Monthly archive : "December, 2013"

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My exclusive interview with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern

My exclusive interview with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern

Iran Review - Kourosh Ziabari: Someone who has spent nearly three decades of his life in service of the world’s most sophisticated and intricate intelligence agency is perhaps in the best position to comment on some of the most important issues ahead of the U.S. foreign policy. As confirmed by tens of policy advisers and academicians, the United States sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran’s nuclear program as two of its most demanding and exigent foreign policy challenges. It is also facing the problem of legitimacy in the Muslim world as many people in such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf consider Washington’s foreign policy as aggressive and unproductive. The continued...

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Glaring Western hypocrisy on the notion of human rights

Glaring Western hypocrisy on the notion of human rights

Kourosh Ziabari - Press TV: Now that Iran is reconstructing its international relations through a dynamic nuclear diplomacy and gaining reputation as an emerging regional superpower, the United States and its allies, infuriated and frantic, consider it as worthwhile to test Iran’s patience by using the notion of human rights as a leverage for pressuring and annoying the Islamic Republic. On Wednesday, December 18, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by the Canadian government to condemn the alleged violations of human rights in Iran. 83 countries votes in favor, 36 against and 62 others abstained. The adoption of the anti-Iran resolution, despite failing to get the vote of the majority of the 193 UN member...

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Geneva deal must be implemented soon: Olli Heinonen

Geneva deal must be implemented soon: Olli Heinonen

Kourosh Ziabari - Iran Review: After Iran reached an interim agreement with the six world powers on November 24, 2013 over its nuclear activities and accepted to put certain limitations on portions of its nuclear program in return for relief from some of the economic sanctions it has been undergoing for almost a decade, the whole world began to embrace the deal with euphoria and enthusiasm. Even the most pessimistic opponents of a possible Iran-U.S. rapprochement and those who believed that Iran cannot sign a deal with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany commented on the interim accord positively and affirmatively. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the interim accord the “beginnings of...

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Radio Voice of Russia’s interview with Kourosh Ziabari

Radio Voice of Russia’s interview with Kourosh Ziabari

Angela Davis - Radio Voice of Russia: "The US should ease the sanctions because, first of all, these sanctions are harming the daily lives of the ordinary Iranian citizens. And according to many legal experts and many specialists these sanctions are a violation of the fourth Geneva Convention, they are an act war because they harm the ordinary citizens and paralyze their daily lives," Kourosh Ziabari, Iran-based journalist with a long record of covering Iranian issues. Can you tell me, what are your expectations for this current round of talks in Geneva with Iran and the group of six? Shall we really expect any breakthrough results? Of course, since President Rouhani took office earlier this year, he promised to actually take up...

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Security Council resolutions have created mistrust in the Iranians

Security Council resolutions have created mistrust in the Iranians

Kourosh Ziabari: Prominent Iranian university professor and author believes that the United States and its European partners should try to win the lost confidence of the Iranian people and government, and treat Iran’s nuclear case equally with all the world nations that are developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Prof. Nader Bagherzadeh also says that with removal of the cruel anti-Iran sanctions following the implementation of the Geneva interim agreement and the final comprehensive deal between Tehran and the six world powers, Iran’s economy will considerably grow and make progress. “If the final agreement is completed and ratified, without sacrificing Iran’s rights as a sovereign nation to pursue all aspects of a...

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Interview: Edmund Phelps, 2006 Nobel Prize laureate in economics

Interview: Edmund Phelps, 2006 Nobel Prize laureate in economics

Kourosh Ziabari- Tehran Times: The United States’ economy is experiencing ups and downs these days, especially following the eruption of the widespread economic crisis that began to take in the West since early 2010. The United States was once a thriving and robust economy; however, the American people are currently experiencing such questions as poverty, unemployment and other economic difficulties. Prominent economist and the 2006 Nobel Prize laureate in economics Edmund Phelps believes that the economic disadvantage in the United States is far more extreme than it is in countries such as Switzerland or Uruguay. “I know there is a sense that the new technologies are not raising the value of labor in the production process,...

