Death decree on Salman Rushdie, author of the Satanic Verses, by Khomeini will remain in force forever according to an announcement by the clerical regime's so called "Martyrs Foundation" today.
The announcement was made on the anniversary of the 1989 fatwa (death decree) issued by the founder of the religious dictatorship in Iran.
"Imam Khomeini's fatwa on the apostate Salman Rushdie will remain in force for eternity," said the Martyrs Foundation, which has offered 2.8 millon dollar bounty for Rushdie's head.

Iran Focus– Radical Islamists attacked the German embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, protesting the printing of insulting cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in European dailies.

Dozens of members of the Bassij, an off-shoot of the Revolutionary Guards, hurled stones at the embassy building shattering several windows.

They chanted, “Death to America”, “Death to Israel”, and “Fascist Germany is the slave of the Zionists”, demanding the closure of the embassy.

Several U.S. and Israeli flags were set on fire outside the embassy compound.

On Friday, the German daily Der Tagesspiegel published a cartoon of Iranian football players with explosives tied to around their chests, drawing further outrage from Tehran. Germany hosts the 2006 World Cup.

Iran Focus – Hard-line radicals linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards rallied outside the British embassy in Tehran and called for the death of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The protestors, who threw stones and fire bombs at the embassy, were demonstrating against London’s stance against Tehran’s nuclear file and the publication of insulting cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in European dailies.

“Death to Tony Blair”, they chanted, as they set British flags on fire.

They also burnt American, French, German, and Israeli flags as they chanted slogans such as “Death to Britain”, “Death to France”, “Death to Germany”, and “Death to Israel”.

Several embassy windows were shattered during the attack.

The several-hundred hard-liners called for the expulsion of British ambassador Sir Richard Dalton and the closure of the British embassy, which has come under several similar attacks over the past week.

Prior to the attack on the British embassy, a smaller crowd attacked the German embassy in Tehran.

Western officials have said that Iran’s rulers have deliberately been encouraging violent protests over the cartoons.

In Tehran, the embassies of Britain, France, Germany, Norway, Austria, and Denmark have all come under attack during similar protests.

On Monday, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said that countries such as Iran and Syria which did not protect foreign embassies should pay the cost of damages.
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Picture(FARS and ISNA news agency)

Reuters
Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN -- Tehran on Tuesday confirmed it had restarted work on uranium enrichment, a process the West fears could be used to build nuclear weapons, but said it would take some time to crank up to industrial-scale production.

Iran says it needs to make enriched uranium in an underground nuclear facility near the central town of Natanz in order to run power stations.

"The order to resume uranium enrichment has been issued and, in accordance with that, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation has restarted the process," deputy nuclear negotiator Javad Vaeedi told reporters.

Iran's parliament passed a law in November that Iran should resume making atomic fuel if its case was referred to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear programme. Tehran was reported to the world body earlier this month.

However, Vaeedi said Iran would not be able to reach industrial-scale production of atomic fuel quickly.

"We need some time to reach that level with all centrifuges because of the 2 1/2 year suspension. However, the preliminary phases have been launched," he said. Centrifuges enrich uranium by spinning it at supersonic speed.

Diplomats said in September that Iran could have serious difficulties in enriching uranium on an industrial scale, pumping uranium hexafluoride gas of a quality so poor into the centrifuges that it could damage them.

They also doubted Iran's technical ability to get centrifuges to work in cascades.

Vaeedi said delayed talks with Moscow, seeking a compromise to the nuclear dispute, would take place in Russia on February 20.

Russia has suggested it can break the diplomatic impasse by enriching uranium on Tehran's behalf.

Diplomats hope this proposal would guarantee that atomic fuel was not diverted into arms. But Iran has given no indication that it would surrender its right to enrich the uranium it mines in its central deserts.

"We still want to reach a formula to prove that we will not divert uranium enriched on Iranian soil," Vaeedi said. "We are prepared to hold talks with anyone who has something to say."

kurdishinfo.com

Roj TV makes sure that Kurds are not obliged to watch the scarcity of images directly controlled by the Turkish state. Because of Roj TVs modern satellite technology, Roj TV escapes the hands of Turkish dominance and censure.

Despite some EU-reforms in Turkey, there isnt something you can call real Kurdish television. The 30 minutes of state-run broadcasts and 45 minutes of private-run broadcasts are frankly not enough. This is an example that Turkish homogenisation and assimilation policy is still out there.

Roj TV, like KurdistanTV, Zaghros TV and Kurdsat makes sure that Kurds in Turkey and Kurdistan regain their pride, by becoming more aware of their Kurdish identity by delivering an alternative to Turkish television.

Kurds will become educated on their own identity, by educational information on Kurdish history, Kurdish literature, landmark geographical sites in Kurdistan, Kurdish culture, etc.

With the on-going debate about freedom of _expression because of the cartoon-row, Roj TV is also in danger. Premier Erdogan concluded that, freedom of speech has its limits. I cannot agree with this, because if I would, it would give pretence for anti-democratic measures like closing Roj TV, stopping criticism on religion, family and governments under the name of respect. This would mean the end of freedom of speech and the start of a new dictatorship.

