Ahmadinejad: Global Mahdi Revolution Has Begun

In his Revolution Day address, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared the beginning of the Mahdi Revolution, that he said would not be limited to the region but would spread across the globe:

Ahmadinejad : The revolution of 12 Imam is not limited to the region but the world  

He added that Iran was determined to complete its nuclear program, and that "the new Middle East would be a region without the U.S. and without the Zionist regime, and the world will taste the sweetness of a world without Zionists and bullies" (for more on Ahmadinejad's address, see Ahmadinejad In Iranian Revolution Day Address: Iran Is Firm In Continuing Nuclear Path – We Don't Need World Powers; There Will Be A New Middle East – Without The U.S. And Israel).

He said that by the end of his presidency, unemployment would be wiped out in Iran; that within a year, Iran would launch a live animal into space; and within a decade, it would do the same with Iranian astronauts.

It was reported that participants at the rally called "Death to Mubarak" and burned him in effigy, and that across the country fundraising drives to aid residents of Gaza and Palestine are underway.


Sources: Lenziran.com, IRIBnews.ir, Fars, Mehr, Press TV, Iran, February 11, 2011

Ahmadinejad In Iranian Revolution Day Address: A New Middle East

Ahmadinejad In Iranian Revolution Day Address: Iran Is Firm In Continuing Nuclear Path – We Don't Need World Powers; There Will Be A New Middle East – Without The U.S. And Israel

In his address marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insists that the nation remains determined to continue its nuclear path, as it marks the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. He also stressed that a new Middle East will be created in the near future without the U.S. or Israel.

"The Iranian nation will continue its way and it does not need the world powers to complete its nuclear program," he told tens of thousands of demonstrators at Tehran's Azadi Square today. He added that the Western countries should adopt a coordination policy instead of a confrontation policy.
(For more on address, see Ahmadinejad: Global Mahdi Revolution Has Begun)

"I assure you that despite all the evil and complicated plans, and thanks to the resistance of the nations, there will be a new Middle East but without the U.S. and Israel," he said.

He urged the arrogant powers not to interfere in the internal affairs of the region's countries, such as Egypt and Tunisia.

"What are you doing in Afghanistan? What are these military bases in the region for? Are you compassionate or hypocrite?" Ahmadinejad asked.

He also argued that the West is deceitful in claiming that with the two-state slogan it can pave the way for Israel to dominate the region.

Hailing the revolution in Egypt, the Iranian president warned the Egyptian people to be vigilant, insisting that "It is your right to be free. It is your right to decide your government, and it is your right to freely express yourself about your country and global issues."

"Be united and do not fear corrupt governments, and victory is near," he added.
The masses of demonstrators carried placards in support of the popular uprising of the Egyptian and Tunisian nations.

"Iran is now the most independent and dignified nation," he said. "Iran's revolution was a great event in moving towards summits of perfection."

The Iranian nation toppled the U.S.-backed regime of former dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, ending the 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country. Every year, Iranians mark the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which begins with the anniversary of the return to Iran of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, on February 1, 1979. February 1 marks the beginning of 10 days of celebrations the "10-Day Dawn," which culminate on February 11 – the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

Source: Press TV, Iran, February 11, 2011

Hosni Mubarak's 'stolen' $70 billion fortune

Now that Egypt's longtime president has stepped down, attention turns to the wealth he allegedly piled up over three decades in power


Now that Egyptian protesters have pushed Hosni Mubarak into relinquishing power, they want him to return the fortune he and his family allegedly amassed during his 30-year reign. "If we can get back some of the billions stolen, I will be satisfied with our revolution," one 29-year-old Egyptian told The Washington Post. How much money does Mubarak have — and do the Egyptian people really have a shot at getting it back? Here, a quick guide to the fight over Mubarak's money:



How much money are we talking about?

Nobody knows for sure. Estimates of the Mubarak family's wealth go as high as $70 billion — more than Microsoft founder Bill Gates is worth. The breakdown, according to ABC News, includes $17 billion for Mubarak, $10 billion for his second son, Gamal, and $40 billion for the rest of the family. (Watch a Bloomberg report about Mubarak's great wealth)


Where's the loot?

Some of it's tied up in real estate. Mubarak and his sons own property not only in Egypt, but also London, Los Angeles and New York, according to reports cited in The Washington Post. In London, Gamal Mubarak, 47, owns a house in a neighborhood where homes sell for as much as $20 million. As for the rest of the fortune, the family reportedly has billions stashed in foreign banks and offshore accounts.


