Iran Continues Nuke Program: Threat to World Peace

Iran appears to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be conducting secret research, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a report likely to raise tensions in the Middle East.
Citing what it called "credible" information from member states and elsewhere, the agency listed a series of activities applicable to developing nuclear weapons, such as high explosives testing and development of an atomic bomb trigger.
The report immediately exposed splits among the big powers about how best to handle the row over Iran's nuclear aims: the United States signaled tougher sanctions on Teheran but Russia said the report could hurt chances for diplomacy.
It was preceded by Israeli media speculation that the Jewish state may strike against its arch foe's nuclear sites. But Defence Minister Ehud Barak has recently said that no decision had been made on embarking on a military operation.
Iran, which denies it wants nuclear weapons, condemned the findings of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "unbalanced" and "politically motivated."
IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano is "playing a very dangerous game," Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador, said.
Teheran's history of hiding sensitive nuclear activity from the IAEA, continued restrictions on IAEA access and its refusal to suspend enrichment, which can yield fuel for atom bombs, have drawn four rounds of U.N. sanctions and separate punitive steps by the United States and European Union.
The report detailed evidence apparently showing concerted, covert efforts to acquire the capability to make atomic bombs. Some of the cited research and development work by Iran have both civilian and military applications, but "others are specific to nuclear weapons," said the report.
Western powers have pressured the major oil producer, which says its nuclear program is aimed at increasing electricity generation, over its record of hiding sensitive nuclear activity and lack of full cooperation with UN inspectors.
The United States will look to put more pressure on Iran if it fails to answer questions raised by the IAEA report, a senior US official said in Washington. "That could include additional sanctions by the United States. It could also include steps that we take together with other nations," the official told reporters.
Russia criticized the report, saying it would dim hopes for dialogue with Teheran on its nuclear ambitions and suggesting it was meant to scuttle chances for a diplomatic solution.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said: "We have serious doubts about the justification for steps to reveal contents of the report to a broad public, primarily because it is precisely now that certain chances for the renewal of dialogue between the 'sextet' of international mediators and Teheran have begun to appear."
Russia and the United States are among the six big powers, also including China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which have been involved in stalled attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute with Iran.
Sanction on Iran’s Energy Sector
The US Government has announced that it will slap sanctions directly on Iran's energy sector and warned the financial firms in the world against dealing with the Islamist state.
"Recent days have brought new evidence that Iran's leaders continue to defy their international obligations and violate international norms," US State Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at the State Department, referring to the recent alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the United States, and report by the UN nuclear watchdog on Iran's nuclear program.
Iran and its powerful ally Russia have slammed new Western sanctions imposed on Teheran over its suspect nuclear program, saying they were illegal and futile.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the unilateral measures against Iran's financial, petrochemical and energy sectors announced Monday by the United States, Britain and Canada amounted merely to propaganda and psychological They were "reprehensible" and would prove ineffective, it said.
Russia -- which with China had blocked any possibility of the Western steps going before the UN Security Council for approval -- took a sterner view, saying in a Foreign Ministry statement the sanctions were "unacceptable and against international law."
The declarations set the stage for a hardening of diplomacy over Iran and its nuclear program. The issue has already generated speculation that Israel is mulling air strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
