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DEC 2013 - JAN 2014 VOLUME 6 NO11 PRICE 2.00 , $3.00, 2
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BIAfrica internet
country code
Africa News Agency
10 Beaufort Cour
Admirals Way
Marsh Wal
London E14 9XL
United Kingdom
tel: + 44 20 7987 9588
fax: + 44 20 7987 9923
Reporting African Affairsand Events to the World
www.africanewsagency.co.uk
www.africanewsagency.net
www.africanewsagency.info
www.africanewsagency.org email: [email protected]
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contents
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02 Editorial
03 Letters to the Editor
04 News and Briefs
13 Over the Top
COVER STORY
16 Implications of theIran question
17 Iran nuclear: Deal or no deal?
18 Iran takes centre stagein global politics
19 Good deal or bad one?
20 Iran Nuclear Accord: Firststep in a long journey
21 Secret talks that led toIrans nuclear deal
22 US-Iran relations: Abrief timeline
FEATURES24 The rise and rise of
Europes far-right
25 Ailing Bouteflika to seekfour-term presidency
26 Opposition regroups forGeneva talks in January
27 EU deplores Russianpressure on Ukraine
28 Chinas air defence moveincreases tension
29 The crumbling influenceof the US in Egypt
30 Weak Syrian oppositionand Saudi influence
overshadow Geneva-2
31 Chiles presidential front-runner fails to avoid run-off
32 Erdogans peace move withIraqi Kurdish leader
33 CAR and the threat ofRwanda-style genocide
34 Karzai refuses to extend UStroop mandate past 2014
35 The Syrian conflict willlinger on for some time
36 Environment
37 Innovations
38 Business Briefs
48 Arts & Entertainment
50 Travel & Tourism
52 Science News
54 Motoring
56 Book Reviews
58 ICT
62 Sports
64 Life & Style
32
27
63
55 30
25
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TRAVEL & TOURISM EDITORMichael Barnard
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&news
brefs
Brotherhood trials toresume 11 DecemberThe trial of the Egyptian Muslim
Brotherhood chief and his deputie
on charges related to protest death
will resume on 11 December, afte
the previous judges withdrew.
The three judges who had
presided over the trial of Mohame
Badie and 34 co-defendants
including his two deputies
recused themselves on 29 Octobe
for what they said were reason
of conscience.
The accused face charges o
inciting the murders of nin
protesters who stormed th
Brotherhoods Cairo headquarter
on 30 June.
If found guilty, they could fac
the death penalty. Three othe
accused face murder charges whil
29 are charged with participating
in acts of violence.
Mohammed Morsi, Egypts firs
democratically elected president
was ousted by the army on 3 July
His supporters deny any wrong
doing and point to the Muslim
Brotherhoods victories in election
held after Mubaraks overthrow
Morsi himself was put on trial on
4 November.
The trials are part of a massiv
crackdown on the Brotherhood by
the military-installed authoritie
since 3 July. More than 1,00
people have been killed since Mors
was deposed mainly his supporter
and the authorities have arrested
some 2,000 people, including mos
of the Brotherhoods leadership.
Some of the worlds biggest
broadcasters urged the UN Security
Council to take greater action over
the killing of journalists in conflict
zones.
The organisations including the
BBC, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation and Japans NHK said
the dangers facing their reporters
were making it difficult to provide
accurate news from some corners of
the world.
Increasing violence and
intimidation against journalists
means that the work of international
broadcasters is being impeded, the
statement said.
We are deeply concerned that
in some parts of the world acts
and threats of violence against
journalists are growing in scale and
intensity.
The statement was also issued on
behalf of the Broadcasting Board
of Governors from the United
States, France Medias Monde,
Radio Netherlands Worldwide and
Germanys Deutsche Welle.
It cited the deaths of journalists
this year in Mali, Egypt, Syria,
Somalia, Pakistan and Mexico,
plus increasing numbers of arrests
and violence towards journalists in
Yemen.
A total around the world of over
60 journalists, bloggers and citizen
journalists have been killed with
around 340 imprisoned, it said,
quoting figures from Reporters
Without Borders.
United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1738 says journalists
should be treated as civilians in
conflict zones and therefore attacks
on them could be considered as war
crimes. The broadcasters expressed
concern that the 2006 resolution has
not led to an overall improvement in
the situation.
We urge the Security Council to be
more proactive in making the world
aware of this problem, especially
with regard to the impunity of those
who attack journalists and media
workers, they said. In too many
cases, journalists are killed and
governments do little, or nothing,
they added.
Broadcasters urge UNaction on journalist deaths
Peace talks with Israel will continue
for the full nine months as agreed
with Washington regardless of what
happens on the ground, Palestinian
president Mahmud Abbas told AFP
last month.
We have committed to continue
the negotiations for nine months,
regardless of what happens on the
ground.
We are committed and we will go
to the full nine months, and then we
will take the appropriate decision,
Abbas said.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks tocontinue for 9 months, Abbas
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Species protectionneeded at 78 sitesA scientific study published
last month identifies 78 sites
worldwide in dire need of
environmental protection becausethey harbor species that could go
extinct.
Many of the locations are
already in protected areas of 34
countries. Together they contain
populations of birds, amphibians,
and mammals that are globally
threatened.
Some are already designated
for protection under the UNESCO
World Heritage Convention,
including Ecuadors Galapagos
Islands, Perus Manu National
Park and Indias Western Ghats.
Other areas do not have the same
level of recognition, including
Tanzanias Udzungwa Mountains
National Park and Cubas Cienaga
de Zapata Wetland of International
Importance.
The most irreplaceable spot in
the world for threatened species
among 173,000 conservation
areas studied went to Colombias
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Natural National Park.
These exceptional places would
all be strong candidates for World
Heritage status, said Soizic Le
Saout, lead author of the study
which appears in the journal
Science. Such recognition would
ensure effective protection of the
unique biodiversity in these areas,
given the rigorous standards
required for World Heritage
sites.
The study was based on an
international collaboration
between the Centre for Functional
and Evolutionary Ecology in
France,
International Union for
Nature Conservation, the World
Conservation Monitoring Centre,
and BirdLife International.
Looking for a new role, NATO is
pressing ahead with a high-tech,
high-security headquarters to replace
the supposedly temporary residence
it occupied for the last 50 years.
Halfway through construction,the futuristic building of all-glass
facades and interlocking concrete
wings on the outskirts of Brussels
is fast taking shape.
We are on track with the calendar
and the budget, said Tony Carruth,
head of the NATO headquarters
project.
The US-led military alliance was
born in the Cold War stand-off with
the Soviet Union, but since the 11
September 2001 terror attacks on
the United States, it has taken on a
wider scope of operations, playing a
key role in Afghanistan.
Next year, however, the NATO
Afghanistan mission comes to an
end, with the focus switching to a
future of cyber- and information-
warfare.
The new HQ will cost about
750 million euros ($1 billion), a
big enough budget to raise some
eyebrows when militaries around
the world are complaining about stiff
budget cuts.
Member states approved the
headquarters plans in 1999, well
before the global economic slump, in
what was seen as a vote of confidence
in NATOs future after the collapse of
the Soviet Union.
The current HQ, just across a
busy highway out to the airport,
dates from 1967 and was originally
meant to be a stop-gap solution after
then-host France withdrew from
NATOs military structures and
commitments.
France returned to full membership
in the alliance in 2009.
The alliance now counts 28
members, up from 15 in 1967, as it
has welcomed into the fold many ex-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe.
A major part of the new HQs
budget is devoted to security in its
widest sense for the 4,000 people
working there each day.
Security is clearly a priority
for an institution such as NATO,
said Colonel Lieen Vahheste, who is
overseeing the works on behalf of the
Belgian government.
Just as the September 11 attacks
changed NATOs role, so they
changed the buildings requirements.
