Israel may strike at ship allegedly carrying Iranian rockets to Gaza – report

Hezbollah says could hit all of Israel in future war Sun, Nov 25 08:37 AM EST 1 of 2 By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel on Sunday that thousands of rockets would rain down on Tel Aviv and cities across the Jewish state if it attacked Lebanon. Speaking four days after the ceasefire which ended a week of conflict between Israel and the Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza, Nasrallah said Hezbollah's response to any attack would dwarf the rocket fire launched from Palestinian territories. "Israel, which was shaken by a handful of Fajr-5 rockets during eight days - how would it cope with thousands of rockets which would fall on Tel Aviv and other (cities) ... if it attacked Lebanon?" Nasrallah said. The Fajr-5s, with a range of 75 km (45 miles) - able to strike Tel Aviv or Jerusalem - and 175 kg (386 lb) warheads, are the most powerful and long-range rockets to have been fired from Gaza. But Hezbollah, which fought Israel to a standstill in a 34-day war six years ago, says it has been re-arming since then and has a far deadlier arsenal than Hamas. Nasrallah has said Hezbollah could kill tens of thousands of people and strike anywhere inside Israel if hostilities break out again. "If the confrontation with the Gaza Strip ... had a range of 40 to 70 km, the battle with us will range over the whole of occupied Palestine - from the Lebanese border to the Jordanian border, to the Red Sea," Nasrallah said. Hezbollah could hit targets "from Kiryat Shmona - and let the Israelis listen carefully - from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat", he said, referring to Israeli's northernmost town on the Lebanese border to the Red Sea port 290 miles further south. The movement has warned that any Israeli attack against the nuclear facilities of its patron Iran, which has armed and funded the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim militant group, would inflame the Middle East - though it has not specified its own response. In a move it said showed it could penetrate deep inside Israeli defenses, it flew a drone over Israel last month. The drone was shot down after flying 25 miles into southern Israel. Israel says its Iron Dome missile defense system knocked out 90 percent of the rockets fired from Gaza which were on course to hit populated areas. TENS OF THOUSANDS MARK ASHURA Nasrallah, who has lived in hiding since 2006 to avoid assassination by Israel, was speaking by video-link to tens of thousands of Shi'ite faithful in southern Beirut commemorating Ashura, the day when the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein was killed in battle 13 centuries ago. Wearing a black turban and robes in a sign of mourning, the 52-year-old cleric said his Shi'ite movement wanted to prevent sectarian tension in Lebanon - fuelled by the civil war in Syria - plunging his country into renewed conflict. "We want to avert strife and Israel is our only enemy. We have no enemies in Lebanon," Nasrallah said. Many Sunni Muslim political leaders blamed Hezbollah's ally Syria for last month's bomb attack which killed a top intelligence official and plunged Lebanon into political crisis. The opposition March 14 coalition blamed Syria for the assassination and called on the Lebanese government, dominated by allies of Hezbollah and Syria, to quit. Sporadic clashes have erupted since then, including a shootout in the southern city of Sidon two weeks ago when three people were killed after supporters of a Sunni cleric tried to tear down Shi'ite Ashura banners. On Saturday the army said it arrested five people and seized 450 grams (1lb) of explosives in Nabatiyeh on the eve of an Ashura march in the southern Lebanese town which was attended by thousands of Shi'ite mourners, many striking their heads with blades to draw blood to mark the tragedy of Hussein's death. Security sources said the arrested men were Syrians suspected of planning an attack on the Ashura processions but Nasrallah, speaking late on Saturday, suggested they were trying to send arms to the conflict in Syria. "We already know that many Syrians arrive in Lebanon to buy weapons," he said. "Neither weather nor rain can frighten us, nor can explosions or security threats stand between us and Imam Hussein". (Additional reporting by Laila Bassam in Beirut and Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Louise Ireland) =========================== Published: 25 November, 2012, 14:38 TAGS: Arms, Conflict, Military, Politics, Iran, Israel, War, Vessels, Security, Transport, Violence TRENDS: Israel-Gaza strikes AFP Photo / ISNA / Amin Khoroshahi Israel has reportedly vowed to destroy rockets and other weapons being sent to Gaza by Iran. Tel Aviv issued this threat despite a recent ceasefire following eight days of bitter conflict between Gaza and Israel. Israeli spy satellites spotted a cargo vessel in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas that was allegedly Gaza-bound and carrying arms, the Sunday Times reported. “Regardless of the ceasefire agreement, we will attack and destroy any shipment of arms to Gaza once we have spotted it,” an Israeli defense official told the newspaper. The vessel reportedly began its voyage last week just as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire ending eight days of violence in Gaza, in which over 150 Palestinians died. The cargo is believed to include Fajr-5 rockets, similar to those used by Hamas in the conflict, and Shahab-3 ballistic missiles. The ship is set to travel through the Red Sea, Sudan and Egypt, according to the Sunday Times report. The newspaper also cited Israeli officials speculating that Iran could be moving longer-range ballistic missiles into Sudan, which could be aimed