Vatican offended: Obama’s 'guest list' to Pope visit insults millions of Christians.

Vatican offended: Obama’s 'guest list' to Pope visit insults millions of Christians. (BPReview).

A senior Vatican official is offended by President Obama’s choice of guests to meet with Pope Francis during his trip to the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal, and he’s not alone.

An openly gay Episcopal bishop, a Democratic activist nun, and a cross-dressing transgender activist, are among the invitees to the White House reception greeting the pope on Wednesday.

Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee called Obama “classless” for putting together the controversial invite list.

The Vatican is concerned that controversial guests will take pictures alongside Pope Francis and use those pictures to assume an endorsement of the gay lifestyle. The White House failed to correct – or comment – on the possibility, according to the Journal. Hmmmm........Perhaps the Pope could not find his 'Baptismal certificate'? Read the full story here. Related: Compare Barack Obama's Quotes About Islam With His Quotes About Christianity

Obama 'admin' accept Iran's conditions: 'Wed. talks 'strictly' on nuclear issue’ Zarif.

Obama 'admin' accept Iran's conditions: 'Wed. talks 'strictly' on nuclear issue’ Zarif. (Taz).

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides today in Tehran.

“Our negotiations with the US representatives on Wednesday will be strictly on issues only related to nuclear talks; we will try to see if we could speed up the negotiations and proceed forward,” said Zarif, noting that Iran would also host meetings with Russian and Chinese officials in the next few days on nuclear talks.

Zarif also touched upon the improvement of ties between Iran and Cyprus on cultural, archeological and scientific issues, adding that a major part of the talks with the Cypriot FM were related to the two countries’ cooperation in security, and counterterrorism particularly in relation to Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. “Cyprus, as a country close to Syria and Lebanon can play a positive role in combating this crisis,” said Zarif. (Warning to Turkey).


Zarif made references to the recent terrorist attacks across the world, stressing the need for an international coalition against violence and extremism as was proposed by President Rouhani in the UN General Assembly in Sep. 2013.

“Iran has condemned the recent terror attack in Paris; this attack bears no relation to Islam and in fact harms Islam and the Muslims around the world,” he said.

Iranian FM stressed in the end that the Islamic Republic is strongly against nuclear weapons and follows the Leader’s Fatwa which prohibits any kind of mass destruction. Hmmm.....So no more talks about missiles, human rights ...and nearly forgot about the 'invisible and non existing Nuclear Fatwa'

Iran- Ayatollah Ganje’i: “Supreme Leader Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa a Lie”

Iran- Ayatollah Ganje’i: “Supreme Leader Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa a Lie” (NCRI).

In an article published on October 15th on Townhall.com, a political commentary website in U.S., Ayatollah Jalal Ganje’i a well-known religious figure and Chairman of the NCRI's Committee on Freedom of Religions and Denominations denounced Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa as an irrefutable lie.

Referring to the Iranian regime’s vocabulary for expansion of regional influence – “Eqtedar” [might] he wrote: “On September 4, mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that the way forward for his regime is to ramp up its “eqtedar” [might].”

“ 'Eqtedar' is achieved by one of two ways. One is to expand regional influence through the export of terrorism, officially described as 'export of revolution.' It is this policy that has led to the establishment of Lebanese Hezbollah, propped up the Assad regime, and most recently contributed to the rise of Islamic State. The other is development of nuclear weapons to obtain international leverage.”

Referring to the Tehran's clandestine nuclear program that was exposed by the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), Ganje’i said: “The Iranian regime has claimed that a religious decree (fatwa) by its Supreme Leader had previously declared the use of WMDs as “haraam” [religiously forbidden]. 

Just prior to the UN General Assembly, Hassan Rouhani once again cited this as proof of the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program. However, a bit of scrutiny shows that such a fatwa likely does not exist and that even if it did, foreign powers cannot rely on it as evidence of peaceful intentions. In either case, the regime knows the truth and uses tales of this fatwa purely for purposes of propaganda and deceit.”

Ayatollah Ganje’i continued: “It is a fact that there was no such fatwa until May 1998, when the first Pakistani nuclear bomb was revealed. At the time, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former president of Iran and second in command only to the Supreme Leader, welcomed Pakistan’s weapon, saying that Muslims have a greater chance to overcome Israel and other enemies when they have such weapons.”

