Alliance of Youth of Change Boycott 2014 Parliamentary Election
By Jaafar Almusaad – November 10, 2013

Recent developments surrounding the on-going popular anti-regime uprising in Bahrain revealed intention of the ruling dynasty and the so called “moderate” opposition to engage soon in a political settlement.

A consensus has been reached by the United States and Iran, where the latter is to employ its religious, media and financial influence to push the settlement forward. Officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran have been calling for “political solution” and “dialogue” to end the “crisis” in Syria and Bahrain.

The United States Administration has recently managed to cajole the House of Saud to consent to the settlement, according to analysts.
The popular uprising in Bahrain has not won support from the West, and is wrongfully – perhaps purposefully – perceived as “sectarian strife” between the majority Shia and the ruling Al-Khalifa dynasty, which happens to be Sunni.

The ruling dynasty in Bahrain has deployed its army, enforced martial law in 2011 and is continuing to adopt lethal tactics to face peaceful protests. At least 140 civilians have been killed by regime forces since February 14 2011, including women and children.

The proposed settlement is at odds with the right of Bahrainis to self-determination.

Alliance of Youth of Change believes that dictatorships can only buy legitimacy from (obeying) opposition, not from loyalties. Therefore, we have decided to boycott the upcoming parliamentary election, which is scheduled to take place in 2014.

We consider participation in this election as an act of betrayal and disrespect to the souls of the martyrs, who have sacrificed their lives to bring an end to the illegitimate rule of the Al-Khalifa dynasty.

We uphold that the only way forward in Bahrain is for the Al-Khalifa regime to step down. …source

This is a message from Dr Ali Al Ekri, consultant pediatrician and Mr Ebrahim Al Demistani, Senior Nurse in Jau Prison. They were jailed on 1st October 2012.

Ali was jailed for five years and has done 18 months. He was spokesman for the doctors and also went to Gaza in 2007 to treat children after Israel’s attack.

Ebrahim was jailed for three years because he tended a man who came injured to his door. Their initial sentences of 15 years and 10 years were reduced due to international pressure.

The international community must put on pressure to get the medics released. Hassan Matooq, an emergency nurse, was jailed for three years for “fabricating reality in his photos of the injured.”

and Haleema Al Sabagh, a dental assistant, was jailed for one year, for taking first aid materials to the injured. All the medics have been tortured and are now in overcrowded cells with no access to medical treatment.

In February 2013, eight of the jailed medics lost their licenses to work. This was a further attack on those who treated the injured and witnessed the atrocities.

”The Bahrain regime defined the word revenge uniquely. For witnessing the crimes of the regime, their careers will be ended.” Dr Nadia Dhaif, Chairwoman, BRAVO.

According to Foreign Policy, Saudi Arabia preparing attack on Syria
Voltaire Network – 10 November 2013

According to Foreign Policy magazine, Saudi Arabia is lining up an army of about 50 000 men, in Jordan, with the help of Pakistani instructors.

This information is not new, since the plan has been known to our readers for quite some time. However, the initial strategy had envisaged an attack for last August by a column of armoured tanks, supported by the US army. The Saudi Vice-Minister of Defence installed himself in Amman to oversee the formation of this army and ensure the transfer of the tanks from Saudi Arabia. A meeting was held in Amman from 25 to 27 August 2013, chaired by CentCom Commander General Lloyd J. Austin III, to prepare for the operation. For communication purposes, the crew on the first armoured tanks was to be made up of Syrians recruited from refugee camps, while mercenaries would compose the major part of the troops.

The news is that the article in Foreign Policy came out after John Kerry’s trip to Riyadh to restore good relations between the two countries. It the report is confirmed, it would prove that Saudi Arabia is going ahead with this plan even though U.S. military forces have backed out of Syria.

