North South Magazine.dec.13

8/13/2019 North South Magazine.dec.13

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DEC 2013 - JAN 2014 VOLUME 6 NO11 PRICE 2.00 , $3.00, 2

INTERNATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE FOR NEWS & VIEWS TO BRIDGE THE GLOBAL DIVID

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BIAfrica internet

country code

Africa News Agency

10 Beaufort Cour

Admirals Way

Marsh Wal

London E14 9XL

United Kingdom

tel: + 44 20 7987 9588

fax: + 44 20 7987 9923

Reporting African Affairsand Events to the World

www.africanewsagency.co.uk

www.africanewsagency.net

www.africanewsagency.info

www.africanewsagency.org email: [email protected]


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NEWS & VIEWS TO BRIDGE THE GLOBAL DIVID

NORTHSOUTH DEC 2013 - JAN 2014

contents

UK 300|US $ 500|AlgeriaDA 250|Argentina 15 P|AustraliaA $750|Belgium 660|CanadaC$ 600|CFA Zone2,000|Brazil8 R|ChinaYuan 30|DenmarkDKr

Finland 740|France 450|Germany 500|GhanaGH 200|IndonesiaR 29,700|Japan 700 |MoroccoDh 20|NorwayKr 30 |Portugal 400|RussiaR 140 |SyriaS 2

SingaporeS$ 690|South AfricaZAR 7995|SwedenSKr 33 |SwitzerlandSFr 750|Spain 450|ThailandBaht150|TunisiaTD 2,500|Ukraine25 H|ZambiaK12,5

02 Editorial

03 Letters to the Editor

04 News and Briefs

13 Over the Top

COVER STORY

16 Implications of theIran question

17 Iran nuclear: Deal or no deal?

18 Iran takes centre stagein global politics

19 Good deal or bad one?

20 Iran Nuclear Accord: Firststep in a long journey

21 Secret talks that led toIrans nuclear deal

22 US-Iran relations: Abrief timeline

FEATURES24 The rise and rise of

Europes far-right

25 Ailing Bouteflika to seekfour-term presidency

26 Opposition regroups forGeneva talks in January

27 EU deplores Russianpressure on Ukraine

28 Chinas air defence moveincreases tension

29 The crumbling influenceof the US in Egypt

30 Weak Syrian oppositionand Saudi influence

overshadow Geneva-2

31 Chiles presidential front-runner fails to avoid run-off

32 Erdogans peace move withIraqi Kurdish leader

33 CAR and the threat ofRwanda-style genocide

34 Karzai refuses to extend UStroop mandate past 2014

35 The Syrian conflict willlinger on for some time

36 Environment

37 Innovations

38 Business Briefs

48 Arts & Entertainment

50 Travel & Tourism

52 Science News

54 Motoring

56 Book Reviews

58 ICT

62 Sports

64 Life & Style

32

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NORTHSOUTH

editorial

Ali Bahaijoub, Edito

GROUP PUBLISHER

The Lord Newall, DL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ali Bahaijoub

AFRICA EDITOR

Franklin Adesegha

WORLD AFFAIRS & BOOK REVIEW EDITOR

Guy Arnold

BUSINESS EDITOR

Alan Brown

EUROPE EDITOR

Reiner Gatterman

ASIA EDITORSam Standing

TRAVEL & TOURISM EDITORMichael Barnard

ART & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Saskia Willis

NORTH AMERICA EDITOR

Jem Sturgess

MIDDLE EAST CORRESPENDENT

Fay Ferguson

STAFF REPORTERS

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Michael Knipe

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kaye Whiteman

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5/693 NORTHSOUTHDEC 2013 - JAN 2014

&news

brefs

Brotherhood trials toresume 11 DecemberThe trial of the Egyptian Muslim

Brotherhood chief and his deputie

on charges related to protest death

will resume on 11 December, afte

the previous judges withdrew.

The three judges who had

presided over the trial of Mohame

Badie and 34 co-defendants

including his two deputies

recused themselves on 29 Octobe

for what they said were reason

of conscience.

The accused face charges o

inciting the murders of nin

protesters who stormed th

Brotherhoods Cairo headquarter

on 30 June.

If found guilty, they could fac

the death penalty. Three othe

accused face murder charges whil

29 are charged with participating

in acts of violence.

Mohammed Morsi, Egypts firs

democratically elected president

was ousted by the army on 3 July

His supporters deny any wrong

doing and point to the Muslim

Brotherhoods victories in election

held after Mubaraks overthrow

Morsi himself was put on trial on

4 November.

The trials are part of a massiv

crackdown on the Brotherhood by

the military-installed authoritie

since 3 July. More than 1,00

people have been killed since Mors

was deposed mainly his supporter

and the authorities have arrested

some 2,000 people, including mos

of the Brotherhoods leadership.

Some of the worlds biggest

broadcasters urged the UN Security

Council to take greater action over

the killing of journalists in conflict

zones.

The organisations including the

BBC, the Australian Broadcasting

Corporation and Japans NHK said

the dangers facing their reporters

were making it difficult to provide

accurate news from some corners of

the world.

Increasing violence and

intimidation against journalists

means that the work of international

broadcasters is being impeded, the

statement said.

We are deeply concerned that

in some parts of the world acts

and threats of violence against

journalists are growing in scale and

intensity.

The statement was also issued on

behalf of the Broadcasting Board

of Governors from the United

States, France Medias Monde,

Radio Netherlands Worldwide and

Germanys Deutsche Welle.

It cited the deaths of journalists

this year in Mali, Egypt, Syria,

Somalia, Pakistan and Mexico,

plus increasing numbers of arrests

and violence towards journalists in

Yemen.

A total around the world of over

60 journalists, bloggers and citizen

journalists have been killed with

around 340 imprisoned, it said,

quoting figures from Reporters

Without Borders.

United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1738 says journalists

should be treated as civilians in

conflict zones and therefore attacks

on them could be considered as war

crimes. The broadcasters expressed

concern that the 2006 resolution has

not led to an overall improvement in

the situation.

We urge the Security Council to be

more proactive in making the world

aware of this problem, especially

with regard to the impunity of those

who attack journalists and media

workers, they said. In too many

cases, journalists are killed and

governments do little, or nothing,

they added.

Broadcasters urge UNaction on journalist deaths

Peace talks with Israel will continue

for the full nine months as agreed

with Washington regardless of what

happens on the ground, Palestinian

president Mahmud Abbas told AFP

last month.

We have committed to continue

the negotiations for nine months,

regardless of what happens on the

ground.

We are committed and we will go

to the full nine months, and then we

will take the appropriate decision,

Abbas said.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks tocontinue for 9 months, Abbas


6/69



Species protectionneeded at 78 sitesA scientific study published

last month identifies 78 sites

worldwide in dire need of

environmental protection becausethey harbor species that could go

extinct.

Many of the locations are

already in protected areas of 34

countries. Together they contain

populations of birds, amphibians,

and mammals that are globally

threatened.

Some are already designated

for protection under the UNESCO

World Heritage Convention,

including Ecuadors Galapagos

Islands, Perus Manu National

Park and Indias Western Ghats.

Other areas do not have the same

level of recognition, including

Tanzanias Udzungwa Mountains

National Park and Cubas Cienaga

de Zapata Wetland of International

Importance.

The most irreplaceable spot in

the world for threatened species

among 173,000 conservation

areas studied went to Colombias

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Natural National Park.

These exceptional places would

all be strong candidates for World

Heritage status, said Soizic Le

Saout, lead author of the study

which appears in the journal

Science. Such recognition would

ensure effective protection of the

unique biodiversity in these areas,

given the rigorous standards

required for World Heritage

sites.

The study was based on an

international collaboration

between the Centre for Functional

and Evolutionary Ecology in

France,

International Union for

Nature Conservation, the World

Conservation Monitoring Centre,

and BirdLife International.

Looking for a new role, NATO is

pressing ahead with a high-tech,

high-security headquarters to replace

the supposedly temporary residence

it occupied for the last 50 years.

Halfway through construction,the futuristic building of all-glass

facades and interlocking concrete

wings on the outskirts of Brussels

is fast taking shape.

