Negotiations are underway between the Afghan and Russian officials for the purchase of Mi-35 gunship helicopters directly from Russia, it has been reported.
Reports regarding Afghanistan’s intention to directly purchase the gunships from Russia comes amid reports that India has delivered one of the four Mi-25 gunships to Afghanistan with three others to be delivered in the near future.
According to a State-run news agency in Russia quoting an Afghan diplomat based in Moscow, negotiations are currently underway and initiated following President Ghani’s request for Russian military aid in October, asking for artillery, small arms and Mi-35 helicopters.
The diplomat further added that the Afghan Air Force needs the helicopters to be operational in at least two to three districts, insisting on the importance of the Russian-made gunships which can perform better in the country.
However, the Russian Presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said earlier this month that Moscow is carefully reviewing the request by Afghanistan for the delivery of weapons.
Kabulov said the task of weapons supply to Afghan forces primarily goes to the United States and its allies having forces in Afghanistan.
“There have been requests already and they are being reviewed, but this will be done in stages, with thought and reason,” he added.
The Afghan national security forces are in critical need of close-air support after they took full control of the security from the NATO-led coalition security forces last year and are since then leading the majority of security operations across the country amid deteriorating security situation.
Local security officials in northern Baghlan province said Tuesday that over 100 Taliban fighters have been arrested by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) over the past two months after security check posts were established on the Kabul-Kunduz Highway.
"More than 100 Taliban fighters including their shadow governor for Kunduz have been arrested by security force members at check posts along the highway over the past two months," said Abdul Satar Barez, the governor of Baghlan.
"We assure the people that the sons of this soil are struggling day and night to ensure a safe environment for the people," he added.
Meanwhile, Khan Pacha Shirzad a commander for Baghlan's Special Forces unit said: "Our soldiers are ready day and night to serve the people and we assure the nation that we will put our hearts and souls into defending the country. This is our duty."
Recently reports emerged that militants are traveling along highways; however, local officials in Baghlan assured they will not let this happen anymore in their province.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Somalia is no longer a failed state but a recovering fragile country, the top U.N. official for war-torn Somalia has said. In the last three years the country has stabilized but there is still a lot of work to do, Nicholas Kay, the outgoing representative for the U.N. Secretary General in Somalia, told The Associated Press.
Told the AP safely from Addis Ababa. I'm only surprised he didn't do the interview in Geneva...
"The country is the past two-three years has come together quite significantly. It is both politically stable and developed as well," he said.
Somalia's Islamic extremist insurgents, al-Shabab, who are allied to al-Qaida, will not succeed in undermining the progress being made but the prospect of some members shifting allegiance to the Islamic State group is a real concern, Kay said.
Somalia has been torn by decades of conflict since the 1991 ouster of long-time dictator Siad Barre by warlords who then turned on each other. Somalia had transitional administrations from 2004 but it did not have a functioning central government until the 2012 election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government is struggling to rebuild the country but insecurity caused mainly by al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida-linked, remains its greatest challenge.
Kay says the political process in Somalia is successful with political leaders of the country engaging in political dialogue and negotiations with each other.
"These are not armed warlords fighting each other on a clan basis," Kay said. "They are presidents of interim regional administrations who are willing to sit and talk than use a barrel of a gun. In so, they are contributing to peace in the country, not to the fragmentation of the state as in the old days."
Kay said the parliamentary and presidential elections that are set for 2016 will take place and he expects leaders to respect the constitutional term limit of four years after they made firm commitments to do so.
Somali leaders are currently discussing how elections will be held. President Mohamud in June had ruled out the possibility of holding a vote with public participation in 2016, citing security challenges stemming from an Islamic insurgency. Opposition parties charge that that his government is taking advantage of poor security to extend its mandate through postponement of elections.
In the 2012 elections, Somali elders were tasked with naming the parliament since no election could be held, given the state of security around the country. Somalia's Parliament then elected a new president. Analysts criticized the system.
That's what analysts do, and usually from the safety of Geneva...
The International Crisis Group then described the selection of Somali parliamentarians as undemocratic, "with unprecedented levels of political interference, corruption and intimidation."
The difference being, a somewhat larger group of elders shared out the boodle than had been done in the process. I tell ya, some people don't recognize progress when they see it...
"Some elders allegedly nominated uneducated and objectionable individuals, some sold seats to highest bidders, and others even nominated their own family members," the International Crisis Group said then.
The elders modeled their system to look like Chicago...