…source

Kerry reassures Saudis, says U.S. will step up its consultations with the kingdom
By Karen DeYoung – 4 November, 2013

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Secretary of State John F. Kerry made what amounted to an emergency fence-mending trip to Saudi Arabia on Monday, reassuring King Abdullah in a rare and lengthy meeting that the United States considers the kingdom a major partner and regional power and that the Obama administration will step up its consultation on issues important to both nations.

During his two-hour meeting with the king, and in separate sessions with Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, Kerry sought to explain President Obama’s decision to limit direct U.S. military involvement in Syria and repeated assurances he made Sunday in Cairo that the United States remains committed to strong support of Egypt.
A three-month-old Sumatran tiger cub named ‘Bandar’ shows his displeasure after being dunked in the tiger exhibit moat for a swim reliability test at the National Zoo in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. All cubs born at the zoo must take a swim test before being allowed to roam in the exhibit. Bandar passed his test. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Iranian team must consult with leaders back home to see what they can accept, Secretary Kerry says.

He also denied widespread speculation here that Obama is willing to accept a less-than-ironclad nuclear deal with Iran during the current round of negotiations. “The United States will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” Kerry said in an airport news conference with the foreign minister before departing.

“Did I give some assurances? Yes, absolutely. Of course I did,” he added.

Without acknowledging any lack of consultations, Kerry said he had made clear that “we will very much brief our friends here on a regular basis so that there are no surprises and there is a clarity to the road ahead. And I hope that . . . is a welcome process.”

Concerns among regional partners over Obama’s Middle East policies are not new. Saudi worries that Obama’s eagerness for a deal with Tehran will lead to compromise — despite the president’s frequent insistence that he will settle for no less than a non-nuclear Iran — are shared by Israel and others.

Nor were the Saudis alone in the region in their disappointment over U.S. reluctance to become more directly involved in the Syrian conflict, as well as Obama’s abrupt decision at the end of August to put on hold a planned military strike against Syria’s chemical weapons program while he consulted with Congress. …more

Putin, Saudi king discuss Syria conflict, Iran nuclear drive
10 November, 2013 – Agence France Presse

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday to discuss international efforts to end the Syria crisis and halt Iran’s disputed nuclear drive, the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin said the two leaders “expressed a mutual interest in furthering (their) cooperation and maintaining contacts at various levels” aimed at helping resolve world disputes.

Russia and Saudi Arabia have had strained relations over Moscow’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and decision to complete the construction of Iran’s first nuclear power plant.

Riyadh firmly supports Assad’s ouster and fears that Iran’s nuclear programme is masking an effort to develop an atomic bomb.

Russia last month sharply criticised Saudi Arabia’s decision to reject membership of the UN Security Council over the body’s failure to resolve the Syrian war, which has been fought for over two-and-a-half years.

The most significant recent contact between Moscow and Riyadh was a meeting between Putin and Saudi Arabia’s influential intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan in Moscow on July 31.

Diplomats in the Middle East have said that Putin then rejected a proposal from Prince Bandar for Moscow to abandon its support for Assad in exchange for an arms order from Riyadh worth $15 billion (11 billion euros).

The Kremlin later denied that the two men had discussed military cooperation or any deals.
…source

Kerry: United States not ‘blind’ or ‘stupid’ in Iran talks
10 November, 2013 – Reuters

WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that the United States continues to be skeptical of Iran’s willingness to dismantle its nuclear program and will keep sanctions in place as talks continue.

“We are not blind, and I don’t think we’re stupid. I think we have a pretty strong sense of how to measure whether or not we are acting in the interests of our country and of the globe,” Kerry said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

The United States and its allies narrowed their differences with Tehran in talks over the weekend, but were not able to reach a deal as France believed the proposal did not adequately neutralize the risk of an Iranian atom bomb.

Israel has also voiced skepticism, warning that the Iran cannot be trusted until it dismantles its nuclear program.

Kerry said the United States is aiming to get Tehran to halt further nuclear development as a first step toward a complete dismantling of the program. Washington will keep sanctions in place in the meantime, he said.

