Assad tells Charlie Rose U.S. should "expect every action" in response to Syria strikes

President Bashar Assad warned Sunday that if President Obama decides to launch military strikes on Syria, the U.S. and its allies should "expect every action" in retaliation.


"You should expect everything. Not necessarily from the government," Assad told "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose in his first television interview since Mr. Obama sought congressional approval for military action.

In a clear reference to his allies in Iran and the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, Assad warned that his government is "not the only player in this region."

"You have different parties, you have different factions, you have different ideology. You have everything in this region now," said Assad, who has been accused by the White House of killing 1,400 of his own people in an Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack on the Damascus suburbs. Read more >>

Russia Hits Back at U.S. Over Syria

The Kremlin Friday dismissed as unconvincing evidence that U.S. officials provided of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons and criticized Washington's decision to arm Syrian opposition fighters, but stopped short of threatening to deliver air-defense missiles to the Assad government in response.

A senior Kremlin official said Moscow is "not yet" discussing the delivery of the advanced air-defense system in the wake of the U.S. decision. Last month, Russian officials threatened to fulfill the 2010 contract for the S-300 missiles as a way to deter potential outside military intervention in the two-year-old Syrian civil war. Western powers and Israel have staunchly opposed the sale of the system.

Both Moscow and the U.S. are pushing the warring sides in Syria to enter peace talks in the coming months. But opposition forces have appealed for more weapons and support in recent weeks as they've lost ground against Mr. Assad's troops and their allies from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. The Kremlin opposes any international action against its longtime client, Mr. Assad, and has been skeptical of past Western claims that his forces were using chemical weapons. Read more >>

Gold crush: U.S. ready to shut down gold sales to Iran

The U.S. is trying to stop the gold rush to Iran in a bid to undermine the Islamic Republic's plummeting currency, but critics say the move is more likely to hurt ordinary citizens than the rogue regime's leadership.

A top Treasury Department official told lawmakers that, starting July 1, the U.S. plans to crack down on all transfers of gold to the Iranian government or its citizens. The move appears aimed largely at banks and gold brokers in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Companies operating from within those nations have shipped large amounts of gold to Iran as Tehran attempts to stabilize its currency, the rial, amid increasing international economic isolation.

"We have been very clear with the governments of Turkey and the UAE and elsewhere, as well as the private sector that is involved in the gold trade, that as of July 1 all must stop, not just the trade to the government," Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen told members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee last week. Read more >>

Rumblings of WWIII: Iran speaks of Resistant Axis against West, Israel on war-alert

Tehran (Photo credit: Elian Chrebor)

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Islamic Republic will not allow the enemies and the Israeli regime to weaken the resistance axis. In a meeting with Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra Diaz in Tehran on Monday, Amir- Abdollahian denounced the recent Israeli aggression against a research center in Syria and called on the international community to take firm action against it.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is holding consultation and talks with regional and international sides in this regard to hold a broad meeting in Tehran in support of the Syrian people in the presence of regional and international countries and players, including Cuba,” the Iranian official stated. On Sunday, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an act of aggression against a research center in a suburb of Damascus, following heavy losses of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups at the hands of the Syrian army.

According to Syrian media reports, Israeli rockets struck the Jamraya research center. Amir-Abdollahian stressed the importance of holding consultation between Tehran and Havana about the “rapid and influential” developments in the Middle East and urged Cuba to play an active role given its revolutionary background and its anti-Zionism and anti-arrogance approaches.

He said the US and the Israeli regime seek to resolve their strategic woes by making efforts to inflict damage on Syria and the resistance axis and added that they even seek to spill over insecurity to Iraq. However, such efforts would be foiled through the vigilance of the Iraqi government and nation, the Iranian official emphasized. The Cuban deputy foreign minister, for his part, said that his country would make efforts to play an active and constructive role in the Middle East developments and to support regional nations and the resistance axis. Read more >>

US-Backed Saudis Step Up Help for Rebels in Syria With Croatian Arms

Saudi Arabia has financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia and quietly funneled them to antigovernment fighters in Syria in a drive to break the bloody stalemate that has allowed President Bashar al-Assad to cling to power, according to American and Western officials familiar with the purchases.

