World War III threat.

[Dordrecht]

Report: Ahmadinejad to cancel Turkey trip after ‘World War III threat’


After threatening that Ankara could set off “World War III” if it allows the U.S. to deploy Patriot missiles on its border with Syria, a report Sunday (16th) said that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would not be visiting Turkey as had been scheduled. Turkey’s Hurriyet daily newspaper said that the cancellation of Ahmadinejad’s visit had raised Turkish-Iranian tensions to new heights.

Earlier this year, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had invited Ahmadinejad to visit Turkey in honor of the 739th anniversary of the birth of Rumi, the originator of Sufi Islam, who had lived most of his life in Persia, and died in Turkey

[Dordrecht]

Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has expressed the readiness of Iranian naval forces to extend their presence to international waters, including the Atlantic Ocean, to protect the Islamic Republic’s interests.

“In order to protect the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran and establish security for our country’s trade vessels and oil tankers in free and international waters, we are ready to extend our presence in these areas and even in the Atlantic Ocean,” Sayyari said Sunday (16th).

[Dordrecht]

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Sunday (16th) called for a boycott of Israel to protest the withholding of funds to the PA, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported.

Speaking to journalists in Ramallah, Fayyad said the boycott should apply to all Israeli products, not just those made in ‘illegal settlements,’ Ma’an quoted the premier as saying.

Fayyad also called on other Arab states to address the PA financial crisis, adding that the organization needs $240 million per month, urging Arab governments to fulfill their promise to give $100 million in aid, according to Ma’an.

[Dordrecht]

Dec 17

Controversy continues to swirl around the world over the Israeli government’s decision to build hundreds of new apartment units in several existing Jewish communities near Jerusalem. Government officials announced earlier this month they would seek building permits for new dwellings in Jewish communities northeast of the capital city, not far from the biblical Mount of Olives. Palestinian Authority leaders were joined by many countries, including the United States, France and Britain, in strongly opposing the move, saying it would further harm the prospects of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. During a subsequent visit to Germany, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that the Palestinian Authority had already quashed the peace process by seeking and securing endorsement from the UN General Assembly for his unilateral statehood bid. He noted the 1993 Oslo peace accord had forbade either Israel or the Palestinians from carrying out any such one-sided action without the endorsement of the other peace partner. The radical Islamic Hamas movement called on its Palestinian Authority rival to join it in launching violent attacks upon the Jewish State instead of “wasting time” on the peace process.