“Nobody has talked about getting rid of the current architecture of sanctions. The pressure will remain,” he said.
…source

President Rouhani: Sanctions against Iran More Harmful to West
10 November, 2013 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed media claims that Tehran has sat to the negotiating table due to the pressures exerted on the country by the western sanctions, saying that the embargos harmed their advocates more than the Iranian nation.

“The sanctions not only harm the Iranian nation but also damage their imposers,” Rouhani said, addressing the parliament in Tehran on Sunday.

Stressing that Iran believes the sanctions are illegal and inefficient, he said, “We have not sat to the negotiating table under the pressure of sanctions.”

“Iran sat to the negotiating table from 2001 to 2003 while there was no sanctions at that time,” he reminded.

Rouhani described the negotiations as beneficial to both sides, and said, “The region, the world and the negotiating sides with Iran will benefit from the negotiations and success in such negotiations means stability in the world and paving the way for interaction among Iran, the region and the world.”

Noting that those participating in the negotiations have reached this conclusion that sanctions do not present the solution, he said, “We will continue this way and the least benefit of it, as said by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei), is that we don’t sustain a harm from it and I also add that the least benefit of these negotiations is that Iran’s role in the region and the world will be clear and the public opinion will believe that Iran is not stubborn and, as it has said, is not after the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs).”

His remarks were uttered after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in similar remarks earlier this month voiced pessimism over the talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, France, Britain and China plus Germany), and said, “I am not optimistic about the current negotiations because it is not clear if they will yield the results that the (Iranian) nation expects; yet, we believe that there is no problem with (doing) this experience provided that the nation will be vigilant and be aware of what is happening.”

He also advised the Iranian officials participating in the talks with the world powers to keep vigilant, and said, “On one hand, they (the western powers) smile and voice interest in negotiation and on the other hand, they immediately say that all options are on the table. Now it is not clear what a damn thing they could do.”

Iran and the world powers ended a fresh round of talks in Geneva early Sunday morning and they agree to meet again in the same city on November 20. …source

White House offers to suspend its sanctions against Iran
Voltaire Network – 10 November, 2013

The White House offered Iran a six months suspension of some of it’s sanctions, if Tehran suspends some of it’s nuclear activities during that same period.

This ’’good will’’ gesture would allow to quickly reach a permanent agreement between the two countries, insisted the US negotiators.

For ten years, the United-States and their allies have been accusing Iran of developing a military nuclear program. Even though it is the country that has been most inspected by international organizations, the slightest evidence was never found to support this assertion. But since Hassan Rohani’s election, Washington seems ready to abandon it’s accusations.
…source

Pentagon withdraws forces from Syria
Voltaire Network – 10 November, 2013

The Pentagon has announced the retreat of aircraft-carrier USS Nimitz and of guided-missile destroyer USS Graveley from the Eastern Mediteranean.

The only war vessels left in this region are one aircraft-carrier (USS Harry Truman), two destroyers (USS Stout and USS Ramage) and one cruiser (USS Monterey).

The United States are therefore reverting to the level of deploying they had before the Syrian chemical weapons crisis.

…source

Iran picks the results of its resistance
By Ghaleb Kandil -Voltaire.net – 10 November, 2013

Whatever the outcome of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue, the reality that emerges from the image of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the great powers, who rushed to Geneva after information about an agreement -which could be followed by other rounds of talks-, is that 34 years of blockade and war ended in a dismal failure for the West. The strength of leadership and the Iranian people and their determination to move forward failed all the plots.