Indeed, the facades and glass areas,
including a huge central atrium
where the wings join, are reinforced
and protected against possible bomb
blasts. Similarly, the perimeter has
been upgraded with an anti-intruder
system to deter unwanted visitors.
As for the new threats of cyber-
attacks and espionage, officials are
extremely circumspect in what they
will say, with the subject made even
more sensitive by recent revelations
of US spying on its allies.
Brussels, home to the major
institutions of the European Union
and many other international
groups and businesses, plus a large
diplomatic corps, has long been
considered a real spies nest.
Despite such concerns, the new HQ
will not be a bunker, Klimow said.
The new building is a vote of
confidence in the future of NATO,
said alliance spokeswoman Oana
Lungescu.
NATO high-tech headquarters
In Africa, 90% of the work of
gathering water and wood, for the
household and for food preparation,
is done by women. Providing access
to clean water close to the home
can dramatically reduce womens
workloads, and free up time for
other economic activities. For their
daughters, this time can be used to
attend school.
90% of daily tasks performed by African women
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&news brefs2013 one ofwarmest on recordThis year is likely to b
among the top 10 warmest on
record, according to the World
Meteorological Organisation.It continues a pattern of high
temperatures blamed directly on
man-made climate change.
The president of the World
Bank, Jim Yong Kim, told BBC
that warming could no longer b
ignored.
He urged action to reduc
emissions to minimise the likelihood
of disasters like Typhoon Haiyan
which has claimed thousands o
lives in the Philippines.
Todays statement is provisional
pending weather patterns to th
end of the year, but it confirm
that global sea level reached a new
record high.
Kim urged governments to end
subsidies for fossil fuels and giv
people clean energy sources.
The Philippines is not the only
place to experience extrem
weather: in 2012, the US suffered
record high temperatures; thi
year was the turn of Australia. I
recorded its warmest 12-month
period on record in the perio
ending in August. This record
was broken in the 12 months from
September 2012 to Septembe
2013 and again in the 12 month
to October.
Despite the record temperatures
climate change has proved
politically explosive in Australia
with the new governmen
scrapping a controversial carbon
tax and refusing to pay into
fund to help poor countries mos
affected by climate change.
The results of a study in Europe,
the USA and Asia by Bluewater
have revealed that almost fifty-five
percent (54.7%) of householders
are concerned about the quality of
their tap drinking water.
One thousand people in ten
countries from Sweden in
northernmost Europe to Russia,
the United States, China, Indonesia
and Japan took part in the study,
with 36.5 per cent revealing they
avoid drinking water directly from
the tap.
Some 44.5 per cent of those
questioned said their water was
contaminated, tasted or smelt
bad or appeared clouded with
particles.
Nine per cent of Swedes, 10
per cent of Russians, 13 per cent
of Indonesians and 16 per cent of
Chinese actually described their
tap water as being frequently
undrinkable.
The study showed that 43.2 per
cent of all respondents felt obliged
to boil or filter their water before
drinking it. Even in wealthy
countries such as Japan (40%),
USA (40%), United Kingdom (31%)
and Germany (29%), householders
said concerns about tap water
led householders to drink bottled
water or boil, filter or distill tap
water.
The survey clearly indicated
that informing householders
about the safety and the purity
of their drinking water should be
a national priority of countries
globally, in both the developed and
developing worlds.
Altogether, 66.1 per cent of those
questioned said they were deeply
worried to learn that the world
health organization has warned
only about one-third of the worlds
potential fresh water can be used
for human needs due to increased
pollution from municipal and
industrial waste and the leeching
of fertilizers and pesticides in
agriculture.
55% of householders concernedabout quality of drinking water
Microsoft said it has opened a
new cybercrime center, using its
resources to combat malware,
intellectual property theft, child
exploitation and other ills in
cyberspace.
The Microsoft Cybercrime Center
is where our experts come together
with customers and partners to
focus on one thing: keeping people
safe online, said David Finn of the
Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit.
By combining sophisticated
tools and technology with the
right skills and new perspectives,
we can make the Internet safer for
everyone.
The center on Microsofts campus
in Redmond, Washington, uses
technology to visualize and identify
online organized crime networks,
child pornography, online fraud
and other crimes. It also has a
secure location for third-party
partners, including from academia
and law enforcement.
Microsoft opens cybercrimecentre in Washington
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Afghanistans opium production
surged to record levels this year, despite
international efforts over the past decade
to wean the country off the narcotics
trade, according to a report by the UNs
drug control agency.
The harvest this May resulted in 5,500metric tons of opium, 49% higher than
last year and more than the combined
output of the rest of the world. Even
Afghan provinces with some past
successes in combating poppy cultivation
saw those trends reversed, according to
this years annual UN Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC) report.
The withdrawal of foreign troops next
year is likely to make matters worse,
said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, the UNODC
regional representative in Kabul. He
warned that as international assistance
falls off, the Afghan government will
become increasingly reliant on illicit
sources of income.
Uncertainty is also driving up poppy
production, as farmers worried about
the countrys future turn to the tried
and tested.
The big increase in production began
in 2010 when farmers rushed to plant
to take advantage of soaring prices,
a result of a crop disease the previousyear, the US military surge in the south
and the announcement of the US and
NATOs transition out of Afghanistan,
Mr Lemahieu said.
He added that those who benefit
from the drug trade include farmers,
insurgents and many within the
government. Often, he said, they work
together.
Past attempts by the international
community to combat opium cultivation
have included introducing alternative
crops and paying farmers in some areas
not to plant poppies. That backfired
when farmers elsewhere started
growing poppies in the hopes of getting
money if they stopped.
Cultivation also appears to bespreading to new parts of the country
- with Afghans planting poppies in
516,450 acres across 17 provinces this
year, compared with 380,540 acres
in 15 provinces last year, according
to the report. The vast majority of
Afghanistans poppy cultivation takes
place in the south, south west and east,
areas where the Taliban insurgency
is thriving. But Kabul province in
central Afghanistan saw a major spike,
with a 148% increase in cultivation
between 2012 and 2013. The report also
highlights the fact that Afghanistan
has expanded its social services to deal
with a growing addiction problem at
home.
Record Afghan opium production
The 2013 International Hydrology
Prize has been awarded to
Professor Gnther Blschl of the
Vienna University of Technology
(TU Wien) in Austria in recognition
of his pioneering work on
linking patterns and processes
in catchment hydrology and
for his inspirational leadership
in advancing Predictions in
Ungauged Basins (PUB).
The International Hydrology Prize is
awarded annually on an individual
basis in recognition of an outstanding
contribution to the science.
The Committee consists of the
President and a Vice-President of
the International Association of
Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and
representatives of UNESCO and the
World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO).
2013 hydrology prize awarded toGnther Blschl
Amazon rainforestholds 390bn trees,researchersA team of experts have established
that there are 390bn trees in the
Amazon Rainforest using data
from more than 1,170 forestry
surveys.
About 6,000 out of the 16,000
type of tree identified are at risk
of extinction, according to the
findings published in journal
Science. The study will help in the
fight to protect the rainforest from
loggers, by allowing ecologists to
see which species face the greatest
threats.Afghanistan rebuffed a US demand
to sign a key security pact as soon
as possible, insisting the document
must wait until after next years
presidential election.
Washington warned Afghanistan
to sign the Bilateral Security
Agreement (BSA) pact, with top
officials hinting that delaying beyond
the end of this year could mean no
post-2014 US troop presence.
President Hamid Karzai had
said the pact currently under
consideration by a loya jirga, a
meeting of tribal chieftains, could
only be signed when our elections
are conducted, correctly and with
dignity.
Around 2,500 tribal chieftains,
community elders and politicians
began debating the deal with the US
which will shape Washingtons future
Afghanistan rebuffs US demandto sign security deal
military presence in Afghanistan.
Supporters of the deal say it is
vital for after 2014, when the bulk
of NATOs 75,000 troops will pull
out. The Taliban insurgency this
year has reached levels of violence
not seen since 2010, according to
the United Nations.