In the discussion about Roj TV, PKK is not the point. If you think the Turkish state is sacred and holy, then I can assure that this isnt true. Just look to the number of Turkish nationalists still roaming in the Turkish government (MHP). Frankly Roj TV is offering a platform for more Kurdish parties from all parts of Kurdistan. It isnt only focusing on Northern edges of Kurdistan, there is attention for situation of Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian `occupied´ Kurdistan as a lot of Kurds would say.

An example is that Roj TV last year invited politicians from the opposition parties Komala and KDP-I, after demonstrations in Eastern-Kurdistan (Iranian). They also once asked parties from Western Kurdistan (Syrian) to comment on the events there. Roj TV therefore creates more unity among the Kurds, which was also seen in the support of Kurdistan TV for the survival of Roj TV.( rival TV-station of KDP)

Another good point of Roj-TV that it is multilingual like the most of the Kurdish TV-stations. Roj TV can be seen as an example for the mostly Turkish programmes on Turkish television. Roj TV even broadcasts in Turkish, although its meant to also reach Kurds who have forgotten their mother language.

Roj TV actually promotes democracy by giving an alternative view and showing Kurdish television 24 hours a day. Turkey still not managed to close Roj TV in the EU and therefore became a needle in the eye of Turkish republic. Even Turkish journalists-writers didnt deny that Roj TV is popular and watched by non-PKK-Kurds, as well pro-PKK Kurds.

Therefore Roj TV is a source of pressure, next to the developments in South-Kurdistan and the EU democratization process. Turkey may realise that the only way to decrease the influence and support for Roj TV is by allowing more and longer Kurdish television broadcasting. This only can be seen as something positive. I think that even people within Roj TV would welcome more Kurdish television, as a the Roj-TV producer Hessen Qazi told me: Every Kurdish television station must be welcomed, because it will result in more pluralism .

Then at last Roj TV could compete with those other Kurdish channels, instead of being subject of Turkish intervention and pressure. This is the only way it should be and thats why the closure of Roj TV must be stopped. The destruction of Roj TV would mean the end of freedom of speech and would partly stop the further development of the Kurdish issue and the democratization of Turkey.

* Journalist in the Netherlands.

PWD

Patriotic Democratic Party of Kurdistan (PWD) Coordination member and assistant coordinator Kani Yilmaz was slain on February 11, 2006 at approximately 10:00 am as a result of a car bomb in the city of Suleymaniye in South-Kurdistan (North Iraq). PWD Member Sabri (Serdar Kaya) was also murdered with him in his car.

The team who performed the murder was hired by PKK. Veli Çat, code name Numan, from Hilvan Urfa was separated from PKK Special Team and was sent undercover. He had been staying at the Seyit Sadik Camp near Suleymaniye for approximately a year. Just before the murders Serdar-a code name- who is tied to HPG Military Intelligence Team Member ran by Murat Karayilan had provided him with the explosives. These group of individuals telephone conversations before the murders are recorded and available.

On February 11th, Numan traveled from Seyid Sadiq Camp to Suleymaniye with Kani Yilmaz in his car. While in the car with Kani Yilmaz and Sabri Tori, Numan carefully placed the case containing the explosives and he was dropped of at the entrance of Suleymaniye, Rizgari District, at the industrial intersection of Highway 60. Once the car was about 700 meters away, he detonated the explosives with a remote control and immediately after the explosion Numan and PKK Military Intelligence member Serdar has disappeared.

The police and expert teams intensively investigated the explosion and informed our party officially that the explosion was done by a remote control.

Kani Yilmaz worked for years within the PKK for the civil rights of Kurdish People and he served many years in prison in Turkey because of his struggle. After being released from prison Kani Yilmaz acted as PKK’s foreman in Europe. He was very well known in Europe by many Press members and Politicians.

After Abdullah Ocalan’s capture and imprisonment in Turkey Kani Yilmaz and a group of his comrades have criticized PKK’s goals and separated from PKK and assembled a new party, PWD which stands for patriotic Democratic Party of Kurdistan

PWD was aimed and slandered by PKK and its members from the first day of its assembly. PKK set ground for murders of PWD members especially through ROJ TV, the TV station known as serving PKK.

Serdar Kaya who was murdered along with Kani Yilmaz had served in the PKK for 15 years from the mountains of Kurdistan against the Turkish Military. He had also left PKK and joined forces with PWD.

Kani and Serdar won’t be PKK’s Stalinist Strategy’s first or the last victims.

Previously PKK also murdered Sipan, Kemale Sor and Hikmet Fidan for leaving PKK

PKK continues its speeches on human rights and democracy in the world, their campaigns on “No Death Penalty” continues because of their leader Ocalan’s situation, yet their hypocrisy also continues and they murder the Kurdish people who do not think alike.

Abdullah Ocalan is responsible for the murder on Kani Yilmaz and all those other murdered by PKK

Others who are responsible for these murders are as follows:

PKK Presidency Council Members Cemil Bayik and Murat Karayilan

PKK's Legal Party in Iraq PCKD.

Roj TV based in Brussels

PKK’s European Representative/Authority Zubeyr Aydar.

PKK’s legal Party in Turkey DTP

We’re asking that you say “NO” to the murders of kurds bye the PKK. The PKK is today a instrument in the hands of the Turkish state. Please raise your voice say no to the murders bye the PKK

Office of the PWD in Europe
14 February 2006

www.kurdmedia.com/articles.asp?id=11362