16th NAM (Non Aligned Movement) summit in Tehran, Iran

panduranghari

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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

The purpose of NAM is dead. When the member countries have aligned themselves with blocks then what is left is NAM.
Really. I see it becoming very relevant in the future. Of course India will be the top dog of this group. And you Pakistan will as usual whinge.
 

panduranghari

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What do you think Iran is going to trust US and Israel? Beside natural bondage between people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the route from Pakistan is safer, cheaper and short.
Hope you understand in Bondage one is the master and one is the slave.
 
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Why did the Non-Aligned Movement pick Iran for a meeting, to me it allways seems that NAM is against anything that the US supports,, they allmost allways voted witht he USSR when the USSR was a world power. They allways voted against Israel.....You cant be Non Aligned if your for one side or another.
NAM has no relevance anymore like it did in the past.
 

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Statement by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement

Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh's address delivered today at 16th NAM Summit in Tehran:

"I congratulate His Excellency Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on assuming the Chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement. Mr. Chairman, India will extend its full cooperation to Iran as it leads the Movement over the next three years.

I also express my appreciation to Egypt for its stewardship of the Movement since the last Summit, even though Egypt has been in the midst of profound domestic change.

Mr. Chairman, the Non-Aligned Movement, representing the large majority of humankind, has been a powerful force for the promotion of global peace, security and development. Our shared objectives of working together to preserve our strategic space, ensure our social and economic development and strive for a more just and equitable world order remain as true and relevant today as they were in the past.

Mr. Chairman, your chosen theme for our Summit – Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance - is timely. Today's structures for global governance remain driven by the power equations of the past. It is not surprising that they have proved inadequate in dealing with the economic and political crises of our present.

The deficit in global governance is perhaps most stark in the sphere of international peace and security and in restoring just and fair economic and financial mechanisms.

The West Asian and North African region is undergoing profound change. As the world's largest democracy, India supports popular aspirations for a democratic and pluralistic order. Nevertheless, such transformations cannot be prompted by external intervention, which exacerbate the suffering of ordinary citizens. The deteriorating situation in Syria is a matter of particular concern. Our Movement should take a stand on the issue in keeping with universally accepted principles. We should urge all parties to recommit themselves to resolving the crisis peacefully through a Syrian-led inclusive political process that can meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrian citizens.

The Non-Aligned Movement has always championed the cause of the Palestinian people. Today, we should renew our pledge to support an early resolution of the Palestinian question, so that the long suffering people of Palestine can live in peace and dignity in a state of their own.

Mr. Chairman, in the past, individually we may have had little economic and military clout but the collective voice and reasoned interventions of our Movement commanded respect and credibility. That voice should again find true expression on a variety of issues.

We need new instruments of global governance to confront cross-cutting and trans-national challenges through coordinated global action. These include international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the menace of maritime piracy, the growing threat to cyber security and the growing challenge of pursuing ecologically sustainable development while ensuring energy, water and food security.

Our Movement should take the lead in building global governance structures that are representative, credible and effective. It is my sincere hope that the Movement can agree on action to reform institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, the World Bank and the IMF. Existing problems cannot be solved effectively without a greater voice for developing countries on issues such as global trade, finance and investment.

Developing countries can be drivers of global growth. International financial institutions should therefore be encouraged to fund infrastructure development in the developing world in innovative ways. We should also urge that the current economic crisis should not lead to a dilution of development assistance flows from the developed world.

While we come together on the international stage, it is equally important for us to collaborate among ourselves in tackling problems and developing solutions that are best suited to our own circumstances.

For example, the developing world is rich in renewable sources of energy like solar power We should use our financial and intellectual resources to develop renewable energy technologies that get less attention in the industrialised world where the resource base is different. Adoption of these technologies will also enable us to contribute to preservation of the environment. We can learn from each other in this effort.

Similarly, food security is a basic problem for many of our countries. Excessive speculation, structural bottlenecks and lack of coordination are fuelling food inflation at the global level. Our Movement should push for effective food policy coordination and cooperation at the global level in areas such as agricultural productivity, weather forecasting and research and development.

