city:tehran

Study: #Stuxnet strengthened Iranian nuclear program - Israel News, Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4380512,00.html

“Stuxnet was of net benefit to #Iran if, indeed, its government wants to build a bomb or increase its nuclear-weapons potential,” she added. “The malware – if it did in fact infiltrate Natanz – has made the Iranians more cautious about protecting their nuclear facilities.”

via @alaingresh

Tehran Battles Drugs, Addiction And Crime - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/iran-drugs-heroin-crime-tehran.html

Tehran Battles Drugs, Addiction
And Crime

 : l’extension du domaine de la drogue à Téhéran (comme dans de très nombreuses métropoles d’Orient).

As U.S. Leaves Afghanistan, India Reconsiders Iran Policy- http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/12931/as-u-s-leaves-afghanistan-india-reconsiders-iran-policy

Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid visited Tehran last weekend to attend the 17th meeting of the India-Iran Joint Commission. Though the most surprising outcome of the visit was the agreement on a common diplomatic initiative for resolving the Syrian crisis, a number of other agreements, including for the expansion of the strategically important Chabahar port on the Arabian Sea, signal a closer alignment on a more critical geopolitical interest that the two sides share: ensuring long-term stability in Afghanistan. Clearly the scheduled U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan is driving a new diplomatic engagement between India and Iran.

Contrast this week’s outcome to the March visit to New Delhi by the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Ali Larijani, who declared at the time that the two countries had developed some “major differences.”

...

#Iran #Inde

les sites d’actualités du 11/05/2013
–http://musictahrir.france24.com/index-en.html
–http://www.zbmteam.net
–http://www.sidwaya.bf
–http://www.nordnet.fr/index.php
–http://bmagads.com/world
–http://thediplomat.com
–http://english.chinamil.com.cn
–http://euobserver.com
–http://inserbia.info
–http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news
–http://alray.ps/en
–http://www.alresalah.ps/en
–http://www.shield.eu/news
–http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/world
–http://www.grab-media.com/premium-videos/?playlist=163066
–http://english.alarabiya.net
–http://www.tvcnews.tv
–http://www.youtube.com/user/ReutersTV/videos?view=0 (vidéos news)
–https://www.youtube.com/user/Warnewstoday/videos (vidéo news)
–http://7u8.net
–http://www.democracychronicles.com
–http://www.talkradionews.com
–http://quintessence.theatricalia.com (maps)
–http://lefirago.overblog.com

U.S. senators seek to block Iran from billion-dollar reserves - Middle East - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/u-s-senators-seek-to-block-iran-from-billion-dollar-reserves-1.522671

Legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Wednesday would block Iran’s access to billions of dollars worth of foreign currency reserves in the latest congressional effort to slow development of the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear program.

Lawmakers in Washington said the government in Tehran taps the reserves held in banks around the world, mostly in euros, to get around U.S. and EU sanctions on oil sales that have damaged Iran’s economy.

Iran converts the reserves it built up from decades of selling oil, estimated to be worth $60 billion to $100 billion, into local currencies in order to finance imports and stabilize its budget, the lawmakers said.

The United States and the European Union believe that Iran is enriching uranium to levels that could be used in nuclear weapons. Tehran says the program is intended for producing power and medical supplies.

If passed, the bill introduced by Senators Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican, Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, and three others, would block such currency conversions of the reserves and be retroactive to May 9.

Financial institutions around the world are “on notice” to halt all foreign currency transactions on behalf of blacklisted Iranian banks and sectors “or risk being cut off from the U.S. financial market,” the lawmakers said in a statement.

The bill seeks to limit the ability of the Central Bank of Iran and National Iranian Oil Company to conduct transactions in foreign currencies. It authorizes U.S. President Barack Obama to impose sanctions on foreign banks that conduct such transactions.

Mark Dubowitz, head of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a proponent of tough sanctions on Iran, said the bill could push European regulators to take their own actions to cut Iran’s access to euros.

“Congress is encouraging the European Union to adopt a made-in-EU solution that prevents Iran from really exploiting a European loophole,” he said.

