Iran Condemns Deadly Terrorist Attacks in Iraq’s Kirkuk

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October 21, 2016

In a statement released on Friday, Qassemi expressed deep sorrow over the death of several Iranian technicians in an attack carried out by ISIS terrorists on a power plant north of Kirkuk, denouncing the move as a “savage act”.

He further expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and said the terrorists are “taking their last breaths” and by such attacks, they are attempting to make up for their humiliating defeats in the battlefields.

Qassemi also said the Iranian consul general in Erbil is pursuing the fate of Iranian technicians, adding that based on preliminary figures, four Iranian nationals have been killed and three others wounded in the attack.

ISIS militants armed with assault rifles and explosives attacked targets in and around Kirkuk early Friday.

Multiple explosions meanwhile rocked the city, and gun battles were ongoing, said witnesses in Kirkuk, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were concerned for their safety.

Much of the fighting was centered on a government compound in the city. They said the streets were largely deserted out of fear of militant snipers, according to AP.

Local Kurdish television channel Rudaw aired footage showing black smoke rising over the city as extended bursts of automatic gunfire rang out. It quoted Kirkuk Gov. Najmadin Karim as saying that the militants have not seized any government buildings.

In the power plant attack, which took place in Dibis, a town north of Kirkuk, three ISIS suicide bombers entered the facility and took 10 workers hostage, said Maj. Ahmed Kader Ali, the Dibis police chief.

The attackers asked to be taken to the Iranians who worked at the plant. One of the workers took them to the Iranians before escaping. The militants then killed the Iranians and the other workers, and detonated their explosive vests when police arrived, Ali said.

Kirkuk is some 170 kilometers (100 miles) from the Daesh-held city of Mosul, where Iraqi forces have been waging a wide-scale offensive since Sunday.

Hariri Backs Michel Aoun as Lebanon’s Next President

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IFP Media Wire

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October 21, 2016

Speaking in a televised press conference from his Downtown Beirut residence packed with members of his party, media figures and other officials, Hariri said he made the decision not for himself, but for Lebanon as a whole to preserve the state, institutions and security.

“Based on the points of the agreement we have reached, I announce today before you my decision to support the candidacy of Gen. Michel Aoun for the presidency of the Republic,” Hariri declared to loud applause.

“Gen. Michel Aoun, according to the rules that we agreed on, is candidate to be the president of all the Lebanese,” he added, the Daily Star reported.

Hariri, a former prime minister, could likely return to the premiership under the deal brokered with Aoun. However, he did not address this point publicly.

“This is not a settlement, this is a sacrifice. … It will not be the first time nor the last that we sacrifice our political and popular interest for the nation, the state, and stability,” Hariri added.

Animosity between Hariri and Aoun, an ally of Hezbollah, dates back more than a decade, and many members of Hariri’s Future Movement have openly expressed dissatisfaction in recent weeks with reports of the forthcoming endorsement.

Aoun, the founder of the Free Patriotic Movement, still faces obstacles for being elected in an Oct. 31 Parliament session set to vote for a president.

Future MPs Ahmed Fatfat, Fouad Siniora, Farid Makari and Mohammad Qabbani were among the first to announce they would not be voting for Aoun in the upcoming session following Hariri’s endorsement.

Long-time Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Amal Movement, said Wednesday he also would not back Aoun.

Aoun thanked Hariri for the endorsement in a press conference from Hariri’s residence about two hours after the announcement. Speaking with the former premier standing beside him, Aoun acknowledged that differences would remain between the country’s rivals, but said that was “normal” and defined democracy.

But, he added, “we cannot remain in dispute like we were in the past. We can’t build a future if we keep looking at the past,” appealing to his rivals to be “helpful” in the interest of the country.

“We are not coming to be casualties, we are coming to win the battle for Lebanon,” Aoun added, urging those opposed to him to hold judgement until they viewed his performance.

Following his visit to Hariri’s house, Aoun held a short meeting with Berri in Ain al-Tineh, apparently without result.

“Of course we asked for Speaker Berri’s support, but ultimately we respect his freedom of choice,” Aoun told reporters in a brief press conference following the meeting.

In his endorsement speech, Hariri underlined that Aoun was not his first option for the presidency. He had originally endorsed Samir Geagea, a member of his March 14 political coalition, before shifting his support last year to Sleiman Frangieh, a member of the rival March 8 coalition.

