkey's Mynet news website reported on Tuesday that it has taken a year to build the radar base, which is totally under US control.

The radar base is located on a hill in the Gurvil district of Sirnak, and its control center is supposedly based at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

The radar base could be used to control US assassination drones and monitor the airspace of northern Iraq.

The X-band radar, which looks like a huge ball, can be seen sitting on top of the hill from a great distance.

The radar has an average range of 2,000 kilometers.

Last week, a high-ranking delegation from the US Defense Department visited Ankara and urged Turkish officials to allow Washington to use the Incirlik Air Base for intelligence purposes.

The US team, headed by Alexander Vershbow, the assistant US secretary of defense for international security affairs, met with Turkish Foreign Ministry and military officials on Wednesday.

The US officials reportedly offered to allow Turkey to jointly operate the US Predator drones if Ankara would grant permission to base the drones at the Turkish air base in Incirlik, which has been a major resupply hub for foreign soldiers in the US-led war in Iraq.

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Persiaht.org

The British American Security Information Council (BASIC) executive director has expressed support for Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy, saying Tehran's nuclear program is “on the right path.”


“In a general overview, one can very well understand Iran's policy in reaction to the West's domineering demands and double standards on the nuclear issue. Iran ... is moving on the right path concerning its nuclear program,” Mehr News Agency quoted Paul Ingram as saying.

The BASIC executive director also elaborated on the West's approach vis-a-vis Iran's nuclear work, and highlighted the Islamic Republic's achievements in its peaceful nuclear program.

“Iran has played an interesting role in the global nuclear disarmament cycle since 2003. In the meantime, Iran's nuclear activities have turned into an excuse for countries such as Britain and the US to shrink from their responsibilities in this regard,” he further explained.

Ingram went on to say that Tehran's nuclear program is the key challenge to Iran-West relations, adding, “In my point of view, this challenge has no simple solution.”

“Iran wants its right to peaceful nuclear technology to be recognized, and on the other hand, the West, too, insists on certain issues,” he pointed out.

It is still too early to talk about the outcome of the negotiations between Iran and the West, he noted.

Referring to an international conference on nuclear disarmament to be held next year in the Iranian capital, Tehran, Ingram said the meeting will be an ideal opportunity to challenge the Israeli regime and unmask its weaknesses.

A think tank based in London and Washington, D.C., BASIC deals with global security issues, such as nuclear policies, armament and disarmament, and counter-terrorism.

The council also has a particular interest in Iran's nuclear program and has released 20 detailed reports on the country's nuclear activities, all of which confirm that Tehran's nuclear work is under the close watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Two unauthorized US drone attacks on Kurram tribal region of northwestern Pakistan have killed of at least seven alleged militants of Haqani group.


Two consecutive drone attacks were conducted in Khadand area of lower kurram tribal region on Monday, targeting a vehicle and a training center of Taliban Haqani network and killing at least six alleged militants while wounding many others, a government official told Press TV on condition of anonymity.

The death toll could rise further as many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

The Monday attack came in the wake of a similar US offensive near the town of Wana in South Waziristan, where at least 10 people were killed and several others injured.

The northwestern tribal areas of Pakistan have reportedly been targeted by more than 100 US drone strikes since last year.

Relations between Islamabad and Washington have deteriorated since a US military operation in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad allegedly killed al-Qaeda Leader Osama bin Laden on May 2 (May 1 Washington time).

The Israeli regime has reportedly punished former Mossad chief Meir Dagan by asking him to return his diplomatic passport following his criticism of top Israeli officials' stance on Iran.


According to Israel's Channel 2, Dagan was asked to surrender his diplomatic passport “after he publicly criticized [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Israeli Defense Minister Ehud] Barak for their stance on Iran.”

Dagan asked to use his diplomatic passport for several trips he was planning in the coming weeks; however, Israeli officials denied his request and Dagan was asked to return the passport.

Earlier in May, Dagan publicly criticized Israel's stance on Iran, warning Netanyahu that should the Israeli regime launch an attack on the Islamic Republic, more than 1,000 rockets will hit “central Israel for an undetermined period of time” on a daily basis.

The former Mossad chief said that any Israeli aerial attack against Iran's nuclear facilities would be “the stupidest thing,” and warned that any such measure “could start a regional war which will include missile fire from Iran.”

Dagan also expressed fears that "reckless and irresponsible individuals" within the Israeli premier's circle may ignore the US opposition to an attack on Iran and Washington's demand to go ahead with talks with the Palestinian side based on the 1967 borders.

In reaction to Dagan's assessment, Netanyahu's associates accused the former spy chief of being a “traitor,” “saboteur,” and “gang leader.”

At least seven people have been injured in an attack on a French embassy convoy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.


An improvised bomb targeting the passing convoy went off near the French ambassador's residence on Monday, AFP reported.

