US, Yemen Sign Military Deal

This is coming from a government who claims that, it is fighting Alqaida terrorists and its president won Nobel Peace Prize!

DUBAI: Yemen has signed an agreement with the United States for cooperation on military intelligence and training, its official news agency reported, as the Arabian peninsula state faces a worsening rebellion in the north.

The two countries signed the agreement in Sanaa on Tuesday after two days of talks, the second round of such negotiations, Saba reported.

The deal aims to strengthen cooperation in the “extermination of terrorism, smuggling and piracy,” Saba quoted Yemen’s Chief of Staff Ahmed Ali al-Ashwal, as saying.

Fighting between the Yemeni government and rebels, who say they suffer political, religious and economic marginalisation, intensified last August when Sanaa launched a military offensive against them.

Last week, neighbouring Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest oil exporter, launched its own offensive against the rebels after they staged a cross-border raid and seized some territory, accusing Riyadh of collusion with Sanaa’s war against them.

The United States and Saudi Arabia fear the fighting in Yemen’s north and separatist unrest in the south could allow al-Qaeda to expand its presence in Yemen into a new base for operations in the region.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has imposed a naval blockade on northern Yemen’s Red Sea coast to stop weapons from reaching Yemeni rebels it is fighting in the area, a Saudi government adviser said on Wednesday.

Last week, Saudi Arabia launched an offensive against the rebels after they staged a cross-border raid during which they seized Saudi territory, accusing the kingdom of colluding with the Yemeni government against them.

The world’s largest oil exporter is getting increasingly drawn into a conflict to its south between Sanaa and the Zaidi rebellion, which Riyadh fears could weaken stability in the world’s biggest oil exporter.

The rebels, who are known as the Houthis after the clan of their leader and say they suffer religious, economic and political marginalisation, said on Tuesday they had seized more Yemeni territory along the Saudi border.

The News
___________________________

Palestinians Stand Up to Israeli Attempts to Desecrate Al-Aqsa

Residents of the Al-Aqsa Mosque region gathered on Sunday to stand up to scores of Israeli occupation forces who have circled the sacred mosque, part of Israel’s continuous bids to desecrate the Muslim site.

Israeli occupation police closed the Mosque to worshipers and Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat likened the Israeli move to that of former PM Sharon's visit to site in 2000, which sparked the second intifada.

Israeli settlers have been trying to desecrate the Aqsa Mosque under the protection of occupation security forces which brought in dozens of armed vehicles outside the site. “Providing police escort for settlers who are against peace at all costs is not the act of someone who is committed to peace,' Erekat said.

On Saturday evening, calls spread on the Palestinian media and throughout the night to protect Al-Aqsa. Occupation forces have been working on getting out dozens of Palestinians who have been staying inside the Mosque anticipating attacks by settlers. On the 27th of September, Ultra-Orthodox Israelis tried to desecrate the holy Mosque and a confrontation with worshipers and residents ensued and left 17 Palestinians wounded.

The Mosque was closed as many Israeli settlers are to be flocked into occupied Jerusalem during the “Sukkot” holiday. Similar provocative “visits” by settlers have sparked tension and confrontations with Palestinians on many occasions.

Muslim clerics, senior Palestinian officials and heads of Islamic movements have called on Muslim worshippers to arrive in masses at the al-Aqsa Mosque "in order to curb the police's attempts to allow Jewish settlers to enter the compound," and desecrate the holy site.

http://www.almanar.c...704&language=en

Seven Saudis Killed and 126 Wounded

Heavy clashes have been reported at the Saudi-Yemeni border as Saudi forces battle Yemeni rebels for the fifth straight day.

Saudi commanders said troops were shelling suspected Houthi positions on Saturday and plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the Jebel al-Dukhan peak that marks the frontier near the border town of Al-Khubah.

A medical official said seven Saudis, four of them women civilians, had been killed and 126 people wounded since the fighting erupted on Tuesday.

The Shia Houthis, fighting their own government over alleged discrimination, had also claimed to have captured some Saudi soldiers on Friday.

Mohammed Abdel-Salam, a spokesman for the Houthis, told Al Jazeera that the men were seized after Saudi ground forces crossed into Yemeni territory.

If such a ground incursion were proved true, it would indicate a deepening involvement by Saudi Arabia in a battle that is being viewed as a proxy conflict with regional power Iran.

Abdel-Salam said the captured soldiers would be interviewed. "They will be treated with respect," he added.

He also urged Riyadh to end the "unjust Saudi aggression" and to stop Yemeni forces from using bases inside Saudi territory to attack the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia has not commented on the claim, but has previously said that its operations against the Yemeni fighters have been limited to air raids and artillery strikes.

Saudi support

Khalid al-Dakhil, a political analyst at the King Saud University, said that it is impossible for Saudi Arabia to ignore the conflict between the Houthis and the Yemeni government.

"The Houthis seem to be very determined in pinning down the Yemeni army and the Saudi government cannot afford to just sit by and watch what is happening. They have to support the Yemeni government", he told Al Jazeera.

"The co-operation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia runs for a long time now, even before the Houthis.

"I don't think the Houthis have any chance of succeeding in the end. They will be isolated, they will be squeezed between two armies and I think eventually they will run out of any luck."

