Speaking to the French radio station Europe 1, François said, “Whether it is in Iraq, in Syria or even in Lebanon, in fact in all the Middle East, nobody is more powerful than General Qassem Soleimani.”
“General Soleimani is the chief of the external operations of the IRGC, the famous guardians of the Islamic Revolution formed after the 1979 Revolution by Ayatollah Khomeini and who are always the armed wing of Iran.”
“After summer 2014 when the fight against ISIS began, General Soleimani was tasked by Iran to help coordinate the anti-terror campaign. He is a kind of super-military advisor who has done perfectly well in this task since he is actually in the front line to stop the columns of extremists who swept from Syria on Iraq,” he added.
“Since then, he has actively participated in all major battles against the self-proclaimed Caliphate, beginning with that of Mosul. Where all the anti-ISIS forces had to try to coordinate their efforts, we could sometimes see General Soleimani meet other military advisers.”
Qassem Soleimani, Most Powerful General in Mideast: French Analyst
No Successful Hijack Attempt in Iran in 30 Years Thanks to IRGC Efforts
The counter-hijack unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was formed 30 years ago upon orders by late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini. Since then, no successful hijack attempt has taken place in Iran. The Persian-language Tasnim News Agency has, in an article, explained the issue more. The highlights of the article follow.
The aviation industry is of great significance as it is one of the world’s leading industries associated with the rapid transport of passengers and cargo.
According to the statistics released by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, well over 22 million passengers were transported by the country’s air fleet in the year to March 2017. There were also 714,000 takeoffs and landings during the same period.
In a country which has so much air traffic and which lies on one of the world’s busiest air corridors, one of the key issues would be ensuring the security of air routes and airports.
Wave of Hijackings Begins after Iran’s Revolution
Amid threats facing the country following the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran, a few planes were hijacked by elements of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group in the early years after the revolution.
“In 1984, MKO elements hijacked two planes from Iran every week, and they hijacked 16 airliners altogether,” said Mohsen Rezaei, the then IRGC commander.
Tensions in relations between Iran and France provoked hijackings in 1979 and 1980. Some high-profile figures of the former Iranian regime were in France which refused to extradite them. Moreover, Paris provided Baghdad with arms.
Several Iranian airplanes were hijacked in those years, which prompted the IRGC to go into action. The Late Imam Khomeini adopted a serious decision to put an end to the hijacking saga in Iran. Based on the Imam orders, no plane was allowed to take off without an IRGC guard on board. The Imam’s order was announced to the Intelligence Department of the IRGC.
Four days after Imam Khomeini’s order was issued, the first plane was hijacked and MKO elements forced the pilot to change course and fly toward Iraq. Then the plain-clothes air marshals on board, who were IRGC guards, shot at the hijackers. A bullet hit the heart of one of the MKO terrorists, and the people aboard were saved.
After that incident, the IRGC’s counter-hijack unit was formed whereby the IRGC was tasked with providing security along air routes and the country’s airports.
Thirty years on since then, there has been no successful hijacking attempt in the country, nor has there happened any terrorist act in the country’s airports.
This shows the IRGC’s high capability to ensure security along the country’s air routes and airports. According to international aviation organizations, Iran’s air routes are among the ones with highest security in the world.
Germany Disbands ISIS Network Made Up of 40 Women
Burkhard Freier, the head of the North Rhine-Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that the local female extremist network of “40 sisters” followed a strict Salafist doctrine —informing their advice on everything from raising children to interpreting the religious rules of Islam and stirring up hatred against so-called “non-believers.”
According to RT, the network was active on the internet, determined to proselytize their Salafist ideology (an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam) aggressively to other would-be members.
“The women are now ideology promoters,” Freier said.
Additionally, the women indoctrinate their own children from an early age. “This makes Salafism a family affair,” and the result, Freier said, could be something “much more difficult to dissolve, namely Salafist pockets within society.”
What’s worse is that these female extremist leaders, some of whom have several hundred Facebook followers, now have a new role in society, feeling accepted and included. “The men have realized that women can network much better and are therefore more capable of expanding the scene and keeping it active,” Freier said.
Salafists follow an ultra-conservative, fundamentalist interpretation of Islam which is sponsored by Saudi Arabia, and Salafist organizations perceive Western-style democracy as incompatible with obeying God. Their beliefs provide the spiritual basis for groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Iran Gov’t Urged to Declare Jerusalem al-Quds as Palestine’s Eternal Capital
During an open session of the parliament on Wednesday morning, the MPs ratified the motion to add a note to the article one of the act on supporting the Islamic revolution of the Palestinian people indicating that Tehran will recognize Quds as “the everlasting capital of Palestine”.