According to an Iraqi interior ministry official, four of the wounded were Iraqi guards protecting the French convoy, and three were passers-by.

The French embassy confirmed the Monday attack, but there was no immediate report on the casualty toll.

Reports show that bombings have been on the rise in Iraq since the beginning of 2011, and violent incidents averaged more than 10 a day in May, up from four to five a day in January.

On Wednesday, a woman and her son were killed in an attack by an Apache helicopter of the US military, and several others were also seriously injured.

Over one million Iraqis have died since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, according to the California-based media research group Project Censored.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stressed the importance of bolstering collective cooperation and adopting strategies to eradicate terrorism.


President Ahmadinejad held separate telephone conversations with his Azeri and Armenian counterparts Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarksyan on Sunday, IRNA reported.

The presidents discussed ways to bolster bilateral and regional cooperation in various fields, particularly a joint campaign against terrorism.

Iran has been the "main victim" of Western-sponsored terrorism since the 1979 victory of the Islamic Revolution in the country.

Tehran has always called on regional countries to expand cooperation with the purpose of demolishing terrorism in the region.

A Libyan political dissident says that the Libyan people do not share the same joy as Egyptians and Tunisians, as Western intervention has ruined the revolution's purpose.

“If you compare it with the revolution in Egypt and Tunisia, the people there feel the joy of the revolution because it is a product of their own actions. In the Libyan country, I think this kind of joy is not felt by the people,” Abu Sohayb told Press TV's Rattansi and Ridley (R & R) program in regards with Western intervention in Libya following the people's revolution against Muammar Gaddafi.

“When someone else is involved with the revolution other than the Libyan people, I think it is no longer crystal clear, and it spoils the revolution,” He added.

Abu Sohayb also voiced his sympathy towards Libyans who have fled the country following the intervention.

“I feel sad for them, because the main reasons for the Western intervention in Libya should be to help these kinds of people. When I see my people leaving and becoming refugees in Tunisia, I feel very sad for them and their families,” Abu Sohayb went on to say.

Over 16,000 refugees have crossed from Libya and entered Tunisia, reports say.

The humanitarian situation in the city of Misratah with the population of over one million has been reported as alarming with many people in dire need of food, water and medical supplies.

Dozens of civilians have also been killed in Libya since the Western military alliance launched its attacks on the North African country.

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Persiaht.org

Amid looming tensions between U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren claims the United States needs the Jewish State now more than ever.

As the British Royal Wedding draws close, many observers believe that the UK taxpayers rather than the royal family will actually pay for the lavish USD 48 million ceremony in London.

This is while Britons already pay some GBP 40 million a year to maintain the British royal family.

April 29 has been declared a national holiday to mark Prince William's marriage to Kate Middleton in London's Westminster Abbey.

The one-day holiday is also estimated to cost Britain about USD 10 billion.

To compound the situation, the upcoming royal extravaganza comes at a time of worsening economic conditions in Britain, which is struggling with a massive budget shortfall.

The British government is taking austerity measures in an attempt to contain the country's huge budget deficit. The eye-watering measures have already sparked violent protests nationwide.

This is while more than 2.5 million Britons are also unemployed.

Analysts say Prince William's wedding is reminiscent of the Queen's marriage to Prince Philip in 1947, which came against the backdrop of food rationing and post-World War II weariness.

Some observers believe the British government is using the upcoming Royal Wedding to distract the Britons from their economic woes.

Meanwhile, a recent poll shows Britons are far less excited about the Royal Wedding than the extensive flattery of media coverage suggests.

The poll carried out by the campaign group Republic has shown that almost 80 percent of the Britons simply do not care about the so-called big day.

Based on the poll, almost one in three people also believes that the state-run BBC's coverage of the wedding is biased in favor of the royals.

Pro-democracy activists in Britain also ask how it is possible for a country that claims to be a promoter of democratic principles to advertise hereditary monarchy in the third millennium.

Other analysts point out that England has been behind the establishment of the autocratic regimes that people are rising up against in the Middle East.

In recent months, a wave of revolutions and anti-government uprisings has been sweeping across the Arab world.

The wedding has also raised questions about Queen Elizabeth II's assets.

While a precise evaluation of the Queen's properties is impossible due to the secrecy surrounding her personal business empire, it is estimated that her private wealth places the octogenarian among the five richest monarchs in the world.

Furthermore, while it is claimed that the Queen's authorities are nominal, she is actually responsible for numerous decision makings.

The Queen is the head and source of all branches of public power. She is the head of the British armed forces. She can exercise personal discretion over issues such as appointing the prime minister and dissolving the parliament, and the only person in Britain being able to declare war and peace.

Britain, Canada and Australia's military involvement in the US-led invasion of Iraq as well the UK's refusal to join a treaty banning cluster bombs were among the decisions approved by the Queen.

