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Iranian Resistance Condemns Iraqi PM’s Arrest Warrant for Ashraf Residents

Stop Fundamentalism – The Iranian Resistance in a press release Thursday night denounced Nouri al-Maliki’s call for the arrest of 126 residents of Camp Ashraf on charges of terrorism. The Iranian exile group says Maliki is acting on the behest of the Iranian regime to crackdown on its main opposition movement which has been based in Camp Ashraf in Iraq for the past 25 years.

The measure seems to be yet another attempt by the government of Iraq to press the group to leave Iraq.  That is in spite of the fact that all members of group, known as Mojahedin-e Khalq or MEK, have filed to request for asylum from the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR.

Iran Jamming Arabsat Al-Jazeera Network Television Programming

Stop Fundamentalism – Al-Jazeera news network announced Tuesday that its programming signal through Arabsat is being jammed from two locations in Iran.

The Qatar-based network says it has been experiencing continuing disruptions for months on its news program and just recently found that Iran is the source for the interference.

Larijani Says Iran Ready to Talk on Nuclear Issue

Stop Fundamentalism – Iran’s head of parliament, Ali Larijani, announced in Turkey last night that Iran is ready to start a new round of discussion with p5+1 if they are serious.  He responded positively to Turkey’s suggestion last week that the discussions be held in neighboring Turkey.

High Representative Catherine Ashton’s office in Europe who heads the negotiation on behalf of western powers told AFP that it is yet to receive an official response to an October letter she wrote to the Islamic Republic.

Maliki and Erdogan Phone Argument over Iraqi Standoff

Stop Fundamentalism – Baghdad Television reported about an argument between Nouri al-Maliki and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the phone about Iraq’s political crisis today.

A source told Baghdad TV today that a phone conversation between the two country’s prime ministers went soure when Erdogan tried to talk to Maliki about Tareq al-Hashimi’s terror allegations and the way he treats his Deputy Prime Minister, Saleh Al-Mutlaq, both Sunni Muslims from Iraqi bloc.

UNAMI Head Calls for Dialogue amid Iraq’s Political Upheaval

Stop Fundamentalism – UNAMI invited Iraqi political parties to use dialogue as the means to resolve the current political crisis in the country. Meeting with Iraq’s parliament speaker, Osama Al-Nojaifi, Martin Kobler, called on all sides to “find common ground in the spirit of partnership” based on Iraq’s constitution. 

In a statement released following the meeting on Monday by United Nations Assistant Mission in Iraq, the Head of the mission, Martin Kobler, who also serves as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Iraq, supported the idea of a national conference to resolve the situation.

Iraqia Bloc Rejected Conciliation While Maliki is in Power

Stop Fundamentalism – A spokesman for the Iraqi bloc told Asharq Alawsat that while Nouri al-Maliki is still the Prime Minister, no national agreement can be reached.

“Any congress meeting to achieve a national unity will not be realized while Maliki is still the Prime Minister,” said Haidar Al-mulla, Iraqi bloc spokesman, in a phone interview with Asharq Alawsat Tuesday.

Quake shakes Iran’s Northern Province of Mazandaran and Golestan

Stop Fundamentalism – A moderately strong earth quake of 4.8 magnitude on the Richter scale rattled Iran’s two Northern Provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan this evening.  The shaker happened at about 8:40 pm local time Wednesday night.

The earthquake caused fear and concerns among residents of center and eastern part of Mazandaran.

Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility Official Dies in Bomb Blast

Stop Fundamentalism – Iranian news agencies reported this morning that a key Iranian nuclear expert and a deputy director of Natanz uranium enrichment facilities, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, 32, died today in Tehran following a bomb blast.

Iraq – At Least 60 Feared Dead After Baghdad Bomb Raid

Stop Fundamentalism – A series of bomb attacks on Thursday may have claimed the lives of at least 60 innocent civilians in Iraq following a raid this morning. 

The explosions that have occurred in mostly Shiite populated areas in Baghdad would certainly help further the sectarian divide in the country.

Only a week past America’s official depart from Iraq, this war torn country stays ravaged by bomb attacks and governmental power struggles.

Falling Iranian Currency “Rial” Worries Parliament

Stop Fundamentalism –Iranian Parliamentarians expressed concern about the falling value of Rial, Iran’s Currency, yesterday and blamed the crisis on Ahmadinejad’s government.  The members also criticized the Iranian parliament for inaction about the situation.

The Members of the Iranian Parliament called for a special session to discuss the matter urgently.

Iranian Rial for the past few weeks has taken a sharp nosedive and stays as low as half its value from two months ago.  Observers consider the crisis as a result of international sanction against Iran’s effort to acquire nuclear weapons.