Aljazeera

Hussein Badr Al-Din Al-Hussein

Yemeni Shi'ite Cleric and Houthi Disciple 'Issam Al-'Imad: Our Leader Houthi is Close to Khamenei; We Are Influenced Religiously and Ideologically By Iran

On September 28, 2009, the Iranian website ayandenews.com, which is affiliated with former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezai, published an interview with cleric 'Issam Al-'Imad, who is a disciple of Hussein Al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi rebels in Yemen. [1] Al-'Imad, who was born 1968 in Yemen, received his religious education in Saudi Arabia, but after studying Shi'ite Islam left Wahhabism to become a Twelver Shi'ite. Since1989 he has been pursuing advanced Islamic studies in the holy city of Qom in Iran. [2]

In the interview, Al-Imad describes the religious, ideological, and political affinity that has evolved between the Yemeni Houthis and the Iranian regime, saying that the Houthis have effectively converted from Zaidi Shi'a to Twelver Shi'a, which is Iran's official religion. [3] He adds that Houthi leaders have visited and lived in Qom, that their leader Hussein Al-Houthi considers Ayatollah Khomeini to be a model for emulation, and that Al-Houthi's relationship with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is similar to Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

"When the Yemen Government and the Sunni Leaders Say [the Houthis are Twelver Shi'ites] ) -It Is Not a Lie"

Q: "Are the Houthis Zaidis or Twelver Shi'ites? Because it is said that they perform the 'Ashura rituals and celebrate the festival of Ghadir. [4] Moreover, in his book The Zaidis in Yemen, [Houthi leader Hussein] Badr Al-Din Houthi attacks the Zaidi belief in [all] four Righteous Caliphs as erroneous, and presents evidence to show that the Houthis belong to Twelver Shi'a more than to Zaidi Shi'a. Could you elaborate on the Houthis' basic beliefs?"

Al-'Imad: "Hussein Badr Al-Din [Houthi] is the current Houthi leader. [His father], Badr Al-Din Al-Tabatabai, was Houthi as well, and [both of them] lived in Qom, as well as [Hussein's brother] 'Abd Al-Malik. Their stay in Qom was not without consequences. 'Abd Al-Malik, Hussein's younger brother, is about 28 years old. I must point out that [the Houthis follow] the philosophy of Hussein and not [of his father] Badr Al-Din. The Houthis themselves emphasize this."

Q: "You keep stressing that [Hussein Badr Al-Din Al-Hussein] is the Houthis' current leader, but there are several versions regarding this. The Houthis claim that he is alive, but those who oppose them [the Yemen government] say that he was killed in 2004."

Al-'Imad: "It doesn't matter if he is alive or dead. What matters is that he is the leader. That is, in terms of ideology and the Houthis' philosophy, Hussein is the leader. I mean, the Houthis' strategic outlook and ideology are taken from Hussein's books. Even [his brother] 'Abd Al-Malik says this. He says, 'everything we have comes from my brother, Hussein.'

"The Yemeni attack on the Houthis and Hussein started in 2004, [and] the target [of this attack] is Hussein. They say, 'We are killing Hussein's disciples.' I myself have listened to Hussein's tapes and read his books. He strove to end the silence of the Shi'ites [i.e. the Zaidis], which has lasted for 30 or 40 years."

Q: "So we can say that the Houthis are Twelver Shi'ites?"

Al-'Imad: "Yes. You know why? I went to Sa'da [a province and Zaidi religious center in northern Yemen], that is, to the Houthi center. I traveled [from Qom] to Yemen to see for myself what was happening. [I saw that] all the books they had there were Ja'fari [i.e. Twelver Shi'ite]; not a single one was Zaidi. I myself was surprised.

"Before [becoming a Twelver Shi'ite], I was a Wahhabi [Muslim], and I had heard that [the Zaidis] had become Ja'fari. [When I came there,] I saw that they did not have a single Zaidi book. All the libraries - both the public [libraries] and private or family ones - held Ja'fari books. The Houthis read books printed in Qom, and that's the truth.

"So when the Yemen government and the Sunni leaders say that [the Houthis] are Ja'fari, it is not a lie. They [i.e., the Sunnis] really believe that they are Ja'fari, that they have changed their beliefs...

"'Ali 'Abdallah Saleh, [Yemen's current president, himself a member of the Zaidi minority], rose to power with the help of Saudi Arabia and its [royal] Al-Saud family. The day he became president, there wasn't a single Wahhabi school in Yemen, but today there are Wahhabi schools there. When he rose to power, the [Sunni] Salafi school was not the official [religion of Yemen], but today it is... All the mosque preachers are [now] Wahhabi...

"'Ali 'Abdallah Saleh collaborates with the Taliban, [as evidenced by the fact that] most of the Al-Qaeda leaders who were incarcerated in Yemen have escaped from prison..."


"[Hussein Al-Houthi] is a Disciple of Khomeini"

Q: "Which of the following three figures - [Ayatollah Ali] Sistani, [religious leader of the Shi'ites in Iraq]; [Hizbullah Secretary-General] Hassan Nasrallah; and Muqtada Al-Sadr [of Iraq] - has the most influence among the Houthis [in Yemen]? Which of them do you consider the most [influential]?"

Al-'Imad: "I believe it is Hassan Nasrallah. Hussein Al-Houthi's philosophy is pure Shi'a, and politically he is close to Hassan Nasrallah."

Q: "The emotional bond that between Hassan Nasrallah and [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei and [his] regime - does it also exist between Hussein and 'Abd Al-Malik and Khamenei?"

Al-'Imad: "Absolutely. In every one of his tapes, Hussein says: 'I believe that the best interpreter of the Koran in our time was [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini, [founder of the Iranian regime], and that nobody even comes close to his level of Koranic knowledge.' That's what Hussein says... [He] also has also written a book called The Influence of the Philosophy of Imam Khomeini on Hussein Al-Houthi, an excellent and very interesting book.

