Saturday, March 29, 2014

Europa & Palestine News « Europa & Middle East News

Israel to Pre-empt Iranian Nuclear Talks in Vienna With Incitement

After the February and March meetings on the nuclear talks between Iran and the six world powers, namely France, Germany, UK, China, Russia and USA, and before the coming parties meeting which is supposed to be held again on April 7-9 2014, the head of the israeli occupation, the so-called “state of israel”, Shimon Peres, is suddenly visiting Vienna on 30 March to 1st April 2014.

On 30 March 2014 Mr. Peres is supposed to meet UNOV Director-General Yury Fedotov and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano at the at the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV).

It is not usual that the director of the UNOV and the director of IAEA cut their weekend in order to hold secret meetings and, apparently, to connive with officials of any country to derail ongoing diplomatic negotiations. Journalists accredited to the UN were not invited to the urgent as surprising meeting.

On the Austrian side, Peres will also meet with Mr. Lamberto Zanier, the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Werner Faymann.

It is suspected that Mr. Peres will discus with Mr. Amano and the body leading the nuclear talks with Iran how to impose obstacles on the nuclear negotiations in case Iran does not accept including its military missiles as part of the next round of negotiations scheduled for April.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Europa & Palestine News « Europa & Middle East News

Egyptian Sniper Shoots a Female Journalist in Head

Cairo - Mayada Ashraf, an Egyptian journalist was shot in head by sniper on Friday noon while covering clashes in the northern neighbourhood of Ein Shams between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, media reported.

Several marches were staged Friday by Morsi’s supporters across Egypt in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Fayoum, Beheira, Qalioubiya and Qena in reaction to the recently-announced presidential bid of ex-military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who carried out Morsi’s ouster.

The media reported that at least four Egyptians were killed and dozens were injured in Cairo as police used excessive force and live ammunition against the Islamists protesters.

Hundreds were arrested for chanting against Al-Sisi, the military, the police and the government. Pro-Morsi protesters consider that his removal by the army last July was “a military coup”.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood has rejected Sisi’s candidacy outright and a coalition of his supporters had called Friday’s protests.

“What we said nine months ago was confirmed and the mask fell off from the face of the coup leader… with the announcement of his candidacy to ‘the bloody presidency’,” it said in a statement Thursday.

Sisi “broke the oath he made before the elected president Mohamed Morsi by toppling him and made the Egyptian army enter the political arena with him,” the coalition added.

Sisi is believed to be the real power behind interim president Adly Mansour, under whose watch police have killed hundreds of Islamist protesters and detained at least 25,000 suspects since Morsi’s ouster.

The crackdown has caused international concern and outrage after 529 Morsi supporters were sentenced to death this week over deadly riots.

For those who want an end to the violence that has scared off investors and tourists, Sisi’s military background is an asset.

The army is seen as the country’s most stable institution, and Sisi can count on further aid from friendly Gulf states that have pumped billions of dollars into Egypt since Morsi’s ouster

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Europa & Palestine News « Europa & Middle East News

Sanctions Against Russia Would Be Ill Advised

Fischer und Nikolic: Sanktionen gegen Russland wären Unratsam

Austrian Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer received on Thursday, 27 March 2014, his Serbian counterpart, President Tomislav Nikolic. This was the first visit of the Serbian President to Austria.

President Nikolic was greeted with full military and state honors and President Fischer upon his arrival at Hofburg Palace.

A press conference was held by both President Dr. Fischer and His Excellency Mr. Nikolic. Both Presidents warned against imposing sanctions against Russia in connection with the annexation of the Crimea: “Sanctions are a sharp instrument which should be handled very carefully, and one should think twice about it”, President Heinz Fischer said in a joint press conference on the occasion of Nikolic’s visit.

President Fischer pointed out that “the introduction of certain sanctions is perhaps – (unfortunately) – easier than them get away from them again. ” The long-term perspective must be, in this context ” that the different nations in Europe and at the border of Europe should live together in peace and confidence and also make their economic cooperation as smooth as possible.”