The timing of the U.S. decision to recognize the strength and power of Iran coincided with the renouncement by the United States to project their aggression against Syria. The determination and the strength of the resistance axis and its allies opposing American unilateralism succeeded in blocking American war plan. Syria, Iran and Hezbollah have strongly expressed their willingness to face any attack, because they are aware that an aggression against any member of this alliance is actually aiming at dismantling the entire axis.
Thanks to the commitment of the Iranian people to their independence and freedom, to the determination and skill of its leadership, Iran has managed to overcome the imperialist blockade imposed on it for more than three decades. And that ’s not all. Tehran managed to acquire and accumulate enormous economic, technical, scientific and military capabilities, allowing it to make its entry into the club of great powers. American recognition of the Iranian force crown these achievements against the imperialist and Zionist conspiracies, funded by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. These developments have taken place due to the choice of resistance, established by the alliance between the Raba Syrian State and the Islamic Iran, whose foundation was laid during the historic meeting between the two great figures now deceased, President Hafez al-Assad and Ayatollah Khomeini. It would be appropriate to compare the U.S. recognition of the Iranian force to the recognition by Washington of the Popular Republic of China, in the late 70s. And as is to recognize the role and power of China has paved the way for changes in East Asia, the recognition of Iran pave the way for significant changes in the Arab Mashreq and the Gulf.
Those affected and concerned by the submission of the United States to the new realities show their true faces in Riyadh and Tel Aviv. For decades, these have built their interests on offensive and aggressive actions of the United States against Iran. Actions for which huge financial, military and intelligence capabilities were deployed in order to counter the strategy of Tehran, that has made the Palestinian cause and support the resistance in Lebanon and in Syria, the cornerstone of its regional policy. These same principles are applied in Iran’s approach to the situation in Iraq and the crisis in Yemen and Bahrain.

The future relationship between Iran and the United States will be analyzed through the prism of a regional and global Cold War. It would be illusory to believe that the negotiations will result in immediate and comprehensive compromise on all contentious issues. It is clear that there are differences in priorities. Washington wants arrangements that precede the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, while Palestine is in the heart of Iranian concerns. All previous stages of the confrontation showed the strength of the Iranian position in its support for Syria and its refusal to enter into bargaining at the expense of its constants. It is this strength that forced the United States and its allies to recognize tacitly their failure. Indices marking the decline of the West will begin to appear soon, especially as U.S. and European allies to send emissaries to Damascus.

The shape of the confrontation has changed but the foundation of the contradiction between a free and independent Iran and its allies on the one hand, the imperialist, Zionist and collaborators from other states alliance remains unchanged. This confrontation is now underpinned by new rules, which are in favor of Iran and its partners. …more

Strangers in the night: What can we really expect from a US-Iran thaw?
10 November, 2013 – Hamid Dabashi – Al Jazeera

More than three decades, and a whole lot of bitter history, after the Iranian revolution of 1977-1979, high ranking Iranian and American officials are openly meeting and exchanging more than glances.

The 1979 Iranian revolution, the very raison d’être of the Islamic Republic, was launched with fierce anti-American slogans woven into its ideological foregrounding. The hostage crisis of 1979-1980 was the defining moment of the Iranian revolution whereby the militant Islamists out-manoeuvred all their domestic political rivals, and by appearing to fight a foreign enemy, silenced and eliminated them and established and consolidated an Islamic republic.

The Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 pitted the two Muslim nations against each other with the Reagan administration aiding and abetting Saddam Hussein to curtail any revolutionary appeal of Iran to its Arab neighbours, while the Iran-Contra Affair revealed that the US was arming Iran too. Ever since the launch and success of the revolution, the chanting of “Death to America” has been as definitive to Muslim Friday prayers in Iran, as the invocation of Allah-u Akbar.

Muslim revolutionaries leading the Islamic Republic, of course, did not sit still inside its borders. After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, they began to actively spread the sphere of their militant influence into the immediate vicinity of Israel – the chief US military base in the region. The line of resistance – though now much weakened in the aftermath of the Arab revolutions – that eventually emerged among Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas has been a thorn in Israel’s side for decades. The catastrophic aftermath of the US-led invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq has created even more fertile grounds for the extended Iranian influences.

