War News Updates

Tensions On Iran's Nuclear Program Continues -- News Roundup February 22, 2012

Nuclear Watchdog Team Disappointed After Iran Visit -- CNN

(CNN) -- Two days of talks in Iran went nowhere and the frustration of the global nuclear watchdog agency was palpable in the terse statement it issued afterward.

The International Atomic Energy Agency team could not make progress with Iran. Nor was it able to to visit a military base at Parchin, southeast of Tehran before leaving the country Tuesday.

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More News On Iran's Nuclear Program

UN nuclear inspectors declare Iran mission a disappointment -- The Guardian
IAEA mission to Iran ends in failure; Iran still defiant -- Washington Post
UN nuclear watchdog quits Iran after atomic talks fail -- National Post/Reuters
Iran 'bars' IAEA nuclear inspectors from Parchin site -- BBC
Iran Defiant as IAEA Talks Break Down -- Voice of America
UN watchdog 'denied access to key Iran site' -- Al Jazeera
The site Iran doesn't want inspectors to see -- CNN

Iran Has No Pre-Emptive Strike Policy: Ambassador -- Bloomberg
Iran says pre-emptive strike on 'enemies' possible -- BBC
Iranian commander issues new warning to 'enemies' -- L.A. Times

Russia warns against 'catastrophic' Iran strike -- The Telegraph
Nuclear talks failure heightens Iran tensions -- Arab News
US Warns Against War With Iran -- NPR/The Nation

Israel's risky option on Iran -- Dalia Dassa Kaye, L.A. Times
The test of talking to Iran -- Washington Post editorial
What Will Iran Do if it Gets a Nuclear Bomb? -- Micah Zenko, The Atlantic

Iran's Supreme Leader: 'Atomic Weapons Useless'

Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Wikipedia

Iran's Supreme Leader Denies Tehran Is Seeking Nuclear Weapons -- The Guardian

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says atomic weapons are 'useless, harmful and dangerous' day after IAEA declares visit a failure

Iran's supreme leader has said the Islamic republic is not seeking nuclear weapons, saying they are "useless, harmful and dangerous".

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was speaking after meetings with Iranian nuclear scientists and officials on Wednesday. He did not mention a visit this week to Iran by the UN nuclear watchdog.

The International Atomic Energy Agency team left Tehran on Tuesday without finding any way forward in attempts to persuade Iran to talk about suspected secret work on atomic arms.

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Update: Iran’s top leader vows to pursue nuclear ‘progress,’ not bombs -- Washington Post

My Comment: This is one of those classic moments where you must (according to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) .... listen to what I say, not what I do.

Civil War In Syria -- News Updates February 22, 2012

If They Find You They Will Kill You: Chilling Warning To Veteran War Reporter Marie Colvin Just Days Before She Was Killed In Syrian Rocket Attack -- Daily Mail

* Assad troops pledged to kill 'any journalist who set foot on Syrian soil'
* French photographer Remi Ochlik also died in this morning's shelling
* Both killed in attack on anti-Assad activists' makeshift media centre
* 'They knew if they destroyed the press centre, there'd be no more information coming out of Homs'
* U.S. condemns 'shameless brutality of Assad's regime'

Syrian forces murdered journalist Marie Colvin after pledging to kill 'any journalist who set foot on Syrian soil', it emerged today.

The 55-year-old Sunday Times reporter died alongside French photographer Remi Ochlik, 28, in a rocket attack on the besieged city of Homs this morning.

Communication between Syrian Army officers intercepted by Lebanese intelligence staff has revealed that direct orders were issued to target the makeshift press centre in which Colvin had been broadcasting.

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More News On Syria's Civil War

Syria: Overview -- Yahoo News
Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera

92 killed across Syria as opposition says military intervention may be only solution -- Al Arabiya
Dozens killed in Syria as top military officer defects with hundreds of soldiers -- Haaretz
Assad seeks to bomb Homs into submission, alarms world -- The Sun Daily
27 Young Men Shot Dead in Syria -- Newser

Red Cross Seeks Daily Humanitarian Truce in Syria -- New York Times/Reuters
White House Backs Red Cross Call for Syrian Ceasefires -- Voice of America
Watching the wounded die in Syria's besieged Homs -- Reuters

West slams Syria over killing of journalists -- Yahoo News/AFP
Syria asks foreign journalists to report to government -- Yahoo News/Reuters

US ready to help arm Syrian rebels -- The Australian/AP
US hints at possibility of arming Syrian rebels -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
U.S. appears to allow for possibility of arming Syrian opposition -- Washington Post
US torn over arming Syrian rebels -- Asia Times
US hints at arming Syrian rebels -- Iol News
Force May Be Only Solution in Syria: Opposition SNC -- New York Times/Reuters

