MIDDLE EAST BULLETIN GÜNLÜK ORTADOĞU BÜLTENİ 21 DECEMBER / ARALIK 2010 CONTENTS / İÇİNDEKİLER

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1 MIDDLE EAST BULLETIN GÜNLÜK ORTADOĞU BÜLTENİ 21 DECEMBER / ARALIK 2010 CONTENTS / İÇİNDEKİLER 1. IRAQ / IRAK 2. IRAN / İRAN 3. ISRAEL - PALESTINE / İSRAİL FİLİSTİN 4. EGYPT / MISIR 5. LEBANON / LÜBNAN 6. SYRIA / SURİYE 7. ARABIAN PENINSULA AND THE GULF OF BASRA / ARAP YARIMADASI VE BASRA KÖRFEZİ 8. SOUTH ASIA / GÜNEY ASYA PAKISTAN / PAKİSTAN INDIA / HINDISTAN AFGHANISTAN / AFGANISTAN Sayfa 1

2 1. IRAQ / IRAK The new government, comprising 42 ministers, state ministers, vice-presidents and deputy-prime ministers, includes 18 cabinet posts for the National Alliance, occupying 159 seats in the 325-seat Parlilament, representing Maliki s State of Law Coalition, the Sadrist Trend, the Supreme Islamic Council and al-fadhila (Vertue) Party. The share of al-iraqiya Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, occupying 91 parliament seats, will be 11 cabinet seats, whilst the share of North Iraq s Kurdistan Coalition, led by Iraq s President and leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdistan President and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), holding 49 parliament seats, will be 7 cabinet posts, and the remaining cabinet posts will be distributed among the small and independent blocs. President Talabani had officially assigned Prime Minister Maliki on 25/11/2010 to form the new Iraqi government, 14 days after Talabini s election by the Parliament of a second Presidency session, and the Parliament s election of al-iraqiya leader, Usama al-nujeifi for its Speaker s post, with the leader of the Sadrist Trend, Qusay al-suheil for his 1st Deputy and the Kurdistan Coalition s candidate, Aref Teifor, for the Speaker s 2nd Deputy s post. The Iraqi political status, that followed a Marathon discussions among different political blocs had led to the formation of a national-partnership government, comprising the main political forces, that encouraged Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, to call on the main forces occupying the majority of Parliament seats, to meet in Arbil. The Arbil meeting had succeeded to reach an agreement to distribute the leading State positions and form a new cabinet, led by Nouri al-maliki and shared by al-iraqiya Coalition, led by Iyad Allawi, that laid certain conditions to sharre in the new government, forefronted by the formation of the National Council for Strategic Policies Sayfa 2

3 (NCSP), enjoying new authorities, led by Allawi, along with an agreement to share power among Masoud Barzani, Iyad Allawi and Nouri al-maliki, on 10/11/2010. The candidates names are Hoshyar Zebari, Rafia al-issawi, Ahmad Nasser Dali, Mohammad Tamim, Ezz al-din al-dawla, Jassem Mohammad Jaafar, Hassan al-shemri, Mohammad Allawi, Abdulkarim al-samerraie, Dindar Najman, Majid Hamid Amin, Abdulkarim al-laaibi, Ziyad Tareq, Saadon al-dalimi, Ali al-adib, Safaa al-din al-safi, Gorgis Slewa, Aamer al-khuzaai, Ali al-dabbagh, Mohammad al-shayaa, Ali al-sajri, the government s spokesman, Ali al-dabbagh told Aswat al-iraq news agency. Salah Muzahem, Hassan al-sari, Sabah Muzahem and Tourhan Mazhar will be state ministers in the new line up, he added. The majority of former ministers have been replaced by new personalities in the new cabinet, with the exception of Kurdish Leader, Roz Nouri Shawes, who kept his deputy prime-minister s post, Kurdish Hoshiar Zibari of the foreign minister s post, al-iraqiya s leader, Tareq al-hahshimi of the vice-president s post, whilst Oil Minister Hussein al- Shahristani, close to Maliki, had been assigned to receive the post of deputy primeminister for Energy Affairs. (Aswat al Iraq) The new Iraqi government will consist of 42 ministers, including state ministers, a members of the National Coalition Ali al-dabbagh said on Monday. The Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-maliki presented the ministers names today to the parliament s chairmanship to vote on them on Tuesday. The candidates names are Hoshyar Zebari, Rafia al-issawi, Ahmad Nasser Dali, Mohammad Tamim, Ezz al-din al-dawla, Jassem Mohammad Jaafar, Hassan al-shemri, Mohammad Allawi, Abdulkarim al-samerraie, Dindar Najman, Majid Hamid Amin, Abdulkarim al-laaibi, Ziyad Tareq, Saadon al-dalimi, Ali al-adib, Safaa al-din al-safi, Sayfa 3

4 Korkis Saliwa, Aamer al-khuzaai, Ali al-dabbagh, Mohammad al-shayaa, Ali al-sajri, al- Dabbagh told Aswat al-iraq news agency. Salah Muzahem, Hassan al-sari, Sabah Muzahem and Tourhan Mazhar will be state ministers in the new line up, he added. On Nov. 25, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani officially asked incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-maliki to form the country s next government after the rival political blocs approved earlier a power-sharing deal that ended the eight-month political deadlock. According to the Iraqi constitution, Maliki has to pick his cabinet within 30 days after his official nomination as prime minister-designate by the president. The new government and its programs will have to win the approval of an absolute majority of the members of the parliament. (Aswat al Iraq) A Katyusha rocket hit a house in Kirkuk, causing material damage, while police forces arrested nine wanted men in southwest of Kirkuk, a source from the joint coordination center said on Monday. The rocket landed on Monday on a house in Baghdad road region in al-askari neighborhood, southern Kirkuk, causing material damage to the house, the source told Aswat al-iraq news agency. Joint force from the Kirkuk Districts Police Department and Tarklan police arrested at a checkpoint on main road between Kirkuk-Huweija, a man belongs to al-naqshabandiya group, the same source said. Another joint force arrested eight wanted men in accordance with Article IV Terrorism Law in al-huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk, he added. Kirkuk is 250 km northeast of Baghdad. (Aswat al Iraq) Sayfa 4