The generalities of the motion were approved with 198 votes in favor and one abstention.
The details of the motion were also passed with 207 votes in favor and without any opposition vote.
The measure came in response to a recent decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Quds as the Israeli regime’s capital.
Trump officially declared the decision, despite warnings from around the world that the measure risks triggering a fresh wave of violence in the Middle East.
In a speech at the White House on December 6, Trump said his administration would also begin a years-long process of moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to the holy city.
The announcement was a major shift by Washington that overturns decades of US foreign policy.
Palestinian leaders had previously warned the move would threaten a two-state solution.
Israel has occupied East Quds since the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the area in 1980 and sees it as its exclusive domain. Under international law, the area is considered to be occupied territory.
A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on December 27
Almost all papers today covered the remarks made by Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the spokesman for the Iranian government, particularly about the inflation rate and the growing prices of consumer goods.
The visit of French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian to Tehran, which is scheduled to be made on January 6, also received great coverage.
The issue of Palestine, particularly the continued reactions to the US decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of the Israeli regime, also remained a top story in today’s papers.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:
19 Dey:
1- Energy Minister: Quake in Iran More Important than Water Shortage
2- Labour Minister: Majority of Divorces Take Place among Richer Strata
Abrar:
1- Based on Rouhani’s Order, Price of Egg to Be Lowered: Spokesman
2- French FM to Visit Tehran on January 6
3- South Korea: North Korea Probably after Negotiating with US
Asrar:
1- Gov’t Not after Taking Money from People’s Pockets: Spokesman
2- Velayati: World Concerned about Imprudent Policies of US Rulers
Ettela’at:
1- Gov’t to Continue Policy of Controlling Inflations Rate, Market: Spokesman
2- Iran Hopeful about Saving Asiatic Cheetah: 8-Month-Old Cheetah Discovered in Tehran
3- Last Season Was Iran’s Sixth Driest Autumn in 50 Years
4- Jordan King: We Won’t Sell Quds for US Dollars
Javan:
1- Judiciary Chief’s 4-Hour Visit to Quake-Hit Areas in Western Iran
2- IRGC General Rezaei: Iran Has West Asia’s Biggest Intelligence [Units]
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- Red Cross Warns Yemen Dying of Hunger
2- Iran, Russia Sign Finance Deal for ‘Unlimited Funds’
3- Russia FM: US Moves against Iran Nuclear Deal to Negatively Impact N. Korea Issue
4- Judiciary Chief: Gov’t Put Considerable Efforts in Helping Quake-Hit People
Kayhan:
1- Inflation Rate Back to 10% Even Before Increase in Petrol Price!
2- Saudi Jet Fighters Once Again Massacre Tens of Yemeni Civilians
3- Unity of Resistance Forces to Liberate Quds, from Tehran to Beirut, Sana’a
Mardom Salari:
1- 5,000 Unsafe Buildings Identified in Tehran: Firefighting Organization
2- 30% of Organizational Positions to Be Given to Disabled People
3- DM: Iran to Increase Its Defensive Might
Resalat:
1- Ayatollah Javadi Amoli: They Failed to Run the World by Killing Millions in Two Wars
2- Velayati: In Islamic Republic’s View, Palestine Spreads from Mediterranean Sea to Jordan River
Shahrvand:
1- Gov’t Spokesman: We Won’t Let People Live under Burden of Inflation
Enemies Trying to Make Iranians Frustrated, Sceptical: Leader
Speaking in a Wednesday meeting with a group of officials in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemy is trying to make the Iranian people frustrated and sceptical and destroy their self-confidence using “thousands of propaganda artilleries” aimed at the nation.
“Our main enemy, the US, is one of the world’s most corrupt and cruel governments. They have supported terrorists and ISIS as much as they can, and are still sponsoring ISIS and similar Takfiri groups covertly,” he added.
“The US has supported dictators, the Shah of Iran, the Saudi rulers, and cruel dynasties in the region. They support the criminals who are committing crimes in Palestine and Yemen,” the Leader noted.
“Americans commit crimes inside their own country; the US police kills black women, children, and youths without any justifiable excuse, and yet they are exonerated in the court!”
“Despite having such a judicial system, they raise criticism against the judicial systems of other countries, including Iran,” the Leader added.