"[Hussein Al-Houthi] is a disciple of Khomeini, and his relationship with Khomeini is similar to Nasrallah's relationship with Khamenei. [Moreover, Hussein Al-Houthi's] relationship with Khamenei is also similar to Nasrallah's relationship with Khamenei."


"Hussein Al-Houthi Says That We Must Emulate the Islamic Republic and... Learn From Iran"

"One of the issues that the Yemen government raises these days is [that of] of Hussein Al-Houthi's statements [in praise of] Iran. [Hussein's brother] 'Abd Al-Malik has not said the same things, but he cannot deny that his brother has. Ever since Hussein Al-Houthi came to Iran and studied Khomeini's books, he has been saying that these books are sacred. He openly declares that Khomeini was a saint.

"Hussein Al-Houthi says that we must emulate the Islamic Republic and we must learn from Iran. That is precisely why the Yemen government has been calling the Houthis 'Majous' [a Sunni derogatory term for Zoroastrians] and 'Iranians,' and telling them to go back to Esfahan..."

Q: "Is Hussein alive?"

Al-'Imad: "I don't know. The Yemen government says no, but his father, his brother, and all the Houthis say yes..."

http://www.memri.org...=sd&ID=SP262709

Saudis Funded Bombers Massacre Iraqis Again

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi police said 136 people were killed and 432 wounded in twin car bombings that appeared to target government buildings in downtown Baghdad during rush hour.

The powerful blasts went off less than a minute apart Sunday in parking lots near the headquarters of the Baghdad provincial administration and the Ministry of Justice building, in the bloodiest attack to hit Iraq in months.

There were so many wounded that even civilian cars were pressed into service to bring the casualties to area hospitals.

Yemeni Army Suffers Heavy Losses in Sa'ada

As the Yemeni government intensifies its two-month offensive against Houthi fighters in the north, its forces suffer more and more casualties each day in the region.

In a statement released on Sunday, the fighters said they caused heavy damage and losses on army forces in the Sa'ada province on Saturday.

At least nine troops were killed and dozens injured in clashes in Al- Malahit and al- Manzalah areas.

According to the statement, the fighters also took over a military base and exploded one tank and two armored vehicles in the fighting.

In the areas of al-Mahazer and Sawq al-Lail, the fighters captured the government's military headquarters with all its equipment.

The army heavily bombed the area to avenge the severe defeat, the statement said.

In another effort to crush the fighters, the army forces launched a major crackdown in Sufian in Amran province, but were finally forced to withdraw from the city.

Yemen launched 'Operation Scorched Earth' on August 11 against the fighters whom it accuses of seeking to restore a religious leadership in the northern areas that was overthrown in 1962.

The fighters, however, say they only demand an end to government's social, economic and political 'discrimination' against Shias as well as Saudi-backed attempts to spread Wahabism — a sect that preaches controversial and violent actions against Shias — in the northern areas.

PressTv

Isra-hell : Zionism =Aparth Racism

Ahead of the beginning of a new school year, some private Israeli schools are refusing to enrol children of Ethiopian origin, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.

This time it is the residents of Petah Tikva who face discrimination. Around 100 Ethiopian schoolchildren are still waiting to be enrolled less than three weeks before the new academic year.

Haaretz.com writes that only several weeks ago these private schools demanded the funding they are entitled to under the law. At the same time they are unwilling to take up their obligations to the state, namely helping to absorb immigrants, the edition quotes Rabbi Shay Piron.

Responding to the criticism, Yigal Amitay from one of the private schools, Darchei Noam, said they had accepted fourteen Ethiopian-origin children. The student body of the school amounts to 600. Another Petah Tikva private ultra-Orthodox school, Da'at Mevinim, said they had enrolled seven students of Ethiopian origin.

The other private schools of the city have declined to make any comments, haaretz.com says.

The Education Ministry has stepped into the conflict. It ordered the municipality to check the situation of all schools in the city

“It is the obligation of the local authority to assure the enrollment of all students living in its jurisdiction. The ministry will demand that the students also be enrolled in the 'recognized but unofficial schools.' If this is not done, the ministry will take all the educational and administrative steps at its disposal,” the Education Ministry said on Wednesday.

The discriminatory treatment against Ethiopian Israelis has long been a problem in the country. Humanitarian organizations for the rights of Ethiopians in Israel receive hundreds of complaints annually concerning racist attitudes towards the ethnicity.

Thus, in 2007, four young Ethiopian Israeli girls in Petah Tikva were segregated from other students and put into separate classes. Back then the case caused great controversy and received extensive media coverage in Israel.

Also this year, a Hadera elementary school came under the spotlight for its decision to single out certain students of Ethiopian origin for extra Hebrew lessons.

In response, outraged parents have sent a letter to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

“Giving separate lessons to a group from a specific origin, that is not based on academic criteria, and hurts their right to equal education,” the letter said.

The Education Ministry reacted by calling it “poor judgment”.

Ethiopia's Jews first came into spotlight in the 1980s. Back then thousands left their famine-stricken birthplace, heading for the Biblical “promised land”. Over the last three decades, immigrants continued to arrive in the country, which was considered in Israel as fulfillment of the biblical prophecy of a gathering of Jewish exiles to Zion.