5 A group of armed men opened fire from silencer guns on an Iraqi Intelligence officer, with a colonel rank, when driving his car close to central Baghdad s al-nisour Square late Tuesday night, killing on the spot the security source told Aswat al-iraq news agency. The security source also said that a security force, cooperating with several citizens, have managed to arrest an armed man, trying to plant an explosive charge pinpinted against a Shiite procession in New Baghdad district, also on Tuesday night. (Aswat al Iraq) Iraq has decided to sell all its aircrafts, parked in the airports of Jordan, Tunisia and Iran, by its former Baath regime, the Flights Affairs Director in Iraq s Transportation Ministry said on Tuesday. The Transportation Ministry has got the approval of the Council of Ministers to sell all its aircrafts, parked in Jordan, Tunisia and Iran, possessed by the Iraqi Airways and covered by exception from the law on sellilng state property, because they have become scrap and can t return to service, as well as the rejection of international airports to allow them land in them, Nasser al-shibly told Aswat al-iraq news agency. Shibly said that his Ministry had sold 5 of the said planes to Jordan and its expected to rehabilitate one of them only, whilst the close sale of two other aircrafts for Tunisia, whilst Iran had refused to return the planes parked in its airports, as talks with it in this regard had reached to a closed end. Noteworthy is that Iraq had flown the said aircrafts to Jordan, Tunisia and Iran, to avoid their destruction by the U.S.-led attacks during the 2nd Gulf War, launched against Iraq in 1991, following its occupation of Kuwait in (Aswat al Iraq) Sayfa 5

6 The number of families covered by the social welfare salaries in different parts of Iraq has reached about 1.2 millions, a Ministry s media source told Aswat al-iraq news agency, adding that their salaries will be distributed at the end of the current month, according to the mechanism laid by the Ministry for the elderly, disabled and unemployed people. He said that the salaries range from 50,000 Iraqi dinars for each person, 70,000 dinars for two, 90,000 for three, 100,000 for four, 110,000 for five, 120,000 for 6 and above. A U.S. dollars equals about 1,118 Iraq dinars approx. The Ministry has laid a new mechanism for persons, covered with social welfare, comprising a committee of social researchers, a municipality member in earch area, along with a social welfare employee, and the committee would carry out visits on random basis to different areas of Iraq, the source concluded. (Aswat al Iraq) 2. IRAN / İRAN Iran has hanged 11 people with alleged connections to a Sunni Muslim opposition group that killed 39 people in a mosque bombing. The Justice Ministry said on Monday that those executed were all supporters of Jundollah, which claimed a double suicide bombing of Shia worshippers in the southeast on December 15. "The people of Sistan-Baluchestan province, in their continuing campaign against the elements of cruelty and insecurity, hanged 11 people at Zahedan prison," the ministry said in a statement on the semi-official Fars news agency. Sayfa 6

7 Iran has said that Jundollah members, who say they are fighting for the rights of the ethnic-minority Baluch people, find shelter across Iran's southeastern border with Pakistan. Iran asserts that the group is linked to al-qaeda. 'Serious measures' According to state television, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, held a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, urging Pakistan to arrest "identified terrorists" and hand them over to Iran. Iran hoped it had neutralised Jundollah when it executed its leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, last June. But the mosque bombing in the town of Chabahar, which wounded more than 100 people, was the group's latest riposte. The families of the bombing victims sent a letter to Zardari calling for "serious measures" against Jundollah and other "terrorist" groups, echoing a call from some Iranian officials. "These anti-revolutionary groups which have been given shelter in neighbouring countries like Pakistan and are being supported there should be pursued and suppressed on Pakistani soil," Qolamali Rashid, a senior military official, said. "The land forces of the Revolutionary Guard have the ability to do this," he said, referring to Iran's elite military force. A member of Iran's parliamentary national security and foreign policy committee said on Sunday that "Pakistan should be served notice" to destroy what he called terrorist training camps. "If the Pakistan government refused to take measures to destroy the terrorist centres in that country, then the Islamic Republic would have the right to take steps and make the atmosphere unsafe for the terrorists in defence of its own nationals," Kazem Jalali told the semi-official Mehr news agency. Sayfa 7

8 Film director sentenced Meanwhile, an Iranian court has sentenced Jaraf Panahi, an internaitonally renowned film director, to six years in prison on Saturday, according to Farideh Gheyrat, his lawyer. The court has also ruled that Panahi cannot make films, nor travel abroad for 20 years. Gheyrat said that he was convicted of gathering, colluding and propaganda against the Iranian government. "Mr Panahi has been sentenced to six years in jail for acting and propaganda against the system," Gheyrat was quoted as saying by the Isna news agency. "He has also been banned from making films, writing any kind of scripts, travelling abroad and talking to local and foreign media for 20 years." Gheyrat called it a "heavy verdict" and said that she had 20 days to make an appeal. Panahi, 49, supports Mirhossein Mousavi, Iran's opposition leader, in last year's disputed presidential election. The filmmaker was arrested in Iran in early March and detained for 88 days, when he went on hunger strike due to his treatment. (Al Jazeera) An earthquake in southeast Iran has killed at least five people and destroyed homes, a regional governor has said. The quake struck late on Monday in a mountainous region and was given a 6.3 magnitude by the US Geological Survey. Kerman province is said to be the worst affected area. Sayfa 8