at Israel from the African country. The Sunday Times’ report comes a day after the Hamas leadership announced they aren’t ready to stop arming themselves, despite the recently-agreed truce and ceasefire. "We have no choice but to continue to bring in weapons by all possible means," senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters, adding that he expected Tehran would "increase its military and financial support to Hamas." Earlier on Wednesday, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal thanked Shia-majority Iran for what he described as arms and funding. On Saturday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed support for Gaza in the bloody conflict, praising what he called Palestinian "resistance and perseverance" against Israel, which he said must now "bow" to Palestinian rights, IRNA news agency reported. The eight-day Israeli assault on Gaza killed 168 Palestinians, mostly civilians. It also led to $300 million in economic damage, a Palestinian Chamber of Commerce report said. Hamas fired Fajr-5 rockets against Israel, an unsettling revelation for the Israeli public. The country was last targeted by the 3-meter-long missiles during its 2006 war with Lebanon, and was expecting smaller-range rockets to be used in the recent conflict. Hamas' Farj-5 arsenal was able to strike Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, cities that were not attacked during the previous escalation of violence between Israel and Gaza in 2008. The IDF was forced to rapidly deploy an additional battery of its Iron Dome air defense system to counter the threat. =============== Saudi diplomat shot dead in Yemen - Al Arabiya TV Wed, Nov 28 06:22 AM EST SANAA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A Saudi diplomat was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Wednesday, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television reported, citing diplomatic sources. The station give no further details. Yemen has been grappling with a number of security problems including the local offshoot of al Qaeda. SANAA, Yemen: A Saudi diplomat and his body guard have been shot dead in Yemen capital Sanaa, reports said on Wednesday. According to the report, Yemen security officials say gunmen have killed the diplomat, who was a member of Saudi military delegation. Another reports says, the diplomat and his Yemeni guard were killed on 50 Meter Road. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television citing diplomatic sources also confirmed the incident, however, the station gave no further details. =========== Trotsky permanent revolution and Al-Zawahiri Perpetual Jihad Posted 27 June 2011 - 05:38 AM Bin Laden may be remembered as the Muslim warrior who was able to attack targets inside America and who had forced the Americans to launch very costly wars on Afghanistan and Iraq respectively, in 2001 and 2003. Many believe it was Dr Ayaman Al-Zawahiri who should be credited with expanding the limited agenda of Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda from freeing the holy Saudi Arabian lands, from the boots of the American infidels, to fighting continuous Islamic Jihadi wars throughout the world similar to Trotsky’s permanent socialist revolution. Because of the death of the 19 attackers and because of security reasons, the full details of what had happened on September 11, 2001 are still unknown. Nevertheless, the ability to launch damaging attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon despite the presence of 15 US intelligence agencies showed Al-Qaeda to having operators with quasi superhuman talents. While in Egypt, Medical Doctor Al-Zawahiri was credited with planning the assassination of President Anwar Al-Sadat on October 6, 1981, following his visit to Israel. Those close to Bin Laden know that their leader is not the person with the exceptional capabilities or with the high intelligence but they give credits to others, some still faceless, and to Dr Al-Zawahitri in carrying out spectacular attacks. It will take Al-Zawahiri some time before proving his worth in evading the US bullets and in launching the next attack which he promised to avenge the death of Bin Laden. Al-though Al-Qaeda hasn’t been in the news lately despite their daily attacks in Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen. However, Dr Al-Zawahiri’s job is being facilitated by the American unlimited support for the intransigence of the extreme right-wing government of Netanyahu-Liebrman in Israel and by the American desperate attempts to undermine the on-going Arab people uprisings against the USraeli Arab agents in government. The Americans have eliminated the enemies of the Islamic revolution in Afghanistan (2001) and in Iraq (2003), naturally to the cheers of the Iranians. The Arabs will also cheer the Americans if they eliminate their enemies in Israel. . Be reasonable and ask the impossible from the American Zombies whom I have given up on them. Mr Jesse Ventura believes that the shooting of four innocent students at the Kent University Campus by the Ohio National Guard on May 4, 1970=27th Safar/1425 shocked America and lead to the end of the Vietnam war. At the time, the students were demonstrating against Nixon-Kissinger's attempt to extend the Vietnam war to Cambodia. Following the shooting, four million US students went on strike that opened the eyes of the rest of the nation. Mr Ventura advised the 'Occupy Movement', to make sacrifices in order for the nation to hear their warnings of the danger of the mafias controlling the US Banks and its Financial institutions. Despite 5000 universities and high teaching institutes, the Americans are unable to connect the dots and end up being ruled by imbeciles like Ronald Reagan and G.W. Bush. The stupid Americans went to invade and destroy Iraq while they should have invaded Saudi Arabia. They are currently trying to undermine Iran while they should concentrate on Pakistan where most of the terrorists are being bred and exported. The Americans can't name one single Iranian or Iraqi who have carried out terrorist attack anywhere on earth. Bin Laden was a Saudi so were 15 out of the 19 who carried out the attacks on 9/11. Al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian so was Mohammed Al-Atta. Al-Zarqawi was a Jordanian. Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times

