Sayfa 1

MIDDLE EAST BULLETIN GÜNLÜK ORTADOĞU BÜLTENİ

07 JULY / TEMMUZ 2011 NO: 1196

CONTENTS / İÇİNDEKİLER 1. IRAQ / IRAK

Iranian first Vice President visits Baghdad

Talabani and Nujaifi to convene Iraq political parties on Saturday

Kurdistan Parliament Speaker: Present Iraqi situation is not ready for US Forces withdrawal from Iraq

Mutlag holds Maliki, government, propagandists for regions responsible for dividing Iraq

Formation of regions constitutional if not on sectarian basis - MP

Rahimi's visit is to impose Iranian control on Iraq - Aloussi

Bombardıman Sürüyor Irak Sessiz

İkisi Bakan 17 Kişi Tutuklanacak

Musul İl Meclisi İran’ın Hediyelerini Ret Etti

Iraq: Iran's alternative to Syria

to stay beyond their deadline

In Iraq, a leading Kurdish legislator lobbies for US troops

2. IRAN / İRAN

İran, Ortadoğu'da nüfuzunu arttırdı

İran ve Irak, Avrupa’ya doğalgaz ihracatını görüşüyor

Leader's Aide Stresses Islamic States' High Potential for Controlling World Economy

Iran Tests Hitting Mobile Naval Targets with Hi-Tech Missiles

Ahmadinejad: No Need for Atomic Bombs

Suudi Arabistan ile diyalog Bahrayn’e bağlı

Riyad’dan İran Dışişleri Bakanı’na davet

'Iran, like-minded states hammering out solution to Libya crisis'

Nuri Maliki: Tahran-Bağdat ilişkileri, bölge istikrarı ve güvenliğine katkı sağlar

Rahimi: İran milletinin kalbi Irak’ta atıyor

IRGC test-fires stealth missiles, hitting mock targets at sea

3. ISRAEL - PALESTINE / İSRAİL – FİLİSTİN

Israel braces for arrival of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists

Abbas postpones formation of unity government in bid to appease Western allies

U.S. officials to meet with top PA negotiator in bid to push Obama policy for talks

IDF force comes under fire near Gaza fence

Israeli-Turkish talks in NY fail to find way to end crisis

UN: Israel, protesters at fault in Nakba Day clash

4. AFRICA AND EGYPT / AFRİKA VE MISIR

Egypt ex-minister jailed, three acquitted of fraud

Libya denies Russian report Gaddafi seeking way out

Egyptian natural gas resumes flowing to Israel after damaged pipeline is repaired

Sayfa 2

5. LEBANON AND JORDAN / LÜBNAN VE ÜRDÜN

Lebanon's Arabic press digest - July 7, 2011

MPs quarrel in Lebanon Parliament

MPs continue their debate over the STL

6. SYRIA / SURİYE

President al-Assad Affirms in Phone Call to King of Bahrain Syria's Support to Bahraini National Accord Dialogue

Vatanın Her Karış Toprağında Reformlara Destek Nidaları Yankılandı

Syria troops continue assault on Hama

7. ARABIAN PENINSULA AND THE GULF OF BASRA / ARAP YARIMADASI VE BASRA KÖRFEZİ

Gulf states in 'intensive' talks on Yemen crisis

Bahrain holds first national dialogue session

Yemen protesters blame regime for province seizure

Saudi FM calls for "prudence and wisdom" in dealing with regional crises

8. SOUTH ASIA / GÜNEY ASYA

PAKISTAN / PAKİSTAN

Pak-Afghan situation discussed by new US war cabinet

Govt to welcome opposition’s positive role: Firdous

AFGHANISTAN / AFGANISTAN

UK confirms killing Afghan civilians

Britain to Withdraw 500 Troops from

Afghanistan

Cargo plane crashes in Afghanistan

Afghan gov't launches search, rescue

mission for crashed cargo plane

Three US troops killed in Afghan war

Sayfa 3

1. IRAQ / IRAK

Iranian first Vice President visits

Baghdad

Iranian First Vice President Mohamed

Rida Rahimi arrived to Baghdad on

Wednesday heading a senior

delegation to discuss bilateral relations

between both countries.

Rahimi met with Prime Minister Nuri

Al Maliki while the High Economic

Committee meetings between Iran

and Iraq are due on a later stage, a

source told Alsumaria.

Iraqi Cabinet spokesman Ali Al

Dabbagh affirmed that the issues of

border marks, violations in Shatt Al

Arab, sewage water and water

problems between both countries will

be discussed stressing that Iraq does

not want these issues to cause any

crisis between Iraq and Iran.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-

News/1-66136-Iranian-first-Vice-

President-visits-Baghdad.html

Talabani and Nujaifi to convene Iraq

political parties on Saturday

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Ousama Al

Nujaifi and Iraqi President Jalal

Talabani agreed to set a meeting for

political parties on Saturday in the

residence of President Talabani and in

the presence of Al Nujaifi, a source

told Alsumaria.

Both parties agreed to enhance Arbil

agreements and work jointly to near

point of views between the different

political parties.

President Talabani and Speaker Al

Nujaifi agreed on joint views over

dealing with the political crisis in Iraq

and enhancing national unity and

partnership in the country.

Iraqi Speaker briefed Iraqi President

about his visit to the United States

while President Jalal Talabani briefed

Al Nujaifi about his visit to Tehran.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-

News/1-66132-Talabani-and-Nujaifi-

to-convene-Iraq-political-parties-on-

Saturday.html

Sayfa 4

Kurdistan Parliament Speaker:

Present Iraqi situation is not ready for

US Forces withdrawal from Iraq

Iraq’s Kurdistan Parliament Speaker

Kamal Kirkuki believes that the present

Iraqi situation is not ready for US

Forces withdrawal from Iraq by the

end of the year.

There are still many pending issues

while relations between Al Iraqiya and

National Alliance are unstable, Kirkuki

said noting that security ministries are

still pending as well.

Kurdistan wants consensus between

the different political parties in the

central government over either the

extension of US troops term in Iraq or

their withdrawal from the country,

Kirkuki said.

He called not to restrict the decision

on a specified party, a source told

Alsumaria.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-

News/1-66134-Kurdistan-Parliament-

Speaker%3A-Present-Iraqi-situation-is-

not-ready-for-US-Forces-withdrawal-

from-Iraq.html

Mutlag holds Maliki, government,

propagandists for regions responsible

for dividing Iraq

MP from Iraqiya Slate, Hamid Al

Mutlag said “despite that the

propagandists for establishing regions

are not pardoned from the sin, yet,

Prime Minister and the government

hold responsibility for the destruction

of Iraq’s unity.”

He told NINA today that “we hold

Maliki and his government responsible

for the destruction of Iraq’s unity,

whether they knew or did not knew

about it due to the unjust being

practiced against particular layer of

Iraqis, in addition to covering up

Sayfa 5

corruption, wasting Iraq’s riches,

starving, and terrifying Iraqis.”

He wondered “what is the government

doing regarding the neighboring

countries conducts like Iran and

Kuwait, in addition to the occupation

behaviors, and what is the government

doing regarding the daily fires that

hides the forged certificates holders

and the public money thieves. Isn’t it

the government that holds responsible

for that?”

http://www.ninanews.com/english/Ne

ws_Details.asp?ar95_VQ=FHEMFI

Formation of regions constitutional if

not on sectarian basis - MP

National Alliance MP Ali Kurdi said

today that the Alliance discussed the

question of the regions, pointing out

that in principle it is a constitutional

one, assuming that it has not been

established on a sectarian or ethnic

basis.

"To establish it on a sectarian or ethnic

bases is something to be rejected,"

Kurdi told Aswat al-Iraq.

"All agree on the sensitivity and

danger of the topic.

This question shall be solved within

the political blocs because there is no

justification for such regions," he

added.

Parliament Speaker Usama Nujaifi

announced during his trip to the

United States that the Sunni sect feels

"depressed," and that this matter

"should be dealt with, otherwise the

Sunnis may think of separation and

demand a region of their own."

"Those who are asking for new regions

are playing with pressure cards in an

attempt to garner political gains here

and there.

The time is not suitable for such

demands," Kurdi added.

"Iraqi should stand against these calls

because their main interests are in the

unity of their country," he concluded.

Sayfa 6

http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.as

px?page=article_page&id=143615&l=1

Rahimi's visit is to impose Iranian

control on Iraq - Aloussi

Ex-MP Mithal Al-Alousi said today that

the visit of Iranian vice president

Mohammed Reza Rahimi is "to impose

Iranian control on Iraq, after failed to

control Syria."

In a statement issued by him, as

received by Aswat al-Iraq, he stated

that "Iran wants to compensate its loss

in Syria by controlling Iraq."

"Signing these agreements proved that

Iraq lost its independence before the

Iranian regime," he added.

Rahimi arrived today in Baghdad,

accompanied by a number of

ministers.

Premier Nouri Al-Maliki said in press

conference today that "this visit is a

new starting point to develop Iraqi-

Iranian relations.

Both sides signed agreements and

memoranda in fields of culture, health,

mail and technology.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.as

px?page=article_page&id=143617&l=1

Bombardıman Sürüyor Irak Sessiz

Çoman/6-Jul-11(PNA)- İran ordusunun

Kürdistan Bölgesine dönük başlatığı

top atışları devam ediyor. Top atışları

nedeni ile bölgede hayat durmuş

durumda, köylüler köylerini terk ediyor

ve süreklilik arz eden bombarduman

nedeni ile Kürdistan Hükümeti gerekili

hizimeti bölgeye götüremiyor. Ayrıca

Bölgenin zireat sektörüne çok ciddi

zararlar veriyor.

İran topçu birlikleri sürekli olarak uzun

mezilli toplarla bazı yerleri bombalıyor

ki bu yerlerin büyük bir bölümü

Kürdistan Bölgesi sınırlarına giriyor.

Bombarduman edilen, Pirelok,Bozi

Mergesir,Berd Qelişte,Bınari Kodo,

Mergan Kanisıpi’nin yukarısı ve Şexan

mıntıkalarını sürekili olarak top atışları

ile dövüyor. Bu bölgeler Kürdistan

Bölgesin’de tarım faliyetleri ve mera

Sayfa 7

alanlarının en çok olduğu yerler; ancak

bu top atışları nedeniyle bölge

tamamen boşalma nokrasına gelmiş.

Weze Köyünün Muhtarı Abdullah

Hemed PNA’ya “ şuana kadar

köyümüz sınırları ile Kani sıpi ve

Mıjdeynan köyü sınırlarına top atışları

devam ediyor. Bu bombarduman

nedeni ile bölgede hayvanclık ve

tarımla uğraşanlar bölgeyi ter ediyor

ve gidenler bir daha geri dönmüyor. Bu

hektarlarca tarım alanının

kulanılmasına ve heba olmasına neden

oluyor. Top atışları genelde akşam ve

sabaha karşı yapılıyor. Aynı zamanda

Doçke ve uzun namulu silahlarla

sürekli olarak bölgeye kurşun

yağdırıyor”dedi.

Konuyla ilgili olarak Çoman

Asayiş’inden bir kaynak PNA’ya “

İran’ın Çoman,Hacı Omeran ve Qesri

ilçe sınırlarına yaptığı top atışları

devam ediyor. Bölgede hayvacılık ve

tarım ile uğraşan köylüler büyük bir

maddi zarar uğramışlar ve şuana

kadarda Doli ve ona yerlerde göçmen

hayatı yaşıyorlar” şeklinde konuştu.

http://www.peyamner.com/details.as

px?l=6&id=239316

İkisi Bakan 17 Kişi Tutuklanacak

Irak Parlementosu Yolsuzlukla

Mücadele Komisyonu, elde edilen

belgelerin aralarında iki bakan olmak

üzere 17 üst düzey yetkilinin

tutuklanacağını açıkladı.

Yapılan açıklamada, elde edilen gerekli

belgelerden sonra bu kişilerin

tutuklanması ve görevlerinden istifa

etmeleri yönünde karar çıkarıldığı

belirtildi.

Irak Parlementosu Yolsuzlukla

Mücadele Komisyonu Başkanı,

Sayfa 8

haklarında tutuklama karı olan

yetkililerle ilgili olarak daha fazla

ayrıntı vermekten kaçındı.

Konuyla ilgili olarak Komisyon üyesi

Parlementer Xızeyr Zewbei,

komisyonlarının Irak halkına, yolsuzluk

dosyalarını açıklığa kavuşturacağına

dair söz verdiğini ve halka ait olanın

korunması için çalıştıklarını dile getirdi.

Parlementer Zewbei, gelecek hafta 17

üst düzey yetkili hakkında tutuklama

kararı çıkacağını ve bunlardan ikisinin

bakan olduğunu sözlerine ekledi.

Ancak isim vermekten kaçındı.(Sabah

Gazetesi-Irak)

http://www.peyamner.com/details.as

px?l=6&id=239344

Musul İl Meclisi İran’ın Hediyelerini

Ret Etti

Musul İl Meclisi yapmış olduğu

oturumda, İran elçisinin Musul Valisine

vermiş olduğu hediyelerin ret

edilmesine oy birliği ile karar verdi.

