Bharat Rakshak

Neshant wrote:Anytime there is a war with the US, an awful lot of russian weapondry ends up as smouldering junk.

If they think a few missiles are going to protect them against anything, they are fooling themselves.

Philip wrote:Russia will supply new anti-aircraft missiles for Iran
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/articl ... 45,00.html

· Advanced S-300 could hit US and Israeli fighter jets
· Air defence system 'better than American version'

"We also import and export to America."

These words from Iran's Finance Minister Danesh Jafri stunned the gathering into silence at a seminar arranged by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

After letting the significance of his statement sink in for just a second, a smiling Jafri clarified that while Iran does engage into business with the United States, it is not done directly but through a third country.

The Iranian finance minister, who is in India to attract investment, was trying to allay fears among Indian businessmen that American resistance to Iran is creating insecurity among the companies and making them think twice about doing business with Iran.

Integration with world economy has now become a well-established policy of the Iranian government and if the Jafri's presentation was any indication, it sounded better than those of so-called liberal South Asian countries. At the venue, the Iranian Embassy was distributing CDs containing forms and full details of the country's industrial policy, even as Jafri insisted that licenses for the industry and new investments will be given within 30 days.

India's Ambassador to Iran Manbir Singh and Indian Oil [Get Quote] chairman Sarthak Behuria were also present at the meeting, where Jafri presented a confident picture of Iran. He refused to underscore the pressure from the United States on Tehran or the countries desirous of doing business with it. He reminded the gathering that even the US intelligence agencies had accepted that their information about Iran's nuclear weapons programme was incorrect.

During his presentation, he emphasised that Iran's geographical location is well suited to companies interested in oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, mining, and the services sector.

Iran, the fourth largest oil producing country and the second largest gas producer, has a big opportunity to enter the hydrocarbon projects, he said.

When rediff.com asked him about the possible problems in acquiring international finance for the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, Jafri said: "Iran and India can finance the project easily." When further questioned about its progress, he passed the buck by saying, "It is not a bilateral project. It involves three countries. If India and Pakistan can conclude the talks then we can start the project."

On the American opposition to Iran he said, "We can live with opposition from Russia or the US. We would continue doing what is good for us."

He said that Iran is has not only oil and gas but also surplus electricity to export. He affirmed that Iran will soon produce 20,000 megawatt of nuclear energy.

When asked about the long-pending LNG gas deal that has yet to be finalised because of the high price demanded by Iran, he said: "I can say that we are not raising the price. International price has risen after we signed the memorandum of understanding." (An MoU is just an agreement to enter business)

"The price of oil and gas is not a bilateral issue. The increase in oil price has been very high recently. (Even) we are not happy about it," he said.

Currently, annual bilateral trade between Iran and India stands at around $2 billion, which is less than one per cent of India's global trade.

The Iranian minister, while highlighting the advantages of doing business in Iran, said that Tehran is uniquely located sharing borders with important regions. It is in proximity with China, Central Asian countries, Africa, West Asia, Europe and South East Asia. Jafri also emphasised that a legal framework has been put in place and the security of foreign investments is ensured through new changes in the law and the Constitution.

Iran, the minister said, had reduced tax rates from 65 per cent to a flat 25 per cent. It has given tax holidays to agriculture, industry, mining, tourism, and exporters.

The enactment of a new Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act to replace the earlier Law Concerning Attraction and Protection of Foreign Investments in Iran will provide full security and legal protection to foreign investments based on transparency and international standards, Jafri pointed out.

The minister emphasised that steps have been taken to settle industrial disputes. Iran has signed a double taxation treaty with 44 countries while talks are on with India too for this.

He said Iran is now opening up like never before. Few years ago, foreigners could only own 49 per cent of any company but now there is no restrictions and foreigners can own 100 per cent share in companies operating in Iran.

He also said there will be no limit to repatriation of income and there is a buy-back policy in place where if you invest in, say, an oil field, you will get your investment back and also be paid according to the prevalent market price of gas or oil.

Jafri said Iran is also open to non-equity forms like civil partnership and built-operate-transfer kind of projects. Indians can invest in new projects or even buy existing companies. But according to Iranian laws, private parties cannot own the land that has gas and oil deposits, he added.

He said he is offering investors Iran's vast domestic market, which has a population of 65 million, and, also quick access to neighboring markets with approximately 300 million people.

Ambassador Manbir Singh said, "Iran holds out major opportunities for us."