How US compensated Russia

Published on Nov 10, 2012 by RussiaToday FULL STORY http://on.rt.com/v4hvop The Iraqi Defence Minister has denied that the country has cancelled a major arms deal with Russia. It's in response to the Prime Minister's spokesman who'd earlier said corruption concerns caused the scrapping of a deal sealed only a month ago, to sell Iraq more than 4-billion-dollars' worth of military hardware. RT talks to government and business consultant, Christoph R. Horstel. Iraq buys $4.2 billion in Russian weapons-document Tue, 9 Oct 2012 19:05 GMT Source: reuters // Reuters * Big boost for Russia as arms seller * U.S. State Department says not concerned by deal By Olesya Astakhova GORKI, Russia, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Russia announced on Tuesday it has signed $4.2 billion in arms deals with Iraq, making it the largest weapons supplier to the Middle East country after the United States. The deals, disclosed in a Russian government document issued at a meeting between Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, give Russia a big boost at a time when the future of its arms sales to Libya and Syria is uncertain. Iraq had been all but off limits for Russia's defence industry after the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 which ousted Saddam Hussein, one of Moscow's biggest weapons customers. President Vladimir Putin had vocally opposed the invasion and Moscow has struggled to claw back a share of the markets in energy, arms sales and infrastructure projects in Iraq. "After the fall of Saddam Hussein, it looked like the country was lost forever" as a Russian arms customer, said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Russian security and defence think tank CAST. "This is absolutely sensational." The contracts will help Russia maintain its position as the world's second-biggest arms seller after the United States, Pukhov said. In Washington, the U.S. State Department signaled it was not overly concerned by the Russian deal. "Iraq overall has initiated some 467 foreign military sales cases with the United States. If all of these go forward, it will be worth over $12.3 billion, so obviously our own military support relationship with Iraq is very broad and very deep," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a news briefing. The contracts were signed during visits to Russia by Iraq's acting defence chief in April, July and August, the document showed. It gave no further details and the state agency in charge of the weapons trade could not be immediately reached. The Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported late last month that contracts worth $4.3 billion were being agreed ahead of Maliki's visit. It said they included deals for 30 Mi-28NE combat helicopters and 42 Pantsir-S1 mobile rocket launchers. A spokesman for Russia's state-controlled arms exporter, Rosvooruzheniye, said it never discusses content of arms deals. The contracts comprised the third biggest package of deals for Russian arms sales since the 1991 Soviet collapse, after a $7.5 billion agreement with Algeria in 2006 and a $6 billion sale to Venezuela in 2009, CAST said. Russia delivered about $13.2 billion in weapons last year, said Konstantin Makiyenko, an expert at CAST. Pukhov said the Iraq deals showed the government there "is ready to pursue an independent foreign and defence policy", but that the United States could have tacitly supported them to appease Russia, which scrapped a deal to sell air-defence systems to Iran citing U.N. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme. Russian officials also have said Russia lost about $4 billion in arms deals with Libya because of the fall of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the future of Russian sales to Syria is uncertain because of the conflict there. =========== UPDATE 3-Iraq scraps $4.2 bln Russian arms deal, cites graft Sat, Nov 10 15:35 PM EST * Maliki cancels arms deals over suspected corruption * Acting defence minister denies charges * Russian deals seen helping Iraq with US pressure By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Iraq said on Saturday it had cancelled a $4.2 billion deal to buy military jets, helicopters and missiles from Russia, citing possible corruption in the contract. In a confusing exchange, the announcement by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office was immediately contradicted by the acting defence minister who denied the corruption charges and said the Russian arms deals were still valid. The arms agreements were a sensitive issue for Iraq. U.S. military hardware remains key for Iraq's armed forces, but the Russian deal had appeared to open a way for Maliki to push back against U.S. pressure by diversifying his arms suppliers. The Russian sale was agreed just as Washington warned Maliki, who is close to Shi'ite Iran, to curb Iranian flights ferrying weapons through Iraqi airspace to aid Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against a revolt there. Maliki's media adviser Ali al-Moussawi said the decision to renegotiate the agreements was taken after the prime minister was informed about possible wrongdoing in the contract. "Our need for weapons still stands so we will renegotiate new contracts," Moussawi said. "This is a precautionary measure because of suspected corruption." But acting Defence Minister Sadoon al-Dulaimi, who negotiated with the Russians, dismissed the corruption charges and said the deals would go ahead. "We have not transferred even one dinar, there was no agent, no contract was signed. These were just technical and financial offers," he told reporters in Baghdad. Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment. Russia's Interfax news agency reported the Russian embassy in Iraq said it had not been informed the deal had been scrapped. The initial announcement about the deal itself was unusually released in a Russian government document issued to reporters during Maliki's visit to Moscow in October. The document said deals were signed with Iraq's acting defence minister in April, July and August. Russia's daily Kommersant said the contract envisaged the delivery of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon systems, MiG-29M/M2 aircraft as well as armoured vehicles and attack helicopters. NO. 2 IN IRAQ The deals would have made Russia the second largest military supplier to Iraq after the United States, which has sold Baghdad billions of dollars in arms including F-16 fighters and tanks since the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. But the Russian agreements fit into the wider context of Maliki's juggling interests over the war against Syria's Assad. Iran and Russia support Assad, while the rebels fighting him are backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western powers. Maliki relies on the United States for military aid, but also depends on Iranian influence at home to keep control over Shi'ite allies in his fragile cross-sectarian government of Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds. "One should not rule out pressure from the United States, which certainly does not want to let the Iraqi government - a buyer of American arms or arms from suppliers that are U.S. allies - out of its zone of control," said Ivan Konovalov, a military expert in Moscow. News of the cancellation also came at a time when Russia has been entangled in a series of corruption scandals involving its defence ministry and its space ministry. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin fired the chief of his military staff, days after sacking the defence minister over a corruption and sleaze scandal. [ID: nL5E8M97F1] Iraq had been off limits to Russian defence contracts after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. The Sunni dictator had been one of the biggest customers for Russian arms. ===== Iraq denies cancelling $4.2 bln arms deal with Russia over 'corruption concerns' Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 10 November, 2012, 14:41 Edited: 11 November, 2012, 00:12 TAGS: Arms, Military, Russia, Iraq, Corruption, Sean Thomas, Lucy Kafanov Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes with his Iraq's counterpart Nouri Al-Maliki during meeting in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, on October 9, 2012 (AFP Photo / RIA Novosti / Pool / Yekaterina Shtukina) (21.9Mb) embed video Iraqi Prime Minister's spokesperson Ali Mussawi told RT that the deal hasn't been cancelled, it is simply under review. He also confirmed it was because of earlier allegations of corruption from the Iraqi side. Iraqi Defense Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi also confirmed that there was no cancellation of the agreement. "The deal is going ahead," he said. Earlier, media reports claimed the deal – which would have made Russia Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States – was cancelled.

“When Maliki returned from his trip to Russia, he had some suspicions of corruption, so he decided to review the whole deal. … There is an investigation going on, on this,”Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's spokesperson Ali Mussawi said.

The deal – which was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Maliki in October – will either be go through or be cancelled only after the Iraqi anti-corruption committee presents it findings. Officials in Moscow have not yet commented on the matter. The Russian embassy in Baghdad said it has not received word from the Foreign Ministry, and was not informed about the cancellation by Iraqi officials. The sale was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Maliki in October, and would have made Russia Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States. The deal is one of the largest in both the modern history of Russia and for postwar Iraq. Experts speculated that the package likely would have included shipments of aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles and air defense weapons. Though the details of the deal were kept secret, military analysts believe it was competitive enough to spark concerns in Washington, the primary arms dealer for Iraq. Military experts speculated that the deal may be cancelled due to pressure from Washington, and may result in punitive sanctions.

Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade Igor Korotchenko told RIA-Novosti news agency that if the deal does get axed, it would be an unprecedented event in the history of Russia's arms trade “Self-respecting states and governments don’t act this way,” Korotchenko said. RIA-Novosti also quoted an unnamed arms expert who warned that Iraq may incur harsh sanctions for the move: “If the deals were drawn up in a proper way from the legal point of view, the Iraqi side may suffer multi-million dollar losses by paying off punitive fees.” The expert went on to add that statements about suspected corruption have never been a legitimate basis for the annulment of contracts, especially in military-technical cooperation.

