Is it sabotage or just an accident?
"Two in Tehran are missing after explosion near military complex" New York Times October 07, 2014
TEHRAN — A mysterious explosion at or near a military complex rocked the Iranian capital on Sunday, lighting up the skies over the city.
Iranian official sources denied the explosion had taken place at the complex, the expansive Parchin military site in the east of the city, where international monitors suspect Iran once tested triggers for potential nuclear weapons.
But the enormous orange flash that illuminated Tehran around 11:15 p.m. local time clearly came from that direction, several witnesses said.
Officials at Iran’s Defense Industries Organization, though also denying that the explosion took place at Parchin, confirmed that two people were missing after “an ordinary fire” caused by “chemical reactions of flammable material” at an unspecified production unit, according to the Iranian Student News Agency.
Witnesses in the east of Tehran said that windows had been shattered near the military complex and that all trees in a 100-yard radius of two villages, Changi and Hammamak, were burned. The villages are on the outskirts of the military site.
UFO?
Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency were given access to Parchin in 2005, but they have since been refused follow-up inspections.
The United Nations agency is still seeking access to the site, where they suspect Iran of having conducted high-explosive experiments related to nuclear weapon research. Iran has denied this, saying the site is part of its regular military program and is therefore off limits to inspections.
Built during the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the site was traditionally used as a munitions storage facility, but it is also used for the production of missile engines and drones.
--more--"
Related:
"The Parchin military complex east of Tehran is suspected by the IAEA of being used to test of explosives meant to set off a nuclear charge. Earlier this week, Iranian opposition reports said there was a massive explosion at the site — something Iranian authorities denied. Iran says it does not want nuclear arms and never worked toward them."
At this point, I believe the Iranians more than my own government. Sorry.
Btw, "an International Atomic Energy Agency staff member of a ‘‘particular nationality’’ was refused a visa." I'll give you one guess jwho it might be.
The real troublemaker in the region:
"Saudi top diplomat criticizes Iran over conflicts" Associated Press October 14, 2014
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Monday lashed out at regional rival Iran, accusing the Shi’ite powerhouse of having forces inside Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and insisting that Iran is ‘‘part of the problem’’ in trying to defuse myriad Mideast crises.
The House of Zaud might as well be Jewish.
Saud al-Faisal said that Tehran should pull its troops, which he called ‘‘occupying forces,’’ from the three Mideast nations stricken by conflicts and violence if it wants to be part of the solution. Faisal did not elaborate on his allegations.
What an EUSraeli tool!
Iran insists it has no forces on the ground in any of the three countries, but has sent advisers to help President Bashar Assad of Syria keep his hold on power and to the Shi’ite-led government in Baghdad to battle the Islamic State group.
US has sent "advisers," too, but no ground troops.
Iran is Syria’s strongest ally in the Middle East and has provided Assad’s government with military and political backing for years. Iran also is believed to be sending weapons and money to Syria.
Related: The Enablers of ISIS
Yeah, well.... that's explosive.
Saudi Arabia has joined the US-led coalition in airstrikes against Islamic State fighters who have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria, saying it seeks to support the Syrian opposition battling Assad and crush the extremist fighters.
‘‘In many of these conflicts, Iran is part of the problem and not part of the solution,’’ Faisal said during a news conference in the Saudi city of Jiddah with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany.
You mean Israel.
‘‘If Iran wants to contribute to solving the problems in Syria, it should withdraw its troops from Syria,’’ he said, adding the same applies to Yemen and Iraq.
Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates have also joined in airstrikes against the extremist group; Qatar is providing logistical support.
--more--"
Who is the enemy again?
"US worker killed by ex-colleague in Saudi Arabia" by Abdullah Al-Shihri | Associated Press October 15, 2014
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A Saudi-American dual national who was recently fired from a US defense contractor shot two American former colleagues in Saudi Arabia’s capital, killing one and wounding the other in what appeared to be a settling of scores, security and diplomatic officials said.
The gunman, Abdulaziz Fahad Abdulaziz Alrashid, was taken into police custody after being injured in a shootout with Saudi security forces, said a statement released in Washington on behalf of the Saudi Embassy. Alrashid, 24, was recently dismissed from his job for drug-related issues, the statement said, citing the Saudi Interior Ministry for that information.
A person with knowledge of the shooting, who was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, said that the shooter believed that the victim he shot dead had turned him in for the alleged drug use.
The victims were employees of Vinnell Arabia, a US defense contractor supporting Saudi National Guard military programs in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and were shot about a half-mile from its facility in the city, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The site, on the eastern side of the capital, is also near the Saudi National Guard headquarters.
The attack was likely to send chills through the Western expatriate workforce in the kingdom, which has been on alert for possible terrorism. In September, Saudi police said they had arrested 88 people suspected of being part of an Al Qaeda cell that was planning attacks inside and outside the kingdom.
They are the main supplier of manpower for Al-CIA-Duh back to the 1980s and bin Laden days.
--more--"
And the enemy of my enemy is....
"Saudi sentences iconic Shiite cleric to death" Associated Press October 16, 2014
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A well-known Shi’ite cleric was sentenced to death Wednesday by a court in Saudi Arabia, sparking fears of renewed unrest from his supporters in the kingdom and neighboring Bahrain.
By beheading, but that doesn't raise alarm like the phony video productions of ISIS.
Sheik Nimr al-Nimr’s case has been watched closely by minority Saudi Shi’ites in the eastern region of the majority Sunni kingdom. The case was seen as a barometer for Saudi Arabia’s handling of Shi’ite grievances over the past years and a clear message of zero-tolerance to other Shi’ite activists.
Nimr, 54, had faced charges that include disobeying the ruler, firing on security forces, sowing discord, undermining national unity, and interfering in the affairs of a sisterly nation. A statement by the cleric’s family described the verdict as discretionary, saying the judge had the option of ordering a lighter sentence.
Prosecutors asked for execution followed by crucifixion. In Saudi Arabia, most death sentences are carried out by beheading. Crucifixion in this context means the body and head would then be put on public display.
Good thing they are sitting on gobs of oil or the US might spew human rights.
Two brothers of the convicted cleric were also apparently detained after the verdict, according to family members and activists. Mohammed al-Nimr, had told the Associated Press earlier Wednesday that he would be in the courtroom for the verdict and he announced his brother’s conviction on Twitter. Another brother, Montathir, later wrote on Twitter that Mohammed was arrested after the verdict at the courthouse. Activists who spoke to Montathir said that when the eldest brother, Jaafar, went to ask about Mohammed, he, too, was detained in Riyadh.
Nimr al-Nimr had not denied the political charges but denied ever carrying weapons or calling for violence. He can appeal the sentence.
--more--"
