London, 25 Mar – Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and the United Nations, has written a commentary in The Wall Street Journal urging the Obama administration not to let Iraq fall into Iran’s hands and suggesting steps forward to help Baghdad out of the crises it currently faces.
The following is the full text of Khalilzad’s opinion piece:
New York, 24 Mar – The Obama administration on Thursday announced the indictment of seven Iranian hackers for a coordinated campaign of cyber attacks on dozens of US banks and a New York dam from 2011 to 2013, signaling an effort by US officials to more publicly confront cyber crime waged on behalf of foreign nations.
The indictment, filed in a federal court in New York City, described the suspects, who live in Iran, as “experienced computer hackers” believed to have been working on behalf of the Iranian government.
Iran Focus
Geneva, 24 Mar – The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday voted to extend the mandate of the world body’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.
The decision to extend Ahmed Shaheed’s mandate was adopted by a 20 to 15 vote, with 11 abstentions.
Bold changes in Iraq, including eviction of all “Iranian proxies” who have “contaminated” Iraqi politics and the Iraqi economy, are needed to prevent the country from falling into darkness, argues Struan Stevenson of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.
The following is the text of his article on Thursday in The Huffington Post:
Washington, 24 Mar – The Obama administration paid Iran nearly $2 billion in a ‘ransom payment’ to release US prisoners after at least two years of secret talks between Washington and Tehran, the Mail Online reported.
Five prisoners were freed by Iran in January this year, with a $1.7 billion payment heading from the US to the Islamic republic that day, according to official documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
New York, 24 Mar – A consultant to Iran’s mission to the United Nations has been criminally charged with violating a United States law against dealing with that country, according to an indictment made public on Wednesday.
Ahmad Sheikhzadeh, 60, faces seven charges including conspiracy to evade US sanctions against Iran, money laundering, and helping arrange false tax returns, the 18 May indictment said.
Iran Focus
London, 23 Mar – Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi has “strongly condemned” the deadly spate of bombings on Tuesday in Brussels, describing them as a “crime against humanity”.
A statement released by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) on Tuesday said: “Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, strongly condemned the terrorist attacks at Brussels’ airport and subway station as a crime against humanity. While offering her condolences to the Belgian people and government, she expressed her sincere sympathies to the families of the victims of this terrorist crime and wished for the recovery of the injured.”
Tokyo, 23 Mar – Ship insurers have stepped in to help plug a shortfall in cover for transporting Iranian oil resulting from the fact that U.S. reinsurers are still restrained by Washington’s sanctions, according to officials involved in the initiative, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
International oil and shipping companies have been eager to boost business with Iran since international sanctions related to its nuclear program were lifted in January, but securing proper insurance cover has been among the stumbling blocks in recent weeks.
Washington, 23 Mar – A key United States Senate Democrat drew a stark contrast with the Obama administration over its diplomatic engagement with Iran on Tuesday, in a sign of lingering tensions in some corners of the party.
In remarks at the annual AIPAC policy conference, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) forcefully denounced the international nuclear accord reached with Iran last year, which President Obama has described as a pillar of his legacy, The Hill reported.
Iran Focus
Washington, 23 Mar – A resolution with bi-partisan support has been submitted to the United States House of Representatives seeking international protection for members of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK).
Resolution ‘H. RES. 650’ was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on 17 March by Republican Rep. Ted Poe and has been co-sponsored by the Republican chairman of the foreign affairs committee Rep. Ed Royce and Democratic Reps. Brian Higgins, Albio Sires, and Brad Sherman.