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&news brefs
Brazil Amazondeforestation rose28% in past yearDeforestation in Brazils Amazon
region rose 28 percent ove
the past year, Environmen
Minister Izabella Teixeira said on
Thursday.
We confirm a 28-percen
increase in the rate o
deforestation, reaching 5,843
km2 (2256 sq mi), Teixeira
told a press conference, citing
provisional statistics for Augus
2012 through July this year.
One in ten of the worlds population
will have diabetes by 2035 according to
the International Diabetes Federation
(IDF). The latest edition IDF Diabetes
Atlas, published on World Diabetes
Day, estimates that people living with
diabetes will surge from 382 million
to 592 million people by 2035, many
in low and middle income countries
and the majority under 60. This surge
will form the backdrop of the World
Diabetes Congress in Melbourne,
Australia this December.
In some Pacific Island nations
there has been an alarming surge in
diabetes prevalence. One adult in three
has the disease on the Pacific Island
of Tokelau, providing a microcosm of
how diabetes could play out in more
populous nations within the coming
decades. Sub-Saharan Africa will see
a doubling in the number of people
with diabetes by 2035, the largest
surge of any region in the world.
The new figures show that the
upward trend will continue and by
the end of 2013, 5.1 million people
will have died from diabetes related
complications. With 175 million
undiagnosed cases many people are
progressing towards complications
unawares.
China with 98 million, India with
65 million and the USA with 24
million have the highest numbers
of people with diabetes. Regionally
the Western Pacific, which includes
countries such as Australia, China
and Japan, has 138 million people
with diabetes, the highest number of
people with the disease in the world.
Other findings from the 6th edition
Diabetes Atlas include:
548 billion USD were spent on
diabetes in 2013
North America spends the most
healthcare dollars on diabetes
In South East Asia almost half
of all people with diabetes are
undiagnosed
The Western Pacific has the largest
number of people with diabetes in the
world
In Africa, three quarters of diabetes
deaths are in people under 60 years
old
In the Middle East and North Africa,
one in ten people have diabetes
In South and Central America,
there will be a 60% increase in the
number of people with diabetes
within a generation
Worldwide surge in diabetes, IDF
Hezbollah threatenwar if Israel blocks
Iran nuclear dealThe leader of the Hezbolla
movement has warned of
regional war if Israel blocks
nuclear deal between the Unite
States and Iran.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah
remarks came in two rare publ
appearances in Beirut, in whic
he also promised that his Irania
backed militia would continue
fight on behalf of President Assa
of Syria, a key ally of Iran.
Hezbollah has deploye
thousands of its highly motivate
well-trained fighters into Syri
reports say. Its fighters hav
played a key role lately in helpin
the Assad regime to win bac
territory to the south of Damascu
and roll back rebel forces in Alepp
Province.
China made its first major change to its
controversial one-child policy in three-
decades to grapple with a massive shift
in its population toward the elderly and
to combat a looming worker shortage..
The government announced last
month that Chinese families will
be able to have two children if one
spouse or parent has no siblings. This
is the first easing of a policy that has
dictated Chinese family life since it was
introduced by the Communist Party in
1979. Ironically, the one-child policy,
which was introduced to help the
impoverished country feed its people
is partly responsible for an impending
worker shortage, which shrink the
labor force and lead to pressuring
wages. In a press release last month,
Chinese humanitarian group All
Girls Allowed said that by 2050,
Chinas population will be declining
by 20 million every five years and
one out of four people will be over the
age of 65. Chinas elderly population,
which is 11 percent of the population
today, is estimated to climb up to 31
per cent by 2050.
China is growing old not rich
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Sarkozy couldlaunch comebackin 2014Former French president Nicolas
Sarkozy could take advantage of
next years local and European
elections to launch a comeback,Brice Hortefeux, a former
government minister and close
aide told a Europe 1 radio station.
In recent months, Nicolas Sarkozys
has limited his public appearances
to the front-row of concerts with
his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
and non-committal comments at
closed-door business meetings.
Sarkozy is planning to raise his
visibility by campaigning publicly
for Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet in
her bid to become the mayor of
Paris next March. She is leading
the charge as Sarkozys UMP party
seeks to challenge the floundering
left-wing administration. Sarkosy
also plans to take part in the
European Parliamentary elections
campaign in June. The UMPs
German counterpart, Angela
Merkels conservative CDU party,
has also invited him to speak in
Berlin in the spring.
Pakistani schoolgirl Malala
Yousafzai was awarded the
prestigious European Union (EU)
Sakharov human rights prize last
month for her fight for childrens
rights to education. Last year shesurvived a Taliban murder attempt
after speaking out against them.
To thunderous applause
announcing the European
Parliament prize, the assemblys
president Martin Schulz praised the
16-year-old activist as a survivor, a
heroine and an extraordinary young
woman and said: You have given
hope to millions of people.
Malala became the 25th winner of
the Sakharov prize at the ceremony
significantly held on World
Childrens Day, with 21 of the former
winners present.
Accepting the award in the nameof God, she spoke out for the 57
million children in the world deprived
of education, insisting too on the
lack of schooling for girls, often
due to forced marriages, trafficking,
poverty and sexual violence.
Children dont want an Iphone, an
Xbox or chocolates, she concluded as
lawmakers rose to their feet, They
just want a book and a pen.
Pakistani Malala awarded Sakharov prize
Germany plansown internetGermany is working on turning
the World Wide Web into the
Internetz, an entirely German
internet in response to public
outrage over US spying.
The project, named by combining
the German words for internet
and network, is being led by a
team at Deutsche Telecom, the
partly state-owned company that
controls most of the nations cable
infrastructure. It would mean
that users could send e-mails
and surf websites knowing that
their data would never be stored
on foreign computer servers or
travel on cables outside German
jurisdiction.
World food prices are stabilising
after a long period of extreme
volatility, the UNs food agency said
last month, as it presented new
data showing food prices rose only
slightly in October.
The Rome-based Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said
that the trend was due to improved
supplies and a recovery in global
inventories of cereals.
The increase in cereal production
this year is due mainly to a recovery
of maize crops in the United States
and record wheat harvests in the
former Soviet Union, FAO said,
adding that world rice production
would grow but more modestly.
FAO forecast world sugar
production would increase only
slightly in 2013 and 2014 and
mainly in Brazil, the worlds largest
sugar producer. Meanwhile world
sugar consumption is expected
to grow by about 2.0 percent in
2013-2014.
World food prices steady, UN
Britain has appointed a new charge
daffaires to Tehran despite the
impasse in talks on curbing Irans
nuclear plans.
Ajay Sharma, a Farsi speaker, will
be based in London but will travel
regularly to Iran.
Mr Sharma is the head of the Iran
department at the Foreign Office and
served as deputy head of mission in
2008.
His appointment essentially
restores a channel of diplomatic
communication that was severed two
years ago when Iranian protesters
ransacked the British Embassy
compound in Tehran, burning the
Union Jack.
The conciliatory gesture came as
British Foreign Secretary William
Hague said there differences to
be resolved on Irans nuclear plans
but that Most of these gaps are now
narrow.
Britain to reopen embassy in Tehran
8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13
11/699 NORTHSOUTHDEC 2013 - JAN 2014
&news brefs
Spy plane getsanywhereWorldwide in 1 hourLockheed Martin is working on
a new hypersonic spy plane tha
is capable of flying 6 times faste
than the speed of sound, tha
represnts more than 3,500 MPH
(5,632 km/ per hour). This plane
named the SR-72, will fly as high
as 80,000 feet and be able to ge
anywhere in the world within
an hour. Lockheed says this wil
be a game changer for militar
surveillance.
Israel-US discord deepens over Iran talksIsrael plans to derail a nuclear
deal with Iran and will recruit US
Congress members to block President
Barack Obama from signing any
agreement, reports say.
Naftali Bennett, leader of Ultra-
nationalist Jewish Home party and
Economy is believed to be lobbying
Congress members as tensions
between the traditional allies plunge
to a new low.
