Thursday, 19 March 2015
Friday, 6 March 2015
Amosu: Jonathan Has Shown More Commitment to Ending Insurgency than His Ambition
06 Mar 2015
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, on Thursday in Abuja commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to tackling insurgency in the North-east, saying the president had shown greater commitments to ending the menace than his re-election bid.
Speaking while defending the budget of Nigeria Air Force before the Senate Committee on Defence (Airforce) yesterday, Amosu said military operations in the North-east had totally destroyed Boko Haram stronghold by damaging its command and control in the area.
Amosu also praised the collaborative efforts of the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun, Benin Republic and Niger in the fight against the insurgents, saying the bilateral cooperation between Nigerian soldiers and the countries had boosted the capacity of the nation’s security forces.
The neighbouring countries, he said, had blocked the terrorists’ escape root to their countries.
He said: “On the 15th of February, we were in Lagos to harmonise equipment with the ammunition system. It was very clear that we were commencing a major offensive which was very quick for me to release information that we were going to storm the North-east. We are going to storm the Sambisa Forest. Since 15th, if you notice, there has not been any major offensive from the Boko Haram terrorists. It is very clear that by our efforts, we have been able to disrupt their communication lines. The command and control is substantially damaged.
“Again, their ability to plan is not there. We have also been able to destroy their training stations. So, the issue of regeneration is out of it. We are lucky again to have our neighbours who have agreed to work with us. That has given us huge comfort because when they cannot run away to the neighbouring countries, we are sure that we are going to contain them here, and it will be easy to take them down. So far, we are happy and satisfied with what is going on.
“And I am happy to announce to you that we are getting a lot of cooperation from the citizens. We are getting valuable intelligence from the citizens. We just want to encourage them to keep it up because this is our country and we have no other country to go to. These are people coming from outside the country to attempt to destabilise our country.
“I want to use this opportunity to acknowledge fully the support of Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. For me, this is a personal opinion, he has given more effort to security than even his politics. So, we are happy with him,” he stated.
In his reaction, Chairman, Senate Committee on Airforce, Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, said the primary responsibility of the government was to protect lives and property as he assured the Airforce that he would do everything within his power to ensure that the outfit is well funded.
“You see, as it is enshrined in the constitution of this country, it is the cardinal responsibility of government to protect lives and property. So, despite that there is a challenge in our revenue, we have to prioritise the little that we have, to make sure that this country is protected. So, I am going to take it up with the Committee on Appropriation when I go to submit my report and make sure that they get more funding.
“So, I strongly suggest that we have an integrated budgetary system in this country, not only for the Budget Office to sit down and prepare the budget. The ministries, departments and agencies alongside the National Assembly and the Budget Office need to prepare the budget together so that they come up with a comprehensive budget that will satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of our citizens,” he said.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/amosu-jonathan-has-shown-more-commitment-to-ending-insurgency-than-his-ambition/203404/
"Tens Of Thousands Of Germans Gather Together To Protest Against Islam, They Raise Up Their Crosses, Sing Traditional Christian Songs, And Want Germany To Remain Christian And Not Islamic (STOP BRINGING MUSLIMS INTO EUROPE AND BRING BACK CHRISTENDOM!)
By Ted on December 22, 2014 in Featured, General,
By #Theodore_Shoebat.
17,500 Germans gathered together today, singing traditional Christian songs, to carry Christian crosses as an expression of Christian supremacy, to protest against Islam, and to fight off the Islamization of Germany. They are part of a very passionate group called PEDIDA or Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident, and they are here to make sure Germany remains German and Christian.
In Dresdon, the police said that some 17,500 were present, and in the previous week, 15,000 Germans gathered to protest against Islam in Germany. I did a whole video on this, with clips of the actual protests:
The group is striving and protesting for “the right to preserve and protect our Christian-Jewish dominated West culture” and against the take over of Islam over the Christian culture of Germany. Amazingly, the group only began with 200 people just two months ago. On the first day of December, they had 7,500 people gather together for a protest; 10,000 the week after, and in the subsequent week 15,000, and now its over 17,000.
There is a beautiful photo that came out of Germans carrying up a majestic cross with the colors of the German flag:
The movement is growing and it will continue to grow. Why? Because God is restoring Europe, away from the darkness of multiculturalism, and into the light of Christian supremacy. When I see this photo of the cross in Germany, I am filled with hope, I am filled with aspiration, I am filled with zeal, I am filled with urgency, to join their ranks. We must learn from these patriots. Let us carry crosses in the streets, with people numbering, not in the hundreds, but in the tens of thousands.
Let us cry out Bible verses, let us confront the enemies of righteousness, let us carry high the image of the cross, and let it be seen by all, as a sign that our Faith will be supreme and will be triumphant over the wiles and deceptions of the devil. Let us put the scoffers to shame, let us pierce the bastions of the devil with the blade of the cross, and let us, without any shame, shake the very foundations of this country, and of this world.
It is Christian supremacy that will bring Europe away from the abyss of indifferentism and the disease of tolerance. With hearts throbbing, with zeal burning in our veins, with gallant spirit crying out within our very beings, let us fight all those who wish to replace Christianity with their towers of Babel. Let us shake these very towers and watch them topple.
Let us be Christians, let us be militants, let us be Crusaders. Let us fight, until no more the pagan prayers of the Muslims be heard, until all we shall hear are the cries of Deus Vult! and the prayers of the saints!
These patriotic Germans gathered together to sing Christmas carols, which are really majestic traditional Christian songs, and to triumph Christianity above Islam. They are fighting to prevent the “watering down” of their Christian-rooted culture and traditions. According to one report:
There is a mounting public backlash over what many perceive as the government’s indifference to the growing influence of Islam in German society. This backlash represents a potentially significant turning point.
Despite efforts by German politicians and the media to portray PEGIDA as neo-Nazi, the group has taken great pains to distance itself from Germany’s extreme right. The group says that it is “apolitical” and that its main objective is to preserve what is left of Germany’s Judeo-Christian culture and values.
Our correspondant in Germany Peter Schmidt reported that:
“The Anti-islamisation Movment in Dresden, Germany grew even bigger, the Media is donwlplaying it, first they said it was 10.000, then it was 17.500, but in reality it was more than 25.000 ppl who sang Christian Christmas Carols, we also had a Minute of silence for the 140 murdered Children in Afghanistan just recently, as well as the Victims of the latest terror attack in Dijon, France as well as any other victim of islamic violence! All the Christmas Songs we sang, were Christian songs. before each Sonmg the words of the song were said loud and clear, therefore the Name of the Lord was said and sung from more than 25.000 tongues!!!”
And if these are “neo-Nazi”, perhaps someone will tell us, what are they doing here singing “Silent Night”? Our corespondant Mr. Peter Schmidt sent us video to show the world the truth and to express “we are Christians”:
In the above video Peter explains: “the speaker tells the crowd that there are political party leaders around and that they might try to jump on the bandwagon and use our movement, then you can hear us “boooing” which is followed by “Wir sind das Volk” which simply means “we are the people”. We now have branches in Italy, France, Swiss and even Poland.”
Peter adds: “I did pray, many times that God may choose my nation to fight on the good side this time and I must say, it does look pretty good, when I see my people rising up against a leftist, enviromentalist gerdermainstreamist type of goverment. BTW there were several Israeli flags there in the crowd.”
When I look at these protests, and how they are dramatically increasing, and when I see how they are intensifying in their zeal and their patriotism, I see God’s hand; I see God’s hand bringing back the land that belongs to Him, and restoring it to the glorious Faith that created Christian civilization.
It is Christianity that made Western Civilization, and it will be Christianity that will restore Christendom.
These protestors are pioneers for the restoration of Christendom, and for the destruction and utter uprooting of the Islamic heresy, and all of the Islamic devils.
The genius of Western Europe sprouted from the glorious light of Christianity, it is from the Holy Faith where we received our justice, our arts, our culture, and the beauty that lies at the center of our civilization.
Christianity has stood the test of time, and it will never disappear; it will always be here, to transcend humanity from the travails of the diabolical to the eternal choirs of angels; to have civilization become victorious over the mountainous heaps of skulls wrought by what tyrannies have tried to defeat the Faith; to have the Cross crush the Crescent.
Christianity will never go away! It will always be here to fight the evildoers, to confront them, and to destroy them! In the words of the French philosopher, Rene Chateaubriand,
As for us, we are convinced that Christianity will rise triumphant from the dreadful trial by which it has just been purified.
It is the Christian militant, and the soccer hooligans who will save Europe. Just look at the protests that have been happening throughout Europe, be it in Germany, England, Italy, Spain, France, who are the ones in the rallies and the crowds? Christian militants who fight for the Faith and soccer hooligans. The Christian militants and the soccer hooligans will end up being the preservers of Western civilization.
Not the useless secularists, not the sodomites or the indifferentists, but the Christian militants and the soccer hooligans.
Let Christendom arise and let it destroy the evildoers! Let us go forth and uproot the wicked, and vanquish the enemies of Christendom! Let us go out, singing with holy David:
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints. (Psalm 149:6-9)
In Germany, “Hooligans gegen Salafisten” appears to be a growing broad spectrum anti-Islamification movement.
Hooligan culture is on the rise again in Germany. Fan commissioners from Aachen, Braunschweig, Dortmund, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt report that hooligans who were active as long ago as the 1990s are once again rising and are on the increase in what the media portrays as “right-wing motivated behavior”.
On Twitter, users tweeting under the #hogesa tag have written, “This movement must never rest until we are finally in charge of our own country again.” One woman wrote, “Germany is finally waking up,” while another tweet included a German flag bearing the words, “We don’t want a [Muslim] theocracy.”
Rainer Wendt, chair of the German Police Union, claims that the hooligan groups and the right-wing scene more generally are merely exploiting the topic of Salafism in Germany in order to mobilize their sympathizers and attract new supporters. Wendt adds that such groups’ frequent assertion that the German state is failing in its fight against Islamists is “nonsense,” saying, “What these people don’t accept is that we’re using legal means to address the matter rather than crowbars.”
But the masses are not satisfied.
The GnuHonnters network was founded on a farm in the town of Leichlingen, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Back then, at the beginning of 2012, the meeting was made up almost exclusively of old-time hooligans with paunches. Members of the Borussenfront, a group of hooligans associated with the Borussia Dortmund club, sent out the invitations, and it was the perfect chance to drink beer and reminisce over battles past.
From meeting to meeting, the number of people in attendance grew, with many more younger hooligans, martial artists and youth squads. They met sometimes in Frankfurt, sometimes in Berlin, and never in the same place twice.
Europe is in turmoil and as we can see, eventually the people get tired of Islamic supremacy and take action.
Please donate for Rescue Christians who suffer under the yoke of Islamic supremacy.
They even have a song Hooligans gegen Salafisten (Hooligans Against [Muslim] Salafists) and one can decipher “Muhammad” “Caliphate” “Sharia” “Taliban” and “Muslim” and you get the picture. What Europeans are saying is that “we had enough”:
TRANSLATION OF THE SONG (and we find nothing “Nazi” in the lyrics)
The shadow world of the FRG Federal Republic of Germany
is ruled by Allah’s bearded men
Sharia-police and honour killing
nobody stops the madness
no word in the media
When you keep ignoring it
When the knife is at the neck
Then you understand
Islam wants no peace
but God’s slavery
a whole life
you wont’ be free anymore
Refrain:
Hooligans vs Salafists
we don’t want a theocracy
Hooligans vs Salafists
or Germany becomes a mass grave
Hooligans vs Salafists
we don’t want a theocracy
Hooligans vs Salafists
Only together
togther we are strong
Together
Together
Today they slaughter
sheep and cattle
tomorrow maybe christian children
In the Caliphate you can already see it
Then we will perish
If you do not follow Mohammed’s orders
you will have a knife at your neck
Whether man wether woman
wheter young wether old
And if there is any objection
then crucifixion is imminent
Refrain
If you believe in the wrong god
You can loose your head easily
Muslims can’t take a joke
the mummed/veiled/covered hate rules them
Boko Haram and Taliban
your terror sucks
Salfist and ISIS-idiots
you all should be forbidden
Refrain
P.S: We Send This Song To Our Friends In Germany:
go here:http://shoebat.com/…/tens-thousands-germans-gather-togethe…/
Why I Want Jega to Resign, by Uwazurike, MASSOB Leader
06 Mar 2015
Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike
-Denies being sponsored
Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, said on Thursday that his call for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, from office was predicated on the need for the commission to deliver credible election to Nigerians.
He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that he was being sponsored by some highly placed government officials to make such calls, noting that anybody who wishes Nigeria well must join in the call.
Uwazurike had during a press conference in Owerri said Prof Jega cannot conduct a pre-determined election in the southern part of the country. He said aside the ‘obvious display of bias’, the INEC chairman ought to proceed on a three-months pre-retirement leave as was done by his predecessors, Dr Abel Guobadia and Prof Maurice Iwu, during their time.
He said the three geo-political zones of the South-east, south-south and south-west would not participate in any election conducted by Professor Jega, as the people of the area have already lost confidence in the ability of the INEC chairman to conduct credible elections.
“It is amasing that one of the political parties is strongly opposed to the removal of Jega. It is also amasing that Jega refused to step aside even when there are evidences pointing to his bias. What is disturbing is indeed the catastrophe his agenda may provoke. This catastrophe could be avoided.
“In as much as many believe that Jega has compromised, the only option left for him is to quit. He is not the only person that can conduct elections in Nigeria. Any national commissioner of the INEC can do so.”
“My worry is that the said election if conducted by Jega will lack credibility and will unavoidably engulf the nation in serious crisis. In such crisis as usual, the safety of lives and property of Ndigbo in the North and other parts of Nigeria will be targets for destruction.
“From the outset, Jega was not prepared for free and fair elections. He compromised that by his infamous 30,000 polling units, where he allotted more than 2/3 of the polling units to the North.
Despite public outcry and the senate also passing a resolution stating that the polling units should not be used. Still Jega went ahead and converted the polling units to voting centres in the North,” he alleged.
He also alleged that the preparations for the conduct of the elections by Jega had been characterised by falsehood, recalling that a week before the postponement of the elections, he claimed he was ready conduct the elections.
“It is no longer news that Jega was able to distribute more than 90 per cent of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in the North including the war torn areas of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, but failed to distribute up to 50 per cent in the South, prior to the postponement of the elections.
“As at the day Jega announced the postponement of the elections, he was yet to employ the seven hundred thousand ad-hoc staff, yet he claimed he was ready to conduct the elections,” he said.
On how he will stop the southerners from participating in the elections, the MASSOB boss said he would employ the tactics used during the last national census when his group successfully boycotted the exercise.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/why-i-want-jega-to-resign-by-uwazurike-massob-leader/203411/
Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike
-Denies being sponsored
Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, said on Thursday that his call for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, from office was predicated on the need for the commission to deliver credible election to Nigerians.
He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that he was being sponsored by some highly placed government officials to make such calls, noting that anybody who wishes Nigeria well must join in the call.
Uwazurike had during a press conference in Owerri said Prof Jega cannot conduct a pre-determined election in the southern part of the country. He said aside the ‘obvious display of bias’, the INEC chairman ought to proceed on a three-months pre-retirement leave as was done by his predecessors, Dr Abel Guobadia and Prof Maurice Iwu, during their time.
He said the three geo-political zones of the South-east, south-south and south-west would not participate in any election conducted by Professor Jega, as the people of the area have already lost confidence in the ability of the INEC chairman to conduct credible elections.
“It is amasing that one of the political parties is strongly opposed to the removal of Jega. It is also amasing that Jega refused to step aside even when there are evidences pointing to his bias. What is disturbing is indeed the catastrophe his agenda may provoke. This catastrophe could be avoided.
“In as much as many believe that Jega has compromised, the only option left for him is to quit. He is not the only person that can conduct elections in Nigeria. Any national commissioner of the INEC can do so.”
“My worry is that the said election if conducted by Jega will lack credibility and will unavoidably engulf the nation in serious crisis. In such crisis as usual, the safety of lives and property of Ndigbo in the North and other parts of Nigeria will be targets for destruction.
“From the outset, Jega was not prepared for free and fair elections. He compromised that by his infamous 30,000 polling units, where he allotted more than 2/3 of the polling units to the North.
Despite public outcry and the senate also passing a resolution stating that the polling units should not be used. Still Jega went ahead and converted the polling units to voting centres in the North,” he alleged.
He also alleged that the preparations for the conduct of the elections by Jega had been characterised by falsehood, recalling that a week before the postponement of the elections, he claimed he was ready conduct the elections.
“It is no longer news that Jega was able to distribute more than 90 per cent of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in the North including the war torn areas of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, but failed to distribute up to 50 per cent in the South, prior to the postponement of the elections.
“As at the day Jega announced the postponement of the elections, he was yet to employ the seven hundred thousand ad-hoc staff, yet he claimed he was ready to conduct the elections,” he said.
On how he will stop the southerners from participating in the elections, the MASSOB boss said he would employ the tactics used during the last national census when his group successfully boycotted the exercise.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/why-i-want-jega-to-resign-by-uwazurike-massob-leader/203411/
Jonathan: Chibok Girls are Alive, Will Be Recovered
06 Mar 2015
President Goodluck Jonathan
• FG meets with parents of schoolgirls
•Elderly men studying Qur'an in Gwoza killed as sect is expelled from Mafa
Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Almost one year after over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, and possibly encouraged by the inroads the Nigerian military has made in recovering some territories from Boko Haram, President Goodluck Jonathan has again promised that his government is not relenting in its efforts to rescue them and reunite them with their families.
The president, who spoke when he appeared on the African Independent Television (AIT) programme Kaakaki, expressed optimism that as the military continues to narrow the area of territory held by Boko Haram in the North-east, the kidnapped girls were still alive and would be recovered.
He premised his confidence on the fact that the girls were still alive, stating that had they been killed by the terror group, their corpses would have been displayed for the whole world to see and to instill fear.
“Some territories are still in the hands of Boko Haram. But we promised
that we must get the girls. The good story is that they have not killed them because the terrorists, when they kill, they display.
“They use it to intimidate the whole society. The girls are alive. We will get the girls. Luckily, we are narrowing down the area of their control. So we will get them,” he said.
Jonathan, in the hour-long programme, also admitted that his government underestimated the Islamist sect, but with the increased capacity of the military, which had taken possession of more than 65 per cent of the military hardware required to rout the group, he stated that the remaining territories still under the control of the terrorists would soon be recaptured.