Perhaps most relevant for us is to focus on investing in the knowledge economy and building our human resources. When faced with our unique developmental challenges, our youth have the creativity and energy to find solutions that are innovative, frugal and affordable. However, we need to provide them skills and equip them to find productive employment in a rapidly changing and inter-connected global economy. India would be happy to contribute to a NAM initiative on skill development, particularly focused on the knowledge economy.

Mr. Chairman, the African continent provided the intellectual wellspring for many of the leaders of the Non Aligned Movement. The growth of NAM and decolonization in Africa progressed almost hand in hand. Africa therefore has a special place in NAM. India's own strategic partnership with Africa is premised on making the people of Africa its primary beneficiaries. The India-Africa Forum Summit thus provides for an ambitious programme of pan-African institution-building to enhance our multi-faceted cooperation. I invite interested NAM members to work with us in areas of priority to Africa.

Nearly two decades ago, India embarked on a "Look East" policy in an endeavour to learn and benefit from and contribute to the evolution of a new Asian economic community to our East. However, the progress, prosperity, well being, political stability and plurality of the Asia to our West has always been of equal historical and civilisational significance for us. A West Asian region that can realize its full potential, live in peace and harmony and join the comity of democratic and plural societies will contribute greatly to human progress and peace in the 21st Century.

Mr. Chairman, let me conclude by thanking you for this opportunity to renew our Movement's collective endeavour for peace and prosperity which is needed in our troubled planet today. Even as our members have differing views on different issues, our sense of common destiny and solidarity unites us and gives us common purpose. I am certain that our deliberations will be helpful in restoring this historic Movement to its rightful place on the international stage."

Press Release
 

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Mr. Chairman, in the past, individually we may have had little economic and military clout but the collective voice and reasoned interventions of our Movement commanded respect and credibility. That voice should again find true expression on a variety of issues.
This one was pick of the day and good one.
 

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At NAM, Iran's Khamenei calls UNSC a flagrant form of dictatorship, past expiry date

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei today berated the UN Security Council as a "flagrant form of dictatorship" while terming the US and its Western allies as "bullies" trying to monopolise nuclear fuel production, as he asserted Tehran's right to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

The Iranian supreme leader, who enjoys almost absolute power in the country, was addressing the leaders and delegates from over 50 countries participating in the 16th Non-Aligned Summit here.

Contending that the control room of the world should not be managed by the "dictatorial will of a few Western countries", he sought establishment of a participatory system for managing international affairs, one that is "global and democratic".

"The UN Security Council has an illogical, unjust and completely undemocratic structure and mechanism. This is a flagrant form of dictatorship, which is antiquated and obsolete and whose expiry date has passed," he told an audience which also included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Without mincing words, Khamenei added, "It is through abusing this improper mechanism that America and its accomplices have managed to disguise their bullying as noble concepts and impose it on the world.

"They protect the interests of the West in the name of 'human rights'. They interfere militarily in other countries in the name of 'democracy'".

He alleged that torture and assassination are permissible and completely ignored if they are carried out by "America, the Zionists and their puppets".

Speaking on the contentious nuclear issue, he said that those who stockpile their 'anti-human' weapons in their arsenals do not have the right to declare themselves as standard-bearers of global security.

He said Iran considers the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons as a "great and unforgivable sin" and has even proposed the idea of "Middle East free of nuclear weapons."

"This does not mean forgoing our right to peaceful use of nuclear power and production of nuclear fuel. On the basis of international laws, peaceful use of nuclear energy is a right of every country.

"All should be able to employ this wholesome source of energy for various vital uses for the benefit of their country and people, without having to depend on others for exercising this right," Khamenei said on nuclear energy.

Khamenei stressed that Iran has never been after nuclear weapons and that it will never give up the right of its people to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

He, however, said international peace and security are among the critical issues of today's world and the elimination of catastrophic weapons of mass destruction is an urgent necessity and a universal demand.

"It is most unfortunate to see that countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals have no serious and genuine intention of removing these deadly weapons from their military doctrines and they still consider such weapons as an instrument that dispels threats and as an important standard that defines their political and international position. This conception needs to be completely rejected and condemned," he said.

Without directly naming anyone, he said some of the Western countries who themselves possess nuclear weapons and are "guilty" of this illegal action, "want to monopolise the production of nuclear fuel".