“At the time, Khamenei did not contradict these statements, and there has never been any written document against nuclear arms in Khamenei’s handwriting and carrying his stamp. It is standard practice for all fatwas to be produced in this way and distributed via the press or official websites. Furthermore, not all prohibitory fatwas are binding for the government or officials.”

The Chair of the NCRI's Committee on Freedom of Religions and Denominations, analyzing the religious value of the regime’s supreme leader’s Fatwa said: “(…) even if taken as face value, (The Fatwa) is just a political gimmick and not a fatwa. A fatwa never refers to one’s personal understanding of the Quran or another text. 

Here, Khamenei states that destroying mankind has been condemned by Quran. Even in referring to Quran, we see that this verse has no such meaning and Khamenei’s interpretation of the verse in question is simply inaccurate. No reputable religious scholar or interpreter of Quran has interpreted this verse in this manner.”

“The credibility of a fatwa may be assessed on three grounds: its correctness, utility, and the competence of the one who issues it. The solidity of the reasoning behind a fatwa largely hinges on the religious expertise of the one issuing it, and Ali Khamenei is not considered a jurisprudent in Iranian and Shiite religious centers.”

He continued: “As the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini declared the Jawaher al Kalam (a 50-volume collection written by Sheikh Mohammad Hassan Najafi in 1850) to be the only credible source of Islamic jurisprudence.”

“As the leader of the regime, Ali Khamenei must adhere to this text in his own pronouncements, but Jawaher al Kalam quite clearly contradicts him: ‘In the battle with the enemy it is permitted to stage a siege, prevent anyone from entering or leaving; use catapults, guns, gunpowder; rain down deadly and poisonous snakes, scorpions and other deadly animals; destroy walls and houses; cut off trees; rain down fire and guide floods [to the enemy site]; and anything else that would increase the chance of overcoming the enemy’.”

The author in Townhall’s article goes on to say, ‘In these matters there is no difference between the scholars.’ (…) ‘Poisoning of the enemy water or food is considered ‘haram’ by some… and is reluctantly accepted by some… But if this is the only way to defeat the enemy, it is permitted without qualification.’

“In this logic, the essence is victory over enemy and as such, even mass killings that some would consider “haraam” in normal circumstances are “permitted without qualification” if it would be the only way to defeat the enemy.

Now, is it that in his hypothetical fatwa, Ali Khamenei is saying that “what matters the most is not victory”? Neither he nor any of his cohorts dare to say so.”

Ayatollah Ganje’i who was known as a religious expert and had held many speeches both during the time of the Shah and after the 1979 revolution, revealed that “even if Khamenei was serious about issuing a contrary fatwa, it would not matter for two reasons.”

“First, a fatwa is only binding for the followers of the religious scholar who issues it, and any officer or commander who follows another religious scholar or considers himself to not need the fatwa, is not required to follow it. In addition, there is no punishment for failing to adhere to a fatwa.”

“Second, and more importantly, any fatwa issued by anyone may be declared void by “secondary decrees.”

The most imperative cases of “secondary decrees” are “emergency circumstances.” Moreover, any decision about the need to use the “poison” namely a nuclear bomb is not up to the scholar who has issued the fatwa.”

Townhall concluded the article with: “It is more than evident that there is no fatwa to back up the regime’s senior officials when they claim that Iran has only honorable intentions for its nuclear program. And certainly, there is nothing to back up any decision by the international community to appease the criminals ruling Tehran. The only value that the supposed fatwa has in the Islamic Republic is as grounds for such appeasement. And the mullahs are counting on it.”

“As such, President Obama and other Western leaders cannot set policy according to non-binding and easily reversible remarks by Khamenei. Doing so would put the world in great peril on the basis of a fantasy.”

Related:  Don’t Misunderstand Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa.

GUESS WHAT? Looks Like Bowe Bergdahl's Father Was in Contact With Al Qaeda.

GUESS WHAT? Looks Like Bowe Bergdahl's Father Was in Contact With Al Qaeda. HT: InfidelBloggers. DirectorBlue.

On Google Plus, Robert Bergdahl's contacts include one "Anissa bint Yusuf Zaid Ibn Youssef."

And just who is Anissa? From this link (translated), she would seem to be a 10-year member of an Al Qaeda technology support team. Read the full story here.