Dün yapılan Oturum sonrası açıklama

yapan İl Meclis Başkanı Yardımcısı

Dıldar Zebari, İran’ın Irak Elçisi Hasan

Daneyi Fer’in Musul Valis Asil Nocefi’ye

hediye olarak bir otomobil verdiğini ve

İl Meclisi’nin bu hedeyenin kabulünü

tartıştığını ve oy birliği ile ret

edilmesine karar verdiğini dile getirdi.

http://www.peyamner.com/details.as

px?l=6&id=239320

Iraq: Iran's alternative to Syria

Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief

of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest

person to be appointed that position.

Mr. Alhomayed has an acclaimed and

distinguished career as a Journalist and

has held many key positions in the

field including; Assistant Editor-in-

Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, Managing

Editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi

Arabia, Head of Asharq Al-Awsat

Sayfa 9

Newspaper's Bureau-Jeddah,

Correspondent for Al - Madina

Newspaper in Washington D.C. from

1998 to Aug 2000. Mr. Alhomyed has

been a guest analyst and commentator

on numerous news and current affair

programs including: the BBC, German

TV, Al Arabiya, Al- Hurra, LBC and the

acclaimed Imad Live’s four-part series

on terrorism and reformation in Saudi

Arabia. He is also the first Journalist to

conduct an interview with Osama Bin

Ladin's Mother. Mr. Alhomayed holds

a BA degree in Media studies from

King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah,

and has also completed his

Introductory courses towards a

Master’s degree from George

Washington University in Washington

D.C. He is based in London.

There is a debate currently taking

place at the highest levels, regarding

the extent to which Iran will go to

defend its ally Syria, and ensure that it

avoids collapse, following the

unprecedented popular uprising taking

place in the country today. I posed this

question to an official responsible for

the Syrian file in the region, and his

answer was surprising!

The official said that there are

indications suggesting that Iran has

begun to prepare Iraq to be its closest

ally in the region, in the event of the

Syrian regime collapsing. Therefore

today we can note the role being

played by Iranian-backed militias in

Iraq, especially as some Sunni areas in

Iraq are now witnessing deaths

occurring every week at the hands of

these militias, who are playing a

greater and greater role with the

approach of the U.S. withdrawal from

Iraq.

Of course, preparing Iraq as an

alternative to Syria means that Iranian

foreign policy is not as concerned with

resisting Israel – as Iran's mullahs

claim, in addition to their agents in the

region such as Hassan Nasrallah – so

much as Tehran is concerned with

extending its influence in the Arabian

Gulf. This has been Iran's primary goal

since the Khomeini revolution. Tehran

has not fired a single shot at Israel

since the Khomeini revolution took

Sayfa 10

place, on the contrary Iran has in fact

bought weapons from the Israelis, in

what was known as the "Iran-Contra

Affair." The latest scandal is the

revelation that Israeli ships have been

docking at Iranian ports over the last

ten years, and this was something that

was only revealed last month.

Therefore, Iran turning to Iraq [in the

event of the Syrian regime's collapse]

means that the objectives of the

Iranian revolution are still in place,

namely extending Iranian influence in

the Arabian Gulf region. Another

Iranian benefit to replacing Syria with

Iraq is that the latter is rich and not in

need of Iranian financial support like

that required by the Syrian regime

today. Likewise Iraq, should the al-

Assad regime collapse, would offer

strategic backing to Hezbollah, in

terms of stockpiling and transporting

arms [into Lebanon]. Iraq is also

strategically located for launching

operations against Iranian targets in

the Gulf, including Jordan. It also

means that Iran can encircle post-

Assad Syria utilizing the Iraqi border,

especially if the next Syrian

government opposes Hezbollah and

the Iranian axis in the region.

However I do not believe that this

means that the Americans should

extend their presence in Iraq, on the

contrary Washington must withdraw

from there. There is an urgent need to

reform the political situation in Iraq,

and ensure that the followers of Iraq –

most prominently the Nouri al-Maliki

regime – are not allowed to solely

control the pillars of the Iraqi state,

particularly as the majority of Iraq's

Shiite community are Arabists and are

keen to ensure that their country does

not become nothing more than a stage

for Iran. This is a fact that is supported

by historical and current evidence,

most notably the size of the

demonstrations currently taking place

in Iraq against the Nouri al-Maliki

government.

Thus, Iran's new direction in Iraq must

not be addressed through sectarian

retrenchment, as happened in

Lebanon, but through serious political

solutions. This requires a genuine

Sayfa 11

[political] reconciliation project in Iraq,

in spite of the Nouri al-Maliki regime.

So who will take advantage of this

opportunity today, and carry out this

vision? That is the question.

http://www.asharq-

e.com/news.asp?section=2&id=25781

In Iraq, a leading Kurdish legislator

lobbies for US troops to stay beyond

their deadline

US Vice President Joe Biden (R) with

Massud Barzani (L) President of Iraq’s

Kurdistan region in Arbil. (File photo)

The parliament chief of northern Iraq’s

autonomous Kurdistan region said on

Tuesday that US troops should stay

beyond their planned departure date

of the end of 2011 because security

remained tenuous.

US officials have repeatedly asked

Baghdad to decide if it wants some

troops to stay on beyond 2011, as Iraqi

leaders bicker about security-related

ministries left vacant since the

formation of a new government in

December.

“Iraq’s security situation does not

warrant the departure of US troops at

this time,” said Kamal Kirkuki, speaker

of the Kurdish parliament.

“Iraq is still suffering from instability,

and a terrorist war is still continuing,”

he said. “We in the region wish there

will be an Iraqi agreement − positive or

negative − about keeping the US forces

or not keeping them.”

He said the political parties in the

Baghdad parliament must agree in a

“unanimous vote” on the issue of US

troops. “One or two factions cannot

take the decision and the

responsibility for keeping US forces in

Iraq,” Mr. Kirkuki said.

The remarks of the MP, whose region’s

fighters backed the 2003 US-led

Sayfa 12

invasion, were aimed at the powerful

Shiite alliance in Baghdad that strongly

opposes the nearly 50,000 US troops

left in Iraq staying beyond the end of

2011.

Muqtada Al Sadr, a radical anti-

American Shiite cleric who is close to

Iran and whose loyalists are a key pillar

of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s unity

government, has threatened to

unleash violence against US forces if

they remain.

The Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish groups

with ministers in the Iraqi government

have been arguing for the past several

months over who should control the

key interior and defense ministries.

“The Kurdish leaders are looking in a

factual way at the situation in Iraq,”

Mr. Kirkuki said. “We care about

having security and stability.”

His comments came as US forces in

June suffered their deadliest month in

three years, with 14 soldiers killed.

June was also the most lethal month

so far this year for Iraqis; 271 were

killed in attacks.

The US ambassador to Iraq, James

Jeffrey, said on Saturday that

Washington was open to the idea of

some troops staying behind, but

insisted Iraqi forces must provide

protection.

“We’re willing to consider some sort of

presence if they can formulate what

exactly they need from us and what

their priorities are ... We do need the

Iraqi forces to secure our troops and,

frankly, to secure themselves.”

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/20

11/07/05/156280.html

2. IRAN / İRAN

İran, Ortadoğu'da nüfuzunu arttırdı

Korsan İsrail Ordusu İstihbarat Başkanı

"Tahran, krizzede Ortadoğu bölgesinde

kendi nüfuzunu derinleştirmeyi

başarmıştır" dedi.

FHA- İşgalci İsrail İstihbarat Başkanı

"Aviv Kochavi" İslami İran'ın krizzede

Ortadoğu bölgesinde kendi nüfuzunu

Sayfa 13

derinleştirmeyi başardığını belirterek

"Tahran, gelecek Eylül ayında seçim

düzenleyecek olan Mısır'ın işlerine

aktif bir şekilde karışmakta" iddiasında

bulundu.

Korsan İsrail Parlamentosu (Knesset)

üyelerinden bir grup arasında konuşan

"Kuchavi" ayrıca "İran, açıkça Mısır

Müslüman Kardeşler grubunu

desteklemeye çalışıyor" iddiasını ileri

sürdü.

İşgalci İsrail Ordusu İstihbarat Başkanı

daha sonra "İran, Ortadoğu'daki

huzursuz ortamı Bahreyn, Sudan,

Yemen ve Irak gibi diğer ülkelerde

nüfuzunu arttırma niyetiyle kullandı"

diye iddia etti.

http://turkish.farsnews.com/newstext.

aspx?nn=9004150284

İran ve Irak, Avrupa’ya doğalgaz

ihracatını görüşüyor

Irak’ın İran Büyükelçisi Muhammed

Macit El-Şeyh, İran Cumhurbaşkanı

Birinci Yardımcısı Rahimi’nin Irak

ziyareti sırasında İran doğalgazının Irak

ve Suriye üzerinden Avrupa’ya

ihracatının masaya yatırılacağını

belirtti.

Press TV’ye demeç veren El-Şeyh, bu

sabah iki günlük bir ziyaret için Irak’a

giden Cumhurbaşkanı Birinci

Yardımcısı Rahimi’nin ziyareti sırasında

İran doğalgazının Irak üzerinden

Avrupa’ya ihracatının masaya

yatırılacağını kaydetti.

El-Şeyh İran, Irak ve Suriye arasında

doğalgaz boru hattı anlaşması

imzalandığı takdirde Irak da İran’ın

doğalgazından yararlanabileceğini

vurguladı.

Irak Büyükelçisi ayrıca iki ülke

arasındaki ticaret hacminin bu yılın

sonuna kadar 6 milyar dolara

ulaşmasının beklendiğini sözlerine

ekledi.

http://turkish.farsnews.com/newstext.

aspx?nn=9004150505

Sayfa 14

Leader's Aide Stresses Islamic States'

High Potential for Controlling World

Economy

A senior advisor to the Iranian

Supreme Leader said Muslim states'

main share in control over the world's

vital energy corridors has provided

Islamic nations with an excellent

chance to control the world economy.

"About 80% of the world trade is done

through sea voyage and cargo fleets

and these fleets of cargo ships should

pass through the world's strategic

straits," Supreme Leader's Advisor for

Military Affairs Major General Yahya

Rahim Safavi said on Wednesday.

"Meantime, Islamic countries are

located on both sides of these

strategic bottlenecks which we call

'compulsory passages'.

"Thus, it can be said that Muslim

states can come in control of the world

economy," he noted.

"The same case is true even with

military issues," Rahim Safavi added,

reminding that during the 2003

invasion of Iraq, the US dispatched

over 200,000 troops through the sea

and through the very same vital and

strategic waterways.

The US claims to have the world's

number one army, while the main part

of its forces, military strategy and

power lies in its Navy, and Rahim

Safavi pointed out that the very same

feature of the US army has made it

much vulnerable to Muslim nations,

given the Islamic states' control over

strategic waterways.

He also reminded Islamic nations' rich

energy resources as a main constituent

of power giving Muslims control over

the world economy.

The Major General pointed to the

recent popular uprisings in the region,

and stressed that the 21st century will

witness emergence a new power

under the name of the "Muslim

World".

"God willing, we should name the

current century as the century of

Islamic Awakening," Safavi

underscored, adding that not only

Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain, but also a

Sayfa 15

number of other nations in the

Middle-East and North Africa will

eventually succeed in regaining power

and controlling their fate in the next

few years.

Since the beginning of 2011, the region

has witnessed an unprecedentedly

overwhelming wave of change.

Tunisia saw the overthrow of Zine El

Abidine Ben Ali in a popular revolution

in January, which was soon followed

by a revolution which toppled Hosni

Mubarak in Egypt in February.

Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi

Arabia and Yemen have since been the

scene of protests against their

totalitarian rulers, who have resorted

to brutal crackdown on

demonstrations to silence their critics.

Bahrain and Yemen, however, have

experienced the deadliest clashes,

while in Bahrain the military

intervention of the Saudi-led forces

from the neighboring Arab states has

further fueled the crisis in the Persian

Gulf kingdom.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.

php?nn=9004151323

Iran Tests Hitting Mobile Naval

Targets with Hi-Tech Missiles

Iran announced on Wednesday that it

has conducted a successful test of

hitting mobile naval targets in

international waters by three hi-tech

and radar-evading missiles.

The announcement was made by the

Spokesman of the Islamic Revolution

Guards Corps (IRGC)'s recent missile

drills, codenamed "Payambar-e Azam

(The Great Messenger) 6", Colonel

Asqar Qelichkhani, on Tuesday.

Qelichkhani explained that forces hit

ground targets in the first phase of the

drills practiced hitting mobile naval

targets in the second phase.

Sayfa 16

"In the second and last phase, three

advanced and radar-evading missiles

from the Khalij-e-Fars (Persian Gulf)

and Tondar (Thunder) class, which are

smart and also optimized, were fired

at the specified mobile naval targets,"

Qelichkhani said.

He also reiterated that all equipment

and missile systems used in the

wargames have been developed by

Iranian experts and through home-

grown technologies.

The IRGC Aerospace Force staged two

days of drills, codenamed Payambar-e

Azam (The Great Messenger) 6, last

Monday and Tuesday.

Following the exercises, IRGC

Commander Major General Ali Jafari

said that his forces demonstrated just

part of their capabilities during the last

week military drills.

"Firing missiles from underground

silos, hiding the missiles from the

enemy, scattering missile stocks and

using the element of surprise against

the enemy… are issues that have been

important for us and we have been

working on them for several years…

and a part of these capabilities were

shown in the Great Messenger drills,"

Jafari stated on Monday.