What has brought the Iranians and Americans together today is not just the fabricated question of “the nuclear issue” and the crippling economic sanctions that the US, the EU and the UN have imposed on Iran. The far more strategically significant issue is the unfolding Arab revolutions that have destabilised the region to the detriment of both the US and Iran. The two historic enemies have a common interest in micromanaging a very volatile region – and Iran and the US can offer each other help not available in the Saudi and Israeli (US-made) arsenals.

What has brought the US and Iran together is their shared interests in a vastly changing region. President Barack Obama is winding down and thinking of his proverbial place in history, while the Islamic Republic thinks itself eternal. There is fierce opposition to any rapprochement with the US in Iran as there is in the US. While Israel and Saudi Arabia lead the cause of anti-Iran in the US and around the world, their counterparts in Iran, the vested interests of the ruling regime for over three decades invested in anti-Americanism, do the same in Iran. But the force of history pushes forward.

The fact is that there is a clear air of hope and optimism about Iran and Iranians these days – they now sport a smiling president and even a handsome foreign minister whose wide grin and silvery goatee and fancy footwork on his Facebook page, has put a positive twist to Iranian politics.

What now?

Iran has put forward its most diplomatic and conciliatory face, and Obama is in no mood for another war on his watch. The region is in radical turmoil. Syria is bleeding, Egypt is going wayward, the Saudis see their immediate and long-term interests in the region radically modified. They have no clue on whom to place their bets, as Egypt’s deposed president Mohamed Morsi now faces trial in the country in which he was democratically elected. Yemen and Bahrain and Tunisia are unstable. From Morocco to Jordan monarchies wonder and wobble. Israel is the grand loser of this game, and does all in its power to grab more Palestinian lands and create more chaos and confusion, and delay the democratic fate of a region that spells out trouble for the apartheid state.

The Iran and US are poised to strike a deal (if not a “Grand Bargain”), and strike a deal they will. Sanctions will be eventually eased, Iran will happily reduce enrichment and increase transparency. It will lose nothing. With the current condition of nuclear knowledge and infrastructure, and within the NPT regulations and even additional protocols, Iran’s nuclear program can be weaponisable within a year, and there is very little (nothing in fact) that either Israel or the Saudis or the US can do to alter that historic fact. In addition, Iran can and will offer Obama substantial help in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Syria and where ever else he is in trouble.

Years ago, at the commencement of the Green Movement in Iran, I suggested that the ruling elite in Tehran cornered a lucrative market for themselves so that if the US attacks them they will win, and if they sit down to negotiate with them they will win too. Their weakest spot is their domestic front – which they seem to be addressing – but so far the operative word is “seem”.

In these cautious steps towards détente between Iran and the US, we are witness to the decreasing power of the US to rule the world at whim, and the inability of the Islamic Republic to deny the democratic rights of an entire nation. Neither can the US rule the world at whim, nor can the regime in the Islamic Republic deny a vastly cultivated people their democratic demands. …more

Iran, world powers conclude talks in Geneva
10 November, 2013 – Shia Post

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have concluded three days of intense talks on Tehran’s nuclear energy program in Geneva, Switzerland.

The closed-door talks, which started on Thursday and were to end on Friday, continued into early Sunday amid divisions among the six world powers.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the marathon ministerial talks ended without a deal.

“The meetings in Geneva have made it possible to move forward, but we have not yet managed to conclude [a deal], because there are still some questions remaining to be dealt with,” Fabius said.

In a final joint press conference with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said progress had been made during the “productive” talks and that the two sides had reached an agreement on a number of issues.

“I’m not disappointed at all because the meeting we just had, very long, running after midnight, was a good meeting,” Zarif said. “We are working together and hopefully we will be able to reach an agreement when we meet again.”

Ashton also said that the two sides had made “concrete progress” in the talks, which she described as “intense and constructive discussions.”

