Home » Middle East
Mossad and CIA concur: Iran isn’t seeking nukes
Israel’s intelligence service Mossad has acknowledged, just like their American counterparts, there is no proof Tehran is carrying out a nuclear weapons program, a source in US intelligence told the New York Times.
An unnamed former senior US intelligence official told the paper “Mossad does not disagree with the US on the [Iranian] weapons program.” The consensus among US spy agencies remains...
Massive peace marches across Syria
After one year of the crisis that has afflicted this country due to armed violence and terror, further added to by foreign reprisals, hundreds of thousands of Syrians across the country joined peace marches on Thursday (15th).
Convened by youth organizations, students, social and political organizations, Syrians of different ages, different religious beliefs and different views emerged on Thursday...
US Navy in military build-up to battle Strait of Hormuz blockade
Scout in the Persian Gulf, March 2008
The US Navy has confirmed it is doubling the number of minesweepers in the Persian Gulf in an apparent move to prepare for a possible standoff with Iran over the crucial oil export route.
An additional four minesweeper and four minesweeping helicopters will join the four ships already patrolling the Persian Gulf.
The overall number of US minesweepers in the region...
Egypt to halt gas exports to Israel and expel envoy
The lower house of the Egyptian parliament has unanimously approved a text declaring that Israel is the number one enemy of Egypt and calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and a halt to gas exports to Israel.
On Monday, Egyptian MPs voted by a show of hands on the text of a report, which was compiled by the Arab Affairs Committee of the People’s Assembly (lower house of parliament).
“Revolutionary...
Israel will continue its campaign against Gazaf
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue its campaign against Gaza “as long as necessary,” despite the fact that a recent air strike killed a 12-year-old boy in a refugee camp, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 17.
“We extracted a high price from them and will continue to do so. We will act as long as necessary,” Netanyahu told the government on Sunday, as quoted...
Poll: 73% of all Arabs consider Israel and US "threats"
US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) during meetings in the Oval Office in the White House in Washington on March 5, 2012.
A shocking survey, representing 85 percent of the Arab world population, reveals that 73 out of every 100 respondents see Israel and the US as jointly posing the largest threat to the security of their countries.
The poll, conducted...
US soldier opens fire on Afghan civilians killing 17
A US soldier has killed at least 17 civilians after opening fire on them near a US military base in Kandahar. There are nine children among the victims, Afghan authorities say.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai qualified the incident as an “assassination” and demanded an explanation from Washington, reports the Associated Press.
“This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians...
Iran smart concrete to protect N-sites from US bunker busters
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says American bunker-busters may not penetrate Iran's deepest bunkers if they are protected by Iranian-made “smart concrete."
As tension escalates between the US and Iran, American officials are increasingly concerned that the use of “smart concrete” may render Iranian nuclear sites impervious to US bunker-buster bombs.
An article published by Aggravate...
U.S. & NATO forces have invaded Syria
Russia accuses Libya terrorists of exporting terrorists
Vitaly Churkin, Russian ambassador to the UN: “It is completely unacceptable. This practice is undermining stability in the Middle East…”
The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has accused Libya of training and arming rebels fighting against the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad.
A reminder, with the...
Iran capable of building aircraft carriers: Navy chief
Iranian Navy vessel fires a Mehrab missile during the "Velayat-90" naval war games in the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran on January 1, 2012.
Commander of Iran’s naval forces Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the Islamic Republic possesses the know-how for manufacturing aircraft carriers.
“Considering the existing capabilities of the young experts in the Naval Forces and the...
Tehran gives IAEA access to strategic Parchin site
Iran says it will allow the UN nuclear watchdog to inspect the facility where the West suspects work is under way to develop nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, the world’s major powers have agreed to a new round of six-party talks with Iran.
”Given that Parchin is a military site, access to this facility is a time-consuming process and it can’t be visited repeatedly,” said Iran’s...
Eastern Libya declares autonomy
A Libyan holds a placard that reads in Arabic "No for dividing Libya. Libya is united and the capital is Tripoli," during a demonstration against federalism in the eastern city of Benghazi on March 5, 2012.
Cyrenaica, the eastern region of Libya, has elected a regional congress and declared semi-autonomy from the capital Tripoli. The “blatant call for fragmentation” of the country was...
Turkish FM: Ankara supports arming Syria rebels
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) meets with Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi in Istanbul, March 3, 2012.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says Ankara supports supplying arms to rebels in Syria fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Davutoglu claimed that the “international community’s message might be conveyed to the Syrian administration via certain...
Netanyahu: No Lebanon will be on the map
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman
Israel what was that about MAPS?
For years, the paranoid Israelis have been screaming bloody murder that the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said that “Israel should be wiped from the map.” Of course, the man said no such thing, it was a deliberate mis-translation meant to serve their purposes: to demonize Ahmadinejad and Iran and to justify an...
US preparing plans for possible Syria attack
A pro-Assad rally in the Syrian city of Aleppo
The Pentagon has prepared “detailed plans” for a military strike against Syria in case President Barack Obama issues an attack order.
According to an unnamed senior US official, the plans include several different kinds of operations, number of personnel as well as the type of military equipment needed, CNN reported.
“There are lots of ideas floating...