But, he said, when those endorsements didn’t work out he was forced to consider what would befall the country’s Cabinet, Parliament, economy, security and people should Lebanon remain without a president any longer.

“The economic, financial and monetary crises we are experiencing and the security risks that lie ahead can only be resolved, even if momentarily, through completing the constitutional institutions, starting with the presidency,” Hariri continued.

Israel Worsening Palestinian Plight, Middle East Tensions: Iran Diplomat

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IFP Media Wire

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October 20, 2016

He further lambasted the Tel Aviv regime’s systematic violations of Palestinians’ rights and international law, including house demolitions, forced displacement of civilians, detentions of minors, and incessant provocations by illegal settlers and extremists at revered sites, particularly al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Khoshroo said the Israeli regime has continually intensified its illegal and oppressive measures against the defenseless Palestinian population over the past years, killed and injured many civilians, and deprived Palestinians of their right to protection.

The Iranian diplomat then pointed to Israel’s settlement expansion activities in the occupied West Bank, stating that they are in clear breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, constitute war crimes under Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and demonstrate that Israel has never had any interest in peace with the Palestinians and its participation in the so-called peace process has only been aimed at covering up its policy of aggression.

Turning to Israel’s blockade on the impoverished Gaza Strip, the Iranian UN ambassador said the siege “is causing massive deprivation, hopelessness and a grave humanitarian crisis. The destructive impact of such Israeli violations is immense as reflected in rising tensions, deteriorating socio-economic conditions, and deepening among the Palestinian civilian population.”

Khoshroo also blamed illegal foreign intervention, extremism and violence for the ongoing conflicts in Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia’s Military Aggression on Yemen

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khoshroo referred to Riyadh’s aerial bombardment campaign against its crisis-hit southern neighbor, stressing that the airstrikes have killed or permanently maimed thousands of civilians, including women and children, displaced millions of people, and turned Yemen from a disadvantaged country into a devastated one.

Saudi Arabia has been engaged in an atrocious campaign against Yemen since March 2015. The United Nations puts the death toll from the onslaught at about 10,000.

Iran to Stand by Iraqi Nation in Anti-Terror Battle: Velayati

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IFP Media Wire

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October 20, 2016

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, made the comments in a Thursday joint presser with Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq Ammar Hakim in Baghdad.

Velayati is in Iraq to attend the 9th session of the Supreme Council of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, which is slated to be held in Baghdad on Saturday and Sunday.

The Iranian official, who is also the secretary general of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, further hailed the establishment of full democracy in Iraq following its liberation from the US occupation, referring to the 2003 US-led invasion of the Arab country.

Iraq has managed to deal with its domestic problems on its own, said Velayati, adding that Iran stands by the violence-stricken nation in its counterterrorism efforts.

Touching on the upcoming forum in Baghdad, Velayati said the event, which focuses on efforts to uproot the Takfiri ideology, is a show of unity between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

Hakim, for his part, described Daesh as a threat not only to Iraq, but to the entire world.

The Iraqi official said the Baghdad gathering comes at a critical juncture when Iraq is seeking to cleanse Mosul of Daesh terrorists.

Prior to the press conference, the two sides held a meeting in which they exchanged views on the latest developments regarding the Mosul battle, which got underway four days ago.

Earlier in the day, Velayati sat down for talks with Iraqi President Fuad Masum on ways to further bolster bilateral Tehran-Baghdad relations in various fields.

During the meeting, Masum praised Iran for giving his country a helping hand in its decisive battle against Daesh.

The Islamic Republic, he added, was among the first countries that rushed to Iraq’s help when Daesh unleashed its campaign of death and destruction in the Arab state’s northern and western parts in 2014.

For his part, Velayati vowed Iran’s full support for Iraq, saying Tehran is making serious efforts to forge closer ties with Baghdad in all areas.

Iran Climbs to 27th in FIFA Rankings

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IFP Media Wire

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October 20, 2016

Team Melli has been unbeaten since June 2015, winning in 13 out of its last 17 international outings.

The rise comes following back-to-back wins in recent World Cup qualifiers against Uzbekistan (1-0) in Tashkent and South Korea (1-0) in Tehran.

Iran still is the highest ranked team in Asia, followed by Australia (40), South Korea (44), Uzbekistan (48) and Japan (51).

Argentina maintained top spot with World Cup champion Germany moving into second from third.