"Surreptitious moves are underway to consolidate a permanent monopoly over production and sale of nuclear fuel in centres carrying an international label but in fact within the control of a few Western countries," he said in what was clearly meant for the US.

He said it was a "bitter irony" that US government, "which possesses the largest and deadliest stockpiles of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction and the only country guilty of its use", is today eager to carry the banner of opposition to nuclear proliferation.

"The US and its Western allies have armed the usurper Zionist regime with nuclear weapons and created a major threat for this sensitive region. Yet the same deceitful group does not tolerate the peaceful use of nuclear energy by independent countries, and even opposes, with all its strength, the production of nuclear fuel for radiopharmaceuticals and other peaceful and humane purposes.

"Their pretext is fear of production of nuclear weapons. In the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran, they themselves know that they are lying," he said.
 

Cliff@sea

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Cliff@sea

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For all its flaws , United Nations still provides a platform for all nations to voice their concerns ,

Iran may have some reason to dislike UN policy and its excessive tilt to NATO ,
as do many other countries but Iran or any other dissidents can hardly be relied upon to provide a more trust-able forum .

ManMohan Singh's complete refrain from giving voice to India's stand in regards to United Nations is not in India's interest .
especially when India's has for long sought a UNSC seat.

Iran may be a strategic ally for India but its definitely not an ally that India can rely upon in all weathers.
their support to Pakistan against India during our confrontations is no secret after all

I applaud India's decision to not bow down to US pressure with respect to Iran and this attempt at a balancing act ,

But it should be kept in mind that it is infact a double edged sword

Any mistake in such an endeavour can easily backfire with India losing its friends both in the West and the GCC

Prime Minster Man Mohan Singh should have spoken up when the UNSC was being
flagrantly labelled as illogical , unjust and akin to a dictator,

After all India is has never hidden its ambition to be a member of United Nations Security Council ,

Clearly Tehran pays little heed to India's interests.
 

Tshering22

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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

The purpose of NAM is dead. When the member countries have aligned themselves with blocks then what is left is NAM.
I would like to agree with you here.

But pray tell me which of these countries have actually an aligned, defined national policy that either adheres to policies of USA or Russia?

Do enlighten us with your miraculous aptitude in this area.
 

Tshering22

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Though i do not contest his views I wish Iranians were a little more Diplomatic in stating their stances ,

Such an Hostile attitude makes it difficult for countries such as India or Brazil to stand openly in Tehran's Support especially in

the wake of current Syrian crisis.
Yeah. Iran is actually a country with a lot of potential.

It just needs to cool down a bit. Rather than launching tirades after tirades, they really need to relook their policy.

But it is difficult not to be them; the USA and UK really played nasty politics with them, making them so paranoid today.
 

Cliff@sea

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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

I would like to agree with you here.

But pray tell me which of these countries have actually an aligned, defined national policy that either adheres to policies of USA or Russia?

Do enlighten us with your miraculous aptitude in this area.
I think you are talking to a wall here ,

Our friend has i believe long since packed her bags and left the forum for the comfort of her cocoon.

The truth has been too harshly dished out to them on this board.
 

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Pakistan, Iran vow to expeditiously pursue joint mega projects

TEHRAN: The leadership of Pakistan and Iran Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to expeditiously complete work on the several joint mega projects, including the multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, electricity transmission lines and road links.

During meeting of President Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad here on the sidelines of the 16th NAM Summit, the two sides discussed matters relating to further cementing bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and the regional situation.

President Zardari expressed his deepest condolences to the Iranian President over the losses that Iran suffered recently due to the earthquake.

The President while expressing sympathy with the Iranian people especially the bereaved families over the loss of precious lives, said the resilient Iranian people will overcome this adversity in keeping with its glorious traditions.

He said that Pakistan was ready to provide all possible help to the Iranian brethren to overcome the effects of this disaster.

The President congratulated his counterpart on holding of a successful Summit and expressed the hope that it would contribute significantly in creating better understanding of the challenges confronted by the region and the participating countries.

While discussing bilateral relations, the President noted with satisfaction the upward trajectory of the mutual relations and stressed upon creating viable linkages in the areas of trade and investment, energy and connectivity to bring the two people further closer.

He said that greater interaction between the leadership and the people of the two countries would not only strengthen their historical, cultural and religious bonds but would also help to benefit from each other's resources and expertise.