We are on track with the calendar

and the budget, said Tony Carruth,

head of the NATO headquarters

project.

The US-led military alliance was

born in the Cold War stand-off with

the Soviet Union, but since the 11

September 2001 terror attacks on

the United States, it has taken on a

wider scope of operations, playing a

key role in Afghanistan.

Next year, however, the NATO

Afghanistan mission comes to an

end, with the focus switching to a

future of cyber- and information-

warfare.

The new HQ will cost about

750 million euros ($1 billion), a

big enough budget to raise some

eyebrows when militaries around

the world are complaining about stiff

budget cuts.

Member states approved the

headquarters plans in 1999, well

before the global economic slump, in

what was seen as a vote of confidence

in NATOs future after the collapse of

the Soviet Union.

The current HQ, just across a

busy highway out to the airport,

dates from 1967 and was originally

meant to be a stop-gap solution after

then-host France withdrew from

NATOs military structures and

commitments.

France returned to full membership

in the alliance in 2009.

The alliance now counts 28

members, up from 15 in 1967, as it

has welcomed into the fold many ex-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe.

A major part of the new HQs

budget is devoted to security in its

widest sense for the 4,000 people

working there each day.

Security is clearly a priority

for an institution such as NATO,

said Colonel Lieen Vahheste, who is

overseeing the works on behalf of the

Belgian government.

Just as the September 11 attacks

changed NATOs role, so they

changed the buildings requirements.

Indeed, the facades and glass areas,

including a huge central atrium

where the wings join, are reinforced

and protected against possible bomb

blasts. Similarly, the perimeter has

been upgraded with an anti-intruder

system to deter unwanted visitors.

As for the new threats of cyber-

attacks and espionage, officials are

extremely circumspect in what they

will say, with the subject made even

more sensitive by recent revelations

of US spying on its allies.

Brussels, home to the major

institutions of the European Union

and many other international

groups and businesses, plus a large

diplomatic corps, has long been

considered a real spies nest.

Despite such concerns, the new HQ

will not be a bunker, Klimow said.

The new building is a vote of

confidence in the future of NATO,

said alliance spokeswoman Oana

Lungescu.

NATO high-tech headquarters

In Africa, 90% of the work of

gathering water and wood, for the

household and for food preparation,

is done by women. Providing access

to clean water close to the home

can dramatically reduce womens

workloads, and free up time for

other economic activities. For their

daughters, this time can be used to

attend school.

90% of daily tasks performed by African women



&news brefs2013 one ofwarmest on recordThis year is likely to b

among the top 10 warmest on

record, according to the World

Meteorological Organisation.It continues a pattern of high

temperatures blamed directly on

man-made climate change.

The president of the World

Bank, Jim Yong Kim, told BBC

that warming could no longer b

ignored.

He urged action to reduc

emissions to minimise the likelihood

of disasters like Typhoon Haiyan

which has claimed thousands o

lives in the Philippines.

Todays statement is provisional

pending weather patterns to th

end of the year, but it confirm

that global sea level reached a new

record high.

Kim urged governments to end

subsidies for fossil fuels and giv

people clean energy sources.

The Philippines is not the only

place to experience extrem

weather: in 2012, the US suffered

record high temperatures; thi

year was the turn of Australia. I

recorded its warmest 12-month

period on record in the perio

ending in August. This record

was broken in the 12 months from

September 2012 to Septembe

2013 and again in the 12 month

to October.

Despite the record temperatures

climate change has proved

politically explosive in Australia

with the new governmen

scrapping a controversial carbon

tax and refusing to pay into

fund to help poor countries mos

affected by climate change.

The results of a study in Europe,

the USA and Asia by Bluewater

have revealed that almost fifty-five

percent (54.7%) of householders

are concerned about the quality of

their tap drinking water.

One thousand people in ten

countries from Sweden in

northernmost Europe to Russia,

the United States, China, Indonesia

and Japan took part in the study,

with 36.5 per cent revealing they

avoid drinking water directly from

the tap.

Some 44.5 per cent of those

questioned said their water was

contaminated, tasted or smelt

bad or appeared clouded with

particles.

Nine per cent of Swedes, 10

per cent of Russians, 13 per cent

of Indonesians and 16 per cent of

Chinese actually described their

tap water as being frequently

undrinkable.

The study showed that 43.2 per

cent of all respondents felt obliged

to boil or filter their water before

drinking it. Even in wealthy

countries such as Japan (40%),

USA (40%), United Kingdom (31%)

and Germany (29%), householders

said concerns about tap water

led householders to drink bottled

water or boil, filter or distill tap

water.

The survey clearly indicated

that informing householders

about the safety and the purity

of their drinking water should be

a national priority of countries

globally, in both the developed and

developing worlds.

Altogether, 66.1 per cent of those

questioned said they were deeply

worried to learn that the world

health organization has warned

only about one-third of the worlds

potential fresh water can be used

for human needs due to increased

pollution from municipal and

industrial waste and the leeching

of fertilizers and pesticides in

agriculture.

55% of householders concernedabout quality of drinking water

Microsoft said it has opened a

new cybercrime center, using its

resources to combat malware,

intellectual property theft, child

exploitation and other ills in

cyberspace.

The Microsoft Cybercrime Center

is where our experts come together

with customers and partners to

focus on one thing: keeping people

safe online, said David Finn of the

Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit.

By combining sophisticated

tools and technology with the

right skills and new perspectives,

we can make the Internet safer for

everyone.

The center on Microsofts campus

in Redmond, Washington, uses

technology to visualize and identify

online organized crime networks,

child pornography, online fraud

and other crimes. It also has a

secure location for third-party

partners, including from academia

and law enforcement.

Microsoft opens cybercrimecentre in Washington


8/69



Afghanistans opium production

surged to record levels this year, despite

international efforts over the past decade

to wean the country off the narcotics

trade, according to a report by the UNs

drug control agency.

The harvest this May resulted in 5,500metric tons of opium, 49% higher than

last year and more than the combined

output of the rest of the world. Even

Afghan provinces with some past

successes in combating poppy cultivation

saw those trends reversed, according to

this years annual UN Office on Drugs

and Crime (UNODC) report.

The withdrawal of foreign troops next

year is likely to make matters worse,

said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, the UNODC

regional representative in Kabul. He

warned that as international assistance

falls off, the Afghan government will

become increasingly reliant on illicit

sources of income.

Uncertainty is also driving up poppy

production, as farmers worried about

the countrys future turn to the tried

and tested.

The big increase in production began

in 2010 when farmers rushed to plant

to take advantage of soaring prices,

a result of a crop disease the previousyear, the US military surge in the south

and the announcement of the US and

NATOs transition out of Afghanistan,

Mr Lemahieu said.

He added that those who benefit

from the drug trade include farmers,

insurgents and many within the

government. Often, he said, they work

together.

Past attempts by the international

community to combat opium cultivation

have included introducing alternative

crops and paying farmers in some areas

not to plant poppies. That backfired

when farmers elsewhere started

growing poppies in the hopes of getting

money if they stopped.

Cultivation also appears to bespreading to new parts of the country

- with Afghans planting poppies in

516,450 acres across 17 provinces this

year, compared with 380,540 acres

in 15 provinces last year, according

to the report. The vast majority of

Afghanistans poppy cultivation takes

place in the south, south west and east,

areas where the Taliban insurgency

is thriving. But Kabul province in

central Afghanistan saw a major spike,

with a 148% increase in cultivation

between 2012 and 2013. The report also

highlights the fact that Afghanistan

has expanded its social services to deal

with a growing addiction problem at

home.

Record Afghan opium production

The 2013 International Hydrology

Prize has been awarded to

Professor Gnther Blschl of the

Vienna University of Technology

(TU Wien) in Austria in recognition

of his pioneering work on

linking patterns and processes

in catchment hydrology and

for his inspirational leadership

in advancing Predictions in

Ungauged Basins (PUB).

The International Hydrology Prize is

awarded annually on an individual

basis in recognition of an outstanding

contribution to the science.

