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Middle East Madness


Iran to hold large-scale naval drills in Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
© RIA Novosti
Gulf of Oman
Iran is to hold on December 2-7 a large-scale naval exercise involving over 60 warships in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian television reported on Monday, citing the navy commander.

"Over 60 combat vessels will take part in the exercise, codenamed Ettehad-87, in the Gulf of Oman," Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said.

The four-stage exercise will involve destroyers, missile boats, submarines, helicopters, fighters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"The goal of the exercise is to improve the combat readiness of the Iranian navy to counter potential external threats and to test modern weaponry developed by the Iranian defense industry," the admiral said.

Sayyari confirmed last week the delivery of two new domestically-built missile boats, Kalat (Fortress) and Derafsh (Flag), as well as a Ghadir-class light submarine to the Iranian navy.

Iran has launched a domestic weapons procurement campaign aimed at improving its defense capabilities and has announced the development of 109 types of advanced military equipment over the past two years.
Libyan ship carrying Gaza supplies turns back
Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Israeli and Palestinian officials say a Libyan ship carrying 3,000 tons of supplies for the Gaza Strip has turned back before reaching the coast.

The change of course ended the highest-profile attempt yet to break the blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza by Israel and Egypt. A smaller vessel carrying activists has made three successful runs from Cyprus to Gaza this year.
Iraq: Fathers and husbands openly hire assassins for 'honour killings' on the streets of Basra
Authorities in the southern Iraqi city of Basra have admitted they are powerless to prevent 'honour killings' in the city following a 70 per cent increase in religious murders during the past year.

There has been no improvement in conviction rates for these killings. So far this year, 81 women in the city have been murdered for allegedly bringing shame on their families. Only five people have been convicted.

During 2007 the Basra security committee recorded 47 'honour killings' and three convictions. One lawyer in the city described how police were actively protecting perpetrators and said that a woman in Basra could now be murdered by hired hitmen for as little as $100 (£65).
Israel Approves Palestinian Prisoner Release
The Israeli cabinet has approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners after an earlier promise from outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The prisoners, some of 11,000 held by Israel, will be freed in the West Bank.

An Israeli official said the move aimed to help bolster Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas's West Bank administration against Hamas, which rules in Gaza.

Olmert_prisoner_release
© AFP
Mr Olmert promised to release prisoners earlier this month
Comment: 'Shaky'? Perhaps Palestinian citizens are desperately tired of being slowly murdered by Zionist psychopaths?
100 Zionist settlers attack Palestinian homes in Al-Khalil
Al-Khalil - Tens of Zionist settlers from Kiryat Arba settlement and Al-Rajabi building, which has been occupied by settlers for 20 months now, wreaked havoc in Palestinian citizens' homes and property in Al-Khalil on Saturday.
Gaza Blockade Approaches 4 Week Mark
November 29 marked the 25th day of the Israeli imposed closure on the Gaza Strip. Throughout the week, Israeli allowed a few deliveries of food and fuel supplies into Gaza, but not enough to make a dent in the humanitarian crisis ravaging the area. On November 25, Gaza's sole power plant was closed due to a breakdown of its electricity-generating units because of the all too frequent shutdowns. The plant has been forced to close down several times in the last 3 weeks as Israel refuses to allow regular shipments of industrial fuel. Currently, only certain sections of the plant are working, while the equipment and spare parts necessary to repair the damage have not been allowed through.
Iraq seeks Iran help in reconstruction
The Iraqi president appeals to Iran to help his country's reconstruction process, saying Tehran has supported Baghdad in 'tough situations.'

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stood by the Iraqi people and government in all tough, difficult situations; now we want Iran's participation in construction of our country, especially in reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructures," IRNA quoted Jalal Talabani as saying in a meeting with Iran's Ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, on Thursday.

During his visit to Baghdad in March, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered a $1 billion loan to Iraq to fund its reconstruction projects.
Israeli desecration of Islamic cemetery in East Jerusalem
Jewish extremists continue their attacks on Arab property in Jerusalem, but this time not on the living. The target is an historic Islamic cemetery as the Israelis are already desecrating Maman Allah (Mamilla) for a "Museum of Tolerance."

Mohammed Dajani told PNN today that his family tomb was destroyed in East Jerusalem's Jabal Seyun, Mount Zion.

"Extremists belonging to a Jewish school removed some of the graves and headstones, while the administration demolished the wall which protected the cemetery for hundreds of years."

The Chairman of the Committee for the Care of Islamic Graves, Mustafa Abu Zahra, said that the occupation authorities demolished the cemetery fence. The Israeli administration is sponsoring projects in the area affecting the cemetery that is one dunam with approximately 200 graves.
The ethnic cleansing continues: Israel prepares for demolishing whole neighborhood in Jerusalem
Israel demolition of Palestinian homes
The Islamic-Christian front for the defense of Jerusalem warned that a group of Zionist settlement enterprises especially the Israeli municipality had earmarked more than $300,000,000 for the demolition of a whole neighborhood in the Silwan town called Al-Bustan located southeastern of Jerusalem's old city.

Dr. Hasan Khater, the secretary-general of the front, explained that the Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem and other settlement enterprises, namely, the east Jerusalem development company, the authority of archeology, the authority of nature and the Elad foundation allocated the money to destroy all houses, buildings and Arab remains in the neighborhood in order to judaize it.

Dr. Khater also said that the IOA will displace more than 1,500 Palestinian natives from the neighborhood in order to build a Jewish neighborhood in its place, pointing out that the IOA actually started to send large trucks laden with iron bars and building materials to the area.
Inside US hub for Afghan air strikes
Afghan strikes
© BBC News
Thousands of military personnel work at the main US air force targeting base

US military officials have defended the use of air strikes in Afghanistan, amid increasing criticism about the numbers of civilians killed as a result of aerial bombing.

BBC Afghanistan correspondent Ian Pannell, granted rare access to the main US Air Force targeting base at an undisclosed location in the Middle East, spent a day looking at how decisions are made about where to attack and when. It is the centre of gravity for all air operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is home to some 8,000 military personnel.

   

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