However, in 2008, the government ended the policy of immigration, saying it wanted to focus on integrating Ethiopians already in the country instead. The move caused a wave of criticism from the Ethiopian Jewish groups.

http://www.russiatod...rimination.html

They wanted to populate Isra-hell with people as they are trying to import some 13rd Zionist Jews lost tribe from south east Asia, since they failed, now they don't want these imported "jews" anymore.

Translation of Ayatollah Khomeini Letter Dismissing Montazeri

The text of Ayatollah Khomeini's historic letter was recently re-printed in Abrar. Source Tehran ABRAR 22 Nov 1997, page 2.

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. To Mr. Montazeri.

My heart is broken and filled with blood now that I am writing a few words to you. Perhaps one day the people will realize the facts by reading this letter.

In your recent letter to me, you said that, in accordance with the Shari ah, you give priority to my views over your own. I consider God my witness when I point out the following issues:

Since it has become clear that after me you are going to hand over this country, our dear Islamic revolution, and the Muslim people of Iran to the liberals, and through that channel to the hypocrites [Mojahedin-e Khalq], you are no longer eligible to succeed me as the legitimate leader of the state.

You, in most of your letters, speeches and stances, have shown that you believe the liberals and hypocrites should rule in this country. It is so clear that your remarks have been dictated by the hypocrites that I did not see any point in sending a reply. For instance, thanks to your speeches and written work, the hypocrites took advantage of your stance in defense of their ilk to promote a number of their comrades who had been condemned to death on charges of waging an armed struggle against Islam and the revolution to positions of authority. Can you see what valuable services you have offered to arrogance? On the issue of the murderer Mahdi Hashemi [a supporter and relative of Ayatollah Montazeri, who was later executed], you considered him to be the most religious person on earth. Despite the fact that it was proved to you that he was a murderer, you kept sending messages to me to spare his life. There are so many other examples, similar to that of Mahdi Hashemi, that I cannot be bothered to mention them all.

You no longer have the power of attorney on my behalf. Tell the people who bring you gold and money to take them to Mr. Pasandideh s [Khomeyni s elder brother] residence in Qom or to me in Jamaran. Praise be to God, you yourself will not have any financial commitments from this date.

If, in accordance with the Shari ah, you do consider my views to be superior to yours (which certainly the hypocrites will advise you that it is against your interests to do so; and no doubt you will become busy writing things which will further deteriorate your future), then you should listen to the following words of advice I am giving you. It breaks my heart and my chest is full of agonizing pain when I see that you, the fruit of my life s labor, are so ungrateful. However, by relying on Almighty God, I give you the following words of advice, and it will be up to you whether you make a note of them or not:

One: Try to change the members of your bureau so as to avoid feeding the hypocrites, Mahdi Hashemi s clique, and the liberals from the sacred charity funds donated to the Imam.

Two: Since you are a gullible [sadeh lowh] person and are provoked easily, do not interfere in political matters, and maybe then God will forgive you for your sins.

Three: Do not write to me ever again, and do not allow the hypocrites to pass state secrets to foreign radio stations.

Four: Since you became a mouthpice of the hypocrites and your speeches have conveyed their wishes and letters to the people via the mass media, you have inflicted heavy blows on Islam and the revolution. This is a great act of treason against the unknown soldiers of the Lord of the Age, may our souls be sacrificed for him, and against the sacrifices made by the illustrious martyrs of Islam and the revolution. If you wish to save yourself from hell fire, you had better confess to all your sins and mistakes and maybe then God will help you.

I swear to God that from the start I was against choosing you as my successor, but at the time I did not realize you were so gullible. To me you were not a resourceful manager but an educated person who could benefit the religious seminaries. If you continue your deeds I will definitely be obliged to do something about you. And you know me, I never neglect my obligation.

I swear to God that I was against appointing Mahdi Bazargan as the first prime minister, too, but I considered him to be a decent person. I also swear to God that I did not vote for Bani-Sadr, as the president either. On all these occasions I submitted to the advice of my friends. In the midst of my pain and suffering, I wish to address our dear people from the bottom of my broken heart:

I have made a pledge with my God not to forgive evil individuals ever, if I am not obliged to do so. I have made a pledge with my God that pleasing Him [God] is much greater priority than pleasing my friends and other people. If the entire world were to rise against me, I would never abandon justice and the truth. I do not care about history and current developments. I am only interested in performing my religious duties. In addition to my pledge with God, I have promised the decent, noble, and honest people to inform them of the facts when the time is appropriate. Islam s history is full of instances of treason by its prominent figures against Islam. Try to make sure that you are not influenced by the lies broadcast by foreign radio stations. These radio stations dictate their lies with so much joy and enthusiasm these days. I beseech Almighty God to grant patience and tolerance to this old father of the dear Iranian people. I beseech God to forgive me and to take me away from this world so that I no longer have to experience the bitter taste of my friends
treachery.

We all submit to God s will. We have no power without God s will.

Everything comes from Him.

Wishing you peace: Ruhollah al-Musavi al-Khomeyni; dated: Sunday 6 Farvardin 1368.

Hezbollah had Better Intel, Strategy, Tactical Command & Motivation than Israel

“Hezbollah had better intelligence information than Israel and better control of its forces during the Second Lebanon War,” according to an official Israeli military scorecard compiled recently by a top navy officer. The article - which was given an award by Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi - was written by Lt.-Col. Robi Sandman, and was published in the latest edition of Ma'arahot, a monthly journal on military issues.

During his research for the article, titled "How the Arabs are preparing for the next war," Sandman asked 24 senior Israeli occupation officers to grade the occupation army and Hezbollah in 10 categories, on a scale of 1 to 10.