9 "Seven people have been killed and hundreds have been injured. Hundreds of people are still trapped under the rubbles," Esmail Najjar, governor of Iran's Kerman province, the centre of the quake, told the semi-official Mehr news agency. At least three villages were destroyed, leaving hundreds of people trapped under rubble, according to Mehr, a semi-official news agency. Nine aftershocks There were nine aftershocks following the earthquake, one that was given a 5 magnitude, according to IRNA, the official news agency. Mohammad Javad Kamyab, an employee of Kerman province governor's office, said that 30 villages lay in the affected area. "These villages are not heavily populated... We are not expecting a high death toll and so far 25 people have been injured," Kamyab said. Telephone lines were down while rescue teams have been dispatched, according to authorities. Some reports said that the quake was felt in Sistan-Baluchestan province, including the towns of Zahedan, Bam, Khash and Iranshahr. However, there were no reports of damage in those locations. In 2003, Bam was the scene of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 26,000 people. (Al Jazeera) İslam inkılâbı rehberi Ayetullah Seyyid Ali Hamanei, bölgede Şii ve Sünni birlikteliğinin çok önemli olduğunu ve her iki kesimin de yıllardan beri samimiyet ile yaşadıklarını söyledi. Sayfa 9

10 Ayetullah Hamenei, Katar emiri Şeyh Hamed bin Halife Al-ı Sani'yi kabulünde yaptığı açıklamada, bazıların Şii ve Sünniler arasındaki samimiyeti bozmak ve Şiilerle Ehli Sünnet arasındaki bazı inanç ayrışmalarını sosyal bir ihtilafa dönüştürmeye çalıştıklarını belirtti. İslam inkılabı rehberi Fars körfezi bölgesi güvenliğinin büyük öneminin farkında olmayan bazı bölge ülkelerine sitem ederek, Amerika ile Siyonistlerin bu ülkelerin bölge güvenliğinin öneminden habersizliğinden yararlanarak, bu yöndeki zihniyeti körüklediklerini belirtti. Ayetullah Hamenei, İran İslam cumhuriyetiyle Katar arasındaki ilişkileri iyi ilişkiler olarak değerlendirip bu ilişkilerin gün geçtikçe gelişmesi gerektiği zira iki ülke ve bölge lehine olacağını belirtti. İslam İnkilabı Rehberi, başta Fars körfezi olmak üzere bölgede güvenliğin önemine değinerek Fars körfezinde güvenliğin ayırım konusu olamayacağı, zira bölge güvenlikli olursa tüm bölge ülkelerinin bundan faydalanacağı ancak bu güvenlik zedelenirse tüm bölge ülkelerinin güvensizleşip zararlı çıkacağını belirtti. Ayetullah Hamenei,katar emirinin Lübnan'daki hassas durum ve Refik Hariri mahkemesi kararının çıkması ihtimali hususundaki sözlerine değinerek bu mahkemenin göstermelik olup vereceği her hangi bir kararın da geçersiz olacağını vurguladı. (IRNA) İran İslam Cumhuriyeti ve Rusya üçüncü ülkelerde santral kurmak için ortak iş birliğini sıcak karşılıyor. Rusya nın Gazprom Techno Export şirketi yetkilisi ile görüşen Enerji Bakan Yardımcısı Muhammed Behzad, şirketin geçen yıllarda santral alanında enerji bakanlığıyla iyi iş birliği içinde olduğunu ve ülkesinin de elektrik sanayisinde Rus şirketlerin daha aktif katılmasını sıcak karşıladığını belirtti. Sayfa 10

11 Behzad İran şirketleri, Rus şirketiyle İran, Rusya ve üçüncü ülkelerde yeni santraller kurmak için hazırdır dedi. (IRNA) Analysts warned that France's harsh stance at the Geneva talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) and its expectations from the next round of talks in Istanbul will pose a major threat to the trend of talks. Two weeks after the talks between Iran and the six powers in Geneva, Switzerland, the western members of the G5+1 are trying to distort the atmosphere for the upcoming talks in Istanbul in January. Similar to Britain and the US, France is also seeking to ignore the agreement attained in the Geneva talks and is talking about its unilateral preconditions for the next round of talks, sources said. Meantime, diplomats privy to the talks said that Jacques Audibert, the general and strategic affairs director of France who also represented Paris in the Tehran-powers negotiations, had taken the harshest stance towards Iran compared with other parties in the Geneva talks. Commenting on the reasons behind France's stance, analysts say that the unbalanced stance adopted by Paris stems from France's willingness to move ahead of the US in a bid to maintain a European identity for itself. The second reason for France's stance lies in its intense feelings for revenge and retaliation against Tehran's last year move for excluding Paris from the Vienna talks over the supply of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor, analysts say. The pressure imposed on Paris by France-based pro-israel lobbies is also viewed by the analysts as yet another cause of France's harsh stance on talks with Iran. Sayfa 11

12 As for the fourth reason, analysts say that France has always underlined the necessity for banning Iran's uranium enrichment activities because it fears that the issue might lead to bilateral bargaining and talks between Tehran and Washington. The statements made by some of the western envoys to the Geneva talks with Iran is fully different from they had said before. Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili underlined during a press conference after the end of the talks in Geneva that "our agreement was one sentence which was concluded by Mrs. Ashton and we accepted it after all the 6 countries (of the Group 5+1) approved it, and that sentence is 'talks for cooperation over common points in January in Istanbul'". "Anything beyond this sentence is against our agreement and this sentence itself was not my conclusion, rather it was the conclusion made by Mrs. Ashton, which was first approved by the 6 countries and then by us." The development came amid media reports that the United States and its allies are planning to impose more sanctions on Iran ahead of next round of talks. High-level envoys from London, Paris and Washington discussed the matter last Tuesday in the French capital, the report said. According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal on December 18, the US and representatives of the European Union have agreed to impose joint sanctions against Iran in January. It is unclear what shape the new sanctions will take, but it has been agreed that the US and EU should act together with a uniform set of sanctions, rather than seeking further United Nations sanctions. The report said the US and its allies plan to finalize details of the plan by the end of the year, then deliver the proposal to the EU sanctions committee to get the new measures in place before talks are resumed in Istanbul. Sayfa 12

