Continuation of the national emergency with respect to Sudan

(APO)/ -- On November 3, 1997, by Executive Order 13067, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Sudan, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan. On April 26, 2006, in Executive Order 13400, the President determined that the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region posed an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, expanded the scope of the national emergency to deal with that threat, and ordered the blocking of property of certain persons connected to the conflict. On October 13, 2006, the President issued Executive Order 13412 to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency and to implement the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-344).

Because the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on November 3, 1997, as expanded on April 26, 2006, and with respect to which additional steps were taken on October 13, 2006, must continue in effect beyond November 3, 2009. Therefore, consistent with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Sudan.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage

Producers of THE THIRD JIHAD Support Calls from Congress to Investigate Activities of CAIR

/PRNewswire/ -- The producers of the hard-hitting documentary The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision for America, applaud the demand of Congressmen Sue Myrick (NC), Trent Franks (AZ), John Shadegg (AZ), and Paul Broun (GA) to open an investigation into the activities of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Capitol Hill.

This past week, the new book 'Muslim Mafia' charges CAIR with planting interns in the House Homeland Security Committee, Intelligence Committee and Judiciary Committee to affect legislative policy by acting as "spies" for CAIR.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Congress earlier this year, Congresswoman Myrick warned her fellow colleagues to cut all ties with CAIR, noting, "The FBI has cut ties with them."

CAIR claims to be America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, but its founders have allegedly been linked to radical organizations. CAIR was publicly named as one of 306 unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation trial, the largest terror funding trial in the United States. An exclusive clip from The Third Jihad about the founders of CAIR, and the Holy Land Foundation trial can be viewed at: www.thethirdjihad.com/exclusive_clips_test.php.

Upon watching The Third Jihad, Congresswoman Myrick stated that, "All Americans should see this DVD. It presents a clear picture of the threat of Radical Islam--even within our own borders."

"Many Americans remain unaware of the threat that radicals present to our civil liberties and the American way of life," stated Raphael Shore, Executive Producer of The Third Jihad.

Executive Producer Raphael Shore and Director Wayne Kopping are available for interviews.

The Third Jihad, the newest offering from the producers of the award-winning documentary film, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, explores the growth of radical Islam in America.

The film, narrated by devout Muslim American Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, opens with the following statement: "This is not a film about Islam. It is about the threat of radical Islam. Only a small percentage of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are radical. This film is about them."

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

U.S. Department of State/ Sudan Strategy

(APO) In the past, the United States' approach to Sudan has been reactive rather than proactive and narrowly focused on emerging crises. The new strategy focuses on reinvigorating the international support that is critical to building peace and security in Sudan. The strategy is the first comprehensive U.S. policy on Sudan that recognizes the links between the Darfur and implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. More importantly, the strategy is based on a policy of “verify, then trust” such that backsliding on CPA implementation or failure by any party to work to resolve the situation in Darfur is met with credible pressure, leveraged by the United States or the international community. These changes, while seemingly simple, are significant and allow us to begin the necessary long-term planning and coordination at all levels of government.

Our history in dealing with the complex challenges in Sudan has taught the importance of:

A full-time special envoy central to the approach

An approach that is integrated, comprehensive, and uses all elements of influence to achieve our strategic objectives

A frank dialogue by the Special Envoy with the Government of Sudan about what needs to be accomplished, how the bilateral relationship can improve if conditions transform, and how the government would become even more isolated if conditions remain the same or worsen. The dialogue must be based on a policy of “verify, then trust”

Broadening the multilateral coalition actively working to achieve peace in Darfur and the full implementation of the CPA. Backsliding by any party will be met with credible, meaningful disincentives leveraged by Washington and the international community

Sudan is one of the largest and most devastating humanitarian crises of the 21st century: over 2 million people were killed in the decades-long war between north and south and hundreds of thousands died and millions displaced as the result of genocide in Darfur. In addition, it is one of the most important and complex political and security challenges in Africa.

When the administration began the policy review on Sudan nearly seven months ago, it was with the clear understanding that any resulting strategy to address these enormous challenges would need to encompass the whole of government, the international community, and stakeholders from civil society. The U.S. Strategy on Sudan is a result of extensive interagency coordination and planning at the highest levels and well as a frank dialogue with our partners in the international community, congress, and advocacy groups.