The President said there was tremendous potential of trade between the two countries and effective steps needed to be taken to realize the targets that have been set.

He said the current volume of trade between the two countries was far below the existing potential.

The President said that there was a need to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers and identify alternative arrangements to expand the bilateral trade.

In this regard the President said that under the barter trade agreement his country looked forward to exporting one million tons of wheat for urea from Iran.

During the meeting, the two sides also reviewed progress on the mega projects, including the Iran-Pakistan Gas pipeline, the 1000 MW Taftan-Quetta power transmission line; the 100 MW Gwadar power supply project; construction of Noshki-Dalbandin section of Quetta-Taftan Highway and up-gradation of the Quetta-Taftan Railway Track.

The leadership also discussed issues related to visa facilitation and opening of the new border posts at Mand-Pishin and Gabd-Rimdan to connect Karachi and Gawadar with Chah Bahar and Bandar Abbas through the Coastal Highway.

There was unanimity of views on the need to enhance cooperation in the security fields including control of trans-border crimes and movement of narcotic drugs.

The two sides also agreed in principle to operate new flights between Islamabad and Tehran; Peshawar and Mashhad; and Quetta and Gilgit to Mashhad, details of which would be mutually agreed by the relevant authorities.

President Zardari and President Ahmedinejad also agreed upon timely implementation of the decisions reached during Trilateral Summit.

Regional situation especially that of Afghanistan and Syria also came under discussion.

President Zardari said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the fast deteriorating situation in Syria and believed that stability was important for peace in the region and beyond.

He said Pakistan desired immediate end to the bloodshed in Syria and would continue advocating principles of non intervention and non interference in the internal affairs of states.

On Afghanistan, the President reiterated Pakistan's principled stance of supporting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also attended the meeting.

Pakistan, Iran vow to expeditiously pursue joint mega projects | DAWN.COM
 

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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

Manmohan in Tehran, asks NAM to take clear stand on Syria

Indrani Bagchi, TNN | Aug 30, 2012, 06.01PM IST

TEHRAN: The Syrian conflict sharpened divisions saw the NAM summit's first walkout on Thursday, with the Syrian delegation rising in protest against the Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's characterization of the crisis there as an uprising against an "oppressive regime".

In his first address to the NAM summit in Tehran, Morsi openly expressed solidarity with the Syrian opposition. "Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty as it is a political and strategic necessity," Morsi said. "The bloodshed in Syria is hanging over all of us. It is our responsibility... to actively intervene to stop the killings."

This being any Egyptian leader's first visit to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Morsi's forthright comments set the tone for the discussions on Syria, and an embarrassment to the hosts, Iran.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took the middle line by expressing support for "popular aspirations" while cautioning against "external intervention". In his statement, Singh said, "India supports popular aspirations for a democratic and pluralistic order. Nevertheless, such transformations cannot be prompted by external intervention, which exacerbate the suffering of ordinary citizens." While thus far, India has stressed on the point of non-intervention by external forces, this was a clear articulation by the PM that India also supported "Syrian aspirations."

However, in private conversations, officials said the external involvement was the reason why this issue could not be resolved - Syria, they said has become a battleground for other countries' wars. India's position, officials said is this - the two sides should be made to walk away from violence before a resolution could be sought.

PM asked NAM to take a clear stand on Syria, a demand that was drowned in the clear divisions between Iran and the Arab states. "The deteriorating situation in Syria is a matter of particular concern. Our Movement should take a stand on the issue in keeping with universally accepted principles. We should urge all parties to recommit themselves to resolving the crisis peacefully through a Syrian-led inclusive political process that can meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrian citizens."

Ban ki Moon, who attracted no small criticism in the west for attending the NAM summit added his voice. In his meetings with the Iranian leadership, he urged "those who provide arms to either side" to realise that "militarisation is not the answer". "I urge all parties in the strongest possible terms to stop the violence now," he said, and urged the Syrian government "to listen to people's voices".
 
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Cliff@sea

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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

NAM summit: India says no to foreign intervention in Syria

Varghese K George, Hindustan Times


Tehran, August 30, 2012

Political turmoil in the West Asian and North African region dominated discussions of leaders from 120 countries on the first day of the 16th summit of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) in the Iranian capital.