The country is already subject to four sets of UN sanctions designed to force it to give up uranium enrichment, along with additional, unilateral sanctions by the United States and the European Union (EU).
The latest sanctions put more pressure on Iran's financial sector, with the United States and Britain invoking anti-terrorist laws to target Iran's central bank and other financial institutions.
Rejection of UN Report
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed a report from the United Nations' nuclear agency that highlighted concerns Teheran had worked on designing an atomic bomb, saying it was based on "invalid" information from Washington.
"You should know that this nation will not pull back even a needle's width from the path it is on," he said in a speech carried live on state television.
However, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran remains ready to engage in negotiations with world powers concerned about its nuclear program, but only if the other parties show it due respect.
The EU may approve fresh sanctions against Iran within weeks, after a UN agency said Teheran had worked to design nuclear bombs, EU diplomats said.
Iran denies trying to build atom bombs and its Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said any US or Israeli attack on its nuclear sites would be met with 'iron fists'.
The United States and Israel have refused to rule out any option to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.
Diplomats in Brussels said preliminary discussions among EU capitals on new measures had begun and plans may be ready for EU foreign ministers in Brussels to approve on December 1.
Iran already faces a wide range of the UN sanctions, as well as some imposed unilaterally by the United States and the EU.
New EU sanctions would be a significant part of Western efforts to ratchet up pressure on Teheran after the UN nuclear watchdog's report this week that laid bare a trove of intelligence suggesting Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
Teheran’s Confidence
Iran’s confidence emanates from the fact that its nuclear facilities are supported by Russia and China. Or is it that Ahmadinejad is sitting on a nuclear weapon facility already? Well, this is unlikely because nuclear weapons and the delivery system cannot be made overnight and in such secrecy.
The point is that Ahmadinejad’s brave anti-US postures must, in the natural course, make those who dream of an end to the US hegemony and those who detest George Bush, the war-monger, look up to him. And in that context express disgust over the Manmohan Singh regime’s decision to kow-tow the United States and its allies.
A generation that grew up detesting the United States and participated in umpteen demonstrations and other kinds of agitation against the successive regimes in the US — the Vietnam War some 40 years ago and against the Invasion of Iraq now — must feel happy that they are not alone.
Other View
Economic sanctions would hurt the West more than Iran. The premise of this argument is that any sanctions imposed on Teheran would result in a dramatic rise in oil prices, hurting the economies of Western countries and undermining public support for the sanctions.
WhileIran holds the world’s second-largest reserves of oil and gas and is the fourth-largest oil producer, it is in fact a net importer of refined oil products, including gasoline. And internal consumption of oil products in Iran is growing by 5.2 percent a year, far faster than its ability to increase refining capacity. This means that the levels of imports necessary to make the Iranian economy function will only increase over time.
Russia and China would never go along with sanctions. While persuading Russia and China to support sanctions might take some time and effort, these countries are unlikely to prove reliable allies for the Iranian regime.
Russia has little strategic interest in supporting the Iranian cause. While it may see Iran as a useful tool for balancing U.S. power in the Middle East, it has far more to fear from Iran’s nuclear program in the long term than does the United States or Europe. Iran’s support of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism across the Middle East and Central Asia is a direct challenge to Russian interests in territories that were part of the old Soviet empire and are still considered by Moscow to be within its sphere of influence.
Iran might respond to sanctions by irrationally lashing out at Israel and other U.S. allies. One of the most dangerous assumptions about Iran is that it is acting irrationally or is led by people who do not calculate the potential costs and benefits of their actions.