Jafari said increasing the capabilities of

the Armed Forces has strengthened

Iran's deterrent power because of

which the enemy was not able to carry

out its threats over the past 2-3 years.

He further stated that based on

information obtained by the IRGC,

enemies want to create insecurity in

the country through terrorist attacks.

"We have obtained information and

evidence about these recent moves,"

he said, adding that the

disappointment of enemies in reaching

their objectives results in their

resorting to terrorist acts and creating

insecurity.

Sayfa 17

The Iranian commander added that

Iran would not confine itself to

blocking the Strait of Hormuz if any act

of aggression was committed against

the country.

The Iranian commander said Iran is

after plans to fully exploit its defensive

potential in the high seas, and added,

"… if the enemy attempts to threaten

Iran outside the Strait of Hormuz the

country has the power to retaliate and

this strategy is currently on our

agenda".

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.

php?nn=9004151166

Ahmadinejad: No Need for Atomic

Bombs

Iran's power comes from the home-

grown nature of its achievements and

it, thus, is needless of atomic bombs,

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

said, stressing that the world powers

are at loggerheads with Iran not due to

their nuclear differences with Tehran,

but because of the indigenous nature

of Iran's progress.

"As far as the nuclear issue is

concerned, what they (the westerners)

fear is Iran's ability and determination

that drove us into this (nuclear) path,"

Ahmadinejad said, addressing at a

ceremony held to inaugurate Iran's

highest concrete dam, Karoun 4, in the

Western province of Chaharmahal and

Bakhtiari on Wednesday.

"We don't need to build (atomic)

bombs. Bombs are for retarded

people," the Iranian president noted,

adding that Iran is at the peak of self-

reliance.

The president further called for the

further strengthening of the Iranian

nation's resolve and self-confidence.

Iranian officials have always

underscored Iran's firm and steadfast

opposition to the possession,

production and use of the nuclear

weapons.

The US-led West accuses Iran of trying

to develop nuclear weapons under the

cover of a civilian nuclear program,

while they have never presented any

corroborative evidence to substantiate

Sayfa 18

their allegations. Iran denies the

charges and insists that its nuclear

program is for peaceful purposes only.

Tehran stresses that the country has

always pursued a civilian path to

provide power to the growing number

of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel

would eventually run dry.

Despite the rules enshrined in the

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

entitling every member state,

including Iran, to the right of uranium

enrichment, Tehran is now under four

rounds of UN Security Council

sanctions for turning down West's calls

to give up its right of uranium

enrichment.

Tehran has dismissed West's demands

as politically tainted and illogical,

stressing that sanctions and pressures

merely consolidate Iranians' national

resolve to continue the path.

Political observers believe that the

United States has remained at

loggerheads with Iran mainly over the

independent and home-grown nature

of Tehran's nuclear technology, which

gives the Islamic Republic the potential

to turn into a world power and a role

model for other third-world countries.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.

php?nn=9004150820

Suudi Arabistan ile diyalog Bahrayn’e

bağlı

İran İslami Şura Meclisi Ulusal Güvenlik

ve Dış Politika Komisyonu Başkanı, İran

ve Suudi Arabistan’ın diyaloğu bu

ülkenin Bahreyn’den çıkmasına bağlı

olduğunu belirtti.

Suudi Arabistan Dışişleri Bakanı’nın

İran Dışişleri Bakanı Ali Ekber Salihi ile

görümek isteğiyle ilgili Mehr Haber

Ajansı muhabirine konuşan Alaeddin

Burucerdi, İran İslam Cumhuriyeti’nin

temel politikası komşularıyla iyi ilişkiler

içinde olmak olduğunu söyledi.

Sayfa 19

Burucerdi, “Suudi Arabistan

askerlerinin Bahren’e girmeden önce

bu ülkenin yetkilileri ile diyalog için

hiçbir sorunumuz yoktu”diye

konuşmasına ekledi.

İran ve Suudi Arabistan’ın diyaloğu bu

ülkenin Bahreyn’den çıkmasına bağlı

olduğunu belirtti.

http://www.mehrnews.com/tr/newsd

etail.aspx?NewsID=1353196

Riyad’dan İran Dışişleri Bakanı’na

davet

Suudi Arabistan Dışişleri Bakanı

ülkesinin İran İslam Cumhuriyeti ile

diyaloğa hazır olduğunun haberini

verdi.

Mehr haber ajansının bildirdiğine göre,

Okaz gazetesine demeç veren Suud el

Faysal, İşbirliği Konseyin önerisi Yemen

için hala geçerliliğini koruduğunu,

Konsey’e üye ülkeler ise Yemen’ın

çeşitli gruplarının tutumunu

birleştirmek ve onların önerilerini

almak için çaba gösterdiğini ifade etti.

Öte yandan önceki akşam İngiltere

Dışişleri Bakanı William Hague ile

düzenlediği ortak basın toplantısında

Suudi Arabistan ile İran ilişkileri

hususunda bir soruya cevap veren

Suud el Faysal, İran Dışişleri Bakanı’nı

Suudi Arabistan’a davet ettiklerini

söyledi.

Suud el Faysal, İran ile müzakerere

olumlu yaklaştıklarını, bu ise İran’ın

tutumuna bağlı olduğunu konuşmasına

ekledi.

Suudi Arabistan Dışişleri Bakanı, Suudi

Arabistan’ın İran-Kuveyt-Suudi

Arabistan’ın üçlü oturumu hakkında

bilgi verirken bu oturumun Suudi

Arabistan’da yapılmasnı talep

ettiklerini açıkladı.

Suud el Fausal, “Aslında Kuveyti niye

karıştıralım. Biz İran ile dolaylı olarak

diyaloğa olumlu yaklaşıyoruz”dedi.

http://www.mehrnews.com/tr/newsd

etail.aspx?NewsID=1353251

'Iran, like-minded states hammering

out solution to Libya crisis'

Sayfa 20

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar

Salehi has said that Tehran is

conferring with like-minded countries

to achieve a solution to the crisis in

Libya and a number of proposals have

been made.

“We are working on the proposals, and

if we obtain our expected results God

willing, we will announce them,” Salehi

told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday.

“We are seeking to help realize public

demands in Libya and defuse the

situation in the country,” he added.

Asked if Tehran intends to recognize

the Libyan opposition national council,

Salehi stated, “The issue in question is

not the intention to recognize

revolutionaries or not to recognize,”

but Iran’s principled policy is that the

legitimate demands of the people, no

matter where they live, should be

responded to in an appropriate way.

He went on to say that NATO forces

are furnishing the opposition with

weapons, which is in contravention of

the United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1973.

The NATO forces are “seeking to

exacerbate the situation in this

country,” he noted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian

foreign minister commented on the

unrest in Syria, saying that a

differentiation should be made

between popular uprisings and the

movements that are being made in

certain countries, such as Syria, with

the aim of exploiting the situation

unfolding in the Arab world.

“In Syria, the majority of people had

legitimate demands, and (Syrian

President) Mr. Bashar al-Assad has

made some promises to satisfy those

demands and have so far fulfilled

some (of his promises),” he added.

He also said that the Islamic Republic

of Iran has adopted a clear stance

toward the developments playing out

in the region.

http://www.mehrnews.com/en/newsd

etail.aspx?NewsID=1353043

Sayfa 21

Nuri Maliki: Tahran-Bağdat ilişkileri,

bölge istikrarı ve güvenliğine katkı

sağlar

Irak Başbakanı Nuri El Maliki, ülkesinin

İran ile ilişkilerini geliştirmeye hazır

olduğuna işaret ederek, iki ülke

arasındaki sağlam ilişkilerin bölgede

istikrar ve güvenliğe yol açacağını

belirtti.

İran-Irak Karma Komisyon

toplantısında konuşan Maliki “İran

heyetinin Irak ziyareti, iki ülke iş

birliğini geliştirecek” dedi.

İki ülke arasındaki sekiz yıllık savaşa

işaret eden Maliki “iki ülke arasında

daha önceleri üzücü olayların

yaşanmasından dolayı çok üzgünüz

ancak şimdi o sıkıntı ve üzüntüleri

geride bıraktık. İlişkilerin geliştirilmesi

için sağlam adımlar atmaya hazırız”

dedi.

http://www2.irna.ir/tr/news/view/line

-120/1107074076100918.htm

Rahimi: İran milletinin kalbi Irak’ta

atıyor

İran İslam Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı

Birinci Yardımcısı Muhammed Rıza

Rahimi, İran milletinin kalbinin Irak’ta

attığına işaret ederek, İran devleti ve

milletinin Irak’ın yanında yer aldığını ve

istikrarlı bir ülke olması için de katkı

sağlamaya hazır olduklarını belirtti.

Irak Başbakanı Nuri El Maliki ile ortak

basın toplantısında konuşan Rahimi,

dayatma savaşı sırasında iki ülke

arasındaki ilişkilerin gerildiğine işaret

ederek “bugün çok şükür yıllar önce

savaş odası olarak kullanılan bir yerde

Sayfa 22

Iraklı dostlarımızla toplandık. Yıllardan

beri iki ülke arasında ilişkilerin süreci

ve gelişmesi, ibret verici bir derstir”

dedi.

Rahimi, bugün iki ülke arasındaki

ilişkilerin güzelliğinin, geçmişteki sıkıntı

ve üzüntüleri unutturduğunu belirtti.

İranlıların kalbinin Irak’ta attığına

değinen Rahimi “İranlıların aşkla

baktığı her şey Irak’ta var bu yüzden

bugün tüm alanlarda tüm

potansiyellerle diyalog halindeyiz”

dedi.

http://www2.irna.ir/tr/news/view/line

-119/1107078249101232.htm

IRGC test-fires stealth missiles, hitting

mock targets at sea

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

test-fired domestically-manufactured

radar-evading missiles dubbed Persian

Gulf and Tondar on Wednesday,

targeting mock targets at sea.

The 3 missiles were fired from Jask in

Hormozgan Province and successfully

hit the mock targets.

The event took place during the

second and last stage of the Great

Prophet Mohammad 6 war game,

which began last week.

Colonel Asghar Gelichkhani said during

the first stage of the war game, fixed

targets on land and during the second

stage, moving targets on water were

hit.

During the first stage, the

domestically-manufactured Ghadir

radar system was tested for the first

time to detect missiles fired during the

war game.

Having a range of 1,100 kilometers and

a height of 300 kilometers, Qadir radar

system is used for detecting radar-

evading aircraft, cruise and ballistic

missiles and low-orbit satellites.

During the second day of the first

stage of the war game, which was

conducted last week, 14 missiles

including nine Zelzal, two Shahab 1,

two Shahab 2, and one Shahab 3 were

fired

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_V

iew.asp?code=243710

Sayfa 23

3. ISRAEL - PALESTINE / İSRAİL –

FİLİSTİN

Israel braces for arrival of hundreds of

pro-Palestinian activists

Five leftists from Belgium, France

refused entry to Israel; hundreds more

expected.

Around 600 police officers will deploy

at Ben-Gurion International Airport to

stop the hundreds if not thousands of

pro-Palestinian activists arriving on

flights today. The protesters are

coming by air in lieu of the stymied

Gaza flotilla.

The police believe that beginning early

Friday, activists will start arriving on 50

flights from throughout Europe. If they

get in, they are expected to try to

reach locations in both Israel and the

territories.

Some activists have already entered

the country; they were not stopped so

as not to create unnecessary friction.

But five activists from Belgium and

France were detained and deported

after they landed at Ben-Gurion.

The police are in charge of the

situation, but the command post to be

set up today is to be staffed jointly by

the police, intelligence personnel, the

Interior Ministry, the Israel Airports

Authority and the Foreign Ministry.

The Transportation Ministry has told

foreign airlines to present their lists of

passengers to Israel 48 hours before

takeoff. Israeli airport security

personnel in Europe have been

instructed to convey information

about passengers who seem

suspicious.

If a plane takes off with a suspect on

board, that person will be detained at

Ben-Gurion and be put back on a plane

to his home country before he reaches

passport control.

Sayfa 24

Police expect the first wave of activists

to land at around 1 A.M. Friday.

If it is believed a few dozen activists

are on a given plane, the plane will be

told to land on an outer runway, and

the passengers will be closely

questioned. People considered

problematic will be detained by airport

security and the others will be taken

by bus to the main terminal, Terminal

3, and enter Israel as usual.

Another possibility is that all

passengers from planes defined as

problematic will be processed at a

separate terminal, Terminal 1.

The police were told in a briefing that

"when you enter the airport, it will be

as if you are entering the set of 'Big

Brother,'" a reality show. In other

words, all eyes will be on them.

The police are concerned that they will

be goaded into using force and then

filmed by activists who will

disseminate the clips worldwide.

Therefore, most most personnel will

be undercover and not wear anti-riot

gear or carry weapons. Arrests, if

needed, will be made quickly without

other activists noticing.

The Justice Ministry is also involved in

preparations, assuming that people

slated for deportation will appear at

the High Court of Justice.

Police special forces are to be

deployed outside the airport building

in case of extreme situations; for

example, if an activist attempts self-

immolation.

The police are also watching activists

in Israel to make sure they do not go

to the airport to join in the protests.

Security personnel have been beefed

up on flights to Israel to prevent

clashes between pro-Palestinians and

Israeli passengers.

Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, an activist

against the security fence from Beit

Sahur, told Haaretz yesterday that

activists entering Israel is not a one-

time event.

