tagged w/ Sanctions
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“Economic sanctions are, at their core, a war against public health.” –The New England Journal of Medicine
While campaigns are organized to deter the United States and Israel from acting on threats to launch an air war against Iran, both countries, in league with the European Union (winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize) carry on a low-intensity war against Iran that is likely to be causing more human suffering and death than strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities would. This is a war against public health, aimed at the most vulnerable: cancer patients, hemophiliacs, kidney dialysis patients, and those awaiting transplants. Its victims are unseen, dying anonymously in hospitals, not incinerated in spectacular explosions touched off by cruise missiles and bunker buster bombs. But ordinary Iranians who can’t get needed medications are every bit as much victims of war as those blown apart by bombs. And yet, we think, that as long as the bombs don’t rain down, that peace has been preserved. Perhaps it has, in formal terms, but bleeding to death in the crater of a bomb, or bleeding to death because you can’t get hemophilia drugs, is, in either case, death.
In Iran today there is an acute shortage of pharmaceuticals for kidney dialysis and transplants and for treating cancer, hemophilia, thalessemia, multiple sclerosis, and other disorders. Hospital equipment is breaking down for want of spare parts. And raw materials used by domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers—blocked by Western sanctions—are in short supply. It adds up to a healthcare crisis. The United States and European Union say their sanctions don’t apply to drugs and medical equipment, but US and European banks are unwilling to handle financial transactions with Iran. If they do, the US Treasury Department will deny them access to the US banking system. Since isolation from the world’s largest economy would guarantee their demise, banks comply and shun Iran. As a consequence, few goods from the West make their way into the country, the exemptions for drugs and medical equipment being nothing more than a public relations ruse to disguise the barbarity of the sanctions. Not that Washington is denying that its sanctions are hurting ordinary Iranians. It’s just that responsibility for their consequences is denied. US president Barak Obama “has said the Iranian people should blame their own leaders.” [2] For what—failing to knuckle under?
“In contrast to war’s easily observable casualties, the apparently nonviolent consequences of economic intervention seem like an acceptable alternative. However…economic sanctions can seriously harm the health of persons who live in targeted nations.” [3] This has been well established and widely accepted in the cases of Iraq in the 1990s and the ongoing US blockade of Cuba. Political scientists John Mueller and Karl Mueller wrote an important paper in Foreign Affairs, in which they showed that economic sanctions “may have contributed to more deaths during the post-Cold War era than all weapons of mass destruction throughout history.” [4]
“The dangers posed today by such enfeebled, impoverished, and friendless states as Iraq and North Korea are minor indeed”, they wrote in 1999. It might be added that the dangers posed by Iran to the physical safety of US citizens are not only minor but infinitesimally small. Notwithstanding the fevered fantasies of rightwing commentators, Iran has neither the means, nor the required death wish, to strike the United States. Nor Israel, which has the means—an arsenal of 200 nuclear weapons—to wipe Iran off the face of the earth. However, the danger the country poses to the idea of US domination – and hence, to the banks, corporations, and major investors who dominate US policy-making – are admittedly somewhat greater.
“Severe economic sanctions”, the Muellers contend, ought to be “designated by the older label of ‘economic warfare’”. “In past wars economic embargoes caused huge numbers of deaths. Some 750,000 German civilians may have died because of the Allied naval blockade during World War I.” [5]
“So long as they can coordinate their efforts,” the two political scientists continue, “the big countries have at their disposal a credible, inexpensive and potent weapon for use against small and medium-sized foes. The dominant powers have shown that they can inflict enormous pain at remarkably little cost to themselves or the global economy. Indeed, in a matter of months or years whole economies can be devastated…” [6] And with devastated economies, come crumbling healthcare systems and failure to provide for the basic healthcare rights of the population.
We might ask, then, why the United States and European Union, practitioners of economic warfare against Iran, are bent on destroying Iran’s economy, along with its public health system. “Sanctions,” New York Times’ reporter Rick Gladstone writes, have subjected “ordinary Iranians” to “increased deprivations” in order to “punish Iran for enriching uranium that the West suspects is a cover for developing the ability to make nuclear weapons.” [7] In other words, Iran is suspected of having a secret nuclear weapons program, and so must be sanctioned to force it to abandon it.