Asked about the minister's promises, Behuria, who is also the chairman of the India-Iran Joint Business Council, gave the other side of doing business in Iran.

"The issue of banking and reimbursement of the Iranian Letter of Credit and their confirmation by Indian banks has remained one of the most demotivating factors for the Indian and Iranian businessmen to build upon the existing trade relations."

He also demanded that there should be a conflict arbitration council between affiliate chambers of the two countries to assist member companies in contractual issues and in recovery of payments.

Another area for worry is the issue of visa. Behuria said he has been asking for a multiple business visa facility for three years. Air connectivity between Iran and India is yet another problem. Behuria said that the Iranian government should open its skies for Indian carriers for passenger as well as cargo services.

NEW DELHI: For India, looking to diversify its energy sources, Turkey has just offered an exciting and potentially viable alternative that could get Central Asian and Caucasian oil to India's doorstep - and without breaking the bank.

During his visit to India, Turkey's foreign minister Ali Babacan (the first visit by a Turkish foreign minister in 30 years) has proposed that oil from Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and even Georgia be transported through Turkey's massive pipeline infrastructure to Ceyhan port. Traveling through the Mediterranean Sea in super tankers, the oil will then be fed into Israel's Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline, while super tankers pick it off from the Gulf of Aqaba port of Eilat and back again on super tankers to India.

"According to our calculations, this will give India a unique opportunity to access Central Asian oil, and will be quicker and, according to our energy experts, even cheaper," said Babacan in an exclusive chat with The Times of India.

"It will also bypass the crowded Suez Canal route, which only takes very small ships. Most important, for India's booming economy, it gives India an alternative source of oil," he added.

The proposal, which has been made to the Indian government, is currently being "examined" by New Delhi. But energy officials are quietly excited about the prospect of this new route.

Currently, none of India's imported oil travels through the Suez Canal. Most of it comes from the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Dubai) and the rest that comes from Venezuela, Nigeria and Colombia travel around southern Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

But two important considerations have made it imperative for India to seek alternative sources and alternative routes for its oil - first, the persistent instability in the Persian Gulf area means that any conflict say, with Iran, will see a virtual collapse in oil supplies to India. Second, India needs to source as much energy as it possibly can, because power, or lack thereof, could become the greatest hindrance to India's economic story.

This route also opens up the vast Central Asian oil reserves for exploitation by India, which is otherwise locked out by geography.

Politically, the most important consideration here is it offers India a golden opportunity to significantly upgrade ties with a major Muslim country like Turkey . This could offset whatever ambivalence India might feel about Israel. India already has very deep relations with Israel, so this would not be a political challenge.

Turkish officials pointed out that none of the pipelines will have to be built. They are already in existence. The Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline is a functioning one, as is the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline which started work in 2006. Tel Aviv and Ankara have announced plans to carry water, electricity, natural gas and oil to Israel by way of a proposed Ceyhan-Ashkelon-Eilat passage. So, its not difficult to imagine gas coming through this passage, though this will need liquefaction and gasification terminals, which are a longer term investment.

IOC is one of the companies involved in building the Samsun-Ceyhan bypass pipeline in Turkey as well, which actually gives India a presence in Turkey's energy infrastructure.

Both Turkey and Israel are positioning themselves as relevant players in the global energy market by becoming secure providers.

The Iran pipeline is not going anywhere, neither is the Turkmenistan pipeline after Turkmenistan announced that most of its gas would be sold to Russia's Gazprom. Iran's Chahbahar port is not yet accessible to India and likely to make much longer.

India is now taking a new look at the energy equations in the region.

ISLAMABAD: : China has said it was ready to join Pakistan and Iran in their gas pipeline project if India did not, sources told Daily Times on Sunday.

Pakistan plans to import 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas a day from Iran under the project, and has said it was willing to consume an additional 1.05 billion cubic feet if India did not join the project.

Sources said that China had told Pakistan it was interested in importing the additional gas if India did not join in. They said Iran had no objection to exporting gas to China.

In case China joined the project, the pipeline might pass through Gilgit, they said, where Pakistan has already approved a project to widen the Karakoram Highway.

Pakistan also plans to extend a railway track to China to connect it to the Gwadar port. Chinese experts would visit Pakistan to finalise the route of the pipeline if it joined the project, they said.

The Pakistani law ministry had vetted a draft of the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement, they said, but it had not been signed because of differences between India and Pakistan over the transit fee for the pipeline. Pakistan had invited India to negotiate the fee on February 7 and 8 but India said it would talk to an elected Pakistani government after the February 18 elections.

Iran and Pakistan may sign the agreement on February 24, a date proposed by Iran, they said.

Pakistan had earlier proposed the agreement be signed on January 25 in Abu Dhabi, but sources said Iran had told Pakistan it would only sign the agreement with an elected Pakistani government.

Philip wrote:Why on earth do we have to search as far off as Turkey to find our petro-products.If the heat is on us to avoid a JV for a pipeline with Pak and Iran,we can instead invest in a fleet of gas tankers for the same.No nation can stop us from buying oil or gas from any supplier and it would look ridiculous if anyone tried to do so.The pipeline indicates a partnership,something more.In any case,if pak wants,it can forever possess a stranglehold on the pipeline,holding us to ransom,brought upon ourselves! The Chinese gambit is the Middle Kingodm itching to get further entrenched into the Gulf through Pak and Iran.About time we told off the critics who want us to curtail our fratrenal ties with Iran.

Acharya wrote:Iran, A.P. sign MoU
Digitisation of archives

HYDERABAD: The Governments of Andhra Pradesh and the Islamic Republic of Iran on Tuesday entered into a memorandum of understanding for the repair, restoration and digitisation of about five crore documents in the State Archives.

Acharya wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJRcOF7rEfQ

ranganathan wrote:No use setting fire to the whole of middle east. Islamic govt is a head ache for iranians not us.

Acharya wrote:Iran, A.P. sign MoU
Digitisation of archives

HYDERABAD: The Governments of Andhra Pradesh and the Islamic Republic of Iran on Tuesday entered into a memorandum of understanding for the repair, restoration and digitisation of about five crore documents in the State Archives.

ramana wrote:The Iranians are paying AP govt to restore and digitize paper records of Andhra Pradesh . Must be related to the Qutb Shahi and Nizam's dynasty period.

Look who came to the funeral


Barry Rubin

Hizbullah, Iran and Syria have 'taken credit' for Mughniyeh's past killings and urged many more in the future. The world must take note of this revelation

A funny thing happened at the funeral of Imad Mughniyeh. Those who had for years been denying any connection with him and his international terrorist activities -- Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah -- suddenly admitted that he was one of their favourite people.

At the same time, other critical points came out. Mughniyeh's vital position as the link between those three allies, in their conduct of terrorism and subversion, stood out clearly. In addition, Mughniyeh's career as an international terrorist, who often operated against Western targets, showed how Hizbullah -- along with its backers in Tehran and Damascus -- were second only to Al Qaeda in their global operations of violence.

Let's first look at the record of the man who Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah were so eager to praise and ready to revenge. Mughniyeh, a Lebanese citizen, first worked with the PLO and then with Hizbullah, leading the latter group's main terrorist operations. During the 1980s alone, he was involved in killing 340 American and French soldiers in the bombing of a peace-keeping force base; 63 civilians in the bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut; kidnappings and executions of Westerners living in Lebanon; attacks on the US Embassy in Kuwait; hijacking an American airliner in which a US citizen was murdered; killing two US officials in Lebanon; and, hijacking two Kuwait Airways' passenger planes.

In 1994, he organised the bombing of a Jewish Community Centre in Argentina, killing 86 civilians. The official Argentinean investigation concluded Iranian intelligence had hired Mughniyeh and his unit for this job.

As a result of his activities, Mughniyeh was on the US list of 10 most wanted terrorists, with a $ 25 million reward on his head. Interpol had an extradition warrant against him due to the Argentina attack. But travelling between Lebanon, Iran, and Syria-protected and often working for the latter two Governments -- Mughniyeh continued his career of violence up to the day of his death.

With the exception of the September 11 attack, Mughniyeh was probably responsible for more terrorist violence and killings than any other individual over the last quarter century.

How did Iran's rulers respond to his demise? They all praised him. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called him, "An example for the young generation to follow." Powerful former President and current Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani referred to Mughniyeh as a "great figure" whose actions Iran did not consider terrorism. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad eulogised him as, "An outstanding leader from Hizbullah," though up to his death that organisation denied Mughniyeh held such a post.

Hizbullah's own leader, Hassan Nasrallah, used his funeral oration to threaten to wipe out Israel, paralleling what many Iranian leaders say. If Iran obtains nuclear weapons that threat becomes most plausible. But Hizbullah hopes to achieve the same end through lower-level violence.