The bad blood has continued, with
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu vowing to scupper any
deal. Meanwhile, US Secretary
of State John Kerry has rejected
the Israeli leaders accusations of
naivety over the Iran issue saying
We are not blind, and we are not
stupid.
Mr Kerry labelled Mr Netanyahus
reaction as premature, saying the
Israeli leader was not even aware of
the details of the deal. Mr Kerry also
questioned Israels commitment to
negotiations with the Palestinians, a
move said to have left Mr Netanyahu
fuming.
China to embark ona decade of reformFree markets will play a decisive
role in shaping China as the
next superpower, according to
a communiqu at the end of a
meeting by the Third Plenum of
the 18th Communist Party Central
Committee. The communiqu
described the meeting as the crucible
of unprecedented reform and has
been hailed by political analysts as
the signal of a critical ideological
breakthrough at the heart of the
Communist party. Analysts also said
that the communiqu could establish
President Xi Jinping as a pivotal
figure of reform.
Possibility of 20bnEarth-like planets
Our Milky Way galaxy contains
more than 20 billion Earth-like
planets with temperatures that could
sustain life, according to analysis by
Nasas planet-hunting satellite, the
most comprehensive survey to date
of habitable planets beyond the solar
system.
EU wants USsurveillanceprotection
The European Commission called
for new protection for Europeans
under US law against misuse of
personal data in an attempt to keep
in check the surveillance revealed by
former US National Security Agency
contractor Edward Snowden.
EU justice commissioner Viviane
Reding said she wanted US legislative
change before mid-2014.
Iran and Turkey calfor ceasefire beforeSyria talks
Irans top diplomat said in Tehra
that his country and Turkey wou
press for a ceasefire in Syria ahea
of peace talks planned in Geneva o
for 22 January 2014.
All our efforts should be carrie
out to finish the conflict and reac
a ceasefire even before Geneva 2
Foreign Minister Mohammad Java
Zarif said during a press conferen
with his Turkish counterpart Ahm
Davutoglu.
Iran and Turkey have simil
standpoints on several issue
including that there is no militar
solution to the Syrian crisis, sa
Zarif.
Davutoglu also voiced support f
efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefi
in Syria.
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NORTHSOUTH DEC 2013 - JAN 2014
Mali legislativeelections secondround 15 DecemberFollowing the provisional results
announced after the legislative
elections in Mali on 24 November,
a second round is scheduled for 15December to elect 147 members of
the general assembly.
No party or coalition won the
majority in the first round.
Some 6.5 million voters are
eligible to vote but those who
voted represent about 38.4% of
the electorate that is about 10 per
cent less than the second round of
the presidential elections that took
place on 11 August.
TokyosChristmas lightsVisitors are delighted by the
Christmas illumination at Tokyos
Midtown complex. The Starlight
Garden, a fantasy of display
by 280,000 LEDs, attracts and
mesmerizes visitors during the
holiday season.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe has urged China to scrap
new measures to restrict flights
over disputed territory in the EastChina Sea.
Beijing announced rules last
month that effectively demanded
Chinese control over the airspace
above a swathe of the East China
Sea criss-crossed by vital transport
lanes. The zone covers the Japanese-
controlled Senkaku islands, which
Beijing claims as the Diaoyus,
where ships and aircraft from the
two countries already shadow each
other in a dangerous game of cat
and mouse.
Two unarmed US military aircraft
have flown over the disputed
islands in the East China Sea
without informing China whichhas asserted its control over the
airspace, a Pentagon spokesman
said.
Other states in the region have
also flown aircrafts without
announcing their flight plans.
The announcement of the zone
seemed popular in China, where a
poll by the state-run Global Times
newspaper showed nearly 85
percent of respondents believe the
zone would safeguard airspace
security.
Abe urges China towithdraw air plan
NASA launchesspacecraft to studyMars atmosphere
NASA launched its unmanned
explorer Maven last month to
study the mystery of how Mars
lost both its warmth and water
in a first-ever survey of the Red
Planets upper atmosphere. The
spacecraft is expected to arrive in
September, 2014.
The explosive growth and
proliferating uses of surveillance
technology has had an impact on
intellectual freedom, creativity
and social discovery, according
to a study National Public Radio
reported.
Researchers found that a number
of American writers are not only
worried about the government
surveillance, but are engaging in
self-censorship as a result. This
might be because, historically,
aggressive surveillance regimes
have limited discourses and
distorted the flow of information
and ideas.
The study, conducted last month
by the PEN American Center -
worlds leading literary and human
rights organization - and the
FDR Group, surveyed 528 PEN
members.
Based on those surveyed, 16
percent of those surveyed said they
have avoided writing or speaking
on a particular topic and 11 percent
have seriously considered it.
Writers are self-censoring their
work and their online activity due
to their fears that commenting
on, researching, or writing about
certain issues will cause them
harm, according to the report.
Writers reported self-censoring on
subjects including military affairs,
the Middle East North Africa
region, mass incarceration, drug
policies, pornography, the Occupy
movement, the study of certain
languages, and criticism of the U.S.
government.
They also found that 85 percent
of writers were worried about
government surveillance of
Americans and 73 percent said they
have never been as worried about
privacy rights and freedom of the
press as they are today.
According to NPR, the writer
William T. Vollmann brought
concerns about government
surveillance into the public eye
with a Harpers article in which he
revealed that he had been watched
by the FBI.
US surveillance impacts onAmerican writers, report
8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13
13/69
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Ali Bahaijoub
WESTERN SAHARACONFLICT:
Historical, regional and internationaldimensions
8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13
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NORTHSOUTH DEC 2013 - JAN 2014
Most expensivehand bag inthe worldThis is the most expensive hand
bag in the world costing $3.8
million (2.4 million). It has been
recorded by the Guinness Book of
World Records as the worlds most
expensive handbag. It is the work
of the swanky jeweller Mouawad.
When it comes to female arm
status symbols, this heart-shaped
glittering object is the tops. This
solid 18-carat gold bag is encrusted
with 4,517 diamonds 4,356
clear, 105 yellow and 56 pink,
totalling a Crown Jewels-worthy
381.92 carats. It is the only one in
existence. Mouawad is a privately
held multinational jewelry and
timepiece company that designs,
manufacturers, and sells jewelry
collections, haute joaillerie,
objects of art, and luxury watches.
Mouawad is headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland and has
its Middle East headquarters at
Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai.
theover top!
Oscar Almaguer, 83, has lived in his
car since his divorce 10 years ago.
His 1967 Volkswagen Beetle spends
most of its time in Apodaca on the
outskirts of Monterrey in Mexico.
Almaguer keeps his belongings in
the trunk, including a bucket of
water for washing, some petrol and
a pair of shoes. Cutlery and a plastic
cup are stored in the ceiling, while
a salt-shaker, a bottle of hot sauce
and a container of coffee is kept in
the door.
But despite all this, the car still
works. The wheels and seats are
from another Volkswagen model.
Instead of a gear-stick Almaguer
uses a plastic bathroom pipe. And the
engine, which comes from a modern
VW Sedan, is just about in decent
condition - although Almaguer has
to start it by short-circuiting two
wires under the bonnet.
Man spent 10 years in his car
Worlds tallest manfinds love at last
Sultan Kosen, who stands at
2.52m (8ft 3in) tall, had given up
on finding love as women were
put off by his stature until he
met Merve Dibo.
The couple wed in Turkey and
even though farmer Mr Kosen, 30,
towers over Ms Dibo, who stands
at 1.73m (5ft 8in) tall, the couple
couldnt be happier, he said.
Now I will have my own
family and private life, he told
reporters.
Recalling his long search for
love and happiness, he added:
How unfortunate I could not find
a suitable girl of my own size.
But in my fiancee Ive found the
person for me.
Now his dream of finding love has
come true, he hopes to find a car big
enough for his huge frame so his
bride can travel by his side.