Kirk and Manchin’s legislation builds on a sanctions law that took effect on February 6, and prohibits Iran from repatriating earnings it gets from its oil exports.

The earnings are kept in special accounts in countries that buy Iranian oil. The system aims to force Iran to spend the earnings on goods from those countries, keeping the money from benefiting its nuclear program.

The bill is expected to be attached later this month to Iran sanctions legislation in the House of Representatives that was introduced in February by Ed Royce, the chairman of that chamber’s foreign affairs committee.

Iran says will turn Golan into ‘Fatahland’ - Israel News, Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4377663,00.html

After alleged Israel attack on Syria, Iran issues war-like declarations, orders Assad army to protect homeland, according to Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper. ‘Front open to Syrians, Palestinians, to all who wish to fight Israel’
Roi Kais

Will the latest attack allegedly carried out by Israel on the Syrian front awaken a military response from the Assad regime and its supporters?
 
On Wednesday, the Hezbollah-identified Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar quoted Iranian officials who claimed that Iran received a message from the United States and Russia stating that the alleged Israeli airstrike was not an attempt to launch a war against Syria.
 
 According to the sources, Tehran responded to both sides by stating that operational command officers of the Syrian army were ordered to automatically respond to any attack against their homeland.
 
As with other reactions in recent days, it appears that the involved parties are intent upon warning against future attacks, and not eager to enter into a full scale war.
 
 Iranian officials have warned that their reaction to preceived aggressions would likely would be expressed in one of two ways. The first, one of the sources said, would be “a blow below the belt in more than one location,” both within and outside of Syria, as they approached “the Day of Judgment.”
 
The same source indicated that “a final decision has been taken to turn the Golan Heights into the new ‘Fatahland’ and the front will be open to “Syrians, Palestinians and to all who want to fight Israel.”
 
The second manner of response, according to the same sources, would be expressed on the political level. Preparations are currently underway for a far-reaching Syria conference, to be held in Tehran, in which the Syrian regime will be represented by Syrian Minister for National Reconcilation Ali Haider and by the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil.
 
In addition, preparations are underway for an international conference of states designated “Friends of the Syrian people,” which is scheduled to take place two weeks from now in Tehran. Forty states have been invited to participate. Iran will take the opportunity to announce a new initiative to solve the crisis in Syria.
 
The Kuwaiti newspaper, Alrai, quoted statements by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in closed meetings. He rejected the possibility that Israel would enter into southern Lebanon, because, according to him, Israel knows Lebanon would become its “cemetery.” He was quoted as saying that “the Iron Dome (missile defense system) which Israel boasts about has proven that it is more feeble than a spider web."

 The report also said that Nasrallah recently participated in more than one session of the Hezbollah’s “Jihad Council.” The newspaper claimed that during these meetings, the secretary-general stated, “Israel believes that if it attacks facilities and strategic stockpiles, it changes the resistance capabilities. This is an erroneous assessment.” He said,"The reason being that the stocks of the resistance have been filled with all that it needs."
 
Nasrallah also warned, “If Israel attacks any (arms) cache of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the response will be immediate and total war.”

Après les interférences de l’ambassadeur américain, celles de l’Iran.
Après l’Algérie (voir poste de Zara « pas de médiation de l’Algérie »), ce serait l’Iran dont, aux dires de Salehi, les Bahreiniens chercheraient l’aide pour résoudre leur situation intérieure complétement bloquée

Bahrain denies Iran mediation request claim | GulfNews.com
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-denies-iran-mediation-request-claim-1.1180679

Bahrain has denied a claim that it had asked Iran to mediate in the political deadlock that has hit the country for two years.
“Bahrain has not and will not ask for a mediation in a domestic issue from anyone, least of all from Iran,” Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, the foreign minister, said on his Twitter account.
The foreign ministry in a statement strongly rejected the claims made by Iran’s foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi about an alleged request by Bahrain to Iran to mediate, saying that they were false, lacked credibility and were a blatant interference in the kingdom’s internal affairs

US official: Israel did not notify US before Syria raids | JPost | Israel News
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/US-official-Israel-did-not-notify-US-before-Syria-raids-312164

The US was not given any warning before air strikes in Syria against what Western and Israeli officials say were weapons headed for Hezbollah militants, a US intelligence official said on Sunday.