The Committee consists of the

President and a Vice-President of

the International Association of

Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and

representatives of UNESCO and the

World Meteorological Organisation

(WMO).

2013 hydrology prize awarded toGnther Blschl

Amazon rainforestholds 390bn trees,researchersA team of experts have established

that there are 390bn trees in the

Amazon Rainforest using data

from more than 1,170 forestry

surveys.

About 6,000 out of the 16,000

type of tree identified are at risk

of extinction, according to the

findings published in journal

Science. The study will help in the

fight to protect the rainforest from

loggers, by allowing ecologists to

see which species face the greatest

threats.Afghanistan rebuffed a US demand

to sign a key security pact as soon

as possible, insisting the document

must wait until after next years

presidential election.

Washington warned Afghanistan

to sign the Bilateral Security

Agreement (BSA) pact, with top

officials hinting that delaying beyond

the end of this year could mean no

post-2014 US troop presence.

President Hamid Karzai had

said the pact currently under

consideration by a loya jirga, a

meeting of tribal chieftains, could

only be signed when our elections

are conducted, correctly and with

dignity.

Around 2,500 tribal chieftains,

community elders and politicians

began debating the deal with the US

which will shape Washingtons future

Afghanistan rebuffs US demandto sign security deal

military presence in Afghanistan.

Supporters of the deal say it is

vital for after 2014, when the bulk

of NATOs 75,000 troops will pull

out. The Taliban insurgency this

year has reached levels of violence

not seen since 2010, according to

the United Nations.



&news brefs

Brazil Amazondeforestation rose28% in past yearDeforestation in Brazils Amazon

region rose 28 percent ove

the past year, Environmen

Minister Izabella Teixeira said on

Thursday.

We confirm a 28-percen

increase in the rate o

deforestation, reaching 5,843

km2 (2256 sq mi), Teixeira

told a press conference, citing

provisional statistics for Augus

2012 through July this year.

One in ten of the worlds population

will have diabetes by 2035 according to

the International Diabetes Federation

(IDF). The latest edition IDF Diabetes

Atlas, published on World Diabetes

Day, estimates that people living with

diabetes will surge from 382 million

to 592 million people by 2035, many

in low and middle income countries

and the majority under 60. This surge

will form the backdrop of the World

Diabetes Congress in Melbourne,

Australia this December.

In some Pacific Island nations

there has been an alarming surge in

diabetes prevalence. One adult in three

has the disease on the Pacific Island

of Tokelau, providing a microcosm of

how diabetes could play out in more

populous nations within the coming

decades. Sub-Saharan Africa will see

a doubling in the number of people

with diabetes by 2035, the largest

surge of any region in the world.

The new figures show that the

upward trend will continue and by

the end of 2013, 5.1 million people

will have died from diabetes related

complications. With 175 million

undiagnosed cases many people are

progressing towards complications

unawares.

China with 98 million, India with

65 million and the USA with 24

million have the highest numbers

of people with diabetes. Regionally

the Western Pacific, which includes

countries such as Australia, China

and Japan, has 138 million people

with diabetes, the highest number of

people with the disease in the world.

Other findings from the 6th edition

Diabetes Atlas include:

548 billion USD were spent on

diabetes in 2013

North America spends the most

healthcare dollars on diabetes

In South East Asia almost half

of all people with diabetes are

undiagnosed

The Western Pacific has the largest

number of people with diabetes in the

world

In Africa, three quarters of diabetes

deaths are in people under 60 years

old

In the Middle East and North Africa,

one in ten people have diabetes

In South and Central America,

there will be a 60% increase in the

number of people with diabetes

within a generation

Worldwide surge in diabetes, IDF

Hezbollah threatenwar if Israel blocks

Iran nuclear dealThe leader of the Hezbolla

movement has warned of

regional war if Israel blocks

nuclear deal between the Unite

States and Iran.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah

remarks came in two rare publ

appearances in Beirut, in whic

he also promised that his Irania

backed militia would continue

fight on behalf of President Assa

of Syria, a key ally of Iran.

Hezbollah has deploye

thousands of its highly motivate

well-trained fighters into Syri

reports say. Its fighters hav

played a key role lately in helpin

the Assad regime to win bac

territory to the south of Damascu

and roll back rebel forces in Alepp

Province.

China made its first major change to its

controversial one-child policy in three-

decades to grapple with a massive shift

in its population toward the elderly and

to combat a looming worker shortage..

The government announced last

month that Chinese families will

be able to have two children if one

spouse or parent has no siblings. This

is the first easing of a policy that has

dictated Chinese family life since it was

introduced by the Communist Party in

1979. Ironically, the one-child policy,

which was introduced to help the

impoverished country feed its people

is partly responsible for an impending

worker shortage, which shrink the

labor force and lead to pressuring

wages. In a press release last month,

Chinese humanitarian group All

Girls Allowed said that by 2050,

Chinas population will be declining

by 20 million every five years and

one out of four people will be over the

age of 65. Chinas elderly population,

which is 11 percent of the population

today, is estimated to climb up to 31

per cent by 2050.

China is growing old not rich


10/69



Sarkozy couldlaunch comebackin 2014Former French president Nicolas

Sarkozy could take advantage of

next years local and European

elections to launch a comeback,Brice Hortefeux, a former

government minister and close

aide told a Europe 1 radio station.

In recent months, Nicolas Sarkozys

has limited his public appearances

to the front-row of concerts with

his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

and non-committal comments at

closed-door business meetings.

Sarkozy is planning to raise his

visibility by campaigning publicly

for Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet in

her bid to become the mayor of

Paris next March. She is leading

the charge as Sarkozys UMP party

seeks to challenge the floundering

left-wing administration. Sarkosy

also plans to take part in the

European Parliamentary elections

campaign in June. The UMPs

German counterpart, Angela

Merkels conservative CDU party,

has also invited him to speak in

Berlin in the spring.

Pakistani schoolgirl Malala

Yousafzai was awarded the

prestigious European Union (EU)

Sakharov human rights prize last

month for her fight for childrens

rights to education. Last year shesurvived a Taliban murder attempt

after speaking out against them.

To thunderous applause

announcing the European

Parliament prize, the assemblys

president Martin Schulz praised the

16-year-old activist as a survivor, a

heroine and an extraordinary young

woman and said: You have given

hope to millions of people.

Malala became the 25th winner of

the Sakharov prize at the ceremony

significantly held on World

Childrens Day, with 21 of the former

winners present.

Accepting the award in the nameof God, she spoke out for the 57

million children in the world deprived

of education, insisting too on the

lack of schooling for girls, often

due to forced marriages, trafficking,

poverty and sexual violence.

Children dont want an Iphone, an

Xbox or chocolates, she concluded as

lawmakers rose to their feet, They

just want a book and a pen.

Pakistani Malala awarded Sakharov prize

Germany plansown internetGermany is working on turning

the World Wide Web into the

Internetz, an entirely German

internet in response to public

outrage over US spying.

The project, named by combining

the German words for internet

and network, is being led by a

team at Deutsche Telecom, the

partly state-owned company that

controls most of the nations cable

infrastructure. It would mean

that users could send e-mails

and surf websites knowing that

their data would never be stored

on foreign computer servers or

travel on cables outside German

jurisdiction.

World food prices are stabilising

after a long period of extreme

volatility, the UNs food agency said

last month, as it presented new

data showing food prices rose only

slightly in October.

The Rome-based Food and

Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said

that the trend was due to improved

supplies and a recovery in global

inventories of cereals.

The increase in cereal production

this year is due mainly to a recovery

of maize crops in the United States

and record wheat harvests in the

former Soviet Union, FAO said,

adding that world rice production

would grow but more modestly.

FAO forecast world sugar

production would increase only

slightly in 2013 and 2014 and

mainly in Brazil, the worlds largest

sugar producer. Meanwhile world

sugar consumption is expected

to grow by about 2.0 percent in

2013-2014.

World food prices steady, UN

Britain has appointed a new charge

daffaires to Tehran despite the

impasse in talks on curbing Irans

nuclear plans.

Ajay Sharma, a Farsi speaker, will

be based in London but will travel

regularly to Iran.