In his statement at the summit, PM Manmohan Singh opposed externalintervention in the conflict in Syria, hours after Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei accused Western powers of militarily enforcing their interests on other countries in the name of "democracy" and "international law."
The first day also saw the Syrian delegation walking out of the speech by Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi, who described the Bashar al-Assad regime as "oppressive."

Host Iran, which assumed the chairmanship of the NAM for a period of three years, used the platform to demonstrate that it is not internationally isolated and to launch a scathing attack against the US and Israel.

Khamenei asserted Iran's right for nuclear energy and called for a "Middle East free of nuclear weapons."

"Iran considers the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons as a great and unforgivable sin," he said, adding that "this does not mean forgoing our right to peaceful use of nuclear power and production of nuclear fuel".

PM Singh's speech stayed clear of the nuclear stalemate but was broadly in tune with the sentiments expressed by the Iran - that there should not be external intervention in Syria and sympathetic to the "long suffering people of Palestine."

"As the world's largest democracy, India supports popular aspirations for a democratic and pluralistic order. Nevertheless, such transformations can't be prompted by external intervention, which exacerbate the suffering of ordinary citizens. NAM should urge all parties to recommit themselves to resolving the crisis peacefully through a Syrian-led inclusive political process," PM said.
 

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Egyptian leader stuns Iran with plea to back Syrian rebels

President Mohamed Morsi uses speech in Iran, which is key sponsor of Syrian regime, to assert Cairo's regional ambitions


Egypt's president Mohamed Morsi has said that the "oppressive" Syrian regime had lost all legitimacy, in a blistering speech in Tehran that provoked the Syrian delegation to storm out and amounted to a stunning rebuke to his Iranian hosts.

During the first visit by an Egyptian leader to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Morsi said the world had an "ethical duty" to support Syria's rebels.

"Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost legitimacy is ... a political and strategic necessity," he said.

"We all have to announce our full solidarity with the struggle of those seeking freedom and justice in Syria. [We should] translate this sympathy into a clear political vision that supports a peaceful transition to a democratic system of rule that reflects the demands of the Syrian people for freedom."

Morsi's comments to a meeting of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran amounted to a verbal handgrenade tossed at Iran's shocked leadership. Iran is the key regional sponsor of Syria's embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, and one of his few remaining international allies.

The remarks are also a bold assertion of post-revolutionary Egypt's renewed regional leadership ambitions. With the Middle East now dividing sharply along sectarian lines, Morsi has thrown his weight behind a powerful group of Sunni states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey that support Syria's rebels – with only Shia Iran, evermore isolated, backing Assad and his Shia Alawite-led regime.

Syria, predictably, responded with fury. Its foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, walked out. Damascus accused Egypt of interfering in its internal affairs and instigating bloodshed. In his own speech, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, failed to mention the 17-month Syrian conflict, while Iran's state-run media blanked out Morsi's criticism of Assad.

Morsi, a moderate Islamist, has proposed that Iran take part in a four-nation contact group including Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia that would mediate in the Syrian crisis. Morsi declared: "The bloodshed in Syria is the responsibility of all of us and will not stop until there is real intervention to stop it. The Syrian crisis is bleeding our hearts."

Morsi was apparently referring to diplomacy rather than any potential foreign invasion. He also hailed both Syrians and Palestinians for their "brave" struggle against oppression. He later met Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Analysts said the week-long summit had not been the smooth diplomatic triumph Iran might have hoped for.

"The Iranians rolled out the red carpet for Morsi. But he didn't follow the Iranian script. It was embarrassing for the Iranians," said David Hartwell, senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane's, adding: "The non-aligned movement tries to be fairly anodyne and focused on anti-imperialism. But Syria has made it problematic. Egypt also views Iranian influence in Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories as particularly unhelpful. It sees it as an Iranian/Shia attempt to spread influence in the region."

Of Morsi, he said: "We are learning about him. We don't know what his foreign policy is going to be."

Morsi is the first Egyptian leader to visit the Iranian capital since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Egypt and Iran fell out over Cairo's support for the Shah and its peace deal with Israel. Despite recent improvements, neither has upgraded ties to ambassadorial level.

Iran, meanwhile, faces diplomatic isolation and sanctions because of its alleged nuclear programme.