=== متحدث:العراق يلغي صفقة اسلحة مع روسيا قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار Sat Nov 10, 2012 12:02pm GMT اطبع هذا الموضوع[-] نص [+] 1 / 1تكبير للحجم الكاملبغداد (رويترز) - قال متحدث باسم رئيس الوزراء العراقي نوري المالكي يوم السبت ان العراق ألغى صفقة أسلحة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار مع روسيا للاشتباه في فساد لكنه يعتزم اعادة التفاوض بشأنها. وهذه الصفقة كانت ستجعل روسيا ثاني أكبر ممول للسلاح للعراق بعد الولايات المتحدة التي باعت لبغداد اسلحة قيمتها مليارات الدولارات منها طائرات مقاتلة اف 16 ودبابات منذ الغزو الامريكي للعراق عام 2003 . وقال علي الموسوي المستشار الاعلامي لرئيس الوزراء ان حاجة العراق للسلاح مازالت قائمة ولذلك سيتم التفاوض على ابرام عقود جديدة. وصرح بأن العراق اتخذ هذا القرار كخطوة احترازية بسبب وجود شبهات فساد. ولا يملك العراق سلاحا جويا حقيقيا منذ سقوط الرئيس الراحل صدام حسين وهو بحاجة ماسة للطائرات للدفاع عن حدوده ومجاله الجوي. وقالت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية في وقت سابق من العام ان الاتفاقات الروسية تشمل 30 طائرة هليكوبتر قتالية طراز ام.اي-28 ان.إي و42 قاذفة صواريخ متنقلة. ================= الدباغ: أطالب المالكي بالتحقيق بصفقة السلاح الروسية وتبرئة اسمي منها المحرر: NQ السبت 10 ت2 2012 12:48 GMT المتحدث الرسمي باسم الحكومة علي الدباغ السومرية نيوز/ بغداد طالب المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ، الاحد، رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بإجراء تحقيق شامل بصفقة السلاح الروسية وتبرئة اسمه المتداول "ظلما". وقال الدباغ في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، "اطالب رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بإجراء تحقيق شامل في ملابسات صفقة السلاح مع روسيا ونشر النتائج، تبرئة لاسمي الذي تم تداوله ظلما وكيدا". وكان عضو لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حاكم الزاملي، كشف في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، أمس الجمعة، عن إلغاء الحكومة العراقية صفقة شراء الأسلحة الروسية لوجود شبهة فساد فيها، مؤكدا تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أٌرسلت الى روسيا سابقا، فيما أشار إلى أن مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة "ضخم جدا". وتناولت عدد من وسائل الإعلام المحلية، اليوم السبت (10 تشرين الثاني 2012) خبراً أكدت فيه "تورط" عدد من المسؤولين العراقيين بصفقة السلاح الروسية بينهم المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ. وكان رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حسن السنيد قد دافع، في (13 تشرين الاول 2012)، عن عقود التسليح التي وقعها رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي مع روسيا وتشيكيا، مؤكدا أن الأسلحة التي سيتم استيرادها دفاعية وليست هجومية، كما اشار حينها إلى أن وفدا عراقيا سيزور البلدين بعد أسبوعين للتوقيع على الصيغ النهائية لتلك العقود. وأعلنت روسيا، في (9 تشرين الأول 2012)، أنها وقعت صفقات لبيع أسلحة بقيمة 4.2 مليار دولار مع العراق لتصبح أكبر مورد سلاح له بعد الولايات المتحدة، فيما ذكرت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية أن صفقة الأسلحة البالغة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار ويجري التفاوض حولها تشمل طائرات ميغ 29 و30 مروحية هجومية من طراز مي-28، و42 بانتسير-اس1 وهي أنظمة صواريخ ارض-جو. وأنهى رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي، في (12 تشرين الأول 2012)، زيارته الرسمية التي شملت روسيا وتشيكيا والتي أثارت ردود فعل متباينة من قبل الكرد حيث أبدى التحالف الكردستاني، في (13 تشرين الأول 2012)، قلقه بشأن صفقات التسليح التي عقدتها الحكومة العراقية مع روسيا وتشيكيا، داعيا إلى توضيح آليات تلك الصفقات، فيما طالب بعدم استثناء قوات البيشمركة منها. وتسعى الحكومة العراقية إلى تسليح الجيش العراقي بجميع صنوفه، حيث تعاقدت مع عدد من الدول العالمية المصنعة للأسلحة المتطورة منها الولايات المتحدة الأميركية لغرض تجهيز الجيش من مدرعات ودبابات مطورة وطائرات مروحية وحربية منها الـF16 والتي أعلن مكتب القائد العام للقوات المسلحة نوري المالكي، في (13 أيار 2012)، أن العراق سيتسلم الدفعة الأولى منها عام 2014. =========== Kurdistan Rejects Maliki’s Demand For Control of Kurdish Peshmerga Forces 8.11.2012 By Bassem Francis and Mohammad al-Tamimi. Al-Hayat (Pan Arab). More Sharing Services Share | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter Kurdish Peshmerga troops prepare 122-mm howitzers during a deployment in the area near the northern Iraqi border with Syria, which lies in an area disputed by Baghdad and the Kurdish region of Ninawa province, August 6, 2012. Photo: Reuters/Azad Lashkari. • See Related Articles November 8, 2012 ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',— A senior official at the Ministry of Peshmerga in Iraq’s Kurdistan region has called the demand of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to place the Peshmerga forces under the jurisdiction of the federal government an “illusion.” He vowed to make an official response in the next week to the accusations by Maliki. Meanwhile, a Kurdish lawmaker accused the prime minister of obstructing the ongoing negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil. In an interview with Al Sumaria TV on Monday evening [Nov. 5], Maliki declared his willingness to release funding for the Peshmerga forces if they place themselves under the jurisdiction of the federal authorities, since the constitution prohibits the financing of the Peshmerga, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He accused the KRG of “violating the constitution by controlling the weapons left behind by the former Iraqi army, including tanks, artillery and rocket launchers, while the other federal [entities] are getting armed with light weapons.” He revealed that he has “evidence supported by figures and copies [of transactions] belonging to the persons who [sign] contracts and buy weapons in the region.” Maliki described the objections to the formation of the Tigris Operations Command as “unconstitutional, because the federal army has the right to have a presence in Basra or Zakho, and no one has the right to prevent it constitutionally. There are implicit intentions and a lack of desire for the federal authority to have control or a presence.” He said that the army “is more [entitled] than the Turkish troops to have a presence [in Iraq’s Kurdish region].” He wondered about “the reasons behind the silence over the continued presence of Turkish troops in the al-Amadiyah and Bamarni bases since 1995 until today, while these bases are equipped with tanks, armored vehicles and aircraft, and convoys enter and exit them amid complete silence.” He warned the Peshmerga against “committing a mistake by attacking the Iraqi army.” Spokesman for the Ministry of Peshmerga Lt. Gen. Jabbar Yawar told Al-Hayat that the ministry “will hold a press conference next week to provide clarifications on Maliki’s recent statements.” Deputy Minister of Peshmerga Anwar Haji Osman told Nawkho news agency, which is affiliated with the KRG Ministry of Interior, that “demanding placing the Peshmerga under the control of the Iraqi army is an illusion and pure fantasy.” The Iraqi government has refused to include the Peshmerga budget in the 2013 federal budget considering that it is not part of the Iraqi defense system. This happened despite the negotiations conducted by two Kurdish delegations — one partisan and the other governmental — with the Maliki government last month. Chuan Mohammad Taha, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament representing the Kurdistan Alliance, told Al-Hayat that “the negotiation phase requires wisdom and avoiding escalation. Unfortunately, Maliki's remarks are seen as escalatory with the aim of obstructing the negotiations.” He added: “As for the deployment of the Iraqi army, it is normal provided that the army’s loyalty is to the nation, not a person or particular faction. We have remarks on the mentality of managing the defense system in light of the loss of balance within the army and involving it in the political conflicts.” With regard to the Turkish military presence in the region, Taha said that “this presence is inherited according to an agreement between Ankara and the former regime,www.ekurd.net but what surprises us is why they are raising the issue now and did not discuss it with the Turkish officials during their visits to Baghdad.” He noted that the Peshmerga forces “possess old weapons, and the Iraqi government is evading the responsibility of arming these forces, which have the right [to armament] according to a constitutional article. We seek to include the Peshmerga in the defense system in terms of armament, rehabilitation and management, but have it under the command of the General Commander of Armed Forces and the Kurdistan region’s presidency.” Nawshirwan Mustafa, leader of the Kurdish opposition Movement for Change, said that the objective of his visit to the province of Kirkuk Tuesday [Nov. 6] was to support the decisions of the local government. He called for distancing the military from political disputes. Mustafa said in a press conference that his movement supports the province of Kirkuk, its management and components through their representatives in the Iraqi parliament and the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament. Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Omar Karim reiterated his opposition to the “formation of the Tigris Operations Command” in Kirkuk as a result of Maliki’s accusation to him that he breached the constitution. The local administration announced its refusal to cooperate with the Tigris Operations Command following the prime minister's decision to assign to it the security files in the provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin. Also, the Ministry of Peshmerga threatened to confront it if it enters the Kurdistan region. Kirkuk is witnessing political and ethnic differences as a result of the Kurds’ demand for the implementation of Article 140 of the constitution, which calls for the provision of financial compensation to the Arabs who were recruited in the 1980s, returning the expelled Kurds after providing them with financial compensation and holding a referendum on appending Kirkuk to the Kurdistan region in the future. Translated from Al-Hayat (Pan Arab). al-monitor.com Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, al-monitor.com | alhayat.com Kurdistan, Iraq ============== Dabbagh and al-Dulaimi and the grandson of Badri and Lebanese broker involved in the Russian arms deal corruption and abolish monarchy and form a committee to negotiate a new 10 تشرين الثاني (نوفمبر) 2012 November 10 (November 2012) وبعد تحقيقات سريعة في موسكو اكتشف المالكي أن "الاخصائي بالمرجعية" والناطق بأسم مجلس الوزراء علي الدباغ، بالإضافة إلى "ابو الوزارتين" وزير الدفاع ووزير الثقافة سعدون الدليمي والمستشار في رئاسة الجمهورية عبد العزيز البدري (نجل رجل الدين السني الذي اعدمه صدام عبد العزيز البدري) فضلا عن سمسار لبناني مقرب من "حزب الله" هو حسن فياض ، هم من رتبوا أمر النسبة التي تبلغ أكثر من 200 مليون دولار. After prompt in Moscow discovered Maliki that "specialist points of reference", the spokesman for the Council of Ministers