The strategy recognizes that any durable solution to the conflict in Darfur must be inclusive of all segments of Darfuri society and address the root causes of the conflict – including political representation and development – as well as compensation for survivors and reconciliation. For this reason, the United States is working aggressively to find ways of including the voices of Darfuri civil society representatives in peace talks.

This new strategy comes only months prior to significant deadlines in the CPA being reached, and therefore reflects the urgency with which we view those milestones, to include national elections and a referendum on southern succession. The Strategy outlines how the United States will work closely with its international partners to: provide assistance for elections in 2010 and the referendum on southern self-determination in 2011; support efforts to push for the timely and transparent demarcation of the North-South border, support conflict resolution mechanisms within southern Sudan and along the north-south border; and Promote Improved Governing Capacity and Greater Transparency in Southern Sudan.

Source: US Department of State

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Forces in Afghanistan Kill, Detain Militants

Afghan and international forces killed militants Friday in a clash in which a woman and child died in the crossfire, killed several more enemy fighters in a separate operation, and arrested more than a dozen militants yesterday who had set up an illegal checkpoint, military officials reported.

Militants attacked Afghan National Police and an international security force working to interdict suspected militants believed responsible for attacks in Afghanistan's Ghazni province today. The combined force returned fire, killing two of the attackers, officials said, and found a woman and school-aged girl who apparently were accidently killed in the crossfire when they entered the building.

"Afghanistan continues to be a dangerous place, and we are genuinely sorry when any Afghan civilians are killed," said Army Col. Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. "Our operational planning tries to prevent any casualties, but our enemy continues to engage our forces without regard for any Afghan civilians in the area. However, I believe our partnership with the Afghan forces conducting patrols such as this will bring more security to this area and prevent more innocent Afghans from being killed or injured."

In a separate operation today, an Afghan and international security force killed enemy militants and detained several suspected militants during a search in Wardak province for a Taliban commander and his element responsible for recent attacks in the region. The combined force received rocket-propelled grenade fire and returned fire, killing the militants.

In another operation in Paktika province today, several suspected militants were detained after a search of buildings known to be used by a Haqqani terrorist network facilitator and his element. The suspects are believed responsible for financing and supplying weapons and ammunition to other militant groups in the region.

In other news, Afghan and international forces detained more than a dozen suspected militants staging an illegal checkpoint yesterday on a highway in the Urgun district of Paktika province.

Delivery truck drivers informed the combined force that the militants were making them pay taxes.

The detained militants had assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, a body-armor vest and six ammunition belts. The combined force confiscated those items and two vehicles and turned them over to the Afghan National Police.

(From a NATO International Security Assistance Force news release. American Forces Press Service)

Iraqi Forces Arrest Six Terrorism Suspects

Iraqi security forces, working with U.S. advisors, arrested six terrorism suspects Thursday and Friday in four operations in Iraq, military officials reported.

During a security operation in Kirkuk today, an Iraqi emergency services unit arrested two suspects while searching for a vehicle-bomb network member with ties to al-Qaida in Iraq. The security team questioned two suspects during a building search and arrested them after determining they posed a threat to the community.

Near Muqdaadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police arrested two suspects today during another security operation. The security team encountered and questioned the suspects while searching for a man known to have close ties to leaders of both al-Qaida in Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist group.

In Baghdad yesterday, Iraqi police arrested a suspected Baghdad-based al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed to have transported large quantities of explosives into Iraq to facilitate large-scale attacks in urban areas. Intelligence reports indicate he also helped to bring foreign fighters into Iraq to stage attacks against civilians and security forces. The suspect also allegedly is involved in kidnapping, document forgery and other criminal activity, officials said.

In a separate operation yesterday, Iraqi soldiers searched two buildings in western Mosul for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader operating in the area. Based on evidence found during the search, they arrested a man identified as a criminal accomplice suspected of smuggling Syrian foreign fighters into Iraq to carry out attacks against Iraqi and U.S. forces.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases. American Forces Press Service)

From Jihad Watch:

Fitzgerald: What the collapse of Israel would cost
"Online reports of a study by the US Central Intelligence Agency cast doubt over the survival of Israel beyond the next two decades. Regardless of the validity of the report, with what is now known about the costs in blood and treasure that the U.S.-Israeli relationship has imposed on the...
read more
Oct 17, 2009 08:15 am Hugh