Without confirming that Israel was behind the attacks, the US intelligence official said that the United States was essentially told of the air raids “after the fact” and was notified as the bombs went off.

Selon Micah Zenko, qui donne ce lien http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/30/opinion/oe-zenko30 , c’est probablement le cas.

Report: Tehran car bomb kills Iranian nuclear scientist - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/report-tehran-car-bomb-kills-iranian-nuclear-scientist-1.406676

Semi-official Fars news agency reports that Ahmadi Roshan, 32, supervised department at Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan; Tehran official blames Israel for bombing.

REVUE DE PRESSE HEBDOMADAIRE DE POMED SUR L’IRAN
(Project on Middle East Democracy)

L’ambassadeur de l’Iran à l’ONU Ambassador Bagher Asadi a été arrêté à Téhéran en mars dernier. Selon certaines sources, les critiques qu’il aurait formulées contres les conservateurs seraient à l’origine de son arrestation. En janvier 2004, Asadi avait publié une chronique dans le New York Times dans laquelle il manifestait clairement son soutien aux réformistes, et reprochait aux "conservateurs" leur mépris des droits de l’homme et des éléments républicains de la gouvernance.

Sources :
Senior Iranian Diplomat Arrested in Tehran BBC Persian [Persian], 05/01/2013
Sources say senior Iranian diplomat detained in March Reuters [English], 04/30/2013

Le Conseil électoral central a approuvé la nomination de nouveaux membres
Des changements pourraient survenir dans le processus d’agrément électoral iranien. Le Conseil électoral central, une instance nouvellement créée, a tenu sa première réunion jeudi dernier et approuvé la nomination de plusieurs nouveaux membres. Cette semaine, le porte-parole du Conseil des gardiens Abbasali Kadkhodai a annoncé des modifications possibles dans le processus d’agrément des candidats à la présidentielle. Selon Kadkhodai, le Conseil pourrait exiger des candidats qu’ils présentent une copie de leur programme et qu’ils le défendent devant le Conseil.

Sources :
Guardian Council Approves Appointees to CEEB BBC Persian [Persian], 05/01/2013
Guardian Council Suggests New Requirements BBC Persian [Persian], 05/01/2013

Rafsanjani et Khatami n’excluent pas de se présenter aux prochaines élections
Dimanche dernier, l’ancien President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani a annoncé à des écrivains et journalistes qu’il n’avait pas exclu de se présenter aux prochaines élections présidentielles. Rafsandjani a insisté sur le fait que le prochain président sera confronté à de sérieuses difficultés, notamment des conflits avec la communauté internationale. De son côté, l’ancien président Mohammad Khatami n’a pas exclu lui non plus de se présenter.

Sources :
Circumstances in Competing Electoral Camps Jame Jam Online [Persian], 04/29/2013
Former Iranian President Doesn’t Rule Out Running Khabar News [English], 04/29/2013
Hashemi : “I haven’t ruled out running" Fararu [Persian], 04/28/2013
Khatami Refuses to Rule Out Run Fararu [Persian], 04/28/2013

New Post for Defendant in Torture Case ? :
On Wednesday, reports emerged that Saeed Mortazavi will replace Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh as Director of the Cultural Heritage Organization. Mortazavi, a former Tehran Prosecutor General, is accused of sending three protestors to the Kahrizak Detention Center in 2009, where they later died. His critics allege that Mortazavi was complicit in their deaths. Despite this potential appointment, the fourth closed-door session of the Kahrizak trial took place on Monday, with the final session scheduled for May 5.