Ali al-Dabbagh, in addition to the "Abu ministries" Minister of Defense and Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi and adviser in the Presidency Abdul Aziz al-Badri (son of the Sunni cleric executed by Saddam Abdel Aziz al-Badri) as well as a broker to close to the Lebanese "Party of God" is Hassan Fayad, are arranged is the percentage of more than $ 200 million. فيما وصفت لجنة النزاهة في مجلس النواب، صفقة السلاح العراقية الروسية بـ"المشبوهة"، مطالبة رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي بإيقافها، وإعادة التفاوض بشأنها من خلال لجنة يتم اختيارها بدقة، ابلغت مصادر مطلعة على الصفقة، ان الرئيس الروسي بوتين فاجئ المالكي أثناء المفاوضات وهو يشير له بأن حصته البالغة 5 % مضمونة، فما كان من المالكي إلا التساؤل عن ذلك... As described Integrity Committee in the House of Representatives, arms deal Iraqi Russian as "suspicious", demanding Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki halted, and renegotiated through a committee to be selected carefully, informed sources familiar with the deal, Russian President Putin surprised Maliki during the negotiations which indicates him that its 5% stake guaranteed, what was the Maliki only wonder about that ... ويضيف المصدر بأن بوتين قال للمالكي أثناء اللقاء أن مسؤولاً كبيراً في الوفد العراقي هو من رتب كل شيء بخصوص نسبة (عمولة) المالكي وفريقه. The source adds that Putin said the owners during the meeting that a senior official in the Iraqi delegation is arranged everything on the proportion of (commission) al-Maliki and his team. وبعد تحقيقات سريعة في موسكو اكتشف المالكي أن "الاخصائي بالمرجعية" والناطق بأسم مجلس الوزراء علي الدباغ، بالإضافة إلى "ابو الوزارتين" وزير الدفاع ووزير الثقافة سعدون الدليمي والمستشار في رئاسة الجمهورية عبد العزيز البدري (نجل رجل الدين السني الذي اعدمه صدام عبد العزيز البدري) فضلا عن سمسار لبناني مقرب من "حزب الله" هو حسن فياض ، هم من رتبوا أمر النسبة التي تبلغ أكثر من 200 مليون دولار. After prompt in Moscow discovered Maliki that "specialist points of reference", the spokesman for the Council of Ministers Ali al-Dabbagh, in addition to the "Abu ministries" Minister of Defense and Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi and adviser in the Presidency Abdul Aziz al-Badri (son of the Sunni cleric executed by Saddam Abdel Aziz al-Badri) as well as a broker to close to the Lebanese "Party of God" is Hassan Fayad, are arranged is the percentage of more than $ 200 million. اللافت في الموضوع هو اقدام الرئيس الروسي على إقالة وزير دفاعه أناتولي سيرديوكوف "على خلفية فضيحة احتيال بعدة ملايين من اليورو تورطت فيها شركة تابعة لوزارة الدفاع"، دون ذكر المزيد من التفاصيل في موسكو. Interesting topic is the feet of Russian President sacked his defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov "against the backdrop of a fraud scandal multimillion euro involving a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense", without giving further details in Moscow. ويربط مراقبون بين قرار الإقالة هذا وخفايا صفقة الأسلحة العراقية التي كثرت التحليلات بشأنها. Observers links between the decision to dismiss this Khvaya Iraqi arms deal that abounded analyzes them. ساحات التحرير Liberation squares ................................................. ................................................. كشف عضو في لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية، الجمعة، عن إلغاء الحكومة العراقية صفقة شراء الأسلحة الروسية، مؤكدا تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أٌرسلت الى روسيا سابقا، فيما أشار إلى أن مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة "ضخم جدا". A member of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary Friday, the cancellation of the Iraqi government deal to buy Russian weapons, confirming the formation of a new committee to negotiate is sent to Russia earlier, as pointed out that the amount of corruption in the deal "very large." وقال حاكم الزاملي في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "الحكومة ورئيس الوزراء بينوا أن صفقة شراء الاسلحة الروسية فيها شبهة واضحة وفساد يصل الى 195 مليون دولار"، مبينا أن "رئاسة الوزراء ألغت هذه الصفقة وتم تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أُرسلت الى روسيا سابقاً". The governor said Zamili said in an interview for "Alsumaria News", "The government and the Prime Minister indicated that the purchase of Russian arms where suspicion and clear and corruption up to $ 195 million," noting that "the prime minister canceled the deal was formed a new committee to negotiate is sent to Russia previously. " وأضاف الزاملي وهو نائب عن كتلة الاحرار أن "زيارة رئيس الوزراء الى روسيا سبقتها زيارات متكررة لبعض المسؤولين"، مشيرا إلى أن "هناك وسطاء وبعض العلاقات الجانبية والتدخلات التي أثارت حفيظة الجميع". He Zamili, a deputy from the Liberal bloc that "Prime Minister's visit to Russia was preceded by frequent visits to some officials," adding that "there are brokers and some side relationships and interventions, which raised the ire of everyone." وأوضح عضو لجنة الأمن والدفاع أن "مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة ضخم جدا وهناك تورط لبعض الأشخاص"، لافتا إلى أن "الصفقة تم رفضها من قبل الكثير من أعضاء لجنة الأمن والدفاع النيابية الذين تيقنوا من وجود فساد فيها". The member of the Security and Defense Committee that "the amount of corruption in the deal so huge and there's involvement to some people," pointing out that "the deal was rejected by many members of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary who are certain about the existence of