Worlds longestmoustacheIndias Ram Singh Chauhan, who
hails from the city of Jaipur in
Rajasthan state, has spent 32 years
cultivating his moustashe, which
measures 14-feet long. Chauhan, 58,
spends two hours a day grooming
and his tash even landed him a part
in James Bond movie Octopussy.
I havent used a shaving blade
on my moustache, or trimmed
them since 1970, Chauhan said.
The moustache is the symbol
of pride and respect. In ancient
India, a moustache meant
everything. It is priceless. Its a
man thing, he added.
8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13
15/6914 NORTHSOUTHDEC 2013 - JAN 2014
Crashed Ferrarisells for $250,000A sculptor has sold a smashed
Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 fo
$250,000. Owner Bertrand Lavier
unceremoniously binned the ca
as part of the so-called ready
made movement, which consider
everyday objects as art. Whethe
binning it was intentional or no
remains unclear. Either way
Lavier was so overwhelmed by th
beauty of the written-off car tha
he sold it immediately to a Turkish
man for $250,000.
A naked man shut down part of
central London when he straddled a
statue of the Duke of Cambridge.
It was not a likeness of Prince
William that was being assaulted
- but the statue of the Duke of
Cambridge was the previous owner
of that title, Prince George.
Police closed 100 metres of road
outside Whitehall - where a number
of government departments aresituated - to keep the public away
from the potentially dangerous man
on the Duke of Cambridge statue as
several ambulances and police cars
gathered for about three hours.
Scotland Yard police said it was
believed that the man might have a
knife.
He was coaxed down and put into
the back of a police van.
The man was believed to have been
clothed when he climbed on to the
statue.
Naked man straddles PrinceGeorge statue in London
A Michigan strip club owner has
bought the house next door to his ex-
wife and erected a giant middle finger
in the back yard. Alan Markovitz, who
owns a series of strip clubs in Detroit
in the United States, spent $7,000
erecting the 12 foot tall bronze statue
facing the house owned by ex-wife Lea
Tuohy. He bought the house after an
estate agent coincidentally showed
him the house next door to Luohy.
The pictures were posted on Twitter
by Tuohys daughter, Lenka. But he
says the middle finger salute isnt
aimed at her, but at her new partner -
with whom she started an affair while
she and Markovitz were still married.
Markovitz told a local newspaper Im
so over her. This is about him. This is
about him not being a man. Markovitz
wrote an autobiography, modestly
entitled Topless Prophet: The True
Story of Americas Most Successful
Gentlemans Club Entrepreneur.
Man builds middle fingerstatue next door to ex-wife
A basket case
With no rear view and no side view
vehicles from behind will have difficul
knowing when this motorcycli
decides to turn left or right.
Gone bananasHe may have gone bananas but
least there is room for vehicles
overtake and he has not blocked h
rear view.
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NEWS & VIEWS TO BRIDGE THE GLOBAL DIVID
NORTHSOUTH DEC 2013 - JAN 2014
Purple houseon the marketfor $640,000At first glance, this house looks
like any other large and impressive
suburban semi-detached. Insided,
however, the house is completely
purple. The carpets and walls
are all violet-coloured. Even
the kitchen of the property in
Hillingdon, Middlesex, England
is decked out in the colour. On the
market for $640,000, the house
has been described as having a
family-inspired design by Estate
Agents Rightmove, which have it
advertised on its website. It also
says it is maintained to a high
standard. A potential buyer is
apparently already lined up for
the property.
Caution: wide loadClearly there is no overtaking of
this vehicle as its cargo covers the
entire lane.
Spencer Matthews (pictured) is
the reality TV star from Chelsea in
London who blew $780,000 on a
night out and posted the receipt on
Twitter.
The 25-year-old incurred the
wildly extravagant bar bill forMortons private members club
in Mayfair, London, but became
evidently struck by the amount as he
shared the receipt with the caption:
Sh************t....
One tweeter said: You couldv sent
that off to the Philippines, you self-
centred p****. Spencer partied at
the 2&8 nightclub in the basementof the Berkley Square venue, which
was voted Best Private Members Club
2013. Meanwhile, the Eton-educated
Broker has recently penned a book
about his lovelife and extravagant
lifestyle, entitled Confessions of a
Chelsea Boy.
The book recounts his life growing
up on the island of St Barths where
his parents own the exclusive Eden
Rock hotel, his travels to St Tropez
and New York and his gambling
with Hollywood stars.
Spencer has also opened up
about the reasons why he split up
from American TV star Stephanie
Pratt, 27. He told MailOnline that
the couple, who had been dating for
four months, had moved in together
too fast.
Man spends $780,000 on night out
Lady Gaga in bizarre headpieceDressed like a giant furry canary, Lady Gaga leaves the Ritz Carlton hotel in
Berlin for the world premiere of her album Artpop.
8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13
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cover story
World powers and Iran nuclear foreign m
Any solution of the Iran nuclearquestion reached by theinternational community and Iran
may be acceptable to the world at
large but anathema to countries of
the Middle East since it would create
a much stronger, more influential
Iran than it is at present. Near
neighbours affected by a settlement
include Israel, Syria, Turkey and
Saudi Arabia while leaving the great
powers, led by the United States, to
determine what new policy to pursue.
Israel would regard a settlement as
bringing to an end its long-standing
relationship with the United States
since the Iran threat could no
longer be used as a lever to activate
US support for Israeli action. France
under President Francois Hollande
has decided to play a more emphatic
role in the negotiations between
the two sides and added to Frances
influence in Israel by making a
three-day state visit to it. President
Hollande was afforded a heros
welcome. Israel credited France with
thwarting a plan to ease sanctions
in return for the suspension of part
of Irans nuclear programme. At his
welcome ceremony, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said: Israel
views France as a true friend. You,
Mr. President have taken a resolute
stance regarding Syria and in the
face of Irans relentless attempts
to arm itself with nuclear weapons
which would endanger not just
Israel but regimes and countries
throughout the Middle East.
A nuclear armed Iran would also
endanger France, Europe and the
entire world. President Hollande
responded by saying: France will
not give way. So long as we are not
certain Iran has renounced nuclear
weapons we will keep in place all our
demands and sanctions. Meanwhile,
there is an ocean of distrust to
overcome.
To calm Israel, Obama has
repeatedly said he will not tolerate
an Iranian weapon. Neither Obama
nor anyone else explains why they
do tolerate Israels storehouse
(undeclared) of nuclear weapons
and a huge arsenal of chemical
weapons not to mention Israels non-
membership of the International non-
proliferation treaty to which Iran
adheres. If Iran did get a bomb of i
own and the US did not take militar
action, Israel would do so. Sau
Arabia, so far content to sit on th
sidelines, would be deeply disturbe
were Iran to create a bomb of i
own. Indeed, the two countries a
sworn geopolitical and ideologic
enemies. In the event of Iran gettin
a bomb of its own, Saudi Arab
would seek to have a bomb too an
this would set off a nuclear arm
race in the region. Israel has bee
setting red lines (final options) dow
for 10 years and Prime Minist
Netanyahu has worked tirelessly
put the issue of Iran and its nucle
ambitions top of the agenda, ahea
of Israel-Palestine peace proces
Israel does not accept the idea
limited Iranian enrichment as th
part of any deal. Netanyahu h
described the idea of such a deal
an historic mistake and has calle
upon the world to reject Irans off
to limit uranium enrichment to 2
per cent. The potential to break th
deadlock may well rest with Chin
and Japan; both countries need a
the oil they can get and they ma
not indefinitely recognise sanction
that deny them access to Irans oil.