Prospects of Palestinian State Brightens

There is encouraging news that a Palestinian state is certain to be established। The news is encouraging because it was conveyed by the Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, who said that Israel must end its occupation of Palestine. Thus, sooner or later, a Palestinian state will come into existence. The question is when?

Role of the US
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been going on for more than half a century। In that time, the loss of life -- including of innocent women and children -- has continued with no end in sight. Many parties believe that the role of the United States is crucial in ending the conflict. The theory is that Israel can only feel a sense of security thanks to the United States, while Palestinians can only regain their territory and become an independent nation thanks to the United States. This was evidenced at the time of the Camp David Pact (1976) and Oslo Agreement (1982), which helped Yasser Arafat return to Palestine. However, since then, there has not been any meaningful progress. What happened, in fact, was an increase in Israeli violence and the building of Jewish settlements that continue to inflame sentiments in the region.

Change and Progress
However, change and progress march on। Iran, which used to be a loyal ally of the United States under the Shah Reza Pahlevi, now has become a democratic Islamic state that is critical of the United States. Its power now needs to be taken into account, including its military might, which has certainly changed the military balance in the region. It goes without saying that Iran's policy is strongly in favor of a Palestinian state and is extremely anti-Israel.

However, we can see the sincerity of the United States under Barack Obama to quickly find an end to the conflict in the region। The solution Obama is offering is that there are two states that can live next to each other, Israel and Palestine. The sincerity of the US is seen from its diplomatic efforts to bring together Palestine and Israel, as well as its open criticism an Israeli policy that is not conducive to the creation of peace, for instance, the criticism of the building of new Jewish settlements. There is a difference between the Republican Bush era and the Democratic Obama era.

New Diplomatic Efforts
With these new developments and new sincere diplomatic efforts under President Barack Obama, there is indeed a hope that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can be settled। However, equally important are internal developments within Palestine itself. For instance, if there continue to be serious differences between internal factions that are difficult to resolve, will it be possible to establish a Palestinian state that is supported by all the Palestinian people?

With all these developments, the establishment of a Palestinian state will depend more on internal developments among the Palestinians. If the internal conflicts among them cannot be resolved, the hopes for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state will not be easily fulfilled. In fact, internal conflicts among the Palestinians can be exploited by those who do not support the establishment of a united Palestinian state. As a friendly nation, Indonesia's attitude should be to join in urging the unity of the internal factions that are now in conflict within Palestine.

62 Years of Israeli Occupation of Palestine

Recently, 62 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine have been completed. On this occasion, the Zionists warring jets and helicopters kept flying in the air space of occupied Baitul Maqdas (Holy House) while Israel kept the Gaza Strip entirely sealed off. On the other hand, the Palestinians held protest rallies and demonstrations against illicit Israeli occupancy; forced expatriation and Israeli brutalities, in the occupied territories. (According to the Christian calendar, this date is 14 May 1948).

In his message on the occasion of the anniversary of Israeli occupancy, US President Barack Obama said: "To this day, we continue to share a strong, unbreakable bond of friendship between our two nations, anchored by the United States' enduring commitment to Israel's security". Obama said that he takes pride in the profound friendship between the people of the United States and Israel. He added that "I look forward to continuing our efforts with Israel to achieve comprehensive peace and security in the region, including a two-state (Palestine and Israel) solution."

Violations of Human Rights
Despite all kinds of violations of human rights by Israel and its armed warring activities spanning over decades against the people of Palestine, the US Presidential declaration to strengthen the unbreakable ties with Israel is lucid evidence that in fact it is only the United States which has been fanning the dispute between Israel and Palestine.

The fact is that the United States has played a pivotal negative role in bringing this dispute to this exacerbated level. The United States, on the one hand, talks about the freedom of Palestine while on the other hand it is taking steps to not only further strengthen Israel militarily but the United States also continues supporting Israel on political and diplomatic forums.

US Double Standard
There could be no greater evidence of the double standard and hypocritical policies of the United States which claims that it has made attempts to ameliorate the state of affairs in the Middle East to set up peace across the world. This very United States has vetoed from time to time the resolutions approved by the UN platform regarding Israel aggressive activities and Israel inhumane cruelties and brutalities committed against the people of Palestine.

Amid such state of affairs, the US efforts for the establishment of peace in the Middle East are merely fake and a show off. It is because the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has enunciated that the feet of Washington will never flounder at the security and support of Israel. The United States shall stand along with the Israel and will help Israel in every hour of difficulty.

Establishing Illegitimately
The question arises here that a state that has been established illegitimately and remains always ready for launching aggression but the world's sole superpower also declares open support for it (Israel) then where the peace shall be established and how, in the first place. Israel too is no less in making actions to show off and pretending to issue nice statements as compared to the United States, in any way.

During his interview to the Israeli radio, the Israel defense minister Ehud Barak has said that Israel should remove the occupancy of the lands of the people of Palestine. The Israel defense minister said that Israel government will have to handle the issues that have divided the people of Palestine and Israel in order to remove the expanding gulf between the United States and his government.

The Israel will have to realize this fact that the world will no more tolerate the Israel rule which continued its hold over the Palestinian people for the last many decades.

