Iran showcases new warships near strategic waters

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s state TV is showcasing additions to its Navy including a missile-launching warship around the size of a frigate.

Navy officials watched as the domestically-produced Sina-7, equipped with anti-ship missiles, was launched Wednesday at Bandar Abbas, near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Two new Iranian-built Ghadir submarines and two repaired hovercrafts were also delivered to the Navy.

The TV quoted Navy chief Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying that Iran must possess the “newest technology and top-grade facilities to protect its borders.”

Ghadir class submarines can fire missiles and torpedoes at the same time, and can operate in the Persian Gulf’s shallow waters.

Iran has sought to upgrade its air defense and naval capabilities, saying any possible future attacks on it would come from the air and sea.

Times of Israel

Syrian aircraft hit

Tourmanin - In less than 24 hours, rebels used surface-to-air missiles to strike down two aircraft in northern Syria, marking a turning point in their war with forces of President Bashar Assad.

Since the end of July, the Syrian regime has used fighter jets to try to suppress a growing insurgency. The air force has frequently bombarded rebel-held areas across the country, causing high casualties.

But on Wednesday morning, rebels shot down a warplane in the northern province of Aleppo, an AFP reporter said.

The warplane crashed after it was hit by a massive explosion, a tower of thick black smoke rising into the sky, said the reporter, who was just a few kilometres away.

The previous day insurgents had downed an army helicopter for the first time.

"It's a turning point," said Riad Kahwaji, expert at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA).

Stench of kerosene

"If the Syrian air force starts losing several aircraft every day, that will be a significant turning point because the regime will lose its superiority and will no longer be able to use its main means of delivering strong fire power effectively," Kahwaji said.

The jet fell on an olive grove a kilometre away from the village of Tourmanin, north of the embattled city of Aleppo.

Wednesday's attack, claimed by a rebel Free Syrian Army group, occurred near the Sheikh Suleiman base, the last garrison in government hands between Syria's second city and the Turkish border.

Dozens of rebels rushed to the scene minutes after the plane was shot down, crying out "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Greatest).

Children rummaged among the smouldering debris, as the stench of kerosene and burning plastic rose. Some teenagers picked up pieces of the plane's broken wings, others played with ammunition.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a watchdog that relies on a network of activists and medics on the ground, confirmed that the jet had been brought down with a missile.

1 pilot captured
While some witnesses gave a similar version, others said rebels used an anti-aircraft gun to strike the jet.

It appeared more likely that the rebels used a missile as the plane had been flying at a high altitude.

Rebels in Tourmanin said insurgent members of the Ahrar Daret Ezza group, whose name means the Free People of Daret Ezza, a nearby village, were responsible for the strike.

"The plane had the time to drop its bombs, just before it crashed," one witness said.

The crash caused an explosion that was easily heard several kilometres away.

The two pilots in the plane ejected before the crash, with one of them captured immediately after making a parachute landing, witnesses said. The fate of the second pilot is unknown.

Missiles seized
The jet was the second government aircraft to have been shot down by rebels using missiles in less than 24 hours.

In the same area on Tuesday, insurgents downed the army helicopter with a ground-to-air missile, in what the Observatory said had the potential to change the balance of military power in the 20-month old conflict.

The gunship had been on a strafing run near Sheikh Suleiman.

Little more than a week ago, the rebels seized tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, 120mm mortars and rocket launchers when they took the regime forces' sprawling Base 46, about 12km west of Aleppo.

Rebel commander General Ahmed Faj said on Friday that the rebels also seized surface-to-air missiles from the base.

Red line
"If the rebels have a significant arsenal of surface-to-air missiles, like the well-known Stingers that decimated Russian helicopters and jets in Afghanistan, Assad's army will lose part of its control of the sky," Syria expert Fabrice Balanche said.

"Rebel-held areas will become safe, and insurgents will be able to go on the offensive without fearing the aerial threat."

"It's a red line the rebels and their supporters have crossed," Balanche added.