The weapons began reaching rebels in December via shipments shuttled through Jordan, officials said, and have been a factor in the rebels’ small tactical gains this winter against the army and militias loyal to Mr. Assad.

The arms transfers appeared to signal a shift among several governments to a more activist approach to assisting Syria’s armed opposition, in part as an effort to counter shipments of weapons from Iran to Mr. Assad’s forces. The weapons’ distribution has been principally to armed groups viewed as nationalist and secular, and appears to have been intended to bypass the jihadist groups whose roles in the war have alarmed Western and regional powers. Read more >>

Iran "will press on with enrichment:" nuclear chief

Iran will continue enriching uranium "with intensity", with the number of enrichment centrifuges it has operating to increase substantially in the current year, the country's nuclear energy chief was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

The comments by Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, signaled continued defiance by Iran in the face of international demands that Tehran halt enrichment to the higher 20 percent fissile purity level, close down its Fordow enrichment plant, and ship out its stockpile of the material.

Diplomacy between Iran and the world powers - the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, and Britain - has been deadlocked since a June meeting that ended without any breakthrough.

Iran has faced a tightening of Western trade sanctions in the last two years, with the United States and its allies hoping the measures will force Iran to curb its nuclear program. Read more >>

Major US, Israeli air defense excersise begins

The Israeli military says its largest ever exercise with the United States has begun. A major air defense drill called Austere Challenge 2012 started Sunday and includes more than 3,500 Americans and 1,000 Israelis. The militaries are practicing their ability to work together against a range of threats facing Israel, the main U.S. ally in the Mideast.

The military exercise was originally scheduled for April but was postponed at Israel's request. No reason was given but it came amid growing talk of Israel preparing to attack Iran if Tehran does not cease its uranium enrichment program.

The weeks-long joint exercise will test multiple Israeli and American air defense systems against incoming missiles and rockets from places as far away as Iran.

Source 

Gold In Iran Soars By 23% In One Week As All Currency Transaction Tracking Disappears

Just over a week ago we we were the first to shed light on the reality of hyperinflation on the ground in Iran - and subtley suggested the whole thing could be watched in real-time. Soon after, a mysterious cabal of 16 currencyarrested and the Rial jumped dramatically higher (according to official sources) - as if by magic there was no problem at all.

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This all sounded a little too good to be true (just like unemployment rates in slightly more controlled economies). Sure enough, by the power of social media, we now know it was too good to be true.

As open-market foreign exchange rates - not just Rial-to-Dollar - have disappeared from the major currency exchange sites, as trade has reportedly slowed to near suspension after the Central Bank 'imposed' a rate of 28,500 Rials to the USD this weekend. Read more >>

Chinese firm helps Iran spy on citizens

A Chinese telecommunications equipment company has sold Iran's largest telecom firm a powerful surveillance system capable of monitoring landline, mobile and internet communications, interviews and contract documents show.

The system was part of a 98.6 million euro ($130.6 million) contract for networking equipment supplied by Shenzhen, China-based ZTE Corp to the Telecommunication Co of Iran (TCI), according to the documents. Government-controlled TCI has a near monopoly on Iran's landline telephone services and much of Iran's internet traffic is required to flow through its network.

The ZTE-TCI deal, signed in December 2010, illustrates how despite tightening global sanctions, Iran still manages to obtain sophisticated technology, including systems that can be used to crack down on dissidents. Read more >>

US ships 50 miles from Iran

Nearly 50 miles from Iran sails the nuclear-powered USS Eisenhower — never before has the U.S. flexed so much muscle so close to the Muslim nation. The move is a blunt warning to Iran: Don’t follow through on a threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.
If Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear sites, Iran has promised to fill the strait’s waters with boats packed with explosives and mine the seabed.