13 Iran has strongly warned that any attempt to impose fresh pressures and sanctions against Tehran would threaten continuation of talks between the two sides. (Fars News Agency) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a phone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari called on Islamabad to take immediate action to identify and extradite the terrorists behind the recent bombing in Chabahar city, Southeastern Iran. During the phone call on Monday, Ahmadinejad announced Tehran's readiness for exchange of intelligence and mutual cooperation with Islamabad in fighting terrorism, and said, "Cooperation and firm action by the two countries will certainly uproot terrorism in the region." He also reiterated that eradication of terrorism is wished and demanded by both nations. Zardari, for his part, assured Ahmadinejad that his country would spare no efforts to eradicate the ominous phenomenon of terrorism through assistance and cooperation with Iran. Ahmadinejad made the phone call less than a week after a suicide attack near a mosque in Southeastern Iran took the lives of at least 39 and wounded 95 people in a mourning ceremony held to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hossein (AS), Shiite Islam's third Imam. The attack took place outside Imam Hossein Mosque in the port city of Chabahar, in Sistan and Balouchestan province, near the border with Pakistan on Wednesday. The Pakistani-based Jundollah terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack. The notorious group has built a safe haven in Pakistan and escapes to this Eastern neighbor of the Islamic Republic after staging its terrorist operations. Sayfa 13

14 Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced later on Wednesday that the terrorists who carried out the bombings in Chabahar had received their necessary trainings in Pakistan. "A number of terrorists that are being trained beyond (Iran's) Eastern borders in Pakistan have carried out this terrorist attack," Najjar told reporters on Wednesday. The Iranian official pointed out that the terrorists received equipment and training from foreign elements, adding that the Islamic Republic has warned Pakistan against providing a safe haven for terrorists. Meantime senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and the Army on Monday stressed Iran's capability to chase and destroy terrorist cells beyond Iran's borders. "The anti-revolution grouplets which have been sheltered in the neighboring countries, like Pakistan, and are supported there should be chased and suppressed there in Pakistani territories and this is the only way to confront terrorist actions," Deputy Head of the General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Gholam Ali Rashid told FNA. Rashid also underscored that the IRGC Ground Forces enjoy such capability and can end terrorist activities across Iran's Southeastern borders. (Fars News Agency) 3. ISRAEL - PALESTINE / İSRAİL FİLİSTİN Israeli fighter jets have attacked the Gaza Strip, wounding two Palestinian fighters, according to a Palestinian medical source and witnesses. The overnight raids came after the Israeli army accused Palestinian fighters of firing nine mortar shells on Monday into southern Israel, which fell on open ground and caused no deaths. Sayfa 14

15 Three raids targeted the town of Khan Younis in the south of the Palestinian enclave governed by Hamas, wounding two fighters of the Ezzedin al-qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, one of them seriously, the sources said. Four other attacks were carried out in the north of Gaza, targeting the Jabailya refugee camp and the towns of Beit Lahya, Beit Hanoun and Zeitoun, with no casualties reported. The Israeli jets also attacked a tunnel between the Gaza Strip and Egypt near the southern town of Rafah, without causing any injuries. An Israeli military spokeswoman, contacted by the AFP news agency, spoke of seven air attacks against tunnels used for smuggling weapons and "arms dumps used for terrorist attacks". She described the raids as "reprisals for attacks on Israeli territory". Nine mortar rounds were fired at southern Israel from Gaza on Monday, without hurting anyone, the Israeli military spokeswoman said. Earlier, on Saturday night, Israeli jets struck central Gaza, killing five fighters as they were about to launch a rocket attack, according to the Israeli army and witnesses. The raid was one of the deadliest since Israel's December 2008-January 2009 war on Gaza's Hamas rulers, codenamed Operation Cast Lead, which cost the lives of 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers. Since Israel's war on Gaza, the number of rocket attacks has has gone down considerably. The Israeli army says more than 200 rockets or shells have been fired since the beginning of this year. (Al Jazeera) Israeli security force have arrested nine suspects over the last two weeks suspected in a string of attacks against Arab in central Jerusalem, a gag order lifted Tuesday revealed. Sayfa 15

16 Seven of the nine suspects are minors and all are residents of Jerusalem or West Bank settlements. The suspects were released to house arrest following questioning. An initial investigation has found that the nine individuals formed a gang that used the prowess of a 14-year-old girl to lure their prey. She would approach the chosen victim, ask them for a cigarette or invite them for a walk, and then lead them to where the assailants were waiting the schoolyard of the Experimental School in Jerusalem, the Independence Park or a nearby pedestrian plaza. As soon as the girl would arrive with the victim, the assailants would begin to pelt them with rocks, bottles or even spray tear gas at them, according to details of the investigation. The Jerusalem Police believe that the nine are members of an organized gang led by a 14-year-old boy, that has made nationalist attacks against Arabs its central goal. The young men have reportedly been roaming in and around Independence Park seeking Arabs to attack, trying to identify them by their accent. Haaretz has learned of a number of attacks over the last few months, and the stabbing of an Arab in July. The same gang is suspected of attacking a Chilean tourist who they mistook for an Arab, an incident that stirred uproar in the South American media and angered the local immigrant community. Silwan resident Annan Yagmor, 21, an alleged victim of one of these attacks in November, he was approached by a group of men in Independence Park as he was walking home. They asked him for a cigarette, accompanied him a short way, jumped him and beat him. He said they wanted to see his ID card and shouted "Arab, Arab." They also sprayed him with tear gas. Sayfa 16

