(LinkAsia: January 27, 2012)

Yul Kwon:

The European Union is increasing the pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program. It’s joining the US and the UK in the latest round of sanctions, which includes an embargo on Iranian oil. Japanese broadcaster NHK has our top story.

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NHK World NEWSLINE

Airdate: January 23, 2012

Reporter:

The EU ministers made their decision at a meeting in Brussels. Their sanctions came in line with similar measures that were approved last month in the United States. The ministers agreed to freeze the assets of Iran’s central bank. They want to cut off the main source of revenue for the government. The EU is the second-largest importer of Iranian oil. It accounts for nearly 20 percent of the total. Sources close to the talks say the ministers are focusing on how Iran will react to the decision, including the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is the only waterway to the open ocean for many areas around the Persian Gulf. NHK World’s Go Sawahata has just been there. He reports that it’s still busy, at least for now.

Go Sawahata (Reporter):

I reached the Strait of Hormuz by sailing up the coast of Oman. The Persian Gulf was busy with oil tankers from all over the world. Oman has military facilities near the Strait of Hormuz. Omani boats were on patrol. Iran conducted huge naval exercises in the area late last month. Iran has also just launched its latest missiles in a show of its military clout. The United States has deployed a second aircraft carrier in the area. Countries along the gulf have built up their military forces in case of tension with Iran. The United Arab Emirates signed a contract last month to buy the latest US missile interceptors. Saudi Arabia signed a deal to buy more F-15 fighters from the United States.

Theodore Karasik (Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis):

They’re increasingly buying more arms, as well as their recent experience in Libya, has taught them how to use air power effectively. So this is a nice combination of attributes to face off against Iran.

Go Sawahata:

The big question is how Gulf States will export their oil if the Strait of Hormuz is closed. The UAE is building a pipeline to bypass the strait. But the pipeline won’t be finished for at least six months.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan (UAE Foreign Minister):

I’ll do everything I can to keep oil production going.

Go Sawahata:

Ninety percent of Japan’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Japanese businesses are keeping a close eye on developments. This Japanese company is involved with production of oil in the UAE for export to Japan. Even if the Strait of Hormuz stays open, any more military tension will hit the company’s business.

Katsujiro Kida (Japan Oil Development):

Closure of the strait would create a situation beyond any company’s control. An accidental incident could trigger something that nobody wants to happen.

Go Sawahata:

Tension between the West and Iran over Iranian nuclear program is at a critical level. There are fears of a regional war. The fate of the central artery for global oil transport is at stake. 

An Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in Tehran today after a motorcyclist attached a magnetic bomb to his car. Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan was a chemistry expert and director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. Varying opinions are quickly emerging over who is to blame for the attack. Iran blames the US and Israel for the attack. "Does anyone doubt that some combination of the two nations completely obsessed with Iran's nuclear program...are responsible?" asks Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com. Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations, however, is of a different opinion. He asks, "But is it in US national interest to bomb Iran to defend the principle of full cooperation with the IAEA? I would say no." 

Roshan's death comes amid mounting tension between the US and Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Earlier this week, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran had begun enriching uranium at 20 percent at the Fordow plant near the city of Qom. The plant is buried deep underground a military site and is said to be far more resistant to military strikes than existing plants. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton responded to the news with a harsh tone."This step once again demonstrates the Iranian regime's blatant disregard for its responsibilities and that the country's growing isolation is self-inflicted," she said in a statement.

Since November 2011, the US and EU have taken significant steps to cut Iran out of the international financial network after IAEA published a report stating that Iran was involved in activities relevant to the development of nuclear weapons. Iran immediately slammed the report as politically motivated and a fabrication by the US. Tehran claims its uranium enrichment program is for nuclear research and peaceful energy purposes. "No one has a full sense of the Iranian production plan there," said one diplomat who has studied the few details released by Iran about the Fordow plant. "And I think that’s the point." Meanwhile, former US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolten, says the Iranians are "testing Western powers' resolve to stop their advance towards developing a bomb."

Iran's releationship with the West has steadily declined in recent weeks as the US enacted sanctions on Iran's central bank on January 1, and the EU is expected to impose an embargo on Iranian oil by the end of the month. Western sanctions seek to undercut the Iranian government by halting the country's largest source of revenue: oil sales. The Iranian Economic Minister, Shamseddin Hosseini, likened the sanctions to "an economic war." On December 27, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that if the West followed through with its threats, Tehran would shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a 30-mile strategic waterway through which nearly one fourth of the world's oil passes every day. In the back-and-forth war of words, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta responded to the threat by saying that closing the strategic waterway would be a "red line" for the US.

Meanwhile, while Iran concluded a massive ten-day naval exercise last week stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden, some observers remain skeptical that US-Iran relations will escalate into a full-blown conflict. Iran analyst Michael Connel says the most likely outcome is "more bluster." Afshon Ostovar of Foreign Policy Magazine says that initiating a conflict with the US would be "a last-ditch, kamikaze act by the Iranians." However, he added, "as opportunities for compromise evaporate, and as relations continue to sour, the likelihood of war is steadily increasing."

Yemen: Government forces imposed a strict security cordon around the Yemeni capital Sana'a to prevent the entry of armed tribes to assist head of the Hashid tribe and prominent opposition leader, Sadiq al-Ahmar. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he won't be dragged into civil war as a result of what he called “provocative acts” by the opposition.  Families have been seen evacuating the city as violent clashes continue between both sides, despite mediation efforts. The last two days of clashes in Sana’a has lead to the deaths of nearly 60 people.