"We are receiving European, South

American and sometimes Japanese

activists all the time - sometimes via

Sayfa 25

the Allenby Bridge and sometimes

from the airport - to work on a variety

of projects for the community. Some

take an active part in the struggle

against the fence and against the

settlements. This is something people

want to make a big deal about because

of the number of people coming."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-

edition/news/israel-braces-for-arrival-

of-hundreds-of-pro-palestinian-

activists-1.371835

Abbas postpones formation of unity

government in bid to appease

Western allies

PA leaders fear unity government will

derail efforts to win UN nod in

September to establish Palestinian

state.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

may hold off on the formation of a

unity government with the Islamic

militant group Hamas to avoid

alienating his Western allies ahead of a

UN vote on statehood, a senior PLO

official said Thursday.

Palestinian leaders had apparently

underestimated international

opposition, particularly from the U.S.,

to any Hamas involvement in the

government and are afraid that it will

derail efforts to win the UN nod in

September to establish a Palestinian

state.

In this photo released by the Hamas

Media Office, Palestinian President

Mahmoud Abbas shakes hands with

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal Cairo,

Egypt on May 4, 2011.

Hamas is considered a terrorist group

by Washington and the European

Union because it continues to reject

the three conditions for international

acceptance—recognizing Israel,

renouncing violence and respecting

previous agreements with Israel.

Abbas' Fatah Party and Hamas signed a

unity deal in Cairo this May in a bid to

end a four-year-rift that left the more

moderate Fatah administering the

West Bank, and Islamist Hamas

controlling Gaza. This split was

Sayfa 26

considered a major obstacle to the

formation of a future Palestinian state.

The two parties had planned to hold

elections for the formation of a new

joint government, but Abbas has

expressed concern that a unity

government might be rejected by the

West.

The Palestinian president does not

want to wage two diplomatic battles

for recognition of an alliance with the

Islamic militants and for a U.N. nod to

statehood at the same time, according

to the PLO official, speaking on

condition of anonymity because of the

sensitive nature of the issue.

Hamas officials responded to the

report on Thursday, saying they had

not received a formal request to put

off talks on the formation of a unity

government. Another serious point of

contention is the naming of a prime

minister; Hamas has rejected the

possibility of Fatah’s Salam Fayyad for

premiership, while Fatah has refused

to back down on the matter.

Abbas said Thursday that negotiations

are continuing, but he hinted at

difficulties. "I hope that we will

succeed, but it needs a little bit of

effort," he told reporters during a visit

to the Netherlands.

The PLO official said Abbas' priority is

to obtain UN recognition of a

Palestinian state in the West Bank,

Gaza and east Jerusalem when the UN

General Assembly meets in

September. It would be a largely

symbolic step that the Palestinians

hope will nonetheless improve their

leverage against Israel. Abbas was in

the Netherlands as part of an

international tour to drum up support

for recognition.

Abbas has attempted to reach an

acceptable arrangement for the

formation of a unity government

comprised ostensibly of apolitical

experts approved by Hamas and Fatah.

However, it's not clear if President

Barack Obama's administration, which

has been critical of Abbas'

reconciliation with an unreformed

Sayfa 27

Hamas, would accept such a

constellation.

Abbas has claimed that any future

government would be committed to

his moderate program for Palestinian

statehood, including the quest for a

peace deal with Israel. Despite this, it

remains to be seen whether such

assurances would be sufficient to

assuage Western concerns.

The Palestinian official said Abbas does

not want to form a unity government

only to have it boycotted by the West,

and that he wants to avoid new

complications while he is pursuing the

U.N. option.

Despite the postponement in forming

a joint government, contacts between

Hamas and Fatah are continuing, the

official said.

However, a recent report from Maan

News Agency revealed that Palestinian

security forces have been cracking

down on Hamas members in the West

Bank, and 68 members of the Islamist

group have been arrested, according

to statement by Hamas.

“Thirty-nine of those who were

arrested were ex-prisoners freed from

Israeli jails, while seven political

prisoners were brought to military

trials,” the statement said.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplo

macy-defense/abbas-postpones-

formation-of-unity-government-in-bid-

to-appease-western-allies-1.371936

U.S. officials to meet with top PA

negotiator in bid to push Obama

policy for talks

Saeb Erekat scheduled to meet with

Acting Middle East Envoy David Hale,

diplomat Dennis Ross at U.S. State

Department; State Department

spokesperson: 'Our goal is to get these

parties back to the table'.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat is

scheduled to attend several meetings

at the U.S. State Department

Wednesday, in which U.S. officials are

posed to push the PA negotiator to

accept American terms for an Israeli-

Palestinian peace.

Sayfa 28

Erekat will meet with both Acting

Middle East Envoy David Hale as well

as diplomat Dennis Ross.

State Department spokesperson

Victoria Nuland discussed on

Wednesday the upcoming Quartet

meeting next week, saying “our goal is

to get these parties back to the table.”

Nuland maintained that the U.S.

position remains that a unilateral

declaration of Palestinian statehood to

the UN in September is “not a good

idea” and is “not helpful”.

The U.S. spokesperson remained

optimistic, however, saying

“presumably, folks will be working on

the former, so that we don't have the

situation on the latter.”

Nuland continued, saying the Quartet

meeting is meant to be an opportunity

for its members to reassess the

current state of Israeli-Palestinian

negotiations.

She added that since Obama’s Middle

East policy speech in May, Hale, Ross

and other Quartet members have

been engaging in dialogue with both

Israeli and Palestinian officials in a bid

to convince them to return to the

negotiating table, using the U.S.

president’s vision as a baseline for

talks.

Nuland called the upcoming Quartet

meeting, set to take place on Monday

a “good opportunity for stock-taking

among the major ministers involved”.

When asked to comment on the

recently proposed French initiative to

hold a peace conference in France,

Nuland said that “the Secretary's

[Clinton] position on this has not

changed”, explaining that a conference

at a time when neither Israel nor the

Palestinians are ready or willing to

come to the negotiating table is a

Sayfa 29

moot point. She did not, however,

discount the possibility of such a

conference in the event that talks

resume.

Nuland said that the U.S. plan for the

interim is to continue working with

Quartet partners, including leaders like

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe,

who proposed the French peace plan

on his visit to Israel last month.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplo

macy-defense/u-s-officials-to-meet-

with-top-pa-negotiator-in-bid-to-push-

obama-policy-for-talks-1.371824

IDF force comes under fire near Gaza

fence

Palestinians fire anti-tank missile at IDF

troops operating near Khan Younis;

one solider lightly hurt

Palestinians fired an anti-tank missile

at an IDF force operating near the

security fence in southern Gaza,

Thursday.

One soldier sustained mild injuries and

received initial treatment on site,

before being taken to the Soroka

University Medical Center in

Beersheba.

Palestinian sources said that three

bulldozers and five tanks entered the

Strip, venturing some 300 meters from

the fence, near the southern Gaza

Strip town of Khan Younis.

According to the Palestinians, the

troops used machineguns to fire at

residents' homes.

The IDF stressed that the only fire

discharged was in response to the

Palestinians' rocket fire.

On Tuesday IAF aircrafts targeted both

a terror cell preparing to launch

rockets at Israel, as well as a smuggling

tunnel in northern Gaza Strip.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,

7340,L-4092237,00.html

Israeli-Turkish talks in NY fail to find

way to end crisis

Talks continue, despite harsh

disagreement over 'Marmara' apology;

Sayfa 30

PM says legitimacy of Gaza blockade

needs to be acknowledged.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman

locked horns with his Turkish

counterpart on Wednesday over the

issue of an Israeli apology for the Mavi

Marmara affair, with Lieberman saying

an apology was not in the offing, and

Ahmet Davutoglu demanding it as a

condition for a resumption of normal

ties.

“As far as we’re concerned, there is no

reason to apologize,” Lieberman said

in a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign

Affairs and Defense Committee

meeting on Wednesday. “Turkey

wants to give the impression that they

can dictate terms, and we’ll accept

them as if they’re a superpower. It’s a

matter of honor to them.”

The foreign minister told the Knesset

committee that Turkish Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdogan “has a desire to

turn Turkey into a regional

superpower with international

influence.”

Lieberman’s comments came as

Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe

Ya’alon was reportedly on his way

back to Israel from New York, where

he was trying to work out a formula

with Turkish Foreign Ministry

Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu to

put an end to the Mavi Marmara affair

before the Palmer Commission (the

UN commission charged with

investigating the incident) released its

findings.

The committee – which is headed by

former New Zealand prime minister

Geoffrey Palmer and co-chaired by

former Colombian president Alvaro

Uribe, and includes an Israeli

representative, Joseph Ciechanover,

and a Turkish official, Ozden Sanberk –

was scheduled to issue its report on

Thursday.

The sides, according to officials, were

unable to come up with a formula by

the deadline. As a result, German

Ambassador to the UN Peter Wittig,

who is currently the president of the

Security Council, said at a press

conference Wednesday he had no

Sayfa 31

knowledge about when the report

would be completed.

“I don’t think we are yet at the point

where the report would be handed

over – when that happens obviously

we’ll let you know,” he said.

The outlines of the report have been

known for weeks: that Israel’s naval

blockade was legal and the country

acted within its rights in stopping the

flotilla, but that the IDF used

“excessive” force in the incident in

which nine Turks were killed after

attacking soldiers who landed on the

boat to enforce the blockade.

Turkey is asking that Israel pay

compensation to the families of those

killed, and apologize for the incident.

While Israel has agreed to pay

compensation – on condition that it

goes into a government fund and not

directly to the families of those who

attacked IDF soldiers, and that there

will be no further claims against the

soldiers – Jerusalem has refused to

apologize, saying it will instead express

regret at the loss of life.

Israel, for its part, is reportedly asking

the Turks to commit not to break the

Gaza blockade, and issue some kind of

clarification about the unacceptability

of attacking IDF soldiers.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu,

speaking Wednesday in Bucharest at a

press conference with his Romanian

counterpart Emil Boc, said Israel was

interested in good relations with

Turkey.

“We are not the ones who led to a

deterioration of the ties,” he said. “We

are interested and open to finding

ways to improve the relations. We

noticed that Turkey did not take part

in the latest flotilla, and we also

noticed other signs that are perhaps

enabling other attempts at bringing us

together.”

Netanyahu said Israel had two clear

interests: to enforce the blockade of

the Gaza Strip to prevent the

smuggling of arms and ammunitions to

terrorists, and to protect its own

soldiers.

Sayfa 32

“We are interested in improving

relations with Turkey, and we are

trying to maintain the interests I

enumerated. Now the effort is to get

these goals to meet. Until now, we

have not succeeded, but we are still

trying.”

Netanyahu said it was important that

the formula reached will include the

recognition of the legality of the

blockade, and the protection of IDF

soldiers.

Lieberman, speaking to reporters after

the closed-door Knesset committee

meeting, said “an apology is not a

compromise – it is a humiliation and

an abandonment of IDF soldiers. We

regret the loss of life of people from

any nation. There are things we can

discuss [with Turkey] and things we

cannot. We cannot discuss things that

will harm Israel.

“National honor has a real

significance. We expect flexibility on

the Turkish side, as well,” Lieberman

added. “We have no reason for friction

with Turkey. We are willing to make

compromises, but we are not willing to

accept dictates, and we are not willing

to abandon IDF soldiers.”

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAnd

Politics/Article.aspx?id=228218

UN: Israel, protesters at fault in

Nakba Day clash

Report from Ban Ki-moon's office is

based on UNIFIL investigation; blames

protesters for stones, petrol bombs,

Israel for live fire use.

Israel used force "not commensurate

to the threat" when it fired live

ammunition during a Palestinian

Nakba Day demonstration in May, but

the protesters also behaved in a

provocative and violent way, a UN

report released on Wednesday said.

The IDF fired on a demonstration at a

Lebanese border village on May 15,

security sources and the Lebanese

army told Reuters at the time. Israel

claimed that the Lebanese army was

responsible for much of the shooting.

Sayfa 33

Seven people died according to the UN

report, a figure that was revised down

from eleven initially reported killed.

The incident happened by the Blue

Line -- the UN-mapped frontier

between Lebanon and Israel.

The report came from UN Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon's office and is

based on an investigation carried out

by UNIFIL, the United Nation's force in

Lebanon.

"The secretary-general stands by his

conclusions and observations," Ban's

spokeswoman told journalists on

Wednesday.

The demonstrators, "in throwing

stones and petrol bombs across the

Israeli technical fence and the Blue

Line ... carried out a provocative and

violent act that constitutes a violation

of resolution 1701," UNIFIL's

preliminary findings found.

However, the "firing of live

ammunition by the Israel Defense

Forces across the Blue Line against the

demonstrators" also "constituted a

violation of resolution 1701 and was

not commensurate to the threat to

Israeli soldiers."

The UN Security Council's Resolution

1701, adopted in August 2006, called

for a full cessation of hostilities in the

month-long war between Israel and

Hezbollah.

The UN report calls on Lebanese

Armed Forces and Lebanese

authorities to "enforce law and order

in the area and to prevent any incident

on the Blue Line."

It also calls on Israel to "refrain from

responding with live fire in such

situations, except where clearly

required in immediate self-defense."