Contrary to Gladstone, the West doesn’t really believe that Tehran has a secret nuclear weapons program, yet even if we accept it does believe this, the position is indefensible. Why should Iranians be punished for developing a capability that the countries that have imposed sanctions already have?
The reason why, it will be said, is because Iranians are bent on developing nuclear weapons to destroy Israel. Didn’t Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threaten to “wipe Israel off the map”?
Regurgitated regularly by US hawks and Israeli politicians to mobilize support for the bombing of Iran, the claim is demagogic rubbish. Ahmadinejad predicted that Israel as a Zionist state would someday disappear much as South Africa as an apartheid state did. He didn’t threaten the physical destruction of Israel and expressed only the wish that historic Palestine would become a multinational democratic state of Arabs and the Jews whose ancestors arrived in Palestine before Zionist settlers. [8]
No less damaging to the argument that Iranians aspire to take Israel out in a hail of nuclear missiles is the reality that it would take decades for Iran to match Israel’s already formidable nuclear arsenal, if indeed it aspires to. For the foreseeable future, Israel is in a far better position to wipe Iran off the map. And given Israel’s penchant for flexing its US-built military muscle, is far more likely to be the wiper than wipee. Already it has almost wiped an entire people from the map of historic Palestine.
But this is irrelevant, for the premise that the West suspects Iran of developing a nuclear weapons capability is false. To be sure, the mass media endlessly recycle the fiction that the West suspects Iran’s uranium enrichment program is a cover for a nuclear weapons program, but who in the West suspects this? Not high officials of the US state, for they have repeatedly said that there’s no evidence that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program.
The consensus view of the United States’ 16 intelligence agencies is that Iran abandoned its nuclear weapons program years ago. Director of US intelligence James Clapper “said there was no evidence that (Iran) had made a decision on making a concerted push to build a weapon. David H. Petraeus, the C.I.A. director, concurred with that view…. Other senior United States officials, including Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have made similar statements.” [9]...
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http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32958.htm“Economic sanctions are, at their core, a war against public health.”... more
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Dagum
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6 months ago
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Excerpt from article
In a country that has stood by while torturers, government kidnappers, and Wall Street thieves have been completely protected - to say nothing of those who aggressively attacked Iraq - Judge Laughrey, as recounted by Inside Columbia, invoked the mandates of the "rule of law" to explain why Hamoodi, now 60, would have to spend the next three years in a federal prison despite having harmed absolutely nobody:
"'He obviously has a model family, a lovely family, lovely children . . . I am sure it is largely as a result of your leadership in the family,' [the judge] told [Hamoodi]. 'But I have also had to take into account what you did . . . you disagreed with the law, and you decided not to comply with the law. That does not show respect for the rule of law, which is the foundation of this country.'"
The lawyer from the Obama justice department - the same agency that shielded all Bush-era criminals from even an iota of accountability on the ground that we must "Look Forward, not Backward" - invoked the same rationale for why Hamoodi must be punished for the payments he sent to his suffering family nine years ago:
"'It's easy to say it's all in the rearview mirror, the sanctions have expired[', said Garrett M. Heenan]. 'But it is still a serious crime, and the larger United States government interests in having sanctions and, moreover, having people in the United States - citizens - abide by the requirements of [the] Treasury [Department] and not violate those sanctions is an important thing that the United States would seek to promote."
More at link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/28/iraq-us-constitution-and-civil-libertiesExcerpt from article
In a country that has stood by while torturers, government... more
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No sane person, especially someone who has had access to the elementary knowledge acquired in primary school, would agree that our species, especially those who are children, teenagers or youth, should be deprived of the right to live, today, tomorrow and forever. Never have human beings, throughout their eventful history, as persons endowed with intelligence, ever heard of an experience like that. I feel the duty to convey to those taking the trouble to read these Reflections the opinion that all of us, with no exception, are obliged to create awareness about the risks that humankind are running in an inexorable manner, towards a final and total catastrophe as the consequence of irresponsible decisions made by politicians who fate, rather than talent or merit, has placed the destiny of humankind in their hands. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/section-table/43040-genocidal-cynicism-by-fidel-castro-ruzNo sane person, especially someone who has had access to the elementary knowledge... more
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worrg
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1 year ago
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At 6:30PM EST local time New York, China's representative to the UN announced that the draft resolution proposed by France/Lebanon/Britain was passed with ten countries in favor, none against, and 5 abstaining. China and Russia were expected to abstain, however, it was surprising to learn that Germany was also among those nations that abstained.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Breaking: UN Security Council passes resolution for Libya no-fly zone - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/breaking-un-security-council-passes-resolution-to-pass-libya-no-fly-zone#ixzz1GtsASn2BAt 6:30PM EST local time New York, China's representative to the UN announced... more
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"The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan regime for its attempts to put down an uprising.