Al-Shabab was forced out of their strongholds, including Mogadishu, the capital, by African Union troops and Somali forces, but the insurgents still carry out attacks. Lately, the Islamic extremists have been targeting hotels where government officials and Somalis from the diaspora looking to invest in the country congregate.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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Tunisian Interior Ministry Monday announced they had dismantled a cell recruiting women for terrorist organizations in hotbed conflict zones. The Ministry’s statement pointed out that the cell based in Bizerte region (North of the country) was known for recruiting young women whom they send to terrorists for marriage in hotbed conflict zones.
Four people have been arrested in a security operation.
Tunisian authorities and other reports recently indicated that 700 Tunisian women have joined IS in Syria while a UN report on Tunisian foreign fighters in the ranks of IS in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen revealed around 6,000 Tunisians have left the country–making Tunisian top foreign fighters supplier.
In recorded video featuring 4 Tunisians aired this month, IS promised to further attack Tunisia.
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An Egyptian military court on Tuesday sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie to 10 years in prison over deadly clashes following the 2013 ouster of president Mohammed Mursi, judicial officials said.
Ninety other defendants tried in absentia were sentenced to life terms, which in Egypt, runs to 25 years.
Badie and dozens of others were found guilty of participating in clashes that killed 31 people in the canal city of Suez between August 14 and 16, 2013. The clashes erupted after police brutally broke up two pro-Mursi protest camps in Cairo on August 14 that year.
The charges in the military trial included vandalism, inciting violence, murder, assaulting military personnel and setting fire to armoured personnel carriers and two Coptic churches in Suez.
Badie, the Brotherhood's spiritual guide, was sentenced to 10 years in prison along with fellow Brotherhood leader Mohamed Beltagy and Safwat Hegazy, a pro-Brotherhood Islamist, army and judicial officials said. Forty-one defendants were sentenced to serve between three and seven years behind bars, while 90 others were handed down life sentences.
Badie is facing several trials and has been sentenced to death in a separate case along with Mursi for plotting jailbreaks and attacks on police during the 2011 uprising that ousted president Hosni Mubarak. The Brotherhood chief has also been handed life sentences in five other cases.
At some point they're just piling on. But not yet...
[ISW] Russian military intervention in Syria has forced the West to negotiate on the Kremlin's terms, granting Moscow greater freedom of action to challenge and destabilize its adversaries. President Barack Obama reaffirmed the concession of the U.S.'s demand for a Syrian postwar government without Assad and his regime, a policy shift Secretary of State John Kerry previously expressed during his December 15 visit to Moscow. President Obama called for a Syrian political settlement that would build a "bridge" to Moscow and Tehran by respecting their interests. This shift coincided with a landmark unanimous UN Security Council decision to approve a peace framework for Syria that did not address Assad's future. The U.S. and Russia also cosponsored a UN Security Council resolution increasing sanctions against ISIS's financial network while France agreed to expand information sharing with Russia about anti-ISIS airstrikes and the disposition of armed groups in Syria.
The U.S. and Europe attempted to balance their reengagement with Moscow over threats emanating from the Middle East with reaffirmed opposition to Russian aggression in Ukraine. The EU extended sanctions against Russia despite growing internal divisions over German plans to increase Russian gas imports. The U.S. also expanded its sanctions against Russia, which criticized Western sanctions related to Ukraine as an obstacle to cooperation in the Middle East. NATO also reaffirmed its support to Ukraine by agreeing to boost defense industry cooperation and revealing possible plans to expand cooperation between NATO special forces and the Ukrainian military. Russia meanwhile continued to confront the transatlantic military alliance through its conflict with Turkey, which both countries accelerated by inviting ethnic minority opposition leaders to hold high-level talks. Russia will likely seek to expand its military, economic, and political levers of influence in order to eventually undermine Western opposition to its destabilization operations in Ukraine and other vulnerable areas of the former Soviet Union.
BERLIN (Sputnik) -- Dozens of alleged refugees have entered Germany on fake Syrian passports, which were produced using technology similar to that used to forge documents for some of the perpetrators of the Paris attacks, the German Bild newspaper reported Tuesday, citing government sources.
Last week, two French citizens posing as refugees were arrested in Austria on suspicion of having links to the November 13 Paris terror attacks. The suspects, of Algerian and Pakistani descent, were allegedly using fake Syrian passports and are believed to have entered Austria with some of the Paris attackers in October. Individuals posing as refugees entered Germany using passports made by the same means as those found on the suspects arrested in Austria.
The Pakistanis are going to be so-o-o-o jealous...
"They contain the same features of forgery," one of the sources told the German media outlet.