Mr Sharma is the head of the Iran

department at the Foreign Office and

served as deputy head of mission in

2008.

His appointment essentially

restores a channel of diplomatic

communication that was severed two

years ago when Iranian protesters

ransacked the British Embassy

compound in Tehran, burning the

Union Jack.

The conciliatory gesture came as

British Foreign Secretary William

Hague said there differences to

be resolved on Irans nuclear plans

but that Most of these gaps are now

narrow.

Britain to reopen embassy in Tehran



&news brefs

Spy plane getsanywhereWorldwide in 1 hourLockheed Martin is working on

a new hypersonic spy plane tha

is capable of flying 6 times faste

than the speed of sound, tha

represnts more than 3,500 MPH

(5,632 km/ per hour). This plane

named the SR-72, will fly as high

as 80,000 feet and be able to ge

anywhere in the world within

an hour. Lockheed says this wil

be a game changer for militar

surveillance.

Israel-US discord deepens over Iran talksIsrael plans to derail a nuclear

deal with Iran and will recruit US

Congress members to block President

Barack Obama from signing any

agreement, reports say.

Naftali Bennett, leader of Ultra-

nationalist Jewish Home party and

Economy is believed to be lobbying

Congress members as tensions

between the traditional allies plunge

to a new low.

The bad blood has continued, with

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin

Netanyahu vowing to scupper any

deal. Meanwhile, US Secretary

of State John Kerry has rejected

the Israeli leaders accusations of

naivety over the Iran issue saying

We are not blind, and we are not

stupid.

Mr Kerry labelled Mr Netanyahus

reaction as premature, saying the

Israeli leader was not even aware of

the details of the deal. Mr Kerry also

questioned Israels commitment to

negotiations with the Palestinians, a

move said to have left Mr Netanyahu

fuming.

China to embark ona decade of reformFree markets will play a decisive

role in shaping China as the

next superpower, according to

a communiqu at the end of a

meeting by the Third Plenum of

the 18th Communist Party Central

Committee. The communiqu

described the meeting as the crucible

of unprecedented reform and has

been hailed by political analysts as

the signal of a critical ideological

breakthrough at the heart of the

Communist party. Analysts also said

that the communiqu could establish

President Xi Jinping as a pivotal

figure of reform.

Possibility of 20bnEarth-like planets

Our Milky Way galaxy contains

more than 20 billion Earth-like

planets with temperatures that could

sustain life, according to analysis by

Nasas planet-hunting satellite, the

most comprehensive survey to date

of habitable planets beyond the solar

system.

EU wants USsurveillanceprotection

The European Commission called

for new protection for Europeans

under US law against misuse of

personal data in an attempt to keep

in check the surveillance revealed by

former US National Security Agency

contractor Edward Snowden.

EU justice commissioner Viviane

Reding said she wanted US legislative

change before mid-2014.

Iran and Turkey calfor ceasefire beforeSyria talks

Irans top diplomat said in Tehra

that his country and Turkey wou

press for a ceasefire in Syria ahea

of peace talks planned in Geneva o

for 22 January 2014.

All our efforts should be carrie

out to finish the conflict and reac

a ceasefire even before Geneva 2

Foreign Minister Mohammad Java

Zarif said during a press conferen

with his Turkish counterpart Ahm

Davutoglu.

Iran and Turkey have simil

standpoints on several issue

including that there is no militar

solution to the Syrian crisis, sa

Zarif.

Davutoglu also voiced support f

efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefi

in Syria.


12/69 1



Mali legislativeelections secondround 15 DecemberFollowing the provisional results

announced after the legislative

elections in Mali on 24 November,

a second round is scheduled for 15December to elect 147 members of

the general assembly.

No party or coalition won the

majority in the first round.

Some 6.5 million voters are

eligible to vote but those who

voted represent about 38.4% of

the electorate that is about 10 per

cent less than the second round of

the presidential elections that took

place on 11 August.

TokyosChristmas lightsVisitors are delighted by the

Christmas illumination at Tokyos

Midtown complex. The Starlight

Garden, a fantasy of display

by 280,000 LEDs, attracts and

mesmerizes visitors during the

holiday season.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo

Abe has urged China to scrap

new measures to restrict flights

over disputed territory in the EastChina Sea.

Beijing announced rules last

month that effectively demanded

Chinese control over the airspace

above a swathe of the East China

Sea criss-crossed by vital transport

lanes. The zone covers the Japanese-

controlled Senkaku islands, which

Beijing claims as the Diaoyus,

where ships and aircraft from the

two countries already shadow each

other in a dangerous game of cat

and mouse.

Two unarmed US military aircraft

have flown over the disputed

islands in the East China Sea

without informing China whichhas asserted its control over the

airspace, a Pentagon spokesman

said.

Other states in the region have

also flown aircrafts without

announcing their flight plans.

The announcement of the zone

seemed popular in China, where a

poll by the state-run Global Times

newspaper showed nearly 85

percent of respondents believe the

zone would safeguard airspace

security.

Abe urges China towithdraw air plan

NASA launchesspacecraft to studyMars atmosphere

NASA launched its unmanned

explorer Maven last month to

study the mystery of how Mars

lost both its warmth and water

in a first-ever survey of the Red

Planets upper atmosphere. The

spacecraft is expected to arrive in

September, 2014.

The explosive growth and

proliferating uses of surveillance

technology has had an impact on

intellectual freedom, creativity

and social discovery, according

to a study National Public Radio

reported.

Researchers found that a number

of American writers are not only

worried about the government

surveillance, but are engaging in

self-censorship as a result. This

might be because, historically,

aggressive surveillance regimes

have limited discourses and

distorted the flow of information

and ideas.

The study, conducted last month

by the PEN American Center -

worlds leading literary and human

rights organization - and the

FDR Group, surveyed 528 PEN

members.

Based on those surveyed, 16

percent of those surveyed said they

have avoided writing or speaking

on a particular topic and 11 percent

have seriously considered it.

Writers are self-censoring their

work and their online activity due

to their fears that commenting

on, researching, or writing about

certain issues will cause them

harm, according to the report.

Writers reported self-censoring on

subjects including military affairs,

the Middle East North Africa

region, mass incarceration, drug

policies, pornography, the Occupy

movement, the study of certain

languages, and criticism of the U.S.

government.

They also found that 85 percent

of writers were worried about

government surveillance of

Americans and 73 percent said they

have never been as worried about

privacy rights and freedom of the

press as they are today.

According to NPR, the writer

William T. Vollmann brought

concerns about government

surveillance into the public eye

with a Harpers article in which he

revealed that he had been watched

by the FBI.

US surveillance impacts onAmerican writers, report


13/69

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WESTERN SAHARACONFLICT:

Historical, regional and internationaldimensions


14/69 1



Most expensivehand bag inthe worldThis is the most expensive hand

bag in the world costing $3.8

million (2.4 million). It has been

recorded by the Guinness Book of

World Records as the worlds most

expensive handbag. It is the work

of the swanky jeweller Mouawad.

When it comes to female arm

status symbols, this heart-shaped

glittering object is the tops. This

solid 18-carat gold bag is encrusted

with 4,517 diamonds 4,356

clear, 105 yellow and 56 pink,

totalling a Crown Jewels-worthy

381.92 carats. It is the only one in

existence. Mouawad is a privately

held multinational jewelry and

timepiece company that designs,

manufacturers, and sells jewelry

collections, haute joaillerie,

objects of art, and luxury watches.

Mouawad is headquartered in

Geneva, Switzerland and has

its Middle East headquarters at

Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai.

theover top!

Oscar Almaguer, 83, has lived in his

car since his divorce 10 years ago.

His 1967 Volkswagen Beetle spends

most of its time in Apodaca on the

outskirts of Monterrey in Mexico.

Almaguer keeps his belongings in

the trunk, including a bucket of

water for washing, some petrol and

a pair of shoes. Cutlery and a plastic

cup are stored in the ceiling, while

a salt-shaker, a bottle of hot sauce

and a container of coffee is kept in

the door.

But despite all this, the car still

works. The wheels and seats are

from another Volkswagen model.