UN Human Rights Council and Gaza Report: "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN... Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting" - Daniel, ch. 5: 25-27
Comments by David G. Littman, NGO Representative to the United Nations in Geneva for the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and the Association for World Education (AWE), speaking this time in a joint statement for WUPJ and the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC): The promised follow-up to "Jihad is its...
read more

Somalia: Ramadan quiz winners get prizes of guns and grenades
"The reason the young men were rewarded with weapons is to encourage them to participate in the ongoing holy war against the enemies of Allah in Somalia," said Sheikh Abdullahi Alhaq. Monty Hall he ain't. I'd rather have the latest from Speidel. They were being quizzed on, among other things,...
read more

U.S. Senate Challenges President Obama With Missile Defense Vote

/PRNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, President and Chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org has reviewed the missile defense vote in the Senate on Tuesday, October 6th, and concluded that the Senate wants to keep open the option for developing and potentially basing the ground-based interceptor in either Europe or the U.S. He informed MDAA members of this in an Alert . His comments and observations include the following:

"Last night, Members of the United States Senate passed, with overwhelming support, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, directing Lt. General Patrick O'Reilly, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, to provide options by February 1st next year to deploy an additional Ground-Based Interceptor site in Europe or the United States to provide defense for our nation against future long-range missiles from Iran. The Amendment SA 2616, further appropriated $151 million for the development and testing of the two-stage Ground-Based Interceptor, which was developed for the recently canceled European missile defense site, at Redzikowo, Poland. This two-stage Ground-Based Interceptor missile is in place as two are built and one of them is due to be launched and tested next June, as there remains 'high-confidence' in its capability, since it is exactly the same technology as the currently deployed three-stage Ground-Based Interceptor without the third stage."

"This is a positive first step by our nation's congressional representatives to address the lack of equal and adequate long range missile protection to our Eastern and Southeastern regions of our nation from Iran that was not adequately addressed in President Obama's 'new missile defense architecture.' In President Obama's plan, equal long-range missile protection of the United States from Iran would be provided by a sea- and land-based, non-existent and untested SM-3 Block-2 missile starting in 2020. In addition, these future mobile SM-3 interceptors with ICBM capability have recently become controversial with Russia as they will be deployed in mass, suggesting a diplomatic possibility that they may not be deployed. To provide a 'hedge' against Iran ballistic missile development, President Obama needs to rapidly accelerate the SM-3 Block 2 missile development and provide an additional ground-based missile defense site with interceptors in the United States or Europe."

"It should be noted that two years ago, the Combat Commander of NORTHCOM General Renuart, who is directly responsible for the protection of the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, completed a NORTHCOM GBI study to look at other alternatives to the recently canceled site in Poland to provide adequate long-range missile defense to North America. This study concluded and recommended that a previous Nike Zeus missile defense site of the 1960's at Fort Drum located in upper New York was the most preferable option. A missile defense site at Fort Drum, New York would provide the necessary 'high confidence' and equal protection to the Eastern and Southeastern United States from a long-range ballistic missile threat from Iran that is not in place today. Having a site located in the United States in a previous missile location would lower the risk, expedite the deployment and provide added necessary long-range protection to the United States within three years from now, seven years or more faster than the current missile defense architecture plan announced by Secretary of Defense Gates and President Obama."

Ellison closed his remarks saying: "We at MDAA concur with the Members of the Senate who drafted this amendment and all those who overwhelmingly voted for it."

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Israel's Protection from Iran Rests With President Obama

/PRNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org, has analyzed the current situation with Iran and given his comments below. Ellison is one of the top lay experts in missile defense in the world:

A momentous week of unveiling Iran's second nuclear site, which confirmed their intention to disperse and protect non-civilian nuclear development, coupled with their ballistic missile launches over the weekend from 90 miles to 1,200 miles requires close examination of President Obama's new direction of our nation's missile defense. Iran has not invested nor demonstrated interest in developing or deploying large scale aircraft further exemplifying its intent to project power beyond its borders with ballistic missiles and progress down an aggressive path to become a new nuclear power that will threaten its national security interests. The overall intelligence assessment of Iran has not changed from previous National Intelligence Estimates of years past, as Iran steadily maintains its development to have ballistic capability by 2015 or earlier to strike Europe and the United States. President Obama's new missile defense architecture has its core component of Aegis Ashore (land based SM3) to be deployed at the earliest by 2018 and a long range SM3 Block II deployed missile to protect the US and Europe from long range missiles by 2020. The previous Administration missile defense plan had deployments in place to protect Europe and the US by 2015, three to five years earlier than the current plan. This Administration is betting the security of our nation, our 80,000 deployed men and women deployed in Europe and our allies, to be unprotected and not be threatened by Iran, on a shift in their perception of an intelligence estimate by the Department of Defense that shows that Iran has slowed down its development and deployment of ballistic missiles. Our nation will put forward an estimated minimum of 3.5 billion to 4 billion U.S. tax dollars and another 1 billion dollars (if you include the cost of the Aegis ships) for a total of around 5 billion U.S. tax dollars to protect our troops, allies and friends in Europe. For the state of Israel, the ballistic missile threat from Iran is here today - as demonstrated by the Iranian missiles fired this weekend that went beyond the range of Israel. Added to this reality, the two Iranian nuclear sites hidden and well-protected deep underground pose an excruciating national security issue for Israel and for the Middle East region. If Israel is not protected nor has adequate missile defense to prevent zero leakage from ballistic missiles on its major cities, it will be provoked to unilaterally protect itself and use pre-emptive military action. This becomes a considerable challenge when the Iranian nuclear facilities are heavily fortified underground, bunker buster bombs and air re-fuelers for Israel aircraft have to be provided by the United States with President Obama's permission, as well as the potential of a retaliatory ballistic missile strike by Iran whether Israel succeeds or not.

Israel today does not have the missile defense protection it needs as it is reliant on old, antiquated explosive technology in its Arrow program and does not have midcourse interceptors to provide a layered defense that would give an additional option to the government there. It is paramount that the United States provide elements of our current missile defense systems such as the Patriot, the THAAD, the Aegis and the future Aegis Ashore to Israel as well as support Israel's own domestic developments of missile defense as a first priority in President Obama's new missile defense architecture. This Administration not only needs to support in resources all of what it has announced, President Obama needs to accelerate with urgency its development and deployment of his new missile defense architecture to meet the threat or face the grave consequences of putting Israel, our troops, our allies and our nation at high and unnecessary risk. This is too high of a gamble to bet the national security of our nation and others with a positive diplomatic outcome that has a history of failures on US and international persuasion and influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Smoke and mirrors, political posturing and appeasement is not the right course of action to have confidence to protect our people and those of the world from a real and present danger.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Foreign Nations

/PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Justice announced September 26 that three detainees have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the governments of Ireland and Yemen.

As directed by the President's Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of each of these cases. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer from Guantanamo Bay. In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer each of these detainees at least 15 days before their transfer.

Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed, a native of Yemen was transferred to the government of Yemen. On May 4, 2009, a federal court ruled that Ahmed may no longer be detained under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force and ordered the government to release him from detention at Guantanamo Bay.

In addition, two additional detainees were transferred to the government of Ireland. Pursuant to a request from the government of Ireland, the identities of these detainees are being withheld for security and privacy reasons.

These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and the governments of Yemen and Ireland. The United States has coordinated with the governments of each of these nations to ensure the transfers take place under appropriate security measures and will continue to consult with these governments regarding these detainees.

Since 2002, more than 550 detainees have departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, France, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

JCRC Calls Iran a 'Rogue Nation Whose Leadership Cannot Be Trusted'

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The JCRC of Greater Washington (Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington) calls upon Congress to immediately pass The Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act and the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act to prevent Iran from acquiring the nuclear weapons they have threatened to use against Israel. We call upon President Obama and U.S. allies to remain steadfast in denying Iran the ability to produce weapons of mass destruction.

Two days after Iranian President Ahmadinejad delivered an anti-Semitic and anti-American rant at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly denying Iranian nuclear weapon ambitions, it has been revealed that Iran has concealed the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant buried underneath a mountain near the ancient city of Qom. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the existence of this secret facility, which President Obama this morning declared "inconsistent with that of a peaceful facility." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined the President in his condemnation of Iranian rule-breaking.

Today's revelation demonstrates that Iran is a rogue nation whose leadership cannot be trusted.

News of this hidden plant arrives one week prior to the first official U.S.-Iranian talks in thirty years. The Geneva discussions will include Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.