Stolen genuine documents were so intricately altered by counterfeiters that the forgery was not detected immediately, meaning those who entered the country on fake passports have not yet been found, according to the newspaper.
The majority of the forged passports originate in the Syrian city of Raqqa, one of the key Islamic State strongholds.
Surprise!
In September, the executive director of the EU border agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, said a new trend of using fake Syrian passports to increase a migrant's chances of being granted permission to remain in the European Union was gaining momentum.
About a dozen migrants may have entered Germany on forged Syrian passports like those used by two Gay Pareejacket wallahs, according to a news report Tuesday which authorities did not confirm.
The report said German authorities did not know where the "about one dozen" arrivals were now, having entered the country before November 13, and that no fingerprints had been taken of them.
Goody.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Should be "Scores Caught Entering Germany With Fake Syrian Passports"
Migrants have dumped rubbish in the streets in protest at not getting a cleaner or wi-fi at the free villa they have been given for shelter.
The 24 refugees are up in arms after demanding someone clean up after them in the Italian duplex where they have been housed since arriving from sub-Saharan Africa last summer. They are also angry at not being provided free internet, which has prevented them from contacting relatives back home.
The demonstrations, which first took place last week, also blocked main roads in the town of Ceranova, near Milan, sparking heated rows with members of the local community.
The town's mayor, Alessandro Grieco, was forced to intervene personally with the help of three police officers to calm the situation, it was reported by The Local, which cited La Repubblica.
Mr Grieco has expelled the 24-year-old leader of the protests from the villa. He said: 'The migrants have obviously flagged up a few issues for them but this is not the way to draw attention to them.
'We absolutely won't tolerate protests like this.'
Really? Have you sent all them back home? If not you're tolerating it...
Matteo Salvini, the leader of the anti-immigration Northern League party has also attacked the protest, asking: 'They want someone to clean their homes – can you believe it?'
Unfortunately, yes we can...
It comes as new figures revealed that more than a million migrants had now crossed into Europe this year - more than four times the total for 2014, it has been revealed. Half of those arriving were Syrians fleeing the war, another 20 per cent were Afghans, and seven per cent were Iraqis, according to agencies monitoring the flow.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
Load em into a Conex. Ship em home on a slow boat
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/23/2015 9:00 Comments ||
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How about reporting how many are military age men verses the 'widows and orphans' we have been hearing so much about?
Afghan asylum-seekers have set up a homeless camp at the site of a prominent Paris terror attack memorial in protest at the lack of migrant housing. The migrants have laid down mattresses and blankets at the busy Place de la Republique in Paris, where tens of thousands held a march of solidarity in the wake of the attacks.
The location of a tribute to those killed on November 13, the area is now been covered in protest signs and debris from the migrants living in the area. Photographs from the scene show dozens of migrants lying in the concreted area on mattresses, pieces of cardboard, and blankets.
Next to one group of the Afghan asylum seekers is a sign stating 'borders kill', which sits nailed to a tree.
The Place de la Republique in Paris was the site of solidarity rallies in the wake of the attacks in November. Tens of thousands marched through the square, where a tribute, dedicated to those killed in the attacks, has now been erected
Dozens of Afghan migrants chose the site of the Paris attacks memorial to call attention to their lack of housing.
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12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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Germany is withdrawing its Patriot missile systems from Turkey, about three years after bringing them in, Anadolu reported.
Sources from the Turkish port of Iskenderun said the Danish ship with the patriot missile systems left Turkey on Tuesday. The ship is headed to Germany. The German government has previously said that the mandate of the mission would end on January 2016.
Germany had deployed Patriot batteries in the southern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras in January 2013, as part of a NATO mission to counter possible threats from Syria. Germany provided two of five NATO batteries and around 250 personnel for the mission.
Wouldn't want a German Patriot shot off accidentally at a Rooshun aircraft...
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[Hurriyet] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... has begun recovering from a week-long cyberattack amid criticism from IT experts over its decision to help solve the issue by prohibiting international access to the country's DNS, daily Hurriyet has reported.
Turkey has been experiencing a cyberattack that started on Dec. 14, targeting nearly 400,000 websites with the extension ".tr." The cyberattack nearly came to a halt in the morning hours of Dec. 21, and recovery and damage assessment activities have been launched by leading IT organizations along with Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ).
Turkish IT professionals in response banned access to the DNS from abroad and communication channels were re-opened when the cyberattack first started. Around 400,000 websites, however, were denied access from abroad.
An IT source speaking to daily Hurriyet said it was not clear whether Russia was behind the cyberattack, although initial reports suggested Russian hackers were the perpetrators of the mass slowdown both in Internet access and the operation of hundreds of Turkish websites, including official websites of governmental bodies and those of private companies.