While the Israeli military enjoys superior technology, the scorecard revealed that the army performed poorly in gathering intelligence on Hezbollah, did not command its troops effectively during the month long war and lacked motivation to win.

In intelligence, Hezbollah received a 7 and the Israeli occupation forces a 6; in military doctrine and strategy Hezbollah received a 9 and the Israeli military a 5; In technology, the Israeli occupation received a 9 and Hezbollah a 5; in training and organization, Hezbollah received a 8 and Israel 7, and in tactical command Hezbollah received a 8 and the Israeli military a 6.

The 24 officers also ruled that Hezbollah had greater motivation to win than the Israeli army. Hezbollah received a score of 8 in the motivation category, while the Israeli military scored only 4.

In the article, Sandman claims the Israeli army is currently structured in a way that it will not be able to prevent thousands of resistance fighters - from Hezbollah or Syria - from infiltrating deep into the Palestinian occupied territories.

The next war, he wrote, will likely include Hezbollah sending hundreds of teams comprised of 4-5 fighters each, armed with anti-tank missiles and sniper rifles, into the “Galilee”. "We need to recognize that the Israeli army with its current structure cannot provide a response to the unbelievably well-equipped force that is rising up to destroy the State of Israel," he wrote.

“These hundreds of squads will be able to rely on local Israeli-Arab infrastructure in the Galilee”, Sandman wrote. He recommended that the Israeli army immediately establish small, elite reconnaissance squads capable of countering this “threat”.

Sandman also warned of the possibility that in a future conflict, the United States might not help Israel as it had in the past. During the 2006 war and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the US airlifted advanced weapons and ammunition to Israel to refresh dwindling stockpiles, JPost said.

Sandman warned of two main catalysts for a possible lack of support. The first was what he called the decreasing influence the Jewish community had over the US government. "This trend will continue to get worse, due to assimilation and the fast rise of other minorities such as the Hispanics, which amount to 30 million [people] today in the US," he wrote. The second was a possible change in government and subsequent policy that "could leave Israel without an ally."

As a result, Sandman recommended that the Israeli army ask the US to establish additional warehouses with emergency stockpiles of weaponry in Israel, even "if Israel has to pay for their maintenance."

The US already has several warehouses with weaponry in Israel. His second recommendation was that Israel and the US hold joint training exercises to prepare for the possibility that the Israeli occupation army will one day be under “threat” and require American troop support. "This type of support will be important one day in an emergency, but could also serve as a deterrent for enemies when planning an attack," he wrote.

http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=105048&language=en

Attack Targeted Unity Gathering Between Sunni and Shia Tribal Leaders

Zahedan city attorney, Mohammad Marzie, told that Rigi terrorist group has announced responsibility for the suicide bombing in Sistan-Baluchestan but no one has been arrested as suspect by now,

The Jundullah terror ring, which is led by Abdolmalik Rigi, targeted a unity gathering between Sunni and Shia tribal leaders in the borderline Pishin region, near the city of Sarbaz,

The IRGC has condemned the attack as a gross act if “global arrogance” and a “horrific crime against humanity", carried out as revenge against the people who were working together to ensure the security of the region,

Jundullah is a Pakistan-based terrorist group closely affiliated with the notorious al-Qaeda organization,

The terror ring has carried out countless bombings and other violent attacks in Iran. Some of the attacks for which it has claimed responsibility are the killings of at least 16 Iranian police officers in a 2008 attack, nine Iranian security guards in 2005, and another 11 in a 2007 bombing,

a report posted by ABC also revealed that the US officials had ordered Jundullah to 'stage deadly guerrilla raids inside the Islamic Republic, kidnap Iranian officials and execute them on camera', all as part of a 'programmatic objective to overthrow the Iranian government'

In a recent interview with Press TV, Rigi's brother Abdulhamid also confirmed that the Jundullah leader had established links with the US agents. His brother said that in just one of his meetings with the US operatives, Rigi had received $100,000 to fuel sectarianism in Iran.

US, UK Behind Attack on Guards, Claims Iran

By Reza Derakhsi in Tehran

Iran's armed forces yesterday accused the United States and Britain of involvement in a suicide attack which killed five elite Revolutionary Guard leaders, the semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency reported. The military headquarters blamed the bombing on "terrorists" backed by "the Great Satan America and its ally Britain".

A statement added: "Not in the distant future we [Iran] will take revenge," Fars said. In Washington, a State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, said the United States condemned what he called an "act of terrorism". Reports of alleged US involvement were "completely false," he said.

As well as the five senior Guard commanders killed, at least 26 other people were wounded in the attack in an area of south-eastern Iran that has been at the centre of a simmering Sunni insurgency. The official IRNA news agency said the dead included the deputy commander of the Guard's ground force, General Noor Ali Shooshtari, as well as a chief provincial Guard commander for the area, Rajab Ali Mohammadzadeh.

The commanders were on their way to a meeting with local tribal leaders in the Pishin district near Iran's border with Pakistan when an attacker with explosives around his waist detonated his bomb at the entrance of a sports complex where the meeting was to be held.

A provincial prosecutor was quoted as saying that a militant group from Iran's Sunni Muslim minority called Jundallah, or Soldiers of God, a group which has which has been waging a low-level insurgency claimed responsibility. In the past few years, Iran has often been hit by bombings in the area, usually blamed on Jundallah. Reuters

Revolutionary Guard Commanders Killed in Iran Bomb

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's official news agency is reporting that at least five senior commanders of the elite Revolutionary Guard have been killed in a suicide bombing in southeastern Iran.

