Posts Tagged ‘Ahmadinejad’

'Mon Dieu! So you are saying zat Iran is taking over ze Lebanon? Who knew?'

Lebanon warned “Iran telecom” was taking over the country after uncovering a secret communications network used by Hezbollah two years ago, a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks showed on Monday.

The Beirut government was shocked at the discovery in April 2008 of the extensive communications system used by the powerful Shiite party, which receives military and financial support from Iran, according to the cable. Read the rest of this entry »

But you'll always be my Number One, Hugo...

Now… why aren’t we surprised by this?

Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has said that the best age for girls to marry is between 16 and 18, rather than at the younger ages allowed by law.

“The best age for marriage is between 16 to 18 for girls and 19 to 21 for boys,” the Mardomsalari newspaper quoted Mr Ahmadinejad as saying. The pronouncement is being interpreted as an effort by the government to gain support among young voters. In 2004, Iran’s parliament raised the legally acceptable age of marriage for girls to 15 from nine.

The president’s popularity has been harmed since the disputed 2009 presidential vote, which the opposition says was rigged to secure his re-election. “We have a parliamentary election in 2012 and hardliners want to win young people’s votes in order to win the assembly vote,” said an Iranian political analyst who asked not to be named.

Iranians are struggling to cope with international sanctions and economic uncertainty. The inflation rate is about 10 per cent and unemployment is running at 15 per cent.

Surprising that he isn’t aiming for even younger, given Article 1041 of the Iranian Civil Code, which states:

“Marriage before puberty by the permission of the Guardian and on condition of taking into interest the ward’s interest is proper”

[Source: The Independent/Reuters]

Toothless UN agency the IAEA and the cowardly West stand by, mutter about ‘sanctions’ and wring their hands:

Western powers have accused Iran of trying to intimidate the UN atomic agency by barring some nuclear inspectors, as the United States warned the Islamic state of possible diplomatic consequences over the allegations.

Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh hit back during a tense meeting of the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday, saying that IAEA chief Yukiya Amano had “completely missed the facts”.

Earlier this week, Amano told the board that Iran’s refusal to admit some experienced inspectors was hampering the agency’s work. Read the rest of this entry »

Iranians prepare to load aid bound for Gaza

Another Muslim thugocracy prepares for a little Israel-baiting:

TEHRAN — The Iranian Red Crescent has decided to send two aid ships to Gaza this week in the latest bid to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory by Iran’s regional arch foe Israel.
Red Crescent director for international affairs Abdolrauf Adibzadeh told the state IRNA news agency late on Sunday that the decision to send the ships was taken after a meeting with the foreign ministry.

“One ship will carry donations made by the people and the other will carry relief workers. The ships will be sent to Gaza by end of this week,” Adibzadeh said.

He said the Red Crescent has called for Iranian volunteers to act as relief workers and accompany the vessels.
“Volunteers who want to go to Gaza and help the oppressed people of occupied Palestine can refer to the Red Crescent website and register,” Adibzadeh said. Read the rest of this entry »

More indulgence of the world’s worst dictatorships at the irrelevant United Nations. And on your taxpayer $£¥€, etc. Yet you’d think from the mainstream media’s coverage of this latest waste of paper from the UN that something truly significant had just happened:

Signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have agreed to work towards a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.

The members, meeting at the UN in New York, called for a conference in 2012 attended by Middle Eastern states – including Iran – to establish the zone.

The unanimously agreed document also said that Israel should sign the NPT. US President Barack Obama backed the deal but said he was “strongly opposed” to Israel being singled out. The US says the reference could jeopardise efforts to persuade the Israelis to attend the 2012 talks. Read the rest of this entry »