Western, Arab powers meet Friday on Syria crisis -- Khaleej Times
Global meeting on Syria faces pressure -- CNN
Syrian opposition group warns on Tunis conference -- AFP
Syrian opposition urges Russia to back aid plan -- AP
Syria's Rebels: Grasping at Straws, Assad's Opposition Turns to Russia -- Time
Russia Refuses To Attend International Meeting On Syria -- Radio Free Europe
Russia refuses to attend Syria meeting -- Reuters
Syrian Allies Reject Calls for Unified Pressure to Halt Violence -- New York Times
Russia Backs Proposal for Truce in Syria -- Wall Street Journal
Saudi tells Russia president Syria dialogue futile: report -- DAWN/AFP
Saudi Arabia says no use in dialogue in Syria -- Daily Star
Saudi king tells Medvedev dialogue on Syria ‘futile’ -- Al Arabiya
China "studying" invite to meeting on Syria: foreign ministry -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters
Fears abound that Syria diplomacy may be exhausted -- Jerusalem Post
Russia boosts arms sales to Syria despite world pressure -- Reuters

Golan Druse support for Syria regime cracking -- Yahoo News/AP
Israel Watches Syria, Hopefully, but Warily -- New York Times
U.N. Rights Experts Demand Release of Syrian Activists -- New York Times/Reuters
Syria's banks face struggle to survive as turmoil spreads -- Yahoo News/Reuters

Ex-Mossad chief sees opportunity in Syrian crisis -- Jerusalem Post
Why is the west refusing to interfere in Syria? -- Elias Harfoush, Al Arabiya
Syria stalemate: Is Russia pushing Mideast into cold-war style conflict? -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor
Syria timeline: how the conflict has escalated - interactive -- The Guardian

Two Western Journalists Killed While Covering Syria's Civil War

Syria: War Reporter Marie Colvin and Photographer Rémi Ochlik Are Killed -- Time

A celebrated American-born war reporter and a young French photographer were killed on Wednesday morning when Syrian forces bombed a makeshift media center in the besieged city of Homs. The tragedy shook the disparate community of conflict journalists gathered there, not least in highlighting the degree to which risks are intensifying for those covering Syria's march to civil war.

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More News On The Death Of Two Western Journalists In Syria

Marie Colvin killed: Syrian forces had pledged to kill 'any journalist who set foot on Syrian soil' -- The Telegraph
Syria Shelling of Homs Kills 2 Western Journalists -- ABC News/AP
American war reporter Marie Colvin killed in Syria -- AP
Western journalists killed in Syria attack -- Sydney Morning Herald
Remi Ochlik: the French photographer killed alongside Marie Colvin -- The Telegraph
Journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik die in Homs, Syria -- BBC
Marie Colvin, American-born journalist killed in Syria, remembered as fearless -- New York Daily News
American, French journalist killed in Syrian bombardment of Homs (+video) -- Christian Science Monitor
Syria Shelling Kills 2 Western Journalists -- Voice of America
Two journalists were killed in the escalating bombardment of Homs -- Foreign Policy
Remi Ochlik: I expected to see horrible things. Yes, I was afraid -- The Guardian
French photographer, 28, killed in Syria -- CBS/AP
David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Rupert Murdoch pay tribute to Marie Colvin -- The Guardian
Deaths of journalists in Syria highlight dangers -- CNN
Profiles: Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik -- BBC

Abkhaz President Survives Assassination Attempt

Abkhaz President Survives 5th Assassination Attempt -- RIA Novosti

The attack occurred on Wednesday morning near the town of Gudauta when Ankvab was going to work in the capital of the region, Sukhumi, Abkhaz Chief of State Security Services Anri Bogua said.

A remote controlled mine blew up as the presidential cortege was making its way to the city, hitting an escort vehicle. One car was completely burnt out and a deep crater was formed at the site of the explosion. The tabloid website LifeNews reported that bodyguards shielded the president from gunshots that followed the explosion. One of the guards was killed and another was seriously injured.

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More News On The Assassination Attempt Against The Abkhaz President

Abkhazia Georgia leader Ankvab escapes deadly ambush -- BBC
President of Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia survives assassination attempt -- Washington Post/AP
Abkhaz Leader Survives Yet Another Assassination Attempt -- Radio Free Europe
Attack on Abkhazia leader kills bodyguard -- AFP
President of Abkhazia Survives Assassination Attempt -- New York Times
Attempt on life of Abkhazian president -- RT
Abkhaz leader survives assassination attempt -- Al Jazeera
Alexander Ankvab, president of Abkhazia, survives attack on convoy -- Global Post