How did Mubarak get so rich?

He didn't do it by squirreling away his salary. As president, Mubarak made just $808 per month in 2007 and 2008, according to a Cairo think tank. Mubarak reportedly made his first millions through military contracts during his earlier career as an air force officer. Later his sons allegedly took huge cuts from businesses investing in Egypt, giving favored entrepreneurs virtual monopolies in return, according to The Sunday Telegraph. Other possible sources of wealth: Government corruption and the sale of state companies and land.


Will Egypt be able to get the money back?

Maybe. Switzerland has frozen whatever assets the Mubaraks and their associates still have there, and other countries are under pressure to do the same. Anti-corruption watchdogs are calling for criminal charges against the Mubaraks. A conviction would help banks return the cash. But, according to Britain's Sunday Telegraph, Mubarak scrambled in his last days in office to hide his assets. "We think their financial advisers have moved some of the money around," a senior Western intelligence source told the Telegraph. "If he had real money in Zurich, it may be gone by now."

Ezekiel 30:4 - A sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Cush

Ezekiel 30:4

 "A sword shall come upon Egypt,
   and anguish shall be in Cush,
when the slain fall in Egypt,
   and her wealth is carried away,
   and her foundations are torn down."

Southern Sudan Suffers a Blow as Fighting Ends a Truce

Southern Sudan Suffers a Blow as Fighting Ends a Truce

By JOSH KRON

KAMPALA, Uganda — Fresh battles between renegade soldiers and the southern Sudanese military in recent days have left more than 100 people dead in southern Sudan, sending tremors through a heavily militarized region that only days ago celebrated the final results of a referendum to separate from the rest of the country.

The southern Sudanese military clashed on Wednesday and Thursday with hundreds of rebel fighters loyal to a renegade general, George Athor; the fighting killed 105 people in the state of Jonglei and broke a one-month armistice. The military said Friday that the fighting had dissipated, but it remained unclear how long the calm would last.

“The cease-fire is broken,” said a spokesman for the southern Sudanese army, Philip Aguer. “This was a surprise move.”

The fighting comes less than a week after official results of the southern referendum were announced, with more than 98 percent of the nearly four million voters choosing to separate from northern Sudan after decades of civil war. During the war, rebels fought together in a coalition against the north but have at times turned against one another.

This vast region is considered to be one of the poorest, least-developed places in the world, and it is teeming with soldiers. Security is routinely singled out as the most important priority in southern Sudan right now.

According to the 2005 peace treaty that brought the civil war between the north and the south to an end, a total of 180,000 soldiers from north and south Sudan were supposed to demobilize and reintegrate into society. But so far only about 400 soldiers across the entire country have completed that process, and the United Nations has been blamed for hindering the country’s demobilization program through fiscal mismanagement.

While the southern Sudanese government and military have expressed confidence about their grip on the region in the period before independence — expected to be declared on July 9 — there are a number of signs that the fragile status quo could crumble.

Last weekend, a rebellion by southern Sudanese soldiers in Sudan’s joint-integrated units in Upper Nile State left 50 people dead, including children and a United Nations employee.

Then on Wednesday, near the town of Fangak in neighboring Jonglei, two southern Sudanese army trucks were patrolling a road when they were destroyed by mines; 16 soldiers were killed in the blast and the ensuing battle. The southern Sudanese military said the mines were laid by rebel soldiers loyal to General Athor, who led a rebellion last year when he was not elected governor of Jonglei.

He signed a cease-fire with the southern Sudanese government in January, just days before the referendum, paving the way for what international election observers called a free, fair and peaceful vote.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, General Athor’s men were expected to assemble at agreed-upon points, including one near Fangak, and rejoin the military. But the fighting reignited on Wednesday, catching the southern Sudanese military off guard.

By Thursday afternoon, the rebels had captured the town, and they held it for a number of hours before being driven out. When the fighting finally stopped, the southern Sudanese military said, 50 soldiers and 39 civilians had been killed, and 65 people had been wounded.

The fighting kept medical aid workers from helping the victims. “It is imperative that immediate access to urgent lifesaving medical care is granted by the relevant authorities to both civilians and all parties to the conflict,” the aid group Doctors Without Borders said in a statement.

The southern Sudanese army said that it did not know why its forces had been attacked, but that it did not want a return to war.

“We still want reconciliation with George Athor,” said Mr. Aguer, the southern military spokesman. “We want people to start reconstructing their lives.”