17 Adem Sabih said he was similarly attacked on October 31 in the same area, by 20 or 30 skullcap-wearing young men. They asked him his name and then jumped him; one shouted "kill that Arab." He said he was smashed in the head with a rock several times before he could flee. Jerusalem City Councilman Meir Margalit said it appeared that "a gang of thugs," some with large knitted skullcaps and others with black skullcaps, were terrorizing East Jerusalem Arabs. He said he could not "shake the feeling that if the situation were reversed, if Jews were being attacked by Arabs, the authorities' response would be different (Haaretz) Fatah has rejected comments made by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad regarding the unilateral declaration of an independent Palestine, which he said would render it a "Mickey Mouse" state. Fatah sources told Asharq al-awsat that these statements were unacceptable, incomprehensible, and surprising. The Fatah source said that this statement came at a critical time and represented a blow to the efforts being undertaken by Fatah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to gain international recognition for an independent Palestinian state. Fayyad s comments came at a time that the Palestinian Authority [PA] has gained the support of several Latin American countries that have officially recognized the State of Palestine within its 1967 borders; the PA is also trying to pressure European countries to officially recognize a Palestinian State. Sources also confirmed that Fatah was extremely angered by Fayyad s comments. The source also told Asharq Al-Awsat that Fatah Central Committee member, Nabil Shaath, contacted Fayyad to reprimand him and ask him to explain his comments. Fayyad responded that the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State without first obtaining official agreements on the sovereignty of this state would mean that it is nothing more than a "Mickey Mouse" state. Fayyad had also told Israel s Channel 2 that he was not in Sayfa 17

18 favor of unilateral recognition of the state of Palestine, as this does not change the reality on the ground. In an interview that was recorded earlier this week in Washington, and broadcast on Saturday in Israel, Fayyad said: "We want an independent Palestinian state, not just more declarations [of independence]" in reference to the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence in Algiers. However the Fatah leadership has said that what is happening now is actually an extension of the previous Declaration of Independence, and that the Palestinian Authority wants countries which did not recognize Palestine in 1988 to do so now. Fatah has linked Fayyad s refusal to declare an independent state of Palestine to Fayyad's call last year for Palestinian state institutes to be established prior to the summer of 2011, as a prelude to the establishment of an independent state. Fayyad stressed that his proposal was going according to plan; however sovereignty ultimately depends on the approval of Israel. He said: "The reality is that the state can exist in terms of functioning institutions, but whilst the [Israeli] army remains on our soil, it would never be a sovereign Palestine, but rather a 'Mickey Mouse State." Prime Minister Fayyad explicitly announced his refusal for the unilateral declaration of the Palestinian state. Responding to Fayyad, Nabil Shaath told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the people [of Palestine] do not need the permission of anyone to declare their independence." The Palestinian Authority is planning to go to the Security Council, aiming to secure a set of resolutions that condemn Israel for its violations of Palestinian territories and force it to halt its settlement activity, as well as call for the international recognition of an independent Palestinian state. (Asharq Alawsat) ABD ve İsrail Ortak Siyasi Askeri Grubu nun 40 ıncı toplantısı 2009 yılının Kasım ayında yapıldı. ABD Dışişleri Bakanlığı na gönderilen kriptoya göre toplantılarda İsrail hükümeti Sayfa 18

19 Suudi Arabistan a F-15 uçaklarının satışından duyduğu kaygıyı gündeme getirmeye devam etti. Her iki taraf ta İran a baskının, özellikle de Kum kentindeki nükleer tesisin açığa çıkmasından sonra sürmesinde mutabık kaldı. İsrail tarafı Rusya ve Çin in İran a yaptırımların genişletilmesindeki işbirliği konusundaki endişelerini aktardı. İsrail Hükümet yetkilileri hassas teknolojiye erişimde çifte vatandaşlığın oluşturduğu tehlikeye ilişkin endişelerini ve Türkiye nin Suriye ve İran a doğru rahatsız edici yön değişikliği ve İsrail den uzaklaşması hakkındaki görüşlerini dile getirdi. ABD nin Tel Aviv Büyükelçiliği nden Dışişleri Bakanlığı na 18 Kasım 2009 günü gönderilen kriptonun Türkiye başlıklı paragrafında ise şöyle denildi: Türkiye: İsrail hükümeti, Türkiye hükümetinin şu anda Suriye ve İran a doğru çevrilen yönünü ve İsrail den uzaklaşmasını- gündeme getirdi. İsrailli katılımcılar Türkiye nin, bölgesel bir süper güç olma hedefiyle daha İslami bir yön izlerken Gazze de Hamas ın destekçisi olduğunu iddia etti. İsrail Hükümeti Türk ordusunun hükümet kararları ve stratejik yön üzerindeki etkide bulunma yeterliliğini kaybettiğini iddia etti. İsrail Hükümeti katılımcıları geçtiğimiz yıldan sonra, Türkiye yle ilgili kötü hisler e sahip olduklarını söylediler. İsrail hükümeti, İsrail Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanı nın geçmişte Türk Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanı ile konuşmak istediğini, fakat Türk mevkidaşı tarafından reddedildiğini belirtti. (anka) 4. EGYPT / MISIR Egypt s State announced Monday it had seized a group working for Israel's spy agency, Mossad, and planning to wiretap telephone conversations of high ranking Egyptian officials. Sayfa 19

20 The group includes an Egyptian, Tarek Abdel Razzak, 37, and two Mossad officers, Diddy Moshe and Joseph Dimore who are currently fugitives. The Egyptian is accused of supplying the two Israelis, from May 2007 to May 2010, information on the Egyptians, Syrians and Lebanese working in the field of telecommunications, and have selected those likely to cooperate with Mossad, the Israeli secret service. Abdel Razek allegedly was on contact with a spy working for Israel in Syria and he was also recruiting spies from Syria and Lebanon, according to Emergency State Security High Court. He also allegedly received a call in 2007 from Israeli officer Dimore and both agreed to meet in India and discussed ways of working together. He faces charges of Engaging in hostile action against neighbor countries and endangering the diplomatic and political relations of Egypt with these countries. Egypt's telecom company Mobinil denied Egyptian media reports that some of its employees were involved in the espionage case. (Al Arabiya) Parliament alone holds the right to decide on the legitimacy of its elected members, said Parliamentary Speaker Fathi Sorour in a interview with Egyptian Television aired on Monday. Egypt's opposition says the recent parliamentary poll was marred by pervasive fraud and voter intimidation. Some judicial officials echoed those calls and ruled to nullify electoral results. Sorour said he would not recognize a fraudulently elected candidate. He added that the Constitution states that a two-thirds parliamentary majority is required for parliament to invalidate the elected status of one of its members. Sayfa 20