Instead of a gear-stick Almaguer

uses a plastic bathroom pipe. And the

engine, which comes from a modern

VW Sedan, is just about in decent

condition - although Almaguer has

to start it by short-circuiting two

wires under the bonnet.

Man spent 10 years in his car

Worlds tallest manfinds love at last

Sultan Kosen, who stands at

2.52m (8ft 3in) tall, had given up

on finding love as women were

put off by his stature until he

met Merve Dibo.

The couple wed in Turkey and

even though farmer Mr Kosen, 30,

towers over Ms Dibo, who stands

at 1.73m (5ft 8in) tall, the couple

couldnt be happier, he said.

Now I will have my own

family and private life, he told

reporters.

Recalling his long search for

love and happiness, he added:

How unfortunate I could not find

a suitable girl of my own size.

But in my fiancee Ive found the

person for me.

Now his dream of finding love has

come true, he hopes to find a car big

enough for his huge frame so his

bride can travel by his side.

Worlds longestmoustacheIndias Ram Singh Chauhan, who

hails from the city of Jaipur in

Rajasthan state, has spent 32 years

cultivating his moustashe, which

measures 14-feet long. Chauhan, 58,

spends two hours a day grooming

and his tash even landed him a part

in James Bond movie Octopussy.

I havent used a shaving blade

on my moustache, or trimmed

them since 1970, Chauhan said.

The moustache is the symbol

of pride and respect. In ancient

India, a moustache meant

everything. It is priceless. Its a

man thing, he added.



Crashed Ferrarisells for $250,000A sculptor has sold a smashed

Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 fo

$250,000. Owner Bertrand Lavier

unceremoniously binned the ca

as part of the so-called ready

made movement, which consider

everyday objects as art. Whethe

binning it was intentional or no

remains unclear. Either way

Lavier was so overwhelmed by th

beauty of the written-off car tha

he sold it immediately to a Turkish

man for $250,000.

A naked man shut down part of

central London when he straddled a

statue of the Duke of Cambridge.

It was not a likeness of Prince

William that was being assaulted

- but the statue of the Duke of

Cambridge was the previous owner

of that title, Prince George.

Police closed 100 metres of road

outside Whitehall - where a number

of government departments aresituated - to keep the public away

from the potentially dangerous man

on the Duke of Cambridge statue as

several ambulances and police cars

gathered for about three hours.

Scotland Yard police said it was

believed that the man might have a

knife.

He was coaxed down and put into

the back of a police van.

The man was believed to have been

clothed when he climbed on to the

statue.

Naked man straddles PrinceGeorge statue in London

A Michigan strip club owner has

bought the house next door to his ex-

wife and erected a giant middle finger

in the back yard. Alan Markovitz, who

owns a series of strip clubs in Detroit

in the United States, spent $7,000

erecting the 12 foot tall bronze statue

facing the house owned by ex-wife Lea

Tuohy. He bought the house after an

estate agent coincidentally showed

him the house next door to Luohy.

The pictures were posted on Twitter

by Tuohys daughter, Lenka. But he

says the middle finger salute isnt

aimed at her, but at her new partner -

with whom she started an affair while

she and Markovitz were still married.

Markovitz told a local newspaper Im

so over her. This is about him. This is

about him not being a man. Markovitz

wrote an autobiography, modestly

entitled Topless Prophet: The True

Story of Americas Most Successful

Gentlemans Club Entrepreneur.

Man builds middle fingerstatue next door to ex-wife

A basket case

With no rear view and no side view

vehicles from behind will have difficul

knowing when this motorcycli

decides to turn left or right.

Gone bananasHe may have gone bananas but

least there is room for vehicles

overtake and he has not blocked h

rear view.


16/69 1



Purple houseon the marketfor $640,000At first glance, this house looks

like any other large and impressive

suburban semi-detached. Insided,

however, the house is completely

purple. The carpets and walls

are all violet-coloured. Even

the kitchen of the property in

Hillingdon, Middlesex, England

is decked out in the colour. On the

market for $640,000, the house

has been described as having a

family-inspired design by Estate

Agents Rightmove, which have it

advertised on its website. It also

says it is maintained to a high

standard. A potential buyer is

apparently already lined up for

the property.

Caution: wide loadClearly there is no overtaking of

this vehicle as its cargo covers the

entire lane.

Spencer Matthews (pictured) is

the reality TV star from Chelsea in

London who blew $780,000 on a

night out and posted the receipt on

Twitter.

The 25-year-old incurred the

wildly extravagant bar bill forMortons private members club

in Mayfair, London, but became

evidently struck by the amount as he

shared the receipt with the caption:

Sh************t....

One tweeter said: You couldv sent

that off to the Philippines, you self-

centred p****. Spencer partied at

the 2&8 nightclub in the basementof the Berkley Square venue, which

was voted Best Private Members Club

2013. Meanwhile, the Eton-educated

Broker has recently penned a book

about his lovelife and extravagant

lifestyle, entitled Confessions of a

Chelsea Boy.

The book recounts his life growing

up on the island of St Barths where

his parents own the exclusive Eden

Rock hotel, his travels to St Tropez

and New York and his gambling

with Hollywood stars.

Spencer has also opened up

about the reasons why he split up

from American TV star Stephanie

Pratt, 27. He told MailOnline that

the couple, who had been dating for

four months, had moved in together

too fast.

Man spends $780,000 on night out

Lady Gaga in bizarre headpieceDressed like a giant furry canary, Lady Gaga leaves the Ritz Carlton hotel in

Berlin for the world premiere of her album Artpop.


17/69NORTHSOUTHDEC 2013 - JAN 201416

cover story

World powers and Iran nuclear foreign m

Any solution of the Iran nuclearquestion reached by theinternational community and Iran

may be acceptable to the world at

large but anathema to countries of

the Middle East since it would create

a much stronger, more influential

Iran than it is at present. Near

neighbours affected by a settlement

include Israel, Syria, Turkey and

Saudi Arabia while leaving the great

powers, led by the United States, to

determine what new policy to pursue.

Israel would regard a settlement as

bringing to an end its long-standing

relationship with the United States

since the Iran threat could no

longer be used as a lever to activate

US support for Israeli action. France

under President Francois Hollande

has decided to play a more emphatic

role in the negotiations between

the two sides and added to Frances

influence in Israel by making a

three-day state visit to it. President

Hollande was afforded a heros

welcome. Israel credited France with

thwarting a plan to ease sanctions

in return for the suspension of part

of Irans nuclear programme. At his

welcome ceremony, Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu said: Israel

views France as a true friend. You,

Mr. President have taken a resolute

stance regarding Syria and in the

face of Irans relentless attempts

to arm itself with nuclear weapons

which would endanger not just

Israel but regimes and countries

throughout the Middle East.

A nuclear armed Iran would also

endanger France, Europe and the

entire world. President Hollande

responded by saying: France will

not give way. So long as we are not

certain Iran has renounced nuclear

weapons we will keep in place all our

demands and sanctions. Meanwhile,

there is an ocean of distrust to

overcome.

To calm Israel, Obama has

repeatedly said he will not tolerate

an Iranian weapon. Neither Obama

nor anyone else explains why they

do tolerate Israels storehouse

(undeclared) of nuclear weapons

and a huge arsenal of chemical

weapons not to mention Israels non-

membership of the International non-

proliferation treaty to which Iran

adheres. If Iran did get a bomb of i

own and the US did not take militar

action, Israel would do so. Sau

Arabia, so far content to sit on th

sidelines, would be deeply disturbe

were Iran to create a bomb of i

own. Indeed, the two countries a

sworn geopolitical and ideologic

enemies. In the event of Iran gettin

a bomb of its own, Saudi Arab

would seek to have a bomb too an

this would set off a nuclear arm

race in the region. Israel has bee

setting red lines (final options) dow

for 10 years and Prime Minist

Netanyahu has worked tirelessly

put the issue of Iran and its nucle

ambitions top of the agenda, ahea

of Israel-Palestine peace proces

Israel does not accept the idea

limited Iranian enrichment as th

part of any deal. Netanyahu h

described the idea of such a deal

an historic mistake and has calle

upon the world to reject Irans off

to limit uranium enrichment to 2

per cent. The potential to break th

deadlock may well rest with Chin

and Japan; both countries need a

the oil they can get and they ma

not indefinitely recognise sanction

that deny them access to Irans oil.