Surrender without honor - Pres Obama betrayed the highest obligation of his office — safeguarding national security.

Surrender without honor - Pres Obama betrayed the highest obligation of his office — safeguarding national security. HT: NYDaily.

President Obama betrayed the highest obligation of his office — safeguarding national security — in trading five hard-core Taliban for the American serviceman who appears to have deserted in Afghanistan.

The five sworn enemies of the United States are now in the Gulf state of Qatar, where they are free to come and go as they like, beyond the watch of American agents. In just one year, they will be free to return to Afghanistan to fight there and stage terror attacks far beyond that country’s borders.

These facts were known to Obama when he made the deal, and yet he went ahead in irresponsible disregard for lives he has endangered.

As the facts have emerged — and more surely will — it has become ever clearer that he lost his presidential compass in the Taliban swap.

In retrospect, his Rose Garden announcement that he was bringing home an American POW appears to have been a cynical act of theater.Read the full story here.

Video - Taliban Video Shows Bergdahl’s Transfer

According to the Wall Street Journal:

An Afghan insurgent, his face hidden by a scarf, tells Sgt. Bergdahl menacingly in Pashto moments before the release: “Don’t come back to Afghanistan. Next time we catch you, you won’t leave here alive.” Armed insurgents surrounding the pickup truck laugh as Sgt. Bergdahl bows his head, looking confused and scared.

“Long live the holy warriors of Afghanistan! Long live the great holy warrior and the leader of the believers, Mullah Mohammad Omar!” the insurgents chant, referring to the Taliban leader who has eluded U.S. capture since 2001.

White House steamrollered Taliban prisoners' release in exchange for 'Deserted' soldier and ignored top secret intell showing they were too dangerous to be set free.

White House steamrollered Taliban prisoners' release in exchange for kidnapped soldier and ignored top secret intelligence showing they were too dangerous to be set free. DailyMail.

Obama administration viewed release of five militants as first step toward peace deal with Taliban

Justice Department review from 2009 found the Taliban leaders were too high-risk to be released Fate of five enemy combatants has been subject of disputes within intelligence community over the years

Gulf official said Taliban fighters won't be treated as prisoners while living in Qatar, and no U.S. officials will be tracking them

It's 'absolutely' possible the prisoners the U.S. released form Guantanamo Bay could rejoin terrorist cells, President Barack Obama said today

Obama suggested that he did not violate federal law by making the trade without congressional approval.Read the full story here.

Related:

Marco Rubio blasts Obama for not telling Congress of Bowe Bergdahl terror trade

Five Taliban militants traded for captive soldier are free to roam Qatar and will be allowed to return to Afghanistan after a year - despite Obama's promise to monitor their movements 

'Bowe Bergdahl deserted and these Americans lost their lives searching for him'

'Bowe Bergdahl deserted and these Americans lost their lives searching for him'. HT: DailyMail.

• The Facebook group 'Bowe Bergdahl is NOT hero!' has 5,400 members
• Men who served in his unit in Afghanistan are now emerging to say they believe Bergdahl deserted before he was captured
• Bergdahl e-mailed his parents saying he 'was ashamed to be an American'
• Military seems to acknowledge Bergdahl, 28, could have committed some kind of violation
• However, officials say he likely won't be punished: 'five years is enough'
• Former squad leader said Bergdahl always talked about seeing what was on the other side of the mountains

Not everyone is welcoming Bowe Bergdahl home with open arms. Some of the men who served with the Taliban POW believe that he deserted his post. And they say six American soldiers died because of his actions.

Bergdahl's release, brokered with the Taliban in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees, has ignited fury in some corners of the U.S. military community and re-opened old wounds. 'Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him,' former Sergeant Matt Vierkant told CNN.

A former superior of the 28-year-old soldier, Greg Leatherman, said he hopes the military investigates Bergdahl and questions whether he did, indeed, desert his post in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.Read the full story here.

Related: 

EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon knew Bergdahl’s whereabouts but didn’t risk rescue for ‘deserter’

“They’re really underestimating the fury over this,” Wellman said. “It’s a tidal wave of anger.”  

More here 

McKeon: Congress Will Hold Hearings on Bergdahl-for-Gitmo Terrorists Swap.

McKeon: Congress Will Hold Hearings on Bergdahl-for-Gitmo Terrorists Swap.