21 The weak opposition representation in the newly formed parliament is troublesome, Sorour said, since differing views positively influence the legislative process. Fourteen members of the opposition and seventy independents were elected to the People's Assembly in (Al Masry al Youm) Frustrated with the recent parliamentary electoral results, a number of former opposition parliamentarians announced last week the formation of a parallel People s Assembly as the nation s true representative body. Analysts expect the shadow parliament to bring under its fold dozens of ousted MPs. Opposition members and rights group say the parliamentary poll was marred by pervasive fraud and voter intimidation. Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Alaa Eddin Abdul Monem, one of the alternative parliament s founders, objected to the use of the term parallel, preferring the moniker the popular parliament. There is nothing called a 'parallel' parliament because the word parallel implies the existence of another parliament," Abdul Monem said. "We do not recognize the existing parliament. The ruling National Democratic Party has a more than eighty-percent majority in the newly-initiated People's Assembly, Egypt's lower house of parliament. Rigging allegations and electoral violence that left at least 16 people dead prompted major opposition groups to boycott the second round of the electoral race and dismiss the new parliament as void. The existing parliament does not have a serious opposition that could level questioning debate on legislation," said Abdul Monem who lost his seat to an NDP candidate. "Whatever the government suggests will be accepted. Sayfa 21

22 In the last parliament, Abdul Monem was an established and ruthless critic of the NDPled legislative agenda. He is recognized for unveiling suspicious deals of public land misappropriation perpetrated by former Housing Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Suleiman. Aside from the participation of former MPs, the shadow parliament is expected to include a number of public figures widely known for their vehement criticism of the government. Founders are currently hashing out the details of their venture, including the number of seats and the nature of bylaws to regulate the shadow institution, according to Abdul Monem. The initiative has been already endorsed by several groups including the Wafd, Nasserist and Tagammu parties as well as non-official opposition entities such the Muslim Brotherhood, Kefaya, the youth-based April 6 Movement and the Mohamed Elbaradeiinitiated National Association for Change, added Abdul Monem. This wide endorsement, however, did not discourage President Hosni Mubarak from voicing a sarcastic critique of the initiative. Let them have fun, Mubarak mocked those involved in a recent speech. Critics cite such comments as further evidence of the disconnect between the presidency and the Egyptian population. It shows that he takes the people and their choices lightly, said Saad Aboud, another founder of the parallel institution. We will leave the matter to the future. Only the future can show whether this idea is worth implementing. For some experts, however, time will not benefit the initiative. Samer Suleiman, a political scientist with the American University in Cairo, said the parallel parliament is only for media consumption and is destined for failure. It is a joke more than anything else, said Suleiman. It is more of a media rather than a political phenomenon. Politically, the issue is dead before it even starts. Sayfa 22

23 This *parallel+ parliament does not represent different segments of the society and it has no democratic mechanism of selecting the members. The selection is only based on compromises between opposition figures, he added. If it is truly a political project, it should be mobilizing people. Are they engaged in mobilizing people or do they just talk to the press? Can this initiative garner a wide appeal among Egyptians?" For the founders, however, their initiative enjoys popular appeal. If you check different [local] sites, you will find that there is a big number of people who expressed their support for the idea, said Abdul Monem. Plus, as former MPs, we know what is going on in the street. We know how people feel and we are aware of the level of outrage and disenchantment among people, he added. A number of groups endorsing the initiative have recently popped up on the social networking site Facebook. Still, only a few hundred users have joined these platforms. I am not aware of a parallel parliament in any other country, said Mostafa Kamel al- Sayyed, professor of Political Science at Cairo University. The parallel parliament is an Egyptian innovation in order to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the existing parliament. Shadow cabinets are the only well-known example of parallel institutions, according to al-sayyed. The most famous example is in Great Britain where opposition parties form shadow cabinets as a sort of preparation for their members in case they win the majority in parliament. But unlike Egypt s parallel parliament, the British paradigm is not intended to cast doubt over the legitimacy of the official government, explained al-sayyed. In recent weeks, the liberal Wafd Party formed a shadow government with nearly forty ministers in an attempt to question the efficiency of the existing NDP-led cabinet. Sayfa 23

24 We cannot tolerate more failures. There should be alterative ways to solve all the crises that surround us,"said Ali al-salmi, the head of the Wafd shadow cabinet, in an interview published in Al-Masry Al-Youm Arabic edition earlier this week. "This [cabinet] is also meant to prove that Egypt has experts who could save it. The Wafd Party was dealt a blow in the last parliamentary elections. In the first round, only two out of more than 200 candidates secured seats while less than ten were set to stand in a run-off. Outraged by the result, the party boycotted the second round and froze the membership of candidates who defied the boycott decision and persisted with their bids. This is an imitation of the British example, said al-sayyed. The only difference is that in Britain the shadow government consists of MPs and the system allows for the transfer of power through the ballot box. However, in Egypt, it is not made up of MPs and there is no possibility for transfer of power through the ballot box. But al-sayyed voiced skepticism over the future of the shadow parliament. There could be practical obstacles,"he said. "I am not sure that authorities will allow this parallel parliament to meet." Echoing this notion, Fathi Sorour, Egypt's re-elected speaker of the parliament, in a threatening gesture told Egyptian television on Monday that he "worries" about members of the parallel parliament, since Article 86 of the Constitution may be applied against them for disturbing social stability. (Al Masry Al Youm) 5. LEBANON / LÜBNAN Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday dismissed as "null and void" imminent rulings by the UN court probing the 2005 murder of ex-lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri, state television reported. Sayfa 24