Israel can be as intransigent
Iran and Netanyahu argues that a
agreement now would be the deal
the century for Iran. In any case, h
wants the international communi
to coerce Iran into comple
surrender. Iran, on the other han
sees its right to enrichment as i
red line. The negotiations of the ne
six months may lead to a redrawin
of the boundaries and alliances
the whole region. Guy Arno
Implications of the Iran question
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NEWS & VIEWS TO BRIDGE THE GLOBAL DIVID
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L-R Foreign ministers of US, France andRussia at the Geneva talks
Iran nuclear: Deal or no deal?As world leaders finally reached an interim deal with Iran on its nuclear programme, talks
are far from over towards a final accord,writesFranklin Adesegha
Amajor sticking point is Iransinsistence on its right toenrich uranium - a process that
yields material used to manufacturefuel for power stations, but can
also be used for weapons. Western
diplomats are also concerned about
a reactor Iran is building at Arak,
which disrupted the first round of
talks. Iran stresses that its nuclear
programme is for peaceful purposes
only, but world powers suspect it is
seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Washington and London believe
with political will and commitment
the differences can be narrowed for
an opportunity to build agreement
on how to curb nuclear proliferation
in the Middle East and potentially
set relations with Iran on a different
path. Some US legislators have
expressed concern that the White
House is moving too fast and
should take a harder line with
Tehran. But the White House said
the talks provide the opportunity
to halt the progress of the Iranian
programme and roll it back in key
respects, while testing whether a
comprehensive resolution can be
achieved. It said that if there was
not an initial agreement, Iran would
grow its stockpiles of enriched
uranium, install new centrifuges
and develop a plutonium reactor
in the city of Arak. Press secretary
Jay Carney said Mr. Obama had told
senators new sanctions would be
most effective as a consequence if
Iran refused to accept the deal or
agreed and then failed to comply.
Had talks failed, US politicians had
indicated they would push forward
with a bill proposing more sanctions.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
said he would support broadening
the scope of current oil and trade
sanctions. Both Republican and
Democrat congressmen say the
threat of sanctions will bolster the
negotiating position of the world
powers. But President Barack Obama
urged Congress not to promote
the bill while talks were going on.Meanwhile, Irans Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned
that his country will not step
back one iota from its nuclear
rights. The Supreme Leader said he
would not intervene directly in the
negotiations, but that he had set red
lines for Irans representatives. The
Supreme Leader, who has final say
in Irans nuclear matters, warned
the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, China
and Russia, plus Germany) not to
ratchet up the pressure. They
should know that the Iranian nation
respects all nations of the world,
but we will slap aggressors in the
face in such a way they will never
forget it. Ayatollah Khamenei also
said French leaders were not only
succumbing to the United States,
but they are kneeling before
Israel, which he described as the
rabid dog of the region. A French
foreign ministry spokeswoman said
President Francois Hollande believed
the comments were unacceptable
and would complicate negotiations.
Israel, for its part, vehemently
opposes the deal and says it will
not be obliged to honour it. Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said
the ayatollahs speech represented
the real Iran. We are not
confused. They must not have
nuclear weapons. And I promise
you that they will not have nuclearweapons, he said. Compromise
on all sides has led to the interim
agreement. Key points of the deal
include:
1. Iran will stop enriching uranium
beyond 5%, and neutralise its
stockpile of uranium enriched
beyond this point.
2. Iran will give greater access to
inspectors including daily access at
the Natanz and Fordo nuclear sites.
3. There will be no further
development of the Arak plant
which is believed could produce
plutonium.
4. In return, there will be no new
nuclear-related sanctions for six
months if Iran sticks by the accord.
5. Iran will also receive sanctions
relief worth about $7 billion (4.3bn)
on sectors including precious
metals.
For now, negotiations that have
dragged on for 10 years have finally
ended in a breakthrough. The
interim agreement has a life span
of six months. If the deal collapses
at any point, the voices querying
the point of continued negotiations
will grow louder and that includes
Israel which has since described the
deal as a historic mistake.
8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13
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Surprisingly, at the secondattempt at the end of November,the proposed interim agreement
was accepted on both sides the
USA, Russia, China, Britain andFrance plus Germany (5 plus 1) on
the one side and Iran on the other.
Over a six month period there will
be an easing of sanctions (worth
$13 billion) while Iran will stop
enrichment of uranium for the
time being and allow inspection
access to its nuclear plants. Iran
insists that it will retain its right to
enrichment. The crunch will come
at the end of the six months when
more permanent arrangements will
have to be decided. The agreement
represents a major shift in US
foreign policy since it puts the
possibility of military intervention
on hold for the time being.
The long period of no relations
between the United States and
Iran means that two-way trust
will take a long time to be re-
established. The United States has
never really forgiven the seizure of
American hostages in 1979 while
many Iranians still look upon the
United States as the Great Satan
and take pleasure in burning the
American flag in public. A genuine
US-Iranian rapprochement would
alter dramatically the regional
line-up of powers. Saudi Arabia
would see such reconciliation as a
betrayal, bringing to an end their
longstanding relationship with
the United States, which has beendominated by oil and strategic
considerations, while highlighting
the religious differences between
Saudi Arabia, the home of Sunni
Islam and Iran, the centre of
Shiite Islam. These two countries
are both ideological enemies and
strategic opponents who have long
vied for control of the Gulf. Iran
wants to bring US/EU sanctions
to an end but not at any price.
They are hurting but if necessary
can be endured. China and Japan,
meanwhile, want all the oil they
can get. Unsurprisingly there have
been several false starts to the
Western dominated programme,
which is designed to cut down Irans
nuclear developments in return
for sanctions relief. The Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif led an Iranian team to
meet senior officials from the Five
plus Germany. These talks broke
down because the Iranians did not
have enough time (according to a
French spokesman) to reach any
agreements but Zarif blamed the
French Foreign Minister, Laurent
Fabius for seeking last minute
amendments to limit the wester
offer then on the table.
A French official then insiste
there was no disagreement betwee
the Obama government and that France. Talks had only been delaye
because the Iranians needed mo
time to prepare for them. Howeve
a French official insisted that th
ball remained in Irans court: The
can be an agreement if Iran provid
the guarantees sought by the fiv
members of the Security Council plu
Germany that its nuclear activiti
do not have a military purpose. Fo
its part, the Tehran governmen
has consistently maintaine
that its nuclear programme
solely for energy purposes. Man
questions remain unanswere
Thus, why do the West and th
United Nations target Iran ov
its nuclear programme but do n
exert comparable pressures upo
Pakistan, or Israel, each of whic
has become a nuclear power an
appears to be accepted as such?
The June 2013 elections in Ira
brought Hassan Rouhani, a politic
moderate, to power as the country
new president. However, Rouha
does not hold supreme power th
lies with the Ayatollah Khamei
who would have the last word on an
switch of policy in nuclear matter
Successful talks or at least a
acceptable outcome to the talks w
alter the entire political structure
the Middle East but many hurdl
need to be overcome. In 2012 th
US Senate voted 90-1 against livin
with a nuclear Iran. War or militar
action against Iran is still on th
US agenda and Iran with nuclea
weapons is seen as a threat to i
neighbours (a point that can als
be made with reference to Israel).
peaceful outcome to the talks wou
represent a huge parting triump
for Obama and would avoid anoth
war with a Muslim country. Shou
Iran takes centre stage in global politics
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NEWS & VIEWS TO BRIDGE THE GLOBAL DIVID
NORTHSOUTH DEC 2013 - JAN 2014 1
ticipans at the Geneva talks on Iran nuclear
Iran get its own bomb other states
in the region and especially Saudi
Arabia might seek a bomb of their
own. Will the present talks provide
Iran with more time to prepare
for definitive talks in six months
time or will the Ayatollah bringthe talks to an end? The easing of
sanctions should certainly help
Iran but Rouhani must always
contend with the hardliners who
oppose any rapprochement with
the United States. Any deal that
Rouhani works out with the 5 plus
1 group he must then get accepted
by the Supreme Leader and the
Revolutionary Guard. Although
many Iranians appear to support
Rouhani he still has to deal with
issues of political freedom and
human rights in Iran itself. Rouhani
wants a dialogue; he argues for
compromise over his countrys
nuclear issue and he wants to take
Iran in from the cold. As he has
said: The international community
faces many challenges in this new
world terrorism, extremism,
foreign military interference,
drug trafficking, cyber crime and
cultural encroachment all within
a framework that has emphasised
hard power and the use of bruteforce. Rouhani wants to see a
readiness to help facilitate dialogue
between the Syrian government
and the opposition to it. He has
said publicly on his way to the
US and the UN that he will never
develop nuclear weapons. In the
present climate Iran will be easier
to engage in talks than to isolate.
