Islamic Iran’s options in dealing with Russia
By Maksud Djavadov
Russia’s support for the latest round of US-engineered sanctions, passed on June 9 against Islamic Iran at the UN Security Council, can be seen as a blessing in disguise for Tehran. Russia’s subordination to the strategic goals of the US, which is to eliminate the Islamic government in Iran at any cost, has clarified Iran-Russia relations. It has also cleared the simplistic perspective that Iran and Russia were somehow strategic allies. Until now Russia and Iran could not clearly define their relationship, but Russian support for the latest round of anti-Iran sanctions and President Ahmedinejad’s warning to Russia clearly shows that Iran and Russia do not share a common vision of the world.
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Long live Gitmo, and indefinite detention without trial
By Tahir Mahmoud
Remember Barack Obama’s bold pronouncement on the day of his inauguration that he would close down Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo, for short) within one year? Far from closing the torture chamber, it is thriving and there appear no prospects of its being shut down any time soon. Instead, the Pentagon arranges regular visits by family members of 9/11 victims to the American gulag established on illegally occupied Cuban territory with an eager media in tow.
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Seeking a solution to the Karabakh conflict in the Sirah
By Maksud Djavadov
The May 23 Parliamentary elections in occupied Karabakh showed that the regime in Azerbaijan has no leverage to influence the socio-political process there. An illegitimate yet competitive and lively electoral campaign among Armenian nationalist groups in Karabakh undermined the sham policies of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to liberate the occupied territories. Taking into account that the current ruling clan in Azerbaijan does not have within its ranks even a single well known veteran of the Karabakh war, it is not surprising why Armenian separatists fear no repercussions for their illegitimate acts.
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Minerals’ discovery may intensify Afghan misery
By Zia Sarhadi
American officials and corporate elites are salivating at the prospect of laying their hands on $1 trillion worth of lithium deposits discovered in Afghanistan. Other estimates put the deposits including gold, cobalt and copper, at as high as $3 trillion. General David Petraeus, commander of US Central Command who replaced General Stanley McChrystal on June 23 as overall commander of Afghanistan as well, first broke the news while appearing on the TV program Meet the Press on Sunday June 13. There was also much chest thumping in Kabul as officials stroked their beards in anticipation of vast riches accruing to their dirt-poor country. The $1 trillion figure would translate into $35,000 for every Afghan man, woman and child. Some Afghan villagers are already planning a trip to Kabul to collect their “share”!
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