Syria's revolt is supported by Turkey, several Gulf states and the West, while Russia, China and Iran offer assistance to Assad's regime.

"Now the Russians will certainly give the Syrians more sophisticated equipment," said Balanche.


- AFP

Santiaguito volcano blows its top in Guatemala

The Santiaguito volcano, in western Guatemala, erupted today with “very strong,” with the release of smoke and ash at high altitudes, so the agency has recommended Meteorology restrict air traffic in the area. So far there is no need for an evacuation of the villages closest to the volcano, which is located about 227 kilometers from Guatemala City. 

The director of the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (Insivumeh), Eddy Sanchez, reported that the activity of the volcano at 2,550 meters, and located in the department of Quetzaltenango, started at about 5.30 local time (11.30 GMT ). Sanchez added that the sand and volcanic ash is dispersed within at least a 4 kilometers radius of the volcano. “There is a crater collapse, pyroclastic flows, and notice has already been given to Civil Aviation to restrict air operations in that region,” said the director of the local radio Insivumeh. He also reported they warned the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conrad) to take the necessary precautions. 

Sanchez said the eruption of Santiaguito will last for several hours and urged people to stock up surrounding drinking water because the sand and volcanic ash can contaminate streams that may be harmful to health. The sand and ash has fallen in populations of the departments of Quetzaltenango and Retalhuleu, where they can be affected coffee plantations, according to Sanchez. The volunteer fire departments of these two departments have declared orange alert or prevention, while experts Conrad Insivumeh and keep a constant eye on the evolution of the eruption.


The extinction Protocol

State Senator Proposes Dissolving City Of Detroit

It would no doubt be controversial, but the idea of dissolving the fiscally struggling city of Detroit and absorbing it into Wayne County is being tossed around in Lansing.

WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports some state Republicans are talking about giving the city the option to vote itself into bankruptcy. And mid-Michigan Senator Rick Jones said all options should be considered — including dissolving the city.

“If we have to, that is one idea we have to look at. We really have to look at everything that is on the table,” Jones said. “Again, if this goes to federal bankruptcy, every employee down there will suffer, the city will suffer and the vultures will come in and take the jewels of Detroit and they will be gone.”

Local consultant Tom Watkins has proposed this in the past, but the idea has never played well among Detroiters.

In a live interview on WWJ Newsradio 950 Wednesday morning, Gov. Rick Snyder said he wouldn’t count anything out.

“Detroit needs to solve their problems, but they need support and we’ve been very supportive partners, I believe, in terms of offering different ideas and thoughts. And I just encourage them to work harder about working better together,” Snyder said.

CBS

JAPAN'S MOUNT SAKURAJIMA VOLCANO ERUPTS SPEWING ASH

Netanyahu: UN can't force Israel to compromise on security

In final hours ahead of UNGA's expected approval of PA's bid for non-member status, PM says unilateral move will only distance Palestinians from statehood, adds: World can't sever tie between Jewish people, land of Israel.

With Israel facing a stinging diplomatic defeat Thursday at the UN, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that regardless of how many vote against Israel, "no force in the world will get me to compromise on Israel's security."

He also said no force in the world can sever the thousands-year-old tie between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Relating to the expected overwhelming support of the world to upgrade the Palestinian status at the UN to that of a non-member state, Netanyahu said that the decision will "Not change anything on the ground. It will not further the establishment of a Palestinian state, but will make it more distant."

Netanyahu's comments came while touring an exhibit of recently declassified documents marking the upcoming 35th anniversary of Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.

"Israel's hand is always extended in peace, but a Palestinian state will not be established without recognition of the state of Israel as the state of the Jewish people, without an end-of-conflict declaration, and without true security arrangements that will protect Israel and its citizens."

Netanyahu, who said that none of the conditions he reiterated are even mentioned in the Palestinian's UN resolution, said that peace is only achieved through negotiations, and not by unilateral declarations "which do not take into consideration Israel security needs."