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Persiaht.org

A senior US State Department official has expressed concern over the fate of detained opposition activists in Bahrain, but stopped short of condemning the Saudi-backed crackdown on protests.

"We have expressed our condolences for those who died in custody, and we strongly urge the government to ensure that everyone in their custody is treated fairly and in accordance with international principles," AFP quoted Jacob Sullivan, the US State Department's director of policy planning, as saying on Tuesday.

The Bahrain Human Rights Center says Bahraini forces have detained 1,041 anti-government protesters, including 64 women, since the beginning of the revolution in mid-February.

As part of a crackdown on opposition protests, Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have raided hospitals and schools and destroyed dozens of mosques and holy sites.

On Tuesday, a woman was injured in the northwestern village of Bani Jamrah. She was among a group of women protesters who were trying to prevent the destruction of a religious site.

Meanwhile, seven protesters are accused of killing two members of the security forces during the regime's crackdown on the popular uprising, former lawmaker and opposition activist Matar Matar said on Tuesday.

Scores of protesters have been killed and many others have gone missing during the Saudi-backed crackdown in the Persian Gulf state.

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Persiaht.org

A former member of the terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) who has defected says MKO members are deprived of basic human rights at their Camp Ashraf base in Iraq.

Maryam Sanjabi told Press TV on Tuesday that MKO members have no freedom and are not allowed to decide whether to stay with the organization or leave it.

She said, “According to the organization's regulations, members must follow orders and have no rights to ask any questions or make any comments,” she explained, adding, “Inside Ashraf, there is no access to the free world. Members are not allowed to read newspapers, use the internet or telephone, or meet their families.”

Sanjabi recently defected from the MKO and surrendered herself to Iraqi forces.

She says that anyone who wants to defect from the group faces the death penalty.

On April 8, a number of people were killed in clashes between Iraqi security forces and MKO members residing at Camp Ashraf, which is located in Diyala province.

The Iraqi army initially said that three people had been killed and 27 wounded, among them 13 members of the security forces.

AFP reported that ten people had been killed and over 40 injured.

A source at Baqouba's main hospital confirmed they had received three bodies.

However, the MKO claimed that 31 of its members had been killed and 300 were injured.

But Iraqi forces say there is evidence that some of the MKO members who died in the incident were killed by MKO members themselves.

On April 11, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the cabinet was determined to shut the camp down.

The MKO fled to Iraq in the 1980s, where it enjoyed the support of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and set up Camp Ashraf in the eastern province of Diyala, near the Iranian border.

Over 3,000 MKO members are currently residing at the camp. In addition, the group sends elements to Iran on spying and terrorist missions.

The MKO also cooperated with Saddam in the massacres of Iraqi Kurds and in suppressing the 1991 uprisings in southern Iraq.

Since Saddam was deposed in 2003, the Iraqi government has set numerous deadlines for the terrorist group to leave the country but the MKO has managed to maintain its base due to US backing.

The MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community and has committed numerous terrorist acts against both Iranians and Iraqis.

Iran has repeatedly called on the Iraqi government to expel the group, but the US has been putting pressure on the Iraqi government to block the expulsion.

source:

Persiaht.org

Bahraini forces have detained 1041 anti-government protesters, including 64 women, since the beginning of the revolution, Bahrain Human Rights Center says.

On Tuesday, people in the city of A'ali rallied in support of the detainees.

As part of a crackdown on opposition protests, Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have raided hospitals and schools destroying dozens of mosques and holy sites.

Also on Tuesday, a woman was injured in the northwestern village of Bani Jamrah. She was among a group of women protesters, who were trying to prevent the destruction of a religious site.

Elsewhere, Saudi-backed Bahraini forces abducted two female students in Bilad al-Qadim, and four female medics in Isa Town.

At a parliamentary session on Tuesday, a group of lawmakers thanked Saudi Arabia for its invasion of Bahrain and supporting it in quelling opposition protests.

Saudi Arabia, which dispatched 1,500 troops to Bahrain, has already come under fire for its brutal crackdown on Bahraini opposition protesters.

People in Bahrain have poured to the streets since February 14 to protest against the Al Khalifa dynasty.

Scores of protesters have also been killed and many others gone missing during the harsh crackdown in the Persian Gulf state.

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Persiaht.org

Iraqi government appointed a deadline for MKO to leave the country up to the end of 2011 year.

According to reports 6 members of MKO have been arrested by Iraqi forces in Friday conflict.

MKO grouplet is residing in Ashraf camp and designing terrorist attacks against Iran. The grouplet had carried out so many operations against the people and elites of Iran during the years of Iran revolution.

Iraqi government is trying to get rid of MKO but the US government is backing the terrorist group. It seems that the moto of facing against terrorism is just a word to attack other countries by the US and its allies.

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Persia Herald Tribune