“A $1,500 piece of explosive can take out hundreds of millions of assets in shipping and cargo,” said Rear Adm. Michael Manazir, commander of  Carrier Strike Group Eight.
With more jets, ships and nations — 30 — involved than in previous exercises, the U.S. has sent two aircraft carriers into the region.

Each carries more than 40 F-18 fighter jets that could reach thousands of miles into Iranian air space. In addition, each fighter jet has more firepower than the entire Iranian Air Force.
The international show of force is meant to reassure Israel and persuade Iran to not try anything — even if it is attacked. Read more >>

Europe starts stockpiling oil as Iran conflict looms

European governments are rushing to boost stockpiles of crude oil and fuel, anxious to comply with new EU rules and amid reports that Israel is preparing to launch an attack on Iran. Belgium and the Netherlands have issued tenders to import a total of around 250,000 tonnes of diesel and gasoline for delivery in September and October, their agencies said.

France has also bought diesel and awarded a crude oil tender this week while Belgium is increasing its crude stocks. "This is yet another unexpected source of support for oil demand… [It] shows how the geopolitical concerns about Iran and Syria are bullish for oil even in the absence of an actual supply disruption," said Seth Kleinman, head of energy research at Citi.

European governments appear to be preparing for further supply disruptions in the Middle East as tensions have mounted between Israel and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme. Israeli media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the Fall. Read more >>

British Bank gets slap on wrist for Laundering hundreds of billions in tainted money with Iran

New York’s top banking regulator reached a settlement on Tuesday with Standard Chartered over charges that the British bank laundered hundreds of billions of dollars in tainted money with Iran and deliberately lied to regulators.

The bank agreed to pay $340 million to the Department of Financial Services, which is led by Benjamin M. Lawsky. “The parties have agreed that the conduct at issue involved transactions of at least $250 billion,” Mr. Lawsky said in a statement.

Tuesday’s cease-fire between the state regulator and Standard Chartered marks a big win for the department, which was formed last year.

As part of the settlement, the bank will install a monitor for at least two years to vet the bank’s money laundering controls. In addition, the bank agreed to put in permanent officials who will audit the bank’s internal procedures to prevent offshore money laundering. Read more >>

“Netanyahu has Decided to Attack Iran before the U.S. Elections”

According to the Promethean Post, Senior Israeli officials now confirm that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has, “decided to attack Iran before the U.S. elections in November.”

 

Netanyahu’s agenda is much broader than knocking out Iranian nuclear installations for his aim is to reshape the political landscape in the USA and Israel shifting everything to the far, far right in order to create a new comfort zone for religious fundamentalists.

USS Ponce Heads Towards Persian Gulf

The amphibious transport dock ship USS Ponce

A U.S. warship designed as a floating base for naval special forces is scheduled to transit through the Suez Canal for the first time as early as Friday, Navy officials say. The USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship, recently finished a complete overhaul that now has it configured to operate as a floating staging platform for the military. It is being launched into the oil shipping lanes at a time of heightened tensions across the region, U.S. Navy officials told CNN.

The ship began approaching Suez on Thursday and is expected to enter the canal shortly on its way to the Persian Gulf. The ship will function as a staging base for special operations forces and small patrol boats, including mine countermeasure vessels, in gulf waters that Iran has previously threatened to shut down.

Gen. James Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, had long pressed for the conversion of the Ponce in order to have a mobile platform from which troops could quickly deploy at a time when budget cuts are restricting large-scale deployments. Read More >>

The US Just Opened Pandora's Box

Global Guerrillas
What's the similarity between drones and software bots (worms, trojans, viruses, etc.)? 

They are both riding the same trend. Here's what I mean.

Up until recently drones have been toys or dumb missiles.  Why?  Because they were dumb.  The same thing is true with software bots/malware.  Until recently, they were more of a nuisance than a threat.

What's changed?  Now they are smart and they are getting smarter fast.  In fact, the rate of change is so fast and the potential for improvement is so great, they are literally game changers in modern warfare.