In the overall assessment of the crisis in and around the Ukraine, President Fischer said that the EU had “certainly not done everything right”, especially because in his opinion “for Ukraine there can be no ‘either-or policy’ in relation to Europe and Russia, but a policy would be right which would combine good economic relations with Russia with good economic relations with Europe from the geographical and historical position of both sides.”

“President Nikolic, whose country, had sad experiences with Western sanctions because of the consequence of the Balkan conflicts, said that great caution must be shown there.

He added that his country Serbia will not join the EU and US sanctions against Moscow, which is Belgrade’s most important ally in the fight against Kosovo’s independence.

President Nikolic acknowledge that the international law can not be determined on a case by case basis, but rather, rules are need – but rules are not always there.”

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Fischer und Nikolic: Sanktionen gegen Russland wären Unratsam

Sanctions Against Russia Should Be Handled Carefully

Wien – Kawther Salam – Der österreichische Bundespräsident Dr. Heinz Fischer hat am Donnerstag, dem 27. März 2014, seinen Serbischer Amtskollegen, Präsident Tomislav Nikolic, in Österreich empfangen. Dies war der erste Besuch des serbischen Präsidenten in Österreich.

Präsident Nikolic wurde mit militärischen Ehren im Inneren Burghof Begrüßt, anschließend hat Präsident Dr. Fischer seinen Gast im Maria-Theresien-Zimmer noch ein Mal begrüßt, vor dem Beginn der offiziellen Arbeitssitzung.

Medienvertreter wurden von den beiden Präsidenten Dr. Fischer und Präsident Nikolic eingeladen. Dr. Fischer sagte den Reportern, dass das Ukraine – Krim Probleme eines der Hauptthemen war, über das sie während der Arbeitssitzung darüber gesprochen hatten.

Sowohl Bundespräsident Fischer wie auch sein serbischer Amtskollege Nikolic warnten vor Sanktionen gegen Russland im Zusammenhang mit dessen Annexion der Krim: “Auch Sanktionen sind ein scharfes Instrument, mit dem man sehr vorsichtig umgehen, und das man sich gut überlegen muss”, sagte Präsident Fischer in seinem gemeinsamen Pressegespräch mit Präsident Nikolic.

Bundespräsident Fischer verwies darauf, “dass die Einführung bestimmter Sanktionen vielleicht – (leider) – leichter ist als davon wieder wegzukommen.” Die langfristige Perspektive müsse in diesem Zusammenhang sein, “dass die verschiedenen Nationen in Europa und an der Grenze Europas friedlich und vertrauensvoll zusammenleben und auch ihre wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit so reibungslos wie möglich machen.”

In der Gesamtbeurteilung der Krise in und um die Ukraine meinte Bundespräsident Fischer, auch die EU habe “sicher nicht alles richtig gemacht”, vor allem, weil seiner Meinung nach “für die Ukraine keine ‘entweder-oder-Politik’ in Bezug auf Europa und Russland, sondern eine Politik richtig wäre, die aus der geografischen und historischen Position heraus gute und wirtschaftliche Beziehungen zu Russland mit guten und wirtschaftlichen und Beziehungen zu Europa verknüpfen soll.”

Auch Tomislav Nikolic, dessen Land in der Folge des Balkan-Konflikts selbst leidvolle Erfahrungen mit westlichen Sanktionen gemacht hat, meinte, man müsse damit “sehr vorsichtig sein.” Serbien hat sich den Sanktionen der EU und der USA gegen Moskau nicht angeschlossen, das für Belgrad der wichtigste Verbündete im Kampf gegen die Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo ist. Im Zusammenhang mit den angestellten Vergleichen bei der Abspaltung des Kosovo und jener der Krim beklagte Präsident Nikolic auch, “dass Völkerrecht nicht von Fall zu Fall zu bilden sein kann, sondern es braucht Regeln. Aber Regeln gibt es nicht mehr…” APA/PRK.

Andererseits traf auch FPÖ-Klubobmann Heinz Christian Strache den serbischen Präsidenten Nikolic im österreichischen Nationalrat. Strache befürwortete auch einen EU-Beitritt Serbiens, das im Gegensatz zur islamischen Türkei kulturhistorisch ein Teil Europas und ein Schlüsselland für Sicherheit und Stabilität am Balkan sei.