In the US Congress, however, there
is much opposition to any deal with
Iran. In October John Kerry, the US
Secretary of State, said that, the
window is open for a constructive
dialogue with Iran. Obamas
handling of the Iran question will
define his presidency. An agreement
would not only spare the US yet
another attack against a Muslim
country but would also help avoid
a potential collapse of Middle East
security. The alternative, a nuclear
stand-off in the Middle East, hardly
bears examination.
Ultimately, Irans attitude
depends on the approval of itsSupreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khameini who has welcomed the
dialogue while continuing to pour
scorn on America. Israel and right
wing US politicians warn that
the US is on the verge of another
Munich while others believe that
a deal is possible and that $13
billion of sanctions could be lifted
over a six-month period while
Iran prepared its nuclear industry
for full international inspection.
Meanwhile, the bombs in Beirut
(November 19) that were detonated
outside the Iranian embassy were a
grim reminder of what is to come if
a Shia-Sunni confrontation becomes
entrenched not only in Lebanon but
in the whole region.Guy Arnold
Good deal or bad one?
The victory of Hassan Rouhani
in the Iranian presidential
elections represents the defeat
of the most peripheral groups in
the Iranian political spectrum,
including the former President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his
supporters who arguably lost all of
their clout and popular appeal.
The speed of President Rouhanis
charm offensive is unprecedented
in Irans recent history especially
when he pitched a moderate Iran
in his first appearance at the UN
General Assembly meeting in
October. The US President Barack
Obama said he had spoken by phone
with President Rouhani, the first
direct contact between the leaders
of Iran and the United States since
1979. Obama, speaking in the
White House briefing room, said
the two leaders discussed Irans
nuclear programme and said he
was persuaded there was a basis for
an agreement.
Rouhanis moderate approach has
won him new admirers in the West
and elsewhere and has born fruit
less than 100 days in office when
a landmark accord was announced
in Geneva last month that would
temporarily freeze Irans nuclear
programme and lay the foundation
for a more sweeping agreement. The
six-month deal was reached with
the six major powers after lenghty
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negotiations. Under the agreement,
Iran would eliminate its current
stock of uranium enriched to 20 per
cent by diluting it or turning it into
fuel rods or oxide powder, forms
that are unusable for weapons.
Iran would also be allowed tocontinue to enrich uranium at much
lower levels, to 3.5 per cent but would
agree to cap its current stockpile
of such uranium, by eliminating,
diluting or transforming into fuel
as much 3.5 per cent uranium as
it produces over the six months.
Furthermore, Tehran will stop
enriching uranium beyond 5%, and
neutralise its stockpile of uranium
enriched beyond this point Iran will
give greater access to inspectors
including daily access at Natanz
and Fordo nuclear sites. There
will be no further development of
the Arak plant which it is believed
could produce plutonium.
In return, there will be no new
nuclear-related sanctions for six
months if Iran sticks by the accord
and will receive sanctions relief
worth about $7billion (4.3bn). If
Iran abides by the deal there will
be no new economic sanctions over
the coming six months. Certain
sanctions on gold, precious metals,
Irans auto sector and Irans
petrochemical exports are to be
suspended, providing Iran with
about $1.5 billion of revenue. Safety-
related repairs and inspections are
to be sanctioned for some of Irans
civil airliners and some $4.2 billion
from Iranian oil sales will be allowed
to be transferred to Tehran. Some
$400 million of Iranian funds canalso be transferred to educational
institutions in third countries to
pay the fees of Iranian students
studying abroad.
Israel and Saudi Arabia have
expressed deep concern that if Iran
produced only oxide powder from
the 20 per cent enriched uranium,
and not fuel rods or plates, the oxide
could be reconverted into 20 per
cent enriched uranium. But Western
officials argue that such a reversal
is difficult, and that Iran does not
now seem to have the ability.
Iran denies any intention of
building a nuclear weapon and
was asked to stop construction,
for six months, on the Arak heavy-
water reactor. The reactor, when
finished and fueled, could produce
plutonium, another route to a
nuclear weapon.
Iran also agreed not to install any
more of its faster, second-generation
centrifuges, the machines used to
enrich uranium, and would not
operate the 1,000 or so of these
centrifuges already installed but not
yet in use. Iran would also agree to
more intrusive UN inspections,
ensure the deal is kept.
The deal is intended to convin
Iran that if the West detects eviden
of an effort at a nuclear breakou
the Western nations would com
heavily on Tehran and take decisivpreventive measures and potential
military action.
Iran is estimated to be losin
between $25-$30 billion billio
every six months, depending on th
price of oil, from the oil sanction
alone.Therefore, Tehran does hav
a compeling incentive to comp
with the conditions agreed upo
in Geneva to avoid further frictio
with the West or neighbours.
As the overall objective was
freeze Irans nuclear programm
the five permanent members of th
United Nations Security Counc
(US, Britain, Russia, China, France
and Germany, believe the deal
first sight appears to be a good on
certainly from their perspectiv
going further than perhaps man
political observers had expecte
In return Iran has received wh
Washington insists is limite
temporary and reversible relief
terms of economic sanctions.
The question is whether the ne
six months will satisfy doubters
the deal or fuel speculation that
was a bad one. Ali Bahaijou
Iran Nuclear Accord: First step in a long journey
The International Crisis Groupstrongly welcomes the 24November agreement between
Iran and the P5+1 (five permanent
members of the UN Security Council
plus Germany). The accord the
principal thrust of which Crisis
Group for some time has been calling
for is a testament to the effectiveness
of diplomacy when conducted in a
positive atmosphere.
Although only a first step,
the agreement has important
implications. In particular, it
freezes essential aspects of Irans
nuclear activities its stockpile of
low enriched uranium; number of
operational centrifuges; and work
at the Arak heavy-water facility;
rolls back Tehrans enrichment at
higher concentration levels; and
puts in place intrusive inspection
mechanisms. The net result is to
virtually eliminate the possibility
of an undetected dash towards
militarisation. For its part, Iran
has gained tangible economic an
humanitarian sanctions relie
a commitment that it will not b
subjected to additional punitiv
measures at this time and implic
acceptance of a constrained an
transparent uranium enrichme
program on its soil.
Reaching a comprehensi
agreement will be a far mo
difficult and torturous journey. Fu
implementation of the agreed-upo
near-term measures; a commitme
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to jointly accepted longer-term
objectives; and efforts to preserve the
current climate all will be necessary
to maximise chances of success in
the coming months.
Critics of the deal point to the risk
that the sanctions regime mightcollapse, that Iran has succeeded in
entrenching its enrichment program
and that it will now be emboldened
to expand its regional activities. But
they offer no workable alternative:
in the absence of this accord, Irans
nuclear program almost certainly
would have accelerated, leaving
the option of either acquiescing
in its expansion or marching
toward a military confrontation
with unpredictable and dangerous
consequences.
This is not a reason to engage in
fanciful thinking either. For all the
focus on the nuclear program, the
crux of the matter is not a technical,
arms control issue so much as it is
a geopolitical, strategic one, namely
Irans role and status in the region.
That is where the greatest challenges
long-term lie, and it is where potential
spoilers are most abundant, whether
in Israel, the Gulf, Europe, the U.S.
and, of course, Iran itself.