Sources :
Fourth Kahrizak Hearing Held in Closed Session BBC Persian [Persian], 04/29/2013
Summary of Fourth Kahrizak Hearing Fararu [Persian], 05/01/2013
Saeed Mortazavi in New Post ? Fararu [Persian], 05/01/2013

L’arrière-plan de géopolitique pétrolière et gazière - souvent ignoré - derrière la crise syrienne et ses prolongements iraniens est analysé de manière approfondie par Pepe Escobar. Sont évoqués le pipeline Iran-Pakistan (et ses prolongements probables vers la Chine et l’Inde, concurrent du projet américain TAPI) ainsi que le projet de pipeline Iran-Irak-Syrie signé en 2011 qui, d’une part, ruinerait les espérances du Qatar de se libérer des contraintes géopolitiques et militaires du golfe arabo-persique (présence menaçante de l’Arabie saoudite et de l’Iran) pour approvisionner l’Europe en gaz et concurrencer la Russie comme approvisionneur de l’U.E. (souhait soutenu par les Américains) et qui, d’autre part, contrarierait le rêve turc de devenir un gigantesque hub énergétique :
http://rt.com/op-edge/iran-pakistan-syria-pipeline-843

IRIB Poll: Rafsanjani in the Lead |
and Khatami in seconde position in #Iran

http://www.uskowioniran.com/2013/04/irib-poll-rafsanjani-in-lead.html

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), state radio and TV organization, said today its latest and most extensive national public opinion poll shows former president Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani is most popular among all actual and presumptive candidates for president in the upcoming June election.  Another former president, Ayatollah Khatami, finishes a close second in the poll, and Tehran’s mayor, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, finishes a distant third, followed by former foreign minister Ali Akbar Valayati. (IRIB, 22 April)

Iran likely behind drone that Israel intercepted opposite Haifa coast - Diplomacy & Defense - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/iran-likely-behind-drone-that-israel-intercepted-opposite-haifa-coast.premi

Despite the lack of official explanations to the wording of Thursday’s statements, it seems that those responsible for the launching of the drone were the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon. Iran has a long list of grievances with Israel: not only does it consider Israel to be behind the assassinations of the nuclear scientists in Tehran and the cyber attacks on their nuclear program, it has added a relatively new accusation concerning the assassination of the commander of the al-Quds regiment of the Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon, near the Syrian border last month. The reliability of this accusation is yet unclear; some reports attributed the assassination to the Syrian opposition.

Quelques leçons de géographie, ça ne lui ferait pas du mal...

Sarah Palin Calls for Invasion of Czech Republic

Sarah Palin called for the invasion of the Czech Republic today in response to the recent terrorist attacks in Boston.

In an interview with Fox News, the former governor of Alaska said that although federal investigators have yet to complete their work, the time for action is now.

“We don’t know everything about these suspects yet,” Palin told Fox and Friends this morning, referring to Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who allegedly carried out the Boston Marathon attacks. "But we know they were Muslims from the Czech Republic.

"I betcha I speak for a lot of Americans when I say I want to go over there right now and start teaching those folks a lesson. And let’s not stop at the Czech Republic, let’s go after all Arab countries.

“The Arabians need to learn that they can’t keep comin’ over here and blowing stuff up. Let’s set off a couple of nukes in Islamabad, burn down Prague, then bomb the heck out of Tehran. We need to show them that we mean business.”
Can’t See Russia...

Although hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson applauded Palin’s jingoism, they immediately attempted to rectify her multiple geographic errors.

“Well Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan, which isn’t Arab,” Carlson corrected, “and Tehran is the capital of Iran, which is predominantly Persian. But I do see your point.”

“Also Czech Republic isn’t really an Arab or even Muslim country, I don’t think,” Doocy added, “but otherwise what you’re saying makes a lot of sense. I think most Americans wish Obama would step up and lead on this one.”

Palin, however, didn’t take kindly to being corrected and defended her analysis.

“Steve, that’s probably one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever heard. How is Czech Republic not a Muslim country? You saw those brothers, they were Islamic and they were Chechen!”

“Yes there were Muslim and they were ethnic Chechens,” Doocy started, “but they grew up mostly in Kyrgyzstan and the United States. And more importantly, Chechens don’t come from the Czech Republic, they come from Chechnya, which is part of Russia.”