corruption in it." واعتبر الزاملي أن "الجيش العراقي يحتاج الى التسليح و التدريب لوجود أخطار واستهداف للعراق"، مبديا رفضه أن "تكون اغلب الأموال التي تخصص للتسليح تذهب الى جيوب المفسدين". Zamili considered that "the Iraqi army needs to arming and training of the existence of the dangers and the targeting of Iraq," expressing his refusal to "most of the funds that are allocated to the arm goes into the pockets of the corrupt." وكان رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حسن السنيد قد دافع، في (13 تشرين الاول 2012)، عن عقود التسليح التي وقعها رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي مع روسيا وتشيكيا، وفي حين طمئنا أن الأسلحة التي سيتم استيرادها دفاعية وليست هجومية، أكد أن وفدا عراقيا سيزور البلدين بعد أسبوعين للتوقيع على الصيغ النهائية لتلك العقود. The Chairman of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary Hassan Sinead has defended, in the (October 13, 2012), for armament contracts signed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki with Russia and the Czech Republic, while Tmina that the weapons will be imported defensive rather than offensive, confirmed that an Iraqi delegation will visit the two countries Two weeks after the signing of the final versions of those contracts. وأعلن عضو اللجنة حاكم الزاملي، في (20 تشرين الأول 2012)، عن قرب تشكيلها لجنة لمتابعة عقود التسليح التي أبرمتها الحكومة العراقية مؤخرا، مشيرة إلى أن تشكيل اللجنة يأتي استجابة لدعوة زعيم التيار الصدري مقتدى الصدر وللكثير من المطالبات الأخرى. Committee member announced of quitting, (20 October 2012), closely formed a committee to follow up the armament contracts concluded by the Iraqi government recently, noting that the formation of the committee comes in response to a call cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and many of the other claims. وأعلنت روسيا، في (9 تشرين الأول 2012)، أنها وقعت صفقات لبيع أسلحة بقيمة 4.2 مليار دولار مع العراق لتصبح أكبر مورد سلاح له بعد الولايات المتحدة، فيما ذكرت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية أن صفقة الأسلحة البالغة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار ويجري التفاوض حولها تشمل طائرات ميغ 29 و30 مروحية هجومية من طراز مي-28، و42 بانتسير-اس1 وهي أنظمة صواريخ ارض-جو. Russia announced, in (9 October 2012), it has signed deals to sell weapons worth $ 4.2 billion with Iraq to become the largest arms supplier to him after the United States, as reported Vedomosti, Russian arms deal valued at $ 4.2 billion and is being negotiated include MiGs 29 and 30 attack helicopter Mi -28, and 42 Pantsir - S 1, a missile systems - atmosphere. =============== Washington offers deploying its troop in the disputed areas Sunday, 18 November 2012 09:49 Shafaq News /An informed Kurdish source said on Sunday, that Washington entered on crisis line after forming Dijla forces between Baghdad and Erbil to end it, while offered to re-deploy the U.S. troops in the disputed areas and considered the armed clash with Peshmarga troops as a “red line." The source said in remarks quoted by a Kuwaiti newspaper, and briefed by "Shafaq News", that" U.S. diplomats in Baghdad have begun contacts and meetings with the two parties, (Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki )and (Kurdistan Region’s President Massoud Barzani) to end the problem and reach a joint agreement to manage the disputed areas. " "One of the submitted solutions is to re-deploy the U.S. forces in the disputed areas to ensure there are no clashes between the army and between the Kurdish Peshmarga", adding that "al-Maliki rejected this proposal." He added that "Washington does not oppose to re-deploy its military forces in the region if the disputes parties wanted that," stressing that "U.S. Vice President , Joe Biden responsible of the Iraqi file is excited for this step because the U.S. administration will not allow the outbreak of any fighting between Baghdad forces and Erbil forces on the basis that any development represents a severe strike to the United States, which supported the political process in Iraq for nearly ten years. " The source pointed out that "Biden told Maliki that the armed clash with Kurdish Peshmarga is a red line", warning that "U.S. forces will intervene in the event of the outbreak of fighting in Kirkuk and any other area." "The U.S. National Security Chancellery is convinced that the movements of al-Maliki to impose his military control on Kurdistan is due to the Iranian and Syrian regimes," adding that "moving in this period under the name of Dijla Operations Command established by Iraqi Prime Minister aims to undermine the Turkish influence and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council’s influence, which has grown dramatically in Kurdistan Region recently . " The disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad witnessed major security tensions after the government announced the formation of Dijla Operations Command, which has subjected the army and police forces in Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin provinces and Erbil’s rejection of these forces because no one discussed the matter with it when it was formed. The armed clash occurred between the guards of one of the headquarters of Kurdish parties in Tuz Khurmatu district in Salahuddin province and a force of the federal police on Friday, killing one civilian and wounding ten policemen. http://www.shafaaq.com/en/news/4093-washington-offers-deploying-its-troop-in-the-disputed-areas-.html