The IRNA news agency says the dead included Gen. Noor Ali Shooshtari, the deputy commander of the Guard's ground force, and Rajabali Mohammadzadeh, the Guard's chief provincial commander. IRNA reports that dozens of others were wounded.

Sunday's news report said the commanders were inside a car on their way to a meeting when an attacker with explosives blew himself up.

The attack took place in the Pishin region near Iran's border with Pakistan.

Obamacare

Americans threatened with jail time, huge fines for refusing to buy health insurance.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 by: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) There's a popular video circulating on the 'net right now about how to escape handcuffs without using a key. Americans are watching the video to bone up on essential skills that will soon be needed for health care reform, it seems, since the new laws that are about to be put in place call for Americans to be arrested and thrown in jail if they refuse to buy health insurance.

This has now been confirmed by Tom Barthold, the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation. And it's not merely about jail time; it's also about the $25,000 fine that could be levied by the IRS against individuals who refuse to buy health insurance.

That this is even being considered just boggles the mind. If a person is too broke to afford health insurance right now, how are they supposed to be able to buy it after paying a $25,000 fine and spending a year in prison?

As Paul Craig Roberts brilliantly pointed out in a recent essay, this is like trying to solve the homeless problem by forcing homeless people to buy a home, then throwing them in prison when they can't afford to.

There's never enough money to pay for a nation full of sick people

Full article:

http://www.naturalne...ce_America.html

Iran Condemns Israeli Raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque

Iran's Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi has condemned an IDF-supported attack against Palestinians in the holy Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem (al-Quds).

In a statement released on Tuesday, Qashqavi said the incursion, which resulted in the injury of scores of Palestinian prayers, is a clear example of Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied territories. Qashqavi also called for an end to Israel's repeated acts of aggression against Palestinians and Muslims.

“Israel's attack against the third holiest Islamic site, which was staged with the full support and assistance of Israeli soldiers, should be faced with a severe reprimand.”

With the full blessing of Israeli soldiers, a group of Israeli settlers -- people illegally living on Palestinian land -- stormed the al Aqsa mosque premises on Sunday and injured more than 16 Palestinians.

The Muslim world reacted in shock to the incident with the Islamic Conference Organization issuing a strongly worded statement to condemn Israel's violation of the sanctity of al-Aqsa Mosque. The attack brought back bitter memories from September 1990 when former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon entered the al Aqsa compound with more than 2,000 military forces. The move gave rise to the second Intifada.

According to statistics obtained by the Palestinian News Network (PNN), more than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed with nearly 50,000 others wounded since the beginning of the second Intifada.

Sixty-nine thousand Palestinians, meanwhile, have been arrested, including 7,800 children.

http://www.presstv.i...ionid=3510201010

81% Iranians: Ahmadinejad Legitimate President

Most Iranians express acceptance of the outcome of the Presidential election. 81 percent say they consider Ahmadinejad to be Iran's legitimate president, and 62 percent say they have a lot of confidence in the declared election results, while 21 percent say they have some confidence. Just 13 percent say they do not have much confidence or no confidence in the results. In general, eight in 10 (81%) say they are satisfied with the process by which authorities are elected, but only half that number (40%) say they are very satisfied.

Among the 87 percent of respondents who say they voted in the June presidential election, 55 percent say they voted for Ahmadinejad. Only 14 percent say they voted for Mir Hossein Mousavi, the leading opposition candidate, and 26 percent refused to answer. Asked how they would vote if the election were held again, overall 49 percent say they would vote for Ahmadinejad, 8 percent for Mousavi, 13 percent say they would not vote, and 26 percent would not answer.

"The extremely high number of people refusing to answer questions about their voting preference--something not found in response to any other questions--suggests that people have some discomfort with this topic," says WPO's Kull. "Thus these findings on voting preference are not a solid basis for estimating the actual vote."

Eight in 10 say Ahmadinejad is honest but slightly less than half - 48 percent -- say he is very honest. Asked about the institutions that make up the government of the Islamic republic, large majorities express at least some confidence in major institutions. The president is viewed most favorably, with 84 percent of respondents expressing a lot (64%) of or some (20%) confidence.

Overall most Iranians express support for their current system of government. Nine in ten say they are satisfied with Iran's system of government, though only 41 percent say they are very satisfied. Six in ten approve of the system by which a body of religious scholars has the capacity to overturn laws they deem contrary to the Koran, while one in four express opposition. A modest majority (55%) says that the way the Supreme Leader is selected is consistent with the principles of democracy, though three-fifths say they are comfortable with the extent of his power.

Full report here.

Taliban Killing Children

Taliban militants killed four schoolchildren in a remote town in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt on Tuesday. Local officials say the attack has sectarian dimensions as militants – who hail from the majority Sunni sect – targeted students of the minority Shiite sect. Previously, the Taliban have singled out minority sects as part of their strategy in Pakistan.

According to Agence France-Presse, some students were on their way to school when they were ambushed by the militants.

The students were going to school in Atmankhel town of Orakzai district when the militants opened fire, killing four boys and wounding six others, local administration official Asmatullah Khan told AFP.

"It appears to be a sectarian attack as the slain students belonged to the minority Shiite sect of Islam," he said. "The attackers were Taliban."

Residents said the dead students were all younger than 16, but were not able to give the exact ages of the victims.

Eyewitnesses report that tribesmen from Atmankhel retaliated after the attack on the school children, killing two militants and leaving several wounded, reports Dawn, an English-language Pakistani daily.