She, however, said some issues remained to be resolved in future talks. “Our objective is to reach a conclusion and that’s what we will come back to try and do,” she told reporters.

Ashton said Iran and the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany would meet again on November 20.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Abbas Araqchi said that the Iranian negotiating team will hold talks with the world powers’ political directors to work out a draft agreement.

Araqchi, a senior member of the Iranian negotiating team, said the next step will be for the foreign ministers of Iran and the six powers to finalize a deal. …source

Bahrain jails four for car bomb outside mosque
10 November, 2013 – Reuters

(Reuters) – A Bahraini court sentenced two men to life in prison and two others to 15 years for a car bomb attack outside a mosque in July, state news agency BNA said on Sunday.

Bahrain, a Western ally which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been in political turmoil since a 2011 uprising led by majority Shi’ites. They demand reforms and more share in running the kingdom, which is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa dynasty.

Several vehicles were destroyed but no one was hurt in the explosion outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in al-Riffa, south of the capital Manama, where some members of the royal family live.

Government officials said at the time the attack, which took place during evening prayers in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was an attempt to inflame sectarian tensions.

Among other charges, the defendants were convicted of setting up and joining an organization “that uses terrorism as a means to achieve its aims”, setting off an explosion to terrorize innocent people, stealing cars and training to make explosives, BNA said.

The authorities have quelled the revolt in the island kingdom, which sits between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Washington’s main regional antagonist, Shi’ite power Iran.

But protests and small-scale clashes continue, and bomb attacks have been increasing since mid-2012. At least one policeman was killed and five security officers were wounded by explosions and homemade bombs in recent months.

Bahraini Shi’ites complain of discrimination in areas such as jobs and public services – something the government denies. Talks between the government and opposition have failed to end the political crisis.

Opposition Figure Blames Saudi Prince Bandar for Increased Tensions in Bahrain
9 November, 2013 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- A prominent Bahraini opposition figure took Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar Bin Sultan responsible for the recent exacerbation of tensions between the Bahraini people and the ruling al-Khalifa government and the security forces’ harsher crackdown on the protestors.

“Informed sources have said that Prince Bandar is behind the increased tensions in Bahrain; tensions have intensified after Riyadh’s failure in the Syrian case and it failed in changing the power balance in Syria and after the al-Saud sustained much regional and international damage in this case,” a member of Tamarod (Rebellion) Movement and political analyst Ali al-Fayez told FNA on Saturday.

“The Al-Saud headed by Bandar Bin Sultan want to compensate for their failures in Syria and other regional issues in Bahrain,” he added.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the al-Khalifa dynasty. Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

Al-Fayez underlined that despite all plots hatched by Riyadh and other allies of al-Khalifa regime, the opposition forces will not succumb to pressures and will continue their protests until the overthrow of al-Khalifa regime and empowerment of a popular and fair government.

In relevant remarks in August, a political analyst said that Prince Bandar is behind the unrests created in most of the countries in the Middle East.

“The Pressures by Prince Bandar for restoring the battlefield balance in the interest of terrorists in Syria and a political balance in Lebanon helped failure of talks between Washington and Damascus,” Syrian political analyst Akram Ali Al-Ahmad told.

“Saudi Arabia has taken charge of the leadership of the front against the resistance axis to proceed with the regional affairs according to the plans and programs the US and Saudi Arabia,” he added.

In July, the Syrian Dam Press news website reported that Prince Bandar Bin has been forming terrorist groups in Lebanon.

Bin Sultan has created several terrorist groups in cooperation with Lebanese politicians, including Head of the Lebanese Al-Mustaqbal party Saad al-Hariri and Samir Jaja, it reported.

Prince Bandar has sent a number of its mercenaries to Lebanon via Syria, Dam Press quoted informed sources as saying.

The sources noted that Bandar’s mercenaries have had special terrorist trainings in camps of the al-Nusra Front terrorist group and the so-called Free Syrian Army in Syria.

