The Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs has said that Iran will not withdraw from its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Iran has said that uranium enrichment and protection of the rights of the Iranian nation
The Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs has said that Iran will not withdraw from its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Iran has said that uranium enrichment and protection of the rights of the Iranian nation are top priority in the forthcoming talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.
Russia, China, France, Britain, USA, Germany and Iran are scheduled to hold talks in Geneva, Switzerland on 15-16, 2013. Representatives of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet on October 28.
Abbas Araqchi, who is to be Iran's chief nuclear negotiator in the talks, has said that Iran is open to negotiations about the volume, levels and methods of enrichment but the shipping out of the enriched material is a red line for Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged France and Britain to not ease sanctions on Tehran.
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Source: Press TV, 13 October, 2013; Tehran Times, 13 October 2013
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">Libyan Prime Minister says kidnap was coup attempt
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has accused the Libyan Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR) and all those involved in his kidnapping on 10 October, 2013 as being terrorists and of attempting to orchestrate a coup.
The LROR first admitted to being involved in the kidnapping on its Facebook page but later denied it. The Prime Minister accused them of being contradictory in their stance.
He also accused some members of the Congress of being part of the attempted coup. He said that the mobilization of the 100 armed vehicles that arrived at the Hotel where he was staying could not have happened without assistance from someone in a position of authority.
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Source: Libya Herald, 13 October, 2013
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">Terrorists abduct Red Cross workers in Syria
An armed terrorist group has abducted 6 employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria on the Sermin-Saraqib road in Idleb countryside. Along with the aid workers, a local volunteer of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has also been abducted.
ICRC has had no contact with the unidentified gunmen and ahs declined to reveal the identity, nationalities or gender of the six ICRC staff at present.
Media reports state that the workers were travelling through the Idleb area when gunmen blocked their path, shot at them, seized them and took them to an unknown location.
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Source: SANA, 13 October, 2013; Reuters, 13 October, 2013
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">Family of deposed President says Morsi won't negotiate
The family of deposed President Mohamed Morsi said that he would not enter any negotiations or accept any compromises. This announcement comes after a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood by military backed authorities.
After Morsi's ouster by the military, authorities have launched a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, killing hundreds at protest camps and marches and arresting Islamist activists and group members.
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Source: Reuters, 14 October 2013
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">Israel discovers tunnel, suspects Hamas
The Israel Defense Forces announced on 13 October, 2013 that they have discovered a tunnel leading from Gaza into Israel that they suspect was used by the Hamas for use in abductions. The eastern exist of the 1,800 meter tunnel is close to Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. It stretches 300 meters into Israel.
Officials say that the tunnel has not been used yet and is part of terrorist infrastructure meant to be used in the future. Despite the discovery of the tunnel, the defense establishment believes that Hamas does not, at present, have any interests in the escalation of violence.
Following the discovery, the defense officials have stopped the passage of construction material for the private sector at the Kerem Shalon crossing point.
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Source: Haaretz, 13-14 October, 2013
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">Chemical weapons watchdog wins Nobel
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a relatively small organisation won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize on 11 October, 2013 for its work to eliminate chemical arms stockpiles in Syria.
The organisation has deployed experts in Syria helping to avert a U.S. strike against President Bashar al-Assad.
Another favourite for the Nobel was Malala Yousafzai, a 16 year old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban for speaking up in favour of education for girls.
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Source: Reuters, 11 October, 2013
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">UN Human Rights High Commissioner calls on Iraq to halt executions
Iraq has executed 42 prisoners on 8-9 October, 2013 who were convicted on terrorism related charges. This number included a woman. Human rights groups have questioned trial procedures in Iraqi courts. They allege that some testimonies are obtained through torture or are forced statements against the accused.
A spokesperson for Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that the executions were "obscene and inhumane" and "most probably in contravention of international law".
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Source: BBC News, 11 October, 2013; Al Jazeera, 10 October, 2013
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