The international hacking group Anonymous, meanwhile, also threatened greater cyber action in a video posted Dec. 19 if the Turkish government "did not stop buying oil" from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
"This mass cyberattack is known to be the biggest so far with the intensity of slowing down the websites," ODTÜ Computer Engineering Professor Attila Özgit said.
Those who sought to access Turkish websites had no or limited access and received error messages during the cyberattack.
But IT professionals criticized the method of banning access to Turkish websites from abroad to protect servers in the country, saying the country should have been more prepared for any possible cyberattacks.
IT experts criticized the fact that no reporting was made by the National Computer Emergency Response Center (USOM), a team of IT professionals that intervene in nationwide cyberattacks, about the attack and also that authorities issued no explanation regarding the virtual assault.
European IP Networks (RIPE), an Internet organization dealing with DNS servers, stated that it had to shut down Turkey's servers because of the attacks, but the move slowed down international access to the websites when the hackers created artificially intense traffic on main Internet lines.
The slowdown did not affect all of the Internet in Turkey, as social media users experienced no problems, unlike those attempting to conduct electronic transactions.
[DAWN] Pakistain Awami Tehrik Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri ...Pak politician, and would-be dictator, founder and head of Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran and Pakistain Awami Tehrik. He usually resides in Canada, but returns to Pakistain periodically to foam at the mouth and lead demonstrations. Depending on which way the wind's blowing, Qadri claims to be the author of Pak's blasphemy law. Other times he says it wasn't him... alleges that "corruption money" is being used for acts of terrorism in the country and both major political parties -- PML-N and PPP -- are covering up each other's wrongdoings.
Speaking to the media at the Lahore airport on his return from Canada on Tuesday, he claimed: "The rulers' corruption money is behind the (acts of) terrorism as they are allowing those who order the murders to go scot free."
He alleged that the old allies (PML-N and PPP) had joined hands to foil the Rangers' operation in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and their challenging statements were part of a "script" aimed at "hoodwinking" the masses and the institutions.
Both the main political parties had entered into a compromise for covering up and securing each other's corruption, he added.
"Whatever is being done to the Rangers is at the behest of Islamabad as a dangerous game is being played in Sindh," he alleged.
Demanding army operation in Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... too, he said the Rangers were seeking powers only in Sindh while 14 dead bodies and over 100 injured were awaiting justice in Punjab, a reference to the Model Town police raid back in June 2014.
He said the country was being run like a personal business and rule of law was seen nowhere.
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12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] ISLAMABAD: Amid allegations that not enough was being done to tackle growing extremism in the country, the armed forces announced on Tuesday that they would take on this menace (extremism) as well in addition to their continuing operations against terrorism.
Top armed forces commanders expressed their commitment at a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) -- the principal coordination forum of the three services (Army, PAF and Navy), which was chaired by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmood. Others who attended the meeting included Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif ..Pak chief of army staff, meaning he pulls the strings on the Nawaz Sharif puppet to make it dance and sing and not do much at all.... , Naval Chief Admiral Zakaullah, PAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and senior officers of the services.
"All military leaders resolved to continue operations to eliminate terrorism and help government fight extremism," a statement issued by the ISPR said.
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12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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#1
riiiggghhtttt
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/23/2015 9:02 Comments ||
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[DAWN] After much deliberation, the interior ministry gave a 60-day extension in the special policing powers of Rangers in Sindh, after a meeting at the ministry chaired by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ...Currently the Interior Minister of Pakistain. He is the senior leader of the Pak Moslem League (N) and a close aide to Nawaz Uncle Fester Sharif. He is noted for his vocal anti-American railing in the National Assembly. However (comma) Khan told the U.S. ambassador that he was in fact pro-American but he and the PML-N would have to be critical of US actions in order to remain publicly credible. Khan cited his wife and children's US citizenship as proof, which means he's lying to one side or the other and probably both. He wears a wig, but you probably guessed that. since hair doesn't grow naturally in that shape or texture... , DawnNews reported on Tuesday.
The summary sent to the federal government by Sindh government on the matter of extending Ranger's policing powers was earlier rejected.
A letter was issued to the Sindh government in this regard on Tuesday, instructing it to draft a new summary regarding the matter without posting any conditions.
"The provincial assembly does not reserve the authority to amend the federal laws," the interior ministry said in a statement.
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The Kurdish administration of Iraq is preparing to hold a referendum on the status of their autonomy, the Turkish newspaper Aksam reported on its website Dec. 22 citing diplomatic sources.