Olympic champion Brazil jumped into third with Belgium and Colombia slipping to fourth and fifth respectively.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 20

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 20, 2016

Newspapers today covered the remarks made by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Iranian top university students and elites.

They also highlighted the decision made by President Rouhani to accept the resignations of three of his ministers as part of his cabinet reshuffle.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest report and its promising statistics about Iran’s economy also received great coverage.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines:

Abrar:

1- Ahmadinejad’s $3.3bn Legal Case

2- US Elections Will Have No Impact on JCPOA: Iran’s Deputy FM

Afkar:

1- Leader: US Looks for Removal of Religious Criteria in Ruling System

2- Mosul to Be Liberated before Arbaeen [40th day after martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein]

Aftab-e Yazd:

1- End of the Stubborn Minister: Education Minister Finally Resigns after 24 Hours of Resistance

2- Does Rouhani Government’s Economic Team Need Any Improvement?

3- Trump’s Style of Revealing Opponent’s Secrets: GOP Candidate Says Obama’s Brother Is More Intelligent than the US President

Arman-e Emrooz:

1- Leader: Repetition of the Word Enemy Is ‘Awareness of Conspiracy’, Not ‘Illusion of Conspiracy’

2- Rouhani’s Moves to Improve His Cabinet: New Ministers to Be Introduced Next Week

3- People Have Lost $30bn Because of Air Pollution: Environment Chief

Ebtekar:

1- Leader: I Won’t Stop Defending Iran’s Scientific Community and Elites Even for a Second

2- Iranian Lawmakers Consider Rouhani’s Cabinet Reshuffle as a Move in Line with People’s Demands

Emtiaz:

1- 10th Train of Foreign Tourists to Arrive in Iran Tomorrow

Ettela’at:

1- Leader Underlines the Need for Paying Special Attention to Elites

2- 350sqm of ISIS-Held Territories Liberated in Mosul Operation

3- Environment Chief: Energy Consumption in Iran Is 9 Times More than Industrial Countries

Haft-e Sobh:

1- Germany’s Siemens Will Make Investment in Iran

Iran:

1- Iran’s Economic Performance Has Been Way beyond Expectations: Latest Report by IMF Shows

2- Iranian People Has Had World’s Greatest Participation in Online Census

Jame Jam:

1- Leader: Current Generation Is a Revolutionary One

2- A Law for a Clean Sky: Parliament Passes General Principles of Clean Air Bill

Javan:

1- Leader: I Had Warned Officials of the Consequences of Nuclear Withdrawal

2- Moscow: Washington Should Be Waiting for a Painful Reaction

3- Removal of Minister without Resignation and Impeachment

4- Escaping the Yemen War with $17.5bn Gamble: Saudi Arabia Starts Selling Bonds amid Ceasefire

Kayhan:

1- Leader: Enemies Want Iran’s Scientific Growth Be Stopped

2- Hundreds of Terrorists Give Up Their Guns and Flee From Damascus

3- Education Minister: I’m Ready to Continue My Job; President: I Accept Your Resignation!

Khorasan:

1- Elites Are Precious Divine Gifts Officials Should Protect: Leader

2- Iran’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Increase to $132bn: IMF

Sayeh:

1- Those Who Are Not Hungry Don’t Know Anything about the Starving People: Impact of Food Waste on Spread of Poverty in the World

Iran’s State TV Airs US Presidential Debate Live in 3 Languages

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IFP Editorial Staff

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October 20, 2016

The US Republican and Democratic nominees, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, faced off in the last one-on-one debate in the run-up to the US 2016 election.

Given the great interest Iranians across the world have shown in the US presidential polls, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) decided to air the last presidential debate live in Persian through IRINN Channel.

It also broadcasted it in English through Press TV and in Arabic through Al Alam News Network.

The third presidential debate was held at the Thomas & Mack Center of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Trump looked more restrained and disciplined as the debate started unlike previous encounters, trying not to interrupt Clinton and maintain his composure.

The two candidates focused on fundamental differences between the two parties, namely gun rights, abortion and immigration, rather than their policies.

Immigration was one of the nascent issues at the debate, with Clinton accusing the New York businessman of exploiting undocumented immigrants during the construction of the Trump Tower in New York.

Trump stressed on his proposal for building a wall on the Mexican border, asserting Hillary also sought that once.

The billionaire also accused the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama of deporting “millions” of people.