However, during his interview to a US TV channel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the construction of Jewish settlements within occupied Baitul Maqdas will not be stopped at any cost, at all. The statement of the Israel Prime Minister is a reaction to the statement of the defense minister of the same country. In alternate words, Israel will never end its occupancy from the land of Palestinians.

Israeli Ambidextrous Policies
Israel has already seized vast areas of Palestine. If the Israel expansionist designs and activities continued in the same way then Israel will also occupy the remaining parts of Palestine as well. Thus, in this way, the implementation of the two-nation plan will turn into something impossible.

The United Nations should take notice of these double and ambidextrous policies of Israel and should run a movement on diplomatic forum in order to stop them, so that the people of Palestine could have their right of freedom and the establishment of enduring peace in the Middle East could be come-at-able.

Japan, Palestine Create Cooperation

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama recently had a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Tokyo when the Palestinian leader visited to Japan recently.
The peace process in West Asia and friendship between Japan and Palestine became the major discussion topics during the meeting of the two leaders.

West Asia Peace Process
During the meeting, Hatoyama expressed Japan's readiness to assist Palestine to build its economy on its own and manage various institutions. This is to help Palestine to stand as an independent country one day later.
The Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie said, in order to achieve that objective, Japan and Palestine agreed to work together and set up the Corridor of Peace and Prosperity or Agro Industry Park in Jericho, West Bank.
In the meeting, Hatoyama also expressed the wish to work together with East Asian countries in contributing to peace in West Asia.
"In Hatoyama's opinion, East Asian countries can step up their roles in accordance with their respective economic and political status in the international arena to help in the peace process of West Asia," he said. Horie said so in a letter sent to Utusan Malaysia recently to inform about the meeting between Hatoyama and Abbas in Tokyo.

Joint Statement
In the joint statement, Hatoyama called on Israel to stop all occupation activities in the territory of Palestine. He also expressed Japan's commitment in extending aids to people of the Gaza Strip.
The statement adds, in the meeting, Hatoyama and Abbas had reached an agreement that the peace talk between Israel and Palestine which had been delayed for almost one year should be resumed. The Israel-Palestine peace talk has halted since the end of 2008 when Israel launched attacks lasted for three weeks against the Gaza Strip. The attacks killed 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israeli citizens.
The Defense Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak described the absence of a peace treaty with Palestine as a bigger threat against the future of the Jewish country than any 'bomb from Iran'.
The joint statement of Hatoyama and Abbas added, Japan and Palestine also reached an agreement to implement several measures under the Japan-Palestine Program to Make Palestine an Advanced Country.
"Among the measures is that Japan will deploy a special mission to Palestine to study the needs and assistance Palestine needs from Japan in the aspects of institution and capacity building.
Other measure is to have discussion with Israel and Jordan next month to develop Jericho and valley area in Jordan as tourist spots," said the statement.
In addition, the statement also mentions that the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and representatives from Palestine will increase the efforts to promote trade and investment in Palestine.
In the joint statement, Hatoyama and Abbas also voiced their objection against using nuclear weapons and expressed their commitment in improving the friendly ties between Japan and Palestine.
The relations between Japan and Palestine are not something new. According to the website of the Foreign Ministry of Japan, Japan has been active in providing various kinds of aids to the people of Palestine since 1993, which include humanitarian aids, reconstruction, confidence building program and various types of aids so that Palestine could enjoy a sustainable economy.

Oppression of People
Japan is also one of the biggest donor country to Palestine with more than $1 billion aids extended since 1993. This was the second time Abbas, also known as Mahmoud Abbas, visited to Japan since he became the Palestinian President in 2005. In addition, Japan, Abbas also visited to Korea. Japan's concern over Palestine could to a certain extent help to reduce the burden of the Palestinian people who have lived under oppression over the years.
The international community should emulate Japan's concern over Palestine. Japan has been wishing to see the Palestinian people to live independently like citizens of other countries and the hope of peace in West Asia come true.