McKeon spoke today on Fox News:

We will be holding hearings. We will look into this. You know, this president has a reputation, I think well deserved, of deciding which laws he’s going to enforce and which laws he’s not going to enforce . . . 

Our joy at Sergeant Bergdahl’s release is tempered by the fact that President Obama chose to ignore the law, not to mention sound policy, to achieve it,” they wrote. “Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl’s release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans. 

Our terrorist adversaries now have a strong incentive to capture Americans. That incentive will put our forces in Afghanistan and around the world at even greater risk . . . 

More than Seventy-two hours after this deal has been done, we have still have not been told what they’re going to do to ensure that these top five Taliban leaders do not re-enter the fight. 

“I mean, they have blood of thousands of Afghans and Americans on their hands, and we’re releasing them to Qatar. That’s all we know. Our information is coming from the media. We’re not hearing from the administration.'Read the full story here.

Related Flashback 2012 -

Obama Admin still following Muslim Brotherhood Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi plan to release Taliban prisoners from Gitmo.

1. Jan 11 -2012: Report: U.S. to Release Three Taliban Leaders from Guantanamo Bay, as in Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi plan.



2. 
   
3. March 11 -2012: "Commander in chief' Obama agrees to transfer the Taliban Guantanamo detainees to Qatar.



4. June 30 - 2012: Obama administration still considering turning Taliban detainees over to Afghanistan and Qatar 




5. U.S. Set to Release Key Taliban Figure in 9/11 Attacks

Carney in 2013: WH Will Consult with Congress on Gitmo Transfer.

Carney in 2013: WH Will Consult with Congress on Gitmo Transfer.HT: WhitehouseDossier.

Just under a year ago, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney promised that any decision with respect to the release of Guantanamo Bay detainees in exchange for kidnapped Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl would be made in consultation with Congress.

CARNEY: With regard to the transfer of Taliban detainees from Guantanamo Bay, we have made — the United States has not made the decision to do that, though we do expect the Taliban to raise this issue in our discussion, if and when those discussions happen.
As we have long said, however, we would not make any decisions about transfer of any detainees without consulting with Congress and without doing so in accordance with U.S. law.

Q    So you haven’t ruled it out? 

CARNEY:  I’m simply saying that — first of all, you have to separate the two issues.  We are focused on the return  — the safe and immediate return of Sergeant Bergdahl, and we continue to use the tools at our disposal to help bring that about.
We also expect the Taliban to raise the issue of their detainees in discussions that we have with them if those discussions take place.  And at this time we’ve made no decisions about the transfer of detainees.
And in accordance with law, we would be consulting with Congress should we make any decisions about that.  So we remain committed to the closure of Guantanamo Bay, as you know.  But separate from that on these specific issues about individual detainees, that would be a process that is done in accordance with law.

Instead, the White House this week sent five dangerous former Taliban packing to Qatar without a word to lawmakers.

Carney today said Congress should have figured it out and, anyway, the White House had to move fast:

This should not have come as a surprise to members of Congress that this was possible because we had been working to secure Sgt. Bergdahl’s release for a long time . . .
It was the judgement of the team and the president that there was enough urgency here to assure that Sgt. Bergdahl was recovered . . .

Today we are being asked to believe the White House when it says the threat posed to the United States by the former detainees has been “sufficiently mitigated” by the terms of the release.

Father Of Soldier Who Obama Released, Declares Muslim Victory Call, And Obama Smiles As Soon As He Hears The Victory Cry.

Father Of Soldier Who Obama Released, Declares Muslim Victory Call, And Obama Smiles As Soon As He Hears The Victory Cry.HT: WalidShoebat.Infidel Bloggers.

JUST WAIT TILL YOU READ ALL THE EVIDENCE WE ACCUMULATED ON THIS SUPPOSED RESCUE OPERATION. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST 

While the Obama administration is proudly touting how it was able to free an American soldier who was captured by the Taliban, what no one picked is the fact that Obama SMILED as soon as he heard the most famous war cry of Islam, “bismillah al-rahman al-rahim,” Arabic for “in the name of Allah the most gracious, the most merciful.” 

Watch Obama smile as soon as Bergdahl gives the most famous Muslim expression, the “Bismillah” or the “Basmallah”:

The “basmallah” is the Islamic expression for victory and only indicates that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s father is a Muslim. 