On the ground in Syria, fighting continued on Thursday. Opposition activists said rebels had shot down a government warplane over the northern province of Idlib, the second time in a week rebel fighters claimed to have brought down an aircraft. One video appeared to show a pilot parachuting to the ground. A subsequent video showed his dead body.

Government shelling continued in several parts of the country, with residents in Kafr Batna, in the Damascus suburbs, reporting heavy bombardment.

"The Syrian regime is attacking us with mortars and helicopters. Today there are lot of soldiers and armoured vehicles massing up at the entrance to Kafr Batna. They might storm the district at any moment," one resident, Rima Sami, told the Guardian via Skype. Sami said all the bakeries were shut and the shelling had made it impossible for the Free Syrian Army to smuggle in food.

Human Rights Watch said government forces had dropped bombs and fired artillery at or near at least 10 bakeries in Aleppo province over the past three weeks, killing and maiming scores of civilians who were waiting for bread.

The attacks were at least recklessly indiscriminate and the pattern and number of attacks suggested government forces had been targeting civilians, it said. Both reckless, indiscriminate attacks and deliberate targeting of civilians are war crimes.

One attack in Aleppo on 16 August killed up to 60 people and wounded more than 70. Another attack in the city on 21 August killed at least 23 people and wounded 30.

"Day after day, Aleppo residents line up to get bread for their families, and instead get shrapnel piercing their bodies from government bombs and shells," said Ole Solvang, emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch who has just returned from Aleppo. "Ten bakery attacks is not random – they show no care for civilians and strongly indicate an attempt to target them."

(click on the link for Video )
 
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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

NAM Summit: Asif Ali Zardari invites Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Pakistan



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked tough on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks when he met Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Tehran on Thursday. Dr Singh urged Pakistan to speed up the 26/11 trials, saying it would be a major confidence building measure and would help bridge the trust deficit between the two countries.

President Zardari also reportedly invited Dr Singh to Pakistan. Dr Singh told President Zardari that he would visit Pakistan at "a suitable time."

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 16th NAM summit and is the second meeting between the two leaders this year.

The meeting comes a day after the Indian Supreme Court upheld Ajmal Kasab's death sentence in the Mumbai terror attack case, strengthening India's case for action against others involved in the 26/11 strike.

Dr Singh had last met Mr Zardari in New Delhi in April this year when the Pakistani President made a private visit to India to pray at the Sufi shrine in Ajmer.
 

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Re: PM to arrive in Iran tomorrow to attend NAM Summit

The Following Heading i remember is the same as Ray sir's quip in this thread couple of days ago
(Post #38: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/foreign-relations/40845-16th-nam-non-aligned-movement-summit-tehran-iran-3.html#post567481,)

Makes me wonder , have HT guys been following the thread , Anyway can't say its too difficult a pun to occur to anyone .

What's in a NAM?

AUGUST 31, 2012 AT 12:37 AM

By the standard of the Nonaligned Movement, the recently-concluded summit in Tehran was relatively exciting. The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-moon, severely criticized the host country, Iran. The latter's boss, Ayatollah Khamenei, verbally abused the UN in return. The new Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, inveigled against the Syrian government, triggering a walkout by the latter's delegation.

In all of this came the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Privately, Indian officials have been clear that the bilateral meetings were what counted as far as New Delhi was concerned. The meeting with the Pakistani president and the highly unusual one-to-one with Khamenei, the first such meeting in over a decade.
Nonetheless, the Nonaligned Movement continues to both seduce and baffle Indians. Most Indians uphold the movement. Asked, however, to explain why it matters to India they then revert to a kind of jargon-filled mumbo-jumbo that normally has the terms "post-colonial" and "independent-minded" embedded within.
The very term "nonaligned" is somewhat meaningless in a post-Cold War era in which the vast majority of NAM countries have excellent relations with the United States, including India. Many also have good ties with China, the only other country strong enough to be worth "aligning" with.

Nonetheless, the NAM has kept adding more members, including one European state (Belarus), and has actually rejected two members in the past. At 120 members it is one of the world's largest multilateral bodies. That countries with suddenly out-sized global profiles, like Egypt, make it a point to wear the NAM badge on their sleeves give an indicator of what "nonalignment" still means.