25 The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is reportedly set to indict high-ranking operatives of the Shiite movement Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful military force, which is backed by Tehran and Damascus. "This tribunal is receiving orders from elsewhere and whatever ruling it hands down is null and void," Khamenei told visiting Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-thani in a meeting, state television reported. "We hope that the influential sides which have a say in Lebanon act based on logic and wisdom, so that this issue will not turn into a problem," said Khamenei, Iran's allpowerful commander-in-chief. The STL said on December 9 that it will "very, very soon" file indictments over the February 14, 2005 killing of Hariri and 22 others in a Beirut bomb blast. Iran is the ideological and financial backer of Shiite Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war against Israel in 2006 that killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Iran's English-language Press TV carried a similar report. "Khamenei says any ruling by the US-sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon is null and void," it said on its website. Hezbollah has said it expects to be falsely accused of involvement in the former premier's killing and warned against any attempt to arrest its members, raising fears of instability in the small, multi-religious Mediterranean country. Hassan Nasrallah, who heads the militant movement, has urged Lebanon's deeply divided unity government to step aside and allow him to deal with the STL, which he brands a US-Israeli plot. The Beirut government is meanwhile in paralysis, business deals are on hold and rumours abound as Lebanon anxiously awaits indictments by the tribunal. Sayfa 25

26 The awaited indictments have split the unity government, with Hezbollah and its supporters pitted against the Western-backed camp of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated Sunni leader. Iranian state television quoted the Qatari Emir as telling Khamenei that attempts were being made to trigger a sedition in Lebanon. "Some seek to create a new sedition in Lebanon, but we are trying to avoid this sedition with the help of regional countries," the emir said. The report did not elaborate. Last month during a visit to Tehran by Prime Minister Hariri, Khamenei told him to strengthen his ties with Hezbollah. Ahead of Hariri's visit, the media said the prime minister was coming to Iran hoping that Tehran would help to reconcile his pro-western camp and Hezbollah. Hezbollah and Iran enjoy deep ties which were evident during President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit in October to Lebanon, where he received a rousing welcome. The two also share a deep animosity towards Israel, which has not ruled out a military strike against Tehran to stop its controversial nuclear programme. (Asharq Alawsat) Accusing a Shia group of killing a Sunni leader leads to a catastrophe, Development and Liberation bloc MP Ali Khreiss said on Tuesday, in a reference to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon s (STL) possible implication of Shia Hezbollah members in the murder of Sunni former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in The international community must understand this issue, Khreiss told the Voice of Lebanon (VOL) radio station. Sayfa 26

27 He also said that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei s Monday statement that the STL s rulings are null was made because Khamenei *believes+ that the tribunal will likely indict Shia members *in the Hariri murder+. The STL said on December 9 that it will "very, very soon" file indictments for the killing of Hariri and 22 others. The court is reportedly set to indict high-ranking operatives of Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran and Damascus. (Now Lebanon) 6. SYRIA / SURİYE The Convoy 'Asia 1', which is a constituent of the Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine (APSP), reached Aleppo city on Monday. The Convoy includes more than 70 activists from 20 Asian countries, of which are India, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Iran and Bahrain. The Convoy received mass public and popular welcome that reflected the Syrian people's support to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Governor of Aleppo, Ali Ahmad Mansoura, said that Asia 1 Convoy is one of many convoys that headed to Gaza through Syria to break the Israeli siege on the Strip. "Syria became a passage for all honest people in the world, and it will continue supporting the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Cause until the liberation of the lands and realizing the right of self-determination", he added. For his part, Convoy Leader, Feroze Mithiborwala, said that the Convoy represents the Asian countries and peoples and it aims at reaching Gaza, breaking the Israeli siege and unmasking the Israeli policies. Sayfa 27

28 Mithiborwala thanked Syria, leadership and people, for the warm welcome and the facilitations provided to the convoy in the Syrian lands. The convoy is scheduled to head to Hama and Homs provinces before arriving to Damascus. (SANA) Türkiye Başbakanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Suriye ve Türkiye arasında geçen yıl teşkil edilen Yüksek Düzeyli Stratejik işbirliği Konseyi YDSİK nin iki ülke arasındaki ilişkiler ve iki ülke ekonomilerinin gelişmesine önemli katkı sağlayan sağlam bir alt yapının kurulmasında büyük bir payı olduğunu belirtti. Başbakan Erdoğan YDSİK nin Ankara da düzenleyeceği toplantılar münasebetiyle SANA ya verdiği röportajda, YDSİK nin, bölgenin sadece kendisinin olduğunu bilmesi gereken halklarımız için barış, istikrar ve refahı sağlayacak bölgesel bir dayanışmada ciddi ve pratik bir çekirdeğe dönüştüğünü söyledi. Suriye-Türkiye ilişkilerindeki güçlü ve hızlı gelişmelerin, halklarımızın ideallerine ilaveten ortak sosyal ve tarihi bağlara dayalı bir şekilde politik yöneticilerden beklenenler ve iki tarafın sahip oldukları güçlü politik irade ışığında meydana geldiğini kaydeden Erdoğan, sayın Cumhurbaşkanı Beşşar el-esad ın ayrıcalık kazandığı ve kendilerinin de paylaştığı uzun süreçli stratejik vizyonunun iki ülke arasındaki bu hızlı gelişmelerde önemli bir rol oynadığını belirtti. Yüzyıllar Boyunca Kardeşlik İçinde Yaşayan Halklarımızın Önündeki Tüm Engelleri Kaldırmaya Birlikte Çaba Harcıyoruz Türkiye Başbakanı Erdoğan, yüzyıllar boyunca kardeşlik içinde yaşayan halklarımızın arasındaki soğuk savaş döneminden kalma tüm engelleri kaldırmaya ve tarih sürecini doğru yola koymaya hep birlikte çalışıldığını açıkladı. Ayrıca halklarımıza daha parlak ve ileri bir gelecek kurma yönünde ilişkileri genişletmeye yönünde iki tarafın birlikte çaba harcadığını kaydetti. Sayfa 28