The revelation of a secret nuclear enrichment facility demonstrates Iran's continued defiance of international commitments and determination to develop weapons of mass destruction. Yesterday hundreds of people in D.C. joined thousands across the nation to rally in opposition to Iran's nuclear ambitions, human rights abuses and support for international terrorism.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Pelosi Statement on Iran's Covert Nuclear Facility

/PRNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today concerning revelations that Iran has built a covert facility for uranium enrichment:

"Iran's effort to conceal a major nuclear facility sends a clear signal that the regime has not worked in good faith to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons in the Middle East and around the world.

"One of the strongest pillars of America's national security is non-proliferation, and I commend President Obama for standing with fellow leaders to condemn this development and call on Iran to cooperate in our pursuit of a world free of weapons of mass destruction.

"An Iran with nuclear weapons is simply unacceptable. It is a threat to the region, to the United States, and to our allies across the globe. Iran must take the necessary steps to demonstrate its willingness to live as a peaceful partner in the international community. And we must use the tools at our disposal -- from diplomacy to sanctions -- to stop Iran's march toward nuclear capability."

----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

7,000 Rally Against Ahmadinejad in New York

/PRNewswire/ -- 7,000 Iranians staged a rally outside the United Nations in New York on Wednesday, to protest against the presence of the Iranian regime's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at the United Nations. The participants declared their support for recent uprisings in Iran and the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq, home to members of Iran's main opposition.

The protesters said Ahmadinejad and the regime lacked any legitimacy in the eyes of the Iranian people, who through their uprisings during the past three months showed that they want the mullahs out.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, told the rally through a video message that the West's policy of appeasement was completely out of touch with the reality of today's Iran.

"The policy of 'direct negotiations without precondition' that intended to miraculously end nuclear tensions has failed. Once again I reiterate that thwarting this regime's nuclear threat has one and only one solution and that is democratic change in Iran. The Iranian people through their uprising and resistance will eventually determine the fate of this regime. But the backward policy of appeasement has not only failed but is ethically wrong," Rajavi stressed.

Speakers said the Iranian people have demonstrated that they have the will, the courage and the capability to bring about democratic change in Iran. The world must stand with them. "Instead of addressing the UN, Ahmadinejad must face an international tribunal for crimes against humanity and his regime be compelled to accept free elections under UN supervision," they added.

The Iranians emphasized that the U.S. must guarantee the rights of the Ashraf residents in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law in order to prevent violence against them and their forcible displacement. They also called on the U.S. to take immediate measures to secure the release of the 36 residents abducted by the Iraqi agents of the Iranian regime.

They called on the UN to make necessary arrangements for deployment of a UN supervised monitoring team in Ashraf and to ensure that the fundamental rights, safety and security of the residents of Ashraf are protected.

Several members of Congress, including Carolyn Meloney (D-NY), Ted Poe (R-TX), and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) send messages of support for the rally's objectives.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Fact Sheet on the United Nations Security Council Summit on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Disarmament UNSC Resolution 1887

"We harbor no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons. We know there are plenty of cynics, and that there will be setbacks to prove their point. But there will also be days like today that push us forward – days that tell a different story. It is the story of a world that understands that no difference or division is worth destroying all that we have built and all that we love. It is a recognition that can bring people of different nationalities and ethnicities and ideologies together. In my own country, it has brought Democrats and Republican leaders together."
President Barack Obama

In an historic meeting, the United Nations Security Council today convened at the head of state/government level and unanimously cosponsored and adopted a resolution committing to work toward a world without nuclear weapons and endorsing a broad framework of actions to reduce global nuclear dangers.

The meeting, which was called for and chaired by President Obama during the United States’ Presidency of the Security Council, shows concrete progress and growing international political will behind the nuclear agenda that President Obama announced in his speech in Prague in April 2009.

The session was the fifth Summit-level meeting of the Council in its 63 years of existence and the first time that a Security Council Summit has been chaired by a U.S. President.

The new measure, UNSC Resolution 1887, expresses the Council’s grave concern about the threat of nuclear proliferation and the need for international action to prevent it. It reaffirms that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery are threats to international peace and security and shows agreement on a broad range of actions to address nuclear proliferation and disarmament and the threat of nuclear terrorism. Broadly, the resolution supports:

A revitalized commitment to work toward a world without nuclear weapons, and calls for further progress on nuclear arms reductions, urging all states to work towards the establishment of effective measures of nuclear arms reduction and disarmament.