“At the beginning, probably we did not really estimate the capacity of Boko Haram. It is obvious. Boko Haram started as a non-violent group led by (Mohammed) Yusuf, limited to around Maiduguri area and parts of Yobe. They had not even spread to Adamawa.
“Just like every group of youths or young people who are criminally inclined, over the period they expanded their network and linked up with other terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda and other similar brands in the world.
“So they continued to build their capacity and it got to a point that for you to tackle them in the kind of environment they operate, you need some specialised equipment and we don’t manufacture these equipment. That is why the strategy changed. So it was not deliberate,” he said.
On the forthcoming elections, Jonathan acknowledged that he is facing a stiffer opposition than he faced in 2011, but remained confident that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win at the polls.
He said: “I agree with you it was easier in 2011, but PDP is still the dominant party. There is no polling unit in Nigeria where you don’t have members of the PDP.
“Yes, for one reason or the other, within the party people get angry and may even vote against PDP but in terms of membership of the PDP, there is no party that has that spread.
“So PDP still has the most formidable structure, PDP has better chances of winning a national election.
“Even the opposition will tell you if they are realistic. Who has strengthened the opposition? Are they not the PDP elements? If you remove the PDP elements from the opposition, they will just crumble like a pack of cards.
“Why are people aggressive towards the PDP to the extent that even the presidential convoy is stoned? Why do you show that aggression? If you are comfortable, you will not do that.”
He however admitted that re-election bids in most countries are more challenging, stating: “Globally, it is more challenging for a president to secure a second term than the first term, because people get disappointed when their expectations are not quickly met by those they voted for.
But PDP still has an edge over the opposition.”
Also commenting on the fuel shortages in the country, the president blamed the situation on lack of refining capacity in the country, adding that the federal government had taken the necessary measure to end the fuel queues.
“Of course, the issue of payment is being addressed and we believe that within one or two day, this will completely go. But until we start refining our crude oil to get our own products here within the country, we cannot get out of some of these problems.
"It is even really the policy of government. When you continue to export raw materials, you are actually exporting jobs. But our objective is to privatise the refineries and attract private sector investors into the sector,” he said.
On a similar note, the federal government yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the parents and relatives of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and laid out plans on their release.
A press statement by Olawale Rasheed, Special Adviser to the Minister of State for Power, said that during the meeting held in Maiduguri, the
Borno State capital, the federal government through the minister (Mohammed Wakil) told the parents how far it had gone in securing the release of the schoolgirls from captivity, adding that the government was still committed to their safe return.
He told the parents that the federal government has devised a comprehensive counter-insurgency strategy which has four focal goals of reclaiming occupied territories; rescuing abducted persons; resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs); and the rehabilitation of insurgency-ravaged communities.
Wakil told the gathering: “Mr. President is pursuing a multi-faceted strategy which address the pains, anger and frustrations of victims. Our president directed me to tell you that his government is committed to doing everything possible for the safe return of your daughters.
“I am here to convey the symphathy of Mr. President and the entire federal cabinet to you the parents and families as well as all other victims. As you are all aware, our military is gaining the upper hand in this sacred war. We believe by the grace of God, your children will return safely.”
He praised the families for refusing to support the politicisation of the abduction of the schoolgirls, stating: “Your presence here to listen to the message of Mr. President confirms your belief in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations as a solution to our collective challenge.
“I assure you that not only will the rescue operations be successful, the other three goals of reclaiming occupied territories, resettlement of IDPs and rebuilding of communities will be pursued to a logical conclusion.
“This is a personal pledge of Mr. President which the entire administration is committed to.”
Responding, the spokesperson of the parents and families of the Chibok girls, Mrs. Pindar Dauda, thanked the president for his concern and sympathy while praying for the success of the ongoing military operations.
She however appealed to the president not to relent, insisting: “He should continue with the war against Boko Haram. He should get our children back to us safely. We are praying for him and the military.”
In attendance at the meeting were the youth leader of the Chibok community and some elders of the community.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram militants have been amassing weapons in the Borno town of Gwoza, believed to be the group’s headquarters, killing residents who were unable to flee, a senator and witnesses said yesterday.
A female resident, who fled Gwoza on Tuesday and requested anonymity said the insurgents rounded up elderly men who were studying the Qur'an outside the home of a local cleric.
The men were later executed in front of their wives, the witness told AFP from Yola, capital of neighbouring Adamawa State.
“The Boko Haram men brought out brand new guns from cartons, tested
them and shot dead all the men who they forced to lie face down,” she said.
Some of these details were supported by Senator Ali Ndume, who also confirmed the large build-up of insurgents in Gwoza.
“Boko Haram insurgents have in recent days been converging on Gwoza where they killed many male residents and chased women and children out of the town,” said Ndume.
The group’s leader Abubakar Shekau proclaimed Gwoza part of the Islamic caliphate and reclaiming the town that was captured last June would be a huge prize for Nigeria’s military.
Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger have since last month been waging an unprecedented joint offensive against the insurgents, claiming the recapture of several key towns and villages previously under Islamist control.
Ndume speculated that the Islamists were preparing to defend the symbolically important town before an expected military advance, possibly by Chadian troops who are operating in the area with Nigeria’s permission.
The motive for the rebel build-up in Gwoza could not be independently confirmed but witnesses said a large number of residents had also been killed in recent days.
The current population of Gwoza is hard to estimate.
Many people in the town on the Camerounian border fled amid the rebel takeover in June but many others — including those too old or sick to run — stayed behind.
There were also indications that Boko Haram tried to reassure people that it was safe to stay in the town and live under the so-called caliphate.
Experts said Chad’s army has offered a huge boost to Nigeria in recent
weeks as both nations have boasted of major successes against the insurgents.
Chadian President Idriss Deby on Wednesday claimed he knew where Shekau was and called on him to surrender while vowing to “wipe out” the Islamists.
In another attack, Boko Haram is believed to have killed dozens of people, including children, in Njab village in Borno State on Tuesday.
Gunmen deliberately targeted children, witnesses told AFP news agency.
“I participated in the counting of dead bodies. Sixty-eight people were killed,” said Muminu Haruna, who escaped the attack in the village.
Militants fired into homes and then set the village on fire, witnesses reported.
The massacre took place on Tuesday but reports only emerged yesterday, as the village is in an extremely remote part of the state.
Despite the resistance being put up by the insurgents, Nigerian troops yesterday successfully expelled them from Mafa in Borno.
The defence headquarters revealed this on its Twitter handle yesterday, stating: “Troops are now in full control of Mafa, Borno State after completing the operation to clear terrorists from the town yesterday evening.”
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-chibok-girls-are-alive-will-be-recovered/203435/
President Goodluck Jonathan
• FG meets with parents of schoolgirls
•Elderly men studying Qur'an in Gwoza killed as sect is expelled from Mafa
Jaiyeola Andrews in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Almost one year after over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, and possibly encouraged by the inroads the Nigerian military has made in recovering some territories from Boko Haram, President Goodluck Jonathan has again promised that his government is not relenting in its efforts to rescue them and reunite them with their families.
The president, who spoke when he appeared on the African Independent Television (AIT) programme Kaakaki, expressed optimism that as the military continues to narrow the area of territory held by Boko Haram in the North-east, the kidnapped girls were still alive and would be recovered.
He premised his confidence on the fact that the girls were still alive, stating that had they been killed by the terror group, their corpses would have been displayed for the whole world to see and to instill fear.
“Some territories are still in the hands of Boko Haram. But we promised
that we must get the girls. The good story is that they have not killed them because the terrorists, when they kill, they display.
“They use it to intimidate the whole society. The girls are alive. We will get the girls. Luckily, we are narrowing down the area of their control. So we will get them,” he said.
Jonathan, in the hour-long programme, also admitted that his government underestimated the Islamist sect, but with the increased capacity of the military, which had taken possession of more than 65 per cent of the military hardware required to rout the group, he stated that the remaining territories still under the control of the terrorists would soon be recaptured.
“At the beginning, probably we did not really estimate the capacity of Boko Haram. It is obvious. Boko Haram started as a non-violent group led by (Mohammed) Yusuf, limited to around Maiduguri area and parts of Yobe. They had not even spread to Adamawa.
“Just like every group of youths or young people who are criminally inclined, over the period they expanded their network and linked up with other terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda and other similar brands in the world.
“So they continued to build their capacity and it got to a point that for you to tackle them in the kind of environment they operate, you need some specialised equipment and we don’t manufacture these equipment. That is why the strategy changed. So it was not deliberate,” he said.
On the forthcoming elections, Jonathan acknowledged that he is facing a stiffer opposition than he faced in 2011, but remained confident that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win at the polls.
He said: “I agree with you it was easier in 2011, but PDP is still the dominant party. There is no polling unit in Nigeria where you don’t have members of the PDP.
“Yes, for one reason or the other, within the party people get angry and may even vote against PDP but in terms of membership of the PDP, there is no party that has that spread.
“So PDP still has the most formidable structure, PDP has better chances of winning a national election.
“Even the opposition will tell you if they are realistic. Who has strengthened the opposition? Are they not the PDP elements? If you remove the PDP elements from the opposition, they will just crumble like a pack of cards.
“Why are people aggressive towards the PDP to the extent that even the presidential convoy is stoned? Why do you show that aggression? If you are comfortable, you will not do that.”
He however admitted that re-election bids in most countries are more challenging, stating: “Globally, it is more challenging for a president to secure a second term than the first term, because people get disappointed when their expectations are not quickly met by those they voted for.
But PDP still has an edge over the opposition.”
Also commenting on the fuel shortages in the country, the president blamed the situation on lack of refining capacity in the country, adding that the federal government had taken the necessary measure to end the fuel queues.
“Of course, the issue of payment is being addressed and we believe that within one or two day, this will completely go. But until we start refining our crude oil to get our own products here within the country, we cannot get out of some of these problems.
"It is even really the policy of government. When you continue to export raw materials, you are actually exporting jobs. But our objective is to privatise the refineries and attract private sector investors into the sector,” he said.
On a similar note, the federal government yesterday held a closed-door meeting with the parents and relatives of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and laid out plans on their release.
A press statement by Olawale Rasheed, Special Adviser to the Minister of State for Power, said that during the meeting held in Maiduguri, the
Borno State capital, the federal government through the minister (Mohammed Wakil) told the parents how far it had gone in securing the release of the schoolgirls from captivity, adding that the government was still committed to their safe return.
He told the parents that the federal government has devised a comprehensive counter-insurgency strategy which has four focal goals of reclaiming occupied territories; rescuing abducted persons; resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs); and the rehabilitation of insurgency-ravaged communities.
Wakil told the gathering: “Mr. President is pursuing a multi-faceted strategy which address the pains, anger and frustrations of victims. Our president directed me to tell you that his government is committed to doing everything possible for the safe return of your daughters.
“I am here to convey the symphathy of Mr. President and the entire federal cabinet to you the parents and families as well as all other victims. As you are all aware, our military is gaining the upper hand in this sacred war. We believe by the grace of God, your children will return safely.”
He praised the families for refusing to support the politicisation of the abduction of the schoolgirls, stating: “Your presence here to listen to the message of Mr. President confirms your belief in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations as a solution to our collective challenge.
“I assure you that not only will the rescue operations be successful, the other three goals of reclaiming occupied territories, resettlement of IDPs and rebuilding of communities will be pursued to a logical conclusion.
“This is a personal pledge of Mr. President which the entire administration is committed to.”
Responding, the spokesperson of the parents and families of the Chibok girls, Mrs. Pindar Dauda, thanked the president for his concern and sympathy while praying for the success of the ongoing military operations.
She however appealed to the president not to relent, insisting: “He should continue with the war against Boko Haram. He should get our children back to us safely. We are praying for him and the military.”
In attendance at the meeting were the youth leader of the Chibok community and some elders of the community.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram militants have been amassing weapons in the Borno town of Gwoza, believed to be the group’s headquarters, killing residents who were unable to flee, a senator and witnesses said yesterday.
A female resident, who fled Gwoza on Tuesday and requested anonymity said the insurgents rounded up elderly men who were studying the Qur'an outside the home of a local cleric.
The men were later executed in front of their wives, the witness told AFP from Yola, capital of neighbouring Adamawa State.
“The Boko Haram men brought out brand new guns from cartons, tested
them and shot dead all the men who they forced to lie face down,” she said.
Some of these details were supported by Senator Ali Ndume, who also confirmed the large build-up of insurgents in Gwoza.
“Boko Haram insurgents have in recent days been converging on Gwoza where they killed many male residents and chased women and children out of the town,” said Ndume.
The group’s leader Abubakar Shekau proclaimed Gwoza part of the Islamic caliphate and reclaiming the town that was captured last June would be a huge prize for Nigeria’s military.
Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger have since last month been waging an unprecedented joint offensive against the insurgents, claiming the recapture of several key towns and villages previously under Islamist control.
Ndume speculated that the Islamists were preparing to defend the symbolically important town before an expected military advance, possibly by Chadian troops who are operating in the area with Nigeria’s permission.
The motive for the rebel build-up in Gwoza could not be independently confirmed but witnesses said a large number of residents had also been killed in recent days.
The current population of Gwoza is hard to estimate.
Many people in the town on the Camerounian border fled amid the rebel takeover in June but many others — including those too old or sick to run — stayed behind.
There were also indications that Boko Haram tried to reassure people that it was safe to stay in the town and live under the so-called caliphate.
Experts said Chad’s army has offered a huge boost to Nigeria in recent
weeks as both nations have boasted of major successes against the insurgents.
Chadian President Idriss Deby on Wednesday claimed he knew where Shekau was and called on him to surrender while vowing to “wipe out” the Islamists.
In another attack, Boko Haram is believed to have killed dozens of people, including children, in Njab village in Borno State on Tuesday.
Gunmen deliberately targeted children, witnesses told AFP news agency.
“I participated in the counting of dead bodies. Sixty-eight people were killed,” said Muminu Haruna, who escaped the attack in the village.
Militants fired into homes and then set the village on fire, witnesses reported.
The massacre took place on Tuesday but reports only emerged yesterday, as the village is in an extremely remote part of the state.
Despite the resistance being put up by the insurgents, Nigerian troops yesterday successfully expelled them from Mafa in Borno.
The defence headquarters revealed this on its Twitter handle yesterday, stating: “Troops are now in full control of Mafa, Borno State after completing the operation to clear terrorists from the town yesterday evening.”
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-chibok-girls-are-alive-will-be-recovered/203435/
Buhari Back from London
06 Mar 2015
General Muhammadu Buhari
All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, who left the shores on Nigeria controversially for London two weeks ago for medical attention as well as to make a speech at Chatham House, is back in the country.
He touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 5.40 on Friday morning.
Asked about the true purpose of the trip, and the state of his health, he said it was human for anyone to have medical issues from time to time, but asked rhetorically: “Am I looking sick?”
Details to follow shortly.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-back-from-london/203441/
NIGERIANS" BE MORE BRAVE, STRONG AND NEVER LOSE-YOUR-HOPE, OUR HOPE ON SUPPORTING GEJ 2015. The Price of Freedom is not cheap.
ONLY-ONE-MAN-GOODLUCK JONATHAN-IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NIGERIANS".
#One_man_One_vote.
»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
"This year, 2015, is a year of temptation for Nigerians. Dont be tempted to vote a certificateless coupist as President. My greatest low state is whenever I see a single Nigerian compaigning for Buhari. I often get mad.
APC is made from Pit of Hell. It is an end-time beast that is prophecied by the time of Old which would rise to deceive many, even the elect (Patriotic Nigerians). Let us fight this beast together and move Nigeria forward. Vote for Change, vote Goodluck Ebele Jonathan today for continuity of good governance.
To defeat APC is to defeat Satan and his members(Buharist). All children of the Living God should rally round and stop the devil from taking up the scepter again. Vote GEJ for unity, prosperity and equality. Prove to the world that GEJ is a Nigerian and have all the right and priviledges of a full citizen. We are not Born-To-Follow. Destroy the jinx holding Nigeria for many years and vote a purported minority as President of all, even the majority.
From: Apologist Azolike Nonso Afamefuna
While Nigeria Prepares For Elections, Biafra Has Opened An ‘Embassy’ In Spain [SEE PHOTOS]
Nigeria Tell news:
Biafra has apparently opened an ‘embassy’ in Spain.
According to NewsExpress, the opening ceremony took place on February 28.
According to the report:
An Embassy of Biafra has been opened in Victoria, Spain. “It is another milestone in our drive towards Biafra’s restoration,” said a Radio Biafra broadcast from London monitored in Lagos by News Express.
The embassy, set up by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was opened on Saturday, Feb. 28, by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Director of Radio Biafra, London.
In a prayer at the event, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said: “We your children are gathered here in Vitoria Basque country O’Lord of Hosts, to do that which you have divinely mandated us to do. Today here in Northern Spain we open yet another chapter in this relentless effort to restore your kingdom upon the face of this earth. For the journey mercies you have granted us from all over the world here gathered we remain eternally grateful. From all over the world we have come to establish a firm base in this land from where your will must be done. This year belongs to us Biafrans because in the end all glory and honour will be yours and yours alone. Iseee!”
An elated Mazi Kanu yesterday expressed gratitude to God for the success of the event, writing on his Facebook page:
“To the most gracious almighty Chukwu Abhiama do we owe all that we are for this journey mercy granted to all hard core Biafrans that attended IPOB mission opening ceremony in Vitoria Basque Country in Spain. Magnificent and merciful creator of the universe, even if we worshipped you from now till eternity we still would not be able to repay you for the grace you have shown we Indigenous People of Biafra for guiding us back to our respective destinations. For those we left behind please guide them to their families in safety that in the end as always all honour and glory will be yours and yours alone because only you is worthy of praise. Your children have asked me to come to Amsterdam Netherlands from where your redeeming gospel of restoration will be preached tonight to the hearing of humanity. Abide with us Heavenly Father as you have always done for we are nothing without you. This family here shall find peace as they all desire that indeed your kingdom Biafra may come on this earth as it is heaven…..Iseee!”
It is not clear if the Spanish and Nigerian governments have reacted to this development, and if the embassy will be able to offer consular services.
According to the Biafra Free State Movement Facebook page, this brings the number of Biafra ‘embassies’ in the world to three – the other two being in Moscow, Russia and Los Angeles, U.S. The group also said that a high level delegation from the Catalan separatist movement – who are agitating for a breakway of the Catalonia region from Spain – was in attendance.
We will reach out to the relevant authorities and update you on this development.
Here are pictures of the embassy building and the opening ceremony.
Biafra-1 Biafra-2 Biafra-3 Biafra-5 Biafra-7 Biafra-41
http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/photos-biafra-embassy-opens-in-spain.108598/
http://www.ekekeee.com/nigeria-prepares-elections-biafra-opened-embassy-spain-see-photos/
http://www.nigeriatell.com/news/while-nigeria-prepares-for-elections-biafra-has-opened-an-embassy-in-spain-see-photos#.VPl_bKzwAwp
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/biafra-opens-embassy-in-spain-photos.html
http://www.naij.com/396133-indigenous-people-of-biafra-open-embassy-in-spain.html
Biafra has apparently opened an ‘embassy’ in Spain.
According to NewsExpress, the opening ceremony took place on February 28.
According to the report:
An Embassy of Biafra has been opened in Victoria, Spain. “It is another milestone in our drive towards Biafra’s restoration,” said a Radio Biafra broadcast from London monitored in Lagos by News Express.
The embassy, set up by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was opened on Saturday, Feb. 28, by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Director of Radio Biafra, London.
In a prayer at the event, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said: “We your children are gathered here in Vitoria Basque country O’Lord of Hosts, to do that which you have divinely mandated us to do. Today here in Northern Spain we open yet another chapter in this relentless effort to restore your kingdom upon the face of this earth. For the journey mercies you have granted us from all over the world here gathered we remain eternally grateful. From all over the world we have come to establish a firm base in this land from where your will must be done. This year belongs to us Biafrans because in the end all glory and honour will be yours and yours alone. Iseee!”
An elated Mazi Kanu yesterday expressed gratitude to God for the success of the event, writing on his Facebook page:
“To the most gracious almighty Chukwu Abhiama do we owe all that we are for this journey mercy granted to all hard core Biafrans that attended IPOB mission opening ceremony in Vitoria Basque Country in Spain. Magnificent and merciful creator of the universe, even if we worshipped you from now till eternity we still would not be able to repay you for the grace you have shown we Indigenous People of Biafra for guiding us back to our respective destinations. For those we left behind please guide them to their families in safety that in the end as always all honour and glory will be yours and yours alone because only you is worthy of praise. Your children have asked me to come to Amsterdam Netherlands from where your redeeming gospel of restoration will be preached tonight to the hearing of humanity. Abide with us Heavenly Father as you have always done for we are nothing without you. This family here shall find peace as they all desire that indeed your kingdom Biafra may come on this earth as it is heaven…..Iseee!”
It is not clear if the Spanish and Nigerian governments have reacted to this development, and if the embassy will be able to offer consular services.
According to the Biafra Free State Movement Facebook page, this brings the number of Biafra ‘embassies’ in the world to three – the other two being in Moscow, Russia and Los Angeles, U.S. The group also said that a high level delegation from the Catalan separatist movement – who are agitating for a breakway of the Catalonia region from Spain – was in attendance.
We will reach out to the relevant authorities and update you on this development.
Here are pictures of the embassy building and the opening ceremony.
Biafra-1 Biafra-2 Biafra-3 Biafra-5 Biafra-7 Biafra-41
http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/photos-biafra-embassy-opens-in-spain.108598/
http://www.ekekeee.com/nigeria-prepares-elections-biafra-opened-embassy-spain-see-photos/
http://www.nigeriatell.com/news/while-nigeria-prepares-for-elections-biafra-has-opened-an-embassy-in-spain-see-photos#.VPl_bKzwAwp
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/biafra-opens-embassy-in-spain-photos.html
http://www.naij.com/396133-indigenous-people-of-biafra-open-embassy-in-spain.html
Thursday, 5 March 2015
British Woman Weds Dog In Expensive ‘Romantic’ Wedding Ceremony – After Marriage To Man Failed
Posted by: Deolu March 5, 2015
In a rather strange turn of events, a woman has vowed against men and married her pet dog. 47 year old Amanda Rodgers from Brixton in south London was married to a man 20 years ago, but the relationship unfortunately lasted no more than a few short months, so dismayed she decided to swear against men and turn to dogs.
Amanda states that the reason she decided to wed her pet dog was because she had all the qualities that she was looking for in a life partner: “Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low.”
Proceedings started out in a traditional way, when Amanda got down on one knee and proposed to her pet dog, Sheba. Though the dog could not respond, Rodgers says that she “could tell by her tail wagging that she said yes.”
More than 200 people attended the wedding which took place in Split, Croatia. Rodgers embraced the day fully making sure that everything was to her liking, adding that: “I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment.”
Despite it being a rather strange situation, Amanda doesn’t care what other people might think: “I know the wedding to Sheba wasn’t real in the legal sense. But was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me. Sheba’s never unkind to me and she’s always happy.”
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/british-woman-marries-dog-in-romantic-expensive-wedding-ceremony-after-marriage-to-man-failed.html
In a rather strange turn of events, a woman has vowed against men and married her pet dog. 47 year old Amanda Rodgers from Brixton in south London was married to a man 20 years ago, but the relationship unfortunately lasted no more than a few short months, so dismayed she decided to swear against men and turn to dogs.
Amanda states that the reason she decided to wed her pet dog was because she had all the qualities that she was looking for in a life partner: “Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low.”
Proceedings started out in a traditional way, when Amanda got down on one knee and proposed to her pet dog, Sheba. Though the dog could not respond, Rodgers says that she “could tell by her tail wagging that she said yes.”
More than 200 people attended the wedding which took place in Split, Croatia. Rodgers embraced the day fully making sure that everything was to her liking, adding that: “I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment.”
Despite it being a rather strange situation, Amanda doesn’t care what other people might think: “I know the wedding to Sheba wasn’t real in the legal sense. But was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me. Sheba’s never unkind to me and she’s always happy.”
http://www.informationng.com/2015/03/british-woman-marries-dog-in-romantic-expensive-wedding-ceremony-after-marriage-to-man-failed.html
'First human' discovered in Ethiopia
Pallab Ghosh By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News
Fossil jawbone The fossil's teeth are smaller than those of other human relatives
Scientists have unearthed the jawbone of what they claim is one of the very first humans.
The 2.8 million-year-old specimen is 400,000 years older than researchers thought that our kind first emerged.
The discovery in Ethiopia suggests climate change spurred the transition from tree dweller to upright walker.
The head of the research team told BBC News that the find gives the first insight into "the most important transitions in human evolution".
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
This is the most important transition in human evolution”
Prof Brian Villmoare University of Nevada
Prof Brian Villmoare of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas said the discovery makes a clear link between an iconic 3.2 million-year-old hominin (human-like primate) discovered in the same area in 1974, called "Lucy".
Could Lucy's kind - which belonged to the species Australopithecus afarensis - have evolved into the very first primitive humans?
"That's what we are arguing," said Prof Villmoare.
But the fossil record between the time period when Lucy and her kin were alive and the emergence of Homo erectus (with its relatively large brain and humanlike body proportions) two million years ago is sparse.
The 2.8 million-year-old lower jawbone was found in the Ledi-Geraru research area, Afar Regional State, by Ethiopian student Chalachew Seyoum. He told BBC News that he was "stunned" when he saw the fossil.
"The moment I found it, I realised that it was important, as this is the time period represented by few (human) fossils in Eastern Africa."
The fossil is of the left side of the lower jaw, along with five teeth. The back molar teeth are smaller than those of other hominins living in the area and are one of the features that distinguish humans from more primitive ancestors, according to Professor William Kimbel, director of Arizona State University's Institute of Human Origins.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
These new studies challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human”
Prof Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London
"Previously, the oldest fossil attributed to the genus Homo was an upper jaw from Hadar, Ethiopia, dated to 2.35m years ago," he told BBC News.
"So this new discovery pushes the human line back by 400,000 years or so, very close to its likely (pre-human) ancestor. Its mix of primitive and advanced features makes the Ledi jaw a good transitional form between (Lucy) and later humans."
A computer reconstruction of a skull belonging to the species Homo habilis, which has been published in Nature journal, indicates that it may well have been the evolutionary descendant of the species announced today.
The researcher involved, Prof Fred Spoor of University College London told BBC News that, taken together, the new findings had lifted a veil on a key period in the evolution of our species.
"By discovering a new fossil and re-analysing an old one we have truly contributed to our knowledge of our own evolutionary period, stretching over a million years that had been shrouded in mystery," he said.
Climate change
The dating of the jawbone might help answer one of the key questions in human evolution. What caused some primitive ancestors to climb down from the trees and make their homes on the ground.
A separate study in Science hints that a change in climate might have been a factor. An analysis of the fossilised plant and animal life in the area suggests that what had once been lush forest had become dry grassland.
As the trees made way for vast plains, ancient human-like primates found a way of exploiting the new environmental niche, developing bigger brains and becoming less reliant on having big jaws and teeth by using tools.
Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London described the discovery as a "big story".
He says the new species clearly does show the earliest step toward human characteristics, but suggests that half a jawbone is not enough to tell just how human it was and does not provide enough evidence to suggest that it was this line that led to us.
Dig The jawbone was found close to the area where Lucy was discovered
He notes that the emergence of human-like characteristics was not unique to Ethiopia.
"The human-like features shown by Australopithecus sediba in South Africa at around 1.95 million years ago are likely to have developed independently of the processes which produced (humans) in East Africa, showing that parallel origins are a distinct possibility," Prof Stringer explained.
This would suggest several different species of humans co-existing in Africa around two million years ago with only one of them surviving and eventually evolving into our species, Homo sapiens. It is as if nature was experimenting with different versions of the same evolutionary configuration until one succeeded.
Prof Stringer added: "These new studies leave us with an even more complex picture of early humans than we thought, and they challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human. Are we defined by our small teeth and jaws, our large brain, our long legs, tool-making, or some combination of these traits?"
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31718336
Scientists have unearthed the jawbone of what they claim is one of the very first humans.
The 2.8 million-year-old specimen is 400,000 years older than researchers thought that our kind first emerged.
The discovery in Ethiopia suggests climate change spurred the transition from tree dweller to upright walker.
The head of the research team told BBC News that the find gives the first insight into "the most important transitions in human evolution".
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
This is the most important transition in human evolution”
Prof Brian Villmoare University of Nevada
Prof Brian Villmoare of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas said the discovery makes a clear link between an iconic 3.2 million-year-old hominin (human-like primate) discovered in the same area in 1974, called "Lucy".
Could Lucy's kind - which belonged to the species Australopithecus afarensis - have evolved into the very first primitive humans?
"That's what we are arguing," said Prof Villmoare.
But the fossil record between the time period when Lucy and her kin were alive and the emergence of Homo erectus (with its relatively large brain and humanlike body proportions) two million years ago is sparse.
The 2.8 million-year-old lower jawbone was found in the Ledi-Geraru research area, Afar Regional State, by Ethiopian student Chalachew Seyoum. He told BBC News that he was "stunned" when he saw the fossil.
"The moment I found it, I realised that it was important, as this is the time period represented by few (human) fossils in Eastern Africa."
The fossil is of the left side of the lower jaw, along with five teeth. The back molar teeth are smaller than those of other hominins living in the area and are one of the features that distinguish humans from more primitive ancestors, according to Professor William Kimbel, director of Arizona State University's Institute of Human Origins.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
These new studies challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human”
Prof Chris Stringer Natural History Museum, London
"Previously, the oldest fossil attributed to the genus Homo was an upper jaw from Hadar, Ethiopia, dated to 2.35m years ago," he told BBC News.
"So this new discovery pushes the human line back by 400,000 years or so, very close to its likely (pre-human) ancestor. Its mix of primitive and advanced features makes the Ledi jaw a good transitional form between (Lucy) and later humans."
A computer reconstruction of a skull belonging to the species Homo habilis, which has been published in Nature journal, indicates that it may well have been the evolutionary descendant of the species announced today.
The researcher involved, Prof Fred Spoor of University College London told BBC News that, taken together, the new findings had lifted a veil on a key period in the evolution of our species.
"By discovering a new fossil and re-analysing an old one we have truly contributed to our knowledge of our own evolutionary period, stretching over a million years that had been shrouded in mystery," he said.
Climate change
The dating of the jawbone might help answer one of the key questions in human evolution. What caused some primitive ancestors to climb down from the trees and make their homes on the ground.
A separate study in Science hints that a change in climate might have been a factor. An analysis of the fossilised plant and animal life in the area suggests that what had once been lush forest had become dry grassland.
As the trees made way for vast plains, ancient human-like primates found a way of exploiting the new environmental niche, developing bigger brains and becoming less reliant on having big jaws and teeth by using tools.
Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London described the discovery as a "big story".
He says the new species clearly does show the earliest step toward human characteristics, but suggests that half a jawbone is not enough to tell just how human it was and does not provide enough evidence to suggest that it was this line that led to us.
Dig The jawbone was found close to the area where Lucy was discovered
He notes that the emergence of human-like characteristics was not unique to Ethiopia.
"The human-like features shown by Australopithecus sediba in South Africa at around 1.95 million years ago are likely to have developed independently of the processes which produced (humans) in East Africa, showing that parallel origins are a distinct possibility," Prof Stringer explained.
This would suggest several different species of humans co-existing in Africa around two million years ago with only one of them surviving and eventually evolving into our species, Homo sapiens. It is as if nature was experimenting with different versions of the same evolutionary configuration until one succeeded.
Prof Stringer added: "These new studies leave us with an even more complex picture of early humans than we thought, and they challenge us to consider the very definition of what it is to be human. Are we defined by our small teeth and jaws, our large brain, our long legs, tool-making, or some combination of these traits?"
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31718336
Court restrains Ebonyi Assembly from impeaching Elechi
An Ebonyi State High Court presided over by Justice John Igboji, Wednesday, granted an interim injunction restraining the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku, Chief Whip of the Assembly, Mr. Kingsley Ikoro and the State House of Assembly from continuing with the impeachment proceeding against the State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi.
The respondents were ordered not to serve the notice of impeachment on the governor until the determination of the substantive application made by the embattled governor in suit number HAB/1mc/2015.
The court also restrained the State Chief Judge from constituting a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations of improprieties leveled against the governor pending the determination of the substantive application.
Justice Igboji, who made the order after hearing counsels to the governor, Chief Tagbo Ike and Miss Chioma Okoromba, further granted the applicant leave to serve the 1st to 3rd defendants application for enforcement of fundamental rights and other processes connected with the suit through the office of the Clerk of the State Assembly.
He also ordered that the Chief Judge, the State Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General of Police listed as 5th and 6th defendants should be served through the O/C Legal, State CID, Abakaliki while the 7th defendant, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria should be served through DHL Courier Service or Red Star Courier Service.
Justice Igboji, however, adjourned hearing of the substantive matter to Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
In a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed to Ebele Ibegbuna in support of the motion ex-parte, she informed the court that the second respondent, Mr. Ikoro (Chief Whip) had on January 9, 2015 made a notice of impeachment containing allegations of diverse improprieties leveled against Governor Elechi as a prelude towards his removal from office as Governor of Ebonyi State.
According to her, the said notice of impeachment was forwarded to the 1st Respondent (Speaker) and circulated to both electronic and print media without availing any copy to the applicant (the governor), adding that the “copy of the said notice of impeachment obtained from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria is herein attached and marked exhibit “A”.
“The 1st Respondent on receipt of exhibit “A” is enjoined by Section 188(2) (b) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to cause the said notice of impeachment to be served on the Applicant. 1st Respondent failed, neglected and/or refused to perform his constitutional duty of causing the notice of impeachment to be served on the Applicant, and rather shockingly preferred to embark on media propaganda blitz of disclosing plans to sack the Applicant from office,” she said.
The deponent stated that the governor needed to be served with the notice of impeachment in order to react to same and avail to the honourable members of the State Assembly the opportunity of appreciating that the governor did not do any wrong and change their stance against him.
She pointed out that “the denial of service of notice of impeachment on the Applicant has adversely impacted on his right to fair hearing and will lead to the determination of his civic right and obligation without being accorded the constitutional right of fair hearing.”
Noting that there had been increased presence and deployment of policemen at the precinct of the governor’s office and abode, Government House , Abakaliki since February 28, which is indicative of likely preparedness for removal of the governor from office, the deponent said she believes that with the support of the 5th to 7th respondents, the lawmakers were bent on continuing with the impeachment proceeding without serving the governor the notice of impeachment , which he is entitled to under the constitution.
“It is in the interest of justice to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from determining the civic right and obligation of the applicant without being heard; that unless 1st to 3rd respondents are restrained, they will go ahead with the impeachment proceedings against the applicant,” the deponent told the court.
http://theadvocatengr.com/new/court-restrains-ebonyi-assembly-from-impeaching-elechi/
Boko Haram: Military Vows to Liberate Remaining Territories Soon.
04 Mar 2015
Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade
•Says no going back on ongoing offensive
•Warns against smear campaign to lower military morale
By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Nigerian military has vowed that despite the seeming lull in the offensive against the Boko Haram terrorists, they are determined to liberate the remaining territories in the North-East.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, gave this assurance on Wednesday in a press conference to clarify issues on the ongoing military operations in North-East, especially concerning a recent report that Nigeria is halting the offensive.
Olukolade assured that they are following up with their strategic goal and plans of decimating the terrorists in collaboration with the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republic.
He said: "Indeed, there is no going back or slowing down anywhere. The air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area. The mandate of working towards ensuring the restoration of normalcy for socio-economic, political and other activities to resume as quickly as possible is being given all it takes toward having the mission accomplished.
"So far, so good; things are working out in line with the strategic plans. A very significant number of identified terrorists’ enclaves have already been pounded and destroyed in the course of continuing air strikes. Ground forces are also conducting assaults along with necessary mopping up, cordon and search operations in communities and locations previously occupied by terrorists".
Speaking further, Olukolade said that the stage is set to clear Boko Haram terrorists from the remaining towns and communities, including Bama, Gwoza and Sambisa.
"The stage is also set for the conduct of subsequent phases earmarked as part of the campaign. In the process, many communities have been sufficiently cleared to guarantee the return of citizens to their normal lives. The scope is being expanded to ensure that more communities are mopped up and cleansed of every vestige of terrorism. All the towns where the activities of the terrorists are still noticeable will be duly mopped up very soon", he asserted.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/boko-haram-military-vows-to-liberate-remaining-territories-soon-/203304/
Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade
•Says no going back on ongoing offensive
•Warns against smear campaign to lower military morale
By Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Nigerian military has vowed that despite the seeming lull in the offensive against the Boko Haram terrorists, they are determined to liberate the remaining territories in the North-East.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, gave this assurance on Wednesday in a press conference to clarify issues on the ongoing military operations in North-East, especially concerning a recent report that Nigeria is halting the offensive.
Olukolade assured that they are following up with their strategic goal and plans of decimating the terrorists in collaboration with the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republic.
He said: "Indeed, there is no going back or slowing down anywhere. The air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area. The mandate of working towards ensuring the restoration of normalcy for socio-economic, political and other activities to resume as quickly as possible is being given all it takes toward having the mission accomplished.
"So far, so good; things are working out in line with the strategic plans. A very significant number of identified terrorists’ enclaves have already been pounded and destroyed in the course of continuing air strikes. Ground forces are also conducting assaults along with necessary mopping up, cordon and search operations in communities and locations previously occupied by terrorists".
Speaking further, Olukolade said that the stage is set to clear Boko Haram terrorists from the remaining towns and communities, including Bama, Gwoza and Sambisa.
"The stage is also set for the conduct of subsequent phases earmarked as part of the campaign. In the process, many communities have been sufficiently cleared to guarantee the return of citizens to their normal lives. The scope is being expanded to ensure that more communities are mopped up and cleansed of every vestige of terrorism. All the towns where the activities of the terrorists are still noticeable will be duly mopped up very soon", he asserted.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/boko-haram-military-vows-to-liberate-remaining-territories-soon-/203304/
Again, Two Nigerians, Eight Others Face Execution in Indonesia
05 Mar 2015
By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja with agency reports 

Two Nigerians, Mr. Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise (39) and Okwudili Oyatanze (40), are among the nine foreign nationals facing imminent execution for drug-related offences by the Indonesian authorities.
A Spanish-born Nigerian, Mr. Raheem Agbaje Salami (45), is also one of those whose fate has been sealed following the rejection of their clemency requests by Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, who insisted his country is suffering a drug emergency.
An Indonesian national is also slated for execution.
Brazil, Australia, Phillipines, France and Ghana also have their citizens listed for imminent execution, a development that has caused diplomatic tensions for Indonesia with several countries.
Although no date has been given for their execution, Australian Andrew Chan (31), his country man, Myuran Sukumaran (33), Agbaje Salami, and Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (30) from the Philippines were yesterday moved to Nusakambangan, a high security prison island where executions are conducted.
According to Indonesia’s Attorney General, Muhammad Prasetyo, preparations have been concluded at the execution site.
Nwolise and Oyatanze, who were nabbed running drugs, while in prison, and the citizens of Brazil, France, Ghana and Indonesia would be executed on the prison island of Java.
All executions will be carried out simultaneously by firing squad.
Amnesty International has continued to appeal for a moratorium on the death sentence in Indonesia where six, including two Nigerians were executed in January this year.
Brazil postponed accepting the credentials of Indonesia’s newly designated envoy in protest, while Australia called for a ‘reciprocation’ of the $1 billion 2004 tsunami aid package by sparing the lives of its citizens.
Attempts to reach Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, proved abortive as his mobile phone rang unanswered.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, has maintained that Nigeria would continue to seek clemency for all its nationals on death row in Indonesia and other countries.
He told THISDAY following the executions of Mr. Daniel Enemuo and Mr. Solomon Chibuike Okafor in January that Nigeria would continue to plead for clemency for its 12 nationals on death row in Indonesia.
“This is why in our interactions abroad, we have entered into different kinds of legal frameworks, legal mutual assistance, exchange of prisoners and so many of such co-operations to try and protect our citizens. It is in that context that whenever we have what just happened in Indonesia, the responsibility of government is to ensure that such executions do not take place,“ he added.
Sheni also appealed to Nigerians to obey the laws of foreign countries at all times
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/again-two-nigerians-eight-others-face-execution-in-indonesia/203362/
Chadian President: We Know Where Abubakar Shekau is
05 Mar 2015
Chadian President, Idriss Deby, yesterday vowed to “wipe out” Boko Haram and called on the group’s chief, Abubakar Shekau, to give himself up, warning that he knew where the militant leader was hiding.
“It is in Abubakar Shekau’s interest to surrender, we know where he is. If he refuses to give himself up, he will suffer the same fate as his comrades,” Deby said at a press conference with his visiting Niger counterpart.
According to AFP, Deby said Shekau had fled the strategic North-east Nigerian town of Dikwa after Boko Haram fighters were chased out of the town by Chadian troops in fierce clashes last month.
The Chadian army at the time said two of its soldiers and 117 Boko Haram Islamists were killed in the fighting around Dikwa in Nigeria’s Borno State on February 17.
“We are going to win the war and we are going to wipe out Boko Haram, contrary to what certain media think. The Chadian and Niger forces will continue their mission to finally put an end to this shadowy group,” Deby said.
Little is known of Shekau, who has been declared a global terrorist by the United States and sanctioned by the United Nations.
Nigerian security officials insist he is in fact a composite character whose role is taken by a rotating cast of different militant fighters.
According to security services, the original Abubakar Shekau was the son of poor farmers who was radicalised while attending theological schools and took over Boko Haram in 2010.
The Nigerian military said last September that a man posing as Shekau in videos posted online had in fact been killed after fighting with troops in the far northeast.
The US and other experts, however, have questioned the credibility of that claim while Shekau has outright rejected it in a video.
Nigeria and its neighbours Chad, Niger and Cameroun last month launched an unprecedented joint campaign against the Nigeria-based Boko Haram group, after the militants widened their offensive with attacks in the neighbouring countries.
Nigerian military spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade yesterday also pledged to snuff out Boko Haram, which claims to be fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.
“Indeed there is no going back or slowing down anywhere,” he old a news conference in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
“The air campaigns are continuing with a view to dislodging all the identified terrorist cells, enclaves or hideouts anywhere in the designated mission area,” the spokesman said.
“The continuous aerial bombardment of identified terrorists’ cells and hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force and subsequent ground offensive by the Nigerian troops pursuing the dislodged terrorists is proving worthwhile.”
The Boko Haram conflict has killed more than 13,000 people since 2009 and forced more than one million to flee their homes in the North-eastern part of Nigeria.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian military said it had killed more than 70 Boko Haram fighters and repulsed their bid to seize a key town in Nigeria’s restive North.
Around 150 Boko Haram fighters entered the fishing town of Konduga on Monday with a large herd of cattle pretending to be herders and opened fire on troops stationed in the town, leading to a six-hour gun battle.
Soldiers and vigilantes have repelled more than a dozen attacks by Boko Haram on Konduga, which is some 35 kilometres (21 miles) south-east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and the birthplace of the Boko Haram movement.
Konduga could serve as a launching pad for attacks on Maiduguri.
The Boko Haram unrest has seen nearly 250,000 people flee to neighbouring countries, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/chadian-president-we-know-where-abubakar-shekau-is/203366/
Mugabe: Nigerian Witchdoctors Planned to Kill Me
05 Mar 2015
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe has alleged that his former vice-president and other top officials in his ruling Zanu-PF sought the services of Nigerian witchdoctors in a bid to kill him.
The Africa Review reported that President Mugabe made the bizarre claims at the weekend as he celebrated his 91st birthday at a lavish party hosted by the party’s communist-styled 21st February movement.
The veteran ruler, in power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, claims he was ordained by God to rule forever according to the report.
He told party supporters at the celebrations held at a top HOTEL IN THE resort town of Victoria Falls that sacked Vice-President Joice Mujuru used two Nigerian witchdoctors in her alleged plot to have him killed.
Ms Mujuru was sacked together with more than 10 cabinet ministers for allegedly plotting to assassinate President Mugabe and being involved in corrupt activities.
President Mugabe said Ms Mujuru was now too desperate to push him out of power even after he won an election in 2013.
“We managed to know what (Ms) Mujuru was doing at her house, even consulting witchdoctors,” he claimed.
“Recently she invited two Nigerian witchdoctors. We heard that they were specialists in the field of witchcraft. They were specialists, yes, but specialists in robbing people, foolish people,” he said.
He said the Nigerians ordered Ms Mujuru to buy chickens that were named after herself, the president, his wife and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The president claimed the former vice-president who was his deputy for 10 years, performed the rituals naked.
“Where do these Nigerians get the powers to entrap the soul of a human being into a chicken or sheep and then kill him?
“God is for us all. I also go to church, I do not believe in superstition. We were taught God’s teachings,” Mugabe said.
Last year, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs ministry summoned Zimbabwean envoy in Abuja Stanley Kunjeku to protest after President Mugabe said Nigerians were corrupt.
The Nigerian government at the time said it had lodged ‘the strongest protest’ against the veteran ruler’s statements.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/mugabe-nigerian-witchdoctors-planned-to-kill-me/203378/
Badeh: Timing of Delivery of Hardware Influenced Calls for Polls’ Postponement
05 Mar 2015
Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh
• Says troops continuing onslaught against Boko Haram, rescuing kidnapped civilians • CDS, DHQ condemn unsavoury remarks about military
By Chiemelie Ezeobi 

As the Nigerian military continues its onslaught to rid the North-east of Boko Haram insurgents, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has disclosed that the timing of the arrival of new military hardware into the country played a major role in the request by the security agencies for a shift in the polls.
He also assured Nigerians that although the war against terrorism has been tough and challenging, the military would not relent in its goal to restore peace and stability in the North-east and other troubled spots within the country, adding that in the push to reclaim lost territories, the troops had freed many kidnapped civilians in the process.
Badeh made his remarks on Wednesday in Lagos at the handover ceremony of pharmaceutical products and food items worth N82 million.
The drugs and items were donated by the Association of Pharmaceutical Importers of Nigeria (AIPN) led by its President, Mr. Nnamdi Obi, to the Armed Forces to boost the morale of the military in the ongoing onslaught against terrorism.
In his speech, he said although the challenges were many, the troops have been able to rout the terrorists and reclaimed large areas of territories hitherto occupied by the sect.
He said: “This is in addition to inflicting heavy human and material losses on them and freeing many kidnapped innocent civilians in the process.
“These successes have come largely from the increased support of the federal government which has enabled the Armed Forces re-arm and re-equip appropriately to confront the challenges posed by the insurgents.
“As part of our overall strategy for tackling insecurity in the country, we have repeatedly called for synergy with the civil populace, especially for support and vigilance in reporting the activities of suspicious elements and the movement of insurgents.
“This is borne out of our strong conviction that the war against insurgency is not a war for the armed forces alone. As I have always said, when the military is at war, it is not the military alone that is at war, rather it is the entire nation.
“Accordingly, all instruments of national power, ranging from the diplomatic, informational, military and economic are employed to ensure that threats to national security are contained and defeated.”
On why the security agencies sought a shift in the election date, he said it was to enable the military take delivery of military hardware, which it had placed orders several months ago, adding that the orders were placed long before Boko Haram started seizing territories.
He said once the hardware was delivered, the military had no choice than to ask for more time to crush the sect.
He said: “I do not want to bring politics into this. Whoever wants to bring politics into what we are doing, it’s left for them. They should realise that our weapons and machines are not picked up from the shelf; if it were the case, we would have gotten them a long time ago.
“When you make orders, it takes time to produce and it takes time also to train soldiers to use them. So we did not place the orders today.
“We had placed orders several months ago and when they started coming we asked for more time to combat the insurgents before the elections and I can guarantee you that there was no politics in the demand for shift in date; it was requested because we were receiving the equipment.”
Badeh also condemned the unsavoury comments about the military often made by those he termed unpatriotic elements, adding that the military is not the enemy.
He said: “While many Nigerians and indeed corporate entities like yours have identified with the military and continue to support us, a few but vocal minority have continued to denigrate the military and cast aspersions on our efforts to defeat and successfully execute the ongoing fight against terrorists.
“Some go to the extent of collaborating with foreign enemies and some international media to publish falsehood about the ongoing operations, all in a bid to disparage the country and military.
“Let me remind such unpatriotic Nigerians that this is the only country we have, and the Armed Forces is the only military we have. Therefore, the Nigerian military must not be seen as the enemy.”
Badeh however said despite such unpatriotic elements, the Armed Forces would not be deterred as they continue their onslaught to rid the nation of terrorism.
Earlier, the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, commended the Armed Forces, adding that they were giving their best in defending the nation’s territorial integrity.
On a similar note, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has promised not to relent until every part of the country is finally rid of insurgency.
At a press conference in Abuja, DHQ spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said: “We are conscious that the fight is not over and the Nigerian military will therefore not relent. Nothing will be taken for granted. All Nigerians are equally enjoined to maintain this posture.”
He also urged Nigerians to “at all-times remain vigilant and conscious of our environment and be on the lookout for unrepentant terrorists, their collaborators or sympathisers who will stop at nothing in their resolve to destroy our country and civilisation”.
While commending Nigerians across every stratum for the recent show of solidarity with the military including staging rallies in its support, Olukolade however asked the media to be especially weary of cynics and saboteurs who are generally unhappy that the Nigerian military has gained the upper hand in the war against terrorism.
“However, while these support and show of love are being savoured, the attitude and activities of segments of the society who are still hell-bent on undermining the morale of our fighting force by deliberately playing down the operational successes so far achieved remains very unfortunate indeed.
“In a bid to spitefully drown the efforts of our troops, this group of people have been mischievously and exaggeratingly reporting the supportive roles of foreign allies to the detriment of our operational success in the fight against terror.
“They go to every extent to ridicule, taunt or project every falsehood, purely to score some points in the clandestine sympathy for the terrorists. This unpatriotic posture is directly or indirectly undermining the esteemed status of Nigeria in the comity of nations,” he said.
According to him, “The current turn of the tide against the terrorists is an initiative conceived and is being driven by the Nigerian military but enjoying the backing of the reinvigorated Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which has troops from Niger, Chad and Cameroun.
“The continuous aerial bombardment of identified terrorists’ cells and hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force and subsequent ground offensive by the Nigerian troops pursuing the dislodged terrorists is proving worthwhile.
“Our partners are entrusted with employing the instrumentality of the Multinational Joint Task Force to contain any terrorist who heads towards our borders with neighbouring countries and preventing the formation of any new safe haven elsewhere.”
While recognising the contributions of partners in the MJTF in the operations, Olukolade explained that their roles had realistically been much limited to their respective border areas by preventing Boko Haram elements from entering their countries while fleeing from Nigeria and also preventing the terrorists from setting up safe havens in those neighbouring countries.
“The forces have been working very hard in consonance with the terms and spirit of the memorandum of understanding that preceded this operation. They are effectively checkmating trans-border activities of the terrorists.
“There have been instances where these provisions for the operation of the MNJTF have afforded our partners the latitude required to pursue or beat back a retreating band of terrorists into Nigerian territory, as was the case in Gamboru and other locations not far from the border,” he clarified.
“Unfortunately, some interest groups who seek to misinterpret this fruitful collaboration, are seeking to drive a wedge between the Nigerian military and her supporting military formations or contingent by deliberately trying to denigrate and ridicule the effort of the Nigerian forces.
“If other militaries that have just joined the war against the terrorists could be described in some warped reports as ‘battle-hardened’, how would any sensible commentator or reporter describe the gallant Nigerian forces that have been battling these mercenary-ridden terrorists for over five years now say?” he queried.
Despite the determination of some foreign media and their local collaborators to bring the Nigerian military to disrepute, Olukolade maintained that “the Nigerian military will not be distracted or detract from the current momentum which is geared towards stamping out terrorism not only in Nigeria but in the entire sub-region”.
He stressed that whilst DHQ values and appreciates the ongoing collaborative effort of the troop-contributing nations of the MNJTF, “there has been no compromise of any aspect of Nigeria’s sovereignty or soil to any foreign force.
“This counter-terrorist operation is comprehensively driven by Nigerian forces. Other members of the MNJTF have so far successfully denied the common enemy freedom of trans-border operations and this is in consonance with the idea of the multinational coalition initiated as far back as 1998”.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/badeh-timing-of-delivery-of-hardware-influenced-calls-for-polls-postponement/203380/
Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh
• Says troops continuing onslaught against Boko Haram, rescuing kidnapped civilians • CDS, DHQ condemn unsavoury remarks about military
By Chiemelie Ezeobi 

As the Nigerian military continues its onslaught to rid the North-east of Boko Haram insurgents, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has disclosed that the timing of the arrival of new military hardware into the country played a major role in the request by the security agencies for a shift in the polls.
He also assured Nigerians that although the war against terrorism has been tough and challenging, the military would not relent in its goal to restore peace and stability in the North-east and other troubled spots within the country, adding that in the push to reclaim lost territories, the troops had freed many kidnapped civilians in the process.
Badeh made his remarks on Wednesday in Lagos at the handover ceremony of pharmaceutical products and food items worth N82 million.
The drugs and items were donated by the Association of Pharmaceutical Importers of Nigeria (AIPN) led by its President, Mr. Nnamdi Obi, to the Armed Forces to boost the morale of the military in the ongoing onslaught against terrorism.
In his speech, he said although the challenges were many, the troops have been able to rout the terrorists and reclaimed large areas of territories hitherto occupied by the sect.
He said: “This is in addition to inflicting heavy human and material losses on them and freeing many kidnapped innocent civilians in the process.
“These successes have come largely from the increased support of the federal government which has enabled the Armed Forces re-arm and re-equip appropriately to confront the challenges posed by the insurgents.
“As part of our overall strategy for tackling insecurity in the country, we have repeatedly called for synergy with the civil populace, especially for support and vigilance in reporting the activities of suspicious elements and the movement of insurgents.
“This is borne out of our strong conviction that the war against insurgency is not a war for the armed forces alone. As I have always said, when the military is at war, it is not the military alone that is at war, rather it is the entire nation.
“Accordingly, all instruments of national power, ranging from the diplomatic, informational, military and economic are employed to ensure that threats to national security are contained and defeated.”
On why the security agencies sought a shift in the election date, he said it was to enable the military take delivery of military hardware, which it had placed orders several months ago, adding that the orders were placed long before Boko Haram started seizing territories.
He said once the hardware was delivered, the military had no choice than to ask for more time to crush the sect.
He said: “I do not want to bring politics into this. Whoever wants to bring politics into what we are doing, it’s left for them. They should realise that our weapons and machines are not picked up from the shelf; if it were the case, we would have gotten them a long time ago.
“When you make orders, it takes time to produce and it takes time also to train soldiers to use them. So we did not place the orders today.
“We had placed orders several months ago and when they started coming we asked for more time to combat the insurgents before the elections and I can guarantee you that there was no politics in the demand for shift in date; it was requested because we were receiving the equipment.”
Badeh also condemned the unsavoury comments about the military often made by those he termed unpatriotic elements, adding that the military is not the enemy.
He said: “While many Nigerians and indeed corporate entities like yours have identified with the military and continue to support us, a few but vocal minority have continued to denigrate the military and cast aspersions on our efforts to defeat and successfully execute the ongoing fight against terrorists.
“Some go to the extent of collaborating with foreign enemies and some international media to publish falsehood about the ongoing operations, all in a bid to disparage the country and military.
“Let me remind such unpatriotic Nigerians that this is the only country we have, and the Armed Forces is the only military we have. Therefore, the Nigerian military must not be seen as the enemy.”
Badeh however said despite such unpatriotic elements, the Armed Forces would not be deterred as they continue their onslaught to rid the nation of terrorism.
Earlier, the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, commended the Armed Forces, adding that they were giving their best in defending the nation’s territorial integrity.
On a similar note, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has promised not to relent until every part of the country is finally rid of insurgency.
At a press conference in Abuja, DHQ spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said: “We are conscious that the fight is not over and the Nigerian military will therefore not relent. Nothing will be taken for granted. All Nigerians are equally enjoined to maintain this posture.”
He also urged Nigerians to “at all-times remain vigilant and conscious of our environment and be on the lookout for unrepentant terrorists, their collaborators or sympathisers who will stop at nothing in their resolve to destroy our country and civilisation”.
While commending Nigerians across every stratum for the recent show of solidarity with the military including staging rallies in its support, Olukolade however asked the media to be especially weary of cynics and saboteurs who are generally unhappy that the Nigerian military has gained the upper hand in the war against terrorism.
“However, while these support and show of love are being savoured, the attitude and activities of segments of the society who are still hell-bent on undermining the morale of our fighting force by deliberately playing down the operational successes so far achieved remains very unfortunate indeed.
“In a bid to spitefully drown the efforts of our troops, this group of people have been mischievously and exaggeratingly reporting the supportive roles of foreign allies to the detriment of our operational success in the fight against terror.
“They go to every extent to ridicule, taunt or project every falsehood, purely to score some points in the clandestine sympathy for the terrorists. This unpatriotic posture is directly or indirectly undermining the esteemed status of Nigeria in the comity of nations,” he said.
According to him, “The current turn of the tide against the terrorists is an initiative conceived and is being driven by the Nigerian military but enjoying the backing of the reinvigorated Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which has troops from Niger, Chad and Cameroun.
“The continuous aerial bombardment of identified terrorists’ cells and hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force and subsequent ground offensive by the Nigerian troops pursuing the dislodged terrorists is proving worthwhile.
“Our partners are entrusted with employing the instrumentality of the Multinational Joint Task Force to contain any terrorist who heads towards our borders with neighbouring countries and preventing the formation of any new safe haven elsewhere.”
While recognising the contributions of partners in the MJTF in the operations, Olukolade explained that their roles had realistically been much limited to their respective border areas by preventing Boko Haram elements from entering their countries while fleeing from Nigeria and also preventing the terrorists from setting up safe havens in those neighbouring countries.
“The forces have been working very hard in consonance with the terms and spirit of the memorandum of understanding that preceded this operation. They are effectively checkmating trans-border activities of the terrorists.
“There have been instances where these provisions for the operation of the MNJTF have afforded our partners the latitude required to pursue or beat back a retreating band of terrorists into Nigerian territory, as was the case in Gamboru and other locations not far from the border,” he clarified.
“Unfortunately, some interest groups who seek to misinterpret this fruitful collaboration, are seeking to drive a wedge between the Nigerian military and her supporting military formations or contingent by deliberately trying to denigrate and ridicule the effort of the Nigerian forces.
“If other militaries that have just joined the war against the terrorists could be described in some warped reports as ‘battle-hardened’, how would any sensible commentator or reporter describe the gallant Nigerian forces that have been battling these mercenary-ridden terrorists for over five years now say?” he queried.
Despite the determination of some foreign media and their local collaborators to bring the Nigerian military to disrepute, Olukolade maintained that “the Nigerian military will not be distracted or detract from the current momentum which is geared towards stamping out terrorism not only in Nigeria but in the entire sub-region”.
He stressed that whilst DHQ values and appreciates the ongoing collaborative effort of the troop-contributing nations of the MNJTF, “there has been no compromise of any aspect of Nigeria’s sovereignty or soil to any foreign force.
“This counter-terrorist operation is comprehensively driven by Nigerian forces. Other members of the MNJTF have so far successfully denied the common enemy freedom of trans-border operations and this is in consonance with the idea of the multinational coalition initiated as far back as 1998”.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/badeh-timing-of-delivery-of-hardware-influenced-calls-for-polls-postponement/203380/
NO COMPETITIONS AMONG BIAFRANS ABOUT THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE, ONE VOICE, UNITY AND PEACE.
From: #BIAFRA_STRUGGLE REFORMATION.
Coming from #Eze Igbo.
"BE CIVIL,
Be security and secure biafra home land
He said:
All hail Biafra" by Eze igbo.
All hail Biafra" by Eze igbo.
“Tinubu is the one bribing INEC” – PDP replies APC’s claim on Jega
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says the string of false alarms and outright lies that characterized Wednesday’s press conference addressed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, has clearly justified its profiling as a party of ‘one week, one lie’.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on Wednesday said Nigerians are, however, not surprised that the APC has officially adopted the use of fabrications having exhausted its fake campaign promises which were not able to upstage the verifiable achievements of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP administration.
“Indeed, Nigerians are not surprised at the contents of the recent false alarms by the APC as they are undoubtedly a reflection of the character, inner thoughts and ideology of its leaders. These ignoble ideas are clearly incompatible with the ideology of the PDP and President Jonathan who has overtime demonstrated the qualities of a true democrat and not a reformed one,” the party said.
The PDP noted that the opposition in its penchant for falsehood failed to realize that under the current financial system, it was practically impossible to transfer the so called humongous amount of money into any bank account without the source being traced by relevant independent financial monitoring bodies like the EFCC.
“In any case, we note that the allegation by APC is suspect and betrays an attempt to cover-up. We ask, is it that the APC has already been paying monies into accounts of INEC officials and some institutions of government with a view to compromising them and is now using the allegation as a subterfuge to distract the financial monitoring agencies and cover its tracks?
“We challenge the APC to come out clear on the actual link between its leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose antecedents and reputation are well known to all, and the said transfer plot? Was Tinubu’s name also dropped by the APC as a strategy to pre-empt findings by anti-graft agencies in a bid to cover a crime?
“Whilst we note that nothing is beyond a desperate party like the APC, which has continued to manifest its crass lack of integrity, we charge relevant agencies to immediately investigate the allegations and possibly unravel its evil plots.
“We have also noted the hues and cries of the opposition regarding the issue of PVCs and Card readers for the elections but Nigerians are not short in their memory to recall that it is not the PDP but APC that had issues with security agencies over attempts to hack into INEC’s data base and to clone the PVCs.
“It is also not the PDP but the APC that has complicities with some compromised INEC officials on biased distribution of PVCs in select states especially, Lagos and other APC states”, the PDP said.
The ruling party also debunked allegations of plans to use security agencies to intimidate or implicate opposition leaders describing such as “part of APC’s worn out antics of attempting to use nuisance alarm to heat up the system having failed to articulate credible manifesto to secure genuine followership among Nigerians”.
“Nigerians are aware that this is not the first time the opposition would be raising such alarms just for Nigerians to find out that they are lies. We have here a group of people who are being haunted by failure and self inflicted woes. APC has all along been deluding itself as a government in waiting with some phantom popular image it created for itself in the social media. Now that reality has dawn it in the face, it has resorted to deploying all manners of antics in a failed attempt to win the sympathy of Nigerians”, it said.
Restating its readiness for the March 28 and April 11 elections, the ruling party said “APC’s resort to wild allegations and baseless utterances are aimed at causing confusion, a clear indication that the opposition is indeed scared of the elections, having been exposed in their deceit, empty promises and apparent lack of capacity to lead the nation”.
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Pastor Tunde Bakare : They asked me to resigned as a vice President with a written document that will be duly signed by me and I said I can't resigned from the office am not yet occupied.
Usman Okai Austin
Pastor Tunde Bakare : They asked me to resigned as a vice President with a written document that will be duly signed by me and I said I can't resigned from the office am not yet occupied. The former Vice-Presidential candidate of the now-defunctCongress for Progressive Change (CPC) alleged that before the merger between CPC and Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) to form All Progressives Congress (APC), he was asked to commit perjury.
In the 1 min. 45 secs. video, he also alleged that 'they' said his name would be put forward in the polls but would have to sign that he would resign immediately as Vice President of Nigeria once the presidential elections has been won.
Pastor Bakare said:"Those who know the truth, know exactly what happened. There was no merger between ACN and CPC, there was a talk of alliance last minute and it was not stepping down that was the issue, it was resigning on paper with my signature to sign as vice-president of Nigeria and I said no i can't do that, I can resign as Tunde Bakare - a candidate, but I cannot resign as Vice president of an office I have not occupied. That is illegal."
Are you saying they were willing to let your name go forward in the polls and then they expected that once you'd won the elections, you'll be expected to resign as Vice President?
"That was what they were asking for. That was not even the issue with me, it's not a matter of life and death, if it would move my nation forward. But I was not ready to commit perjury to sign an office I had not yet occupied".
Pastor Tunde Bakare : They asked me to resigned as a vice President with a written document that will be duly signed by me and I said I can't resigned from the office am not yet occupied. The former Vice-Presidential candidate of the now-defunctCongress for Progressive Change (CPC) alleged that before the merger between CPC and Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) to form All Progressives Congress (APC), he was asked to commit perjury.
In the 1 min. 45 secs. video, he also alleged that 'they' said his name would be put forward in the polls but would have to sign that he would resign immediately as Vice President of Nigeria once the presidential elections has been won.
Pastor Bakare said:"Those who know the truth, know exactly what happened. There was no merger between ACN and CPC, there was a talk of alliance last minute and it was not stepping down that was the issue, it was resigning on paper with my signature to sign as vice-president of Nigeria and I said no i can't do that, I can resign as Tunde Bakare - a candidate, but I cannot resign as Vice president of an office I have not occupied. That is illegal."
Are you saying they were willing to let your name go forward in the polls and then they expected that once you'd won the elections, you'll be expected to resign as Vice President?
"That was what they were asking for. That was not even the issue with me, it's not a matter of life and death, if it would move my nation forward. But I was not ready to commit perjury to sign an office I had not yet occupied".
Persian Translation of Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech before the US Congress | سخنرانی نخست وزیر بنیامین نتانیاهو در کنگره:
The Prime Minister of Israel
رئیس پارلمان جان بینر ،
رئیس حزب اکثریت سنا میچ مک کانل،
رئیس حزب اقیلت پارلمان نانسی پلوسی ،
رئیس حزب اکثریت پارلمان کوین مک کارتی،
و با عرض احترام حضور سناتور، رهبر دموکرات هری رید. هری، از این که شما را بار دگر سر پا می بینم خوشحالم. به نظر من این اصطلاح که می گویند خواستن توانستن است صحت دارد.
دوستان، من بسیار افتخار می کنم که این فرصت به من داده شده است تا برای سومین بار در مهمترین نهاد قانون گذاری جهان یعنی کنگره آمریکا صحبت کنم. از همه شما برای این که امروز این جا حضور یافتید تشکر می کنم. مطلع هستم که سخنرانی من بسیار بحث انگیز شده است. بسیار متأسفم که برخی حضور من در اینجا را کاری سیاسی تلقی می کنند. من به هیچ عنوان چنین قصدی نداشتم.
من می خواهم از شما دموکراتها و جمهوری خواهان برای حمایت مشترک تان از اسرائیل در سالها و دهه های متمادی تشکر کنم. می دانم صرف نظر از اینکه در کدام طرف سالن باشید حامی اسرائیل هستید. ائتلاف فوق العاده بین اسرائیل و ایالات متحده، همیشه فراتر از مسائل سیاسی بوده است. این مسئله باید همواره فراتر از مسائل سیاسی باشد زیرا آمریکا و اسرائیل، ما ، سرنوشت مشترکی داریم، سرنوشت سرزمین های موعودی که آزادی را گرامی بدارند و امیدبخش باشد. اسرائیل از حمایت مردم آمریکا و روسای جمهور آمریکا از هری ترومن گرفته تا باراک اوباما، سپاسگزار است.
ما از همه کارهایی که رئیس جمهور اوباما برای اسرائیل انجام داده است قدردانی می کنیم. برخی از این اقدامات کاملاً شناخته شده است، مانند تقویت همکاری امنیتی و تبادل اطلاعات امنیتی، و مخالفت با قطعنامه های ضداسرائیل در سازمان ملل متحد.
برخی از کارهایی که رئیس جمهور برای اسرائیل انجام داده است کمتر شناخته شده است. در سال 2010 که جنگل کارمل آتش گرفت من با او تماس گرفتم و او بلادرنگ موافقت کرد که به درخواست من برای ارسال کمک فوری پاسخ مثبت بدهد. در سال 2011، سفارت ما در قاهره محاصره شد و او باری دیگر در شرایط زمانی حساس به ما کمک اساسی کرد. یا حمایت او از ما با ارائه سامانه های بیشتر رهگیری موشک در عملیات تابستان سال گذشته ما علیه تروریستهای حماس. در هریک از این مواقع که من با رئیس جمهور تماس گرفتم او در کنار ما بود.
و برخی از کارهایی که رئیس جمهور برای اسرائیل انجام داده است ممکن است هرگز علنی نشود زیرا مربوط می شود به برخی حساس ترین و راهبردی ترین مسائل بین رئیس جمهور آمریکا و نخست وزیر اسرائیل. اما من این را می دانم، و همیشه قدردان رئیس جمهور اوباما برای این حمایت ها خواهم بود.
و اسرائیل از شما، کنگره آمریکا، برای حمایت تان، حمایت از ما به صورت های گوناگون سپاسگزار است، به خصوص برای کمک نظامی و دفاع موشکی سخاوتمندانه شما، منجمله گنبد آهنین. تابستان گذشته، میلیون ها اسرائیلی از خطر هزاران راکت حماس در امان ماندند زیرا این گنبد عظیم در ساخت گنبد آهنین مان به ما کمک کرد.
سپاسگزارم آمریکا. برای هر آنچه که برای اسرائیل انجام داده ای سپاسگزارم.
دوستان، من امروز، به عنوان نخست وزیر اسرائیل، در اینجا حضور یافته ام تا درباره مسئله ای که می تواند بقای کشورم و آینده مردم من را مورد تهدید قرار دهد با شما صحبت کنم: تلاش ایران برای دستیابی به سلاح هسته ای.
ما ملت کهنی هستیم. طی تاریخ 4000 ساله مان، بسیاری همواره سعی کرده اند مردم یهودی را از بین ببرند. فردا شب، ما به مناسبت تعطیلات یهودی پوریم کتاب استر را خواهیم خواند. ما درباره ما یک نایب السلطنه قدرتمند پارسی به نام هامان می خوانیم که دسیسه چینی کرده بود تا ملت یهود را حدود 2500 سال پیش نابود کند. اما یک زن شجاع یهودی، ملکه استر، این دسیسه را فاش کرد و به یهودیان این فرصت را داد تا آنها بتوانند از خودشان درمقابل دشمنانشان دفاع کنند. این دسیسه خنثی شد. مردم ما نجات یافتند.
امروز یک فرمانروای مقتدر دیگر و باز هم از ایران، قصد نابودی ما یهودیان را دارد. رهبر معظم ایران آیت الله خامنه ای سرچشمه دیرینه ترین نفرت، دیرینه ترین نفرت یهودستیزی با جدیدترین فناوری است . او توییت می کند که اسرائیل باید نابود شود – او توییت می کند . می دانید، در ایران، اینترنت آزاد وجود ندارد. اما او به زبان انگلیسی توییت می کند که اسرائیل باید نابود شود.
افرادیکه معتقدند که ایران کشور اسرائیل را تهدید می کند و نه ملت یهودی را ، باید به سخنان حسن نصرالله رهبر حزب الله گوش کنند که اصلی ترین سازمان تروریستی تحت حمایت ایران است. او گفته است: اگر همه یهودیان در اسرائیل جمع شوند، زحمت ما برای پیداکردن آنها در سراسر جهان کم می شود.
اما رژیم ایران فقط مشکل برای یهودیان نیست، همان طور که رژیم نازی فقط مشکل یهودیان نبود. 6 میلیون یهودی که توسط نازی ها کشته شدند فقط ذره ای از 60 میلیون نفری هستند که در جنگ جهانی دوم کشته شدند. به همین ترتیب، حکومت ایران تهدید جدی است، نه تنها برای اسرائیل، بلکه برای صلح در کل دنیا. برای درک این که ایران با در دست داشتن سلاح هسته ای تا چه حد می تواند خطرناک باشد، ما باید ماهیت این رژیم را کاملاً درک کنیم. ایرانی ها مردمانی بسیار با استعداد هستند. آنها وارثین یکی از تمدن های برتر جهان هستند. اما در سال 1979، آنها در دام افراطیون مذهبی افتادند – افراطیون مذهبی که در اسرع وقت دیکتاتوری تاریک و ظالمانه ای را بر آنها تحمیل کردند.
در همان سال، افراطیون برای ایران یک قانون اساسی جدید تدوین کردند. طی این قانون اساسی سپاه پاسداران نه تنها موظف به پاسداری از مرزهای ایران، بلکه مسئول ماموریت ایدئولوژیک جهاد نیز شد. بنیانگذار این رژیم، آیت الله خمینی، پیروان خود را تشویق و ترغیب کرد که "انقلاب را به سراسر دنیا صادر کنند".
ومن این جا در واشنگتن دی سی ایستاده ام و این تفاوتی چشمگیر است. سنگ بنای آمریکا نویدبخش زندگی، آزادی و دستیابی به خوشبختی است. سنگ بنای تاسیس ایران وعده دهنده مرگ، ظلم، و جهاد طلبی است. و با توجه به این که کشورها در سراسر خاورمیانه در آستانه فروپاشی هستند، ایران هم دقیقاً از این خلا استفاده می کند تا به این منظور خود برسد.
آدم کشان ایران در غزه، نوکران آن در لبنان، سپاه پاسداران آن در بلندی های جولان از سه طرف اسرائیل را در چنگال وحشت قرار داده اند. با پشتیبانی ایران، اسد مردم سوریه را قتل عام می کند. با پشتیبانی ایران، نیروهای غیرنظامی شیعه در عراق مشغول به وحشی گری هستند. با پشتیبانی ایران، حوثی ها در حال در دست گرفتن کنترل یمن هستند و تنگه های راهبردی در دهانه دریای سرخ را تهدید می کنند، همچنین تنگه هرمز که دومین گلوگاه نفتی جهان را به ایران داده است . هفته گذشته ایران نزدیک تنگه هرمز، رزمایشی نظامی انجام داد و یک ماکت ناوهواپیمابر آمریکا را منهدم کرد. این اتفاق فقط یک هفته پیش رخ داد یعنی زمانی که با ایالات متحده در حال مذاکرات هسته ای بودند. اما متاسفانه طی 36 گذشته، حملات ایران علیه ایالات متحده اصلا حملات ماکتی نبوده است. و اهداف این حملات کاملا واقعی بوده است.
ایران دهها آمریکایی را در تهران به گروگان گرفت، صدها سرباز و ملوان آمریکایی را در لبنان کشت، و مسئول کشتار و معلولیت هزاران زن و مرد نظامی آمریکایی در عراق و افغانستان بود.
فراتر از خاورمیانه، ایران آمریکا و متحدین آن را از طریق شبکه ترور جهانی خود مورد حمله قرار می دهد. ایران مرکز اجتماعات یهودی و سفارت اسرائیل در بوئنس آیرس را منفجر کرد. به القاعده در بمب گذاری در سفارت های آمریکا در آفریقا کمک کرد. حتی تلاش به ترور سفیر عربستان در همین جا، در واشنگتن دی سی، کرد.
در خاورمیانه، ایران چهار پایتخت عربی، بغداد، دمشق، بیروت و صنعا را تحت سلطه خود درآورده است. و اگر خشونت ایران تحت کترل قرار نگیرد، بدون شک شاهد اتقافات دیگری نیز خواهیم بود.
بنابراین، حال که بسیاری امیدوار هستند که ایران به جامعه بین الملل ملحق شود، ایران سرگرم بلعیدن ملت ها است. ما باید همگی در کنار هم بایستیم تا مانع رژه فاتحانه، به رخ کشیدن قدرت و تروریسم ایران شویم.
دو سال پیش، به ما گفته شد تا به حسن روحانی رئیس جمهور و ظریف وزیر امورخارجه ایران فرصت داده شود تا تغییرات و اعتدال را در ایران بوجود بیاورند. چه تغییراتی! چه اعتدالی! دولت روحانی همجنس گرایان را دار می زند، مسیحیان را آزار می دهد، خبرنگاران را زندانی می کند و بیش از پیش زندانیان را اعدام می کند.
سال گذشته، همین ظریف که دیپلمات های غربی را شیفته خود می سازد یک تاج گل روی قبر عماد مغنیه گذاشت. عماد مغنیه مغز متفکر تروریستی است که بیش از هر تروریست دیگربه علاوه بن لادن، خون آمریکایی ها را ریخته است. آیا کسی از او در این مورد سوال می کند؟
حکومت ایران مثل قبل تندرو است، شعار "مرگ بر آمریکا"، همان آمریکایی که ایران آن را شیطان بزرگ می خواند، را با صدای بلندتر ادا می کند. این نباید تعجب آور باشد زیرا ایدئولوژی رژیم ایران به شدت در اسلام ستیزه گر ریشه دارد. به همین علت است که این رژیم همواره دشمن آمریکا خواهد بود.
فریب نخورید. مبارزه میان ایران و دولت اسلامی عراق و شام(داعش) ، ایران را به دوست آمریکا تبدیل نمی کند. ایران و دولت اسلامی عراق و شام با هم برای تخت و تاج اسلام ستیزه گر رقابت می کنند. یکی خود را جمهوری اسلامی می خواند و دیگری خودش را دولت اسلامی می خواند. اما هر دوی آنها می خواهند امپراتوری شبه نظامی اسلام را ابتدا در منطقه و بعد در کل جهان تحمیل کنند. آنها فقط در یک مورد با هم اختلاف دارند، که چه کسی حاکم این امپراتوری باشد.
در این جنگ خونین برای تخت و تاج، جایی برای آمریکا یا اسرائیل وجود ندارد، هیچ صلحی برای مسیحیان، یهودیان یا مسلمانانی که نمی خواهند در کیش اسلامی قرون وسطایی سهیم باشند، یا برای حقوق زنان و یا آزادی برای همگان. بنابراین، وقتی صحبت از ایران و داعش به میان می آید، دشمن دشمن شما، دشمن شما است نه دوست شما.
تفاوت در این است که داعش مسلح به چاقوی قصابی، سلاح های غصب شده و یوتیوب است، در حالی که ایران به زودی می تواند مجهز به موشک های بالیستیک بین قاره ای و بمب اتمی باشد. ما باید همواره به خاطر داشته باشیم – یک بار دیگر این را می گویم- که بزرگ ترین خطری که دنیای ما با آن مواجه است پیوند اسلام ستیزه جو با سلاح های هسته ای است. شکست داعش و این که بگذاریم ایران سلاح هسته ای داشته باشد به معنی پیروزی در نبرد ولی شکست در جنگ است. ما نباید اجازه دهیم چنین اتفاقی بیافتد.
اما دوستان من، در صورتی که ایران به توافق کنونی، به توافقی که قرار است بپذیرد، دست پیدا کند، چنین اتفاقی رخ خواهد داد. این توافق مانع ایران از توسعه سلاح های هسته ای نخواهد شد. برعکس به ایران این ضمانت را خواهد داد که به آن سلاح ها، به مقادیر زیاد دست پیدا کند.
اجاز بدهید دلیل آن را توضیح دهم. با اینکه توافق نهایی امضاء نشده است، ولی در عین حال برخی از موارد هر توافق احتمالی در حیطه اطلاعات عموم هستند. نیازی به سازمان های اطلاعاتی و سرویس های مخفی برای دانستن این نیست. می توانید در گوگل آن را ببینید. با نبود تغییراتی چشمگیر، مطمئناً هر توافقی با ایران، شامل دو مصالحه عمده با آن خواهد بود.
اولین مصالحه با ایران باعث می شود این کشور زیرساخت های عظیم هسته ای خود را نگه دارد که مدت زمان فرار هسته ای کوتاهی برای ساخت بمب در اختیار این کشور قرار می دهد. زمان برای فرار هسته ای زمانی است که یک کشور برای ذخیره میزان اورانیوم یا پلوتونیوم کافی برای ساخت بمب داشته باشد.
براساس توافق، هیچکدام از تاسیسات هسته ای برچیده نخواهد شد. هزاران سانتریفیوژی که برای غنی سازی اورانیوم به کار می رفت، همچنان فعال خواهند بود. هزاران سانتریفیوژ دیگر به صورت موقت متوفق خواهند شد، ولی از میان برده نخواهند شد.
به همین دلیل که برنامه هسته ای ایران تا حد زیادی به قوه خود باقی خواهد ماند، زمان فرار هسته ای آن بسیار کوتاه خواهد بود – طبق ارزیابی ایالت متحده حدود یک سال، یا طبق ارزیابی اسرائیل حتی کوتاه تر از این.
و اگر از فعالیت ایران برای دستیابی به سانتریفیوژهای پیش رفته تر، و سانتریفیوژهای سریع تر و سریع تر ممانعت نشود، این زمان فرار هسته ای بسیار کوتاه تر خواهد شد.
درست است که برخی محدودیت های خاص روی برنامه اتمی ایران اعمال خواهد شد و پایبندی ایران بر این محدودیت ها تحت نظارت بازرسان بین المللی خواهد بود، ولی مشکل اینجا است. بازرسان نقض سند را ثبت می کنند، ولی آن را متوقف نمی کنند.
هنگامی که کره شمالی به سوی ساخت بمب اتمی رفت بازرسان مطلع بودند ولی این مسئله باعث توقف چیزی نشد. کره شمالی دوربین ها را خاموش کرد و بازرسان را اخراج کرد و در طول چند سال، به بمب رسید.
حال ما می دانیم که کره شمالی طی پنج سال خواهد توانست زرادخانه ای مشتمل بر 100 بمب هسته ای داشته باشد.
مانند کره شمالی، ایران هم از بازرسان بین المللی سرپیچی کرده است. ایران حد اقل طی سه بازرسی در سال های 2005 و 2006 و 2010 چنین کاری کرده است. مانند کره شمالی، ایران مهرو موم ها را شکست، دوربین ها را خاموش کرد. می دانم که این برای هیچکس تعجب آور نیست، اما ایران نه تنها از بازرسان سرپیچی ، بلکه با آنها بازی قائم موشک و حقه بازی هم می کند.
دیروز آژانس هسته ای سازمان ملل متحد، آژانس بین المللی انرژی اتمی، مجدداً اعلام کرد که ایران هنوز از شفاف سازی درباره برنامه اتمی نظامی خود سر باز می زند. مچ ایران گرفته شد - نه فقط یک بار بلکه دو بار مچ آن گرفته شد -که تاسیسات اتمی مخفی را در نطنز و قم اداره می کرد، تاسیساتی که بازرسان حتی از وجود آن نیز مطلع نبودند.
در حال حاضر، ممکن است ایران تاسیساتی مخفی داشته باشد که ما، یعنی آمریکا و اسرائیل، از وجود آن اطلاع نداشته باشیم. همانطور که رئیس سابق بازرسان آژانس بین المللی انرژی اتمی در سال 2013 گفت، "اگر هیچ تاسیسات اعلام نشده ای در ایران وجود نداشته باشد، اولین بار در بیست سال گذشته خواهد بود که این کشور چنین تاسیساتی را ندارد." ایران بارها ثابت کرده است که قابل اطمینان نیست. و بدین دلیل، این اولین مصالحه عمده ، منبع نگرانی بزرگی است. این مصالحه به ایران اجازه می دهد که زیرساخت های عظیم هسته ای خود را در اختیار داشته باشد و تنها اتکای خود را بر بازرسان قرار می دهد تا از فرار هسته ای جلوگیری کنند. این مصالحه خطری بزرگ مبنی بر دستیابی ایران به بمب، با نقض توافق، ایجاد می کند.
اما مصالحه بزرگ دوم خطری به مراتب بزرگ تر ایجاد می کند، و آن این است که ایران با حفظ این توافق به بمب برسد. زیرا تقریبا همه محدودیت ها علیه برنامه هسته ای ایران بعد از یک دهه به صورت خودکار لغو می شود. حال، ممکن است یک دهه در زندگی سیاسی، زمانی طولانی به نظر برسد ولی در زندگی یک ملت مانند یک چشم بر هم زدن است. برای زندگی کودکان ما، چشم بر هم زدنی است. همه ما موظف هستیم در نظر بگیریم که زمانی که توانمندی هسته ای ایران هیچ محدودیتی نداشته باشد و همه تحریم ها لغو شود چه اتفاقی خواهد افتاد. در آن صورت ایران از آزادی ایجاد توانمندی هسته ای بزرگی برخوردار خواهد بود که بر اساس آن بتواند بمب های هسته ای بیشماری تولید کند.
رهبر معظم ایران به وضوح این را می گوید. او می گوید که ایران هدف داشتن 190000 سانتریفیوژ را دارد، نه 6000 یا حتی 19000 که امروز دارد، بلکه ده برابر این تعداد، یعنی 190000 سانتریفیوژ غنی سازی اورانیوم. با چنین ظرفیت عظیمی، ایران می تواند سوخت لازم برای یک زرادخانه کامل را تولید کند و این فقط چند هفته زمان از موقع تصمیم گیری نیاز دارد.
دوست قدیمی من و وزیر امور خارجه آمریکا، جان کری، هفته گذشته تایید کرد که ایران می تواند به صورت مشروع این میزان عمده از سانتریفیوژها را زمانی که توافق منقضی شود داشته باشد.
حال، من از شما می خواهم به این مسئله فکر کنید. بزرگ ترین حامی تروریسم جهانی می تواند طی چند هفته با داشتن میزان کافی اورانیوم غنی شده برای یک زرادخانه کامل سلاح های هسته ای و با مشروعیت کامل بین المللی فاصله داشته باشد.
و در ضمن، اگر برنامه موشک بالیستیک قاره پیمای ایران بخشی از توافق نیست، و ایران تا این زمان حتی از طرح آن در مذاکرات نیز سر باز زده است. ایران می تواند ابزار تحویل این زرادخانه را به هر گوشه جهان از جمله همه نقاط ایالت متحده داشته باشد. بنابراین، همان طور که مشاهده می کنید، دوستان من، این توافق از دو مصالحه عمده تشکیل شده است: اول این که برنامه گسترده اتمی ایران به قوه خود باقی می ماند و دوم این که محدودیت های این برنامه بعد از یک دهه لغو می شوند. بدین دلیل است که این توافق، توافق بدی است. این توافق راه ایران را برای دستیابی به بمب سد نمی کند؛ بلکه را آن را برای دستیابی به بمب هموار می سازد.
پس چه کسی فکر می کند چنین توافقی باید صورت گیرد؟ زیرا این افراد امیدوار ند که ایران طی سال های آینده تغییر کند و بهتر شود، یا این که معتقد ند هر آن چه جایگزین این توافق باشد بدتر خواهد بود؟
خب، من مخالف هستم. من معتقدم حکومت تندروی ایران پس از این توافق تغییری نخواهد کرد و بهتر نخواهد شد. این رژیم طی 36 سال گذشته بر سر قدرت بوده است، و اشتهای حریصانه آن برای تخاصم سال به سال بیشتر شده است. این توافق فقط منجر به برانگیختن بیشتر اشتهای ایران می شود.
آیا با لغو تحریم ها و اقتصادی قوی تر، ایران تخاصم کم تری خواهد داشت؟ حال که ایران تحت تحریم است در حال بلع چهار کشور است، با لغو تحریم ها چند کشور دیگر را خواهد بلعید؟ آیا هنگامی که ایران توده انبوهی از پول برای حمایت از تروریسم داشته باشد، کمتر از تروریسم حمایت مالی خواهد کرد؟
چرا رژیم تندروی ایران باید تغییر کند و بهتر شود وقتی می تواند بهترین های هر دو دنیا را داشته باشد: تهاجم در خارج، بهروزی در داخل؟
این سوالی است که همه در منطقه ما از خود می پرسند. همسایگان اسرائیل، همسایگان ایران، می دانند که ایران زمانی که اقتصادی آزاد داشته باشد و راهش برای ساخت بمب هموار شود، تهاجمی تر خواهد شد و از تروریسم بیشتری حمایت خواهد کرد. و بسیاری از این همسایگان می گویند که واکنش آنها مسابقه برای داشتن سلاح های هسته ای خودشان خواهد بود. به این دلیل، این توافق نه فقط ایران را تغییر نمی دهد و بهتر نمی کند بلکه باعث تغییر خاورمیانه و وخامت وضعیت آن می شود. توافقی که باید از اشاعه تسلیحات هسته ای جلوگیری کند، باعث مسابقه تسلیحات هسته ای در خطرناک ترین نقطه کره زمین می شود.
این توافق، وداع با اسلحه نخواهد بود. این توافق، پایان کنترل بر تسلیحات خواهد بود. و خاورمیانه به زودی تبدیل به محلی پر از تسلیحات اتمی خواهد شد. منطقه ای که در آن یک درگیری کوچک به جنگی بزرگ تبدیل می شود، محلی برای آتش سوزی هسته ای .
اگر کسی بر این عقیده باشد که این توافق باعث می شود راه حلی کوتاه مدت ایجاد شود، باید بیشتر به این مساله فکر کند. زمانی که این راه حل به سر آید، با ایرانی خطرناک تر، خاورمیانه ای پر از بمب اتمی و شمارشی معکوس برای یک کابوس اتمی با القوه مواجه خواهیم شد.
خانم ها و آقایان، من امروز اینجا آمده ام که به شما بگویم ما نباید روی امنیت جهان به این امید قمار کنیم که ایران تغییر کند و بهتر شود. ما نباید روی آینده خود و کودکانمان قمار کنیم.
می توانیم اصرار کنیم که محدودیت برنامه اتمی ایران تا زمانی که این کشور به خصومت های خود در منطقه و جهان ادامه دهد لغو نشوند. پیش از لغو آن تحریم ها، دنیا باید از ایران سه چیز بخواهد. اول اینکه به تهاجم بههمسایگان خود در خاورمیانه پایان بدهد. دوم این که به حمایت از تروریسم در سراسر دنیا خاتمه بدهد. سوم این که به تهدید به نابود کردن کشور من، اسرائیل، تنها کشور یهودی دنیا پایان دهد.
اگر قدرت های جهانی این آمادگی را ندارند که اصرار به لزوم تغییر رفتار ایران پیش از امضای توافق داشته باشند،حد اقل باید بر لزوم تغییر رفتار ایران، پیش از انقضاء توافق، اصرار کنند. اگر ایران رفتار خود را تغییر دهد، این محدودیت ها لغو شود. اگر ایران رفتار خود را تغییر ندهد، این محدودیت ها نباید لغو شوند. اگر ایران می خواهد مانند یک کشور عادی با آن رفتار شود، باید مانند یک کشور عادی رفتار کند.
دوستان من، این مساله که جای گزینی برای این مذاکرات وجود دارد چطور، این که دانش هسته ای در ایران را نمی توان حذف کرد، و برنامه هسته ای ایران تا حدی پیشرفت کرده است که نهایت کاری که از عهده ما بر می آید به تأخیر انداختن آنچه که اجتناب ناپذیر است می باشد. یعنی در نهایت آنچه که این توافق پیشنهاد شده در پی دستیابی است؟
دانش هسته ای بدون زیرساخت های هسته ای حاصل زیادی ندارد. یک راننده خودروی مسابقه ای بدون خودروی خود نمی تواند رانندگی کند. یک خلبان بدون هواپیما نمی تواند پرواز کند. بدون هزاران سانتریفیوژ و تن ها اورانیوم غنی شده یا تاسیسات آب سنگین، ایران نمی تواند سلاح های هسته ای تولید کند.
برنامه هسته ای ایران را می توان بسیار فراتر از پیشنهاد فعلی ، با اصرار بر یک توافق بهتر و استمرار فشار روی یک رژیم بسیار آسیب پذیر، بخصوص با توجه به کاهش اخیر در قیمت نفت، به عقب راند.
اگر ایران تهدید به خروج از میز مذاکرات کند - که معمولا این در بازارهای ایرانی رایج است - بلوف آن ها را رو کنید. آنان باز خواهند گشت زیرا آنها به توافق بسیار بیشتر از شما نیاز دارند.
و با حفظ فشار بر ایران و آنهایی که با این کشور داد و ستد می کنند، شما از این قدرت برخوردار خواهید بود که نیازشان را به مراتب بیشتر هم بکنید. دوستان من، بیش از یک سال است که به ما گفته شده که توافق نکردن بهتر از توافق بد است. خب، این یک توافق بد است. این یک توافق خیلی بد است. وضعیت ما بدون آن بهتر است.
حال به ما می گویند که تنها گزینه دیگر این توافق بد، جنگ است. این درست نیست. گزینه دیگر این توافق بد، توافقی به مراتب بهتر است: توافقی بهتر که باعث نمی شود زیرساخت های عمده هسته ای ایران و این مدت زمان کوتاه فرار هسته ای به قوه خود باقی بمانند؛ توافق بهتری که محدودیت های برنامه اتمی ایران را تا زمانی که تهاجمات ایران ادامه داشته باشد حفظ می کند؛ توافق بهتری که راه آسانی به ایران برای دستابی به بمب ارائه نمی دهد؛ توافق بهتری که ممکن است اسرائیل و همسایگان آن دوست نداشته باشند اما بتوانند با آن کنار بیایند و در واقع به موجودیت خود ادامه دهند. و هیچ کشوری به اندازه اسرائیل از توافقی خوب که به صورتی صلح آمیز این تهدید را برطرف سازد حمایت نمی کند .
خانم ها و آقایان،
تاریخ ما را در دو راهی سرنوشت سازی قرار داده است. حال ما باید یکی از این دو راه را انتخاب کنیم. یک راه منجر به توافق بدی می شود که موقطا جاه طلبی های هسته ای ایران را محدود می کند ولی در نهایت باعث ظهور ایرانی مسلح به سلاح اتمی شده و با طبیعت تهاجمی ایران، بدون شک منجر به جنگ می شود. راه دوم، هر چند دشوار ، می تواند به توافقی بسیار بهتر منتهی شود. توافقی که از رسیدن ایران به سلاح هسته ای، خاورمیانه ای هسته ای و پیامدهای وحشتناک هر دو، برای انسانیت جلوگیری می کند.
لازم نیست نوشته های رابرت فراست را بخوانید که بدانید باید زندگی کنید تا متوجه شوید که راه دشوارتر معمولاً راهی است که کمتر از آن گذر می شود، ولی برای آینده کشور من، امنیت خاورمیانه و صلح جهانی که همه ما سزاوار آن هستیم، گدر از این راه کم گذار، اهمیت بسیار خواهد داشت.
دوستان من، ایستادن در برابر ایران کار آسانی نیست. ایستادن در برابر یک رژیم تاریک و قاتل هرگز راحت نیست. امروز، الی ویزل بازمانده هولوکاست و برنده جایزه نوبل در کنار ما حضور دارد. الی، زندگی و آثار تو الهام بخش معنی دادن به واژگان «تکرار گذشته، هرگز» است. و الی، ای کاش من می توانستم این قول را به تو بدهم که درس های تاریخ را آموخته ایم. فقط می توانم از رهبران دنیا بخواهم که اشتباهات گذشته را تکرار نکنند. آینده را قربانی حال نکنند، تجاوزگری را به امید صلحی واهی فراموش نکنند.
اما من می توانم این را تضمین کنم که ایامی که مردم یهودی در برابر دشمنان نسل کش منفعل بودند به سر رسیده است. ما دیگر در میان ملت ها پراکنده نیستیم و در دفاع از خود ضعیف نیستیم. ما حاکمیت خود را در سرزمین باستانی مان یافتیم. و سربازانی که از خانه ما دفاع می کنند، شجاعتی بی حد و مرز دارند. برای اولین بار طی صدها نسل گذشته، ما یهودی ها می توانیم از خود دفاع کنیم.
به این دلیل است که من به عنوان نخست وزیر اسرائیل، می توانم به شما یک قول دیگر بدهم: حتی اگر اسرائیل مجبور باشد تنها بایستد،خواهد ایستاد. اما من می دانم که اسرائیل تنها نخواهد ایستاد. و من می دانم که آمریکا در کنار اسرائیل خواهد ایستاد. من می دانم شما در کنار اسرائیل خواهید ایستاد. شما در کنار اسرائیل خواهید ایستاد زیرا می دانید که داستان اسرائیل فقط مربوط به مردم یهودی نمی شود، بلکه مسئله روح بشری است که همواره از تسلیم در برابر دهشت های تاریخ سرباز می زند.
روبروی من بر روی دیوار گالری، پیش روی همه ما در این اتاق، تصویر موسی است. موسی مردم ما را از بردگی به سوی دروازه های سرزمین موعود هدایت کرد. و پیشاپیش مردم اسرائیل وارد سرزمین اسرائیل شد. موسی به ما پیامی داد که طی هزاران سال اراده ما را تقویت کرده است. من امروز این پیام را به شما می دهم، "قوی و مصمم باشید، از آنها ترس و واهمه ای نداشته باشید."
دوستان من، امیدواریم اسرائیل و آمریکا همیشه در کنار یکدیگر قوی و مصمم باشند. به امید این که هیچ وقت از چالش های پیش روی خود ترس و واهمه ای نداشته باشیم. به امید آینده ای با اعتماد به نفس، قدرت و امید.
خداوند نگهدار کشور اسرائیل باشد و خداوند ایاللت متحده آمریکا را حفظ کند. متشکرم. شما فوق العاده هستید. متشکرم آمریکا.
رئیس پارلمان جان بینر ،
رئیس حزب اکثریت سنا میچ مک کانل،
رئیس حزب اقیلت پارلمان نانسی پلوسی ،
رئیس حزب اکثریت پارلمان کوین مک کارتی،
و با عرض احترام حضور سناتور، رهبر دموکرات هری رید. هری، از این که شما را بار دگر سر پا می بینم خوشحالم. به نظر من این اصطلاح که می گویند خواستن توانستن است صحت دارد.
دوستان، من بسیار افتخار می کنم که این فرصت به من داده شده است تا برای سومین بار در مهمترین نهاد قانون گذاری جهان یعنی کنگره آمریکا صحبت کنم. از همه شما برای این که امروز این جا حضور یافتید تشکر می کنم. مطلع هستم که سخنرانی من بسیار بحث انگیز شده است. بسیار متأسفم که برخی حضور من در اینجا را کاری سیاسی تلقی می کنند. من به هیچ عنوان چنین قصدی نداشتم.
من می خواهم از شما دموکراتها و جمهوری خواهان برای حمایت مشترک تان از اسرائیل در سالها و دهه های متمادی تشکر کنم. می دانم صرف نظر از اینکه در کدام طرف سالن باشید حامی اسرائیل هستید. ائتلاف فوق العاده بین اسرائیل و ایالات متحده، همیشه فراتر از مسائل سیاسی بوده است. این مسئله باید همواره فراتر از مسائل سیاسی باشد زیرا آمریکا و اسرائیل، ما ، سرنوشت مشترکی داریم، سرنوشت سرزمین های موعودی که آزادی را گرامی بدارند و امیدبخش باشد. اسرائیل از حمایت مردم آمریکا و روسای جمهور آمریکا از هری ترومن گرفته تا باراک اوباما، سپاسگزار است.
ما از همه کارهایی که رئیس جمهور اوباما برای اسرائیل انجام داده است قدردانی می کنیم. برخی از این اقدامات کاملاً شناخته شده است، مانند تقویت همکاری امنیتی و تبادل اطلاعات امنیتی، و مخالفت با قطعنامه های ضداسرائیل در سازمان ملل متحد.
برخی از کارهایی که رئیس جمهور برای اسرائیل انجام داده است کمتر شناخته شده است. در سال 2010 که جنگل کارمل آتش گرفت من با او تماس گرفتم و او بلادرنگ موافقت کرد که به درخواست من برای ارسال کمک فوری پاسخ مثبت بدهد. در سال 2011، سفارت ما در قاهره محاصره شد و او باری دیگر در شرایط زمانی حساس به ما کمک اساسی کرد. یا حمایت او از ما با ارائه سامانه های بیشتر رهگیری موشک در عملیات تابستان سال گذشته ما علیه تروریستهای حماس. در هریک از این مواقع که من با رئیس جمهور تماس گرفتم او در کنار ما بود.
و برخی از کارهایی که رئیس جمهور برای اسرائیل انجام داده است ممکن است هرگز علنی نشود زیرا مربوط می شود به برخی حساس ترین و راهبردی ترین مسائل بین رئیس جمهور آمریکا و نخست وزیر اسرائیل. اما من این را می دانم، و همیشه قدردان رئیس جمهور اوباما برای این حمایت ها خواهم بود.
و اسرائیل از شما، کنگره آمریکا، برای حمایت تان، حمایت از ما به صورت های گوناگون سپاسگزار است، به خصوص برای کمک نظامی و دفاع موشکی سخاوتمندانه شما، منجمله گنبد آهنین. تابستان گذشته، میلیون ها اسرائیلی از خطر هزاران راکت حماس در امان ماندند زیرا این گنبد عظیم در ساخت گنبد آهنین مان به ما کمک کرد.
سپاسگزارم آمریکا. برای هر آنچه که برای اسرائیل انجام داده ای سپاسگزارم.
دوستان، من امروز، به عنوان نخست وزیر اسرائیل، در اینجا حضور یافته ام تا درباره مسئله ای که می تواند بقای کشورم و آینده مردم من را مورد تهدید قرار دهد با شما صحبت کنم: تلاش ایران برای دستیابی به سلاح هسته ای.
ما ملت کهنی هستیم. طی تاریخ 4000 ساله مان، بسیاری همواره سعی کرده اند مردم یهودی را از بین ببرند. فردا شب، ما به مناسبت تعطیلات یهودی پوریم کتاب استر را خواهیم خواند. ما درباره ما یک نایب السلطنه قدرتمند پارسی به نام هامان می خوانیم که دسیسه چینی کرده بود تا ملت یهود را حدود 2500 سال پیش نابود کند. اما یک زن شجاع یهودی، ملکه استر، این دسیسه را فاش کرد و به یهودیان این فرصت را داد تا آنها بتوانند از خودشان درمقابل دشمنانشان دفاع کنند. این دسیسه خنثی شد. مردم ما نجات یافتند.
امروز یک فرمانروای مقتدر دیگر و باز هم از ایران، قصد نابودی ما یهودیان را دارد. رهبر معظم ایران آیت الله خامنه ای سرچشمه دیرینه ترین نفرت، دیرینه ترین نفرت یهودستیزی با جدیدترین فناوری است . او توییت می کند که اسرائیل باید نابود شود – او توییت می کند . می دانید، در ایران، اینترنت آزاد وجود ندارد. اما او به زبان انگلیسی توییت می کند که اسرائیل باید نابود شود.
افرادیکه معتقدند که ایران کشور اسرائیل را تهدید می کند و نه ملت یهودی را ، باید به سخنان حسن نصرالله رهبر حزب الله گوش کنند که اصلی ترین سازمان تروریستی تحت حمایت ایران است. او گفته است: اگر همه یهودیان در اسرائیل جمع شوند، زحمت ما برای پیداکردن آنها در سراسر جهان کم می شود.
اما رژیم ایران فقط مشکل برای یهودیان نیست، همان طور که رژیم نازی فقط مشکل یهودیان نبود. 6 میلیون یهودی که توسط نازی ها کشته شدند فقط ذره ای از 60 میلیون نفری هستند که در جنگ جهانی دوم کشته شدند. به همین ترتیب، حکومت ایران تهدید جدی است، نه تنها برای اسرائیل، بلکه برای صلح در کل دنیا. برای درک این که ایران با در دست داشتن سلاح هسته ای تا چه حد می تواند خطرناک باشد، ما باید ماهیت این رژیم را کاملاً درک کنیم. ایرانی ها مردمانی بسیار با استعداد هستند. آنها وارثین یکی از تمدن های برتر جهان هستند. اما در سال 1979، آنها در دام افراطیون مذهبی افتادند – افراطیون مذهبی که در اسرع وقت دیکتاتوری تاریک و ظالمانه ای را بر آنها تحمیل کردند.
در همان سال، افراطیون برای ایران یک قانون اساسی جدید تدوین کردند. طی این قانون اساسی سپاه پاسداران نه تنها موظف به پاسداری از مرزهای ایران، بلکه مسئول ماموریت ایدئولوژیک جهاد نیز شد. بنیانگذار این رژیم، آیت الله خمینی، پیروان خود را تشویق و ترغیب کرد که "انقلاب را به سراسر دنیا صادر کنند".
ومن این جا در واشنگتن دی سی ایستاده ام و این تفاوتی چشمگیر است. سنگ بنای آمریکا نویدبخش زندگی، آزادی و دستیابی به خوشبختی است. سنگ بنای تاسیس ایران وعده دهنده مرگ، ظلم، و جهاد طلبی است. و با توجه به این که کشورها در سراسر خاورمیانه در آستانه فروپاشی هستند، ایران هم دقیقاً از این خلا استفاده می کند تا به این منظور خود برسد.
آدم کشان ایران در غزه، نوکران آن در لبنان، سپاه پاسداران آن در بلندی های جولان از سه طرف اسرائیل را در چنگال وحشت قرار داده اند. با پشتیبانی ایران، اسد مردم سوریه را قتل عام می کند. با پشتیبانی ایران، نیروهای غیرنظامی شیعه در عراق مشغول به وحشی گری هستند. با پشتیبانی ایران، حوثی ها در حال در دست گرفتن کنترل یمن هستند و تنگه های راهبردی در دهانه دریای سرخ را تهدید می کنند، همچنین تنگه هرمز که دومین گلوگاه نفتی جهان را به ایران داده است . هفته گذشته ایران نزدیک تنگه هرمز، رزمایشی نظامی انجام داد و یک ماکت ناوهواپیمابر آمریکا را منهدم کرد. این اتفاق فقط یک هفته پیش رخ داد یعنی زمانی که با ایالات متحده در حال مذاکرات هسته ای بودند. اما متاسفانه طی 36 گذشته، حملات ایران علیه ایالات متحده اصلا حملات ماکتی نبوده است. و اهداف این حملات کاملا واقعی بوده است.
ایران دهها آمریکایی را در تهران به گروگان گرفت، صدها سرباز و ملوان آمریکایی را در لبنان کشت، و مسئول کشتار و معلولیت هزاران زن و مرد نظامی آمریکایی در عراق و افغانستان بود.
فراتر از خاورمیانه، ایران آمریکا و متحدین آن را از طریق شبکه ترور جهانی خود مورد حمله قرار می دهد. ایران مرکز اجتماعات یهودی و سفارت اسرائیل در بوئنس آیرس را منفجر کرد. به القاعده در بمب گذاری در سفارت های آمریکا در آفریقا کمک کرد. حتی تلاش به ترور سفیر عربستان در همین جا، در واشنگتن دی سی، کرد.
در خاورمیانه، ایران چهار پایتخت عربی، بغداد، دمشق، بیروت و صنعا را تحت سلطه خود درآورده است. و اگر خشونت ایران تحت کترل قرار نگیرد، بدون شک شاهد اتقافات دیگری نیز خواهیم بود.
بنابراین، حال که بسیاری امیدوار هستند که ایران به جامعه بین الملل ملحق شود، ایران سرگرم بلعیدن ملت ها است. ما باید همگی در کنار هم بایستیم تا مانع رژه فاتحانه، به رخ کشیدن قدرت و تروریسم ایران شویم.
دو سال پیش، به ما گفته شد تا به حسن روحانی رئیس جمهور و ظریف وزیر امورخارجه ایران فرصت داده شود تا تغییرات و اعتدال را در ایران بوجود بیاورند. چه تغییراتی! چه اعتدالی! دولت روحانی همجنس گرایان را دار می زند، مسیحیان را آزار می دهد، خبرنگاران را زندانی می کند و بیش از پیش زندانیان را اعدام می کند.
سال گذشته، همین ظریف که دیپلمات های غربی را شیفته خود می سازد یک تاج گل روی قبر عماد مغنیه گذاشت. عماد مغنیه مغز متفکر تروریستی است که بیش از هر تروریست دیگربه علاوه بن لادن، خون آمریکایی ها را ریخته است. آیا کسی از او در این مورد سوال می کند؟
حکومت ایران مثل قبل تندرو است، شعار "مرگ بر آمریکا"، همان آمریکایی که ایران آن را شیطان بزرگ می خواند، را با صدای بلندتر ادا می کند. این نباید تعجب آور باشد زیرا ایدئولوژی رژیم ایران به شدت در اسلام ستیزه گر ریشه دارد. به همین علت است که این رژیم همواره دشمن آمریکا خواهد بود.
فریب نخورید. مبارزه میان ایران و دولت اسلامی عراق و شام(داعش) ، ایران را به دوست آمریکا تبدیل نمی کند. ایران و دولت اسلامی عراق و شام با هم برای تخت و تاج اسلام ستیزه گر رقابت می کنند. یکی خود را جمهوری اسلامی می خواند و دیگری خودش را دولت اسلامی می خواند. اما هر دوی آنها می خواهند امپراتوری شبه نظامی اسلام را ابتدا در منطقه و بعد در کل جهان تحمیل کنند. آنها فقط در یک مورد با هم اختلاف دارند، که چه کسی حاکم این امپراتوری باشد.
در این جنگ خونین برای تخت و تاج، جایی برای آمریکا یا اسرائیل وجود ندارد، هیچ صلحی برای مسیحیان، یهودیان یا مسلمانانی که نمی خواهند در کیش اسلامی قرون وسطایی سهیم باشند، یا برای حقوق زنان و یا آزادی برای همگان. بنابراین، وقتی صحبت از ایران و داعش به میان می آید، دشمن دشمن شما، دشمن شما است نه دوست شما.
تفاوت در این است که داعش مسلح به چاقوی قصابی، سلاح های غصب شده و یوتیوب است، در حالی که ایران به زودی می تواند مجهز به موشک های بالیستیک بین قاره ای و بمب اتمی باشد. ما باید همواره به خاطر داشته باشیم – یک بار دیگر این را می گویم- که بزرگ ترین خطری که دنیای ما با آن مواجه است پیوند اسلام ستیزه جو با سلاح های هسته ای است. شکست داعش و این که بگذاریم ایران سلاح هسته ای داشته باشد به معنی پیروزی در نبرد ولی شکست در جنگ است. ما نباید اجازه دهیم چنین اتفاقی بیافتد.
اما دوستان من، در صورتی که ایران به توافق کنونی، به توافقی که قرار است بپذیرد، دست پیدا کند، چنین اتفاقی رخ خواهد داد. این توافق مانع ایران از توسعه سلاح های هسته ای نخواهد شد. برعکس به ایران این ضمانت را خواهد داد که به آن سلاح ها، به مقادیر زیاد دست پیدا کند.
اجاز بدهید دلیل آن را توضیح دهم. با اینکه توافق نهایی امضاء نشده است، ولی در عین حال برخی از موارد هر توافق احتمالی در حیطه اطلاعات عموم هستند. نیازی به سازمان های اطلاعاتی و سرویس های مخفی برای دانستن این نیست. می توانید در گوگل آن را ببینید. با نبود تغییراتی چشمگیر، مطمئناً هر توافقی با ایران، شامل دو مصالحه عمده با آن خواهد بود.
اولین مصالحه با ایران باعث می شود این کشور زیرساخت های عظیم هسته ای خود را نگه دارد که مدت زمان فرار هسته ای کوتاهی برای ساخت بمب در اختیار این کشور قرار می دهد. زمان برای فرار هسته ای زمانی است که یک کشور برای ذخیره میزان اورانیوم یا پلوتونیوم کافی برای ساخت بمب داشته باشد.
براساس توافق، هیچکدام از تاسیسات هسته ای برچیده نخواهد شد. هزاران سانتریفیوژی که برای غنی سازی اورانیوم به کار می رفت، همچنان فعال خواهند بود. هزاران سانتریفیوژ دیگر به صورت موقت متوفق خواهند شد، ولی از میان برده نخواهند شد.
به همین دلیل که برنامه هسته ای ایران تا حد زیادی به قوه خود باقی خواهد ماند، زمان فرار هسته ای آن بسیار کوتاه خواهد بود – طبق ارزیابی ایالت متحده حدود یک سال، یا طبق ارزیابی اسرائیل حتی کوتاه تر از این.
و اگر از فعالیت ایران برای دستیابی به سانتریفیوژهای پیش رفته تر، و سانتریفیوژهای سریع تر و سریع تر ممانعت نشود، این زمان فرار هسته ای بسیار کوتاه تر خواهد شد.
درست است که برخی محدودیت های خاص روی برنامه اتمی ایران اعمال خواهد شد و پایبندی ایران بر این محدودیت ها تحت نظارت بازرسان بین المللی خواهد بود، ولی مشکل اینجا است. بازرسان نقض سند را ثبت می کنند، ولی آن را متوقف نمی کنند.
هنگامی که کره شمالی به سوی ساخت بمب اتمی رفت بازرسان مطلع بودند ولی این مسئله باعث توقف چیزی نشد. کره شمالی دوربین ها را خاموش کرد و بازرسان را اخراج کرد و در طول چند سال، به بمب رسید.
حال ما می دانیم که کره شمالی طی پنج سال خواهد توانست زرادخانه ای مشتمل بر 100 بمب هسته ای داشته باشد.
مانند کره شمالی، ایران هم از بازرسان بین المللی سرپیچی کرده است. ایران حد اقل طی سه بازرسی در سال های 2005 و 2006 و 2010 چنین کاری کرده است. مانند کره شمالی، ایران مهرو موم ها را شکست، دوربین ها را خاموش کرد. می دانم که این برای هیچکس تعجب آور نیست، اما ایران نه تنها از بازرسان سرپیچی ، بلکه با آنها بازی قائم موشک و حقه بازی هم می کند.
دیروز آژانس هسته ای سازمان ملل متحد، آژانس بین المللی انرژی اتمی، مجدداً اعلام کرد که ایران هنوز از شفاف سازی درباره برنامه اتمی نظامی خود سر باز می زند. مچ ایران گرفته شد - نه فقط یک بار بلکه دو بار مچ آن گرفته شد -که تاسیسات اتمی مخفی را در نطنز و قم اداره می کرد، تاسیساتی که بازرسان حتی از وجود آن نیز مطلع نبودند.
در حال حاضر، ممکن است ایران تاسیساتی مخفی داشته باشد که ما، یعنی آمریکا و اسرائیل، از وجود آن اطلاع نداشته باشیم. همانطور که رئیس سابق بازرسان آژانس بین المللی انرژی اتمی در سال 2013 گفت، "اگر هیچ تاسیسات اعلام نشده ای در ایران وجود نداشته باشد، اولین بار در بیست سال گذشته خواهد بود که این کشور چنین تاسیساتی را ندارد." ایران بارها ثابت کرده است که قابل اطمینان نیست. و بدین دلیل، این اولین مصالحه عمده ، منبع نگرانی بزرگی است. این مصالحه به ایران اجازه می دهد که زیرساخت های عظیم هسته ای خود را در اختیار داشته باشد و تنها اتکای خود را بر بازرسان قرار می دهد تا از فرار هسته ای جلوگیری کنند. این مصالحه خطری بزرگ مبنی بر دستیابی ایران به بمب، با نقض توافق، ایجاد می کند.
اما مصالحه بزرگ دوم خطری به مراتب بزرگ تر ایجاد می کند، و آن این است که ایران با حفظ این توافق به بمب برسد. زیرا تقریبا همه محدودیت ها علیه برنامه هسته ای ایران بعد از یک دهه به صورت خودکار لغو می شود. حال، ممکن است یک دهه در زندگی سیاسی، زمانی طولانی به نظر برسد ولی در زندگی یک ملت مانند یک چشم بر هم زدن است. برای زندگی کودکان ما، چشم بر هم زدنی است. همه ما موظف هستیم در نظر بگیریم که زمانی که توانمندی هسته ای ایران هیچ محدودیتی نداشته باشد و همه تحریم ها لغو شود چه اتفاقی خواهد افتاد. در آن صورت ایران از آزادی ایجاد توانمندی هسته ای بزرگی برخوردار خواهد بود که بر اساس آن بتواند بمب های هسته ای بیشماری تولید کند.
رهبر معظم ایران به وضوح این را می گوید. او می گوید که ایران هدف داشتن 190000 سانتریفیوژ را دارد، نه 6000 یا حتی 19000 که امروز دارد، بلکه ده برابر این تعداد، یعنی 190000 سانتریفیوژ غنی سازی اورانیوم. با چنین ظرفیت عظیمی، ایران می تواند سوخت لازم برای یک زرادخانه کامل را تولید کند و این فقط چند هفته زمان از موقع تصمیم گیری نیاز دارد.
دوست قدیمی من و وزیر امور خارجه آمریکا، جان کری، هفته گذشته تایید کرد که ایران می تواند به صورت مشروع این میزان عمده از سانتریفیوژها را زمانی که توافق منقضی شود داشته باشد.
حال، من از شما می خواهم به این مسئله فکر کنید. بزرگ ترین حامی تروریسم جهانی می تواند طی چند هفته با داشتن میزان کافی اورانیوم غنی شده برای یک زرادخانه کامل سلاح های هسته ای و با مشروعیت کامل بین المللی فاصله داشته باشد.
و در ضمن، اگر برنامه موشک بالیستیک قاره پیمای ایران بخشی از توافق نیست، و ایران تا این زمان حتی از طرح آن در مذاکرات نیز سر باز زده است. ایران می تواند ابزار تحویل این زرادخانه را به هر گوشه جهان از جمله همه نقاط ایالت متحده داشته باشد. بنابراین، همان طور که مشاهده می کنید، دوستان من، این توافق از دو مصالحه عمده تشکیل شده است: اول این که برنامه گسترده اتمی ایران به قوه خود باقی می ماند و دوم این که محدودیت های این برنامه بعد از یک دهه لغو می شوند. بدین دلیل است که این توافق، توافق بدی است. این توافق راه ایران را برای دستیابی به بمب سد نمی کند؛ بلکه را آن را برای دستیابی به بمب هموار می سازد.
پس چه کسی فکر می کند چنین توافقی باید صورت گیرد؟ زیرا این افراد امیدوار ند که ایران طی سال های آینده تغییر کند و بهتر شود، یا این که معتقد ند هر آن چه جایگزین این توافق باشد بدتر خواهد بود؟
خب، من مخالف هستم. من معتقدم حکومت تندروی ایران پس از این توافق تغییری نخواهد کرد و بهتر نخواهد شد. این رژیم طی 36 سال گذشته بر سر قدرت بوده است، و اشتهای حریصانه آن برای تخاصم سال به سال بیشتر شده است. این توافق فقط منجر به برانگیختن بیشتر اشتهای ایران می شود.
آیا با لغو تحریم ها و اقتصادی قوی تر، ایران تخاصم کم تری خواهد داشت؟ حال که ایران تحت تحریم است در حال بلع چهار کشور است، با لغو تحریم ها چند کشور دیگر را خواهد بلعید؟ آیا هنگامی که ایران توده انبوهی از پول برای حمایت از تروریسم داشته باشد، کمتر از تروریسم حمایت مالی خواهد کرد؟
چرا رژیم تندروی ایران باید تغییر کند و بهتر شود وقتی می تواند بهترین های هر دو دنیا را داشته باشد: تهاجم در خارج، بهروزی در داخل؟
این سوالی است که همه در منطقه ما از خود می پرسند. همسایگان اسرائیل، همسایگان ایران، می دانند که ایران زمانی که اقتصادی آزاد داشته باشد و راهش برای ساخت بمب هموار شود، تهاجمی تر خواهد شد و از تروریسم بیشتری حمایت خواهد کرد. و بسیاری از این همسایگان می گویند که واکنش آنها مسابقه برای داشتن سلاح های هسته ای خودشان خواهد بود. به این دلیل، این توافق نه فقط ایران را تغییر نمی دهد و بهتر نمی کند بلکه باعث تغییر خاورمیانه و وخامت وضعیت آن می شود. توافقی که باید از اشاعه تسلیحات هسته ای جلوگیری کند، باعث مسابقه تسلیحات هسته ای در خطرناک ترین نقطه کره زمین می شود.
این توافق، وداع با اسلحه نخواهد بود. این توافق، پایان کنترل بر تسلیحات خواهد بود. و خاورمیانه به زودی تبدیل به محلی پر از تسلیحات اتمی خواهد شد. منطقه ای که در آن یک درگیری کوچک به جنگی بزرگ تبدیل می شود، محلی برای آتش سوزی هسته ای .
اگر کسی بر این عقیده باشد که این توافق باعث می شود راه حلی کوتاه مدت ایجاد شود، باید بیشتر به این مساله فکر کند. زمانی که این راه حل به سر آید، با ایرانی خطرناک تر، خاورمیانه ای پر از بمب اتمی و شمارشی معکوس برای یک کابوس اتمی با القوه مواجه خواهیم شد.
خانم ها و آقایان، من امروز اینجا آمده ام که به شما بگویم ما نباید روی امنیت جهان به این امید قمار کنیم که ایران تغییر کند و بهتر شود. ما نباید روی آینده خود و کودکانمان قمار کنیم.
می توانیم اصرار کنیم که محدودیت برنامه اتمی ایران تا زمانی که این کشور به خصومت های خود در منطقه و جهان ادامه دهد لغو نشوند. پیش از لغو آن تحریم ها، دنیا باید از ایران سه چیز بخواهد. اول اینکه به تهاجم بههمسایگان خود در خاورمیانه پایان بدهد. دوم این که به حمایت از تروریسم در سراسر دنیا خاتمه بدهد. سوم این که به تهدید به نابود کردن کشور من، اسرائیل، تنها کشور یهودی دنیا پایان دهد.
اگر قدرت های جهانی این آمادگی را ندارند که اصرار به لزوم تغییر رفتار ایران پیش از امضای توافق داشته باشند،حد اقل باید بر لزوم تغییر رفتار ایران، پیش از انقضاء توافق، اصرار کنند. اگر ایران رفتار خود را تغییر دهد، این محدودیت ها لغو شود. اگر ایران رفتار خود را تغییر ندهد، این محدودیت ها نباید لغو شوند. اگر ایران می خواهد مانند یک کشور عادی با آن رفتار شود، باید مانند یک کشور عادی رفتار کند.
دوستان من، این مساله که جای گزینی برای این مذاکرات وجود دارد چطور، این که دانش هسته ای در ایران را نمی توان حذف کرد، و برنامه هسته ای ایران تا حدی پیشرفت کرده است که نهایت کاری که از عهده ما بر می آید به تأخیر انداختن آنچه که اجتناب ناپذیر است می باشد. یعنی در نهایت آنچه که این توافق پیشنهاد شده در پی دستیابی است؟
دانش هسته ای بدون زیرساخت های هسته ای حاصل زیادی ندارد. یک راننده خودروی مسابقه ای بدون خودروی خود نمی تواند رانندگی کند. یک خلبان بدون هواپیما نمی تواند پرواز کند. بدون هزاران سانتریفیوژ و تن ها اورانیوم غنی شده یا تاسیسات آب سنگین، ایران نمی تواند سلاح های هسته ای تولید کند.
برنامه هسته ای ایران را می توان بسیار فراتر از پیشنهاد فعلی ، با اصرار بر یک توافق بهتر و استمرار فشار روی یک رژیم بسیار آسیب پذیر، بخصوص با توجه به کاهش اخیر در قیمت نفت، به عقب راند.
اگر ایران تهدید به خروج از میز مذاکرات کند - که معمولا این در بازارهای ایرانی رایج است - بلوف آن ها را رو کنید. آنان باز خواهند گشت زیرا آنها به توافق بسیار بیشتر از شما نیاز دارند.
و با حفظ فشار بر ایران و آنهایی که با این کشور داد و ستد می کنند، شما از این قدرت برخوردار خواهید بود که نیازشان را به مراتب بیشتر هم بکنید. دوستان من، بیش از یک سال است که به ما گفته شده که توافق نکردن بهتر از توافق بد است. خب، این یک توافق بد است. این یک توافق خیلی بد است. وضعیت ما بدون آن بهتر است.
حال به ما می گویند که تنها گزینه دیگر این توافق بد، جنگ است. این درست نیست. گزینه دیگر این توافق بد، توافقی به مراتب بهتر است: توافقی بهتر که باعث نمی شود زیرساخت های عمده هسته ای ایران و این مدت زمان کوتاه فرار هسته ای به قوه خود باقی بمانند؛ توافق بهتری که محدودیت های برنامه اتمی ایران را تا زمانی که تهاجمات ایران ادامه داشته باشد حفظ می کند؛ توافق بهتری که راه آسانی به ایران برای دستابی به بمب ارائه نمی دهد؛ توافق بهتری که ممکن است اسرائیل و همسایگان آن دوست نداشته باشند اما بتوانند با آن کنار بیایند و در واقع به موجودیت خود ادامه دهند. و هیچ کشوری به اندازه اسرائیل از توافقی خوب که به صورتی صلح آمیز این تهدید را برطرف سازد حمایت نمی کند .
خانم ها و آقایان،
تاریخ ما را در دو راهی سرنوشت سازی قرار داده است. حال ما باید یکی از این دو راه را انتخاب کنیم. یک راه منجر به توافق بدی می شود که موقطا جاه طلبی های هسته ای ایران را محدود می کند ولی در نهایت باعث ظهور ایرانی مسلح به سلاح اتمی شده و با طبیعت تهاجمی ایران، بدون شک منجر به جنگ می شود. راه دوم، هر چند دشوار ، می تواند به توافقی بسیار بهتر منتهی شود. توافقی که از رسیدن ایران به سلاح هسته ای، خاورمیانه ای هسته ای و پیامدهای وحشتناک هر دو، برای انسانیت جلوگیری می کند.
لازم نیست نوشته های رابرت فراست را بخوانید که بدانید باید زندگی کنید تا متوجه شوید که راه دشوارتر معمولاً راهی است که کمتر از آن گذر می شود، ولی برای آینده کشور من، امنیت خاورمیانه و صلح جهانی که همه ما سزاوار آن هستیم، گدر از این راه کم گذار، اهمیت بسیار خواهد داشت.
دوستان من، ایستادن در برابر ایران کار آسانی نیست. ایستادن در برابر یک رژیم تاریک و قاتل هرگز راحت نیست. امروز، الی ویزل بازمانده هولوکاست و برنده جایزه نوبل در کنار ما حضور دارد. الی، زندگی و آثار تو الهام بخش معنی دادن به واژگان «تکرار گذشته، هرگز» است. و الی، ای کاش من می توانستم این قول را به تو بدهم که درس های تاریخ را آموخته ایم. فقط می توانم از رهبران دنیا بخواهم که اشتباهات گذشته را تکرار نکنند. آینده را قربانی حال نکنند، تجاوزگری را به امید صلحی واهی فراموش نکنند.
اما من می توانم این را تضمین کنم که ایامی که مردم یهودی در برابر دشمنان نسل کش منفعل بودند به سر رسیده است. ما دیگر در میان ملت ها پراکنده نیستیم و در دفاع از خود ضعیف نیستیم. ما حاکمیت خود را در سرزمین باستانی مان یافتیم. و سربازانی که از خانه ما دفاع می کنند، شجاعتی بی حد و مرز دارند. برای اولین بار طی صدها نسل گذشته، ما یهودی ها می توانیم از خود دفاع کنیم.
به این دلیل است که من به عنوان نخست وزیر اسرائیل، می توانم به شما یک قول دیگر بدهم: حتی اگر اسرائیل مجبور باشد تنها بایستد،خواهد ایستاد. اما من می دانم که اسرائیل تنها نخواهد ایستاد. و من می دانم که آمریکا در کنار اسرائیل خواهد ایستاد. من می دانم شما در کنار اسرائیل خواهید ایستاد. شما در کنار اسرائیل خواهید ایستاد زیرا می دانید که داستان اسرائیل فقط مربوط به مردم یهودی نمی شود، بلکه مسئله روح بشری است که همواره از تسلیم در برابر دهشت های تاریخ سرباز می زند.
روبروی من بر روی دیوار گالری، پیش روی همه ما در این اتاق، تصویر موسی است. موسی مردم ما را از بردگی به سوی دروازه های سرزمین موعود هدایت کرد. و پیشاپیش مردم اسرائیل وارد سرزمین اسرائیل شد. موسی به ما پیامی داد که طی هزاران سال اراده ما را تقویت کرده است. من امروز این پیام را به شما می دهم، "قوی و مصمم باشید، از آنها ترس و واهمه ای نداشته باشید."
دوستان من، امیدواریم اسرائیل و آمریکا همیشه در کنار یکدیگر قوی و مصمم باشند. به امید این که هیچ وقت از چالش های پیش روی خود ترس و واهمه ای نداشته باشیم. به امید آینده ای با اعتماد به نفس، قدرت و امید.
خداوند نگهدار کشور اسرائیل باشد و خداوند ایاللت متحده آمریکا را حفظ کند. متشکرم. شما فوق العاده هستید. متشکرم آمریکا.
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