Netanyahu recommended not being impressed by the applause that will likely be heard later at the UN.

"I remember the international community's applause that the government of Israel received when it decided to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza," he said. "We got applause and then rocket fire. We left Gaza, and Iran entered, exactly like what happened in Lebanon."
Netanyahu said he would not enable another Iranian base to be established, this time in Judea and Samaria, a kilometer away from Jerusalem.

"It does not matter how many will vote against us, there is no force in the world that will cause me to compromise on Israeli security and there is no force in the world able to sever the thousands year connection between the people of Israel and the Land of Israel," he said.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that he was unafraid of Israeli reactions to his unilateral statehood bid at the United Nations, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.

"If the Israeli authorities want to threaten my life, they can," Abbas told reporters. "The whole world realizes that the Palestinian Authority, with all its political and security services, and administrative bodies, has been ready to upgrade its status for six years."

Jerusalem Post

Egypt crisis: Assembly rushes to finish constitution

The assembly writing a new Egyptian constitution has convened to start voting on the final draft.

The news came as the constitutional court indicated it would rule on Sunday whether to dissolve the assembly.

The assembly is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists who back President Mohammed Morsi. It is being boycotted by other members.

Egypt's judiciary is in a stand-off with President Morsi after he granted himself sweeping new powers.

Mr Morsi's decree last week has sparked huge protests across the country.

Officials at the constituent assembly said on Wednesday they were finishing the draft constitution, even though Mr Morsi recently extended its deadline until February.

"May God bless us on this day," assembly speaker Hossam el-Gheriyani said at the start of Thursday's session.

The assembly will vote on each of 234 articles in the draft constitution. It will then be sent to Mr Morsi for approval. After that he must put it to a popular referendum.

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo, says issuing a constitution in these circumstances would be a deeply inflammatory move.

Opposition figure and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa told Reuters news agency: "This is nonsensical and one of the steps that shouldn't be taken, given the background of anger and resentment to the current constitutional assembly."'Sacred mission'

Egypt's state-run news agency Mena said on Thursday it had obtained details of the draft constitution.

Mena said it includes a clause on press freedom and says that only courts can suspend or close newspapers.

The assembly also aims to set up a national security council led by the president and consisting of key officials such as the prime minister, defence minister and intelligence chief, Mena said.

Liberal, left-wing and Christian members have boycotted the assembly, accusing the Islamists of trying to impose their vision.

Its latest move appeared to be aimed at dodging a ruling by the constitutional court on Sunday on whether the assembly should be dissolved.

The constitutional court's deputy chairman, Maher Sami, said in a televised speech that the ruling would go ahead.

"The court is determined to rise above its pain and continue its sacred mission until the end, wherever that takes us," he said.

The court has already dissolved the lower house of Egypt's parliament, which was led by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The declaration that sparked protests gave Mr Morsi powers to take any measures to protect the revolution, and stated that no court could overturn his decisions.

It is valid until a new constitution is in place.

Critics accuse Mr Morsi of trying to seize absolute powers.

Supporters say the decrees were needed to protect the gains of the revolution against a judiciary with deep ties to overthrown President Hosni Mubarak.

On Wednesday, Mr Morsi told Time magazine that he would surrender his new powers once a new constitution was in place.

"If we had a constitution, then all of what I have said or done last week will stop," he said.

"I hope, when we have a constitution, what I have issued will stop immediately."

On Monday, Mr Morsi told senior judges that the decrees would be restricted to "sovereign matters" designed to protect institutions.

But judges said they were not satisfied and wanted the measure completely withdrawn.

On Wednesday, judges called a strike, saying appeals courts and the court of cassation would halt work until the decree was revoked.

There have been running protests since the decree was issued, often spilling over into violent clashes between protesters and riot police.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the more radical al-Nour party have called for a counter-protest in Cairo on Saturday.

If approved by the constituent assembly, the draft constitution would then be put to a national referendum.

BBC