A strengthened Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a Review Conference in 2010 that achieves realistic and achievable goals in all three pillars: nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The resolution supports universality of the NPT, calls on all states to adhere to its terms and makes clear the Council’s intent to immediately address any notice of intent to withdraw from the Treaty. The resolution also notes the ongoing efforts in the NPT review to identify mechanisms for responding collectively to any notification of withdrawal.

Better security for nuclear weapons materials to prevent terrorists from acquiring materials essential to make a bomb, including through the convening of a Nuclear Security Summit in 2010, locking down vulnerable nuclear weapons materials in four years, a goal originally proposed by President Obama, minimizing the civil use of highly enriched uranium to the extent feasible, and encouraging the sharing of best practices as a practical way to strengthen nuclear security and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and the G-8 Global Partnership.

The Security Council’s authority and vital role in addressing the threat to international peace and security posed by the spread of nuclear weapons and underscoring the Council’s intent to take action if nuclear weapons or related material are provided to terrorists.

Addressing the current major challenges to the nonproliferation regime, demanding full compliance with Security Council resolutions on Iran and North Korea and calling on the parties to find an early negotiated solution.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) essential role in preventing nuclear proliferation and ensuring access to peaceful uses of nuclear energy under effective safeguards. This is particularly important to ensure that the growing interest in nuclear energy does not result in additional countries with nuclear weapons capabilities.

Encouraging efforts to ensure development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in a framework that reduces proliferation risk and adheres to the highest standards for safeguards, security and safety and recognizing the inalienable right of parties to the NPT to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

National efforts to make it more difficult for proliferating states and non-state actors to access the international financial system as well as efforts to strengthen export controls on proliferation-related materials and stronger detection, deterrence and disruption of illicit trafficking in such materials.

Key nuclear agreements, including START follow-on agreement, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and its 2005 Amendment.

UNSC Resolution 1887 includes new provisions to deter withdrawal from the NPT and to ensure that nuclear energy is used in a framework that reduces proliferation dangers and adheres to high standards for security. The Council committed to address without delay any state’s notification of withdrawal from the NPT and affirmed that states will be held responsible for any violations of the NPT committed prior to their withdrawal from the Treaty.

The Council also endorsed important norms to reduce the likelihood that a peaceful nuclear program can be diverted to a weapons program, including support for stricter national export controls on sensitive nuclear technologies and having nuclear supplier states consider compliance with safeguards agreements when making decisions about nuclear exports and reserve the right to require that material and equipment provided prior to termination be returned if safeguards agreements are abrogated .

The Council also expressed strong support for ensuring the IAEA has the authority and resources necessary to carry out its mission to verify both the declared use of nuclear materials and facilities and the absence of undeclared activities and affirmed the Council’s resolve to support the IAEA’s efforts to verify whether states are in compliance with their safeguards obligations.

The resolution calls upon states to conclude safeguards agreements and an Additional Protocol with the IAEA, so that the IAEA will be in a position to carry out all of the inspections necessary to ensure that materials and technology from peaceful nuclear uses are not used to support a weapons program. The Council also endorsed IAEA work on multilateral approaches to the fuel cycle, including assurances of fuel supply to make it easier for countries to choose not to develop enrichment and reprocessing capabilities.

These steps are important in helping address situations where a country uses access to the civilian nuclear benefits of the NPT to cloak a nascent nuclear weapons program and then withdraws from the NPT once it has acquired sufficient technical expertise for its weapons program.

The resolution strengthens implementation for resolution 1540 which requires governments to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and their means of delivery. Full implementation of resolution 1540 by all UN member states will require additional financial and political support. The Council reaffirmed the need to give added impetus to the implementation of resolution 1540 by highlighting the options for improving the funding of the 1540 Committee’s activities, including through a voluntary trust fund, and reinforcing the Council’s commitment to ensure effective and sustainable support for the 1540 Committee’s activities.

The Security Council meeting was attended by:

President Barack Obama, United States of America
President Óscar Arias Sánchez, Republic of Costa Rica
President Stjepan Mesic, Republic of Croatia
President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, Russian Federation
President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, United Mexican States
President Heinz Fischer, Republic of Austria
President Nguyen Minh Triet, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Republic of Uganda
President Hu Jintao, People’s Republic of China
President Nicolas Sarkozy, France
President Blaise Compaoré, Burkina Faso
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Japan
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Republic of Turkey
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General
Director General Mohamed Elbaradei, International Atomic Energy Agency
Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham, Permanent Representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya


-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

'Time is Running Out' to Prevent Nuclear Iran

/PRNewswire/ -- Former U.S. Senators Daniel Coats and Charles Robb and General (ret.) Charles Wald, members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Security Initiative, today released a report warning that "time is running out" to prevent a nuclear weapons-capable Iran. Concluding that "the Islamic Republic will be able to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon by 2010," the report, entitled "Meeting the Challenge: Time is Running Out," calls on the Obama Administration to adopt a more forceful, phased strategy towards Iran, including: accelerated, defined diplomatic engagement; more "coercive" international sanctions; and, if Iranian defiance continues unabated, potential surgical military action.