29 Erdoğan, YDSİK nin 2009 yılının Aralık ayında Şam da düzenlediği birinci toplantısında; iki taraf arasında anlaşmaya varılan belgelerin genelinin imzalandığını ve onaylandığın işaret ederek, bir kısım anlaşmaların imzalanmadan önce Suriye ve Türkiye tarafından uygulamaya konulduğuna dikkat çekti. Suriye ve Türkiye'nin aralarındaki anlaşmaların kapsadığı alanların tümünde büyük ve geniş bir ilerleme kaydettiklerine değinen Başbakan Erdoğan, Asi Nehri üzerine kurulması planlanan Dostluk Barajı ve Türkiye'nin Suriye'ye gönderdiği su ve elektrik enerjisinin miktarını arttırma çerçevesinde ortak teknik komitenin kurulduğuna işaret etti. Türkiye Başbakanı, Turizm sektörünün iki ülke arasında yine büyük gelişmelere tanık olduğunu ve geçen süre içinde turist sayısında büyük bir artışın kaydedildiğini söyledi. Bu bağlamda Erdoğan, Suriye'yi ziyaret eden Türk vatandaşlarının 1.5 milyon, Türkiye'yi ziyaret eden Suriyeli vatandaşların sayısının da yaklaşık olarak bir milyonu bulduğunu ifade etti. İki Ülke Doğalgaz Şebekerlerini Birleştirme Projesi 2011'in Sonundan Önce Bitecek İki ülke doğalgaz şebekelerinin birleştirilmesi projesi ve bu projenin 2011 yılının sonundan önce tamamlanacağına dikkat çeken Erdoğan, iki ülke arasındaki sınır kapılarının ortak çalıştırılması projesi, gümrük standartları, sistemleri ve kriterlerinin birleştirilmesi projelerine değindi. Ayrıca iki ülkeden işadamları arasında önemli bir çok buluşmanın düzenlenmesi ve ortak fuarların organize edilmesi çalışmalarının bulunduğunu söyledi. İki ülke arasındaki ticaret hacminin arttırılması yönünde ise Türkiye Başbakanı Erdoğan, bu konuda ilerlemenin sağlandığını ve 2010 yılının ilk 10 ayında ikili ticaret hacminin 2 milyar 2 yüz milyon doları bulduğunu söyledi. Erdoğan bu rakamın 2009 yılının aynı süresinde 1 milyar 400 milyon dolar olduğunu hatırlattı. Aynı zamanda Suriye'nin Türkiye'ye bulunduğu ihracat hacminin 2009 yılında 283 milyon dolardan 2010 yılının ilk 10 ayında 602 milyon dolar yükseldiğini ifade etti. Sayfa 29

30 Türkiye Başbakanı Erdoğan, iki ülke yetkilileri arasında değişik düzeylerdeki karşılıklı ziyaretlere ilaveten üstüne imza atılan anlaşmaların Suriye ve Türkiye ekonomilerine gayet ciddi ve büyük olumlu etkilerde bulunacağını kaydetti. Ayrıca tüm bunların iki ülke halklarının günlük yaşamlarını kısa ve uzun vadeli olarak olumlu etkileyeceğini belirtti. YDSİK'nin Büyük Çalışmaları Uzun Süreçlidir Erdoğan, YDSİK nin büyük çalışmalarının ortak çıkarlarımızın hizmetinde uzun süreçli olduğunu ve bu sürecin sürekli bir şekilde ilerlediğini ve geliştiğini belirtti. Daha güvenirli bir dayanışmanın yanı sıra sadece iki halkın değil aynı zamanda tüm bölge halkları için kalkınma, refah ve barışın sağlanması için iki ülkenin ileriye doğru adım atacakları yönünde güvenini dile getiren Erdoğan, Suriye-Türkiye arasındaki bu sürecin el ele kol kola yoluna devam edeceğini vurguladı. Ayrıca bu bağlamda, tüm bu konularda inanç ve iradeye sahip iki ülkenin çıkarlarına hizmet ilkesi temelinin bulunduğunu kaydetti. Suriye ve Türkiye arasındaki koordinasyon ve görüş alışverişinin devam ettiğini, bölgesel davalara çözüm bulma amacıyla Cumhurbaşkanı el-esad ve üst düzeyli Suriyeli kardeş yetkililerle sürekli iletişim içinde olduğunu belirten Erdoğan, son seçimlerden sonra Irak ta ulusal birlik hükümetinin kurulması önündeki bir kısım engellerin yada geciktirici faktörlerin kaldırılmasında ortak çabalara işaret etti. Ayrıca kardeş Lübnan'daki politik gerginliklerin önlenmesi yönünde Suriye ile sürekli bir koordinasyonun mevcut olduğunu ekledi. Dörtlü İşbirliği Projesi Büyük İdealler Taşıyor Suriye, ürkiye, Lübnan ve Ürdün arasında vaat edici dörtlü işbirliği projesine dikkat çeken Türkiye Başbakanı Erdoğan, bu modelin gelişmesinin bölgede barış, istikrar ve refahın sağlanmasına ciddi ve etkin bir katkı sağlayacağına işaret etti. Erdoğan bu önemli dörtlü işbirliğinin, bölgenin daha önce benzerine tanık olmadığı ayrıcalıklı bir model teşkil ettiğini ifade ederek, kapılarının tüm bölge ülkelerine açık Sayfa 30