The head of the administration, Massoud Barzani is expected to announce the date of the referendum in the near future. Earlier, Barzani said the Kurdish administration of Iraq is determined to hold a referendum, adding that attaining independence is a matter of time.
After Iraq’s provinces were captured by the IS terrorist group the relations between the central government of Iraq and the Kurdish administration deteriorated markedly.
Barzani accused the central government of being guilty of the developments in the country. He said Iraq is on the verge of splitting, and Baghdad doesn’t control the situation in the country.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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#3
Well they could have done the Hughes Chain gun treatment or one of the variations of that on the barrel. A gun drill bore prior to heat treat then heat treat to extreme hardness and then grind bore to final size then etch the rifling in.
Posted by: Chaith Oppressor of the Lutherans1517 ||
12/23/2015 19:53 Comments ||
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[AnNahar] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday that Russian air strikes have killed 2,132 people in Syria, a third of them civilians, since they began on September 30.
Of those killed, 598 were fighters from the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group and another 824 from al-Nusra ...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ... Front, the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda, and other rebel groups.
There were a further 710 civilians killed, of whom 161 were children and 104 women.
The Britannia-based Observatory has an extensive network of informants inside Syria. It bases its tallies on Russian-caused casualties by the type of aircraft flown and the munitions used.
#4
2/3 were Islamic fighters; only 1/3 civilians? Seems like that is successful. One can't really fight sanitary, hygienic wars and expect to bring about a conclusion to the war. There's got to be a price to pay.
Any minute now Volodya will come around, hat in hand, with an apology
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's bombing of Syria may amount to a war crime because of the number of civilians its strikes have killed, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, presenting what it said was evidence that the air raids had violated humanitarian law.
"Russian air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and caused massive destruction in residential areas, striking homes, a mosque and a busy market, as well as medical facilities, in...attacks that show evidence of violations of international humanitarian law," Amnesty said in a new report. The Rooshun MoD will be on it like a Boss
Russia started its campaign of air strikes against militants in Syria on Sept. 30, saying it wanted to help the Kremlin's main Middle East ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, defeat Islamic State and other militant groups.
It has repeatedly and forcefully denied targeting civilians, saying it takes great care to avoid bombing residential areas.
When asked by Reuters to comment on the Amnesty allegations, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had no immediate comment, while the Russian Foreign Ministry said it first needed to study the report before giving any official reaction. More comedy gold at the link...
[Rudaw] Tehran is happy with the reassurance given to them by the United States on keeping business interests out of harm in light of a new US bill restricting visitor visas to the country, Iran's foreign ministry said Monday.
Abbas Araghchi Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said, according to BBC Persian, that US Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... has reassured Iran in a letter that Iranian businessmen will still be issued 10-year multiple entry visas.
"We remain fully committed to the sanctions lifting," Kerry's letter reads. "The recent changes in Visa requirements will not in any way prevent us from meeting our JCPOA commitments...we will implement them so as not to interfere with legitimate business interests of Iran."
Araghchi said that Kerry's explanations were satisfactory for Iran.
Kerry's letter sent to Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamad Javad Zarif, reassures Tehran that Iranian business interests will not be hurt by the new visa bill passed by the US Congress this week.
US and other Western powers have a standing deal with Iran over its nuclear program that will see to the lifting of sanctions and opening up Iran's markets to western companies.
On Saturday, the Congress passed a new legislation that restricts the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which normally exempts nationals from 38 countries from having to obtain visas to visit the United States.
The new law stipulates that the program no longer includes dual nationals from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan as well as anyone else who have traveled to those countries in the past five years.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/23/2015 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Somalia is no longer a failed state but a recovering fragile country, the top U.N. official for war-torn Somalia has said. In the last three years the country has stabilized but there is still a lot of work to do, Nicholas Kay, the outgoing representative for the U.N. Secretary General in Somalia, told The Associated Press. 
An Egyptian military court on Tuesday sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie to 10 years in prison over deadly clashes following the 2013 ouster of president Mohammed Mursi, judicial officials said.
Afghan asylum-seekers have set up a homeless camp at the site of a prominent Paris terror attack memorial in protest at the lack of migrant housing. The migrants have laid down mattresses and blankets at the busy Place de la Republique in Paris, where tens of thousands held a march of solidarity in the wake of the attacks.
[DAWN] Pakistain Awami Tehrik Chairman Dr 
[DAWN] After much deliberation, the interior ministry gave a 60-day extension in the special policing powers of Rangers in Sindh, after a meeting at the ministry chaired by Interior Minister 
