Iran's Ahmadinejad to visit India

India's policy on Iran has been to maintain seemingly healthy but low-key relations, while conforming with UN Security Council Resolutions pertaining to Iran's nuclear development program...

A senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official notified PolCouns on April 15 that Iranian President Ahmadinejad will visit India on April 29. The official said she was providing the Embassy with this information prior to the MEA informing even other agencies within the Indian government, and before the information was to become public. She noted that Prime Minister Singh had rejected previous requests either to visit Tehran or for Ahmadinejad to visit India, but has now finally accepted a visit from the Iranian leader.

Our interlocutor did not explain why the Indian government is accepting Ahmadinejad at this time, but, in giving us the forewarning, was clearly aware of U.S. sensitivities over such a visit. As Post has reported, India's policy on Iran has been to maintain seemingly healthy but low-key relations, while conforming with UN Security Council Resolutions pertaining to Iran's nuclear development program. By accepting Ahmadinejad, the "low-key" part of the relationship is removed.

In Post's estimation, the reason for agreeing to an Ahmadinejad visit at this time is to appease the UPA government's domestic Left and Muslim constituencies, i.e., asserting the independence of India's foreign policy, as well as its healthy relations with Muslim neighbors, at a time when the Communists are scoring points with the electorate by criticizing the government for becoming too close to America (and Israel) at the expense of Indian sovereignty.

Turkey searches second Syrian-bound iranian plane within days
Today's Zaman
Monday, March 21, 2011
An iranian cargo plane en route to Syria was forced to land in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir Airport for an inspection, several news reports said on Sunday. The plane, a civilian ilyushin, landed on Saturday night on the orders of Turkish authorities, and military fighter planes were on standby in case the plane refused to comply, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing security forces... A UN Security Council resolution bans the supply, trade or transfer of any arms and related material from iran to all states. Any transfer and procurement of weapons from iran is a breach of international obligations under a UN resolution... Tuesday's incident in Diyarbakir came when earlier on the same day israel announced it had seized a cargo ship loaded with weapons sent by iran to Palestinian militants in Gaza, including sophisticated land-to-sea missiles that officials said could change the balance of power in the area.
Seven killed in Syria protests
Hindustan Times
Monday, March 21, 2011
Seven policemen were killed during clashes between the security forces and protesters in Syria, Xinhua reported. They got killed trying to drive away protesters during demonstration in Darra town in which people demanded for reforms in Syria, Damascus Press news website reported. The clashes erupted Sunday between the Syrian police and protesters after two young men reportedly killed by the security forces in the town. An eyewitness told Xinhua that the Syrian police had surrounded the town, to prevent people from entering it... Al-Jazeera TV reported Sunday that the protesters also burned the headquarters of the Baath Party and the court house in Darra. A committee was formed by the interior ministry to investigate recent incidents and take the necessary measures to punish anyone who is proven responsible for having committed abuse during the incidents in Darra.

Mohammad Hossein Majles Ara, the Ministry of Higher Education officer who oversees graduate students, said today that his ministry will not allow any university Iranian student studying abroad to choose Iran as a subject of a thesis at any level. He said that this includes both those students that have received scholarship from the government and those who pay for their own education. He did not specify how his ministry intends to enforce the ban.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/03/rafsanajani-loses-assembly-of-experts-chair-report-mousavis-still-in-home.html

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.