Think that the man is acting as “Muslim” for a stealth operation to rescue his son who is already in good hands in Germany? And what is with the long beard and trimmed mustache?

No this is not a bum, biker, or a Santa Clause fan. When one gives the basmallah, trims his mustache and elongates his beard, its the first sign of a convert to Islam, just as that an ex-Muslim putting on a cross and saying, “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” is evidence enough of conversion to Christianity. But there is much more we obtained on this stealth jihadist.
But first, Obama’s smile says much. Obama has never declared the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and has no real testimony of converting to Christianity, as his pastor Jeremiah Wright stated:

I made it easy for him to come to an understanding of who Jesus Christ is and not feel that he was turning his back on his Islamic friends and his Islamic traditions and his understanding of Islam.

But is it the speech with the Basmallah, the beard and the trimmed mustache, the testimonies from his colleagues on his desertion, that confirm our suspicion that these men are Jihadi converts?
Hardly.

What no one in the media captured was Robert Bowe Bergdahl’s favorites on his Youtube account.
It reveals a dark mind, a collector of a litany of ‘terrorist favorites’, videos from training on how to become Muslim Jihadist to urging American troops to desert and even favorite speeches by confirmed terrorists like Shaykh Anwar al-Awlaki, condemning America as a terrorist state. Go read the full story Here

Mullah Omar hails release of 5 top Taliban commanders as 'proposed' by Muslim Brotherhood 'Godfather' Qaradawi

Mullah Omar hails release of 5 top Taliban commanders from Gitmo as 'proposed' by Muslim Brotherhood 'Godfather' Qaradawi.HT: Tundratabloids.

By THOMAS JOSCELYN.

Mullah Omar, the reclusive head of the Taliban, has purportedly released a statement hailing the transfer of the top five Taliban commanders from Guantanamo to Qatar. Omar says their freedom is a “great victory.”

The five Taliban leaders were exchanged for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who has been held by the Taliban since 2009.

A copy of the statement attributed to Omar has been posted on the Taliban’s Urdu-language web site.

Omar thanks the government of Qatar, as well as its emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, for his help in brokering the deal and for hosting the Taliban leaders. In earlier statements, both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry similarly thanked Qatar for its assistance.

Omar offers his “heartfelt congratulations to the entire Afghan Muslim nation,” including “all the mujahideen and to the families and relatives of the prisoners for this great victory.”

The Taliban had demanded the release of the five commanders from Guantanamo for years. In early 2012, the Taliban announced that it had established a “political office” in Doha for the expressed purpose of securing their freedom.Hmmmm......Now Guess where Muslim brotherhood 'Godfather' Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi lives?If you said Qatar you are right.

Read more:  Via TROP

Update From Infidel Bloggers:

Did Obama Use His Memorial Day Visit To Afghanistan To Personally Negotiate With The Taliban?

Related Flashback 2012 -

Obama Admin still following Muslim Brotherhood Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi plan to release Taliban prisoners from Gitmo.

1. Jan 11 -2012: Report: U.S. to Release Three Taliban Leaders from Guantanamo Bay, as in Muslim Brotherhood Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi plan.



2. 
   
3. March 11 -2012: "Commander in chief' Obama agrees to transfer the Taliban Guantanamo detainees to Qatar.



4. June 30 - 2012: Obama administration still considering turning Taliban detainees over to Afghanistan and Qatar 




5. U.S. Set to Release Key Taliban Figure in 9/11 Attacks

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood releases lengthy statement condemning violence.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood releases lengthy statement condemning violence. (AlAhram).

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood issued a lengthy statement Tuesday evening in which it condemned violence and claimed the group had adhered to strictly peaceful means of struggle throughout its history – distancing itself from anyone who acted otherwise. "[The Brotherhood's] activity and struggle against corruption and despotism is based on absolute peacefulness and the rejection of violence in all its forms and putting up with the harm, detentions, killing, torture and oppression [the group] suffers," read the statement, which was written by the Brotherhood's Secretary General Mahmoud Hussein.

The Brotherhood was designated a terrorist organisation by Egyptian authorities last December, despite the group's repeated denial of any links to attacks against Egyptian police and army forces after the ouster of Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi in July.