“What’s the difference?” Palin responded. “Isn’t Russia part of the Czech Republic?”

“No, the Czech Republic is a separate country. It’s part of the European Union and a strong NATO ally,” Doocy noted. “But heck, why not? Let’s invade. What could go wrong?”

“Yeah and while we’re at it,” Carlson added, “let’s call the Queen of England and see if the U.K. will join us.”

In a statement released after the interview, Palin attacked Fox News and its “pro-Islamic” and “pro-geography” bias.

“This is just another case of the politically correct liberal media refusing to tell the truth about radical Islam,” she said.

http://dailycurrant.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/0128-sarah-palin-political-career_full_600-257x171.jpg

http://dailycurrant.com/2013/04/22/sarah-palin-calls-invasion-czech-republic

#Sarah_Palin #geographie

Mon dieu ! Une tentative d’attentat terroriste au Canada par l’AQ ....iranien.

BBC News - Canada foils ’al-Qaeda inspired’ terror attack on train
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22258191

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the surveillance operation leading to the arrests of the two suspects was “a result of extensive collaborative efforts”.

They said the two men were not Canadian citizens and were supported by “al-Qaeda elements in Iran” but there was no evidence of state sponsorship.

Via Paul Danahar https://twitter.com/pdanahar/status/326433845673074689

L’étrange chaos des sanctions contre l’Iran
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-l_trange_chaos_des_sanctions_contre_l_iran_20_04_2013.html

Citation et commentaire du 20 avril 2013 – contribution de defensa.org

Adam Shatz reviews ‘Days of God’ by James Buchan · LRB 25 April 2013
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n08/adam-shatz/a-little-feu-de-joie

Buchan concludes his book with the hope that Iran will prove less stubborn than he believes it was in 1953, when Mossadegh was removed from power for taking on the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. But Khamenei and his colleagues may draw a different lesson from the events of 1953, especially if they are of a mind to compare the fate of Gaddafi, who ended his nuclear programme, with that of the North Korean regime, which did not. They may be devout Shia, but that does not mean they wish to become martyrs.

Ya’alon: Israel may have to face Iran threat alone

http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=309988

Israel must prepare for the possibility of striking Iran’s nuclear program on its own, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon warned on Tuesday, during an Independence Day speech he delivered in Herzliya.

He said that Iran is unimpressed with the West’s steps against its nuclear program and described Tehran’s nuclear program as “the most significant” threat not only to Israel, but to the Middle East and the “modern world.”

Iran’s drive for nuclear capabilities could end in disaster, Ya’alon added.

“It could spark an arms race in the Middle East and cause nuclear weapons to spread to terror organizations. This situation could be a nightmare for the Western world,” he warned.

Le mois de juin sera-t-il chaud ?
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-le_mois_de_juin_sera-t-il_chaud__17_04_2013.html

Citation et commentaire du 17 avril 2013 – contribution de dedefensa.org

Rien ne sert de discourir, il vaut mieux mentir à point ?

Syrie. Perspective différente des événements de Syrie offerte par l’agence de presse iranienne Fars News Agency. Dans un premier article qui reprend des informations de l’agence syrienne SANA, elle fait valoir les réussites militaires du régime. On notera qu’elle se contente de signaler qu’un « grand nombre de personnes » ont été tuées depuis mars 2011 sans mention d’un quelconque chiffre. Dans le second article, elle se fait également l’écho des déclarations des autorités de Damas (en l’occurrence le vice-ministre des affaires étrangères Faisal al-Miqdad ) pour critiquer la France et la Grande Bretagne qui soutiennent al-Qaïda puisque ces deux pays « soutiennent des groupes armées » en Syrie.

(I) Syrian Forces Kill More Militants, Seize Arms

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army said it has killed more foreign-sponsored militants and seized their weapons during an operation across the country .
2013-04-16

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9107161312

Syrian government forces launched attacks against militants in the governorates of Homs, Idlib, Daraa, Latakia, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo, and Damascus, on Monday and killed dozens of them, the official SANA news agency reported.