Remarking on the need to update the original report, the authors jointly stated, "We are alarmed by how much progress Iran has made toward obtaining nuclear weapons capability and remain skeptical about the sincerity of Iran's new-found willingness to negotiate. We hope that the bipartisan strategy we propose can help guide our government to resolve this difficult and urgent national security challenge."

Emphasizing that a nuclear weapons-capable Iran would be "strategically untenable," the authors argue that the current U.S. approach does not reflect the rapid progress of Iran's nuclear program. It is this advancing Iranian threat and the desire to avoid a possible Israeli military strike, the authors argue, that should drive U.S. policy--not concerns over Iran's political turmoil.

The authors applaud President Obama's attempts at diplomatic outreach and call upon the international community to join together in imposing sanctions on Iran's banking and energy sectors following next week's G-20 summit. Noting that Russia and China are unlikely to support such sanctions, the report states that the efficacy of sanctions will largely depend upon the willingness of key European nations to curtail their commercial ties to Iran.

Should increased pressure on Tehran not yield credible progress by the end of 2009, the authors recommend that "the Obama Administration should elevate consideration of the military option." They argue that "the U.S. military is more than capable of launching a devastating strike against Iranian nuclear and military facilities," and that "only the credible threat of a U.S. military strike will make a peaceful resolution of the crisis possible."

This report is an update of a BPC report issued in September 2008, entitled "Meeting the Challenge: U.S. Policy Toward Iranian Nuclear Development," that was the result of a high-level bipartisan task force. The entire group could not be reconstituted, as some members are now serving in the Obama Administration. The co-chairs of the original task force--Senators Daniel Coats and Charles Robb--together with General (ret.) Charles Wald, felt that the political, technological, diplomatic, and military developments of the past year needed to be addressed.

Calling on the U.S. political leadership to make hard choices, the authors argue "we cannot shirk responsibilities that will protect the national security interests of our country."

For more information on "Meeting the Challenge: Time is Running Out," or the BPC's National Security Initiative, please visit: www.bipartisanpolicy.org/.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Over 10,000 Have Viewed The Third Jihad as Part of 9/11 Free Online Streaming Campaign

/PRNewswire/ -- The producers of The Third Jihad announced that more than 10,000 concerned Americans have watched the film as part of an initiative to stream the film to the public free of charge on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

The film (regularly priced at $19.95) is available for free streaming in its entirety through Tuesday, September 15 on the film's official website: www.TheThirdJihad.com.

"Tens of thousands of concerned citizens have already seen this important film," said Raphael Shore, Executive Producer of The Third Jihad. "Together we need to educate thousands more if we are to stand up and mobilize against the threat of radical Islam in the U.S."

The film is being made available as part of a grassroots initiative to educate the public about the threat that radical Islam continues to pose to national security and the American way of life.

"It is important to remember the motivations behind the worst attacks on American soil since the civil war--and to recognize that these same motivations remain eight years later," added Shore.

Individuals are encouraged to watch The Third Jihad and share the film with others. The free stream can also be embedded on any website, blog, Facebook page or social media platform.

Instructions for embedding the stream can be found here: http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/4aa51fdf90e8bc0a

"Almost a decade after the 9/11 attacks, radicals continue their fight with persistent attacks on our freedoms and democracy. These attacks take place daily in our courtrooms, our press, our banks, our prisons and even in our children's schools."

Viewers are encouraged to purchase the DVD to support this educational project. In addition, special screening kits are available for those who wish to screen the film to family, friends and communities.

The Third Jihad, the newest offering from the producers of the award-winning documentary film, Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, explores the growth of radical Islam in America.

The film, narrated by devout Muslim American Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, opens with the following statement: "This is not a film about Islam. It is about the threat of radical Islam. Only a small percentage of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims are radical. This film is about them."

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page