"Thousands of Egyptians were killed and the Brotherhood stood at the centre of the killings, but none of them raised a weapon against their murderers," the statement said.

Citing media statements by former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, 1990s era interior minister Hassan El-Alfy and other officials who stated that the Brotherhood was not violent, the group argued that it was peaceful, even at times when the government was confronting militant Islamists, which the Brotherhood said it had condemned for their violent attacks.

The Brotherhood has announced "tens of times" that they engage in political life through legitimate means under the auspices of the law and the constitution, the statement said, adding that the group also contributes generously to social causes.

"This is not a matter of politics and manoeuvring," the statement read; "it is a matter of faith." The statement included Quranic verses to support its claims.

The Brotherhood went further by clearly stating that anyone who engages in violence is at odds with the group.

"The Muslim Brotherhood announces – clearly and without hesitation – that it is innocent of any form and source of violence and condemns all forms and sources of terrorism," the group said.

Those who spill innocent blood are "partners in wrongdoing and mired in sin", it said, calling on perpetrators to cease violence immediately.

The group stressed that these peaceful values are part of its doctrine, the ruling principles of its thought and activities and not an individual tendency.

"Whoever distances himself [from these principles] has drawn for himself a path different from the path of the Muslim Brotherhood," the group stated.

Thousands of Brotherhood members and the group's top leadership are currently in jail pending trials. Most charges include inciting or carrying out violence and belonging to a terrorist organisation.

Most of the major terrorist attacks in Egypt since Morsi's ouster have been claimed by the militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis (ABM). No links between ABM and the Brotherhood have been proven so far.

Last week, the UK government launched investigations into the Brotherhood's activities after British intelligence announced possible links between the group and a bombing in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in February.

"The Brotherhood was surprised at the latest remarks, since all successive British governments had always been the most expertly informed about the group's positions and peaceful approach," the Brotherhood responded in a statement on Wednesday.

Iranian Media: Replica US Aircraft Carrier Just A Movie Prop.

 USS Vincennes (CG 49) and conventionally powered aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)

Iranian Media: Replica US Aircraft Carrier Just A Movie Prop.(Fars).

A replica of a US aircraft carrier spotted near the coast of Iran is a set being built for a movie which will display the US Navy warships' downing of an Iranian passenger plane in 1988, the Iranian media said.

The CNN said last week that Iranians are building a replica of a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Satellite photos showed what looked like one of the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, complete with planes, rising from Iran's Gachin shipyard, near the port of Bandar Abbas.

But the Iranian media said on Sunday that it was "part of the decor and stage settings" of a movie being made by Iranian director Nader Talebzadeh on the 1988 shooting down of an Iran Air civilian plane by the USS Vincennes.

"The issue has turned into a good excuse for another wave of hype against Iran," said the Iranian Alef news website. "Without any proof or real basis, the western media have jumped again to paint a negative picture of Iran."

At the height of the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf blew up Iranian airliner 655, killing all 290 citizens on board, including nearly 70 children.

Iranian Airbus A300 plane was making a routine flight from the country's southern port city of Bandar Abbas to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes launched two surface-to-air missiles, downing Iran Air Flight 655.

The American officials had later claimed that the USS Vincennes had mistaken the Iranian passenger plane for an F-14 fighter. The claim was later proved to be unfounded by more evidence.

Although Iran filed against the US in the United Nations and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), both bodies adopted a politicized attitude and declined to follow up the case legally, they only bothered to sympathize with the bereaved families of the victims.

Iranians mark July the 3rd each year by showering the site of the disaster with flowers.Hmmm......Makes you wonder why didn't they just build a 'copy' of the USS Vincennes?

"Israel's Stauchest Ally" - John Kerry says his sister used to teach in Iran before Islamic Revolution.

"Israel's Stauchest Ally" - John Kerry says his sister used to teach in Iran before Islamic Revolution.(Taz).

The US Secretary of State John Kerry has said he was already exposed to Iranian culture through his sister who used to live and teach in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, IRNA reported.

Speaking to VOA, Kerry also admired his son-in-law who is of Iranian origin.

This is the first time ever the US state secretary publicly talks about Iranian origin of his son-in-law and his sister's experience in Iran.

Kerry expressed hope that Iran and the United States could solve their differences and find a settlement to the dispute over Tehran's nuclear activities.