The sources also revealed that the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah is the main target of Prince Bandar’s terrorists.

Saad al-Hariri and Bandar Bin Sultan had a meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah in October after a terrorist bomb blast in Beirut which led to the killing of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces Chief, General Wissam al-Hassan.

At the meeting, the two sides conferred on ways of intensifying tensions in Lebanon through terrorist operations by extremist groups who are supported by the al-Saud regime, Palestinian weekly al-Manar reported in October.

Prince Bandar coordinates terrorist operations and blasts in Lebanon with Israel and he occasionally makes secret visits to Tel Aviv, the weekly quoted informed sources as saying.

The Jeddah meeting presided by (Saad) al-Hariri was held with the aim of creating chaos in Lebanon, and supporting and expanding terrorism in Syria with the coordination and cooperation of their international and regional allies, the sources told Al-Manar.

In June, the Lebanese newspaper Assafir reported that Prince Bandar supervised the operations of providing the foreign-backed militants fighting the Syrian government, with German anti-aircraft missiles in Antakia.

Arab sources told Assafir that Prince Bandar Bin Sultan supervised supplying the militant groups in Syria in June with a batch of heavy weapons that includes mainly German anti-aircraft missiles in Antakia before the militants distributed the weapons over their different groups in Aleppo, Homs, Damascus, and Idleb.

The sources added that Bandar is seeking an arm deal with France to provide the Syrian militants with French anti-aircraft missiles, yet the French expressed their concerns about their strategic interests, and refused to be the sole provider of weapons for the militants, calling on to share these burdens. …source

Bahrain: Letter Calling for Pardon of Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab
10 November, 2103 – Front Line Defenders

On 8 November 2013, Front Line Defenders sent a letter to the King of Bahrain Shaikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa calling for the pardon of human rights defender Nabeel Rajab; who has been imprisoned since May 2012 after being convicted on charges of inciting illegal gatherings. Nabeel Rajab is currently awaiting a response to his application for pardon.

The human rights defender is the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. He is one of the most prominent human rights defenders in the Middle East and has been a leading voice in the Arab Spring in Bahrain. He has faced physical intimidation, arrest, detention and travel bans as a result of his work.

In its letter Front Line Defenders requests that the Bahraini government grant Nabeel Rajab access to his basic right to benefit from the Law for Pardons. Under the existing provisions, pardons are available to persons imprisoned for misdemeanours. So long as a prisoner’s conduct is satisfactory, he or she may apply for a pardon after completion of 75% of their sentence.

Nabeel Rajab’s lawyer has formally applied for a pardon but has yet to receive a decision from the judge. If a pardon were to be granted, Nabeel Rajab would be released from prison on 29 November 2013. …source

Bahrain’s October 2013: more than 1253 violations
10 November, 2013 – Al Wefaq

The Liberties and Human Rights Unit in Al Wefaq National Islamic Society has documented more than 1253 violations perpetrated by the Bahraini Authority, through its security and military forces, in October 2013.

The number of total arrests in October reached 151, 142 of which were men and of which were children*. Most arrests took place during home raids and which summed up to 79, while arrests from streets reached 39.

102 detainees were released during October, however, only 31 of whom were of the 151 arrested in the same month.

…source

BCHR: Authorities promoting sectarian tensions by targeting Shia during Ashoura
10 November, 2013 – Shia Post

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights express grave concern in regards to the targeted attacks on Shia Muslims in Bahrain by security forces during the religious period of Ashoura.

Since the beginning of the Islamic month of Muharram, security forces have led provocative attacks on several Shia Muslim neighborhoods in Bahrain. Pictures and videos show them taking down religious flags and banners that were placed earlier on homes and religious centers as part of the annual season for Shia Muslims commemorating the “martyrdom of Imam Hussain”, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

On 4 Nov 2013, riot police attacked a group of people participating in a religious procession in Maameer, which have taken place in Bahrain for decades. The riot police used excessive tear gas against dozens of people that included elderly citizens and children. People of all ages participate in these processions given that they do not expect to be attacked as they are not political protests.