Israel can be as intransigent

Iran and Netanyahu argues that a

agreement now would be the deal

the century for Iran. In any case, h

wants the international communi

to coerce Iran into comple

surrender. Iran, on the other han

sees its right to enrichment as i

red line. The negotiations of the ne

six months may lead to a redrawin

of the boundaries and alliances

the whole region. Guy Arno

Implications of the Iran question


18/69


NORTHSOUTH DEC 2013 - JAN 2014 1

L-R Foreign ministers of US, France andRussia at the Geneva talks

Iran nuclear: Deal or no deal?As world leaders finally reached an interim deal with Iran on its nuclear programme, talks

are far from over towards a final accord,writesFranklin Adesegha

Amajor sticking point is Iransinsistence on its right toenrich uranium - a process that

yields material used to manufacturefuel for power stations, but can

also be used for weapons. Western

diplomats are also concerned about

a reactor Iran is building at Arak,

which disrupted the first round of

talks. Iran stresses that its nuclear

programme is for peaceful purposes

only, but world powers suspect it is

seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Washington and London believe

with political will and commitment

the differences can be narrowed for

an opportunity to build agreement

on how to curb nuclear proliferation

in the Middle East and potentially

set relations with Iran on a different

path. Some US legislators have

expressed concern that the White

House is moving too fast and

should take a harder line with

Tehran. But the White House said

the talks provide the opportunity

to halt the progress of the Iranian

programme and roll it back in key

respects, while testing whether a

comprehensive resolution can be

achieved. It said that if there was

not an initial agreement, Iran would

grow its stockpiles of enriched

uranium, install new centrifuges

and develop a plutonium reactor

in the city of Arak. Press secretary

Jay Carney said Mr. Obama had told

senators new sanctions would be

most effective as a consequence if

Iran refused to accept the deal or

agreed and then failed to comply.

Had talks failed, US politicians had

indicated they would push forward

with a bill proposing more sanctions.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

said he would support broadening

the scope of current oil and trade

sanctions. Both Republican and

Democrat congressmen say the

threat of sanctions will bolster the

negotiating position of the world

powers. But President Barack Obama

urged Congress not to promote

the bill while talks were going on.Meanwhile, Irans Supreme Leader

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned

that his country will not step

back one iota from its nuclear

rights. The Supreme Leader said he

would not intervene directly in the

negotiations, but that he had set red

lines for Irans representatives. The

Supreme Leader, who has final say

in Irans nuclear matters, warned

the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, China

and Russia, plus Germany) not to

ratchet up the pressure. They

should know that the Iranian nation

respects all nations of the world,

but we will slap aggressors in the

face in such a way they will never

forget it. Ayatollah Khamenei also

said French leaders were not only

succumbing to the United States,

but they are kneeling before

Israel, which he described as the

rabid dog of the region. A French

foreign ministry spokeswoman said

President Francois Hollande believed

the comments were unacceptable

and would complicate negotiations.

Israel, for its part, vehemently

opposes the deal and says it will

not be obliged to honour it. Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said

the ayatollahs speech represented

the real Iran. We are not

confused. They must not have

nuclear weapons. And I promise

you that they will not have nuclearweapons, he said. Compromise

on all sides has led to the interim

agreement. Key points of the deal

include:

1. Iran will stop enriching uranium

beyond 5%, and neutralise its

stockpile of uranium enriched

beyond this point.

2. Iran will give greater access to

inspectors including daily access at

the Natanz and Fordo nuclear sites.

3. There will be no further

development of the Arak plant

which is believed could produce

plutonium.

4. In return, there will be no new

nuclear-related sanctions for six

months if Iran sticks by the accord.

5. Iran will also receive sanctions

relief worth about $7 billion (4.3bn)

on sectors including precious

metals.

For now, negotiations that have

dragged on for 10 years have finally

ended in a breakthrough. The

interim agreement has a life span

of six months. If the deal collapses

at any point, the voices querying

the point of continued negotiations

will grow louder and that includes

Israel which has since described the

deal as a historic mistake.



Surprisingly, at the secondattempt at the end of November,the proposed interim agreement

was accepted on both sides the

USA, Russia, China, Britain andFrance plus Germany (5 plus 1) on

the one side and Iran on the other.

Over a six month period there will

be an easing of sanctions (worth

$13 billion) while Iran will stop

enrichment of uranium for the

time being and allow inspection

access to its nuclear plants. Iran

insists that it will retain its right to

enrichment. The crunch will come

at the end of the six months when

more permanent arrangements will

have to be decided. The agreement

represents a major shift in US

foreign policy since it puts the

possibility of military intervention

on hold for the time being.

The long period of no relations

between the United States and

Iran means that two-way trust

will take a long time to be re-

established. The United States has

never really forgiven the seizure of

American hostages in 1979 while

many Iranians still look upon the

United States as the Great Satan

and take pleasure in burning the

American flag in public. A genuine

US-Iranian rapprochement would

alter dramatically the regional

line-up of powers. Saudi Arabia

would see such reconciliation as a

betrayal, bringing to an end their

longstanding relationship with

the United States, which has beendominated by oil and strategic

considerations, while highlighting

the religious differences between

Saudi Arabia, the home of Sunni

Islam and Iran, the centre of

Shiite Islam. These two countries

are both ideological enemies and

strategic opponents who have long

vied for control of the Gulf. Iran

wants to bring US/EU sanctions

to an end but not at any price.

They are hurting but if necessary

can be endured. China and Japan,

meanwhile, want all the oil they

can get. Unsurprisingly there have

been several false starts to the

Western dominated programme,

which is designed to cut down Irans

nuclear developments in return

for sanctions relief. The Iranian

Foreign Minister Mohammad

Javad Zarif led an Iranian team to

meet senior officials from the Five

plus Germany. These talks broke

down because the Iranians did not

have enough time (according to a

French spokesman) to reach any

agreements but Zarif blamed the

French Foreign Minister, Laurent

Fabius for seeking last minute

amendments to limit the wester

offer then on the table.

A French official then insiste

there was no disagreement betwee

the Obama government and that France. Talks had only been delaye

because the Iranians needed mo

time to prepare for them. Howeve

a French official insisted that th

ball remained in Irans court: The

can be an agreement if Iran provid

the guarantees sought by the fiv

members of the Security Council plu

Germany that its nuclear activiti

do not have a military purpose. Fo

its part, the Tehran governmen

has consistently maintaine

that its nuclear programme

solely for energy purposes. Man

questions remain unanswere

Thus, why do the West and th

United Nations target Iran ov

its nuclear programme but do n

exert comparable pressures upo

Pakistan, or Israel, each of whic

has become a nuclear power an

appears to be accepted as such?

The June 2013 elections in Ira

brought Hassan Rouhani, a politic

moderate, to power as the country

new president. However, Rouha

does not hold supreme power th

lies with the Ayatollah Khamei

who would have the last word on an

switch of policy in nuclear matter

Successful talks or at least a

acceptable outcome to the talks w

alter the entire political structure

the Middle East but many hurdl

need to be overcome. In 2012 th

US Senate voted 90-1 against livin

with a nuclear Iran. War or militar

action against Iran is still on th

US agenda and Iran with nuclea

weapons is seen as a threat to i

neighbours (a point that can als

be made with reference to Israel).

peaceful outcome to the talks wou

represent a huge parting triump

for Obama and would avoid anoth

war with a Muslim country. Shou

Iran takes centre stage in global politics


20/69



ticipans at the Geneva talks on Iran nuclear

Iran get its own bomb other states

in the region and especially Saudi

Arabia might seek a bomb of their

own. Will the present talks provide

Iran with more time to prepare

for definitive talks in six months

time or will the Ayatollah bringthe talks to an end? The easing of

sanctions should certainly help

Iran but Rouhani must always

contend with the hardliners who

oppose any rapprochement with

the United States. Any deal that

Rouhani works out with the 5 plus

1 group he must then get accepted

by the Supreme Leader and the

Revolutionary Guard. Although

many Iranians appear to support

Rouhani he still has to deal with

issues of political freedom and

human rights in Iran itself. Rouhani

wants a dialogue; he argues for

compromise over his countrys

nuclear issue and he wants to take

Iran in from the cold. As he has

said: The international community

faces many challenges in this new

world terrorism, extremism,

foreign military interference,

drug trafficking, cyber crime and

cultural encroachment all within

a framework that has emphasised

hard power and the use of bruteforce. Rouhani wants to see a

readiness to help facilitate dialogue

between the Syrian government

and the opposition to it. He has

said publicly on his way to the

US and the UN that he will never

develop nuclear weapons. In the

present climate Iran will be easier

to engage in talks than to isolate.