Ultimately, a comprehensive
nuclear agreement between Iran
and the West will be sustainable only
if accompanied by simultaneous
advances on the broader, strategic
front, and notably by resolution of
the various conflicts that threaten
the Middle East. This is nowhere
more urgent or relevant than in
Syria, where Iran has deepened its
military involvement. Ultimately, a
nuclear deal in and of itself will not
resolve regional tensions; rather,
easing those tensions must go hand
in hand with advancement in the
nuclear negotiations. That is a tall
order, but a necessary one if this
first and laudable step is to pave the
way for more lasting progress.
Secret talks that led to Irans nuclear dealIrans nuclear deal with world powers was partly the result of months of secret talks with
US officials who used military planes, side entrances and service elevators to avoid giving
the game away, writesFranklin Adesegha.
The secret talks, in such anunlikely venue as Oman,were the most important contacts
between the two countries in more
than three decades during which
Iran branded the United States
the Great Satan and the United
States described Iran a part of an
axis of evil that also included Iraq
and North Korea. US officials said
the talks illustrate a U.S. desire,
dating to the start of Obamas
administration in January 2009,
to explore whether there might be
a way to reconcile two nations that
have been hostile since 1979 but
were once allies. Key Americans
involved in the effort were William
Burns, the U.S. deputy secretary
of state, and Jake Sullivan, the
national security adviser to U.S. Vice
President Joe Biden. The two men,
at times with other officials such
as White House national security
staff member Puneet Talwar, met
Iranian officials at least five times
this year, a US official who spoke to
Reuters on condition of anonymity
said. Burns, Sullivan and technical
experts arrived in Muscat, Oman in
March on a military plane to meet
Iranians, the official added.
After John Kerry replaced Hillary
Clinton as the top U.S. diplomat
on February 1, it was decided the
Oman channel would continue to
help feed into multi-lateral talks
led by the EUs foreign policy chief
Baroness Ashton on behalf of the five
permanent U.N. Security Council
members, Britain, China, France,
Russia, US plus Germany, the P5+1.
Kerry visited Oman himself in May
for talks with Omani officials.
The senior U.S. official said that
four of the secret U.S.-Iranian
meetings took place since Hassan
Rouhanis inauguration in August.
Kerry met Irans foreign minister
Javad Zarif at the U.N. General
Assembly in September and, soon
thereafter, Obama and Rouhani
spoke by telephone, marking the
highest-level contact between the
United States and Iran since the
1979 Islamic Revolution. Before
Zarif was sent to Geneva, he and
Iran Natanz nuclear facility
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and strikes against his rule by
secular and religious opponents.
Two weeks later, Islamic religious
leader Ayatollah Khomeini returns
from exile. Following a referendum,
the Islamic Republic of Iran is
proclaimed on 1 April.
1979: Exiled Ayatollah
Khomeini returns to Iran
1979-81: US EMBASSY
HOSTAGE CRISIS
A rescue mission ends in disaster for
US troops, with the deaths of eight
servicemen in a collision between a
helicopter and a transport plane.
The final 52 hostages are
eventually freed after 444 days in
captivity.
From the moment the hostages
were seized until they were released
minutes after Ronald Reagan took
the oath of office as president 444
days later, the crisis absorbed more
concentrated effort by American
officials and had more extensive
coverage on television and in the
press than any other event since
World War II- Historian Gaddis
Smith
1980: Tehran hostage
rescue mission fails
1981: Tehran frees US
hostages after 444 days
1985-86: IRAN-
CONTRA SCANDAL
The US secretly ships weapons to
Iran, allegedly in exchange for
Tehrans help in freeing US hostages
held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The profits are illegally channelled
to rebels in Nicaragua, creating a
political crisis for President Ronald
Reagan.
Alistair Cookes Letter from
America: Oliver North testifies on
Iran-Contra
1988: IRANIAN PASSENGER
PLANE SHOT DOWN
The American warship USS
Vincennes shoots down an Iran Air
flight in the Gulf on 3 July 1988,
killing all 290 people on board.
The US says the Airbus A300 was
mistaken for a fighter jet.
Most of the victims were Iranians
on their way to Mecca.
1988: US warship shoots
down Iranian airliner1997-2005: KHATAMI
PRESIDENCY
Mohammad Khatami, a reformist, is
elected Iranian president in 1997.
The following year he calls for
a dialogue with the American
people in an interview with a US TV
channel. The prospect of a thawing
in relations beckons, but there is no
breakthrough.
2002: AXIS OF EVIL
Iran aggressively pursues weapons
[of mass destruction] and exports
terror, while an unelected few
repress the Iranian peoples hope for
freedom
In his State of the Union address,
President George Bush denounces
Iran as part of an axis of evil with
Iraq and North Korea.
2002 ONWARDS: NUCLEAR
FEARS AND SANCTIONS
In 2002 an Iranian opposition group
reveals that Iran is developing
nuclear facilities including a
uranium enrichment plant at Natanz
and a heavy water reactor at Arak.
The US accuses Iran of a clandestine
nuclear weapons programme, which
Iran denies.
A decade of intermittent Iranian
engagement with the UNs nuclear
watchdog and diplomatic activity
follows.
The UN ratifies four rounds of
sanctions on Iran between 2006 and
2010 over the nuclear issue.
The US and the European Union
(EU) also imposed sanctions on Iran,
stepping up measures in 2012 to
include the financial sector. Several
other countries have bilateral
sanctions.
The US Treasury claims in 2013
Irans currency has lost two-thirds
of its value in the past two years.
2005-2013: AHMADINEJAD
PRESIDENCY
Ultra-conservative Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad is elected president in
June 2005.The populist leaders bombastic
style and questioning of the
Holocaust leads to a worsening of
Irans relations with the West.
His disputed re-election in 2009
leads to the worst internal unrest
since 1979.
In 2010 his speech at the UN sparks
walk-outs after he claims that most
people believe the US government
was behind the 9/11 attacks.
Protests at Ahmadinejad UN
speech
2013: OBAMA-ROUHANI
PHONE CALL
On a trip to the UN forum in New
York, Irans new President Hassan
Rouhani held a phone call with
President Barack Obama - the first
conversation between US and Iranian
heads of state for 30 years.
Mr Rouhani used his Twitter
account to break the news of the
historic conversation.
The US President also said the
two men had expressed their
determination to solve the long-
running dispute over Irans nuclear
programme.
In phone convo, President
#Rouhani and President @
BarackObama expressed their
mutual political #will to rapidly
solve the #nuclear issue.@Hassan
Rouhani
Obama (L) and Rouhani
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Algerian President Bouteflika
Dogged by ill health in recentyears and by corruption scandalsimplicating members of his inner
circle, Algerias President Abdelaziz
Bouteflika was designated last month
by the ruling National LiberationFront to stand for a fourth term in
2014.
However, the secretive pouvoir,
as the security services are known,
and the DRS intelligence agency in
particular, are still considered by
some to be the real power in Algeria.
The army has chosen all of Algerias
post-independence leaders and
Bouteflika was no exception. With
military support, he was elected in
1999 as the ruling National Liberation
Fronts (FLN) candidate. He was also
the sole contestant, after the other six
withdrew, charging that the election
was fraudulent.
For some Algerians, Bouteflika is
seen as a father figure who helped
end the decade-long civil war, which
killed at least 200,000 people from
1992 when Algerias senior military
commanders pushed President
Chadli Bendjedid from office and
nullified the results of the countrys
first competitive national elections
after it became clear that the Front
Islamique du Salut (FIS) would win
an outright majority in the National
Assembly. The cancellation inflicted
a damaging blow to a democratic
breakthrough initiated by President
Chedli Benjdid and triggered a battle
of wills and a dirty bloody civil war
between Islamist insurgents and the
security forces that cost the lives of
over 200.000 Algerians.
After his controversial election in
1999, Bouteflika proposed an amnesty
for rebels who laid down their arms
and twice secured public endorsement
through referendums for his plans
for national reconciliation.
The first referendum, in September
1999, was a major gamble but it
paid off, leading to a sharp decreas