Palestinians mourn the creation of the

state of Israel on May 15 each year in

what is called Nakba Day, mostly in

West Bank and Gaza. This year,

inspired by popular uprisings across

the Arab world, they also organized

Sayfa 34

demonstrations in Syria, Jordan,

Lebanon and Egypt along frontiers

with Israel.

The UN report, dated July 1, was an

advance copy which will be issued as a

Security Council document according

to its cover.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article

.aspx?id=228252

4. AFRICA AND EGYPT / AFRİKA VE

MISIR

Egypt ex-minister jailed, three

acquitted of fraud

An Egyptian former minister was

sentenced in absentia to five years in

jail and three others acquitted on

Tuesday in corruption trials, a judicial

official told AFP.

Shortly after the verdicts, public

prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmud

said the the general prosecution would

file an appeal against the acquittals.

Rashid Mohammed Rashid, minister of

foreign trade and industry under the

regime of ousted president Hosni

Mubarak, was sentenced in absentia

to five years for squandering public

funds.

Rashid, who is the subject of an

international arrest notice, has already

been sentenced to five years for

embezzlement.

In a separate case, the court acquitted

former information minister Anas al-

Fiqqi and former finance minister

Yussef Boutros Ghali, after they were

accused of misuse of public funds

during last year's election.

Boutros, who is also abroad and the

subject of an Interpol arrest notice,

has already been sentenced in

absentia to 30 years in prison in

another corruption case.

Former housing minister Ahmed al-

Maghrabi, who is currently in jail after

being convicted of illegally acquiring

public property and squandering

public funds, was acquitted on

Sayfa 35

Tuesday in a fraud case involving

another property.

But the public prosecutor said the

acquittals "do not correspond with

evidence presented during the trials."

Mahmud "ordered the prosecution to

take all steps to appeal the decision,"

his office said.

The trials come as part of a sweeping

probe by the new military rulers into

Mubarak-era fraud and abuse.

Uprooting corruption was and remains

one of the central demands of the

activists who pushed for Muarak's

departure.

But activists have criticised the rapid

pace of the trials, calling for a

thorough and open process for the

sake of justice, not revenge.

Mubarak, along with his two sons Alaa

and Gamal, is to face trial on August 3

on charges of corruption and ordering

the killing of protesters during the

uprising in January and February that

toppled the veteran leader.

http://www.asharq-

e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=25784

Libya denies Russian report Gaddafi

seeking way out

Muammar Gaddafi is sounding out the

possibility of handing over power, a

Russian newspaper reported on

Tuesday, but the Libyan government

denied it was in talks about the

veteran leader stepping down.

Five months into a conflict that has

embroiled NATO and become the

bloodiest of the "Arab Spring"

uprisings, there has been a flurry of

reports about talks on Gaddafi ending

his four decades in power in exchange

for security guarantees.

Russia's respected Kommersant

newspaper based its story on a high-

level source in Moscow. The report

was denied in Tripoli, and Italy said it

believed talk of a deal was a ruse by

Gaddafi's administration to sow

confusion.

Sayfa 36

"Information about negotiations about

Gaddafi stepping down or seeking a

safe refuge inside or outside the

country is simply untrue," Libyan

government spokesman Moussa

Ibrahim told Reuters.

"Gaddafi is not negotiable, this is our

position of principle, and the future of

Libya will be decided by Libyans.

Gaddafi is an historical symbol, and

Libyans will die to defend him," said

Ibrahim.

The United States reiterated its

position that Gaddafi should step

down. "We support whatever's going

to get us to a place where Gaddafi

knows it's time for him to go," State

Department spokeswoman Victoria

Nuland said.

Fighting between government forces

and rebels continued, with rebels

taking some of the heaviest shelling in

recent weeks.

A Reuters reporter in Misrata, 200 km

(130 miles) east of Tripoli, said rebel

positions in the Dafniya district on the

city's western outskirts came under

heavy artillery fire on Tuesday.

The bodies of rebel fighters were

taken to Misrata's al-Hekma hospital

and a hospital source said the death

toll from the shelling had risen to 11

with 42 fighters wounded.

Many of them were in a critical

condition, and some would need to

have limbs amputated, staff at the

hospital said.

On Monday, Gaddafi's forces

ambushed rebels south of Misrata,

killing six and injuring 22, said

Abdelsalam, a rebel spokesman in

Misrata.

The rebels said again they would not

compromise on letting Gaddafi remain

in the country as a free man.

"Any solution that doesn't include

Gaddafi stepping down and facing trial

or leaving Libya is unacceptable,"

Abdelsalam said.

"SEEKING GUARANTEES"

Some analysts say Gaddafi is starting

to contemplate an exit as shortages of

Sayfa 37

cash and fuel, the NATO bombing

campaign and rebel military pressure

shorten the odds on him being able to

hold on to power.

But Western diplomats caution it is in

Gaddafi's interest to send out

conflicting signals about possible deals,

in the hope of sowing confusion

among the rebels and the fragile

Western alliance trying to push him

out.

Kommersant newspaper reported

Western powers, including France,

were receptive to a deal with Gaddafi

if he agreed to step down.

"The colonel (Gaddafi) is sending

signals that he is prepared to

relinquish power in exchange for

security guarantees," the newspaper

quoted what it called a high-level

source in the Russian leadership as

saying.

The report came a day after Russia

hosted South African President Jacob

Zuma -- who has tried to broker a

peace deal for Libya -- and NATO

Secretary General Anders Fogh

Rasmussen for talks which focussed on

Libya.

After his return from Russia, Zuma's

office issued a statement saying he

had asked NATO to persuade the rebel

National Transitional Council to come

to the negotiating table.

Turkey is hopeful that Western and

Arab governments could help put in

place the framework of a solution to

the crisis by next month, its foreign

minister said.

"We hope for significant progress

towards a political solution before the

month of Ramadan," Ahmet Davutoglu

told a news conference. The Muslim

fasting month of Ramadan is expected

to start in early August.

On Monday, the Libyan government

had said it held talks in Italy, Norway

and Egypt with senior figures in the

opposition about finding a peaceful

way out of the conflict.

But the Italian government denied any

talks had taken place on its soil and

expressed scepticism that Gaddafi's

administration was sincere about talks.

Sayfa 38

"The aim of Tripoli's people, Tripoli's

regime, is to drive a wedge within the

coalition," said Italian Foreign Ministry

spokesman Maurizio Massari.

Speaking to Reuters on Tuesday,

Libyan government spokesman

Ibrahim said the Italian government

was mistaken but could not reveal the

identity of the Italian government

member who attended the talks "for

diplomatic reasons."

A Libyan official based in Cairo said

Libya's Health and Environment

Minister Mohamed Mahmoud al-Hijazi

had set off to Vienna where he was to

have talks with members of the Libyan

opposition on behalf of Gaddafi's

government.

There was no immediate confirmation

of the trip.

NATO launched its bombing campaign

in March after the United Nations

Security Council authorised the use of

all necessary means to protect civilians

who, inspired by revolutions in

neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt, rose

up against Gaddafi.

Gaddafi says the rebels are armed

criminals and al Qaeda militants. He

has called the NATO operation an act

of colonial aggression aimed at

stealing Libyan oil.

Rebels control the eastern third of

Libya, as well as pockets in the West,

and NATO says its strikes are gradually

eroding Gaddafi's hold on power. But

the rebels have failed to make a

breakthrough and advance on Tripoli.

Aid agencies have warned of shortages

of food and medicines in rebel areas.

United Nations workers who visited

the Western Mountains region,

southwest of Tripoli, said farmers had

been forced to sell or eat their

livestock, leaving them without a

livelihood.

http://www.asharq-

e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=25775

Egyptian natural gas resumes flowing

to Israel after damaged pipeline is

repaired

Sayfa 39

Flames are seen after an explosion

went off at a gas terminal in Egypt's

northern Sinai Peninsula. (File Photo)

The supply of Egyptian natural gas to

Israel has resumed after saboteurs

blew up a pipeline carrying gas from

Egypt to Israel and Jordan on Monday.

The pipeline bomb forced a shutdown

in the flow of gas from the East

Mediterranean Gas company to its

Israeli customers.

It was the third attack on the pipeline

since early February, all of them

coming in the wake of the turmoil

following the ousting of Egyptian

president Hosni Mubarak and his

administration. Explosions on April 27

and February 5 halted the flow of gas

for weeks.

As much as 45 percent of the natural

gas used by Israel comes from Egypt.

Egypt’s new government in April said it

would review its gas contracts with

other countries, including Israel and

Jordan.

The exports have long been a sensitive

issue in Egypt, and the media and

ordinary Egyptians had accused Mr.

Mubarak’s government of selling gas

to Israel at below-market prices.

Egypt is a prominent natural gas

producer in the Middle East, and was

the source of 62.7 billion cubic meters

in 2009.

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/20

11/07/06/156375.html

5. LEBANON / LÜBNAN

Lebanon's Arabic press digest - July 7,

2011

The Daily Star

Following are summaries of some of

the main stories in a selection of

Lebanese newspapers Thursday. The

Sayfa 40

Daily Star cannot vouch for the

accuracy of these reports.

Al-Akhbar: A long provocative day

Government will gain a vote of

confidence Thursday afternoon as a

parliamentary session [to discuss the

government’s policy statement ahead

of a vote of confidence] is likely to be

less provocative since those who

requested to speak are “top shots.”

How did the opposition manage to rise

up against itself and its opponents,

and who instigated March 14 MPs?

The answer is simple: Among those

“top shots” who will speak Thursday

are former Prime Minister Fouad

Siniora, MP Bahia Hariri, and perhaps

Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen.

Michel Aoun. Stirring up trouble while

they speak is not possible, particularly

since other heavyweight MPs - mainly

Mohammad Raad, Nawaf Mousawi

and Sami Gemayel - are on the list of

speakers. It may be a golden

opportunity for the minority [March

14] to make empathetic remarks which

are expected by MP Bahia Hariri -

perhaps she will succeed like she did in

2005 with former Prime Minister Omar

Karami. Will she be able to repeat

that?

Al-Mustaqbal: 'Party of arms' tries

[adopting] 'May 7-' [style] in

Parliament

Bullying in Parliament

Keenness on the Syrian regime, not

the government of Lebanon headed by

Najib Mikati, brought to mind the

[ancient Indian collection of]

"Panchatantra" animal fables which

have stirred the calm waters on the

second day of parliamentary sessions

to discuss the government’s policy

statement.

March 8 angrily interrupted March 14

lawmakers as they spoke, defending

the Syrian regime and illegitimate

weapons, rather than defending the

government and its prime minister,

Mikati, who was attacked inspeeches

by March 14 politicians, particularly on

the issue of the Special Tribunal for

Lebanon and negligence toward the

blood of martyrs.

Sayfa 41

An-Nahar: Tension explodes into brawl

between March 8 and opposition

Emotions and tensions exploded on

the second day of parliamentary

discussions in a series of quarells

dominated by verbal abuse with one of

them almost leading to a fistfight,

identical to the scenes witnessed in

Asian parliaments.

Prominent parliamentary sources told

An-Nahar that they believed these

quarells would not impact the post-

vote phase and that the situation

would remain confined withing the

framework of the current political

conflict. On the other hand, the

sources did not underestimate the

extent of ongoing tensions that was

translated in the exchange of hostile

words and strong emotions against the

backdrop of the political escalation

that accompanied the formation of the

government and the issuing of the STL

indictments and the highly

controversial stances on these two

developments.

A total of 50 MPs have so far

addressed the general assembly and

eight more remain on the list of

speakers, most notably former Prime

Minister Fouad Siniora, head of the

Change and Reform bloc Gen. Michel

Aoun and head of the Loyalty to the

Resistance bloc Mohammad Raad as

well as MPs Boutros Harb and Bahia

Hariri. Mikati will then respond to

lawmakers before Speaker Nabih Berri

asks Parliament to vote on the

Cabinet's ministerial statement.

As-Safir: Ban criticizes Maroun al-Ras

shooting … Israel protests

'Ambush' does not strike at confidence

[vote], will not shake Mikati

Whatever reasons were behind the

heated war of words in Parliament, the

place where the Lebanese witnessed

the arts [of a quarelling], it will not

change the reality – primarily that the

government will gain a vote

confidence Thursday and the head of

the government, Mikati, will become

the legitamate prime minister of the

country as of Thursday afternoon.

Sayfa 42

But what helped contain the quarrels

in Parliament was Speaker Nabih

Berri's expertise in the management of

the parliamentary game and his ability

to absorb the made-up tensions.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Pol

itics/2011/Jul-07/Lebanons-Arabic-

press-digest---July-7-

2011.ashx#axzz1RP3M0fVC

MPs quarrel in Lebanon Parliament

BEIRUT: A quarrel erupted in

Parliament Wednesday between

Future Movement MP Khaled Daher

and MP Assem Qanso, after Daher

accused the March 8 member of

insulting him during his speech to the

chamber.

Daher delivered his speech as part of

discussions on the ministerial statemnt

of Prime Minister Najib Mikati's

government. During his address, while

touching on the situation in Syria, he

was interrupted by Qanso.

Speaker Nabih Berri, however, stepped

in asking Qanso to let Daher finish his

speech.

After Daher returned to his seat, he

was told by an MP that Qanso

described him as a “dog,” considered

an insult in Lebanon.

“Who’s that dog that is speaking?”

Qanso reportedly said of Daher.