In addition, the Syrian armed forces captured many machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, hand-made rockets, mortar shells and anti-tank missiles.

(…) The troops dismantled five Turkish-made anti-armor mines and captured thirteen explosive devices planted on the road between Khan Shekhun and Ma’art al-Nouman in Idlib governorate.
(…) The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence. The Syrian government says that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals. In an interview recently broadcast on Turkish television, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that if the militants fighting against the Syrian government take power in his country they could destabilize the entire Middle East for decades. “If the unrest in Syria leads to the partitioning of the country, or if the terrorist forces take control... the situation will inevitably spill over into neighboring countries and create a domino effect throughout the Middle East and beyond,” he added.

(II) Syria Slams France, UK for Supporting Al-Qaeda

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian government criticized Britain and France for supporting al-Qaeda terrorists in their fight against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9107161318

“Britain and France were complacent about supporting al-Qaeda directly or indirectly,” Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad said in an interview on Monday, press tv reported. Miqdad described the UK and France as “new colonialists” for giving political and military support to the armed groups in Syria. The Syrian official also criticized Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar for acting to ensure western interests. Miqdad said he hoped Jordan would not boost its involvement in the unrest in Syria. “The same forces that are killing innocent people in Syria are in Jordan too… We have stupid Arabs who are facilitating what the others are planning for the region. But the conspiracy begins in the west,” he added. In an interview recently broadcast on Turkish television, Assad accused Turkey of harboring terrorists and transferring them into Syria. Damascus says Ankara has been playing a key role in fueling the unrest in Syria by financing, training, and arming the militants since violence erupted in the Arab country in March 2011. Assad also warned that if his country “is partitioned, or if terrorist forces take control of the country, there will be direct contagion of the surrounding countries.” Many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence in Syria.

Spasmes nerveux autour de l’illégitimité
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-spasmes_nerveux_autour_de_l_ill_gitimit__13_04_2013.html

• L’exemple de l’accueil fait au livre du couple Leverett, Going to Teheran, illustre la fatigue nerveuse des employés du Système. • Comme tout aspect de la politique-Système, rien de rationnel ne tient la politique iranienne des USA (du bloc BAO) : d’où “la fureur et la calomnie réductionniste” accueillant une thèse appuyée sur la raison. • A partir de cet exemple qui touche un domaine très large et très sensible de la politique-Système, on peut voir confirmée l’observation générale selon laquelle c’est le (...)

La Syrie, ou la boucle est bouclée
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-la_syrie_ou_la_boucle_est_boucl_e_13_04_2013.html

• L’archi-neocon Daniel Pipes recommande d’aider Assad contre les islamistes. • Terminus de la logique guerrière.

US, allies plan big Gulf Naval drill next month: It is likely to be seen as counter to any Iran threat

Representatives from more than 30 nations will gather in Bahrain for the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 13 from May 6-30, eight months after they staged a previous edition of the exercises at a time when Israel and Iran were trading threats of war.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/us-allies-plan-big-gulf-naval-drill-next-month-1.1168219

Fake fake news: The Iranian time machine | FP Passport
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/04/11/fake_fake_news_the_iranian_time_machine

A good rule of thumb for news in the Internet age: If there’s a “Ha, ha, silly foreigners” story circulating on the Internet, and if 90 percent of the people writing about it are citing the Telegraph, it’s probably mostly fake, or at least highly misleading. (See Putin’s Boyz II Men booty call or Sarkozy’s fromage fatwa.

I suspect this is the case with the story of an Iranian scientist claiming to have invented a time machine, which has been making the rounds today. (To be clear, I realize that no one actually thinks he did invent the time machine. I’m disputing whether or not the news story is real.)

Fureur et calomnie réductionniste du Système face à la réalité
http://www.dedefensa.org/article-fureur_et_calomnie_r_ductionniste_du_syst_me_face_la_r_alit__11_0

Article et commentaires du 11 avril 2013 – contribution de Flynt Leverett & Hillary Mann Leverett, commentaires de dedefensa.org