When asked to comment about a Fatwa issued by Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banning the production and use of nuclear weapons, Kerry said he shows a lot of respect for this Fatwa as it is a religious message and is highly respected by people.

Kerry said that he and the US President Barack Obama welcome such a Fatwa.(*Non Existent).

He said that Iran is entitled to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, but he went on to say that such a program needs to be transparent and under international regulations as it is normal for nuclear programs of other countries.

(*Non Existent).

Don’t Misunderstand Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa.

Related:  World Powers Accept Ayatollah Khamenei's Fatwa against N. Weapons as Criteria, please inform Pakistan.

Iran - Fatwa against nuclear weapons political milestone

Iran says Khamenei’s ban of nuclear weapons binding

Hmmm.......Fatwas are issued in response to specific circumstances and can be altered in response to changing conditions. Ayatollah Khomeini modified his position on a number of issues during his lifetime—for instance, on taxes, military conscription, women’s suffrage, and monarchy as a form of government. Thus nothing would prevent Khamenei from modifying or supplanting his nuclear fatwa should circumstances dictate a change in policy.
Shiite tradition permits deception and dissimulation in matters of life and death, and when such tactics serve the interests of the Islamic umma (community).The context surrounding the original, rather expansive, nuclear fatwa and subsequent formulations that only prohibit the use of nuclear weaponsdemonstrates an important point: fatwas arise in response to specific circumstances and can be amended or reversed as circumstances change. Khamenei’s original fatwa was probably issued to deflect international pressure following the revelations regarding the Natanz centrifuge enrichment plant, and in response to concerns that after invading Iraq, the United States might invade Iran. Fatwas are not immutable, and no religious principle would prevent Khamenei from modifying or supplanting his initial fatwa if circumstances were to change.

Iran to send a delegation to Turkey to look into Zarrab, Zanjani links.

Iran to send a delegation to Turkey to look into Zarrab, Zanjani links.(HD).

Iran is to send a judicial delegation to Turkey in search of the overseas assets of arrested Iranian businessman, Babak Zanjani, an alleged partner of the Iranian-origin businessman and gold dealer, Reza Zarrab, who is the prime suspect in Turkey’s ongoing high-level graft probe.

Hossein Dehdashti, an Iranian parliamentarian, said Iran’s judiciary had dispatched teams to three countries - Turkey, Malaysia and Tajikistan - to determine the value of the overseas assets of Iranian billionaire Zanjani, who is accused of mass corruption.

Zanjani, the chairman of Sorinet Group, was arrested Dec. 31, 2013 following the call from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the Iranian authorities to speed up the investigation.

His name was also mentioned in Turkey’s graft probe in connection with Zarrab, who was charged with forming a ring that bribed officials to help disguise illegal gold sales to Iran via Halkbank, but was released.  

Experts say Zanjani’s estimated net worth is around 13.8 billion dollars. Besides his company in Iran, the 40-year-old Iranian businessman owns and operates many overseas holdings and companies in the finance, banking, tourism, infrastructure, construction, real estate and aviation sectors in Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Malaysia and China.


Zarrab, who was arrested during the Dec. 17, 2013 corruption investigation and released Feb. 28, 2014, might be summoned in Iran if it is proven that his alleged partnership with Zanjani has damaged the Iranian government, Iranian parliamentary member Mohammad Javad Kolivand told daily Hürriyet.

“Our financial and judicial experts will definitely investigate the details of the partnership between Zanjani and Zarrab. The final decision will be made by the judiciary,” Kolivand said.

At the moment, Iranian judiciary powers are trying to discover the specifics of the Zanjani case, he added.

Video- Turkish PM Erdogan insulting Shiites in his Gulen comparison.

Iran admits: May have worked on designing nuclear weapon....Didn't read Khomeini's 'invisible Fatwa'.

Iran admits: May have worked on designing nuclear weapon....Didn't read Khomeini's 'invisible Fatwa'.(Jpost).

Iran moves to cooperate in UN nuclear bomb probe, UN says progress has been made but: "There are still a lot of outstanding issues."

Tero Varjoranta, the UN nuclear agency's chief inspector, spoke to reporters on Monday, after Iran agreed to start addressing suspicions that it may have worked on designing an atomic weapon, a potential breakthrough in a long-stalled investigation into Tehran's atomic activities.