They backed an arms embargo and asset freeze while referring Col Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
US President Barack Obama has said the Libyan leader should step down and leave the country immediately.
Discussions on forming a transitional government are reportedly underway".
What kind of "transitional government" do you think this will be, and what will effect will it have on civil liberties?
Do you think this will set a pattern for other nations in the Middle East that are in the midst of revolution?"The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Muammar... more
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Pennsylvania divestment bills are unlikely to have much impact on Iran or Sudan, but they do provide an occasion for moral pieties on the part of politicians. Kevin Funk and Steven Fake at the Foreign Policy in Focus blog Focal Points.Pennsylvania divestment bills are unlikely to have much impact on Iran or Sudan, but... more
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Hillary Clinton: "We speak out for those unable to speak out for themselves"
Video Below! BBC video embed code is a pia! I had to take a Dom Snapshot to get it!
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US President Barack Obama has ordered for the first time sanctions against senior Iranian officials for "sustained and severe violations of human rights".
The eight men include the head of the Revolutionary Guards, a former interior minister and the prosecutor general.
The treasury department said they would face a travel ban and asset freeze.
The alleged abuses include the killings and beatings of anti-government protesters after the disputed presidential election in June 2009.
Millions of Iranians defied official warnings and participated in mass rallies that drew the largest crowds since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
The authorities launched a brutal crackdown, during which opposition and human rights groups accused the security forces of extra-judicial killings, rapes and torture. Thousands were held without charge.
Over the subsequent six months, at least 40 protesters were killed, although the opposition says more than 70 died. At least two people have been executed for related offences, and dozens imprisoned.
In a statement, the White House said: "As the president noted in his recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, human rights are a matter of moral and pragmatic necessity for the United States."
"The United States will always stand with those in Iran who aspire to have their voices heard. We will be a voice for those aspirations that are universal, and we continue to call upon the Iranian government to respect the rights of its people."
All of those named in the US sanctions list served in Iran's military, law enforcement and justice system around the time of the 2009 protests:
> Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC)
> Sadeq Mahsouli, the current minister of welfare and security, and former minister of the interior
> Qolam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the current prosecutor general of Iran and former intelligence minister
> Saeed Mortazavi, the former prosecutor general of Tehran
> Heydar Moslehi, the minister of Intelligence
> Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, the current interior minister and former deputy commander of the armed forces for law enforcement
> Ahmad-Reza Radan, deputy chief of Iran's National Police
> Hossein Taeb, current deputy commander for Intelligence for the IRGC and former commander of the IRGC's Basij militia
Any assets in the US held by the eight Iranians will be frozen, and US citizens and companies will be prohibited from doing business with them.
Any assets in the US held by the eight Iranians will be frozen, and US citizens and companies will be prohibited from doing business with them.
At a news conference in Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was the first time the US had imposed sanctions against Iran for human rights abuses.
"We would like to be able to tell you that it might be the last but we fear not," she said.
"We now have at our disposal a new tool that allows us to designate individual Iranians officials responsible for or complicit in serious human rights violations and do so in a way that does not in any way impact on the well-being of the Iranian people themselves."
The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says it is unclear what impact the move will have, as the men are unlikely to have any assets in the US.
But the Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, said that when the US targeted specific individuals or entities, other countries often followed suit. European nations are reportedly working on similar sanctions.
US diplomats say they decided to focus more on human rights abuses in Iran because the emphasis on the country's controversial nuclear programme alone was not enough to isolate its leadership or change its behaviour, our correspondent adds.******
Hillary Clinton: "We speak out for those unable to speak out for... more
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Reggie Bush, the New Orleans Saints running back, will be having his Heisman Trophy stripped by the end of the month.
