Headlines:
• Egypt Blasts Turkish Leader Erdogan after UN Speech
• US Considers Softening Demands on Iran Nuke Deal, Report Says
• Afghanistan’s Karzai Criticizes US, Pakistan in Farewell Speech
Egypt Blasts Turkish Leader Erdogan after UN Speech
Egypt has accused Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan of supporting terrorists and seeking to provoke mayhem in the Middle East after he questioned the legitimacy of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly. Ties between Ankara and Cairo have been strained since then army chief Sisi toppled elected President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year after mass protests against his rule. Egyptian security forces then mounted one of the fiercest crackdowns against the Islamist movement, killings hundreds of supporters at a Cairo protest camp, arresting thousands and putting Mursi and other leaders on trial trial. After world leaders gathered at the United Nations, Erdogan delivered a speech which featured stinging criticism of Sisi’s rise and what he called inaction after Mursi’s overthrow. “Again, those objecting (to) the murders in Iraq, Syria and the murder of democracy in Egypt are subjected to certain unfair and groundless accusations and almost immediately accused of supporting terrorism,” said Erdogan. “The United Nations as well as the democratic countries have done nothing but watch the events such as overthrowing the elected president in Egypt and the killings of thousands of innocent people who want to defend their choice. And the person who carried out this coup is being legitimized.” In a statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry dismissed Erdogan’s comments on Sisi.”There is no doubt that the fabrication of such lies and fabrications are not something strange that comes from the Turkish President, who is keen to provoke chaos to sow divisions in the Middle East region through its support for groups and terrorist organizations,” the foreign ministry said. “Whether political support or funding or accommodation in order to harm the interests of the peoples of the region to achieve personal ambitions for the Turkish president and revive illusions of the past.” Erdogan’s comments prompted Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri to cancel a meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly with his Turkish counterpart, according to the statement. [Source: Al Arabiya]
Turkey and Egypt are led by idiot leaders who bicker with each other and do nothing to protect the interests of the Muslim ummah. Would it not have been better if both Sisi and Erdogan announced a joint plan how they were going to liberate Palestine and Syria from the tyranny of the Jewish state and the despot Assad.
US Considers Softening Demands on Iran Nuke Deal, Report Says
The United States is considering softening demands that Iran gut its uranium enrichment program, instead floating a new proposal that would allow Tehran to keep almost half of the program intact, diplomats say. The initiative, reported late Thursday by The Associated Press, comes as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sought to leverage the crisis in the Middle East to ease sanctions on his country as part of nuclear talks, suggesting in a United Nations address that security cooperation between Iran and other countries could only occur if they struck a favourable nuclear deal. While focusing in large part on Islamic extremists in the region, Rouhani made clear Iran’s cooperation in addressing these threats hinges on the outcome of ongoing nuclear talks – as he once again urged other nations to drop what he described as “excessive demands.” The US, fearing Tehran may enrich to weapons-grade level used to arm nuclear warheads, ideally wants no more than 1,500 centrifuges left operating. Iran insists it wants to use the technology only to make reactor fuel and for other peaceful purposes and insists it be allowed to run at least the present 9,400 machines. The tentative new US offer attempts to meet the Iranians close to half way on numbers, diplomats told The Associated Press. They said it envisages letting Iran keep up to 4,500 centrifuges but would reduce the stock of uranium gas fed into the machines to the point where it would take more than a year of enriching to create enough material for a nuclear warhead. That, they said, would give the international community enough lead time to react to any such attempt. Rouhani said a deal could mark the “beginning of multilateral cooperation” and allow for “greater focus on some very important regional issues such as combating violence and extremism.” The diplomats emphasized that the proposal is only one of several being discussed by the six powers — the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — and has not yet been formally submitted to the Iranians. The new proposals reflect Washington’s desire to advance the talks ahead of a Nov. 24 deadline that was extended from July. [Source Fox News & Associated Press]
Alas! America is making concessions to Iran in order to accelerate Tehran’s acceptance of a nuclear deal, so that Iran’s role in supporting Assad’s regime be officially recognised.
Afghanistan’s Karzai Criticizes US, Pakistan in Farewell Speech
Outgoing President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday blamed the United States for Afghanistan’s long war in a final swipe at the country that helped bring him to power 13 years ago but towards which he has become increasingly bitter. His farewell speech came days ahead of the swearing in of a new president, Ashraf Ghani, after months of turmoil over a disputed election that ended in a power-sharing deal, yet to be tested, with rival Abdullah Abdullah who will fill the role of chief executive. Karzai blamed both the United States and neighbouring Pakistan for the continuing war with the Taliban-led insurgency and warned the new government to be “extra cautious in relations with the US and the West”. The conflict kills thousands of Afghans each year and has claimed the lives of more than 2,200 American and other international forces in Afghanistan. “One of the reasons was that the Americans did not want peace because they had their own agenda and objectives,” Karzai said. He did not elaborate, but in the past has suggested continued violence has been an excuse for the United States to keep bases in the country. US Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham called Karzai’s comments “ungracious and ungrateful”. [Source: Reuters].
Karzai’s criticism and the protracted dispute between Abdulla and Ghani raises the question whether America has any loyal agents left in Afghanistan. America’s disastrous venture in Afghanistan knows no bounds.