Iran and the UN nuclear agency have made progress in talks on the country's disputed nuclear program but there are still many outstanding issues, the watchdog's chief inspector. Varjoranta said progress had been "good" but added: "There are still a lot of outstanding issues."

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had agreed during talks in Tehran to take seven new practical measures within three months under a November transparency deal with the IAEA meant to help allay concern about the nuclear program.


For the first time, one of them specifically dealt with an issue that is part of the U.N. nuclear agency's inquiry into what it calls the possible military dimensions to Iran's atomic activities. Iran has repeatedly denied any such ambitions.


It said Iran would provide "information and explanations for the agency to assess Iran's stated need or application for the development of Exploding Bridge Wire detonators".Although such fast-functioning detonators have some non-nuclear uses, they can also help set off an atomic device.

Suggesting that more difficult matters would have to wait a while longer, there was no mention in the IAEA's statement of its long-sought access to the Parchin military site, where it suspects explosives tests relevant for nuclear bombs may have been conducted a decade ago. Iran denies this.

The IAEA had hoped to persuade Iran in the talks finally to start addressing its suspicions. While denying them, Iran has said it will work with the IAEA to clear up any "ambiguities".


The issue of detonator development was mentioned in a report that the IAEA prepared in 2011 containing a trove of intelligence information about alleged activities by Iran that could be used in developing atomic arms.

"Given their possible application in a nuclear explosive device, and the fact that there are limited civilian and conventional military applications for such technology, Iran's development of such detonators and equipment is a matter of concern," the IAEA said in the 2011 document.


It said Iran had told the UN agency in 2008 that it had developed such detonators for civil and conventional military applications. "However, Iran has not explained to the agency its own need or application for such detonators," it said.Hmmm.....I guess they didn't get the memo on The 'INVISIBLE NUCLEAR FATWA' of Khomeini.Read the full story here.

Related:

Don’t Misunderstand Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa. 

Iran: Pastor Abedini moved to a 'dangerous' prison.

Iran: Pastor Abedini moved to a 'dangerous' prison. (NCRI).

NCRI - Pastor Saeed Abedini imprisoned by the Iranian regime for preaching Christianity has been moved to a prison where most the alleged criminals are held.

Abedini has been transferred from the Evin prison in Tehran to the Rajai Shahr Prison in the city of Karaj, according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).
Jordan Sekulow, executive director of ACLJ, said in an interview that it is common for prisoners in the death row ward where Abedini has been placed to kill each other. The Iranian regime has sent those it views as troublemakers there in the past to “have them executed without having to kill them on [their] own,” he said.

Hmmmm......

'Moderate' Rouhani: "Extremism, Terrorism Common Foes of Islam, Christianity."

'Moderate' Rouhani: "Extremism, Terrorism Common Foes of Islam, Christianity."

'Moderate' Rouhani: "Extremism, Terrorism Common Foes of Islam, Christianity."(Fars).

"We see extremism and terrorism as the common foes (of both Islam and Christianity), in the meantime, we consider the gap between a part of the human society and the Almighty God and spirituality as common challenges for both of these religions," President Rouhani said in a meeting with Vatican’s new Ambassador to Tehran Leo Boccardi.

The Iranian president further pointed to the problems in the regional countries, including Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, and said whenever problems emerge in such countries, the followers of "all religions suffer from those difficulties and pains".

"We need to have a deeper knowledge of each other's beliefs and cultures, because nowadays, most of the gaps and enmities are rooted in unfamiliarity and lack of knowledge about each other's cultures," said Rouhani, stressing the need for widening dialogue between Islam and Christianity.

President Rouhani praised the close relationship between the Christian community residing in Iran and the Muslim community, and said, "There have always been friendly relations between them (Christians) and Muslims."

In relevant remarks in late October, Iran's First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri laid emphasis on the negative impacts of extremist thoughts for the entire Muslim world, and called for Muslims' vigilance against such deviations.

Late in September, member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Abbasali Mansouri voiced concern about the growing trend of extremism in the region, and called on the regional nations to be aware of the enemies' divisive plots aimed at creating rift among Muslims.

Early in June, Representative of the Iranian Assyrians and Chaldeans at the parliament Yonatan Betkelia ruled out pressure or discrimination against religious minorities in Iran, and stressed that freedom of speech in its true sense is prevalent in Iran.