The Pakistani Taliban have attacked schools in Pakistan's northwest since 2007, the Inter Press Service reported in January. According to the Associated Press, more than 170 schools were blown up or burned down by January as part of the militant campaign. These attacks did not, however, result in casualties, as the militants usually struck the schools when they were closed.

The Taliban have targeted members of the minority Shiite sect before. In 2008, the Taliban besieged Parachinar, a Shiite enclave in Pakistan's tribal belt, reported The New York Times.

The Taliban, which have solidified control across Pakistan's tribal zone and are seeking new staging grounds to attack American soldiers in Afghanistan, have sided with fellow Sunni Muslims against an enclave of Shiites settled in Parachinar for centuries.

Writing in Newsday, James Rupert explained that the Afghan Taliban also targeted the Shiite minority in Afghanistan.

In the five years of Taliban rule over most of Afghanistan, the bitterest warfare and deadliest atrocities were those between the Taliban, drawn mainly from Afghanistan's dominant Pashtuns, and the minority Hazaras, set apart from other Afghans as followers of the Shiite branch of Islam and historically the most downtrodden of the country's ethnic groups….

The brutality of the Hazara-Taliban conflict has been rooted partly in the special antipathy that the Sunni Muslim Taliban and their Arab allies have for Muslims of the Shia sect…. "They do not regard us (Shias) as people," said Ahmed Hussain, another Bedmushkin resident.

In recent months, the Taliban have also set their sights on members of Pakistan's Sufi sect. In March, CBC News reported that the Taliban bombed the mausoleum of Sufi poet Rahman Baba on the outskirts of Peshawar, and the caretakers of Sufi shrines in Pakistan's southern Sindh Province have also been attacked.

The killing of the schoolchildren in Pakistan comes as the military is engaged in a fresh offensive against Taliban militants in Khyber Agency, a neighboring tribal region. According to the South Asian News Agency, more than 57 militants have been killed and 107 arrested by the Pakistan Army in the past week.

Source here.

Obama Debate

Ghadaffi: We Are Shia, Oh Yeah? Tell Us Where is Imam Musa Sadr?

http://tabnak.ir/fa/pages/?cid=64796

Translation...

Ghadafi in Response to Rumours that he is Shia: "Whoever said that the people of Persia were the sole defenders of the Ahle Beit?"

Tabnak International Service: Moammar Ghadafi - in recent ceremonies for laylat al ghadr on the 27th of Ramadan - expressed his desire for Fatimid Shia rule to be re-established in North Africa, and for the model Shia state to be in the Arab world rather than anywhere else.

Algerian newspaper 'Al-Akhbar' reports that Ghadafi stated: "We must abandon this mindset that the Persians are the sole defenders and lovers of Ahle Beit. We, too, feel a considerable amount of love and fondness for them."

According to this report, Ghadafi further stated: "Ashura belongs to us, the great prophet (SAS) belongs to us, we are the Shia of God's messenger, we are the Shia of Imam Ali (as), we are the Shia of Imam Hassan (as) and Imam Hossein (as), we are the devotees of Fatima Zahra. The story of Ali bin abi Taleb's life belongs to us; we should be the first to preserve and defend the Ahle Beit. Our respect for this family should outweigh any other group's respect toward them."

The report continued: Ghadafi considers the abandonment of the true culture of the Ahle beit to be the main reason for conflict and instability in the Islamic world. "The many different sects in Islam have caused extremist ideas to become more popular, and for the beauty of Islam - and the tradition of Ahle Beit - to be undermined by the rest of the world and for many Muslims to become terrorists. The only way to save ourselves from this extremism is to bond ourselves to the tradition of Ahle beit."

The leader of Libya emphasized: "Only the revival of the Fatimid caliphate in North Africa can unite the Islamic world under one banner (the banner of Ahle Beit), and I urge the leaders of Islamic countries to seriously consider such a revival."

* Pure joke!

Yemen Army Kills 140 Shias During Ceasefire

http://www.presstv.i...ionid=351020206

The army has reportedly killed more than 140 Houthis in northern Yemen after declaring a temporary ceasefire on the Shia fighters.

"So far more than 140 bodies have been found," a military official told AFP after a Sunday military operation in the northern city of Saada in response to reported attacks by the fighters.

The army launched a crackdown on the Houthis on August 11 which, according to the Houthi resistance, has largely targeted civilian areas and refugee camps.

The Yemeni Army said on Friday that it would suspend the attacks in the northern provinces of Saada and Amran for the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The cessation was expected to last for three days.

The Zaidi Shia fighters announced yesterday that the government had violated the ceasefire by advancing toward the city of Harf Sufyan in Amran.

"We were hoping for the government to prove their sincerity by ceasing all fire," read a statement issued by the office of Abdel Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the fighters. Despite the violation, fighters "will continue to be committed to peace in the area," it added.

Sana'a had demanded, among other things, that the Zaidis pull out of all districts of Saada and mountainous sites and return the weapons they had seized from the army in order for the ceasefire to enter its 'permanent phase.'

The government reportedly agreed to the ceasefire to appease aid agencies, outraged by the displacement of over 50,000 civilians by the offensives.

http://english.aljaz...5550629385.html

Posted Image

Yemen ceasefire breaks down
The tribesman from the north battling government forces say they want autonomy [AFP]

Fighting in Yemen has continued despite a conditional and unilateral ceasefire called by the government in its conflict with the northern Houthi fighters.

The government announced the truce to coincide with the end of Ramadan on Sunday, after the UN appealed for access to deliver humanitarian aid to 150,000 displaced civilians.