It appears the Heisman trophy Trust in its probes on the NCAA trespasses has extended to the same decisions as the NCAA, so they’ve taken this decision.Reggie Bush, the New Orleans Saints running back, will be having his Heisman Trophy... more
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Iran was defiant Tuesday after the European Union approved new sanctions against the country, saying the measures are "ineffective and unconstructive."
link : http://bit.ly/chtB5LIran was defiant Tuesday after the European Union approved new sanctions against the... more
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suzane
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The lawmakers adopted the bill in response to the latest round of sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme by the United Nations Security Council, the United States and the European Union.
Tehran: Iran's parliament approved a law yesterday calling on the government to retaliate against any countries that inspect the Islamic state's ships and aircraft or refuse to provide fuel to its aircraft as part of foreign sanctions, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The lawmakers adopted the bill in response to the latest round of sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme by the United Nations Security Council, the United States and the European Union.
The bill included no details of what form retaliation should take, and it was not immediately clear if it was more than a symbolic gesture of protest against the sanctions.
Uranium supply
The legislation also made the government responsible for supplying adequate amounts of 20 per cent enriched uranium for Iran's nuclear research reactors for medical, industrial and scientific use, Fars said.
The UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran on June 9 over its disputed nuclear programme, and the United States and the European Union have imposed additional sanctions of their own.
Major powers suspect Iran is using its nuclear programme to develop atomic weapons, but Tehran says it is enriching uranium only for electricity generation.
Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, told reporters in Geneva "If they want to act illegally and inspect Iran's ships, then we will retaliate."
Retaliation
Larijani, formerly Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, did not say how Iran would retaliate for searches of its ships for suspected nuclear-linked material.
In Brussels, the European Union diplomats said that the foreign ministers will adopt tighter sanctions against Iran next week, including measures to block oil and gas investment and curtail its refining and natural gas capability.
A draft declaration prepared for a meeting of EU foreign ministers showed they would approve a decision taken by EU leaders on June 17 to adopt further sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme, and also call on Iran to resume talks.
The measures, which go beyond steps approved by the United Nations on June 10, are designed to put pressure on Tehran to return to talks on its uranium enrichment programme which Western powers believe is designed to produce nuclear weapons.The lawmakers adopted the bill in response to the latest round of sanctions imposed on... more
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Karzai Push for Talks With Taliban Renews Risk to Afghan Women, Group Says
By James Rupert - Jul 13, 2010
U.S.-backed efforts by President Hamid Karzai to reconcile with the Taliban and other Islamic militants threaten to reverse improvements in the lives and rights of Afghanistan’s women, Human Rights Watch said.
The revival of Taliban control in southern and eastern Afghanistan has forced women to abandon jobs and social work, the New York-based advocacy organization said in a report today. Guerrillas have destroyed at least 456 girls schools, the Afghan human rights commission said in March.
Interviews with Afghan women in Taliban-controlled regions show that “as the prospect of negotiations with the Taliban draws closer, many women fear that they may also pay a heavy price for peace,” Human Rights Watch said in its report.
The Taliban’s renewed campaign against any public role for Afghan women has focused on Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second- largest city, which served as the Taliban’s headquarters during their rule in the 1990s. The Taliban last year claimed responsibility for shooting dead Sitara Achakzai, a women’s activist who served on the provincial legislative council.
On April 13, a gunman in Kandahar ambushed and shot dead a 22-year-old woman named Hossai who worked as an aid worker with Development Alternatives Inc., a consulting firm based in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Maryland. The following night, another woman aid worker in the south received an anonymous letter warning that she, too, would be killed if she did not stop working for her employer, an international organization, Human Rights Watch said.
Sanctions
Since January, Karzai has pushed for the lifting of UN sanctions on some Taliban leaders, curbs which freeze their assets abroad and prevent them from traveling, in a bid to pull them into peace negotiations. The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, has supported a revision of the list of 137 Taliban leaders subjected to the sanctions.
In March, Karzai’s administration held several days of direct talks with another militant insurgent group, the Hezb-i- Islami (Islamic Party) led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, which Human Rights Watch said “is also known for its repressive attitudes towards women.”
Any insurgents who rejoin Afghanistan’s society and politics “must respect women’s rights,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said May 13 at a conference with Karzai in Washington. Afghan groups have criticized Karzai for surrendering women’s rights to win political support. In March 2009, he signed into law a bill that required women of the Muslim Shiite sect to submit to their husbands’ demands for sex and to restrictions on their movement outside the home.