Syria: Canada has also imposed sanctions on Syria, following the US and EU, and called on Syria to immediately stop the violence against protestors. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird referred to the repression against protestors as “repulsive and extremely disturbing.” Switzerland also said that it will continue freezing the assets of senior Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assad. The EU has released a list of ten Syrian officials to be included in the sanctions, which entail a travel ban and a freeze of assets.

Bahrain: A number of Bahraini regions witnessed demonstrations condemning the death sentences of two Bahraini citizens. Protestors chanted their usual slogans along with demands to rescind the death sentences and release other detainees. The military court also plans to prosecute a 14-year-old boy, the youngest of hundreds being detained in Bahraini prisons. As part of the crackdown, authorities also continue to fire employees and expel students for participating in the protests.

Yemen: A number of people were wounded in Sana'a during violent confrontations between the police and President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s loyalists, and armed supporters of Hasid Tribe leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, who supports protestors. Eyewitnesses say clashes erupted after guards at al-Ahmar's house tried to prevent the police from storing weapons in a school in the Hasba neighborhood north of Sana'a. After Saleh’s refusal to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council’s peace initiative, the GCC has decided to suspend its efforts to mediate the crisis in Yemen due to a lack of “appropriate conditions.”

Syria: The European Union followed the US example and imposed sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad and other top officials in his regime due to the continued crackdown on peaceful protests in Syria. The sanctions include freezing assets and banning top officials from travelling. However, political observers doubt these sanctions will change the course of events and lead to a resolution in Syria.

Egypt: The Journalists Syndicate organized a celebration in the city of Suez to honor the families of those killed and injured during the January 25 Revolution. During the celebration, the families affirmed their hope that the Egyptian judiciary punishes those responsible for the death and injury of hundreds of Egyptians. Residents of Suez expressed their anger over the lack of media in Suez, as the city played a major role in the Egyptian revolution.

Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni opposition have agreed to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council’s reconciliation initiative, which includes a transfer of power and minor changes to the initiative that was proposed several weeks ago. This agreement came at the end of GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani’s visit to Yemen and after an intervention by American and European diplomats helped mediate the deal. However, Protestors, however, continued to rally in Yemeni streets and have rejected any initiative brokered by the GCC.

Libya: The Tunisian government threatened to report Libya to the United Nations after Libyan shells hit Tunisian territory near the Dhehiba border-crossing. NATO strikes on Gaddafi-controlled regions have now become regular and target vital regime facilities. Most recently, NATO warplanes launched a series of raids on several government buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli, including the Anti-Corruption Ministry and the Internal Security headquarters.

Syria: President Bashar al-Assad has admitted that security forces made mistakes in dealing with protests over the past two months, during which over 800 people died. Assad said that thousands of policemen will attend new training sessions. The United States and the European Union said they will impose sanctions against Syria in response to the government’s violent crackdown on protestors. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia would not support any measures taken against Syria.

Gaza: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) closed its doors after its 11,000 employees called for a general strike. The strike was organized in protest of what is being referred to as the "arbitrary dismissal" of five employees. The agency closed all of its health clinics in Gaza, halting services to nearly 750,000 refugees. The strike is also affecting the more than 200,000 students enrolled in UNRWA-run schools.

(Euronews: 0726 PT, May 11, 2011) Greece is once again in the grip of a general strike as people protest against the governments raft of harsh austerity measures aimed to keep the debt-ridden the country solvent. Athens is currently planning further measures to save an extra 23 billion euros by 2015, but ordinary Greeks are outraged.

Violence Erupts During Potests in Athens

(ITN News: 0431 PT, May 11, 2011) Police in Athens have arrested ten people during a violent march against economic austerity measures.

(Euronews: 0421 PT, May 11, 2011) Anti-Gaddafi fighters in Misurata are engaged in trench warfare against Libyan government forces. Euronews has exclusive pictures from the fluid frontline as the rebel army make slight gains against a better-trained and well-equipped foe.

Government forces are deploying snipers to keep the rebels pinned down and then hit their positions with shells and mortars. Those opposed to Gaddafi say they are expecting NATO air strikes to target government troops at any time.

EU to Open Office in Rebel Stronghold Benghazi

(Euronews: 0726 PT, May 11, 2011) The European Union says it will open an office in the rebel-held Libyan city of Benghazi. However, this is not a sign of recognition for the rebel administration. The aim is to help with security and getting aid to where it is needed. The office will also assist with health and education.

(Euronews: 0726 PT, May 11, 2011) Syrian tanks are reported to be shelling Homs, one of the country's biggest cities. Loud explosions were heard in the residential neighbourhood of Bab Amro. Syrian security forces are continuing their crackdown on anti-government protests. It's thought hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested after protests which began in Daraa in March.

The Syrian government says it is pursuing armed gangs of terrorists while a state news agency has reported that two soldiers have been killed in clashes in Homs and Deraa.

Weapons Sales to Syria 'Increase'

(Al Jazeera English: 0722 PT, May 11, 2011) Various weapons are available on Lebanon's black market, and arms trading is reportedly on the rise since the unrest in Syria began. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut.

Two contrasting reports from Afghanistan on attempts to create local police and military forces capable of controlling the troubled country when the US and NATO leaves.

Afghan Special Ops Units May Be Key to US Exit

(Associated Press: 0851 PT, May 10, 2011) US personnel have been training and fighting alongside Afghan special operations forces. The development of such commandos may be key if Americans are to reduce their presence in the country.

Politics Dominate Afghan Police Force

(Al Jazeera English: 0238 PT, May 10, 2011) The Afghan Local Police (ALP) has been expanding fast across the country over the past year. Community-based units, they are seen as a pet project of NATO commander General David Petraeus, who has described the ALP as having a significant impact. But the police force has also faced allegations of theft, abduction and intimidation. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from Maidan Wardak province.