“President Obama has moved millions of people out. Nobody knows about it, nobody talks about it. But under Obama, millions of people have been moved out of this country. They’ve been deported. She doesn’t want to say that, but that’s what’s happened, and that’s what happened big league,” he said.

Trump said he would also deport “some bad, bad people in this country,” referring to asylum seekers, as reported by Press TV.

Clinton referred to leakages of secret documents against her campaign by the WikiLeaks, suggesting the reason for that is that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks a “puppet” US president.

She cited 17 military and civilian spy agencies that have corroborated that WikiLeaks is all about interfering in the American election process, referring to Trump’s previous attempts to “encourage” Russian espionage.

Trump acknowledged that the Russian president had said “nice things” about him, but asserted: “I don’t know Putin.”

“[Putin] said nice things about me. If we got along well, that would be good. If Russia and the United States got along well and went after ISIS, that would be good,” he stated.

“He has no respect for her. He has no respect for our president. And I’ll tell you what: We’re in very serious trouble, because we have a country with tremendous numbers of nuclear warheads — 1,800, by the way — where they expanded and we didn’t, 1,800 nuclear warheads,” he explained.

In response to the moderator’s questions about “rigged” election claims in the US, Trump refused to say that he would welcome the outcome of the November 8 vote, instead opting for keeping the voters “in suspense” until he can take a “look” at the results.

Clinton also commented on that, citing recent remarks by Obama, arguing that the real estate mogul should stop “whining” before the 2016 “game” is even over.

She suggested that his claims about rigging the election are made because Trump is getting closer to a defeat on Election Day.

In regard to the Iraqi government’s push to liberate Mosul, Trump pointed the finger at Clinton over the fall of the city to ISIS.

“About three months ago, I started reading that they want to get the leaders and they’re going to attack Mosul. Whatever happened to the element of surprise, OK? We announce we’re going after Mosul. I have been reading about going after Mosul now for about — how long is it, Hillary, three months? These people have all left. They’ve all left,” he said.

“The element of surprise. Douglas MacArthur, George Patton spinning in their graves when they see the stupidity of our country,” he added.

He said that neighboring Iran is “taking over Iraq” and has “outsmarted” American authorities, also blasting Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, including the US.

Clinton asserted, on the other hand, that she did not agree with the presence of more American troops in Iraq as an “occupying power.”

About the situation in Syria, Trump also made similar remarks, saying, President Bashar al-Assad had proven “tougher” than Hillary and fellow Democrats thought.

After the debate, the Clinton and Trump staff rushed to various media outlets, trying to make the case in favor of their own candidate to portray them as the victor.

Iran Rejects “Imaginary Story” of Role in Attack on US Vessels

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IFP Media Wire

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October 20, 2016

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Thursday rejected the recent comments by US General Joseph Votel as an imaginary, suspicious and baseless story, saying the paradoxical and vague remarks by American officials over the past days signify Washington’s bewilderment.

The reaction came after Votel, head of the US military’s Central Command overseeing operations across the Middle East, told a Washington think tank on Wednesday that Iran may have played a role in a series of incidents this month that saw surface-to-surface missiles fired at the USS Mason in the Red Sea allegedly by Yemen’s Houthi forces.

Elsewhere in his comments, the Iranian spokesman recommended that US government take care of the conduct of those mired in Yemen after a “brutal and imposed aggression” against the Arab country.

The US military, which has played an undeniable role in the crimes against Yemeni people by providing direct and indirect support for the Saudi-led military coalition, should prevent more bloodshed and halt the killing of Yemenis by its allies, he concluded.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been launching airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to the fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

According to UN estimates, over 10,000 Yemenis, including 4,000 women and children, have lost their lives in the military campaign.

On October 8 alone, Saudi-led warplanes killed over 140 people and injured more than 600 others by bombing a crowded funeral ceremony in Sana’a.

Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Surprises Everyone with His Latest Film

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2016

Michael Moore has unveiled his latest film Michael Moore in TrumpLand, a surprise film he screened for the first time at New York City’s IFC Center on Tuesday night for free.

According to a report by Hollywood Reporter, as covered by Khabar Online, the 73-minute film will begin its theatrical run on Wednesday in New York City and Los Angeles for one week only.

Michael Moore in Trumpland follows the theatrical release of Where to Invade Next, which was his first movie in six years. Unveiled as a surprise title at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival and released in just over 300 theaters in February, the documentary grossed $3.8 million worldwide.