But statements from both the military and the fighters accuse the other side of continuing attacks in spite of the Eid ceasefire.

In a statement published on Saturday, the fighters said the army was "continuing their aggression in the combat zone despite announcing a suspension of hostilities".

The government in Sanaa responded on the defence ministry website, saying that the conditions for the truce had not been met.

"They haven't opened the roads, evacuated their positions or freed captured civilians and soldiers," the statement said on the 26sep.net ministry website.

Houthis' position

The Eid ceasefire is the second to fail in as many weeks, and comes as government forces appear to be making little progress in the conflict.

Earlier, responding to the truce offer, Muhammad Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the Houthis, had said that they were willing to comply with the government's five conditions if the authorities were seriously committed to the truce.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said "we are ready to examine them, and that is natural".

With no end in sight to the fighting, UN aid agencies say thousands are staying in tented camps in mountainous territory.

Footage released by the Houthis suggests a recent government air raid killed civilians

They launched an appeal in Geneva last month for $23.5 million to help the displaced Yemenis.

In the most recent fighting, the army carried out three air raids and blew up houses in Saada city - under government control - on Friday.

About 87 people died on Wednesday in an air raid at a makeshift camp for displaced persons in Harf Sufyan in Saada.

The Houthis released a video on Saturday purporting to show some of the victims of the Harf Sufyan raid, women and children among them.

The unverified video appears to show the victims being laid to rest in communal graves.

Navi Pillay, the chief of the UN human rights commission, said in Geneva that an inquiry into the air raid should take place and called the casualty reports "deeply disturbing".

The rights body called on Yemen to investigate the air attack.

A separate statement released by Ban Ki-moon's office said "the [UN] secretary-general is deeply concerned about reports of recent air strikes during the course of military operations in the north of Yemen and the reported civilian casualties resulting from this".

Houthi origins

The Houthi fighters, who are led by Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, are concentrated mainly in the Saada and Amran provinces.

They are known as Houthis after their late leader, Abdul-Malek's brother Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi, who was killed by the Yemeni army in September 2004.

An offshoot of Shia Islam, the Zaidis are a minority in mainly Sunni Yemen but form the majority in the north.

The government accuses the Houthi fighters of seeking to restore the Zaidi Shia imamate which was overthrown in a 1962 coup that sparked eight years of civil war.

But only a small minority of Zaidis are in involved in the Houthi uprising.

Al-Sistani Warns Against Politicizing Islam

15/09/2009

By Qassim al-Kaabi

Najaf, Asharq Al-Awsat- Not far from the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, through a number of old and narrow alleyways, one comes upon the house of the highest ranking Shiite marja in the world, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for a press conference, attended by Asharq Al-Awsat, in the city of Najaf at his residence, perhaps to deny reports surrounding the deterioration of his health, and that he had traveled to London for treatment.

Iraqi and non-Iraqi officials have visited al-Sistani, who has played an increasingly prominent role in Iraqi politics since the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003.

Asharq Al-Awsat attended the press conference at al-Sistani's modest home, and Ayatollah al-Sistani himself greeted the journalists one by one.

Ayatollah al-Sistani sat on the ground, on his left was a small wooden box with a stack of books piled upon it, and to his right was a bag containing gifts which he would present to visitors. This gift being a silver coin about the size of a dirham, engraved upon one side of the coin is the title "Commander of the Faithful" in reference to [Imam Ali] the first of the 12 Imams of the Shiite sect, while on the other side of the coin is the title "Sahib al-Zaman" in reference to [Imam al-Mahdi] the last of the 12 Imams.

Ayatollah al-Sistani, who is in his late seventies, seemed to be in good health. He calmly spoke in a low voice for around ten minutes, addressing such issues as the media, political affairs, social issues, and Iraqi modern history, without showing any signs of illness or fatigue.

Al-Sistani held prayer beads made of Yemeni agate in one hand, and he was dressed in the traditional garb of a Shiite religious cleric.

Ayatollah Al-Sistani told the press "My health is good, thank God, and it is up to the media to report the facts accurately."

He added "I am fully aware of what is happening to the Muslims in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and I am very hurt by the explosions that are taking place, and was very hurt by the most recent bombing which took place in Iraq."

Al-Sistani also said "In my meetings with political parties, I say to them, do not make the marja [religious doctrine] a front for your actions. The people elected you in order to bear this responsibility; you are the ones that run the country."

"In the majority of my meetings with politicians I commend them not to use my meeting [with them] as election propaganda; they have taken up this responsibility and it up to them to bear it." Al-Sistani added.

Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani also spoke of his "love" for all Iraqis, regardless of social class or sect, and said that he does not discriminate between them.

Al-Sistani also told the gathered journalists "You are young journalists, and your responsibility, as the Fourth Estate, is to report factual news impartially…you work independently, and you are the ones who report events that occur here and there, and you must be neutral."

Ayatollah al-Sistani also said "For more than sixty years in Iraq, I have witnessed the monarchy, the era of Abdul-Karim Qassim and Abdul Salam Arif and Abdul Rahman Arif and the era of the Baathist government which raised the slogans of unity, freedom and socialism, although these were absent from its rule." He added "Freedom means freedom of religion and belief, but the reality was different than this."

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the spokesman for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Hamed Khafaf denied reports that al-Sistani had traveled abroad for medial treatment. Khafaf said that "there is no news about his health" adding "the religious marja [Ali al-Sistani] is in his office in Najaf and is carrying out his daily work as normal.

Source here.