At the core is a desire for a number of developing countries to project their independence, to been seen at home to have a foreign policy of themselves and for themselves. Morsi is a perfect example of what this means. Egypt has been an unserious member in the past given its clear alliance with the US. Today, its president steals the show.

With so many countries experiencing rising and nationalistic middle classes and a preference for a hedging strategy in a time when the international system is in flux, being "nonaligned" has a certain utility that wasn't there before. There may not be too many superpowers, but there are a surprising plethora of medium sized countries in the world with a desire to be if not a global pole, at least a global protrusion. It's a multibump world and nonalignment fits nicely into that.
The NAM remains largely useless in getting things done. Its members fight with each other (India vs Pakistan, Iran vs Iraq) and NAM does nothing. They can't do much about the Syrian violence.

India shouldn't be unhappy. When it has turned to NAM for help it hasn't had much success. The bulk of the NAM supported China after the 1962 war and New Delhi didn't fare much better when the movement took up the 1965 war with Pakistan. So keeping the movement all symbolic and spread out is not something India should be bothered about.
But NAM could provide an additional service. NAM has a lot of least developed nation but has surprisingly few emerging economies. China is not a member. Nor is Brazil, Mexico or Turkey.

The original anti-Americanism that inspired Krishna Menon to coin the phrase "nonalignment" is now vestigial. India isn't part of it. Only a few Latin American nations and the odd country like Iran will burn a Stars and Stripes these days.
But it could be potentially used to provide a means to limit or slow down the expansion of Chinese interests in the world. Beijing now has extensive bilateral relations across the world, especially in Africa and increasingly Latin America. It would be too early to talk about a Sino Bloc, but something like that in the economic sphere is slowly emerging.

India has an interest in promoting multilateral fora where China is not a dominant player. China is the big star of the BRICS for example. However it is not part of IBSA, or NAM, or – for what it's worth – the Commonwealth. It would be useful to have a clutch of acronyms where China is not automatically the prime mover.
And if NAM becomes part of an Indian hedging strategy, its importance could grow post-Cold War. If it becomes seen as a constellation that provides an alternative international roster to whatever Beijing is putting together, you could even find Washington suddenly having kind words for nonalignment.
 
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average american

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Iran has theaten Israel a number of times.....
An Iranian military official threatened to "wipe" Israel "off the face of the earth" if the Jewish state attacks, a stark new threat coinciding with the start of a European Union oil embargo to put pressure on Iran's nuclear program, Reuters reported.
Revolutionary Guards General Amir Ali Hajizadeh reportedly issued the warning as he announced new missile tests to take place in the coming week.

The threat echoes an oft-repeated quote attributed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel must be "wiped off the map." Ahmadinejad was actually quoting the Ayatollah Khomeini when he said the "regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time" — also translated as "wiped off the map."

Heres the problem with wipeing Israel off the map or even making Israel think they might be wiped off the map.

Israel has some 300 atomic weapons, many 200 KT, and they have their Samson Doctrine......
Two Israel supporters are frequently quoted for their explicit support of the Samson Option. Martin Van Creveld, a professor of military history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, has been quoted as saying: "Most European capitals are targets for our air force....We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that that will happen before Israel goes under."[

In 2002 the Los Angeles Times, published an opinion piece by Louisiana State University professor David Perlmutter in which he wrote: "What would serve the Jew-hating world better in repayment for thousands of years of massacres but a Nuclear Winter. Or invite all those tut-tutting European statesmen and peace activists to join us in the ovens? For the first time in history, a people facing extermination while the world either cackles or looks away--unlike the Armenians, Tibetans, World War II European Jews or Rwandans--have the power to destroy the world. The ultimate justice?"

Minister Eshkol ordered nuclear weapons armed in Israel's first nuclear alert during the Six-Day War. If the USA had not sent in enought military weaons Isreal would have used nuclear weapons rather then be destroyed.

If you look at a map and figure out that most of the radiation might land in India you might want to reconsider Iran haveing nuclear weapons or any potential to have nuclear weapons. Most of India oil comes from the middle east, most of US oil does not but a nuclear war is not going to be good for any ones economy.....

I for one do not doubt that Israel would excercise the nuclear option if they feel they have too,, I for one dont want to take the chance.
 
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