“You are the dog,” Daher told Qanso,

drawing ire from the Baalbek

lawmaker, who is the former leader of

the Lebanon branch of the Baath

Party.

Qanso got out of his chair in an

attempt to go after Daher, only to be

stopped by fellow legislators.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Pol

itics/2011/Jul-06/Government-

opposition-scuffle-in-

Parliament.ashx#axzz1RP3M0fVC

MPs continue their debate over the

STL

Sayfa 43

Lebanese deputies continued

yesterday a parliamentary session to

address the political program of the

newly-formed cabinet. (NOW

Lebanon)

Lebanese deputies continued

yesterday a parliamentary session to

address the political program of the

newly-formed cabinet.

A UN-backed court probing the 2005

assassination of former Prime Minister

Rafik Hariri and 21 others has been a

topic of dispute among Lebanon’s

deputies. MPs of the western-backed

March 14 coalition want to see the

international tribunal move forward,

while figures of the Hezbollah-led

March 8 alliance have stamped the

court as a US-Zionist plot to cause

internal strife.

Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel said

during Wednesday’s parliamentary

session that Prime Minister Najib

Mikati’s government will “assassinate

the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)

and kill former PM Rafik Hariri a

second time.”

“We will not allow this cabinet of

[armed] groups and Syrian regime

[infiltrators] to assassinate the

tribunal,” he added.

Gemayel added that the use of arms

brought Mikati to the premiership.

Future bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq

concurred with Gemayel, saying on

Wednesday that the government was

formed “thanks to the use of arms.”

“If the formation was not directed by

the supreme leader of the arms” the

government would not have been

created, he said, referring to Hezbollah

Secretary General Sayyed Hassan

Nasrallah.

Lebanese Forces bloc MP Farid Habib

said that the new cabinet’s ministerial

statement “*rejects+ justice and is a

coup against democracy.”

He also said that all accusations stating

that the STL will lead to strife “are

strange.”

“The strife scared *March 8+ only and

made them stop asking for the truth.”

Sayfa 44

Meanwhile, Change and Reform bloc

MP Ibrahim Kanaan said yesterday

that “*the March 14 coalition’s+

reaction to the STL indictment made it

look like it is was a reality.”

“This cabinet was rejected by the

[March 14] before [the government]

took any decisions… which implies that

no constructive opposition will take

place,” he added.

Mikati last week unveiled his

government's program, which includes

a vague clause saying Lebanon would

respect international resolutions as

long as they did not threaten civil

peace or stability in Lebanon.

March 14 leaders, MPs and figures met

on Sunday night at Le Bristol Hotel and

issued a statement launching the

national opposition that aims to bring

down Mikati’s cabinet unless the latter

voices his adherence to UN Security

Council Resolution 1757, upon which

the international tribunal was

founded.

The STL on Thursday handed

Lebanon's Attorney General Said Mirza

arrest warrants for four members of

the Iranian-and Syrian-backed

Hezbollah in connection to the 2005

assassination of former PM Rafik

Hariri.

However, Hezbollah chief Sayyed

Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday said he

would never hand over the four adding

the Netherlands-based court was

heading for a trial in absentia.

http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsAr

ticleDetails.aspx?ID=289120

6. SYRIA / SURİYE

President al-Assad Affirms in Phone

Call to King of Bahrain Syria's Support

to Bahraini National Accord Dialogue

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – President Bashar

al-Assad on Wednesday made a

telephone call with King Hamad bin Isa

Al Khalifa, during which they discussed

the situations in Bahrain and Syria.

President al-Assad affirmed during the

call Syria's support to the Bahraini

national accord dialogue which King

Sayfa 45

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa called for, in

addition to Syria's support to all that

preserves security and stability in

Bahrain.

Earlier in May, President al-Assad

received a verbal message from King of

Bahrain expressing Bahrain's full

support for Syria's security and

stability and the reform process under

the leadership of President al-Assad.

http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/07/

07/356952.htm

Vatanın Her Karış Toprağında

Reformlara Destek Nidaları Yankılandı

İLLER – Halk ve gençlik temsilcilerinin

Cumhurbaşkanı Beşşar el-Esad

yönetiminde uygulanan reform

programını desteklemek ve dış

müdahale girişimlerini reddetmek

amacıyla düzenledikleri kitlesel

etkinlikler dün de tüm kesimlerden

geniş katılımla sürdü.

Bu çerçevede Dera, Homs, Halep

Tartus ve Lazkiye illerinde kitlesel

gösteriler düzenlenirken ülkenin birçok

ilinde kan bağışı kampanyası

etkinlikleri devam etti.

Halep ilinde 2300 metrelik bayrağın

Basil Bulvarı ile Yermük Bulvarı

arasında bir araya getirdiği yüz binlerce

kişinin sesleri ve nefesleri

tükenircesine ulusal birlik ve kapsamlı

reformlara destek sloganlarını

haykırarak dış müdahaleyi

reddettiklerini ifade ettiler.

Kapsamlı reform programını

desteklediğini ifade etmek amacıyla

Dera ilinin Ezra ilçesinde toplanan

binlerce kişi ulusal birlik sloganları

atarak ellerinde taşıdıkları bayrak ve

dövizlerle reform çerçevesinde

onaylanan yasa ve kararlardan

duydukları memnuniyeti belirttiler.

Bu çerçevede yayınlanan yasa ve

kararların reformların önünde geniş

ufuklar açtığını dile getiren katılımcılar

Suriye’nin halkıyla birlikte güçlü

olduğunu ve hep öyle kalacağını

vurguladılar.

Homs ili merkezinde 1400X30

ebatlarındaki dev bayrağın etrafından

toplanan on binlerce kişi kapsamlı

Sayfa 46

reform programını ve ulusal birliği

destekleme sloganlarının yankılarıyla

Suriye’nin bütün komplolar karşısında

güçlü bir duruş sergilemeyi

sürdürdüğünü ifade ettiler.

Öte yandan Homs ilinde Kahire bulvarı

yakınlarında toplanan binlerce kişinin

sloganları merkezdeki on binlerle aynı

anda yankılanarak birlik ve beraberliğin

gerçek bir tablosunu teşkil etti.

Ayrıca dün Homs ilinin Feraklis ve

Ayneldenanir köylerinde binlerce

kişinin katılımıyla düzenlenen reform

programını destekleme gösterilerinde

de kapsamlı reform programının

ülkenin her köşesi ve vatandaşını

kapsadığını vurgulandı.

Homs ili Baas Öncülerinin İl Eğitim

Müdürlüğü ile işbirliği içerisinde

düzenlediği kitlesel kutlama törenine

de kapsamlı reform programını

destekleme ve ulusal birlik sloganları

hakim oldu.

Tartus iline bağlı Husanelbahr ve

çevresindeki köylerden binlerce

vatandaş, ülkenin diğer bölgelerinde

olduğu gibi ulusal birliğe ve el-Esad’a

bağlılıklarını ifade etmek istediler.

Her kesimden kalabalık kitlelerin

katıldığı gösteride 1000 metre

uzunluğunda Suriye bayrağı kaldırıldı.

Tartus ilinde bulunan basın çalışanları

da Thavra gazetesinin Tartus’taki

bürosu önünde kapsamlı reformu

destekleme gösterisi düzenleyerek

bütün Suriye halkına dezenformasyon

medya araçlarını boykot etme

çağrısında bulundular.

Maruz kaldığı komplo karşısında

Suriye’den yana tavır alan devletlerin

tutumlarını takdir ettiklerini belirten

basın çalışanları gösterinin ardından

ilde bulunan Emlak bankasına

yönelerek lirayı destekleme

kampanyasına etkin bir şekilde

katıldılar.

Tartus’un Meştelhulu ilçesindeki

Kadınlar Birliği Şubesinin düzenlediği

lirayı destekleme kampanyası

çerçevesinde birçok kadın Tasarruf

Bankasına nakit yatırma etkinliğinde

bulundular.

Sayfa 47

Lazkiye ilinde ise kanlarıyla vatan

topraklarını sulayan şehitlerin ruhuna

vefanın bir ifadesi olarak Baas Partisi

yetkilileri ve öğretmenler

sendikasından geniş bir katılımla şehit

mezarlarına kitlesel bir ziyarette

bulunarak mezarları çiçeklerle

donattılar.

Süveyda ilinde de esnaf, işçi, çiftçi ve

bütün halk kesimlerinin katılımıyla

düzenlenen lirayı destekleme etkinliği

çerçevesinde ilin farklı bankalarına

nakit yatırılırken yaklaşık 100 gönüllü

gencin katılımıyla da “Suriye İyi” başlığı

altına bir çevre kampanyası başlatıldı.

Ülkenin farklı bölge ve illerinde

düzenlenen bütün kampanya ve

gösteriler kapsamlı reform programını

destekleme ve dış müdahaleyi

reddetme başlığı altında tek bir sese

dönüştü.

Şekil olarak farklılık gösteren bütün bu

etkinliklerde katılımcılar yaptıkları

açıklamalarına ulusal birlik ve kardeşlik

nidaları hakim oldu.

Tartus ve Sahnaya’da Büyük Gösteriler

Reformlara desteğini, dış kaynaklı

komplolara tepkisini ve ulusal birliğe

bağlılığını haykırmak isteyen yüz

binlerce vatandaş, Halep’te 2300

metre uzunluğa ve 18 metre genişliğe

sahip Suriye bayrağını omuzladı.

Gösterinin başlamasından saatler önce

toplanan ve birçok kesimden meydana

gelen kalabalık kitle, ulusal birlik,

reform çalışmaları, güvenlik ve istikrarı

savunan sloganlar attıktan sonra,

kışkırtıcı televizyon kanalarının

gerçekleştirdiği iftira ve yalan dolu

çalışmaları lanetledi.

Suriye’nin genelinde olduğu gibi

Halep’teki bu gösteride de üzerine

“Suriye İyi Durumda” yazılı ve Suriye

bayrağının renklerini taşıyan binlerce

balon havaya bırakıldı.

Göstericilerin ellerindeki pankartlar ve

afişlerle şehrin etkileyici ışıklarının bir

arada olmasıyla oldukça renkli

görüntüler oluşurken, göstericilerin

Cumhurbaşkanı Beşşar el-Esad

yönetimindeki reform çalışmalarına

destek sloganları yeri göğü inletiyordu.

Sayfa 48

Üniversite Öğrencisi Mahmut Refia,

Suriye halkının dünyaya ‘bizler diri ve

direnişçi bir toplumuz ve kimse ulusal

birliğimizi zedeleyemez’ mesajı vermek

üzere altında birleştiği bayrağın,

vatanın sembolü olduğunu söyledi.

Mühendis Ali Cuma da, “bayrak için

toplanan bu büyük kalabalık, Suriye’nin

güvenlik ve istikrarını koruma ve

reformlar yolunda ilerleme konusunda

ilin tüm kesimlerinin görüşünü ihtiva

ediyor” şeklinde konuştu.

Dr. Azad Hüseyin de, “Suriye bayrağı,

Suriye halkının gölgesi altında durduğu

ve kriz ile komployla başa çıkmada

ulusal birliğinin sembolüdür” diyerek,

toplumun tüm kesimlerinin ve

bileşenlerinin birlik içinde olduğunu

ifade etti.

Samir Şevva da, bu ulusal manzaranın

tüm dünyaya Suriye halkının birlik

olduğunun ve baskılar ne kadar artarsa

artsın birliğine bağlı kalacağının ifadesi

olduğunu kaydetti.

Yasemin Memlük ve Nur el-Abed adlı

vatandaşlar da, “bir ulusal düğün”

olarak nitelendirdikleri gösteriye yüz

binlerce kişiyle birlikte Cumhurbaşkanı

el-Esad idaresindeki reformlara destek

amacıyla katılmaktan duydukları

mutluluğu dile getirerek, Suriye’nin

maruz kaldığı komplolara karşı

tepkilerini vurguladılar.

Hüseyin Cüneyd, Tamer Hayyat ve

Cinan Şaviş de, Suriye halkının dış

müdahalelere ve ulusal birliğini hedef

alan faaliyetlere karşı olduğunu

söyleyerek, Suriye’nin şimdi ulusal

birlik sayesinde daha güçlü olduğunu

ve kimsenin bu güce karşı

koyamayacağını belirttiler.

Öte yandan Tartus iline bağlı Hassin el-

Bahr’da çevre belde ve köylerden

vatandaşların katılımıyla binlerce kişi, 1

kilometre uzunluğunda Suriye Bayrağı

taşırken, reformlara desteklerini ve dış

müdahalelere tepkilerini vurgulayan

sloganlar attı.

Ellerinde bayraklarla Suriye Arap

Marşı’nı söyleyen göstericiler,

olaylarda şehit düşen siviller ve

askerler için bir dakikalık saygı

duruşundan sonra renkli balonları

havaya saldı.

Sayfa 49

Ulusal birlik sloganları atan göstericiler,

komplolara, kışkırtıcı çağrılara ve bazı

kanalların Suriye’ye karşı kışkırtma

içeren medya hamlelerine tepkilerini

vurguladılar.

Sadullah Cevhera adlı vatandaş,

gösterinin, vatanın ve vatandaşın

izzetini hedef alıp kaos yaratmaya

çalışanlara bir tepki niteliği taşıdığını

belirterek, Suriye halkının, komployu

daha ilk anından itibaren keşfettiğini

ve bundan dolayı halkın ulusal ilkelere

daha çok tutunduğunu kaydetti.