‘Active Role’
Karzai’s efforts to reconcile with Taliban leaders “should not be seen as a zero sum process and women are fundamental to the future development of Afghanistan,” State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said in response to a reporter’s question yesterday.
While Karzai included women as 20 percent of delegates at a national conference last month to plan a peace process, women have had little presence in the government bodies preparing peace feelers, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said in March. Women “must not only be consulted” in preparing peace talks, “but must play an active role at the negotiating table,” the commission said.
http://www.thedailygetup.com/wp-content/uploads/ai_images/44785AfghanWomen01.jpgKarzai Push for Talks With Taliban Renews Risk to Afghan Women, Group Says
By James... more
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A senior Iranian lawmaker says the new round of anti-Iran UN Security Council sanctions is an open declaration of war against Iran by the six major powers.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=134263§ionid=351020104
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In another article:
Netanyahu Pushes the United States to Make War on Iran: Will Obama Say No?
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's visit to the United States last week was capped off on Sunday with the broadcast of a previously-taped interview on Fox New Sunday. The interview covered a range of important topics, including the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship and prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. But it is the Prime Minister's remarks on Iran that deserve special attention -- for these remarks suggest that Netanyahu is embarked on an extremely dangerous course. Netanyahu is pushing the United States to take eventual military action against Iran.
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/leverett120710.htmlA senior Iranian lawmaker says the new round of anti-Iran UN Security Council... more
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Afghanistan was the first Asian country that had women in parliament. The capital Kabul buzzes with life, its streets filled with cars, bicycles and pedestrians. At this time, Kabul was famed as an exotic stop-off point on the hippy trail between Europe and India. That was a golden period for the Afghans http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/413-afghanistan1950Afghanistan was the first Asian country that had women in parliament. The capital... more
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worrg
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The United States is expanding its sanctions on Iran because of concerns about its nuclear ambitions.
Washington said the individuals and institutions targeted are helping Iran to develop its nuclear programme.
This is the first step in implementing sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council last week.
Those blacklisted include Iran's Post Bank and the air force and missile commands of the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons - a charge Iran strongly denies.
Front companies targeted
The US sanctions prohibit any American business or individual from trading with those named on the blacklist. The sanctions also freeze any assets they may have under US jurisdiction.
"We will continue to target Iran's support for terrorist organisations, we will continue to focus on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and we will continue to expose Iran's efforts to evade international sanctions," US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told a White House news briefing.
Also on the list is a front company for the national shipping line, which is run by the Revolutionary Guards. The Treasury has designated 27 new ships and has updated entries for 71 others whose names had been changed.
The designation of Post Bank brings to 16 the total number of Iranian banks under sanctions. The US Treasury says Post Bank is a front for Bank Sepah, which was designated in 2007 for providing financial service to the Iranian missile industry.
EU sanctions
Last week the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, dismissed the UN sanctions as "a used handkerchief" fit for the dustbin.
The European Union, which has been working closely with Washington, will decide on its own sanctions at a summit on Thursday.
The EU's proposed sanctions go further than the UN, targeting the oil and gas industry.
EU countries such as Germany and Italy have become important trading partners for Iran, but the EU is becoming increasingly concerned that Iran may be pursuing nuclear weapons.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10336289.stmThe United States is expanding its sanctions on Iran because of concerns about its... more
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BBC
The UN Security Council has voted in favour of fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.
The council voted 12 to two, with one abstention, in favour of a fourth round of sanctions, including tighter finance curbs and an expanded arms embargo.
The US has promoted the sanctions as the toughest Iran has yet faced.
(MORE)BBC
The UN Security Council has voted in favour of fresh sanctions against Iran over... more
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Iran agrees to send uranium to Turkey, report says
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 17, 2010 2:04 a.m. EDT
(CNN) -- Iran has agreed to ship its low-enriched uranium to Turkey, state media said Monday.
Western nations had been asking Iran to send the low-level uranium out of the country to be enriched elsewhere, but the country had resisted until now.
On Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he was heading to Iran to join nuclear talks in Tehran involving Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The meeting in Tehran sought to reach a breakthrough in the showdown over Iran's nuclear program, according to Erdogan.
The last-minute trip followed a "signal" from the talks, which are intended to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear energy program, Erdogan told reporters before departing. Erdogan indicated the signal involved Iran's agreement to swap its low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, CNN Turk reported.
Erdogan said he hoped an agreement in Tehran would stop the U.N. Security Council from its negotiations on tougher sanctions on Iran.