In the US Congress, however, there

is much opposition to any deal with

Iran. In October John Kerry, the US

Secretary of State, said that, the

window is open for a constructive

dialogue with Iran. Obamas

handling of the Iran question will

define his presidency. An agreement

would not only spare the US yet

another attack against a Muslim

country but would also help avoid

a potential collapse of Middle East

security. The alternative, a nuclear

stand-off in the Middle East, hardly

bears examination.

Ultimately, Irans attitude

depends on the approval of itsSupreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali

Khameini who has welcomed the

dialogue while continuing to pour

scorn on America. Israel and right

wing US politicians warn that

the US is on the verge of another

Munich while others believe that

a deal is possible and that $13

billion of sanctions could be lifted

over a six-month period while

Iran prepared its nuclear industry

for full international inspection.

Meanwhile, the bombs in Beirut

(November 19) that were detonated

outside the Iranian embassy were a

grim reminder of what is to come if

a Shia-Sunni confrontation becomes

entrenched not only in Lebanon but

in the whole region.Guy Arnold

Good deal or bad one?

The victory of Hassan Rouhani

in the Iranian presidential

elections represents the defeat

of the most peripheral groups in

the Iranian political spectrum,

including the former President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his

supporters who arguably lost all of

their clout and popular appeal.

The speed of President Rouhanis

charm offensive is unprecedented

in Irans recent history especially

when he pitched a moderate Iran

in his first appearance at the UN

General Assembly meeting in

October. The US President Barack

Obama said he had spoken by phone

with President Rouhani, the first

direct contact between the leaders

of Iran and the United States since

1979. Obama, speaking in the

White House briefing room, said

the two leaders discussed Irans

nuclear programme and said he

was persuaded there was a basis for

an agreement.

Rouhanis moderate approach has

won him new admirers in the West

and elsewhere and has born fruit

less than 100 days in office when

a landmark accord was announced

in Geneva last month that would

temporarily freeze Irans nuclear

programme and lay the foundation

for a more sweeping agreement. The

six-month deal was reached with

the six major powers after lenghty



negotiations. Under the agreement,

Iran would eliminate its current

stock of uranium enriched to 20 per

cent by diluting it or turning it into

fuel rods or oxide powder, forms

that are unusable for weapons.

Iran would also be allowed tocontinue to enrich uranium at much

lower levels, to 3.5 per cent but would

agree to cap its current stockpile

of such uranium, by eliminating,

diluting or transforming into fuel

as much 3.5 per cent uranium as

it produces over the six months.

Furthermore, Tehran will stop

enriching uranium beyond 5%, and

neutralise its stockpile of uranium

enriched beyond this point Iran will

give greater access to inspectors

including daily access at Natanz

and Fordo nuclear sites. There

will be no further development of

the Arak plant which it is believed

could produce plutonium.

In return, there will be no new

nuclear-related sanctions for six

months if Iran sticks by the accord

and will receive sanctions relief

worth about $7billion (4.3bn). If

Iran abides by the deal there will

be no new economic sanctions over

the coming six months. Certain

sanctions on gold, precious metals,

Irans auto sector and Irans

petrochemical exports are to be

suspended, providing Iran with

about $1.5 billion of revenue. Safety-

related repairs and inspections are

to be sanctioned for some of Irans

civil airliners and some $4.2 billion

from Iranian oil sales will be allowed

to be transferred to Tehran. Some

$400 million of Iranian funds canalso be transferred to educational

institutions in third countries to

pay the fees of Iranian students

studying abroad.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have

expressed deep concern that if Iran

produced only oxide powder from

the 20 per cent enriched uranium,

and not fuel rods or plates, the oxide

could be reconverted into 20 per

cent enriched uranium. But Western

officials argue that such a reversal

is difficult, and that Iran does not

now seem to have the ability.

Iran denies any intention of

building a nuclear weapon and

was asked to stop construction,

for six months, on the Arak heavy-

water reactor. The reactor, when

finished and fueled, could produce

plutonium, another route to a

nuclear weapon.

Iran also agreed not to install any

more of its faster, second-generation

centrifuges, the machines used to

enrich uranium, and would not

operate the 1,000 or so of these

centrifuges already installed but not

yet in use. Iran would also agree to

more intrusive UN inspections,

ensure the deal is kept.

The deal is intended to convin

Iran that if the West detects eviden

of an effort at a nuclear breakou

the Western nations would com

heavily on Tehran and take decisivpreventive measures and potential

military action.

Iran is estimated to be losin

between $25-$30 billion billio

every six months, depending on th

price of oil, from the oil sanction

alone.Therefore, Tehran does hav

a compeling incentive to comp

with the conditions agreed upo

in Geneva to avoid further frictio

with the West or neighbours.

As the overall objective was

freeze Irans nuclear programm

the five permanent members of th

United Nations Security Counc

(US, Britain, Russia, China, France

and Germany, believe the deal

first sight appears to be a good on

certainly from their perspectiv

going further than perhaps man

political observers had expecte

In return Iran has received wh

Washington insists is limite

temporary and reversible relief

terms of economic sanctions.

The question is whether the ne

six months will satisfy doubters

the deal or fuel speculation that

was a bad one. Ali Bahaijou

Iran Nuclear Accord: First step in a long journey

The International Crisis Groupstrongly welcomes the 24November agreement between

Iran and the P5+1 (five permanent

members of the UN Security Council

plus Germany). The accord the

principal thrust of which Crisis

Group for some time has been calling

for is a testament to the effectiveness

of diplomacy when conducted in a

positive atmosphere.

Although only a first step,

the agreement has important

implications. In particular, it

freezes essential aspects of Irans

nuclear activities its stockpile of

low enriched uranium; number of

operational centrifuges; and work

at the Arak heavy-water facility;

rolls back Tehrans enrichment at

higher concentration levels; and

puts in place intrusive inspection

mechanisms. The net result is to

virtually eliminate the possibility

of an undetected dash towards

militarisation. For its part, Iran

has gained tangible economic an

humanitarian sanctions relie

a commitment that it will not b

subjected to additional punitiv

measures at this time and implic

acceptance of a constrained an

transparent uranium enrichme

program on its soil.

Reaching a comprehensi

agreement will be a far mo

difficult and torturous journey. Fu

implementation of the agreed-upo

near-term measures; a commitme


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to jointly accepted longer-term

objectives; and efforts to preserve the

current climate all will be necessary

to maximise chances of success in

the coming months.

Critics of the deal point to the risk

that the sanctions regime mightcollapse, that Iran has succeeded in

entrenching its enrichment program

and that it will now be emboldened

to expand its regional activities. But

they offer no workable alternative:

in the absence of this accord, Irans

nuclear program almost certainly

would have accelerated, leaving

the option of either acquiescing

in its expansion or marching

toward a military confrontation

with unpredictable and dangerous

consequences.

This is not a reason to engage in

fanciful thinking either. For all the

focus on the nuclear program, the

crux of the matter is not a technical,

arms control issue so much as it is

a geopolitical, strategic one, namely

Irans role and status in the region.

That is where the greatest challenges

long-term lie, and it is where potential

spoilers are most abundant, whether

in Israel, the Gulf, Europe, the U.S.

and, of course, Iran itself.