'End of the world as we know it': Kaspersky warns of cyber-terror apocalypse

Eugene Kaspersky 

rt.com
After his eponymously-named lab discovered Flame, "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed," Eugene Kaspersky believes that the evolving threat of “cyber terrorism” could spell the end of life on Earth as we know it.

­Doomsday scenarios are a common occurrence in 2012, but coming from a steely-eyed realist like Eugene Kaspersky, his calls for a global effort to halt emerging cyber threats should raise alarm bells. A global Internet blackout and crippling attacks against key infrastructure are among two possible cyber-pandemics he outlined.

"It's not cyber war, it's cyber terrorism, and I'm afraid the game is just beginning. Very soon, many countries around the world will know it beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Kaspersky told reporters at a Tel Aviv University cyber security conference. “I'm afraid it will be the end of the world as we know it," he warned. "I'm scared, believe me."

Senate Passes Iran Sanctions Bill

Key Petroleum Sector facilities Iran 

The U.S. Senate unanimously voted to tighten sanctions on Iran on Monday, three days after a dispute over whether to include the threat of American force stalled the legislation.

The new sanctions would target Iran's oil and banking industries, as well as other sectors. The measure passed the Senate on a voice vote Monday evening, two days before a new round of talks between Iran and leading U.N. members in Baghdad. "Today the Senate has showed we can still act in a bipartisan way on important priorities," said Sen. Tim Johnson, D-South Dakota, the chairman of the Senate banking committee.

Passage came after senators agreed to add language warning that military force would be an option available to the United States if Iran seeks to build a nuclear weapon. But the measure also states that nothing in the legislation authorizes military action. More...

US To Israel: US Ready to Strike Iran

The U.S. has plans in place to attack Iran if necessary to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, Washington's envoy to Israel said, days ahead of a crucial round of nuclear talks with Tehran.

Dan Shapiro's message resonated Thursday far beyond the closed forum in which it was made: Iran should not test Washington's resolve to act on its promise to strike if diplomacy and sanctions fail to pressure Tehran to abandon its disputed nuclear program. Shapiro told the Israel Bar Association the U.S. hopes it will not have to resort to military force.

"But that doesn't mean that option is not fully available. Not just available, but it's ready," he said. "The necessary planning has been done to ensure that it's ready." Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, like energy production. The U.S. and Israel suspect Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, but differences have emerged in how to persuade Tehran to curb its program. More...

Iran Attack Decision Nears, Israeli Elite Locks Down

An air-to-air view of a multinational group of fighter jets

This inner sanctum at the end of a corridor between Netanyahu's private room and the office of his top military adviser, is where one of the decade's most momentous military decisions could soon be taken: to launch an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear program. Time for that decision is fast running out and the mood in Jerusalem is hardening.

Iran continues to enrich uranium in defiance of international pressure, saying it needs the fuel for its civilian nuclear program. The West is convinced that Tehran's real objective is to build an atomic bomb - something which the Jewish state will never accept because its leaders consider a nuclear armed-Iran a threat to its very existence. Adding to the international pressure, U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro said this week American military plans to strike Iran were "ready" and the option was "fully available".

The central role Iran plays in Netanyahu's deliberations is reflected in the huge map of the Middle East hanging by the door of his office. Israel lies on one edge, with Iran taking pride of place in the centre. Experts say that within a few months, much of Iran's nuclear program will have been moved deep underground beneath the Fordow mountain, making a successful military strike much more difficult. More...

Second F-22 Raptor Squadron Heading to Persian Gulf

DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s military sources report a second F-22 Raptor squadron will be heading to the Gulf in the coming days. If not for logistical delays, such as getting hangars ready for the incoming planes and crews, they would have landed in the third or fourth week of April.

Those preparations broke surface with the Aviation Week disclosure of the USAF’s deployment of the first batch of its premier penetrating strike fighter, the F-22 Raptor, to a United Arab Emirates base across the Gulf from Iran.
 
Debkafile’s military sources added that the Raptors from the 302^nd Fighter Squadron’s Joint Elmendorf-Richardson Base in Alaska were destined for the Al Dhafra Air Base (click on the attached map). More...