On 7 Nov 2013, riot police stormed a religious center “Matam” in Aali without presenting any warrant. On the same day, security forces took down flags and destroyed religious banners in Tubli and Sanad.

On 8 Nov 2013, riot police fired tear gas in Nuwaidrat on people who tried to stop the security forces from taking down the religious banners in their neighborhood.

Furthermore, several citizens received police summons without a name specified on the summon, stating only “for the house’s owner”, due to placing Ashoura flags or banners on their own homes.

Additionally, the Government of Bahrain blocked a website which does live broadcasts of the religious events of Ashoura from over 30 areas in Bahrain http://matam.tv

The BCHR and BYSHR regard the above mentioned targeting and attacks as violations of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and a practice of discrimination against Shia’s with the intent to further cause a sectarian split in the society and push towards to sectarian violence.

These practices are not new and the BCHR had documented similar attacks in the past (Nov 2012 reporthttp://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5502), however due to the culture of impunity, and the policy of discrimination, the harassment against Shia Muslims continues through judicial means.

The BCHR and BYSHR respectfully reminds the Government of Bahrain of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion”.

Maryam Al-Khawaja, the Acting President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said: “All sects and religions must be respected in Bahrain; that includes religious events. The Government of Bahrain is trying to purposely instigate a violent response from Shia Muslims by targeting them during an important religious period; and we have previously warned of the consequences of pushing people towards sectarian animosity. Allies of the Government of Bahrain must apply pressure for the immediate halting of sectarian based targeting; and promote respect for all religions and sects equally.”

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and other allies and international institutions to pressure the Bahraini authorities to:

1. Immediately end the systematic attacks on religious liberties.

2. Immediately stop all forms of sectarian attacks and/or promotion of sectarian tensions/violence.

3. Immediately investigate and hold accountable those who gave orders, overlooked and/or carried out attacks on religious liberties.

4. Guarantee freedom of religion to all religions and sects in Bahrain.

…source

Regarding the Geneva Civilian Convention: …As explained below, there are several allegations and recognitions with respect to the denial of food, the denial of medicine and medical supplies, and the denial of freedom from arbitrary and inhumane detention and controls… Moreover, if specific intent to commit these types of denials is shown, the denials can even constitute international crimes of genocide….

Amnesty urges treatment of jailed Bahraini activist
10 Novmebr, 2013 – PressTV

A human rights group has called for “specialized medical treatment” for one of Bahrain’s leading jailed activists as the Al Khalifa regime continues its crackdown on protesters.

Amnesty International said in a statement that Abdelwahab Hussain has been denied much-needed medical treatment for his chronic diseases.

The 59-year-oil prisoner “needs urgent access to specialized medical treatment. His health condition has deteriorated and his family’s last scheduled visit to the prison was cancelled without explanation,” the London-based rights group said.

In June 2011, a military court sentenced Hussain and 12 other opposition figures to life imprisonment on the charge of plotting to topple Al Khalifa regime and change the constitution.

Amnesty also urged Bahraini authorities to “release all 13 opposition activists immediately and unconditionally, since they are prisoners of conscience, convicted solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly.”

Meanwhile, another rights group, Front Line Defenders, has requested that King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa pardon the head of Bahrain’s Center for Human rights, Nebeel Rajab.

Known for being a vocal critic of the regime, Rajab began serving a three-year sentence May last year.

He was convicted of inciting anti-government demonstrations and sharing online posts against the country’s long-time prime minister.

The Manama regime is under fire for its heavy-handed crackdown on protests.

Scores have been killed, many of them under torture while in custody, and thousands more detained since a popular uprising began in Bahrain in early 2011. …source