Ultimately, a comprehensive

nuclear agreement between Iran

and the West will be sustainable only

if accompanied by simultaneous

advances on the broader, strategic

front, and notably by resolution of

the various conflicts that threaten

the Middle East. This is nowhere

more urgent or relevant than in

Syria, where Iran has deepened its

military involvement. Ultimately, a

nuclear deal in and of itself will not

resolve regional tensions; rather,

easing those tensions must go hand

in hand with advancement in the

nuclear negotiations. That is a tall

order, but a necessary one if this

first and laudable step is to pave the

way for more lasting progress.

Secret talks that led to Irans nuclear dealIrans nuclear deal with world powers was partly the result of months of secret talks with

US officials who used military planes, side entrances and service elevators to avoid giving

the game away, writesFranklin Adesegha.

The secret talks, in such anunlikely venue as Oman,were the most important contacts

between the two countries in more

than three decades during which

Iran branded the United States

the Great Satan and the United

States described Iran a part of an

axis of evil that also included Iraq

and North Korea. US officials said

the talks illustrate a U.S. desire,

dating to the start of Obamas

administration in January 2009,

to explore whether there might be

a way to reconcile two nations that

have been hostile since 1979 but

were once allies. Key Americans

involved in the effort were William

Burns, the U.S. deputy secretary

of state, and Jake Sullivan, the

national security adviser to U.S. Vice

President Joe Biden. The two men,

at times with other officials such

as White House national security

staff member Puneet Talwar, met

Iranian officials at least five times

this year, a US official who spoke to

Reuters on condition of anonymity

said. Burns, Sullivan and technical

experts arrived in Muscat, Oman in

March on a military plane to meet

Iranians, the official added.

After John Kerry replaced Hillary

Clinton as the top U.S. diplomat

on February 1, it was decided the

Oman channel would continue to

help feed into multi-lateral talks

led by the EUs foreign policy chief

Baroness Ashton on behalf of the five

permanent U.N. Security Council

members, Britain, China, France,

Russia, US plus Germany, the P5+1.

Kerry visited Oman himself in May

for talks with Omani officials.

The senior U.S. official said that

four of the secret U.S.-Iranian

meetings took place since Hassan

Rouhanis inauguration in August.

Kerry met Irans foreign minister

Javad Zarif at the U.N. General

Assembly in September and, soon

thereafter, Obama and Rouhani

spoke by telephone, marking the

highest-level contact between the

United States and Iran since the

1979 Islamic Revolution. Before

Zarif was sent to Geneva, he and

Iran Natanz nuclear facility


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24/69



and strikes against his rule by

secular and religious opponents.

Two weeks later, Islamic religious

leader Ayatollah Khomeini returns

from exile. Following a referendum,

the Islamic Republic of Iran is

proclaimed on 1 April.

1979: Exiled Ayatollah

Khomeini returns to Iran

1979-81: US EMBASSY

HOSTAGE CRISIS

A rescue mission ends in disaster for

US troops, with the deaths of eight

servicemen in a collision between a

helicopter and a transport plane.

The final 52 hostages are

eventually freed after 444 days in

captivity.

From the moment the hostages

were seized until they were released

minutes after Ronald Reagan took

the oath of office as president 444

days later, the crisis absorbed more

concentrated effort by American

officials and had more extensive

coverage on television and in the

press than any other event since

World War II- Historian Gaddis

Smith

1980: Tehran hostage

rescue mission fails

1981: Tehran frees US

hostages after 444 days

1985-86: IRAN-

CONTRA SCANDAL

The US secretly ships weapons to

Iran, allegedly in exchange for

Tehrans help in freeing US hostages

held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The profits are illegally channelled

to rebels in Nicaragua, creating a

political crisis for President Ronald

Reagan.

Alistair Cookes Letter from

America: Oliver North testifies on

Iran-Contra

1988: IRANIAN PASSENGER

PLANE SHOT DOWN

The American warship USS

Vincennes shoots down an Iran Air

flight in the Gulf on 3 July 1988,

killing all 290 people on board.

The US says the Airbus A300 was

mistaken for a fighter jet.

Most of the victims were Iranians

on their way to Mecca.

1988: US warship shoots

down Iranian airliner1997-2005: KHATAMI

PRESIDENCY

Mohammad Khatami, a reformist, is

elected Iranian president in 1997.

The following year he calls for

a dialogue with the American

people in an interview with a US TV

channel. The prospect of a thawing

in relations beckons, but there is no

breakthrough.

2002: AXIS OF EVIL

Iran aggressively pursues weapons

[of mass destruction] and exports

terror, while an unelected few

repress the Iranian peoples hope for

freedom

In his State of the Union address,

President George Bush denounces

Iran as part of an axis of evil with

Iraq and North Korea.

2002 ONWARDS: NUCLEAR

FEARS AND SANCTIONS

In 2002 an Iranian opposition group

reveals that Iran is developing

nuclear facilities including a

uranium enrichment plant at Natanz

and a heavy water reactor at Arak.

The US accuses Iran of a clandestine

nuclear weapons programme, which

Iran denies.

A decade of intermittent Iranian

engagement with the UNs nuclear

watchdog and diplomatic activity

follows.

The UN ratifies four rounds of

sanctions on Iran between 2006 and

2010 over the nuclear issue.

The US and the European Union

(EU) also imposed sanctions on Iran,

stepping up measures in 2012 to

include the financial sector. Several

other countries have bilateral

sanctions.

The US Treasury claims in 2013

Irans currency has lost two-thirds

of its value in the past two years.

2005-2013: AHMADINEJAD

PRESIDENCY

Ultra-conservative Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad is elected president in

June 2005.The populist leaders bombastic

style and questioning of the

Holocaust leads to a worsening of

Irans relations with the West.

His disputed re-election in 2009

leads to the worst internal unrest

since 1979.

In 2010 his speech at the UN sparks

walk-outs after he claims that most

people believe the US government

was behind the 9/11 attacks.

Protests at Ahmadinejad UN

speech

2013: OBAMA-ROUHANI

PHONE CALL

On a trip to the UN forum in New

York, Irans new President Hassan

Rouhani held a phone call with

President Barack Obama - the first

conversation between US and Iranian

heads of state for 30 years.

Mr Rouhani used his Twitter

account to break the news of the

historic conversation.

The US President also said the

two men had expressed their

determination to solve the long-

running dispute over Irans nuclear

programme.

In phone convo, President

#Rouhani and President @

BarackObama expressed their

mutual political #will to rapidly

solve the #nuclear issue.@Hassan

Rouhani

Obama (L) and Rouhani


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26/69



Algerian President Bouteflika

Dogged by ill health in recentyears and by corruption scandalsimplicating members of his inner

circle, Algerias President Abdelaziz

Bouteflika was designated last month

by the ruling National LiberationFront to stand for a fourth term in

2014.

However, the secretive pouvoir,

as the security services are known,

and the DRS intelligence agency in

particular, are still considered by

some to be the real power in Algeria.

The army has chosen all of Algerias

post-independence leaders and

Bouteflika was no exception. With

military support, he was elected in

1999 as the ruling National Liberation

Fronts (FLN) candidate. He was also

the sole contestant, after the other six

withdrew, charging that the election

was fraudulent.

For some Algerians, Bouteflika is

seen as a father figure who helped

end the decade-long civil war, which

killed at least 200,000 people from

1992 when Algerias senior military

commanders pushed President

Chadli Bendjedid from office and

nullified the results of the countrys

first competitive national elections

after it became clear that the Front

Islamique du Salut (FIS) would win

an outright majority in the National

Assembly. The cancellation inflicted

a damaging blow to a democratic

breakthrough initiated by President

Chedli Benjdid and triggered a battle

of wills and a dirty bloody civil war

between Islamist insurgents and the

security forces that cost the lives of

over 200.000 Algerians.

After his controversial election in

1999, Bouteflika proposed an amnesty

for rebels who laid down their arms

and twice secured public endorsement

through referendums for his plans

for national reconciliation.

The first referendum, in September

1999, was a major gamble but it

paid off, leading to a sharp decreas

Documents

North South Magazine.dec.13