The Leader expressed regret that a group inside Iran is exactly following in the enemy’s footsteps, making people disappointed by raising accusations and telling blatant lies.
Ayatollah Khamenei harshly criticized these people for making the enemies of Iran happy at the expense of people’s frustration.
The Leader particularly referred to those who have had all the country’s facilities in their hands and are now playing the role of an opposition figure instead of being accountable.
“Those who have been or are in power are not allowed to speak against the country; they must be accountable,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted, adding that this is unacceptable to people.
Mild Quake in Tehran, Alborz Kills 1, Wounds 75
The light earthquake, which took place on early Wednesday at 00:54 (local time), was felt in Alborz and Tehran Provinces and surrounding cities.
The epicentre of the quake has been reported to be on the border between Tehran and Alborz provinces, near the city of Malard. According to initial reports, the magnitude of the seismic event was 4.2 and occurred in the depth of 12 kilometres.
A 58-year-old man has died of heart attack in Karaj, and 75 people have been wounded so far. According to emergency officials, 22 of them have been hospitalized.
The majority of these people were wounded as they were attempting to escape the buildings they were in.
Authorities have shut down all schools in the cities of Shahriar and Malard in Tehran Province as well as Alborz Province following the light earthquake.
The tremor came less than a week after a magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit the same region. The quake caused minor panic in Tehran province, prompting people to take to the streets and public places.
Iran Condemns Saudi Air Raids on Yemeni People
In a statement on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi categorically condemned yesterday’s Saudi airstrikes on a market as well as relentless attacks on civilian targets in different Yemeni cities over the past few days, which killed or wounded dozens of innocent people, including women and children.
Calling for a halt to the attacks, Qassemi said, “More than a thousand days on since the beginning of the devastating [Saudi] war [on Yemen], Saudi Arabia has shown that whenever it suffers failure and defeat in battlefields and operational areas, it seeks to take revenge by bombarding defenceless people and killing innocent women and children.”
“It is regrettable that these crazy attacks conducted with deadly American weapons do not draw the reaction of those who claim [to be advocates of human rights and innocent people],” said Qassemi.
Iran Writes to UN to Declare Yes Vote on Myanmar Resolution
In a Tuesday statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said, “In line with its principled policy of defending the rights of all Muslims across the world, particularly the oppressed Muslims of Myanmar, the Islamic Republic of Iran has sent an official note to the UN Secretariat to declare its yes vote to the [UNGA] resolution that condemns the human rights violations in Myanmar.”
Reiterating the firm stance of the Islamic Republic on protecting the displaced Muslims of Myanmar and vehemently condemning the heinous crimes committed by the Myanmar army against the Rohingya Muslims, Qassemi said Iran’s absence from the recent voting session on Myanmar’s human rights violations was due to some technical reasons.
Elaborating on the technical considerations, Qassemi said, “Over the past three decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has continuously expressed its protest against politicised and discriminatory approaches of the UN General Assembly towards member states.”
He went on to say that Iran’s main policy has always been to oppose the approval of any country-specific resolution by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.
“Therefore, except for resolutions on the Palestinian cause which are discussed within different agendas and Iran has voted in favour of them at all times, Tehran has always voted against resolutions on other countries’ human rights conditions.”
However, he added, given the depth of the crimes being committed by Myanmar against Muslims and despite our earlier policy of voting against such resolutions, the Islamic Republic of Iran refrained from attending the voting session, and issued a separate statement to strongly condemn the Myanmarese government’s crackdown on the Rohingya Muslims.
By issuing the statement, Qassemi said, Iran stressed that its absence from the UNGA voting session “merely reflects the country’s opposition to the rejected approach of politicising human rights”, and the absence has nothing to do with the resolution’s content.
“Given the importance of defending the rights of Myanmar’s Muslims, the Islamic Republic’s macro foreign policy considerations should have been preferred to expert-level considerations [on the UNGA resolution],” Qassemi noted.
Therefore, he added, Iran sent the official note to the UN Secretariat on Tuesday to revise its earlier stance and declare its yes vote while underlining that Tehran dismisses as unacceptable any politicisation of human rights resolutions.
Christian Prisoners Celebrate Christmas in Tehran’s Evin Prison
According to a Farsi report by the Mizan Online news agency, the Christmas celebration was held in Evin Prison’s amphitheatre.
Back in July, a judiciary official had declared that 136 foreign prisoners from 27 countries are serving their prison terms in Evin, mostly on drug charges.
Here are Mizan’s photos of the Christmas celebration:
