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In the wake of two deadly terrorist attacks that targeted the Iranian Parliament and the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum in Tehran, security sources have pointed to Iranian Kurds affiliated with ISIS as the likely perpetrators. While Iranian authorities arrested 41 people in connection to the attacks on Friday, only one attacker, Serias Sadeghi, has been identified. Sadeghi is an Iranian Kurd from Paveh, a city in western Iran, and has been cited as a prominent recruiter for ISIS in Iranian Kurdistan.

Wednesdays attacks occurred simultaneously at around 10:30 a.m. during the middle of Ramadan, an annual, month-long observance among Muslims that commemorates the first revelation of the prophet Muhammad. It is not uncommon for ISIS to carry out attacks at this time, as militants seek the honor of obtaining martyrdom during the holy month of jihad. In the first attack, a team of four people carrying assault rifles and wearing suicide vests attempted to enter the administrative building of the Iranian Parliament. The attackers shot at some and kidnapped others, with one attacker running loose on the streets of Tehran. Eventually, one of the attackers detonated his vest, while the remaining three were killed in a shoot-out with police officers.

The second attack consisted of two people entering the Imam Khomeini Mausoleum, a tribute to the founder of the Islamic Republic that houses the remains of numerous political figures. In a nearly-identical scenario, one of the attackers, a female suicide bomber, blew up her vest, while the other was killed in a shoot-out. On Wednesday, The Guardians Simon Tisdall provided an analogy to explain the significance of the attack. For Iranians, he said, the attack on Khomeinis tomb is the equivalent of somebody trying to blow up the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In total, at least 12 people were killed and 46 wounded. In a video posted Thursday on Amaq News, the ISIS media channel, five men and their leader, who some believe to be Sadeghi, claimed responsibility for both attacks. The men can be heard speaking in Arabic and Kurdish, lending credence to the all-but-confirmed theory that Iranian Kurds were behind the incident. This is a message from the soldiers of Islamic State in Iran, soldiers of the first brigade of Islamic State in Iran which, God willing, wont be the last, the leader in the video says. This brigade will mark the start of jihad in Iran, and we call on our Muslim brothers to join us.

While the attacks represent ISISs first strike inside Iran, the nation has long been a suspected target of the Islamic State. In March, the group released a video saying they would conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before. The majority of Iranian citizens are Shiites, whom ISIS regards as apostates. ISIS, on the other hand, subscribes to a strict version of Sunni Islam that comprises a mere five percent of Irans population. The fact that Wednesdays attackers were most likely Sunni Iranian Kurds could signal the beginning of a larger insurgency within the nation. Indeed, that seems to be ISISs very goal. On Friday, Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, an Arabic affairs analyst, told The New York Times that the border towns and villages and tribes along Irans east, west, and southern borders are poor and vulnerable to extremism, with young unemployed men particularly susceptible to recruitment.

Even with ISIS claiming responsibility for the attacks, Iranian officials have been quick to blame the incident on their international rivals: Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the U.S. On Friday, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the attacks would only increase hatred for the governments of the United States and their stooges in the region like the Saudis. While the White House said it was grieving and praying over the victims of the attacks, it scornfully noted that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote. In a Thursday tweet, Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, called the statement repugnant, arguing that the terrorist incident was backed by U.S. clients. Iranian people reject such U.S. claims of friendship, he added.

This sentiment was shared by a number of Iranians during the nations prayers on Friday. The Times reports that Friday worshippers shouted Death to Saudi Arabia and Death the United States, Britain, and Israel. Meanwhile, a speaker proclaimed that America and Saudi Arabia could not get anything from their proxy wars, so they decided to bring the war here, inside Iran. But the problem at stake remains even bigger than this deep-seated international rivalry: In their video released Thursday, ISIS suggested that Saudi Arabia could be next.

Read more:
Iranian Kurds Likely Responsible for ISIS Attacks in Tehran - The Atlantic

"And if so, maybe this is a Trump maybe it's a Trump strategy of actually supporting one group against another, considering that you have two terrorist organizations."

One day after 17 people died in an apparent ISIS attack in Iran, a California congressman questioned whether such an event might be a "good thing," and appeared to suggest that the United States might be able to collaborate with the terrorist group.

"Isn't it a good thing for us to have the United States finally backing up Sunnis who will attack Hezbollah and the Shia threat to us? Isn't that a good thing?" Rohrabacher asked a panel of terrorism experts assembled for a House hearing on Hezbollah financing Thursday.

"Maybe this is a Trump maybe it's a Trump strategy of actually supporting one group against another considering that you have two terrorist organizations," he added.

The remarks were a reference to a pair of deadly rampages in Tehran Wednesday, in which attackers laid siege inside Iran's parliament building and outside the tomb of the Islamic Republic founder's Ayatollah Khomeini. The attacks the first claimed by ISIS in Iran left 17 people dead and dozens more injured.

A representative for Rohrabacher did not immediately respond to requests for comment, or to explain the congressman's comments.

In a statement issued late Wednesday, the White House expressed condolences for the attack, while also suggesting that Iran had brought the attack on itself.

"We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times," the statement read. "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote."

Two terrorism experts testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday quickly shot down Rohrabacher's idea.

"Those attacks were claimed by the Islamic state," said Matthew Levitt, director of the Washington Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. "It's never in our interest to support a group like the Islamic State."

But Rohrabacher seemed to press on, trying to interrupt Levitt multiple times to ask "even when...."

"That's like, Joe Stalin was a horrible guy, we must never associated with horrible guys like that, even to get Hitler," Rohrabacher finally said. "So, maybe it's a good idea to have radical Muslim terrorists fighting each other, and I'll leave it at that."

Another witness then chimed in his disagreement.

"Having coordinated the economic warfare plan against the Islamic State, I would not condone an attack by the Islamic State," said terror financing expert David Asher. "I would be determined to destroy them."

The National Iranian American Council also condemned the congressman's comments, calling them callous and bizarre.

"Rohrabacher has a long history of bizarre and offensive statement son Iran, but his callousness toward the Iranian victims of ISIS terror might be his most callous and extreme thus far," the organization said in a statement.

Read more:
This California Congressman Asked If A Terror Attack In Iran Might Be "A Good Thing" - BuzzFeed News

HONG KONG: The slim World Cup qualification hopes of both China and Qatar could finally end this week while Iran could become the first Asian nation to book their place in next year's finals in Russia.

Carlos Queiroz's team take on Uzbekistan in Tehran on Monday evening knowing a win over the Central Asian nation will ensure the Iranians qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row, the first time the country will have secured a place at back-to-back tournaments.

The Iranians lead Group A by four points from South Korea with the Uzbeks in third, a further point adrift of Iran with three games remaining.

The Chinese sit in fifth and take on fourth-placed Syria in the Malaysian city of Malacca on Tuesday with coach Marcello Lippi knowing his side must win to retain any possibility of qualification for the nation's first World Cup since 2002.

"It is totally within our capabilities to defeat Syria," said Lippi after seeing his side beat the Philippines 8-1 in a friendly in Guangzhou on Wednesday evening.

"If we lose to Syria both at home and away, then we deserve to be eliminated. If we don't want to give up now, no matter what we have to take down Syria."

The Syrians, who have defied the odds to remain in contention for a place in Russia and have eight points from seven games, won the previous match between the teams prior to Lippi's arrival as coach in November.

China sit on five points and retain a mathematical possibility of taking second place in the group from South Korea, but Lippi and his team need Uli Stielke's side to slip up in Doha when they take on a Qatar team who also need to win.

The Qataris, who will host the 2022 finals, have just four points and cannot finish in one of the top two spots that guarantee an automatic berth in Russia. They can, however, climb up to third, which secures a place in a series of playoffs.

In Group B, Japan can put daylight between themselves and second placed Saudi Arabia with victory over already eliminated Iraq in Tehran on Tuesday.

Japan currently sit level on 16 points with the Saudis and Australia, who defeated the Bert van Marwijk-coached Saudis 3-2 in Adelaide on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, under new coach Edgardo Bauza from Argentina, must win in Bangkok against Thailand to keep their hopes alive of a first World Cup appearance since 1990.

(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

See original here:
China, Qatar face elimination as Iran look to Russia - Channel NewsAsia

wbur

Comey testifies. A new FBI Director nominated. Iran terror attack. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.

James Comey above all this week, in testimony on Capitol Hill, and the question: Did the President of the United States attempt to obstruct justice in conversation with the former director of the FBI? The whole country seemed to be listening. In the UK this week, a stunning election result puts Britain and its Brexit in trouble. In the Mideast, a row over Qatar, and terror in Tehran. Weve got Trump on infrastructure. Reality Winner. Bill Cosby on trial. This hourOn Point: Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. -- Tom Ashbrook

Lisa Desjardins, correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. (@LisaDNews)

Michael Crowley, senior foreign affairs correspondent for POLITICO.(@michaelcrowley)

Jack Beatty,On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

POLITICO:Comey blasts White House for lies, plain and simple -- "Fired FBI Director James Comey used a blockbuster appearance before the Senate on Thursday to accuse the Trump administration of slandering him with its explanations of his abrupt dismissal, but also said he did not believe President Donald Trump or his aides asked him to stop the broad probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election."

New York Times:Who is Christopher Wray? Trumps F.B.I. Pick Is Said to Be Low-Key and Principled "Mr. Wray is a safe, mainstream pick from a president who at one point was considering politicians for a job that has historically been kept outside partisanship. A former assistant attorney general under President George W. Bush, Mr. Wray is likely to assuage the fears of F.B.I. agents who worried that Mr. Trump would try to weaken or politicize the agency."

Tehran Times:Twin terror attacks hit Irans parliament, Imam Khomeini shrine -- "Iran's parliament and the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Revolution, were targeted on Wednesday morning by two simultaneous gun and suicide bomb assaults. The attacks unfolded as a number of gunmen stormed the main gate of the parliament building in central Tehran and opened fire. At the same time, a shooting spree targeted Imam Khomeinis shrine about 25 kilometers away in south Tehran."

Comey Hearing

Lisa Desjardins: "It was quite a hearing, and it had a lot of billing to live up to. I think it did that. I counted 259 questions in just over two and half hours yesterday, so that was more than one a minute. It was essentially a marathon at a sprinter's pace, if that makes sense. And I think what came across from that was more of an overall impression of the direction of the clouds, if you will, over President Trump ... There were some very large red flags that rose higher yesterday, but overall Republicans prosecuted their case against Mr. Comey, trying to bring up the point that, well obstruction of justice may not be something when a president says he 'hopes' you can see to do something. It has to be more clear than that. And Mr. Comey, while he said he felt he was being directed to do something, stressed that it was a feeling he had. This hasn't cleared the bar for obstruction of justice yet, Democrats are still making that case, but Republicans were happy that it seemed to fall short, at least so far.

Michael Crowley: "The Trump team and the Republican party have been hitting back on Comey pretty hard, and I would say given the terrible hand they've been dealt here, relatively effectively. Overall, Comey comes across as a sincere, credible, devoted now-former public servant. And I think that in a vacuum, if you didn't have partisan allegiances, I think most Americans, it's hard to imagine, would not find him incredibly compelling and credible. But there has been this organized counter-attack against his testimony that I think is probably scoring some points, certainly giving something for Republicans and Trump's core supporters to hang on to.

It has to worry them that this crack is going to widen and perhaps engulf them.

Jack Beatty: "This president has shown throughout the campaign, and certainly since his inauguration, that he has a almost wanton disregard for the truth, whether it's lying or dissembling or deceit whatever you want to call it, there's numerical markers for this. And Mr. Comey went right at that that is the character flaw in the president that makes defending him a very difficult proposition. And that has to, at some level, worry Republicans. Yes, I think Michael is right, they're rallying around as far as they can, but it has to worry them that this crack is going to widen and perhaps engulf them.

Britain Election Upset

Michael Crowley: "It really is a surreal turn of events in British politics, which has been chaotic for several years now, and what we're left with is kind of a scrambled egg. And I think people are still sorting through it and trying to figure out what emerges ... This backfired spectacularly on Theresa May, and what we can't be sure of is what role Donald Trump might have played here. Donald Trump, who is very unpopular in the UK and across Europe. May, of course, very early in Trump's presidency, went to the White House. They had a very chummy meeting, they rather famously held hands as they walked along the back of the White House outside the rose garden ... There are just all kinds of tides and currents happening in European politics right now, that I think we don't fully understand, and which are just causing chaos across the Western world.

There are just all kinds of tides and currents happening in European politics right now, that I think we don't fully understand, and which are just causing chaos across the Western world.

Trump's 'Infrastructure Week'

Lisa Desjardins: "We don't what kind of impact this would have on, say, taxes. Is he planning to use tax incentives to try and encourage businesses? That would have a major effect, potentially, on the deficit. There is no actual formal plan yet, there are just sort of bullet points that we've heard from the White House about what they would like to do. I think more than anything I don't want to rain on the infrastructure parade, because it is something that everyone recognizes as a need, and Democrats and Republicans both would like to work on but the truth is that congress is so backed up and so unable, right now, to find the votes for major issues, including health care and then tax reform, that it's not clear at all when a major infrastructure plan could get on the agenda.

Listen to our recent show on Trump's infrastructure plan.

This program aired on June 9, 2017.

Originally posted here:
Week In The News: Comey Hearing, Trump Tumult, Terror In Iran - WBUR

Tehran - Iran voiced its opposition on Saturday to an announcement by Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region that it will organise a vote on independence later this year.

"Iran's principal position is to support the territorial integrity of Iraq," foreign ministry spokesperson Bahram Ghasemi said.

"The Kurdistan region is part of the Iraqi republic and unilateral decisions outside the national and legal framework, especially the Iraqi constitution... can only lead to new problems."

Iraqi Kurdish leaders announced on Wednesday that they will organise an independence referendum on September 25, not only in their three-province autonomous region but also in other historically Kurdish-majority areas they have long sought to incorporate in it.

Iran worries about separatism among its own Kurds, most of whom live in areas along the border with Iraq.

Deadly clashes

Rebels of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) launch sporadic attacks into Iran from rear-bases in Iraq, triggering sometimes deadly clashes with the security forces.

After an upsurge attacks in 2011, Iranian troops launched a cross-border incursion, forcing KDPI to retreat deeper into Iraq.

The federal government in Baghdad is deeply opposed to the referendum plan of the regional government in Arbil, as is neighbouring Turkey, which has a large and restive Kurdish minority of its own.

Washington has expressed concern that it could distract from the joint fight against the Islamic State group by stoking tensions between the Kurds, and Arabs and Turkmen in northern Iraq.

"An integrated, stable and democratic Iraq guarantees the interests of the whole people [of Iraq] from all ethnic and religious groups," Ghasemi said.

"Today, Iraq more than ever needs peace and national unity and differences between Arbil and Baghdad must be resolved within the framework of dialogue and in compliance with Iraq's constitution."

24.com encourages commentary submitted via MyNews24. Contributions of 200 words or more will be considered for publication.

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Iran opposes Iraqi Kurdish independence vote - News24