“We’re flying by the seat of our pants here,” the Oscar-winning filmmaker of Bowling for Columbine, who has been an outspoken opponent of Donald Trump throughout the presidential election, told the premiere’s audience. “Our goal is to have as many Americans see this over the next five or ten days.”

The live performance film — which sees Moore speaking about the two candidates onstage, and supposing what would happen if each were to become the next U.S. president — was shot less than two weeks ago, over two consecutive nights at a venue in Wilmington, Ohio, in a county where Trump received four times as many votes as Clinton did in the primary elections.

“To us, this was TrumpLand,” Moore explained, adding that he initially eyed the Ohio town of Licking, but was denied. “I wanted to do this not in a safe place, but in a place where we’d need a lot of security, which we had.”

Since the announcement’s buzz, a handful of theaters have called to screen over the next two weeks before the election. “We’ll hopefully have an announcement on that over the next 24 to 36 hours. It’s all coming together in a very rapid-fire way,” he explained, adding that the film will soon be available on VOD as well. “Lots of people have been contacting us to see how they can help us.”

In the film, Moore notes that “white men over 35 are obsolete” in the 21st century (“Guys know it and that’s why they’re at the Trump rallies,” he says) and that women are not inherently problematic: “No women invented a hydrogen or atomic bomb, and no girls have gone into schools to shoot them up. … We’re actually quite safe from 51 percent of the population,” he explains.

The film’s official synopsis reads, “See the film Ohio Republicans tried to shut down. Oscar-winner Michael Moore dives right into hostile territory with his daring and hilarious one-man show, deep in the heart of TrumpLand in the weeks before the 2016 election.”

Moore is no stranger to politically-themed projects — his career-topping doc Fahrenheit 9/11 took on George W. Bush at a time when he was locked in a heated presidential election with John Kerry. Though Bush won the presidency, the film grossed $222 million worldwide.

Leader: US Election Shows Absence of Spirituality among American Statesmen

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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October 19, 2016

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei referred to ongoing competitions in the US over the upcoming elections, and said the issues raised by the two candidates are clear examples of the consequences of ‘a lack of spirituality and faith’ among statesmen.

“In upcoming weeks, one of these two presidential candidates, whose words and conditions you are seeing, will become the president of a country that has power and wealth, and the highest number of atomic weapons and world’s largest media,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

According to a report by the Leader’s website, as translated by IFP, the Leader made the remarks in an address to a group of top university students and members of Iran’s National Elites Foundation

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader also called on Iranian authorities not to back down in the face of the United States’ ever-increasing demands.

“We have, time and again, told [Iranian authorities] that if you surrender in the nuclear [case], they (Americans) will bring up the issue of the missiles. If you back down further, they will pick on the issue of [Iran’s] support for resistance,” Ayatollah Khamenei asserted.

“If you keep backing down even further, they will bring up [the issue of] human rights. Then, if you accept their standards, they will go for eliminating the religious standards in [our] government,” the Leader added.

The Leader was pointing to recent remarks by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has said that the Islamic Republic’s continued support for the resistance movement in the region made it “very difficult” to help Tehran improve its banking system and business practices.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that some American officials would cite his “pessimism towards the US” during their meetings with Iranian officials, asking, “How can one [ever] be optimistic towards you, given such remarks?”

The Leader further highlighted Iran’s vast capacities for making progress as well as its human and natural resources, saying even the Westerners admit this issue, Press TV reported

The praise for Iran’s potentials is not “mere rhetoric,” Ayatollah Khamenei added, warning that hindering Iran’s scientific progress is among the major goals of enemies.

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

IRAN FRONT PAGELatest News and Views From Iran, Middle East and the World

Iran Condemns Deadly Terrorist Attacks in Iraq’s Kirkuk

Hariri Backs Michel Aoun as Lebanon’s Next President

Israel Worsening Palestinian Plight, Middle East Tensions: Iran Diplomat

Iran to Stand by Iraqi Nation in Anti-Terror Battle: Velayati

Iran Climbs to 27th in FIFA Rankings

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on October 20

Iran’s State TV Airs US Presidential Debate Live in 3 Languages

Iran Rejects “Imaginary Story” of Role in Attack on US Vessels

Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Surprises Everyone with His Latest Film

Leader: US Election Shows Absence of Spirituality among American Statesmen

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