U.S. Announces Rescue Of Iran Sailors From Somalian Pirates

A photo distributed by the U.S. Navy showing a safety boat from the “USS Kidd” observing the January 5 boarding of Iran-flagged fishing dhow “Al Molai” in Arabian Sea after a reported distress call saying the fishing vessel had been captured by pirates.

By RFE/RL

Last updated (GMT/UTC): 06.01.2012 20:17

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say a U.S. Navy ship has rescued 13 Iranians who were being held hostage by Somalian pirates in the Arabian Sea amid rising tensions between the Washington and Tehran.

The Iranians were rescued on January 5 after the U.S. Navy says it received a distress call from an Iranian fishing vessel that had been boarded by pirates more than a month ago.

A team from the “USS Kidd” guided-missile destroyer responded to the call, boarded the boat, and freed the Iranian crew.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said “the Iranians and the dhow [a traditional vessel] have been released and they’re on their way back home” after the ordeal.

Iran has so far not publicly reacted to the rescue of its citizens by the U.S. Navy.

U.S. officials said 15 pirates, all believed to be Somalian nationals, were detained in the January 5 operation.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement that “the pirates did not resist the boarding and surrendered quickly” and were currently aboard a U.S. vessel “where the matter will be reviewed for prosecution.”

The incident comes amid a war of words that erupted recently after Iranian officials were seen to be suggesting that they might try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz if Western-led sanctions targeted Iran’s oil exports, followed by major Iranian naval exercises in the area.

Josh Schminky, a Navy Criminal Investigative Service agent who was aboard the “Kidd,” said U.S. forces went out of their way to treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect.

Schminky said the Iranian hostages “had been through a lot.”  The Pentagon said the 13 had been kept in difficult conditions and forced to assist the pirates in their operations.

The Navy vessel involved in the rescue is a member of the same U.S. aircraft carrier group that Iran recently warned not to return to the Strait of Hormuz.

Read our Explainer on Iran’s threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz

“The very same ship and set of vessels that the Iranians protested on its last voyage through [the Strait of] Hormuz — the John C. Stennis carrier strike group — just rescued this Iranian dhow from pirates,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters on January 6.

Nuland said the Navy ship had taken the Iranian sailors on board, given them food, water, and medical care, and escorted them back to their boat.

“They were obviously very grateful to be rescued [from] these pirates, and then [the U.S. Navy] returned the Iranians to their fishing vessel and they went on their way,” Nuland said.

Speaking on January 3, Iranian Army Chief Major General Ataollah Salehi said he “recommended” that the U.S. carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf. “We are not in the habit of warning more than once,” he added.

U.S. and other Western governments have warned that transit through the strait, a main route for Mideast oil to reach world markets, takes place in international waters and Tehran has no right to block it.

Schminky said the captain of the “Al Molai” had expressed “sincere gratitude” for the U.S. assistance and said he was “afraid that without [U.S.] help, they could have been there for months.”

WATCH: The U.S. Navy posted video of the counterpiracy operation, shot from a helicopter, to YouTube:

with additional wire reporting

via rferl.org

University lecturer killed in car explosion in Tehran

Tehran, Jan 11, IRNA – A university lecturer was killed and two others injured when a magnetic bomb attached to a car exploded Wednesday morning.

University professor, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, who was in the car with two passengers, was killed in the blast.

The two injured passengers of the car were taken to a hospital.

The explosion took place after a motorcyclist stuck a bomb on the side of the car, a Peugeot 405, in Ketabi square in eastern Tehran, this morning.

A security official told IRNA that the incident looked like previous terrorist attacks on nuclear scientists by agents of the Zionist regime.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30759781

via irna.ir

Report: Iran nuclear scientist killed in blast

January 11, 2012 — Updated 1138 GMT (1938 HKT)

A view of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan province. It is said to have 8,000 centrifuges in operation.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: 1st vice president says the attacks will not stop Iran
• Iran: “This is the work of the Zionists”
• Two other people were wounded in the attack, the report says
• The attack is similar to others in recent years

(CNN) — A blast in a Tehran neighborhood reportedly killed a nuclear scientist Wednesday morning, the latest in a string of attacks against such scientists in the country that Iran has blamed on Israel.

A motorcyclist placed a magnetic bomb under Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan’s Peugeot 405, the country’s IRNA news agency said.

The blast wounded two others who were passengers in the car, the news agency said.

Roshan worked at Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan province, according to another news agency, Fars.

IAEA: Iran is enriching uranium

Natanz, which is said to have 8,000 centrifuges in operation, is one of two facilities that are enriching uranium in the country. This week, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency identified the second in the mountains of Qom province.

The Wednesday attack followed a similar mode of operation as others that have killed nuclear scientists in the capital city.

On January 12, 2010, Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi was killed in a blast when an assailant stuck a bomb under his car. Officials later arrested a person in connection with that incident

In November 2010, nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari was killed in a blast where, again, a bomb was stuck under a car by someone on a motorcycle.

“The bomb used in the (Wednesday) explosion was a magnetic bomb, the same kind that were used in previous assassinations of Iranian scientists. And the fact is that this is the work of the Zionists,” Fars news agency quoted Tehran’s Deputy Governor Safarali Baratloo as saying.

Iran uses the term ‘Zionist’ to refer to Israel.

The nation has been engaged in a war of words with Israel, whom it accuses of trying to destabilize the republic.

Iran maintains its nuclear program is for energy purposes only, disputing allegations by the United States and other countries that it is trying to develop a weapons program.

Ali Ansari, a professor at the Institute for Iranian Studies at Scotland’s University of St Andrews, said more information needs come out about the victims to help determine who’s perpetrating the attacks.

Some have speculated that the victims were members of the opposition movement and could have been targeted by internal forces, Ansari said.

“But if it is true that Israel is behind it, Iran should make a formal complaint to the U.N. so they can get an answer from Israel,” Ansari said.”Because if they really think some other country is killing their nuclear experts, why are they not giving them more protection?”

Iran’s 1st Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said the attacks would not stop the country from achieving its scientific goals, IRNA reported.

“Iranian scientists become more determined to take steps in line with the aspirations of the Islamic Republic in spite of terrorist operations,” Rahimi told the news agency.

CNN’s Shirzad Bozorgmehr and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report.

via edition.cnn.com

Law Tightening Internet Use In Belarus Goes Into Effect

The new legislation requires Belarusian Internet cafes to identify and keep track of all their clients as well as the web pages they visit.

By RFE/RL

January 06, 2012

MINSK — A law restricting the use of the Internet by Belarusian firms and state institutions has come into force.

One aspect of the law seen as the most invasive requires Internet cafes and service providers to identify and keep track of all of their clients along with the web pages they visit.

Thirty-five specific websites are banned for Internet users at state institutions. Most are deemed pornographic or of an extremist nature. But some opposition political websites — including the pages of “Charter’97.org” and “Belarusian Partisan” — are also on the banned list.

Belarusian companies are required to use the Belarusian Internet domain — .by — in order to sell goods or services within Belarus.

Belarus’s presidential administration says violators of this business provision could be charged with committing a civil offense.

Those who violate the law face a financial penalty equivalent to as much as $125.

Tax officials, police, and security services are authorized to initiate, investigate, and prosecute alleged violations.

via rferl.org

Activists Seek To Organize Azerbaijani Facebook Protest

Police moved quickly when youth activists organized a protest in March 2011 via Facebook and other channels.

January 06, 2012

BAKU — Azerbaijani social-media activists have launched a Facebook campaign called the Great Movement of the People in an attempt to strengthen public supervision of government actions it considers illegal, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service reports.

The campaign is the brainchild of Azerbaijani activist and blogger Elnur Majidli, who lives in France.

More than 4,000 Internet users were invited to register for the Facebook campaign, of whom some 1,000 have done so thus far.

Majidli told RFE/RL that more than 40,000 users have already shared material through the Facebook page. The movement also has an official website and YouTube and Twitter accounts.

“We are already conducting discussions with political parties and youth organizations about [staging] protests,” Majidli said. “I think 2012 can be successful for Azerbaijan in terms of changing political processes [and] establishing the rule of law. Simply, we have to use the current situation in the world for the benefit of the Azerbaijani people.”

A similar campaign launched last year culminated in public protests on March 11, which was designated the Great Day of the People. Police intervened to break up the protests and detain several activists.

But Majidli said the Great Day of the People achieved its goal. He pointed out that participants succeeded in “breaking the silence in the country” and spurring the intelligentsia into action.

Majidli said protests this year are again planned for March 11.

Criminal charges were filed last year against Majidli for advocating the overthrow of the government, though they were later suspended.

Opposition Musavat party head Isa Gambar told RFE/RL that his party is discussing the new proposals in the protest movement. He endorsed the planned demonstration as necessary in light of the current political situation in Azerbaijan.

via rferl.org