Medya mensubu İmad Hula da,

gösteriye yoğun katılımın ve Suriye

bayrağının taşınmasının, Suriye’nin

maruz kaldığı komploya karşı çıkışlarını

ve buna tepkilerini ifade etmenin yanı

sıra Suriye Arap Cumhuriyeti

Ordusu’na fedakarlıklarından dolayı

teşekkür ve takdirlerini sunma

rağbetlerinden kaynaklandığını

belirterek, kışkırtıcı uydu kanallarını

boykot etme çağrısında bulundu.

Diğer taraftan Şam’a bağlı Eşrefiye

Sahnaya’da da, belde halkı reformlara

desteklerini ve ulusal birliğe

bağlılıklarını ifade etmek üzere bir

araya gelerek 250 metre

uzunluğundaki Suriye bayrağını

taşıdıkları bir gösteri düzenledi.

Bayrağı havaya kaldıran göstericiler,

attıkları sloganlar ve taşıdıkları

pankartlarla Suriye’nin maruz kaldığı

komplolara tepkilerini ve Suriye

Ordusuna takdirlerini vurguladı.

Vatandaşlar ayrıca, üzerinde “Suriye İyi

Durumda” yazılı dev bir panoyu

meydana çıkardıktan sonra bazı şairler,

vatan sevgisi ve ulusal birliği konu alan

şiirler okudu.

Lemis Zarzur, “Suriye’ye karşı

başlatılan komplo hamlesi, başarısızlığa

uğradı. Halkımız bununla bilincini

kanıtlamıştır. Bizler Cumhurbaşkanı el-

Sayfa 50

Esad’ın yönetiminin yanında tüm

tehditlere karşı duracağız” dedi.

Lübnanlı Ayat Hafaci de, Suriye’de

duyduğu güven ve huzur duygusunu

daha önce gittiği hiçbir yerde

hissetmediğini belirterek, komploya

karşı Suriye’nin, Suriye halkının ve

Suriye yönetiminin yanında olduğunu

ifade etti.

Şeyh Saffuh Selame de, vatan

şehitlerine Allah’tan rahmet dileyerek,

reform çalışmaları ve ulusal birlik

konusunda azimli olduklarını ifade etti.

Gösteriyi renklendiren çocuklardan biri

olan Betül Udeymi de, “bugün bayrağı

taşıyoruz, çünkü tüm Suriyeliler

vatanlarını ve yöneticisini seviyor.. ve o

kanallara diyorum ki.. bizler vatanımızı

seviyoruz ve vatanımız için kanımızı

feda ederiz” dedi.

http://www.sana.sy/tur/236/2011/07/

07/356912.htm

Syria troops continue assault on

Hama

Activists claim at least 22 people killed

by troops in flashpoint Hama,

prompting residents to flee to nearby

towns.

Syrian troops killed at least 22 people

in an assault on the flashpoint central

city of Hama that prompted US calls

for an immediate pullback, human

rights activists said on Wednesday.

Troops also wounded more than 80

people as they pushed through

improvised roadblocks put up by

residents after massive anti-

government protests in the city of

some 800,000 people, the National

Organisation for Human Rights said.

"The wounded are being treated in

two hospitals in Hama," the rights

group's chairman Ammar Qurabi said

in Nicosia, adding that troops had

entered the Al-Hurani hospital.

"A large number of Hama residents

have fled either to the nearby town of

Al-Salamiya or towards Damascus,"

Qurabi said, adding that there were

"continued search and kill operations

and arrests in the city."

Sayfa 51

London-based watchdog Amnesty

International accused the authorities

of committing crimes against humanity

in its deadly crackdown on the

unprecedented anti-government

protests that have swept the country

since mid-March.

The Syrian Observatory for Human

Rights said that the body of one of

those killed in Tuesday's assault had

been dumped in the Orontes (Assi)

river in Hama, which is famous for its

ancient watermills.

A 12-year-old boy was among three

people killed by security forces on the

outskirts of the city on Monday,

activists contacted by telephone from

Nicosia said.

"Residents have mobilised. They're

prepared to die to defend the city if

need be rather than allow the army to

enter," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head

of the London-based Syrian

Observatory.

"Residents have been sleeping on the

streets and put up sand barriers and

tyres to block any assault," he said on

Tuesday.

Another activist insisted that Hama,

where as many as 500,000 people took

to the streets for a demonstration on

Friday against President Bashar al-

Assad's regime, was putting up a "100

percent peaceful" resistance.

Damascus said that its troops had

suffered casualties at the hands of

armed groups in the city.

"The security forces, which intervened

to restore order in Hama where there

have been acts of sabotage... were

attacked with Molotov cocktails by

armed groups," the official SANA news

agency said.

"One security force member was killed

and 13 wounded in the clashes. Some

of the gunmen were killed and others

wounded."

Sayfa 52

But the US State Department said it

too had no evidence that the protests

had been anything other than peaceful

and called on the Syrian government

to withdraw its troops from Hama.

"We urge the government of Syria to

immediately halt its intimidation and

arrest campaign, to pull its security

forces back from Hama and other

cities, and to allow Syrians to express

their opinions freely so that a genuine

transition to democracy can take

place," spokesperson Victoria Nuland

said.

"The government of Syria claims that

it's interested in dialogue at the same

time that it is attacking and massing

forces in Hama, where demonstrations

have been nothing but peaceful."

Since security forces gunned down 48

protesters in the city on June 3, Hama

has escaped the clutches of the

regime, activists say. The next day,

more than 100,000 mourners were

reported to have taken part in their

funerals.

Hama was the scene of a 1982

bloodbath in which an estimated

20,000 people were killed when the

army crushed an Islamist revolt against

the rule of the president's predecessor

and late father, Hafez al-Assad.

In a report released on Wednesday,

Amnesty made allegations of torture,

deaths in custody, and arbitrary

detention during an assault by Syrian

troops that lasted several days in May

on Tall Kalakh, a protest centre near

the Lebanese border.

"Amnesty International considers that

crimes committed in Tall Kalakh

amount to crimes against humanity,"

the watchdog, said calling on the UN

Security Council to refer the

allegations to prosecutors of the

International Criminal Court.

"The accounts we have heard from

witnesses to events in Tall Kalakh paint

a deeply disturbing picture of

systematic, targeted abuses to crush

dissent," said Amnesty's Middle East

and North Africa deputy director,

Philip Luther.

Sayfa 53

Human rights groups say that more

than 1,300 civilians have been killed

and thousands more arrested since the

protests started nearly four month

ago.

http://www.middle-east-

online.com/english/?id=47089

7. ARABIAN PENINSULA AND THE

GULF OF BASRA / ARAP YARIMADASI VE

BASRA KÖRFEZİ

Gulf states in 'intensive' talks on

Yemen crisis

Omani FM expresses hope contacts

will lead to progress in reaching deal

between opposition, ruling party.

Yemen's oil-rich Gulf neighbours are

engaged in "intensive consultations" to

resolve the long-running political crisis

in Sanaa, Oman's foreign minister

Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah said.

The six members of the Gulf

Cooperation Council (GCC) "continue

to conduct intensive consultations

with parties in Yemen to overcome the

crisis," Abdullah said late on Tuesday.

He expressed hope that the contacts

would "lead to progress in reaching an

agreement between the opposition

and the ruling party."

Protesters have been calling since

January for President Ali Abdullah

Saleh to quit office after more than

three decades in power.

Abdullah also said that a stalled GCC

initiative that would see Saleh step

aside 30 days after it was signed in

exchange for immunity from

prosecution "is still on the table."

The opposition agreed to the proposal

but Saleh has refused to sign.

Yemeni security forces and

government supporters have carried

out bloody attacks on protesters, while

Sayfa 54

opposition tribesmen have battled

government forces in the capital Sanaa

and elsewhere, and some military

units have defected to the opposition.

Saleh has been receiving treatment in

Riyadh for more than a month, since

he was wounded in an attack on his

palace in early June.

http://www.middle-east-

online.com/english/?id=47081

Bahrain holds first national dialogue

session

60 participants each in simultaneous

sessions on politics, economy, human

rights, social issues.

- Bahrain on Tuesday held the first

session of its national dialogue, which

is aimed at forwarding reforms after

authorities crushed a protest

movement in March, official BNA news

said.

"The first session of the national

dialogue called by King Hamad bin Issa

al-Khalifa was launched this evening,"

BNA said.

There were about sixty participants

each in simultaneous sessions on

politics, the economy, human rights

and social issues -- the "four axes" on

which the dialogue is to focus.

Sessions are to be held three times a

week -- on Sundays, Tuesdays and

Thursdays, BNA said.

The dialogue comes after Bahraini

security forces carried out a bloody

mid-March crackdown on Shiite-led

protesters who had been

demonstrating for reforms in the

Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority kingdom

since February 14.

Authorities said 24 people, most of

them demonstrators, were killed in the

unrest.

Sayfa 55

The national dialogue was officially

launched on Saturday, with over 300

people invited to attend, including

representatives of the main Shiite

opposition bloc, the Islamic National

Accord Association (Al-Wefaq).

Al-Wefaq, which made an 11th-hour

decision to participate, only has five

representatives at the dialogue,

despite winning 18 out of 40 seats in

the lower house of parliament in the

last elections.

Its deputies withdrew from parliament

to protest violence against

demonstrators.

While Al-Wefaq is participating for

now, one of its former MPs, Khalil al-

Marzooq, said that all options "are

open," including pulling out of the

dialogue if it fails to address "the will

of the people."

"The dialogue, as we see it, does not

fulfill the demands of the Bahraini

people in achieving a political solution,

nor those of the international

community," Marzooq said.

He pointed to the broad range of

topics on the table as potentially

detrimental to efforts on the political

front.

"The dialogue will discuss all the

problems of the Bahraini people

including education, jobs, as well as

increasing wages and the financial

crisis in addition to the political

issues."

"The political issues will be lost amidst

all those other matters," he said.

http://www.middle-east-

online.com/english/?id=47075

Yemen protesters blame regime for

province seizure

Protesters demand government

reinforce troops fighting alleged Al-

Qaeda militants in Abyan.

Abyan falls in the hands of extremists

Tens of thousands of Yemenis

protested in the capital Sanaa on

Monday, accusing the authorities of

Sayfa 56

plotting a takeover by extremists of

the southern province of Abyan.

The demonstrators marched towards

the residence of Vice President

Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, chanting

slogans accusing the authorities of

"facilitating the takeover by Al-Qaeda

elements" of Abyan.

A five-strong delegation representing

the protesters was blocked by guards

outside the residence from meeting

the deputy of President Ali Abdullah

Saleh.

Under the Yemeni constitution, Hadi

replaced the president when he was

flown to Saudi Arabia a month ago to

be treated for wounds sustained in an

explosion at the presidential palace.

In the letter, the protesters urged Hadi

to bring an end to what they called

"the joke" in Abyan and to take "all

necessary measures to protect people"

there.

They also demanded that the

government reinforce troops fighting

alleged Al-Qaeda militants in Abyan.

Yemeni forces have been engaged in

heavy fighting with suspected Al-

Qaeda militants in Zinjibar, the

provincial capital, since late May.

A commander said on Saturday that 50

troops have been posted as missing

after clashes with militants around

Zinjibar. At least 135 troops have been

killed in the clashes, according to

military sources.

The commander accused the defence

ministry of abandoning the 25th

Mechanised Brigade soldiers to their

fate in the face of repeated attacks by

the Partisans of Sharia (Islamic Law)

movement who seized much of

Zinjibar in late May.

The Sanaa government says the

militants are allied with Al-Qaeda, but

the opposition accuses the regime of

playing up a jihadist threat in a

Sayfa 57

desperate attempt to keep the

embattled Saleh in power.

Saleh had been a key US ally in its "war

on terror," but has faced mass protests

against his rule since January.

Meanwhile, witnesses reported that

thousands of people joined a protest

on Monday in the city of Ibb, 190

kilometres (118 miles) south of Sanaa,

urging Saudi Arabia to prevent Saleh

returning to power.

"Saleh will not return!" they chanted.

The veteran president, 69, who has

been in power since 1978, has not

appeared in public since the June 3

blast at a mosque in the presidential

compound killed 11 people and

wounded 124 others, among them

senior officials.

In Saleh's absence, Hadi has come

under pressure from the parliamentary

opposition and the West to assume

power, while protesters are

demanding that he form an interim

ruling council.

Hadi's grip on power is seen as shaky,

however, as Saleh relatives hold main

security posts. Key among them is his

son Ahmed, who leads the elite

Republican Guard.

http://www.middle-east-

online.com/english/?id=47066

Saudi FM calls for "prudence and

wisdom" in dealing with regional

crises

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince

Saud al-Faisal met with his British

counterpart, William Hague, in Jeddah

yesterday. Following the meeting,

Prince Saud Al-Faisal held a joint press

conference with the British Foreign

Minister, during which he revealed

that the talks had dealt with bilateral

relations between the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom,

in addition to the various crises taking

place in the region, as well as the Gulf

Cooperation Council [GCC] initiative to

resolve the crisis in Yemen.

Prince Saud al-Faisal welcomed the

launch of comprehensive national

Sayfa 58

dialogue in the neighboring Kingdom

of Bahrain, and the formation of an

independent fact-finding committee

which will investigate the recent

unrest in Bahrain.