Nasrallah declared "open war" on Israel and boasted he would launch attacks anywhere in the world, presumably against anyone he deemed to be standing in the way of his destructive dream.

As for Syria, where Mughniyeh was repeatedly given help and safe haven, he was being protected in a highly secure area under Government control. An Iranian television station reported he was killed near a Syrian intelligence base at a time a major meeting of Palestinian groups was taking place, including Hamas leader Khalad Mishal, who is based in Damascus. Two respected Arab newspapers claimed Mughniyeh was the guest of top Syrian leaders and had been meeting with them and Hamas chiefs to plan the kind of bloody deeds he was so good at doing.

Revenge was also threatened by such pro-Mughniyeh groups as Hamas and the Muqtada Sadr forces in Iraq. Not all Arabs reacted in this way. In Kuwait, for example, it was pointed out that Mughniyeh had been involved in the murder of many Arabs and Muslims, in Kuwait, Lebanon and Iraq.

A Lebanese newspaper, backed by Syria and Hizbullah, noted that Mughniyeh's death was the hardest blow to Hizbullah ever. Ironically, however, many in the past had refused to condemn Hizbullah as a terrorist organisation -- including the EU -- because they said there was insufficient evidence of such involvement.

As one expert on Hizbullah, Magnus Ranstorp, retorted, too many had "allowed themselves to be misled" about Hizbullah use of international terrorism and its orchestration by Iran and Syria. "And so Hizbullah was allowed to have its cake and eat it too" since it could carry out terrorism without any significant international price or punishment.

When Iran, Syria and Hizbullah embraces such a person as a great hero and role model they are:


# Openly admitting their association with many past acts of terrorism.


# Making clear that they favour murderous attacks deliberately designed to kill civilians.


# Showing their past denials of involvement to be lies.


# Urging people to commit many more such attacks in future, include genocide against Israel and its people.


Now that Hizbullah, Iran and Syria have "taken credit" for Mughniyeh's past killings and urged many more in the future, the world should confront the fact that these groups are engaged in a systematic terrorist policy and react accordingly.

--Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal. His latest books are The Truth About Syria and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East.

Russia, China Scuttle Resolution Plans

By GEORGE JAHN
Associated Press Writer

Russia, China Scuttle Resolution Plans

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Russia and China on Tuesday scuttled a Western attempt to introduce a resolution on Iran's nuclear defiance at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, diplomats said.

The decision appeared to be the result of lingering unhappiness by the two world powers about not being informed earlier of plans for such a resolution.

It came a day after the U.N. Security Council imposed another round of sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran defiantly vowed to continue its nuclear program, which it insists is aimed only at generating power.

"This resolution is contrary to the spirit and articles of the International Atomic Energy Agency. It has been issued based on political motivations and a biased approach. It is worthless and unacceptable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, according to the state news agency IRNA.

Moscow on Monday had threatened not to back the new U.N. sanctions against Iran unless the West gave up its IAEA resolution plans.

Then on Tuesday it signaled that it was ready to back such a document if it was given substantial input in drafting it before deciding later in the day that it was against it after all, said the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was confidential.

Asked why Russia and China were opposed, one of diplomats said Moscow decided to withdraw its support "on principle" and Beijing, which often takes a cue from Russia on the Iran nuclear dispute, followed suit.

A senior Western diplomat said the decision to scrap plans for a resolution was jointly taken by the six powers taking the lead on engaging Iran on its nuclear program - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

He said the six felt that new U.N. Security Council sanctions passed Monday to punish Iran had sent enough of a message.

Gregory L. Schulte, Washington's chief IAEA delegate, said the new sanctions resolution underscores "that Iran's file remains open" and backs the IAEA's right to continue its probe of Tehran's past nuclear program, particularly attempts to make weapons.

But two of the other diplomats, speaking separately, insisted the resolution was scrapped because of Russian and Chinese opposition and said any suggestions of unity on the issue were an attempt to cover up an East-West split among the world powers.

A draft of the resolution, marked "restricted" and made available to The Associated Press, reflected Western attempts to ramp up pressure on Iran using the IAEA as a venue.

It said the board "firmly supports" attempts by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to shed light on past experiments "that could have a military dimension" - shorthand for alleged attempts by Iran to develop nuclear arms.

It cites ElBaradei in calling such alleged programs "a matter of serious concern." And it "deeply regrets" Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment - a possible pathway to nuclear arms - despite four Security Council resolutions demanding it do so.

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