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Farewell Madiba: But freedom never dies

Farewell Madiba: But freedom never dies

Kourosh Ziabari - Madiba is not among us anymore. This is something which we should believe, or somehow convince ourselves to believe. However, the “grandpa”, who was a source of inspiration for the entire world throughout his fruitful life, can still be seen as an icon of freedom, struggle for peace and dignity and disobedience to oppression and tyranny. The South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that dignitaries and leaders from more than 90 countries have diverged on South Africa to attend the memorial service of the late anti-apartheid South African leader Nelson Mandela who passed away on Thursday, December 5, after struggling with respiratory infection for many years. Nelson Mandela is not simply...

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Press freedom a necessity for democracies: Viviane Reding

Press freedom a necessity for democracies: Viviane Reding

  Kourosh Ziabari - Tehran Times: According to the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding, all the democratic states need free press and media and it’s a necessity for all the member states of the European Union to improve their press freedom record. “I believe that Europeans enjoy one of the freest and most diverse media environments in the world. But this does not mean we can be complacent. That is why in the past two years the Commission has stood up for freedom of the press and certain media practices in various countries such as Azerbaijan, Hungary, Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. A Europe without the freedom of press is inconceivable,” said Viviane Reding in an...

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World leaders should get united to fight xenophobia

World leaders should get united to fight xenophobia

  Kourosh Ziabari - Tehran Times: The vice-president of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship says that despite the efforts made by different legislative and executive bodies in the European Union to fight xenophobia and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, there are still instances of such discriminatory behaviors in the continent. “The European Commission has been active, for decades, in putting in place anti-discrimination laws and helping Member States who are the ones responsible for fighting discrimination on the ground... Sadly, despite this legislation, there still are instances of discrimination and xenophobia in Europe. Sometimes it is...

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Humanitarian work is as dangerous as that of a soldier

Humanitarian work is as dangerous as that of a soldier

Kourosh Ziabari - Tehran Times: The European Union’s high commissioner for humanitarian affairs believes that the responsibility of the humanitarian aid workers is an extremely sensitive, difficult and dangerous mission and in some conflicts, their work is as dangerous as that of a soldier fighting in the battle. “In some conflicts, to be a humanitarian worker is as dangerous as being a soldier and this danger is increasing. In Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, there is a surge in the kidnapping, wounding and killing of humanitarians. Nearly a hundred humanitarian workers have already been killed this year. Kidnapping incidents are also growing in number: Kidnapping is becoming a source of income in some...

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Interview with EU high commissioner Kristalina Georgieva

Interview with EU high commissioner Kristalina Georgieva

Kourosh Ziabari - Tehran Times: The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response says that with the financial assistance of the European citizens, the EU Commission is providing humanitarian assistance and aid to more than 150 million people in more than 90 countries. According to Kristalina Georgieva, the civil war in Syria is the worst humanitarian disaster our world is experiencing, and that it will take many years for the crisis-hit country to recover and get back to normal situation. “I am afraid the situation will continue to worsen in the coming months. Even if a political solution were to be found quickly, the country has been virtually destroyed. It will take years before...

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Interview with Vietnam War veteran S. Brian Willson

Interview with Vietnam War veteran S. Brian Willson

Kourosh Ziabari: Vietnam War veteran and renowned peace activist S. Brian Willson believes that the Arab states of the Persian Gulf are destabilizing Syria by sending arms and ammunitions to the rebels and Al-Qaeda fighters operating in the Arab country simply in order to gratify the United States and make sure that they will be never destabilized politically. “Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia either have US military bases or possess strategic resources desired by the US and the West. Perhaps many of the Arab nations want to be sufficiently supportive of the US and its desire to finish off Syria as the US did recently to Libya so as not to be so vulnerable themselves to being destabilized by the US,” said Brian...

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