"The Security Council was contemplating a step in the direction of sanctions as of yesterday," Erdogan said. "As a part of our talks, this has been postponed. Now with this step we are going to take, I hope that we will have the opportunity to overcome these problems."
Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency made no mention of the nuclear issue in reporting earlier that Lula was sitting down with Ahmadinejad. But French President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia both have said they back Lula's efforts to resolve the long-running, high-stakes stalemate.
"This could be the last chance before the U.N. Security Council makes the already known decisions," Medvedev said, referring to the U.N. decision on imposing sanctions against Iran.
Sarkozy said earlier that he had spoken with Lula by phone to assure him that Paris supports his efforts to resolve the impasse.
The United States and many other countries believe that Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu left for Tehran to join the Iran-Brazil talks. Erdogan said Sunday the anticipated signal from Iran was received and he was changing his schedule to travel to Tehran, postponing a planned visit to Azerbaijan.
Erdogan's statement indicated an agreement in which Iran would send most of its low-enriched uranium to be turned into fuel rods suitable for Turkey's nuclear power reactor that makes medical isotopes.
"After our high-level meeting in Tehran, I believe we will have the opportunity to start the process regarding the swap," Erdogan said. "We said that we will go to Tehran if the swap takes place in Turkey, and we received news that the text includes a reference to this. That's why we are going. Otherwise we wouldn't have gone."
Turkey and Brazil have been working on a joint offer based on the nuclear swap deal offered previously to Tehran. Both countries are temporary members of the U.N. Security Council and have been working toward a diplomatic solution that does not involve sanctions.
Lula is in Iran ahead of the Group of 15 developing nations meeting in Tehran. The group actually has 17 members -- Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
Lula also met separately with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on his trip, according to Iranian media reports. State-run Press TV reported Khameini emphasized to Lula the need for relations between independent states such as Brazil and Iran in order to reduce the influence of superpowers such as the United States.
"The only way to change the oppressive relations in the world today is through the formation of closer ties between independent states," Khameini said, according to Press TV. "Superpowers have defined vertical relations in the world which places a superpower at the top. These relations must be changed and their change is possible."
PHOTO CAPTION: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva review an honor guard in Tehran.Iran agrees to send uranium to Turkey, report says
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 17,... more
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Interview topics about:
How the United States Television News Media's content has been controlled and restrained by large corporate businesses by restricting funding, threats by advertisers and how it's affected the coverage of much important news stories...
There has been a dumbing down of the US News Media, allowing an environment that allows crimes to be committed in safety and seclusion. An environment where the real issues are hidden... and the in depth of coverage that is needed.... is controlled tightly by the hands of corporate giants...
The people and citizens of the United States have lost a crucial needed component that must be preformed in a free society. Without a Vibrant and Independent Media.... we loose both the Truth and our Freedom.
Here are a series of Pre & Post show interviews shot at the Michael Moore / Moveon.org event on the evening of March 27,2010 in Sausalito California of
"Capitalism; A Love Story"
Booking and Assignments: =====================================
G.A.P. International News Services
Gérard Angé: Reporter
Tele: (415) 306-2525
Gerard_Ange@win-tv.net
www.win-tv.net
www.LIVE-WEB.biz
http://www.youtube.com/user/gerardange
http://my.media-match.com/gerard.ange
http://www.linkedin.com/in/gerardangeInterview topics about:
How the United States Television News Media's content... more
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When demonstrators took to the streets after Iran's disputed Presidential election, many of them were students. That's why, as Iran's universities opened back up to students this week, many expected widespread student demonstrations.
The NY Times Lede Blog links to this great first-person video walking along with protests at Tehran University.
The Lede Blog also links to an essay with a great look at the threat posed to the Iranian regime by students, specifically by their learning of humanities: "Why is the Islamic Republic Afraid of the Humanities?"
As for the other big Iran story: potential threats to the regime's reputation from abroad. As news from the US is that Obama is preparing to set up a new round of sanctions, Tehran announced today that it will allow inspectors from the IAEA to come in and take a look around the Qom facility revealed last week. What will they find? A facility for purely civilian use? More roadblocks? We'll see...
Recently on Iran
- More sanctions for Iran?
- Will Iran Ever Play Nice?When demonstrators took to the streets after Iran's disputed Presidential... more
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