The Saudi Foreign Minister stressed

that Saudi Arabia was assured by the

restoration of security and stability in

Bahrain, and welcomed the launch of

comprehensive national dialogue as

decreed by King Hamad Bin Isa al-

Khalifa of Bahrain. He added that Saudi

Arabia also welcomed the process of

genuine reform and development

taking place in Bahrain, whilst stressing

the comprehensive rejection of any

foreign interference in Bahraini

internal affairs, or any attempts to

tamper with the security of Gulf States

or incite sedition within them.

Prince Saud al-Faisal also said that

Saudi Arabia is monitoring the events

taking place in the region, although he

stressed that Riyadh is committed to

not interfering in the internal affairs of

other countries. He added that Saudi

Arabia is deeply pained and saddened

at the huge civilian death toll caused

by these regional crises, adding that

"we call on all parties to be prudent

and wise while tackling this matter,

evade more bloodshed, and carry out

serious reforms that guarantee human

rights." He stressed that "King

Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz is committed to

the security and stability of the Arab

world, and maintenance of the unity

and independence of its countries."

As for the peace process in the Middle

East, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince

Saud al-Faisal said "we support the

international community's efforts to

revive the peace process between the

Palestinians and the Israelis on the

basis of starting with border and

security negotiation in order to pave

the way for dealing with other

fundamental issues, most notably the

issue of Jerusalem, within less than a

year." He added that "this is so that

negotiations could reach the state of

establishing an independent viable

Palestinian state within the framework

of the two-state solution." He also

stressed that efforts in this regard

would not succeed unless the Israeli

Sayfa 59

policy of rejection and intransigence

which continues to challenge sincere

international efforts to resolve this

situation was dealt with seriously and

firmly.

For his part, British Foreign Secretary

William Hague expressed his happiness

at visiting Saudi Arabia, adding that

Britain is looking forward to future

relations with the country. He stressed

that "at a time of great upheaval and

change in the region, our constructive

cooperation on regional issues

including Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iran,

and the Middle East peace process, is

even more critical."

As for the conflicting Iranian

statements being made on Saudi

Arabia, Prince Saud al-Faisal said that

this was normal in politics, adding that

"I would like to state that there was a

series of talks with Iran in the past,

including a scheduled visit for [former]

Iranian Foreign Minister [Manouchehr

Mottaki] to visit Riyadh…however they

placed some conditions that we did

not agree with.." However the Saudi

Foreign Minister revealed that

"recently the new Iranian Foreign

Minister [Ali Akbar Salehi] telephoned

me whilst he was in Pakistan,

expressing his wish to continue

[bilateral] dialogue. I told him that Iran

has already received an invitation [to

visit+, and that…they are welcome. He

then offered to hold a tripartite

meeting in Kuwait [between Saudi

Arabia, Iran, and Kuwait]." However

Prince Saud al-Faisal expressed

reservations about this proposal,

saying that Saudi Arabia would prefer

to address this issue [relations with

Iran] bilaterally.

During the talks, Saudi Foreign

Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal and

British Foreign Secretary William

Hague also discussed the situation in

Lebanon. Prince Saud al-Faisal

announced that Saudi Arabia calls on

all Lebanese political factions to

respond to the Special Tribunal for

Lebanon's indictment with the

requisite reason and calm, away from

the language of division, in addition to

avoiding any escalation or

Sayfa 60

confrontation with the international

community.

As for Yemen, where demonstrations

have been taking place since January,

Hague stressed that Britain encourages

all parties "to engage in political

dialogue…and for an orderly transfer

of power [to take place]." Whilst

Prince Saud al-Faisal said that Yemeni

President Ali Abdullah Saleh – who has

been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia for

more than a month recovering from

wounds received in a bomb attack on

his palace – "is in good health,

generally speaking."

http://www.asharq-

e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=25780

8. SOUTH ASIA / GÜNEY ASYA

PAKISTAN / PAKİSTAN

Pak-Afghan situation discussed by

new US war cabinet

The White House confirmed that in a

Tuesday afternoon meeting President

Obama discussed his plans for a

gradual transition of responsibilities

from US to Afghan authorities with

three key members of his new war

team. — File Photo

US President Barack Obama has

reviewed the situation in the Pak-

Afghan region with his revamped war

cabinet.

The White House confirmed that in a

Tuesday afternoon meeting President

Obama discussed his plans for a

gradual transition of responsibilities

from US to Afghan authorities with

three key members of his new war

team.

Two of these, the new US commander

for Afghanistan and the new US

ambassador in Kabul will be

Sayfa 61

implementing his civilian and military

strategy in the war-ravaged country.

Another key member, the new

Secretary of Defence, Leon Panetta,

will supervise US war efforts from his

headquarters in Washington.

“The president and his team discussed

implementation of the next phase of

our strategy in Afghanistan,” the

White House said in a statement. The

talks focused on the “consolidation of

the gains that have been made in

breaking the Taliban’s momentum and

training Afghan Security Forces”.

On Tuesday, President Obama also

invited the outgoing Joint Chiefs of

Staff Chairman Admiral Michael

Mullen and Vice President Joe Biden to

the Oval office as he discussed his war

plans with Gen John Allen, who will

take over the Nato and US command

in Afghanistan, and the new US

ambassador to Kabul, Ryan Crocker.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/07/p

ak-afghan-situation-discussed-by-new-

us-war-cabinet.html

Govt to welcome opposition’s

positive role: Firdous

Minister for Information and

Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan

reiterated that government was not

threatened by any ‘grand opposition

alliance’ and MQM-PML-N alliance

would not hurt PPP government. – File

Photo

Federal Minister for Information and

Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan

said on Wednesday that the

government would welcome efforts of

the opposition parties if they were

made in the direction of attaining

progress and prosperity of the country.

She reiterated that government was

not threatened by any ‘grand

opposition alliance’ and MQM-PML-N

alliance would not hurt PPP

government.

Sayfa 62

She rather said that any step taken by

opposition for resolving the problems

of the masses and strengthening

national institutions and democracy

would be welcomed by the

government of Pakistan Peoples Party.

Talking to a private television, the

information minister said opposition

should help the efforts to smoothly

operate and strengthen democratic

system in the country.

She said the opposition would harm

democracy if it made any attempt to

damage the institutions or adopt a

policy of confrontation.

Dr Firdous said that the country was

working under a democratic system

and it allowed all the political parties

to work with freedom.

She said that it would be appreciated if

the political parties including PML-N

and MQM sit together and resolve the

problems being faced by the civilians.

She said that dictators had ruled the

country for a long period and they had

worked only to destabilise the political

institutions of the country.

She said it was certain that the

people would resist any attempt to

drive a wedge between the national

institutions in the country.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/06/g

ovt-to-welcome-oppositions-positive-

role-firdous.html

AFGHANISTAN / AFGANİSTAN

UK confirms killing Afghan civilians

Press TV

British defense ministry has confirmed

that its Reaper unmanned drone

aircraft killed four Afghan civilians and

injured two others in an attack in

March.

“On 25 March, a UK Reaper was tasked

to engage and destroy two pickup

trucks,” the defense ministry said on

Wednesday.

“Sadly, four Afghan civilians were also

killed and a further two Afghan

civilians were injured,” AFP quoted the

ministry as saying.

Sayfa 63

The ministry's confirmation follows a

report by the British daily newspaper

The Guardian.

The paper revealed that a British Royal

Air Force (RAF) drone, controlled from

a US Air Force base in Nevada, had

attacked trucks suspected of carrying a

known Taliban commander in

Helmand province.

The Taliban commander and an

associate were killed and both vehicles

were destroyed, The Guardian said.

"It was extremely unfortunate that the

civilians were killed. The attack would

not have taken place if we had known

that there were civilians in the vehicles

as well," a Whitehall source said.

It is the first time a British Reaper

drone has been responsible for civilian

deaths since the RAF began using the

pilotless aircraft over the war-torn

nation in 2007, the report said.

Since then, the Reapers have flown a

total of 23,400 hours and fired 176

missiles and laser guided bombs.

http://www.aopnews.com/today.html

Britain to Withdraw 500 Troops from

Afghanistan

VOA News

Britain says it will withdraw 500 troops

from Afghanistan by the end of 2012.

British Prime Minister David Cameron

told Parliament Wednesday that he

will reduce the size of its force from

9,500 to 9,000.

Mr. Cameron says the reduction

reflects progress made by the Afghan

national security force. He said the

decision was not only right for Britain,

but also right for Afghanistan.

His announcement comes a day after

he returned from a two-day trip to

Afghanistan to meet British soldiers

and hold talks with Afghan President

Hamid Karzai.

Last month, U.S. President Barack

Obama announced he would withdraw

33,000 of 100,000 American troops

over the next 14 months.

Sayfa 64

Germany said it would soon start to

reduce its contingent of 5,000 armed

forces by the end of this year.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has

also said his country's troops would be

withdrawn in roughly the same

proportion and on a similar schedule

as that of the United States. France

has 4,000 troops in Afghanistan.

All international combat troops are set

to leave Afghanistan by the end of

2014, transferring security control to

local forces.

http://www.aopnews.com/today.html

Cargo plane crashes in Afghanistan

Press TV

A cargo plane has crashed in eastern

Afghanistan, killing at least nine crew

members and causing a major fire on a

mountain top.

The aircraft hit a mountain peak some

50 km north of the Afghan capital of

Kabul late Tuesday.

Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah

Mujahid, has claimed responsibility for

the incident, a Press TV correspondent

reported. However, it is still not clear

what caused the crash.

Sayed Aleem Agha, a top official in

Sayagred district of Parwan province,

said the plane's crew members were

feared dead but that rescue workers

had not yet reached the crash site.

"I saw a huge fire as a result of the

crash,'' said Agha. "My guess is that it

was a big cargo plane because the fire

lasted for a long time.''

Transport and interior ministry officials

said the plane was chartered by

NATO's International Security

Assistance Force but a spokesman for

the military alliance said it was not yet

clear who was running the flight.

However, according to the Press TV

sources, the coalition's cargo plane

belonged to Azerbaijan and the nine

killed in the incident were Azerbaijani

crew members.

An airport official also confirmed that

the aircraft was an IL-76 cargo plane.

Sayfa 65

http://www.aopnews.com/today.html

Afghan gov't launches search, rescue

mission for crashed cargo plane

(Xinhua) -- A joint team of Afghan

Defense, Interior and Transport

ministries launched a search and

rescue operation on Wednesday to

locate and recover the bodies if any, of

the cargo plane that crashed overnight

in Parwan province 55 km north of

capital city Kabul, an official said.

"A joint team of the Ministry of

Transportation and Civil Aviation,

Ministry of Interior and Defense has

been sent to the site where the plane

crashed in the wee hours of today,"

Nangialy Qalatwal the spokesman for

Ministry of Transport and civil aviation

told Xinhua.

He said the site of the incident has

been located in Ghorband district of

Parwan province, a mountainous area

with difficult terrain. "There were nine

crewmembers aboard the cargo

aircraft IL-76 of the Azerbaijani cargo

airliner, chartered by NATO-led forces

to transport supplies," Qalatwal

added.

However, he could not provide details

if there were casualties or survival

among the people on board the ill-

fated plane.

Earlier, President of Kabul

International Airport Mohammad

Yaqub Rassuli told Xinhua that officials

from air control service reported to

him at around 00:30 a.m. on

Wednesday that the plane was

disappeared from radar.

However, according to Rasuli the plane

was flying from Azerbaijan to Bagram

military airfield, the main U.S. military

base, 50 km north of Kabul and there

might be five to eight people aboard.

The cause of the crash has yet to be

determined.

http://www.aopnews.com/today.html

Three US troops killed in Afghan war

Press TV

Sayfa 66

Militants have killed three American

soldiers and wounded 29 others in

eastern Afghanistan, the US military

has confirmed.

A US military commander in

Afghanistan has confirmed that the

soldiers were killed during a military

operation in the eastern province of

Kunar, a Press TV correspondent

reported on Wednesday.

The death toll is expected to rise as

some of the injured soldiers are said to

be in critical condition.

At least 289 foreign soldiers have been

killed in Afghanistan so far this year.

At least 2,570 US-led soldiers have

been killed in Afghanistan since the

US-led invasion of the country in 2001,

according to icasualties.

The security situation remains fragile

in Afghanistan despite the presence of

at least 150,000 US-led foreign forces

in the country.

The increasing number of troop

casualties in Afghanistan has caused

widespread anger in the US and other

NATO member states, undermining

public support for the Afghan war.

http://www.aopnews.com/today.html

*This media summary is prepared by ORSAM

Middle East Research Assistants Nebahat

Tanrıverdi O and Sercan Doğan. It covers news and

commentaries as reported by the national media

sources publishing in the Middle Eastern countries.

The views expressed are not those of ORSAM and

their inclusion does not imply factual accuracy.

*Bu bülten ORSAM Ortadoğu Uzman Yardımcıları

Nebahat Tanrıverdi O ve Sercan Doğan tarafından

hazırlanmaktadır. Bülten Ortadoğu ülkelerinin yerel

haber kaynaklarından derlenmektedir. Belirtilen

görüşler bölge ülkelerinin haber kaynaklarına ve

ismi geçen yazarlara ait olup ORSAM’ın görüşünü

yansıtmamaktadır.